Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Blog Page 1259

Cocktails with Cai

Archive
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Cocktails with Cai

After the release of the Riot Club, it would seem that Oxford’s unfortunate reputation as drinking society mecca has reached new heights. Perhaps it is only appropriate, then, for this week’s cocktail to be named after a drinking society dating back even further than Prohibition — the Clover Club.
The denizens of the Clover Club were once described as the ‘distinguished patrons of the oak-paneled lounge’ of the Bellevie-Stratford hotel in Philadelphia. Captains of industry and politicos alike would meet in the Clover Club and enjoy this complex cocktail right up until the Prohibition, when the concoction suddenly fell out of favour.

After its fall from grace, the Clover Club cocktail never truly recovered, despite the recent renaissance in classic cocktails. Yet another cocktail incorporating egg white as a key ingredient, it can be recognised by the foamy pink head resting at the top of the martini glass. Fans of Ab Fab and other gin lovers will also be glad to note the principal spirit in the mix and the juniperberry harshness of a good gin works to combat the sweetness of the grenadine.

It was increasingly seen as a woman’s drink, replacing the Pink Lady as the cocktail of choice for the classy female cocktail-bar revelers of Twentieth Century America. Nowadays, you’ll be lucky to find it on any menu. Yet for those with a sweet tooth, the drink is the perfect after dinner dessert — as long as you shake it enough.

1.5 measures gin

1.75 measures lemon juice

Few dashes of grenadine

1 egg white

Mix without ice for an extended period, before shaking some more with ice in the mix.

Becky Howe wins OUSU Presidential election

Tom Calver
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Becky Howe wins OUSU Presidential election

Becky Howe has won the 2014 OUSU Presidential election with 1343 votes, beating her closest rival Will Obeney by 710 votes. 

It was a good evening for teamABC, with their candidate Cat Jones being voted VP for Academic Affairs and Access — despite receiving 719 first preference votes to Greg Auger’s 763, winning as a result of second, third, and fourth preference votes. Eden Bailey of Right to Education came third with 478, while For Oxford’s Flora Sheldon received 467 votes.

Ali Lennon, also of teamABC, was elected VP for Welfare and Equal Opportunities with 1551 votes. 

Lucy Delaney was elected VP for Women with 877 votes, while Emily Silcock was elected VP Charities and Community with 1633 votes.

Nick Cooper meanwhile was elected VP Graduates, with 337 votes.

An elated Howe told Cherwell, “I’m really happy and have totally enjoyed it. I’ve campaigned with some really close friends. It’s been stressful and an interesting experience.

“We were up against some pretty big opposition. There were some big slates out there, Right to Education in particular. We’re a pretty small slate, so winning is a massive deal. 

“Campaigning has been eye opening. I’ve realised people don’t really know what OUSU does; only as JCR President did I realise, I had absolutely no idea in my first year.”

When asked what advice she’d give for campaigners, Howe suggested, “Stock up on vitamin C, do your work in the first half of term and surround yourself with good people. You’ve got to believe in them.

“I’m happy Cat’s won as well. We are best friends so it’s amazing we can do this together. I’m so excited for what lies ahead. Overwhelmed and thankful. Thank you Oxford for placing your trust in me. I’d like to thank the rest of the alphabet.”

Successful candidate for VP for Welfare and Equal Opportunities Ali Lennon admitted, “I’m not an expert campaigner. But we had such a positive reception to our ideas. I’ve learned a lot about Oxford. Like don’t give someone a leaflet when studying in the Bod. Like, I’m so happy right now. So happy for Becky and Cat. They did an amazing job — I’m elated and relieved!”

Next year’s VP for Academic Affairs and Access Cat Jones was equally ecstatic, declaring she was “delighted to be working with Becky”, adding, “Tonight we’ll get smashed. Tomorrow the work begins.”

Team ABC were quick to thank their supporters on Facebook, posting, “Thank You to everyone who supported us! We love you all so much. We’re excited for next year and we’ll do you proud. Lots of love, Team ABC Xxxxxxxx” (sic).

For Oxford’s Will Obeney, second in the Presidential race with 633 first place votes, was bought champagne by friends from St Johns after his defeat. He told Cherwell, “I’m pleased with how the campaign went. I’m pleased it was a good natured campaign as well, I enjoyed every minute of it. Eden [Tanner] is the best candidate for trustee and I am so glad she won by such a wide margin.

“I’ll be sad to not help OUSU continue getting better in the way it represents and supports students. I only came to OUSU a year ago, but I think it does great things, and people don’t know about it. I felt like I could help it grow.

“Obviously it’s a shame, but Becky is certainly not a person I mind losing to. I think she has some good ideas, and I think she’s going to do a good job.”

When quizzed about plans for next year, Obeney added that he is currently “quite far” into a Civil Service application.

For Oxford’s newly elected VP for Graduates Nick Cooper, meanwhile, was more somber, telling Cherwell, “I have no complaints. It was a win, but also not a win. We always knew it was going to be close between Becky and Will; Becky will do a good job, but it’s a shame about Will.” 

For the six NUS Delegate positions there were only five candidates as a result of the rule that no more than four candidates from a single slate may run for a single position — Shana Caro (456 votes), Annie Teriba (330), Ella Richards (217), Barnaby Raine (204) and Robert Walsmsley (127) were therefore all elected. 

For Oxford’s Julia Coyne was elected Academic Affair Campaign Officer with 1408 votes, while Henna Shah, also of For Oxford, was elected Access and Admissions Officer with 1448 votes.

Nikhil Venkatesh was elected BME & Anti-Racism Officer with 1367 votes, while Right to Education’s Will Brown was voted Clubs and Societies Support Officer.

Joe Reason was elected Common Room Support Officer with 732 votes to Omar Rana’s 694, For Oxford’s Lindsay Lee was voted as Disabled Students’ Officer with 912 to Right to Education’s Emily Di Dodo on 569, and For Oxford’s Marina Lambrakis is the new Graduate Academic Affairs Officer with 355 votes.

Zuleyka Shahin (Right to Education) is the new Graduate Women’s Officer with 135 votes, David Parton was voted Health and Welfare Officer with 1347 votes, while For Oxford’s Jenny Walker gained 834 votes to beat Right to Education’s Jessy Parker Humphreys to become the new LGBTQ Officer.

Team Women’s Aliya Yule is the new Women’s Campaign Officer with 761 votes, while Right to Education’s James Elliott (522), Will Neaverson (376) and For Oxford’s Eden Tanner (552) have been elected as Student Trustees.

Preview: The Crucible

Fergus Morgan
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Preview: The Crucible

“Mass hysteria is a compelling spectacle. So is the supernatural. Consequently, everyone losing their shit over some alleged witchy stuff makes for one fucking watchable play.” Thus wrote Arthur Miller in 1996 on the release of the film adaptation of his 1953 play, The Crucible. Okay, I’m paraphrasing (only slightly, honest) but the point is still pertinent; Miller’s dramatisation of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s deals with the eternally fascinating machinations of a community convulsing with fear.

St Hilda’s Drama Society is staging the play in the college’s Jacqueline Du Pré Auditorium in 7th Week. David Meijers stars as John Proctor, a married man whose brief affair with young Abigail Williams (Mary Higgins) has triggered escalating hostility between himself, his erstwhile concubine, and his wife Elizabeth (Alice Gray). Accusations of witchcraft soon begin to fly and Proctor is caught in the throes of a dilemma: to protect his wife or his name?

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With its rare combination of genuine drama and timeless relevance, The Crucible is regularly labelled a masterpiece of 20th Century American writing. Yet it was not always so. The original 1953 Broadway production was criticised for being ‘too conscious’ of its pretensions to social commentary.

This was the era of McCarthyism and widespread fear of closet communists lurking under the mattresses of the nation. Miller himself was hauled in front of the Committee on Un-American Activities and convicted of contempt of Congress for his refusal to co-operate. The parallel Miller drew between the literal witch-hunts of the late 17th Century and the metaphorical ones of the early 1950s certainly no secret.

Since then, productions of the play have been seen as oblique commentaries child sex-abuse scandals in California in the late eighties, on President Bush’s ‘war’ on terrorism (a 2011 production even adorned the set with a paraphrase of Georgie-boy’s notorious ultimatum: ‘either you are with us, or you are terrorists’), even – goodness gracious! – on the media furore surrounding the recent revelations about the late Jimmy Savile’s sexual proclivities.

In fact, rare is the production that does not attempt to obliquely reflect some contemporary phenomenon. So what social comments does director Helgi Clayton McClure hope to smuggle into this production? A sly statement about the shameful persecution of Geography students, perhaps?

“I don’t really want to get into that side of things”, he tells me as we discuss the play post-rehearsals. “I want to make it historically authentic. I don’t want to over-emphasise the contemporary relevance. People will either get that or they won’t, but I want them to enjoy the play in its own context.”

I’m handed a booklet about the upcoming production that says as much: “As it the case with much dramatic work, it is ultimately down to individual interpretation what aspects of the human condition are most sharply thrown into relief.” Evidently McClure and his cast are focussing on producing an engaging piece of drama and intend to leave the audience to draw their own conclusions.

The rehearsals I witness reveal more. There is an evident attention to authenticity above all else: somewhat convincing New England accents, an era-appropriate uprightness, and frequent displays of piety that only occasionally veer towards Gospel choir (“Praise the Lord!”, indeed).

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Pressure is far from palpable in the scenes but there is a definite modicum of tension, particularly evident in Meijers’ performance. Beneath his indecision and uncertainty, there is an endearing earnestness that makes his plight all the more distressing. I ask Meijers how he considers Proctor: is he playing a hero?

“I think he is a very nuanced character. There is a scene early on in the first act where Proctor tells Abigail that their affair is over, but he is simultaneously being quite challenging and flirtatious. To me he is a good man with a bad side.”

McClure agrees: “I want to see Proctor as a hero but he just isn’t as simple as that. He has that fatal flaw that makes him such an controversial figure. But that’s one of the brilliant things about the play. Because it tries to portray the breadth of a community in under twenty characters, it has so many interesting characters.”

I ask McCure about the play’s aesthetics. Is he keen to embrace authenticity here as well?

“We’re trying to keep things very simple. I want to echo the play’s puritanical theme so the set is just a table and chairs, and the cast are dressed in monochrome. Everyone wears exaggeratedly frumpy outfits apart from Abigail, our femme fatale, who has a sexier, burgundy dress. Proctor will also have some symbolic red on him, a neckerchief maybe.”

McClure clearly has a powerful vision for his production and the enthusiasm to pull it off. He talks with conviction about the journey it has taken.

“I found a paperback copy of the play being given away in a box of books on someone’s front lawn. I read it on a train and it was as simple as that. I was really attracted to the nuances of the characters and, as St. Hilda’s nearly always puts on a comedy in Michaelmas term, I thought it would be bold to do something that is decidedly not.”

#OUSU2014 live

Cherwell
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#OUSU2014 live

22:20 OUSU elections never seem to disappoint (at least the two I’ve followed haven’t). 2014 might have had fewer scandals than in previous years, might have been friendlier, and had a lower turnout but it’s still been exciting to follow.

Congratulations to the successful candidates and commiserations to those who lost. It’s been great fun live live-blogging (although I’m never going to forgive Jack Matthews for his unprovoked attack on my “vomit of blog”). Hopefully this’ll even serve as a record of events for the future. Thanks for reading to the end and have a great night.

21:56 Here’s some more ‘best of Twitter’

21:55 Wow that was close:

 21:44 OUSU’s VP Women:

21:42 I embedded that as a tweet because I’m getting so good at it now that it would be a shame not to.

21:41 Credit to the RO. The full results and breakdown are available here:

21:35 “I’d like to thank the whole alphabet”, Becky on winning. I’m going to share that photo again, because it’s great.

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21:30 More twitter reaction:

21:27 Unsuccessful candidate for Access and Academic Affairs Flora Sheldon tells Cherwell, “Oxford’s really amazing, they’ve got fantastic representation now. I wouldn’t have run with anyone else.” Graceful in defeat. A lot of respect for that.

21:23 Has it sunk in?

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21:19 A successful slate:

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21:15 Here’s some twitter reaction to the results:


21:07 Here’s a photo of Robert’s crew:

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BREAKING: BECKY HOWE WINS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

21:00 RESULTS:

Total voters: 3143

Turn-out: Around 14%

President: (vote share is first preferences, not total)

Becky Howe: 1343

Will Obeney: 633

Adam Roberts: 461

RON: 182

Winner: Becky Howe

ACAF: (vote share is first preferences, not total)

Greg Auger: 763

Eden Bailey:478

Cat Jones: 719

Flora Sheldon: 467

RON: 91

Winner: Cat Jones (due to second, third, and fourth preference votes)

Other results to follow soon.

20:55 Nervous now. And I’m not even running. We’ll bring you results in full ASAP, of course.

20:50 Results are in. They’re keeping them secret until 9:00 though. Ten minutes. Ahh.

20:47 Oxide presenters seem to have left their Facebook notification noises on, which are being broadcast live. Seriously debating sending them all messages to see who it is.

20:43 Apparently Louis Trup is to blame for what has been called “a bad bop set” on Oxide by Twitter. Here’s the justification for his music choice:

20:38 Ahh Oxide what did we do to annoy you? 

20:36 Interesting stats here:

20:32 Barnaby Raine tells Cherwell, “Jack Matthews has a low threshold for what counts as fun”.

20:30 Only 30 minutes left until the announcement. That is if the time we’ve been given is correct. “Before or at 9:00” is the official line according to James Blythe.

20:28 Here’s a prediction for you:

  pic.twitter.com/LNqBdZmI6N

20:24 Breaking news, but it comes too late to sway the results. Hussein the kebab provider officially backed For Oxford in the campaign.

20:23 Flora Sheldon tells Cherwell, “This week’s been so much fun. We’ve been to 27 colleges, it’s been such a great team building thing. And we haven’t overeaten or overdrank at all. We are all definitely still sane.”

20:21 Here’s a message from Tom Rutland in full:

“Good luck to all the candidates running today – it’s tough putting yourself and your ideas up to public scrutiny and they should all be proud of the positive campaigns they’ve run”

20:19 Friendly message from Team Women to the other candidates:

20:17 It’s getting exciting now. Here’s some gossip for you. Tom Rutland has wished all the candidates good luck. That was nice.

20:15 And here are the scenes in For Oxford’s campaign centre:

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20:12 Out in deepest darkest Cowley Right to Education are having their gathering. Nervous but optimistic our reporter reckons.

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20:05 Here’s an update from the Adams camp. According to our reporter Elliot Burns the team is “in quite high spirits”. Is that because Nick Clegg seems to have joined them or a reference to the (neccessary) drinking that is going on?

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19:57 Fantastic enthusiasm from our news reporters covering election HQs. Suzie Marshall, covering John’s, has just told us “eee I’m actually really excited” and Harry Gosling, hanging out with Right to Education says he’s tempted to buy a bottle of wine to fit in. Enjoy it guys.

19:55 Think music choice is very revealing of Oxide presenters. Just putting it out there.

19:52 Dubious connection there.

19:47 15% is Nick Cooper’s ‘guestimate’ at turnout levels. Less door-knocking will be a contributing factor, he says

19:44 Sorry Rowan, Carlos couldn’t be reached for comment.

19:40 Oxide Radio (and Jack Matthews) you’re coverage is not loud enough! Can’t hear you at all.

19:38 Nick Cooper responds to our earlier post about his election strategy…

 19:37 Just got dinner. Nothing between me and the election results now.

19:06 I’m not the only one having that thought…

 19:03 Jack Matthews is playing Robyn on Oxide Radio and no one knows why. 

18:58 Well that was exciting. I’m sitting in the middle of Cherwell’s Election Coverage HQ listening to a repeat of last week’s Oxide election broadcast (I am probably the only listener) and suddenly Louis Trup comes on the air. He says it’s chaotic in OUSU offices. There are chocolate wrappers and empty bottles everywhere apparently. If he thinks that’s “absolute chaos”, then he probably doesn’t want to visit the Cherwell offices.

18:55 Just to let you know that we have teams covering all the slates and as many of the independents as possible. We’ll share photos, quotes, and whatever else we can get our hands on as soon as we get hold of them.

18:53 Here’s a brief round-up of what’s happened in the election campaigns as of yet:

  • Nominations closed two weeks ago. 8 positions have no candidates running and 19 are uncontested. Veterans of OUSU will be able to tell you how unusual this is.
  • Hustings took place across colleges, all the information we have following these suggest the elections will be tight.
  • Polls closed at 18:00. We now wait in suspense.

18:43 Surprised (joking) to see #ousu2014 is not trending on twitter, but I predict it’ll pick up as the night goes on. There are jobs and futures at stake here, remember.

18:41 We’ve heard (from a fairly credible source, I think) that the count has begun. I don’t know how much counting is involved in a digital vote, but something is underway.

18:37 We’re used to candidates trying their best to stand out from the crowd (although with 8 positions unfilled and 19 elections uncontested this year, it’s a stretch to call it a crowd), but I’m not sure we’ve seen animals feature this heavily in an election campaign before…

18:32 Here’s a trip down memory lane (or, if you’re a fresher, a history lesson) in the form of last year’s live blog: http://www.cherwell.org/news/oxford/2013/11/19/ousu-elections-live-blog. I think it’s quite interesting.

18:27 One fresher, who wished to remain anonymous, told Cherwell they’d felt, “underwhelmed” by the elections. “I’m glad I voted, as I think it’s important that our SU is representative, but it’s a bit worrying that there’s so little fuss made”, they added.

18:23 Did you vote? Did you decide not to? Who did you vote? Why? How has this election shaped up to expectations? Let us know any of your election-related thoughts by tweeting or commenting below and we’ll share them.

18:17 Polls are closed now, of course, but in case you wanted to see what you’ve voted for, Cherwell produced a video debate between the candidates for OUSU President.  

18:12 Here are some more stats from our survey, as promised (these are the highlights):

  • 70% of people who did vote agreed ‘I believe that it is my duty as a student to vote for the student Union’
  • 40% of people not voting said they ‘did not have enough time to find out about candidates’
  • A quarter of people voting did so because a friend asked them to vote for them

18:08 Candidate for BME and Anti-Racism Office Nikhil Venkatesh of Corpus Christi tells Cherwell he was “really well-received on the doorstep today, very excited for what looks like being a very close set of elections.”

18:07 So what happens until results are announced on Oxide Radio at 9:00pm? Well, Cherwell will fill you in on what’s happening across the slates and all the candidates. 

18:00 Polls are closed. That’s it. No more voting. The fates of candidates are sealed. Will it be relief or nerves hitting them now? We’ll be hearing from candidates in a second…

17:55 Are things getting desperate? Or is a student politician showing a sense of humour? 

17:54 Other people are just as excited it seems. Here’s a tweet from Chris Pike, although obviously it’s only five minutes (five!) until polls close now.

17:45 There’s only 15 minutes left. The suspense is getting to me now. 

17:44 More stats to come! Don’t worry.

17:38 We published an article earlier showing there was confusion about this year’s voting process (see it here), and a Cherwell poll (of just over 200 students) subsequently shows that around 1/5 of those who voted experienced some sort of difficulty. That’s breaking news. 

17:33 Cherwell’s conducted a poll to help you gain an idea of what might happen in these elections which we’ll be sharing in a moment, but in the meantime if you fancy some reading, checkout this piece Alex Bartram (who was a presidential candidate in last year’s elections) wrote for us: http://www.cherwell.org/news/oxford/2014/11/17/ten-thoughts-on-this-years-ousu-elections 

17:32 … as does (rather predictably) the official OUSU twitter account 

17:31 Greg Auger, an independent candidate for VP Access and Academic Affairs reminds people to vote:

17:27 There are lots of unknowns in this year’s election. Will this be the year that proves ‘mega-slates’ are a thing of the past? Will turnout be as low as expected? Predictions have been made and debates had, but the only conclusive answers will come at around 9:00, when the counts are published. Stay in touch until then.

17:23 40 minutes left and candidates will be knocking on their last doors, and phoning up the last of their contacts. If you haven’t voted, do so here: http://ousu.org/representing-you/elections/2014/. We don’t want to be setting records for turn-out for all the wrong reasons.

17:15 The official hashtag for this event (in case you didn’t get it from the headline) is #ousu2014. 

17:14 It’s all getting exciting as the deadline approaches. Candidate for VP Graduates Nick Cooper seemed to be looking forward to the end as long as two hours ago…

17:03 But before any of the results come in, don’t forget that there’s just under an hour left to cast your vote. Make sure you excercise your democratic right! You can do so here: http://ousu.org/representing-you/elections/2014/

Start, 17:00 It happens once a year towards the end of the year as the weather turns colder. No, it’s not Christmas (although to some people it’s just as big a deal), but OUSU elections. By around 9:00 this evening we’ll know who will be representing us next year. Get in touch and we’ll feature you here, but make sure you keep refreshing this page for the latest updates too.

Shark Tales: S4E04

Freddie Money
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Shark Tales: S4E04

http://youtu.be/yWuL6lvrW0w

 

Preview: The Oxford Revue’s Christmas Party

Bethan Roberts
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Preview: The Oxford Revue’s Christmas Party

It might seem a little early to be beginning Christmas celebrations. Maybe even a little early to beginning Oxmas celebrations. Nonetheless, what the Oxford Revue Christmas Party will lack in its proximity to December 25th, it will more than make up for in festive spirit. There will be mulled wine, there will be Santa Claus, and what’s more, rumour has it that if you turn up in a Christmas jumper, you get a free mince pie! But Scrooges fear not, although there’s unquestionably a festive theme, the comedy will be free to roam as far from the Christmassy as it desires, and the sketches I watched featured everything from a scissor-happy hairdresser to an intense rendition of a GCSE Drama style piece about “fucking issues”.

Sitting in on a rehearsal for Friday’s show, it’s clear that even without all the extra festive fun, this would be a show not to be missed. There’s material that’s been tried and tested in front of audiences at earlier Revue events, but more than enough new stuff to reward hardened comedy fans. The performers have participated in this term’s Audreys — the Revue’s fortnightly comedy events at the Wheatsheaf — but the atmosphere for this event will be more like that of the Oxford Revue and Friends shows held at the Playhouse every Trinity. The larger venue will go some way to engineering this — the Simpkins Lee at LMH seats a lot more people a lot more comfortably than the cramped and humid conditions of the Wheatsheaf’s upper room — but there’s also a lot more performers than usual. Typical Revue shows might have four or five talented comic actors — this show has twelve, and boasts an impressive repertoire of this term’s new comedy writing in the form of sketches, songs, poetry and stand-up.

The show was still in the process of being put together at the rehearsal I attended, with some decisions yet to be made. In the short time I was there the momentous decisions to provide karaoke of Christmas hits was made — and I must admit I now feel somewhat culpable in the ultimate success or failure of this venture — and there’s every chance that more comedy and more festivity will be added to the entertainment that will be on offer on Friday and Saturday.

I’ve been placed under strict instructions to impress upon readers that the last five of the Revue’s shows completely sold out. They sold out. All five of them. All five. This is a testament to the quality of comedy on offer, but it’s also all the more reason to book early as waiting too long could mean missing out. It’s possible that demand for this show will be even higher than on previous occasions, given the excellent performances members of the Revue have given this term in a variety of productions, not all of them unremittingly comedic. In a quick glance around the room I recognised Tom Dowling, Jack Chisnall and Keiran Ahern from Henry V, Barney Fishwick, Will Hislop and Georgia Bruce from Jerusalem, and David Meredith from Dahling You Were Marvellous, but there are sure to be many more familiar faces for fans of Oxford drama and comedy.

When asked what audiences could expect from the show, Co-Presidents Fishwick and Hislop promised it would certainly be “an attempt at comedy”. The self-described “attempt” looks set to be an extremely successful one, and I would strongly recommend all fans of Christmas to get tickets and check it out for themselves. After all, their last five shows sold out.

The Oxford Revue’s Christmas show will be on at the Simpkins Lee Theatre, LMH on Friday and Saturday at 8pm.

Review: Monkey Bars

Rose Sykes
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Review: Monkey Bars

★★★★☆
Four stars

Part way through Monkey Bars, a familiar situation is presented: a panel of three interviewers sits facing their tense victim, who is isolated on the distant other side of the desk. “What is…” — the central interrogator begins the question in the severe but bored tones of an academic — “…Your favourite sweetie?” Nervously but willingly he lists his favourites, later adding bubblegum in a clumsy jolt of inspiration. Regarding this answer with a look of intellectual disdain, she continues the sophisticated train of thought: “And what would you do if you were a bubblegum creature?” 
 
I’m sure we all wish that interviews could be conducted in such a way, but sadly only in the world of Monkey Bars — where words taken from interviews of children are performed by adults acting as adults — does this happen. A number of scenes share this structure of children’s discussions taking place in parallel adult situations, with hilarious and thought-provoking results. The intimate, softly-lit romantic dinner for two is the perfect setting for a conversation about dreams — though maybe not about the terror of being chased by a nightmare blue bee. The politicians at the podium, having been asked what they’d do if they ruled the world, answer and argue in terms about as coherent as most real politicians, made particularly disconcerting by the sweeping grandness of their gestures and highly rhetorical delivery — while they share their dreams of a world where there are no robbers, and everyone can run around in the sunshine flying kites. The age-old debate of the relative merits of being a girl or a boy is presented (boys versus girls, obviously) with a Jeremy Paxman-like mediator, though frequently threatens to turn into a juvenile episode of Jeremy Kyle.

The creativity and range of the situations speaks for how tailored their design is to the concerns of the audience, and humour is created even down to the level of lighting, sound and set. But weightier concerns aren’t passed over, and the peculiar form is perfect for conveying a child’s capacity to normalise experiences of the deeply, worryingly abnormal. It is the scene which gives the play its title, though lighter in content than some, which is crucial: a child falls from the playground monkey bars, is sent to the medical room and reassured that their arm is only bruised, when in fact it is broken. Scenes like this speak for understanding how people, especially the otherwise voiceless, become damaged: hurt a tiny bit at a time, they’re dismissed until they’re broken.

But the play isn’t a non-stop moral lesson, and we’re constantly reminded that these are children who, if they get bored of the conversation, can ask “Is it playtime yet?” (Give that a try in your next tutorial). The otherwise excellent cast sometimes slip into acting a little too like children, when the play requires the opposite. It also doesn’t help that as students they don’t have the look of full maturity that would create the maximum contrast between the words and their delivery. But predominantly they capture the absorbing essence of the play in all its disconcerting hilarity. 

Frustration over OUSU elections

Tom Calver
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Frustration over OUSU elections

Students and candidates have encountered problems with the online voting system for OUSU elections, with voters unable to go back after logging on to the system.

The Student Union has also received criticism for failing to make candidates’ hustings videos available to students, with RO Martine Wauben explaining that videos “ended up in little pieces on different devices”, and that “fixing them would take until after polls close”. 

OUSU has had difficulties with voting systems all term after they failed to renew their subscription to online system “mi-voice”. 

Ex-OUSU Council Chair Nick Cooper told Cherwell, “While there is an explanation of voting on the Elections page, I feel that this could have been highlighted more clearly from the OUSU home page for those not as familiar with the OUSU website as I am. I also think it’s unfortunate that the new system doesn’t permit returning to vote in new elections.”

After Cherwell contacted the three Presidential candidates, Team ABC’s Becky Howe summarised, “It’s not good really.

“Some people have said voting’s really difficult to work out — there hasn’t been a proper explanation on how to do it, even something like an explanatory paragraph or video would’ve been really helpful.”
 
OUSU Returning Officer Martine Wauben however, maintained, “I have not received any such complaints. If voting is indeed unclear, we’d be happy to clarify further, but it seems that not being able to go back is not unusual to most. My only comment would be: please do contact me if you have any difficulty or questions, I’m always happy to clarify!”
 
Meanwhile, students expressed frustration at OUSU’s failure to put up the videos of hustings in time for the elections.
 
St Hilda’s student Helena Dollimore tweeted, “V disappointed @ousunews won’t be making election hust videos available to students — videos are great for improving turnout!”
 
She also told Cherwell, “Whilst I’m sure that no individual is to blame, the voting system this year is far from ideal; scores of people have found it hard to navigate the site; not helped by the lack of prominence given to elections on the website, and candidates haven’t been given instructions to print on their posters and leaflets.”

Ex-OUSU Chair Nick Cooper said he became aware of the technical problems with video while at hustings. He commented, “The Returning Officer does have to delegate some duties, and it’s unfortunate that on this occasion, a really great way to reach out to voters (neutrally) has been lost.”

Becky Howe meanwhile explained that her slate “are very disappointed”. She told Cherwell that, “Without the hustings videos, the vast majority of students won’t have seen us hust, so won’t be able to make an informed decision. It’s such a shame, because Cat in particular performed brilliantly in hustings, and it’s not fair that the student body won’t be able to see that. We have our own videos — which we’ve put up on our Facebook page — but we didn’t film the other candidates, so students are unable to compare candidates husting before voting.

“I appreciate that there were technical difficulties, but it’s pretty ridiculous that this has happened.”

Helena Dollimore echoed Howe’s frustrations, adding, “The lack of videos is also disappointing. Anyone can produce a glossy manifesto, but husts and questions are where you really see who the strongest candidate is.”

RO Wauben agreed that not having the videos is “very unfortunate” and apologised to voters, explaining, “Due to technical difficulties which all those present at central hustings were immediately aware of, different devices were used to record the speeches and questions.
 
“Putting together the pieces of video where individual devices failed is a huge amount of work for our staff, and they simply would not be able to fix these into proper full videos until it is too late already. Therefore, we made the decision to inform the candidates as soon as this became clear.
 
“We hope that manifestoes, videos for sabbatical candidates, and engagement with students at hustings and during these campaigning days will still inform voters of the qualities of the candidates.”
 
Current OUSU President Louis Trup told Cherwell that he agreed with Wauben’s sentiments, adding, “Once the elections are over, we will make sure to look at ways to improve for next year.”
 
Referring to both problems facing voters, Cooper vowed to review the elections process at the next OUSU Council meeting, adding, “I feel this needs careful review for future elections, especially if turnout is lower than expected. I will be bringing a motion to 7th week Council to, as in previous years, set up a Review Group and seek submissions from students about how to improve the elections process and get more people involved.”
 
The other presidential candidates could not be reached.
 
Voting closes at 6pm today. Results are set to be announced on Oxide radio shortly after 8pm, and on Cherwell.org shortly after.

Review: The Drop

Tom Graham
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Review: The Drop

★★★☆☆
Three stars

You have been here before — many times. You might never have been to New Yawk, but you know a Brooklyn accent, and Tom Hardy’s latest voice hangs like fog over the opening scene. The setting is quickly established, as the audience eases into familiar ground: Hardy’s character Bob tends a ‘drop’ bar where the local Chechen mafia sometimes store dirty money. Cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), once a big player in the local crime network, runs the bar as little more than the mafia’s puppet. Late one night, as they are shutting up the bar, two guys in clown masks hold the place up — big mistake: “Do you know what you’re doing? Do you know whose money you’re jacking?”

Dennis Lehane wrote the screenplay for The Drop. He also wrote those for Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, and chunks of The Wire. So he has had a big hand in shaping the genre, and even if this plot seems derivative, perhaps he is just revisiting his own themes. Here he manages to create a throaty sense of place, in spite of his cast of stars. Dim tungsten glows warm the rich, muddy reds and browns of the bar; outside, a familiar unblinking white sky, sniffing pink noses, and the muffled crunch of snow underfoot. The church and the bar fight for the scraps of mens’ souls. Blurred movements in the foreground of shots simmer tension, and old-timers get aphoristic: “We’re dead already, we’re just still walking around.” So far, so familiar — what sets this apart?

The Drop is the late James Gandolfini’s final complete feature film, as A Most Wanted Man was Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s. In a sense, with the release of these films, they die a second death. Watching their last films is agonising: both of them are wheezing, smoking, swollen – and sad. Both actors were remarkable at hovering between burly gravitas and sensitivity, each aspect made the more striking by the other.

Gandolfini is excellent, if underused, here as Marv. He broods over his bar, thinks wistfully of former glory days that never really were, mumbles obsequiously when the mob are there; bullies when they are not. He wants to be something he cannot: “The neighbourhood changed: it wasn’t enough to be tough anymore, you know, you had to be mean.” Towards the end there is a typical moment of wrenching sensitivity from Gandolfini: snug on a couch, more gruffalo than gangster, he berates and whines at Bob for not fulfilling his potential. Berates and whines, because part of him knows that the power in their relationship has shifted, but also because he is really talking to himself.

Hardy has clearly got one eye on Marlon Brando, and the other on Ryan Gosling in Drive. Bob is ponderous, pensive even. His movements are very deliberate; his expression level, to the point of seeming dim-witted. His thick blooded lips hang still, whether he is handling severed limbs, squaring up to psychopaths or pouring shots. The film is preoccupied with Hardy, and it wants you to be as well: who is this guy, really? He goes to mass every morning but does not take communion, and he saves roughed up puppies from trashcans. Is he straightforward but slow, or something more? The film is at pains to interest you in him, but even Hardy’s brooding charisma struggles to enliven such a hackneyed character.

The pace throughout is leisurely: this is more of a drama than a thriller. It lays things out slowly, keeping many narrative cards close to its chest before playing its hand right at the end. The slowness is a reflection of Bob’s, and it is interspersed with moments of casual grisly violence. When the end comes, it does not surprise. We get the usual step back and reappraisal: crime, and its consequences, is half calculated, half random; there are hoods like Bob who bide their time, and hoods that do not, and we all know who lives longest.

St John’s JCR provides £200 to set up a political caucus

Sam Dayan
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St John’s JCR provides £200 to set up a political caucus

St John’s JCR passed a motion to create a centre-left caucus on Sunday 9 November, after the original motion was drastically amended to eradicate any political preference from the Society.

The ‘Keeping up with the Balliols’ motion, so-called because of Balliol’s well-known Left Caucus, was proposed by co-Chair Elect of the Oxford University Labour Club, David Cesar- Heymann. Pledging to give £200, the motion intended to create “a space in college where students can be politically engaged” with speakers and the publication of a magazine.

Cesar-Heymann argued that the JCR’s recent decision to give money to support the Free Education demonstration, while simultaneously rejecting the principle of Free Education, showed that John’s valued people’s ability to express their opinion even if they disagreed with the opinion itself.

The motion was attacked for fear that it would appear like the JCR was endorsing a political party, despite backers’ insistence that the motion was explicitly worded to avoid this.

An amendment from the floor was proposed to remove the phrase ‘centre-left’ from the Society’s title, effectively creating just a politics society. After Cesar-Heymann demanded a recount, the amendment passed 19 votes to 17.

The JCR overwhelmingly supported the creation of the society but questioned whether it required financial backing. Access and Equal Opportunities Officer Flora Sheldon argued that, as the funding available for her position was also £200, it seemed “disproportionate” to value a political society to the same extent as access and equal opportunities.

Countering Sheldon, Cesar-Heymann reminded the JCR that it holds a subscription for The Telegraph costing £200, which is allegedly unused. The vote to give the newly founded society £200 passed contentiously 17 votes to 15.

Speaking to Cherwell after the vote, Cesar- Heymann was “very happy with the motion that passed by a practically unanimous vote”, adding that he was already focused in bringing in speakers.

He added, “I’d be happy to help anyone interested in setting up another discussion group under the caucus umbrella.”

Several members, however, suggested that societies should only receive JCR money when there was strong enough evidence of sufficient interest by college members.

The motion requires the caucus to submit a yearly report to the Secretary, meaning it is likely to continue to attract scrutiny from the JCR.

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