This week in Cambridge saw the vice–chancellor savage drinking societies, Zero Carbon give the Old Schools a new lick of paint, and Tit Hall fly the rainbow flag for the first time in the college’s history.

Toope trashes drinking societies
Stephen Toope, the University’s vice-chancellor, spoke on a broad range of issues including drinking societies, divestment, and decolonisation campaigns at his second open meeting on Tuesday. Toope claimed the University’s drinking society culture is ‘unacceptable’, calling on the University to target the “underlying behaviour” behind them. He was less firm in his stance on divestment though, arguing that the University was only a “small investment fund,” and the power to divest did not lie with him.

WomCam reels in ‘repeal’ vote
The CUSU Women’s Campaign has offered Irish students bursaries to fly home to vote in the country’s historic abortion referendum on Friday 25th May. Every grant is worth up to £110 and is only available to those intending to vote ‘yes’ in the referendum to repeal the Eighth amendment of the Irish Constitution. At the time of writing, seven students are planning on returning to Ireland to vote, with a total of nine bursaries available.

Old Schools makeover
Campaigners from Cambridge Zero Carbon spray painted the walls of the Old Schools to protest against the University’s investment in fossil fuel companies. Around 30 students painted messages calling on the University to divest and symbols, including flowers and hearts, onto the historic building using chalk spray. According to the University, the spray has damaged the building with the chalk seeping into the limestone walls, though the outside surface of the walls was cleaned of the paint on Friday morning.

Hunger strikes for divestment continue
Three students are currently on a hunger strike aiming at pressurising the University to divest. The strikers, Sam Warren-Miell, Ben Margolis and Beth Bhargava, have pledged to continue their strike until the University commits to “full divestment from fossil fuels by the year 2022,” in both their direct and indirect investments. A spokesperson for the University has said that they are “monitoring the situation”, though Warren-Miell has claimed this is not the case. Four days on, they spoke out about their reasoning for choosing the extreme protest form, and on their waning physical condition.

Caius drop grad week charge
Caius have dropped controversial plans to charge graduands for the four day period between the end of term and their graduation ceremony. Unlike previous years, graduands this year were expected to pay a £93.20 “vacation residence” fee. An open letter calling on the College to “reconsider their decision” gathered over 120 signatures in 24 hours, and was sent to the College Master, Senior Bursar, and members of the College Council.

Student leaders support second referendum
Leaders from the Graduate Union (GU) and CUSU International Students’ Campaign (iCUSU) have both signed an open letter, organised by anti-Brexit group For our Future’s Sake (FFS), calling for a second vote on the outcome of ongoing Brexit negotiations. The organisation claims to speak on behalf of over 12,000 students across the University while FFS bills itself as “a movement of young people and students” aiming to stop Brexit.

Syrian student awarded full scholarship

Abdullah Kattineh, a Cambridge offer–holder from Syria has been given a full scholarship to read Natural Sciences at Corpus from next year. After being rejected by the Cambridge Scholarship Trust and not receiving any other financial support from the University, Kattineh launched a fundraising campaign to raise the £30,000 needed for tuition fees and and additional college fees of £8,715. However Kattineh updated his GoFundMe page on Saturday, writing he will receive a scholarship from Corpus Christi and the Cambridge Trust.

Tit Hall’s historic flag hoisting
Trinity Hall flew the rainbow flag for the first time in the college’s history following discussions between College MCR officers and the governing body to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Tit Hall was one of only seven colleges to not fly the flag to mark the beginning of LGBT+ history month in February, but after overwhelming approval by the College’s fellows last month, the College will now fly the rainbow flag every 1st February and 17th May.