Selling out is necessary

In response to ‘Tolerating anti-intellectualism supports the career-ification of University’ (01/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

Max La Bouchardiere opposes the recent ‘career-ification’ of universities. This is a noble opinion, but it is wholly incorrect. Universities have always been career production lines. It is not a recent phenomenon. The earliest universities produced lawyers, theologians, doctors, and translators. And universities must remain career production lines. The ‘real world’ funds universities. The current system would be unsustainable without accountability and without clear benefits for its patrons. It would crumble.

Douglas Page

Magdalene, History

Veterinary woes

In response to ‘Vet students could be sent packing’ (29/11/24)

Dear Varsity,

This headline caused a lot of distress to vet students, particularly preclinical vets. It was stressful enough after a previous varsity article about the vet school was published to the Guardian and subsequently picked up by other national newspapers, and this made a bad situation worse with some vet school staff being left in tears. It would have been better written if the focus was on the vet students themselves and if they were consulted on the article before it was published.

Amber Heal

Newnham, Veterinary Medicine

Scribbling squabbles

In response to ‘The case for handwritten exams’ (10/01/25)

Dear Varsity,

Although your article on handwritten vs typed exams raised some interesting points, I think its recommendations were compromised by poor research. You mention it is harder to cheat in handwritten exams, citing an article which makes no reference to whether the exam was handwritten. You additionally mention the “university” moved to Inspera and this caused chaos in the English exams, notably omitting the fact that this has been used in several STEM subjects for several years without incident. Finally, you use preservation of handwriting skills as a pro, not stating why these skills are still useful in the world.

Euan Worth

Queens’, Computer Science

Protect exam integrity

In response to ‘Law student set to sue Cambridge after failing PhD’ (15/01/25)

Dear Varsity,

Meagher (the student suing Cambridge) himeself claims he is “less able than other candidates of the same ability to produce a PhD thesis.” This statement is false – if he cannot produce a thesis, he is not of the same ability. Standardised assements ensure credibility, to do otherwise undermines any value. True fairness creates environments where everyone can excel, not by compromising standards. Reducing standards due to disability is itself ableist and patronising. For all our sakes, and the value of our degrees, his case should be laughed out of court.

Custard cream connundrums

In response to ′Varsity’s 2025 ‘ins and outs’

Dear Varsity,

Enjoyed your Mainsbury’s custard creams as out, in the 2025 ‘in and outs’ Article. In fact, I think I wrote the Camfess which initially exposed this outrage… In my view, there are two different custard cream factories in this country with two different recipes. Sainsbury’s has recently followed the disturbing trend of Aldi and Lidl in switching from Factory A (the good custard cream recipe) to Factory B, (the new recipe which has too much biscuit and not enough cream). The last remaining holdout of Factory A appears to be Tesco, and I would suggest fellow purveyors of Custard Creams go there, but seemingly only in their larger packs of Custard Creams.

Alex Myall

Robinson, History and Politics

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