The presidential handover dinner on Saturday night at the Oxford Union saw the destruction of Union property as guests allegedly smashed glass, danced on tables and burnt books.

The dinner marked the end of James Langman’s tenure as Union president, and the inauguration of Ashvir Sangha.

A pile of ash leftover from the night’s celebrations remained by the wooden benches outside the Union building on Monday morning. Three sources confirmed that a Union rulebook was burnt.

Speculations have also been made that some of the books burnt on the night included Scientology books donated to the Oxford Union by the late David Gaiman, publicity Director for L. Ron Hubbard’s Church of Scientology.

President-elect Izzy Westbury said that ‘she can’t really say for sure’ whether any Scientology books were burnt.

However, a number of boxes were found opened with the contents distributed around the Union.

A source reported finding a book about Dianetics, a system believed by Scientologists to relieve psychosomatic disorders by cleansing the mind of harmful mental images, in the General Office.

One unnamed guest commented, ‘Yeah, there were people burning books. I heard people saying they were Union rules.’

A different attendee of the party, who also wished to remain anonymous, described how guests got ‘very drunk’, though there were only ‘one or two people involved’ in burning books. They added, ‘We didn’t know what books they were, but they were definitely burning pages of them.’

Some guests also reported hearing hymns sung in Latin as the books were burnt.

Anthony Boutall, ex fire safety officer of the Union, commented, ‘I just went out for a cigarette. Whilst there was revelry all around me, I didn’t investigate any of it.’

Some members, including president-elect Izzy Westbury, said that they were just burning printed pages. Westbury said, “I definitely did not burn any books.’

She told Cherwell, ‘Early in the evening, myself, along with an Ex-Librarian, who has now left Oxford, jokingly burnt a print-out page of the Union rules. That was all – it was a joke and nothing else and no Scientology books were burnt!

‘With regards to whether anyone actually burnt any Scientology books, I can’t really say for sure. I got quite tipsy quite early on and didn’t really see or do anything exciting or noticeable from about midnight onwards… However I do think, that if there were books burnt, it’s pretty bad behaviour and especially if they had been donated to the Union.’

Westbury’s Facebook status the following morning read, ‘what on earth happened last night????’

A scanner in the general office is also reported to have been broken during the night\’s celebrations. One attendee of the party described how the police came to the Union at 11pm because people were setting off fireworks.

A source told Cherwell, ‘Pictures of old committee have been smashed and taken down.’

One student speculated that the reason for the party getting out of hand was that ‘lots of people came back – old Union officers and friends of Langman’s. They didn’t feel the sense of responsibility’.

Union Officers have expressed concerns that reports of potential Scientology book burnings in the press could deter celebrity followers of the cult-religion from speaking at the Union.

Ashvir Sangha, President of the Oxford Union, has admitted to Cherwell that at least one book was burnt at last week’s presidential handover dinner.

Other senior members of the Union have expressed their dismay that guests set light to ‘stuff’ that had been donated to the society.

In a statement issued to Cherwell, Sangha described the events that unfolded at the presidential handover.

Sangha wrote, ‘The Union is currently looking into the events that occurred in the early hours of Sunday 13th March. It appears that a book was removed from the President’s Office, where it had been secured pending review by the Library, and taken to the gardens’.

He confirmed that ‘the individual then proceeded to set alight this particular book, before it was then extinguished by the Ex-President Hertford College [Laura Winwood].

‘The person who removed the book was an ordinary member and not part of any Union Committee. We are now looking into beginning a disciplinary process against this member in response to these actions, in accordance with the process outlined for such offences in the Rules’.

Under Rule 71 of the Oxford Union Society, misconduct can amount to an ‘action liable or calculated to bring the Society into disrepute’. A disciplinary committee could fine, suspend, or expel the member.

The book in question may have belonged to a collection of publications containing the life works of L Ron Hubbard, bequeathed to the Union by the late David Gaiman, publicity director for L Ron Hubbard’s Church of Scientology. The boxed collection was reported to have been disturbed during the night.

The Senior Treasurer of the Oxford Union said in a meeting of the Standing Committee on Monday 14th March that he was ‘horrified that somebody gives the Union a lot of stuff, and that some of it is burned. It was just terrible.

‘You may not agree with these books, but this doesn’t mean that you should burn them.’

Whilst this suggests that the book was part of the L Ron Hubbard collection, there is still no official evidence to confirm the speculation. However, Sangha stressed, ‘the Union is taking the matter very seriously and will follow due process in all instances’.

The President also added, in response to claims that framed photographs of previous committees had been damaged on the same evening, ‘as far as I am aware any broken glass was caused through accidental damage and not through malicious activity.’

He emphasised that the only reported instance of any equipment broken on the night was a chair that had lost a wheel, and ‘since been repaired’.

Previously it was unclear whether any books had in fact been burnt, though the rumours made national news on 14th March, when journalist Tim Walker published an article on the Daily Telegraph website entitled ‘Betty Blue Eyes Star Leaves Photographers Feeling Blue’.

The article observed, ‘Gaiman’s dying wish that [the donation of these collected works to the Union] would lead to a spate of conversions amid the dreaming spires now looks deluded.’

A large explosion at the Oxford University Chemistry Department on Friday has hospitalised two students.

The incident caused “significant damage”, with the police closing off Mansfield Road at around 3.30pm on Friday, and the fire brigade called in to deal with the incident.

Many people were gathered behind the police blockades, yet at the time the police appeared unwilling to give any comment.

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford has stated however that, whilst the fire brigade were called, “the building was reoccupied and there was no risk to the public and no indication of criminal activity”.

The Chemistry Department reported that a full investigation into the causes of the explosion is now underway, but it appears that much information is currently being withheld due to the fact that the two Chemistry PhD students remain in hospital.

Thames Valley Police have provided no statement on the incident, and the results of the ongoing investigation are currently being awaited.

State school admissions to Oxford University have reached an unprecedented height, according to recent statistics.

Early figures in a report released by the University Press Office last Friday revealed that 58.5% of offers made for 2011 entry have been given to state school pupils. Just 41.5% of offers were made to private school candidates.

Furthermore, 55.4% of UK school students admitted in 2010 were from the state sector. This marks a 1.5% rise from 2009.

13.5% of UK undergraduates at Oxford in 2009/10 were from households with annual incomes of less than £25,000, well under the upper threshold for EMA.

27.2% had household incomes below £50,000, the current cut off point for a government maintenance grant.

The university website states that Oxford is \”committed to recruiting the best candidates\” irrespective of social or educational background.

However, the report argues that disparities in attainment across different types of school present a significant challenge to achieving this aim, with independent school students forming a third of all those gaining AAA at A Level.

The figures suggest that the university\’s outreach schemes, which attempt to dispel many myths about Oxbridge, have been successful in encouraging more state applicants.

The number of applications as a whole hit a record 17,300 for 2011 entry, with 64.3% of these coming from state students.

More than 40% of those who had attended an access summer school received an offer – double the success rate of an average applicant.

Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Oxford said, \”We are pleased that figures for 2010 and preliminary offer figures for 2011 show the proportion of state students gradually rising. We believe this shows the great amount of effort and energy we have put into our outreach work is paying off.\”

Numbers of state school pupils at Oxford could be set to rise further with the new government act on higher education. Universities in England have been told that they could be denied the right to charge fees up to the highest level of £9,000 unless they take measures to attract a wider mix of students. This includes teenagers from state schools and areas with no tradition of progression to degree study.

These new statistics were released just days before today\’s announcement that the university plans to charge tuition fees of between £3,500 and £8,000 for students with a household income of less than £25,000, and £9,000 for all others.

 

President-Elect Izzy Westbury has survived her first test in office as an Oxford Union tribunal ruled that her campaign was not in breach of society rules.

Rival presidential candidate Jack Sennett, reported Westbury to the Returning Officer for using a surprise birthday party thrown just days before the election to ‘hack\’ or canvass votes.

Sennett issued a formal complaint against Westbury and Cyrus Nasseri for breaching Union rules which classify \”actual or attempted soliciting of votes for or against any candidate\” as electoral malpractice.

The event, held at Camera on the 28th February was publicized as \”Izzy\’s Surprise 21st\” on facebook by Nasseri and described: \”A great night to celebrate our friend\’s birthday.\”

Guests involved some of Westbury\’s closest friends from the Society, including former Presidents Laura Winwood and James Kingston, and the new Treasurer-elect, James Freeland.

One guest commented \”It was only about 60 or so of her closest friends who would probably have voted for her anyway.\”

The following day Westbury\’s facebook status read \”Went down to Camera for a few drinks and BOOM, there was a party!!!\”

The complaint, made to Retuning Officer Katherine Sidders, was \”brought against Mr Nasseri and Miss Westbury, under the rule [against]: organised treating by or on behalf of any candidate either between the opening of nominations and the close of poll, so as to draw attention to the candidature of a member.\”

A friend close to the unsuccessful candidate, who wished to remain anonymous, told Cherwell \”He was annoyed.

\”He lost the election to her and he thinks that the party had something to do with it.

\”Even if she didn\’t know, it can\’t have harmed her campaign.\”

The tribunal, made up of three ex-Officers, ruled in favour of Westbury, dismissing Sennet\’s complaint.

On the evening of the 10th March the tribunal \”found that there was no case to answer against Miss Westbury, and Mr. Nasseri was found not guilty.\”

\”As a result, Mr. Nasseri continued in his role as Treasurer-Elect until he succeeded to the office of Treasurer at midnight [on Wednesday] night and at the same time, Miss Westbury took up the office of President-Elect.\”

The incident has prompted wider calls to examine electoral practice at the Union amongst claims of malpractice. Several Union members reported the illegal practices of \”hacking\” and \”slating\” as standard features of Union elections.

One Union insider who wished to remain anonymous told Cherwell: \”If the Union took electoral malpractice seriously, it would have disqualified everyone and disbanded itself long ago.

\”Nobody ever gets to the top without actively campaigning or forming a slate – and that\’s not to mention dirty tricks.\”

Friends of Hasan Ali\’s, outgoing Librarian and unsuccessful Presidential candidate have accused both Westbury and Nasseri of electoral malpractice in the past.

A close friend of both of the candidates commented: \”They\’re great people. The tribunal found them not guilty, and it wasn\’t their fault that Hasan was losing the election. Izzy worked hard for the win and she deserved it; she\’ll do a great job.

\”Slates aren\’t really anything. What you get is a natural group of people who all think each other are the best for the job and so they support each other.\”

When contacted by Cherwell, Westbury and Sennett both refused to comment in keeping with Society rules, which prevent Union officers from communicating with the press.

 

A $3 million donation made to the Bodleian Libraries by Charles and George David was announced at the Bodleian Founders Lunch on Saturday.

The donation was made in memory of the David brothers’ late father, Charles Wendell David, a Rhodes scholar at Hertford College from 1908 to 1911.

The contribution brought the fund for the reconstruction of the New Bodleian closer to its £78 million target.

The New Bodleian is anticipated to reopen in 2015 as the Weston Library.

Architect Giles Gilbert Robertson’s plans to build the Weston Library are estimated to take 4-5 years. Construction will begin in August pending the University’s approval.

The Upper Floor ‘penthouse’ reading room will be named after Charles Wendell David to commemorate the donation.

The David brothers commented, “The Charles Wendell David Reading Room celebrates a life of scholarship, marked by our father having benefited from and provided opportunities to others.

“The lesson is the enduring and great power of education and the obligation on each of us – whether families, individuals, institutions or communities – to provide this freely and generously.”

David held the positions of Director of Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania and Executive Secretary of the Association of Research Libraries. His sons observed, “Access to books became his passion

“In his own words, “Bringing minds and books together” was a matter of faith”.

Bodley’s librarian, Dr Sarah Thomas commented: “I am profoundly moved by the tribute of George and Charles David to their father and the benefits to scholars this reading room will bring.”

The donation brings the Weston Library Appeal Fund to £67 million.

The Garfield Weston Foundation and Oxford University Press have each contributed £25 million to the project. Julian Blackwell, President of Blackwell’s bookshop, has donated £6 million.

The long-awaited renovation and restoration project aims to create high quality storage for the Library’s valuable Special Collections, to develop the Library’s faculties for the support of advanced research and to expand public access to its treasures through new exhibition galleries and other faculties.

The New Bodleian Library closed its doors to readers in September last year, after nearly 70 years of service.

The new library will be accessible from entrances on Broad Street and Parks Road.

Rivalry between Cambridge’s student newspapers reached a climax this week as editor of The Cambridge Student (TCS), Philip Brook, offered his resignation after an attempted hoax was foiled by The Cambridge Tab.

Brook, a second year Historian at Girton College, reportedly sent hoax emails to the Tab from an anonymous email account, pretending to be the victim of sexual harassment by a fellow at St John’s.

The emails suggested that the anonymous student was offered a first “if I went down on him [an unnamed fellow at St John’s]. I said no, and I want something done about it.

“The academic is high up at his college and he will lose his job by the time I’m finished with him.

“He told me if I wanted to really improve my grades, there was another way to get a first. He said he’d give me a “blow by blow account” back in his rooms the next evening.

“Since then, I have received a letter from the college telling me that they’re investigating the allegations.”

The hoax emails included a forged letter from Mattias Dörrzapf, the Senior Tutor at St John’s. The letter assured the victimised student that “St John’s college will investigate the accusations you have made against Dr […] but that the investigation into a complaint of this gravity will take time.”

When approached for comment, Dr Dörrzapf told the Tab, “I am quite puzzled what this could be about. Also, the phrase you are quoting does not sound familiar and does not remind me of anything I would have written recently.

“With the exception of two social events, I was not in College at all during the week 3-9 January and did not write or sign any letters.”

A meeting between the Senior Tutor and the Tab confirmed that the letter had been forged, and St John’s college authorities were informed.

The Tab then traced the emails to Girton College and reported the matter to the college’s Senior Tutor, Andrew Jefferies. After more thorough investigations by the college IT technicians, the hoax emails were traced to Brook’s computer.

Brook offered his resignation as Editor to the Cambridge student on Wednesday morning, following a phone conversation with the Tab in which he refused to comment.

In an emailed statement to the Tab, Brook declared, “I recognise that my actions were a serious lapse of judgement and apologise unreservedly to all parties concerned.

“I would like to make it explicitly clear that I acted in an entirely personal capacity. I did not at any point consult with anybody involved with The Cambridge Student.

“All members of the Editorial Team and Board of Directors were unaware of my actions until yesterday evening. I do not wish to make any further comment at this time.”

In Feburary of last year, the Tab claimed to have hoaxed the TCS sportswriters into printing an article on “bog snorkling” written by ‘Pete Diver’.

The Tab then published an article entitled “Revealed: How we hoaxed TCS” which details how they misinformed TCS, admitting that “our hoax was intentionally misleading.”

Following this week’s news, a spokesperson at the Tab commented, “Student newspapers in Cambridge enjoy a healthy – and often very friendly – rivalry. Regrettably, in this case, a line has been crossed.

“Both the Tab and St. John’s could have been embroiled in an expensive legal battle had he succeeded, and I’m glad we were able to expose him.

“We would, however, still like to maintain a good working relationship with The Cambridge Student.”

According to the Tab, Brook may face disciplinary action from Girton and be forced to pay St John’s solicitors’ fees.