A candlestick stolen during a formal hall at Emmanuel College last week has provoked a firm response from the college. In an email sent to students, the college said it would cancel all formals until the candlestick was returned. A series of rumours across anonymous confessions page Dowfess, speculating that a Downing student was the culprit.

Attendees of the formal last Monday (14/11) told Varsity that the catering staff demanded the candlestick be returned swiftly after the formal had ended. In an email sent out the following day, Emma students were told that they must return the candlestick, “either anonymously to the Catering Department or to the Porters Lodge”. They were warned that if they did not return the candlestick by the end of Wednesday (16/11), Formal Hall would be cancelled for the remainder of the week. The email stated that college staff “cannot tolerate” this behaviour.

Whilst the candlestick was anonymously returned by the deadline, rumours circulated that the candlestick – which in reality cost around £50 – was worth up to £15,000, and students took it upon themselves to uncover the thief. A student who was at the formal told Varsity, “there’s a consensus that it couldn’t have been an Emma student because we’ve all been told stories about candlesticks being stolen in the past and know never to do it.”

On anonymous Downing confessions page Dowfess, several students had speculated that the culprit was a Downing student, before quickly redirecting blame with one post reading “Kings students stole Downing candle sticks from formal pass it on."

Stealing from hall is common throughout the university and is seen as a harmless rite of passage by many. One student who recently stole a plate from Emma hall told us that they were motivated by their desire to own something with their college’s crest. They also described a culture of stealing at the university: “it’s become a tradition at Cambridge that people’s college parents introduce them to.”

Similarly, a student from Murray Edwards justified hall theft as a means to get even with their college. They told Varsity, “I think it’s a Cambridge tradition. Colleges are so wealthy that it’s a way to try and make the nine grand worth it.”

College staff are well aware of students’ desire to steal and have adapted the way they conduct formals to combat this. Very expensive tableware tends to be reserved for high table and catering staff are sent in to observe students’ behaviour during formals.