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Oxford’s 2013: the year in videos

Cherwell
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Oxford’s 2013: the year in videos

Through 2013, Oxford’s photographers have caught all the highs and lows on camera. We take you through the year’s biggest stories in video form…

January: Anger over Assange talk at the Union

2013 was a controversial year for the Union. But despite all the backstabbing and (email) hacking, the most provocative move came in January. The society invited Julian Assange, leader of Wikileaks, to talk, despite him being wanted on suspicion of rape in Sweden.

Cherwell captured the anger of feminists across Oxford as they picketed the talk.

February: Galloway accused of ‘anti-semitism’ after Oxford debate

Bradford MP George Galloway “stormed out” of a debate at Christ Church on Wednesday evening, upon finding out that his opponent, Eylon Aslan-Levy, a third-year PPEist at Brasenose, was an Israeli citizen.

Galloway was accused by his opponent of “pure racism” for refusing to debate. He denied this, saying, “I refused this evening to debate with an Israeli, a supporter of the Apartheid state of Israel. The reason is simple; No recognition, No normalisation. Just Boycott, divestment and sanctions, until the Apartheid state is defeated.”

March: The Boat Race

The 2013 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race wasn’t as dramatic as last year’s – no morons jumped in front of Oxford’s boat. Without Trenton in the way, Oxford stormed to victory.

Cherwell reported from the Thames.

April: Animal rights activists enraged

The year has been tough for Oxford’s animal kingdom. First we found out that horsemeat was being stocked in Oxford supermarkets, long after the dodgy burgers had been pulled from all other UK stores. Then animal rights activists expressed anger over Somerville’s plans to keep a life shark at their ball.

Through it all, the perpetual controversy over Oxford’s use of animal experimentation trundled on.

In April, Cherwell watched as animal rights protestors took to the streets.

May: Activists crash Shell dinner at Teddy Hall

In May, students protested the creation of a new partnership between oil-giant Shell and Oxford University. Environmentalists said the Uni shouldn’t take money from such a controversial company.

In the day, they shouted at Vice-Chancellor Andrew Hamilton.

And at night, a hard-core broke into the launch dinner at Teddy Hall.

Cherwell obtained a video of the crashing.

June: Bedroom tax protests

Summer brought even more protests, this time against the Coalition. Participating in a national demonstration against the ‘Bedroom Tax’, an odd combination of students and ageing lefties outlined their opposition.

Frank Macpherson reported from the scene.

The Long Vac: Shark Tales lands lawyer in hot water

Over the summer, Oxford trundles to a halt. Unfortunately for one Oxonian intern, law firms don’t. Shark Tales, Oxford’s flagship broadcast of drunk-people outside Park End, caught an intern with Clifford Chance saying, ““I’m a City Lad and I fucking love the ladness… The ladness is basically just fucking people over for money.’

His bosses at the law firm were not amused. In September, the company issued a statement saying, “The comments made are inappropriate and they are at odds with our principles and the professional standards we espouse as a firm. One of our trainee lawyers is the subject of our formal disciplinary procedures which may result in termination of the training contract with the firm.”

Watch the incident at 4:15 and 6:43 in the video above.

October: Students occupy Exam Schools

With a new academic year came more fury on the streets of Oxford. When the  Universities and Colleges Union announced a strike over recent wage decreases, students showed solidarity with their tutors by staging an impromptu sit-in at the Exam Schools.

The (almost) revolution was televised in a Cherwell report.

November: L J Trup storms to victory

November saw the biggest election upset in OUSU’s history, when “joke candidate” L J Trup stormed to victory. His success owed everything to his videos.

In one, he re-enacted Braveheart scenes outside the RadCam.

On result night, Cherwell caught the euphoria in Brasenose bar as Trup made his winner’s speech.

December: the Ashmolean becomes Night at the Museum

The University’s annual festive video brought the Ashmoleon alive using low budget animation.

Watch out for more Cherwell videos in 2014 – if you’re interested in contributing to our Broadcasting team, email [email protected]

Happy New Year from all your chums at Cherwell!

Review: Great British Bake Off Christmas Special

Eliza Plowden
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Review: Great British Bake Off Christmas Special

The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special wasn’t quite what it said on the (cake) tin. Without the contestants, the time-pressures and Sue and Mel’s many innuendos, Bake Off becomes just another average cooking program – less ‘Bake Off’; more just ‘Bake’. Though Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood’s festive masterclass made me want to get into the kitchen, the program lacked the charm and excitement of the normal show.

Nevertheless, the programme certainly taught Britain how to bake its way around Christmas. The six recipes presented by Mary and Paul were easy to follow and suitable for all ages and cooking abilities. I liked how keen they were to emphasise the ‘all hands on deck’ attitude and even get the little ones involved, although I’m sure the last thing many cooks want in their kitchen on Christmas Eve is the chaos of a kids baking lesson; we’re not all as cool, calm and collected as Mary Berry.

I’d love to try out the wonderful-looking gingerbread house, which seemed surprisingly easy to make and would surely impress even the most critical Christmas guest. As the program was only aired on the 23rd December, however, Mary and Paul hardly gave us much time to construct our edible house (or cathedral) before the Big Day came around. Nevertheless, Paul’s ‘Leftovers Pie’ is definitely a good way to use up any remaining turkey and stuffing, even though most of us may not be as keen as Paul to continue gorging after the inevitable Christmas Day food-coma…

In true Bake Off style, the show was full of informative historical facts, telling us the stories behind streusel, stollen, and the Scottish ‘Black Bun’. Although the latter may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it was interesting to learn about its importance at Hogmannay, where the first visitor to a house after New Year is supposed to bring one of these Christmas cakes baked in pastry.

The show was endearing, informative and full of Christmas spirit. Next year, though, it should perhaps be titled ‘Mary and Paul’s Christmas Baking Masterclass’. It may not rake in quite as many viewers, but it would avoid disappointmenting those looking to Bake Off‘s punning, puddings and kitchen tension to liven up the festive season. 

University wins case against ‘Oxford Law School’

Alex Stronell
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University wins case against ‘Oxford Law School’

A business in Hampshire calling itself ‘Oxford Law School’, has been ordered to change its name and hand over its website domain to Oxford University following a ruling at the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court earlier this month.

Judge Janet Lambert found that the Eastleigh-based law school had attempted to “pass off” its courses as connected to the University of Oxford, and said that “there only has to be one bad or mediocre teacher, or one bad or mediocre course to impact on the university’s reputation”.

The ‘Oxford Law School’, which ceased trading in February 2013, had also changed its website design in 2012, after Oxford University complained of the use of similar fonts and colours. Furthermore, it placed a disclaimer on its site, explaining that the school was not connected to the University of Oxford.

The Judge said the website had “sought to recreate a look and get-up [of Oxford]… likely to deceive potential law students”, although she accepted that the school “served a slightly different market”.

Cherwell was unable to contact Mohammed Riaz, who is thought to have run the school from his home in Eastleigh, but speaking to the BBC News he claimed only “morons in a hurry” would mistake the school for Oxford University.

However, the Judge agreed with the university’s assertion that the “substantial majority of people” would be confused by the naming. She added, “I also do not accept that such people would fall into the category of being ‘morons in a hurry’”.

The university has reported a number of incidences in which students of the law school contacted Oxford University’s law faculty.

Georgia Harper, a second-year law student at Hertford College, told Cherwell, “It’s a difficult one. ‘Oxford’ is a place name at the end of the day, so it would probably be unreasonable for the university to block all other usage of the word. On the other hand, this school used not only the word ‘Oxford’ but similar fonts, colours and images to those used by the university, as if it were trying to unfairly piggyback on the university’s reputation, especially as the school is some distance from Oxford itself”.

 A spokesperson for the University of Oxford told Cherwell, “The University is very pleased with the judgement of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court”.

Is the Swann-song justifiable?

Jonny Minshull-Beech
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Is the Swann-song justifiable?

“You never give up on your country; you let your country give up on you.”

Admittedly, this line is stolen from the famous ‘Smithy’ (James Corden) Sports Personality rant of 2009, but it does have a purpose in the context of the article. Is it ever justified to retire from international cricket halfway through an Ashes series, in the middle of a tour which seems to be headed towards a total whitewash?

Graeme Swann has made a number of remarks about England players being “up their own arses”. Swann has since clarified that these claims were not directed at current players. But in the aftermath of the comments Alistair Cook, England captain, has explained that Swann “has nothing left to give in this England shirt, which must be incredibly sad for someone who loves cricket as much as he does.” Far from shedding light on the situation, this cliché simply confuses matters.

Swann could have retired for a number of reasons. He has a history of elbow problems. He is famously outspoken and therefore could have fallen out with his teammates. However, he insists that he has not fallen out with his teammates partially by insisting the comments have nothing to do with Kevin Peterson, the most obvious candidate to be up his own arse.

So why is he retiring? Having “nothing left to give” does not really make sense as the answer. I could contribute to an England team – my contribution would just be awful. Swann could turn up, and bowl badly, and would still be giving something. As far as we are aware he is not injured. Whether he wants to do this or not is a different proposition. His performance throughout this Ashes series has been poor: 7 wickets for an average of 80 runs. It would be understandable if he wanted to call time before things got worse. We can all understand that on a personal level.

But there is a greater issue at stake here. England do not really have anyone to step into the breach, as the fourth test has shown. Monty Panesar’s second innings performance was unedifying to say the least, and there is no one else of Swann’s calibre to replace him.

Whilst, like everyone else in sport, Swann has the right to retire when he likes, there is a question of the greater good of the team. With no one else to replace him, Swann really should have stuck around, not because he was performing well, but in his capacity as a senior player it was his job to go out, even as things collapse around you, and resolve to play on, because that is what the team required of him. There is no getting around the fact that leadership qualities come out when the going is tough. On an abysmal tour, the capacity to keep going, and demonstrate to others that you will still keep fighting in a lost cause is what is required from a senior player.

Swann has the liberty to retire when he likes, and rightly so. However, he should have waited at least until the end of the tour because England have no one to replace him. Seniority comes at a cost, and throwing the towel in when you are performing badly is not something that can easily be excused. It is a poor end to a fine and enjoyable career.

Review: Downton Abbey Christmas Special 2013

Veronica Heney
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Review: Downton Abbey Christmas Special 2013

★★☆☆☆

Two Stars

There is one word which perfectly sums up the Downton Abbey Christmas special, one word which entirely captures the experience of two supposedly drama-filled hours of Lady Mary and the rest of the gang. That word is meh. I’m sorry to use an internet-derived colloquialism, but it really was just so very, very meh. It was bland, boring, and completely underwhelming. Yet to be fair to dear old Downton, while this isn’t glowing praise, perhaps it isn’t the worst thing in the world either.

The Christmas special this year saw our favourite bunch of over-privileged, well-dressed and slightly dippy English gentry come to London for Lady Rose’s coming-out and presentation as a debutante, set once again, very glaringly, not at Christmas. Effort was made to tidy up one or two story lines (most notably the possibility that Mr Bates might have committed murder) but on the whole the aim seems to have been to create drama in all other areas, maintaining interest for Season 5. The attempt was not exactly successful.

Lady Cora’s family come over from America on the flimsiest of pretexts, in the hope of injecting some ‘sass’ into proceedings (and some new money/old money conflict) and while Shirley Mclaine was on fine form when sparring with the ever excellent Maggie Smith, one fails to care even slightly about the American contingent. The one good thing to come out of the Christmas special was that, for the first time in ages, Daisy got a storyline which actually resulted in her smiling, for which we are all thankful.

I failed to maintain interest in any of the other story lines, including some shenanigans with a philandering royal (I assume the soon-to-abdicate Prince Edward), Lady Mary’s endless revolving door of suitors, Mrs Hughes’ attempts to prevent Carson from dragging the entire staff round a London museum, and Lady Edith’s illegitimate child. Part of my problem with the special was that my patience for Downton has been sapped by the overall tiresomeness of Season 4 – TV which has been at times really bad, and at others downright offensive. These storylines were wrapped up about eight weeks ago, and dragging them on seems cruel to all parties, not least the exceptionally talented cast who look increasingly like they might envy the dear departed Dan Stevens.

So in a way, for the Christmas Special to be merely ‘meh’ is an improvement; at least it didn’t have me throwing things at my screen, and there were some rather fun moments. But when you consider the former glories of Christmas specials gone by, kisses in the snow, genuinely tense courtroom drama, and lashings of festive cheer, you know that Downton can, and should, do better. The dresses are still very pretty, but this has undeniably become a show which is all style, and very little substance. 

Review: Picture This

Emma Simpson
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Review: Picture This

Tucked away in a corner of the British Library, amidst the heavy classics and ancient manuscripts, is a delicate exhibition celebrating ten iconic children’s stories. Each has been illustrated and re-illustrated for different generation – this exhibition explores how the story of these stories can be told through their pictures.

It seems paradoxical somehow that adults are allowed to impart their prejudices and preconceptions onto books which, really, ought to have no agenda but to delight. Add to this the fact that the ten classics explored in this exhibition are probably being increasingly forsaken by modern children for something faster-paced, and seeing them on display behind glass could easily feel as though the adults are claiming them – placing them on the top shelf away from sticky fingers.

It is a testament to the exhibition then, that it manages to turn all of these paradoxes into something beautiful and sharply analytical, yet simple enough to avoid feeling that the British Library have allowed adults into Neverland. It is not just a celebration of illustrations as artwork – it is an analysis of the integral nature of illustration to children’s storytelling, purposefully revealing as much about the books the illustrations feature in as it does about the nature and creation of the images themselves.

In a relatively small space, the exhibition showcases a huge range of illustrative techniques, from Ian Beck’s delicate watercolours for Peter Pan to the charming spontenaity of Lauren Child’s scrapbooking (because she’s ‘not very good at making decisions’) for her edition of The Secret Garden. The display on Ted Hughes’ Iron Giant contrasts Laura Carlin’s ‘amorphus paper cut-out colossus’ with Andrew Davidson’s woodcuts, equally threatening in their human realism – thus showing the way each interpretation draws out a different side of the Giant’s character.

Video interviews with the artists also provide an insight into their differing work patterns and cultural influences. David Roberts speaks of how his background in fashion design influenced his illustrations for The Wind in the Willows, and the way in which he tried to incorporate contemporary art and pattern into his design for the book. The fact that the story itself has no obvious connection to art deco is an example on the way that illustrations can bring to light aspects of a text and its cultural background which we didn’t know were there.

This exhibition at the BL acknowledges illustrators as artists, who breathe life into characters so familiar to us. It also celebrates the fact that each time these texts are illustrated it marks a rejuvenation for a modern audience, rendering these classics timeless in a very real sense – enabling them to be constantly reinvented and reshaped as something new.

Time to hit the sales!

Leah Hendre
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Time to hit the sales!

We know the student loans aren’t in yet, but you’ve been good lately; you’ve bought the jewellery for your mum and not so much as glanced at all the pretty earrings, and thanks to you, your best friend has got the scarf she really wanted, so there’s never been a better time to treat yourself. Think of it as a personal ‘Well Done!’ for battling the crowds and queues before Christmas so grab a friend and dive headfirst into the post-Boxing-Day-SALE chaos with our handy guide to the best sales around!

JACK WILLS
Standard student fare and with pretty heavy discounts on all the jumpers, chinos and even homewares (stationary, phone cases and bedding) you might need to kick off 2014. www.jackwills.com/en-gb/sale/

KURT GEIGER
Maybe this isn’t the sort of store you’d automatically go to, but with many items under £100, perhaps you really could do with some new suede boots? www.kurtgeiger.com

HOLLISTER
Not a fan of the Bridge-style interior of the shop (darkness, questionable music choices and a smell you just can’t place)? Pop over to Hollister’s online shop and take advantage of 40% off everything and free postage on orders over £50 – free P&P offers don’t hang around for long here so hurry! www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk

MANGO
Like Zara and Topshop, MANGO is the staple of the fashion-conscious and every now and again, they have an incredible sale where EVERYTHING in the shop is 50% off. Get there quick and grab yourself a bargain! www.mango.com 

URBAN OUTFITTERS
The shop which offers such a wide range there is literally something here for everyone! You’ll probably already know if there’s one near you (they’re quite hard to miss!) but all discounts are available online. www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk 

LUSH
Okay, so it’s not strictly fashion-related, but everything in the shop smells so good and it’s a great time to stock up on super-cheap limited edition Christmas ones before they’re gone for another year! www.lush.co.uk/sale

TFNC
This one’s mainly for the ladies and is especially good if you’re looking for dresses for parties or formal dinners. My last ball dress came from TFNC so it’s never too early to start looking! www.tfnclondon.com/sale

TOPSHOP/TOPMAN
Topshop sales can be a bit hit and miss throughout the rest of the year, but this post-Christmas one is looking pretty promising – with a lot of last season pieces heavily discounted, this could be your chance to pick up the shoes you’ve had your eye on! www.topshop.com

ACCESSORIZE
Ah, Accessorize; the shop where convincing yourself you really need that bracelet makes it nearly impossible to leave empty handed. Now you can still do that, but without feeling guilty! Oxford’s still pretty chilly in January and February so stock up on winter warmers like scarves and gloves! www.uk.accessorize.com 

DOROTHY PERKINS
If having almost everything discounted wasn’t quite enough to whet your appetite, head over to Dorothy Perkins’ website for an extra 15% off sale items until 2nd January 2014 with code XMAS15. What have you got to lose? www.dorothyperkins.com

GAP
The sale currently on at GAP is one of the best we’ve seen with over 75% off items! It’s definitely a great place to head if you’re looking for basics like jeans and jumpers, and they’ve got a great range of petite/tall pieces available online. www.gap.co.uk 

H&M
Unfortunately, despite how hugely popular H&M is across the UK, we still don’t have one in Oxford! Make the most of being at home or just click online to check out what they’ve got for sale! http://www.hm.com/gb/department/sale

ASOS
The internet shopping giant that is ASOS has a sale on of equal proportions – it’s huge and most of the pieces have massive reductions! Even in normal conditions, ASOS has a pretty overwhelming array of styles so there’s sure to be something there to catch your eye! http://www.asos.com/Women/Sale/Cat/pgehtml.aspx?cid=7046

 

Phew! Do keep in mind that these are just some of the shops that we’re particularly fond of, and that a short wander around your High Street will lead you into a sea of temptation (or of over-excited fellow shoppers and exhausted sales assistants!) with even more great bargains to be had.

If you’re keeping all your shopping strictly online, it’s always worth trying to get a code from the BRILLIANT student discount website, UNiDAYS, www.myunidays.com – some stores do accept codes even in sale periods.

Housing cuts raise concerns for Oxford’s homeless

Thomas Hall
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Housing cuts raise concerns for Oxford’s homeless

Housing charity Oxford Homeless Pathways has launched a petition to protest a proposed 38% cut to the Housing Related Support budget recently announced by Oxfordshire County Council.

The proposed cut is part of the council’s wider plans to save £64 million over the next four years, and would reduce the current Housing Related Support budget of £4 million by £1.5 million. Currently, over 350 people in Oxfordshire are receiving support from charities part-funded by the council, with an additional 550 receiving direct support to prevent them from becoming homeless.

Oxford Homeless Pathways has published an open letter to the council on Change.org, warning that the move would cause problems for Oxford’s homeless. The petition reads, “Failing to help people can be every bit as expensive, especially in the long term,”

“Cutting these vital services will harm the people who need their support. It will damage our community and increase costs for the tax payer.”

Over 500 people have signed the petition so far, which aims to gain 1000 signatories.

Leslie Dewhurst, chief executive of the charity, expressed fears for the future of the three hostels in Oxfordshire that currently house about 60 homeless people each.

“It depends how they are going to carve the cuts up. They could decide to just close one of the three hostels in the city – I think it could be a possibility. But each of us have about 60 people and that is another 60 people sleeping rough.”

Mark Hankinson, who has been homeless for 11 years after losing his job and serving a prison sentence, is a resident at O’Hanlon House, one of the hostels run by Oxford Homeless Pathways. He said, “For homeless people the hostel is a big help. It is not just a matter of a bed and a meal – we have a worker who supports you.”

With the money saved from the cuts to the Housing Related Support budget, the council argues, an estimated £7m can be added to its adult social care budget. The council plans to save an additional £3 million by encouraging more people with learning disabilities to live at home with support.

Oxfordshire County Councillor Arash Fatemian defended the cuts at a meeting at County Hall on Tuesday 17 December. “The sums we are talking are £50,000 here and £100,000 there, but that quickly adds up to £1 million,” he said. “My question for them is would they rather I found that saving in the adult social care or children’s services budgets?”

Oxford students have expressed broadly positive reactions to Oxford Homeless Pathways’ petition.

Some students question Fatemian’s assertion that the proposed council cuts make sense economically. “Homeless people are more likely to make use of expensive public services, including the NHS, prison and the police. Investment now in decreasing the number who need social support is likely to save money in the long term,” said Scarlett Harris, a medic at Magdalen. “Cutting the Housing Related Support budget will not necessarily help the council to save money.”

George Christofi, a Classics student, expressed concern for the people who would be most affected by the cuts. “Budget cuts are necessary, but they ought to be fairly apportioned and not focused on the most vulnerable among us,” he said.

Review: Doctor Who Christmas Special 2013

Marcus Balmer
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Review: Doctor Who Christmas Special 2013

★★☆☆☆

Two Stars

Matt Smith bombastically stumbled onto our TV sets nearly four years ago with the incredible ‘The Eleventh Hour’, quickly putting to rest any fears that this 26 year-old was too young to play Doctor Who. He has since been at the forefront of three series and seven specials of what is, ultimately, unparalleled family television. It is a shame therefore that his final departure, the Moffat-penned Christmas special ‘The Time of the Doctor’, is a deeply disappointing spectacle, failing to do justice to Smith’s spellbinding reign as the eleventh Doctor.

The plot is an utter mess; the central conceit of the Doctor spending his final days on Trenzalore to protect the inhabitants against a second time-war is novel but drearily executed. So maniacal is the narrative in cramming the writer’s every fan-boy impulse into an hour’s show that one can almost envisage Moffat sitting at his desk with the whiteboard ‘Ideas for Matt’s last episode’ as he moves through the various post-it notes labelled ‘Weeping Angels’, ‘Cracks in Space and Time’, ‘Daleks’, ‘Amy Pond’.

Moffat is a brilliant and brave screenwriter, always one to tread the fine-line between complex and convoluted story-arcs, but now is not the time to experiment in these areas. The joy of the 50th anniversary (which was a rip-roaring dramatic success) was its recognition of the need to streamline the ‘plot’ sequence in order to shift utmost focus on to the interplay of the doctors, and their wrestling with past identities. Here the work feels artificially episodic, driven by a hyperactive imagination which is beginning to forget the need to slow down and grant the audience a lingering final moment with their doctor.  

There is nothing wrong with a frivolous romp. Indeed, it may have been too soon to repeat the dramatic intensity of the anniversary (and it is Christmas day), but if this was Moffat’s initial line of thought then he simply doesn’t commit to it. While the episode opens with an explosion of extraordinary ideas – Gallifrey still exists, the Time-Lords are returning, a fleet of the Doctor’s worst enemies have assembled, Clara has feelings for the Doctor – around the episode’s half-way mark one can feel the writing team going into panic mode.

For example, the Christmas festivity elements are violently shoe-horned into the work and the misjudged plot points are inadequately explained away in hurried voice-overs. As the writers begin to remember who exactly this episode is supposed to be about, both the fact it is a Christmas special and the fact it is a family adventure feel less like joyful dynamics and more like unwanted burdens.

Because the piece is so inorganically stitched together, Smith spends the majority of his time reciting exposition, while Coleman (a highly engaging actress when properly directed) is given little else to do other than run around and cry. Thus caught in-between desires to be a Christmas romp and a satisfying departure for Matt Smith, the episode sadly achieves neither – merely occupying a boring liminal space between the two.

That’s not to say there is nothing to appreciate in the hour. As with every Doctor Who episode the set-pieces are tenderly observed and lovingly performed. The notion of the doctor as a toy-maker, the repeated motif of childhood drawings and Orla Brady’s role as a ‘galactic nun’ are positively enchanting. Furthermore, even though there is something counterintuitive about making Matt Smith unrecognisably old in his final episode, his parting speech will bring a tear to the eyes of anyone who has followed the eleventh Doctor’s trajectory.

Christmas specials are never particularly good. The best have been last year’s ‘The Snowmen’ and 2006’s ‘The Runaway Bride’ and then only because there was something aptly festive and ‘new-beginnings-esque’ about the introduction of different companions. Perhaps it is we, not Moffat, who are asking too much of ‘The Time of the Doctor’, or perhaps Moffat is too busy working on the New Year special of Sherlock. Certainly though, it will be the 50th anniversary episode by which we remember the last days of Matt Smith, and it will take more than a dull Christmas special to taint the spectacular virtuosity with which he has embodied the eleventh Doctor. 

Oxford does Christmas: five of the best

Cherwell
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Oxford does Christmas: five of the best

Although students have gone home for the vac, Oxford University keeps ticking over. Here we bring you the best Oxonian Christmas celebrations so far.

1) The Ashmolean comes alive

Oxford University’s annual PR- focussed Christmas video doesn’t disappoint this year, with the Ashmolean turning into a low-budget Night At The Museum.

We think this is the first time an official university video has used the term ‘YOLO.’

Now we know where our tuition fees are going…

2) Oxford University’s science lectures

Oxford’s method of engaging Year 9s with science is foolproof: say something generic about Chemistry and then blow things up.

This year’s offering was a hit. The four lectures, ‘The Accelerate! Show’, ‘Can Machines Think?’, ‘The Chemistry Christmas Show’, and ‘Prime Numbers’ were packed out.

The Chemistry Christmas Show!

In this lecture, chemists Dr Hugh Cartwright and Dr Malcolm Stewart whizz through some of the more glamorous aspects of the discipline, failing to mention that a Chemistry BA mostly consists of crying in a lab in the Science Parks at 8AM with a hangover, wishing you were doing History.

But never mind that – just look at the explosions!

The Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures are also being given by an Oxford academic, Dr Alison Woodard, on the topic ‘Life Fantastic’. They begin on BBC Four at 8PM on 28th December.

3) Univ wishes us a Happy Christmas (through horrendous singing)

Dozens of academics, staff, and students got together to make this slightly cringe-inducing Christmas sing-along.

Univ’s 12 Days of Christmas

Who knew that Sir Ivor Crewe could sing like that?

4) Oxford at the University Challenge Christmas Special

Everyone knows that the only reason we applied to Oxford was for the chance to be on University Challenge. At this time of year, famous graduates get the chance to be sneered at by Jeremy Paxman, in the celeb packed University Challenge Christmas Special.

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Magdalen battle it out with UCL in last year’s competition

The two Oxford institutions competing in this year’s competition cover the full spectrum of colleges – Christ Church and St Hugh’s. The two teams will battle it out with twelve other universities for the glory of their alma maters.

Representing Christ Church are Andrew Graham-Dixon, art historian and presenter of The Culture Show, Mehdi Hasan, author and Political Director of The Huffington Post, Lord Michael Dobbs, Conservative Peer and author of the House Of Cards novels, and Adam Boulton, Political Editor of Sky News.

For St Hugh’s, the team consists of Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of the Bristol Old Vic and National Youth Orchestra, Suzy Klein, writer and radio presenter, Alex Hibbert, polar expedition leader, and Rowan Pelling, Daily Telegraph columnist and broadcaster.

Inexplicably, the Christmas specials mostly take place after Christmas. Christ Church’s first match, against Gonville and Caius, Cambridge, begins on Boxing Day at 7:45PM on BBC Two. St Hugh’s take on (the rather less intimidating) Stirling University on Friday 27th December at 7:30PM.

Last year saw a victory for New College, Oxford, so we expect great things from this year’s Oxonian offerings.

5) The University wishes us “a multi-sensory Christmas”

A festive research project by Professor Charles Spence, who leads the Crossmodal Research Lab in the Department of Experimental Psychology, has discovered that there’s a lot more to Christmas dinner than you might think.

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Dr Charles Spence

It’s not just the cooking that counts – the quality of the meals also rests on the cutlery we use, the colour of the plates, and even the background noise.

Professor Spence said, “While the heart of any great meal has always got to involve the best seasonal ingredients, beautifully prepared, I believe it is the “everything else” that really makes all the difference to how enjoyable that festive meal will be.”

“Did you know, for example, that serving a dessert on a round white plate will make it taste 10% sweeter than exactly the same food served on a square black plate?”

He also notes, “Foods are rated as tasting a lot more Christmassy if Jingle Bells or some other festive number is played in the background at mealtime.”

As if cooking a turkey wasn’t stressful enough already…

What are your Christmas plans? Tweet us to let us know at @Cherwell_Online.

Happy Christmas from everyone on the Cherwell team!

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