Christ Church student barred for drunken access comment
A CHRIST CHURCH student has been expelled from college accommodation after his drink-fuelled rampage shocked a group of tourists in the college's main quad. The college Censors took disciplinary action after Ollie Thring, a third year English undergraduate, approached a visiting group of access scheme sixth-formers and shouted: “access denied”. Thring told The Oxford Student he sincerely hoped his remark didn't put them off applying to Oxford. “I know it sounds daft but it was meant ironically.
Thring startled onlookers last Wednesday lunchtime by conducting an impromptu tour of the Christ Church grounds. Friends claim he had been out the previous night and had continued drinking over lunch at Quod restaurant on the High Street. An eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said three or four Japanese tourists had followed Thring's ‘tour' around the quad: “They seemed quite alarmed at first, although I don't think there was anything malicious in what Ollie was doing.
It all seemed like a bit of fun.” Thring apparently then approached a male student from another college who was taking a short-cut through Christ Church. “Ollie put his arm around him and attempted to kiss him, which prompted the boy to not very politely tell Ollie to leave him alone”, a witness told The Oxford Student.
Thring concluded his remarkable performance by approaching the Access Scheme students and engaging them in conversation, before making the ‘access denied' comment that incurred the college's wrath. One eyewitness said the sixth-formers were laughing and didn't seem particularly offended. Christ Church authorities took a different view. After being ordered to return to his room by porters, Thring was called in to see the college Censors the next day.
He has been barred from his college room for six weeks, and will spend that time with friends who live out. A spokesman for the Oxford Access Scheme applauded Christ Church's tough approach: “We are pleased Christ Church acted so decisively to try and stamp out such illinformed opinions and hope that the undergraduate body will try to change such opinions should they be aired in its presence.
Thring expressed regret at the incident and told this newspaper: “I apologise unreservedly for any offence that my behaviour caused, particularly to the sixth-formers I made the comment to. I fully accept the consequences of my actions.” Christ Church Censors said they were not in a position to comment on individual cases.
17th Feb 2005