Blues Rugby The bulk of the season may be over, but for the Blues rugby
side, this week has brought a starting amount of satisfaction,
with the captaincy of Canada and a place in the London Wasps
squad amongst the honours picked up. A fantastic comeback against NEC Harlequins began
Oxford’s challenge at the sevens tournament at Rosslyn Park,
with Graham Barr and John Bradshaw crossing the line in the last
two minutes to overturn a ten-point deficit. The Blues continued to compete with professional opposition,
and a 28-7 defeat of London Scottish followed. Wasps, boasting
the likes of Scotland winger Kenny Logan, were too strong in the
semi-finals and ended the Oxford challenge, running out 35- 7
winners. Individuals have been the toast of the side this week,
however, as props Kevin Tkachuk and Henry Nwume would testify.
Tkachuk, who played for his native Canada in the World Cup in
Australia and scored a try, was named as his country’s
captain this week for the approaching Churchill Cup tournament,
beginning on 12 and 13 June, with matches against England, New
Zealand Maori and the USA providing him with a mouth-watering
prospect. Tight-head Nwume, whose thirty- yard charge down the inside
left provided Oxford with their only try of December’s drawn
Varsity match at Twickenham, came off the bench for Wasps on
Sunday. The score stood at 43-13 in their Zurich Premiership semifinal
against Northampton Saints, and by the end an emphatic 57-20
victory saw Wasps book their place in the final at Twickenham. As
the side’s attention turns to this weekend’s Heineken
Cup final against Toulouse, Cherwell has learnt that coach Warren
Gatland is growing warm to the idea of granting Nwume a role in
the side. Meanwhile, the annual OURFC dinner at Wadham college saw
Richie Woods of St Anne’s named Blues player of the year,
with sponsors Aggregate honouring Univ’s Peter Raftery. St
Hughs’ Chris Abbott was named Greyhounds player of the year. The only dampener on the week for the Blues was the
side’s inability to overcome the Blues netball side at their
own game (see Jock Strip, opposite).ARCHIVE: 3rd week TT 2004 

Varsity Archery Cambridge 3417
Oxford 3187 In ideal conditions on the backs of St. John’s College,
Cambridge, Oxford University Company of Archers put on a strong
performance on Saturday in the 55th Varsity match. After six
successive defeats by a consistently tough Cambridge team, and
having lost two of last year’s three half blues, Oxford were
always the underdogs, but the addition of Lincoln first year
Christopher Buckingham as well as comprehensive coaching from
Ollie Holt meant competition would still be intense. Indeed, until the fourth dozen the teams were fairly evenly
matched, but soaring scores from Cambridge’s James Keogh and
Pamela Custance-Baker soon began to take their toll. Keogh’s
score of 888 headed a Cambridge team in which all four archers
achieved scores of over 800, all with fifty or more golds, and
this left them with a team total of 3417, only a few points off
the Varsity record. Oxford, however, could certainly not be accused of lack of
endeavour. Chris Buckingham finished as third gentleman with 831,
and Antje Frotscher and Catherine Roberts won second and third
lady respectively. Their scores, combined with that of fourth
team member Geoffrey Hyett, beat last year’s winning score
but were still just too far off the pace. Oxford’s novices
fared little better, trailing the Tabs by almost 800 points,
despite a superb performance by Matthew Read, who finished ninth
overall. Despite another loss, Oxford can thus be proud of their
contribution to what is believed to be the highest combined score
ever recorded at Varsity. The team’s intensive training in
mental as well as physical stamina meant that everyone very much
fulfilled their potential, and the magnitude of their score,
beaten only by a remarkable Cambridge achievement, reflects their
obvious improvements in both skill and morale. With similar
improvements over the next year, eight consecutive defeats can be
avoided.ARCHIVE: 3rd week TT 2004

Sailing Cuppers LMH, starting out as pre event favourites, held their
composure and secured their first sailing cuppers win in recent
years. Fourteen college teams made the short trip to Farmoor
reservoir only to be faced with a flat calm lake. Thankfully, a light but consistent breeze filled in. Racing
then got underway in four leagues and the fourteen teams were
whittled down to just four for the knockout stage. The wind remained light but conditions were perfect for this
two boat team racing event. LMH dispatched of a strong St
Hugh’s team in the first semi-final with some well executed
team racing on the first upwind leg. The second semi- final was
somewhat closer and looked to be going Worcester’s way
before a late turn of speed from the Lincoln team led them
through to the final. Lincoln provided formidable opposition in a scrappy final,
which saw four penalty spins awarded in just one race. Amidst the
frantic team racing and heated debate from Lincoln, LMH held
their nerve, and took home the cuppers trophy.ARCHIVE: 3rd week TT 2004 

Outraged Oriel students have rallied round their college staff
in a confrontation over whether they should be allowed to drink
at the college bar. Two weeks ago the College Steward banned staff members from
drinking with students. The Steward, Jean Medd, was unavailable
for comment at the time of going to press but has provided no
official justification to either staff or students for his sudden
decision. The ban has been met with a combination of anger and
perplexity. The Steward has been described by one graduate
student, who wished to remain anonymous, as “an evil
man” who has soured relations between staff and the JCR for
some time. In response to the College’s actions, a motion was
brought at last weekend’s JCR meeting calling for the ban to
be lifted and college staff to be allowed to drink alongside
students just as they had done for centuries. The meeting was
attended by a “sizeable crowd” and the motion passed
unanimously. However, the JCR lacks the authority to decide who can and
cannot drink at the college bar and so the motion is little more
than a protest and signal of solidarity with college staff. One
member of the college told Cherwell that “the college is
notoriously bad at listening to its students and so I doubt
they’ll take any notice of this vote”. Other students argued this was about a broader principle than
simply drinking rights; Rhiannon Brooks explained, “The
college staff are very nice people and we are one college, one
community. This ban threatens the tight knit close atmosphere
that makes a small college like Oriel so special.”
Second-year lawyer Mohammed Khuram agreed that “healthy
relations existed between college staff and students” and
that he was outraged that these “good chaps should be forced
into an Upstairs, Downstairs relationship with students”. College staff echoed the views of students; one porter
commented, “There is a long tradition of porters drinking
with students. We are all members of the college after all and I
see no reason why we should not be treated as such. College staff
have been given no reason for why this ban has been introduced
and I’m pleased that the JCR are fighting it.”ARCHIVE: 3rd week TT 2004 

A teenage girl has been savagely raped while walking to school in Oxford. Thames Valley Police have appealed for witnesses and urged all women to be “vigilant and take extra care.” The fifteen-year old was walking along a footpath leading off Barracks Lane when the attacker struck at 9.20 on Monday morning. The teenager, who is now being looked after by specialist police officers and counselling services, was able to give a detailed description of her attacker. Police described the rapist as an unkempt white man in his late twenties. He is of medium build and has dark brown hair and stubble. They do not believe the incident is linked to any other indecent assaults in the area. The police are now carrying out door-to-door enquiries and urging people with information to come forward. Deputy Inspector Andy Bird of Oxford CID said, “This man has attacked a vulnerable young girl in the most shocking manner on her way to school. It was a terrible ordeal for her. We now need to find this man as soon as possible.” Bird continued, “Women of all ages are advised to be vigilant and take extra care when out alone.” Local residents, who described the footpath as a “no-go area” after dark, are said to be shocked that the attack happened so close to their homes, but acknowledged that the lane was notoriously rough. This week Thames Valley Police also issued a statement thanking the local press for their help with a recent appeal in connection with two separate indecent assaults against Oxford students near Cowley Road. Cherwell published police e-fits of suspects and reported the incidents two weeks ago urging anyone with information come forward. Detective Constable Mark Hill said, “I would like to thank the media for the coverage that has given us some positive leads in the investigation. However I would reiterate my appeal to women who may have been subjected to an indecent assault. You may well have vital information.” Anyone with information on any of these attacks should contact Oxford CID on 08458 505 505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.ARCHIVE: 3rd week TT 2004 

The rich, famous and powerful descended on Oxford last week. The Prime Minister of China, Wen Jiabao, took tea in Christ Church as part of his three-day visit to Britain. Sir Roger Bannister celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his sub-fourminute mile at Iffley Road Stadium. Chris Tarrant celebrated a Bentley’s 75th birthday in Oriel Square. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, gave a sermon at St Aldate’s Church. Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain’s former Ambassador to the UN and Special Reprasentative in Iraq, gave a lecture in the Exam Schools. Jo Brand launched a new book in Blackwell’s.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

LMH’s JCR is to hold a referendum on whether to allow a
mobile phone mast to be built in the College. The proposal from T-mobile would see an antenna constructed on
top of the College’s Sutherland building. If JCR members
approve the plans they will receive £4,000 a year, while the MCR
and SCR will each receive £2,000. The controversial offer has
provoked extensive and bitter debate in the JCR focusing on
scientific evidence over health concerns. The issue will now be
resolved through a referendum on the Thursday of Fifth Week. JCR Treasurer Craig Haffey is leading the support for the
plan. He told Cherwell, “The World Health Organisation and
virtually every industrialised country in the world have
independently spent millions of pounds on investigating microwave
radiation, and the overwhelming result is that it is of no
harm.” He claimed radiation will be “extremely
negligible”. A phone mast 100ft away produces 30,000 times less radiation
than a mobile held to someone’s ear. He said the extra money
could be used for “Blues Funding, new punts, student
bursaries, improved livingout support and much more.” Other
students are unhappy with the plans. Jamie Dear, who heads opposition to the mast, emphasised the
uncertainty of the research concerning the health effects of low
frequency radiation. He claimed there was compelling anecdotal
evidence of a detrimental effect on health. He pointed to a case
in Wishaw, North Birmingham, where “37 out of the 50
residents living in the immediate vicinity of the 70ft mast,
erected in 2000, developed some form of debilitating illness,
including 7 cases of cancer”. The mast proposed for LMH is 3 ft high, and over twenty times
smaller. Although there is no proof that the Wishaw mast was
responsible, Dear said “an extra £4000 a year would be
trivial in comparison to the health risks”. He added that
“the JCR has trouble spending its money anyway”, citing
a £2,600 budget surplus from last term. Opponents also dislike the fact that future JCR members
won’t have a free choice in accepting or rejecting the mast.
One languages student on her year abroad has already contacted
the college, requesting not to be housed in the vicinity of the
mast if the plan goes ahead. Lisa Oldham, Director of Mast Sanity, a group that campaigns
against masts being sited close to communities, said students
were not alone. “Thousands of people are trying to get masts
moved or trying to prevent new ones being placed near their
homes.”ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

Yesterday’s OUSU VP Women byelection was mired in
controversy as it emerged that one of the two candidates had not
mentioned her anti-abortion links on her manifesto. Lucy Underwood, one of the two candidates for the post, is the
current President of the Oxford Pro- Life Society, whose stated
aim is “to campaign around Oxford for the protection of
human life”. However the role of VP Women involves “producing the
Unplanned Pregnancy: Your Options pack and overseeing the work of
OUSU’s Promoting Choice Committee” as well as always
being “available to see students to give confidential
nondirective welfare support, particularly on pregnancy”. Ms Underwood, who has not been involved in political campaigns
on any issue apart from antiabortion before, mentions cutting
student numbers and post-exam celebrations on her manifesto but
fails to mention her Pro-Life role. Her only mention of pregnancy came under the title
“Choice and free speech for women” where she said that
“the pregnancy advisory handbook and OUSU counselling
services should be open to all legal organisations who wish to
advertise.” It is thought this was a reference to
OUSU’s long-standing policy not to allow the anti-abortion
organisation Life to advertise in the pregnancy advisory handbook
on the grounds that it provides directional advice. At hustings Ms Underwood claimed her Pro-Life links were
irrelevant and that OUSU should not take a “political
line” on the issue. She did explain to Cherwell that she had
declared her Pro-Life role on her nomination form and had no duty
to mention it on the manifesto. She explained that she hoped to
be able “to provide all the choices” to Oxford’s
women. Bex Wilkinson, Ms Underwood’s competitor and a former
OUSU Council Delegate and Executive Member, states quite openly
on her manifesto that she has been a Pro- Choice Officer and is
endorsed by former Pro-Choice Officers. Wilkinson won by a
landslide majority.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

The front page of The OxStu last week dramatically revealed
plans by various colleges to raise rents, almost six months after
Cherwell first broke the story. Cherwell reported that the Magdalen JCR had been informed of
the college’s intention to raise rents by 38% over 3 years,
including the Van Noorden index of Oxford specific inflation,
back in November of last year, in the seventh week edition of the
Michaelmas term. Cherwell also revealed an independent audit conducted for the
University, and the likelihood that it would recommend rent
rises, last October, in the first edition of the Michaelmas term. The confidential audit carried out by JM Consulting showed
that the true cost of students’ use of college rooms is
actually between £3,873 and £6,006, more than double the
figures which are currently charged. The Oxford Estates’ Bursars Committee has considered the
report’s findings and has prescribed an end to subsidies on
rent. The committee had previously expressed a desire to eliminate
subsidies on rooms by 2006. If the full rent rise is carried through and combined with the
introduction of top-up fees, the cost of a degree might rise to
£10,000 a year.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004