The Oxford cross-country cyclists have had little success in their Varsity race in recent years, but had good reason to hope for a win in Sunday’s event. They were very familiar with the race-venue, Marcie Reinhart seemed very likely to win the women’s race again, and Richard Callow had a good chance in the men’s competition. On the other hand, the Cambridge riders had been riding extremely well in preceding races, including the BUSA cyclo-cross competition. Sunday was a cool and clear day – perfect cycling weather – and since there has been little rain over the past few weeks, the course was unusually free from mud given the time of year. The race was over a 7.3km course; the women raced three laps while the men also rode a fourth. All the participants were delighted by the imaginative, high-speed route, characterised by exciting narrow and twisty paths through dense wood. A particular highlight was the notorious ‘corkscrew’, a tricky section in which the course snakes back and forth across a steep-sided eight foot ditch. Marcie Reinhart came second in the women’s race, just three minutes behind the winner, Cambridge captain Rachel Fenton. Oxford’s Kate Harris finished third, three seconds after Marcie. Richard Callow came second in the men’s race despite twice going over his handlebars, finishing two and a half minutes after Cambridge’s Tom Morris. A special mention is due to Nils Gustafsson, who lost his saddle in a crash in the middle of the first lap, but still managed to complete two and half more laps.by Donald Thomson and William Walton

The Edge of Heaven
4/5
22nd FebruaryAlthough it’s been nominated for the Palme d’Or, you’d be excused if you’d never even heard of this film. A shame really because, despite its faults, it serves up just as worthy a piece of human drama as similarly-themed Oscar-baiting Hollywood fare. The film follows two interweaving plots. The first begins in Germany with Turkish professor Nejat, played with solemn, care-worn intensity by Baki Davrak. It deals with the relationship between him, his father, and a prostitute called Yeter. Her death drives father and son apart, with Nejat returning to his country of birth to look for Yeter’s daughter, Ayten. The second strand focuses on Ayten, an activist forced to flee Istanbul. Ending up in Germany seeking her mother she instead finds Lotte, a student, whom she falls in love with. When Ayten fails to gain asylum and is deported back to Turkey, Lotte’s attempts to help her have tragic consequences.This film is about death.It flags this up by titling the first and second acts as particular characters’ deaths, which rather reduces tension as we can predict the outcomes. However, the crux of the overlapping stories is how loss affects people and ultimately brings them together. It doesn’t yield easy resolutions – the seemingly inevitable meeting of Nejat and Ayten, for instance, is held from us by the director, with their evasions often due only to the narrowest of differences between timelines and journeys. There are weaknesses. The contrivances, a staple of this ‘Short Cuts’ style of cinema, often stretch believability and credibility, and the parallels between the characters’ conflicts and those between Turkey and Germany are heavy-handed. But the film still remains a reasonably effective look at death, family, grief and passion, and how they unite us all.       
by Harry Thompson

Exeter College is to spend £6.5 million on expanding Iffley Road accommodation for its graduate students. The College’s proposals to build the new student housing were passed on Wednesday by Oxford City Council’s Planning Authorities. As a result Exeter will be able to house its 106 graduate students in College-owned accommodation. Currently only 41 of Exeter’s graduate students live at Exeter House – the accommodation block on the Iffley Road site – as first years are given priority when allocating from the limited number of rooms. The new buildings will be completed by October 2009, and existing accommodation will undergo refurbishment, scheduled to be completed by 2010. The plans to extend and renovate existing accommodation have been welcomed by students. MCR President Sara Adams said, “College has been very open to feedback on what we, as graduates at Exeter College, want and what we think prospective students will be looking for in accommodation. Information on plans was released to the graduate community early in the planning stage, and since then our opinions have been listened to and considered. I think it’s important for Colleges to pay attention to their students’ opinions, and I feel Exeter is setting a good example here.”Another Exeter graduate student and former resident of Exeter House said that the College’s plans to redevelop accommodation are much needed. They said, “The new accommodation will benefit everyone as current graduate accommodation is absolutely terrible.  Up until now, College has only been able to make superficial changes. I think it’s good that they’re taking action at last, it’s long overdue.”Exeter College Bursar Eric Bennett said, “We are building a new building of flats with a range of two to seven bedrooms. We also plan to build a lodge between the two existing Georgian buildings as at present there is no reception area. This will have a lounge and a common room where people can sit. There will also be another, quiet common room. “The only things being knocked down are the later add-ons to a Victorian schoolhouse of which at present all that is visible is the bell tower. The new building will be in the back garden of 235 Iffley Road, the house we’ve just bought, which is next-door to Exeter House.”Bennett denied that the plans, which were first conceived last summer, had been prompted by complaints about the standard of existing accommodation. He said, “The proposals were inspired by the fact that Exeter does not, at present, house enough of its graduates. We do not have any building space at the Turl Street site and so have undertaken to develop the Iffley Road location.”
by Sarah Fleming

My Blueberry Nights
3/5
22nd FebruaryNora Jones makes her big screen debut in this indie road trip movie directed by China’s Wong Kar-wai, also making his debut in American cinema. She’s soulful, beautiful and unassuming, but unfortunately not much more, except maybe quieter – never a good sign for a singer. Sadly for Jones, she’s starring in a film with a wide variety of consistently superb secondary characters. David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) is back with a poignant bang, while Natalie Portman is her usual versatile and flawless self. Even Jude Law is watchable, despite his decidedly unsteady attempt at a Manchester accent, and when Rachel Weisz walks into a room, she sets it on fire.The fact that Wong co-wrote the film may have something to do with the script discrepancies – apparently no one explained that what might sound great in a Chinese proverb sounds dangerously like verbal diarrhoea in English. Then there’s the inconclusive plot, with its disjointed narratives that aren’t quite short enough to be episodes, and aren’t quite coherent enough to form a single storyline. The aforementioned acting is one redeeming feature; the cinematography is another. The America of Wong’s imagination is the America of the half-forgotten road trip, of Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train and Percy Adlon’s Baghdad Cafe, and though it may not be relevant, it is captivatingly beautiful at times.The bright colours and intensely personal close-ups are reminiscent of a ‘coffee table’ book of arty photographs, while the movement and flickering light seem to reveal the mind’s registering of detail rather than the camera’s glare. It’s all topped off with Ry Cooder’s brilliant soundtrack, full of funky double bass and soulful songbirds – possibly the film’s greatest strength.My Blueberry Nights leaves one with a feeling of limbo, and the idea that people can’t live with or without each other, forever on the move, but it’s definitely worth a peek if you can forgive its minor faults and major quirks.

Oriel 3 – 6 St. Anne'sThere’s barely room to breathe at the top of the Premiership after the latest results, as St Anne’s recorded a stylish victory over Oriel to pile the pressure upon reigning champions Worcester. Having battled to a win against Brasenose on Monday, Anne’s are doing all they can to take this season down to the wire. This was the return fixture between these teams, Anne’s having beaten Oriel 4-1 at home last week, and the game followed a very similar pattern, as Anne’s once again burst into an unassailable first-half lead. After an attacking opening from both teams, Robbie MacDonald started the scoring with a goal seemingly out of nothing, Border’s perfectly weighted through pass unlocking the defence for the winger to steer the ball past the keeper. A second soon followed, again from Mac- Donald, though this time with more than a touch of good fortune, his angled shot deflecting wickedly past a stranded keeper after a powerful run down the left. Anne’s showed no sign of slowing down, switching the ball around quickly to add a stylish third with twenty minutes gone. Simon Oscroft, not usually known for his attacking prowess, was crucial to this move: his buccaneering run down the left was followed by a slick interchange with Border and then a pass into the feet of George Kynaston, who swivelled onto his left foot before firing home. Ten minutes later, Anne’s added a fourth. Border’s dummy dragged the Oriel defence apart, leaving Kynaston in acres of space to whip the ball across goal towards winger Ben Levy, who coolly played it into the path of the onrushing Border. His finish crashed emphatically home off the underside of the bar, capping a terrific opening half hour for the visitors. Before the break Oriel deservedly pulled one back, Hoare’s crisply chipped pass cutting out the entire Anne’s defence, inch-perfect for Wilson, who made no mistake with a cool low finish one-on-one. At half-time Anne’s led 4-1. The second half began much as the first had, with both sides committed to stylish passing games that made for some very attractive football. After around twenty minutes a clattering tackle left Anne’s midfielder Stu Clark with a possible leg break. The resulting free kick was hacked away for a corner, but Anne’s failed to add another goal. Anne’s then relaxed too soon, and paid the price within seconds as Oriel grabbed one back. Wilson was again the scorer, but this time as a result of shoddy defending after Anne’s failed to clear their lines from a deep freekick. In the ensuing scramble Wilson stabbed home to keep the game alive as a contest at 5-2. Oriel began to apply some real pressure, as a tiring Anne’s became pegged further and further back in their own half. Wilson could have had a third with a volley from a corner, and several St. Anne’s defenders had to put their bodies on the line to make brave blocks as the home side threatened. At last, with ten minutes left, MacDonald made the game completely safe, completing his hat-trick with panache as he curled a 25-yarder over the Oriel keeper and into the top corner. Oriel scored a consolatory third in the dying seconds via a scrappy goal from Thomas Webb. With only two games left, against New College and Teddy Hall, only six points will do for Anne’s, and even then they are reliant upon Worcester dropping at least four points from their last four games. But the pressure is on. Either Worcester or Teddy Hall could still do the double; Anne’s could win the league for the first time in their history. As the business end of the season reaches its climax, it’s hotting up at the top.by George Kynaston

Leaders at Oxford Central Mosque have announced that they are reconsidering their controversial plans to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer.The Cowley mosque found itself at the centre of a national debate over the New Year after having said that they wanted to broadcast the call from loudspeakers across East Oxford.Secretary General Atlaf Hussain has now stated that he will ensure that a proper consultation takes place before any decisions are made. Hussain said, “This [the announcement about the call to prayer] was a decision made on emotions, rather than facts and realities. Proper consultation with our neighbours and the whole of our neighbourhood is necessary to avert anxiety and misunderstandings.“The issue of using loudspeakers is being reviewed and we would like to make it very clear that a proper consultation will be held and only after that will any final decision be made,” he said.
He added that the mosque would not place a time limit on the reconsideration period.The mosque, which is in Manzil Way, Cowley, has also recently elected a new management committee to liaise with local residents and businesses. The Reverend Adam Romanis, Vicar of St Mary and John Church on Cowley Road, said, “I’m not without sympathy for the Muslim call to prayer taking place because we are on opposite sides of Cowley. “Most of the concern that has been expressed locally is from residents living in the immediate vicinity of the area, especially on Divinity Road where the people would hear the broadcasts very clearly. It is not surprising that they have been outspoken about their feelings” he said.Reverend Romanis also expressed his frustration at the way in which the Oxford mosque’s plans have been treated by the national media. He said, “I think the most interesting thing here is the furore that has been created in the national media. This is similarly illustrated by the recent uproar about the Archbishops’ comments on Sharia law. He bravely ventured into an area where there are sensitivities but the way that was represented was in many instances very unhelpful.”However one resident of  Divinity Street, said, “Personally I think they are more than welcome to worship in whatever way they wish as long as they don’t wake me up. “It’s the same as having church bells ringing, so provided it’s not before 8am or after 10pm I don’t mind” they said.
by Rob Pomfret

by Paul Rainford Blues' Football Captain The humbling defeat against Team Bath in the National BUSA knockout competition has certainly given the team much to ponder, not just in terms of what we expect to achieve for the rest of this season but also what might lie in store later. Bath finished runners up in the BUSA Premier South Division this year and they boast a team containing players on scholarships who perform a very high level, both physically and technically. They are one of the flagship football projects that Sport England has spent much time and money cultivating in order to improve the quality of football provision at British universities. If we win our playoff match next week, they will also be a team that we will have to compete with on a regular basis. On Wednesday’s showing that would present a formidable task for the Blues. Granted, we were missing four regular players from our starting line up, but the nature of our first half capitulation will certainly force Martin Keown to seriously assess our squad personnel and tamper with certain aspects of our style. We simply failed to compete in the defensive third and conceded four goals that were almost carbon copies of one another, with lofted crosses to the back post being headed home by one of either the Bath strikers or the wide players making a run inside from the wing. Going forward, we put together a few nice passages of play, and Toogood and De Walden were a constant threat to their somewhat cumbersome centre-halves. But our inability to stem the flow at the other end of the field ensured that the endeavour of our strikers counted for very little, as we went in at half time demoralised and facing up to the prospect of playing only for pride in the second half. To the team’s credit, a much more spirited performance was displayed after half time, but by that time the game was lost. We were fundamentally undone by a lack of structured team shape, a lack of a competitive spirit and a lack of concentration. This performance was totally out of character with the way we have played up until this point in the season and one must not make too many hasty decisions or changes on the basis of one result. However we will certainly be looking for a positive response from our players in training. We will not recover from this and get back to winning ways by wallowing in self pity or crumbling under self-doubt. I know that we are better than we showed today and we have to prove that in our playoff against Exeter next week.

Oxford students have come out in favour of pooling college library resources but librarians across the University have rejected calls for book-sharing.A Cherwell survey has found that 80% of students believed that being able to borrow books from other colleges would be helpful. 45% of surveyed students said that being allowed to borrow books from other college libraries would be “very useful”, and 15% claimed that all the books required for tutorials were only easily available in confined sections of faculty libraries. Despite a 2003 OUSU report recommending that libraries share resources across the university, colleges have not moved beyond providing reference-only access with prior permission.
Several college librarians are worried that the unique nature of a college library would be ruined if they were opened up to the wider community. David Smith, Librarian at St Anne’s, pointed out that the current system encourages colleges to compete with one another to improve their libraries and said, “[To] open up all college libraries to all University members would take away the incentive that colleges currently have to provide good tailored services for their own members, and to compete with other colleges in making this an attractive service for current and potential members.”Our survey also revealed discrepancies in book grants. Pembroke, St Anne’s, St Edmund’s Hall, and St Peter’s provide their students with no book grants, while New College provides  £150 and Oriel College offers £250 and has over 100,000 volumes on its shelves.

Be Kind Rewind
2/5
22nd FebruaryWhat do you do when you need an excuse for some technically impressive visual comedy, around which to base a feature-length film? Equally, what do you do when your childhood chum  appropriates a magnetic field and wipes all the tapes at your video-rental shop? These are the conundrums faced, respectively, by award-winning writer/director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) and the lead character of his latest film – and it seems they have a common answer: create a series of homages to cinema’s most iconic movies.Be Kind Rewind sees Mike (Mos Def) and Jerry (Jack Black) doing just that and, in the process, becoming unwitting local heroes, managing to turn around the fortunes of their doomed store. Initially, a long-shot attempt to cover up the (somewhat contrived) wiping of all their videos, their attempt to recreate classic movies with nothing but a camcorder and a lateral imagination becomes a business in itself – known (for no apparent reason) as ‘sweding’. Having cut his teeth on music videos, Gondry is unsurprisingly in his element here, with terrific visual creativity and montages as detailed, ingenious and witty as anything he’s previously produced. Those looking for Gondry’s trademark style will not be disappointed.Nor will those looking for a laugh. The film’s visual and physical gags fit nicely with Black’s recognisable but enjoyable stock character, the clumsy layabout with sky-high aspirations. The camera loves him, frequently emphasising his verbal scatting over Def’s straightman performance. The result – though fostering some brilliant and seemingly ad-libbed non-sequiters – inhibits the flow of the story as well as hindering the development of the film’s central relationship. Sadly, Gondry is determined to build his comedy on meaningful, dramatic foundations, and Black and Def simply fail to gel convincingly enough to pass as lifelong pals capable of serving as a compelling fulcrum for this serious angle.Indeed, it is once we step outside the moments of comedy that the work starts to fall apart. Gondry (as writer of the film as well) does not have the necessary skill to weave a coherent narrative, with such devices as the nearby power plant and dry cleaners awkwardly introduced and soon forgotten. It doesn’t help that a large cast of minor characters bring with them such diverse themes as cultural identity and modernisation as well as issues including love, friendship, and truth. Once touched on, these are left to stand alone and find no place in the emerging and unsteady storyline. The resulting film is much like Black and Def’s ‘swedes’ themselves in that, despite its great passion and vision, it never succeeds in being more than a ridiculous but enjoyable piece of fun.by Tom Crawshaw