The Oxford Union is set to face an electoral tribunal after sacked bouncer Imran Abrahams vowed to fight the allegations that led to his dismissal over the Christmas vacation.Describing the entire affair as a “fucking joke” Abrahams refused to comment further but was known to be in close contact with his lawyers throughout the week, as well as liaising with other Union insiders in efforts to secure his former position.Abrahams left his medical degree at Oriel College to work as a full time security officer at the Union. A former captain of the blues boxing team, he is skilled in Kray Maga – the Israeli military defence art. Members of Standing Committee, the Society’s ruling executive, were given the details regarding his departure in a secret meeting on Monday, an act which invariably ensures the leaking of all confidential information. Union President Edward Tomlinson stated that he was unable to enter into the details of the events concerned, merely confirming that Abrahams had engaged in actions warranting the charge of “gross misconduct”.At the time of going to print Cherwell is unable to disclose any details regarding the disputed allegations upon which Mr Abrahams’ dismissal was based.
Archive: 0th week HT 2004

Former Merton College student and Oxford writer Mark Haddon, is the favourite to win the prestigious Whitbread Prize for his children’s novel, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.’ Haddon’s best-selling story has already won the Whitbread section prize for best novel.The book, which tells the tale of a fifteen-year-old mathematical genius with Asperger’s Syndrome, has also won him the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Book Trust Teenage Fiction Award. Though the novel was not shortlisted for the Booker Prize, bookmakers William Hill put Haddon at 2/1 to win the Whitbread Prize.Since graduating from Merton College in 1981, Haddon has worked in diverse fields: he has been a live-in carer for someone with Multiple Sclerosis, a cartoonist for The Guardian and Private Eye, and has won two BAFTAs for his television work. The Whitbread winner will be announced on January 27.
Archive: 0th week HT 2004

The University has advised students not to waste their money on an Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) initiative encouraging students to apply to see examiners’ comments on their exam scripts.OUSU Academic Affairs Officer Louise McMullan originally claimed that a breakthrough had been made after she revealed that students could apply under the Data Protection Act to see any personal comments made on their exam papers. She said it was a “very good step forward for transparency in the examination system” that would be extremely useful for students. However, a university spokesperson denied that students would benefit, as there would be “little if anything to see”, and consequently said that the £10 fee charged for supplying the information was likely to be a “waste of money”.Under the Data Protection Act Oxford University is required to make personal information kept on file available. However, the examiners’ process of agreeing marks largely takes place during verbal discussion, with the examiners’ comments used only as prompts to the discussion. As the comments are purely for the examiners’ reference, they are nearly always destroyed immediately after marking. So while students have the right to see comments kept, but not the scripts, there is rarely anything to see. Clerk to the Proctors, Dr Brian Gasser said OUSU was “exploiting a quirk in the law” and in practice very little information would be divulged. Archive: 0th week HT2004

Priestly celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church has broken down and may have to be abandoned, an Oxford monk, and former Master General of the Dominican Order, has said.Father Timothy Radcliffe told Radio Four programme ‘Analysis’ that the Church could not ignore the fact that celibacy was being bypassed in many parts of the world. Speaking to Cherwell he called for a “real discussion” of the issue. Despite describing celibacy as “a thing of great beauty”, he believes the Church must take account of modern realities.The Pope has rejected calls to alter the 1,200 year-old rule outlawing marriage, but there are fears that celibacy is discouraging many from priesthood and that a high proportion of those in training are gay.A 1961 Vatican document bars homosexuals from religious vows, but studies have estimated that up to half of seminary students are so orientated. Radcliffe said that loneliness was difficult for some priests and claimed that there would be a problem if many more in the church became predominantly homosexual. The Pope has blamed the decline in new priests on the moral decadence and indiscipline of the western world. The church in England has already relaxed its celibacy rules by allowing married Anglican priests to convert and remain in holy orders.
Archive: 0th week  HT 2004

Universities in the UK are set to be left out of the running when it comes to recruiting overseas students, a study by the British Council has revealed. The report is backed up by disappointing rankings in the world’s top 500 universities.Oxford came 9th, beaten by Harvard, a host of other American Universities, and Cambridge. Despite a predicted nine fold increase in the number of international students in British higher education over the next twenty years, competition from the US and Japan threatens to loosen the UK’s hold on the multibillion pound market. In a Mori poll three quarters of students from abroad described British higher education as expensive, only 3 percent deemed it best described as welcoming. The University’s International Officer told Cherwell, “We are aware of the growing competition from other countries and we wish to maintain our position as a leading destination for top-quality students.” The British Council’s report coincides with plans to increase the number of overseas students in British Universities following the concessions made in the Higher Education Bill.As many as 80,000 British students will be denied places as Universities are tempted by the increased revenue brought by many different international students.
Archive: 0th week HT 2004

The Ashmolean Museum has saved a valuable Renaissance perfume burner from the clutches of the Getty Museum.The Oxford establishment has had its eye on the bronze for four years, but has only now been able to raise £980,000 to buy it. The bronze joins the Fortnum collection of ‘Functional Art’, one of the seventh largest bronze collections in the world, where it takes pride of place. Crafted by Desiderio da Firenze in Padua, the centre of art bronze during the era, the burner would have scented the houses of the only the very rich.Timothy Wilson, Keeper of Western Art, admits that the burner is “the best of its kind”., and that it “fitted superlatively into this collection”.Massive donations by the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the National Art Collections Fund enabled the Ashmolean to put up the asking price. The burner can no longer perform its original task, but it is believed that charcoal would have been placed in the bottom of the burner, with the flavoured pastilles in a tray above. A thin trail of smoke trailed from the mouths of the Satyr and Medusa.
Archive: 0th week HT 2004

The number of state school pupils who received an offer from Oxford University fell this year despite an increase in the number of applications. It followed a report that showed Oxford was already failing to meet targets for admitting students from poorer backgrounds.The annual admissions statistics showed that the percentage of successful state educated applicants fell to 51.5% from 54.7% last year. They also showed that privately educated applicants had a greater chance of success (35.9%) than their state sector peers (30.6%), and that men had an advantage over women. The fall in admissions from maintained schools came despite a 3% increase in applications. The overall level of applications was up by 6%.The Director of the Colleges Admissions Office, Jane Minto said she was encouraged by the rise in applications, which showed that the University’s message of welcoming bright students irrespective of background was getting through to young people. She attributed the fall in admissions of state pupils to the greater competition for places and claimed that the admissions process was based on “merit and potential alone”.The fall came a week after a report from the Higher Education Council, which showed that the university was failing to meet its benchmark for attracting working class students. Oxford was set a target of 13% of admissions from lowerincome groups, who make up 40% of the population, but admitted only 9%. Its record fell behind only Cambridge and Exeter as the worst in the country. OUSU President Helena Puig Larrauri said the news was “doubly worrying at a time when the government is discussing increases to university fees.”
Archive: 0th week HT 2004

Government minister, David Lammy has accused Oxford of prejudice against black applicants, a claim rejected by the University. In The Guardian newspaper, Lammy accused Oxford of being “tinged with old fashioned class prejudice.”The University attempted to deflect the allegation by highlighting figures, which it claims show how much it is doing to attract students from ethnic minorities. In 2003, 141 black students applied, of whom just 21 were admitted. A spokeswoman admitted numbers were low cited 2002 UCAS figures showing that only 37 black UK students achieved grades AAA at A-level However, ex-chair of OUSU’s anti-racism group, Zakir Hussein agreed with Lammy’s criticisms and claimed that “institutional racism is still a major problem.”
Archive: 0th week HT 2004

Oxford may be obliged to earmark ‘wild-card’ places for state school pupils who gain unexpectedly high grades at A-level. The proposal aims to help pupils, who exceed their predictions, to gain entry to top universities immediately rather than reapplying post A-Level.The proposal has been made by Professor Schwartz of Brunel University, who is leading a government task force to reform university admissions. Oxford has dismissed the system as unworkable and not in line with their interview requirement.A University spokeswoman said “It would mean reserving places on the off-chance that somebody might get better grades. We prefer people to make considered applications rather than keeping places open for somebody who might decide at the last minute to come.”Archive: 0th week HT 2004