The most glamorous pair in the science world last week announced their impending divorce, just weeks after being described as “Oxford’s golden couple.” Millionaire Peter Atkins, a professor at Lincoln College, split from his equally famous wife, Baroness Greenfield, seeing his claim that “every book he publishes costs him a wife” come true for a third time. Sources say that they first became aware of problems in the twelve-year marriage when Professor Atkins’ belongings appeared piled up in the lobby of the couple’s Mayfair apartment building two weeks ago. “They were outside briefly. But I can see how that might look to a third party,” she said. “I just needed more space.” The Baroness maintains that no-one else had been involved in the break up. “We were just two middle aged people who had drifted apart.” She added, “While we haven’t exactly had a lot to say to each other recently, I hope we will always be friends.” Atkins himself claims that the Baroness’ decision to end the marriage was totally unexpected. “It was a complete surprise,” he told reporters. “One day she just turned to me and said, “This marriage isn’t working.” ‘She is not a lady to accommodate discussion. I was declared redundant, and that was it. Of course, I had always known she was a tough cookie. You do not get to where she is without being very tough.”
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

Trinity students have been shocked by a massive rent hike proposed by the College. Undergraduates have responded by unanimously rejecting the inflation-busting increases to their food and accommodation costs. The suggested increases would raise battels by £4 000 for a three year degree, increasing board and lodging costs by 57%. In a letter to undergraduates the head of the College, The Hon Michael Beloff QC, cites “the war in Iraq, concerns about terrorism and now SARS” as contributory reasons for the increases. In an interview with The Times newspaper on Monday, JCR President Sarojini McKenna criticized the College’s proposals and said, “these plans would change Trinity entirely for future generations.” Negotiations over battels were due to start this week. However Mr Beloff, pre-empting the discussions in a letter sent to undergraduates last Friday, stated that the College intends to phase in increases in real accommodation charges of 20%, catering charges of 40% together with 60% in the establishment charge, all above Oxford inflation. JCR Secretary Christopher Byrne said, “From the other JCRs that we have spoken to, we have by far the highest proposed increases.” In a press release sent out by the Student Union on Monday in response to the Times article, Vice President (Welfare) Andrew Copson comments, “if the domestic costs are raised in this way, students on a maximum loan will have only £2 per week to spend on essentials such as books and food.” Trinity students are incensed by the College’s plans. Sarojini McKenna told Cherwell, “we had not expected such drastic rises. Undergraduates are not a resource to exploit. To use student rents as a cushion against recessions and geopolitical crises is an irresponsible policy of College.” Mr Beloff ’s letter attracted criticism among JCR members. He defended his strategy, arguing that the College needs to increase charges to deflect criticism of elitism. Mr Beloff said, “A perception that Oxford students benefit so significantly from subsidised accommodation and food may no longer be acceptable to the wider community.” McKenna responded to this by saying, “The stigma that Oxford is the playground of the rich could within a few years become the reality. The increases could yield college £150 000, while they intend to raise hardship funds by just £10 000. Underprivileged students will be put off applying to Trinity.” The Trinity rent proposals have raised fears that other colleges may follow suit by demanding large rent increases. Mr Beloff warns, “other colleges in similar positions have reached the same conclusion” that Oxford colleges are “no longer in a position to continue subsidising student accommodation and catering costs at current levels”. Many JCR members however are worried about the wider Access implications. Byrne said to Cherwell, “College’s public Access committments in the national press will be made redundant if this massive deterrent to applications goes through.”
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

Oxford University has been named the best university in Britain for the second year running. The Times put Oxford top in their definitive annual league table and increased the University’s lead over rivals Cambridge. Oxford topped the poll for the first time last year after displacing their historic rivals who had held the first position since the survey began. This year the University scored a perfect 1000 but extended its lead from three to fourteen points over second-placed Cambridge. Sir Colin Lucas, the vice chancellor, said “I hope that this result will encourage more bright students, whatever their background, who want to aim for the top to apply.” It is hoped that evidence of Oxford’s high standard will result in more applications, especially in proving that the University does not conform to the Brideshead image with which it is often branded. However, despite its triumph, the University lags behind in a survey of graduate destinations receiving a score of only 83.6. This puts it slightly behind neighbour Brookes but significantly further behind the leader, Cambridge, which scored 90.5. Tony Butler, director of the Oxford University Careers Service, responded by saying employers are keen to recruit Oxford graduates but that the figures are distorted by the number of students delaying employment. “There’s evidence that the pressures of studying, which have increased by the introduction of fees, mean that many are putting off looking for a job until after their exams.” Researchers analysed the percentage of graduates who go into jobs that require or expect degree qualifications but only looked at the first 6 months of employment. The survey also revealed that Oxford spends more money on libraries and computers than any other University when analyzing expenditure per student. This follows reports that the University has the biggest financial surplus of any UK university, despite falling from £20.5 million to £16.5 million. Spending on facilities, though, such as for sport, recreation and housing, was much lower totaling only 283 compared to Bath, who topped spending, with 419. This lower figure though is in part due to the collegiate nature of the University. The survey assesses a range of criteria including teaching and research assessment, entry standards and the student to staff ratio. Oxford reached the top last year after the rankings system was reworked to take account for the balance of arts and science within the universities. Cambridge had always been placed above Oxford because of its higher number of scientists.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

Bar prices at the Oxford Union are on course for a dramatic increase from Michaelmas term The bar lost almost £10,000 last year and the price hike is anticipated to be by as much 50% as a result of rising costs and falling profits. Librarian Matt Richardson said, “It is simply not viable for the Union to keep prices this low in face of spiralling costs”. The Union’s price change comes at the same time as increased prices are being introduced across Oxford’s college bars. Marcus Walker, President-Elect, admitted that “bar prices may no longer remain the cheapest in Oxford”, but the popular £1-a-pint on Carlsberg will not be affected. Union sceptics are angry at the proposed increases, especially given the complimentary drinks consumed by Committee members during discussions about this very issue. Presidential Drinks every Thursday sees large amounts of alcohol consumed by guests at members’ expense. One Secretary’s Committee member even spoke of a competition among committee members’ to make back their entire £140 membership fee in just one night at Presidential Drinks. Treasurer Ed Tomlinson stressed that several factors, including reintroducing music and carpeting in the bar area, mean that this term should see a return to profitability.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

The Natural History Museum’s director, Sir Neil Chalmers, is to become the next warden of Wadham College. Wadham made the announcement following the news that their current warden, John Flemming, will leave in July because of ill health. Mr Flemming’s announcement came as a great surprise to staff and students as he was expecting to continue in his post for another decade. Wadham is said to be “grief stricken” at the announcement that Flemming is suffering from cancer, which has forced early retirement. Sir Neil will take over the post of Warden in October 2004, until which time the sub-warden Jeffrey Hackney will be Acting Warden. He will not be able to come any earlier as he is committed to a project at the Natural History Museum which seeks to raise in excess of £68,000. Hackney is confident that Chalmers will be an excellent warden, saying that the college had ‘a very good feel for him’ when they interviewed candidates and that he had ‘happily accepted’ the offer of the post. Sir Neil has been educated at both Oxford and Cambridge and pursued an academic career before becoming Dean of Science at the Open University. He has held his post at the Natural History Museum since 1988, a period of significant change, during which free access to the museum has been introduced, a policy which he actively promoted. He initiated the process of opening the museum’s vast collections of specimens to the public, as part of the Darwin Centre project, phase one of which was completed last year.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

Indecent exposure was reported last week, when a female student at Lady Margaret Hall was left disturbed by a pervert early on May morning. The man, who is described as being in his forties and of stocky build, is said to have watched the first-year undergraduate from his car at the corner of Norham Gardens before driving slowly a short distance ahead of her. He then pulled into the pavement and descended from his car close to the college entrance, where he began to pleasure himself under a lamp-post as she walked past. No porter was on duty at 2 a.m., the time of the incident, but the head porter was informed later the same day and the police subsequently interviewed the victim on Friday. The student reported having “felt sick” and was left “disturbed” by the event. Although the police took details, the offender has apparently not been caught; nor has a younger Asian man who has reportedly been engaging in similar activities in the area. Police, however, informed the student of having recently caught a 15 year old for such an offence, although off the record one officer told her that even though incidents of this nature are common in the area, punishment is rare as courts don’t consider it to be a serious offence. The incident follows events at the end of last term in which two female students including a Cherwell staff member experienced separate similar episodes on Jowett Walk during daylight hours. More recently, two undergraduates from St. Hugh’s spotted another man masturbating on Woodstock Road early on Tuesday of 0th week, and believe he may have tried to follow them back to their college. The police were informed and the students interviewed. Others at the college claim to have spotted the same individual in similar circumstances on at least three occasions over the previous term. Norham Gardens has come under criticism in the recent past for its poor street-lighting at night, which has been accused of contributing to sporadic problems of student mugging in the area. The police were unavailable for comment with regards to incidents involving indecent exposure, although one porter at Lady Margaret Hall said that ‘flashing’ was common in the University area and definitely saw an increase in the summer sun. The victim from Lady Margaret Hall urges students to avoid walking alone at night, and that if such an event occurs, to try and take mental note of key details such as appearance and car registration without sacrificing personal safety, as this information is valuable to the police.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

A Rebel Labour MP is set to speak in Oxford on 16 May at the Town Hall, writes Hoda Mahmoud, in a discussion on the War on Iraq. George Galloway, currently the target of a political controversy, is a frequent speaker in Oxford and attracted a huge audience when he last spoke in March. Oxford Students Stop The War have organised the talk. Their press officer Johnny Morton stated that the purpose of the meeting was to ‘keep awareness levels high about the situation in Iraq; the situation is far from resolved and we must not believe unquestioningly the assurances of those in power that everything has ended happily, particularly when this is not the case.’ Galloway was this week suspended from the Labour party only weeks after accusations in the Daily Telegraph that he accepted a cut of oil money worth £375,000 a year from the former Iraqi regime in exchange for support for Saddam. OSSTW have organised frequent anti-war meetings and protests, with the aim of highlighting the injustices and aftermath of war. The meeting will also include Jeremy Corbyn MP and Rev. Richard Harries Bishop of Oxford.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

A Somerville student won a gold award at the British Council’s first International Student Awards, writes Katherine Pateman. Yimon Aye, who is reading chemistry, picked up £2000 for writing about how her life has changed since she came to Oxford. The Burmese student was one of two winners out of over 1700 entries to the competition where entrants were asked to write a letter home describing their life, experience and achievement in the UK. Aye wrote not only of her pride at gaining a scholarship but also of experiences she has gained working in the UK, including voluntary work with disabled people. She said, “I only entered because I wanted to represent my country and I know I am so fortunate to be here because there are only a few Burmese students in the UK.” Aye had never been able to study chemistry until she arrived in the UK but has since won prizes for excellence both from the University and the Royal Society of Chemistry. She hopes to embark on an academic career so that she can return home to help bring about reforms in the Burmese higher education system. She plans to embark on an academic career so that she can return home to help bring about reforms in the Burmese higher education system.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

A 22-year old medical student has been arrested for attempting to sit his sister’s junior college science paper. Dasart Suresh put on a wig and traditional dress to pass himself off as his younger sister, claiming he got the idea ’from a movie’. He managed to enter the examination hall and take the first part of the test before a supervisor noticed that his face did not match the photograph on his sister’s admission ticket; he had a beard, 12-year old Ravathi did not. Dasart now faces charges of forgery and impersonation.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003

Police are investigating claims that a porn film was shot in a hall of residence, after the janitor reported seeing camera crews and naked women, who told him they were “working on a film project”. Blurred CCTV footage has been discovered showing a male actor in a beaver costume and a group of eight female students on the pool table in the communal lounge. The Indiana Student Association has made a statement condemning the X-rated exploits, though claiming afterwards that they ”would like to see the footage, if anyone has a copy”.
ARCHIVE: 2nd Week TT 2003