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No.922 Friday 1st March 2024 varsity.co.uk The Independent Student Newspaper since 1947
Students hit with flying chair in sports swap pub frenzy Patrick Dolan Deputy News Editor A hockey varsity swap saw two Oxbridge students wiped out after a chair was thrown off a balcony in Wetherspoons on Sunday 18th. The post-match swap took a violent turn after a student from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, picked up a chair and launched it from the upper floor, injuring a Cambridge and an Oxford student below. An Oxford Men’s 4s player had to be taken to A&E after being struck in the head by the chair, receiving stitches for the injury. A Cambridge Women’s 4s player also suffered minor injuries to her face. The incident occurred at around 10pm at the Four Candles Wetherspoons in Oxford following a day of matches between the 2nd’s, 3rd’s and 4th’s Cambridge and Oxford Hockey Teams. It was supposed to be a day of frivolity, an evening swap after the so-called ‘BDoTY’ (Best Day of the Year) for the collegiate athletes, which saw hundreds of Oxbridge students flock to Wetherspoons to celebrate the day. But the mood shifted after eyewitnesses reported seeing an Oxford student dressed as a traffic cone unexpectedly pick up a chair and hurl it over the balcony to the bottom floor. Customers reported being “shocked and confused” after hearing the crash of something breaking. Most of the swap attendees were seated on the upstairs section overlooking the bottom floor when the incident happened. Venue staff intervened and attempted to identify what had happened but the other members of the Oxford Men’s team were reported to have “closed ranks,” according to eyewitnesses. The managers eventually ordered everyone
to leave. A student told Varsity that Oxford players were overheard discussing that the incident would make “great chat.” One student told Varsity that they were “all just drinking really and I don’t know why but one of them picked up a chair and chucked it over to the bottom floor.” “Everyone was just quite confused,” reported another Cambridge student. “There was just a lot of smashed glass all over the floor and the chair.” Security later identified and singled out the individual believed to have thrown the chair and followed him down the road, until they disappeared from sight. However, it is claimed that the suspect was allegedly seen later that evening at the club night, at Spirit Bar in Oxford. In response to the incident, the culprit has been suspended pending an ongoing internal investigation by Oxford University Hockey Club. Cambridge University Hockey Club are also in the process of deciding the outcome of their internal investigation, with an emphasis on the affected parties’ decision. When contacted for comment, The Four Candles Wetherspoons branch said: “Wetherspoons are aware of the incident. Members of hockey teams from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities were using the Four Candles at the time after what we believe was a hockey tournament earlier in the day. “The individual who threw the chair was identified from the pub’s CCTV coverage. We understand that he was from Oxford University and that his name is now known by the university authorities so the appropriate action can be taken,” the branch said. “It was extremely fortunate that no one was injured as a consequence of the individual’s reckless act,” the pub concluded.
Students hold vigil for Ukraine Wilf Vall Deputy News Editor
Students call for sacking of ‘race-realist’ fellow as Philosophy faculty race row continues Page. 2 ▲ DANIEL HILTON
Large crowds gathered on King’s Parade on Saturday (24/02) to mark two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a candlelit vigil. The event was organised by Cambridge4Ukraine, a volunteering initiative who have held demonstrations every week since the invasion. Among supporters of the vigil were members of the Cambridge University Ukrainian Society (CUUS), the University Ukrainian language faculty, and the Ukrainian Heritage, Art and Music Centre. The candlelit display also saw speeches in both English and Ukrainian, the reciting of Ukrainian poems, and a crowd rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem. In a press release for the event, Cambridge4UK said: “Ukraine became the epicentre of historical events that both affect global everyday life and shape our common future. We refuse to be forgotten and we will not forget.” Those at the event were keen to emphasise the importance of still supporting Ukraine, with one speaker saying: “Every single one of you here today are more important than you’ve ever been, because in the beginning it’s very easy to get a large crowd, now it’s a different story.” Vlodomir Masaltin, President of CUUS, was asked by Varsity if he thought that the University was doing enough for Ukraine. He said: “I don’t think so, have we seen any flags flying around? Have we seen any news? I was trying to find a room for an exhibition and I texted so many colleges, I had 20 answers no. Do you think they’re doing enough?” Cambridge University has currently not acknowledged the anniversary of the invasion either through a formal statement or any social media platforms, Continued on page 3 ▶
Inside ● SU election results revealed pg. 4 ● Colleges fine students £8000 in twelve months pg.4 ● Medwards president Dorothy Byrne pg. 9 ●