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New Years’ Resolution
As the clock struck midnight, the world felt a change. For the ten thousandth year, the ball creaked downwards. Hoping for change and color, all people watched in anticipation. Wishing, kissing, praying, dying, this was the year that they would. What did they do with their time, when all those youthful years were theirs? Why…
WHAT’S NEW
Torpids Cancelled for 2026 Over Poor Weather Conditions
Torpids, an annual rowing competition which was due to take place next week, has been cancelled by the Oxford University Rowing Clubs (OURCs). One of two bumping races in the…
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Spain Wants Us to Rethink Immigration
On 27 January, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a decree to create a legal pathway for undocumented migrants to gain residential status in Spain. While not the first time the…
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Chancellor Hosts Special Honorary Degree Ceremony to Mark the First Anniversary of His Inauguration
On 24 February, Lord Hague, the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, conferred honorary degrees upon eight individuals in a Special Honorary Degree Ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre, to mark…
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Are some colleges better than others?
For many of us, studying at the University of Oxford was the ultimate goal — it was Oxford or nothing. But after getting into the university of our dreams, the…
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Redefining the ‘Canon’: The Catholic Church’s New Musical Direction
“Music is not only an innate expression of the individual but also an entity with powerful cultural significance. It is no wonder that Christianity has utilised it, nor is it…
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I love these four abstract paintings, and you should, too
“In the practice of magic, shapes have been a part of its basic language for thousands of years.” Jas Inayat Singh Mauj explores how we respond to abstract art, celebrating…
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Oxford
Amnesty International Society Revived by Oxford Students: In Conversation with the Co-Founders
Hopelessness appears to be a common feeling in today’s political climate. Yet co-founders of the new Oxford Students Amnesty International society, Seth Olner and Ned Remington, emphasise the continuing power of human rights advocacy. “Expressions of solidarity, however small they might seem, can reach across the world”, Olner told The Oxford Blue. Even in times…
Oxford Student Union Election Results Announced for 2026
Voting in the Oxford Student Union elections has finished following three days of online ballots open to all matriculated students. The elections, held between 9 and 12 February, saw students vote for four full-time sabbatical officers alongside several part-time roles and student trustee positions, which will collectively shape the Student Union’s direction in the coming…
Wild Swimming Society Fundraiser Reveals Major Issues with Oxford’s Water Quality
In the UK, February consistently sees some of the coldest temperatures. At this time of year, we usually stay inside, wrapped up in blankets with hot drinks and light entertainment. However, while most of us have been layering clothes and trying to keep warm, a few brave others have approached this wintry month differently; one…
opinion
Should we really be turning Trump into a meme?
The meme account Saint Hoax describes “humour as a Trojan horse for fascism”. This is a provocative claim, but one worth considering in the age of arguably our first ‘meme president’: Donald Trump. On one hand, memes can play a democratising function. Publishing a meme is of low reputational cost, they are easy to replicate,…
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One step forward, two steps back: on Trinity Hall’s controversial call
Photos taken by Gabrielle Killick, used with permission On Wednesday 7 January, The Guardian reported on Cambridge University College Trinity Hall’s policy to target elite private schools as part of their admissions outreach strategy. The decision was met with a backlash; a wave of anger and frustration was felt across the student and academic body,…
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In defence of college food
College meals at Oxford and Cambridge certainly aren’t regarded as the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence. In fact, they have a pretty appalling reputation for being bland, sloppy, and depressing — enough to make Marco Pierre White shudder. This is a reputation that has persisted for generations and I, for one, think it is unjustified. Oxford…
Keep readingGlobal Affairs
Anglican Communion at Crossroads
On 3 October 2025, the Church of England announced that Bishop Sarah Mullally had been nominated as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman ever selected for the position. Her formal Confirmation of Election occurred on28 January 2026 at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and her installation at Canterbury Cathedral…
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Outside OX1 Week 5: Navalny, Peru and the Chagos Islands
Warm Sunday greetings from the Global Affairs team with another issue of Outside OX1! There was a sad start to the week with the passing of the great Robert Duvall, and the collapse of Italy’s famous “Lovers’ Arch”. However, spirits were certainly lifted with Team GB’s skeleton racer Matt Weston becoming the first…
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested by Thames Valley Police this morning on 19 February. In a statement made by the Thames Valley Police at 10:03, it was confirmed that the force had “opened an investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office,” and that “a man in his sixties from…
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COLUMNS
Borders and Belonging: The Obsession With The “Oxford Accent”
“Linguistic diversity is beautiful and should be celebrated in all professional and academic spaces. We all wish to live in a society and study at a university where every voice is heard, respected, and welcomed.” Saba Ahmadzadeh Noughani’s latest piece discusses conformity and how classism, belonging, and accents tie together.
Risk Appetite: On the Cinematic Dining Experience
“While watching a film, you laugh with others; you cringe with others. In a sense, even the imperfections remind me of being at home, reacting to scenes happening on the occasionally-laggy TV while we’re having dinner around the dining table.” In the newest ‘Risk Appetite’ article, Valerie Wu reviews her experience at ‘Taste Film’ and…
Second Draft: Sardines, Low Ceilings, and Knitting
“I’m fortunate that life in Oxford is particularly spontaneous and varied. You can go from having no plans to suddenly finding yourself drinking port next to a framed letter from C. S. Lewis. Or being dripped on in a cowboy hat.” In the latest installment of ‘Second Draft’, Eleanor Davies discusses new year’s resolutions, changes…
CULTURES
What’s With All the Smoke? Cigarettes on Stage in Oxford and Beyond
“Oxford’s theatre scene has in the past week followed a larger trend in culture, as smoking has made somewhat of a comeback on the silver screen” Janik Peeters explores the…
Little Shop of Horrors at the Keble O’Reilly: Reviewed
“Bringing such a cult classic as this onto the student stage is no “little” feat. ” Rohit Ghosh reviews Little Shop of Horrors at the Keble O’Reilly Theatre, staged by…
Speed Dating and Hinge Hating: An Exploration of Dating Culture in Oxford
“The atmosphere at New College’s MCR event, while not without nerves, was lively, exciting, and daring.” Tallulah Stephens Skeete explores the Oxford speed dating scene and how it compares to…
LIfestyle
Namaste Village – Oxford’s Authentic Gujarati Restaurant
Keen to expand their offering to students, Namaste Village currently offer – alongside their already affordable menu – a generous 25% student discount, the terms for which are available on…
Telltaylor: By a Lancashire Farm Shop, I Sat Down and Wept
“I was always a muse, a magician’s trick, bending my own image to enhance his own. He seemed to compliment me only if the words fit his rhyme scheme.” Alicia Taylor…
Telltaylor: Everything I Learnt From A Mackerel Fillet
“I suddenly became afraid of forgetting the year which may turn out to be the most important of my life.” In the debut article of her column, Alicia Taylor gives…
Identity
AFCON, Vela and Dubai: The Disposability of the Black Muslim Identity
Farida Aboubacar examines the cost of silence and what it means when unity is upheld by overlooking injustice, through the lens of AFCON’s contested narratives and the Vela controversy. Image…
Cultural Unmasking – Bestride Two Cultures, At Home in None
Arun Lewis explores the experience of cultural unmasking when faced with the difficulty of reconciling two different parts of your identity. Image by Arun Lewis, used with permission.
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