By . Francesca Infante . PUBLISHED: . 17:56 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:50 EST, 24 April 2013 . Students at the Oxford college once attended by Lady Thatcher provoked outrage last night over plans to hire a live shark as entertainment for a summer ball. The organising committee for students at Somerville and Jesus colleges planned to hire a live nursing shark to be displayed in a tank for their black-tie event on May 4th. But the plan has been met with condemnation from fellow students - with one accusing organisers of simply wanting to show that ‘we have got so much money sloshing around we can hire a shark.’ With tickets costing a minimum of £110 the sell-out event was billed by organisers as a ‘one night of decadence, debauchery and indulgence.’ Some students planned to have a nurse shark glide around in a tank for the 'debauched' summer ball . But now a group of outraged former students have written to college principal Dr Alice Prochaska asking her to intercede and ‘prevent any live animals from being used.’ One of the group, Claire Phipps, who graduated in 2011, criticised the organisers’ decision saying they were simply ‘showing off.’ She said: ‘We’re primarily concerned about the shark. ‘We don’t know where it came from in the first place, whether it was bred in captivity or captured in the wild, and we can’t find out as the committee won’t give us the details of the company they hired it from. ‘I am worried about the unnecessary stress for the animal of being transported and lots of people gawping at it. ‘This is about nothing more than showing off: “We’ve got so much money sloshing around we can hire a shark”.’ Somerville College, at Oxford, promised to throw a night of 'debauchery, decadence and indulgence' History graduate Matthew Hawkins echoed her concerns, saying the event risked shaming the university and should be boycotted by students. He said: ‘It’s worrying that a leading educational institution such as an Oxford college would allow that view of nature to be perpetuated, of animals as an extravagant, gaudy show. ‘If the organisers won’t cancel the shark then we won’t attend and we will ask others to boycott the event as well.’ The first signs of the stunt came earlier this year when organisers printed the Latin words for female shark ‘Ginglymostoma Cirratu’ on posters for the event. It was followed by the instruction: ‘You should really go look that up.’ Many students took it as a joke - but in February Miss Phipps e-mailed the chair of the ball committee Sam Levin to check and was shocked to find that they were hiring a shark from a company which supplies animals to film studios. The second-year biology student told her that anyone objecting to the idea could have a refund but maintained the animal’s welfare was not at risk. Jesus college has incurred the wrath of students, who say the event risked shaming the university and should be boycotted . Yesterday he told the Guardian that he cared ‘a lot’ for animal welfare and that the area around the tank could be quickly cleared during the event if it became distressed. He added that the idea of having a shark at the ball came from Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo and Juliet, in which the star-crossed teenagers meet while gazing through a fish tank. He said: ‘As someone who cares a lot about animal welfare, I think we’ve ensured this shark is looked after. ‘It will have a guard and caretaker with it at all times to look out for signs of stress, and we’re keeping it there for only a short time. I feel confident that the shark will not suffer.’ In a statement the college said that staff were working with students to ensure ‘the highest standards of safety and ethics.’ But such comments provoked fury from animal rights groups who claim there is no excuse for using live animals for entertainment purposes. Andrew Tyler, director of animal rights group Animal Aid slammed the plans branding them ‘cruel’ and ‘idiotic.’ He said: ‘Oxford is supposed to attract the brightest and most intelligent of their generation but this clearly indicates that does not necessarily come with compassion and common sense. ‘This is clearly a cruel and pitiless thing to do. These are magnificent animals that belong in the sea. ‘You don’t need to be a shark expert to know that this is not in the interest of the animal, she will be absolutely terrified by having a lot of morons playing loud music around her. ‘Thankfully some of their fellow students have had the good sense to recognise that the organisers take note. ‘If they wish to be debauched and degenerate then let them do with respect to each other and not at the expense of innocent animals. The RSPCA said that it too was concerned about the conditions the shark would be held in. A spokesman for the charity said: ‘Using sharks in any type of event would require very careful planning to ensure their welfare, particularly in terms of transportation, housing and the potential impact of the event itself.'
Jesus and Somerville colleges wanted to hire live nursing shark .
Billed ball as a night of 'decadence, debauchery and indulgence'
Students complain plan is about showing off 'how much money we have'
By . Francesca Infante . PUBLISHED: . 17:56 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:50 EST, 24 April 2013 . Students at the Oxford college once attended by Lady Thatcher provoked outrage last night over plans to hire a live shark as entertainment for a summer ball. The organising committee for students at Somerville and Jesus colleges planned to hire a live nursing shark to be displayed in a tank for their black-tie event on May 4th. But the plan has been met with condemnation from fellow students - with one accusing organisers of simply wanting to show that ‘we have got so much money sloshing around we can hire a shark.’ With tickets costing a minimum of £110 the sell-out event was billed by organisers as a ‘one night of decadence, debauchery and indulgence.’ Some students planned to have a nurse shark glide around in a tank for the 'debauched' summer ball . But now a group of outraged former students have written to college principal Dr Alice Prochaska asking her to intercede and ‘prevent any live animals from being used.’ One of the group, Claire Phipps, who graduated in 2011, criticised the organisers’ decision saying they were simply ‘showing off.’ She said: ‘We’re primarily concerned about the shark. ‘We don’t know where it came from in the first place, whether it was bred in captivity or captured in the wild, and we can’t find out as the committee won’t give us the details of the company they hired it from. ‘I am worried about the unnecessary stress for the animal of being transported and lots of people gawping at it. ‘This is about nothing more than showing off: “We’ve got so much money sloshing around we can hire a shark”.’ Somerville College, at Oxford, promised to throw a night of 'debauchery, decadence and indulgence' History graduate Matthew Hawkins echoed her concerns, saying the event risked shaming the university and should be boycotted by students. He said: ‘It’s worrying that a leading educational institution such as an Oxford college would allow that view of nature to be perpetuated, of animals as an extravagant, gaudy show. ‘If the organisers won’t cancel the shark then we won’t attend and we will ask others to boycott the event as well.’ The first signs of the stunt came earlier this year when organisers printed the Latin words for female shark ‘Ginglymostoma Cirratu’ on posters for the event. It was followed by the instruction: ‘You should really go look that up.’ Many students took it as a joke - but in February Miss Phipps e-mailed the chair of the ball committee Sam Levin to check and was shocked to find that they were hiring a shark from a company which supplies animals to film studios. The second-year biology student told her that anyone objecting to the idea could have a refund but maintained the animal’s welfare was not at risk. Jesus college has incurred the wrath of students, who say the event risked shaming the university and should be boycotted . Yesterday he told the Guardian that he cared ‘a lot’ for animal welfare and that the area around the tank could be quickly cleared during the event if it became distressed. He added that the idea of having a shark at the ball came from Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo and Juliet, in which the star-crossed teenagers meet while gazing through a fish tank. He said: ‘As someone who cares a lot about animal welfare, I think we’ve ensured this shark is looked after. ‘It will have a guard and caretaker with it at all times to look out for signs of stress, and we’re keeping it there for only a short time. I feel confident that the shark will not suffer.’ In a statement the college said that staff were working with students to ensure ‘the highest standards of safety and ethics.’ But such comments provoked fury from animal rights groups who claim there is no excuse for using live animals for entertainment purposes. Andrew Tyler, director of animal rights group Animal Aid slammed the plans branding them ‘cruel’ and ‘idiotic.’ He said: ‘Oxford is supposed to attract the brightest and most intelligent of their generation but this clearly indicates that does not necessarily come with compassion and common sense. ‘This is clearly a cruel and pitiless thing to do. These are magnificent animals that belong in the sea. ‘You don’t need to be a shark expert to know that this is not in the interest of the animal, she will be absolutely terrified by having a lot of morons playing loud music around her. ‘Thankfully some of their fellow students have had the good sense to recognise that the organisers take note. ‘If they wish to be debauched and degenerate then let them do with respect to each other and not at the expense of innocent animals. The RSPCA said that it too was concerned about the conditions the shark would be held in. A spokesman for the charity said: ‘Using sharks in any type of event would require very careful planning to ensure their welfare, particularly in terms of transportation, housing and the potential impact of the event itself.'
colleges planned to hire a live nursing shark to that ‘we have got so much money sloshing around organisers as a ‘one night of decadence, debauchery and indulgence.’ Some students planned ‘This is about nothing more than showing off: