FEATURED
Closer to Doomsday than Ever Before: What’s Brought Us to the Brink?
On 27 January 2026, the Doomsday Clock moved closer to midnight than it ever had before. With only 85 seconds until the stroke of midnight (down from 89 seconds last year), what does this mean for humanity? The clock was designed in 1947 by artist Martyl Langsdorf in response to the nuclear arms race between…
WHAT’S NEW
One step forward, two steps back: on Trinity Hall’s controversial call
Photos taken by Gabrielle Killick, used with permission On Wednesday 7 January, The Guardian reported on Cambridge University College Trinity Hall’s policy to target elite private schools as part of…
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Is Your Home Losing Heat? ECO4 Scheme Can Help
Do you often feel cold at home, even with the heating on? Does your energy bill keep rising every year? If yes, your home may be losing heat. Heat loss…
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How To Prepare Your Home For A New Boiler Installation
Upgrading your home heating system is a significant step towards improving energy efficiency and ensuring your property stays warm during the colder months. While the prospect of a new, reliable…
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Outside OX1 Week 4: Canada, Japan, Armenia and Azerbaijan
Welcome back to another issue of Outside OX1! I hope everyone celebrated a lovely Valentine’s, Palentine’s or Galentine’s Day. It is easy to fall under the spell of February, donning…
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Second Draft: Sardines, Low Ceilings, and Knitting
“I’m fortunate that life in Oxford is particularly spontaneous and varied. You can go from having no plans to suddenly finding yourself drinking port next to a framed letter from…
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Speed Dating and Hinge Hating: An Exploration of Dating Culture in Oxford
“The atmosphere at New College’s MCR event, while not without nerves, was lively, exciting, and daring.” Tallulah Stephens Skeete explores the Oxford speed dating scene and how it compares to…
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Oxford
Oxford Student Union Election Results Announced for 2026
Voting in the Oxford Student Union elections has finished following three days of online ballots open to all matriculated students. The elections, held between 9 and 12 February, saw students vote for four full-time sabbatical officers alongside several part-time roles and student trustee positions, which will collectively shape the Student Union’s direction in the coming…
Wild Swimming Society Fundraiser Reveals Major Issues with Oxford’s Water Quality
In the UK, February consistently sees some of the coldest temperatures. At this time of year, we usually stay inside, wrapped up in blankets with hot drinks and light entertainment. However, while most of us have been layering clothes and trying to keep warm, a few brave others have approached this wintry month differently; one…
The Sheldonian Series: A Discussion of Activism – Palestine Action, Public Protest, and Democracy
Hilary term’s instalment in the Sheldonian Series convened on 4 February, discussing ‘The Power of Activism’. The series is the Vice-Chancellor’s initiative, gathering a panel of differing voices aimed at promoting dialogue on the “big issues of the day”, and representing the University of Oxford’s commitment to “free and inclusive speech”. Speaking at Wednesday’s event,…
opinion
In defence of college food
College meals at Oxford and Cambridge certainly aren’t regarded as the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence. In fact, they have a pretty appalling reputation for being bland, sloppy, and depressing — enough to make Marco Pierre White shudder. This is a reputation that has persisted for generations and I, for one, think it is unjustified. Oxford…
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Someone’s Faith is Not Your Costume: An Agnostic’s Defence of Religious Seriousness
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or editorial policies of the paper, its editors, or its staff. The paper does not endorse any opinions or conclusions presented herein. Instagram has a wide variety of functions these days. From the…
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Who Will Support the Support Workers?
Support staff and social workers have been pushed into an impossible position: tasked with safeguarding vulnerable individuals while simultaneously managing shrinking budgets. “The story,” Josh says, “is really about the pressure social workers are under to cut funding, and where that leaves support workers.”
Keep readingGlobal Affairs
A Closer Look: So Why is Morocco Spending $4 Billion on Football?
In September 2025, youth protests erupted in Morocco, triggered by the deaths of eight women in a Hospital in Agadir. For many, this tragedy was a symbol of the rife inequality, corruption, and injustice that plague Moroccan society. The country’s healthcare sector is facing a severe crisis. In some particularly poorer areas, malfunctioning…
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Will Trump’s ‘Softer Touch’ in Minneapolis Work Politically?
Once again, the eyes of the world have turned to Minneapolis. This January, the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have dominated the front pages. Following the strongest public backlash of Donald Trump’s administration so far, the president now claims to want a…
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Venezuela: A Brief History of Oil and Corruption
On 3 January 2026, the United States conducted a military operation named “Absolute Resolve” across Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Planning for the intervention reportedly began in August 2025, with an intention to be carried out four days before 3 January, but was delayed due to weather…
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COLUMNS
Lady Grinning Soul: Who Backs the Bands? Ireland’s BIA Scheme
“Art sectors have become unrecognisable in the past half-decade with the reinvigoration of DIY production, but also with the widespread closures of live music venues and general dematerialisation of the music industry.” In the latest installment of Lady Grinning Soul, Julia Blackmon discusses Ireland’s BIA scheme, how stipends can fund creativity, and interviews Dublin-based band…
InterMEDIAte: Growing up with a Fictional Role Model
“I hope the whimsy which adds colour to my life will never leave and that your presence helps me persevere through my academic career.” Eliza Kaminska-Benadat reveals her fictional role model – Anne Shirley – and discusses the impact the character has had on her life.
Borders and Belonging: Skin Tone and Social Status
“We are in a white-dominated environment but this is no reason to deem others around us as “better” and hence attempt to cosplay someone else, whether through changing our names, hiding parts of our identity, or attempting to physically change our appearance.” Saba Ahmadzadeh Noughani discusses the effects and consequences of colorism on people of…
CULTURES
Tick Tick… BOOM! at the Michael Pilch Studio: Reviewed
“Sheets of music are suspended dreams, spinning on threads around a solitary piano, or spangling walls and columns. Then: darkness. Backlight. The ticking begins.” Violet Wan reviews Tick, Tick… BOOM!…
You Got Me at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
“Before You Got Me, I never appreciated how unnerving it is to walk into a completely silent set.” Rohit Ghosh reviews You Got Me at the Burton Taylor Studio, staged…
Jean Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
“The actress should give the impression that she is bleeding, losing her life’s blood, like a wounded beast.” The message, inscribed in both English and French across Full Moon Theatre’s…
LIfestyle
Telltaylor: By a Lancashire Farm Shop, I Sat Down and Wept
“I was always a muse, a magician’s trick, bending my own image to enhance his own. He seemed to compliment me only if the words fit his rhyme scheme.” Alicia Taylor…
Telltaylor: Everything I Learnt From A Mackerel Fillet
“I suddenly became afraid of forgetting the year which may turn out to be the most important of my life.” In the debut article of her column, Alicia Taylor gives…
Proust’s Madeleine: The Hidden Power of Food.
“We have always known that food is a lot more than its taste, texture, and nutritional value. Every meal is an intense social and sensory experience that serves to nourish…
Identity
Cultural Unmasking – Bestride Two Cultures, At Home in None
Arun Lewis explores the experience of cultural unmasking when faced with the difficulty of reconciling two different parts of your identity. Image by Arun Lewis, used with permission.
From the Inside Out: My Disability
Avani Rao reflects on how chronic back pain has affected her time at Oxford, and the stigma that is attached to people with disabilities, particularly those that are “invisible”. Image…
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