Saturday 2nd May 2026
Blog Page 792

Merton bans trashing over fears of ‘elitism’

Isabel Morris
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Merton bans trashing over fears of ‘elitism’

Merton College has banned trashing within 100 yards of college premises and threatened students with disciplinary action.

In an email sent to students in early May, Merton’s Junior Dean for Discipline, Rebecca Beattie, said: “Trashing is not allowed anywhere on Merton College premises and will face disciplinary action. 

Given Merton’s proximity to Exam Schools, the ban effectively extends to all city-centre trashings.

“While Oxford is often loath to give up its many incomprehensible and mysterious traditions, trashing is not a tradition of which the University is particularly proud. 

“The University acknowledges that trashing represents the very worst of the stereotypes with which Oxford can sometimes be associated, including elitism, ostentation, and lavishness.”

The Junior Dean asked students to consider how many people in the UK are either homeless or struggle to live above the poverty line, as well as the fact that the University spends more than £25,000 per year on security and cleaning up after trashing, as revealed by Cherwell this month.

Beattie continued: “How do you think these [struggling] residents of our city feel upon seeing students doused in champagne and foodstuffs during the exam season?

“How many of us would instead like to see that [money] used to improve facilities and services?

“It is also worth bearing in mind that trashing has disciplinary consequences at a university level and, due to all of the above considerations, is against the University’s Code of Conduct.

“With all of these considerations in mind we sincerely hope that students of Merton College set an example by not perpetuating this outdated tradition and by celebrating the end of exams in more appropriate ways.”

In an email sent this week, seen by Cherwell, the Junior Dean reiterated the College’s condemnation of trashing. Beattie stated that by participating in trashing, students were “participating in an outdated tradition characterised by waste, elitism, and obnoxiousness,” “causing a lot of mess,” and “being disruptive to those in the vicinity.”

Beattie added: “Any member of Merton caught trashing in College, caught trashing within 100 yards of College, caught causing litter in or near College because of having been trashed, or caught acting as an obstacle at entrances or on nearby footpaths because of trashing-related activities will face immediate punishment.”

Trashing can lead to disciplinary action and fines of up to £300 according to University regulations. 

Earlier this term, the University launched its ‘What a Waste’ campaign to discourage students from participating in trashings – but the practice has continued throughout the term.

Merton did not respond to Cherwell‘s request for comment.

Students grill Russian ambassador on LGBTQ+ rights record

Jack Hunter
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Students grill Russian ambassador on LGBTQ+ rights record

Angered students confronted the Russian ambassador to the UK on Tuesday, as the Oxford Union faced criticism for hosting him during Oxford Pride week.

Alexander Yakovenko was forced to defend Russia’s record on LGBTQ+ rights, as students questioned him on the Russian state’s reported torture of gay men in Chechnya.

The ambassador provoked widespread criticism when he denied there it was an issue, claiming: “It’s difficult to say if there are any gay people in Chechnya”.

During his speech, Yakovenko spoke of his national pride, showing a four minute film displaying some of the highlights of the country – complete with orchestral soundtrack and English voiceover – and ending with a Russia-themed quiz.

Russia goodie bags were awarded to the winners, and to Union president Gui Cavalcanti.

However, when the question and answer session began, he was confronted by several members over Russia’s treatment of LGBTQ+ communities in Chechnya, where authorities have reportedly round up and tortured more than 100 gay men. The Kremlin has denied the allegations.

Keir Mather, a History and Politics student at Wadham, said: “Ambassador, I’m a gay man. And if I lived in Chechnya over the last year I would have run the risk of being imprisoned, and tortured, and possibly killed by either my family or the state.

“On behalf of all the LGBT Chechnyan people who will not have an opportunity to ask a question because they’re voiceless, I’d like ask you why nobody who’s perpetrated these crimes or has condoned them has been brought to justice, or faced any sort of criminal action, and also I’d like to ask you when the LGBTQ+ community in Russian will have their rights not only has citizens but as human beings.”

His speech was met with an extended round of applause.

The ambassador replied: “That is exactly what we’ve discussed with Elton John. He had a conversation with President Putin about this before. And later on, there were a lot of publications in Britain about the gay rights, and all this. By the way I have a lot of friends who are gays [sic]. I have no problem with that.”

He added: “If you live in Russia and you are gay, or in the so-called minority communities, you have all the rights the same as the others.”

Another student asked Yakovenko if he agreed with claims made by Chechnya’s leader that the region does not have any gay people.

“Well, I don’t know,” Yakovenko said. “It’s difficult to say if there are any gay people in Chechnya.”

He added: “Probably the numbers of gays, [sic] they are not as high as in Europe. That’s why it’s a different issue”, before claiming nobody had complained about the treatment of gay minorities.

The Union President, Gui Cavalcanti, asked him if people were too afraid to speak out.

“No, no, no. Nobody’s afraid. We have so many gays [sic] for example if you go to Moscow. You have the gay sport, it’s just a normal way of life.

“It’s not something that’s a real problem in my country.”

After the event, Mather wrote on Facebook: “Just had the chance to take the Russian Ambassador to the UK to task over the purge of gay people in Chechnya, asking him why no one who perpetrated or condoned these actions has been held responsible and when the LGBT+ community in Russia will have equal rights as citizens and human beings. His response was beyond appalling. I’m still sat in the chamber and am fucking shook.”

He added: “The lies, obfuscation, and complete lack of moral dignity displayed here tonight is appalling, but not surprising. The fact he’s been hosted during the same week as Oxford Pride is ridiculous.”

A Union spokesperson told Cherwell: “Regarding the timings and dates for our speaker events, we are usually restricted by our guest speakers’ availability in trying to find a mutually suitable date, given their incredibly busy schedule. It is unfortunate that many have found the invitation of the Russian Ambassador ‘hugely insensitive’.”

Oxford’s access problem runs deeper than statistics alone

Florence Ward
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Oxford’s access problem runs deeper than statistics alone

Since the release of the first-ever undergraduate admissions report on Wednesday, Oxford has dominated headlines.

Statistics have been shouted left, right, and centre, competitively more shocking than the last time Oxford’s access was reported on, in David Lammy MP’s investigation last October. It’s easy to see why the media laps up this data: translating the access problem into numbers makes it digestible, when the reality is far from this. The reason for Oxford’s poor social diversity is not solely the admissions departments’ misguided priorities, nor a lack of applications from underrepresented backgrounds. We need not reject the data that this report has unearthed, but we cannot talk about it productively without acknowledging that Oxford’s access problem is the product of hundreds of different factors, and stretches back hundreds of years to the University’s conception.

The problem with statistics is that, in their wake, blame is tossed from one party to another. Emails I received from vice chancellor Louise Richardson and the English Faculty prior to the release of the data were desperate attempts at damage control, pinpointing positive trends without much acknowledgement of the issues the report highlighted. Media coverage over the past few days has exposed the negative ones whilst similarly skirting over the improvements the University has made. The proportion of students identifying as Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) has risen from 13.9% to 17.9%. Oxford admits more Westminster pupils than black students. It’s unsurprising that the statistics begin to feel meaningless when caught in the midst of this tug-of-war that, ultimately, will only continue to deter applicants from feeling like Oxford is a place for them.

The University will argue that the media focuses on the wrong aspects of this report, as Prof. Richardson implied when she noted pointedly her email that the work of the access team “does not get the recognition it deserves when Oxford’s admissions are discussed in public”, but they are similarly guilty of using these statistics as a mask. The data proving that students from underrepresented backgrounds apply to oversubscribed courses provides a convenient excuse, without shedding any light on why this might be.

Presenting Oxford’s social inequality as a number gives the false impression that, like a GCSE Maths problem, it can be solved through a bit of adding and subtracting. You can’t just double spending on Uniq and take away some places from independent schools and expect the answer to be social diversity. It doesn’t add up, because you can’t use money to solve a problem that is fundamentally cultural.

To an extent, we are all responsible – the idealisation of Oxford is an entrenched part of our national culture. Just look at Harry Potter – revealed the nation’s favourite book character by a survey on Amazon last year – which, inspired by Oxford’s dreaming spires, is essentially a fetishisation of the private school system, complete with houses, mottos and gowns. We simply can’t resist this fixation on Oxford as a place of alluring exclusivity – an obsession that is only intensified by Oxford’s portrayal in the media. Until this perception is erased, the University will continue to struggle to attract students from underrepresented backgrounds and admissions departments’ decisions will continue to be coloured by an in ated sense of self-importance.

We need to change the way we think and talk about Oxford, and stop reveling in its irresistible controversy. Oxford’s social inequality is a cultural issue, and requires a cultural shift in the way we approach it.

Hereafter preview – ‘an ostensible exploration of future technology that shines a light inwards, rather than forwards’

Alexander Rugman
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Hereafter preview – ‘an ostensible exploration of future technology that shines a light inwards, rather than forwards’

Plays about reality, and the role of technology in defining it, are enjoying something of a vogue in Oxford at the moment. 2016 saw an adaptation of The Nether at the Oxford Playhouse by Knotworks Theatre. Jennifer Haley’s thought-provoking piece on the ethics of virtual reality was followed last summer by Poltergeist’s Garden at The North Wall. Fittingly, then, the North Wall’s next student occupants are Lysis Productions, who are presenting Chloe Taylor’s debut play Hereafter this 6th Week.

The play follows Eva, a woman grieving over the tragic death of her husband in a chillingly ambiguous distant future and her experience of bereavement therapy using VR. This is a play that is ostensibly perhaps about the controversial role that VR technology might play in our future, here shown with regards to revitalising the dead. But as Taylor (the writer-director of the piece) tells me, this was not a play that emerged from any fears or abounding curiosity about the specifics of technology. It’s a piece that instead is about loss, and grief, and coping mechanisms, with the technological aspects providing a fascinating lens through which to explore this.

I was shown two scenes, the first a delightfully disjointed two-hander between Eva (Martha Harlan) and her boss (Lucy Miles) as the prospect of VR therapy is introduced to the former. Harlan is excellent; there’s a brittleness to the physicality of this portrayal which ramps up the tension without any dialogue needed. She instantly feels like the only sane person in the room, which provides a nice counterpoint for the menacing, understatedly comic aspect Miles brings to her character. Eva’s bewilderment at her boss’s approach to her grief throws up some nice ripostes in the dialogue and provides an arena for the inevitable clash between the corporate and human experiences of loss.

The piece really came into its own in the second scene I was shown, an emotionally-charged conversation at the kitchen table between Eva, her brother (Chris Dodsworth) and her late husband (Lee Simmonds). The unspoken weighed heavily without becoming oppressive, and all three actors shone. Harlan’s guilt-driven monologue sat at the kitchen table was a tantalising mixture of compelling and heartbreaking, whilst Dodsworth managed to find real depth as ‘Brother’ struggled to find the words to express his own grief. There was a real rapport between the siblings which, as ever, suggests assiduous character work has been done in the rehearsal room. Special mention must go to Simmonds for holding the scene together; his slight and bird-like physicality fantastically conveyed his virtual presence and his facial expressions managed to walk the line between sadness and despair without seeping into melodrama. The dynamics Taylor has fostered in the scene allowed for some poignant exchanges of quick witted dialogue epitomised as Eva hopes that one day “I wouldn’t have to keep wondering where you are”.

This looks to be a really exciting piece of new writing and Taylor has expertly used an ostensible exploration of future technology to shine a light inwards, rather than forwards. A play that’s both intelligent and profound, this is not one to miss.

Oxford station to shut for two weeks

Cherwell News
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Oxford station to shut for two weeks

No trains will run in or out of Oxford railway station for more than two weeks in July due to maintenance work.

Engineers will replace track, signalling and cables.

There will be disruption from 29th June to 29th July, and no trains will use the station between 6th July and 23rd July.

Work will take place “around the clock” and has been “carefully planned” to minimise disruption to passengers, Network Rail said.

A spokesperson said the work “will allow trains to run faster and more effectively through Oxford, reducing congestion and speeding up journey times.”

All mainline services run by Great Western Rail (GWR) and Chiltern Rail into Oxford between Didcot Parkway, Oxford Parkway, Banbury and Moreton-in-Marsh will be affected, with bus replacement services operating at all stations instead.

The station building itself will remain open during the works.

St Hugh’s JCR severs ties with zine after graffiti uproar

Greg Ritchie
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St Hugh’s JCR severs ties with zine after graffiti uproar

St Hugh’s College JCR has passed a motion to condemn and remove funding for the arts zine Gold of Fuck, after graffiti was found with its name on Iffley Road.

Earlier this term, the JCR had approved a motion to provide £200 towards the printing and launch of the publication.

However, after the words “Gold of Fuck” were found written in large letters at two points on the perimeter fence of Oxford University Sports Centre on Iffley Road, the JCR voted to “condemn the criminal and antisocial behaviour associated with the ‘Gold of Fuck’ magazine collective” and “withdraw support for and sever JCR ties with the ‘Gold of Fuck’ magazine”.

The motion noted that a “name as unusual as ‘Gold of Fuck’ can be rationally connected to the magazine and its associated group, known to sell art and poetry in the area…”

“No matter the cause, the JCR should not associate itself with or be seen to support criminal or antisocial behaviour.”

The motion also stated that one section of the graffiti faces directly opposite the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies.

A second motion, which would see the JCR automatically refuse any further motions asking for funding or support for the ‘Gold of Fuck’ zine as a matter of policy, received a majority of votes in favour, but failed to achieve the super-majority it needed to pass.

A co-founder of the zine and St Hugh’s undergraduate student, Zain Baweja, described the behaviour of the college JCR executive committee as “underhand” and “undemocratic”, according to The Oxford Student.

However, Cherwell understands that several members of the collective were in attendance at Sunday’s JCR meeting. Several members shared frustrations that the graffiti had been produced, denying it had any association with the group before expressing support for the JCR motion.

Both motions were proposed by JCR President Alex Yeandle, with the unanimous backing of the JCR Executive Committee. The Committee were alerted to the graffiti after photos from Iffley Road were placed anonymously in the JCR President’s pigeon hole.

The pictures were accompanied by the words: “‘Gold of Fuck’ graffiti – did the JCR fund this?”

Cherwell understands the executive initially plan to ask members to withdraw the £200 apportioned to Gold of Fuck as this had not already been paid. This plan was dropped following an intervention from the JCR’s Independent Chair.

The motion to sever JCR association with and support of ‘Gold of Fuck’ received 53 votes in favour and 21 against, with 3 abstentions. The motion to amend the policy book only passed by a margin of 5 votes, failing to reach a super-majority.

On the Facebook page of its launch event, ‘Gold of Fuck’ advertises itself as a “new, independent art collective based in Oxford. We prioritise the creation of the unrefined, the uncensored and unstable.”

“‘Urgency’ is at the center of the collective. Gold of Fuck celebrates what can be made in the liminal spaces between creative pressure and creative freedom; ‘making’ as a means to deny our propensity to be passive to time.”

JCR president, Alex Yeandle, told Cherwell: “Upon receiving information about the vandalism, the Executive Committee made the decision to consult members of the JCR about how to act, through the proposal of a motion. The graffiti features the name ‘Gold of Fuck’, and is located on two places on Iffley Road.

“As an Oxford College JCR Executive Committee we understand and respect the community in which we live, hence why we cannot risk being associated with this criminal act.

“There is nothing undemocratic about the process the Executive Committee has followed. As a representative Executive Committee, we serve at the pleasure of the members of the JCR meaning that, if in doubt, the right thing to do is to always seek the approval of our members.

“The Executive Committee proposed a motion, for which members have full autonomy to support or to vote against.”

He added: “In light of accusations of ‘undemocratic’ or ‘underhanded’ behaviour, we would like to emphasise two points. Firstly, the JCR has democratically voted to overwhelmingly support the first part of our motion.

“Secondly, after deliberation and debate about the policy motion, the JCR has given us instructions to follow.

This is democracy in action.”

In defence of astrology

Eve Webster
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In defence of astrology

Two weeks ago, my dad sent me a text that read: “Mercury out of retrograde! Hopefully car will be sorted soon :))”. For those of you who don’t know, which I have to assume is the majority of you, when Mercury appears to be travelling backwards in the sky things like buses, trains, and in this case cars, will tend to go wrong. Forgetting to attach a document to an email, your bike getting a puncture, or being late to your tute three weeks in a row despite your best efforts, can also all be nicely attributed to a Mercury Retrograde. Or at least can be for me. Convenient, isn’t it?

Now my dad is a rational, intelligent, middle-aged economist, who you would think might know better than putting his faith into something as silly as astrology. Most people don’t. “How can the stars effect my life? Horoscopes are so vague they could apply to anyone! How can you have the same personality as a whole twelfth of the population?” they cry. And I hear them, I do. And I know they’re right. But still, each day I check what’s in store for all us Virgos (despite the fact that I don’t even slightly resemble a typical one). I am also immediately suspicious of anyone born from the 21st of May to the 20th of June since they are a notoriously snakey Gemini. I’ve lived my life this way since I had my subscription to the ill-fated, horoscope heavy “Girl Talk” magazine at the age of nine. Here is why and why I think you should to, or at least stop taking the piss out of me for it.

First of all, it’s hard to know who you are, so sometimes it’s nice to be told. Is it any wonder that the front-runners of children’s and young adult literature are full of worlds where people are nicely put into groups, from the Hogwarts houses to the Divergent factions. Knowing that you’re a Ravenclaw (because we can’t all be Gryffindors) gives you at least some sort of sense of identity when you’re ten years old and don’t understand why none of your classmates like reading as much as you.

Once people think (mistakenly, in the case of Harry Potter) that they are a bit too old for that, they turn to personality tests like the Myers-Briggs or the Enneagram. Being reduced to a series of letters can be very comforting: you feel understood and important. And while you are ‘deeply’ and individually analysed by a talking hat or questions you’ve answered in a fifteen minute procrastination break, how different are they really to being given a set of traits according to your date of birth.

There are always at least elements that are true. Either way, they promote some sort of self-reflection. At least if you know that you’re nothing like the Taurus you’re supposed to be, then you know what you’re not. This can be just as helpful as going “that’s so me!” as you read how the position of the moon twenty or so years ago has made you have commitment problems. And while it’s always best to take responsibility for who you are and what you do, it is nice to very occasionally inwardly excuse yourself for having such a temper because you’re a hot-head fire sign or for being such an emotional mess because you’re an ultra-sensitive Pieces or Cancer.

On the other side of astrology is its claim to being able to tell the future. First off, as someone who has indulged in their horoscope for a considerable time, I feel justified and confident in saying that it has proved accurate far more times to be pure coincidence.  While waiting to hear if I had an interview here, eighteen-year-old me was ardently checking her horoscope for the up-coming week, all of which were irrelevant. That is except for the Monday of the week following which told me that I would “hear some exciting news via email or the post”. But surely that was too late, as all of my friends also applying had heard already! But low and behold, Susan Miller of astrolgyzone.com was spot on because guess what happened on that very Monday. Even earlier this term, due to Pluto and the moon crossing over in Capricorn, I was told that big news and revelations were coming my way. That evening I discovered that two of my other mates had been secretly dating for the past month (one of them is a Scorpio, so this kind of deceit is only really to be expected).

Yes, all this probably would have happened regardless, but it was nice to be given some sort of a heads-up. Because life is scary! Something weird or terrible could happen any day and we can never prepare for it. And while horoscopes will not tell me to actually wear my helmet next time I cycle down St Giles, they do give you some illusion of being in control, that for some things there is at least some sort of a pattern to help you out and give you, while very vague, some instruction and direction.

And often they’re right too. I was told to take it easy last night since the moon was in my sign. I debated going to Bridge but decided to listen to what the stars (or even moons) were telling me and had a bath and went to bed at ten. And, of course this was the right decision. The fact that it would have been my third night out in a row and that I had a 9am the next day may have contributed too I suppose. Equally, an optimistic encouraging prediction of the day can be just the prompt you need to talk to that person, to volunteer for that role or to go for that position.

And finally, they can help you keep and eye on other people. If I’m particularly worried by a friend or a family member, I often have a read of what they have in store that day, how they might be feeling. While the best way to understand how someone is doing is obviously to talk to them, horoscopes can just be a prompt to check-in on a mate or your mum during their sign’s lunar low or to help them to relax a little if fiery Aries is leaving their constellations.

With astrology you’re either proven right or you can hide behind the fact that it’s only a bit of fun. Whether it’s making a particular effort with people who share your sign’s element or feeling optimistic about work since productive Saturn is entering methodical Capricorn, you leave feeling encouraged or possibly with a warning on an approaching disaster. Either way, you feel ever so slightly more in control. Ultimately, what’s to lose?

Let’s Talk About: Incels

Fin Kavanagh
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Let’s Talk About: Incels

In America’s changing cultural landscape, a new movement has been born, the origins and motivations of which we are only beginning to understand. The ‘incel’ movement has not received its fair share of coverage in the mainstream media. This is perhaps because the generation responsible for reporting the news do not totally understand what exactly it is.

Short for ‘involuntarily celibates’, incels are a part of a decentralised, online community consisting almost entirely of men who are united by their sexual frustration. They interact almost entirely online using platforms such as 4chan and Reddit. They are essentially the alt-right’s answer to a lonely-hearts club.

Incels believe that society is tiered by attractiveness and sexual potency. At the top of this are what they call the “Stacys” and the “Chads” ­— young, toned, confident individuals who are physically desirable to the opposing or, indeed, same sex. They do not identify with such a group. Incels believe they have been dealt a bad hand in the genetic lottery and are thereby incapable of being seen as attractive by Western beauty standards.

This ideology is the basis of a torrent of online misogyny. Within these communities, women are portrayed as conniving, manipulative, and promiscuous people, who have hoodwinked society into thinking otherwise. Incels are just one strand of a broader epidemic of men’s rights activism. For the most part, these individuals are keyboard warriors. They exist only as untraceable usernames and rarely engage in any form of physical protest that threatens their anonymity.

As abhorrent as this faceless online activity is, however, it does not physically harm us. The dangers of the ideologies promoted by this movement, on the other hand, are scarily real. Three mass murders in the past four years have been committed by those who self-identify as incels. The most recent of these, April’s Toronto van attack, saw the movement receive international news coverage for the first time.

Online posts by the attackers in the lead up to these tragedies make it clear these individuals see themselves as part of a wider revolutionary movement. What is perhaps scarier is the way the community martyrs them and praises their crimes. The line between trolling and actually supporting these actions is worryingly blurred. We can dismiss these groups, and laugh them off as sexless, spotty shitposters living in their mum’s basements, but I can’t think of many other adolescent groups that have fostered mentalities responsible for the death of 25 people.

The views promoted by the incel movement are without question a product of a skewed and bitter outlook on life. Their platforms serve only as echo chambers that reinforce the vulnerabilities of their members, and the preconceptions they have of women and non-binary people. However, the reality is there is no easy way to stop these movements. Closing the subreddits they operate on limits their online presence, though will inevitably drive the movement into the deep web and probably alienate and radicalise its members further.

Our best hope is to further educate an entire generation against misogyny in all its forms. Various former incels have come forward explaining why they left the community and encouraged others to do the same.  Our best chances lie with exposing them as being nothing more than platforms of hatred, though sadly it is inevitable that impressionable young men will turn to unhealthy outlets for support.

Ramadan – a month like no other

Daanial Chaudhry
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Ramadan – a month like no other

As a Muslim born and bred in Britain, I often find myself stood at a crossroad, trying desperately, impossibly, to decide which identity to embrace. Am I British, or am I Muslim? They are far too frequently presented as incompatible cultures, as if the values held by one polarises the other.

So when I see British media outlets, like Metro, trying to integrate these antithetical elements of my identity, explaining: ‘When is Ramadan 2018? When does it end and why does the date change each year?’, I do feel a glimmer of hope.

But, this hope is very quickly dashed, and a new feeling of horror emerges, once I get past the byline. The article totally confuses Eid-ul-Fitr (the festival that comes after Ramadan) with Eid-ul-Adha (that which celebrates the end of Hajj – the annual pilgrimage to Makkah). I grew up celebrating both festivals of Eid. It is Eid-ul-Adha which commemorates Ibrahim’s willing- ness to sacrifice his son, not Eid-ul-Fitr, as this rather misinformed journalist seemed to suggest.

In seeking to explain the tradition of the month to the reader, who in reading the article is making the decision to be more informed about the season of Ramadan, the journalist has confused and conflated the two festivals and thus perpetuated the widespread misunderstanding of Muslim culture and practices. It doesn’t anger me they made the mistake, but rather that there was an concerted effort to inform others, and this hasn’t happened.

I shall therefore try to do what the Metro failed, and attempt to try to explain what Ramadan is.

Ramadan is a month unlike any other. For 30 days, Muslims fast from sunrise until sunset. They cannot consume any food or water during this period of roughly 16 hours. This is in order to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam – sawm, or fasting.

The other four pillars are iman, salat, zakat, and hajj, meaning belief, prayer, charity, and pilgrimage, respectively.

The idea of fasting is that all the other pillars will be strengthened too. The act of fasting reignites one belief in Allah, and Muhammed as his messenger. The act of fasting reminds us of the need for charity and caring for others, for example.

Traditionally, Muslims wake up in the early hours of the morning, before the sun has risen, and eat a meal, suhur, intended to last them the whole day.

At this time, Muslims globally make a dua (supplication): “I intend to keep the fast today for the month of Ramadan”, following which Muslims pray Fajr (the morning prayer and the first of five daily prayers).

It is not the intention of Ramadan that Muslims digress from their daily lives as a consequence of fasting. Instead, Ramadan is about self-improvement, trying to avoid those things which are sinful and harmful, and embracing that which is good.

Most importantly, Ramadan teaches Muslims the power of self-restraint. The absence of food, drink, and sexual intercourse during the daylight is meant to enable us to feel more empathy for those less fortunate than ourselves.

Ramadan is a time of personal reflection, an opportunity to take stock on the year past and, perhaps most importantly, how we have treated other people.

In a city like Oxford, where homelessness and many of the associated social problems are so high, the need to spare a thought for our neighbour remains incredibly relevant.

However, the reward for all good actions is multiplied in Ramadan, and for those of us who aren’t perfect Muslims the act of fasting is a reminder of the other pillars of Islam.

As one’s eating pattern revolves around the sun, so too does one’s prayer. As we eat, we are reminded to pray too. These combined acts strengthen the other pillars of religion that we may often forget, or fail to fulfil to the best of our ability. As the sun sets, the fast is opened. Traditionally, Muslims open their fast with a date, and a glass of water, reciting the dua: “O Allah! I fasted for you and I believe in you and I put my trust in you and I break my fast with your sustenance.” Following this, Muslims pray Maghrib (the fourth prayer).

At mosques across the country, and indeed across Oxford, those less fortunate join in the act of opening the fast. There is a concerted effort, as we remember those less fortunate, to ensure that mosques are opened to the homeless and those without food. Everyone present, regardless of religious orientation or none, is fed.

Traditionally Muslims open their fasts together with friends and family, and with several traditional foods. For my family, this means pakoras, samosas, and other unhealthy dishes. Given that Ramadan also falls in the summer, Ben & Jerry’s for dessert is not unheard of. We’ve even been known to have a barbecue (weather permitting).

Ramadan is separated into three ashras (or trimesters), and each has its own significance to Muslims and their relationship with Allah. The first ashra are the days of mercy, the second forgiveness, and the third for seeking refuge. It is believed that the second trimester is when Allah’s forgiveness is at its height, and the third is when Muslims receive the highest reward for their prayer.

As such, as night time beckons, Muslims continue their prayer. Taraweeh is the name of the evening prayers offered during Ramadan, and it is believed that during the third trimester, one night is that of Laila-tul-Qadr. It is on this night that Allah revealed the Qu’ran to the Prophet Muhammed. It is for this reason that Muslims step up their prayer during this period – if one is to pray on the night of Laila-tul-Qadr, it is as if they prayed for 100 months.

Ramadan, then, is a chance to unite a community. To unite in the act of prayer, in worship, or in the pleasure of eating. Nowhere is this truer than in Oxford. Last year the Community Grand Iftar attracted 250 people from across Oxford. The Iftar is to be held again. This is an opportunity to not only unite Muslims and non-Muslims, but to unite town and gown, the rich and poor. In short, to unite the people of Oxford.

Exeter JCR votes to adopt college chickens

Abby Ridsdill-Smith
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Exeter JCR votes to adopt college chickens

Exeter JCR has passed a motion to adopt college chickens.

The motion, entitled “Poultry Installation”, mandates the college to purchase chickens for Exeter House on Iffley Road and to introduce a “chicken officer”.

Noting that “chickens don’t charge for egg use” and that “chickens can greatly reduce stress,” the motion resolved that “hens are a low risk, high reward investment.”

The motion passed with 23 votes for, four against, and nine abstentions.

The proposer of the motion, Seb Talbot, told Cherwell: “We were discussing the lack of tortoise at Exeter during the day. So that evening, I evidently thought that we could one up all the other colleges and get chickens.

“I got my thinking hat on and went to a booth and got started on the motion, bottle in one hand, phone in the other. Then promptly blacked out.”

Exeter JCR Secretary, Celeste McGinley, told Cherwell: “The JCR is committed to providing a voice for students, and we are happy to see anyone getting involved in JCR meetings.

“The Poultry Installation proposal caused considerable eggcitement throughout college (and ruffled some feathers), resulting in more students than normal engaging in JCR politics last week.

“We cannot make any comment on behalf of the college, who ultimately have the decision making power on the accommodation of chickens, however we make sure to represent the views of our members across a range of issues.”

Exeter College has been contacted for comment.

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