Monday, May 12, 2025
Blog Page 1334

Investigation: Local elections

Samuele Volpe
-
0
Investigation: Local elections

On May 22nd, elections will be held for 50% of the seats on the Oxford City Council. A survey conducted by C+ has found that, whilst 61% of students plan to vote in the coming elections, only 15% would consider becoming a candidate. In light of this, and with a considerable number of current or former Oxford students running, C+ spoke to Labour’s Aled Jones and Eleanor Law, along with Maryam Ahmed and James Johnson of the Conservative Party, and Ruthi Brandt of the Green Party to discover why they’re running, and what we can expect from them.

[mm-hide-text]%%IMG_ORIGINAL%%9701%%[/mm-hide-text] 

Ahmed described herself as a “working class girl from an immigrant family”, going on to say that, ”I studied Engineering at Christ Church and now I’m doing a PhD at Wolfson.” She emphasised that, “I don’t mindlessly tow the party line. I’m a proud Conservative but I will applaud sensible policies and slap down stupid ones, regardless of party loyalty.

“Our Labour City Council is seriously lacking in common sense. This makes me angry and it should make you angry, too. I want to stand up for students and be the voice of reason and compassion on our City Council.” 

Ruthi Brandt told C+ that, “ I came to Oxford to pursue a research degree in animal behaviour and during my time as a student I campaigned on issues ranging from wildlife conservation to climate change.” She claimed to be motivated by love, “I love this city, and have made it my home, but there are many things that need protecting and improving, and I want to be in a position to be able to do that.”

Eleanor Law, a third year at Hertford, explained that she was driven by a desire to counter the destructive work of national government. “I’m standing to be a councillor because l’m horrified by the cuts the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government have been making to our services, in particular the NHS, and their divisive, nasty and inaccurate attitude towards unemployed people and those receiving benefits.”

James Johnson of Brasenose said that he wanted to work to make the interface between students and the council more successful. “After living in Oxford for three and a half years, I’ve decided to stand as I feel there is a disconnect between students and the city council.”

Aled Jones, running for Labour, wants to use his student political experience on a bigger stage. He told C+, “As a previous chair of Oxford University Labour Club, I’ve seen first-hand the value that the Oxford City Council provide to the city, and it would be fantastic to be able to help provide that support to the students of Oxford as a councillor.”
Stuart O’Reilly is running for UKIP. “I’m a second year historian at Pembroke College and I’m standing as a candidate for Hinksey Park as I believe the Labour administrated City Council are making decisions that will prove to be disastrous for Oxford.”

Often there is, as James Johnson expressed, a “disconnect” between students and the city itself, so C+ set each of our candidates to the task of explaining why students ought to care about the upcoming elections.
Ruthi Brandt began by pointing out, “Students are part of this city. Even if they are in Oxford for only a few years the actions of the city council will have an affect on their lives here. And who knows, they might end up staying here after they graduate, like so many of us seem to do.” 

Aled Jones agreed, saying that, “Students should vote in these elections because ultimately the decisions that the City Council make affect their lives, and it’s important that they use the voice they collectively possess. From housing opportunities to making cycling safer, students have an opportunity on the 22nd to vote and help to shape those decisions.”

A pattern in these responses became apparent as Stuart O’Reilly told C+, “Students should vote in these local elections as we are as much citizens of Oxford as those outside the university. Students make up a significant proportion of the city and are affected by many City Council policies.”
Maryam Ahmed turned on the current council, and suggested that students ought to vote in order to change the status quo. “You deserve to be represented by someone who has the courage to speak up for what’s right and actually get things done, rather than the current cohort of ineffectual pen-pushers running Oxford City Council.”

Eleanor Law combined these approaches, linking student participation in elections with greater influence in decisions. She told C+, “Students should vote in this election (and the European elections) because unless young people vote, the government has no incentive to deal with the issues and problems that young people and students face. Young people have been hit hard by the coalition government because they think they can get away with it because students won’t vote. Students need to vote to show that we do care, and that we are engaged with politics, and that we will not allow the government to destroy vital services.” 

C+ then questioned how the candidates would proceed were they to be elected. Maryam Ahmed wants to know “why the Council has capped the number of rental properties in town, making the cost of living out skyrocket”, and “why the Council is planning to build student flats next to a noisy railway line, using us as sound buffers.”

In turn, Aled Jones focused on the homelessness issue which blights Oxford. He told C+, “As a local councillor I’d focus upon fighting the cuts to homelessness provision caused by the Tory-led County Council, working with student societies and organisations to ensure a better student experience in Oxford, and ensuring that affordable and quality housing is prioritised.”

He said he would also engage with closing the apparent council-student gap. “I would specifically focus on ensuring that the City Council have as close a relationship with students as possible; working with OUSU and other organisations, and would also run regular surgeries in student JCRs.”

Ruthi Brandt’s ambitions were, unsurprisingly, eco-friendly, “As a cyclist and an environmentalist, I want to greatly improve the cycling infrastructure in the city. Cycling should be made safer and easier to undertake, and more on-street bicycle parking should be available.

She went on to discuss planning projects such as the expansion to the Westgate centre. “I would like to make sure that these projects are properly thought through – that they are indeed beneficial to the city, sustainable (for example – we shouldn’t be building in the city’s green belt!) and connected to the needs of the whole city.”

The UKIP candidate Stuart O’Reilly echoed Brandt’s concern for the state of the city, this time focusing upon the Covered Market.

“The Covered Market is in real danger of losing its character as a space for local independent traders. He went on to criticise the fact thar “residents’ voices are not being listened to on issues such as the Port Meadow development. Homelessness was an issue which surfaced again, O’Reilly said, ”If elected I would make tackling the issue of homelessness the number one priority – current councillors seem more concerned with blaming each other than sitting down with all parties and coming to agreement on policies.”

James Johnson explained that he was concerned with the transparency and effectiveness of the council. “I want the city council to stand up for students, to be a visible and more effective voice for them and their concerns. The other Conservative candidates and I will work to help Oxford students across the board, particularly on housing and rents.”

Eleanor Law told us that she feels strongly about the Oxford housing situation. She told C+, “I will campaign for more affordable housing, as Oxford is currently the least affordable city in the country, and the high house prices have a knock on impact on rents, effecting both students and permanent residents. I would also continue to campaign for a living wage across the city, and oppose the cuts the Conservative County Council are making to resources for the homeless.”

[mm-hide-text]%%IMG_ORIGINAL%%9723%%[/mm-hide-text] 

In the survey conducted by C+, one anonymous respondent commented, “I think it is disappointing that many of those running for Oxford City Council have little or no interest in local politics but are motivated purely by ambition”. However, following an in-depth investigation by C+ into each of the candidates’ policies, it would seem that the upcoming elections have much more at stake.

Ahmed and Brandt are running in Carfax ward, O’Reilly in Hinksey Park, Jones in Holywell, and Law in Summertown.

This article has been amended to show that Labour won a by-election for the North ward of Oxford City Council in September 2013, so they hold both council seats for that ward. 

Manchester City FC take the Premier League title again

Jacob Rabinowitz
-
0
Manchester City FC take the Premier League title again

Slow and steady doesn’t always win the race. Nevertheless, in this year’s Barclays Premier League, consistency and sustainable strength reigned supreme. In a final day that killed off any remaining hope of a Liverpool snatch-and-grab, Manchester City saw through a routine 2-0 win over West Ham to secure the title for the second time in three years.

To say that their season has been steady and stable is not to cast aspersions on their style: their football has, at times, been scintillating. They have been ruthless in their destruction of lesser teams to an extent not usually seen in a league as competitive as the Premier League, recording a 7-0 victory against Norwich and 5-0 against Fulham, to name but two. Even more impressively, City have shown no fear against teams closer to them in ability, thrashing Spurs 6-0 and 5-1, although their record against title challengers Liverpool and Chelsea has, admittedly, been less impressive. City, then, have been every bit as free-scoring as Liverpool, their title rivals.

When we talk about City’s stability, then, we largely mean that there has been no great collapse, no notable dip in form at any point in the season: they have dropped points in consecutive games only twice, both times a loss followed by a draw. They are, in short, a juggernaut.The contrast with Liverpool, then, is clear. Between 8 February, when Liverpool issued a bold statement in beating Arsenal 5-1, and 20 April, when they narrowly survived a late Norwich recovery to win 3-2, Liverpool did not drop a single point; they won eleven consecutive league matches.

Indeed, when they beat Manchester City in the tenth of these, they looked set for a historic title triumph. Less than a month later, having fallen prey to Mourinho’s tactical mastery and Tony Pulis’ much revived Crystal Palace outfit, their title hopes were in tatters. They started the last day of the season with a faint hope still glimmering – if they could beat Newcastle, and West Ham could defeat City, the title would be theirs.

The day, however, did not go to plan, with a Skrtel own-goal putting Liverpool behind after twenty minutes. Though they would go on to rescue the game and win 2-1, the victory was not even bittersweet: in the context of their late surrender of the Premier League title, it meant nothing at all. Viewers, moreover, will have felt cheated at the notable lack of a crying Luis Suarez.

Elsewhere in the league, Chelsea came from behind to beat Cardiff, a team condemned to an ignominious return to the Championship, whilst Manchester United managed to salvage only a draw at St Mary’s. So much for Giggsiola. There was late drama at Craven Cottage – though nothing, of course, on this year’s Varsity football match – as Fulham scored a ninetieth minute equaliser to leave the top flight with a bang (if rescuing a last-minute draw at home to Crystal Palace can really be considered a ‘bang’).

Though the fourth place trophy was already in the cabinet by kick-off, Arsenal fans will have drawn confidence from their team’s 2-0 win at Carrow Road; the performance, especially that of Aaron Ramsey, who chipped in with a delightful volley, bodes well for next week’s FA Cup Final. For Norwich, meanwhile, their fate in the Championship was finally confirmed. Arsenal’s North London neighbours, Tottenham, cruised to a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa, securing their entry into the highly prestigious Europa League next season.

From North London to the North East, Sunderland – who were mathematically safe before Sunday’s games – proved that they genuinely only play properly when they can be bothered to do so, losing 3-1 to Swansea. Everton, meanwhile, beat Hull 2-0, while a late goal from Charlie Adam dragged Stoke to their best league finish since 1975, completing a 2-1 victory away to West Brom.

Manchester City, then, are champions, while Steven Gerrard will be wondering where it all went wrong (it’s quite clear, actually, Steven), Mourinho’s Chelsea occupy third place, fol- lowed by Arsenal. Manchester United, meanwhile, finished seventh, leaving them out of Europe for the first time in a quarter of a century. Few pundits are predicting that the lack of ‘European distraction’ will see United storm to a title victory next season.

At the bottom of the table, Norwich, Fulham, and Cardiff were relegated. Norwich fans, who required a victory at the Emirates combined with a 17-0 victory for Stoke over West Brom in order to stay up, are said to be shell-shocked. Cardiff fans can look forward to Vincent Tan’s summer signings Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, while the Fulham faithful will surely take comfort in being quite liked by everyone.

Transfer rumours have already began circulating, with Liverpool bidding for Southampton captain Adam Lallana. and rumours abounding of Luke Shaw moving to Manchester United

In a season in which Liverpool threatened to buck the trend, the Premier League ended as most predicted it would, with City champions. August cannot come soon enough. But while we lie in anticipation of epic clashes like Leicester vs Hull and West Brom vs Sunderland, there is the small matter of the Summer’s World Cup in Brazil to tide us over.

Sporting Rock Stars: Mark Cavendish

Jamie Farmer
-
0
Sporting Rock Stars: Mark Cavendish

You would be hard pressed to find a sport that has enjoyed more British successes in recent years than cycling. Britain has produced the last two Tour de France winners in Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, and managed 12 medals (8 Gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) at the London Olympics.

This week’s sporting rockstar, Mark Cavendish, has not gained any of these accolades. But this should not take away from the fact he is one of Britain’s most successful athletes.

Like all sprint cyclists, Cavendish is not interested in winning mountainous stages on Grand Tour competitions, hence why he does not receive the same publicity as his compatriots. As a heavier cyclist, his strength lies in his quads which propel him at the final sprint on the flat stages.

His success as a sprinter is impressive. 25 Tour de France stage wins to date, 11 wins in his first professional season, 3rd in the all-time list of Grand Tour stages victories (43 in total), and the first person to win the final Champs-Élysées stage at the Tour de France in four consecutive years. He has also gained points classification in all 3 grand tours (Vuelta a Espana 2010, Tour de France 2011 and the 2013 Giro d’Italia).

Yet he has had some famous setbacks; most memorably in the 2012 London Olympics, where he was favourite to win a medal in the men’s road race which included a support team dubbed “the dream team” of Wiggins, Froome, Stannard and Millar. Unfortunately, having to set the pace for most of the race and with little support, the group were unable to propel Cavendish to victory. He later insinuated that the competitors had deliberately refrained from helping an overly-successful British team. Famously, when asked by a BBC reporter whether his failure to win a medal may have been due to tiredness, Cavendish stormed off in anger asking whether the reporter knew anything about cycling.

Indeed, Cavendish is no stranger to controversy. He has never been afraid to speak his mind (his twitter page contains the disclaimer “may cause offence”). One of his more expressive moments came in 2010 at the Tour de Romandie, where he gave a two fingered salute to his critics upon crossing the finish line who apparently “knew jack shit about cycling”. He is also not afraid to take it out on his teammates. He refused to speak with Bradley Wiggins after failing to win in the Maddison at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as he felt that Wiggins had not performed to the best of his ability. His ego, and involvement in a few controversial crashes, has not always made him popular with fans, one of whom expressed his anger in the 2013 Tour de France by throwing a bottle of urine at him.

However, in spite of the odd incident, one cannot help but feel Cavendish is winning in life. He has a young family with former model Peta Todd and has received national acclaim, winning sports personality of the year 2011 and was given an MBE for his services to cycling. Without doubt his colour- ful character and continued success will keep him at the top of British cycling for the foreseeable future.

Ballroom Cuppers: perhaps the most elegant Cuppers sport?

Joel Nelson
-
0
Ballroom Cuppers: perhaps the most elegant Cuppers sport?

Dancing is rarely thought of in Oxford as a sport or as a pastime which encourages competition. This is a misconception. Oxford has its own Dancesport Club (the OUDC), and its Cuppers competition is taking place this Trinity term. Dancers compete for the coveted Acheson Shield and Rob Stevens Memorial Cup.

In this inter-college competition, teams of four couples compete in one of four ballroom dances (the waltz, quickstep, cha and jive) and, to encourage fairness and participation, at least one member of each partnership must be a beginner. This additional rule ensures that previously inexperienced college members involve themselves in the sphere of competitive dancing and this is one of the ways in which the OUDC recognises latent talent.

Beginners, often accompanied by an experienced dancer from their college who acts as a supplementary coach, attend a number of two hour training sessions, held in various locations around Oxford, where they learn the four dances. Then, having decided which routine they prefer, a couple will work to refine their chosen dance for a few weeks before the competition begins. Progress is rapid and impressive. The final routines are polished and highly accomplished.

The Oxford University Dancesport Club has a long and illustrious history. It was founded in 1968 in response to founder Janice Jones’ ‘disappointment when [she] discovered that there was no Ballroom Dance Club at Oxford’. From these relatively humble beginnings the society has gone from strength to strength, participating in numerous prestigious competitions. In recognition of its success the Club was given Full Blue status in 1997 for women while, in 2003, men received discretionary Full Blues status.

The OUDC received affiliation with the University in 1969 and began its own Varsity competitions soon after. It has regularly triumphed over Cambridge in these. While its main team is one of the country’s most successful dancesport teams the Club is keen to encourage and train beginners.

A Beginners Team is a central component of the Club. While dancers of semi-professional standard are encouraged and supported, the same reinforcement is offered to the inexperienced. Cuppers is a central component of this strategy. The Acheson Shield is awarded to the highest scoring team while the college with the most points wins the Rob Stevens Memorial Cup. Many of the OUDC’s main team members first began dancing due to their participation in this competition.

Participants receive training from the OUDC’s legendary head coach Bruce Richardson. It is primarily through Bruce’s inspired coaching that the University of Oxford has experienced such outstanding success in the National University Championships. He has led teams to victory in this competition on an unprecedented eleven occasions. A further testament to the quality of his teaching came in 2009 when he reached the shortlist for the Carl Alan awards (dubbed the ‘Oscars of dance’). It is primarily through this expertise, patience and friendly approach that beginners are able to make such rapid progress.

One beginner participant of the Cuppers training commented, “I had never even considered dancing as a sport before this competition, let alone one which I would get involved with. A friend of mine signed us up and I turned up thinking it was a joke. It wasn’t and I’ve been having a fantastic time this past week. I am really excited to get the shiny trousers as well. Bruce is great and six hours of practise has flown past and, once Cuppers is over, I’m definitely going to remain involved. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be in the OUDC’s main team.” A first year mathematician, who expressed that he was a former sceptic, professed himself delighted with this competition commenting that “dance widens participation in sport and compared to male dominated sport there isn’t a sexist divide in it. Is sign up for this year still open and do you know any girls I could do it with?”

A participant, and beginner, Anna Turner-Major explained that “There is nothing more relaxing and enjoyable than dancing. I signed myself up with an unsuspecting friend and we are making really good progress and are looking forward to tearing up the boards at Cuppers. I did not realise how close I would have to dance with him though! I am hoping to do well. That might be a bit optimistic but as Matt Biondi says ‘Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement’’’. While many have expressed amusement that dancing could be so popular a pastime,

Thomas Calver, a second year English student at Jesus, was unsurprised, commenting that “Dancing is a sport like any other. It involves competition and requires immense commitment, talent and flair. I would like to see Wayne Rooney get up every morning at 5 to train for the dance Olympics or whatever. I don’t think it is a thing but it should be!”

Exploring the magic world of University quidditch

Jack Lennard
-
1
Exploring the magic world of University quidditch

 

Quidditch isn’t something that most people have to schedule tutorials around. When told about it, many people ask if it’s actually real. But the bruises and aches through your body feel as real as any rowing, football, or rugby injury. In fact, quidditch (we use a lower case ‘q’ when talking about the sport) has been around for several years now – and it just keeps on attracting new audiences.

Let’s clear one thing up right now – no, we can’t fly. Other than that, the game is remarkably similar to the sport from Harry Potter. Each team has 7 players on the pitch, each carrying a broom (generally a length of wood or PVC) between their legs. There are 3 chasers, who take the quaffle (a semi-deflated volleyball) and put it through the hoops for 10 points a time. They have to watch out for the beaters (2 on each team), who have dodgeballs. If you’re hit by one, you have to get off your broom and run back to your hoops, before rejoining play. Finally, the seekers try and catch the snitch, who is someone dressed in yellow with a sock and tennis ball hanging out the back of their shorts. If a seeker can win that mini game of tag rugby, and grab the snitch, then that team gets 30 points (rather than the huge amount from the books, because JK Rowling doesn’t know how balanced sports work) and the game ends.

The sport is very much full-contact, and remarkably physical – if you’re expecting a bunch of people who have more interest in Harry Potter than in athletics, you’ll be disappointed. But it’s also perhaps the most inclusive sport in the world. It is open to anyone of any gender – that includes those who do not conform to the gender binary, such as agender individuals. In fact, the official rulebook states that: “During a quidditch game, each team must have at least two players in play who identify with a different gender than at least two other players. The gender that a player identifies with is considered to be that player’s gender.” This allows anyone, regardless of gender, to take part in the sport at an equal level.

When someone I met told me about quidditch before university, and I mentioned I had an offer from Oxford, they told me that I was lucky, as I would be “joining the Manchester United of quidditch”. I can see how right they were – Oxford is at the top of the European quidditch world.

We hosted the first annual British and Irish Quidditch Cup last November, which had 16 teams from across the British Isles take part – and our first team, the Radcliffe Chimeras, went and won it. That team then went on to play in the first ever European Quidditch Cup in Brussels this year – and they won, beating one of the two Paris teams to become European Champions. In fact, so many people wanted to get involved that we had to set up a second team for the current academic year – the Quidlings, who have created their own team identity and gone on to make their mark nationally, finishing in the top 7 in the British Quidditch Cup. Oxford University Quidditch Club also has no fewer than 9 players on the 21-strong squad that will represent the United Kingdom in the Global Games this summer in Vancouver, taking on the best national teams the world has to offer.

A lot of you might be reading this and wondering whether this sport is really for you. It’s a fair enough concern – with two or three practices a week, and regular fixtures, quidditch is hardly relaxing. It takes a lot of hard work. But don’t let that put you off – it’s also regularly reported as one of the most welcoming communities out there, not just within Oxford, but across every team that makes up this sport. I feel honoured to be able to call some of the people I see every week at quidditch some of my best friends – and I guarantee that if you come along to a couple of practices yourself, you’ll be hooked too.

It’s an exciting time for quidditch – the International Quidditch Association (IQA) has just had a major reshuffle, allowing Quidditch UK (the FA to the IQA’s FIFA, if you want to get football-y about things) far more autonomy in setting up national competitions. We practice every Wednesday and Saturday in University Parks at 2pm, and newcomers are very much welcome.

Whatever your preconceptions are of the sport, come along and give it a go – nobody leaves disappointed. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be helping lift our next trophy with us.

 

Pistol Cuppers set to go off with a bang this Trinity

Gil-Ad Schwartz
-
0
Pistol Cuppers set to go off with a bang this Trinity

You won’t ever break a sweat. You can do it in skinny jeans and boat shoes. You’ll never hear of a pre-Varsity drinking ban. Yet it’s arguably the toughest sport you can take up at Oxford: unforgiving, mentally demanding, and offering immediate, unambiguous feedback on your performance.

If you’re up to the challenge – like the 30 teams of novices competing in the club’s annual Cuppers tournament in 4th week – pistol shooting might just be the sport for you.

A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency (accuracy and speed) us- ing various types of guns, such as firearms and airguns. Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pheasants was an Olympic event (albeit only once, in 1900).

Competitive pistol shooting combines focus, precision, and speed. While Cuppers is designed with complete beginners in mind, higher-level shooting requires disciplined and dedicated training. A number of the members of Oxford University Pistol Club take part in competitions which require 60 precision shots to be fired one after another – a test of concentration and mental stamina. Others specialize in aptly-named “Rapid Fire” competitions, in which they must hit the centres of five different targets in the space of four seconds.

Despite this, OUPC is welcoming to beginners – and most of its members have no experience of shooting before arriving at university. Because it is only mentally, rather than physically, taxing, the sport is open to people with disabilities, and, at university level, men and women compete together.

“It’s probably the most equal-opportunities sport there is,” says Josh More, a Chemistry DPhil student who has now been shooting for two and a half years. “The main factor is how well you cope with pressure. If you get stressed out in competition, you start trying too hard, and then you lose points. Ironically, the best way to shoot well is to go into every competition thinking, ‘I don’t care [about the score]. I literally just don’t care.’”

Because pistol shooting is scored individually and numerically, a shooter’s performance in competition is unambiguous and available for all to see. This is one of the factors that makes the pressure of shooting greater than that of other sports.

“It’s brutal because there’s nowhere to hide,” says Jamie Gong, a fourth year linguist who started shooting in Michaelmas. “If you shoot poorly, you get a low score, which feels quite shit – but we’ve all had bad days so we’re all really supportive of each other. And it’s an amazing feeling when you have a day when you shoot really well. It’s such a great adrenaline rush.”

Cuppers, which will be held on Thursday of 4th week, will be a variant on the crowd-pleasing Falling Plates competition: teams will race to knock down 5 targets in the shortest possible time.

The 16 teams with the best times will qualify for the final stage, in which they will go head- to-head in a three-round knockout tournament. By the end of the night, fifteen teams will have been knocked out, and the surviving team will be crowned Pistol Cuppers Champions 2014.

For beginner teams, training will be provided over the course of 3rd week. Teams will be coached in all the basics elements of marksmanship, and the competition is open to anyone, including those who haven’t shot before. Colleges are welcome to enter more than one team of two.

To join the club or to watch Cuppers, contact Priscilla Fung (OUPC Captain): [email protected]

 

Tennis in Oxford: Summer sports dominate Trinity

Matthew Morrow
-
0
Tennis in Oxford: Summer sports dominate Trinity

This year has been an extremely success- ful one for the Blues Tennis Team. They finished second in the Southern Premier League, behind a strong Bath team. This is the highest finish for the Oxford team for many years. Their most notable wins came against Exeter and Bournemouth, both of which were away fixtures. Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club boasts 3 Men’s and Women’s teams, and also offers weekly coaching for its social members. It is a club for all standards, whether expe- rienced players who are looking to test them- selves against some of the best university sides in the country, or complete beginners, who want to learn the basics.

The win over Exeter was particularly impres- sive. Oxford have not beaten Exeter away in this important fixture for a number of years. Their strict training regime of over 20 hours of training and fitness a week, which is not quite possible in Oxford, meant that Exeter went into the match having had more time on the court, and with more match fitness. The win is, therefore, testament to the hard work of OULTC and the skill of its players.

The Oxford team also went far in the cup. Through demolishing Cardiff Met 6-0, the team made it to the Cup semi-final, which is yet another success to have not been achieved for several years. Only a very strong Durham team, winners of the Northern Premier League, stopped Oxford from progressing to the final.

The team now has a very busy Trinity term to look forward to. After more intensive training on the grass courts at Iffley and numerous friendlies against various county teams, the Varsity Match on 30th June – 2nd July is set to be a very exciting, and highly competitive fixture. After the disappointment of last year’s tight defeat, the team are hungry for revenge this year. There is no question that it will take a huge effort to be victorious, but the team are well prepared and ready to give everything to make sure Cambridge don’t take home the trophy this time round according to the club president Peter Whight. The Lawn Tennis Cuppers tournament is also taking place this term, with the round of 16 to take place in 3rd week. The final will be held on Sunday 8th June (Sunday of 6th week). First seed, Worcester, and second seed, St. Catherine’s, are through to the round of 16 after winning their first round matches. As the draw stands, they are set to meet each other in the final.

 

Top 3… Theories of the Soul

Luke Barratt
-
0
Top 3… Theories of the Soul

Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptians believed that the soul was made up of five parts. The Ren was a person’s name, and it was believed that this part of the soul would live for as long as it was spoken. The Ba was everything that made a person unique – their personality. The Ka was the concept of vital essence, sustained through food and drink. The Sheut was a person’s shadow, a constant reminder of death. Finally, the Ib was the heart, the seat of emotion, thought, will and intention.

Plato/Socrates

Plato’s soul theory is fragmentary too. Basing his work on the teachings of Socrates, he believed in the logos, the thymos and the eros. The logos was located in the head and governed reason. This was the only immortal part of the soul according to Plato. The thymos was found in the heart, with anger, while the eros was located in the stomach and had to do with one’s desires. Plato compared this model of the soul to the caste system. Each part has to play its role so that the whole can function.

Buddhism

Buddhism teaches that everything is in a state of permanent transience, including humans. There is no such thing as the permanent self. I am not the person I was yesterday, though I am continuous with that person. Buddhists hold that the notion of the soul, an abiding self and an obsession with individuality is one of the primary causes of human conflict. Despite this, most Buddhist schools believe in some form of afterlife, with a kind of ‘dreaming mind’ living on once the body is gone.

Milestones: Deals with the Devil

Luke Barratt
-
0
Milestones: Deals with the Devil

The best and most famous example of a deal with the devil is the story of Dr. Johann Georg Faust, an alchemist, astrologer and magician of the German Renaissance. The popular tale of his deal with the devil and subsequent adventures has been circulating since the 1580s, but is most famously told in Christopher Marlowe’s play The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus (1604) and Goethe’s rather more concisely named tragedy, Faust.

The legend runs that the good doctor sold his soul to the devil in return for magical powers or, in Marlowe’s version, the presence of a demon named Mephistopheles who would do his bidding. Notably, Faustus is supposed to have signed a legally binding document bequeathing all rights to his soul to Satan.

The actual historical figure of Dr. Faustus is a matter of some controversy and not a little mystery. From 1506, there are records of him appearing as a performer of magic tricks in Gelnhausen, and many similar stories abound of his exploits across Germany for the next thirty years.

In Marlowe’s play, he dies when Mephistopheles the demon drags him to Hell, and scholars at the time jumped instantly to this conclusion when his mutilated body was found in the remnants of an alchemical explosion in the Hotel zum Löwen in Staufen im Breisgau.

This is not the only time in history that someone has been thought to have sold their soul to the Devil. A seventeenth-century priest named Urbain Grandier was burned at the stake for witchcraft. At his trial, a document in which he signs away his soul was produced, complete with the apparent signatures of several demons, including that of Satan himself.

The trope of selling one’s soul to the Devil is one that often seems inextricably linked with cultural and intellectual pursuits. Faustus was depicted as the over-reaching scholar, desperate for more knowledge than was his due. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray does not explicitly involve Satan, but the religious evil apparently invested in the painting of Dorian Gray has cultural implications which are impossible to ignore – Gray’s sins even begin with a trip to the theatre.

Furthermore, there is a long list of musicians throughout Christian history who are supposed to have sold their souls. Niccolò Paganini encouraged rumours that he had traded away his soul for talent with the violin; Robert Johnson, the blues musician from the 30s was supposed to have met Satan at a crossroads and signed over his soul in exchange for mastery of the guitar; even the comedic musical duo Tenacious D have involvements with the Devil.

Historically, the Church has always been suspicious of what it could not control, and condemning talented individuals as the followers of Satan was the perfect way of holding onto its power. Although in the case of Dr. Faust I can’t really blame them. He was once arrested for convincing someone to use arsenic to get rid of his beard. It worked, but a fair amount of skin came away too. But then, fools that will laugh on earth must weep in Hell.

Identity: A question of mind, body or soul?

Emma Simpson
-
0
Identity: A question of mind, body or soul?

Human beings are obsessed with outer appearances. We constantly seek to project an outer manifestation of the ‘self’ by using clothing, hair, diets, exercise to tell the world who we think we are inside, or at least who we want them to think we are. The existence of a ‘soul’ is more philosophy than science – a thing that must be consciously believed in (or not believed in) and that cannot actually be proved. Whether the inner ‘soul’ is allied to the outer body is another question entirely. 

David Mitchell (not the comedian) is one of my favourite authors. This is perhaps because his work is preoccupied with the predicament of the gulf between soul and body, with the souls of his characters reappear throughout his books, reincarnated and reborn. 

His Cloud Atlas sees the same soul travelling across the boundaries of time, space and body, planted in different hosts who, although they share the same soul (signified by a shared birthmark), live dramatically different lives. So dramatically different, in fact, that the filmmakers chose to use the same actors and actresses multiple times throughout, presumably to create an illusion of continuity between the separate stories, the links between which only become clear at the very end. The result is that we see Hugo Weaving playing both a care home nurse who looks after Jim Broadbent in his old age, and a demon from a dystopian future who haunts Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. 

I wonder what this says about our obsession with the bodily. We struggle, in the visual medium at least, to understand that two humans could share the same soul, without some form of physical representation of the fact. 

But do we really think that Halle Berry’s soul, the very essence of her being, is found in her shiny hair, her skin colour, the proportions of her facial features? Is it the hair which makes her a different person from Tom Hanks, or is it that they are different physically in pretty much every single way? Or is it something else – some inward conception of identity that is manifest through these outer signs? 

My mother will meet someone new and tell me they had a “kind face”. What does that mean, a kind face? Do we presume that we can tell if a person is kind by their facial features – if they are trustworthy by the colour of their eyes? I am often told I have an open, honest sort of face and that I look pleased to see everyone, which is ironic because most of the time I feel shy and grumpy and am daydreaming about a time when I can sit in bed alone and listen to mopey girl music with the door locked. 

A boy I once dated told me (I think in response to my surliness that he spent more time in the gym than with me) that he exercised his body by cycling in the same way that he exercised his mind by reading, because you have to live in both. When I am sat in the library in an oversized t-shirt, stuffed full of yoghurt, I tend to comfort myself with the idea that, in Oxford at least, I am “a brain in a jar”. Nobody cares what you look like as long as your brain is beautiful and full. Unless you are in Camera, which always seems to me to be a sort of real-life version of Tinder – a place where the inner self doesn’t seem to matter in the slightest. 

In Old English the word “mod” is used to mean “mind”, “body” and “soul” interchangeably. The Anglo-Saxons, it seems, believed that all three are linked to create a unifi ed conception of selfhood. Descartes believes that the body and the soul are separate entities. “While I could pretend that I had no body and that there was no world and no place for me to be in”, he writes, “I knew I was a substance whose whole essence or nature is solely to think… accordingly that the soul by which I am what I am is entirely distinct from the body.” Thoughts are the essence of the ‘self’ because thoughts are the place where we can conceive the idea of a ‘self’. The body is a separate entity, responsible for the containment of the mind where the ‘self’ is formed – but the two really have nothing in common. 

It seems impossible that a professional athlete or dancer could have the same conception of their identity as an academic or a writer. One is dependent on the body and the other can, in some ways, divorce himself from it completely. Even the writer, though, is obsessed by the “bodily” – finding bodies of literature and bodies of words to hide himself in, or to use as a projection of identity. 

Equally, the space we live in is a ‘body’ in which we are confined just as we are confined to the physical body. We decorate our bedrooms because they are physical manifestations of who we are. In our Facebook profiles body-soul dualism finds a midpoint. They are a place where both body and self – or, perhaps, soul – are on display to the world exactly as we want them to be. 

Perhaps Halle Berry’s shiny hair, then, can be seen as a representation of her ‘self’ – or at least of the self she and her stylists want us to see. It all comes down, it seems, to our desire for control. Our seeking of a place to occupy, to make our own, our obsession with outer appearance: they are, perhaps, symbolic of our desire to take control of a body which can never feel truly allied to our ‘self’. 

1...1,3331,3341,335...2,493Page 1,334 of 2,493

Support Student Journalism

Cherwell is Oxford’s oldest independent newspaper, established in 1920. We are entirely student-run. By supporting us, you will contribute to keeping our paper in print and online. Every donation makes a difference.

Donate

Explore

Follow us

More

Oxford Student Publications Limited © 2025 - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

Website by James Ashley