Saturday 14th February 2026
Blog Page 2132

Review: A Streetcar Named Desire

Josephine Hine
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Review: A Streetcar Named Desire

Worcester College JCR oddly seems a suitable place for a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire, with the painted panelling and ceiling to floor curtains somehow giving off the aura of a dodgy 1950’s American apartment. 

The setting also helps to create a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere that accentuates the various clashes of personality that make up the play: not the least of these being that between Stanley and Blanche, who’s opposing characters come across as almost too big for the space.  Stanley, with his loose, lolloping, animalistic movements that look as though they could lead him anywhere; and Blanche, with her deeply engraved manners and poise that have been imposed on an entirely alien environment.
Yet this sense of claustrophobia is not contained to the stage.  With some discourse taking place further forwards, up on the same level as the audience, there is an invitation for the viewer to fully immerse themselves in the action, and you begin to feel like you are a fly on the apartment wall. 

Working with such classic material, there is perhaps a lack of originality.  Blanche’s mannerisms occasionally emulate those of Vivian Leigh in the original film version so closely that it is a little unnerving.  The performance is safe, but by no means inadequate or not enjoyable.  The complicated relationship of mixed affection and miscomprehension between sisters Blanche and Stella is captured well, and there are certainly some nice touches.  For example Blanche’s wearing of gloves throughout seems to emphasise her separation, not only from the world of the other characters, but also from reality itself.
There is nothing especially ambitious about the production, but it is well done, and definitely worth a watch.

***

Magdalen JCR changes name to Gryffindor

Natalya Segrove
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Magdalen JCR changes name to Gryffindor

Magdalen College JCR has voted to rename itself as Gryffindor in the JCR meeting on Sunday. It will be referred to as such in “all official documents”.

JCR President Laurence Mills has also been mandated to contact the JCR Presidents of Christ Church, St. Hugh’s and Merton informing that they should rename their common rooms Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw respectively.

The motion, which was passed in the JCR’s General Meeting with only six votes in opposition, was proposed by third-year Zoe Tyndall. It noted that, “Magdalen College embodies the values of courage, daring, nerve and chivalry”, the characteristics of the Gryffindor house in Harry Potter novels.

Tyndall said, “Magdalen college JCR embodies the exact same values as Gryffindor house at Hogwarts.”

She added, “We found the resemblance between Hufflepuff and St Hugh’s to be particularly strong – they are, as the motion reads, ‘particularly good finders’. The amount of ‘pure wizarding blood’ at Christ Church is overwhelming, and our only conclusion was that they should be called Slytherin.”

Matthew Shribman, the third year who originally raised the idea during his JCR presidential bid last week commented, “It’s not a question of whether we should rename to Gryffindor, it’s whether we should accept that we are Gryffindor.”

During the debate on the motion, several amendments were suggested. One would have mandated the JCR President to write to the college President, Professor David Clary, asking if he would change his name to Albus Dumbledore.

Only one speech was made in opposition, and this was to suggest that the motion be changed to mandate the purchase of a sorting hat.

However, the opposition was withdrawn when a friendly amendment was added to the motion, stating that a sorting hat should be purchased. Matt Bilton, who proposed the amendment commented, “I think most of the JCR present agreed that a sorting hat was definitely necessary.”

Suggestions that this could become part of the admissions process across the University of Oxford were rejected on the grounds that it could be difficult to implement.

Student reactions to the name change were very positive. First-year Suzie Harrogate commented that she was “quite ecstatic about the whole situation” as she had “always wanted to go to Hogwarts.”

Tom Meakin, President-Elect of Magdalen JCR commented, “Magdalen does after all look a little bit like Hogwarts, and not to put any noses out of joint, but my Vice-President does look a little bit like Hagrid.”

 

‘Trust me, I have a scientific vocabulary…’

Chloe Mcivor
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‘Trust me, I have a scientific vocabulary…’

Surely a scientist should find a product advertising itself as ‘scientifically proven’ to be particularly appealing out of respect for the discipline they study. Why then is it when I see these words attached to a household commodity that it rouses a deep sense of mistrust? Is this simply a bout of intellectual snobbery or are companies actively misleading their customers? With the preliminary belief that my scepticism was more deep-rooted, I set out on the task to separate the scientific fact from marketing jargon in an attempt to discover the extent to which well-respected brands attempt to attract our custom with bad science.

One recently publicised offender, Danone, had its TV advert banned for claiming to be ‘scientifically proven’ to help children’s natural defences. However, there are many more that slip through the net. The Advertising Standards Agency said that although it banned the advert the evidence put forward by Danone was much better than many other studies it regularly comes across. Surely statements such as ‘Bikini Celluli Diet- an essence that helps to ‘burn fat” (Dior) are pseudoscientific and completely misleading?

Most people are able to successfully avoid the ridiculous claims made in junk emails and pop- ups on the internet, but what makes the examples above more difficult to ignore is the fact that the claimants are household brands. Provided they use the correct phrasing they are able to get away with dropping in scientific words without actually committing to a statement that needs to be backed up with evidence. Most advertisements are suitably vague and reliably subjective, for example “The appearance of ‘orange-peel’ quickly and visibly diminishes, helping improve skin tone” (Dior). Sometimes these companies choose to avoid being picked up by the ASA by including their qualifications in the ‘small print’ for example the Dior Bikini Diet advert may burn fat but fleetingly adds ‘only in vitro’. Also the wide use of scientific jargon in everyday language helps them to evade conviction as many of the words used now have a less specific meaning or now have multiple definitions.

Even when objective claims are made and, as often is the case, several studies exist that back it up, there is nowhere near as much conclusive evidence as is required for a medical trial or publication in a popular journal. The evidence for functional foods is often subjective, with there being no more evidence for probiotics being actively good for your health as the numerous conflicting statistics on red wine or chocolate. This can mean that the studies are perfectly sound but in general the nature of nutrition and cosmetics research tends to be highly speculative and controversial. This could be due to the fact that funding is often most easily obtained from those with a vested interest in the research, namely the food and cosmetics industries. Many companies have set up their own research institutes for this purpose.

It is easy to see why so many of these ads exist and why they are so successful. They play on the respect that the public have for science and scientists, especially when they see the content to be beyond their understanding. Hence this works so well for common household names because it involves such a level of trust. This means that they accept the objective claims through trust and the subjective claims through being vague enough to be logical.

It is obviously perfectly understandable that advertising needs to sell a product but they also have a responsibility to provide correct information and not mislead their customers. Being in the interest of the brand not to jeopardise its reputation, many try to avoid conflict, especially if it involves being named and shamed by the ASA.

However, it is apparent that companies do exploit science in their advertising strategy, making the most of its reputation. This is an extremely successful technique that works on our subconscious even if our scientific knowledge tells us otherwise. This may seem harmless apart from leaving us a bit out of pocket when we reach for the more high-tech of shampoos but it also has wider implications. Probiotics have managed to find their way onto the GCSE biology syllabus with marks being achieved for writing that they “strengthen the immune system”. This is a better reason than any for tackling the problem if it means that false science is finding its way into common understanding.

We are entering an era where science is playing an increasingly important role in our culture, and keeping science fact from fiction is proving to be increasingly difficult. Science should, by definition, be one discipline to remain free from the “spin” we already have to sift through in our everyday lives.

 

Why should you join Cherwell?

Marta Szczerba
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Why should you join Cherwell?

A short video explaining why you should apply to Cherwell.

For application forms, go to cherwell.org/recruitment. 

Staircase 22

James Harding And Selena Wisnom
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Staircase 22

Everyone’s got bird flu, the Assassins game is out of control, and Jools has a nervous breakdown. Can Eleanor save the orangutangs, Godzilla and Jools all in one night?

Staircase 22

Archive
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Staircase 22

Everyone’s got bird flu, the Assassins game is out of control, and Jools has a nervous breakdown. Can Eleanor save the orangutans, Jools and Godzilla all in one night?

Don’t forget, you can catch up on all the previous episodes of Staircase 22 in the podcasts section at cherwell.org.

Join The Debate: Labour Glasgow victory

Dhatri Navanayagam
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Join The Debate: Labour Glasgow victory

Cherwell’s Dhatri Navanayagam asks students what they think of William Bain’s victory in the Glasgow North East by-election. Does it mean better prospects for the Labour Party as a whole? Or is it simply a predictable result for a safe Labour seat?

Join the debate online by posting your comments using the form below.

Jamie T – The Man’s Machine EP

Hannah Partos
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Jamie T – The Man’s Machine EP

‘The Man’s Machine’ EP is the latest release from Jamie T’s ‘Kings and Queens’ album. A mish-mash of ska beats and soulful vocals, it’s another sign of Treays’ trajectory from the screech-y teenager of his first album towards something of a national treasure.

That’s not to say the songs have lost any of their anarchic spirit – the title track, ‘The Man’s Machine’ starts off with a bit of a swagger and crashes on with the same DIY sound that made an instant success of ‘Salvador’ and ‘Back in the Game’. The chorus touches on early Britpop with its take on urban landscapes: ‘Stone, glass, concrete and gravel/ All we’ve got to keep us together’.

The unpolished production often makes it feel like listening to a live recording. The intro of ‘Jenny Can Rely On Me’ ends with the noise of a cough, but somehow it works. The song itself details the downside of suburbia with lines like ‘I feel trapped in this cul de sac/ She said “sweetheart we’ve got transport links”.’ This is Jamie T at his best – with his little vignettes of everyday life, it’s easy to see why he’s been described as a modern-day Billy Bragg.

‘Man Not A Monster’ is set to be a hit, having been chosen as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record In The World Today and one of NME’s 10 Tracks You Have To Hear this week. It starts off well, with a raucous ska beat that brings to mind The Specials’ ‘Rat Race’ and ‘Little Bitch’. But it’s by no means Treays’ best material; the lyrics seem to be missing some of his typical gems, and the rest of the song sounds a little too much like a straight imitation of The Clash.

Thankfully the last track on the record more than makes up for it. It manages to be a gentle pop song with the feel of an anthem; the refrain ‘People always call you young/Believing in things that can’t be done’ mixes in nicely with the piano arrangement and Treays’ rapping.

 

Staircase 22…Is Back!

James Harding And Selena Wisnom
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Staircase 22…Is Back!

It’s fourth week in Judas College and the Cuppers party holds a nasty surprise for Kati while Eleanor becomes embroiled in the Assassins. Why has Paul taken out all ten copies of Disguise and Irony available in Oxford?

Barclay banks OUSU Presidency

Rob Snellgrove
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Barclay banks OUSU Presidency

David Barclay was elected the President of Oxford University Student Union following a closely fought campaign.

1712 people voted for Barclay, whilst Jake Leeper gathered 1133 votes. 123 people wanted to re-open the nomination.

2968 people voted in the election, just 15% of those eligible. The turn out was down 22% on last year’s election.

Other candidates on Barclay’s slate to be elected were Alex Bulfin, VP Access and Academic Affairs and Katharine Terrell, VP Women. VP Charities and Communities went to the independent candidate Daniel Lowe and Tom Perry will be the next VP welfare.

All the unopposed candidates were elected.

David Barclay said, “I feel fantastic. I think [what swung] it was the team that we had. We had an incredibly diverse group of people across Oxford working incredibly hard for us and it was only through their efforts that we managed to get people turned out and to get people excited.

“The next step is to remember that I have a degree. I have a meeting at 9.15 tomorrow to talk about my thesis. But once that is sorted out the next step is to work hard this year obviously to survive my degree and then start thinking about what we can do next year.”

Barclay, who campaigned under the slogan, “Making Oxford work for students”, pledged to create a university-wide discount card, establish a housing fair in the town hall, and lobby the university for new OUSU headquarters in central Oxford.

Katharine Terrell, VP for Women-elect said, “I feel really happy. Still a bit weirded out, it doesn’t feel quite real. Absolutely looking forward to getting stuck into the job. I’m just going to talk to a lot of people and make sure I know what I’m doing next year. I’m really excited.”

Daniel Lowe said of his election for VP Charities and Communities, “I’m incredibly happy that I managed to get elected when I had no campaign team and I had some very, very committed activists. I had no campaign manager, I’ve never run a contested election before, I’m incredibly shocked I managed to win.”

The two-week campaign was marred by a series of fines imposed by the returning officer Oliver Linch for breaches of OUSU campaign rules. Jake Leeper’s campaign was fined eleven times and was ordered to pay a total of £82.25, including one fine of £10 for unauthorised election material. The Barclay campaign received three fines, amounting to £7.95. In one case, Barclay’s team was forced to pay a penalty of £2.50 after Barclay’s girlfriend, a Durham University student, posted a Facebook status urging people to vote for her boyfriend.

The “Another Education Is Possible” slate faced a delay in launching their campaign after difficulties with poster printing. There was some confusion with stamping the posters, but Ben Kindler, candidate for International Students Officer said he felt his campaign was unaffected but the hold-up.

Though both Presidential candidates campaigned under the promise to make OUSU relevant to the student body, Barclay has a big task to make this a reality.

A Christ Church first year said she had no idea about what OUSU does. “I don’t know what OUSU actually does for me individually, I don’t know enough about the people involved. I could find out, but it’s not pinned up in front of my face.”

A Hertford student added, “It’s quite important that we get represented to the NUS because that’s our main body, especially because of tuition fees going up, we need someone or some people to look after our interests. People aren’t interested because of the press it gets that it’s inefficient and doesn’t really do anything, but if that changed people would be interested.

“Hertford recently voted to stay affiliated by quite a large margin so people want it to be better and really want to get involved.”

Another student said, “It’s important that they’re a student governing body that represents who we are and protects basic rights of students to improve the standard of living.”

One St Catz first year added, “I’ve not had much experience with OUSU and our JCR Committee seem to do everything for us. OUSU is not that present in our daily lives I guess. I don’t even know what they are responsible for.”

Hertford’s husts were cancelled due to lack of interest.

Sarah Burton, OUSU rep at Herford said, “I think this reflects the general indifference towards OUSU at Hertford at the moment. In a JCR meeting a week ago we came very close to disaffiliating. As OUSU rep for the last year I have been aware that Hertford JCR feels very disconnected to OUSU and has no idea, or little interest in, what they actually do.”

However, many students interviewed by Cherwell felt that OUSU had an important role to play, but hadn’t yet filled its potential. One student commented, “I think the elections are quite important, but obviously there are a lot of problems with OUSU and it’s not representing the students as well as it should.”

Lukas Wallrich at Merton added, “I think engaging students more into OUSU affairs should be a core task of those newly elected – including all OUSU reps.”

 

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