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Review: Sweetener by Ariana Grande

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Review: Sweetener by Ariana Grande

Favourite Tracks: God is a Woman, Get Well Soon, No Tears Left to Cry, Blazed

Rating: 6/10

In an interview with The FADER magazine prior to the release of Sweetener, Grande’s fourth album, the singer hinted that listeners should expect something different: “I’ve always just been like a shiny, singing, 5-6-7- 8, sexy-dance…sexy thing. But now it’s like, OK… issa bop – but issa message.” The release of Sweetener comes at a somewhat precarious moment for pop music. For a genre synonymous with commercial appeal, it seems increasingly challenging for pop artists to rely on the established formulas which once guaranteed success.

Grande says that her music is now both “bop” and “message”, but she is by no means the first to try and combine the two in recent times. Rihanna’s ANTI and Beyoncé’s Lemonade are both albums which were critically acclaimed for their perceived ‘authenticity’. ANTI was lauded as a more personal, less overtly ‘commercial’ album than Rihanna’s previous work, whilst Lemonade was both political and intimate in its celebration of female strength and resilience. Sweetener can thus be seen as part of this broader sea-change occurring in contemporary pop, in which “message” is just as important as commercial appeal.

Set against this backdrop, whilst Grande’s album is undeniably her strongest work to date, it also falls oddly flat in multiple places. There is a sense that this album is an attempt to broach new musical territory for Grande, and yet the overall result feels more cautious than innovative. A case in point is the album’s third track ‘The Light is Coming’, one of seven to be produced by Pharrell Williams, which features an oddly chant-like refrain as well as a fairly underwhelming verse from frequent collaborator Nicki Minaj.

The song contains a repeated sample of a man shouting, “You wouldn’t let anybody speak for this and instead!” at a town hall meeting concerning healthcare in 2009. As well as becoming increasingly irritating as the song progresses, the reason for its inclusion is difficult to understand; is this an attempt to lend a political edge to a track which is ostensibly about a difficult relationship? If so, the move feels poorly executed, as well as unimaginative given that Pharrell has previously used the sample in the N.E.R.D and Rihanna collaboration ‘Lemon’ as well as ‘Master Race’ by Busta Rhymes.

Another misstep is the forgettable ‘Borderline’ which contains a criminally short guest verse from the imperious Missy Elliott and a background of uninspiring synths and plodding beats. Ironically, Grande sings ‘won’t you give me a bit of your time’, and then allows Elliott only seventeen seconds of airtime, wasting the rapper’s considerable talent.

The album flits between different styles from track to track, from the 70s-influenced groove of ‘Successful’, the trap beats of ‘Everytime’ and ‘Sweetener’, to the R&B of Beyonce-rejected-demo ‘’R.E.M’. By the end of the album Grande has covered an impressive amount of musical ground. The mixture of trap, R&B and pop is admirably ambitious in scope and if occasionally it feels a tad scatter-gun, it is evidence of Grande’s recent musical development as an artist, her willingness to try out new sounds and ideas even if they don’t always come off.

The album’s strongest moments arrive when this readiness to throw caution to the wind is accompanied by the pop hooks and vocal power which have always been the foundations of Grande’s sound. This winning formula is executed most successfully on the album’s most obvious stand-out hit ‘God is a Woman’, which has already become ubiquitous in department stores across the country. The fusion of sexual and religious imagery is not without precedent (Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ anyone?), but the gratifying intricacy of lyrics like “And I can tell that you know I know how I want it” prevents the track from sliding into cliché. The sleek mid-tempo production combines pop and hip-hop to create the perfect space for Grande’s sultry vocals, which scale an impressive range effortlessly, rendering the song as the most polished example of the new sound you feel she’s trying to create. The assertiveness and conceptual inventiveness of ‘God is a Woman’ is something you feel the album could do with more of in its weaker areas, yet that is not to say there aren’t other highlights.

The first single, ‘No Tears Left to Cry’ is a peppy dance-pop track which offers an anthemic solution to tragedy: ‘I’m lovin’, I’m livin’, I’m pickin’ it up’. This and ‘Get Well Soon’ are songs which reach out to the listener and offer a strength and resilience which appear hard-won; the latter song, in particular, seems intended as a tonic to all those who suffer from anxiety and mental health problems. The way in which Grande offers her support (‘I’m with you, I’m with you, I’m with you, just call me’) to her fans is incredibly moving given the context of the Manchester terror attack last year, as is the forty seconds of silence which brings the song’s run-time to 5.22 (the date of the attack).

These moments of warmth and musical fineness have the effect of casting a harsh light on the album’s weaker tracks, exposing where they are lacking in comparison. And yet despite the unevenness, this work constitutes a significant creative progression for Grande – neither “bop” nor “message”, Sweetener is something stranger, occupying a middle-ground between the two. This is not an album which innovates contemporary pop music, but perhaps understandably, Ariana Grande is not too concerned with that right now. Instead, she has made an album which feels like a successful act of healing.

Plush to replace Purple Turtle at Union venue

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Plush to replace Purple Turtle at Union venue

Plush is to replace Purple Turtle at the Oxford Union’s venue at Frewin Court from January 2019.

A spokesperson for the club said in a statement: “The final night at The Jam Factory site will be Monday, 31st December 2018.

“Plush is delighted that the new venue will offer long-term stability in providing an ongoing safe space for the LGBTQ+ community within central Oxford.”

The club is currently based at Park End Street.

It was disclosed in October that the club faced imminent closure after the venue’s owner, Nuffield College, said it was considering redeveloping the site.

Last Saturday was Purple Turtle’s final night at Frewin Court. Over 100 people were seen queuing outside to gain access to the club by 10.45pm. 

The owner of Purple Turtle, Danny Fraifeld, has stressed to Cherwell that Purple Turtle will continue and that they are looking at new venues to house the club in the future.

He said in a statement: “After all it’s never been the building that makes the Turtle, it’s the Turtle that makes the building.”

 

 

Table Manners Review – ‘subtly and successfully updated’

Beata Kuczynska
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Table Manners Review – ‘subtly and successfully updated’

Picture this: a homelessness charity cafe with large dinner table in the centre, surrounded by circles of chairs haphazardly arranged. That is the set for Antonia Hansen’s revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s 1973 comedy. One of a trilogy of plays called The Norman Conquests, Table Manners follows the drama of a family over the course of a weekend who loathe yet love each other all at the same time. Hansen’s update aims to bring the women to the fore and throughout the performance makes clear an intentional distinction between the male and female characters. The men are dopey and dim whereas the women are headstrong and opinionated. The update works, and this is mostly thanks to the actors.  

This production boasts impressive performances from all its cast and in particular from Martha Harlan as Annie, Cameron Forbes as Norman and Jed Kelly as Tom. Kelly is ridiculously funny, a master of comic timing and becomes absolutely essential for light relief as the play takes a slightly more serious turn. A likeable and amusing stage presence, the look of constant bewilderment on his face never fails to be funny. He was my favourite part of the play and in all honestly I would pay the ticket price just to see him again.

Harlan and Forbes are also impressive in their roles – Harlan’s acting is so effortlessly believable that she manages to make a character who could be so easily be forgettable totally memorable. Her different relationship with each character is very convincing and this is mostly due to Harlan’s excellent flexibility. There is also some noticeable sexual tension between Annie and Norman which adds a dash of excitement to each scene they are both in. Forbes is utterly charming as the flirty yet misunderstood Norman and you can completely see how the women of the production find him hard to resist. He has hints of dark humour and somehow makes a potentially sleazy character surprisingly sympathetic.

 The other three actors are also impressive, especially Antonia Mappin-Kasirer as Ruth. Occasionally she slips into overacting, but there are some moments of really quality acting – what stood out for me in particular was her speech comparing her husband to an overdue library book. Moments of raw emotion are rare in Table Manners, which makes the times that they do appear even more effective.

My one complaint would be that for the first act and some of the second act I am not sure where the play is going. This becomes clear in the few minutes before said climax, but more variation in emotion, particularly in the first act, would be welcome. Having said that, the penultimate scene of the play – when it arrives – is possibly the standout moment of the show. All six characters on stage at once, combined with both a hilarious argument about where everybody should sit at the table and an unexpectedly violent moment of coup de théâtre makes for a delightful climax. The issue with such an effective penultimate scene is that the finale almost never matches up. Sadly this is the case with Table Manners, as the final scene is too obviously just there to wrap up loose ends. The actors do their best with it but some tweaks in the script and staging of the final moments wouldn’t go amiss.

Hansen and her cast throw themselves into a play which is one of the funniest and most enjoyable student productions I have seen for a while. I certainly hope to see this revived again in the not so distant future.

Uni has ‘systematically failed to listen’ to trans students

Angus Brown
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Uni has ‘systematically failed to listen’ to trans students

The University of Oxford has “systematically failed to listen” to the needs of transgender students, leading to a mental health “crisis” in the transgender community at the University, according to the SU’s recently released Trans Report.

The survey used data collected in an online survey conducted in Hilary and Trinity terms 2017-18 with 52 respondents. As transgender people make up just 0.4% of the UK’s population and the median coming out age for trans people is 42, the SU argues that the survey represents a substantial enough proportion of the university’s trans community for the sample to be significant.

The report found that nearly 90% of transgender students have experienced or are currently experiencing mental health issues, compared to just 50% of cisgender students, with 65% saying the University had a “negative” or “very negative” effect on their mental health.

59% of transgender students have self-harmed or considered suicide in the past, and were three times more likely to consider suicide than cisgender students and over five times more likely to experience an eating disorder.

Stress and anxiety were the most common mental health issues facing the University’s transgender population, affecting over 80% of students (compared to 75% of the UK’s transgender population), followed by depression, which 75% of transgender students reported to experience or have experienced (slightly lower than the 80% of the national transgender population).

The report argued that “these figures are evidence of a mental health crisis in the transgender community at the University of Oxford, and that this crisis must be addressed urgently.”

The same report also found that 63% of students said that they have experienced transphobia or discrimination since coming to Oxford, with 83% having faced discrimination from their fellow students, 29% from academic staff.

Although 83% of transphobic incidents involved fellow students, one respondent said that cisgender students are “often unaware of their transphobia”, whilst another argued these incidents “tend to be from a lack of knowledge or unwillingness to understand.”

Survivors of transphobic incidents were 50% more likely to have experienced mental health problems, twice as likely to self-harm or contemplate suicide, and over 250% more likely experience problems with drug or alcohol abuse. Less than 40% of respondents said that they felt “comfortable” or “very comfortable” reporting transphobic incidents, and only 21% knew the proper process for reporting them. Meanwhile, only 42% of transgender students surveyed had considered going to “staff-led” welfare services, and most felt more comfortable with mental health efforts led by fellow transgender students.

The report also cast light on the failings of university-wide welfare schemes, with just 55% of students “satisfied” with the University counselling system, and only 50% satisfied with the LGBTQ+ Society’s welfare efforts. The report proposed a number of reforms to tackle the fact that the University “is not doing enough” to provide transgender students with “the welfare support they need to cope with issues both related and unrelated to their trans identity”.

These reforms included the creation of a centralised “Trans Fund”, improved training for counsellors about the problems transgender students face, and greater provisions to educate incoming students on trans issues.

The co-chair of the SU’s LGBTQ+ Campaign and principal author of the report, Aaron Hughes, told Cherwell: “It’s important to recognise that while student-led welfare initiatives both in and out of college have their shortcomings, they are a vital and tireless source of support for transstudents at the University of Oxford.

“Unlike welfare staff, these students are neither trained nor paid to provide such support. Nonetheless, they do so in order to address a need which is clearly not being met by college, faculty and University welfare provisions.”

A spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ Society told Cherwell: “The LGBTQ+ Society is committed to constantly working to improve the social and welfare support we provide; however, we would like to stress that our trans reps already work tirelessly to create safe spaces both within the society, and the wider university.

“The findings of this report indicate that disproportionate responsibility falls on students to offer support to their peers. Instead of criticising the student-led welfare, which is consistently outperforming trained professionals, we should be calling on the university to stop sweeping these issues under the rug, to take the complaints of trans students seriously, and to improve its services.”

The University has been contacted for comment.

Major Oxford donors face imminent criminal investigation

Eve Webster
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Major Oxford donors face imminent criminal investigation

One of Oxford University’s largest donors are facing mass litigation and probable criminal investigations into their role in the ongoing American opioid crisis.

Suffolk County of Long Island, New York, sued the Sackler family last month over the number of overdose deaths and painkiller addictions in the community. The legal action is expected to trigger further cases against the family across the US.

The Sacklers are the 20th richest family in America at an estimated collective worth of $14 billion. The majority of their fortune comes from their pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, which is responsible for the making and prescribing of prescription painkiller and narcotic OxyContin.

Purdue Pharma is currently facing legal action from at least 30 states in state court, with the first trial expected to be held next spring.

OxyContin is a highly addictive opioid, and its production and distribution is widely regarded as partly responsible for the ongoing opioid epidemic in the US, which is estimated to kill almost 200 people every day.

Prosecutors in Connecticut and New York are also understood to be debating bringing criminal fraud and racketeering charges against the family over the alleged manner in which the drug has been dangerously overprescribed and deceptively marketed to doctors, with Purdue Pharma reportedly telling doctors that the drug had minimal addictive effects.

In 2006, the company pled guilty in federal court to marketing OxyContin with “the intent to defraud or mislead.”

Since 1991, Oxford has received over £11 million in donations from the Sackler family and their trusts.

The Sacklers’ donations have contributed towards building the Bodleian Sackler Library and funding the Sackler Keeper of Antiquities at the Ashmolean. Donations from the Sacklers also make up part of the museum’s endowment.

The family’s contributions have also supported a University Lecturer and a Teaching Fellowship in Earth Sciences, as well as Paediatric and neuroscience projects. Oxford academics additionally participate in partnerships established by the family, including the Raymond and Beverly Sackler US-UK Scientific Forum.

When contacted for comment, a University spokesperson refused to comment on specific cases, though told Cherwell: “All major prospective donors to the University of Oxford are carefully considered by the University’s Committee to Review Donations under our guidelines for acceptance.

“The University monitors significant developments in the public domain and may reconsider a donor in the light of new information.”

Earlier this year, the University confirmed that they would continue receiving donations from the family despite their manufacturing of the opioid, telling Cherwell: “At present, there is no intention for the Committee to reconsider the Sackler family and trusts.”

The New York lawyer representing Suffolk County called the Sacklers “essentially a crime family … drug dealers in nice suits and dresses.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 72,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016 – a 10% increase on the year before, which the organisation believes was driven by the ongoing opioid crisis. Opioid addiction kills more Americans than gun violence every year.

The Sackler family have been contacted for comment.

This girl can, and she will

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This girl can, and she will

The ‘This Girl Can’ campaign was launched by sport England in 2015, with the goal of promoting women’s involvement in sport. Since then, the initiative has been incredibly successful and is credited with inspiring nearly 150,000 more women to take part in sport within nine months of its launch. Additionally, the gender gap in sport closed in England by half a million people after two years of the campaign.

The ‘This Girl Can’ website continues to offer inspiring and interesting stories from a variety of women taking part in sport and a multitude of suggestions for how others can get involved. This week Oxford is supporting the campaign as it does each year through the BUCS ‘This Girl Can week’, with a series of events and activities being put on for women to try new sports and find out more.

The chief success of the campaign to me is its focus on a large proportion of women who feel uncomfortable with exercising due to feeling intimidated, being worried about their appearance and getting sweaty or are insecure about their ability or body type. Anxieties over exercising and physical insecurities hold back so many women from exercising, and it is was refreshing to see the campaign take on more issues such as beginning exercise again after pregnancy or whilst having a busy job, partaking in sport at any age, exercising in your own home or on a budget. The campaign also offered up a wide range of activities from dancing to walking or skateboarding.

The campaign is now also focusing on building up confidence through sport and the mental health benefits of exercising, an issue which has long been overshadowed with women often working both in the work place and at home as carers or parents and having to deal with high levels of stress.

As someone who has been running competitively since I was eight years old, played in nearly every sports team available at primary school and then started to swim for my club before school in secondary, I consider myself a girl who loves sport. Running and exercise is something which contributes to my happiness, physical health, and social life. I am very excited by the effect of this campaign, its increasing diversity and the upward trajectory of women in sport, but I also feel that there are significant barriers which we need to overcome and problems which need to be illuminated.

Sport can give women a sense of self-worth beyond achievements in academic or creative realms. By being a winner, an important participant or simply feel strong in their own bodies, women can break down traditional gender roles and hierarchies. However, girls are often pushed to breaking point, with competition becoming too intense and creating paralysing fears or a desire to strive for perfection which can lead to mental health problems and eating disorders. I have seen far too many girls in sports teams suffer from such issues. We need to build up support networks and a dialogue around women’s sport to reduce the risk of problems such as dealing with stress, failure and body insecurities, and effective and healthy nutrition.

In speaking to some Oxford university students about issues which they have experienced in sport it became apparent to me how broad ranging this problem is. A PPE student told me that she feels that there is a point in our adolescence in which girls can no longer just play sport for fun and only have an excuse to continue if they are very good or made the team, with PE lessons often becoming sharply divided between sports stars and a rising number of girls sitting out.

Another expressed that she felt many girls don’t want to join sports like judo, which she enjoys, due to fears of getting too bulky or being intimidated by male participants. She said that for her this fear also extends to the gym where the weights section feels like a ‘no-go zone’ as a masculine domain. In order to break down these fears in women’s sport, we need to bring sport into the wider debate around gender and try to reduce forms of ‘lad culture’ or predatory behaviour that put off women.

A second year English student told me of her experiences, “I shut myself off from sporting opportunities and associated sport with a type of person I distinctly was not. It has taken me years to learn that the benefits of sport, being part of a team, committing to exercising frequently and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, are not exclusive to a particular elite group.

“You are allowed to commit to things you are bad at; and by committing to them you get better. This has pushed me to join both touch rugby and rowing at university. I am constantly surprised by the progression you make when you consider yourself to be valid, no matter where you start from.” It is this fear, which is tied into both physical appearance and not appearing ‘good enough’ at sport which can shroud exercise in negativity for so many women and which will take systematic changes to undo.

Men’s sports fixtures continue to dominate our screens and our newspapers. Women’s sport won’t be taken as seriously as men’s sports, unless radical change is implemented. We know from the dramatic impact of the 2012 Olympics on sports participation in Britain that representation matters and seeing a woman performing at the highest level can draw girls into sports. If we are committed to equality then we need to extend this commitment to the field of sport.

Celebrations set to close after 25 years

Daniel Hall
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Celebrations set to close after 25 years

The Turl Street shop Celebrations is set to close after over 25 years of trading.

The fancy-dress shop was opened in 1992, and has since proved popular with students celebrating end-of-year exams and looking for interesting bop outfits. However, it is due to close on 30th November due to losing business to competitors.

Clare Denton, who runs the shop, has noted the effect that the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre has had. She said: “It’s a heartbreaking decision but we really don’t have any choice because our footfall has reduced significantly since the Westgate Centre reopened.

“I don’t want to close but I have no choice without getting into lots of debt. A report came out recently saying footfall has gone up 8.9 per cent in the past year but I don’t think
that is throughout the city centre.

“People are parking at the Westgate, shopping at the Westgate and then driving home – they are not bothering to venture out into other parts of the city.”

Celebrations is located on premises owned by Lincoln College, whose high rents have also been a factor in the decision to close the shop, according to Mrs Denton.

Mrs Denton added that Celebrations was the last independent joke shop in Oxford city centre, and did not have any plans to trade online.

She said: “I do want to thank customers for their loyalty and support over the years and for their sympathy and kindness.”

An Unexpected Visitor preview – immersive ingenuity

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An Unexpected Visitor preview – immersive ingenuity

From the moment you sit down to watch An Unexpected Visitor, you are immediately inducted into a society of student activists, who have dreams of making a real difference in the world and are not content with the bake sales they have been doing — a frustration perhaps shared by many of us at times. In preparation of this, the leaders of the society wait for a mysterious visitor to show up and brief them on ‘the job’, which everyone is only allowed to talk about in discreet codes.

From this simple but accessible premise sparks a whole series of comedic miscommunications between the characters which keep the audience chuckling in their seats in appreciation of the play’s polished timing and ingenuity. Filled with delightfully self-deprecating humour, the play mocks the faux-arrogance of students, who eagerly ascribe self-important titles and backstab each other just to become the ‘vice-president’ of the society.

Alex Blanc, the director, tells me that the play breaks away from the traditional conception of theatre, where each scene is carefully managed and controlled, to create something fun and casual. Taking his inspiration from open-aired garden plays in the summer where audiences don’t feel any weight of expectation, he chose to stage this production in the familiar setting of a bar. Audiences can enjoy free drinks and sit wherever they like, but at the same time remain very invested in the play.

Everyone’s experience of the play is going to be different. Depending on the audience, the characters will improvise lines of dialogue to create a play that is truly alive, spontaneous and interactive. In this sense, not only is the play a brilliant display of teamwork from all the actors, but a collaborative effort of the audience as well. At times, the audience will even be invited to voice their thoughts openly, which is made possible by the intimate nature of its venue.

At this point, the talent and dedication of the cast cannot go unmentioned. It is clear, from the very beginning, that careful deliberation has been taken to tailor each role to its actor. The result is a performance that rivals even professional shows in the West End. For example, Eli, played by Hamish Venters, has quite a temper about him. Yet he performs a nuanced evolution from a quiet, burning anger inside at the start and letting the audience feel the full force of his fury at the end. The contrast creates this multi-layered character that develops during the course of the play with strong emotional continuity.

This multi-layered sophistication also extends to the whole play. While each character works in unity and complements each other, the keen-eyed amongst the audience will notice that they are also frequently performing their own goofy improvisations in the background, providing constant but subtle comic relief. Billy, played by Tommy Hurst, is a perfect example as he tends to switch off and entertain himself with newfound zeal at random moments.

With free drinks on offer to every member of the audience, ‘An Unexpected Visitor’ promises to be the ideal way to enjoy a relaxing and engaging evening.

Club closures: a battle worth fighting

Fraser Maclean
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Club closures: a battle worth fighting

Another week, another Oxford nightclub at risk of permanent closure. The Purple Turtle announced that they would be closing their Frewin Court doors for the last time before the 30th November, having failed to agree a new lease with the Oxford Union. Whilst the Union President promised an exciting future for the venue itself, and the Turtle organisation promised a reincarnation elsewhere, this closure is the third instance this term of an Oxford club struggling for survival.

Cellar’s troubles, meanwhile, began in the summer, with the club being found to violate fire safety regulations. Fortunately, a remarkable crowdfunding campaign has been completed, with the venue looking set to continue operation after works. Earlier in term, the Plush Lounge saw its own lease with Nuffield wind down, with the college keen to redevelop the site. The troubles for all 3 have wide implications for the student body and the residents of Oxford.

In regards to the Plush Lounge, which has provided a safe space for the LGBTI+ community for years, the potential closure of the venue would be a tragic loss. The same is true in the case of Cellar, but for different reasons. Cellar is one of the few clubs in Oxford that students can run nights at. Thus, its closure would be a blow for any parties interested in promoting or starting their own club nights. Moreover, in its capacity as a music venue, Cellar has been a popular destination for upcoming bands. Some big names have performed there over the years in their early careers, including Foals, The National, and perhaps most significantly Mumford and Sons. With young bands facing more barriers than ever when trying to break through into the music industry, the death of small venues with good atmosphere and enthusiastic crowds is truly heart-wrenching.

All three clubs stand out slightly from similar institutions around the city centre. Plush is the home of LGBTI+ nightlife, Cellar is the leading indy venue in the centre of Oxford, and PT hosts a variety of genres through the week, welcoming town and gown. They are all more distinguishable from the titans of cheese – the Bridge, Atik, even Fever.

Whilst Cirkus, which is the regeneration of JT’s, has begun life quite successfully, part of this is surely down to their luck in securing a number of promoters that left Cellar after their regulation troubles. Emporium too has gained other nights.

But by losing their former homes, Oxford must see the survival of these club nights as bittersweet. The city is home to two universities, with a massive collective student body desperate to enjoy their years at uni. This becomes less likely with every closure, and it is worth mentioning that no club is totally safe – even the Bridge, seemingly the last bastion of Oxford club scene, rents their venue from a college (Nuffield, who apparently have a taste for redevelopment).

Fortunately all is not lost, and there are ways to support the scene. Obviously, Cellar’s troubles are over, at least for now. In regards to lease expirations, pressure must be applied on the landlords – especially as they are institutions related to the student body – to aid the relocation of the institutions they evict. It was encouraging to see Nuffield aiding the process of finding a new home for Plush. It is paramount that as a community, we do not take our clubs for granted, as once they go, they may well not come back. Perhaps many of us have suffered the below-standard night in every place available, and wondered why people even go in the first place. Should we see them disappear for good, I imagine we’ll realise why.

Greasy surfaces, raw meat, and mice droppings: dirty college kitchens exposed

Greg Ritchie
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Greasy surfaces, raw meat, and mice droppings: dirty college kitchens exposed

Several Oxford colleges have contravened serious food hygiene regulations, Cherwell can reveal, with kitchens under fire for greasy surfaces, raw meat, and mice droppings.

Cherwell obtained copies of the most recent food hygiene reports of Oxford colleges via Freedom of Information requests, uncovering the perturbing faults in the production of college food.  

Jesus College’s latest report – conducted in April this year – stated that there was a “potential mouse infestation”, with there appearing to be “droppings in the drip trays below the brat pan”.

The report ordered Jesus to call in a pest control team immediately, as well as to deep clean the kitchen and pest-proof the doors and walls.

The hygiene inspector also raised concerns about the storage of raw meat in college’s walk-in freezer.

A Jesus College spokesperson told Cherwell: “Jesus College takes food hygiene extremely seriously and has a long standing record of achieving the highest quality inspection results. All areas that the inspection highlighted were immediately addressed, including continuous pest control surveillance.  The evidence of potential mouse activity was indeed disturbing but we were advised that the College was unfortunately a victim of a wider problem of mouse infestation affecting the Covered Market next to the College.

They added: “Having addressed the inspector’s findings, we have requested another inspection as soon as possible and are awaiting a response.”

Exeter also fared poorly, with the food hygiene officer beginning their report by saying: “During my inspection it was disappointing to see such poor standards of hygiene.”

They went on to detail three pages’ worth of hygiene contraventions, including basins not being cleaned, raw meat and fish not being stored properly, and large accumulations of grease covering surfaces and dropping from canopies.

One Exeter finalist told Cherwell: “Over the past two years, portion sizes have gone down, prices have gone up, and now we’re faced with this. To say it’s worrying is an understatement, and I can only hope it’s resolved soon.”   

Exeter did not respond to a request for comment.

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