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Are there many weird oxford things?

Libtolu

YEs anyone who grew up in a posh area may know the difference but as im from a working class town, i can say i've wore a suit twice in my 18 years of life.

once at a wedding once at a funeral.

Bull, I live in a working class area and know the difference between A dinner jacket and a suit.

Next you'll be telling me you don't know the difference between black and white tie.

Reply 21

Libtolu

OP

13

Eric Arthur

Didn't any of you have end of school formals where everyone gets dressed up?

Yea but all the guys wore suits or just trouser,shirt and shoes and the girls wore fancy dress' / gowns.

Reply 22

Libtolu

OP

13

adamrules247

Bull, I live in a working class area and know the difference between A dinner jacket and a suit.

Next you'll be telling me you don't know the difference between black and white tie.

The colour of the tie?

And i know the difference now but on the thread i was citing he asked for help and they completely ridiculed him.

Reply 23

Of the Standard of Taste

12

Mook

I didn't think you had to wear gowns to chapel ... Not that I've ever been. Choral scholars have cool gowns, but I think the choir just wears strange choir robe things at Oriel. Anyone who turns up to be in the audience can wear whatever they like.

Again, not that I'm aware of ... I've seen people roll up in their pyjamas to ours. I think Teddy Hall do some of their collections in the Exam Schools, but I've no idea if you have to wear gowns to them. That would just be silly.

Do other colleges do this? We're supposedly one of the most traditional colleges :rolleyes:

and we don't.

I think that Wikipedia entry needs serious updating!

Reply 24

Libtolu

OP

13

Spacecam

Learn how to pass the Port...

Is that where it can only go one way or the other?

Reply 25

Libtolu

OP

13

Mathlete91

I've heard of this... what is it? Obviously it involves running along Woodstock road but how far ish? And is it a race?

Thanks :biggrin:

P.S. Unlike OP I'm looking forward to the traditions!! It makes a nice change from normal life in this sleepy middle-class town.

Edit : Just realised OP isn't going to Oxford, but Hull.

Yep asking on behalf of nissan(my mate).

Dunno if he will fit in, but he should do i hope.

I just got interested after i told him about the dj/suit thing and thought i would ask a question.

YOu never know i got another year, if i do some of the work this year i might get a's.

Edit**

Even if i get A's i think i'll still have to go to hull because it's the best for economics that i can go to without maths a level.

Reply 26

Spacecam

15

Libtolu

Is that where it can only go one way or the other?

Pour the glass of the person on your right then pass the decanter to your left (you are passing the Port to the "Port Side"

- from a naval tradition). The entire bottle or decanter should be finished by the persons present - noone should leave the table till this has been done.

Reply 27

adamrules247

20

Libtolu

The colour of the tie?

And i know the difference now but on the thread i was citing he asked for help and they completely ridiculed him.

What I was annoyed at was that you worked class into it. One doesn't need cancer to study it.

Anyway the difference is in the Jacket style and with White tie you have the option to wear a top hat.

Reply 28

*pitseleh*

20

h82think

Only in Oxford!

Heh.. forgot all about that. My friend from Brookes actually lived on that road, about five doors down from the crazy shark man. Strange times.

swiftuk

Not sure how you could wear a hood to matriculation :confused:

(genuinely confused) unless you're one of the officers - as don't you only matriculate if you come from outside? (and a lot of the uni sites seem to suggest that you need to be wearing subfusc + oxford student gown for that).

:confused:

Graduate students also need to matriculate, and they don't wear commoners' gowns.

Reply 29

swiftuk

8

*pitseleh*

Graduate students also need to matriculate, and they don't wear commoners' gowns.

But isn't it effectively the same gown but longer? (i.e. a graduate gown, which doesn't have a hood).

http://www.stx.ox.ac.uk/members/official/new_members/sub_fusc_clothing

Reply 30

Leviathon

Bekaboo

Only things I can think of that might seem bizarre to an outsider... 'formal' hall (which can vary from very formal dinner at some colleges, once a week, to a second serving of dinner every night at others with no dress code or anything) often begins with grace;

Do you have to go to "formal hall" and what can you do if you object to saying grace on religious/moral grounds?

Reply 31

generalebriety

16

Leviathon

Do you have to go to "formal hall" and what can you do if you object to saying grace on religious/moral grounds?

It differs from college to college (and I don't even go to Oxford, so I might be speaking entirely out of turn here), but for the most part, you don't have to go to formal (though it's fun), and not everyone has to read grace, but if you're invited to read grace they will almost certainly allow you to read something slightly different or back out altogether if you have serious religious objections.

Reply 32

Mook

9

Leviathon

Do you have to go to "formal hall" and what can you do if you object to saying grace on religious/moral grounds?

No, formal hall is totally optional, although last year most people I know did seem to go at least once a week. 1) The food is often very good, 2) at Oriel the wine gets charged to your battels (termly account), so it's a deceptively cheap start to a night out and 3) lots of people will go if it's someone's birthday, as it's a cheap way where people can still dress up and eat together as a special occasion.
As for grace, it gets read out to High Table and then you can either say Amen or not. Up to you.

Reply 33

Leviathon

Mook

No, formal hall is totally optional, although last year most people I know did seem to go at least once a week. 1) The food is often very good, 2) at Oriel the wine gets charged to your battels (termly account), so it's a deceptively cheap start to a night out and 3) lots of people will go if it's someone's birthday, as it's a cheap way where people can still dress up and eat together as a special occasion.
As for grace, it gets read out to High Table and then you can either say Amen or not. Up to you.

Thanks.

Sounds like I'll have to put moral objectins aside for the sake of good food and company. Oh well, I'm sure Dawkins will forgive me. :p:

Reply 34

Cirsium

19

Leviathon

Do you have to go to "formal hall" and what can you do if you object to saying grace on religious/moral grounds?

No. It's the fun dressing-up version of regular food, and you don't say grace a scholar does.

Reply 35

Teebs

16

Leviathon

Do you have to go to "formal hall" and what can you do if you object to saying grace on religious/moral grounds?

Just not say anything? Slightly obvious I'd have thought... That's certainly my solution, stand with everyone else and just keep quiet, it's not like anyone actually cares. Anyway if Richard Dawkins can handle leading the grace at New (apparently he sometimes does according to someone I know there) then I'm sure you could handle standing for it.

And no, formal hall is not compulsory.

Reply 36

*pitseleh*

20

swiftuk

But isn't it effectively the same gown but longer? (i.e. a graduate gown, which doesn't have a hood).

http://www.stx.ox.ac.uk/members/official/new_members/sub_fusc_clothing

Nah, some have hoods, and some have weird bat-gowns with flappy sleeves.

Reply 37

swiftuk

8

*pitseleh*

Nah, some have hoods, and some have weird bat-gowns with flappy sleeves.

Yes - I can wear one of those for other stuff if I want (e.g. could wear my BSc gown for Hall if I want), but I got told that for matric it needed to be a graduate gown etc... :confused:

Reply 38

Cirsium

19

Yeah I'm pretty sure swiftuk is right... If you come from outside (which I assume is the case with a BSc) then you def matric in a commoner's gown. I think if you are an Oxford grad then you matric in your BA gown?