Thursday 30th April 2026

Opinion

We need to talk about Oxford’s gossip problem 

Gossiping is an innately human pastime, existing long before our generation, and a beloved form of social interaction that teeters on the boundary between harmless fun and cruelty. Yes,...

When I met Peter Mandelson

In October 2024, during the Oxford Chancellor election, one of my responsibilities as Deputy Editor of Profiles at Cherwell was to interview Peter (then Lord) Mandelson, who was among the five frontrunners contesting the election.

There really is no smoke without fire

Preoccupation with one’s appearance is to be expected when starting at University. New wardrobes...

I was wrong. Oxford needs a ‘reading’ week.

In passing, friends often bemoan how their partners at other universities get a week...

College chapels in progressive Oxford: A surprising remnant?

News abounds of the imminent death of the Church of England. Unable to find a new Archbishop and tearing itself apart over same-sex marriage,...

Be more grateful

This term has been by far the hardest of my degree. Having chosen a slightly nightmarish paper combination, I have been forced to spend...

Protect the organ scholarship, protect Oxford’s traditions

Should the organ scholarship be abolished? At the time of writing, 23 of the 43 colleges in Oxford offer organ awards. These consist in...

What Tate’s case tells us about student sexual violence

The Tate brothers “have each other’s backs” and concerns about a culture of impunity are echoed here in Oxford.

Cartoon: ‘Have a restful vac!’

The Easter vac, anticipated

Tutorials are the antidote to declining public speaking skills

We struggle in an era where much of our most important communication takes place in writing

Unhappy feet? Uni on thin ice over welfare penguins

Penguins should never be a prize for completing a Bodleian Libraries survey

Oxford now has the right approach to animal testing

The current position of involving animal testing in research, but not teaching, is best

Labour’s new bill isn’t enough for student renters

Ending 'no fault' evictions should be just the start

Cartoon: ‘The people’s Chancellor’

Hague enjoys scrolling on Oxfess and watching Saltburn

In defence of Oxford’s ugliest architecture

We should consider what brutalism represents

Abolishing tuition fees would be a middle class cash grab

Such a move would imperil the quality of British universities, do little to make university more affordable, and be socially unjust.

‘Expolwed!’: The Oxford Union’s lazy use of AI

A betrayal of the Union’s supposed commitment to free speech, a failure of both imagination and principle.

Representation requires participation: A call to action from the SU

Engage with us, hold us accountable, and see what student representation at its best can achieve.

Why we don’t care about the Student Union controversy

We don’t care about the Student Union, and we have no incentive to.

The fate of the humanities in a digital world

The real problem is that sceptics don’t understand what humanities scholars do.

Cartoon: ‘Rishi returns’

Rishi Sunak returns to teach at Oxford.

Our intellectual self-indulgence is killing social progress

Those who access a world-class education have a special imperative to act.

Handwriting is a necessary skill and a dying art

Seeing the writing of some of my undergraduate friends, I’d rather hold my pen than hold my breath!

Reply: Tutoring can be a force for good

A refusal to engage with the potential of tutoring amounts to prioritising ethical intuition over improving lives.

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