Letters to the Editor
Peter’s profanity
Sir and Madam,
As a student at St Peter’s, it was with utter incredulity that I discovered last week my college was bottom of the university sex league. Since my arrival here I have been fucked before every single tutorial. I have found myself either buggered or raped in over ten collections, and even in Master’s collections I tend to get a good ticking off. Put it this way, in two years in Oxford I am yet to give a shit.
I can only assume that come finals in the summer I will be royally screwed. I walk the quads constantly shagged, and am regularly shafted by my friends. Indeed in the same edition, your own rag reports the violation of the entire first year by college authorities • surely it is possible to organize a crosssection dialogue? I can only assume your aptly named journalist, Ms Smears, has some kind of score to settle.
Matt Trueman St.Peter’s College
Subfusc off part II
Sir and Madam,
In the article “End of an era: subfusc could be sent down” (Thursday 19th Jan). You quote Emma Norris: “Having to dress up makes the exam process that bit more intimidating.” It should probably be noted that most students at the University will have been required to wear their school uniform to A-level and GCSE exams and are therefore accustomed to wearing formal clothing to exams.
Adeline-Fleur Smith St Hugh’s College
Letters from America
Sir and Madam,
Bashing ‘Yanks’, as we Americans are endearingly termed, seems to be a favourite pastime among Oxonians. I’ve learned to take it in my stride, but Ms Rigterink’s recent article, “Pond Hopping”, is too obnoxious to be ignored.
She writes of Americans: ‘Perhaps their generally poor performance in Oxford can be attributed to general confusion as to how to conquer a very different, proper, and more formal environment.’ Our ‘poor performance’? In what field, may I ask? If she’s talking about our academic performance, I’d like her to know that every American student on my abroad program applied to Oxford and had to be accepted like her, so clearly we are at least as smart as she is.
If she’s talking about our social performance, we’re just trying to mix in with you: going to Park End on Wednesdays and trying to meet people at our college bars. We’re also the most formally dressed people at formal dinners.
If she’s talking about our fashion sense: excuse me, who wears sweaters with stripes in clashing colors, tapered jeans that look like spandex and scarves draped in a way that would never keep anyone warm? We walk around Oxford every day thinking that we are so privileged to have the opportunity to study here. If only Ms Rigterink realised that.
Rebecca Silverman Hertford College
Editors’ note: Jenny herself is American and the article was meant to be entirely tongue-in-cheek. We apologise, however, for any offence unintentionally caused.
Save subfusc
Sir and Madam,
So, The Oxford Student would have us abolish subfusc (Leader, 19th January)? Oxford University exists in order to improve people, not turn them into plebeian slobs. In a civilised society we do not pander to the lowest common denominator We attach an appropriate degree of formality to occasions which demand it.
Is the next step to reduce our academic standards to make sure that thick people are not put off applying? And all those sandstone buildings look a bit posh • presumably we should rip them down and put up some concrete tower blocks instead?
Edward Reeves Keble College
Sub-editors slammed
Sir and Madam,
Last week’s main sports article, reporting the Queen’s vs Magdalen match, was a shambles. The headline read ‘Stephens king as Queen’s rout Magdalen’, the caption contradicted this.
The score line agreed with the caption, giving Magdalen seven goals to three for Queen’s, whilst in the first paragraph we learn that, ‘a four goal haul from newcomer Josh Stephens [helped produce] a 7-3 victory over Magdalen’. It is understandable that mistakes are made, but reading two sets of contradictory statements in the space of a minute does make one wonder as to what the people writing and editing the article were doing.
Eleanor Nicholson St Hugh’s College
The editors reserve the right to cut letters for length and clarity. The views expressed in the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of The Oxford Student. Email letters@oxfordstudent.com.
2nd Feb 2006