Exeter, Consume!

The good men and women of Exeter are days into a strong and contentious boycott over their college’s plans to impose a mandatory charge on students. Never in my wildest dreams did I think when writing my recent article considering the joys of the boycott, did I think that my humble musings would have such fast and powerful real world repercussions. However, I suppose now the repercussions have passed under my omniscient radar I must take some responsibility and respond to them.

I never endorsed boycotting the hand the feeds you. I suggested much more sustainable alternatives. For those Exeterians who are too lazy to cook this is tantamount to a hunger strike; and that leads down a dark path.

There’s also the problem of campaign posters like the one below.

The problem is that we are all consumers and the sooner you can admit that you’re paying profiteers for a service the better. We like to think that coming to Oxford has some higher moral importance and sure it’s better than OCR and AQA in terms of vacuous commercialism but this is only to a point.

Nobody likes paying for things, food included, but it’s part of the world we were birthed into and one gradually comes to accept it.

I do love the superb double entendre of “consumers” in the poster though it seems a bit out of place in a supposedly serious issue so I find myself wondering if it was lost on them.

Exeter’s JCR president, yesterday.

Maybe even without knowing it, these boycotters are questioning the whole administrative fabric of their college. Some of this extortionate hall price will go to staff. Does that mean that the protest is at odds with the living wage campaign?

So, as much as I am loath to admit it, a boycott is not the answer. If anything it’s going to make the people appreciate hall more. As an easy, no cooking or clearing, social way to eat well then get back to work.

The best answer, as I see it, is to follow St Peter’s college’s example and take a healthy donation from an ethically questionable oil company so that everyone can feast indefinitely in Exeter’s new gold encrusted hall.