Letters To The Editor
ISSUES MISREPRESENTED
Dear Madam,
In response to Tom Mendelsohn's eloquent yet cutting rant against science students, I feel I should point out that any scientist makes an effort to appreciate the breadth of the arts. The converse is clearly untrue.
I'd wager that many more scientists than artists play a musical instrument and many are very well read, but how many arts students take an interest in evolutionary biology?
I enjoy my subject of Maths and Computing, but I read Joyce and Donne. I have also acted in several theatrical productions, rowed in Torpids, and shake a damn fine Cosmopolitan (plus I bet I have more sex than you, Mr Mendelsohn).
Happy grumbling Mr Mendelsohn.
Duncan Stuart
Magdalen
SUBSIDISING COLLEGE
Dear Madam,
First let me congratulate you on an excellent article: your front page piece on rents last week. As a strong opponent of rent hikes, I want to make clear my views on joint college and JCR discussions on cost saving in light of the slightly misleading quotation from me used: "it is not reasonable to ask JCRs to find other ways to fund a deficit".
It is of course ridiculous for any college to expect members of the JCR to solve the financial problems of a college, but this does not mean discussions about where savings could be made should not include students.
My point was that it is not up to us to crunch the numbers or effectively become the college accountants. While rent rises cannot continue, and will be fervently opposed here at Somerville, co-operation between Governing Body and JCR in cost-saving initiatives has been extremely valuable.
Emma Norris
JCR President, Somerville College
MORE TO GAY ISSUES
Dear Madam,
I would like to discuss last week's article headlined 'Re-think on gay issues needed.' The implication was that following the introduction of the Civil Partnerships Bill the futures of all lesbians, gay men and bisexual people are rosy, and that members of the LGB community finally enjoy equal rights.
This is clearly not the case. There are still issues of joint pensions, family-orientated benefits, special eligibility clauses for Civil Partnerships, hospital visiting rights, blood and organ donation issues and pay gaps.
Many LGB people still face homophobia, whether physical and verbal, or more subtle methods like institutional homophobia, or rejection from their local congregation.
Oxford may be a wonderful place to be gay, but given that the majority of students here come from the wider world where people are far from gay-friendly it hardly seems realistic to assume that there is nothing left to fight for, or that there is no value in a safe environment to explore one's sexuality. If you want evidence of the fights for rights that are currently taking place, pay a visit to the Queer Rights Campaign, and leave LGBSoc alone to provide a safe, apolitical environment for its members.
Aidan Randle-Conde
Trinity College
MADSFIELD JCR
Dear Madam,
Mansfield JCR has voted into policy that from now on Mansfield's Porters Lodge will be referred to as 'The Podge'. I have been asked to inform you of this good news so as to inspire other colleges to follow our excellent example.
James Coatsworth
JCR President, Mansfield College
13th May 2004