Thursday 23rd April 2026
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Keep Off The Grass 2021

Irene Zhang
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Keep Off The Grass 2021

Hello and welcome to Oxford! Congratulations on getting here and starting the next chapter of your life in a place as special as this city; you’ve worked hard, and although there are more challenges ahead, this university has so much to offer.

Keep Off The Grass, our guide for freshers, attempts to reflect as much of this as possible. Every Michaelmas Cherwell (our favourite Oxford student newspaper) compiles a pamphlet full of insightful advice, meant to induct you into Oxford-local status in eight tabs.

Thank you to our lovely and talent team of editors and illustrators. We hope that this is a handy guide as you dive into the thrilling adventure that is Oxford life, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions!

Yours sincerely,
Sasha and Irene, Co-Editors in Chief

Contributors: Anneka Pink, Clementine Scott, Daisy Aitchison, Katie Kirkpatrick, Maurício Alencar, Sara Hashmi
Editor: Irene Zhang
Illustrator: Aleksandra Pluta

An Oxford-to-English Dictionary

Societies and Activities

Academics

Libraries

Cafés

Date spots

Pubs

Creative Pursuits

Traditions

Cover illustration by Aleksandra Pluta.

Image credits (top to bottom):

Caleb Roenigk via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Caroline Culler via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Penn State via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

David Iliff via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Bex Walton via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Kin Mun Lee via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Jim Linwood via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Fabrice Florin via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Sheng P. via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

An Oxford-English Dictionary

Sara Hashmi
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An Oxford-English Dictionary

0th Week (noughth week)

  • the week before term starts, when most people move back to Oxford. This is when collections typically happen.

Battels

  • your bill for the term ahead. Normally you get this at the beginning of the term, and pay the upcoming charges. Charges from the previous term can also be ‘batteled’, so put on the next bill. E.g. “The stash will be batteled.”

Bod card

  • your student card, identifying you as a member of the university. Used to access libraries (hence ‘Bod’, after the Bodleian Libraries) and to get into some buildings. E.g. “Uh oh, Ayesha’s lost her Bod card again.”

Cherwell:

  1. the main river flowing through Oxford.
  2. Oxford’s best student newspaper.

Collections

  • college-administrated mock exams you take to consolidate the work of the term just gone. They don’t count for anything, but can be a good indicator of where you’re at. Different tutors have vastly different opinions on collections, so keep that in mind! Eg “Collections? They’re just an Oxford fetish I think, I’m not picky about them.” (an actual quote from my tutor)

Cuppers

  • any intercollegiate college competition, but most commonly used for sports fixtures.

Entz

  • short for “entertainment”, fun organised by your college.

Fifth week blues

  • the general slump in mood in 5th week. Just past the halfway point in term, this is the point where all hope is lost and term seems nearly endless. But, worry not, because colleges often hold welfare week in 5th week to combat the blues!

Hack:

  1. someone running for a position in a political society, most commonly the Union. Hacks can typically be found standing in plodge or in your Facebook messages, inviting you for a coffee and a chat about why you should vote for them. 
  2. to hack: to campaign for a position in a society.

Hall:

  1. the grand building in the centre of college where you eat your meals. Some colleges are almost entirely catered, whilst others have more flexibility.
  2. the food you eat from Hall. Eg “Do you wanna grab Hall together tonight?”

Hilary:

  • the second term of the academic year, running from January to March.

The Isis:

  1. the part of the River Thames that flows through the city. Home to the rowing boathouses, competitions, and the dread rowers feel getting up at 6am for training. Can be found at the end of Christ Church Meadows.
  2. a student magazine full of poetry, culture and writing, published termly.

JCR:

  1. a room for all the undergraduates of a college to socialise in.
  2. the name given to the collective body of undergraduates at any given college. Eg “I’ve gotta go to the JCR meeting tomorrow.”

Michaelmas:

  • the first term of the academic year, running from October to December.

Mods:

  • short for “Honour Moderations”, these are the first exams for some subjects, like Law and Classics, and take place in Hilary term. They don’t count for your overall degree mark, but they differ from Prelims in that you get a classification.

Oxfess:

  • a popular uni-wide Facebook page, used to post pretty much anything anonymously. E.g. “Did you see the Oxfess about Keble?”

Oxlove:

  • a key pillar in Oxford love life, a Facebook page dedicated to romance. Normally directed towards individuals by referring to their initials and college (e.g. HB @ S).

Oxmas:

  • Oxford Christmas! Because our term misses almost all the festive season, Oxmas is celebrated on 25th November.

Pidge:

  • your pigeonhole. Here you’ll find all your post, messages from tutors, and any university mail. E.g. “Hang on, I’ll just check my pidge.”

Plodge:

  • porter’s lodge. The beating heart of every college, porters will normally be the first port (get it) of call for any issues you may have.

Prelims:

  • short for “Preliminary Examinations”, these are the first exams for most subjects, which often take place in Trinity term. They don’t count for your overall degree mark.

PPH:

  • Permanent Private Hall, an institution very similar to a college, except a little bit smaller and affiliated with a Christian denomination. 

Scout:

  • a member of staff who will empty your bins and clean your room once a week, and should be thanked profusely for it.

Quad:

  • coming from ‘quadrangle’, normally a square courtyard with buildings around the edges, often with a well-manicured patch of grass in the middle. A cornerstone of Oxford architecture. E.g. “And if you go through here, that’s Chapel Quad.” 

Rad Cam:

  • the Radcliffe Camera, History Faculty Library and the most iconic building in Oxford. The go-to spot for any violently Oxford Instagram content.

Rustication:

  • a year of temporary suspension from academic studies, normally due to personal reasons.

Sharking:

  • the act of an older student hitting on a fresher, like a shark searching for prey.

Stash:

  • any merchandise for a college, society, team, etc. Eg “We have lanyards for stash this term!”

Sub fusc:

  • Latin for dark brown, this is the formal outfit you wear to events like matriculation and year-wide exams. Consists of a gown, mortarboard, and suit-like wear. You can buy this from Shepherd and Woodward on the High Street.

Tab:

  • from “Cantab”, a nickname for people from ‘the other place’ — Cambridge.

Trinity:

  • the third and final term of the academic year, running from April to June.

Tutes:

  • short for ‘tutorials’, these are discussion based teaching sessions with your tutor. Normally an hour a week, these include one tutor and up to three students.

Vac:

  • short for ‘vacation’, the name given to holidays between terms. The Christmas and Easter vacs last about 6 weeks, while the summer holiday, called the Long Vac, lasts about 3 months.

Varsity:

  1. any sports fixture between Oxford and Cambridge.
  2. the annual Oxbridge ski-trip.

Image credit: Caleb Roenigk via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Inside Pandora’s Box

Charlie Hancock
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Inside Pandora’s Box

It has been five years since the Panama Papers blew the lid off the secretive world of offshore finance, revealing its scale to be far bigger than imagined. This week, the release of the Panama Papers by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists builds on that legacy. It is a triumph of collaborate reporting. But its important revelations risk being lost in the complexity of its background.

The scale of the investigation is immense. 2.94 TB of data have been leaked from fourteen sources, including 12 million files consisting of 6.5 million documents, 3 million images, and 1.2 million spreadsheets, among other pieces of evidence. In terms of information storage, this is the equivalent of nearly a million Bibles. This has been poured over by over 600 journalists in 117 countries, from Mongolia to Mozambique, to Pakistan and Paraguay.

The Pandora Papers are not a single story. It is more manageable to think of them as a collection of stories, which will trickle out to the public over the coming weeks, linked by the shadowy world of offshore finance. This is a world where the super-rich can reduce the amount of tax they pay, or even hide their assets, using tax havens and anonymous shell companies. Among them are 35 current and former world leaders.

Revelations include that the King of Jordan has amassed a global property empire worth $100m, and the extent of the London property empire of  President Ilham Aliev of Azerbaijan. The Queen’s crown estate has now launched an investigation into how it paid £67m to President Aliev’s family to acquire one of his properties.

The leaks also raise questions for the Conservative Party. Not because the Prime Minister has been found to be keeping money offshore, as was the case with David Cameron in 2016. But because multiple donors have been found to hide their wealth in offshore companies. One was found to have advised on a telecoms deal which turned out to be a £162m bribe to the daughter of the President of Uzbekistan.

The leaks reveal staggering hypocrisy of some politicians who rode into power with pledges to combat corruption. It turns out that the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who assumed office on an anti-corruption platform in 2019 (four years after playing a history teacher who did the exact same thing in the political satire Servant of the People), transferred a 25% stake in an offshore country to his friend and advisor during the campaign. 

The Pandora Papers will pose uncomfortable questions for the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, who is fighting an imminent General Election. Babiš, who has a net worth of £2.7bn, used a convoluted network of companies based in the British Virgin Islands, America and Monaco to buy a £13m chateau near Nice. He also campaigned for office on an anti-corruption ticket.

A lot of what has been exposed by the Pandora Papers, and the exposés which came before, isn’t even illegal. Avoiding tax by restructuring one’s assets to minimise the amount of tax paid is legal, and highly profitable for countries which allow themselves to become a centre of it. It is no coincidence that most tax havens are small island nations or microstates. However US states such as Delaware, and European countries like Switzerland and Ireland have also facilitated these activities.

It is easy to think that the financial affairs of the global financial and political elite are their private business, and thus should not concern ordinary citizens like us. But the consequences of this do matter, and have knock-on effects for the taxpayer. When Tony and Cherie Blair saved £300,000 in property taxes by purchasing a £6.5m Mayfair office and mansion via a shell-company in the British Virgin Islands, they kept £300,000 from the exchequer. The estimated amount of tax HM Revenue and Customs lost to tax avoidance and evasion in 2018/19 stood at £1.7 billion and £4.6 billion respectively. While this happens, the Conservative government has increased the tax burden on working people by raising national insurance rates and lowering the threshold for the repayment of student loans.

Globally, tax havens cost governments over $500bn in lost corporate tax revenue a year. Lower-income countries are disproportionately hit relative to their GDP, meaning that the offshore world is a threat to their development.

It is yet more evidence that a two-tier system exists. The ultra-rich have access to a completely different rulebook, leaving ordinary people to foot the bill. Journalist Oliver Bullough likened the shadowy world of offshore finance to its own country with its own set of laws – ‘Moneyland’. Want to set up a shell company far away in a tropical tax haven? You can hire a London-based financial advisor to help. While you’re at it, you could pick up Antiguan citizenship – and thus visa-free access to 130 countries – for a $500,000. 

London, with its booming service industry and streets lined by mansions owned by shell companies, could justifiably be considered the capital of Moneyland. The UK is simultaneously on the biggest enablers of Moneyland, and one of the biggest losers in terms of lost tax contributions.

The ICIJ state that not everyone named in the papers is accused of wrong doing, including the Blairs. But the same systems which allow the super-rich to reduce their taxes can be used to launder profits from illegal businesses, and even finance terrorism.

Will the Pandora Papers change anything? We can look to the fallout from the Panama Papers to get a clue. According to an analysis by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, a fifth of countries implemented some kind of reform to address problems exposed by the papers. How effective those measures have been is a separate question. What does seem possible is that citizenship-by-investment schemes such as those in Malta and Bulgaria will come under greater scrutiny after the Cypriot programme shut down.

The Panama Papers also led to an increasing public awareness about what is going on in the corridors of power, and beyond the bomb-proof doors of central London mansions. You can even go on kleptocracy tours through the city, where journalists and anti-corruption campaigners tell you about the shell companies which own unimaginably expensive properties.

The Pandora Papers, like the Panama and Paradise Papers before, have shown it is unlikely that action will be taken to prevent these activities, since the very people with the power to clamp down on tax havens sometimes benefit from their existence. World leaders pledged to crack down on money laundering at the 2014 G20 Summit. And yet, nothing. After the release of the Panama Papers, the British government announced plans to force the owners of shell companies which own property in the UK – such as the one the Blairs used to buy their mansion – to reveal their names. These promises are yet to bear fruit. 

But an absence of a global reckoning does not mean that the Pandora Papers will be inconsequential. The Chilean national prosecutor’s office has announced that it will investigate President Sebastián Piñera over his stake in a mining project in the country, and could potentially lead to charges of bribery. It is likely that more consequences will emerge over the coming weeks, or even years.

It is important to recognise that there is also the potential for a backlash against journalists involved in uncovering uncomfortable truths. A reporter for an outlet which was friendly to the Venezuelan government was fired because of his involvement with the ICIJ, the consortium who analysed and publicised the Panama Papers. Censors in China have reportedly instructed news agencies to remove articles about the Panama Papers. The backlash has also been felt in the European Union, where countries typically score higher on press-freedom indexes: the Finnish tax authorities threatened to raid journalists homes to seize documents. Chillingly, in Slovakia and Malta, journalists have been assassinated in connection with their involvement in the Panama Papers and other investigations into corruption.

Regardless of their consequences, the release of the Pandora Papers should be celebrated as a show of unified force from investigative journalists across the world. As we enter what Reporters Without Borders call a “decisive decade” for journalism, the ICIJ investigation reiterates the value of a free press to told the powerful to account. Moneyland still has many secrets to reveal, some of which will be highly consequential. But as citizens, it is our duty to arm ourselves with an understanding of how this world works so we can ask the right questions of our leaders.

Image: stevepb via pixabay.com

Gender abolition: Why it matters

Anonymous
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Gender abolition: Why it matters

CW: Transphobia, ableism

“Gender equality” is a fashionable phrase. Neoliberal feminism would have us believe that gender equality is a suitable end-goal for feminism. Certainly, this is a convenient assertion, and doesn’t require a huge amount of critical thinking. It is, however, painfully short-sighted and inadequate. To advocate for gender equality, and simultaneously ignore the structural foundations of the patriarchy and endorse the existence of oppressive gender roles, is paradoxical. The solution cannot be simply equality. It must be the dissolution of gender as we know it.

Gender is not innate, nor inevitable. Gender is a socially constructed class system in which the class of man benefits from the systematic oppression of the class of woman (as anti-trans ‘feminists’ have appropriated some of the language of gender abolition, it is important to make clear that this category of women absolutely includes trans women). While sex refers to physical and biological characteristics, gender is a term to describe behaviours and attitudes assigned to these features. We gender biological sex characteristics just as we gender toys, clothing and colours. There is nothing inherently masculine about the colour blue – yet since we have a concept of gender, we assign cultural significance to that colour. 

Similarly, we assign arbitrary roles to biological sex. Males are expected to fulfil a masculine gender role just as females are expected to fulfil a feminine gender role. People who deviate from these culturally enforced norms are subjugated. Transgender and non-binary people, for example, are subject to unjust levels of violence and abuse for “violating” the dominant gender ideology. It is also critical to note that while gender roles have existed for millennia, the modern gender binary is a narrative of Christianity, colonialism and capitalism, and proliferated wildly with British colonialists’ criminalising of non-binary existences throughout their colonies. Simultaneously, many marginalised groups such as women of colour and disabled people have been systematically excluded from modern conceptions of gender. Normative femininity, for example, has been traditionally tied to whiteness and ableism. 

Gender abolitionists call for the dissolution of gender roles and associated cultural norms. A utopian society, for the gender abolitionist, would involve an elimination of the gender class system by ceasing to socialise people into arbitrary roles based on biological sex. One’s sex characteristics would ideally become culturally insignificant. So long as the social classes of man and woman exist (and females are socialised into femininity and males into masculinity), the existence of gender is inherently oppressive. 

But what if I want to keep my gender? This is an important question, particularly when considering the impact of gender abolition on the identities of those in marginalised groups, such as transgender and non-binary people. It is important to note that gender abolition is about dismantling the basal structures of the patriarchy, not about barring people from expressing their identity. So although the elimination of socialised gender roles is, in theory, the eventual elimination of gender itself (for example, the social classes of man and woman are abolished), gender abolition does not prevent people from engaging with masculinity and femininity and constructing their identities around those concepts. Rather, any conception of gender would arise from within, and be part of one’s self-identity, rather than a tool used by society to prescribe a role or identity. Hence, these identities would no longer emerge from or reinforce structures of power and no one would be forced into a rigid binary. 

The very idea that we can prescribe a positive set of behavioural characteristics to one’s sex is inherently flawed. Human brains are not sexually dimorphic. The idea of a ‘male brain’ and a ‘female brain’ is a product of neurosexism, and has been discredited. This is not to say that some sex-based differences don’t exist outside of socialisation – but rather that these differences are patterns and resist dimorphic categorisation. Sex itself, in fact, is not a binary, but a biological spectrum. Nevertheless, even if we entertain the idea that certain traits are linked to biological differences – such as aggressiveness being linked to the concept of maleness – this does not automatically justify the existence of a set of socially enforced stereotypes dictating how males or females ought to act. We can and should still want to rewrite cultural narratives for males and females and relinquish a gender binary which cannot capture the intricacy and diversity of human behaviour.

What, then, is the way forward? Firstly, we must acknowledge that the total abolition of gender is, at this point, a utopian dream. Because gender is influenced by, and enshrined in, religion, medicine, law, culture and so on, its abolition involves the revision of the most foundational aspects of society. Policy action has the ability to limit the material divisions of gender – for example, through universal healthcare, universal housing, prison abolition and bureaucratic reform. Individually, we can and must start to recognise and dissect the ways in which we have undergone gendered socialisation from our family, friends, education and the mass media. Why do we, as women, feel ugly if we do not wear makeup or shave? Why do we assign arbitrary cultural significance to anything from colours to shampoo bottles? Why do we force gendered stereotypes onto our own children? Furthermore, gender abolitionism cannot exist in isolation. Women and gender nonconforming people of colour have a unique experience under the patriarchy, and eliminating oppression based on gender must pay attention to intersections of race and gender.

“Gender equality” under the patriarchy – which by definition is a relationship of dominance – is fallacious. We must deconstruct our archaic belief in gender itself.

Artwork by Mia Clement.

Oxford housing charity Edge Housing holds 10-year anniversary event

Maurício Alencar
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Oxford housing charity Edge Housing holds 10-year anniversary event

The local housing charity for homeless people, Edge Housing, held an event to celebrate its 10 year anniversary at the Rooftop Terrace at Marriot Hotel Oxford. The event set out the charity’s “10 x 10 Campaign Goals”. 

The conference was attended by volunteers, business leaders, ex-homeless people, and educational leaders across Oxfordshire. A number of Oxford University students volunteer for the charity. This includes Esthy Hung, who was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award. 

At the same time as the event was held, Edge Housing’s Support Team Leader ran a half marathon throughout Oxford to raise awareness and funds for the charity. 

Edge Housing is a charity which mainly “provides safe homes with support from a team experienced in mental health and addiction issues”, as well as career support. Its central ethos is that “none are beyond help”. 

The event at the Marriot Hotel.

Edge Housing currently houses up to 31 ex-homeless individuals and provides support for residents to get into employment through courses and vocational training. Support is individualised with “trauma-informed professionals trained and experienced with dealing with mental health and addiction problems”.

Edge Housing is preparing to open their tenth house for rough sleepers. This was set out in the charity’s “10 x 10 Campaign Goals”. 

The charity also hopes to raise over £10k, funding a support worker for the charity’s first women house. This will be one of the first women houses in Oxford.

Edge Housing is looking to build connections with educational and corporate institutions in order to continue to promote their presence around Oxford.

Images credit: Edge Housing

Science’s addiction to plastic: Something needs to be done

Rhian Gruar
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Science’s addiction to plastic: Something needs to be done

Are scientists complicit in the increasing amounts of plastic waste polluting our earth? Or is the waste generated by research an unavoidable by-product of scientific progression? These are questions which struck me during my summer placement in a bioscience research lab. I was shocked by the sheer amount of plastic waste that can be generated from the simplest of experiments. Day in, day out I end up discarding countless single-use plastics: a pair of gloves here, dozens of plastic tubes per failed cloning attempt and an endless heap of pipette tips. 

I like to consider myself an environmentally conscious person but does my reusable water bottle and thrifted clothes really mean anything in the face of the massive volume of lab waste I’m generating? 

In the wake of the IPCC’s 2021 climate report that unequivocally attributes recent increases in extreme weather events to human action, I believe that the scientific community needs to take a stand. And I’m not alone. Researchers from the University of Exeterestimated that bioscience research may be responsible for up to 1.8% of annual global plastic consumption. Scientific researchers themselves need to think carefully  about the rate at which they consume plastic. A one litre plastic bottle takes two litres of water to produce and 450 years to decompose. By 2050, plastic may outweigh fish in our oceans. 

With  so much research funded by  government and public money, do researchers have a duty to limit their environmental impact and be held to similar standards as any other government funded project? Or is plastic a necessary evil to keep the cogs of scientific research running smoothly? 

Plastic’s durability, mouldability and cheapness makes it a versatile product that can survive in the hands of even the clumsiest scientists. Single-use plastic is also an easy work around for the eternal issue of contamination that plagues bioscience research. Contamination could be chemicals, left over in a test tube from a prior experiment, interfering with results or different strains of bacteria mixing while they are being grown. Simply disposing of equipment after an experiment greatly minimises these risks. 

Contamination doesn’t cease to be an issue once a piece of lab equipment has been discarded. Biological and chemical contamination is a major complication in dealing with lab waste. Material that has been exposed to harmful chemicals or biological matter cannot simply be sent to a local landfill. It must first be sterilised by high pressure steam in a process called autoclaving which requires a large amount of energy and water, exacerbating the negative environmental impact of research. According to the University of Oxford’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy, “laboratory buildings are responsible for over 60% of total energy consumption and carbon emissions across the university”. Labs are packed with equipment that demand  high energy supplies. For example, older models of lab freezers can consume four times more energy than the average UK household.  A move towards more sustainable energy sources may help mitigate some of these costs. 

Despite all this, science cannot be stopped. From medicine to sustainable eco-technology; we depend on the work  carried out in labs for almost everything. Researchers who are investigating plastic eating bacteria which  may help cleanse the oceans of plastic waste must utilise the very single-use plastic that they are aiming to eliminate. Of course, if they are successful, the eventual benefits will far outweigh the temporary costs.That’s still a big if. 

This issue may seem hopeless but there are measures that can be implemented today to help make science more sustainable. Scientists should be encouraged to return to the three Rs that have been drilled into us from primary school: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. 

Reduction can come by sharing resources with neighbouring labs, so nothing goes to waste, or opting for suppliers that limit unnecessary packaging. A switch back to glass equipment should be made in instances where contamination between uses is not an issue. 

Contamination makes reusing lab plastic more complex, but some companies aim to change this. Grenova, a lab supply company that focuses on sustainability, has developed a washer that sterilises pipette tips for reuse. Tips can be reused up to 40 times without compromising the quality of experiments. With this innovation, almost 1 billion pipette tips have been reused to date. 

Similar issues surround recycling lab waste as  reusing equipment. Most recycling plants are hesitant to receive lab waste due to contamination. Some specific services exist, such as a program that recycles lab gloves, but more work needs to be done in this area. 

As with all sustainability efforts, individual action is not enough, and change must come from an institutional level. The University of Oxford’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy aims for net zero carbon emission by 2035. Oxford labs need to work to find solutions to the problems of plastic use in their own labs in order for this goal to be reached. Advice is available to scientist on running a sustainable lab and there are opportunities for labs to gain sustainability accreditation. Funding bodies also need to exercise their power by favouring labs meeting certain sustainability checkpoints, to steer scientific research into a new, more sustainable age. 

Science labs will continue to work in this way  for the foreseeable future, churning out academic papers, new technology and tonnes and tonnes of plastic waste. Our understanding of climate change is due to the work of scientists, and many of our hopes to halt or reverse its effects also rest on the shoulders of scientists. They, and the institutions supporting them, need to turn some of their focus to how their own actions are damaging the planet and set an example to all those looking towards science for hope.

Extra-Terrestrial Environmental Destruction

Harry Chapman
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Extra-Terrestrial Environmental Destruction

Humanity has set its sights on the stars for its future and envisions a new place for itself among the heavens. However, throughout history, human exploration has had disastrous consequences for the native environments encountered. At first glance, space exploration has decided there is no environment to ruin or indigenous peoples to displace. It seems, nothing much can go wrong. From the emptiness of space to the barren deserts of Mars, space appears hardened to potential ruin. Unfortunately, we have already begun to precipitate environmental disasters in space. 

In the Earth’s orbit,there  are thousands of satellites, tens of thousands of pieces of tracked debris, and staggering amounts of untraceable debris. Orbital decay is the main mechanism for removing orbital debris, wherein an object’s orbit is gradually reduced by external forces such as drag, tidal interactions, or radiation pressure. However, every year more debris is added than is removed. Eventually, the number of objects in orbit could reach a critical mass and cause a Kessler Cascade. At this critical level of debris, objects collide and split into more debris; The resulting increase in debris increases the likelihood of collisions, and leads to more debris being created. Even manoeuvrable objects such as satellites or stations would be at risk. This profusion of debris in or adjacent to useful orbits could eventually greatly reduce our ability to deploy and operate spacecraft, jeopardising the immense benefits of space utilisation.

Even before reaching critical mass, this debris causes issues and  makes operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) increasingly difficult. Micro-debris sandblasting satellites reduce solar panel efficiency and damage sensitive parts.Larger debris requires costly evasive manoeuvres if they can be spotted, and may render satellites inoperative if they collide. Low Earth Orbit is currently the main area of human activity in space and has been so for decades. The looming disaster is no surprise, however. The concept of a Kessler cascade was first theorised in 1978, over four decades ago, when our utilisation of LEO was much less valuable than today. 

Regulators are pushing for proper management and disposal of satellites to mitigate the proliferation of orbital debris and there are attempts to remove orbital debris. As more nations and companies achieve launch capability, the patchwork of nationalised mitigation efforts will cover a lower percentage of launches and be less and less effective. International efforts must be made to confront this possibility. 

Today, humanity has set sight on further targets. The Moon is the next major destination for many governments, both as a launch site into deeper space and a hub for industry. Human efforts on the moon are limited to areas with water deposits, mainly found in the polar regions. These areas could be jeopardised by contamination with dangerous fuels, damage from hazardous landings, and national competition. Speculated future explorations involve terraforming Venus, settling on the moons of Jupiter, and Space X’s efforts towards Mars. All these visions for the future exhibit a total lack of environmental awareness. Terraforming by nuking Mars or stripping off Venus’s atmosphere has incredible impact and lacks consideration of its side effects or long-term viability. Any large presence on other worlds will contaminate them and potentially disrupt ecosystems, jeopardising the discovery of life beyond earth. There is fundamental value to finding extraterrestrial life beyond avoiding any potential harm it could cause. These schemes would require a level of coordination and effort sustained across a timespan never seen before. Hopefully, they would encounter greater scrutiny as they approached realisation.

The impact of humanity’s expanding presence in space will be huge, and bring a multitude of benefits to Earth. The Apollo program reaped many rewards, and our expansion into LEO touches every aspect of life. Even the fight to preserve Earth’s own climate relies on humanity’s presence in orbit. All of these benefits are at risk, however, as we continue to threaten the environments of space. Action must be taken to prevent environmental collapses. International efforts must be made to mitigate damage done, to repair what can be repaired, and to establish legal frameworks for responsible endeavours in space. Military actions, which are some of the most damaging, must be heavily limited. Private companies, often culprits for the least transparent and most damaging terrestrial environmental disasters, must be globally regulated to prevent this being carried to the stars. Fundamentally, whilst all these practical measures would help, a change to the philosophy of space exploration is needed. Missions must be planned with their impacts in mind and the future of the environment and humans considered. This concept is not new; the early days of space exploration were characterised by optimistic and benevolent language about the future. The outer space treaty, written sixty years ago, wrote a noble sentiment into the preamble of the treaty: “Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in the progress of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes”. Sadly, humanity has not lived up to its own expectations. As more nations reach launch capability these hollow words have rung false. Many nations and companies exploit space with as little consideration as possible, and we will pay the price for this. If humanity is to fully enjoy the benefits of our endeavours, we must return to a kinder philosophy of space exploration.

A Whole New World? Navigating Workplace Politics

Calista Chong
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A Whole New World? Navigating Workplace Politics

This piece also featured in Oxford Women in Business’ termly magazine Insight in a collaboration celebrating the launch of Cherwell’s Business & Finance section.

If you have managed to secure an internship or job upon graduation – great! But if you feel intimidated about navigating the unfamiliar, working-adult world, read on to allay some of that (understandable) worry. Calista Chong, Vice-President at OxWIB, compiled a list of disconcerting dilemmas one could face in the workplace and spoke to three wonderful working women for some tips on improving one’s social and political savvy.

Peggy Klaus is a bestselling author, communication and leadership coach, and political consultant. Peggy has spent more than two decades helping thousands of professionals from Fortune 500s, mid-size and start-ups succeed in their jobs. She has also dedicated much of her career to empowering women of all ages. And, once again, she brings her passion and expertise into the spotlight with the launch of “Unstoppable!” — her new, cutting-edge program designed to address the key issues critical for women’s success: confidence, fearlessness, and purpose, among others. Peggy is the author of two best-selling books, BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It and The Hard Truth About Soft Skills: Workplace Lessons Smart People Wish They’d Learned Sooner. 

Shirly Piperno is now a trainee at emerging technologies at a financial institution after graduating in 2020 with her Master’s, where she focused on digital ethics around the UK census. Her previous experience lies in fashion and real estate, also focusing on the digital aspect of these industries. 

Stephanie Onukwugha is a Pharmaceutical Scientist and Business Development expert whose skills and experiences have been utilized by major healthcare, petroleum parastatals, telecom infrastructure, tech, and luxury clothing brands both in the USA and in Nigeria. Stephanie left the corporate world to focus on her passion, Entrepreneurship, and is now the proud founder of Premier Capacity Development Network (Nigeria’s premier Training Network) and UnveiledSkin (an Organic Skincare Brand) and the proud co-Founder of Iruka Holistics (offering Inventive Wellness Products).

Dilemma #1: I feel that I am not taken seriously in male-dominated spaces and I don’t know how to deal with being spoken over or interrupted in meetings. 

To Stephanie and Peggy, this dilemma needs to be overcome by a single, powerful word: mindset. In Peggy’s words: “Women have to decide that they want to make their voices heard. It is a commitment to courage and confidence.”  

“A lot of times, women focus on the obvious disparity in the ratio of male and female coworkers. Ignoring this disparity alleviates any subconscious pressure or insecurity you may feel to make yourself be seen or taken seriously. Ignore the noise, live with confidence and charisma and focus on being the best at what you do to create an undeniable impact for your team and organisation,” Stephanie shared. 

Peggy has advised her clients – many of them women in leadership – to write three behavioural prompts and repeat these to themselves: Speak first; speak often; I will be doing a disservice to my team, the company and myself if I don’t speak up. “The more they see these prompts, the more it reinforces better behaviour. Come prepared with things that you want to say – observations, facts, statistics – so you can contribute to the discussion confidently.” 

What about dealing with being abruptly cut off in team meetings? After overcoming the initial shock and flash of hurt, how do we react to this ‘snub’? While it is natural to assume ill intentions on the interrupter, Peggy recommended that we should first assume good intentions – an oversight or overexcitement on the individual’s part. “Start by giving a friendly, non-threatening comeback – identify the person, give a reason for calling them out, and tell them what it is that you are going to do.” 

This could look something like: John, I know you don’t mean to interrupt me. I really wasn’t finished yet – I’m going to continue what I was saying, because it is really important. 

“We really do have difficulty with boundaries, we worry about hurting people’s feelings, being disrespectful, being seen as difficult or aggressive,” Peggy said. Shirly, who works in a department with a ratio of 5 girls to 300 guys, advised to practice speaking up for others when it is difficult to assert yourself – whether it is because of power dynamics, or your relatively junior position. “Create a support system around the problem…include even guys who are a bit more junior. Make sure that someone has your back, and that you have the back of others.” 

Dilemma #2: People tend to claim credit for the results of my hard work – how should I claim credit where it is due, while still showing that I’m a team player? 

First, there is nothing wrong with claiming due credit. Peggy, who published the book Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Horn Without Blowing It said, “Braggarts are obnoxious because they talk incessantly; they steal credit; they exaggerate and condescend, among others. If you’ve done it, it ain’t bragging. Don’t feel bad about asserting your worth, where necessary. Just do it the good way!” 

But Stephanie has a word of caution. “A lot of bosses will do this, as you are there to help them accomplish tasks, it’s part of the job description. When it comes to supervisors – tread lightly. You don’t need to address the issue constantly. People know when you are a valuable member of the team. When you build up rapport with your supervisors and bosses, you can then mention that you would love to be recognized for your work. When it comes to your co-workers, however, calmly and confidently interject and correct their statements. If it is a recurring affair, pull the person aside and discuss it with them,” Stephanie said. When facing this potentially difficult conversation, Peggy asked for us to start, again, with curiosity. “State how you feel and list your contributions. End with something like: In the future, I’d like you to make sure that my work is acknowledged.” 

To Shirly, it is best if we can be “preemptive” about the problem. “Make sure that your managers are aware that you are in charge of the project in the first place. When there is a weekly call for updates, make sure that you are mentioning the steps you are taking to accomplish it to prevent people from taking credit for it later on.” 

Dilemma #3: I’m feeling very stifled as my boss is a micromanager. How do I convince them to trust me? 

It’s annoying, I know. 

But to our three ladies, it is an inevitable occurrence. According to Peggy, “At the beginning of a working relationship with anyone, it is “normal” for a manager to micromanage. Don’t take it personally. What I would suggest, is when your manager gives you a specific assignment, make sure you get specifics on how the manager would like it to be completed – ask them a lot of questions. Then ask them if they are open to you bringing new ideas to discuss. At your performance review, you can talk about your satisfactory performance and mention that you would like more freedom. And be specific about what that freedom looks like to you.” Stephanie concurred, saying that micromanagers micromanage because “they don’t feel like they would get the outcomes they desire, without interference.” 

From what I’m hearing, the best thing to do is not to feel frustrated and just go with the flow – fingers crossed that the rein will loosen over time. 

Dilemma #4: I have no idea how to approach networking, particularly with seniors or people outside my team. How do I create organic opportunities to meet new people? 

In Stephanie’s opinion, the two secret ingredients to networking well are preparation and charisma. “Be open, flexible and very alert to situations – and the last one is key – that when taken advantage of, will steer you closer to achieving your goals.” She advised us to identify the people in your company that can help you achieve your long-term goals and treat every interaction as the first and last. What we want to do is make sure that we are presenting the best version of ourselves to the people we meet, so that they will feel comfortable vouching for us when the need arises. Charisma goes a long way in making these goal-driven interactions natural.   

Shirly tries to email a different person once a month about something that she is interested in. For example, having been involved with Effective Altruism at Oxford, she spoke to someone at the Philanthropy unit of her company, hoping to find out more about different approaches to philanthropy work. She also spoke to a lady about their shared interest in fashion. “You don’t get to discuss these niche topics of interest at work, a lot of people miss these spontaneous conversations. I’d say the best way to approach networking is to have good conversations and follow your passions.” This was so refreshing to hear – who knew that your bachelor’s thesis could signal the start of a budding friendship? 

Dilemma #5: I’m struggling to stand out in the workplace. What could I do? 

Now, let’s get back to basics. “You have to have a great attitude. You have to be delighted to be there – be friendly, introduce yourself, offer to help. The emotional temperature that you bring into the organisation will permeate everything that you do, and punctuality and preparation are foundational attributes for anyone looking to be successful.” Peggy also recommended following up with colleagues or managers with pertinent information after meetings. These little gestures speak volumes about your work ethic and attitude.

Shirly adds, “Everyone is pretty good at their job. You’re not going to stand out by just doing your job well. If you can find a way to enrich your team and working space, go for it.” “Performance currency” – defined by an article in the Harvard Business Review as credibility that one builds through their work – is no longer enough to be recognised in the workplace. One has to prepare to commit to “extra-curriculars” to be indispensable and a valuable contribution to the team. Shirly walked the talk by starting a women’s support network in her workplace, scheduling monthly calls with them although they are working on different projects.

Lastly, we want to make sure that we are standing out…for the right reasons. Stephanie advised to steer clear of office gossip, especially when you are only an intern or in the early stages of your career. “Personality eventually goes a longer way than your output.” 

Dilemma #6: I’m at a stage where I’ve shown results and I’m ready to take on new responsibilities. How do I pitch myself for a promotion effectively, without coming across as pushy? 

First off, it is amazing that you are confident to take the next step forward in your career! Prior to pitching yourself, make sure that you have actually positioned yourself as a great candidate for the role. According to Stephanie, your pitch should contain the following elements – “How much you have excelled in your current role; your desire for something more challenging; and how your abilities align with the new role.” Rehearse and perfect your pitch, before requesting for a meeting with your supervisor. 

Peggy introduced interesting terminology for thinking about putting ourselves forward. One effective way to speak about your successes at meetings or in conversations is in the form of a “Braggalogue”, a short, pithy and entertaining story with facts and figures to support your claims. At key junctures, we should have a “Brag Bag” ready – a compilation of successes, accomplishments, testimonials by colleagues and employees from which you can pull out “Brag Nuggets” to support your pitch for a promotion at performance reviews. When it comes to salary negotiation for your new position, Shirly suggests to “do your research and see what other companies are paying employees” to get a benchmark. 

Dilemma #7: I’m passionate about creating an inclusive and supportive organisational culture. How do I deal with inclusivity in the workplace? 

Fostering a healthy and inclusive organisational culture takes a lot of work. Those at the top can do far more, and more quickly, than you can when you are at the beginning of your career. However, as Shirly said, “Try to act like we are a bit more senior than we actually are. Even if you may hold a junior position, take note of who is speaking less and try to include him or her in the discussion.” Stephanie advised the same – being sincere, having high emotional intelligence and being mindful of the language that we use, will go a very long way. 

On a more systemic level, though, Peggy reiterated that diversity and inclusion programmes should be “strategic, sustained and evidence-based”. Many of these programmes fail because far too many organisations do not have a real interest in fixing the lack of representation. Gender quotas, for one, are effective because they increase the competency in the workplace. “While quotas are a good way of increasing numbers, it is not an immediate fix as it overlooks [important indicators like] retention rates and the types of roles into which minorities are recruited.” 

Which dilemma did you resonate with? This new chapter in our lives brings not only excitement but also new challenges and uncertainty. I hope these bits of wisdom from Shirly, Stephanie and Peggy, all at different stages of their careers, have given you greater insight into navigating the world of the workplace. It’s less scary than it seems, we promise.

Money Diaries: A 20 year old media intern in London

Cherwell Money Diaries
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Money Diaries: A 20 year old media intern in London

Occupation: Intern at a media start-up

Industry: Media/tech 

Age: 20

Location: London

Salary: £10.00 p/h (£1.6k per month)

Rent: £400 p/m with bills 

Over the summer, I was one of the lucky second years that was able to secure a paid, long-term internship in London. In a year where internship applications were particularly competitive, I secured my position by cold emailing, having been rejected by over 50 formal processes. A week after being offered my job, I moved to the city.

I went into 2020 with the explicit goal of saving up to move to London, and without this goal in mind from that point there is absolutely no way I could have afforded the move. I lived at home during Hilary, joined my remote college telethon, and took on two tutoring jobs, through which I was able to save up £1.1k. This is all of the money I had in savings at the start of the summer, and I poured all of it into moving, which gives you an idea of how expensive this process can get.  

Besides taking on ways of increasing my income besides just getting a student loan, I was also very strict with my budget in Trinity. The reality of saving up to move for an internship is that there’s just no way that it’s going to happen overnight, and I tried to stay focused on that goal of moving even when I didn’t have a job secured.  

Unsurprisingly, living in London on an intern’s salary is not very affordable. As I only finalised my job in week 10, with the expectation of starting the position a week after, I didn’t have time to hunt for a cheap sublet. I knew that if I was going to find one, it would need to be through the network of friends and acquaintances I have that already live in the city. By asking around, I was able to find a sublet for £400 p/m with bills included, in Haringey, a lesser known district in Zone 3 with great transport links. 

I was lucky to get a deal like this, but if you have time on your side, your best bet is to find the houseshare Facebook group for the area you’re interested in. Short-term sublets through landlords (e.g. those listed on Rightmove) will often be priced at a sky-high premium, and are generally out of reach for the average intern, unless you’re working in a corporate sector. 

Even though my rent was unusually good, I wasn’t prepared for exactly how expensive living in London actually is. Within offices, there’s often a culture of buying food and coffee out, and it’s difficult to turn down networking and bonding opportunities for the sake of saving money. On top of that, I racked up a huge amount of money on TfL, even with my railcard linked to my Oyster. 

I was saved by some freelance invoices that I had paid during my time in London, which amounted to £510 across the two months I lived there, but there’s still a clear affordability issue with taking on an opportunity like this that prices out those that might not live in the city or be able to save the amount that I did. At the end of each month, I was at £0 in my account, without any savings to fall back on. 

Low pay is a particular issue in the creative industries, where the prestige element of the job is used to justify underpaying those starting out. As of 2018, British Vogue was still not paying their regular rotation of 1-month interns at all. 

Had I wanted to, I could have taken on a weekend job or a tutoring job to supplement my income – which many people have to do. But being an intern in a start-up is extremely tiring. I was already trying to fit my degree and freelance work (alongside running this very newspaper) around a job that sometimes saw me finish the day at 6.00pm, but sometimes much later. 

Interning can very quickly become a recipe for burnout without the additional pressure of living on a salary that has you wondering whether it’s really worth it in the first place. The culture of interning in these prestigious jobs is one that is often facilitated by hidden wealth, and without more honesty around how people are able to make it work, things aren’t going to get any better. 

Pandemic sees rise in suspected exam cheating and collusion cases

Jill Cushen
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Pandemic sees rise in suspected exam cheating and collusion cases

The University of Oxford investigated 27 cases of suspected cheating in the academic year 2020/21, Cherwell can reveal. Of the 27 suspected cases, only one case was upheld. 

This is a rise in the number of cases in the previous academic year during which there were 15 cases, and a significant increase in the number of suspected cheating cases before the Covid-19 pandemic. There were no suspected cases of cheating in 2018/19 and only 2 in 2017/18. 

The number of cases of suspected collusion dropped from 21 last year to 9 this academic year, with only 3 being upheld. However, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic saw 18 students involved in suspected collusion cases, a rise from only 2 students in 2018/19.

Suspected plagiarism cases remained this year high with 36 cases, following 32 cases in 2019/20 and 33 in 2018/19. 13 of the 36 suspected cases were upheld. 

The majority of exams held by the University in Trinity term of this year were open-book assessments and were not invigilated. However,  a small number of exams were conducted using the ‘Safe Exam Browser’ in Inspera which restricts the use of other applications and websites outside Inspera. The University did not make use of Inspera’s proctoring or monitoring features for exams and instead asked students to sign an exam honour code. 

A spokesperson from the University told Cherwell: “Given the change in examination types, a change in the profile of misconduct referrals is to be expected, as students and staff adjust to new methods of assessments.”

They also said that the 27 cases of suspected academic misconduct referred to the Proctors Office “represents a very small fraction of the 55,000 exams sat, the vast majority of which were open-book exams.” 

They added: “The cases referred to the Proctors’ Officer this year were considered under Regulation 1 of 2003. We can now confirm that eight of these cases were upheld as a breach/penalty, while 19 were referred back to Exam Boards. These Boards have a range of options available to them, in accordance with their exam conventions.

“The University is committed to the highest standards of assessments, and will continue to respond as appropriate in the future as we adapt our examinations based on our experience during the pandemic.” 

Data from the University of Oxford

An article by Dr Lancaster and student partner, Codrin Cotarlan, published in the International Journal for Educational Integrity earlier this year, found there was nearly a 200% rise in the number of homework and exam style questions posted online since the beginning of the pandemic, supporting the rise in the number of academic misconduct cases being investigated across the education sector. 

Dr Thomas Lancaster, Senior Teaching Fellow in Computing at Imperial College London and specialist in academic integrity and contract cheating, told Cherwell that the rise in academic misconduct cases is in part due to the unsupervised manner in which assessments and exams have been carried out during the pandemic. He also said that “firms are marketing their offers very heavily to students, sometimes trying to disguise what they’re doing by calling this support”.

He believes that online learning was brought in quickly at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic without suitable consideration of online assessment and student support but that there is now time to find out what works best for institutions and students.  

He added: “I don’t know if high pressure and high stakes exams are the answer. It is possible for students to cheat in a face-to-face setting. It’s possible for online exams to be invigilated. But ultimately, the higher the stakes, the more temptation there is for students to find ways to subvert academic integrity. 

“Students this year have not had the same experience of taking in-person exams as those in the past and that’s just going to cause more anxiety. We have to ask if so much assessment has to be taken with such tight time pressures or if we can give students more freedom to research problems and work on longer-term assessments in areas of interest to them.”

Image: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0 via wikimedia commons

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