FEATURED
Coming to Oxford: The Reflections of an American
Rhys Halaby reflects on his time at St. Anne’s College, Oxford as a Visiting Student.
WHAT’S NEW
Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”: One Live Bird, and A Nest Full of Skeletons
Film adaptations walk a very tight rope, trembling as they try not to over-balance and plummet into one of two valleys of failure. On the one hand, there is the…
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How Did AI Development Turn Political?
Anastasija Vranjes explores the development of the politicisation of AI. From increase in legislation designed to regulate AI, to comparisons with the Space Race, Vranjes discusses how AI is becoming…
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Risk Appetite: On “Chinamaxxing” and Restaurant Regulars
Valerie Wu uses the lens of food to explore her feelings of being a restaurant regular, belonging and societal understandings of her Chinese heritage.
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Constellations at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
“Technically excellent, dramatically fascinating: Nova Productions’ first play is a very confident start indeed.” Janik Peeters reviews Nick Payne’s Constellations
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Low Concept: A Succinct and Marketable Premise
T. Sehgal introduces the concept and reasoning behind her column. It is an exploration behind the purpose and process of her writing, while diving into the mundane of our lives.
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Could this be a musical?
“Could this be a musical?” Have you ever had this thought while watching a film? After reading a book, seeing a painting, or learning about a historical event? Regardless of…
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Oxford
Council Candidates Face Students at ‘Town-hall’ Event
On Tuesday 5 May 2026, Keble College’s O’Reilly Theatre played host to a “town hall” style event, organised by The Oxford Student, in which several candidates for the Holywell and Carfax and Jericho wards of Oxford City Council laid out their cases and answered questions from a student-dominated audience. The candidates in attendance for Carfax…
A Night to Remember: the Jesus-Exeter Ball 2026
Music, churros, dodgems, and even a shisha tent! All of this and more could be found at the first Jesus-Exeter Ball, held on 25 April 2026. The ball was first confirmed in September 2025, following the discontinuation of the Somerville-Jesus ball. Following discussions between the then-JCR president of Jesus College, Samuel Owen, the DACC (Director…
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson says he is “coming” to debate Islam at Oxford Union
Christine Savino reports on far-right activist Tommy Robinson’s alleged invitation to debate at the Oxford Union. Image credit to Shayan Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn, image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
opinion
The barrier didn’t fall. It moved: Who really ‘belongs’ at Oxford?
In 2024, state school admissions to Oxford stood at 66.2 percent, down from a higher 68.6 percent in 2021. These pupils are among the 93 percent of the school age population in England. In the same light, the University’s own admissions page describes Oxford as committed to attracting students with the highest academic potential, from…
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Anti-Muslim rhetoric contributes to anti-Muslim violence: On Tommy Robinson’s Oxford Union Invite.
Tommy Robinson’s recent invitation to the Oxford Union cannot be separated from the lived experiences of British Muslims and the fear we carry throughout our lives. Tommy Robinson is widely associated with anti-Islam rhetoric. The controversy surrounding his invite is not an abstract debate issue about free speech or politics, but directly touches the identity,…
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This House believes that the Oxford Union has lost its values: the downfall of Oxford’s “free speech” society
At least once a term, throughout my three years at this university, I have had friends and family members message me outraged at the Oxford Union. I have said “no, it’s not the student union” at least a hundred times. With a membership fee of £343, and an “access” membership free of £206 (yes, that’s…
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A Closer Look: Egypt’s City of the Dead is Coming Back to Life
Nancy Gittus takes A Closer Look at the development of Egypt’s City of the Dead throughout history, and its future developments. Has help from the EU been enough, or will the City of the Dead continue to struggle? Image credit to Nancy Gittus.
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Outside OX1 Week 2: Mali, the US, and the Hantavirus
Outside OX1 returns for Week 2, with this week’s topics addressing Mali, the United States, and Hantavirus.
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Outside OX1 Week 1: UAE and North Korea
This term’s first edition of Outside OX1 explores two contrasting topics. Lewis Haynes explores the announcement that the UAE have withdrawn from OPEC, and the economic consequences for the UAE and globally of the decision. Noah Allerton takes a look at a new report published by the TJWG on the use of executions…
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COLUMNS
Second Draft: Times New Roman is a girl’s best friend
Eleanor Davies returns with reflections on Hilary, essays, and their likeness to relationships. Illustration by Eleanor Davies, used with permission.
Lady Grinning Soul: Record Store Day Rewind
Julia Blackmon explores how Record Store Day was celebrated in record stores around Oxford and how physical media is making a return.
Risk Appetite: On Trying British Classics as an American
Valerie Wu explores what it is like to try British food classics as an American in Oxford, and how one way of understanding a culture is through its cuisine.
CULTURES
What has Marvel to do with Homer?
“If any film should be able to sell itself on its own two feet, it should surely be Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Instead, we are obliged to continue seeing the…
Escapism that Brings us Home: The True Power of Fantasy
“Every time I have read fantasy I always emerge far more enchanted with my own world. What I had considered ‘meh’ before, glancing at it blurry-eyed, now held my gaze…
Defying Far More Than Gravity: Cynthia Erivo at the Schwarzman
When news broke that Cynthia Erivo would be making an appearance as the inaugural speaker in the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities’ new cultural programme, I knew I had to…
LIfestyle
How to spend your money whilst keeping your morals
Individual activism and creating small scale positive change can feel overwhelming and impossible. “Voting with your dollar”, however, and supporting independent businesses where possible, is a crucial and impactful form…
Spotlight – A short-term joke, a never-ending nightmare: what is OCD?
As someone with OCD, it feels like there’s two voices in my head: my own, and my OCD’s. A voice that whispers intrusive thoughts to me that I must complete…
Spotlight – The End of a Year Abroad
“In Tallinn, I found my feet for the first time. First year had been a complete whirlwind, so it was on my Year Abroad that I truly understood the freedoms…
Identity
Bilingualism and Shared Identities
Eleanor Harris writes about her experience as an Au Pair in France, and what she learned about bilingual language acquisition.
Excess and Essays: A Visiting Student’s Reflection
“This would be my third university in three years, and I was well-practised in the ritual of formulating one’s persona. Feigning the aloof disinterest one associates with the higher order…
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