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Though you're gone, la revolution lives on!

Martin mentions over at MBA Experience that Queens College Oxford has raised the student rents again. The students look like they'll be organising and striking.

It might be funny to admit as a Republican, but I participated in the Pembroke rent strikes back during my undergraduate days. The college, much as I love it, was poorly-run, badly-administrated, and had squandered a lot of money, and that was by the college's own admission. But as was fairly typical for an Oxford college, all the belt-tightening was inflicted on the students. I certainly wasn't fond of all the reasoning that went into the rent strike (as the students asserted a lot of 'rights' I don't think they had) but I did think the college should have been held to a higher standard of behavior, if only because a 22% rise in rents was going to force a couple of students out of education altogether.

The strike was a disaster--the JCR council messily relied upon the NUS, which declined to back us, and failed to take the advice of a girl who, while obnoxious as anyone and a devoted communist, had more experience campaigning and protesting than everyone else in college combined. Our press coverage was dire, and in the end, the rent increases went through.

Hat's off to Martin if he does join--I'm sure Queens faces a tougher challenge than Pembroke ever had.

Comments

Education is a right, not a privelege ;-) Sing it with me comrade... The Peoples' flag is deepest red, it's shroaded oft' our martryed dead. And 'ere their limbs grow stiff and cold, their heart's blood dyed its every fold. So raise the scarlet standard high, beneath its shade we'll live and die. 'Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, we'll keep the red flag flying here Get's you right there doesn't it?

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