Controversy has arisen in New College following recent price hikes in the college bar, and amidst fears that the College is looking to crack down on excessive drinking.
Lager rose initially by 95p to £3.00, but has since dropped to £2.50, although Olde Cider rose by just 5p. Pints of Boddingtons Bitter have risen from £1.95 to £2.30.
New College bar rep Oliver Coombe summarised concerns surrounding the price hikes. “Although we understand that torrid economic conditions have put a strain on the college’s resources, this sudden and unexplained price rise seems to be disproportionate and places New College bar as one of the most expensive in Oxford”.
JCR President Oscar Lee agreed, saying “prices have been varied” and “there appears to have been no clear strategy“.
Student bar manager Simon Teasdale commented, “raising prices at New College bar is not the way to make an ailing business more profitable. Ways to cut costs and draw extra business should be explored before hiking up the prices”.
“The bar is not competing against pubs like the Turf Tavern or the Kings Arms. It is competing against people drinking in their rooms.”
Teasdale argued that that students feel alienated, and not only by the price hike. “There was no consultation with any student, JCR committee member or otherwise. The students would be far less annoyed if the whole thing had been conducted in a less covert way. Student input has been reduced to zero. The college made no attempt to inform us that all student bar shifts and creative input would be removed. The Bar Committee and my position are entirely redundant. No explanation has been given and we feel somewhat cheated by the way college went about the whole affair.”
Caroline Thomas, the College Home Bursar, told Cherwell that the College did not have a student bar manager as the bar is now managed by College. She commented, “It is the responsibility of all College-run bars to promote responsible consumption and pricing is part of the mix of tools at our disposal to achieve this – the Designated Premises Supervisors (normally the Home or Domestic Bursar) have a legal responsibility to ensure responsible drinking and good order. Some college bars are shockingly cheap with historic pricing structures that would come under intense scrutiny if there were a serious alcohol-related accident in the college arising from consumption in the college bar.”
One New college student disputed such concerns, “College bars should be the hub of college social life. This does not necessarily mean heavy drinking sessions. Removing student input and rising prices is not conducive to creating a friendly and hospitable college atmosphere. Other colleges have cheap bars, and as a large college, so should we”.
Improvements have taken place in the New College bar such as price lists being established and glass replacing plastic cups. Teasdale noted that “Students have welcomed the decision to overturn the initial hike in the price of lager and bitter to a less egregious level, although this still constitutes an increase on Trinity 2011 prices”.
The new price of lager, although not as high as it initially was following the vacation, place New College at the top of price comparison table of the cheapest pints of lager available in college bars.
Bar prices have also gone up at Balliol’s ‘Crazy Tuesdays’. However third year “Tuesdays” fan Felicity de Vere said students “have not been put off. Drinks are still incredibly cheap. [I] thought that it would deter people and make it easier to get a drink!”.
Balliol student bar manager Simon Wood commented that the changes, which see the bar now charging 50p per pint of previously free mixer, are designed to “ensure the bar remains financially viable”.
Balliol welfare officer Alex Curran was confident that Balliol Tuesday’s can remain as a positive part of college life despite the price rises, saying, “Almost all students who come to “Crazy Tuesdays” know their limits and act in a responsible manner. The welfare team have no issues with “Crazy Tuesdays”, especially as it helps create a good social atmosphere for the college”.
JCR Dean Samuel Rabinowitz seconded such sentiments, saying that “taking things away that make people happy is not good. A new sign in system was introduced last year and, as far as I’m aware, there have been no problems since that was introduced”.
Wood added that “Crazy Tuesdays” have been a tradition since he can remember, and that the JCR quickly voted against ending the event last year.
