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Oxford will not reconsider Sackler donations despite opioid link

Libby Cherry
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Oxford will not reconsider Sackler donations despite opioid link

Oxford University has confirmed that it will not reconsider donations from the Sackler family, despite their involvement in the production of an addictive opioid.

The family’s pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, produces the opioid OxyContin. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 200,000 people have died as a result of taking OxyContin and other related prescription opioids.

The University’s response follows the news that a £1 million donation from the Sacklers to the National Portrait Gallery has been held up in internal review.

Only three other institutions — the V&A, the Royal Court Theatre, and the National Maritime Museum — have explicitly said they would consider future donations, according to the Evening Standard.

A University of Oxford spokesperson told Cherwell: “The Committee [to review donations] considers the sources of an individual’s or organisation’s wealth and may reconsider a donor in the light of new information.

“At present, there is no intention for the Committee to reconsider the Sackler family and trusts.”

In 2006, Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sacklers, pleaded guilty in US federal court to marketing OxyContin with “the intent to defraud or mislead.”

The company allegedly told doctors that its drug OxyContin had minimal addictive effects.

One third-year medical student told Cherwell: “I’m disgusted by the behaviour of Purdue Pharma…Oxford should distance itself fully from them.

“Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family that run it are guilty of falsifying evidence. This is never acceptable in science, but is particularly pernicious when done in medicine.

“The New England Journal of Medicine holds their pushing of OxyContin responsible for the majority of heroin addictions in the United States. Thousands of lives have been destroyed by their behaviour and Oxford University should eschew their blood money.”

A spokesperson for Oxford SU told Cherwell: “Oxford SU believes that the university should not accept money from sources that the student body disapprove of.”

Since 1991, Oxford has received over £11 million in donations from the Sackler trusts and family. Donations have gone towards building the Bodleian Sackler Library and funding the Sackler Keeper of Antiquities at the Ashmolean. Contributions from the Sacklers also make up part of the museum’s endowment.

Outside the humanities, the Sacklers also support a University lecturer and a Teaching fellowship in Earth Sciences, whilst projects in paediatrics and neuroscience have been facilitated through the family’s contributions.

Oxford academics also participate in partnerships established by the family, such as the Raymond and Beverly Sackler US-UK Scientific Forum.

A first year medical student told Cherwell: “As far as I’m concerned the important medical advances that the money allows are the most important factor.

“From the University’s point of view, you just need to get enough funding to allow them to carry out their vital research.”

A spokesperson for Purdue Pharma told Cherwell: “Many leading medical, scientific, cultural and educational institutions throughout the world have been beneficiaries of Sackler family philanthropy for nearly seven decades, including long before OxyContin was approved by FDA in December 1995.

“Since that approval, OxyContin has been and continues to be appropriately prescribed by doctors to bring needed relief to thousands suffering from severe pain, including those with cancer and terminal illnesses.”

The Sackler Trusts and family have also been contacted for comment.

(This article was updated on 2 April (15:00BST) to include Purdue Pharma’s response)

Patriotism and Chilean Poetry

Bridget McNulty
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Patriotism and Chilean Poetry

Tackling the ever-growing vacation reading list can often feel like a hike up the Andes. A new poetry collection by Chilean writer Victor Hugo Ortega, however, offers a refreshing antidote to the post-term drudge through its incisive perception of everyday life for ‘Latinos del sur,’ or ‘Latinos of the South.’

Having made his name in Chile as a writer of short stories, Ortega’s debut work of poetry aims to ‘prestar oído al fondo indiferenciado’ (‘lend an ear to a featureless background’) in the words of Cristián Sánchez Garfias. This collection weaves a variety of both public and private experiences into a montage of the unstable and ever-changing capital city, and its not without politics or humour.

The opening poem of Ortega’s collection, ‘Cambria,’ sets the scene for an overt challenge of misguided representation, and the speaker championing his favourite computer font becomes a principal theme. From a revolution which no one saw coming, to the assertion that ‘en Europa también hay melodrama,’ (‘in Europe, too, there is melodrama’), Ortega’s humour reinforces the need for both self-consciousness and an awareness of one’s own personal deficiencies.

The poet’s role as ambassador can only function through an attempt to distance themselves from the community in question. Despite the implications of its title, Ortega’s discussion of identity expands beyond the Chilean –  the poetic voice inhabits several distinctive world views, through representatives of those views. Even in what is arguably the most romantic poem of the collection, ‘Hay viento en Varsovia’ (‘There is Wind in Vienna’), the poetic voice is incapable of distinguishing the individual from their identity. The poetic voice appeals to Poland, as a country which has suffered romantically, to reflect his own grief at the loss of his lover.

Patriotism may have become a dirty word nowadays, but Ortega attempts to revitalise a sense of it through his claim that, with patriotism, history will be prohibited from repeating itself. This is a sentiment which is made clear in the events of ‘La Moneda de noche’ (‘La Moneda by Night’) in which a man is compelled to circle the infamous seat of Chile’s Republic to evade an attacker, but refuses to allow his attacker to gain the upper hand. Yet if history cannot be allowed to repeat itself, then neither can the misguided stereotypes which continue to circulate and plague progress. Compelled to find new ways to represent his community and avoid damaging clichés, the poet chooses to openly adapt and challenge misguided statements in the eponymous poem of the collection ‘Latinos del sur,’ quashing salsa as ‘marketing’ and professing the Chilean love for Shakira, ‘the brunette.’ Humour continues to channel Ortega’s objection to the depersonalisation of the Latino community through his choice of unexpected statistics in ‘La misma razón’ (‘The Same Reason’) in which he creates his own unique way of uniting the continent, free from Western stereotyping. From ‘Tiempo de perros’ (‘Time of the Dogs’) to ‘Los primos’ (‘The Cousins’), it would be difficult to find any group which goes unmentioned by Ortega. But his most personal poems, ‘Año nuevo casero’ (‘New Year at Home’) and ‘Ausencia del padre’ (‘A Father’s Absence’) disclose his primary motivation: his frustration at a country that is continually denied the fulfilment of its potential. ‘Amo la ciudad, pero me está matando’ (‘I love the city but it’s killing me’) he exclaims in ‘La ciudad solitaria’ (‘The Solitary City’), a cry which can only come from one who feels intrinsically linked to this city’s fate.

Aside from the occasional dose of Chilean slang, a basic grasp of the Spanish language is all that’s needed for Ortega’s collection. But it’s linguistic simplicity shouldn’t undermine it’s political complexity, as a work in which the poet’s vision is often contrasted with the absence of one for his country. ‘Latinos del sur’ never says that it’s a perfect representation of Chilean life, but Ortega can claim to have brushed off the problems of patriotism in his revival of the concept.

What to expect on a student film set

Olivia Webster
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What to expect on a student film set

With so many creative and technical minds in Oxford, there is forever a new student film cropping up on the scene. The Oxford film community can appear impenetrable as a result. But, wannabe filmmakers don’t abandon your clapper boards so hastily; getting yourself on set is much easier than you think.

Your first challenge is getting a position on a film crew. An obvious option is to just barge onto the set and throw yourself in front of the camera. However, to avoid such a desperate scene, I’d recommend answering a crew call on the Oxford University Film Foundation’s Facebook page. Whilst some crew positions require a lot of pre-planning if you’re a runner, art assistant or sound recordist then you’re only responsibility is turning up to filming on time — a task that in all honesty seems impossible to most student film types.

Once you have entered the fold, you may have the good fortune of being asked to help raise money. Cue immediate alienation of all your friends once you have shared a crowdfunding link thousands of times on Facebook. Yet, this banishment to social Siberia is essential when trying to meet the goal budget as most student films require upwards of £5,000 in production costs. As this need cannot be met by a poxy student loan, most film crews turn to colleges for help — have fun drafting that JCR motion!

Another joy of life on set is denouncing ownership of your possessions for the day, as in the eyes of the film’s production designer everything is a potential prop. It’s either that or being sent to buy and promptly return clothes and the likes, from various shops around Oxford. With lots of last-minute purchases to be made you’d better invest in some trainers to survive being on set.

Rushing around Oxford is practically the basis of a student shoot; transporting equipment, scenes set across the city, dashing to the shops. Perhaps you think such tasks are beyond your remit. You’d be mistaken. With certain positions hard to fill and cast and crew members’ availability being suitably chaotic, no one is confined to their position. Take my last film, for example, I was at different points producer, sound recordist, set dresser and an extra. However, this is an easy way to learn new skills, with everyone mucking in and doing a bit of everything.

Despite the changeable nature of your time on set, jumping from one role to the next and undoubtedly rushing round Oxford for last minute supplies, a student set is an exciting and inspiring place to be. There is a certain thrill involved in being in an environment filled with like-minded people producing something everyone on set can be proud of.

Managing an eating disorder shouldn’t entail putting my education on hold

Clare Tierney
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Managing an eating disorder shouldn’t entail putting my education on hold

When I was diagnosed with anorexia aged 12, GCSEs seemed incredibly distant, let alone university, adulthood and having to feed myself.

I had every intention of getting better in time but, as with all mental health problems, the deep-seated and complex nature of an eating disorder is not to be underestimated. That there are many of us managing eating disorders at Oxford may seem surprising to a non-sufferer, but I would say 90% of Oxford students have certain personality traits that could easily find expression through disordered eating. Perfectionism, thirst for challenges, and dedication are all real assets to students at a university like ours.

However, things can go awry when living up to the highest of self-imposed standards is literally jeopardising living itself. The university cannot deny that their learning environment also happens to provide the ideal conditions for the development of a plethora of mental health problems, eating disorders being just one of the most prevalent.

This is the crux of the problem. I do not mean to get on my NHS-basher’s high horse, but I must stress how inadequate provisions are for students like myself who run the ever-increasing risk of rustication as their not-quite-life-threatening eating disorder goes untreated.

Although mental health services countrywide are failing to meet demand, the fact that high-achievers are more likely to develop an eating disorder (and often related anxiety and depression) means that Oxfordshire’s services are more oversubscribed than most. My experience of waiting lists at home versus those at university is testament to this. Clinically underweight and only continuing to lose, I was presented with a 15-month wait for dietary and psychological help from the outpatients’ service at Cotswold House, the local NHS eating disorders unit.

Herein lay the dilemma, one which I know cannot be unique only to me. Either I could rusticate and get the much-needed help quicker, or continue with my studies as my physical and mental health worsened, maybe to the point at which I would end up needing to rusticate anyway. I wanted the psychological help here in Oxford – but it would only be accessible if I returned to the brink of organ failure.

This is the reality, dramatic as it may sound, of having a ‘functional’ eating disorder at Oxford. Despite lacking the severity to warrant immediate intervention through hospitalisation, this kind of eating disorder, whether it be anorexia, bulimia or binge eating, can still force a student to suspend their studies. So many feel compelled to put their education on hold in order to compensate for the NHS’s failings.

The only other alternative is to bite the bullet and go private, if indeed you are privileged enough to have literal thousands lying around. Were this not my fortunate position, I would have had to have rusticated. My Oxford GP was an advocate of paying for treatment and for good reason – it has allowed me to make the most of the incredible opportunity that is working towards an Oxford degree.

I am fully aware that I have given a less-than-glowing review of Oxford from the perspective of someone with an eating disorder, but at least the university does recognise that its high-pressured environment fosters the development and persistence of eating disorders.

In my experience, tutors have stepped up to make my degree doable despite my inability to access NHS help. The very fact I am still here is testament to their understanding and flexibility when it came to pushing back deadlines, giving me special consideration in collections, and sending me regular check-up emails. I have tried to avoid it as much as possible, but when I have needed to miss a class to attend my (of course, private) psychologist appointments, no questions have been asked.

Dealing with my eating disorder has put me on medication for depression and seen my anxiety get so bad that I had to sit Prelims in college – but it could have been much worse.

Trying to eat responsibly on the other side of the Atlantic during my year abroad will be hard. Healthcare certainly won’t be as readily available, but I know my tutors will only be a click away. It is only a shame that so much money needed to be thrown at the problem to guard against the rustication that had initially seemed inevitable. The NHS could and should be providing everyone with on-site support, and I hope it is only a short while before the government makes this possible.

Oxford colleges release gender pay gap data

Oscar Baker
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Oxford colleges release gender pay gap data

All but three Oxford colleges pay men more than women, new data has revealed.

New College recorded the greatest median gender pay gap, at 24.3%. This is followed by Somerville College, which registered a 22.9% median difference in hourly rate in favour of men.

Lady Margaret Hall has an 8.7% difference in hourly rate in favour of women. Two colleges – Trinity College and St. Catherine’s College – have no median gender pay gap.

The average median difference in hourly pay across all Oxford colleges is 11.2% in favour of men.

The releases follow a change in the law which requires every employer with over 250 employees to calculate the mean and median difference in hourly rate between genders, as well as figures on bonus pay and the proportion of women in each pay quartile.

Last week, it was revealed Oxford University has a median gender pay gap of 13.7%. Meanwhile, several colleges, including Merton and Univ, are believed to employ fewer than 250 staff, meaning they have no legal obligation to report on their pay gap.

New College had the largest gap between median pay for men and women. In its report, the college said: “We are confident that men and women are paid the same for doing the same job at New College. However, men and women are often employed in difference roles across our organisation creating a gender pay gap.

“We are actively exploring steps to reduce the lack of female representation across roles of different seniority and encourage a diverse applicant mix for new job openings. Once we account for differences in the department that male and female employees are employed in, our mean gender wage gap falls to 5%” the report continued. “We interpret this as a relative lack of female representation amongst our senior roles.

“A key area that we hope to make progress in is the recruitment of women into senior administrative roles and into traditionally “male” departments (e.g. IT). Members of appointment panels will be expected to undergo unconscious bias training and we will take active steps to ensure a diverse applicant pool.”

Somerville, which registered the second highest median gender pay difference in hourly rates, said in its report: “Somerville College is confident that its pay policy complies with Equal Pay legislation and that its staff are paid equally for doing equivalent jobs.

“The Gender Pay Gap shows the difference between the average rate of pay between men and women. This is different from Equal Pay.

“Women are over-represented in the lowest paid roles, such as our Housekeeping staff, and under-represented in the highest paid roles, such as our teaching staff.”

Are colleges doing enough to tackle pay disparity?

Write for Cherwell and have your say – send a 150-word pitch to our comment editors.

The new data also reveals the proportion of women in each pay quartile. Magdalen College have the lowest proportion of women with 29% in the upper quartile of pay, followed by Keble on 30%. At the other end of the scale, 58.3% of St. Hilda’s College’s top roles are filled by women.

The release of bonus pay was also required under the new regulations. Many colleges do not pay bonuses to staff. Wadham College pay 58.1% of women bonuses, and 43.7% men, the highest recorded figures. Trinity pay 66% of male employees bonuses.

The University of Oxford earlier recorded a 48.7% median difference in bonus pay in favour of men.

Other universities have also released gender pay gap data. Cambridge University registered an 15%, higher than Oxford. The University of London has a median gender pay difference of 10.9%.

Oxford University has the fifth lowest gender pay gap in the Russell Group, although every Russell Group university has a median gender pay gap of over 5%.

The UK Government Equalities Office states that “by identifying the age of the middle earner, the median is the best representation of the ‘typical’ gender difference.”

They state: “By taking into account the full earnings distribution, the mean takes into account the low and high earners in an organisation – this is particularly useful as women are often over-represented at the low earning extreme and men are over-represented at the high earning extreme.”

Brasenose has the highest mean gender pay gap among Oxford colleges, at 28.7% in favour of men, whilst Mansfield is the only college to have a mean gender pay gap in favour of women, at 1.2%.

The mean figure is seen as less accurate because it is unable to account for outliers.

Additional reporting by Greg Ritchie and Matthew Roller

This article was amended on Wednesday 4th April, to reflect St John’s and Christ Church releasing their own gender pay gap reports.

Hassan’s to trial delivery service

Joseph Kerr
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Hassan’s to trial delivery service

Broad Street kebab van Hassan’s is to trial a free delivery service across Oxford, Cherwell can exclusively reveal.

The student favourite – which recently came second in the ‘best kebab van’ category at the British Kebab Awards – will employ delivery drivers throughout Trinity term.

“We are delighted to be able to launch our new ‘doner-to-door’ service for next term,” a spokesperson told Cherwell.

“Now you can get the nationally recognised taste of Hassan’s, delivered straight to your door.”

During the initial trial period, Hassan’s will only deliver to OX1 postcodes – much to the dismay of students outside central Oxford.

“I’m a little bit peeved to be honest,” one LMH fresher told Cherwell.

“Delivering to colleges who already have Hassan’s on their doorsteps is just rubbing it in.

“I get that the #LMHissofar jokes are funny, but if I’d known how long the walk would be to my favourite kebab van I genuinely would not have applied.”

In a 2016 interview with Cherwell, Hassan revealed that his favourite item on the menu was a “chicken wrap, with cheese and chips, chilli sauce and garlic mayonnaise… just a little bit of chicken and just a little bit of chips and I’m done for the whole night.

“The most ordered item has got to be chips and cheese, and then chips and cheese and meat – chicken or lamb,” he added.

Update: Well done to those of you who checked the date – this was indeed an April fool.

Inheriting the earth: students twice as likely to worship

Jeremiah O'Mahony
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Inheriting the earth: students twice as likely to worship

Oxbridge and Durham students are almost twice as likely to attend Sunday worship as the general English population, according to data collected by the Church of England.

A report published by the Church found that 1,685 students regularly attend Sunday services at the three universities’ college chapels in 2016.

That number is 2.6% of the combined student bodies, nearly double the 1.4% of the English population who attend Anglican Sunday services. The number of students attending is really higher, as only 43 of the universities’ combined 56 college chapels gave data.

Joining students are about 1,500 other worshippers, including locals, tourists, and children.

Diocesan statistics published by the Church show a 12% decrease in service attendance from 2006 to 2016 in England overall, but students don’t seem to follow that trend.

Reverend Wendy Wale of Wadham told Cherwell that students’ interest in services may “boil down to resources.” As Wadham chaplain, she ministers to 600 students, while the average chaplain could handle up to 10,000 people.

She says proximity also may be a factor: “There is a chapel plonked right in the middle of people’s worlds – it is very easy to go and doesn’t require a commitment of faith.”

Reverend Clare Hayns of Christ Church told Cherwell: “Students are at a time in their lives when they are working all sorts of things out and so many are exploring their faith amongst other things.

“I also think students appreciate the traditional style of Evensong and the fact that these services have been taking place, in much the same way, for hundreds of years.”

Pip Beck, a third-year English student at Wadham College who attends chapel every week during term time, told Cherwell: “I quite like the ritual of it. I know that I’m going for one hour on a Sunday to hear the same service that’s been happening for hundreds of years – and that I saw last week, and will see next week.

“I think the atmosphere of having so many students and intellectuals around – and it being in such a gorgeous place – really adds to it.

“I think knowing all the people you’ll meet and talk to and all the exciting and intelligent conversations you’ll have make it feel like more of a learning experience than a duty.”

JJ Warren, an international student who attends services at Wadham chapel, told Cherwell: “I think attending services at college chapel feels more authentic than worshipping at home because I’m in the company of similarly aged peers.

“For me, chapel is another way to join the college community and to engage with my peers in a meaningful setting.”

This is the first year that the Church has released a full report on universities, as they are not included in the parish system. This survey is a prototype for future surveys of universities and other non-parish organisations, such as prisons.

Materials department slammed for ‘sexist’ invite

Jeremiah O'Mahony
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Materials department slammed for ‘sexist’ invite

The Oxford Department of Materials has been accused of sexism after sending an invitation which garnered criticism on Twitter.

In an invitation to the department’s alumni dinner – the first of its kind since 2013 – the Department wrote that “partners and wives are very welcome.”

Department of Materials alumna Anna Ploszajski received the invitation and took to Twitter, using the popular hashtag #everydaysexism.

Her caption read: “In which universe is it acceptable to say ‘partners and wives are very welcome’ on an invitation?”

Ploszasjki’s tweet prompted many other users to weigh in. Dr. Zoe Davies, materials scientist and biomechanist wrote: “Bring along the little lady, the poor dear won’t understand any of the long words but she can sit and smile politely.”

Sally Le Page, a YouTuber and biologist who read Biology at Oxford and is currently working on a DPhil, pointed out that Ploszajski’s invitation was addressed to “Alumnus, which is masculine singular.”

https://twitter.com/sallylepage/status/979470252680544256

A spokesperson for Oxford University said: “We are looking into the matter but it is absolutely committed to gender equality, including the advancement of women in science.”

Ploszascki is an award-winning materials scientist, stand-up comedian, and science communicator. She has given a TED Talk and regularly performs eye-catching demonstrations of materials science.

The Department of Materials later apologised “unreservedly” on Twitter.

“An outdated unacceptable invitation template was used in error,” it said. “We are committed to gender equality and will do better.”

Playlist: Hottest Tracks of the Month

Maxim Mower
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Playlist: Hottest Tracks of the Month

March saw a whole host of high profile releases, as artists geared up for what will undoubtedly be a massive Spring and Summer of music. The Weeknd ended fans’ two year wait for new music with his sleek but sultry My Dear Melancholy, EP, while Shawn Mendes and George Ezra also leapt back into the charts with new singles.

Hip Hop once again had a strong month, with Post Malone, Rae Sremmurd and Lil Yachty all securing their places on March’s hotlist. Lil Dicky’s collaboration with Chris Brown, ‘Freaky Friday’, which was accompanied by a hilarious music video, was the big hit of the month on social media, which helped it to surge up the charts.

Country also made big moves, with The Shires teasing their new album, set to drop in April, by encouraging us to ease our chocolate-heavy consciences and to dance through Easter with their party anthem, ‘Guilty’, while Kacy Musgraves dropped her latest project to rave reviews.

All of which leaves our mouths watering for April’s releases – will Kylie Minogue’s comeback album be a hit? Will 30 Seconds to Mars break through the sound barrier with theirs? And will Gucci Mane, Migos and Lil Yachty’s proposed collaborative effort be a a star-studded showpiece, or another forgettable flop?

While we wait and see, let’s reflect on March’s hottest tracks…

Brexit update outlines Oxford’s research strategy

Isabel Morris
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Brexit update outlines Oxford’s research strategy

Oxford has promised to “keep staff and students informed” of development in negotiations that might affect them, after releasing its latest Brexit update.

The University announced its ‘Brexit strategy for research’ last week, and outlined its intention to mitigate any risks.

The strategy has four key aims, which anticipate four main areas of work. These aims are: mitigating risks to research activities; targeting alternative non-UK sources of funding for research; strengthening EU collaboration; and pursuing engagement with the UK government and its agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for research at Oxford.

In addition to these aims, the University also repeated its intentions to “recruit and retain the best staff regardless of nationality”, and “recruit the best students regardless of nationality.”

The statement emphasised that “the University’s desired outcomes from the Brexit negotiations remain unchanged.”

Several EU students have had their say on the University’s latest update.

George Maier, a first-year biomedical scientist from Romania, told Cherwell: “I’m not well informed about the how would Brexit affect me, but I don’t think it will affect my future academic pathway in research.”

Lukasz Gwozdz, a first-year law student from Poland, said: “It’s not going to directly affect my studies, including financially, but I’m definitely more willing to look for job or further education opportunities outside the UK after I graduate.”

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