Worcester is to impose fines on students involved in raucous Midway celebrations that took place at the college last week.After traditional celebrations in which the college’s second years celebrated getting half way through their degree, many of the yeargroup went on a drunken rampage through Oxford, breaking into several colleges.As part of the festivities, the second years dressed up in various outfits and attempted “raids” on other colleges. They are now facing collective fines of over £1000 as a punishment for their activities.
In a letter sent out by to all second years, Worcester Dean Peter Darrah asked students to own up to any involvement in the revelry. In the letter he wrote, “Let me clarify who I am penalising, that is anyone who consented to and participated in, a mass organised attempt to enter the grounds of Magdalen and/or Wadham.” The letter established a series of penal ‘bands’ and asked students to categorise themselves according to the level of their involvement in the night’s activities. The fourth band, reserved for the most serious offences, includes pushing past the duty porter at Magdalen, climbing on or over any fences, entering the deer park, damaging a rose bed at Magdalen and running and/or jumping on the main quad lawn at Wadham.The letter goes on to say, “Such reports will be handled in confidence. We will also check that the self-reported bands agree with the CCTV footage. Any cheats will be assigned to the highest band and I will regard them as having committed a separate and more serious disciplinary offence.”Mannas Jain, Worcester JCR president, said, “Most people were happy with how transparent the whole procedure had been.”“The Dean asked the other colleges involved to nominate a charity which will benefit from the revenue accrued by fines, which a group of culpable students are sharing,” he added. Jain was keen to stress that the JCR was not considering any action against the College for imposing the fines. “We are aware that our actions were out of order and we are prepared to take responsibility for them. There is no animosity towards the College authorities,” he said.The day of the Midway celebrations coincided with the memorial service in Worcester for Tsz Fok, a finalist killed while cycling in Oxford in April 2007. Jain maintained that all the second years were respectful of this event but one first year, who wished to remain anonymous, commented, “The second years were pretty rowdy, I could understand if they offended a lot of people in the College”.
Worcester’s Dean and Magdalen’s Bursar both refused to comment.
Mass fines for Worcester rampage
