FEATURED
‘Lockdown’ on Queen Street following assault on busker
Queen Street was temporarily shut by police on the afternoon of Saturday 2 May after a busker was reportedly ‘attacked’ at around 2.45pm. The busy shopping street outside Westgate was closed to allow police officers to park their vehicles, causing traffic to come to a standstill until about 4pm. The incident occurred in Bonn Square…
WHAT’S NEW
Outside OX1 Week 3: Guatemala, Germany, and US-China
Outside OX1 returns for Week 3! Nancy Gittus explores the appointment of Guatemala’s new Attorney General, Lewis Haynes tells all on President Trump and President Xi’s bilateral Beijing summit, and…
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Silent Meadows: The decline of Oxford’s pollinator species
‘Change must happen as soon as we can implement it, or else we risk losing even more of the beautiful abundance of British Wildlife’ Isaac Smith explores the importance of…
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The Rise of Pop Music – and the Death of Innovation
Music has and always will divide opinions. This is an inescapable fact. Some like seventies rock, whereas others like classical. Some like The Carpenters, others Sabrina Carpenter. But what cannot…
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University of Oxford to lead Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research
Oxford University Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has now joined forces with Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research, as the Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health at the University…
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Tottenham Hotspur’s Unthinkable Fight against Relegation
Against all the odds, Tottenham Hotspur are in danger of relegation from the Premier League this season. Here’s why. Image credit to Chris Monahan, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike…
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Beyond the stigma: medication and mental health
Those who know very little about medication and haven’t experienced mental unwellness that requires it are the first to denounce it as harmful and unnecessary, as the ‘easy way out’.…
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Oxford
Sudan Prime Minister’s Oxford Union Appearance ends in Violent Altercation
Christine Savino and Lily Gage highlight the violent response to Kamil Idris’ Union appearance. Image credit to the United Nations, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Risk Appetite: On “Chinamaxxing” and Restaurant Regulars
Valerie Wu uses the lens of food to explore her feelings of being a restaurant regular, belonging and societal understandings of her Chinese heritage.
Council Candidates Face Students at ‘Town-hall’ Event
On Tuesday 5 May 2026, Keble College’s O’Reilly Theatre played host to a “town hall” style event, organised by The Oxford Student, in which several candidates for the Holywell and Carfax and Jericho wards of Oxford City Council laid out their cases and answered questions from a student-dominated audience. The candidates in attendance for Carfax…
opinion
The barrier didn’t fall. It moved: Who really ‘belongs’ at Oxford?
In 2024, state school admissions to Oxford stood at 66.2 percent, down from a higher 68.6 percent in 2021. These pupils are among the 93 percent of the school age population in England. In the same light, the University’s own admissions page describes Oxford as committed to attracting students with the highest academic potential, from…
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Anti-Muslim rhetoric contributes to anti-Muslim violence: On Tommy Robinson’s Oxford Union Invite.
Tommy Robinson’s recent invitation to the Oxford Union cannot be separated from the lived experiences of British Muslims and the fear we carry throughout our lives. Tommy Robinson is widely associated with anti-Islam rhetoric. The controversy surrounding his invite is not an abstract debate issue about free speech or politics, but directly touches the identity,…
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This House believes that the Oxford Union has lost its values: the downfall of Oxford’s “free speech” society
At least once a term, throughout my three years at this university, I have had friends and family members message me outraged at the Oxford Union. I have said “no, it’s not the student union” at least a hundred times. With a membership fee of £343, and an “access” membership free of £206 (yes, that’s…
Keep readingGlobal Affairs
How Did AI Development Turn Political?
Anastasija Vranjes explores the development of the politicisation of AI. From increase in legislation designed to regulate AI, to comparisons with the Space Race, Vranjes discusses how AI is becoming a leading force in politics – and how that will not be changing anytime soon. Image credit to the White House.
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A Closer Look: Egypt’s City of the Dead is Coming Back to Life
Nancy Gittus takes A Closer Look at the development of Egypt’s City of the Dead throughout history, and its future developments. Has help from the EU been enough, or will the City of the Dead continue to struggle? Image credit to Nancy Gittus.
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Outside OX1 Week 2: Mali, the US, and the Hantavirus
Outside OX1 returns for Week 2, with this week’s topics addressing Mali, the United States, and Hantavirus.
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COLUMNS
Low Concept: A Succinct and Marketable Premise
T. Sehgal introduces the concept and reasoning behind her column. It is an exploration behind the purpose and process of her writing, while diving into the mundane of our lives.
Second Draft: Times New Roman is a girl’s best friend
Eleanor Davies returns with reflections on Hilary, essays, and their likeness to relationships. Illustration by Eleanor Davies, used with permission.
Lady Grinning Soul: Record Store Day Rewind
Julia Blackmon explores how Record Store Day was celebrated in record stores around Oxford and how physical media is making a return.
CULTURES
2026 Met Gala Outfits: Which college would wear it?
Last week, we launched a poll on Instagram asking you which college would wear different outfits from the 2026 Met Gala. While the results saw a wide variety of answers,…
Stories from an Abandoned Warehouse at the Michael Pilch Studio: Reviewed
Director Patryk Wisniewski’s translation and interpretation of Ramón Griffero’s Stories from an Abandoned Warehouse is the first time that this piece of fringe resistance theatre has been adapted onto the…
Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”: One Live Bird, and A Nest Full of Skeletons
Film adaptations walk a very tight rope, trembling as they try not to over-balance and plummet into one of two valleys of failure. On the one hand, there is the…
LIfestyle
How to spend your money whilst keeping your morals
Individual activism and creating small scale positive change can feel overwhelming and impossible. “Voting with your dollar”, however, and supporting independent businesses where possible, is a crucial and impactful form…
Spotlight – A short-term joke, a never-ending nightmare: what is OCD?
As someone with OCD, it feels like there’s two voices in my head: my own, and my OCD’s. A voice that whispers intrusive thoughts to me that I must complete…
Spotlight – The End of a Year Abroad
“In Tallinn, I found my feet for the first time. First year had been a complete whirlwind, so it was on my Year Abroad that I truly understood the freedoms…
Identity
Coming to Oxford: The Reflections of an American
Rhys Halaby reflects on his time at St. Anne’s College, Oxford as a Visiting Student.
Bilingualism and Shared Identities
Eleanor Harris writes about her experience as an Au Pair in France, and what she learned about bilingual language acquisition.
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