Monday, May 12, 2025
Blog Page 46

Oxford Horror Soc, un-earthed

Lara Machado
-
0
Oxford Horror Soc, un-earthed

The Oxford Horror Soc, led by Izzy Reese as President and Honor Davies as Public Communications Officer, is Oxford’s first and only society dedicated to the on-screen horror genre. Since their founding, they have shown everything from silent film classics like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1919) to television hits like Hannibal (2013) and modern genre staples like Saw (2004).  

How long has your society been around? Why did you decide to take on the role of President?

Izzy: Purely from looking back at the Instagram profile it looks like it’s been around from 2022 but I’m not entirely sure, it might have existed for a bit longer than that. But, I took it over simply because I was a huge fan of it last year. It was one of the only societies that I consistently went to in my first year and then when I found out that the committee members were all graduating that year, I thought I want to keep it going cause I want to continue my journey exploring horror films. I took it over for purely selfish reasons, just because I like it. 

What do you think is the importance of student film societies? 

Izzy: For me, specifically for Oxford, it’s a nice change of pace from what we are all doing most of the time. Because I study English and German, I can’t bring myself to read for fun anymore, especially during term time, so it’s nice to be able to explore art and creativity through a medium that is so different. To have a society that reminds you to keep going, to keep enjoying things that aren’t just work, it’s important for me, at least.

What differentiates you from other film societies is that you focus exclusively on horror. What do you think makes horror special enough to have an entire society just dedicated to it?

Izzy: That’s a tricky question but I think that it seems like a state of mind that you have to get into. I know that’s so annoying to say but to be in a sort of mood to have a spooky evening feels a bit different from just a film society where you come to see anything. Also I think we attract a particular crowd of goths and emo. I remember last year I’d sit down to watch a film and there would be so much eyeliner in one room. It’s good! It feels like a real community of people who like celebrating Halloween when it’s not Halloween. 

Horror tends to be divisive. It has always been caught up in debates surrounding gratuitous violence, graphic depictions of sexual acts and the appropriation of sacred symbols. However, at the same time it has always been a genre that is really effective at transgression. How do you manage these tensions when making a term card? Do you try to achieve a balance between the two ends of the spectrum?

Izzy: Absolutely! Because it’s a diverse genre in terms of what it means when you’re talking about horror films. It does feel important to have a wide range of what we are actually putting on. If I did seven slasher films in one term, it’s not even representative of horror films – that would be slasher society, that’s a different thing. I think it’s good because it means that more people can enjoy it: I know it’s one of those few genres where people have an actual limitation: some people just cannot do jumpscares, or really scary stuff so I want to open up the society to like people who don’t enjoy being terrified out of their minds. We do like to bring out quite a few different ones so that everyone can enjoy it.

You are a female-led society, the horror genre is notorious for its abuse of the male gaze. When you are picking films and filmmakers for your term card is this something that you have in consideration?

Izzy: I wouldn’t call myself an expert in horror films so a lot of the time I’m going into these films kind of blind or with received cultural knowledge. So, as much as sometimes we do try to focus on things that we want to see, which often end up being more female-led or less exploitative films, I think it’s unavoidable in the horror genre and part of our society is doing a little bit of discussion about that kind of thing. So, there’s an element with horror in which all the things that are happening, completely out-there deaths and things like that. You have to take a step back and sort of think about it as something you are watching, rather than something you are getting too involved in. That certainly helps me when I am trying to reckon with what can be a very misogynist genre. 

Do you find that horror fans drawn to your society are more permissive towards the genre than those less interested in it or are they more critical? And do you find that the films you select tend to spark a lot of debate between people attending?

Izzy: I think there is usually a general consensus that it was fun to watch it all together. We don’t really tend to have people coming who don’t like horror at all. I think they would be making a poor decision for themselves if they did that. But, definitely, there are people who come and don’t necessarily know what sort of genre or subgenre this one’s going to be and so have different opinions and maybe express like ‘Oh this one was made by a nepo-baby’ or ‘This one was boring, didn’t like it’. So, there is definitely a spread of opinions. Most of the time, it’s just enjoyable. Even watching a bad film can be enjoyable and we do have space for that sort of terrible, horrible horror film, you know?

Who are some of the formative horror filmmakers for you? And what do you think makes their horror different?

Izzy: Recently, I’ve been really getting into body horror stuff. So Cronenberg and Carpenter and just like they are really fun for me, just like outrageous. I think that is what I really enjoy most about the genre, it is just taking the films in these completely ridiculous directions and being allowed to do that, being able to play with completely upsetting people’s expectations and things. I really enjoyed The Substance (2024) recently, mostly because I brought my mum with me and she hated the last ten minutes of that film, just saw no point in it. It was so fun to me. So, yeah, I’d say anyone who is in the body horror genre.

Halloween is coming up and as the President of a horror soc you are the best person to ask this question. What are some spooky films that you think everyone should watch at least once – whether or not they are fans of horror?

Izzy: I keep answering questions about what my favourite films are, so I’m very sorry not to give nuances every time. I feel like I should. But I think I’d probably just recommend the Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) to absolutely everyone, regardless of whether they enjoy horror or not. It’s just so perfect as like a fun Halloween film to me, especially to watch with a bunch of other people. And it’s one of those films where I’ve rewatched it a million times and it just gets better every time you watch it. I don’t know if I can recommend any of the more classic ones, of the more definitely scary ones, with broad appeal because many of my friends would never watch them, anything that has remotely a jumpscare. I’m trying to think of some more fun ones. I mean we put on Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) last year. It was completely ridiculous, very camp, so much fun. Anything that just has a ridiculous title I would probably recommend giving a try this Halloween. 

If our readers want to come to one of your screenings, where can they get more information?

Izzy: So, at the moment we are based in Jesus College. Every Friday at 7.30pm, maybe 7.00pm, depends on when we are allowed into the room. Find us on our Instagram or our Facebook page. Search for @ouhorrorsoc on Instagram and I’m sure you’ll be able to find it on Facebook. We keep you updated on what we’re doing and at what times so just follow those!

Interview has been edited for clarity.

The com(m)e(n)t

Caspian Wagner
-
0
The com(m)e(n)t

Having written out the future in the pages of my book, 
you tear it out. Just before it’s distributed, 
officially bound and sealed. Scrunching it into a ball, 
you toss it atmospheric, out of sight. 
Burning up, it is a comet, a flaming talking point 
to those below. 
Swiftly falling to earth, a meteorite causing heavy damage.

Candles

Caspian Wagner
-
0
Candles

The darkest winter sits within a kindly light,
A candle burning on the inside of a box of matches.

Dreams are made of candles, pinpricks of a deeper light.

The darkest winter is made up of kindly light,
Harsh reflections in the snow. Dreams of the warmest sun.

Charity shop pirates: Is second-hand shopping as sustainable as we think?

Marisol Boyle-Gomez
-
0
Charity shop pirates: Is second-hand shopping as sustainable as we think?

My wardrobe is home to a number of second-hand finds that I have bought impulsively, only to discover: it won’t pull over my head, or is plagued by a stubborn stain, or is simply not an item I would ever actually wear. Buying clothes that you later dislike is not a crime – but an issue certainly arises when this is done constantly and thoughtlessly. For decades, charity shopping has been the most affordable and accessible way to put clothes on your back, but only recently, as vintage has become trendy, has it begun to contribute to our misguided consumption habits.

Following the 2008 financial crisis, a greater proportion of the population found itself reliant on the second-hand market. With the emergence of online second-hand marketplaces, thrift shopping firmly planted its feet in the internet age: Vinted was founded in 2008, followed by Depop in 2011. It almost harks back to pre-capitalist bargaining and trading systems – an expression of disillusionment with the economic reality of the time. Attitudes towards second-hand clothing experienced a shift from being sneered at to suddenly being lauded as chic and unique. Thrift shopping progressed beyond financial necessity into the fashion mainstream, to become an ethically friendly disguise for overconsumption.

Pre-worn clothing is cheap, and its stock is unreliable. What is clinging to the racks or listed on a seller’s profile one day might be gone the next. Like pirates returning to ship with a trunk-full of shiny rocks, we often bring home pieces of clothing for fear that someone else may grab them before we have made up our minds. Not to mention all the statistics we have been pumped up with regarding the catastrophic environmental and social impacts of fashion conglomerates: buying out half a charity shop now also has a moral incentive. But the term ‘fast fashion’ does not solely refer to a rapid production time. It’s also about the shortened life cycle of clothing: how quickly an item is bought and then discarded. The slower repurposing and recycling characteristics of the second-hand market are morphing into this fast fashion mentality.

From Depop sellers ravaging their local charity shops, to influencers filming immense Vinted hauls, we are applying a capitalist, more-is-more attitude to what ought to be a sustainable resource. The rise of excessive second-hand buying and reselling means that clothes are spending more time collecting dust on overpacked racks than they are actually being worn.

With trends constantly and rapidly changing, what is ‘in’ one month is ‘out’ the next. It is a real success that second-hand shopping has grown so much in popularity – but there is a worry that this spike in thrifting is just another fad. Our contemporary desire for vintage fashion is being satisfied by buying pre-owned clothing – for now. But what happens when the trend cycle moves on? When some superior fashion entity decides that vintage is no longer cool?

Wanting to own trendy, new clothes is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is now time to adopt a more judicious approach to shopping. Where we source our clothes can be problematic, but how often and in what quantity must also be assessed. A t-shirt from H&M that has been worn and re-worn is ultimately a more sustainable fashion choice than any vintage item that winds up unworn and devoured by moths. The solution is clear: to consider more carefully our own styles and the longevity of the piece of clothing within our wardrobes, before we tap our credit cards.

The sounds of student protest

Sara Lee
-
0
The sounds of student protest

On 23rd May 2024 the University, in a public statement, described the work of certain encampment protestors as contributing to “a deeply intimidating environment”.  The words were, no doubt, etched into the consciousness of the 200+ students who occupied an encampment on the lawn of the Radcliffe Camera. It is interesting to consider, then, how much of this ‘intimidation’ was wrought through sound and music. Chants, songs, and a range of live instrumentation – often broadcasted through loudspeakers – were used to create a distinct sonic landscape, but the unheard effects they had on shaping public opinion of the protest should not go unnoticed. 

Sonic territorialisation (when sound is used to signal a group’s occupancy, or attempted occupancy, of a space) is one of the most powerful forms of protest. By leveraging the relationship between physical and sonic space an auditory hierarchy is created. The sonic space is an ever-present, but an abstract one, as sound is inevitable in every environment we inhabit. It is also, being immaterial and uncontainable, one of the hardest dimensions to police. In this case, an auditory hierarchy was established when the protestors brought out loudspeakers. Not only could their chants or demands be heard more clearly as they overpowered the speaker-less authorities, but the power of sound is also demonstrated when it is freed from the constraints of visual reliance. The protestors ascended this imagined hierarchy when their immediate and peripheral space was dominated.

When the University recommended that students sit exams wearing noise-cancelling headphones during Trinity Term last year, providing them with tissue to plug their ears during the exams, the institution was forced to acknowledge the auditory force of protestors. Whilst they could still assert dominance over the physical space of the Examination Schools – through police presence and security checks – the institution struggled to reclaim the sonic landscape, and thus, albeit momentarily, were forced to take notice of saxophone-playing, loudspeaker-chanting student protestors. Anyone who has passed Clarendon Building in Trinity Term 2024 during the callout of names of deceased women and children (a callout that took place again just a few days ago), remembers that the sound does not just travel down Broad Street, but that it echoes against those controversial walls and rings throughout the city. For a moment, the protestors reclaimed some seemingly foreign territory; their monopoly on the sonic space meant that they were in charge of disseminating information to the public. In other words, they were not walled off.  

The reworking of Palestinian folk songs also empowered the body of student protestors. The recontextualisation of Zaffa, a traditional Palestinian wedding chant into a ‘Zaffit El Tahrer’, a song calling for the freedom of Palestine, creates a sonic vernacular that is only truly understood by the protestors themselves. The remix demands a holistic understanding of cultural, historical, and social elements to grasp its nuances. Kokym, the artist, subverts the typical theme of desiring gifts at a wedding to convey the intensity of his wish to see an independent Palestinian flag wave over an Israeli prison. There is a type of bitter irony that comes with using musical tropes associated with such jovial themes: the song is underscored by a carefree ukulele strum, whilst a harrowing plea for liberty runs throughout the song. The conflicting tropes in the piece could reflect an emotion that is unique to the protestors themselves, thereby fostering a stronger sense of community through shared experiences. When sung in a protest, its upbeat nature may seem out of place for passers-by. That, however, is exactly the point. It is unassuming to those who are not part of the cause. 

Sonic protest capitalises off the unexpected, and that is precisely why it is so effective. It ensures, ultimately, that protester’s demands do not fall on deaf ears.

Oxford University Hospitals to miss waiting list targets

Ekam Hothi
-
0
Oxford University Hospitals to miss waiting list targets

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is on track to miss NHS waiting list targets set to be achieved next year, recent numbers reveal. 

The latest figures from the NHS show that for 3,911 out of 87,600 outstanding treatments, patients had had to wait a year or more for their procedure at OUH – this is around 4.5%. Last year, this figure stood at 2,925. 

This suggests that OUH will fail to meet the NHS ambition that aims to see that “the waits of longer than a year for elective care are eliminated by March 2025.” These targets were laid out as part of the NHS’ plan for dealing with the COVID-19 backlog of elective care (non-urgent and planned medical procedures) released in February 2022. 

At OUH, approximately 55.9% of patients were waiting 18 weeks or less to start treatment. This is better than the average for other hospital trusts, which is 58.3%.The NHS operational standard is 92%. 

The trauma and orthopaedic services had the highest number of treatments waiting a year or more, almost 1000. The urology service had the next-highest, with just over 500 treatments. 

The Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, determined that OUH “required improvement” overall in a report published in June 2019, based upon an inspection the prior year. 

Hospital trusts are run by NHS staff but work closely with universities. The OUH consists of the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Churchill Hospital, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and the Horton General Hospital. In collaboration with the University of Oxford, it is one of the largest teaching trusts in the UK.

History Faculty IT system experiences ‘unauthorised access’

Maya Prakash
-
0
History Faculty IT system experiences ‘unauthorised access’

Oxford University’s History Faculty has experienced “unauthorised access” to its IT system. In response, several systems have been isolated and the IT staff is building a new server. There is no evidence so far that any data has been removed.

Administrative staff worked from home, and the faculty warned that some sources of information “remain inaccessible” for a few days. An undergraduate history student told Cherwell that they could not connect to eduroam in the History Faculty and instead used mobile data. A tutor also attributed delays in the selection of papers to the IT outage.

Department Chair Martin Conway told Cherwell: “The main consequence is that some of the administrative staff have been working off-site with remote access, which is good practice in these circumstances. Teaching and seminars in the Faculty are continuing as normal (with Eduroam access in the Faculty Building). We do not therefore expect there to be any consequences for undergraduates or for our research students.”

The extent of the breach continues to be investigated by the IT team, and its full scale has not yet been determined. The incident has been reported to the Information Commissioner’s office and other appropriate authorities. The faculty also warned students against this risk in their email, stating that if students are contacted by anyone who claims to have access to personal data or information, they should immediately contact the University’s IT services.

A University spokesperson told Cherwell: “The extent of this access continues to be investigated, but, so far, there is no evidence that any data has been removed, or of wider access to other University systems.”

Oxford pub with famed literary past hoping to reopen soon

Joshua McGillivray
-
0
Oxford pub with famed literary past hoping to reopen soon

The owners of the Oxford pub The Eagle and Child have submitted an application for the renovation of its Grade II listed building. Established over 300 years, it is most famous for being the meeting place for a group of writers called “The Inklings”, which included household names like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. 

The Eagle and Child was bought from University College by St John’s College in 2003. In early 2020 it closed during the Covid-19 pandemic and has not been re-opened since. 

After prior plans to transform the pub into a hotel were scrapped, in 2023 the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), which owns a scientific research campus in Oxford, purchased the Eagle and Child and promised to “refurbish and reopen the iconic venue”.

Notably, the writers’ discussion group met there every Monday or Tuesday for lunch in the lounge “Rabbit Room”. The Inklings, who met throughout the 1930s and 1940s, used these gatherings to share their respective writings and converse. Sections of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy were read out within the walls of the pub, and in 1950, Lewis distributed draft copies of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the group’s members.

Noteworthy Inklings other than Tolkien and Lewis include Owen Barfield, the philosopher and literary critic, and Hugo Dyson, an academic whose comments to Lewis during a stroll along Addison’s Walk caused the latter’s conversion to Christianity.

The CEO of EIT David Agus said: “We are humbled and proud to be able to safeguard this treasured pub’s future and continue its legacy as a place for brilliant people to come together.”

The EIT’s planned restorations, to be carried out by architectural firm Foster and Partners, include repairing the windows and cleaning the original stonework in order to stop any potential decomposition. Additionally, the EIT plans to remove the conservatory dining space and open a side passageway to the rear garden.

In a document filed by the Oxford City Council, a representative said: “EIT is committed to carrying out sensitive repairs that allow the heritage value of these important Oxford buildings to be celebrated, and once again reopened for residents, tourists, and the wider community to enjoy.”

The application for listed building consent is expected to be granted or rejected by authorities in the coming weeks.

Pest outbreak in St Hugh’s storage damage student property

Roy Shinar Cohen
-
0
Pest outbreak in St Hugh’s storage damage student property

Multiple St Hugh’s College students suffered damage to property over the summer vacation due to pest control issues. Students who left items in the college’s storage found them eaten by pests and covered with faeces, rendering some items temporarily or completely unusable. 

St Hugh’s bursar told students in an email the “serious pest control issue” is due to several students storing food with their belongings over the vacation. This, according to him, is “explicitly forbidden on safety grounds” and incurs “substantial costs to bring the facility back into use”.

Some St Hugh’s students anonymously confirmed they had stored food over the vacation or know of people who did. However, not all students whose property was damaged did so.

St Hugh’s student Isabel Warnock told Cherwell: “There was some minor damage to my belongings, some kitchen sponges being completely shredded by the mice and packaging being completely chewed through by the pests. The bigger issue was that many of my belongings were covered in rat faeces”. She continued: “This did not result in lasting damage, but I have friends whose clothing and bedding was affected and became completely unusable.”

In response to this issue, St Hugh’s will arrange to professionally decontaminate the affected facilities later this term. The bursar confirmed that although belongings are stored at “students’ own risk”, the college will arrange the decontamination of affected students’ belongings in the 7th week of term. The college will also reassess the summer storage policy due to the disruption and damage caused.

Warnock told Cherwell: “I feel that the college’s response was reasonable and that they have handled the outbreak well”. She added that other students who she considers to have had more considerable issues than her, “whilst understandably disturbed and irritated by the problem, are also satisfied with the response”.

Magdalen is the most popular college, Mansfield least

Lilly Law
-
0
Magdalen is the most popular college, Mansfield least

Magdalen College ranks the most popular and Mansfield College is the least applied-for, according to last year’s admissions report. 1,210 applicants hoping to spend their days in the deer park selected Magdalen as their first choice college, while Mansfield received 412 out of 23,211 undergraduate applications. Below Mansfield are Harris Manchester College which admits mature students only and all Permanent Private Halls that offer limited subjects, often with a religious affiliation.

Colleges have moved up and down the ranks of applicant numbers. St John’s College has clearly been working on their outreach – it has moved up 16 places, going from 445 applicants in 2007 to 1,080 in 2023, although its acceptance rate has significantly dropped at the same time, from 26% to 11%.

Some of the most popular colleges were also the wealthiest, although this trend is not universally followed. According to the College Disparities Report, Magdalen College, St John’s, and Christ Church College have the highest net assets per student of the undergraduate colleges. Mansfield, the least popular, had one of the lowest net assets per student of any undergraduate college.

Application rates also vary by subject field. Keble College’s proximity to the STEM faculties perhaps made it an attractive choice for prospective STEM students who dislike walking, as it was the most popular college for Computer Science, Engineering Science, and Physics.

Rowing success does not necessarily translate to popularity: Oriel College’s total of 531 applications in 2023 was far from the head of the river – the college found itself third-last.

PPE continues to be the most popular course, having topped the table for all 16 years. Its most popular colleges were Balliol College, New College, Magdalen, Christ Church, and Brasenose College – indeed these JCR elections have frequented Oxfess. Older colleges were more popular for humanities, with Brasenose receiving the most applications for Classics and Magdalen for History, though the lasagne-esque Keble was most popular for Geography.

2023 continues a slight downturn in overall applicants, from a high of 24,338 in 2021, but appears to be returning to pre-pandemic levels. Throughout, the number of acceptances has remained steady around 3,200 with an acceptance rate of 14%.

Here’s the full rank of colleges by number of applicants, which does not take into account the number of spots accepted.

Magdalen 1,210

Keble 1,189

St John’s 1,080

New 1,051

Brasenose 1,045

Balliol 1,022

Worcester 1,017

Christ Church 1,006

St Catz 925

Univ 873

Hertford 820

Wadham 786

Jesus 767

Pembroke 738

St Hugh’s 734

Somerville 708

Exeter 697

St Anne’s 691

Trinity 690

Teddy Hall 662

LMH 660

Queen’s 659

St Hilda’s 653

Merton 633

Lincoln 620

St Peter’s 610

Oriel 531

Corpus Christi 437

Mansfield 412

Regent’s Park 137

Harris Manchester 137

Wycliffe Hall 9

St Stephen’s House 1

Ripon College Cuddesdon 1

1...454647...2,493Page 46 of 2,493

Support Student Journalism

Cherwell is Oxford’s oldest independent newspaper, established in 1920. We are entirely student-run. By supporting us, you will contribute to keeping our paper in print and online. Every donation makes a difference.

Donate

Explore

Follow us

More

Oxford Student Publications Limited © 2025 - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

Website by James Ashley