Your Letters
WEAR YOUR TUTU WITH PRIDE
Dear Sir,
Your story in your issue of 12th October "Trinity 2:2 Hit List?" was a story about rumours, not reality. Trinity's policy on academic sanctions is, as our handbook states, "guided by the principles of fairness and consistency." It was carefully redrafted in consultation with, amongst others, JCR academic representatives. It is true that we only dmit those whom we consider capable of achieving 2:1s but there is no rule or practice of sending down potential 2:2s whose under performance may well not be the result of factors within their control.
The innuendo that the College is concerned about inadequate academic results is without foundation. Trinity was 8th in the 1999; and 13th in the 2000 Norrington Table (but still above half way; only 0.78% behind Balliol, with whom tradition compels you to compare us) Balliol got 30 Firsts to Trinity's 16 (not twice as many); but 19 2:2s to our 8 (more than twice as many); and two 3rds, where we had none.
You end your story with the sentence "No one else was prepared to comment." I would have been, and I now have.
Yours Faithfully,
Michael J. Beloff QC
President of Trinity College, Oxford
You see people, why can't all letters of complaint be like that? Mr. Beloff, we note your complaint. In the meantime, have some breakfast bagels on us.
SICKOV SICHROVSKY?
Dear Editors,
I would just like to address a few inaccuracies in your article on the Sichrovsky picket:
The ANL is not a violent organisation, it encourages non-violent pickets, Peter Hain MP is one of the founders and 150 other Labour MPs are members. More importantly the protest itself was not violent, whilst protestors (most of whom were not from the ANL) linked arms and prevented people from entering, the scuffles were not between the protestors and those trying to enter but because the police pushed the line into those trying to enter in order to break it up. Calling those trying to enter 'Nazi Scum' must be condemned but was certainly not what the majority of people were doing, including the ANL. The University saw fit to issue a warning for students at risk from far-right groups to avoid the centre of town during the meeting whilst providing a venue and policing for this event which it expected to attract these same groups putting its own students at risk.
Paul Matthews
Thankyou for clearing up these points. We must stress however, that it was the University Marshall who said that the ANL had "a track record of violence", not our reporter. Similarly, your point about the University issuing a warning is by way of additional information, not a factual inaccuracy.
COLD TURKEYS?
Dear Sirs,
Over the past few weeks, I seem to have discovered a pattern emerging within your newspaper - your clear dislike for Coldplay. Maybe this was because the interview that you secured with them didnt reveal 'exclusive' material. As a result that necessarily implies that they are boring. Fast forward to this week and a review of their new single 'Trouble' "The worst and most boring single ever made." Each person is entitled to their own opinion, and freedom of speech is something which is valued under this countries constitution. But is it too much to ask to get a little objectivity?
Gareth Jones
The Music Editors' reply: Despite what you may think, the Oxford Student does not have a personal vendetta against Coldplay. The reality is that our writers tend to know something about music, and as such recognize the fact that Coldplay are spectacularly mediocre. Along with Travis and Stereophonics, they seem to have made a virtue out of being average.
9th Nov 2000