In Brief (News) – 13 April 2005

A BRANCH of the American coffee chain Strabucks is to open in the former location of the John Smith and Co. bookshop on North Street.The chain is often criticised for the price of its coffee, as well as being emblematic of corporate consumerism. Many coffee drinkers love it, however, as can be seen by the chain’s success.

The student response has been varied. When asked how he felt about Starbucks opening up in town, George Irwin, a tertian, said “ambivalent” tersely. Others were more enthusiastic. “I think it’s great that Starbucks is opening up in St Andrews,” said magistrand Christopher Cruden. “Where else would I get my daily mocha and guilty pleasure from destroying the rainforest and making sure indigenous people aren’t paid as much as they should be for their produce.”

The St Andrews branch is scheduled to open on May 26.

POPE John Paul II died at 1937 GMT on the evening of Saturday, April 7 in his apartment in the Apostolic Palace. He was eighty-five years old, and reigned as Supreme Pontiff for the last twenty-six, elected in the unexpected second conclave of 1978.

The Pope was considered by many to be instrumental in the advent of the Solidarity free trade union movement in his native Poland, the success of which was the first step of many leading towards the ultimate downfall of Communism in Europe.

As Pope, he was primarily responsible for restoring order to the Church following the turbulent aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. John Paul II reaffirmed the conclusions of the Council and insisted on their being implemented in light of Tradition, instead of departing from the centuries of Catholic teachings.

At the funeral on Friday April 8, the United Kingdom was represented by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and Mr. Charles Kennedy of the Liberal Democrats.

THE entire staff of the Oxford Student has resigned en masse to protest the firing of the newspaper’s two editors, Mr. Tom Rayner and Miss Anna Maybank. Oxford Student Services Limited (OSSL, a subsidiary of the Oxford University Students Union) which owns the newspaper, sacked the two over disputes regarding the Drama editor, Mr. Tom Littler.

A statement from the OSSL board stated that Mr. Littler “had two of his plays prominenty and positively reviewed in the section which he edits.” The board claimed this makes the Student look “cliquey and biased.”

Mr. Rayner and Miss Maybank refused to acknowledge the OSSL board’s points and after a further breakdown in relations, the Students Union evicted all staff members from the Union building and dismissed the two editors. The deputy editors then resigned in protest. When informed that the Students Union would not allow the next edition of the Oxford Student to mention the sacking of the editors, the rest of the staff resigned as well.

When contacted by Cherwell, another student newspaper at Oxford, the board of the Students Union claimed the dispute was an internal matter.

The aggrieved editors and staff members cite the constitution of the Students Union, which gaurantees the editorial independence of the Oxford Student so long as the publication is fully in compliance with the law.