Oxford's Nasty Nick
SCANDAL SURROUNDS HERTFORD in the wake of Freshers' Week amidst allegations of heartless and degrading treatment.
Wednesday was supposed to see a dignified PPE and Economics and Management drinks evening. Attendees actually witnessed what was described as appalling exploitation.
For instead of a quiet drinks event there was amusement and embarrasment as a street performer - Alastair, the tap-dancer and comedian infamous amongst those Sainsbury's shoppers who exit the Westgate Shopping Centre via the back streets - arrived to perform for the bemused crowd. But so controversial was what was seen that JCR President Johan Berggren asked for it to be put to an end only five minutes into the show. Alastair was escorted from the premises, £40 better off, within ten minutes of having arrived.
Nick Carter - Co-President of the Geoffrey Warnock Society which arranged the evening - responded to the resulting uproar by conceding that any blame is "mine and only mine." He went on: "I do accept full responsibility for the events of Wednesday."
Carter personally arranged for Alistair to attend, and insisted he perform in the face of opposition from both his Geoffrey Warnock Society Co-President and the JCR President.
When asked whether he acknowledged that his conduct might be damaging to Oxford, he said, "I have the utmost respect for both Hertford College and Oxford University and would never knowingly do anything that would bring either institution into disrepute."
But he went on to attack Hertford JCR, asserting: "This event has been blown out of all proportion by certain members of the JCR who, for reasons best known to themselves, have chosen to deliberately and maliciously misrepresent the events of that evening."
Uncertainty now surrounds whether Carter will resign or not. Carter said on Tuesday night that he was "still deliberating" whether he would be resigning from his position as Co-President of the Geoffrey Warnock Society. However, Berggren told the Oxford Student on Tuesday morning that Carter had told him that he had resigned. Those in the know were not co-operating at the time of going to press.
Carter has now resigned from his position as President of the Geoffrey
Warnock Society, despite having previously denied- when questioned by the Oxford Student on Monday- any intention to do so.
Carter also made a U-turn in his defence of his conduct. In an apology issued on Friday, he stated: "I argue that someone should be allowed to make a living by making a fool of themselves if they so wish." But in a statement made on Tuesday morning, he retracted that viewpoint.
Hertford's JCR Executive took the opportunity in a JCR e-mail sent out on Friday to publicise Carter's apology, and to distance themselves from what went on. The e-mail reads: "The JCR Exec would like to express its disapproval and disappointment with what took place," adding that they hoped that Carter's apology would be acceptable to offended Hertford students.
President Johan Berggren later stressed to the Oxford Student that the evening was "not an official JCR or College event".
Hertford's Freshers Committee took a similar line. A source said the committee was "disappointed" and "very angry." The committee was concerned it might be associated with the scandal, and pointed out that "Nick [Carter] is not part of the Freshers' Committee."
It remains to be seen how the SCR will respond to the embarrasment.
The Oxford Student was unable to track down the performer in question, who has not been seen at his usual haunt since the weekend.
12th Oct 2000