Friday, May 30, 2025
Blog Page 33

Sowunmi, Wantoe, Brown, Pryce elected as voter turnout falls

Bryn Mollet
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Sowunmi, Wantoe, Brown, Pryce elected as voter turnout falls

Seun Sowunmi has been elected as Undergraduate Officer, Wantoe T. Wantoe as Postgraduate Officer, Alisa Brown as Welfare, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, and Shermar Pryce as Communities and Common Room Officer in the latest SU elections. In total, 1471 people voted out of a total student population of over 26,000 students – compared to last year’s turnout of 4206 students, this year saw a 65% drop.

This is the first set of elections since the abolition of the position of president, under the new “flat” structure. It also follows the resignation of SU President Dr Addi Haran early last month, who cited “institutional malpractice” as the reason for her departure. 

Pryce won 712 votes against Leo Buckley’s 278 for Communities and Common Room Officer. Pryce’s manifesto said he wished to re-introduce the role of President, reform Trustee Board appointments, and “prevent future erosion” of democratic structures. In his role as Communities and Common Room Officer, he has said he will address college disparities and give powers of society registration and funding to the SU instead of the University Proctors. 

Three candidates ran for Welfare, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, making it the most contested position in the election. Brown received a majority of the votes, with 645 compared to 235 for Honcques Laus and Grace Chalhoub’s 147. Brown’s manifesto included a list of “12 changes in 12 months” which included promises such as meal vouchers for low-income students, ring-fenced funding for balls and formals, free sanitary products in every University building, and lobbying Blues committees for gender equality. 

Sowunmi beat Henry Morris with 735 votes to 204 to become Undergraduate Officer. She ran on a platform of holding the SU accountable and improving its transparency. She promised to improve the SU website, the room booking system, create a guide to the University mental health services, and lobby the University to diversify the Counselling Service staff. 

Wantoe ran uncontested for the position of Postgraduate Officer, gaining 735 votes, whilst there were 199 votes to re-open nominations. His manifesto focused on improving financial and mental health support for postgraduates, particularly international students.

Council invests £1 million in Covered Market

Joshua McGillivray
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Council invests £1 million in Covered Market

Oxford City Council has reserved over £1 million for the purpose of “future-proofing” the city’s Covered Market. This sum will bring the Council’s total investment in the site to £8 million.

The money has been allocated for the purposes of improving the sustainability of the indoor market’s drainage and electrics and utilities, and strengthening the location’s accessibility and appeal by refining its lighting, signage and decoration.

Moreover, members of the Council also hope to remove any outdated services and fittings and to improve the environmental friendliness of the infrastructure by increasing its electrical capacity and arranging low-carbon initiatives.

There are also plans to create a public square, a seating area, to restructure the service yard, and to improve the entrances on both High Street and Broad Street. The Covered Market itself will remain open throughout these changes.

The Council has said that they aim to ensure that the market “remains a vibrant and sustainable hub for independent businesses, residents and visitors for generations to come.”

The Covered Market was first constructed in 1774 and has been a renowned and esteemed element of the city ever since. It was designated a Grade II listed building in 2000, and was visited by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2017.

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth commented: “Throughout its long history, Oxford’s Covered Market has gone through transformations to ensure its continued relevance and character. This additional funding will enable another of those historic milestones, shaping the Market for future generations.”

Hollingsworth also said: “We understand there will be concerns about disruption, so we will work closely with tenants and stakeholders throughout the process to keep them informed and involved. We’ll listen to their needs and make sure we do everything we can to meet them as the project is planned and then delivered.”

The Council will organise design and planning applications later this year, and on-site work at the Covered Market will begin in late 2026.

Researchers confirm existence of exoplanet in the habitable zone

Isaac Gavaghan
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Researchers confirm existence of exoplanet in the habitable zone

An international team of researchers has confirmed the existence of an exoplanet first identified by Oxford researcher Dr Michael Cretignier in 2022. Researchers have described the planet as “among the closest Earth-analogues we know about” giving it promising research potential. 

An exoplanet is a planet which orbits a star outside our own Solar System. This particular exoplanet has a mass six times that of earth and orbits around its host star every 647 days. Importantly, like Earth, the planet has an elliptical orbit in the ‘Goldilocks’ or ‘habitable’ zone, which refers to an area around a host star where liquid water can exist – an essential ingredient for supporting life. 

The exoplanet, known as HD 20794 d, was confirmed by analysing 20 years of data from the HARPS and ESPRESSO spectrographs in Chile, which are instruments used to discern the composition and motion of celestial objects through separating light into its component colours. The lead author of the paper which confirmed the planet’s existence, Nicola Nari, noted that “very few instruments in the world can achieve the level of precision required for a discovery like this.”

The exoplanet can be considered a near neighbour given that it is only 20 light years from our own Solar System. According to Dr Cretignier in the University of Oxford press release this means that “there is hope for future space missions to obtain an image of it”. He added “I am now very enthusiastic to hear what other scientists can tell us about this newly discovered planet.”
The discovery has created exciting opportunities for future research. Fellow researcher Alejandro Suárez Mascareño said that while the planet is not a second home for humans, its position and orbit pattern give scientists a unique opportunity to study how conditions for habitability can change over time and how such variations may influence the evolution of the planet’s atmosphere. 

Galentine’s: The real love story

Anita Okunde
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Galentine’s: The real love story

My first proper Galentine’s Day was my first year of university, and honestly? It was one of the most wholesome nights of my life. Picture this: a chaotic shopping trip for heart-shaped decorations at Flying Tiger, a lot of questionable budgeting decisions, and an obscene amount of fairy lights. The joy of transforming a random college room into a pink-and-red paradise was unmatched. Of course, the price tag was less joyful, but what is financial responsibility when you are making memories? My memories associated with Galentine’s will always be ones of pure happiness and community, but I definitely believe the aesthetics should match.

Valentine’s Day? Cute. But Galentine’s? Revolutionary. There is something wildly powerful about a group of girls coming together to celebrate each other, proving that love is not reserved for candlelit dinners and cheesy couple posts. It is also the late-night venting sessions, the emergency snack runs, and the friends who make life a little less terrifying.

There is also something so refreshing about putting real energy into friendships the way people do for romantic relationships. The matching pyjamas and coordinated Instagram posts are fun, but the real magic of Galentine’s is in the way it makes friendships feel as valuable as relationships. Society loves to push the idea that romantic love is the ultimate goal, but have you ever experienced the sheer power of a room full of women hyping each other up?

Of course, capitalism has caught on. The world was quick to monetise a day dedicated to single girls, because nothing escapes the marketing machine. There are targeted sales, themed gifts, and more pink-themed everything than you could ever imagine. And yes, I contributed to the economy with my impulse purchases. But you know what? If I am going to be spending money, I would rather it be on a night that makes my friends feel loved and celebrated rather than overpriced roses and underwhelming chocolates. That all goes to say that the capitalist nature of the holiday, like any other, can creep up unintentionally and when you least expect it. Even I have fallen victim to the over perfect Galentine’s Instagram picture, over-curated and not as fun as the memories of the activities that it showcases.

The real beauty of Galentine’s is that it flips the narrative. It is a reminder that love is not only for romance. It celebrates community, support, and, frankly, girl power. In a world that constantly pits women against each other, choosing to uplift your friends is a radical act. So here’s to the platonic soulmates, the 2am crisis responders, the girls who will listen to you cry about the same situationship 50 times (even on Galentine’s), and the girls who will scream “Slay” at you across the dancefloor.

Love is love, and there is no greater love than girls supporting girls. Happy Galentine’s to all the amazing women at this university. May we know them, may we be them, may we celebrate them!

Mini-crossword: HT25 Week 4

Zoë McGuire
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Created by Cherwell Editors with the crossword builder from Amuse Labs

Previous mini-crosswords:

For more crosswords and other puzzles, pick up a Cherwell print issue from your JCR/Plodge!

A manifesto on self-care: Going back to basics

Sophie Lyne
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A manifesto on self-care: Going back to basics

Searching “self-care” on TikTok will inevitably leave you a little confused about how best to spend your ‘me time’. Some videos take a wellness angle – emphasising green juice, pilates, and hot girl walks. Some promote beautification – biweekly hair masks, exfoliating, and taking coconut oil baths. Others suggest we should prioritise simple pleasures like comfort foods, favourite TV shows, a cosy bed and candles. Which is correct? 

The TikTok model of self-care is somewhat problematic. Firstly, it’s highly commercial – often suggested videos are actually adverts for sponsored products. While I understand the benefits of retail therapy, it’s a depressing and out of touch notion that the only way to show yourself love is by buying an expensive moisturiser. 

Another issue is that self-care on TikTok is solely aimed towards women. A search for “self-care for men” yields basic hygiene and appearance related videos. It is certainly true that many of the beauty rituals typically classified as “self-care” tend to be more closely associated with women’s health and wellness. But surely caring for both your physical and mental health should transcend gender barriers? 

I have long held a rather different view of self-care, focusing on small-scale, intentionally self-indulgent acts instead of a three-hour bath routine. For me, self-care is as simple as going beyond what is necessary in order to make yourself that extra bit happier. It can be done little and often, in basically any context. 

I think we should care for ourselves in the same way that others show us care. My dad, one of the kindest people I know, is big on the little, whimsical gestures of love. When I was younger, he liked to arrange my food in shapes: flowers of cucumber sticks, towers of toast squares. Once, my mum asked for half of his wagon wheel, and rather than breaking one down the middle, my dad cut a heart shape out of the centre (which we all know is the best bit of a wagon wheel). These acts are not necessary and don’t require much extra effort, but go a long way in cheering someone up. 

A friend recently sent me a picture of the chicken wrap she made for dinner, and I noticed she had toasted the outside of the wrap. This, I told her, is self-care. It’s not necessary: it doesn’t add nutritional value, and the dinner would have been fine without it. It takes time and adds an extra pan to your washing up. But it made her happy. 

As Oxford students, we are very busy. Many of us are taking sole responsibility for basic self-sustaining acts – cooking, cleaning, laundry – for the first time in our lives. It’s easy to get lost in the academic, social whirlwind that is an Oxford term, and revert to doing the bare minimum to take care of ourselves. An expensive, time-consuming, over-commercialised view of self-care isn’t useful for us. But I don’t think this means we should reject it as a concept entirely.

Maybe when you make your bed, you should tuck in the covers like they do in a hotel. Or when you clean your bathroom, make  one of those fancy triangle toilet paper folds. Plate your food up nicely, rather than eating out of the pan. You’d probably do this sort of thing for someone else. Maybe it’s time we show the same love and care to ourselves. 

In the Beginning

Flavius Covaci
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In the Beginning

I was alone with the earth and the sun before you
came along: there was no life, no song, not even words.
My hope had been lost to the breeze, reveries strung up
on imagined poplar trees. Before war, before Ramses. You
were still nebular then, too embryonic to be captured by
the tip of my fountain pen. Before fear, before rain,
before prose or pain.
I was left to despair,
to beat hard ground until it yielded
love somewhere. This was before the Lord’s prayer,
before Lord—and I swear I cried gold on the day the moon
broke its mould and released you. Out of the strata of
the rock and the bacteria of yet uninvented livestock,
you came forth. My new sun.

Loch Ness Monster less likely than Chewbacca: Oxford scientist

Joshua McGillivray
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Loch Ness Monster less likely than Chewbacca: Oxford scientist

University of Oxford biology professor Timothy Coulson has recently argued against the existence of cryptids such as the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and the Yeti in an article written for The European. Coulson cites the lack of credible evidence and their incompatibility with evolutionary science, concluding that they are all just “fun figments of our imagination.”

Professor Coulson argues that the extensive effort to survey biodiversity, including the use of highly effective camera traps, makes it extraordinarily unlikely that any large, undiscovered species remain undetected. Hundreds of these motion-activated cameras have been deployed for years in areas where Bigfoot and the Yeti are rumoured to exist, yet not a single credible recording has surfaced. For these large animals, the probability of their absence exceeds 99% relatively quickly.

Professor Coulson told Cherwell: “It is more likely that somewhere in the universe, Chewbacca’s cousins are living on a planet they call Kashyyyk.”

At Oxford, Coulson is a Professorial Fellow at Jesus College and former head of Zoology. His work focuses on how changes in apex predator numbers impact ecosystems over long time periods. Coulson has just published his first popular science book entitled A Universal History of Us: A 13 Billion Year Tale from the Big Bang to You, which explores the origins of the human species by incorporating many different scientific disciplines.

In the article, he argues that biologically, Bigfoot’s existence is unlikely. Great apes evolved in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and the only one to reach North America is Homo sapiens, arriving just 16,000 years ago—far too recent for a new species to evolve.

Similarly, the Loch Ness Monster is frequently speculated to be a close relative of the plesiosaur, a marine reptile that went extinct 66 million years ago. While fossil evidence confirms that plesiosaurs existed before the dinosaur extinction, no remains have been discovered of the millions of plesiosaurs that would have existed since then if the species had survived up to the present.

Professor Coulson finds belief in cryptids amusing, noting, “You can’t have a sensible discussion with people who do not look at evidence and make up evidence-free narratives in their head. There is little prospect of changing the mind of such folk.” He has “more rewarding things to spend my time on than engaging in a futile debate.”

As for the Loch Ness Monster, scientific exploration has been far less extensive. While it’s impossible to rule out every unknown species, the idea that a large, undiscovered creature has gone unnoticed for decades is highly improbable. Professor Coulson tells Cherwell that people who still choose to believe in the existence of these creatures dismiss concrete evidence against their existence and pin their beliefs to hoax photos. He notes an anecdote of a large model of the Loch Ness Monster created for a film reportedly being lost in the Loch—potentially fueling mistaken sightings.

Unlike cryptids, Coulson acknowledges a “good possibility” that aliens exist. While we have thoroughly explored Bigfoot and Yeti habitats, we have only studied a “very tiny fragment” of the universe. Our search for extraterrestrial life has lasted just a century—a blink in the 13.8-billion-year history of the universe—and our technology remains far from capable of exploring it fully.

But regarding belief in cryptids, Coulson isn’t too concerned, remarking, “Let them believe their nonsense if it makes them happy.”

Mac Miller grapples with mortality on ‘Balloonerism’

Ferdy Al-Qassab
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Mac Miller grapples with mortality on ‘Balloonerism’

When the ‘D’ rings out from the organ on the dream-like second track of Mac Miller’s Balloonerism, it feels like the beginning of an ascent into open heavens. It’s ironic but fitting that the artist’s latest posthumous release is one so outwardly concerned with his own mortality. Mac first speaks over five minutes into the LP, grappling with the inevitability of his own death. He treats his rise to fame as the opening of a Pandora’s Box that solidified his fate as a doomed star, musing:  

“I gave my life to this shit, already killed myself.” 

Miller spoke openly about his drug use during his life, and Balloonerism is no different from the rest of his catalogue in tackling the subject of addiction. Speaking on his Faces mixtape – recorded around the same time as Balloonerism in 2014 – Mac remarked: “every song is about coke and drugs”. Whilst Faces feels like the work of an artist in a downward spiral, Balloonerism sounds as if it were recorded in a state of purgatory. On the track ‘Excelsior’, Miller reminisces about his early life amidst the sounds of playing children: “Me I used to want to be a wizard, when did life get so serious? Whatever happened to apple juice and cartwheels.” This makes for haunting listening knowing the eventual outcome of Mac’s life – an outcome that Miller himself seemed already aware of – but also acts as commentary on his musical progression from the care-free to the introspective. 

Sonically and stylistically, Balloonerism fills a gap in the Miller canon between the playful frat-rap of his early mixtapes and the sincerity of his later work. This is the work of a maturing musician, and an early instance of Mac using his craft as an outlet for his anxieties about mortality. No track exemplifies this better than ‘Funny Papers’, in which Mac jokes about seeing reports of a suicide in the ‘funny papers’ – a Second World War term for the cartoon section of a newspaper. There’s an effortlessness in the way he juxtaposes the joyful with the somber. Even in the wake of a first verse tackling a subject as heavy as suicide, it’s hard not to smile hearing Mac’s playful tone on the refrain: “The moon’s wide awake with a smile on his face as he smuggles constellations in a suitcase.” 

Just as his lyrics tackle existential questions with almost childlike metaphor, Mac’s delivery glides between languid and upbeat throughout the album. The more upbeat ‘Stoned’ sees Mac rapping over a hallucinatory beat that fuses psychedelic chirps with a head-bopping guitar riff, but despite its hooks it is still clear this is not a grab for commercial success, but another fragment of an album that Mac is making for himself and his most devoted fans. This undeniable honestly persists in the final two tracks, with the hopeful refrain of “the best is yet to come” on album-highlight ‘Rick’s Piano’ bearing truth regarding the exceptional quality of Miller’s later work. It is after all impossible to listen to Balloonerism without lamenting not only the loss of the man, but of the music he was yet to produce.  

The twelve-minute closer feels like the end of the ascent that began at the start of the album, with Mac’s words inevitably lingering on the mind:  

“Living and dying are one and the same.” 

Clear handballs, dodgy calls and ‘learn the rules’

Noah Robson
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Clear handballs, dodgy calls and ‘learn the rules’

“Fancy reffing my football match today?”

It was an innocent enough message. My footballing ability might not be much to shout about, but I know the game well enough. Plus, this would be a 2s match – and anyone who’s been involved in the reserves’ divisions knows the standard isn’t exactly elite.

‘Why not?’ I thought to myself. ‘I’ll head up there, run around a bit, and try something new. What’s the worst that can happen?’

So I arrived at the sports ground, where after introducing myself to both sides, I was helpfully given a whistle. It was at this point that I realised something I’d never properly appreciated about the role of the referee: just how lonely it is. There’s something indescribably humiliating about doing half-arsed heel flicks in the middle of the pitch by yourself, whilst 20-plus people perform equally begrudging warm-ups at opposing ends.

With the home team having the luxury of substitutes, two were co-opted to be my linesmen. It didn’t help that one of them didn’t know the offside rule, but it was better than nothing.

It all started off quite smoothly. There were a few teething problems, but the most contentious decision for the first half an hour or so was whether to award a foul throw (I didn’t – this is 2s football).

I gradually got used to keeping up with play, signalling decisions, and even found myself playing an advantage. Was it all really this easy? Maybe I’d missed my calling all along? I got to watch (an admittedly low quality) football game and be involved at the heart of it all, whilst laughing with players about their ability (or lack thereof, as I could sympathise with).

It was that false sense of security, however, that would prove my downfall. In football, things can change in an instant, and so when a player from the away side went down in the penalty area, I suddenly had a decision to make. It felt like time slowed down, with every one of the 22 players turning towards me, waiting for me to either point to the spot, or wave play on.

Now, I’ve not named the teams involved, but those there that day can probably deduce which match this refers to. If they have, they’ll know that of my short lived refereeing career, this was not my finest moment. I could make excuses as to how quickly it happened, and how my view was blocked, but the truth is I should’ve given a penalty. It was a foul, and whilst the attacker went down theatrically (something he didn’t particularly appreciate me telling him immediately afterwards), it didn’t matter.

At that moment, however, I froze. I decided that because I wasn’t absolutely certain it was a penalty, I couldn’t give it, regardless of the incessant calls for me to do so. So, with all of the confidence I could muster, I waved play on. “Not a foul!” I shouted, to the disbelief of the away side (and, more concerningly, some of the home team too).

For the next five minutes, it was all I could think about. I knew I’d messed up and whilst this match hardly had the highest of stakes, I was desperate not to be the reason why one team did or didn’t get a result. So when that same away side scored just before half time I was genuinely relieved. One player ran past and celebrated in front of me. “F*cking disallow that!” he shouted. Ignoring the fact I hadn’t actually disallowed any of their goals, I was nevertheless pleased that my decision was no longer the main story.

The second half is where things turned, with various fouls moving the game into more feisty territory. I did my best to control things (although, without actually having any cards to give out, this was a challenge), but tempers continued to flare.

Those tensions were only exacerbated when, at the very same end I had failed to give a penalty to the away team, I gave one for the home side. In my defence (which, funnily enough, none of the away players seemed to agree with), it was a pretty blatant handball, but upon being told to “learn the f*cking rules,” I don’t think I’d convinced most.

So it was 1-1, I’d given one team a penalty, failed to give a clear one to the other, and every five seconds I was having to blow for a foul to prevent someone’s legs getting broken. It wasn’t ideal.

The away team going ahead again got them off my back (briefly), but an equaliser soon after meant we headed into the final stages level. Frankly – and this is probably not an opinion I should have held as an ‘unbiased’ referee – I was happy with that. It meant neither side would be hugely aggrieved with me, and I could walk away without worrying too much about that penalty decision.

89 minutes had gone, still 2-2. It was getting closer. A few daft tackles slowed the game down even more, and I was not about to add on swathes of injury time. But then the home side found themselves on a counter. As I sprinted up the pitch, I prayed the attacker would miss.

So when the forward slotted it home, I stood motionless. Almost immediately, I had an away player jog past me: “That’s your fault, you f*cking idiot”. ‘Cheers for that,’ I thought.

There was, at this point, no time left. I blew my whistle, and breathed a sigh of relief that it was over. I shook hands with everyone, expecting more criticism. But to my shock, I got none.

In fact, I got praise. “Well done for dealing with that mate.” “Hard work with some of them.” Even the abuser-in-chief, who had just five minutes earlier blamed me for the loss, thanked me for coming down.

I’ve been guilty of it myself – becoming an entirely different person as soon as the game finishes. I even did it as a referee: I’m not sure I’d ever tell a group of people abusing me to “just calm down, lads” in any other walk of life. But for some reason, for 90 minutes, it becomes the norm.

So would I do it again? Probably not. 

Would I recommend other people give it a go? Also probably not.

And would I do anything differently? Not really. Probably just learn the f*cking rules.

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