Police were called after members of Jesus College allegedly caused damage to Exeter College property on February 13th. A student from Jesus College threw a glass projectile at Exeter, breaking a window.
The governing body at Jesus College was unimpressed by the behaviour of the students involved. The Jesus College Dean, Professor Katrin Kohl, sent an email to students claiming that the throwing of glass objects at Exeter College “formed part of an unofficial event that is evidently considered by some to be a part of Jesus College tradition”.
The email continued, “The behaviour not only brought the College into disrepute but led to damage of Exeter College property. It will be self-evident that it was also extremely dangerous and could have led to serious personal injury or worse, and could have jeopardised the careers of the students involved in the aggressive behaviour.”
The incident allegedly occurred during the ‘Turl Street Dash’, the “unofficial event” referred to in the email from the Dean. The Turl Street Dash is thought to be a centuries-old tradition which serves as a form of competition between rival colleges Exeter and Jesus.
When asked to describe the event, a Jesus undergraduate told Cherwell, “The Dash is a noble tradition dating back nearly eight centuries (before Jesus College, and indeed the bicycle, was invented).
“In more recent times, it’s a very well known fact that T.E. Lawrence would drink a carafe of port each year, then ride his camel around the RadCam, up Turl Street and all the way to Turl Street Kitchen. He once listed the Dash as the single most important piece of mental and physical preparation he completed for the Capture of Aqaba in 1917.”
Participants usually have to run or cycle after drinking copious amounts of alcohol. In recent years, both Exeter and Jesus have banned students from participating in the Dash following rowdy behaviour and reports of injuries, with Exeter locking the gates to the College.
Usually, there is a quite a large turnout in the College bar prior to the race, where a ‘Mr and Mrs Jesus’ competition takes place. No cameras or phones are allowed, as specified in an email circulated before each year’s competition. Traditionally, six freshers are encouraged to consume alcohol before performing embarassing tasks, which, in the past, have included acting out as many sexual positions as possible in a limited period of time.
Following the glass throwing incident, Jesus College has deemed gathering for the Dash “an offence”, saying it will work with the JCR to avoid such events taking place in future.
Speaking of the incident, Professor Katrin Kohl, the Dean of Jesus, told Cherwell, “The Turl Street Dash was banned some years ago because of the danger of escalation. Jesus College very much regrets that one of its students threw glass in such a context, and regards the reported behaviour as entirely unacceptable.
“The student identified has been appropriately punished and has written a letter of apology to Exeter College. The JCR has been reminded that the Turl Street Dash is banned and has been told that the ban will be enforced should there be a similar gathering in the future.”
The Jesus College JCR President announced in their most recent OGM that if there were any Turl Street Dash participants in future years, they would be fined by College.
A police spokesperson commented, “We are investigating the incident as criminal damage. A glass was thrown at the window, smashing it.” Police have not confirmed whether anyone has been charged for the offence.
Another Jesus student, who wished to remain anonymous, commented, “The Turl Street Dash is a bit of a joke – no-one takes it seriously. I think that the person involved didn’t really understand that it was meant to be ironic and got a bit over excited while trying to impress the older boys.”
