Oxford University Conservative Association minutes from a Council meeting last Sunday show it is struggling to rebuild its reputation despite regaining university affiliation in March.

Trinity is the Association’s first full term as a re-affiliated society of the university since losing its university endorsement last year when proctors judged that the student association had “failed to reach the financial and administrative standards of a recognised student club.”

Permission for a garden party in Magdalen College’s grounds which had initially been granted by the college has since been revoked by the Home Bursar, Mark Blandford-Baker. The Bursar told OUCA’s Director of Communications, James Heywood, that “As is often the case it is the minority who spoil it for the majority in clubs and so on, and to that end it is an enduring problem.”

Blandford-Baker said that “OUCA is not the only university club or association to have caused difficulties for colleges.”

The Association President, Stephanie Cherrill commented, “We have held several events in Magdalen this year and will be holding our Poker Night there in third week; the Garden Party issue is complex and not necessarily all to do with any perception of OUCA by Magdalen College as evidenced by our continuing relationship with them.”

Cherrill announced at Council that Corpus Christi have lifted their ban on the Association following a meeting with the college’s Dean. OUCA was banned from holding events in Corpus Christi in November 2011. Corpus Dean Dr Robin Murphy said then that “As part of my investigations into recent events involving guests brought into college we are now prepared to deny Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) permission to book or use any college facility or room for any OUCA related activity.” The ban followed accusations of antisemitism at OUCA social events.

Cherrill told OUCA Council that “most of the problem in banning us was related to the lack of accountability for the disciplinary issues…[the Dean] was happy to accept my personal apology though I was not involved with the Association at the time.”

The minutes also reveal the failures of OUCA’s campaigning arm. Political Officer Zachary Spiro had to apologise to Libby Blackwood, mother of Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood, after only three OUCA members turned up to help campaign for the local elections on Tuesday of 1st Week. Spiro said in Council that “détente has been reached” with Blackwood after nine out of the twelve OUCA members who were due to campaign did not turn up.

Cherwell has learnt from the minutes that there are tussles in the upper echelons of the society. On Sunday Cherrill apologised to OUCA Secretary Henry Tonks in a report by the Disciplinary Committee that she was mandated to read out. At the end of Hilary term the Returning Officer and President had incorrectly “ruled that Mr Tonks was an ineligible candidate for the position of Secretary”, according to the report.

The report said that the basis of the decision in Hilary – that Tonks had “failed to aquire the number of Speaker Activist Points required of him” to stand for Secretary – was unreasonable. Cherrill said that “[my] interpretation…was incorrect on this matter.” As a result Tonks was “confirmed” in his position as Secretary by the Disciplinary Committee of OUCA.

An OUCA member, who wished to remain anonymous, commented that although ”There have been real improvements in recent terms….these events seem to show that the current President is undoing the good work of her predecessors through carelessness.”

The Association held its first ‘Port and Policy’ event of term last Sunday and it was described in the minutes by the Whip, Devon Howard from Magdalen College, as “a roaring success….There was only one bottle of port left over; a sure-sign of a successful P&P.”

OUCA’s Whip Devon Howard is recorded as instructing the Committee in future “to keep an eye on members who may have drunk too much.” The minutes record that Heywood, the Communications director, was then “duly chastised” by OUCA’s President. Cherrill told Cherwell that the comment “was a joke in Council about who might be responsible for the port shortages; it was not a serious comment about him.”

“Enthusiasm from the members in terms of attendance, rather than excessive consumption, has almost caught us short during the first two weeks of term, with 2nd week attended by around 70 people.”

The society’s Political Officer, Zachary Spiro, also emphasised the need for members to be sober when campaigning: “I would remind all those  who may be thinking of coming in the morning to ensure that they are in a fit state to effectively campaign at that time.”

‘Port and Policy’ is a weekly event held on Sundays in which three motions relating to recent and past conservative policies are debated. According to OUCA’s website, “A selection of suitable ports may help to loosen one’s argumentative charm.” P&P welcomes student Tories from around the country.

Oliver Cooper, recently elected as national chairman of Conservative Future, the Conservative Party’s youth wing, posted on OUCA’s facebook page after his election in March that “I’m looking forward to speaking / disgracing myself at a P&P in the not-too-distant future.”

There is evidence however that the Association is guarding its reputation more carefully. Oliver Johnson, a former Political Officer, is recorded as expressing opposition to a proposed “claret tasting” evening, “especially in Michaelmas term, [which] would only live up to the worst stereotypes of OUCA – given as well that this term will be taken up with a membership drive.” The society did however kick off Trinity Term with a £25 per head ‘Champagne Tasting’ evening.

During the Council Meeting one OUCA member, Tim Patmore, a former Tory candidate in local elections, suggested switching support to the Monster Raving Loony Party in the upcoming Council Elections as a tactical vote.

Following the meeting Cherrill told Cherwell, “I can assure you OUCA will not be switching its support from the Conservative candidates in the local area, and are today out leafleting for them in key wards. In fact the emergency motion at Port and Policy advocating tactical voting was defeated.”

Oxford University’s plans to construct further graduate accommodation near Port Meadow have come under renewed fire as the Campaign to Protect Rural England recently announced it would back protesters and fight planning permission for the development at the High Court level.

Moreover, in a recent letter to the Vice Chancellor the City Council has also warned the University it may need to reduce the size of the buildings, citing the possible “existence of further compulsory remedial steps…
including discontinuance proceedings in respect of the whole development.”

One member of the Campaign to Save Port Meadow from Oxford
University commented, “We are pleased to see the letter from Cllr
von Nooijen to Vice-Chancellor Hamilton, and we welcome what
appears to be a growing awareness on the part of the City Council, at least, that the impact of the Roger Dudman Way blocks on Port Meadow is simply unacceptable. I think Councillors also now recognise that public concern is not going to abate.”

However a spokesperson for the University responded, “The University has acted in good faith throughout this process, in line with all the proper procedures. A review conducted by Oxford City Council planning officers confirmed this and agreed that the University acted properly when securing planning permission.”

The University spokesperson further stated, “We take our role as guardians of the beauty of Oxford seriously. Every significant development project in Oxford… requires a careful balance of interests… The skyline of Oxford is a constantly evolving blend of the old and the new, the natural and the built.”

Delia Lockey, a first year student at University College, commented, “I care about Port Meadow in that I like the environment but to be honest I haven’t heard that much about it whilst I have been here.”

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is reported to have visited Magdalen College, his alma mater, on Monday. 

Politics students were notified a few days in advance that a “senior cabinet member” would be visiting Magdalen, and were invited to attend a talk which was strictly limited to students studying Politics.

Osborne arrived at the college in a dark green Land Rover, which remained parked in the main quadrangle, flanked by two bodyguards, for the duration of his visit.

One student who attended the event told Cherwell, “I thought his talk was inspiring and insightful. He came across much nicer than I expected him to be and it was great to be face to face witch such an influential politician. It was a shame that more students couldn’t attend the talk, but I suppose
the college has to impose limits on such highprofile speakers!”

Osborne is said to have then attended a formal dinner with the President and Fellows of the college, during which Latin verses were recited.

Another student, who was present at the talk, told Cherwell, “I didn’t expect much, so guess Osborne delivered on every level.”

Oxford University has been ranked second in the Times Higher Eduction’s Student Experience Survey, coming after the University of East Anglia, but beating Cambridge by two places.

A spokeswoman for the University told Cherwell, “The University is pleased to see that the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey reflects that students are generally happy with their experience at Oxford.”

Students who partake in the survey are asked to evaluate their institution on a scale of one to seven, in twenty one weighed categories, ranging from academic quality and staff accessibility to social life and living expense.

Oxford tops the list along with Cambridge in “high-quality staff/ lectures”,  “helpful/interested staff”, “wellstructured courses” and “highquality facilities”. Oxford performed least well in the category “good students’ union” scoring just 4.6.

David J. Townsend, OUSU President, commented, “OUSU’s biggest problem in the past has been communication of what it is and what it does directly for students… The relatively low scores from Cambridge and Durham show that this is a particular difficulty faced in collegiate universities.”

He continued, “Part of the recently achieved budget increase of £100,000 for OUSU next year will, if the Council of the Student Union approves, be spent addressing this gap by employing a dedicated communications officer.”

A student at St Catz said he was “quite proud, but I think it should be number one. My experience has definitely reflected Oxford’s ranking. Plus, I am very pleased it beat Cambridge.”

A campaign has been launched against a proposed new building in Walton Street, Jericho for the Blavatnik School of Government.

Campaigners, who maintain a 299-strong Facebook group, argue that the building will have a detrimental effect on the neighbouring St Paul’s Church and its surrounding area. The proposed building will be built in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter and is scheduled to open in 2015. It was designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, renowned for the 2008 Olympics’ Beijing National Stadium and the conversion of the Bankside Power Station into the Tate Modern.

Gideon Freud, campaign member and St John’s College student, argues that the building will affect the light through the Victorian windows of St Paul’s Church, currently used as Freud. He told Cherwell, “Without light the art is lost, and it is surely important that these tangible pieces of Oxford’s city heritage are not lost in a development to benefit the few.”

He added, “It is important to remember the 700 who are buried at the site. They were buried in the consecrated burial ground of the Radcliffe Infirmary when it was a hospital. The proposed construction would disregard the ground’s consecration as a religious site and would betray the trust of both those whose bodies are buried there and of the relatives who buried them.” Of the campaign’s plan of action, he commented, “At the moment we have public support, and we will challenge the planning application.” 

Responding to the campaign, Calum Miller, Chief Operating Officer of the Blavatnik School of Government, said, “Our publicly available planning application concludes that the impact of our building on daylight to St Paul’s Church would be minimal, and that ground floor windows would be affected, but not to an unacceptable degree.”

He contested claims that bodies buried at the site would be illegitimately disrupted, stating, “The Blavatnik School of Government’s planning
application sets out in detail the faculty we have received from the Diocese of Oxford, subject to planning permission, to exhume these remains, and that the remains would be reinterred to consecrated land.”

Miller told Cherwell, “Walton Street contains a variety of architectural styles. In its publicly available report, English Heritage concluded that this variety meant there was no uniform style to the street, and therefore the proposed building would not be out of place.” Proposals have been approved for presentation to the Council next week.

Current Blavatnik school student Hugo Batten supported plans for the new building, opining, “For the Blavatnik School to be successful and sustainable, it needs to approach the scale of a Kennedy or Woodrow Wilson School of Government. That implies significantly larger facilities.”

Marsha Sudar, Somerville JCR president, also expressed her support. She
stated, “It’s great having another building in the north of Oxford which places Somerville closer to important buildings. We are already so close to the Physics and Engineering departments, and now the new Philosophy and Theology faculty, and the new Mathematics instiImage: Isis Bridge tute. It’s wonderful.”

An Oxford-based community group has been flooded with £420,000 in cash payments just ten days after offering shares in a planned hydroelectricity project to the public.

Osney Lock Hydro (OLH) had planned to build a small hydroelectric plant on Osney Island in the River Thames with a loan from the Environment Agency. Thanks to an overwhelming public response, however, the project organisers no longer believe this will be necessary.

Saskya Huggins, a volunteer for OLH, said, “The response has been  phenomenal – and we have been particularly thrilled by the support
shown locally. Seventy five per cent of the investment to date has come from within the city of Oxford, and half of all investment is from people living within a mile of the site.” 

Quentin Sattentau, an Osney Island resident who has invested in the scheme, said that the project “sends out a wonderful message about sustainable living in the 21st century.”

With funding now secure, OLH now expects that construction will begin this summer. The plant has been in the planning stages for over twelve years and is expected to generate 165,500kWh of electricity – enough to power fifty local homes. Investors were given the option of putting in between £500 to £20,000 over twenty years. OLH believe that the fund will generate a total of £2m in returns over the next forty years. 

Stephen Naylor, a spokesman for the Environment Agency, said in a press release, “This community has worked very hard on the scheme and other low carbon projects in the area. It is a great opportunity to generate renewable energy from the River Thames and put something back into the community. We were very pleased to be able to support this venture and we wish OLH every success.”

Plans are now being drawn up for a further fifteen hydroelectricity projects along the River Thames in Oxfordshire, with potential sites for future renovation identified at Benson, Culham, Sandford and Godstow. Abingdon
Hydro, a non-profit organisation, hope to start a similar project by Abingdon Lock next year. 

OLH has been supported in its efforts by the Low Carbon Hub, an environmental organisation which helps community groups across Oxfordshire, including groups within the University of Oxford.

One second-year Hertford student commented, “Micro-funded projects like these are great, and will only continue to grow in the future as communities look beyond businesses and the government to improve their local area.” When asked whether he would consider investing, he added, “I don’t think many students have that kind of money lying around.”

For the second year in a row, Pembroke JCR debated a motion concerning its morning-after Pill reimbursement policy.

Proposed by Annie Smith and seconded by Kris Blake, the motion resolved to “reimburse only half the cost of the morning-after pill, £13, rather than the full £26”. It opined that “a small fortune is being spent by the JCR reimbursing the morning-after pill (over £350 at the last count)”, yet it is free from the Alec Turnbull clinic in Cowley.

The aim of the motion was to encourage people to take advantage of these routes – saving the JCR considerable sums – whilst still supporting the best interests of its members. For example, the full £26 would be reimbursed on a Sunday when “it is harder to get it for free”.

The motion failed, after strong feelings were voiced in the debate. One student felt that it was imperative to reject this motion because “I don’t think we should be cutting such an important welfare service.”

Another student supported the motion, saying “I don’t think it’s a bad thing to make people go to their GP… We already provide condoms”.

One undergraduate alleged that that “it’s not fair for the JCR to pick up on at-risk behaviour.”

David White, JCR president of Pembroke, stated, “It was also made clear that the committee held a neutral position concerning the motion and would be happy to proceed either way.”

He emphasised that the motion was intended only to highlight to the JCR this provision for its members, and “not at all to say whether the use of the morning after pill was right or wrong”.

White also commented, “Pembroke JCR is proud and able to support welfare through the full reimbursement of the morning after pill and will continue to do so in full.”

Annie Smith, who proposed the motion, told Cherwell, “I was pretty neutral about the motion, and I didn’t really mind whether it passed or not; the same can be said about the Male Welfare Officer, the Women’s Rep, Treasurers and President.”

She also denied that the motion had been proposed with a financial incentive. She stated, “With a flexible welfare budget and a financially secure JCR, this motion really was not motivated by concerns about money, however the incentive argument was one of the main things considered by the JCR.” 

Rebecca Henshaw, a Pembroke student, commented, “Whilst it is a vital service, as accidents do happen, I think the decision was less intended to start charging for the morning after pill and more to encourage students to perhaps think twice about prevention.”

130 Pembroke students are currently involved in Oxford University’s biggest game of Assassins.

The game, which has taken nearly two months to set up and will be played out until 7th week, involves all participants being given another student as a secret target that they have to ‘assassinate’ with the help of a sock ball.

Once students have dispatched their allocated target they must then try to
assassinate their original victim’s target until there is only one assassin standing.

The so-called ‘Guildmaster’ of the Assassins has also offered a cash prize of £50 and an honoured place in the Assassins guild for the last man standing. 

There will be another three rounds held between 3rd and 5th week, also with cash prizes, allowing students who are not particularly skilled at the game to have another try and those with exams to get involved later.

The latest rounds of Assassins follows on from a game held in Trinity last year, organised by the then rusticated Dan Pennington, who was able to give Cherwell an insight into the scenes we might be seeing later this term. Last year’s efforts produced examples of amazing Oxford ingenuity, with one student jumping off a punt onto the banks of the Cherwell in order to assassinate his unassuming victim, who was out jogging.

However, the game also appears to strain friendships, and any would-be winner must start to develop a healthy level of paranoia if they are to survive, as supposed best friends sell-out secret knocks and trust in an effort to win. 

Tensions are running high. Third-year and veteran of Pembroke’s two previous games of Assassins, Caspar Donnison, said, “The game has got off to a fantastic start.” He also noted that, perhaps counter-intuitively, the game is proving “a good choice for my revision” as the library, along with other non-residential parts of college ware ‘safe zones’.

He also spoke of narrowly avoiding a recent assassination attempt and his own use of a Fresher called “the information guy” to get closer to his target.

If staying alive and knowing who to trust wasn’t confusing enough, the air of mystery surrounding the game has increased as the Guildmaster has apparently been captured, requiring new assassins to fight to regain their
leader, a narrative that an insider has told Cherwell will be developed “over the course of the term and over several JCR meetings before the explosive finale at the end of 7th week.

Keble JCR trialled anonymous voting at its meeting on 28th March following a referendum held the previous week.

The motion in question concerned the Talbot Fund which would call for Keble Students to donate at the end of their time in college into a fund that is designed to help the extra-curricular activities of future students. It was agreed prior to the meeting that this motion would be voted on anonymously.

In a speech made at the meeting Andrew Paine, who proposed the motion the refereendum that led to the new voting system, said, “Anonymous voting is a very common thing in a democratic organisation, as voting shouldn’t be susceptible to peer pressure. There is a tendency for this to happen in the JCR meetings, such as in the Israel debate.”

The reaction in the JCR was mixed, with Oliver Robinson, the Welfare Officer Elect, stating, “The intention behind the system is good, but the practicalities outweigh its benefits.”

Emma Brand, an English student, said, “Cutting up bits of card for voting slips seems like a waste of time and paper.”

Aakash Khanijau, a student at Jesus College, where anonymous voting is not used, echoed James Davies when he said, “What’s the point? It’s just a JCR meeting; everything gets passed anyway.”

A Hertford JCR motion to mandate the JCR President Hugh Baker to get a stag, the animal featured on the college crest, tattooed on his body was proposed and defeated at a Hertford JCR meeting.

The motion was proposed and discussed at Hertford JCR meeting last week by Omer Sheikh Mohamed and Tom Adams. It cited claims made in Hugh’s election manifesto about the possibility of being emblazoned with a stag tattoo. Had it passed, the motion would have had the JCR note “that a tattoo is a form of self-expression and that Hugh acts as the living embodiment of the JCR”.

It observed that “the current political climate is one built on broken promises and that the JCR should act as an example to parliament on how to hold its elected officials accountable.”

The JCR would have voted on a selection of tattoos, and seen a recording of the process but the body part to be tattooed was left up to Hugh’s discretion.

After various amendments that included mandating the proposer to get a Henna tattoo every week for the duration of his degree, the motion was eventually vetoed on welfare grounds.

Hugh was relieved with the outcome. He told Cherwell, “I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed that the motion didn’t pass, although had it not been vetoed I would of course, without a doubt, have upheld the utterly complete binding mandate that would have been placed upon me in order to maintain the honour of the JCR.”

Tom Harrison, from Hertford, said that if the motion were to apply to every new president, it would be a good way of identifying “those who aren’t truly committed to the Hertford cause.”

Imogen Beecroft, an English finalist at Hertford expressed her dismay at the result. She stated, “Oh deer. What a doe-lful ending to a staggering motion. I can’t believe Hertford chose to pass the buck on this one, it makes us look quite be-hind as a JCR really. It would have been a great way of rein-ing in the President, who really is a deer.”