In Brief

By Unknown Author

There was controversy at the Freshers Fair this year as Barclaycard employees were asked to leave following an alleged violation of Freshers Fair regulations. They were accused of asking Freshers to sign a binding contract committing the signatory to using Barclaycard services.

This is a direct contravention of the agreement which all stallholders have to sign before gaining permission to set up. This agreement expressly forbids stallholders from committing Freshers to any society or company either through the exchange of money or signed agreements.

Barclaycard left the premesis without a fuss, apologising for the infraction of the rules stating that they hadn't realized they were in breach of contract. They blamed the intermediary agency between themselves and OUSU claiming that there had been a breakdown in communication. They later were allowed to retake their positions in their stall after they agreed to comply with regulations.

The housing charity 'Shelter' has revealed that more students living in Oxford seek their advice than those living in any other university twon with a Shelter office. Out of the 1100 students who have sought advice over the last year, 113 have been from Oxford, with 73 from London. Whilst students can spend up to 80% of their money on rent, Shelter says, they end up living in 'sub-standard' accommodation. Katie Davenport, on Oxford University accommodation office, said: "Accommodation in Oxford is tight. Demand far outstrips the supply because there's the university and Oxford Brooks students, as well as the language schools, all competing for it and it's quite a small city."

Exxon Mobil, the international oil company, are facing a ban from advertising in OUSU publications, if a motion to be put to Council on Friday is successful. The motion, proposed by Ailsa Gibson of Keble College, denounces Exxon Mobil's public opposition to the Kyoto protocol and failure to address climate change. The company's recruitment event, held this evening, is also to be the subject of a People and Planet demonstration.

17th Oct 2002