Christine O’Donnell, the Republican nominee for Joe Biden’s Delaware senate seat has been accused of pretending that she studied at Oxford University.

O’Donnell is a member of the radical right wing ‘Tea Party’ movement in America. She advocates the teaching of creationism and once led a campaign against masturbation.

O’Donnell was described on professional networking websites as having received a certificate in ‘Post modernism in the New Millennium’ from Oxford University. Ms O’Donnell had in fact attended a summer school run by the private Phoenix Institute, an unaffiliated institution that rents teaching rooms in Oxford.

Ms O’Donnell said in a statement that she was not responsible for setting up the account on the networking site Zoominfo.com.

The Oxford-based choir Cardinall’s Musick has won the prestigious Gramophone Early Music Award for their recording of William Byrd’s ‘Infelix Ego’.

Winning the award for the fourth time, Cardinall’s Musick secured the title with their recording of Byrd’s Latin mediation piece, which incorporates music from the late 16th and early 17th Centuries.

Three musical groups based in Oxford made up the complete shortlist for the Early Music Award this year. Cardinall’s Musick beat rival groups Phantasm and the Christ Church Cathedral Choir for the prize, awarded by classical music magazine Gramophone.

A panel of critics selected the three nominees from thousands of CD releases from the past year. It is unprecedented for all three groups to have strong Oxford links.

Both Phantasm and Christ Church Cathedral Choir are directed by members of the University Music Faculty, and Cardinall’s Musick was founded in Oxford when its director, Andrew Carwood, was a lay clerk with Christ Church Cathedral Choir.

Professor Jonathan Cross, Director of the Oxford University Music Faculty, spoke of his pride at the shortlist.

“In the Music Faculty we are delighted by the nominations of both Christ Church Cathedral Choir and Phantasm, directed by our colleagues Stephen Darlington and Laurence Dreyfus.

“Like the Oscars, it’s as much an honour to be nominated as to win!” he said.

Dr Stephen Darlington, the Director of Christ Church Cathedral Choir, agreed that the Oxford-dominated nominations reflected the high calibre of music at the University.

He said, “Overall, it shows the national recognition for the quality of music-making in the field of Early Music at Oxford, an area which has a long history of distinction here.”

The Gramophone Awards are among the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical music industry. The winners are selected by critics for the Gramophone magazine, music retailers, broadcasters, arts administrators, and musicians.

In 2008, the Early Music prize was also won by an Oxford group. The Choir of New College carried away the prize based on their performance of ‘Missa Benedicta’, conducted by EdwardHigginbottom.

Higher-earning students should pay more than those on low incomes to cover the costs of higher education, announced David Willetts, the Universities Minister.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference on Monday, Willets said, “When money is tight, it is right to expect people to make a substantial contribution towards the cost of their university education – not when they are studying but afterwards when they are graduates on a decent income. And there should be protection for the lowest paid”

The speech given by the Universities Minister appeared to confirm expectations that the upcomingBrowne Review will reccommend a significant rise in tuition fees.

Lord Browne’s report on higher education, which is expected to be released next week, has been predicted to say that universities should be allowed to increase current £3,290 annual fees to £10,000.

To support the substantial fee increase, Willetts proposed the introduction of a “progressive” funding system in which students take out loans to cover higher fees. Wealthier graduates pay back their fees at a more expensive rate.

Professor Steve Machin, a researcher for the Sutton Trust education charity, warned that undergraduate fees could “rapidly increase, particularly for those universities with the highest academic reputations”.
Lord Patten, the Chancellor of Oxford, has previously expressed his view that current tuition fees are “preposterously” low and must rise if Oxford education is to remain world class.

He said, “I would be prepared to cap the funding of our teaching grant if we were able as a result to set whatever tuition fee we wanted, provided that we could demonstrate that we were still guaranteeing needs-blind access with generous bursaries.”

Spending on Freshers’ Week by JCR committees varies greatly across the University, especially regarding the budget set aside to buy alcohol.

Queen’s College have allocated a budget of £4500 for Freshers’ Week, which includes £400 for a sightseeing tour of Oxford by bus for new students. Meanwhile, Oriel are spending £250 in total for the entire week.

Of the colleges surveyed by Cherwell, the average JCR spend on Freshers’ Week activities was £1900, all of which came out of the JCR budget. The only college whose MCR to contributed to Freshers’ Week was Mansfield.

The vast majority of JCR spending goes towards venue hire and alcohol, although other costs include magicians, barbecues, and a bouncy castle at Lincoln.

Many colleges try to win their money back through the sale of Freshers’ T-shirts and club night tickets.

Encouraging new students to go clubbing has been disallowed by some Colleges, after fears from College Governing Bodies that this could encourage excessive alcohol consumption, and endanger student safety.

But despite the concerns, some JCRs have spent thousands of pounds on alcohol for students. St Hugh’s budget totals £3000, of which £400 was spent on wine and £1000 on Pimm’s.

A cocktail evening and accompanying entertainment organised by Queen’s for incoming students cost £1000, and Magdalen have also set aside £1000 behind their college bar.

Chewell found that at least six JCRs are supplying no alcohol whatsoever. St Anne’s pastoral staff explicitly disallowed more than one official college club night this year after problems with drunken behaviour and an arrest in Freshers’ Week last year.

One member of the St Anne’s Freshers’ Committee commented, “It is ridiculous to only let us have one night where alcohol is officially allowed. By being so strict the College is making students more determined to go out and get really drunk.

“There would be less chance of something going wrong if college recognised that everyone is going to drink in Freshers’ Week, no matter what they say, and helped us organise it properly and safely.”
Corpus Christi organisers have also been monitored by the governing body, which has insisted on at least one “non-alcohol centred” night during Freshers’ Week.
“They told us there is enough drinking involved in Freshers’ activities as it is”, a Corpus Christi Freshers’ Week organiser commented. He went on to describe the attitude of the college as “stingy and generally anti-fun.”

Many new students are worried that their time at Oxford will not be as enjoyable as that of their friends starting at other universities. Facebook groups for incoming freshers express fears that Freshers’ Week will be “disappointing” and complaints that the planned schedule is “a joke.”

However, some students have welcomed increased involvement from staff. A second year Teddy Hall student commented, “Freshers’ is probably the same at every university but there are always people who take it too far with pennying and drinking games.

“Not everyone likes to get wasted five nights in a row and you shouldn’t feel pressured into it. There is a permissive lash culture in Oxford because of drinking societies and it can be a real social divide. It must be terrifying for shy new students.”

A second year History student said, “My friend drunk so much on the first night of her Freshers Week that she wandered out of a club to a building site and passed out. No one realised she had gone missing and eventually a passer by phoned A&E. She woke up the next morning in the John Radcliffe Hospital. It is really terrifying to think of the dangers of excessive drinking during Freshers Week.”

A University spokesperson said, “Everyone attending Freshers’ Week events will be an adult, and if not, should not be drinking. Responsibility for their behaviour lies with themselves.”

A new security policy has been implemented at the Bodleian Library, sparking fears that precious library materials will become endangered.
For the first time, readers’ bags are no longer being checked by staff on arrival at the central Bodleian Library.

The previous admission policy of bag searching upon entrance was described by OUSU as “extremely strict and supported by students”.
Yet, in a radical break from past procedures, porters will now allow readers to enter the Upper and Lower Reading rooms without presenting their bags for inspection.

This new and controversial policy has not been introduced in all the Bodleian Library buildings. Vigilant checks are still being carried out on arrival and exit in the Radcliffe Camera. Critics argue that this supports their claims that the new policy has been introduced for the wrong reasons.

According to a Bodleian source, the recent security changes were introduced in response to severe funding cuts and staff shortages rather than fresh ideas about library security.

However, a spokesperson from the Bodleian Library wavered any suggestion that the entrance policy was changed in response to a lack of funding.

He said, “There is no recruitment freeze in place at the Libraries. Like many other public institutions, the Libraries, as part of the University of Oxford, are acting responsibly in the current economic climate by identifying where savings can be made, or where funding can be reallocated, to provide the best possible services for students and readers.”

Students have expressed fears that hazardous materials could be brought into contact with invaluable reading materials if security becomes slack at the world-famous library.

Robert Bourne, a History student at St. Hugh’s, expressed his concerns that both historical documents and students alike may be put at risk if bags are no longer checked on.

He said, “This is absolutely disgraceful. The university simply must step in to protect students. The potential for inter-library carnage is quite unprecedented.”

But not all students are so perturbed by the news. A second year History of Art student said, “I’m glad they have abolished the searches because I do enjoy a cheeky can of coke and a cupcake while I work, and now I can enjoy these comforts without the stress of sneaking them in.”

The Bodleian Library assures readers that it takes the security of its collections and its buildings very seriously. Commenting on the recent changes, a spokesperson from the Bodleian Library said, “We keep the level of security under review, with the advice of the University Marshal.

“A range of security measures are in place across library sites. We will not comment on specific library locations.”

An increasing number of cash-strapped students are turning to escorting as a way to earn money, Cherwell can reveal.

“I currently have three Oxford students on my books and have had many more previously. They come and go, whether to help finance their studies or just for the love of the money,” the manager of an escorting agency disclosed.

Contacting several escorting agencies based in Oxford under the alias “Kate Selby”, Cherwell found that escorts can be paid as much as £180 for a two hour booking, or up to £650 for an overnight booking.
A student in Oxford who escorts in her spare time said, “the thrill of earning money easily motivates me. 90% of the clients are very respectful and very nice guys. Most of the guys are in town on business staying at hotels”.

It remains unclear exactly what it is that the clients are paying for when they hire escorts. Some websites for escort agencies based in Oxford emphasise that the money paid by the client is not for sex, but rather for their escorts’ time.

One agency website explains, “[We] do not offer any illegal or immoral services. Any money paid is for time and companionship only and anything else that may occur is a personal matter between consenting adults.”

However when the manager of the same agency was asked whether working as an escort involved having sex with the clients, she replied that, “Yes sex is part of escorting.

Many students were not surprised to learn that escorting was an option some of their peers turn to.

Finola Holyoak, a second year Lincoln student, said, “There is no reason why Oxford students should be any less likely to escort than students at other universities.”

A survey conducted earlier this year revealed that one in three female university students would be willing to work in a gentleman’s club in order to fund their degree and lifestyle.

With 61% of female students saying they have felt “desperate” for money whilst studying, the survey showed that many women are turning to stripping and escorting in an attempt to find ways to financially support themselves.

One female third-year student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she was considering working as an escort if her financial situation worsened.

Commenting on students using escorting as source of income, a spokesperson for the University said, “Most students are adults and therefore responsible for their own behaviour. With regards to any form of employment, students are discouraged from working during term time as terms are short.”

He added that the university expects students “to behave responsibly and to avoid bringing the university into disrepute or being a nuisance to the local community”.

However, for many the financial benefits do not justify the wider social implications of the escorting industry.

One second-year English student said, “I think that regardless of the money you can make, services such as escorting still encourage an unhealthy towards sex and distort student attitudes towards relationships. It must be very destructive psychologically for young women”.