Sunday, March 16, 2025

Lifestyle

Reflections on the perils of overthinking

here is a lot to be said for blind positivity. On a good day, I’m a manifester, a big believer in my ability to speak things into existence. During my English A-Level, I had complete confidence that the crystals hidden in my bra would provide enough luck to snag me an A*. Today, I put great faith in words, relying on the same ‘I can do it’ that gets Olympic athletes across the finish line, to help me through difficult situations.

The fourth year: Oxford after your year abroad

I’m now in my fourth year, and as such, must grapple with the reality of my Oxford days drawing to a close. Granted, this is something that every student must contend with, and I watched on as most of my friends bade a fond farewell to this city where our friendships began when they graduated last summer. Yet there is something about the fourth year that I’m certain makes the final year even more strange: a sense of something already lost, of living in a moment that has already passed.

An evening at Pierre Victoire: French bistro dining at its best

Pierre Victoire has been here on Little Clarendon Street for decades – one of...

Being Cupid isn’t easy: What I learned from a term of running Cherpse

Now, having exhausted myself with these relentless pursuits, the job has been passed on to a new bright-eyed Cupid, and in my retirement I’ve become fondly reflective, and decided to curate my insights into this list: 

Why the vac isn’t enough to solve Oxford’s mental health problem

"There are few greater temptations on earth than to stay permanently at Oxford in meditation, and to read all the books in the Bodleian.” Although I...

Consuming Food

In his 2008 essay ‘On Food’, Mark Grief lamented that eating had become a hobby, “one pastime among others”. Food and the act of...

How to Maintain Meaningful Relationships over the Vac

Pretty quickly you realise that Oxford socialising is intense. A week of regular cups of tea with someone can create speculative rumours about your...

How to Maintain Meaningful Relationships over the Vac

Pretty quickly you realise that Oxford socialising is intense. A week of regular cups of tea with someone can create speculative rumours about your relationship with...

Queering Sport

Tena Thau on her failed attempt at netball, and why we should rethink how we play sports.

Gluten free – need or nonsense?

“Make a wish!” As I blow the thirteen candles out, an alarming ring from the kitchen phone pierces all illusions of birthday magic. I’m startled....

The paradoxical toxicity of the ‘January detox’

Clare Tierney explores the phenomenon of post-Christmas diet culture.

Is the Christmas vac actually the worst holiday of the year?

Jenna Colaco examines the difficulties the winter vacation can present.

Is the Christmas vac actually the worst holiday of the year?

In very simple terms, yes: the Christmas vacation is arguably the worst of the year. It is usually the shortest— 39 days this year. It may...

Crémant: a lesser-known, lesser-priced French sparkling wine

I might still be coming to terms with the fact that I don’t lead a life involving the regular and copious consumption of champagne...

Tis the Season to be Sustainable

Tara Mewawalla provides some tips on how to have a 'Green Christmas' this year.

Two dinner date ideas for people you can’t make up your mind about…

Make your mind up about your chirpse: The Supermarket compatibility challenge This is one you can whip out just before taking the big plunge into the...

Overcoming Vacation Limbo

Oxford is a strange place. Each term is eight weeks. That’s twenty-four weeks of university a year. That means for twenty-eight weeks of the...

A Meaty Dilemma

In the penultimate episode of his infamous TV show, Who is America?, Sacha Baron Cohen successfully convinced wannabe food critic, Bill Jilla, to eat...

The Ivy Oxford Brasserie review

Immediately upon arrival, it’s clear that The Ivy is ‘running the game’ when it comes to Oxford’s fine dining scene. It’s 6:30 PM on a...

L’endive au jambon: Northern French and Belgian winter comfort food

Have you heard of the endive? If you know what I’m referring to, or have indeed eaten an endive, you probably saw it raw...

Arab States of Mind

Anyone who has ever watched a mid-noughties rom-com, is familiar with the idea that you are what you wear.  We might have moved on from...

Cheesy Chips Review

A somewhat partisan assessment of Oxford's cheesy chips vendors.

A Guide to The Oxford Wine Company

How to drink wine in Oxford.

Counting Blues

I guess being a fresher means that week 5 blues hit you the hardest. I was sitting in a lecture the other day, a...

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