Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Blog Page 873

Is travel the only way we can set ourselves free?

Alex Yeandle
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Is travel the only way we can set ourselves free?

I am sitting in Bratislava Airport, around the beginning of January. It is incredibly warm here, which is quite ironic given how freezing cold it is outside. I used the last of my euros to order a cheap coffee and, like pretty much all of the coffee I have drunk here, it really isn’t great. All the coffee I have ordered has come with a little glass of water which is nice, I guess, although the coffee never seems to be hot enough and tastes far from the artisanal joy of Brew or The Missing Bean to which my tastebuds have become accustomed.

But I deviate—where was I? I’m sitting in this weird little cafe thing off the side of the airport departure lounge. There is no complex shopping structure, bendy corridors and sections or hoards of holidaymakers, there is simply this one large hangar, a few shops hanging off the ends, and that is it. There are hardly any people here at all, no queue at security, and only a handful of flights leaving today. Five, as I count them. An airport in the capital city of a major (ish, but certainly getting there) European country on a standard working day evening and there are only five flights for the rest of the day. Maybe everybody flies from Vienna around here. I don’t know, but it’s definitely a tad bizarre.

The more I contemplate it, the emptiness of this place really is rather lovely. There’s the element of emptiness in a place one expects to be busy which is, on the face of it, a little bit suspicious. I was reminded a little of a short story by Stephen King called The Langoliers in which a plane lands into an empty airport, which turns out to be in an alternative reality where monster things are coming to get you. Or the universe is collapsing in or something. I can’t really remember. Would recommend it though. At the same time, the emptiness is quite beautiful. The quiet allows me to hear my own thoughts, find inner peace (whatever that means) and be genuinely relaxed in a sort of place never usually associated with such a thing. It’s surprising, but certainly welcome. The more I think about it, throughout my trip here I have experienced a strange form of refreshing happiness.

This feeling certainly stems from the anonymity I have here and the ability to genuinely be away from everything, but it goes further than that. The potential of who I could be has not been at all been limited by anyone. I cannot think of a single person I know in this city, I do not speak a word of Slovak: to the people here I could be almost anything and them to me. I could have whatever name I choose, be from any country, do any job. An infinite number of possibilities exists about me and about my story, I am not confined by the bog standard routines and practises of home. It is the art of introducing myself that makes this potential go away. It doesn’t matter whether I tell the truth or if I lie: simply saying something makes that something the image of who I am and crystallises potential into something real.

I know that, deep down, I am just me. That person I spend all of my days and all of my nights with, the person with whom I share my most intimate thoughts, happiness and depression with, just me. The person to whose soul I talk and confide in, the person who’s senses show me the world, the person who will be there through love and heartbreak, the person who feels my hopes and dreams and the person who comforts my failures. It is just me. I can’t escape me when I am with people that know me, when I am in familiar settings and ticking through ordinary life. But sitting here, right now, I can. I could be anybody. Up until the point here I start talking and bring into existence a model of my character I feel as if I have escaped. The trap laid down by the most basic elements of conversation is evaded, for a temporary amount of time I am much closer to true freedom than at most other points of life.

So is freedom about money, power, or prestige? Is it contingent upon our friendships and loved ones, does it rely on safety and security, or is it about not tapping into potential? Bratislava freedom is clearly not a sustainable strategy—clearly nobody would want to live without meaningful relationships with others and clearly humankind needs them to prosper. Maybe, though, escaping them from time to time is a refreshing, healthy and necessary way to remind ourselves what truer freedom feels like.

Ageing under the spotlight

Sophie Burdge
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Ageing under the spotlight

The film industry has been wracked with controversy in recent years, with accusations of discrimination flying left, right and centre. From the #oscarssowhite trend of 2016 to Patricia Arquette calling out Hollywood’s wage disparity in her Oscar acceptance speech in 2015, we are all finally starting to wake up to the fact that the seemingly perfect and polished celebrity world is just as infiltrated with prejudice as every other aspect of society. Despite our societal tendency to position our celebrity idols under a microscope, it is only in recent years that issues such as ageism have really been highlighted in the media.

The very nature of celebrity is rooted in admiration, all too often aesthetic admiration. When we watch a film or listen to music, we often don’t recognise the complexity of the people involved, instead reducing them to a simplistic idea of straightforward beauty. Ageing complicates this admiration. We are used to categorising celebrities as someone to emulate, but when the first grey hairs and laughter lines appear, suddenly they become a bit less god-like, and all too human for our liking.

Both Hollywood and the music industry are guilty of perpetrating these ideas. Madonna is a prime example of a woman who can seemingly do nothing right these days. Her onstage kiss with Drake is an obvious illustration of the double standards she faces. While other factors are naturally at play when considering the incident—principally Drake’s lack of consent—the point remains that a lot of the visceral disgust voiced on Twitter and other social media platforms was related to the age gap between Madonna and Drake. While in theory we reject the convention which teaches us to be appalled by a relationship between an older woman and younger man, the legacy of such a heavy cultural influence is hard to shake.

Madonna resolutely refuses to relinquish her sex appeal, and rightly so. She was among the first to embrace her own sexuality at a time when few female artists did, and as a result has become a feminist icon. Rather than retreating to ballads and black dresses like many singers of her age, she continues to joyfully prance around in bodysuits and leotards, throwing her legs above her head in a way which many in their twenties would envy. Yet her performances are often figured as grotesque, a laughing stock, or a warning to those also considered ‘over the hill’.

In 2015, Madonna went so far as to accuse BBC Radio 1 of ageism for their refusal to add her new single to their playlist. The response from the station was that they were trying to lower the average age of listeners, and that most Madonna fans were in their thirties and forties. A fair response perhaps, yet even on Radio 2, a station aimed at over 35s, Madonna’s single was only begrudgingly added to the C playlist, meaning that its airtime was minimal. Paradoxically, it was pointed out that Radio 1 often play songs by older artists, listing David Guetta (49) and Paul McCartney (74) as examples. For starters, it is significant that both of these artists are male, but also that the only Paul McCartney song that has been featured on the Radio 1 playlist in decades is ‘FourFiveSeconds,’ a collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna—two much younger artists.

The backlash to Madonna’s complaint reflects the all too conventional negative attitude towards assertive women. While undeniably a problem for all women, particularly in the workplace, the stereotype of subservience affects older women to an even greater extent. Being a ‘Girl Boss’ is becoming trendier and trendier, as young women are encouraged to go after the careers and lifestyles that they deserve. However, the aspirational image of the ‘have it all’ career woman is notably restricted to the young and glamorous. While the idea of a young and stylish business woman demanding the raise she deserves fills most of us with ‘you go girl’-esque admiration, a woman in her fifties doing the same thing would likely provoke discomfort in many. While Jennifer Lawrence was applauded for her open letter criticising wage disparity in Hollywood, Madonna’s claim that her poor chart performance was the result of discrimination was treated as the whining of an old woman who can’t let go.

It is perhaps this differing standard applied to men and women which is the most disturbing aspect of ageism in our society. In a recent interview on Radio 2 promoting their new film ‘Going in Style,’ Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman both expressed their happiness at the number of roles they are still receiving in their seventies and eighties respectively. They proclaimed it as a sign that ageism in Hollywood is really not such an issue, with Caine even exclaiming triumphantly: “I’m not sitting round watching Coronation Street!” While I’m glad that Freeman and Caine are continuing to have their talents recognised and appreciated well past conventional retirement age, what the industry really needs is respected artists such as them to acknowledge and call out disparities. Their blindness to the fact that they are the exception, rather than the rule, not only excuses, but perpetrates harmful views.

Meryl Streep is one of the few high profile individuals in the film industry who does actively call out the ageism and sexism that she experiences. Although some may be sceptical of Streep’s claims of discrimination, due to her continuing relevance in Hollywood, she is vocal about how much harder she has had to fight for these opportunities since turning forty. In 2011, she confessed to Vogue Magazine that upon exiting her thirties she was only offered three roles–all witches–astutely noting that “once women passed childbearing age they could only be seen as grotesque on some level”. But unlike Freeman and Caine, who refuse to acknowledge the issues present in their industry, Streep is actively trying to solve the problem. She is helping to fund a screenwriting lab for women over forty, in the hope that diversifying representation behind the camera will propagate a similar growth onscreen.

While it is of course true that male actors will often face a decline in opportunities as they age, perhaps restricted to roles such as ‘senile old man’ or similar, it is undeniable that female actors suffer this fate to a much greater degree. The collective decision taken by film industry professionals, and even viewers themselves, that a woman is no longer at her peak attractiveness, epitomises the very objectification which the majority of us so vocally condemn. The recent Women’s Marches across the world demonstrate that feminism is a very prescient issue, and one being taken seriously, so why is that as a society, we still enable and encourage ageist attitudes towards women in popular culture? The fact is that films with female leads over forty don’t make as much money at the box office. Of course there are notable exceptions such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, but movies fronted by lesser known older actors often fall flat. Although our tastes are obviously moulded to a degree by the film industry itself, the influence goes both ways, and so by supporting films featuring older actors, we can help to foster a culture in which ageing is not something to be dreaded in our own lives, or disgusted by in others’ lives.

It is the idea of the female actor being intended for titillation which perpetrates this problem. Of course we are all guilty of objectifying our favourite celebrities to a certain degree, but this sense of ownership goes much further than teenage girls wondering what it would be like to kiss Zayn Malik. There is a cultural expectation that a female celebrity owes her followers something, her sex appeal translating into a currency of success. While male celebrities become ‘legends’ and ‘icons’ as their conventional attraction wanes, women struggle to make a similar transition. Their value is irrevocably tied to their appearance, and once their appearance ceases to be pleasing to their audience, the unspoken contract between performer and viewer is infringed.

And it’s not as if this objectification is even purely sexual. The attitudes of straight women towards their favourite female celebrities can often be just as harmful, particularly in the Instagram age, in which we can follow and fawn over their every move. The rise of social media has fostered trends such as the ever present ‘#goals’ hashtag, an idea which has always existed, but has only recently been explicitly named. It’s more than just petty jealousy. In fact, it’s taking active pleasure in the beauty, glamour, or success of someone you admire. But when your favourite female celebrity becomes a bit less #goals and a bit more grizzled, then why bother watching them anymore?

After all, whatever the content of a movie, the primary goal is ultimately escapism. For many viewers, this manifests itself in an appreciation of the seemingly perfect lives of its stars, as we perversely revel in the levels of glamour and beauty which our own lives can never hope to attain. Such admiration in itself is not necessarily harmful—society has always orientated itself by its idols. However, it does propagate the idea that ‘perfection’ and hence, happiness, is only attainable between the ages of twenty and forty.

As a society we still consider women, especially beautiful women, to be flat and one-sided, with little more to offer than being aesthetically pleasing. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we all have an inherent discomfort with women who are perceived as ‘unattractive’, a bias which we must do our best to fight. Perhaps the unpopularity of older female celebrities simply reflects our own fears of ageing—the idea that if we don’t see it reflected in the media then we can pretend it will never happen to us—but this attitude in itself is deeply harmful. The infiltration of ageist attitudes in popular culture reflects a wider obsession with beauty, and a concerning cultural shift towards superficiality. Prejudice in the film and music industries makes a significant contribution to this, filtering down to us, and infiuencing our own ideas of beauty and happiness. Perhaps the first step to developing more healthy attitudes towards our own appearances is to appreciate the performances of older people in the film and music industries.

Oxford shrimp named after Pink Floyd

Jordan Bernstein
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Oxford shrimp named after Pink Floyd

A new species of shrimp discovered in Oxford has been named after Pink Floyd.

The Synalpheus pinkfloydi, named for the band who reached the peak of their fame in the 1970s, was discovered by a team comprising Sammy de Grave of the University’s Natural History Museum, as well as Dr Arthur Anker from UFG, Goais, Brazil, as lead author, and Professor Kristin Hultgren of Seattle University as the contributing geneticist.

De Grave told Cherwell that the naming was logical, as a “reference to the pink claw,” though he was quick to add that the “the noise it makes… was exaggerated by the media”.

On the shrimp’s character, de Grave said: “It’s a pretty small species (1-2 cm), so the snap certainly will not kill or stun a fish.”

De Grave has something of a reputation for his out-of-the-box names for the species he helps to discover, once naming a new shrimp after the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger.

Asked about the aptness of this name, de Grave said: “The genus [was] characterised by an enlarged male appendix, and we continued the sexual innuendo by naming [it] E.jaggeri, specifically in reference to the Rolling Stones song ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’.”

Doctor Who’s ‘Sonic Screwdriver’ included in Oxford Dictionary

Theo Davies-Lewis
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Doctor Who’s ‘Sonic Screwdriver’ included in Oxford Dictionary

While it has been a device synonymous with the Doctor for five decades, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has finally included ‘Sonic Screwdriver’ in its latest edition.

It first appeared in the show in 1968 during ‘Fury from the Deep’ with second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, when he used it to open a hatch on a gas pipeline.

The addition coincides with the premiere of tenth season of the show on Saturday, 15 April.

According to a post in the OxfordWords blog: “Although the revised, third-edition text of the OED entry for sonic adj. won’t be published until June, we can travel forward in time to take a sneak peek at this Whovian entry ahead of Doctor Who’s Series 10 premiere, ‘The Pilot’.

“The ‘Sonic Screwdriver’ is defined as: ‘a (hand-held) electronic device which uses sound waves to perform various mechanical and technical functions. Originally and chiefly in (or in reference to) the British television series Doctor Who.'”

Oxford Doctor Who Society President James Ashworth commented: “We at the Doctor Who Society are very pleased that the Sonic Screwdriver will finally be materialising in the OED ahead of its 50th Birthday next year.

“Now, when someone asks what that thingy the Doctor uses is called, the OED will give them the answer!”

Other Whovian words to be inducted into the OED ‘TARDIS’, ‘Dalek’ and ‘Cyberman’.

Oxford Academics elected to American Academy

Christine Jiang
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Oxford Academics elected to American Academy

Two Oxford academics, Professor Desmond King and Dr Keith Stewart Thomson, have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, class of 2017.

The American Academy is one of the US’ oldest learned societies and independent policy research centres. Membership is nominated and elected by peers within the Academy.

The Academy currently has a membership of 4900 Fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members, including over 250 Nobel laureates and over 60 Pulitzer Prize winners. Past members have included John Adams, Jawaharlal Nehru, Pablo Picasso, and astronomer Maria Mitchell.

“It is definitely an honour and a pleasant surprise,” Professor Desmond King told Cherwell.

“My work focuses on the US executive politics and racial inequality in America, which might have been of interest to American Academy members in the political science department,” Professor King added.

He is currently the Andrew Mellon Professor of American Government at Nuffield College, as well as an emeritus fellow at St John’s College.

Dr Keith Stewart Thomson is an emeritus professor of natural history at Oxford. He also served as the director of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, from 1998 to 2003.

Dr Thomson specialises in the study of the history of science and evolution.

The American Academy conducts research in four areas: humanities, arts, and education; science, engineering, and technology; global security and international affairs; and American institutions and the public good. It publishes the journal Dædalus and the magazine, the Bulletin.

The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on October 7, 2017, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Oxview: Top 5 Reboots

Felix Bunting
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Oxview: Top 5 Reboots

Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012):

Batman has moved through several iterations—the camp and slapstick TV series, the mindless action films from Tim Burton, and then the Nolan series. Whereas many recent superhero films have stuck fairly rigidly to the formula of a wise-cracking hero, enough action to keep children interested and sporadic fanservice character cameos, the Dark Knight series went the other way. Rightfully identifying the dark nature of the source material, this adaptation painted an engaging picture of an emotionally tormented hero who, unlike many superheroes, could be injured and could be beaten. The villains of the series also manage to maintain a lot of the nuance lost in other action films, with the evil of the the villains matched by other, more mundane but more human, character traits.

Star Trek (2009-2016):

The latest incarnation of Star Trek passed the first and most important test for a reboot: it was enjoyable for those without any knowledge of the original series. Watching the film in the cinema, with no previous knowledge of the show, the plot was coherent, the action well-paced and not gratuitous, and the characterisation enjoyable. Although I was unable to join in with the laughter and cheers from other people at the showing when certain characters appeared, I feel approaching the film without that baggage ensured the film could be enjoyed without pre-existing knowledge.

Sherlock (2010-):

The BBC adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes novels is phenomenally popular. The plots intelligently blend the stories from the novels with new directions, updated with contemporary social concerns and developments in technological understanding. The dialogue varies from witty back-and-forths between Holmes and Watson, to annoying one liners from Holmes. As the series progressed, the plots began to collapse below the weight of increasingly incredulous reveals, and the female characters became ever less well-written. Recovering with a well-written final episode of the most recent series, the future of series is unclear.

Muppets (2012-2014):

As a child, one highlight of the winter holidays, and a resignation by parents that Christmas has begun, was watching Muppets Christmas Carol on VHS. To this day, I still believe Muppets Christmas Carol to be the best Christmas film and Michael Caine’s finest hour. It was challenging, therefore, for the Muppets reboot to meet this standard, which thankfully it did. The plots were well crafted, and the characters were clearly created by a team who loved the original series, and were delighted with the opportunity to bring them to a new generation. Add to this a strong soundtrack (Man or Muppet was rightfully an Oscar winner), and the combination is a fitting tribute to Kermit.

Community (???)

The TV series Community has attracted a cult following. With pop culture references so funny you laugh out loud, to pop culture references so specific you laugh out loud to let people know that you understood, it is clear where its popularity comes from. Always slightly too meta for its own good, it never quite managed to become as big of a hit as it deserved, and successive series have seen the show lose some of the bravery of its humour which made it such good viewing. The characters in the show, in their uniquely self-referential style, repeatedly promised us “six seasons and a movie” and although this reboot hasn’t happened yet, I hope those involved in the show can fulfil that promise.

Oxford reacts to snap election as long-serving Labour MP resigns

Lucy Enderby
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Oxford reacts to snap election as long-serving Labour MP resigns

Andrew Smith, the Labour MP Oxford East for 30 years, has announced he will not be standing for re-election in June’s general election.

It follows Theresa May’s announcement of a snap general election on 8 June. The statement made on Tues- day morning comes in light of Brexit proceedings and May seeking to gain a larger majority.

In a message on his website, Smith, 66, thanked his consituents for their support, saying: “This election is for a Parliament which is likely to run until 2022, when I would be over 71, so I think it is now time for someone else to take forward the work of serving local people as your MP. I will therefore not be a candidate in the election.”

Smith, who has held the seat since 1987, added: “It has been a huge privi- lege to serve as MP for Oxford East, and we have achieved so much together.”

Applications for a candidate to replace Smith, whose constituency covers the majority of Oxford colleges, opened on Friday 21 April and will close on Sunday 23 April. The candidate will be selected by the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).

While Smith’s 15,280 majority from 2015 is unlikely to be overturned, the Liberal Democrats are hoping to unseat the sitting Oxford West and Abingdon MP, Nicola Blackwood. Her seat, which covers nine colleges, was previously held by the Lib Dems from 1997 to 2010.

Oxford University Liberal Democrats President-elect, Joe Crossley, said: “We will keep campaigning tirelessly for local issues and local people, and expect positive results.”

He added: “Here in Oxford West and Abingdon, we are sure our candidate Layla Moran will do very well against the incumbent Tory MP, who has a poor track record on civil liberties and voted against same-sex marriage.”

Ex-President and co-chair of Oxford University Liberal Democrats Alex White criticised the decision to hold an early election.

“Whilst I’m very confident that the Lib Dems with throw everything at this election and give the other parties a run for their money, I’m deeply concerned that the PM has put the interests of her party above the country.

“The timing couldn’t be worse for a snap general election. She’s putting votes before the people she’s meant to represent.”

Speaking to Cherwell, the President of Oxford University Conservative Association, William Rees-Mogg, said: “OUCA looks forward to campaigning in the general election; it is after all what we are here to do.

“We hope to secure Oxford West and Abingdon in the face of pretty tough Lib Dem opposition, as well as helping out where we can up and down the country.”

In a statement released to Cherwell, Oxford University Labour Club have spoken in favour of the snap election.

Co-chairs Hannah Taylor and Thomas Zagoria commented: “We welcome the opportunity to challenge an unelected May government which has so markedly failed to create a country which works for everyone.

“In Oxford and in marginal seats we will be mobilising students to fight for social justice, an inclusive and open society, and a better future for workers and marginalised people.”

University changes safety rules after “tragic” cyanide death of transgender researcher

Cherwell News
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University changes safety rules after “tragic” cyanide death of transgender researcher

An “outstanding” Oxford University researcher poisoned herself with cyanide after telling friends and family she was transgender, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

Despite apparently being happy with her transition from a man to a woman, Oxford Coroner’s Court heard that firemen forced their way into Erin Shepherd’s flat on 20 January to discover the 27-year-old near a container of white powder, now known to contain cyanide.

She had recently started as a paid academic in the University’s Chemistry Department, and completed her DPhil in Chemistry at Corpus Christi College.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Parsons said Shepherd had likely obtained the cyanide after accessing the University labs at 6am two hours before she died. University regulations allow access to potentially hazardous chemicals for scientists with formal training.

Cherwell understands that the University’s Chemistry Department has since reviewed its procedures for hazardous materials. A University spokesperson said the Department is “currently introducing some modifications to an already robust process”.

He added: “All scientists are trained thoroughly in the use of hazardous materials and the Department has re-emphasised this to all chemists. As well as this review, all three sections of the Department of Chemistry meet termly to consider and review safety matters. The Department’s Management Board also holds a termly meeting dedicated to safety matters, at which there is an opportunity to review safety procedures when necessary.

“We would also stress that Erin’s actions presented no risk to the public at large. The University’s deepest sympathies are with her friends, family and colleagues over her tragic death.”

Speaking at the inquest, Detective Parsons added: “She had struggled with her gender identity for most of her life. She was doing well and showing no signs of unhappiness.”
She had changed her name and was taking speech therapy to adopt a new identity.

Tributes have also been paid to Miss Shepherd by those who knew her. Speaking to Cherwell, one of Shepherd’s housemates said that during the two and a half years he knew her, “she became Erin Shepherd”.

The housemate explained that there “was no reaction at all” from Shepherd’s flatmates to her transition, and said “she was a very, very good tenant”. He said he had seen a suicide note sent by Shepherd in an email, and described his housemate as “quiet, sharp and switched on”.

Police were called to Miss Shepherd’s home on Magdalen Road in East Oxford by her sister after she received the email, entitled “I am so sorry”.

The court heard that she phoned her sister to urge her to flush the cyanide down the toilet, but was unable to change her mind.

On the day of Erin’s death in January, there was reportedly “havoc” on Magdalen Road, with the emergency services closing the area off to the public.

Her housemate said that he believed that Shepherd was “winding down” before ending her life, after she disposed of her collection of Olympic coins, in which she had a keen interest.

Darren Salter, Oxfordshire Coroner, described her suicide as a “tragic case’” at the inquest, adding: “This was a great shock. Those closest to her did not foresee this.

“Things seemed to be going in the right direction. Very sadly, something caused her to decide to take her own life.”

Salter also read evidence from Shepherd’s doctor, Richard Baskerville, who said that she registered with him in 2015.

“She had recently come out as transgender. She had an extensive circle of friends and was pleased with her progress in transitioning. Her death was a sudden and tragic event.”

Salter concluded Shepherd died of suicide.

Professor Mark Brouard, Head of the Chemistry Department, and Professor Steve Cowley, President of Corpus Christi, released a joint statement in February. They paid homage to the “outstanding” work of Miss Shepherd, who had a “highly promising career” in academia.

She was awarded a Lilly Prize by the Department of Organic Chemistry in 2012, which is awarded to a select number of graduate chemists for their performance in the first year of their DPhil.

Shepherd’s death has raised concerns over the policies in place to prevent transgender suicide in higher education.

In a statement to Cherwell, Jennifer Sheppard, the Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society Transgender Rep, highlighted the prevalence of mental health issues in the transgender community at Oxford University.

“We were incredibly saddened to hear of the suicide of a student and researcher at Oxford,” she said. “Transgender people are at an increased risk of mental health problems and suicide due to the lack of support networks available and the possibly unsafe surroundings they often find themselves in.

“A welfare report recently published by OUSU has stated that LGBTQ+ students were significantly more likely to feel overwhelmed by their time at the University and that 83 per cent of trans students said that the University of Oxford had had a negative effect on their mental health. Sadly, in the wider context of increasing deaths of transgender people, this tragedy is not out of place.

“Our thoughts are with Erin Shepherd’s friends and family during this difficult time. The OU LGBTQ+ society provides support to those who need it.”

Tara Stone, Managing Director of Be Trans Support and Development Network North, told Cherwell that despite progress in the past five years, “there is still a long way to go” to deal with issues of transgender suicide.

She pointed to a 2012 report by the Scottish Trans-Gender Alliance, which found that 84 per cent of transgender adults thought about ending their lives, while 35 per cent had attempted suicide and 25 per cent had attempted it more than once.

Stone said it is “really important for higher education institutions to ensure policies are up to date” and that they are “working with trans-students and academics.”

She called for a “whole organisation approach, recognising that all people have a responsibility” to create a welcoming environment for transgender people.

OUSU VP for Women and Equality, Orla White, said: “We extend our sincerest sympathies to Erin’s loved ones, to her colleagues and to everyone who might be affected by this news.

“If anyone is in need of support, we recommend contacting Switchboard (0300 330 0630) to discuss LGBTQ issues, or the Samaritans (116 123) to talk about depression and suicide.

“We know that trans women are often failed by mental health services, which is only compounded by day-to-day experiences of transmisogyny.

“In light of this tragedy, OUSU would like to reaffirm our commitment to fighting for the dignity and rights of trans people.”

If you have been affected by this story, you may find these resources useful:
Counselling Service – https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling – 01865 270300 – [email protected]
Nightline – http://oxfordnightline.org – 8pm to 8am in term time at 01865 270 270, or also online on skype and instant messenger
The Samaritans – http://www.samaritans.org – 116123 or 01865 722122
Get in touch with your welfare team and peer supporters if you would like more resources.

58% oppose reduction in student migration numbers

Maxim Parr-Reid
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58% oppose reduction in student migration numbers

A majority of Britons are against cuts in the number of international students coming to study in the UK, a recent poll of 4,000 people commissioned by ComRes has found.

The poll shows that 46% of those surveyed favoured student immigration remaining at its current level—around 124,000 per year—with a further 12% supporting an increase in numbers. This however represents a fall from last year when 18% said they would be in favour of an increase.

Furthermore, when those polled were presented with information about the economic impact of international students, they became more supportive of numbers remaining the same or increase: the proportion wanting an increase doubled to 24%.

It recently emerged that student immigration figures dropped by 23% in the past year.

The President of Universities UK, Dame Julia Goodfellow said the results showed the public did not view students as immigrants, but as “valuable, temporary visitors”.

Goodfellow also said that “The most recent figures on international students in the UK showed a worrying decline in the number of new international enrolments over recent years. At the same time, competitor countries such as the USA and Australia have seen increases. Both countries open their arms to international students and classify them as being non-permanent or temporary residents in their immigration systems.

“The UK could be doing much better than this. The UK has the potential to be one of the world’s fastest growing destinations for international students, building on its current status as the second most popular destination for international students [after the US].

“If the UK wants to remain a top destination for international students, we need a new immigration policy that encourages them to choose the UK. As the UK prepares to exit the EU, it is more important than ever that we project a welcoming message to talented people from across the world.”

However, Oxford’s Head of Brexit Strategy, Alastair Buchan confirmed in March that there had been a 10% increase in European applications since the Brexit vote. This contrasted with a 14% fall in European applications to Cambridge University.

Buchan also said that Oxford will press the government to exclude students from migrant numbers, ensure freedom of movements for academics, and find “mechanisms” to access collaborative EU funding.

Oxford University’s Press Office and Oxford Migrant Solidarity have both been contacted for comment

Animal Ethics Fellows for Oxford

Marianna Spring
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Animal Ethics Fellows for Oxford

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics now has over one hundred Fellows, after awarding Fellowships to eight more international academics.

The Centre’s Fellowship includes academics from various countries and disciplines, including both the humanities and the sciences.

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics is “the first in the world dedicated to pioneering ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching, and publication”, describing itself as “an independent ‘think tank”, which was founded in 2006.

Among the eight newly appointed Fellows is Dr Violette Pouillard of St Anthony’s College.

Other appointments include Professor Boris Bakota from the Uni- versity in Osijek, Croatia, Sidney Blankenship, The Reverend Dr Susan Bubbers of the centre for Anglican Theology in Florida, Professor Alice Crary of the New School for Social Research in New York, Professor Keri Cronin of Brock University in Canada, Professor Kumju Hwang of Chung-Ang University in South Korea, Steven Wise from the Non-human Rights Project.

Dr Natalie Thomas of the University of Guelph in Canada has also been transferred from Fellow to Associate Fellow.

Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey, the Director of the Centre, commented: “I think Animal Ethics is a growing field—the number of academics attached to the Centre is now greater than many small universities—and I hope that the University will engage in a constructive dialogue, both with the subject and with us.

“The Centre’s Fellowship is a prestigious academy that pioneers ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching and publication.

“We started ten years ago with just a handful of academics, and now we have exceeded one hundred from ten different countries.

“We use a variety of insights from many disciplines to illuminate the moral dimension to our treatment of animals. All these individuals are pioneering new work in Animal Ethics—helping to press the envelope in terms of new thinking. The Centre extends its warmest congratulations to the successful individuals.”

Appointment to fellowship is by invitation and nomination only. A spokesperson for the centre confirmed that only a small proportion of those nominated are eventually selected.

Research by Fellows is published in the Journal of Animal Ethics published with the University of Illinois Press, and in the Animal Ethics Book Series by Palgrave Macmillan.

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