How Oxford’s elite does fancy dress – there’s no dress!
ELITE students at Christ Church are said to take costumes for their fancy dress ‘bops’ very seriously.
But at the booze-fuelled party celebrating Freshers’ Week at the 471-yearold Oxford college, there was little clothing in evidence.
Female undergraduates were pictured stripped to their bras while male counterparts went topless.
This was despite bouncers being drafted in for the college-funded bop after previous events had descended into drink-fuelled debauchery.
One student had turned up with a flamethrower and last December an old Etonian undergraduate had gone along dressed as a Ku Klux Klan thug.
At Saturday’s event, the children of business chiefs, surgeons and public officials were said to be among revellers in the Junior Common Room, or student union, where half-pint cocktails were reportedly just 50p.
A second-year student said the theme was ‘Things I would never do again’ but denied that was why so many of the 100 or so partygoers stripped off.
The undergraduate, 20, added: ‘The party took place in what is a relatively small room and with so many people dancing in there, it gets very hot.
‘People just wanted to cool down. Plenty of alcohol had been consumed and, students being students, they decided to strip off. It was a good night which marked the end of Freshers’ Week.’
Another source told The Sun: ‘They haven’t had security at a bop in over four years. It’s crazy it’s come to this.’
This year’s freshers’ party was advertised with pictures of two men, apparently students, sprawled on the floor surrounded by bottles of vodka.
The source added: ‘Roughly 95 per cent of the entertainment budget goes on alcohol and on any opportunity, like the birthday of the college tortoise, they will fund a massive booze-up.
‘People in the past have been taken to hospital, sprayed fire extinguishers and engaged in jelly wrestling. Others have broken windows, taken drugs and swum in the fountain.
‘You get some engaged in very graphic sex acts in front of others. I’m guessing that’s why they need to get a grip. I’m not sure it’s worked – not with everyone getting topless.’
Oxford colleges each have their own JCR with a bar but they are much smaller than student unions at other universities.
In June, Oxford University was slammed after half- naked students mingled with families as they waited for a bus to a society ball. Freshers were told on the Christ Church JCR website: ‘Bops are college fancy dress parties held in the common room.
‘Your entz reps (entertainment representatives) will send round an email at the start of term detailing the theme – note that Christ Church students take their costumes very seriously!’
Yesterday the college said claims it spends 95 per cent of its entertainment budget on alcohol were ‘pure fiction’. The Dean, the Very Rev Professor Martyn Percy, added: ‘It is our intention that students enjoy Freshers’ Week safely and responsibly.
‘Unfortunately it seems that a number of students behaved in a disinhibited way.
‘This is a matter of some disappointment to the student organisers and the college authorities. We will review our arrangements for future events to ensure that any necessary lessons are learned.’
‘They need to get a grip’