Opinion

Oxford’s deathtrap – the semi-pedestrianised nightmare

To take a stroll down the quaint New College Lane, to bask in the beauty of a summertime stroll along the canal, to ponder (or procrastinate) your upcoming tutorial...

LinkedIn is a Faustian bargain

There are some truths about the world which are both obvious and yet rarely...

New Mods: An infantilising step away from the fundamentals

Oxford has long played an important role in the world of classical academia. Feeney,...

Cliques, columns and committees: How insecurity fuels Oxford’s societies

For many freshers arriving at this University, the biggest question playing on their mind...

Opinion: Why I won’t volunteer for access events

"When it comes time for college to recruit volunteers for open days, I find myself asking why, as a gay working-class man, would I recommend someone to study in a place which has made me feel so unwelcome."

Shadow banning and its role in modern day censorship

"Shadowbanning is a threat to us because it maintains for us the illusion of control."

Money talks: China’s approach to international relations

"The undertone to Liu Xiaoming’s interview seemed to be 'turn a blind eye to our domestic affairs and focus on the economic benefit which we can bring to you'."

In depth: Poland’s war on women

"The underenforcement of the Convention prevented it from having as much positive impact on Polish women’s situation as it could have; and thus the first likely effect of its possible disappearance from the legal system would be a symbolic approval and reinforcement of traditional, violence-inducing gender roles."

Pandemic Perspectives: Greece

"City squares and commercial districts were empty, pavements which would have been filled with tables from cafes remained bare, and the Acropolis looked over an Athens devoid of tourists."

A Losing Battle: London-centrism and the Northern Powerhouse

"There is a distinct lack of investment in the infrastructure of the North, and, with a string of governments failing to address the issue, the problem has for a long time been abandoned to the inhabitants themselves."

What the media coverage of Beirut shows us: a skewed approach to global disasters

"Manifesting a white-saviour complex, yet demonstrating a truly self-interested approach at heart, the Western mainstream media is broken."

Hajj during a pandemic

"The restricted Hajj has led to the devastation of many Muslims globally, as the chance to embark on the pilgrimage is hard to come by."

Cameroon and the problematic nature of humanitarian aid

"Humanitarian aid, by its very nature, creates a narrative based on status imbalance, forming a relationship between those who need help, and those who fly across the world to provide it."

Opinion: Ignore those saying otherwise – coronavirus has proven that devolution works

"Covid-19 has, in many ways, been an endorsement, rather than an exposé, for the future of devolution."

An Oxford student’s guide to graduating in an economic crisis

"When it comes to financial ruin you could call me a seasoned veteran. As a Greek, we did it before it was cool."

Let’s not pretend that pandemics are a ‘foreign’ problem

"The outsourcing of blame for the coronavirus is an example of political scapegoating which relies on prejudice, rather than evidence, to become a shared and accepted narrative."

A Level Results Day: a ‘kick in the teeth’ for social mobility and educational equality

"The overall result is that in a year where the imperative to work at home has already disproportionately impacted pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the education gap has been well and truly entrenched by A Level results that amplify disadvantage."

From museum to mosque: the deconsecration of the Hagia Sophia

"Ultimately the Hagia Sophia remains today what it always has been over the course of its 1,500-year history: a unique political tool and lightning rod for controversy."

Toxic mask-ulinity: What COVID-19 tells us about the cult of the ‘manly man’

"How has a public health measure become a point of gender expression?"

Opinion: COVID-19 shows a missed opportunity to tackle the climate crisis

"The public has immense power. We fuel the consumerist society we live in, we create the demand for products which destroy the planet."

IB results day: a broken algorithm which decided students’ futures

"The easiest solution that satisfied both the IB and the majority of schools was chosen, leaving the students behind."

Pandemic Perspectives: Texas

The current state of COVID-19 in Texas is ultimately a failure of federal and local leadership.

Hong Kong National Security Law: Safeguard or Subversion?

"Any legal grounds in defence of the National Security Law are uprooted by the breaches in fundamental principles that have long governed life in Hong Kong, by the laws of China where justice and fairness are near non-existent."

The problem with Pornhub: and how they get away with it

"Tube sites like PornHub have conditioned us to expect that porn should always be free; but this convenience has a cost."