Have you had your fill of Filth? Is the ‘VIP’ area at the Bridge starting to lose its appeal? Are you feeling unable to face another bop standing in the corner sucking face with your college dad to the sound of ‘hilarious’ 90’s pop ‘classics’? Then Cherwell24 is here to save you. Every week this term, we’ll be reporting on a regular Oxford club night that offers something different from the run of the mill, something beyond the dreaded ‘cheese’, something that, just maybe, you might even consider dancing to sober… Not that sobriety has much to do with Wednesdays at Baby Love bar, situated on King Edward Street, just off the High. Every other week, this cocktail-bar-and-club plays host to Narcissists, which is pretty much the daddy of the indie/alternative clubbing scene around these parts. If you’re the kind of indie kid who likes your guitars squashed up against your electro beats in the company of girls with unfeasibly cool hair and emotionally scarred, heavily mascara-ed boys, chances are you’ll fit in here. So, exactly what kinds of sounds keep the regulars coming back? The emphasis is firmly on the danceable. A typical night sees the likes of LCD Soundsystem and Le Tigre merge naturally into harder, scuzzier electro sounds as the night wears on, and singalong Strokes songs followed by a remix of 1-2-3-4 (that song off the iPod ads) where Leslie Feist’s vocals float over a sea of brooding techno. A girl stands outside the bar with the smokers. Why does she come to Narcissists? “It makes me feel wholesome.” Wholesome? “Yeah – there are a lot of pretentious indie people here, and I feel wholesome compared to them.” She pauses. “Like – like wholemeal bread, you see.” She staggers back into the club. Some would argue that, as it enters its fourth year, being a self-confessed Narcissist has become passé. True, the cloakroom isn’t free anymore, and the drinks were never cheap, and chances are you’ll hear roughly the same tunes and see roughly the same faces every time you go. But they’re not bad tunes, really, are they? They’re not bad faces. Not compared with the Baywatch theme song at Filth.

The Union re-poll due to take place at the end of 2^nd week following presidential candidate Krishna Omkar’s disqualification by an election tribunal has been plunged into turmoil after the Returning Officer received no valid nominations.

The unprecedented situation has forced Alex Priest, the current Returning Officer, to issue an interpretation and ruling on how the Union will now proceed, as there are no rules specifically covering this outcome.

In what appears to be an attempt to avoid suggestions of undemocratic handling of the elections, the Returning Officer’s ruling has gone contrary to what had been expected by those close to the Union and what had been reported in the press.

The original tribunal hearing disqualified Krishna Omkar from last term’s overturned Union presidential election, and forbade him from running in any subsequent Union elections.

The tribunal board directed that a re-poll for the position of President should be held, and laid down criteria for eligibility, namely that those eligible to run for President at the original election, except Krishna Omkar, would be eligible to run in the re-poll.

Charlotte Fischer and Claire Hennessey, who was Secretary in Michaelmas, were both eligible to be nominated under the criteria. However, Fischer resigned from Standing Committee on Monday of 1^st week, citing sexual harassment from committee members and “personal attacks”.

As Cherwell24 has now learned, Hennessey has not stepped forward to run, leaving no nominations for election.

In the absence of nominations, it was expected that current Librarian Ed Waldegrave would assume the presidency for Trinity Term, with the subsequent elevation of officers below him.

However, the Returning Officer has instead directed that the re-poll be deemed to have not occurred, and so another poll will be held, with nominations closing Friday of 3^rd week.

To ensure a contested election, the eligibility criteria have been relaxed so that more candidates are able to be nominated. Cherwell24 is aware of at least six potentially eligible candidates.

In the interpretation and ruling, the Returning Officer notes that, “The democratic election of Officers – especially that for the Office of President – is a fundamental principle which underpins all for which this Society stands.”

He goes on to state that he believes that the ruling is in the “best interests of [the] Society and its members.”

Sources close to the Union have told Cherwell24 that elements within the Union had “exerted extreme pressure” on the Returning Officer to avoid holding another poll and instead appoint Ed Waldegrave as President for Trinity Term. However, when contacted, the Returning Officer was unable to comment.

It is, however, understood that the original tribunal and appellate board chairmen, as well as several other senior figures within the Union, were in favour of a democratic solution.

Nominations for the poll open Friday of 2^nd week and close 3pm Friday of 3^rd week. Presidential elections for Michaelmas term are still scheduled to take place in 7^th week this term.

 Lewis Goodall comments on the opt-out organ donation proposal.  

At last, some bold progressive thinking from the Brown government. Attempting to shake off the malaise that gripped what is being perceived in some quarters as his increasingly embattled administration during the dying weeks of 2007, the Prime Minister has got the New Year off to a good start by unveiling his new policies on organ donation over the weekend. Heeding the advice of the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, the government is proposing that everyone should be presumed to give consent for their organs to be used after death to save the lives of others. This is a reversal from the current ‘opt-in’ situation where a person has to give their permission before death and quite different from those of Continental Europe where the ‘opt-in’ approach is still the method of choice.  

In 2008 it is estimated that 8,000 people will wait for organs (a number increasing by around 8% a year), but a mere 3,000 will actually receive a transplant. 10,000 more could have their sight saved or long-term disease cured. Many die after a long period of appalling suffering, just waiting for someone – anyone – to show a bit of compassion and generosity. To most people, the way forward seems obvious and according to opinion polls – it is. 90% of people favour organ donation. Interestingly, only 25% actually get around to doing it. The government’s proposals overcome that most intractable problem: apathy. In so doing, an extra 1,000 people could be saved each year.  

Someone once said (well, Stalin actually) that one life mattered but 1,000 was just a statistic. The next time the Church of England, the Daily Mail and other narrow minded right-groups choose to criticise the scheme on the grounds of immorality (the war-cry has already emerged from the Bishop of Southwark) they would do well to remember that these are people’s fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. These aren’t Cold War statistics – these are people. I ask the aforementioned Bishop: where exactly is the morality in condoning the death of thousands for the sake of some lofty arcane relic of theological principle? The bottom line is plain for all to see – the dead do not need their organs. We should seize the one positive that can possibly come from death: life for others. 

Equally objectionable to me is the idea that somehow an opt-out system of organ donation is the latest devilish wheeze in the so-called Nanny State’s unending quest to see and control all. Conservative blogger Iain Dale talks of ‘Brown wanting to nationalise our bodies’, sentiments echoed by Tory Health Spokesman Andrew Lansley. How quickly the ‘new’ Cameronite Conservative Party retreats to its old sins, pandering to their reactionary base and thundering on about points of facetious ideology on the rights of the state over its citizens’ bodies. Were it a totally compulsory system, one might see some truth in this; as the proposals stand however, should a citizen find the idea of saving another’s life after death totally repugnant, they need only tick a box and the thought need never cross their minds again. If Cameron’s brand of ‘Compassionate Conservatism’ were worth the time of day they would and should support the measure when the time comes in the House of Commons. 

Critics point out, four years ago, the government had precisely the opposite position, bleating about the immorality of such proposals. Tony Blair himself led the campaign against such a measure. However, Blair is history now and a sinner that repenteth is welcomed. Whether for reasons of politics or compassion (perhaps both) Brown has finally seen the light. All those that value human life should welcome his conversion.

This comment represents the views of the writer and not of Cherwell24

See pictures here…Magdalen?
Or Oriel? 
 

How many members do you have?

About 200.

Who does the OUSC represent and why should we sign up?
The Surf Club’s a great way to meet new people who are already stuck into their surfing or beginners interested in getting into it. We run at least one long-weekend trip a term down to Newquay or Croyde, involving surfing by day and debauched antics by night. We also put on a variety of events in Oxford during term time like our ‘sexy surfer’ themed Christmas curries. Why do you think OUSC is important?
Despite the lack of waves anywhere near Oxford, the Oxford Surf Club’s important in providing people with a chance to get on the water once a term and to provide a good atmosphere for newbies to learn in. Also we’re pretty key players in keeping the clothing producers of Oxford in business with our ’08 stash range now out!
 As a member of OUSC, what has been your most memorable experience so far?
There’ve been lots of great moments – Newquay never fails to show students a good time but attending Thirst in a  wetsuit was certainly my most memorable experience – and not in a good way.
 So what does OUSC have planned for 2008?
We’ve got the BUSA Surf Championships in Newquay coming up towards the end of term and potential plans for a Varsity match to justify our half-Blue status.
 Tell us something you didn’t/couldn't say at Freshers' Fair.
We failed to get much of a presence at Freshers' Fair this year but I would stress to everyone thinking of joining that it’s a good laugh- go for it now while the club’s here to help and remember that sharks are not a problem in Cornwall.
 For more information visit http://users.ox.ac.uk/~surf/ or email [email protected]Interview by Louise Collins

The Bishop of Rochester has said that Islamic extremism is creating ‘no-go areas’ for non-Muslims in Britain. Muslim communities, he says, are making it difficult for those of other races to live or work amongst them. He criticised the adhan – the call to prayer – and suggested that some parts of the country are too dangerous for non-Muslims to enter.Leaders at Oxford Central Mosque have said that they would like to broadcast a call to prayer three times a day, at sociable hours, and are perfectly within their rights to do so. The majority of us, with no great religious feeling, might be allowed a grumble about noise pollution, but to raise a fuss in a city plagued at all hours by the clangour of bells surely stinks of hypocrisy.Cowley is often celebrated for its alternative, ‘ethnic’ vibe – a reputation it has gained partly thanks to the high number of immigrants in the area – and along with the sheesha pipes and falafel come Islam and the adhan; we cannot pick and choose.Just last week it emerged that two local writers have penned a screenplay entitled ‘The Cowley Road Drinking Club,’ which aims to celebrate the quirkiness of the area before eccentric local shops are replaced by identikit chain stores. Inevitably, the writers have their own romanticised vision of Cowley, slightly askew from the reality. Cowley Road has long been the preserve of middle class students whose parents happily pay for them to ‘slum it,’ Cowley-style. A few Polish groceries do not make a truly multi-cultural society. If anything, we need more mosques to balance out the churches.Nor is Cowley the last word in sink-estate dystopia. For true grit, head to Blackbird Leys. It adds a little perspective when moaning about grimy college rooms.The relative aesthetics of these areas are debatable, but surely drugs and dole queues are more pressing problems than the adhan. If we’re really after a vibrant and representative society, Oxford’s sandy spires can surely make room for a single minaret.Laura Pitel and Tom Seymour, Cherwell editors

The careers that first come to mind for most Oxford students are easy to predict and fall into quite traditional categories. Yet, what job to enter is a big decision and before we decide we might want to pause for a minute to think about what is happening to society around us.So, for starters, positive social and environmental change isn’t happening fast enough: the inequality gap between rich and poor is widening in Britain and worldwide; we are as much as 100 years behind meeting the 2015 Millennium Development Goals; and pronouncements by scientists about the state of the environment grow ever gloomier.Do we really care? Maybe some don’t. But for those that do what can they do when deciding their career paths? As the Oxford Hub is proving, the options are exciting, but mind-boggling.Despite the ideal, we can’t deny that opportunities outside of traditional careers seem few and far between. Jobs in the charitable sector, for example, are rarely graduate level and are advertised on a fairly ad-hoc basis. Firstly, however, there are signs that the ‘information gap’ is closing and it is now much easier to find out about entry-level jobs when they appear.The Oxford Hub is currently in the early stages of a partnership with JustMeans, a new organisation advertising jobs that bring about positive social and environmental change – whether commercial or charitable. Sites like this, if successful, could go a long way to introducing people to a whole range of socially responsible jobs.Secondly, as JustMeans makes clear, working for social good obviously doesn’t just mean working for a charity. The Oxford Hub will be exploring this in more detail on Wednesday 2nd week when we are hosting a panel with representatives from TeachFirst and Tesco that explores ‘Different Models of Sustainable Change’.Doing good needn’t just be about standing on street corners shaking a tin or holding a megaphone. It could involve a career in the charitable, public or private sector. It could make you millions; it could make you very little. So, as the poet Mary Oliver wrote: “Tell me. What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” The possibilities are limitless, but hopefully you’ll have something interesting and meaningful to show for it. A good bit of background research should leave you with a whole range of options.
 
Adam O’Boyle is Manager of the Oxford Hub, a group which aims to help Oxford students get involved  with causes. For more information visit  www.oxfordhub.org
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