A packed chamber at the Oxford Union saw OUABC succumb at the annual ‘Town vs Gown’ Boxing Event.
Despite some impressive victories and close-fought bouts, the ‘Town’ fighters showed their might, triumphing 7-4. Cherwell photographer Jessica Butler was among the crowd to witness Wednesday’s match.
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Honestly, the high horses on which some people seat themselves. Take this quote from the Mirror’s Sue Carroll, “How ironic that the hopes of resurrecting the passion and glory of ’66 have come crashing down before the first ball is even kicked in South Africa, thanks to one man.”
Ludicrous, utterly ludicrous. There is no doubt that Terry has done wrong, but the continuing uproar is wide of the mark. Terry has, quite correctly, been punished. Being sacked from the England captaincy will be a bitter blow to a man who clearly took great pride in the job. The decision was the right one; the player’s leader in the dressing room can’t be a man that his team-mates don’t trust.
Moreover, the England captain’s job is almost as much a PR role as it is a football one. Numerous leaders, club captains, will assert their influence on the pitch, but the England captain is also essentially an ambassador for the footballing nation. Retaining Terry would hardly have sent the right message about the integrity of the England camp. The punishment was sufficiently stern without taking any rash steps; Terry remains an essential cog in the England set-up, especially with Rio Ferdinand’s worrying form and fitness.
Two further reasons exist why the punishment need not be repeated at Chelsea. Firstly, Wayne Bridge is no longer a Chelsea player, so there is no need to appease the wounded party. Secondly, and rather more pressingly, Chelsea’s only focus is the success of their own side. John Terry is still the most effective leader of a side seemingly marching toward the title, so Carlo Ancelotti would have to be bananas to dethrone his captain. If football clubs took the time to punish players for every personal indiscretion, club bosses would never be able to leave the office for the paperwork.
So please God can we let the hyperbole and moral superiority die? I frankly don’t care what sort of a character he is, if he can stop Torres et al in South Africa, I’ll be cheering him on just like everyone else. Besides, Chelsea fans aside, the nation’s supporters have a rather humorous stick with which to beat him. Surely punishment enough.
Find out who won this year’s legendary boxing match: Oxford Uni, or Oxford City?
Where to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
Where to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
ere to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
Where to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
ere to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
Where to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
For such a sporty individual the Union seems an unusual path for Izzy to have chosen to take at Oxford. She has loved the opportunity to “say what I think” and describes how speaking in the upcoming ‘healthcare debate’ is at the moment both nerve-racking and exciting. Blues hockey has been her other focus at Oxford, and she talks with excitement about her potential Varsity debut, though she admits to feeling guilty that in playing her second sport for the university she is perhaps depriving another the chance.
Cricket is without a doubt her priority. Her introduction to the sport came when, aged twelve and newly arrived in Holland, she learnt that she was not allowed to play football at the “local very traditional club that backed onto our garden and so turned to cricket because I loved competing with the boys.” Her progression through the upper levels of the sport began when she represented Holland aged fifteen in an ODI which she describes now as “horrific and premature”, although does credit Holland’s women’s set up for her flourishing career. A week after being selected for the England women’s ‘A’ tour to India you get the impression that whilst Izzy sees it as a great honour and opportunity, it is far from her final ambition. The England side is what she has her sights set on although she feels that, with “three years left in the England academy it maybe a way off”.
For the time being then, when actually in Oxford, look out for her in the cricket nets, the hockey pitch, the Union debating chamber, or perhaps even every once in a while in a tutorial or lecture.
ere to start with someone who describes their worst characteristic as “wanting to do everything”? In only her second term at Oxford, Hertford’s Izzy Westbury has been elected to the Union, is in the Hockey Blues team and was, last week, selected for the England ‘A’ women’s cricket tour to India. Quite an achievement considering sometimes she “wonders whether I am actually studying Physiology as well”. When you consider that she has lived in Malaysia, Syria and now Holland, was head girl at Millfield and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Office – cricket permitting – she has certainly not had an average upbringing.
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Friday: Latest Snowfall – Michelle Tan
Thursday: The beauty of her shapes – Anna Rybacka
Wednesday: Library Snooze – Ollie Ford
Tuesday: Fruit – Niina Tamura
Monday: The Philantropist – Wojtek Szymczak
Sunday: Treble Clef – Michelle Tan
Saturday: Tegan in Gold – Rachel Chew
Jon Snow speaks to Cherwell Editor Antonia Tam about his personal motivations in journalism, traveling to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, and the “privilege” of being a journalist.
The sound of singing leads me to the seminar room in mazelike Wadham. Through the windows I can see the cast of Ruddigore rehearsing energetically, the windows thrown open to bring air into the cosy space. Halfway through my evening’s entertainment they are closed again – someone has obviously decided that Gilbert and Sullivan isn’t the right accompaniment to their essay-crisis.
Ruddigore is one of the lesser well known Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and this evening I’ve been given the opportunity of a sneak peek at the production-in-progress. The play tells the story of the house of Ruddigore, a family of Baronets whose eldest son is cursed to commit a daily crime or else die horribly. The latest first-born disguises himself in order to win the hand of the pretty yet priggish maiden of the village, and hilarity ensues along the familiar lines of hidden identity and misplaced affections, with a chorus of professional bridesmaids and singing ghosts thrown in.
Even without costume or set, the cast manage to bring to life the characters: the noble hero, the villainous brother, the virtuous maiden. But this scene I’ve been invited to watch is a moment of tipping identities – the virtuous maiden gets a leg up, the villainous brother renounces his wicked ways and the noble hero’s lie is revealed, all captured by the cast’s excellent physical acting. Tom Wade (Robin/Ruthven) brings a poise and energy to his performance that captures the fresh-faced young lover, and there is clear dynamic between him and the clear-voiced Alexandra Coghlan (Rose). One of the most striking elements of the production is how well the ensemble acting is pulled off. Although Rory Pelsue’s choreography felt cramped in the seminar room, the cast worked well together, and the movements were tight and controlled, visually interesting, moving from one tableau to another dynamically and making use of all the space available to them. It will be exciting to see how this is developed on the traverse stage at the O’Reilly.
On the night there will be an orchestra as well, replacing the single key board of the rehearsal. Despite the reduced musical accompaniment, the singing was powerful and vibrant, with strong, clear performances from the soloists, important when the whole story is told through song. Only occasionally did words become lost in the chorus singing, something that will hopefully improve in the better acoustics of the theatre.
As a break from some of the deeper and perhaps more topical plays around Oxford, Ruddigore promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and I look forward to seeing the polished production in the theatrical setting it so deserves.
