“The Bridge of Sighs”, properly known as Hertford Bridge, celebrated its 100^th birthday on Saturday as Hertford College celebrated the centenary in style.

Around 140 former students, including BBC newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, attended the celebrations, which began at midday with a lecture on reproductive biology by Dr Alison Woollard, and ended at 3am with a game of ‘ring of fire’ in the JCR.

Principal Will Hutton expressed his hope that the Principal at the time of building, Henry Boyd, would share his pride in the modern college a century on.

The afternoon event also featured the premier of a promotional film for the college, produced by BAFTA award-winning producer Anthony Geffen, showcasing the college’s liberal ethos.

Setting out his “vision for the future” to the gathered alumni, Hutton said of the film, “we are all liberal, with a small ‘l’. We were amongst the first wave of colleges to admit women; we have long championed open access to state schools”.

“When I first arrived here, I was told by the fellows that Hertford is a ‘middling’ college. Middling as in being in the centre of the city, middling in academic results, middling in pay. My intention in my tenure is to take Hertford well beyond ‘middling’,” Hutton added.

The festivities continued well into the evening including the “Rick Hutton Band”, the lead singer being the brother of Principal Hutton. One student volunteer who wished to remain unnamed told Cherwell, “watching Will Hutton dance to his brother’s band was like watching a giant lumber around the dance floor. He’s not very good, but bless him, he tries”.

The evening ended with a gathering of the remaining student volunteers, staff and alumni for a game of “ring of fire” in the JCR. One student volunteer, a recent graduate, said “I suppose you might call it post-drinking. It’s a celebration; everyone has worked hard to make the event a really momentous occasion to celebrate a century of the university’s most prominent landmark”.

The Hertford Bridge was constructed largely due to the efforts of Henry Boyd (Principal 1877-1922), who overcame significant opposition from both city and university authorities to realise his vision of a skyway linking the old and new quadrangles. Designed by TG Jackson, the acclaimed bridge was opened on 14th January 1914.

Oxford faces the possibility of severe disruption to teaching at the start of term as university staff vote on whether to take industrial action.

The ballot, which began on the 25^th September, ends on the 10^th October, coinciding with the beginning of term.

The University and College Union, which represents the staff at higher education institutions, claims that the action was prompted by four consecutive years of pay cuts, with real wages dropping by 13%, and with just a 1% increase offered.

Michael MacNeil, UCU head of higher education, commented: ‘What is very clear is that the employers can afford to pay their staff more than the miserly 1% on the table but they are making a calculated choice not to.
 
‘Those in charge are cynically using a more competitive funding environment to justify driving down terms and conditions and pay for the majority of staff. At a time when staff have been under great pressure to improve the student experience and workloads have increased, they have had their pay held down.’

If the vote is ‘yes’, action would be taken later in Michaelmas.

A St Hugh’s alumna has rowed across the Pacific from Japan to Alaska – and is thought to be the first person to complete the solo voyage.

Sarah Outen, who read Biology, rowed 3,750 nautical miles in 150 days and arrived in Adak in the Aleutian Islands on Monday.

She told Cherwell, “I am so happy to be safely ashore after some of the most amazing months of my life. And stoked that it all started in Oxford – that’s when I started to row. Thank you St Hugh’s/OUWBC!”

The voyage was part of her London2London: Via the World expedition; she is attempting to row, kayak and cycle across two oceans, three continents and 14 countries in a continuous loop around the world. The expedition began on 1 April 2011 at London’s Tower Bridge and will see her row 7,500 nautical miles and cycle 16,000 miles in total.

Bridget Fryer, outgoing President of Oxford University Women’s Boat Club, said, “It is great to hear of Sarah Outen’s achievement. We are extremely proud to have her as an alumni of the Oxford University Women’s Boat Club and I hope that her determination and courage is an inspiration to current and future oarswomen at Oxford University and throughout the UK.”

After completing the North Pacific crossing Outen, 28, commented, “I have pushed myself to my absolute limits both physically and mentally to make land here in Alaska, and body and mind are now exhausted.”

She added, “I am so grateful to everyone for supporting my return after Mawar ­– sponsors, family, friends at home and in Japan and my team. Without them I wouldn’t be here. I am solo only physically – there are in fact a lot of people on my boat with me!”

Outen previously attempted the voyage in May 2012 but had to be rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard 25 days in after her boat was damaged by Typhoon Mawar. During her second attempt the rower capsized five times, narrowly avoided a collision with a cargo ship and was forced by high winds and bad weather to row to Alaska instead of Canada as planned. 

A spokesperson for St Hugh’s told Cherwell, “St Hugh’s is extremely proud of Sarah’s achievement. Not only has she successfully completed a demanding physical and mental challenge, she is also raising a significant amount of money for charity. We would also like to congratulate her on her recent engagement and wish her all the best for the future.”

Outen proposed to her girlfriend Lucy via a satellite telephone whilst in the middle of the Pacific. She will move on to the next leg of the journey in 2014 when she will kayak through the Archipelago to mainland Alaska. Outen is expected to complete her London2London expedition in late 2015 and is hoping to raise over £100,000 for CoppaFeel!, the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, The Jubilee Sailing Trust and WaterAid.

A third year undergraduate at Exeter College said, “I will try and think of Sarah when I’m sweating on the Isis and be humbled. Big respect!”