Thursday 17th July 2025
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Summer VIIIs: the lowdown

Cherwell Sport
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Summer VIIIs: the lowdown

The highlight of the college rowing season gets underway on Wednesday. After our success predicting last year’s headships, we take a look at how things will pan out on the Isis this time around.

Men’s Division One

2017 Head: Christ Church
2018 Tip: Christ Church
Dark Horses: Teddy Hall

As it was last year, the headship looks like it will be a three-horse race between Christ Church, Keble, and Oriel.

After a strong Torpids campaign, Oriel should not be written off, but it looks likely that they will struggle to catch a strong Keble crew. However, we’re tipping Christ Church to retain their headship: their boat contains three Blues – Claas Mertens, Will Cahill, and Benedict Aldous – and two Isis rowers. A 34th headship is definitely on the cards.

Teddy Hall and Trinity both look like good tips for blades, with Iain Mandale and Luke Robinson respectively bringing university-level experience. Univ and Magdalen are both set to struggle.

Realistically, though, bumps racing fans are unlikely to find much joy from the top division, unless their college is involved. There seems to be little chance of change among the top three boats, and Pembroke, Wolfson, and Wadham – who start in fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively – seem relatively evenly matched.

On the other hand, it could be a long week for St Catz. They are without some of their key names on account of finals revision, and can expect to plummet into Division Two – the only question is whether or not spoons can be avoided.

Women’s Division One

2017 Head: Wadham
2018 Tip: Pembroke
Dark Horses: Wolfson

After dominating the women’s college rowing scene for the past five years, Wadham’s stint as head of the river looks set to end. They go in without any Blues in the boat, and will struggle to stave off the challenge of a Katherine Erickson-inspired Pembroke for more than a day.

Pembroke are our tip for the headship, after they bumped with consummate ease on both days of Torpids, and they should hold off Christ Church and Keble without too much trouble.

Wolfson’s crew is packed to the rafters with university rowers, including Boat Race crew member Abigail Killen, and they will have high expectations: blades are definitely on the cards if things go their way. Keble should be strong enough for at least a couple of bumps, and blades are just about feasible.

New College and Balliol can also expect a  good week. What the former lack in Blues, they make up for in terms of excellent college-level rowers, and Balliol can hope that Eleanor Shearer will inspire some bumps early on in the week – expect them to overtake both Somerville and St John’s.

Magdalen, Hertford, and Teddy Hall will all go in hoping for a strong showing, while fans should keep an eye out for Jesus: they may well surge up Division Two, and do about enough to sneak into the big time on Saturday evening.

Men’s Division Two

Blades Tip: Queen’s
Spoons Tip: St John’s
Dark Horses: Exeter

Men’s Division Two looks like something of a mess. Several strong crews will start the week well below their deserved level, while others are wildly overrated.

The handful of colleges going for blades – Queen’s, Worcester, St Hugh’s, and Exeter – are unusually dependent on other crews. Queen’s will have to hope that they can catch LMH before LMH bump a New College boat that is set to tumble down into the second division on Friday, but a strong effort might see them make it over the line.

Exeter, meanwhile, have been hotly tipped on the rowing circuit. But for the miserable weather, they would have come close to winning blades at Torpids, and still managed to end the week five places ahead of where they started after a dramatic final day. But with Brasenose likely to be in a state of freefall, a bump could be tricky on Thursday – an overall rise without blades looks the most likely outcome.

Worcester and Hugh’s both look strong enough to make decent progress, while Merton and Lincoln should hold their own in a competitive division.

Meanwhile, St John’s and Mansfield will sink towards the third division, and Corpus Christi look strong enough to stake off Oriel II’s challenge. Christ Church’s second boat may also make a late surge up towards the second division towards the end of the week, but will need to hope that the support of their usual partisan crowd can spur them on.

Women’s Division Two

Blades Tip: Exeter
Spoons Tip: Trinity
Dark Horses: St Catz

Expect boats’ positions to fluctuate wildly in Division Two. There are a handful of very strong crews that wouldn’t look out of place in the top division, while others have been training to a pretty low standard in the past two weeks.

As mentioned above, Jesus have a big week in store, and will, in all likelihood, have bumped a long way before Boathouse Island in the first couple of days.

Oriel’s Torpids winners might struggle this week, and will likely fall down a couple of spots, despite the presence of Boat Race bow Renée Koolschijn. St Catz are in for a good week, and will almost certainly bump a poor Linacre crew within a couple of minutes on Wednesday: blades are not completely off the cards.

Exeter are favourites for blades, and look like a particularly strong outfit after the return of Grace Hanna from the lightweight Blue boat. Bumping Lincoln on the final day will be their toughest task, but a late push should see them manage it.

LMH and Wolfson II both like dangerous boats, with the latter one to keep a particular eye on. With a spate of university rowers returning to Wolfson I, the college stalwarts have been put in the second boat, and will definitely have a point to prove.

Follow @cherwell_online on Twitter for all the thrills and spills on Saturday afternoon

UK ambassador to North Korea encourages pragmatism in China Centre speech

Ryan Gould
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UK ambassador to North Korea encourages pragmatism in China Centre speech

The UK ambassador to North Korea today encouraged the US to proceed pragmatically to protect the possibility of denuclearisation ahead of President Trump’s meeting with South Korea’s President Moon tomorrow.

Alastair Morgan told an audience in a speech at the Oxford China Centre that American demands for fast denuclearisation and a “Libya model” have been poorly received by North Korea, and that both the US and South Korea are prepared to guarantee the security of the North’s regime to achieve denuclearisation.

Morgan said American investment in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a “carrot which they are rejecting”, citing the North’s “particular concern about US military assets” on the peninsula.

The North has been growing increasingly concerned by the US’s promise of economic aid in exchange for nuclear disarmament. Mr Trump responded angrily on Wednesday to the North’s chief nuclear negotiator’s declaration that the country would never trade away its nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions and greater financial intervention.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state broadcaster of North Korea, has upped its propaganda warning of “bourgeoisie capitalism” in recent weeks, marking a striking shift in tone from the conciliatory gestures proffered by leader Kim Jong-un and his administration.

Mr Morgan, who was appointed ambassador in December 2015, said that North Korea “never anticipated the degree of coordination amongst members of the United Nations Security Council members.”

President Trump has begun pressing his aides and allies about whether he should proceed with the historic summit meeting planned for next month with Mr Kim in Singapore, the New York Times reported on Sunday, now increasingly concerned that his meeting with the North’s leader could turn into a political embarrassment.

North Korea cancelled a meeting with South Korea last week and warned that they could cancel the Singapore meeting due to US-South military drills, which they believe are in preparation for invasion of the country.

Mr Morgan said that the North is actively seeking a “step-by-step” or “phased” approach to denuclearisation, which is at odds with the US’s position. The North will be seeking simultaneous rewards at each step until the regime’s fundamental security concerns are alleviated, he said.

The latest “pushback” in dialogue between the US, South Korea, and the North is directly connected to US demands, Mr Morgan said. The American position on the issue is reported to have been made clear to Mr Kim during a visit to Pyongyang by Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, earlier this month.

President Trump contradicted his newly-appointed national security advisor, John R. Bolton, last Thursday when asked by reported about Libya, confounding the importance of economic intervention for the trade of the North’s nuclear programme.

“The Libyan model isn’t a model that we have at all, when we’re thinking of North Korea,” he told reporters.

Referring to Western military intervention in Libya in 2011, Mr Trump said: “If you look at that model with Qaddafi, that was a total decimation. We went in there to beat him. Now that model would take place if we don’t make a deal, most likely. But if we make a deal, I think Kim Jong-un is going to be very, very happy.”

Mr Morgan referred to China’s recent relaxation of sanctions on North Korea and its attempt to find new “loopholes” to its aid of the country. He said that China has a greater “tolerance” of North Korea than the US, and a bigger timeline for resolution concerning it.

Mr Trump and Mr Moon will meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the June summit meeting. “The two leaders will work closely and unwaveringly for the successful hosting of the North Korea-US summit set on June 12, including the upcoming South Korea-US summit,” a South Korean presidential official said yesterday.

Interview – The Unstoppable Rise of the Magic Gang

Rachel Tudor
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Interview – The Unstoppable Rise of the Magic Gang

Having released their self-titled debut album back in March, the Magic Gang are rising stars of the indie-rock scene. The Brighton four-piece formed in 2013, releasing their first single in 2015. They seem to defy the indie-rock stereotypes with their relatively clean look and breezy, catchy songs. However, their easy-going style, is matched with enough genius craftsmanship. The tracks may seem superficially simple but are layered with harmonies and texture – it may be easy on the ears but that simply adds to the optimistic charm of the band.

Equally charming is Jack Kaye (lead vocal/guitar), who spoke to me about their creative process: “Whilst it does vary from song to song, a lot of the stuff will be something that one person has brought to the table which will then get worked on by the whole group – any member may come up with a verse or a chorus and it will get finished by the band. Creatively we get on really well, we’re very respectful of each other and don’t bring our egos in when writing a song.”

Recently, the band has been selling out shows all across the country, but they have toured somewhat endlessly since their formation, whether that be as a support act or a headline. Now a major name for smaller festivals like TRUCK and Kendall Calling, The Magic Gang have made real strides in the last year towards becoming a staple of the ‘indie’ genre.

When asked about the role gigs and festivals has had in their success, Jack said: “I think they’re absolutely vital to our journey.  When we started doing these support shows early on that was when we saw our own fan base start to develop…It’s really exciting each time we play bigger venues, we get this kind of buzz, and try to step up the show and make it more of an experience. So, that’s a big aspect for us, playing live.”

The band has even more plans to tour later this year, headlining a major UK tour, with future plans to grow their fan base in both Europe and America. For The Magic Gang, much of the joy of the music is still in playing live shows.

“The best moment was probably the Electric Ballroom show that we did a couple of weeks ago, that was our biggest like headline show that felt like a real kind of pinnacle. When you do the shows over and over again it does become a little bit like hard to define each show from the last. But when you do something like that, it all hits you at once, when you see that many people looking at you, it’s like oh my god, this really is working!”

Their music scene has also evolved, away from selling records to an increased emphasis on touring and merchandise. I asked him whether he thought that platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music have affected the way musicians make a career in the industry.

“I think that it has massively shifted from selling records to other aspects. Streaming is a massive thing for the music industry…I just think that the focus has got to shift really, if people aren’t buying records there’s got to be other ways that you can sort of make a career out of music. Probably playing live, I imagine has become a sort of bigger deal.

“Before I was in this band I would happily use Spotify or Apple music without thinking twice. I’m still kind of like that to some extent but I definitely value buying someone’s work…when you sit and listen to an album on Spotify, you don’t kind of consider everything that’s gone into it.”

With over 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, it’s easy to see why this band is achieving success. Citing bands such as The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra as influences, The Magic Gang have created a vibe that seems to be working. However, in a climate where indie-rock is declining, I asked Jack about the future of the band’s music:

“To be honest , I think the reason [for the decline of Indie rock] is that urban music or grime has been producing the most exciting music in recent years…I don’t think we’re in any kind of rush to remain ‘relevant’. Things will shift, and I think that if you’re writing good music, that’s the bottom line of it, it doesn’t have to be a certain genre, it doesn’t have to be guitars, it doesn’t have to have synthesisers, it just has to be good music, and there’s no point in us rushing to abandon our guitars or anything like that because we’re worried about a trend. We’ll just stick to what we’re doing and keep writing songs and music that we love.”

The Magic Gang are definitely ones to watch this coming year as they go from strength to strength. So far they seem to be doing something right, and so it’s hardly surprising that their fanbase and fame is increasing. A refreshing and welcome change to the worn-out genre, I look forward to seeing what they’ll be doing in the future.

May I Borrow The Tiger Please?

Rohit Chakraborty
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May I Borrow The Tiger Please?

Robert Napier led the ‘Abyssinian Expedition’ in the Battle of Maqdala, 150 years ago. The Battle was a decisive moment in history, resulting in the suicide of Emperor Téwodros II. In the melee, the British Army looted the Emperor’s citadel, procuring several Ethiopian articles which were either auctioned off to collectors or found their way to British museums.

Today, miles and decades from home, these artefacts, a dress belonging to the Emperor’s widow and a crown amongst others, are displayed in Maqdala 1868, an exhibition which is currently running at the Victoria and Albert Museum until June of next year.

The news of the exhibition came a few weeks after I took the train from Oxford to London to finally see, in the flesh, Tipu Sultan’s Tiger, an automaton shipped to England from Tipu’s summer palace after his execution and the fall of Srirangapatna in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.

It is a thing of awesome beauty. The contraption is simple in its operation but profound in its effect: a crank handle on the side of the Bengal tiger, when turned, produces a wail from the ‘European’ redcoat and a growl from the organ inside the tiger’s body. The message it sends is clear: Don’t mess with the tiger of Mysore.

But the automaton soon became a site of political contention. After Tipu’s death, his Tiger travelled to the Company’s East India House at Leadenhall Street in London where the organ inside the Tiger’s body was uncased and access was offered to the English public who filed in to play ‘God Save the King’ or ‘Rule, Britannia!’ Its new British custodians might have stood at a distance from the crowd congratulating themselves on how they had managed to turn the tables. Its image became steeped in the idea of cultural superiority.

William Gladstone was severely critical of the objects displayed in Maqdala 1868 and the nature of their reprimand. Perhaps, it is this sense of shame that encouraged the V&A to promise to lend the loot to Ethiopia on a ‘long-term loan’. The director of the V&A, Tristram Hunt, called this a ‘close collaboration’ between the two nations.

However, when it comes to Tipu’s Tiger, the shame of the English is difficult to ascertain. Gladstone’s famous words, “Justice delayed is justice denied”, will seem a tad dramatic. Perhaps it is not something quite as grandiose as justice which is my concern. An admission of shame or even an apology might be a suitable alternative to justice. But in the vast majority of cases this admission has been considerably delayed. At least there has been an acknowledgement of the unfairness of stripping Maqdala of its treasures.

In Maqdala 1868 there are excerpts from Gladstone’s speech, but surrounding Tipu’s tiger there is little to provide evidence of any repentance, only further acquisitions, Tipu’s pistols, a brooch from him turban, all of which might have been taken off Tipu’s corpse by a British soldier. Hunt’s framing of V&A’s willingness to loan Ethiopia the artefacts as a ‘collaboration’ seems a polite strategy to maintain a status quo. But, at least, we have been promised that the Maqdala articles will see a return to their homeland, if only as a loan.

One might ask why I have singled out the Tiger when there is a wealth of other treasures which must return to India. It is partly personal, having grown up on the image of the Tiger, so iconic and recognisable, like the Peacock Throne or the Koh-i-noor.

But it is something else as well. There is something emblematic and heart-breaking in the transformation of this icon of resistance into a circus plaything acting as a token of native weakness.

Despite the generosity of V&A’s conservationists, I cannot divorce the idea of theft from the Tiger or any of Tipu’s other belongings. It is time, perhaps, that the V&A extend a similar offer to India as they have to Ethiopia.

The people of the present may not be able to speak for the looters, but such theft should not sit untarnished in our museums, labelled quietly as an ‘acquisition’. We should not be allowed to forget where these acquisitions came from and the shameful history that lies behind them.

Choosing the best Italian on George Street

Georgina MacRae
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Choosing the best Italian on George Street

Franco Manca, Bella Italia, and ASK Italian are all situated on George Street, with Zizzi’s a bit further down. All four chains claim to offer good, Italian cuisine. But, ASK wins hands-down.

To start, due to the constraints of a student budget, we should consider student discounts. Bella Italia wins, with 50% off pasta and classic pizzas from Monday to Wednesday.You can fill up on a hearty, tasty bowl of Lenticchie (pasta with lentil and mushroom ragu) for just £4.50. It’s perfect for a cold day, and comforting after a challenging one

Franco Manca’s undiscounted prices are impressive, competing with Bella’s discounted ones. Zizzi’s has the NUS Card 30% discount Sunday to Thursday, but their prices always seem a bit higher than its competitors. However, ASK also competes with Franco Manca’s and Bella’s prices, as any student with an NUS card can get a delicious lasagne for just £6.60, on a Monday or Tuesday, using the 40% off-food discount. For prices similar to a Wasabi meal, and cheaper than a hot meal at Itsu, you can dine in style at ASK and there never appear to be queues, unlike for Franco Manca or Bella.

Next, interior design. Franco Manca is nice. It is always busy, with an expected queue out the door in the evenings, but the set- up, of close-together tables and exposed piping on the ceiling, suits the resulting loud atmosphere. Bella Italia and Zizzi also have quite close-together tables, paired with darker lighting and some plush sofa chairs at the edges. Darker lighting and plush seating seem more suited to a private chat and quiet meal, which is hard to have in these spaces.

ASK, again, comes top. It’s got bright lighting, which is not harsh but instead makes the space feel open and large. It has more varied seating arrangements than its competitors, which are given more space within the venue. This gives the whole restaurant a bright, relaxed feel, more like a housing interior than the busier layouts in Franco, Zizzi’s, and Bella.

The crucial rankings regard the food. ASK wins hands-down, in part because their menu is varied. Both pizzas and pastas have been thoroughly enjoyed there, and the vegan menu has delicious options such as a pasta dish with spinach and olive tapenade: what a combination.

The lasagne has already been praised, and their Pistachio and Olive Oil Cake, which has won a Good Taste award, needs to be tasted (and devoured) before you’ll believe that it’s a good combination. Bella, Franco and Zizzi have no wonderful, surprising puddings like this. Franco’s pizzas are great, and Bella does good pasta, but something about ASK’s menu is particularly fresh and appealing. Whilst Zizzi has a similar menu to ASK, it seems still less varied, and the prices are never as good.

Staff at Franco, Bella and ASK are all friendly, as expected. In ASK, they’re generally a bit less rushed which helps the atmosphere be a bit more relaxed. Overall, ASK is the best of Italian cuisine!

Blind Date: “We didn’t really click as more than friends”

Cherwell Life
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Blind Date: “We didn’t really click as more than friends”

Alvin Fujito, First Year, Maths, Christ Church

I have never done something like this before, so I was understandably nervous. As I waited near the entrance of King’s Arms, I saw Jess across the street, looking as nervous as I was. When we revealed the subjects we’re studying, I was impressed at Cherwell’s matchmaking ability (though I slightly suspect that they stalked our Facebook profile before set- ting us up). We were able to talk about various things, from Brexit to our appreciation of my tutor/ her lecturer’s fashion sense. Time passed on very quickly, and soon enough it was nine pm and we had not eaten dinner. She declined my invitation to dinner as she had to finish a problem sheet. Overall, it was a great night getting to know a fellow Mathematician in a date-type setting. Thanks, Cherwell!

First impressions?

Struck me as a charming person.

Quality of the chat? 

8/10. Mathematicians do have a type.

Most awkward moment?

Having to approach a tourist to take a photo and then not using it.

Kiss or miss?

I think it’s a miss?

Jess Woods, Second Year, Maths, Worcester

I had a really nice time. We found each other easily which had been my main worry and conversation started flowing quickly. It started off with a chat about blind dates in general and why/ who had signed us up, which broke the ice nicely. We both do maths so that provided a natural point for conversation. He was a good listener as I talked about my time at school and it was great to hear about his Indonesian background. One moment that stood out was when we were talking about English A-level and we discovered that we both loved The Great Gatsby; it was nice to find something in common like that. We bonded over our occasional lack of enthusiasm for our subjects and thoughts on Oxford’s night life. As great as it was to meet Alvin, I felt like we were getting on as friends and didn’t really click more than that – but I can’t thank him enough for a nice evening!

First impressions?

Very smiley, seemed nervous.

Quality of the chat?

Pretty good, very few silences, we covered a lot.

Most awkward moment?

Probably when Brexit came up, but we handled it smoothly.

Kiss or miss?

Sadly, a miss.

Travels with a Cross-Dressing friend: A Personal Biography of China

Jacob Cheli
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Travels with a Cross-Dressing friend: A Personal Biography of China

BBC Foreign Correspondent Michael Bristow, based in Beijing, was reaching the end of his stay and wanted to write a book about the country in which he had lived and worked for eight years. He was not alone in this; journalists often write memoirs of their times spent in foreign countries, and China was not short of its biographies. He needed a way to make his book memorable. So, he set out to write a popular history of modern China, told through the stories of the people he met; this history is the book, China in Drag: Travels with a Cross-Dresser.

Having taken Chinese language lessons for some time, he developed a close friendship with his elderly language teacher. “I came to realise through my friendship with him,” he said, speaking over the phone, “that he was really the embodiment of modern China.” His teacher was born shortly after the Communist Party came to power in 1949, was then sent out into the countryside as a child and then, when China opened itself up in the late 1970s, took the opportunity to go to university and become a journalist and later a teacher. “I realised that by telling his story I was telling the story of China”, Michael told me.

He decided to travel around China to various places of significance to his teacher, who agreed to travel with him. On the very first night of their journey, his male teacher came down to dinner in their hotel dressed as a woman.

“It was a complete shock and surprise to me”, Michael said. After five years of friendship he was blown away. However, he emphasised the importance of this realisation in the direction the book would take. “I could write about Chinese history through the prism of my language teacher, a cross-dresser”, he told me, an insight which would give a unique focus to his book.

“There’s been a lot written about high politics and economics in Chinese history”, he said, “but it is difficult for people in the West to understand China, what it’s like, what its people are like. The book gives people an idea of Chinese character, and although my teacher’s is an unusual character, that gives it an extra dimension about how people react to gender and gender expression.” At its core, Bristow argues, his book is really about “how an individual navigates Chinese history”.

The personal sense of the book’s approach to writing about Chinese history really struck me during my conversation with Michael. Having written about China for five years as a journalist for the BBC, the approach was very different. “The things I wrote about in the book were things I didn’t put in the news”, he told me. “News covers big things going on in a country, like a leadership battle or a big sporting event like the Olympics. A conversation with friends over dinner, that’s not news and it’s going on all over the world, but from those conversations you get much more of a sense of what Chinese people are interested in talking about.”

Michael’s fascination with personal stories and peoples’ lives is clear. His book, he says, is filled with things that are “not news-worthy, but valuable for people outside China as an insight into how people live their lives, what their hopes are for themselves and their children.”

He is quick to dismiss any idea that his book is a comprehensive history. “In no way does this book pretend to tell you everything you need to know about China”, he warns. It is written very much from an individual’s perspective – his. “I’m a British person, I grew up in Britain”, he tells me, “it’s a narrow look at China in that respect.”

Personally, I think Bristow’s unashamed bias is the book’s major strength; it is a story of China, seen through his eyes, accompanied by his cross-dressing teacher. Too often we read stories, particularly in the news, which claim to present an authoritative and unbiased account of an event or an issue. This book takes the opposite approach and its sincerity gives it a definite personal touch.

I asked Bristow to leave me with what he wanted people who read his book to know about China. “Foreign journalists do their best to help people understand China”, he told me, “but the Chinese government tries to mask itself. It’s quite a mean, authoritarian regime that robs people of proper legal process. There’s no such thing as an opposition politician, there are no free NGOs, no pressure groups, nothing like that. The Chinese government tries to convince people that it’s Western journalists who talk too much about human rights, but we probably don’t talk enough about it.

“Hopefully through my book you can see China for its good and bad, and particularly the government for its bad.”

Post Malone Review – ‘Sticking to the Script’

Maxim Mower
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Post Malone Review – ‘Sticking to the Script’

Post Malone is the epitome of the modern rapper – essentially because he rarely actually raps. If stripped of the numerous effects lathered onto his husky timbre in the
production process, Malone’s vocals would not be out of place in folk or country music, and his beloved acoustic guitar belies a sweet spot for authenticity in songwriting. So why has he narrowed himself down to Hip Hop?

I think the answer is that he hasn’t. It’s us, the critics and listeners, who restrict him to that category. He blends aspects from numerous genres, even though his lyrics never stray far from the rap sector. It is this past unpredictability which makes Beerbongs & Bentleys
somewhat disappointing. Swathes of dreamy, downcast synths permeate the record, causing each track to bleed into the next, almost as if the project could be one hour-long
song.

The vocals are uninventive, with each track sounding derivative of the two lead singles, ‘Psycho’ (ft. Ty Dolla $ign) and ‘rockstar’ (ft. 21 Savage). To an extent the album suffers at the expense of the latter’s immense popularity. Is Post Malone playing it safe by sticking to his proven formula, or simply honing his sound? Either way, there is definitely more room for risk-taking.

The subject matter is equally as limited, with Malone adopting the lonely king persona as he boasts hollowly about his hedonistic lifestyle, before dispelling this shroud of glitz, and revealing the despair that his fame has brought in the form of broken relationships and paranoia about losing it all. Although these glimpses into the artist’s mind are undoubtedly intriguing to the listener, the concept has been exhausted over the past few years. When rappers first started utilising the shadows to complement the sheen of their glamorous lifestyles, an art which the likes of Kanye West, Drake and Kid Cudi all mastered, it was novel and moving.

Post Malone is halfway there, but Beerbongs & Bentleys lacks the sparks of excitement it needs to be considered a great album. Don’t get me wrong, odes to the good life are packed in aplenty, but they are all delivered through the same murky haze as the laments, so it cannot help but sink into monotony. Individually, ‘Otherside’ is a production highlight, while Nicki Minaj wins the battle of the features with her fiery contribution to ‘Ball on Me’. ‘Stay’ is a psychedelic, guitar-driven ballad in the mould of Malone’s 2016 hit ‘I Fall Apart’. The track is expertly stripped back, leaving in the spotlight the singer’s talent for stringing vocal pirouettes together to form soaring hooks and and glittering, raw verses. ‘Candy Paint’, which was used on the Fast and Furious 6 soundtrack, is a feel good anthem that’s been given delicate treatment in terms of accompaniment, and it flourishes as a result. Unfortunately, it ends up serving as an exception, rather than a common feature.

This album is easy to listen to, and contains numerous examples of attractive melodies, atmospheric production and soul-baring lyrics. The hooks are undoubtedly awesome and dynamic, and are enjoyable in isolation. It is a solid, well-constructed piece, but with few surprises. As a whole the project suffers from a lack of diversity both in the vocals and the production, leaving you with little motivation to maintain your stamina until the 18th and final track.

Lets Talk About: Procrastination

Annie Zykova
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Lets Talk About: Procrastination

I am sat at my desk, all the books that I need are by my side, my laptop on full power and a new Microsoft Word tab is opened. My room is clean, my corridor is pindrop silent. The conditions for productivity are perfect. This will be the best essay ever to grace this prestigious university.

I launch into my introduction the same way a world-class athlete launches into their race. Proud of my succinct and engaging start, I decide to reward myself with a biscuit. And so begins my fall.

As I open my kitchen cupboard of culinary wonders, my eyes are bombarded with a colourful assortment of snacks. Suddenly that one, pathetic custard cream looks like it’s not enough to keep a sparrow alive. I proceed to tear open a packet of Doritos like a toddler with its presents on Christmas morning.

It is at this point I forget my essay question and begin to ponder the real questions: Should I be vegan? Why can some people wiggle their ears and others can’t? What time is it in the Philippines right now? The Philippines! That reminds me, I have a friend from there who I haven’t spoken to in a long time, I wonder how she’s doing? Let’s check her Facebook. Is that a boyfriend? The rest is history.

Sadly, far too many of us can relate to such an episode. We reserve multiple hours for carrying out a task and prepare the perfect conditions to go about it. Yet this is not enough—we are missing that all important drive. Frustrated at our own lack of productivity, we deprive ourselves of proper breaks, under the impression we don’t deserve them. And so we remain at our desks, with all the time in the world, though with nothing we’d rather do less than the task we set out to complete.

Psychologists state that our irrational desire to favour pointless tasks over necessary ones stems from the fact that we subconsciously place a low value on the task at hand. We run away from our work because we doubt our ability to do it well. Conversely, we know very well that it is much easier to succeed in eating multiple snacks or completing Buzzfeed’s Which RuPaul Drag Race Queen are you? quiz. Procrastination is a comfort that lets us forget out doubts.

We can only reduce our tendency to procrastinate if we understand why we do it. We should avoid plunging into the miserable state of unproductive guilt; the ball and chain that prevents us from looking after ourselves. Taking a real, well-deserved break will freshen our minds and boost productivity once we return to our work. I would even argue that having too much time to do a task is detrimental. We have a false sense of security if we have an entire free day to complete a task that does not actually require so much time.

We need to take a step back from our unrealistic expectations of ourselves and maintain a healthier work-life balance. This way the task at hand will become a more organic part of our day. Just how we wouldn’t miss eating a meal, we can learn to view our work as nothing more than an element of daily routine, reducing the pressure that we feel to achieve the unattainable: perfection.

Underrated Spaces: Jesus College Hall

Charles Britton
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Underrated Spaces: Jesus College Hall

Think of a theatre, and the image that will pop into your head will most likely be that of a proscenium arch. This standard theatre space has become ingrained in our imagination. Oxford has its standard theatre spaces, too: the Playhouse, the Pilch, the BT, the Keble O’Reilly. Using less conventional environments often creates unique dramatic effects and plays with that all-too impenetrable distance between actors and audience.

The college hall: the stage of many an overpriced meal, of lavish formal dinners, the backdrop to dreaded collections. Like the traditional theatre, the college hall has become so familiar to us that it has somewhat lost its power to shock and astound. Lucy Clarke’s rendition of John Webster’s The White Devil, which is being performed this Saturday, recreates the intimacy and claustrophobia of the Early Modern theatre through the vessel of Jesus College hall – Jesus being the only Oxford college to date from the Elizabethan period. For authenticity, the choice of stage could not be better.

I talked to Lucy, who wrote her Masters thesis on the similarities between the performance of law and drama in the 17th century, about directing in this piece of history. “This place is amazing. It looks like an indoor theatre which was built upon the principle of a Tudor theatre,” Lucy said. She believes that there could have been a production of The White Devil in this very hall in 1612/13, “I saw it and I just thought, I have to do this”.

When asked what the college hall offered that a more conventional space could not, Lucy told me, “Definitely intimacy. “This play is all about watching people; it’s about claustrophobia; it’s about seeing desire you shouldn’t see.” This translated extraordinarily well into the preview of the central trial scene I got to see. The cardinal’s (Noah Vickers) imperious taunting booms impressively in the echoing hall. Vittoria (Sophie Claypole) defends herself with the utmost sass, and the close proximity of the actors gives every smirk, grin, and wink, immeasurable potency. “You’re always on somebody’s toes in that theatre,” chuckled Lucy, half-jokingly. As grim figures marched, not across a raised stage, but right beside me, holding candles barely two feet away from my face, I understood what she meant. “Revenge tragedy is disquieting,” Lucy told me, “it’s meant to make you feel something you shouldn’t be able to feel […] This is like going to watch a horror film in so many ways and I think that’s what you’re going to get from seeing it like this.”

The actors have an audience on three sides of them, with two groups sitting on either side and another sat behind them on the balcony. This arrangement strengthens the link between theatre and legal court. They are “surrounded by an audience that can see you, and you can see them”. The atmosphere of anxiety is so palpable in an imposing building such as this. I will not spoil some of the other discomforting elements of the play but be warned that Lucy wants to create the “sense of being put at risk by theatre that is politically challenging, but also physically challenging”.

One aspect of the Early Modern theatre we might want to leave in the past is fire hazards. Not only are there candles strewn across the tables, but every character carries one. Luckily, this doesn’t cause movement to look stilted at all. “They’ve had a lit candle in their hands for three weeks. I’m not worried about them dropping it,” Lucy reassured me.

One might expect obtaining permission to perform in such a historical space to be impossible, but, as a Jesus student, the college gave Lucy the space for free. That said, she “had to send a lot of emails […] talk to the domestic bursar, the hall staff [….] it took probably a good six weeks of negotiations to get”. Fortunately, Lucy “believe[s] Jesus are quite keen to do it again”, and a free theatre space as authentic as this is not something to scoff at.

It is amazing how much excitement an original venue can bring to an already accomplished-looking production. As a final word, Lucy told me that she thinks “it’s so important to try using space in different ways […] I really hope this does continue. I think it’s such an opportunity that is just not used by so many students”.

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