Features

‘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.

Features Ruby Barenberg and Hattie Simpson -

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.

Features Beatrix Arnold and Stanley Smith -

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.

Features Sofia O'Casey -

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.

Features Naima Aden -

Latest

Drinking the political compass

Oxford’s political societies cultivated generations of MPs and PMs. In an era of rising populism, a tour of their drinking events finds a drifting elite with few ideas.

The BNOC list 2025

It's finally here... the most famous names from this Oxford year

A strikingly egalitarian meal at Rhodes House

At Oxford’s third annual Langar, the Sikh Society transforms the halls of Rhodes House into a space of shared community and reflection.

‘We need a different approach’: Students and tutors on AI in academia

From everyday tasks to academic work, AI is already embedded in university life. We asked students and academics at Oxford what they are using it for, what worries them most, and whether the current system can keep up.

Some of the most talented people here are solving problems that don’t matter

As AI rewires the job market, what’s the point of being smart if you’re not doing anything meaningful?

Too young for bops, old enough for a first

There are 237 Oxford students aged 17 and below. In the past, some have dramatically crashed out in the public eye, but many others thrive.

Oxford’s influencers: Student life, filtered through the screen

Oxford has often seemed a mysterious place. An online generation is getting a new but still curated glimpse of life under the dreaming spires

Pagans and Presbyterians: Experiencing a sort of secular age

We've long heard that the world is becoming more secular. From Easter parades in Greece to pagan ceremonies in Kent, is that really true for Gen Z?

Twelve points to politics: Eurovision is more than it seems

Brits don't care as much as our continental cousins. Still, mixing glitter and geopolitics, Eurovision is more than a laughable song contest: it's a cultural flashpoint.

Orange paint, green promises, and Oxford’s climate conundrum

Oxford has fulfilled its 2020 divestment commitments. But some activists see hypocrisy, as it continues to hold millions of pounds in indirect investments.

Are University redevelopments endangering our Common Ground?

With the University having outlined a plan to work with the community, its ability to preserve Common Ground will test its commitment.

Helping the homeless: Volunteering or voyeurism?

In Milan, people sleep on the streets where Europe's elites shop and dine. Is photographing the homeless valuable or inherently intrusive?

Sextigation 2025: Top one percent of shaggers do 15% of all shagging

How much sex do Oxford students have? How true are the stereotypes – which colleges get the most action, do students really date for marriage?

“All faiths and none?”: What college chapels can offer their students

The rustle of a scholar’s gown. Dappled evening light glowing behind a stained-glass saint. The crackling of a candle being lit. The college chapel...

You wouldn’t steal a Cherwell article: AI and copyright infringement

Hello, Cherwell reader! Think this is a good article? A TikToker probably thinks so too. ‘Korean Consultant’ posted a TikTok on 5th January 2025...

Much ado about funding: Financing Oxford student theatre

Last term, I performed in my first show at Oxford University, and I couldn’t stop talking about it. Everyone I knew was subjected to...

High pressure, few spots: What Careers Service data says about Oxford’s internship culture

"Planning ahead is sensible, important – even exciting. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of everything else."

Do ‘you-need’ Youni?

More than a year on from their official launch in Oxford University, it is time to consider the success of the alumni-founded startup app...

My music doesn’t break tradition. It is traditional

"It is precisely because I love Oxford’s traditions that I’m inviting my culture to be part of it."

MLK Day: Anti-Blackness isn’t just a Western problem

"If we truly believe in equality, it’s time to hold up that same mirror to ourselves and confront what we see. Change begins when we stop making excuses."

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Features

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

The independent cinema battling Oriel College to stay open

War within earshot: A year abroad in Jordan

The essay and its long history in Oxford

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