Editorial Welcome
I have great pride in introducing the fourteenth annual volume of The New Collection, the interdisciplinary peer-reviewed academic journal produced by the New College Middle Common Room (MCR). The journal’s mission is to be a forum which showcases the variety and depth of talent in our graduate community, and I am sure you will agree that this issue emphatically achieves that goal.
The edition begins with a historical piece of some relevance to us all, reflecting on educational reform in the 17th Century with reference Winchester College, a school founded in conjunction with New College by William of Wykeham. We then jump forward into the present day, with a comprehensive review of current thinking on data protection legislation and its implications for privacy in the digital age. Thirdly, technically-minded readers can muse on some of the latest developments in computer science simulation and the prospects for integration of embedded computers in vehicles. Changing mood and moving back in time, the fourth piece presents an intriguing speculation on the motivations of great Russian poet Pushkin in aspects of Eugene Onegin. The closing contribution in the first section is a thorough philosophical analysis of the notion of ‘foundedness’ in Rudolf Carnap’s Aufbau.
Excitingly, this year’s edition is the first to have also been open to submissions which are not subject to peer-review, in a bid to increase the journal’s relevance to college life and chronicle the lived experiences of our members. This year, the college celebrated 40 years of female students at New College. The milestone provided a rich context for this new section, themed around equality and diversity with a focus on linking past with present, recognising the progress that has been made and the many battles still to be fought. We are honoured that Ruth Karras, New’s first ever female MCR President, joined us to be interviewed alongside last year’s incumbent, Malina Graf. Their reflections on continuity and change over time for women at Oxford is a fascinating read for anyone. This discussion is well-supported by two reflection pieces, one on the experience of being from a minority ethnic group at Oxford, and the other on physical disability in a city built on tradition. We are proud to have opened up the journal in this way, and hope that you will find this section a stimulating and thought-provoking read.
It is a tribute to the resilience and commitment of the New College community that we have been able to produce a complete issue of high quality in spite of the current uncertainty wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, and all the barriers to normality that have followed. In this context, I am especially grateful to all contributors and reviewers for their work, which is testament to the important ability of academic enquiry to provide direction in uncertain times. My special thanks go to Lucy Fleming, Sophie Nagler and Martha Swift for their innovation and counsel throughout, without whom this issue would not have been possible. I hope that you enjoy reading this diverse collection of articles as much as I have enjoyed editing it, and look forward to next year’s edition hopefully being produced in happier circumstances when college life is back to its vibrant best.
On behalf of the editorial team,
Harry Gable,
Editor-in-Chief