New College JCR has passed a motion to create a non-committee role of Mint Julep Quartermaster or mistress.

The holder of the new position will be mandated  to investigate reinstating the college tradition of drinking mint juleps on the first day of June each year.

Between 1845 and 1945, Fellows at the college enjoyed the drink, which consists of whiskey, sugar, ice and mint, every year on 1 June. A recipe and a large cup for the mint julep were provided by William Trapier, an American planter from South Carolina who dined at New in 1845.

The new quartermaster or mistress will  be mandated to approach college to gain permission for an event after hall on June 1st college,  to investigate whether the college still possesses the cup and to find alternative sources of funding  for mint juleps should the college not have any.

The motion passed unopposed but with friendly amendments including a change in the role name, and in the recruitment process for the role which will be with an interview panel consisting of the JCR president, vice president and food and bar representative. The motion is still subject to approval from the college’s dean.

Many students at New were delighted by the news. One second year Economics and Management student commented, “I am very happy. I think it’s a great thing to have a funny tradition like that. The proposer wanted it just because it was quite weird, which is great. This changed my life.”

Others added, “This should bring the college together for a tradition that is very well established. I cannot wait for next summer.”

The St Anne’s JCR has unanimously passed a motion in support of furthering the Living Wage campaign at the college. The JCR body at St Anne’s now hopes to eventually join the likes of All Souls College, Green Templeton and Brasenose (who all paid the Living Wage last year) through lobbying the college to pay all staff the Living Wage.

The motion mandates the JCR president to lobby the college towards becoming an accredited Living Wage employer. It dictates that the college OUSU representative should attend the central campaign meetings and be a liaison between the central campaign and the college.

The Living Wage, a figure calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy, takes into account earnings in relation to the amount of money required to cover basic living costs and meaningfully participate in society. It stands at £7.65 outside of London, while the minimum wage is currently £6.31 for 21 year olds and over.

Medic George Gillett and Geographer Jo Hynes, both second years, proposed and seconded the motion respectively.

Hynes highlighted the campaign’s importance, especially in a place as expensive as Oxford, arguing, “Oxford is the 7th most expensive place to rent property in the UK and the cost of living is rising more sharply under this government than at any other time in the post-war era. Therefore, it’s vital that we pay people a wage which reflects the true cost of living.”

With the JCR body on board, support from relevant College authorities must now be sought. At the meeting, it was stressed that staff, such as scouts and catering team members, must be included in discussion at every level.

“It is important to note that we are not going ahead without consulting with the College staff that currently get paid less than the Living Wage,” commented Christina Toenshoff, JCR president.

“We are only starting the campaign if the people concerned want us to do so.” Such consultation will now proceed.

However, one student expressed misgivings about the economic implications of the Living Wage, saying, “If a Living Wage were to be enforced then the College could be forced to raise living costs for undergraduates or reduce the number of staff that it hires. Both of these have economic and moral costs; is it fair to fire workers so that others can be paid more? The motion does not question the fact that the staff have made no complaints about their wages. The idea of a Living Wage fails to consider differences between individuals, for instance the Living Wage assumes that everybody is supporting children which isn’t true.”

This motion follows the university’s commitment to pay all directly employed staff the Living Wage, although this does not include staff hired through third party agencies.

Andrew Grey, Chair of the Oxford Living Wage campaign, urged students to remember that many outsourced employees do not benefit. He said, “Some colleges may offer benefits to their staff, such as pensions or meals in hall, instead of paying a Living Wage. Therefore, college authorities need to be ersuaded of the need to pay their staff the full rate of £7.65 an hour, in addition to any benefits.”

He referred to the campaign’s social media and the OUSU website as sources of more information. He summarised his ultimate motivation for the Living Wage campaign to be that “No-one should face poverty whilst they are working”.

On Thursday night, members of the college met to discuss “the next steps of the campaign”. A Facebook campaign has also been launched to support the JCR’s efforts.

Oxford University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education echoed earlier calls by Vice Chancellor Andrew Hamilton, who suggested earlier this term that fee rises could be used to plug the gap in university funding.

Pro-VC Dr Sally Mapstone told the Sutton Trust Advancing Access and Admissions Summit in London earlier this month, “We would be very interested in seeing the potential for a move to variable fees.”

The comments were made after she was asked if she supported a move towards a system of truly variable fees, the Times Higher Education has reported.

But Mapstone continued, “I think there are a couple of things that go with that. One is that price should never be an impediment to talent. The other is that when you look at the repayment mechanism, you’re looking very hard at income-contingent measures.”

Speaking on behalf of Dr Mapstone, a spokesperson for the university told Cherwell, “Dr Mapstone’s comments speak for themselves and are consistent with what we have said in the past. They do not and are not intended to change the university’s position in any way”.

He added, “The collegiate University has no set view on future fee levels.”

Dr Sally Mapstone is Reader in Older Scots Literature, and Lecturer in English at St Hilda’s College. As the university’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for education, her responsibilities include admissions strategy and student support.

Mapstone’s comments were made at the Sutton Trust admissions summit on Wednesday 13 November. The event, for the discussion of ways to improve access to elite universities for low and middle income students, was attended by around eighty academics from the US, UK and Europe, including heads of admissions at Oxford, Cambridge Harvard, Yale and MIT.

Speaking with regards to Hamilton’s comments on the funding gap, the spokesperson continued, “There is no suggestion that the entire shortfall Oxford faces should be made up through fee increases, or that graduates will end up paying the whole cost of their education.

They added, “Oxford University has always been clear that this significant funding gap needs to be addressed in a range of ways – including philanthropy. It is right that the University contributes towards the cost of teaching. Access must be regardless of finances.”

New website Ratemash has been uploading students’ photos and links to their Facebook accounts without their knowledge to feature on an online ‘hot or not’ leader board.

The website, which features students at universities across the UK, states that it aims to, “make it easier to meet new people in universities and to make going out cheaper, more fun and seamless”. However, it now faces allegations of violation of privacy for featuring unwitting students on its ‘ratings’ board. 
The site consists of leaderboards for each university, featuring a profile picture and link to individuals’ Facebook accounts under the headline ‘Hottest Girls/Guys of All Time at University of Oxford’.

Balliol student Sophie Spector, who drew attention to the website on the ‘Misogyny Overheard at Oxford’ Facebook group after she found her picture featured, commented, “I personally think it is out of order. Its not just a disgusting website in and of itself, its out of line including myself and others who didn’t sign up for it and hands out our personal information without our permission. My reaction was confusion, a sort of morbid flattery if I am going to keep it real, which was short lived when I found out the picture on the website didn’t even show my face. It feels creepy, seedy and dangerous.” 
Lucy Delaney, WomCam chair and OUSU Women’s Campaign Officer elect, seemed equally perturbed by the experience. She said, “The Oxford Feminist Network have fought hard to tackle and certainly I am irritated that I actually feature on this site. Oxford is a place where people should be treated for their intellect and the skills they have to bring to the community, not their looks.” 

This view was echoed by others who discovered their pictures displayed on the site. Tom Calver, a second year at Jesus, said, “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I feel objectified, but would certainly say I’m a bit weirded out by it. The whole thing on the website about it being a ‘buzzing community with members within universities’ and its idea being to ‘make it easier to meet new people in universities and to make going out cheaper, more fun and seamless’ seems like a pretty transparent front for something a bit more sinister.” 

Mansfield student Ariane Moshiri, another member of the ‘top 50’ group, commented, “It’s creepy, but that is to say the very least. I think what it most appalling about this website is that it’s vaguely trying to legitimise rating both men and women by supposedly giving you ‘access to the coolest clubs and parties in town’, without really even giving you a choice.

“The site is misogynistic, even if it rates men as well. However the big thing is that it just shows you the extent to which there is a lack of privacy on the internet.” 

OUSU President-Elect Louis Trupp also featured on the site, and expressed his undeniable outrage. He said, “I really dislike ‘Ratemash’. I don’t want to be on it.”

Other students, however, took a slightly less serious view. Chris Starkey from Catz told Cherwell, “On a personal level, I’m quite flattered to be on the leaderboard, and if people are so inclined they can feel free to send more points my way! I won’t be using the site anytime soon though.” 

Oriel student Jessica Collins said, “I don’t think it’s fair to accuse the site of misogyny, given that it includes both guys and girls. Perhaps it could be criticised for generally perpetuating judging people on their appearances etc. but it is hardly the worst example of this sort of thing. Generally I think the site is just a bit of harmless fun.”

Ratemash has also been criticised at the national level. In a statement, Colum McGuire, NUS Vice President for Welfare, said, “It is concerning to hear that students appear to be featured on this website unknowingly or without their consent. If this is true it would be a gross invasion of privacy. Those who have been featured without being asked should immediately contact the website owners and ask to be removed.”

Facebook is undergoing investigations into Ratemash, started up earlier this year by nineteen year old Michael Healy, who has compared the site to Tinder for universities, claiming that, “It’s a lot more interesting because of the leaderboard.”

Memorials marking the 50th Anniversary of C. S. Lewis’ death have been taking place across the country in the last week.

To mark recognition of his literary achievements, C. S. Lewis has been honoured with a memorial stone in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey. The writer died at the age of 64, on the 22nd November 1963.

Though not primarily known for his poetry, Lewis’ memorial lies in the company of renowned literary figures such as Chaucer, Dickens, the Bronte sisters, and John Keats.

The memorial stone in Poets’ Corner is inscribed with words from one of Lewis’ theological lectures, “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen. Not only because I can see it but because by it I can see everything else.”

The writer is perhaps most famous for his Chronicles of Narnia series, which has sold around 100 million copies worldwide, however Lewis also wrote several philosophical, religious, and poetic works, including ‘The Allegory of Love’, and ‘The Four Loves’.

To celebrate his life, the ceremony in Westminster Abbey was led by Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, a self-professed fan of the writer, on the 22nd November.

Events have also been taking place in Belfast, Lewis’ birthplace, including a C. S. Lewis trail through East Belfast, and an art exhibition by Jonathan Barry, named ‘Through the Wardrobe’.

Magdalen College have also run events to celebrate the writers’ achievements and remember his contribution to the college as a Fellow from 1925 to 1954.

Lewis won a classical scholarship to University College in 1916, however did not come up to Oxford until 1917, in order to train in the university Officers’ Training Corps during the First World War.

In 1919 he returned to Oxford to read for classical honour moderations, in which he gained a First in 1920. Lewis also achieved a First in English Language and Literature in 1923.

Magdalen elected him Fellow and tutor in English in 1925, and it was here that he formed the famous writing group named the Inklings, of which J. R. R. Tolkien was a member.

Amongst his other contributions to the University was the Socratic Club, a Christian discussion group founded by Lewis in 1942, and of which he was president until 1954.

The College was represented at the Westminster ceremony by the President and Simon Horobin, Professor of English Language and Literature and Tutorial Fellow at the College.

Magdalen also screened ‘Shadowlands’ on the evening of the 22nd November, a film based on Lewis’ life and partly filmed in the college.

A series of lectures were also hosted at the college, given by world-leading experts on the writer, on the following day; the day was concluded with a special dinner in Hall to mark the occasion.

One student remarked positively on the celebrations, stating that it is good to see Lewis’ wider literary achievements recognised and the memorials in Westminster Abbey updated, as a demonstration that “classics don’t just have to be old.”

A £350 million increase in national investment into science and engineering will create about seventy new Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs).

The initiative, set to help 3500 postgraduates undertake doctorates in engineering and physical sciences, will see 6 Oxford-led CDTs, and the institution will “play a leading role in several others”, claims an article on the official university website.

The announcement was delivered by Universities and Science Minister David Willets at a press conference last Friday. He was reported in the Telegraph as having said prior to the statement that the work of engineers can “inspire innovation and drive growth across a range of sectors, from manufacturing to financial services.

“I am particularly pleased to see strong partnerships between universities, industry and business among the new centres announced today. This type of collaboration is a key element of our industrial strategy and will continue to keep us at the forefront of the global science race.”

The PhD training grants are to be allocated by the Engineering and Phyiscal Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). 1000 partners contributing a total of £250 million will support the centres.

The chairman of the EPSRC was reported to have said, “These new centres will give the country the highly trained scientists and engineers it needs and they will be equipped with skills to move on in their careers. The standard of applications for Centres was very high and more could have been funded if we had the capacity.”

The article on the university’s website said, “Covering everything from chemistry to statistics, biomedicine to mathematics, aerodynamics to archaeology, the Oxford CDTs will give hundreds of doctoral students the skills and expertise to take on a wide range of research challenges relevant to science and economic growth and develop into the research leaders of the future.”

The proposal has been met with a warm reception from affected undergrad students: Zain Khawaja, an Engineering student at St Anne’s, said, “I feel that such initiatives will greatly aid in the development of new technologies in the near future.”

“I hope to specialise in biomedical engineering and am excited about the prospect of one day being able to make a noteworthy contribution to science. This investment will create opportunities for young scientists to explore new ideas; and develop a greater understanding of the world around us.”

Yet not all students across the university see the specialised centres as a benefit. Rhushub Haria, a St Anne’s Classicist, observed, “Another nail in the coffin for arts and humanities.”

Students at St Hugh’s were warned to be extra vigilant after a flasher exposed himself on two separate occasions in University Parks earlier this week.

In a round-table e-mail entitled ‘Personal Security’ sent to everyone at St Hugh’s over the weekend, college officials advised caution after reports of “men attempting to expose themselves” were submitted. They added that a box of personal alarms would be available for free in the Porter’s Lodge.

Students were also reassured that the college would be liaising with Thames Valley Police until the situation was resolved. Indecent exposure, more commonly known as flashing’ is illegal under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Whilst the individual responsible for the incidents remains at large, those concerned for their personal safety were instructed to contact Oxford University Security Services (OUSS) or St Hugh’s Porter’s Lodge.

A spokesperson for OUSS said, “Students travelling in and around the University Parks area should be vigilant, especially at night. Stick to well-lit areas and major footpaths and travel in pairs or groups where possible.

“Take particular caution if someone approaches you. If you find yourself in immediate danger, call the Emergency Services using the 999 number. If this is not possible, then make use of personal alarms or shout ‘fire’ or ‘call the police’ – there is evidence that this gets more reactions than shouting ‘help’.”

OUSS also stressed that no one had been injured or threatened during these offences and that there was no need for undue alarm. Those with further concerns were urged to contact OUSS or visit their website for additional resources. As an ongoing investigation, details of the incidents or those involved have not been made public. Thames Valley Police also declined to comment.

St Hugh’s is currently the only college known to have sent out advice in a personal safety e-mail. Other colleges adjacent to University Parks like Keble and LMH have yet to send out similar warnings.

Jack Stroud, a Hugh’s student, commented, “I wasn’t aware of this before the e-mail brought it to our attention. I’m not sure if the incidents involved students specifically from St Hugh’s, it could very well just be a general warning.”

One Keble second year told Cherwell, “I would say that common sense serves you best. These things happen every so often, but it’s wrong to be excessively intimidated by one or two people who want to make life difficult for everyone.”

The streets of Oxford were lit up by hundreds of lanterns on Friday night to mark the start  of the Christmas Light Festival.

Around 500 children from local schools carried lanterns in a procession up Cornmarket and St.Giles street to signify the beginning of the three day festival. The parade was led by a lantern displaying the face of Oxford philanthropist and car manufacturer William Morris on it. This was followed by handmade lanterns of all shapes and sizes, including a car, a plane and even a flying horse.

The festival also showcased a variety of musical and dance performances, as well as a festive christmas market and fairground attractions. There was even a makeshift grotto where children were given the opportunity to meet Santa and his real life reindeer.

Keble student, Dani Edmunds, commented that, “The fair had such an exciting Christmas atmosphere and it was the first time I’d been on chairoplanes for ages! It made me feel so festive.”

First year student, Chee Man also enjoyed the fairground, noting that, “You’re never too old for merry-go-rounds!”

Over the three days, the festival, which was co-ordinated by Oxford City Council and Ian Nolan Events, attracted thousands of people to the streets of Oxford. Many roads were temporarily closed to accommodate the festivities, including the whole of St Giles and some of Broad Street.

This was the first time the festival had taken place over three separate days and Oxford student Claire Paulus was very enthusiastic about it. She said, “I enjoyed it, as frankly who doesn’t like a carousel or chairoplanes? I would happily go again next year.”

Keble student, Christian Davidson, also explained that the festival allowed everyone in Oxford to come together. He commented that, “ It was lovely to see a full cross section of society participating, including the infant schools in the procession. As a suburbanite, it was also a rare chance to enjoy city events such as they are.”

The People’s Supermarket in Cowley will be closing its doors on Sunday after nearly a year and a half of trading, following a decision made last week by its members.

At an Extraordinary General Meeting on 19 November, an “overwhelming majority of shareholders” agreed to wind up the company behind the financially beleaguered social enterprise and close its Cowley Road premises, members were told in an e-mail.

The fate of the supermarket has been uncertain for some time, as debts have eclipsed sales for a number of months. Despite fending off possible court action in September by coming to an agreement with Oxford City Council on overdue business rates, the company still owes its landlords £7,000 in back rents and another £7,500 towards a deposit on the premises, as well as debts owed to other creditors. The landlords have given the company notice that they should vacate the premises by 1 December.

A variety of factors have conspired to lead to the supermarket’s current dire financial straits: in March, a fire devastated the neighbouring Cycle King bicycle shop, and subsequent restoration work led to severely reduced foot traffic and lower sales. In addition, a generous 20% discount scheme for members who volunteered to work in the supermarket meant that the margin on many products was low to non-existent.

There have also been problems staffing the supermarket. It has been run exclusively by volunteers since August, when all paid staff were made redundant due to budgetary constraints, and in some instances volunteers could not be found for all shifts, meaning the shop would sometimes unexpectedly close, reducing trading hours and leading to confusion for customers.

Anton Saverimuttu, interim general manager of the People’s Supermarket, cited the size of the supermarket’s premises as an additional factor. He said, “As you can see, this area is far too big for what we need,” he said in an interview with Cherwell. “The rent is proportionate to a commercial property of this size. It’s just that we can’t pay the rent because the space is too much.”

Despite the difficulties, Saverimuttu underlined the fact that this closure would not be the end of the People’s Supermarket. Instead, he and other members envision a “revamp”. The e-mail sent to members following the EGM read, “[We] want to think about appropriate future formats for TPS that will allow us to pursue our core shared values of promoting locally-sourced produce, reducing food wastage and bringing people from the local community together.”

Such future formats might include a smaller location in the same East Oxford neighbourhood, as well as a new approach to the range of products sold. Until now, the supermarket has sold generic and brand-name products alongside locally-sourced fruit, vegetables, bread, and eggs, and prepared food from its “People’s Kitchen”. Saverimuttu says a future manifestation of the People’s Supermarket might focus more on local items and catering, and less on items “you can get in any supermarket”.

When asked what other lessons he has taken from the People’s Supermarket’s rocky experience thus far, Saverimuttu said: “This place is a business. You have to pay the rent, you have to pay the business rates, you have to pay all the bills. So you have to make sure that the co-operative thinking doesn’t interfere with the business. It’s got to be a business first, then a social enterprise. I think we forgot that somewhat.”

The People’s Supermarket’s last day of trading at 124 Cowley Road will be this Saturday, 30 November, when they hope to sell off the last of their perishable stock before putting the rest of the supermarket’s supplies into storage in preparation for its next iteration.