A campaign has launched to connect, share and represent the voices and experiences of first-generation students studying at Oxford University.

The stated aims of the campaign, run by Oxford First-Generation Students, are to “connect first-generation students across the university, raise awareness of the experience of first-generation students at Oxford and talk to prospective students who will be the first in their families to go to university to encourage them to make an application.”

Oxford First-Generation Students was founded towards the end of Trinity 2015. The group’s first meeting took place at Christ Church on Monday of 1st Week but many more events are already planned for the rest of Michaelmas.

Lynton Lees, a History undergraduate at Christ Church and President of the organisation, told Cherwell that a social will be taking place in 3rd Week. More long-term plans include a ‘First-Gen day’ to be put on next year, featuring visits from first-generation alumni and panel discussions on the issues facing first-generation students.

Questioned on the inspiration behind the campaign, Lees said, “We were inspired by similar first-generation student campaigns launching on Ivy League campuses in the US.

“Oxford spends millions of pounds annually funding access initiatives to attract first-generation students and students from low income backgrounds, but there’s no real conversation about what it’s like for these students when they get here.”

Oxford First-Generation Students currently has over 260 likes on Facebook and at least as many students subscribed to its mailing list. The group’s Tumblr page, designed to promote and complement the campaign, features photographs of first-generation Oxford students, which are captioned with the students’ experiences and perspectives.

Laura, a Classics undergraduate at Exeter, writes, “Being the first generation in my family to be here is just something I’m proud of. It would be fantastic if Oxford was more representative of the rest of the country, and having first-generation students here is a big part of that.”

When questioned on Oxford First Generation Students’ plans for this term, Lees said, “I think it’s time we started a conversation…being a first-gen student can be an amazing experience in a lot of ways, but it can also be a real challenge, particularly when you feel you’re the only one around.”

A second-year undergraduate at St Catherine’s told Cherwell, “The worst thing about being a first-generation student at Oxford is how small a number you are. Before Oxford I didn’t think of myself as disadvantaged in that way. Then I came here and I realised what a small percentage I’m in compared to the wider student body. It’s something I’ve never had to confront before.”

Katt Walton, a Christ Church undergraduate, told Cherwell, “My family come from very working class backgrounds. I feel an immense sense of achievement, not only for me, but for my family.

“Realising they’ve been able to support me and give me the opportunities they couldn’t have, and a sense of pride – that’s what being first-gen means to me.”

Demonstrators gathered across Oxford last Saturday in solidarity with the global A21 campaign against human trafficking.

The group, comprising of more than 50 people and seen protesting across the town centre, was diverse in composition, from newly matriculated freshers to senior citizens.

The demonstrators convened just before midday and marched into the city centre via Cornmarket Street, holding a silent protest outside the Radcliffe Camera. Members and affiliated supporters of the A21 campaign, which raises awareness to fight human trafficking, were easily recognisable.

The march was one of more than 200 taking place across 28 countries for the A21 movement. Participants made a point of remaining silent and could be seen wearing duct tape over their mouths, dressed in dark clothes.

According to the A21 website, the chosen dress was intended to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking in the public consciousness, alluding to trafficking victims’ inability to express their distress.

The demonstrators took action as part of an initiative led by Oxford Brookes social work student Natalie Barcena. Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Barcena said, “Human trafficking isn’t just about being smuggled across borders – there are a few high-profile cases here in Oxfordshire.

“Operation Bullfinch [in which seven men from Oxfordshire were jailed for grooming and sexually abusing young girls] is one example: trafficking is being exploited to do things you don’t want to do.

“There is a huge element of coercing and deception – it’s the same with people being trafficked into the UK: they are promised jobs and then told they owe the traffickers something.”

Tom Bain, a third-year English student at St Catherine’s, told Cherwell, “At first I wasn’t sure what the protest was against, though it was very striking.

“The sight of a single line of people marching silently through the centre of a city as busy as Oxford, all in black and with duct tape over their mouths, is bound to turn heads. In front and behind the protest line were activists handing out flyers, and it looked as though a lot of people were taking them.

“I think it’s a good way to raise awareness of a cause that doesn’t get talked about very much in the public sphere; the idea of a silent protest to draw attention to this seems very apt.”

When asked why he thought there was a lack of acknowledgement of modern slavery, Bain added, “I think a lot of the time people tend to associate slavery with the past, with colonialism and racism. “Whilst the effects of these issues are still felt across the world, the issue of modern slavery is evidently still a huge one too.”

An innovative app for survivors of sexual assault called ‘First Response’, created by groups of women in Oxford, has been launched.

The app is centred around helping survivors and their friends as supporters both in the short-term and long-term of surviving the emotional traumas triggered from their experience of such violence. These include being able to call the police, getting medical help, and contacting sexual assault referral centres.

On logging into the app, iPhone and Android users are given a list of ‘optional’ ways to respond to rape, assault, harassment and other forms of sexual violence. The app is also intended to raise awareness about the issue of sexual assault, providing answers and legal definitions to frequently asked questions, such as “What is sexual consent?” and “What is sexual violence?”

Students collectively coded the app over ten months under a joint initiative between the It Happens Here campaign, Code4Rights and Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre. Code4Rights was responsible for training these students to code the app, most of whom had next to no experience in this field.

Eden Tanner and Tiana Dias, co-chairs of the It Happens Here campaign, told Cherwell, “The First Response app is a critical piece of technology, which will revolutionise how survivors and supporters in Oxford are able to access information about their options following an incident of sexual violence. It’s so important that we tackle this huge problem from all angles, and empowering survivors with information is a critical step towards this. Also, by creating a culture where everyone is responsible for supporting survivors and fighting rape culture, we hope to challenge the dominant conversation.”

Tanner added, “The First Response app revolutionises how survivors can access support, and how we as a community can all take responsibility to be ready and prepared to help someone in distress. Our vision is to have every student, staff member, and person in the wider Oxford community have access to the app, and the help and support it offers.”

The making of the app was partially funded by the University’s IT Innovation Challenges, which aims at giving money towards student projects with digital technology to better the experience of Oxford for members of the university.

Catherine Paxton, the University’s director of Student Welfare and Services, told Cherwell, “The creativity and drive which It Happens Here and Code4Rights have demonstrated in bringing the First Response app to fruition is inspirational and spurs on everyone in Oxford working to create a safe university environment.

“Oxford University is committed to creating a safe university environment for all students and staff and has been working together with students to offer timely, informed, and appropriate support for those who have experienced sexual violence. I am proud that the University through its IT Innovation Challenges could play an enabling role in this pioneering project, and strongly encourage colleagues to access this rich resource which will help us better support students.”

The Rhodes Must Fall decolonisation movement has presented itself on the grandest stage yet with a protest staged at last week’s matriculation ceremonies.

The campaign, which describes itself as “a movement determined to decolonise the space, the curriculum, and the institutional memory at, and to fight intersectional oppression within, the University of Oxford,” aims to raise awareness amongst the incoming freshers and present support from the wider student community by distributing red ribbons to be worn with their subfusc.

A statement released by Rhodes Must Fall expressed satisfaction with the action, saying “RMF is thrilled at the success of the Matriculaction, and highlight that the high turnout only but emphasises the passion and commitment to the project of decolonisation that exists within Oxford. We are excited at what lies ahead for the year ahead, and look forward to what promises to be a revolutionary year of decolonisation ahead at the University of Oxford.”

The colour of the ribbons was chosen to represent the blood of families in Southern Africa affected by the actions of colonialists such as Cecil Rhodes, a large statue of whom dominates one of the quads in Oriel and after whom the University’s Rhodes Scholarships are named.

The statement continued, “The wearing of red by matriculating students drew attention to this bloodshed and related oppression, and highlighted Oxford’s ‘red-tape’ culture, which slows down change, and entrenches bureaucratic barriers that exclude many marginalised people.

Commenting on the demonstration, a University spokesperson told Cherwell, “The University is committed both to supporting potential and current ethnic minority students and to ensuring an appreciation of cultural diversity is fully embedded in the wider university community.”

“We will continue to reflect on the issues raised by our 2014 race equality summit, which brought together staff, student union members and the student-led Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality. This has resulted in concrete curriculum review work, and an extended programme of activities aimed at encouraging and supporting ethnic minority applicants to Oxford.”

The protest follows action by the campaign in South Africa at the University of Cape Town, where in April a statue of Cecil Rhodes was removed in front of a cheering crowd.

At an Oxford City Council meeting on Friday 15th October, the Executive Board agreed upon revisions to its City Centre Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which criminalise “aggressive begging”.

The Order is intended to target “anti-social behaviour” within the City Centre, extending its definition of anti-social behaviour to include begging near cash machines or in “any manner perceived to be aggressive”.

Following these new measures, homeless people and street entertainers face fines and prosecution if they are found to have acted aggressively. Council officials will now have the right to report criminalised behaviour to the police and to issue immediate penalties of up to £100. This can lead to subsequent prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction.

The City Council states that the new PSPO is a response to concerns and complaints from tourists, students, and others employed in the city of Oxford. When contacted for comment by Cherwell, Councillor Dee Sinclair said, “Residents have told me that they feel intimidated and even scared by some of the behaviours that are currently happening in the city centre.

“We take these reports very seriously but until now have had few powers to take action. The PSPO gives us those powers, and people should be reassured that Oxford will now be a safer and more welcoming place for everyone.”

In an online consultation questionnaire leading up to the City Council meeting, 54 per cent of 549 respondents answered “no” in response to the question, “Should Oxford City Council seek to prohibit this activity [persistent begging] through a City Centre Public Spaces Protection Order.”

The Council’s Chief Executive Peter Sloman claims the Order takes preventative measures to “deter anti-social behaviour” and “connect people with help and support”. The PSPO is in legal accordance with the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act of 2014.

The new regulations also restrict sleeping in toilets, urinating in public, and refusing to forfeit containers of alcohol in public when asked by police. Leash laws, which require all dogs in public spaces in the city centre to be on leads, have been established by the Council’s Order, as well as a limit to the number of dogs which can be walked by the homeless.

An original version of the current PSPO was first proposed by the council in June, but was scheduled for revision following threats of legal action from the civil liberties and human rights organization Liberty. At the time, the group claimed the proposals violated basic human rights protected under the 1998 Human Rights Act, arguing the proposals were not the “least intrusive means” of ensuring safe public spaces in Oxford.

The Board responded directly to Liberty’s claims in Friday’s meeting, arguing the revised Order is not intrusive because it limits restrictions on begging to “aggressive” behaviour. In its agenda supplement, the Board defended its policy on the grounds that there is a “detrimental effect” to aggressive begging and “remaining in a public toilet without reasonable excuse”.

Christopher Archibald, a second-year English student at Christ Church, told Cherwell, “I have never experienced aggressive begging, but maybe the council should try to solve the problem rather than covering up its symptoms.”

OUSU has elected its first ever Trans Officer at the most recent meeting of OUSU Council.

Elliot Parrot, a second year French & German undergraduate at Oriel College, was elected unopposed as OUSU’s first ever Trans Officer at OUSU Council last Wednesday. The role is one of six part-time executive committee roles that last for the duration of Michaelmas 2015.

The OUSU website describes the responsibilities of the role as working “with the Vice President (Welfare and Equal Opportunities) and the LGBTQ Officer to lobby for the interests of trans students in all areas of the student experience”.

The role is further described as working with The Women’s Campaign, the LGBTQ Campaign, and Oxford University’s LGBTQ society – a group where Parrot is currently Trans Rep.

Parrot told Cherwell, “It’s wonderful that the role finally exists, and I look forward to watching the legacy of all those Trans Officers elected in the future unfold! Hopefully this will also be one of many smaller steps towards persuading the NUS to instate a fulltime Trans Officer to support trans students at a national level, but it is a very big step forward for us on a local level.

“Being the first person in this role is quite daunting, since I have had little direct involvement with OUSU thus far, and so I’ll need to learn how to negotiate all the bureaucratic channels; that said, being the first person ever to come out as trans at Oriel was far more daunting, so I’m prepared! I’m also excited to try to make the job easier for whomever is elected after me by warming the seat for them, as it were.

“My two main plans are to put through a motion at OUSU Council urging all colleges to adopt the most recent version of the University’s policy and guidance on transgender individuals, and to lobby as many faculties as possible, as well as the Bodleian, to install gender-neutral toilets .”