Friday 3rd April 2026
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Review: The Imitation Game

Joe Holt
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Review: The Imitation Game

★★★★☆
Four stars

“Sometimes, it’s the people who no-one can imagine anything of that do the things no-one can imagine.” This is the bittersweet, repeated mantra of The Imitation Game, Morten Tyldum’s biopic of Alan Turing, whose distance from the rest of society is the source both of great achievement and of tremendous suffering.

The film’s parallel storylines follow the mathematician’s time at boarding school, his employment in the task of breaking the codes set by Germany’s Enigma machine during WWII, his prosecution for homosexuality, and his subsequent decline in the 1950s. Working as the head of a team of code-breakers at the top-secret Bletchley Park, Turing’s contribution to the war effort was momentous, but the injustice dealt to him afterwards was on an equally large scale.

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Turing was fascinated with the concept of whether a computer could think for itself, and the role of machines is integral to the film, with Turing feeling true affection for his creation and even being compared to a machine himself because of his detached and apathetic semblance towards some. However, while it is a machine that ultimately defeats the Enigma, it took the mind of Turing to create this machine, and his humanity, which in many ways eclipses others of his time, eventually shines through when he is the only one to believe that a woman could have solved the puzzle that he set for the purpose of recruiting code-breakers. 

This woman is called Joan Clarke and is portrayed by Keira Knightley, who is effortlessly strong enough to convey the assertion of her character within an incredibly male-dominated world. It is through Joan’s firm yet platonic relationship with Alan that The Imitation Game illustrates its appealing message that abnormality can be a positive and should be celebrated.

The key theme of Graham Moore’s impeccably crafted script is how being forced to keep secrets is fundamentality detrimental to the people who have to. There are secrets between friends, loved ones and co-workers — not to mention those guarded against the enemy — and those working at Bletchley are at times faced with the inhumane predicament of having to withhold information that could have saved citizens in danger in order to save others later. They are not even able to reveal anything of what they did when the war has ended, and the toll of years of lies can latterly be seen in the emaciated face of Turing, whose homosexuality is the most crucial barrier to his own acceptance in society.

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The Imitation Game does not shy away from the time after which this crucial secret did come out, or the unthinkable way in which Turing’s country repaid him for his services. Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in the lead role, which is towering from start to finish, reaches its pinnacle at this point in the film, with his stark emotion evoking the sad truth of how Alan Turing met his end. 

Elevated by Cumberbatch’s unerring portrayal, the film is equally spot-on in its depiction of the mindset of an era. Not since The King’s Speech has a British film so evocatively captured the passions of a nation at war. In The Imitation Game, archive footage from WWII and subtle touches like the inclusion of an ‘Air Raid Breakfast’ on the menu in a café serve as time-markers, but it is the unity of the population, with men and women working together to do their duty for those out fighting in Europe, that gives the truest sense of the period.

There are a few awkward moments of protracted exposition at the beginning, but Tyldum’s fantastic ability to tell a story soon takes over. There are moments of comedy and of heartfelt jubilation, but the much darker days of the later, unforgivable events in Alan Turing’s life are also treated sensitively, and it is this that raises The Imitation Game from the perfect film for a weekend afternoon to a fitting tribute to a national hero. 

Bexistentialism: MT14 Week 6

Bex Watson
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Bexistentialism: MT14 Week 6

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As Fifth Week ends, and I realise I still don’t know the freshers, I decide I should probably do something about it. Mission set, it is time for the approach.

I head to Formal. A group of freshers sit next to us. Midway through our starter I quip admiringly at a fresher, eating mussels using an empty mussel-shell. (No one believes that it’s how one is meant to eat mussels in pretentious spheres. It is. My voice is lost in the clatter of cutlery and insincere revelry.)

I drink. I gnaw at my young-entire-chicken-that-looks-like-a-headless-baby on my plate. Carry on chinking glasses. By coffee all has changed. A fresher on my left speaks to me! We have a conversation. A conversation! I begin to introduce myself, but it seems he already knows me. Oh. I ask how, and am delivered several reasons, ending in a pun quoted from the Merton-Weekly-Gossip-Publication: “Bexual tension”. Dismissing this miserable fate, I confess that I am feeling absent from the fresher ‘scene’. He tells me I have many fans. Wonderful! I think. I have managed to bluff my way into a few minds. But after a few mishearings, and a bout of sarcasm, I am unsure whether I have secured a hesitant friendship, or sealed off all potential with my usual passive-aggressive ceremony.

I leave disheartened, and approach the bar assertively inebriated. I see the fresher who once called me a ‘grumpy bitch’. We are yet to officially meet. I smile. Tell her I like her dress. There is a brief splutter. This might be harder than I thought.

The following night it is bop time. The theme is ‘Under the Sea’. Though my full-body shark costume has made appearances before, finally it is worn with relevance. So I waddle along to the JCR. Soon I am in sarcastic conversation with a fresher who is also dressed as a shark. But their cardboard fins, and board-marker gills, I tell them, are fucking insufficient. Did I do it again? Never have I felt more weighted by the curse of my indelible sarcastic façade.

The next morning, subdued by a tense and Fifth-Week-blues-blemished bop, I realise that my mission has readily evaporated. I open a Fanta with sad flourish and head to Welfare Tea. On the way over I receive a friend request from fellow shark guy. As I scout for more food, for my infinitely-unquenchable-welfare-tea-appetite, ‘Grumpy-Bitch-Accuser’ hands me a potato smiley. A delicate, starchy peace token. I think, just maybe, I achieved something. 

Travel: 6th Week MT

Lola Seaton
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Travel: 6th Week MT

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I’ve heard that you are meant to spend your gap year accepting praise for building walls for Nepalese schools. I am passing mine in an almost-entirely gentrified, frequently-romanticised metropolis, doing Bikram Yoga and learning French recreationally.

Spending part of my year living in New York City makes me something of a “tourist in residence”. I do not spend my days racing between the Statue of Liberty, Broadway shows and the seductive bright lights and flashing billboards of the grotesque Times Square, in the inexhaustible spirit of first-time tourist-warriors. But I have not yet acquired the cynicism about, or worse, the obliviousness to, the marvelousness of the city, born of the repetition and routine of a long-time resident.

Most days I find time both to gape at the gorgeous Empire State Building, and to share my photogenic, gape-worthy view with my reluctant Instagram followers, smugly proclaiming “#nofilter”. I leave the gridded avenues packed with purposeful residents weaving between visitors, to take a detour through Central Park, getting deliberately lost to justify taking shameless selfies in front of the stunning Jackie Onassis reservoir, frozen over. Entirely unabashed, I march through the magnificent local grocery stores (which, unlike the goose-bump-inducing temperatures of the airport-esque supermarkets in England, are like bite-size theme-parks for the gastronomically-inclined), collecting samples of the vintage cheddar and gazing, sometimes inadvertently drooling, at the cakes, pastries, and desserts, which I can only assume were flown in from a parisian patisserie. However, the essential thing to be savoured is not just the aged cheese, but the very fortunate opportunity I and others living abroad encounter: distanced from a world of familiarity, you are reconnected to a world of experience.

Aside from the freshness of being a foreigner, I enjoy observing the way my hosts receive me. My British accent makes me seem terribly impressive to anglophilic New Yorkers. The doorman at the building where I intern only half-jokingly charged me with espionage activity (I took this as a tremendous compliment, logically extending his accusation to generously conclude that I must bear some resemblance to a Bond girl). Even more flatteringly, it can be reliably estimated that acquaintances perceive my intelligence at a level increased by about 20% (incidentally, the expected tipping rate in New York), from my actual mental faculty, on account of my alluring British pronunciation. Amusingly but also awkwardly, when I hasten to disprove the basis of this gratuity regarding my IQ, people ask me if the same is true in England: do British people think Americans are 20% more intelligent, under the influence of their accent? I distract them by asking them if they watch Downton Abbey. 

It’s a cult life: through the lens of John Sweeney

Emma Cookson
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It’s a cult life: through the lens of John Sweeney

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Very hungover from a party the night before, Sweeney’s first words were a warning to the front row that he may projectile vomit. Needless to say, there were a few nervous chuckles, followed by the quiet squeak of chairs slowly edging away. Coming to Oxford to do a talk for Oxford Geography Society on his book, North Korea Undercover, I managed to corner Sweeney afterwards for a couple more pints and a chat about North Korea, Scientology and life as an investigative journalist.

Sweeney first made his name at The Observer, where he worked for over twelve years, covering wars, revolutions, and chaos in more than 60 countries. Having joined the BBC in 2001, Sweeney became a reporter for Panorama, where infamy struck after his tirade with Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis in the documentary Scientology and Me.

Notoriety persisted with Sweeney’s recent undercover trip to North Korea, where he posed as an academic from LSE whilst travelling with a party of students from the university. Needless to say, critics balked at what they called the BBC’s negligence for the safety of LSE students, and even questioned whether the resulting Panorama program should be aired.

Despite criticisms, Sweeney stands by the trip. “There’s silence about North Korea; I wanted to change this. The people telling me off for reporting on it are basically policing North Korea’s own anti-journalist stance. North Korea is the darkest place I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot of dark places. It’s an appalling fucking place.

“I’ve met an IRA man who actually says ‘I quite like the British these days because I’ve been to North Korea.’ That’s how bad it is. But however bleak the situation looks, it’s not an invincible regime. They simply do not have enough trade and enough food to feed their people so they have to open up their economy. However, if they open it up, the regime will fall. That’s the jam the regime is in. That’s why it’s so fundamentally unstable.” At this point, his fish and chips arrive and we pause conversation fleetingly to agree on everyone’s mutual need for another round.

“The best case scenario for North Korea at the moment is that the Chinese invade. China is a better place than North Korea. You can eat, you can drive, you can still get books, you can look things up on the internet — bad as Chinese authoritarianism is, it’s miles better than North Korea. North Korea is Scientology with nuclear weapons. It’s this weird cult thing. I brought a copy of 1984 with me when I went and left it in my hotel room like some mad Christian.”

A firm believer in the “open society”, Sweeney says his investigations into the Church of Scientology were driven by a similar “visceral fear of dictatorship and of suppression of information”. In the interview, he discusses the parallels between the two cult-like powers and their use of “brainwashing” methods for psychological control. “My start point is a fear — it’s a visceral fear — of dictatorship, of suppression of information. I’m a storyteller, and I like to tell the best stories I possibly can. And it turns out that the best stories are those which powerful people do not want told,” explains Sweeney.

Although some have criticised Sweeney for his crusading style — James Silver, for example, writer for The Guardian, describes it as “working himself up into a righteous fury while placing himself squarely at the centre of the story with a sense of self-belief bordering on arrogance” — he is adamant that the crucial thing is not the amount of controversy or litigation he receives but the difficulty of telling a good story. “We try and give a voice to the voiceless and in some way try to help them communicate their story. I don’t court controversy — I’m just trying to change something.”

“The hardest thing for me is making sure that the targets are worth turning over. I don’t want to target a nice old lady who might be a bit UKIP-y. I want to do big targets, not small targets. Putin — he’s a target. The church — they’re a target. North Korea — they’re a target.”

It was this Robin Hood quest which led him into journalism initially, and into war reporting. “I wanted to be Billy-big-balls and I was a fool. I like staying in bed and going to the pub and the only thing that makes me want to get out of bed and not go to the pub is when someone very powerful says ‘shut your mouth’ to ordinary people.”

Is there some element of story-telling in there too? “Very much so. Never confuse seriousness with solemnity. I believe very much that entertaining is a way of bringing out the awfulness of the situation by dark humour. You react to bad situations by taking the piss out of it — it’s a British thing to do, it’s the best thing about Britain.” And with this, we settle down for another pint and to talk about the time he nearly threw up on Putin.

Academics back University fossil fuel divestment

David Rischel
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Academics back University fossil fuel divestment

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Hundreds of Oxford students, academics and alumni have signed an open letter in an attempt to pressure Oxford University to divest from fossil fuels.

Addressed to Vice Chancellor Andrew Hamilton, the letter urges the University to move towards divesting its £3.8bn endowment from fossil fuels, and is backed by OUSU and twenty seven college common rooms.

The letter begins, “As Oxford academics and staff concerned about climate change, we call on our university to divest its endowment from the top 200 companies involved in the exploration, ownership or extraction of fossil fuels.

“We believe Oxford should do this for three main reasons: (I) To demonstrate support for its own scholars; (II) To show leadership in a time of unprecedented transition; (III) To honour its fiduciary duties.”

The current divestment campaign arrived at Oxford last October, when students introduced the international campaign ‘Fossil Free’ to the University. The campaign follows in the footsteps of other successful divestment campaigns such as the anti-apartheid movement that pressured organisations into divesting from corporations doing business in South Africa.

The Oxford University Fossil Free campaign states its goals as being to “Systematically evaluate carbon risk across the entire investment portfolio”, to shift “investments away from high-risk carbon intensive assets and toward low-carbon opportunities”, and to “Remove from its portfolio all direct investments in coal and tar sands oil assets as soon as possible” (in practice, this means to blacklist companies with ten per cent or more of their probable or proven reserves in coal or tar sands extraction).

Recently, the campaign has garnered un-precedented support — 100 Oxford academics, 300 alumni and over 2000 students have now signed the open letter urging the University to divest.

Campaign signatory Professor J. Doyne Farmer, who is also co-director of Complexity Economics at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, explained, “Science makes it clear that use of fossil fuels needs to stop as soon as possible. It is technologically feasible to replace fossil fuels in a short time if we only resolve to do so. Oxford University should show leadership by divesting from fossil fuel companies and supporting alternatives, and encouraging others to follow.”

The Socially Responsible Investment Review Committee (SRIRC) has subsequentlybegun a broad consultation inviting stakeholders within the University to express their views on the issue. The committee met in June, and later this month the committee will convene to discuss the matter, with the expressed goal of drafting a proposal for the University Council.

Ellen Gibson, Chair of OUSU Environment and Ethics, told Cherwell, “I am delighted at the huge growth in support for the Fossil Free campaign.

“We have been campaigning on divestment for over a year now and it’s great to have such a wealth of support from such diverse sources behind us. I only hope that the University takes this into account in its consultation; its time Oxford listened to the voices telling it to take a leading role in the fight against climate change.”

The campaign has not been without its critics; some have highlighted the substantial research that fossil fuel companies do into renewable forms of energy. Gibson responded to this criticism, however, by explaining, “It must be said that, although these companies do some research I’m sure, they also continue to actively explore and research into increasingly risky and damaging fossil fuel sources, as well as lobbying to ensure that regulation can’t prevent them burning existing reserves.

“Not only are fossil fuel companies unethical in terms of their product but also in terms of their methods, and until their corporate power is reigned in and their human rights abuses recognised I cannot see how investment in such companies is an advisable way forward.”

It is also feared that by divesting, academic posts and programmes, as well as student support programmes, will suffer due to loss of funding. Gibson however disagreed, explaining, “I would say that fossil fuel companies have a lot more to gain from their partnerships with Oxford than we do; they gain access to brilliant young talent, resources and— importantly — a social license to operate. These companies would not give up these opportunities which keep them alive.”

When asked how the campaign could progress, she told Cherwell, “We are looking to expand our student participation and mobilise the student body as a whole to get behind us.

“If we can demonstrate to the University that this is an issue which isn’t going to go away any time soon, it greatly increases our credibility and bargaining power.”

The University declined to comment. 

Oxford Diocese votes to divest from fossil fuels

Harry Gosling
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Oxford Diocese votes to divest from fossil fuels

Oxford’s Diocesan Synod has passed a motion which commits it to disinvesting from fossil fuels, making it the first diocese in the UK to divest. A resolution was also passed calling on the Church of England, which still has £60 million invested in fossil fuel companies, to follow Oxford’s example.

Revd Dr Darrell Hannah, who brought forward the motion at the Oxford Diocesan Synod, was keen to emphasise its importance. He told Cherwell “I feel a real urgency of the moment. One of the IPCC reports says that we have to cap emissions by 2020 and that these emissions then need to decline rapidly thereafter. We’re not doing anything close to that.”

He added, “I think of my future when we start to feel the effects of this [climate change], and more importantly I think of my son. That really does affect me.”

The motion was passed by a majority of 52 votes to 37 against. Apart from divesting the Diocese has also committed to exploring opportunities for reinvestment in companies that specialise in the production of clean energy technologies.

Revd Hannah insisted that Oxford’s motion will not be the last, saying “It is possible that we will have quite a number of supporting motions to Oxford’s by the time it comes to General Synod. I would certainly hope that’s the case.”

Operation Noah is a Christian charity attempting to halt the advance of climate change. The charity’s Vice-Chair, Mark Letcher, commented, “We think it is likely that other Dioceses will come forward and call on the Church of England to disinvest. We also hope that other dioceses will follow Oxford’s lead by examining their own investments.”

Ellie Roberts, a divestment campaigner for Operation Noah, added “We are delighted that Oxford has called on the Church of England to disinvest, and urge UK churches to disinvest as quickly as possible.”

The Diocese of Oxford is now part of a growing number of fossil-free faith communities across the globe. The World Council of Churches, the Quakers in Britain and the United Church of Christ in the US have also all pledged to divest.

Joshua Parikh, a member of the Christian Union at Merton, commented, “Christian values include respect for and stewardship of the Earth, as well as respect for humans and animals who could be harmed by climate change. Hopefully the Diocese, and the Church of England as a whole, will logically extend this decision to the boycott of other unsustainable practices such as animal agriculture and the meat industry.”

The decision take by Oxford’s Diocesan Synod comes after Oxford City Council became the first UK council to divest from fossil fuels in September.

 

 

OUSU launches “Bye Bi Prejudice” campaign

Lucy Valsamidis
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OUSU launches “Bye Bi Prejudice” campaign

A campaign to tackle prejudice against bi- and pansexual students was this week launched by LGBTQSoc and OUSU’s LGBTQ campaign. OUSU’s “Bye Bi Prejudice” campaign aims to “provide a platform for students of non-monosexual identities to dispel stereotypes about them.”

Alice Nutting, Bi/Pan rep at LGBTQSoc, explained, “Bye Bi Prejudice is about breaking down common myths and stigma surrounding bi/pan people and talking about what our identities mean to us. Many non monosexual folks have experienced biphobia both in queer communities and in wider society. We want the campaign to be a creative, visually striking and empowering way of standing up to that.”

OUSU LGBTQ rep Adam Ward added, “Given the stereotyping which non-monosexual people face, it’s so important that we work together to say Bye Bi Prejudice.”

The campaign’s project asks bi- and pansexual students to share their experiences through messages and creative art about the prejudice they face and what they value about their identity. The testimonies and art received will be shared on their Facebook page and distributed throughout Oxford next week.

One student told Cherwell, “It can be difficult being bisexual— people make inaccurate assumptions from your current behaviour about your sexuality. If you’re seen kissing a person of a different gender in a queer space you can automatically be seen as straight, people often don’t consider that you might be bisexual.

“If you introduce someone of the same gender to your friends or family, they might think you’ve finally ‘decided’. There’s an urge to put people into the gay/straight binary that means non-monosexual people are often ascribed the wrong identity, which can be very uncomfortable. It would be great if people could learn to be more open-minded.”

Balliol’s Daisy Porter agreed, telling Cherwell, “Bi/pan people’s identities are often dismissed as a ‘phase’ or as a stepping stone to coming out as gay, which is incredibly frustrating. Bisexual and pansexual erasure is a very real issue and I hope that the campaign can go some way to challenging this within the university by giving non-monosexual people a platform to speak about their identities.”

OUSU VP for Women Anna Bradshaw hailed the campaign as a step forward, commenting, “I am supporting Bye Bi Prejudice because bi/pan-invisibility and bi/pan-phobia are particularly acutely felt by bi and pan women within Oxford University and across society. The campaign states clearly that this is unacceptable, and it particularly chimes with work that I am doing to combat sexual violence — estimates put the proportion of bisexual women who experience serious sexual violence above 75 per cent.

“I’m also supporting the campaign in a personal capacity, and look forward to ex- pressing what my bi identity means to me as a part of the campaign.”

Last month, the LGBTQ Campaign helped secure a new University policy ensuring that students and staff can choose the gender-neutral pronoun ‘Mx’ on university documents.

Worrying lack of competition in Teddy Hall JCR elections

Sam Dayan
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Worrying lack of competition in Teddy Hall JCR elections

Teddy Hall students faced a lack of choice when voting in Monday’s JCR election, with every open position, including President, being either uncontested or devoid of candidates.

The President, Secretary and Charities Officer positions were uncontested, while Academic Affairs, and Gender and Sexual Diversities Officer, were both without candidates. Nominations for these positions will be reopened and by-elections will likely be held during 8th week.

Now President-elect Edward Benson won with 176 votes. Outgoing JCR President Seb Siersted told Cherwell, “I think that it is always important that posts are contested as much asp ossible. Unfortunately this year that was not the case. Despite this I have full faith in all the candidates who have put themselves forward and think they will do a fantastic job. Turnout can fluctuate year to year for a variety of reasons but it should be noted that historically many positions in the Michaelmas husts have not been contested for.”

He added, “I have no concern at all, that those who have applied for positions this term are the best people for the job. Ultimately should the body of the JCR think that a candidate is not up to scratch then the option to vote RON provides a way to reopen the contest.”

Many Teddy Hall students were worried by the lack of involvement. One second year commented, “I think it’s a very bad reflection on college ethos that there is such apathy towards the JCR, which is meant to involve everyone.”

Numerous reasons were given for such dis- engagement. One fresher noted that most second and third years live outside of college so they’re not so connected. Another described a “clear cut social group in each year”, so that potential candidates would likely stifle their nomination if they found out a more popular peer was running.

The President-elect was keen to emphasise his commitment to improving student involvement, explaining, “I would seek to encourage participation by publicising the knowledge of the key work that the JCR does behind the scenes, having a weekly surgery to increase contact with JCR committee members and by publishing detailed explanations of JCR positions online so that every student knows exactly what amazing work the committee do.”

While last year’s hustings was well-attended, only twenty students went to this year’s. Questions ranged from asking Benson whether he would ‘RON himself’ to asking the presumptive secretary whether he would assign the ‘hottest’ grandchildren to himself.

Some criticised Benson for using the word “cunt” during the event, responding to a question about what “Ron’s” last name might be.

Benson responded to Cherwell, explaining, “Teddy Hall prides itself on being a warm, fun and friendly college. We welcome candidates with a sense of humour who see don’t see the JCR as a political training ground. I don’t think anyone in the room would have accused me of not thinking seriously about the role and my answers concerning OUSU, rent and housing reflect that.

“As for me using the word cunt, it’s clearly an off the cuff remark to a ridiculous question.” 

Dean criticised over Christ Church racism response

Daniel Ward
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Dean criticised over Christ Church racism response

Oxford students have expressed disappointment over the response of the Dean, the Very Revd Prof Martyn Percy, to allegations of racism at the Christ Church Porters’ Lodge.

As Cherwell reported in Third Week, two black Oxford students alleged that some porters at Christ Church treated them adversely on the basis of race. In one incident, black students entering the College were asked by a porter whether they were “construction workers”. Porters have also persistently asked a black member of the College to show his Bod card, even as his white guests enter College premises unchallenged.

Responding to the allegations, Professor Percy told Cherwell, “We are sorry that some members of the University appear to have felt it inappropriate to be asked to show their University cards. 

“At the beginning of any academic year, it is normal practice for our Custodians and Porters to ask to see proof of identity on a regular basis for the first month or so.

“This is an especially busy time for tourism. As a newcomer to Christ Church myself, I have also been asked to show my ID on entry on several occasions, and I applaud the thorough and professional approach taken by our porters and custodians.”

Prof Percy’s response has been the subject of vocal criticism. Dylan Collins, a Rhodes Scholar and member of Christ Church, took to social media to voice his concerns.

He said, “I am extremely disappointed in the Dean’s response. I enter and exit the grounds multiple times a day, every day, and have only been asked on one occasion for my identification after a particularly busy Evensong. I’m not sure what the Dean means by ‘regular basis’ or which ‘normal practice’ he refers to.”

Linacre Rhodes Scholar, Paul Amayo, who was asked whether he was a “construction worker”, remarked, “I find the Dean’s comments dismissive and very troubling; he fails to acknowledge not only that a wrong has been done to us but by endorsing and even applauding the porters’ behaviour he ensures that racially biased acts will continue to be carried out under the guise of professionalism.”

Ntokozo Qwabe, a Rhodes Scholar at Keble, labelled the Dean’s response “dismissive” and the “ultimate model of how not to deal with issues of race when they arise”. He added, “[Prof Percy’s comments] reflect a grave lack of leadership and failure to provide direction when needed most. This whole saga shows just what an existential burden it is for a person in black skin to experience racism in supposedly progressive institutions which are dominated and led by white people (who, by necessity, have not ever had to deal with existing in a black skin).

“The correct way of dealing with this case would have been, at the very least, to get all the relevant parties to the table and to begin a conversation about the issues which arise from it.”

OUSU’s newly elected Black & Minority Ethnic Students’ & Anti-Racism Officer, Nikhil Venkatesh commented, “All allegations of racism are very serious, and I was disappointed that the Dean, in his response to this story, dismissed the allegation rather than taking it seriously and promising to investigate it thoroughly.”

Aliya Yule, TeamWomen candidate for OUSU Women’s Campaign Officer, remarked, “By refusing in his statement to even acknowledge that the porters seemed to consistently only ask students of colour for their Bodcards, it indicates the college does not take accusations of racism seriously and is willing to ignore the experiences raised by several students of colour.”

One student, however, “trusted that the Dean will ultimately respond to student concerns appropriately.”

In a fresh response to students’ reactions, Prof Percy told Cherwell, “We do take such matters very seriously, and when they are reported to us, we seek to address them with appropriate rigour. When issues like this come up — very seldom, I am pleased to say — we deal with the concerns carefully and conscientiously. We have no further comment to make regarding the specific incidents that you refer to.” 

Benet’s Master struggles in attempt to admit women

Ellen O'Neill
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Benet’s Master struggles in attempt to admit women

Master of St Benet’s Hall Professor Werner Jeanrond has spoken of his struggle in the ongoing attempts to admit women to the Hall, claiming that the University is slowing the process down and “hindering equality”.

The Permanent Private Hall includes a community of 16 monks who cannot live in the same accommodation as women and the College is therefore seeking a second building in which to house women undergraduates.

The Hall admitted its first female postgraduate this year, in Jewish Studies, but must offer accommodation to any first year undergraduates.

Speaking to The Times, Professor Jeanrond said, “When I was interviewed for the job I made it clear I wouldn’t oversee a patriarchal institution. The decision was unanimous for women to be admitted as postgraduates from this autumn. […] I’m actively campaigning with university admissions to be given another building to lease — the minute we do that we will admit female undergraduates.”

The Hall currently admits 16-17 undergraduates per year to study History, Classics, Theology, Oriental Studies, and PPE, but upon reception of a new building would accept more undergraduates of both genders.

Professor Jeanrond said that he has spoken to the University about the possibility of taking over the recently-vacated University-owned building at 41 St Giles, three doors away from Benet’s, but has received no confirmation. 

St Benet’s JCR President Samuel Marks said, “St Benet’s is a small PPH, but one that has big ambitions. To fulfil those however, the Univer- sity needs to match our commitment to our future aspirations with their obligation to meet them. We urgently need a second building to provide more housing for students, teaching facilities and offices for senior members — developments that would have both immediate and long-term benefits for the Hall.”

Professor Jeanrond continued, “The University is being too slow on this, it’s hindering equality. There are [available] university buildings in the vicinity. In Oxford, nothing happens overnight. It’s not negotiable for me, women should have access. Equality is written in the university’s strategic plan. I’ve talked to everyone about the need for a new building.

“They’re all very friendly but it lacks a certain transparency to me — how decisions are made. It forces me to write to our female applicants and say ‘not yet, come back next year’.”

St Benet’s Hall is not the only single-sex PPH: Campion Hall is a Jesuit foundation that generally admits only men studying for the priesthood. However, it is a smaller institution than Benet’s, consisting of about 35 members, and the majority of undergraduates at Benet’s are laypeople who have just left school.

A spokesperson for the University said, “The University supports St Benet’s aim of providing female undergraduate places and has been working with the Hall on its search for accommodation, given the many competing demands for space in central Oxford.”

JCR President Marks continued, “St Benet’s is a place students enjoy being at — for the past two years we have come first and second respectively in the student barometer on overall experience out of all Oxford Colleges.

“I welcome the Hall’s development plans which will renew and strengthen St Benet’s, extending the unique experience of our active and vibrant community to female undergraduates and ensuring the needs our of monastic students, whilst constantly striving to preserve the things that makes St Benet’s the attractive place it is to be.”

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