Oxford Brookes University would benefit from renaming itself to become the University of Headington.

This establishment has incorrectly identified itself as being in the city of Oxford since its inception in the 1970s, when in fact, the majority of its students do not live in Oxford city centre, its campuses are located in Headington, and it has no official ties with the University of Oxford itself (which given the recent controversies surrounding Rhodes' statue in Oriel College, is no bad thing). As a student body, Brookes is known as a progressive, forward thinking group of people, who wish to distance themselves from the archaic, traditionalist values of the old university.

Recent events have underlined the unwillingness of the University of Oxford to unchain itself from both its own and Britain's veneration of its dark past. Oxford Brookes wants nothing to do with the problematic stances which the university has taken on many occasions. The renaming of Brookes as the University of Headington would make a clear statement of intent on behalf of the students to strengthen their own unique identity.

The university application process for future Brookes students should not be marred by the history of an institution totally unrelated to their future Headington home, and this change would provide a much needed element of individualism for Brookes for years to come.

The accurate renaming of Oxford Brookes after the area in which it is actually found is a logical step for those wishing to promote the good repute of the university. If the patronage of John Henry Brookes is still wished to be recognised, then some form of marriage between 'Headington' and 'Brookes' could be found.

What remains clear is that Oxford Brookes should not unfairly hamper its own unique identity by all too closely associating itself with the most famous academic institution in the world, and subsequently standing in its shadow.