Headlines
Exclusive: Lord Peter Mandelson, Imane Khelif, Humza Yousaf, and Vera Wang to speak at Oxford Union
Cherwell can exclusively report that chancellor candidate Lord Peter Mandelson, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, and fashion designer Vera Wang are among those to speak at the Oxford Union this term. Noteworthy debate topics include Israel-Palestine, Kashmir independence, rejoining the EU, and abortion rights.
Other speakers include Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, Trump aide-turned-critic Anthony Scaramucci, streamer Hasan Piker, rapper-actor Jaden Smith, and Citadel CEO Kenneth Griffin.
Lord Peter Mandelson, former Director of Communications for the Labour...
Comment
Features
Long vowels or short shrift: Oxford’s shocking accent hierarchy
A Scottish undergraduate spoke to me of how she consciously altered her voice during tutorials and moots, where she would “tone down” the broadness of her accent.
War crimes, rent climbs, and bad wines: A very short history of protest at Oxford
We start all the way back in February 1355 with perhaps the most pretentious cause for protest possible.
Has Oxford made us hate reading?
"Ever felt like you were suffocating under a pile of books, making the idea of picking up yet another feel utterly daunting?"
Oxford University and the guise of climate consciousness
Oxford University and climate action. Opinions on Oxford’s relationship with such action differ profusely across student activist groups, the University administration and climate-focused academics. In navigating the conflicting views and disagreements between key stakeholders, data made available to the public in response to FOI requests, is of paramount significance....
Ozempic and the commercial medicalisation of beauty
There is no doubt that beauty culture penetrates all aspects of contemporary society. According to a Mckinsey & Company report, in 2022, the beauty market generated approximately $430 billion in revenue, and is expected to reach approximately $580 billion by 2027. In 1849, it was a tiny industry worth...
Things can only get… worse? Why 2024 is no 1997 for the Labour Party
One of the characteristic features of the 1997 Labour Party general election campaign was their use of D:Ream’s song "Things Can Only Get Better" in their campaign video. This song was selected to conjure optimism following what many saw as eighteen years of Conservative failure which had left the...
Profiles
A ‘golden age’ for Oxford: In conversation with Chancellor Patten
Lord Christopher Patten has been the Chancellor of Oxford University since 2003. Before that, he acted as the last Governor of Hong Kong and as Chairman of the Conservative Party.
In February 2024, Lord Patten announced his retirement from the Chancellorship; intense media speculation about which British public figure might...
In conversation with Moe Sbihi, the British rower ‘Stockholm Syndrome-d’ into Olympic gold
Three-time Olympic medallist, World Champion rower, MBE, the first British Muslim Olympic flag bearer: the highly decorated Moe Sbihi seems to have done it all when it comes to having a successful rowing career. I spoke to him to find out more about where it all started, and how...
Culture
On Leadership by Tony Blair, Precipice by Robert Harris, and Oxford crime – Books of the Month
On Leadership by Tony Blair; Precipice by Robert Harris; Lessons in Crime: Academic Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order review – “An excellent account”
Dr Edward Howell, whose columns in the Spectator and the Telegraph are among the few intelligent and readable things left in those outlets, has produced an excellent account of North Korea and its place in the global nuclear order. Here is a book which the University Press would do...
Life
Serious life lessons from silly Oxford mistakes
You’re not alone, and to make one mistake – or even a hundred – doesn’t doom you to eternal failure.
Underconsumption-core: Are students the perfect subculture to reclaim underconsumption?
Living at university – with lives bundled completely and entirely into 4-by-4-metre rooms – requires prioritising the necessary.
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