Pun writers had a field day this week as it was announced that
an Oxford public lavatory might be converted into student living
quarters. Prospective developers Mr and Mrs Cubby plan to transform the
former toilet block in Cripley Road into an affordable
one-bedroom student flat. The Council closed the city centre
convenience in 2000 partly because of its frequent use as a
rendez-vous for casual sex. Speaking to Cherwell, Cluttons estate agent Robert Harrison
claimed that either students or young professionals commuting to
London would be interested, despite admitting it was “quite
possibly” previously used for cottaging. “I would
certainly live there if it was a trendy, upmarket one-bedroom
flat,” he claimed. Oxford’s most famous toilet is a dream come true for
tabloid punners. The four-hundred square foot property, which
could sell for £135,000, has been variously described as a
building with “a wee bit of history” and a “flat
at your convenience.” The recent boom in property prices has sent the cost of
housing in Oxford soaring. An average Oxford house now costs
£250,000. This has boosted demand for lower-cost housing,
particularly for students. Students differed on whether they would be happy living in an
former toilet. Second-year Politics, Philosophy and Economics
student Robert Bassett mused, “It isn’t designed for
living in, it’s designed for having a crap in.” Univ historian Alex Beecroft was less hostile to the idea.
“I spend a lot of my time in a toilet anyway, so living in
one wouldn’t be much of a change.”ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

Cambridge students are "living in fear” after four
people have been stabbed in apparently motiveless attacks in the
city centre. Police believe the attacks – which were all
carried out by a lone man on a bicycle – are probably
linked, and are advising all Cambridge residents to “review
their safety”. The first attack was on Thursday 29 April when an eighteen-
year old woman was stabbed whilst walking home alone late at
night. Five days later, a Churchill College student was stabbed in
similar circumstances. The college told Cherwell that the victim
is “still obviously frightened, but she’s putting on a
brave face.” Two further attacks took place on Saturday 8
May. A 36 year-old man and a 25 year-old woman were stabbed in
separate incidents. The man had been walking through the centre
of Cambridge with his girlfriend, while the female victim was
walking alone. All four victims needed hospital treatment. Det. Sgt Alan Page, who is leading the investigation, has
urged Cambridge residents to avoid walking alone and to be
vigilant if travelling through the city late at night.
“There seems to be no motive for this man’s
attacks,” Page explained, “he has not said anything and
nothing has been taken.” Students are advised to
“arrange a lift or call a taxi if possible” when
travelling home in the evening. Churchill College has revised its own safety measures.
Students have been reminded that the college runs a free taxi
service for any student who finds themselves alone in the city
centre and unable to get home. “The problem is that not
everyone takes advanatge of it,” admitted one member of
staff. Students at Cambridge are “incredibly worried”
about the incidents: Varsity Editor Reggie Vettasseri said,
“People think that this is just a sleepy university town and
these attacks have caused great fear all the way through the
university community.” Oxford, too, has recently suffered a series of attacks as
reported by Cherwell last week. A fresh incident occured in Watlington on 8 May at 9 in the
evening, when a female cyclist was attacked and sexually
assaulted by a white man though to be about 35. Police have
warned women to be on their guard when walking or cycling in
secluding areas, and have have advised against going out alone at
night.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

A New college student was arrested for running out in front of
a car which was part of the Chinese Prime Minister’s convey.
Second year Matt Sellwood was part of a group of protesters who
interupted Wen Jiabao’s visit to Oxford on Monday. The students, some of whom were members of the Oxford Tibet
Society, were demonstrating against the Chinese government’s
Tibet policy. The incident took place during Jiabao’s visit
to the new Chemistry research building on Parks Road. Having run
into the path of the oncoming car, Sellwood was apprehended
swiftly by officers, and taken by police van to the St
Aldate’s police station. He was held there until being bailed, awaiting charges under
the Public Order Act. His case will be heard at Oxford
Magistrates’ Court on 18 May, though he will not face
custodial charges. Meanwhile, the rest of the Chinese politician’s tour
proceeded smoothly, although protestors followed him to Christ
Church, where he took tea.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

A man assaulted two Lincoln students last week, one of them
inside the College grounds. Police were called shortly after 1am
on Saturday morning, when the man attacked a student on the
street before entering Lincoln House and assaulting another
student. He was restrained by one of the victim’s friends
until the police arrived. Jason Pawluk, a Lincoln Student, was crossing Turl Street to
Lincoln House directly opposite the college. He told Cherwell a
man approached him in his early twenties who “appeared to be
heavily intoxicated.” The student tried to avoid the drunken man but suffered a
glancing blow: “I was uninjured but a little shaken by the
experience.” Shortly after, the intruder entered Lincoln
House where he assaulted Alex Bates, a student from Hertford
College before another Hertford student, Andrew Macdonald,
wrestled the man to the ground. Witness Sasha Taylor, of
Magdalen, and friends were leaving after an evening spent at a
school reunion. The man sped past Taylor, but she merely presumed
he was a Lincoln student returning from a night out, until she
turned to see Macdonald fighting with the intruder. The police then arrived to find the man restrained and the
situation under control. Taylor explained, “I waited until
the police had intervened and then went across to see how Andrew
was, when I found that it was Alex who had the real shock in
taking the initial punch.” The police warned the drunken man that his behaviour was
unacceptable, but decided not to arrest him.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

Both The OxStu and The Times reported last
week that two pictures were stolen from the Oxford Union Society,
but it would appear as though both newspapers may have been
mistaken. One of the ‘missing’ pictures is a portrait of
former Union President and British Prime Minister William Ewart
Gladstone, yet we are told it is not an “original”
print, despite having some sentimental value. The other missing item is the debate order of 9 February 1933
– a record of the day on which declared they would not fight
for the nation, passing the motion by 275 votes to 153. The
result of the debate lead Winston Churchill to famously condemn
the society. Georgina Costa, this term’s President of the Union, told
Cherwell that the pictures are no longer on the society’s
walls, but that there are copies in the Union’s archives.
She said that the situation “looked more serious than it
was” at that time. Meanwhile journalist Andrew Pierce, who wrote the article in The
Times, responded to users of website Oxford Gossip ridiculing
the story by emailing the site moderator stating: "if the
presidednt [sic] of the union says its the only one, i thought
that would be good enough". The archives are not at the Union’s buildings at Frewin
Court, and so it has not yet been possible to ascertain whether
the pictures, or copies of them, are definitely there.
Investigations are said to be continuing.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

30,000 people turned up to watch the sixth annual Oxford
Balloon Festival last weekend although strong winds hampered the
performance of the balloons, a record number of which were on
display. The two day event started at Cutteslowe Park on Saturday night
with a fireworks display and a light show. Sunday saw 36
balloons, including a massive Russian airship, launched into
Oxford skies.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

Government ministers have been urged to encourage the
replacement of celebrity university chancellors with professional
fundraisers. The initiative is a result of new recommendations from the
Government’s task force on student endowments, which states
that chancellors should be paid, providing they spend several
days a week raising money for their university. The Government is
desperate for British universities to emulate their American
counterparts by becoming effective fundraisers. Chris Patten, the current Oxford Chancellor, who spends the
majority of his time working at the European Commission, is
unlikely to see his job change despite the proposals. Then right
to vote in the election for the life-long post of Oxford
Chancellor is extended to Oxford graduates only, meaning the
Government has no say in the matter. A University spokeswoman
informed Cherwell, “It is unrealistic for a university to
tie its Chancellor down to two or three days a week fundraising.
Currently money is raised through a University bursary initiative
which gives sufficient help to poorer students.”ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

More that 200 protesters took part in a candlelit vigil last
Saturday in opposition to the proposal for a new asylum centre
near Oxford. The complex is intended to house 750 asylum seekers and will
be built on land between Arncott and Piddington. The High Court
rejected an appeal against the construction of the centre in
March. The vigil was organised by the Bicester Action group and was
supported by the Conservative MP for Banbury, Tony Baldry, who
has been a dedicated opponent of the plans. He claims, “The
idea of fitting asylum seekers into the Oxford countryside is a
crazy policy.” If it is built, the complex will become the temporary home of
an estimated 400 single men, 50 single women and 300 family
members, while they await a verdict on whether they can stay in
the country permanently. Although the centre is theoretically self-sufficient,
residents are free to leave and return as they please. This has
led to apprehension among locals.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

Oxford University could soon be in serious conflict with the
colleges over its future. University authorities are planning
radical changes to ensure that Oxford’s status as a
world-class institution is secure. Part of the plan is to make the University run more like an
efficient business. Several policies suggest that Oxford is keen
to keep up with its rivals, particularly the leading American
universities, by centralising the administration system. In
practical terms, authority will move away from colleges to the
central University offices. The change is likely to cause friction between the University
and the colleges, which all have a proud tradition of
independence and are expected to fight attempts at change. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Bill Macmillan’s plans for the next
16 years include a policy to expand the number of graduates by
1.9% each year. Admitting more graduates to the university is
often a lucrative means of fund raising, especially if the
University’s reputation continues to secure the attention of
overseas students. It remains to be seen if the it will consult all its students
before adopting such a radical approach, and, if the changes are
controversial, what action the student body will take. The University and various colleges declined to comment.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004 

The Balliol Summer Event took place last Saturday, but the
traditional Oxford black tie was conspicuously lacking. Balliol’s answer to the college ball attracted 600
people, but no dress code at all. The evening was an opportunity
for Balliol to showcase its distinct identity, and its
informality has been described as “typically lefty.” The main attraction was the presence of DJ Yoda, who is well
known in British hip-hop. DJ Yoda, having attended several Oxford
college black tie occasions, described the Balliol Summer Event
as a “ghetto ball”.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004