Saturday, May 3, 2025
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‘All the world’s a stage’: Culture in translation

Sofía Sanabria de Felipe
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‘All the world’s a stage’: Culture in translation

With Shakespeare’s birth and death date happening on the 23rd of April, I’ve been thinking about what a great man he was. So many plays. Such a legacy left behind for the world to enjoy. Generation after generation finding ways to adapt his work to contemporary settings, finding meaning in every scene and soliloquy; the desire to interpret his works never ever fully satisfied. He was, after all, the man who unlocked the secret that is human nature. That managed to encapsulate it so perfectly in his characters. It is because of this ability of his that his early modern works still seem to speak to us. That we laugh at his slapstick jokes, cry or rejoice at the death of renowned characters, an ever-growing feeling of “relatedness” running through the theatrical experience. And yet, I couldn’t help but wonder how it came to be that a man in the early modern period, gifted and great as he was, managed to unlock that secret. Managed to crack the code that would put an end to futile disagreements between individuals and give way to at least a couple of hours of entertainment for the many, existential realisations for the few. Somehow, despite asserting it in countless essays, I came to doubt the validity of such a statement.

As humans, our experience of the world seems to be some sort of continuous dialogue between the external socio-political, cultural context, and our internal psychological and emotional systems. We can’t help but use the hermeneutics that these external systems provide us to express our internal perception of our experience to others, and it is often in that process of expression that we manage to make sense of it in the first place. In simpler terms, our experience of the world and our place within it is undoubtedly shaped by the language and culture we’re surrounded by. Which brings me to my original point: how could it be that a man, writing in the 16th century, in a single language, had managed to crack the universality of human nature?

It seems obvious that he hadn’t. And there are a number of ways of demonstrating this.

As someone who’s had the privilege of being raised in an environment where learning many languages and being exposed to different cultures was not only encouraged, but often facilitated, the idea that emotions and experiences feel very different depending on the language and context, is quite a recurring theme in my life. I found it ridiculously endearing when I first learned in French that to “miss someone” was described as “you are missing from me”, a fact which seemed to strengthen the idea that relationships involve a relation between two individuals, between two counterparts. I was often confused at the claims made by people who commented on the harshness of the German language, that it spurred in them a recollection of aggressive experiences and emotions. Funny, to me German had always seemed soft, soothing, and comforting. But then again, my years living in the country lie amongst the fondest of my childhood memories…

It’s taken me a while to understand what people mean when they say that French and Italian speak the language of love and seduction. For years all they seemed to me were grammatical structures to play around with and learn, associate with them with Latin and Spanish to make sense of them all, and further my study of them along. There was no room for love in this barren, artificial approach to them. Of course, there wasn’t. Because love, as edgy and mysterious an emotion as it may be, is undoubtedly something associated with feeling, part of the organic essence of language, part of that crucial interrelationship between the internal and external circumstances of experience. So, it couldn’t possibly be found solely through grammatical structures. Or my experience of a French lesson in school, for that matter. No; it required a setting. A set of characters. A plot. And a soundtrack. And it was recently that I found that, neatly wrapped up in Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The development of the relationship between Marianne and Héloïse was painted across a canvas of cinematic windy beach walks, and it was to the soundtrack of the French language that I was able to interpret it, able to understand, for once, what people had meant about French-speaking the language of love.

I was having a rather geeky conversation with a friend about phonetics the other day. He asked me how a particular feature of English phonetics would translate into Spanish, how it would sound like. My immediate response was that it would sound like an upper-class teenager, who spent their summers in some kind of yacht in Miami. He laughed (reacted) and asked me to replicate that. Naturally, I couldn’t for the life of me do it. It wasn’t because I didn’t know what I was referring to, nor because I hadn’t been exposed to it before. So I went online. Went onto YouTube to see if I could find a clip of Lu from Élite, one of Netflix’s Spanish shows that I’m helplessly addicted to, speaking. I sent it over and that was largely the end of the conversation. But it did make me wonder how and why my brain had decided to collate the two, a linguistic phenomenon and a cultural paradigm, together. Maybe it was because that was something I’d unconsciously picked up on from the way my classmates spoke in school. Maybe because it had become a rather vivid image of my experience of upper class, youth Spanish culture, now, albeit in exaggerated form, made available by a binge-watchable show.  

Naturally, none of these unlock the secrets of human nature. They are all still very much a part of the Western world cultural tradition and as such further the accomplishments of Shakespeare only ever so slightly. There is, undoubtedly, a milliard of cultures that I have, as of yet, not been able to experience. And some that I may never experience at all, at least not in the same manner as others. But there was a point to this. A point to my reflection of the experience of how language and culture have brought me closer to that “unlocking” of human nature. Far from giving me a definition, it’s made me more acutely aware of the role language plays in mediating between our internal and external experiences of the world around us. It’s made me crave an ever-growing desire to experience these other cultures, these other sides that makeup if there is such a thing, universal human experience. Which is why, even if it is with subtitles in the language of that great bard who first sparked interest in a genuine possibility to unlock the secrecy of human nature, I shall proceed to embark myself on a voyage of multicultural experience, fencing against layers of meaning, the impact of historical, socio-political events, that remain imbedded in these languages, generations on.

Review: Richard II

Allyson Obber
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Review: Richard II

Not Way Forward Productions has managed to put up a brilliant virtual version of ‘Richard II’ in pre-recorded video format. It is well-executed – a good effort that overcomes many of the hurdles that an online play might face. It runs at less than an hour long with accurately adapted Shakespearean dialogue – if that feels daunting, there are subtitles – that follows Richard II, an inept king (or queen, in this adaptation) and a very flawed man (or woman, in this case), clumsily governing England as the people start rebelling and the nobles conspire against him.

The format of the play must be commended as well. It is online, and, while it is clearly because of the current pandemic, it was also brilliantly used as a framing device for the story, using Zoom meetings and phone calls as the methods of communication between characters. It gives the story a very realistic atmosphere, as characters are limited in space and action, and elements such as set design or costumes cannot bring cohesion to the play in the way they normally would – while still being tastefully selected. In some way, this weirdly intimate format makes the characters feel more like actual people.

This is helped by Dorothy McDowell’s great directing. There is not a moment where the scene feels slow: stillness and movement are carefully balanced, with the actors showing the idiosyncrasies of their characters very well. From Northumberland’s (Harry Berry) composure and self-assurance, to York’s (Lola Beal) anxieties and resignation, everything must be conveyed briefly and efficiently, making every action purposeful. Relationships between characters were rendered quite well, which is not an easy task considering that the actors did not share the same space.

The cast worked together seamlessly, with no one actor stealing the scene or disrupting the flow. This is an ensemble piece, with many characters dividing the screen time in an impressive balancing act. Maggie Moriarty, playing the title character, managed to be both delightfully horrible and pathetically weak, while still not feeling like an overbearing presence. Even Henry Bolingbroke (Maya Jasinka), feels understated: while prideful and with a great feeling of righteousness, they do not feel like an incredibly powerful antagonistic force – but a more flawed, human one.

It is a good adaptation of ‘Richard II’, maintaining the important plot points while sacrificing minor ones. This is understandable considering the length of the final product, yet at times it does feel slightly rushed, with decisions feeling too abrupt or unwarranted, and not enough time given for the audience to pause and take in the story. It is certainly not boring, but if you are unfamiliar with the plot then you might wonder why certain things are happening. Still, this should not worry too much, as it does not happen often and the plot is still comprehensible – it might just not be very clear in some moments!

Overall, it is a very well-balanced, well-crafted play, that offers a very enjoyable hour of theatre and fulfils its promise, with a clearly good crew behind the scenes and an equally good cast.

Ralph Fiennes: from Hamlet… to Lear?

Cecilia Wang
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Ralph Fiennes: from Hamlet… to Lear?

With his aquiline nose, translucent skin and deep pale eyes, Ralph Fiennes certainly makes an impression. And that is even before he speaks or emotes – with his melodic eyes and brows that seem to convey depths of inner feeling. It is no wonder GQ Culture considers him the ultimate cosmopolitan, “both parodically English and consummately European, the way classical music isn’t bound by borders, either”.

The most topical of his prodigious work right now is perhaps ‘Antony and Cleopatra’, soon to be broadcast through NT at Home. It’s directed by Simon Godwin – who smilingly revealed that his young children consider him a ‘cheeky daddy’ – summing up many of his approaches to Shakespearean adaptations. Yes, the language is rhythmic to the ear. Yes, the drama sets the heart racing. But how wasteful would it be if one couldn’t use it to make people laugh? This production is sensually intoxicating, accommodating to the eyes with Cleopatra’s sumptuous wardrobe and the occasional flashing of Ralph Fiennes’ torso (so well-preserved by ashtanga yoga); to the ears by the marvellous juxtaposition of Okonedo’s fiery deliveries and Fiennes’ more mellow voice. To set these all in an idyllic place, the National Theatre rolls out an impressive swimming pool as part of the rotating stage. The casting choice is well-balanced. It enables Okonedo to shine as a lustful, mercurial, bewitching Cleopatra possessed by her attraction to Antony.

I sometimes got the feeling that Okonedo’s Cleopatra was taking most of the thunder whilst at the National Theatre but this is misleading. Fiennes may not possess the famed velvety voice that infused a regal tone into the deliveries of Laurence Olivier or Richard Burton, but his voice allows precious insight into a Roman general less defined by public pageants and macho battles. He is more animated through his deep-seated yet death-haunted love. Antony springs into life from hollow-eyed marble statues and becomes a superlative being. It is one of the rare Fiennes’ performances where the emotion is worn so outwardly. Perhaps Okonedo’s seduction is too inducing or perhaps Shakespeare’s verse permeates the body and bursts out so uncontrollably to the surface, Fiennes’ Antony is too impactful to miss.

Ralph Fiennes in ‘Antony and Cleopatra’: image by Johan Persson.

I first consciously encountered Fiennes in The English Patient (I say consciously, as I had yet to realise that he metamorphosed into Voldemort!) In this, Fiennes is utterly un-English, playing a Hungarian count flying airplanes around African deserts for the Royal Geographical Society. Watching the film was an utterly cathartic experience, as one poetically races through every sinew of human emotions in the space of less than three hours. Scott Thomas, who plays the object of Fiennes’ ill-fated yet irresistible love, later quipped, “seeing The English Patient is wonderfully draining, but imagine acting in it for six months”.’ Yet, the catharsis is worth every exertion, and one emerges from this marathon only wishing to immerse in it all again. Amidst the fragmented flashbacks, the infinite yet every-morphing deserts and the frantic chaos that was Egypt a century ago, the clarity of his acting pierces through. The film encapsulates a talent of Fiennes: the conveyance of emotional magnitude through minimal actions. His count, Laszlo de Almasy, was first programmed to conceal – initially due to his nature and then to hide his badly-burnt face and immobile body. Yet, the less that is spoken, the more one senses. Here, love drives everyone mad: mad to defy reason, and mad with cruelty towards one’s beloved.

This capacity for evil is fully played out in Schindler’s List, in the role of the Nazi commandant, Amon Goth. Fiennes’ Goth shoots Jews randomly whilst relaxing on his balcony, casually rapes women and remains unrepentant with a piercing stare up until the very end. Many have remarked about the end of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, where the titular role is asked thrice, ‘repent!’ and replied negatively every time, in a depiction of convicted unrepentance to the end. Fiennes’ performance gives this phenomenon more mindless evil. One follows his deep eyes closely, scared by their self-assured hunt for destruction.

Such eyes are also capable of undiluted bliss, as played out in Neil Jordan’s adaptation of Greene’s The End of the Affair. In the fleeting joy of Sarah and Henry’ union, Fiennes impresses upon one an infinite instant of romantic and spiritual fulfilment.

So far, this list has done injustice to Fiennes’ less-discussed comic presence. Of course, he stars as the verbally uncouth yet sartorially impeccable ‘M’ in the Bond franchise, is pitch-perfect, invoking bathos with a straight face. His short appearance in the Coen Brother’s Hail, Caesar! as a tweed-wearing and caveat-wrapped director stands out with its technical precision. Even in his voice-acting as the prideful hunter, Lord Victor Quartermaine, in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Rare Rabbit injects much alacrity. This comic talent is given a full stage in Wes Anderson’s hauntingly beautiful drama, The Grand Budapest Hotel, where Fiennes enthralls as the vainglorious yet utterly transfixing concierge Monsieur Gustav. The role is exquisite, inviting one to marvel at his every word and movement. His mastery of the Cockney accent in In Bruges allows a hilarious transformation into a verbose and violent gangster, who cajoles and delights. A less determinately comical but more energetic role as a Rock n’ Roll star in Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash releases a wilder side of Fiennes.

A more contemplative side is played out in roles such as the adaptation of The Constant Gardener, where Fiennes plays a diplomat well-versed in nurturing temperance, as the title suggests, yet elopes with a rebel lecture-attendee and eventually embarks on a dangerous course. This transformation is played out on a subtle scale. This inner debate is given force in his generous adaptation of Coriolanus, alongside weighty thespians such as Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox. One sees a proud soldier ill-programmed for the complexity of this world, yet struggling violently until the very end – much like in his depiction of Antony.

Fiennes is obsessed with Russian culture – he’s acted in Russian and directed a film (The White Crow) about Rudolf Nureyev, a Russian ballet dancer. Perhaps it is this essential cosmopolitanism that so draws one to Fiennes’ artistic expressions. His knowledge of everything from Beethoven to post-modern art and a life-long of studied enlightenment has enabled him to convey an inviting knowingness that draws us to his inner world. He grew up in a crowded and ever-moving household that had more pedigree and culture than money, culminating in a ferocious appetite for culture. This is a man, who, in real life, knows directors of art galleries across continents and hops on the Eurostar to go to Paris – a man whose life has been steeped in the immersion and understanding and creation of artistic experiences. One is perpetually fascinated, eager to discover more. His first role after being catapulted into fame by The Schindler’s List, defying all expectations, was to play Hamlet in a small London theatre, delivering the famed soliloquy with his back to the audience. If the saying that every Shakespearean actor plays Hamlet when young(ish) and King Lear when aged rings true here, one can yet await in delicious anticipation of Fiennes’ crowning Lear.

‘A far cry from high kicks and pom lines’: introducing Oxford’s cheerleading scene

Thomas Lyne
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‘A far cry from high kicks and pom lines’: introducing Oxford’s cheerleading scene

First of all: do you think people’s perception of cheerleading is skewed by the High School movie tradition, or more recently by the Netflix original documentary, Cheer? If so, in what ways? Are there any myths you’d like to bust?

Emily Lord: Coming from the US to the UK, I think that people’s perception of cheerleading is skewed by movie stereotypes and possibly Cheer (although Cheer is indeed an accurate portrayal of Collegiate cheerleading, at least at that level). Since high school cheerleading isn’t a thing here, people really have no exposure to it. You’re unlikely to have had a cheerleading team at your secondary school, so unless you happen to know someone who cheers outside of school, your only exposure is probably through these portrayals. The Bring it On franchise and Glee’s portrayal of cheerleaders definitely are not super accurate: why do they wear their uniforms to school every day? Where are the coaches?

Alexia Benchimol: I think the perception of a cheerleader as a dumb blonde on the sidelines is changing. The media and documentaries like Cheer are showing that cheerleading is a very challenging sport and that there’s no set prototype for what a cheerleader is like, or what a cheerleader looks like. On the team we have people with different body types, genders, sexual orientations, personalities, you name it.

Francesca Dyas: Whenever I told people I was doing cheerleading, their first question was always, ‘for what team?’ I was constantly explaining that cheer is the sport, and it’s competitive and very physically demanding.Cheer has helped to dispel the idea that cheerleaders are just on the sidelines and I think it is changing people’s perceptions of the sport for the better.

Molly Abella: It definitely isn’t always as glamourous as it seems, – a trick we are taught for when our hands get sweaty from holding flyers up is to wipe them on the bottoms of our feet so that we don’t drop anybody – a far cry from high kicks and pomlines!

Tell us about the training regime. How would you say cheerleading compares to other sports in Oxford?

Alanah Grant-St James: We train at least twice a week, often more when we’re coming up to competition season. The sessions are hard. You have to build up a lot of strength, stamina and endurance to survive a ‘full out’ (running through the whole routine as we would in a competition, i.e. giving it everything we’ve got). When we’re working on a specific section over and over again or doing full outs, our shoulders, legs and wrists will be aching, and we’ve just got to push through the pain to avoid making mistakes.

Molly Abella: There is a huge level to camaraderie with the training, which I would say is found in many Oxford sports but when other teams talk about everyone lifting each other up, we mean it literally! Within a stunt group, you get a huge degree of trust, as the flyer is certainly putting their physical safety in your hands – so they have to know that you are strong enough and coordinated enough to keep them in the air – or willing to take a foot to the face to protect them if something goes wrong! 

How does competition work? What does a competition day look like?  

Harriet Byrne: The night before competition we all had a cheer movie night and watched Bring it On to have some team bonding and nerve-busting. Just like the Navarro cheerleaders, we have a lot of our own traditions. Before performing, we each received a bead to tie on our cheer shoes, receiving one to mark every competition we partake in. Next we exchanged anonymous support cards, called snaps, in which we write a supportive message about one of our fellow teammates.

Emily Lord: Competition days (for us) start at 3 in the morning! Since there aren’t any competitions at Oxford, we have to travel by coach to the competition location. Unless you want to do your makeup on the road, you have to have all your makeup and hair ready before you board! I never thought I’d be trying to apply a blue smoky eye at 3AM just to sit on a coach for 3 hours.

We run through the stunt sequence, jumps, tumbling if we have it, and then will most likely mark through the routine as a whole again, maybe putting in stunts we think need extra work. It’s important to be fully warm and have practiced hitting the stunts, but also we don’t want to tire ourselves out before we go onto the competition mat.

Once our team name is called, we can step out onto the main mat in front of everyone! Those two and a half minutes are simultaneously the shortest and longest 150 seconds of your life. You’re thinking ‘oh my god I’m so tired, there’s no way I can finish this’ and at the same time thinking “oh my god it’s already the final 8-count?” Then comes the waiting. For us, at both our competitions we were one of the first teams to perform, so we had a long time to wait between competing and hearing the results.

Francesca Dyas: Typically we’re there for about 12 hours, however because we’re Oxford this means trying to find a quiet area in a packed and noisy stadium to try and do some work.

And what about scoring? How does it compare to say, artistic or rhythmic gymnastics?

Emily Lord: There are rigidly scored technical elements, but also subjective judges’ interpretations. Certain skills, such as jumps, stunts, pyramid elements, or tumbling are scored higher than others (basically, harder skills are worth more points), but you can get deductions for mistakes, such as not landing a tumbling pass, wobbling in a stunt, and of course falling. You also get a score for ‘overall impression’ – this is a subjective score that judges give, but they’re all pretty much looking for the same thing: high energy, big smiles, and good technique.

Alexia Benchimol: I used to do rhythmic gymnastics before university, and one of the differences in scoring is that cheer focuses more on performance. “Cheer faces”, the facial expressions we make while we perform, make routines look very fun. They also make for hilarious pictures.

Harriett Byrne: Deductions can also result from obvious mistakes and vulgarity – sticking your tongue out is a big no!

What’s the social scene like? 

Harriet Byrne: As newly elected social secretary, the cheer social scene is one of the most exciting aspects of being an Oxford cheerleader. Once a week we attend a ‘crewdate’ – turning up to a local restaurant with another university team, and playing traditional Oxford drinking games, usually followed by a night out at Park End! We have also organised bar crawls, awards evenings, and invited each other to our respective college formals and bops; however, we also make sure to have a balance of non-drinking events in order to help build team cohesion. For me personally, the social aspect has been really important, and I would say that some of my closest and most trusted friends are cheerleaders. I haven’t had the easiest time in Oxford, having to resit first year following a subject change, and whenever I had a problem, my fellow cheerleaders were always there to support me.

Molly Abella: We all get on like a house on fire, possibly because when you’ve sweated together, caught each other at every possible angle, and heard every variation of songs themed around fire the bond is pretty unbreakable. I think a lot of people have a bad image of the social side of sports clubs, but I would say we break a lot of stereotypes by having a lot of fun but always making everyone feel comfortable and included. 

How do people get into cheerleading in Oxford? Have most people cheered before or is it something lots of people take up for the first time at university?

Alanah Grant-St James: In the UK, you’d be pretty lucky to find a cheerleading club in your local area. Most people on Oxford Sirens, like me, had never done cheerleading before university and got into it by seeing our stall at the Freshers’ Fair or by doing cheerleading cuppers in Trinity. This sport attracts people who are enthusiastic, want to be challenged physically, and want to join a team with an amazing, supportive atmosphere.

Harriett Byrne: I’d always wanted to do cheer but there aren’t many opportunities for cheer in the UK outside of university, so I joined with no prior experience. I initially wanted to be a base, as I wasn’t flexible at all, but was surprised when I got put as a flyer. At first I was awful and had the least skill and flexibility out of all the flyers, but by attending training every week and stretching outside of training I slowly started to see myself improve.

Francesca Dyas: Our team was probably about 70% new people this year so if you want to do it just try out! The coaches are brilliant and teach everything from scratch, and it’s such a supportive environment that you can really feel confident when trying new things: I definitely did.

We’re still waiting for a decision from the Blues Committee as to whether the Sirens will be granted Blues status. It seems that there’s a lot of momentum behind the movement to gain recognition, with national coverage of the parallel campaigns in Oxford and Cambridge? How have these developments affected the lobbying campaign? 

Charlie Smith, President of the Oxford Sirens: We’ve been in touch with the previous Blues student captains, who read our draft application and think it’s very strong. This is obviously encouraging! We’re now waiting to hear back from Sportsfed for a final decision, as we know it’s going to be discussed at the next meeting (in Michelmas).

All this aside, I’m confident that the attention cheer in general has been getting will lend credence to our claims that it’s a sport the university should be rewarding with Blues status and all the prestige that confers! Its recognition as an Olympic sport has certainly helped make cheer mainstream and any momentum we’ve built recently has only been attempting to build on that.

I should point out that my predecessor, Hannah Hayler, has actually been doing this fantastic work driving the Blues application thus far, so she deserves any and all credit for any eventual success we might have. I only took over a few months ago and have mostly been organising the various interviews we’ve been having to get the word out.

My personal hope is that the positive press will show the committee that the Sirens are creating positive sentiment for the university amongst the wider public, particularly helping to cultivate an image of Oxford as a forward-looking institution. After all, people are always surprised to hear that such an old university has a thriving (and nationally competitive!) cheerleading squad, of all things, and so I believe that people hearing about us paints the university as a whole in a good light.

Friday Favourite: Amantes de cartón

Amelia Horn
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Friday Favourite: Amantes de cartón

Amid the national and global chaos, Hugo Ortega’s new book of poetry Amantes de cartón (Cardboard Lovers) is a quiet yet powerful exploration of love, memory, and patriotism in the 21st century. 

On the 18th October 2019 – students in Santiago, Chile, jumped over the metro ticket barriers in protest of a 30-peso hike in fare prices. No one expected how this would be the beginning of the Chilean ‘revolution’ – a movement that would irreversibly change the fabric of society.

Although the majority that day protested peacefully, a few caused destruction across the city. Metro stations were burned, buses set on fire, traffic lights and benches pulled down. President Sebastian Piñera, head of the conservative party Renovación Nacional (National Renewal), grossly misunderstood the mood of the nation, and that night declared a state of emergency. He referred to the protesters, supported by the majority of Chileans, as ‘delinquents’, and was photographed celebrating at a highly expensive pizza parlour.  In the evening, the capital erupted into chaos. 

The military were released into the streets, with a curfew imposed in Santiago and the regions. What followed were hundreds of human rights abuses committed by the armed forces as well as the Carabineros de Chile, Chile’s national police force. Instead of calming the situation, this served only to incense a population that already felt let down and forgotten by their government. 

The planned fare increase was just the tip of the iceberg for the wealth of grievances felt by the people of Chile. Despite the country’s global reputation for being one of the most developed countries in Latin America, Chile’s society is one of the most unequal. 

It is within this turbulent backdrop that the poems of Amantes de cartón take place. Although the book is a collection of love poetry, it is impossible to ignore the ‘estallido social’ effect on Ortega’s poetry – an untranslatable phrase which roughly amounts to ‘civil unrest.’ Native to Santiago, the poet has in this past year witnessed his city undergo drastic, permanent change. 

This is evident in the first poem of the collection, El ojo de Santiago (The Eye of Santiago). Ortega describes the city’s ‘gaze’ as indifferent and contaminated, alluding to the sense of the Chilean pueblo having been ignored by a neoliberal capitalist system. This system finds its best physical expression in the neighbourhood of Santiago dubbed ‘Sanhattan’, a shiny, reflective, Western-style metropolis.

The image of the ‘eye’ is something Hugo Ortega uses throughout the collection and has its own political significance in Chile. During the unrest, the police and military used rubber bullets to shoot at protesters, many of whom were shot in the eye and lost their sight. This became a symbol of the struggle of the Chilean people and appeared in graffiti and posters across the city. 

Un país de cartón, (A cardboard country), the second poem, introduces the extended metaphor of both nation and individual being made of cardboard. A flimsy, bland, and featureless material, cardboard reflects the poet’s feelings about his city and country. La Moneda, for example, the presidential palace, is described as ‘una gran caja de cartón’ (a huge cardboard box) – the system of governance it represents seeming false and impotent. The power of this image lies in its simplicity; Ortega’s poetic voice, despite making grand statements, never ventures into the pretentious. 

The poet connects his feelings towards Santiago with his experience of love within it in the titular poem, Amantes de cartón. ‘Es tan fácil que la fuerza del desamor y el aburrimiento se devore a los amantes de cartón’ (It is so easy for the force of lovelessness and boredom to devour the cardboard lovers). The couple are almost powerless against a climate that rejects them, so strong is the ‘dinosaurio de monotonía’ (the dinosaur of monotony) that pursues them and attempts to destroy them.

The Santiago of today may cause lovers to suffer, but it is not without its romance. The poetic voice is imbued with small, everyday memories of love in the city. In Huerfanos, a street in Santiago’s Santa Lucía neighbourhood, the narrator recalls a walk he and his lost love took through the area the day his dog died. He describes the walk from Cerro Santa Lucía, a small park, fortress and tourist trap, all the way up to Quinta Normal to the west of the city, the lovers crossing the road to avoid the sun. Only someone that both knows and loves Santiago intimately could describe in such accurate detail a seemingly inconsequential memory. 

Love in modern-day Santiago is a key theme in the collection, but Ortega doesn’t hesitate to give a universal experience of love which is not particular to Chile. Dos mil ciento noventa (2190) is a poignant poem in which the poet runs into an ex-partner while going up in a lift. On the surface, there is nothing remarkable about this chance encounter, but Ortega gives the narrative voice a subjective power – he muses on has-beens and could-bes, wondering what she is thinking, where she is going, whether she will tell her friends. It is uncommunicated longing which resonates universally, transforming an everyday experience into something far grander and more profound. 

When asked about the ideas behind his newest work, Hugo Ortega told Cherwell:

“Es un poemario del fracaso amoroso, pero que recoge los momentos que marcaron para siempre la relación entre los dos. Está basado en distintas experiencias; leídas, escuchadas, vividas e imaginadas.”

“It is a poetry collection all about a failed relationship; one that brings together all the moments that will forever mark the connection shared between the two lovers. It is based on distinct experiences that have been read about, heard of, lived through, and imagined.”

Hugo Ortega has the rare gift of being able to move seamlessly between the big and the small, and it is here where the magic of Amantes de cartón lies. The political background is never forgotten – the reader gets a strong sense of its effect on the nation and on the poet – but the collection is also a meditation on love and lovelessness, on moving from lovers to strangers, and on the simple yet lasting impressions that these experiences evoke. 

Researchers at Oxford University launch international study to assess the effects of COVID-19 in pregnancy

Sophia Cerullo
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Researchers at Oxford University launch international study to assess the effects of COVID-19 in pregnancy

On the 24th of April, researchers at the University of Oxford launched a global study to evaluate the effects of Covid-19 in pregnancy. The INTERCOVID study will be used to advise families, health care providers and policymakers with high-quality evidence regarding the effects of Covid-19 in maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes.

INTERCOVID is a large, multi-national, prospective cohort study, coordinated by the INTERGROWTH-21st Team at the University of Oxford. Professor Jose Villar of the University’s Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health (NDWRH), is leading the research.

It is believed that pregnant women with Covid-19 are at a similar risk to the general population, but there is currently limited data available to provide accurate evidence for this claim. The information is needed quickly in order to optimise the care available for women and their new-borns, reduce maternal anxiety, inform decision making about resource allocation, and guide the process toward social adaptation.

In the INTERCOVID study researchers will be recruiting women who are and are not exposed to Covid-19 at any stage of pregnancy, following mothers and new-borns until hospital discharge post-delivery.

The study began field preparations on 20 April 2020 and recruitment started immediately. Already, 62 medical institutions in 29 countries have agreed to participate.

It looks to collect invaluable baseline data as recommended by the Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics and New Technologies (PREVENT) Report, in order to inform risk-benefit analyses for future vaccine trials in pregnant women by providing “potential risk relationships between vaccination and adverse events.”

Professor Stephen Kennedy (NDWRH), who is jointly leading the research, said that a failure to obtain this information “runs the risk of pregnant women being denied priority access to a new vaccine or therapy, as has occurred so many times in the past.”

The study defines “exposed” cases as pregnant women with any of the following: “laboratory-confirmed Covid-19; radiological pulmonary findings suggestive of Covid-19; maternal symptoms compatible with Covid-19; absence of symptoms, whilst in close interaction with a person(s) with confirmed Covid-19.” Each “exposed” case is compared with two “non-exposed” pregnant women, considered as a representative of the pregnancy population at each study site.

Professor Villar stated: “This large study benefits from the University having hosted, over the last 12 years, a network of researchers across the world who have participated in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project. As a result, we have in place trained research staff and standardised data collection forms. All the work is done via an online data collection system that provides information almost in real-time.”

Professor Aris Papageorghiou (NDWRH), who is jointly leading the research, said that the “truly remarkable” response from international colleagues “means the study should have significant power to provide invaluable answers, in a short time period, regarding the risks to pregnant women who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2.”

The team has been contacted for comment.

Image by gdakaska from Pixabay.

Six Oxford professors appointed as Royal Society Fellows

Matthew Schaffel
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Six Oxford professors appointed as Royal Society Fellows

Six Oxford researchers have recently been awarded Fellowships by the Royal Society, the oldest national scientific institution in the world. The researchers are Professor Raymond Pierrehumbert, Professor Peter Nellist, Professor Xin Lu, Professor Ehud Hrushovski, Professor Benjamin Berks, and Professor Timothy Behrens.

They are amongst 62 scientists who have recently been admitted to the society. This includes 51 Fellows, 10 Foreign Members, and 1 Honorary Fellow. Within this group there are 6 Nobel laureates. They now join an illustrious list of scientific names, including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Hodgkin, and Stephen Hawking.

Discussing her award with Cherwell, Professor Xin Lu, Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Professor at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, said: “I am humbled to receive this honour from the Royal Society. As someone who barely spoke English at the beginning of my scientific career, I am hugely grateful for all the support I have received from my supervisors and mentors. 

“My appreciation also goes to the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research for its long-term research funding and to the Department, College, and University for a supportive and creative environment. Most important of all, my deep gratitude goes to the fantastic scientists in my laboratory, and colleagues I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout my career to date, without whom this recognition would not have been possible.”

Tim Behrens, Professor of Computational Neuroscience and Honorary Principal Investigator of the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, said to Cherwell: “I am extremely surprised and feel very lucky to have been elected to the Royal Society.  It is a reflection of the amazing colleagues and students I have worked with.  Working at two of the world’s leading centres for Neuroscience, Oxford and UCL, has given me access to the most exciting ideas and the best students in the world.”

Peter Nellist, Professor of Materials and Joint Head of Department of Materials, said: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.  I look forward to working with colleagues within the Society to further their aims of supporting excellence in science and working to widen understanding of and participation in science.”

Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, outlined on the Royal Society website the importance of their work: “At this time of global crisis, the importance of scientific thinking, and the medicines, technologies and insights it delivers, has never been clearer. Our Fellows and Foreign Members are central to the mission of the Royal Society, to use science for the benefit of humanity… This year’s Fellows and Foreign Members have helped shape the 21st century through their work at the cutting-edge of fields from human genomics, to climate science and machine learning.”

Patrick Grant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (research), commented on the importance of this for the University: “These elections bring enormous prestige to the University and show the strength and quality of our research across many branches of mathematics, science and medicine. The accomplishments of these scientists have been significant on the world stage and help inspire us all in our research work, even as we face new challenges.”

Image credit to Tom Morris/ Wikimedia Commons

Oxford United mask distribution praised in parliament

Joe Hyland Deeson
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Oxford United mask distribution praised in parliament

Layla Moran tabled a motion in the House of Commons last week to celebrate the work of Oxford United Football Club in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon expressed her gratitude to the League One club “on behalf of the whole community” for their actions in response to the pandemic.

The Us (Oxford United) distributed approximately 10,000 masks to Season Ticket holders and local charities after receiving a large batch from Chairman Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth’s native Thailand.

The motion went on to praise “the efforts of individuals across the county who have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by working together to support the most vulnerable in the community.”

Over the past week, staff at the football club, including manager Karl Robinson, have helped with the distribution of the fabric face masks. Their destinations initially prioritised the NHS, local government and local charities, before being broadened out as 2000 masks were posted to Oxford United season ticket holders over the age of 55, as well as those at a higher risk of contracting the virus. Robinson personally delivered masks to charities including Sobell House.

In a statement posted on their website, the United manager said that, with English football currently suspended indefinitely, the club could use its resources to help the response to the pandemic.

“Everyone is doing their best to play their part at the moment, whether that is calls to fans, volunteering with the NHS, or helping in their local community. I think we can feel very proud as a group of people and the team spirit really shone through this morning.”

The fabric masks feature the club’s badge as well as the logo of its sponsor Singha. They await further testing before being used by NHS staff.

On Monday, the club issued an update confirming that all masks had been delivered, saying: “we hope that the masks help those who need them most”. The club also apologised to any fans who had requested a mask but would not be receiving one due to high demand.

“We are still receiving a lot of requests for masks but there are simply none left – we hope that fans agree with how they were prioritised and although we would love to help others the very last mask was sent out over the weekend.”

The statement concluded by reminding supporters that the masks were not the “best solution” to the current pandemic, which remains staying at home and avoiding all but essential journeys outside the house.

Image Credit to Richard Rogerson / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 2.0

The Philosopher on His Way to the Shops

Joe Williams
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The Philosopher on His Way to the Shops

… Or maybe I should live for me,
And scrap the drab commuter squeeze.
I’ll leap and thrash for what I please;
A careless cod in life’s blue sea!

No – can’t forget my fellow man,
For what’s a cod without his school?
A sad, lonely, vulnerable fool –
Would likely end up in the pan.

The righteous road the best have trod
Pursues delight for one and all,
Gives up itself in human thrall.
Yes, that’s the way to live, by God…

God! Ah, fuck! By breezy decree,
He’ll kick me straight to fire and rot,
And watch me writhe in that dark lot,
For serving man, or blasphemy.

Probably best to hedge my fate,
And, like Pascal (the wily fox),
Busily spend my sighs and stocks
To win a pass through Peter’s gate.

But why not back a different long
Shot: Allah, Vishnu, Yhi, Ajok?
What if that airy, mindless stork
Dropped me off where they got it wrong?

And what if I was dropped off late,
Once winning faith had come and gone?
The dusty Zeus, the wheezy Dôn,
Should I not wager on their hate?

Oh, sod that superstitious shit,
I know my bloody country’s real!
I’ll live for old St George’s zeal
And lion-hearted, prideful grit!

For every sister and brother,
Throughout this green and pleasant land,
I’ll spit and curse and lose my hand
To fend off something or other!

No – wait – might need to temper that;
I won’t for all give toil and pain;
Yeah, not the short man on my train
Who always slobs his food – the twat.

The ‘land’ is what I’ll guard instead;
The solemn oak; the rose uncut;
Rivers unspoiled and joyful – but
I’d rather not get my feet wet.

Agh! Long we’ve built, with tuts and snorts,
The tapestry of wits from scratch,
Yet not a single sorry patch
Has neatly bound my simple thoughts.

That’s it! I’ll take a stitch from each,
And weave a new and clever thing!
A proud, meek, polytheistic,
Selfish, selfless, hedonistic,
Humanistic, pantheistic –

Oh! Milk milk milk… yeah…
And potatoes…?
…

Ordinary Dreams

Indigo Buckler
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Ordinary Dreams

I dreamt about you last night. It was not remarkable or
extraordinary; You sent me to the local shops with a list of
groceries, And I ran along, hopscotching over the paving stones,
Eager to please you as always. Then I was at the corner of the
road On my way back, And you were getting into your car, I
remembered you’d been visiting us and now you were returning
home. You opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat In
slow motion. My brother was playing nearby, Someone else waved
you off from the front gate. I was looking on, Spectating dreamily
Like a proud God.

When I woke, Tears bled from
my eyes quietly.

What hurts the most is the unceremoniousness of it
all; You existed there so surely, so unexceptionally
fully, That I did not think to savour your presence.

Now I am awake, And you are melting away, Back into
the abyss of my subconscious, ordinary dreams, A
world where the fabric of time has splayed at its
seams.

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