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Losing and Finding
Sambodhi Jindal comments on the pressure to succeed at the University of Oxford and discusses feelings of being inadequate.
WHAT’S NEW
Completely Bloody Incoherent at the Michael Pilch Studio: Reviewed
Crumpled pieces of paper hang from the walls of the Pilch. The lights are down. In darkness, two figures, dressed in all black, take their positions in the centre of…
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The Effect at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
Is there a difference between us and our brain chemistry? Lucy Prebble’s The Effect, by Fennec Fox Productions, reviewed.
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Criminally Good Beer with Tap Social
Our team here at The Oxford Blue was recently invited to come learn more about the exciting new projects that Tap Social are working on, as well as the community-driven…
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The Harrowing of Hell.26 at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
Pecadillo Productions’ The Harrowing of Hell.26 plunges the audience into the fiery depths of Hell. Well, into the Burton Taylor Studio in Week 6 or the St Peter-in-the-East’s Crypt in…
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The Haunted House at Christ Church Cathedral Gardens: Reviewed
The Haunted House is certainly a play very based in this university and its students, despite its Welsh setting, but that does not at all detract from what is an…
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Reflections from the Botanic Garden
Right at the bottom of the Botanic Garden, past the walled garden, beyond the water lily pond, and the lawns, there are two benches sitting side by side. Being an…
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Oxford
Oxford’s Chabad Society Host Lag BaOmer Celebrations on Broad Street
On 5 May, a celebration of Lag BaOmer, a Jewish religious holiday, took place on Broad street, run by the Oxford Chabad Society. Lag BaOmer is a holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, a ritual in Judaism counting each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover and…
Oxford University Pioneers Development of New Ebola Vaccine
In the wake of the recent Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) is working with Oxford’s own Clinical BioManufacturing Facility and the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. to develop a new vaccine to mitigate the spread of the virus. This vaccine uses the…
Summer Eights 2026: The Action & The Atmosphere
Despite a subdued atmosphere following a tragic young death and changes for trans athletes, Summer Eights 2026 showed the rowing community’s strength.
opinion
Jerusalem Day in the context of the persistent violence waged against Palestinians.
Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday celebrating Israel’s capture and control over Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967. Following Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem, Palestinian inhabitants who were not registered as Israeli citizens, were granted residency but were not allowed to vote in national elections. The annexation of East Jerusalem, which has a predominantly…
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Sellouts or Scapegoats? : Why do Oxford students funnel into finance and consulting?
For many of Oxford’s students, their time at the university can be fondly measured by a series of firsts, whether it be their first formal dinner, their first time wearing sub fusc, or even the inevitable first essay crisis. Most memorable of all, however, should surely be their first moment of realisation that life’s true…
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University counselling is failing its students abroad
Having received a diagnosis in the month before going abroad, I remember being consumed by a genuine fear, learning that I wouldn’t have access to university counselling. Fear that I would repeat the mistakes of first year. Fear that I would be away from my support system. Fear that it would all come falling down.…
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Outside OX1 Week 5: Türkiye, Ghana, and US-Iran
Outside OX1 returns for Week 5, with three new headlines from around the globe. Lewis Haynes explores the ousting of Türkiye’s opposition leader by the courts, and the implications it has on an opposition that has failed to win a Turkish election this millenium. Noah Allerton looks at the cracking down on LGBTQ+…
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A Closer Look: At this Cave in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Nancy Gittus takes a closer look at the Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the amazing discoveries made within. With a new Netflix documentary recently released, it is an incredibly important time to reanalyse the impact of these discoveries on Kurds, and the region at large. Image Credit to Khoshhat.
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Judge Tosses McDonald’s Backpack, Allows Gun in Mangione Case
Christine Savino explores another high profile court case, this week taking a look at an update on the trial of Luigi Mangione. Accussed of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Mangione’s case has been incredibly controversial, and Savino takes a look at the new evidence admitted, and perhaps more importantly, not admitted…
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COLUMNS
Risk Appetite: On Long Tables and Still Eating Alone
“The next time at a long dining table, I’ll treat it like it’s an Oxford exam I’ve studied for: I’ll eat, ask questions about others that stem from genuine curiosity, and take peace in the fact that I’ve already done all the preparation I can and that it’s time to put it into practice.”
Second Draft: But can you do a split roll?
“When I read the list back, I found it quite ticklesome. Was this my vernacular now? Since when was it normal to be scrolling through the Croquet England website on a random Wednesday in May? Most concerningly, had I become an Oxford stereotype?”
Low Concept: Detours; Some Endless, Some Brief
“I was taken aback, but not for long. Having now the benefit of hindsight, I see that it was this comment above all else which made the interaction remarkable – I began to think that I would certainly recount this story to friends.”
CULTURES
The Magic Tower at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
As the lights come on, the audience is greeted by the married couple of Jim (Henry Cane) laying centre-stage on a mattress, and Linda (Rowan Brown), who is ironing off-centre.…
The Crucible at the Michael Pilch Studio: Reviewed
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible has always been far more than the anti-Red Scare parable it played as when it was first written in 1953. Its retelling of the Salem Witch…
Flesh by David Szalay: Reviewed
David Szalay’s Flesh is a rise-and-fall tragedy in the classical tradition, but it is also, in the vein of Illusions perdues andGreat Expectations, a novel about class and mobility. It…
LIfestyle
Spotlight – Clarity in the chaos: are Oxford terms helpful or a hindrance?
In a university where the academic pressure is a marathon and not a sprint, the short distance of the race is always appreciated. There’s always plenty to do to pack…
College Families: Are they what we make of them?
College families are such a uniquely Oxford tradition, put in place to connect its students. I believe that they are what we make of them. They are something to be…
The Blue takes on Flight Club
Flight Club Oxford, located on the top floor of Westgate shopping centre, has just opened its new Summer Terrace, ideal timing for the UK’s concerningly placed heatwave this week. Pairing…
Identity
Breeze & Brew: Reimagining Community Curation through Fans and Tea in Oxford
Dr Jenny Wang writes about a community curation project at the Ashmolean Museum, exploring Chinese fans and tea culture.
Syntax, Lexis and Textual Atypicality: A Neurodivergent Lens on Classical Authors
Gabi Nidecka explores classical authors such as Blake and Woolf through a neurodivergent lens, revisiting old texts with new knowledge.
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