St John’s passed a ‘Motion of Pity for Keble’ at their JCR meeting last Sunday, after agreeing that declaring war against Keble “would be like smashing a toddler’s Lego fort.”

The motion, passed by St John’s, resolved to deliver a letter of sympathy to Keble JCR along with a £10 Argos voucher so that they can “buy themselves something nice to make themselves feel better.”

This is the latest action in a long-standing rivalry between the two Colleges. It comes in response to several recent incidents allegedly involving Keble students, including loud late-night singing outside St John’s and a “kebab missile attack”, which was apparently launched at a fresher’s window.

Jason Keen, a fresher at St John’s, had originally proposed a declaration of war against Keble. His motion noted, “With the likes of Tony Blair amongst our alumni, this JCR should be no stranger to and have no qualms about starting wars with very weak justification.”

However the declaration of war was amended to a ‘Motion of Pity’ on the grounds that, “A self-respecting College like St John’s can find no honour in targeting an institution much weaker and of such lower standing. It would be rather like smashing a toddler’s Lego fort.”

The student who proposed the amendment wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, but he explained that pity was the natural reaction to the recent actions of some Keble students. “Whilst being upsetting we understand antisocial behaviour often occurs due to deep-seated emotional problems and we therefore pity them,” he said.

St John’s JCR President James Osun-Sanmi said, “Keble and St John’s have a historic rivalry so a motion of pity was a perfectly natural occurrence. To be honest it’s surprising that more Colleges haven’t passed motions of pity for Keble.” He also defended the use of JCR resources to buy a £10 Argos voucher for Keble. “Supporting those who are less fortunate is never a waste of time or money: it’s called charity,” he said.

Keble JCR President John Maher was gracious in his response. “We would like to thank St John’s for proving once and for all that wealth does not imply class,” he said.

He added, “We assure St John’s that if we send them anything in response it will be at least £15 in value.”

Sam Aldred, a history student at Keble, said, “This motion reflects St. John’s intense fear at Keble’s ever growing strength and power. Much like the last years of the Roman Empire, St. John’s has succumbed to luxury and complacence, appearing strong externally but in reality rapidly decaying from within. Complete collapse is inevitable.”

Oxford’s flirtation with the darker side of human nature has reached its climax this week with the staging of Quills. The play explores the battle between meaning and nothingness through a clash of personalities, the Marquis de Sade (Max Hoehn) and the Abbé de Coulmier (Alex Bowles), within an asylum in Napoleonic France. The play’s impetus stems from the arrival of Doctor Royer-Collard (Tom van der Klugt) and his mission to impose stringent measures on the asylum, which begins a battle not simply to confine the Marquis, but to “cure” him. The plot is driven throughout by the irrepressibility of the id, as the Marquis continually finds other methods of writing or unleashing his art upon the world, until his final work, a piece that is innocent in its content, is twisted out of all shape by the id that has surfaced in both the Abbé and the Doctor. This final work and their interpretation of it provides the key to the Marquis’ central point: that the physical existence of man with its dark reality is just as valid a part of humanity as the spiritual, possibly more so, and that his art by extension is simply the free expression of an undeniable part of what it is to be human. The readers, and thus humanity itself, are just as culpable as the Marquis for the production of his art, since it is their own passions, emotions and hatreds that make the art possible. Perhaps the most poignant expression of this is in the way that the Abbé himself in the end becomes another medium for the voice of the Marquis, which he had so savagely tried to silence. The execution of this play does not betray its themes: the acting is always masterful. Alex Bowles as the Abbé perfectly depicts the gradual decline of the humanitarian priest as he is conquered by more sinister forces within himself; his altercations with the Marquis (Max Hoehn) have an energy that resonates deeply and never appears anything less than genuine. Max Hoehn is consistently brilliant in his vast range as he plays the Marquis. He quickly changes from witty socialite, to a dark brooding poet, to a beast, and finally to a miserable wretch at the end, who manages to hold onto his defiance until the last. Tom van der Klugt is also extremely accomplished in his role, one which could quite easily have fallen prey to caricature: the physical register constantly informs and elaborates the language as he provides Doctor Royer-Collard with a clinical air of selfishness and ambition, whilst keeping him completely human. Though the final scenes of the play might have been too numerous and disjointed at times owing to prop changes, the quality of the acting always redeemed these minor problems. A few times I even found myself shivering at the actors’ mere descriptions of the horrors at Charenton, since they possessed so much power. I can quite honestly say this is the best student play I have seen: I hope you enjoy it.

Turn of the Screw, Hertford College chapel
13/2/2008

Many of us cannot resist the  thrill of a supernatural tale. For some this comes at the expense of serenity in the later hours, as we attempt to free our minds of ghoulish flashbacks. Benjamin Britten's haunting opera Turn of the Screw, based on the novel by Henry James, certainly satisfies this self-destructive craving. The Oxford Opera Company's rendition of the opera will give the most insatiable glutton for punishment a run for their money and send them scrabbling for their teddy bears.

The chapel of Hertford College makes a perfect setting. The billowing curtains of the chapel's entrance, the echoing acoustic and the February chill outside contributed to the eerie sense, which the performers' proximity with the audience helped to heighten. Admittedly this set-up could have led to a messy collision between some hapless audience member and one of the formidable underskirts: however, it allowed close-range appreciation of the full ghastly glory. Only at this distance could we note the unnervingly blank expression of the children's faces, or the way in which Mrs Jessel's crimson dress brought out the blood-shot hue of her eye makeup. Combined with Britten's chromatic score, the performers' slow and stylized movements, and some appropriate banshee-style wails, the opera was most affecting.

The inimitable atmosphere was owed largely to a sterling cast. Sara Jonsson gave an extremely expressive performance as the Governess. She moulded her powerful voice to fit the nuances of dynamics and tempo, combining these with vivid facial expressions and gestures. Adam Tunnicliffe as the Narrator and Peter Quint were also highly impressive, producing an intensely rich tone, and Katherine Cooper as Miss Jessel conveyed a great emotional range through the variation of her vibrato.  Heather Uren and Toby Pleming as the children made their mark not only with the sweetness and clarity of their tone but through the use of vocal articulation and gesture to convey their transition from innocence to childish spite throughout the course of the narrative.

James Ross as conductor managed to sustain the tension within the orchestra effectively through slowly building crescendos, culminating in the climax of the ending. Perhaps the efforts of some of the sections as a unit were not always entirely cohesive but the clarity of the solo lines stood out, and in certain sections, such as the Bell scene of Act two, the orchestra and the voices came together with a hushed, menacing incisiveness that provoked shivers from the audience.

Some might not enjoy the unsettling sensation that exists throughout the opera, but whether the spider that crawled across the aisle during the fade-out of the final scene was there by accident or had been strategically planted to enhance the atmosphere, it certainly leads to an entertaining evening!

by Hannah Nepil

Helena Zaba and Rachel Williams catch up with the crowd outside British Sea Power at the Academy, check out the first round of this year's IMSoc Battle of the Bands and interview Narcissists DJs.With thanks to Oceanographers and High Risby for use of their music.
 

French duo Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge are who they say they are. They are not Daft Punk, they are not electronic music, they are not the “new French wave.” They are the “kings of useless remixes,” they love pop music, and they only collaborate with artists to see their names on the albums of people they like.The duo’s self-professed background is in mainstream pop, but they love Metaliica (“et Justice pour tous”) and Snoop and a lot of disco. “Always we like accessible stuff. I never listen to Gang of Four and uh, Joy Division or stuff like this. As kids of the 90’s, we liked really normal things” says de Rosnay. He does contend, however, that “at the end, what we do doesn’t really sound like what we used to listen to.”  Their pop background does help them create what people will enjoy, “because we are simple music listeners, it helps us to make music that can speak to a larger audience.” The idea for their album title, the cross symbol, came when they saw Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album, and liked the simplicity of the prism on the cover. Religion does play an important role for them, however, with tracks like “Let There Be Light” and “Waters of Nazareth”.  “We just noticed that religion and music has a link because they are two things that are able to get people together. When we were about to make our second single, we said okay, let’s make a track that can turn a club into a church for two minutes.” They are talking about Water of Nazareth, where organ music comes in about halfway through the track. “We don’t use [the cross] in a provocative way.”  Who is the next big thing? Fresh talent? Their former and current tour mates Spanish Midnight Juggernauts and French rock band Fancy are two notables, as well as Scenario Rock, another French band, who they have previously collaborated with on their track DVNO.  But tonight, de Rosnay was excited about their Oxford show simply because his brother and sister-in-law were in the audience.
by Pamela Takefman

A missing page, dated November 411, has been reunited with the oldest dated Christian text in existence.

Written by a scribe in Edessa (modern day Turkey), the text lists Christian martyrs killed in Persia. The text, known only by its catalogue code: ADD 12-150, has been held in the British library since 1840.

Scholars and historians alike were puzzled over the missing page, which was recently located underneath the floor of the Deir al-Surian monastery in Egypt.

A leading Syriac scholar from Oxford University, Dr Sebastian Brock, said “it was very exciting to identify it” and hopes that the now completed text will aid an understanding of the fifth century.

By Sophie Pitman

The University of Oxford is to introduce an MSc in “Contemporary India” in response to growing academic interest in the country’s cultural and economic rise.The course will be multi-disciplinary, covering anthropology, economics, politics, history, and sociology. It will last for three-terms and be taught in the School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies. Students with no background in Asian studies or social science will be able to apply for admission.By Fayyaz Muneer

University 1 Merton-Mansfield 3 
The epic race for promotion from Division Two took a huge twist on Friday, as Merton-Mansfield travelled to Univ’s Abingdon Road ground and came away with all three points. Before kick off, the two sides were tied on 25 points, and the meeting had been billed by the press as a potential title decider. Univ desperately needed a win to keep their promotion challenge on course, while Merton knew that any kind of result would almost certainly guarantee them the Division Two crown. 
As one might expect from a game of such importance, the opening minutes were tight and tense. The home side had an unfamiliar look about it, due to the unavailability of no less than five regular starters, but still started confidently, no doubt seeking to maintain an unbeaten home run which extended well into last season. A couple of James Gingell snapshots came close, while Chris Taylor was denied only by a last gasp block, before powering a header narrowly over the bar. Minutes later, Matt Miskimmin was only inches from getting his head to a fabulous cross from Gingell. Univ were well on top, and took a deserved lead on the half hour. Mousa Baraka cut inside from the left and waltzed into the Merton box, before sweeping the ball across the keeper and into the right-hand corner. 
However, if Univ thought their first goal would cause the flood gates to open, they were very much mistaken. Much of Merton’s success this season has been based on its impressive defensive record, and the away side looked determined not to concede again. Univ led 1-0 at half time, but Merton-Mansfield were beginning to feel their way back into the match. At the break Univ were weakened further by the loss of two more important players, and the home side, which took to the field for the second half, had an inexperienced look about it. This arguably showed in the next fifteen minutes. Only a brave challenge from Jack Browning prevented an immediate Merton equaliser, but the resulting corner was powerfully headed home by midfielder Sam Williams. Just minutes later, the game was turned on its head, as a decidedly offside-looking Robbie Coleman finished coolly to put the away side in front.  
Univ looked shell-shocked, and, shorn of some of their most creative players, struggled to find a response. On the hour mark, Gingell created a splendid opportunity for himself, but fired just over, and the home side looked increasingly disjointed as the half wore on. They struggled on, but looked a different side to the one which had destroyed the likes of St John’s and Trinity here earlier in the season. A Univ equaliser would have kept the title race alive, but it was the away side who scored a late third, Robbie Coleman capitalising on a defensive mix-up to claim his second of the game. Merton-Mansfield celebrated wildly on the final whistle, having inflicted on Univ a first home league defeat for nearly a year. Univ on the other hand looked devastated, and must pick themselves up quickly in order to guarantee a top three finish as soon as possible. This result has again thrown the promotion race wide open. John’s took another three points from Queens, while in-form Pembroke cruised to a 5-1 win away at Trinity. With just three weeks left of the season, we are still no closer to knowing which sides will be plying their trade in Division One next season.