Artistic agonies

In response to ‘Grand designs and mangled ideas in Bloody Poetry’ (29/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

Your reviewer says, “it’s hard to care about who has betrayed whom when everyone seems so selfish anyway.” Perhaps, prior to judgement, a reviewer might note such information (like in the provided Director’s Note in the ADC Programme) that this is, in fact, the aim of Brenton’s play.

Naturally, my objection to this is deeply biased, and is, perhaps, therefore entirely trivial! One can hardly expect a reviewer to truly engage with a piece of art to consider pre-researching its intentions and subject. However, as this lack of care for vision and intention is symptomatic of far, far too many reviews here in this city, I believe it is an important point to raise for future qualitative advancement.

Sophia Orr

Pembroke, English

Dietary duels

In response to ‘Veganism shouldn’t be about perfection’ (27/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

I am delighted that Elsie McDowell supports vegan and vegetarian diets. Unfortunately, I found her conclusions dissatisfying. I agree that vegans should be tactical in our advocacy, but so long as we believe that the slaughter of billions of animals worldwide is an abomination, we cannot be complacent about falling short. Just as to take the sixth commandment seriously means never committing murder, to take veganism seriously means obeying it to the letter. So yes, encourage others to do what they can; but don’t suggest that any avoidable participation in this monstrosity can ever be ‘good enough.’

Magnus Hole

Selwyn, HSPS

Degrees are an investment

In response to ‘Only 4% of creative arts students from working-class backgrounds, report says’ (24/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

Choice may be at play here. The employment prospects after graduation may be a contributing factor for the lack of working-class representation in artistic subjects. Working-class students graduate with more debt after university than their middle-class counterparts. Paired with the fact that artistic subjects pay poorly compared to other humanities subjects, working-class students are conceivably making an economic choice based on a return for investment. Consequently, the low level of working-class students in art subjects such as Music may be due to a lack of economically viable career prospects. Even among foundation-year students, a majority appear to hope to progress onto subjects such as HSPS and law.

Adaeze Onwuelo

St. Edmunds, Foundation year

Grammar school gripes

In response to ‘Grammar schools, Oxbridge and The History Boys’ (28/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

The suggestion that criticisms of selection are, in fact, very ‘human.’ No, not all grammars send loads of kids to Oxbridge and, yes, their pupils should feel proud if they get in. However, grammars are the preserve of the middle-class and the evidence suggests they add no educational value. The nature of selection, too, means they reject 75% of kids. This core argument is very human: we shouldn’t tell tens of thousands of eleven-year-olds that they’re not good enough each October. Nor should we lead grammar school kids to exclusively define their worth by their grades, as happens too often.

Jack Deasley

Homerton, MPhil Student

Promote post-uni prospects

In response to ‘Universities need fewer students’ (29/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

Mr Reid suggests that university degrees are “failing to provide (students) with much career enhancement.” According to the latest (2023) ONS figures, graduates retain a significant advantage in employment, salary and lifetime earnings over non-graduates. This advantage would be greater were the UK better at creating graduate level jobs.

Professor Chris Hackley

Royal Holloway University of London

Nurturing netball

In response to ‘Netball for net-all: it’s time to take mixed netball seriously’ (13/01/2025)

Dear Varsity,

Glad to see some encouragement of mixed netball! I was part of the first university team, and now play in the mixed and men’s national leagues (I was even back at Kelsey Kerridge for a match last year). Warwick has had a lot of success, and a Cambridge team could too.

There are plenty of inter-club politics in mixed netball, even at higher levels, but I think it’s being seen as more ‘legitimate,’ especially now the England Thorns and England Trailblazers (the men’s and under 25s men’s teams) have had international successes. More and more teams are appearing - exciting times!

Elliot Kelly

Cambridge alumnus

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