[Fires]

To show their commitment to the new, caring side of the Coalition, which wants to act for the poor, (according to Nick Clegg), and to provide a response to the misery being heaped on millions in the worst recession for a 80 years, Oxford students have movingly decided to grant themselves some lavish private parties at the taxpayers expense.

http://www.cherwell.org/news/oxford/...e-garden-party

Knowing the elite nature of Magdalen, some of these students are probably the kids of those very bankers who put us in the **** in the first place.

It's really gratifying to see the young elite respond so well - and a clear signal of what the future will look like as the current privileged move forwards into adulthood.

[chrislpp]

Yea because you get into oxford based on daddy's income.

[Fires]

(Original post by chrislpp)
Yea because you get into oxford based on daddy's income.

Well if you meet a good percentage of the students there, it's a logical inference.

[Aeschylus]

yes because if you go to oxford your dad is obviously an investment banker and you are upholding the class privileges endemic through society.

Christ on a bike. Is this the Socialist Worker?

I'll be honest. When I went to see my brother and his friends in Oxford the atmosphere was substantially less "privileged" than several other universities I've been to see mates at.

[I Gurn Hard]

(Original post by Aeschylus)
yes because if you go to oxford your dad is obviously an investment banker and you are upholding the class privileges endemic through society.

Christ on a bike. Is this the Socialist Worker?

I'll be honest. When I went to see my brother and his friends in Oxford the atmosphere was substantially less "privileged" than several other universities I've been to see mates at.

Bull. I've been there a few times and each time immediately wanted to leave. I also overheard a conversation in the dining hall between a few girls on the open day. One girl says: "Which academy did you go to?"
Another replies: "Naturally Roedean"

I also asked a member of staff who was meant to be helping on the open day if I would be passed over for consideration with 'only' 6A*'s at GCSE yet with 3A* and 1A at A level, and I was told it was "highly likely" and that he "wished people would stop asking such ridiculous questions".

[Aeschylus]

(Original post by I Gurn Hard)
Bull. I've been there a few times and each time immediately wanted to leave. I also overheard a conversation in the dining hall between a few girls on the open day. One girl says: "Which academy did you go to?"
Another replies: "Naturally Roedean"

I also asked a member of staff who was meant to be helping on the open day if I would be passed over for consideration with 'only' 6A*'s at GCSE yet with 3A* and 1A at A level, and I was told it was "highly likely" and that he "wished people would stop asking such ridiculous questions".

Right well there's 2 separate points there: one of snobbery and one of academic elitism . I personally know people that have got in with worse marks than you so I'm surprised however, I'm not surprised that elitism exists there. It could be the tutor was fed up of answering questions about GCSE marks and getting in when they have 'other' methods (ELAT HAT interview etc).


As for snobbery I'm again not denying it exists but I think to imply, as OP was, that Oxford is exclusively posh and well-connected and snobby does not correlate with my own personal experiences there and comes across as with his own personal ax to grind

[Fires]

(Original post by Aeschylus)
Right well there's 2 separate points there: one of snobbery and one of academic elitism . I personally know people that have got in with worse marks than you so I'm surprised however, I'm not surprised that elitism exists there. It could be the tutor was fed up of answering questions about GCSE marks and getting in when they have 'other' methods (ELAT HAT interview etc).


As for snobbery I'm again not denying it exists but I think to imply, as OP was, that Oxford is exclusively posh and well-connected and snobby does not correlate with my own personal experiences there and comes across as with his own personal ax to grind

You sound very keen to defend it, yet you say you aren't a student there? Axe to grind perhaps?

Look, Magdalen is famous for hosting the kids of the wealthy - I've worked in Oxford and all you have to do for proof is hang around outside that college and some others and listen to the chat, the accents, etc. It's rippling with the upper-class/upper-middle products of upper-private schools.

My post simply points out that (1) they obviously don't give a stuff about how the recession is affecting others or the brazen way they exercise their privilege and (2) they have no self-awareness whatsoever. Those are reasonable beliefs.

For sure there are nearly 50% state school people (albeit mainly from the "good sort" of state school - eg, the ones in nice suburban areas) at Oxford, but the upper and privileged classes are still deeply entrenched there.

For further proof, check out the cars at start/ends of terms coming to drop off/collect undergrads. Stunning wealth. So many Range Rovers, Jags, Bentleys, etc, it's worse than Alderley Edge in the rush hour.

[Aeschylus]

(Original post by Fires)
You sound very keen to defend it, yet you say you aren't a student there? Axe to grind perhaps?

Look, Magdalen is famous for hosting the kids of the wealthy - I've worked in Oxford and all you have to do for proof is hang around outside that college and some others and listen to the chat, the accents, etc. It's rippling with the upper-class/upper-middle products of upper-private schools.

My post simply points out that (1) they obviously don't give a stuff about how the recession is affecting others or the brazen way they exercise their privilege and (2) they have no self-awareness whatsoever. Those are reasonable beliefs.

For sure there are nearly 50% state school people (albeit mainly from the "good sort" of state school - eg, the ones in nice suburban areas) at Oxford, but the upper and privileged classes are still deeply entrenched there.

For further proof, check out the cars at start/ends of terms coming to drop off/collect undergrads. Stunning wealth. So many Range Rovers, Jags, Bentleys, etc, it's worse than Alderley Edge in the rush hour.

Well I find myself in the awkward position of agreeing most of what you wrote there . Oxford is privileged, no denying that and £2,200 is an awful lot of money. I wouldn't say it is excessively more privileged than many other univerisities however, naming no names. However I disagree with your conclusion:

Any student is aware that the views of the SU/JCRC do not correlate usually with the views of the student body in that it is very normally a 'clique'. I don't know what it's like at Magdalen so I can't comment there but I would guess it's likely. But applying that to the whole of 'Oxford' seems like a bit of a jump from there.

[fudgesundae]

(Original post by Fires)
To show their commitment to the new, caring side of the Coalition, which wants to act for the poor, (according to Nick Clegg), and to provide a response to the misery being heaped on millions in the worst recession for a 80 years, Oxford students have movingly decided to grant themselves some lavish private parties at the taxpayers expense.

http://www.cherwell.org/news/oxford/...e-garden-party

Knowing the elite nature of Magdalen, some of these students are probably the kids of those very bankers who put us in the **** in the first place.

It's really gratifying to see the young elite respond so well - and a clear signal of what the future will look like as the current privileged move forwards into adulthood.

Pretty sure the JCR is given a certain amount of money to spend every year by the college. It is up to the JCR as to how they spend this allocation. They voted they wanted to spend it on a garden party, so that is what they will do.

Anyway it isn't like that is a lot to spend on a garden party. Considering there could potentially be upwards of 100 people attending, that really is quite cheap.

[Fires]

(Original post by fudgesundae)
Pretty sure the JCR is given a certain amount of money to spend every year by the college. It is up to the JCR as to how they spend this allocation. They voted they wanted to spend it on a garden party, so that is what they will do.

Anyway it isn't like that is a lot to spend on a garden party. Considering there could potentially be upwards of 100 people attending, that really is quite cheap.

Oh God yah, yah soooo right! I mean, God, garden parties are just sooo expensive these days. Thank goodness no proles will be invited though!

[fudgesundae]

(Original post by Fires)
Oh God yah, yah soooo right! I mean, God, garden parties are just sooo expensive these days. Thank goodness no proles will be invited though!

So you just skipped over the main point of my post and read the bit you wanted to read? Good for you, just proves you can't defeat the point I made.

[michael321]

(Original post by fudgesundae)
So you just skipped over the main point of my post and read the bit you wanted to read? Good for you, just proves you can't defeat the point I made.

I think it's best not to feed the trolls. Clearly the OP has some axe to grind and is determined to find that Oxford students are all multi-millionaire toffs who hunt poor people for sport, and burn money to keep warm. I don't think reason will have much influence on his opinions.

[fudgesundae]

(Original post by michael321)
I think it's best not to feed the trolls. Clearly the OP has some axe to grind and is determined to find that Oxford students are all multi-millionaire toffs who hunt poor people for sport, and burn money to keep warm. I don't think reason will have much influence on his opinions.

Very true.

[Budgie]

(Original post by Fires)
To show their commitment to the new, caring side of the Coalition, which wants to act for the poor, (according to Nick Clegg), and to provide a response to the misery being heaped on millions in the worst recession for a 80 years, Oxford students have movingly decided to grant themselves some lavish private parties at the taxpayers expense.

http://www.cherwell.org/news/oxford/...e-garden-party

Knowing the elite nature of Magdalen, some of these students are probably the kids of those very bankers who put us in the **** in the first place.

It's really gratifying to see the young elite respond so well - and a clear signal of what the future will look like as the current privileged move forwards into adulthood.

What's the problem, exactly? College grants them money to spend, they are always going to spend it on themselves, they have decided to have a garden party. So what? You think Magdalen College JCR has an exclusive duty, beyond other actors in the economy, to give its money to the poor!? I think you'll find most students spend a fair amount on booze.

[Fires]

(Original post by fudgesundae)
So you just skipped over the main point of my post and read the bit you wanted to read? Good for you, just proves you can't defeat the point I made.

Not really, I was mocking the smug tone that only Oxford students could muster about "reasonable prices for garden parties", I mean, come on, hahaha. It sounds like something from Bridesheads.

I'm honestly not trolling, I'm calling attention to a story in your own newspaper, Cherwell, or is that in some way wholly innacurate and unrepresentative about Oxford student life? It being so distant from the action?

[Fires]

(Original post by Budgie)
What's the problem, exactly? College grants them money to spend, they are always going to spend it on themselves, they have decided to have a garden party. So what? You think Magdalen College JCR has an exclusive duty, beyond other actors in the economy, to give its money to the poor!? I think you'll find most students spend a fair amount on booze.

The point is that it's politically interesting, because it's an interesting signal about the current attitudes of the kids of the privileged elite as they go forwards - clearly this revelling in class privilege and the closed world of staggering Oxbridge college wealth is set fair to continue, regardless of the outside world. It's like a mad, Marie Antoinette-style bubble.

[fudgesundae]

(Original post by Fires)
Not really, I was mocking the smug tone that only Oxford students could muster about "reasonable prices for garden parties", I mean, come on, hahaha. It sounds like something from Bridesheads.

I'm honestly not trolling, I'm calling attention to a story in your own newspaper, Cherwell, or is that in some way wholly innacurate and unrepresentative about Oxford student life? It being so distant from the action?

You don't think £2200 is reasonable for a party for 100 maybe even 200 people? Ok.

You still didn't reply to my original point. They are given money by the college, they have chosen to spend it on a garden party for the members of the college. I don't see what is wrong with that at all?

[DarkWhite]

You can't be serious.

That's £2,500 being reinvested into the economy - the JCR are going to go out and spend £2,500 in the shops, the other students will probably go out and buy a load of stuff themselves. Street parties, along with tourism, will bring in a lot of money.

Besides, JCRs here in Notts spend far more than that on regular events held year-on-year. From balls to formals, trips to parties.

[Bax-man]

(Original post by Fires)
To show their commitment to the new, caring side of the Coalition, which wants to act for the poor, (according to Nick Clegg), and to provide a response to the misery being heaped on millions in the worst recession for a 80 years, Oxford students have movingly decided to grant themselves some lavish private parties at the taxpayers expense.

http://www.cherwell.org/news/oxford/...e-garden-party

Knowing the elite nature of Magdalen, some of these students are probably the kids of those very bankers who put us in the **** in the first place.

It's really gratifying to see the young elite respond so well - and a clear signal of what the future will look like as the current privileged move forwards into adulthood.

What you miss is that the party is not at the expense of the taxpayer.

More to the point, you've not explained why the fact that many wealthy people tend to congregate in Oxford (I dispute your point that the city is dominated by class and privilege, however) is a negative thing. You've simply asserted that it is in a reflection of your views on class that went out of fashion about a century ago.

[Rennit]

Durham has more private students than Oxford does. I don't see anybody bashing them? Ok, I will.

Durham sucks.