Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rachel Williams, Helena Zaba and Tom Carpenter report on the Cornmarket buskers, including the famous Bagpiper and new regulations surrounding their trade.
 

Tom Carpenter, Sarah Karacs and Amelia Leeson report on the soon-to-be-closed Greyfriars PPH.
 

Sarah Karacs, Stephanie Illingworth, Christopher Allen and Rob Dacre dare to go hunting for local spooks…

To mark last week's panel discussion on online journalism, held by the German Union of Journalists:(Hat tip: Spreeblick) Cherwell 24 is not responsible for the content of external links

BILDBlog catches Bild out… It draws up from the vault nine bits of speculation about the future of Jürgen Klinsmann, all from the pages of the German tabloid.Apparently he was going to go to one of:

Chelsea
Liverpool
Tottenham
LA Galaxy
England national team
USA national team
Mexico national team
Germany national team
Australia national team

He went to Bayern Munich. Hmm. Cherwell 24 is not responsible for the content of external links

St. Annes?
or Lincoln?

By Nadya ThormanOxford and Cambridge have rejected a government attempt to forge stronger links between universities and academies. The government has appealed to universities to sponsor academies in order to raise educational standards in deprived areas. However Oxford and Cambridge Universities are not among the 20 universities currently signed up to the academy scheme and refuse to commit to sponsorship of local schools. The Universities Secretary John Denham intended university sponsorship of academies to help bridge the gap between universities and disadvantaged communities. He said, “It is clear that the universities that recruit the vast majority of students from a small minority of society are missing out on a huge amount of talent. Widening participation in higher education should be seen as talent spotting by universities.” The North Oxford Academy, which opened last month to replace Drayton school in Banbury, relies on charity funding. Martyn Maker, project manager for the school, said he would welcome a partnership. “We are keen to build links with different agents in the community. Cooperation with [the university] would encourage young people into further education.” A spokesperson for Oxford University said, “Oxford attracts able students from all across the country and we feel that it is important that our access work broadly reflects this national role.” The University maintains that it participates in numerous access schemes, both locally and nationally, which aim to improve application numbers from a range of different backgrounds. They added, “We would be reluctant to be formally associated with a single school.” OUSU Access Officer, James Lamming expressed his support for the University’s decision. “Oxford should reach out to talented students in every school, rather than focusing its efforts on one particular academy. Sponsoring a school also prevents a minefield of difficulties, including creating potential conflicts of interest in the admissions process and distorting local education provision.” Oxbridge has often faced criticism in the past for its low state-school intake, with only 54% of students at Oxford and 57% at Cambridge being drawn from the maintained sector.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Christ Church undergraduate who has been made leader of the Pakistani opposition, returned to Oxford on Wednesday nignt.Following the assassination of his mother Benazir last month, the 19 year-old history student must transform from a normal, down-to-earth student into a world politial figure.Bilawal has assumed the position of Chairman of the Pakistani People’s Party, whilse his father Asif Ali Zardari will run the party on a day-to-day basis.As the profile of Bilawal increases, police and University staff have been drawing up new plans to ensure his safety. Thames Valley Police are known to be conducting meetings with MI5, and there are reports that they may assign Zardari a personal security officer from Chequers, the Prime Minister’s second home.Bilawal has been moved to new accommodation in Christ Church, and students have been warned not to talk to journalists, several of whom were evicted from college premises last weekend.Speaking for the Thames Valley Police, Toby Shergold said, “We have had suitable security plans in place since Bilawal Zardari began his studies at Oxford University. A threat level is decided, and can change, according to the environment in which the protected person is at any time and also the capability of any group to carry out an attack. Therefore, in light of developments in recent days, the force is liaising with national security services in order to review the arrangements if and where necessary.”The University refused to discuss whether they or the Government would be funding the security of Bhutto Zardari. A spokesperson said, “We take the safety of all our students, including high-profile or high-risk students, extremely seriously. We cannot discuss individual students or arrangements but we keep security under review.”Speaking in London at a press conference on Tuesday, Bhutto Zardari appealed to the media to respect his privacy as he completes his degree, after which he will take up full-time leadership of the party, saying that he feared for his privacy more than his life. He said, “My immediate priority is to return to Oxford to continue my studies. Unless I can finish my education and develop enough maturity I recognise that I will never be in a position to have sufficient wisdom to enter the political arena. When I am at Oxford I hope I can be left alone.”Last term, Bhutto Zardari had been using the pseudonym ‘Bilawal Lawalib’ on his Facebook profile (Lawalib is Bilawal spelt backwards) but revealed his identity if asked. He uses his real name in college, and his parents came to help him unpack at the start of last term like any other student.One Christ Church student said that his background was unknown to many. “I didn’t even know that he was Benazir Bhutto’s son,” said Flo Graham-Dixon. “I had no idea who he was. A down to earth nice guy.”Unlike his mother, who was a social butterfly during her time at Oxford, Bilawal is said to be relatively uninterested in the world of university politics. However, before coming up to Oxford he interned with Alan Duncan, Shadow Business Secretary and friend of his mother.Duncan said of him, “He seemed to me quite reserved, dutiful and steeped in the cause of the family. There are moving echoes of what happened to Benazir when she was at Oxford, when her father was deposed and hanged. She rose to events and I have no doubt that Bilawal will do so too.”

Oxford has been giving credibility to a fake university by allowing it to use Univerity premises, a BBC investigation has revealed.The documentary exposed the ‘Irish International University,’ which has hired rooms in the Divinity School near the Bodilean Library for academic ceremonies, even though the IIU has been told repeatedly to stop claiming university status. Photos of the ‘Convocation’ ceremonies were posted on the organisation’s website.Although it claimed to have a campus in Dublin, the IIU exists only as a business with a postal address. The organisation approached Oxford to host cermonies after it was denied a venue at Cambridge.In Michaelmas Cherwell revealed that a British-Malaysian company, Oxford Centre for Leadership, had held ‘graduation’ ceremonies for its ‘5-day Millionaires MBA programme’ at Keble, and used images of the college on its website. Keble subsequently banned the company from hiring out its facilities again.Seán Ó Foghlú, Chief Executive of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland said, “The Irish International University is not a recognised higher education institution in Ireland, nor are its awards nationally recognised in this country.”“In Ireland the title of “University” is regulated. The Irish International University is registered only as a business name. In fact, [the Department of Education and Science have] written to IIU on a number of occasions instructing them to cease using the term University.”A spokesperson for Oxford said, “Oxford University will not be renting its facilities to the Irish International University in the future. This is not an institution with which we wish to develop a relationship.”The BBC also discovered that the IIU’s Honorary Chancellor, His Excellency Baron Knowth was actually Professor Jeffrey Wooller, a chartered accountant from London. His professorship was awarded by IIU, and his ‘Baron’ title has been purchased.The IIU’s web pages also promised that its degrees are backed by the ‘Quality Assurance Commission’, an organisation which was discovered to be owned by the IIU’s Executive President, Prof. Hardeep Singh Sandhu.In a statement, the IIU argued that the accusations of deception were unfounded.It read, “The BBC investigation into an education scam perpetrated by a UK private college in the United Kingdom should be well applauded in undressing the true art of corrupt educational practices but not in the expense of the Irish International University; a reported story with no true essence.”“Yes the ceremonies held are for graduates from various study centres in Africa and Asia as we have always claimed to be a ‘Transnational University’ , thus Oxford and Cambridge for its educational image was used for graduation, not seduction.”The IIU had booked a dinner in September last year at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, but was denied the venue after further investigation by the college. The IIU was then able to book an room in Oxford at short notice to host its ‘Eighth Convocation ceremony’, held on 29 September at Convocation House in the Bodleian Library. According to the IIU’s website the ‘European Gala Event & Networking’ was also held last year at the Divinity School.A Cambridge University spokesperson said, “Regrettably from time to time others attempt unfairly to trade off our internationally renowned reputation. The university’s solicitors have objected on a number of occasions to IIU’s use of logos and other material which falsely suggest an association or connection with the University.”Gregory Hayman, Head of Communications at Cambridge University explained that the IIU had approached individual colleges to use their conference facilities. He explained that each college has its own policy on renting out its property but said it seemed that the IIU had “slipped through the net by booking rooms for functions out of term time.”The organisation has 5,000 students worldwide, thousands of graduates, and encourages foreigners to spend thousands of pounds in return for one of its qualifications.by Nadya Thorman

Keble finalist lost his way coming from from nightclub and died of hypothermiaBy Billy KenberA Keble student hasdied of hypothermia while on a college ski trip in France. Jon Hard, a 21-year-old PPE finalist became disorientated while returning from a night out on December 16th in the French ski resort of St Sorlin d’Arves. Leaving a late-night party without a coat he became lost and later collapsed from the cold. He was still alive when he was discovered the following morning but attempted resuscitation failed to save him.Jon’s father, David, told The Times what happened at the end of the ‘Rubik’s Cube’ party. “It came to an end at about 1am. He went back to the chalet and didn’t pick up his coat. He had obviously had a fair bit to drink, but he’s done it before. He didn’t have to be terribly drunk to do that. But he headed back in the wrong direction. “I’ve no idea what he was wearing. Knowing Jon, just a sweatshirt. He collapsed and cold overcame him. It was only when he didn’t turn up for skiing the next morning that he was missed.” Jon’s brother, Tim Hard, warned others of the dangers of cold weather. He said, “Speaking to some Swiss and Swedish friends, it is quite common for a very cold environment to confuse people quickly due to sheer ‘body shock’, with or without alcohol.” At the time of his death Jon Hard was on the Keble College ski trip with around 100 other students. The students had left Britain in coaches on December 14th and the ‘Rubik’s Cube’ party was intended to mark the first night of the week-long trip. After the tragedy a number of students returned home early. The ski trip committee have donated £100 from the trip’s budget to a charity fund-raising website set up in his memory. Keble is to hold a college memorial service of January 15th while many students attended Jon’s funeral at Leamington Spa on January 7th. Friends described the finalist as an “immensely popular and wellliked student at both school and university.” Dan Dimson, a fellow Keble third-year said, “This tragic accident couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy or a closer friend. Jon had many admirable qualities. To name but a few, I will remember fondly his smile, humour, caring nature, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, loyalty, compassion and his ability to listen. Jon will be missed by all, and will not be forgotten. Rest in peace.” Other students were made aware of Hard’s death in an email from the warden, Averil Cameron. Cameron wrote, “I am very sorry indeed to have to tell you of the tragic death of Jonathan Hard (3rd year PPE) while on the college ski trip. “We are all shocked and distressed by this very sad news and our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with Jon’s family and friends”, she added. John Maher, Keble JCR President, said, “Jon’s death is a tragedy that has shocked and saddened our college. He was a warm, friendly and well liked presence around Keble and will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this hard time.” Jon had rowed for Keble and represented the university in this year’sBritish Universities Karting Cham pionship. He was educated at Warwick School and lived with his parents in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He had hoped to continue his studies after Oxford in the US. Friends listed his interests as including skiing, go-karting, rugby, kickboxing, fishing and gliding. A Facebook group set up in memory of Jon Hard has attracted more than 500 members. Friends called the student “One of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while another said, “He was the kind of guy that everyone aspires to be like and was and will always be spoken highly of.” Jon’s parents have asked that anyone planning on buying flowers instead donate to his favourite charity, Mary’s Meals, which feeds children in the developing world. Those wishing to donate can do so by going to www.justgiving.co.uk/jonhard. Mr and Mrs Hard have promised to match all donations, up to a maximum of £6,000.