Features

The Oxford students who can’t read books

It is difficult to think of a university more entangled with the idea of reading. The institution remains organised around libraries, primary texts, and tutorial reading lists that have become semi-mythological in undergraduate culture. Even maths students do not simply study maths; according to their Bod cards, they “read for” a degree. Entire pedagogies here rest on assumptions that students will disappear into novels, criticism, and archives before resurfacing with an essay and an original argument.

Features Anish Vedantham -

From sub fusc penguins to college puffer herds: The ‘uniforms’ of Oxford

With all these sightings of homogeneous clothing, it seemed to me as though people spent more time in ‘uniform’ at Oxford than they would have done in sixth form or high school beforehand. But does Oxford really have ‘uniforms’? How might we define them? And what purpose might they serve?

Features Aaron Butters -

A plate for everyone: Food restrictions at formals

Recently, I found myself curious about the behind-the-scenes process: how colleges receive dietary information, where and how it travels, and what care is taken to ensure that, by the time a plate lands in front of you, it is the right one.

Features Sophia Yvonne Hall -

24/7: College porters and the Oxford night shift

For many, the night lodge exists as a background certainty, noticed chiefly in moments of crisis, vulnerability, or inconvenience.

Features Jiayue Shi -

Latest

Raising refugee rights: Oxford STAR and Campsfield House

“The Coalition and STAR are quite unique in the emphasis on trying to bridge the gap between students and the community”.

‘It happens here and it’s our responsibility to stop it’: Oxford’s anti-sexual violence campaign

For the co-presidents of It Happens Here, Aparna and Maddie, literacy about consent and sexual violence is needed now more than ever.

The Oxford donors in the Epstein files

The appearance in the 'Epstein files' of the names of a number of Oxford University's most prominent donors raises questions about the University's sources of funding.

‘The only woman in Hall’: Gender and college governance

When Baroness Alexandra Freeman became Principal of Hertford College last month, she did not initially realise she was the first woman to hold the role.

The independent cinema battling Oriel College to stay open

With the threat of an unrenewed lease from Oriel College, the Ultimate Picture Palace is appealing to the community at large for support.

War within earshot: A year abroad in Jordan

A large part of my decision to study Arabic is owed to my father’s passing. Having now experienced life in the Middle East, including its wars, I now understand him far more than I ever could have anticipated.

The essay and its long history in Oxford

In 1811, a student at University College published a pamphlet including an essay titled ‘The Necessity of Atheism’ that he later distributed to the Heads of Oxford Colleges. The student, after disputes with the Master of University College at the time, was “sent down” on the grounds of “contumacy” (disobeying authority). This student was Percy Shelley.

Who Owns Net Zero? Climate Action in a Collegiate University

Oxford University’s sustainability ambitions are increasingly visible. At the central level, strategic commitments articulate ambitious targets, governance mechanisms, and investment frameworks. In built form, newly completed University buildings such as the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities and the Life and Mind Building are presented as low-carbon exemplars of Passivhaus design and biodiversity integration.

Bridging the gap? Oxford’s fight against wealth inequality

The life of a student is rarely one of luxury. Pot Noodles for dinner, Vinted bids in place of new clothes, and the widely-prized Tesco Clubcard have become small but vital saving graces as the cost of living in the UK continues to soar.

Remembering Jaipal Singh Munda, an Adivasi pioneer

Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, visited St John’s College on 23rd January to pay tribute to his ancestor, Jaipal Singh Munda, who graduated from the University of Oxford in 1926.

‘Having sex with University Challenge on in the background’: The Sextigation 2026

Welcome all to the fifth annual Sextigation. Just like the boyfriend you need to get rid of, it’s a little late for Valentine's Day.

‘Making Politics Political Again’: Student left turns away from Labour

In the miserable rain of last November, I found myself queuing at the Cowley Workers Social Club for a Your Party meeting at which Jeremy Corbyn was set to speak.

Between halls and helplines: Oxford’s eating disorder culture

In a university where excellence is expected and discipline is praised, disordered eating can hide in plain sight. As concerns grow, how effectively is Oxford confronting the culture and systems that allow it to persist?

15-minutes of fame: the legacy of Oxford’s traffic policy protests

Oxford City Council approved their Local Plan to make Oxford a 15-minute city on 14th September 2022. In response, conspiracy theorists organised a mass protest. With some of the new traffic regulations now in place, it’s time for a deep dive into the conspiracist movement and its sunset legacy in Oxford.

Features

The Oxford students who can’t read books

From sub fusc penguins to college puffer herds: The ‘uniforms’ of Oxford

A plate for everyone: Food restrictions at formals

24/7: College porters and the Oxford night shift

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