The Oxford Student - Week 1 Hilary 2025 by The Oxford Student

O XFORD S TUDENT

The University of Oxford’s Student Newspaper, est. 1991

Credit: Kate Bansmer

Postgrad society in legal squabble with Oxford Union

In a letter to the Oxford Union sent on 11 October 2024, the Oxford Postgraduate Society President, Lyle Hopkins, accused the Oxford Union of passing off by using the name “Graduate Lounge” for its event on 18 October 2024.

The Oxford Postgraduate Society’s Graduate Lounge events are the society’s signature black-tie socializing events that include music, snacks and drinks, and other activities and performances. The first Graduate Lounge was the society’s inaugural event and took place on 4 March 2023 at the Goodman Library in the Oxford Union. The Oxford Union Graduate Lounge took place on 13 October 2024 and was advertised in the Union’s term cards-both digital and physical-and on its

social media pages.

When asked for comment on when the Postgraduate Society was first made aware of the Union using one of its main event names, Hopkins replied: “The day the Union released its MT24 term card, up until that point no one had told us so it was quite the shock to see it printed.” “Passing off” is an established “‘civil wrong’ or tort” that “involves one trader somehow misrepresenting its goods or services as being those of another trader, or vice versa”. According to the Postgraduate Society’s letter, “Graduate Lounge” is a trademarked event title and the Oxford Union’s use of the title takes advantage of the “goodwill” of the Postgraduate Society and its event. Goodwill is “the benefit and advantage of the good name, reputation, and

connection of a business”. The Postgraduate Society’s position is that the Oxford Union’s use of the trademarked event name for one of its events would erode the goodwill that the Oxford Postgraduate Society and its Graduate Lounge events have gained over time. Speaking about the costs that the Postgraduate Society incurred, Hopkins replied: “We had to deal with messages of people confused over which event was genuine. The reputation of the event was also affected as many of our members that did go to the Union event felt it wasn’t as good value as the real Graduate Lounge that we put on in MT24. There is also a cost associated with the legal advice we took.”

Continued on page 4

Christ Church investment wars

Liang

Christ Church has announced that it will be voting against the proposals of activist hedge fund Saba Capital, which has waged an investment battle against several UK investment trusts.

Saba Capital, a US-based hedge fund, has launched attacks against 7 UK investment trusts, including Herald Investment Trust, a major backer of UK tech-driven businesses.

Saba’s founder Boaz Weinstein dubbed the 7 trusts “the miserable seven” because of their poor investment performance over the past 3 years. Herald is the largest of the 7

The Rad

UK-listed investment trusts targeted by Saba.

Saba currently owns 21% of Herald’s £1.2 billion trust. It has proposed sacking all incumbent Herald directors, placing its own non-independent nominees on the board, and dismissing Herald’s longtime fund manager Katie Potts. In response, Herald has hit back at Saba, accusing Saba of pursuing an “unknown and unproven” strategy to seize control of the trust.

It also urged shareholders to vote against Saba’s proposals during a meeting on January 22, where Saba will also be present. Continued on page 3

Cam Period Problem

Many people in Oxford menstruate regularly, and yet, when walking around the city or entering its crowning jewel – the Radcliffe Camera – one struggles to find any trace of this extraordinarily common phenomenon. This is certainly true for the beautiful, albeit painfully impractical, University-owned-and-run library, which doesn’t offer period products in any of its bath-

Credit:

Faith Caswell

rooms. When Oxford University welcomed its first female students to Lady Margaret Hall, the nine pioneering women lived and worked under rules that prevented them from, for instance, walking “unsupervised” with a man. Until 1920, they were not actually able to graduate with a degree. Oxford has come a long way over the past century but provisions Continued on page 15

Aamna Shehzad

Yunzhang

Elly Bailey

Actually picking up my phone in the middle of my summer vacation was one of the better decisions I've made because it was a call from Georgie, asking me to join OxStu and I didn’t think twice before saying yes. From midnight calls about being sued to reading memes of our mishaps, working with Eleanor has been a lot less stressful than enjoyable. It helps that we concur on most things except her love for Marmite. Our OxStu team is incredibly bright and as we love to say, “on it”, with fresh ideas being buzzed around everyday. This being our first print, we’ve been excited about what we want to say. A few hiccups along the

Iam so excited to be one alongside Silvia this term. This is my first term at the Oxstu and already it feels welcoming and put-together. So far, 2025 has been a weird year. Presidents ar-

Editorial Team

Editorial Board

Ananya Parakh and Eleanor Grant (Editors-in-Chief)

Silvia Andreoletti and Caitlyn Tan (Associate Editors)

News

Devika Manish Kumar and Yunzhang Liang (Heads of News)

Aamna Shehzad, Caitlin Clarke, Canqi Li, Manon Graham, Fenja Tramsen, Yashas Ramakrishnan, Peter Lenehan, Sumrah Akhtar, William Lawrence (Section Editors)

Investigations

Georgie Allan, Charli Mn, Cora

way including a 1984-esque situation (very hush-hush), has led this print to be not exactly what we’d envisioned, yet one that we are proud of. We’ve trotted around from the Oxford Union to a Houseboat, covering stories that we believe would be engaging for anybody reading the OxStu. This term, we’re looking to get to know our readership better. We have some exciting events lined up, along with online content that’d give you a peek at what your fellow students are upto. There’s a basketful of investigations and stories that you can be involved with, and potentially be set up with your perfect future partner. Finally, I am grateful to Nikki and the whole Student Union staff for their constant support and for encouraging a conducive environment for free speech in student journalism.

Ananya Parakh Brasenose College

rested for attempting martial law, apocalyptic like fires, less fact-checking on social media makes it feel like something new and scary is happening. Nevertheless, Oscar Wilde said happiness ages and ‘with freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?’.

I have adopted a similarly blind optimism for this new year. The new year will reap some benefits from the old. For example, the Iberian lynx is no longer endangered! Also most immediately, we have lu-

Partridge, Lara Murrani, Michelle Wang

Comment

Roy Shinar Cohen (Deputy Editor)

Esme Owen, Harry Aldridge, Kara Gold, Patrick Maxwell, Rebecca Khan (Section Editors)

Profile

Yashas Ramakrishnan (Deputy Editor)

Lika Gorskaia, Nayana Juliette Syed (Section Editors)

Features

Faith Caswell (Deputy Editor)

Amelia Miller, Chaewon Kang, Elly Bailey, Nayana Juliette Syed, Georgia Fielding, Leila Huang,

It’s been vibrant; it’s been wonderful; the OxStew is on the boil. We’ve spoken truth to power and power spoke back in a strained, slightly squeaky voice. We seem to have already made jewelled little contributions to the outrage economy - but look, it wasn’t all so melodramatic.

Our new friends in high places include Stephen Fry and a houseboat. Meanwhile, I’ve been spending some of my God-given hours trotting off to the Oxford Union (the gilded cage). Hmm. I went to see the actor Sean Penn speak there and watched the poor man get interrogated about Vladimir Putin’s psyche. What happened to

nar year coming up! For those of you who don’t normally celebrate this, I encourage you to go find themed snacks and be noisy and also pick up a copy of the Oxstu because you always need some fantastic reading.

Nevertheless, I want to thank both Editor-in-Chiefs for being so supportive and adroit and also to you, Reader, who continues to make the newspaper possible.

This issue has lots of amazing articles. You do not have to look further than the cover

Lucy Pollock (Section Editors)

Culture

Luisa Blacker (Deputy Editor) Ana Pasa, Christina Scote, Kitty Fisher, Natalie Tan, Rufus Jones (Section Editors)

OxYou

Jan Maciejewski (Deputy Editor)

Arun Lewis, Lara Murrani, KitRenshaw Hammond (Section Editors)

Identity

Anjola Olumoroti (Deputy Editor)

Arun Lewis, Georgia Fielding (Section Editors)

asking celebrities about the contents of their handbags? Or was that just for women? There seems to have been a slippage of logic: the Union’s going for heavyweight geopolitics this term (five stars, approved), but therefore every single speaker has to be asked about geopolitics. No, no, no. We love these celebrities for their looks, love their acting for their looks, love their directing for their acting, and love their fame for their fame. What’s this about Putin? Anyway. In the absence of David Lynch, all I truly love is brassica these days. With a heart full of hate but only for hateful things, I’m joyous to be at the OxStu’s helm this term. Head high, claws out, knees braced, high heels on my tippies. In short, ready for Hilary. Eleanor Grant New College

page with some exceptional articles to see that.

I hope that you, Reader, that you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed making it and that the articles entertain, inform and give rise to thought and discussion.

I am thrilled to see so many new plans going through and am certain the Oxford student will be filled with fantastic content ahead.

Caitlyn Tan Christ Church College

Haris Book (Deputy Editor)

Ella Cody, Sumrah Akhtar (Section Editors)

Science

Amelia Bryan (Deputy Editor)

Mominah Ramzan, Nicola Kalita, Patricia Nalule (Section Editor)

Strategy

Georgie Allan (Director of Strategy) Isaac Cusworth, Will Lawson

Social Media

India Dob (Social Media Manager), Harry Aldridge, Izzy Moore, Kitty Fisher

| Heads of

Devika Manish Kumar and Yunzhang Liang Section Editors: Aamna Shehzad, Caitlin Clarke, Canqi Li, Fenja Tramsen, Manon Graham, Peter Lenahan, Sumrah Akhtar, William Lawrence

Bill Nighy spotted filming at Worcester

Multiple sources have observed filming taking place at Worcester College this week for a film adaptation of David Gilbert’s novel, & Sons, directed by Argentinian filmmaker Pablo Trapero.

The story follows Andrew, a novelist, who suddenly wakes up one morning convinced that he is going to die. He reaches out to his two adult sons after years of no communication. However, Andrew is

“ Crews were “huddled around monitors” outside the staircases, and that this was “blocking

us who were exiting meetings, allowing us to watch the actors as they shot scenes”

not searching for forgiveness as they expected – he instead has something unbelievable to tell them. It is unclear how

closely the film adaptation will follow the novel.

The film stars BAFTA nominee Matt Smith, as well as Oscar nominee Bill Nighy, who was seen filming scenes on Thursday afternoon on college grounds by multiple sources.

One student described how crews were “huddled around monitors” outside the staircases in the quad, and that this was “blocking us (the students) who were exiting meetings, allowing us to watch the actors as they shot scenes.”

When asked about reports that the college would be used for filming, another student told The Oxford Student:

“It’s so exciting to see Worcester welcoming film stars into its grounds. It will be great to see our college featured in the final product!”

Outside the college’s entrance, large towers supporting holding pieces of lighting equipment have been set up, directing lights into the stained glass windows of the Chapel. The Chapel was refurbished to its current form by architect William Burges in 1864 and is famed for its ornate decorations, mosaics, paintings, and carvings. Worcester’s website was updated with a notice that both

Christ Church in investment battle

Yunzhang

Christ Church has announced that it will be voting against the proposals of activist hedge fund Saba Capital, which has waged an investment battle against several UK investment trusts. Saba Capital, a US-based hedge fund, has launched attacks against 7 UK investment trusts, including Herald Investment Trust, a major backer of UK tech-driven businesses.

ogy sector. The college has promised to vote against the proposals of Saba during the meeting.

Karl Sternberg, chairman of the Investment Group at Christ Church, said “This is more than a skirmish in an obscure part of the stock markets……If Saba were to replace Herald as managers, it would undermine further the essential flow of capital from UK savers to support a

the College and Chapel are closed to the public on Thursday and Friday.

Worcester students received several emails detailing how filming may cause some slight disruption in the college. For example, the Chapel was closed to students on Thursday 16th January, with

Another student told the OxStu: “It’s so exciting to see Worcester welcoming film stars into its grounds” “

filming expected to wrap up on Friday 17th January. Students have also been warned that traffic may be more severe, with crew vehicles using Worcester’s car park.

Several films have been shot at Oxford colleges, including Saltburn (2023), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), and most famously, the Harry Potter series.

The film, & Sons, is set to be Pablo Trapero’s first English-language film, and does not currently have an expected timeframe for its release.

Saba’s founder Boaz Weinstein dubbed the 7 trusts “the miserable seven” because of their poor investment performance over the past 3 years.

Herald is the largest of the 7 UK-listed investment trusts targeted by Saba.

In response, Herald has hit back at Saba, accusing Saba of pursuing an “unknown and unproven” strategy to seize control of the trust. It also urged shareholders to vote against Saba’s proposals during a meeting on January 22, where Saba will also be present.

Christ Church has warned that Saba’s activities were “nakedly self-serving” and a threat to the UK’s technol -

“ Saba’s activities were “nakedly self-serving” and a threat to the UK’s technology sector

growing industry here”. Sternberg was himself a director of Herald Investment Trust until last year.

Christ Church owns £13 million worth of shares in Herald Investment Trust, a stake which amounts to 1%. The college will be voting all of its shares against Saba’s proposals.

Other prominent companies, like Harry Potter books publisher Bloomsbury Publishing, have rallied to the support of Herald. The government has also been urged to intervene in the investment battle.

The interior of Worcester Chapel. Credit: David Iliff

Christ Church’s Tom Tower. Credit: Yunzhang Liang

OxStu News

Liang

François Hollande and rapper Common to speak at the Oxford Union

Georgie Allan and Devika Manish Kumar

The Oxford Student can exclusively report that Former French President François Hollande and Grammy-award winning rapper Common are among the invited speakers set to address the Oxford Union this term.

In addition to Hollande, other former politicians invited to speak include Beatriz Merino, the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Peru, and former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, a leading opposition figure in Russia for the past two decades, renowned for his efforts to stabilise the Russian economy.

Current politicians also feature on the list of speakers, including Bilawal Bhutto, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as well as South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola. South Africa has played an increasingly visible role on the international stage in recent years, including bringing a high-profile case against the State of Israel before the International Court of Justice in 2023, which alleged Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amounted to genocide. South Africa will also hold the presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) major economies in 2025.

Chairman and CEO of Bank of America Brian Moynihan, eight-time Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken, and Canadian psychologist Jordan Peters are also among this term’s speakers in the Hilary Term.

Oxford Postgraduate Society accuses Oxford Union of “passing off”

Aamna Shehzad

The Oxford Postgraduate Society’s Graduate Lounge events refer to the society’s signature black-tie socializing events that include music, snacks and drinks, and other activities and performances. The first Graduate Lounge was the society’s inaugural event and took place on 4 March 2023 at the Goodman Library in the Oxford Union.

The Oxford Union Graduate Lounge took place on 13 October 2024 and was advertised in the Union’s term cardsboth digital and physical-and on its social media pages.

“ The day the Union released its MT24 term card, up until that point no one had told us so it was quite the shock to see it printed.

“Passing off” is an established “‘civil wrong’ or tort” that “involves one trader somehow misrepresenting its goods or services as being those of another trader, or vice versa”. According to the Postgraduate Society’s letter, “Graduate Lounge” is

a trademarked event title and the Oxford Union’s use of the title takes advantage of the “goodwill” of the Postgraduate Society and its event. Goodwill is “the benefit and advantage of the good name, reputation, and connection of a business”. The Postgraduate Society’s position is that the Oxford Union’s use of the trademarked event name for one of its events would erode the goodwill that the Oxford Postgraduate Society and its Graduate Lounge events have gained over time.

“ The reputation of the event was also affected as many of our members that did go to the Union felt it wasn’t as good value as the real Graduate Lounge we put on in MT24.

Speaking about the costs that the Postgraduate Society incurred, Hopkins replied: “We had to deal with messages of people confused over which event was genuine. The reputation of the event was also affected as many of our members that did go to the Union event felt it wasn’t as good value as the real Graduate Lounge that we put on in MT24. There is also a cost associated with the legal advice we took.” On 13 January 2025, the Oxford Postgraduate Society’s president sent another letter to the Oxford Union expressing disappointment that the Union had continued passing of the Graduate Lounge as one of its events and informing the Union of Facebook, Instagram, and Issuu’s removal of all Oxford Union content bearing the name “Graduate Lounge.”

The letter further stated that the £4,500 that the Union made from ticket sales was owed to the Postgraduate Society and should be used to “discount the cost of life membership to graduate students from low income or otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds.”

When asked for comment, Hopkins explained: “Taking the money would affect the members negatively, and this isn’t something we want to do. We do however want reparations for what they did and clear (sic) statement to future committees not to infringe on other organizations’ trademarks.”

The Oxford Union, when asked for comments, said that they were unaware of the “the existence of Mr Hopkins’ registered trademark before it was entered in the register” and that they deny “any infringement of a registered trademark”. The Union added that they “held an event titled ‘The Oxford Union’s Graduate Lounge’ on 13 October 2024 — some three months before Mr. Hopkins’ trademark was even entered in the register”.

Mr. Hopkins filed the Graduate Lounge as a trademark on 11 October 2024 and entered the register on 10 January 2025. According to the Intellectual Property Office, trademarks are only legally protected once they are entered the register.

The second letter that the Postgraduate Society sent on 13 January 2025 also talked of being made aware of an upcoming Union event bearing the name “Great Gradu-

ate Lounge,” and demanded that the Union “[cease] to use the event title Graduate Lounge and variations of it, and [change] any planned event names to a name that is no longer misleading,” as well as confirm that the Union has “destroyed all physical copies of the MT24 term card, save the two kept by the library.” Failure to do so within seven days from when the letter is dated would result in the Postgraduate Society commencing legal proceedings against the Oxford Union at the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. The Union changed the event name to “Great Graduate Soirée” sometime between 10 and 14 January 2025. When asked whether the

“ The Union...“held an event titled ‘The Oxford Union’s Graduate Lounge’ on 13 October - some three months before Mr. Hopkins’ trademark was even entered in the register.

Union had responded to the Postgraduate Society in any capacity regarding the letters accusing the Union of passing off, Hopkins replied that he was unable to disclose that at the moment.

People at a party dancing. Credit: Irtiza Haider

Tractors on Oxford High Street as farmers protest inheritance tax changes

Will Lawrence

Congestion in one of Oxford’s busiest streets was exacerbated in early January as over 100 tractors drove down Oxford’s high street to protest government changes to inheritance tax. The protests come after changes to government inheritance tax law in November 2024, removing portions of agricultural property relief above £1 million. The government cited the “unfairness” of the current policy, with just the top 2% of claims costing the government £119 million in lost tax revenue. The changes are due to go into effect in 2026.

This has triggered protests by farmers across the country. The protest on January 9 on High Street was prompted by Environmental Secretary Steve Reed, who was attending the Oxford Farming Conference in Examination Schools. The honking of horns could be heard inside Exam Schools

as the event took place. Mr Reed’s car was surrounded by police officers and protestors as he left the event. Farmers held and displayed signs on their tractors with various anti-tax messages, such as “Save Family Farms” and “Fight The Tax”. Some farmers held signs claiming that if the tax were to go into effect, food supply would be at risk. One farmer displayed a sign calling for the death of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

“ The government claims that three-quarters of farms will not be affected by the changes.

While the government has argued for the unfairness of the current inheritance tax policy, farmers have claimed that the

new policy could “kill farming” in the UK. Reed placed the blame for these measures on the previous Conservative government, citing the “financial black hole” that the incumbent government “was left to fill”. At protests elsewhere in the country, farmers signalled that applying inheritance tax to agricultural assets and other government policies could lead to an increase in food prices. Currently, UK farmers produce 60% of all food consumed in Britain. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pledged to reverse the changes if the Conservatives were to assume government after the next general election. There has been debate surrounding the extent of farmers affected by the policy change. While the government claims that three-quarters of farms will not be affected by the changes, the National Farmers’ Union posits that 60% of farmers would be affected. Some students who were in Oxford at the time of the pro-

A

field of sunflowers. Credit: Diego Delso

test expressed discontent surrounding the noise made by the honking of horns, and the delays in transport links.Some also expressed support for the new government policy on the grounds of “fairness”. A student from Keble College told The Oxford Student that while the protests had not affected them personally, they felt that the farmers have been “hiding wealth” from the taxpayer

What is Oxford like from

Canqi Li is a Deputy Editor at The Oxford Student.

If my younger self heard this question, I’m sure she would laugh at it so hard. At least before a night in early October.

It was the night I celebrated my 23rd birthday with some of my friends at Pembroke College. After a beyond creative DJ session in a friend’s room, a few pints at the Isis Farmhouse, and an unexpectedly deep conversation about weird and unfortunate incidents in life under the starlit sky, we somehow ended up on a random canal boat on the Isis. I can never forget the moment when anxious me first jumped onto the boat. My jaw dropped when I realised the boat had a furnished living room. Setting foot in the room, I noticed a cozy fireplace with two exotic porcelain lion statues on it, a TV screen, a giant houseplant,

a long sofa, a colourful rug, a small kitchen, a cute kitchen table that has a mini mirror with the caption “home is where the heart is” on it, and a pub card on the wall holding Smiths Scampi Fries.

Trying my best to mix pulpy orange juice with some alcohol, I sat down on the long sofa and realised it was ten times softer than the couch in my dorm. Immersing myself in the cozy atmosphere of the boat, I learned about one of its residents, second-year PPE student at Hertford College named Patrick Crump. That was when I realised I needed to turn this incredible experience into a newspaper article.

So, I decided to arrange an in-depth interview with Patrick and his boat “flatmate”, Toby Child, a second-year Human Sciences, to learn more about living on a canal

History of the boat

Before delving deeper into what exactly boat life is like for Patrick and Toby, it is important to note that the canal boat that they live on is not like any other. Known as Ghost of a Rose, that not only look more

under the current policy. They added that the current policy is primarily exploited by the richest of farmers. However, some students expressed solidarity with the farmers. A student from Trinity College told The Oxford Student that they “support what [the farmers] stand for” as it would affect family farmers in Oxfordshire disproportionately “due to high land value”.

modern but also have better insulation. Not long ago Ghost of a Rose reportedly sank into a river, but luckily, it was then repaired and refloated. Patrick and Toby are apparently one of the first residents...

Read the full article online at www.oxfordstudent.com

boat as an Oxford student.

The cozy living room of the boat. Credit: Canqi Li

Brian Cox speaks to Union T

onight veteran actor Brian Cox spoke to the Oxford Union interviewed by President Israr Khan. A visiting fellow and artist in residence at Kellogg College, Cox last spoke to at the Union in Michaelmas 2021, and has since continued his diverse career on stage and screen with roles in projects like Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim and Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Wyndham’s Theatre.

The conversation predictably began with a question on Succession, the hit HBO black comedy series which earned Cox 3 Emmy nominations for his portrayal of billionaire patriarch Logan Roy. Although he felt the ending was a good one, with the show’s titular ‘succession’ finally taking place, he commented “My only caveat to that, though I think I was happy to be killed off, I thought......”

Read the full article online

City Council pens election concerns

Oxford City Council have written to Jim McMahon MP to express their concern about the Oxfordshire County Council’s request to cancel county elections prior to the geography of the new Mayoral Strategic Authorities being determined, viewing this as “premature” and risking a “democratic deficit.”

On the 16th of December, as part of its wider ‘Plan for Change,’ the government published its English Devolution White Paper. The stated goal of the paper was to “put England’s regions centre stage” as they work to “grow the economy, deliver 1.5 millions homes and infrastructure we need and boost opportunity across the country.”

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner commented:

“Devolution is about delivering fundamental change at every level. It’s about giving local leaders the tools – and the trust – they need to forge their areas’

futures.” The white paper aims to see mayors in place across England, giving them a range of new powers across strategic planning, housing, transport and skills.

The plan is also designed to rebuild and reorganise local government. This would involve providing multi-year financial settlements and shifting to a needs-based funding

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the Oxford City Council, wrote to Jim McMahon MP, who is Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, on the 10th of January to express the Council’s concerns. The City Council reiterates its commitment to devolution but states: “the public has the right to expect that proper consideration is given to this and that any reorganisation taking place is done in a way which enhances local services and local democracy.”

there has been no discussion within Oxfordshire or with other partner councils regarding options for Local Government Reorganisation. There is a concern that without deciding the geography of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities prior to reorganising, more complex options which may be preferable may not be considered, such as cross county-bound-

“ Devolution is...... bringing change at every level. “ The public is entitled to expect proper consideration is given.

system and creating more effective partnerships between central and local government. Mayoral Combined Authorities are being created from two or more local councils. These may also be referred to as Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Oxfordshire is included within these plans. However, as the City Council’s letter notes, the exact changes in geography and jurisdiction have not been agreed.

As the geography is yet to be determined, the Council sees elections for the new unitary structures as “some way off” and thus the cancellation of the Oxfordshire County Council elections in May 2025 as “premature.” The letter expresses concern that this would create the risk of a “democratic deficit,” as there would be no elections and also no successor authority in place, a concern shared at the local government level across the country.

The letter highlights that

ary mergers or boundary changes. The ambitions of the Council include possibly creating a city-based unitary on expanded geography. The decision as to the new jurisdictions will be taken in conversation with neighbouring areas and councils.

The letter notes the City Council’s priorities, including ensuring Oxford can meet

its future housing needs and ensuring Oxford continues to reach its potential economically, as one of the fastest growing cities in England for economic growth. As cited in the letter, Oxford was also recently recognised as the best city in the country to start a business. The letter notes any changes to local government structure would need to take these priorities into account and include the voice of Oxford residents as this is decided, something which would require a longer time frame. There is speculation that Oxfordshire could become part of a new ‘super-authority’ in the Thames Valley. Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset have already written up plans for this.

The Oxford City Council has invited the leaders of Oxfordshire, the Berkshire unitaries, and the Buckinghamshire and Swindon councils to a meeting on the 31st of January to further discuss options for Mayoral Strategic Area geography.

Manon Graham

SU to include Common Rooms reps

The Oxford Students’ Union has released the outcome of the Democracy Review, unveiling the new ‘Conference of Common Rooms’ structure, as well as the four Sabbatical Officer roles for the 2025/26 academic year at 2pm today.

In 2024, NUS and Bates Well (legal firm) had released a new version of the guiding constitution for universities across the UK. This included a novel section of the ‘Student Voice’, which moves the democratic procedures into the by-laws. The bye-laws govern how the SU engages with the student community.

In a Democracy Consultation report given by the SU in Michaelmas 2024, among the 218 responses to the democracy reforms survey, 86.2% supported having a president and 3 deputy roles. The new 4 roles of Sabbatical Officers introduced by the SU are: Undergraduate Officer, Post-

graduate Officer, Communities and Common Rooms Officer and Welfare, Equity and Inclusion Officer. This Flat structure has been supported by a relative minority of 13.8% of the respondents, with it being one of the reasons for SU president, Addi Haran’s, resignation.

61% of respondents supported the Conference of Common Rooms model. The model stems from the SU’s vision to remain relevant and rooted to the Oxford community – “This new structure acknowledges that common rooms are the beating heart of student engagement and representation in your colleges.” A comment in support of the Common Room structure in the survey elicits: “Although Common Room committees are overworked, they are more representative of real students. The SU has struggled in the past by being over-influenced by a hyper-engaged group of students with unrepresentative and uncompromising views.”

Low engagement was seen as the main barrier for every model (Union of Students, Student Senate and Conference), although the Conference model seemed to be the lesser of the 3 evils. “Direct Democracy does not work, the turnout is too low. J-MGCR members/presidents are already too busy.”

To further support marginalised communities, the SU says, “we will continue to provide community resources for these [marginalised] groups, and SU Campaigns will be pivoting to Part-Time Communi-

ty Officers.” These Community Officers under the new model would be constituted by the chairs of repcoms and forums, elected by the relevant common room representatives instead of being elected by representative students in an annual election.

Comment from the Student Union: “We are really excited to announce these changes, and invite all students to join in this Transformation by standing for election in one of these new roles within this newly transformed SU for 2025/26.”

SU survey finds support for introduc-

tion of a reading week

ty to implement.

The Oxford Student Welfare Survey, an initiative from the SU, ran from 26th April to 9th June 2024. It aimed to “to collect student feedback to advocate for a more supportive, inclusive, and understanding academic environment at the University of Oxford.” Questions centred around factors which impact student wellbeing and possible solutions for the Universi-

The survey was organised by Rosalie Chapman while she was The SU Vice President (Welfare) 2023-24. She commented: “I made it my mission to put student welfare and mental health at the heart of discussions at Oxford… With over 2,100 students taking part, this is one of the largest welfare surveys in Oxford’s recent history … .The results of the survey are striking and call for urgent action. One of

the clearest takeaways is the overwhelming support for a reading week.”

When asked whether a reading week would help manage stress or workload, 65% of respondents stated that it would. Of the 2096 responses, just 18% said a reading week would not help, with a further 17% expressing that they were “not sure.”

Chapman explained that the decision to ask about a reading week was based on discussions with students who felt that the significant workload was impacting student wellbeing, and that a reading week provided an obvious solution. She continued “the Principals I spoke to [said that a reading week]… was the single best way” to alleviate this pressure.

The survey asked respondents to select whether they had felt any or multiple of the following while at Oxford: stress, low mood, low self-es-

Ellison Institute to invest £130m in Oxford University

The University of Oxford is set to partner with the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), who will invest at least £130m in the University.

The Ellison Institute is a research and development facility, dedicated to solving the world’s “most challenging problems.”

The University describes the partnership as a “transformative strategic alliance” to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges, and will bring together researchers and students at EIT. The partnership will allow University academics and researchers to work at EIT, and EIT scientists will take up academic appointments at the University.

teem, loneliness, anxiety, depression, disordered eating, or none of the above. 93% of respondents reported experiencing “stress”; 78% described feeling “low mood”; and 36% said they had experienced “disordered eating.” Just 3% of respondents selected none of the above. Of these feelings, 45% of respondents described experiencing them “a lot of the time.”

74% of respondents identified their “university course” as a factor which adversely affected their well-being. From those who selected “other”, “fear of being inferior to others on my course,”“[j]ob hunt and rejections,” and “[c]areer aspirations” were referenced as factors.

One respondent stated: “The pressure of having to perform is debilitating, and causes me to not be able to sleep.”...

Read the full article online at www.oxfordstudent.com

The President of EIT Oxford, Professor Sir John Bell, had previously endorsed William Hague, who won the Chancellor election last week. Bell stepped down from his role as Regius Professor of Medicine on 31st March this year to become President of EIT Oxford and Co-CEO of EIT Global. He described the alliance between the University and EIT as coming at “an exciting time in the technological revolution.”

Larry Ellison, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Oracle and founder of EIT, described the Institute’s goal as “reimagining the way science and technology translate into endto-end solutions for humanity’s most challenging problems.” Ellison ranked fifth on the Forbes 2024 Rich List, with a net worth of $141 billion.

Read the full article at www.oxfordstudent.com

University Parks. Credit: Kate Bansmer

The Student Union building. Credit: Cameron Samuel Keys

Ananya Parakh

Cameron Samuel Keys

Labour’s Education Reforms: The Way for a Fairer System?

What Education is one of the most important predictors of a person’s life chances. However, entrenched inequalities within the British education system result in students facing vastly unequal opportunities, with the disparity between private school fees and per pupil funding in state schools having more than doubled since 2010 alone. From the pandemic hitting the most disadvantaged communities hardest to state schools facing slashing cuts, socioeconomic and regional divides in exam results are widening year after year.

The stark reality Labour faced upon winning power was an education system at breaking point: a growing teacher retention and recruitment crisis, crumbling school buildings and the largest cuts to per pupil funding in state schools across England since the 1980s. Worryingly, these challenges are reflected in the widening attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their more affluent peers, which has manifested in a consistent decline in the number of state-educated students being admitted to Oxford University.

The Labour Government has a significant challenge on its hands as it seeks to “break

down the barriers to opportunity” and “shatter the class ceiling”. Central to these barriers is the stark divide between private and state education: whilst private schools have enjoyed rising fees and generous tax breaks, state schools have been left overstretched and unable to afford the basics.

Against this backdrop, it is wholly unjustified for £1.7 billion of taxpayers’ money to be spent each year providing VAT exemptions and charitable business rates relief for private schools. It also seems wildly inconsistent: private education is a luxury good and should not be exempt from VAT, a tax applied to the vast majority of goods and services.

“ Private education is a luxury good and should not be exempt from VAT

Applying VAT to private school fees is merely a pragmatic choice to level the playing field, as it is expected to provide the government with an additional £1.3-£1.5 billion to drive up funding for state schools, based on studies conducted by the IFS. Money which could not be more desperately needed to im-

prove support systems for students with special educational needs, hire more specialist teachers, and cut class sizes for the more than one million pupils currently in classes of over 30. These spending pressures have been felt particularly acutely by schools serving more disadvantaged pupils, who have disproportionately experienced the greatest spending cuts since 2010.

Compounding these challenges, the Coronavirus pandemic has only served to exacerbate inequalities in educational outcomes. Whilst disadvantaged pupils faced greater challenges in engaging with their online learning and often lacked access to essential resources, such as laptops or a reliable internet connection, their wealthier peers continued learning uninterrupted using online platforms. The Conservative Government’s limited initiatives seeking to address these widening inequalities were inadequately funded and poorly targeted, with the former education recovery commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, even resigning over the catchup efforts falling “far short of what is needed”.

However, combatting inequalities in exam results is only part of the solution as private schools often enjoy vast resources and expensive facilities. This means that they can afford to provide students

with a broader curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. In contrast, creative subjects have been stifled in state schools due to sustained budget cuts, with a 40% decline in the number of students taking a GCSE in art since 2010, and a 22% reduction in the number of drama teachers in state-funded secondary schools since 2011.

Thus, Labour’s Curriculum and Assessment Review is equally fundamental in providing disadvantaged students with the opportunities that others may take for granted, ensuring that they have the resources they need to thrive.

The Government’s efforts to

“ Government efforts to integrate lifelong skills are a step forward

integrate lifelong skills into the curriculum are a particularly significant step forward, guaranteeing that students not only have access to core subjects but also acquire essential skills for future employment. Notably, the Prime Minister’s focus on weaving “oracy through a new national curriculum” will provide students from all backgrounds with an opportunity to discuss, debate and analyse ideas, while also developing

their confidence and communication skills.

“ At Oxford, oracy is fundamental to every aspect of academic life

At this very university, oracy is fundamental to every aspect of academic life, ranging from admissions interviews to weekly tutorials where discussion and the clear articulation of ideas are fundamental. However, the successful implementation of these reforms will require significant investment: schools which have traditionally borne the brunt of funding cuts can’t be left behind.

From my own time at a state school, I saw firsthand the hard work and dedication of teaching staff, yet they have consistently been overstretched and undervalued. Over the past decade, inequalities in educational outcomes have been exacerbated and, whilst private schools have thrived, state schools have faced unprecedented pressures. Labour’s plans to axe private school tax breaks and to modernise the curriculum are a crucial step forward and long overdue, but tackling entrenched inequalities across the education system will never be an easy task.

UK Private School. Credit: RTPeat via Flickr

Harry Aldridge is a Comment Section Editor at The Oxford Student.

Navalny’s Legacy

Tell

the Truth, Spread the Truth

By the time Aleksei Navalny’s memoir, Patriot, was published last year, he had been dead for eight months. But Patriot was never meant to be a posthumous work or a diary smuggled out of his Arctic prison, and it must not be treated as a eulogy for a lost cause, either. The book serves not only as a critique of authoritarianism but as a guide for those seeking to understand and challenge it; a counter-narrative to the idea of Russia as a state beyond reform. In death, Navalny has the opportunity to live on as an opposition figure - and we must ensure that he does.

Navalny began writing Patriot after his assassination attempt in 2020, poisoned with Novichok, the same nerve agent used in the 2018 Salisbury attacks. It loosely follows the structure of a memoir, as Navalny recounted his childhood in 1980s Soviet Ukraine and the chaos of the 1990s. It’s part personal history, part political commentary, as he connected experiences to events that now form part of both the post-Soviet and Western cul-

tural memory.

It was this ability to engage an international audience, as well as unify dissident movements within Russia, that determined so much of his success.

After training as a lawyer, he emerged as a fierce critic of the government, focusing on systemic corruption and the erosion of democratic institutions. Navalny’s blog posts and YouTube videos exposing

“ In Russia you are either for the regime or against it

the corruption of Putin’s inner circle allowed him to bypass state-controlled media entirely, the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, whilst political elites continued to underestimate the novelty of the internet.

By 2011, he had founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which went on to produce viral exposés, such as an investigation into Putin’s Black Sea Palace, receiving millions of views.

Early in his career, Navalny aligned himself with Russian nationalists and expressed

increasingly sombre, following Navalny’s arrest in 2021 and subsequent imprisonment. He described life in prison with a mixture of gallows humour and resignation. “My book, originally an autobiography … has turned into a prison diary,’” he complains. “It’s a genre so saturated with cliches that it’s impossible not to write them.”

Even in the final few months of Navalny’s life, he remained defiant. He forced himself to describe the worst-case scenario: dying alone in prison, unable to say goodbye to his family. He told his wife, Yulia: “Tasselled mortarboards will be thrown in the air in my absence…I’ll never see my grandchildren.” Then, with characteristic wit, he joked that it would at least be great for his new book deal.

The final passage written by Navalny was dated from January 2024.

views on immigration and Russian foreign policy—including Crimea and Georgia. These views alarmed many in the West, and, within Russia, he had been long criticised for his early participation in pro-Russia marches and his association with several Nationalist organisations.

Throughout Patriot, he addressed this explicitly, arguing that survival in an authoritarian state requires engaging with all opposition groups, even those ideologically opposed to him. “The politics of an authoritarian country are structured in a very primitive way,” he wrote. “You are either for the regime or against it. All other political options have been completely obliterated.”

His condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and his unequivocal call for the withdrawal of troops and a return to the sovereign borders set out in 1991, marked a clear departure from his former position on Crimea. Was this a genuine change of heart or a reflection of Navalny’s ability to adapt to a broader audience? Perhaps both. In the final years of his life, Navalny had shifted from navigating domestic opposition to speaking on an international stage. The second half of Patriot is

It also allows us to continue to be alienated from an understanding of the seemingly impenetrable Russian political system and the Kafkaesque absurdity of the corrupt judicial process. As Navalny wrote with characteristic irony; in Russia, calling a court case Kafkaesque is a “total cliché”. Many outside Russia had a simplified view of Navalny that he represented an alternative leader for Russia and perhaps a future president. But, the point of his legacy is not the loss of a future leader. Navalny did not plan to fight for power or to steer Russia singlehandedly towards a democratic future, he fought for opportunity, free press and an active opposition. His ability to admit mistakes and defend the right to change his opinion shows real courage and integrity many

On 16th February 2024, his death was reported from a penal colony beyond the Arctic Circle. The Kremlin maintains that he died of “sudden death syndrome”, although Navalny’s legal team have suggested that his body showed symptoms of poisoning.

It is clear that Navalny was no sell-out. The Kremlin branded him as a “foreign agent”, but his political conviction was borne from a profound love of his country, and grief for the modern Russia so many envisioned.

The idea that Russia is simply an authoritarian country, doomed forever to return to autocratic rule, is often perpetuated by both Western and Russian writers. They seem to imply that suffering is part of the Russian psyche, integral

“ The idea that Russia is simply authoritarian is a lazy narrative “

to the enigmatic “Russian soul”. This is a lazy narrative and one which allows those in the West to disengage with the efforts of Russian dissidents, who are fighting a long, painful, drawn-out struggle against the power of the state.

In Russia, calling a court case Kafkaesque is a total cliché

Western politicians could learn from. With his death, the opportunity to conceptualise a freer Russia has narrowed –but it hasn’t disappeared. Navalny’s memoir serves as a testament to his vision of himself, first and foremost, as a patriot—a title that now complicates his legacy for the Kremlin. And his decision to return to Russia in 2021, rather than live in exile, remains his clearest statement—that resistance is always possible. But it will take sustained action to ensure that his legacy continues to have an impact. The majority of his Instagram posts, essays and tweets remain online. Many of them are included in Patriot. Navalny lives on as a dissident—the tools that built his movement can continue to equip those within the opposition. His wife and daughter, and those within the Anti-Corruption Foundation, can build on his work, provided they are given the platform to do so. The most powerful weapon against repression is simple, wrote Navalny: “Tell the truth, spread the truth.”

Alexei Navalny. Credit: Reuters

Esme Owen is a Comment Section Editor at The Oxford Student.

Americans, Too, Have Had Enough of Experts

Kara Gold talks about the antiestablishment sentiment and the US election

Upon waking up to the (tragic but unsurprising) election result on the 5th November, I couldn’t help but think about Michael Gove. A seemingly irrelevant figure discussed back in the long-a-go time when “Brexit” was the word of the year. Famously, Gove, then Lord Chancellor, declared: “I think the people of this country have had enough of experts”.

Eight years on, across the Atlantic, history repeats itself. History has a way of doing that, and politicians have a way of not listening. I am not being so simplistic as to suggest that the Brexit referendum and Trump’s re-election were equivalent phenomena. But, I do think that there is something to be understood about the rise of anti-establishment sentiment from the silent ma-

jority, the fall of the regard for the expert, and the lefts desperate plea to ignore them. It just isn’t working. This anti-expert sentiment is not incidental; it is central to understanding the currents shaping Western democracies.

gesting these two character traits are sufficient to explain the unquestioning loyalty of a man facing 91 criminal charges in four felony cases over a highly educated, successful, and experienced establishment figure.

damentally wrong with those voting for Trump, often for the second or even third time in their lives? It seems implausible that almost 77 million Americans are morally corrupt and/or stupid.

Gove was, and remains, right. A majority of people are tired of experts. This is not because expertise lacks value but because it has been wielded as a tool of exclusion and dismissal.

Harris’s election campaign was endorsed by a record number of Republicans, renowned academics, lawyers, celebrities, religious figures, activists, environmental organisations, business executives, many ‘All-American’ figures embodying the spirit of the nation (yes I am thinking of Taylor Swift and Barack Obama, who else?).

But, every expert in the world standing up and telling voters what to do and how to think based on clear evidence and reasoned fact was not enough. It did not move the needle. In fact, it may have galvanised opposition by reinforcing a perception of elitism and detachment from the struggles of ordinary voters. Pushed voters in the other direction because the people in this country and that country are tired of experts.

“ This harmful rhetoric is only advancing populism further “ This anti-expert sentiment is central to understanding Western democracies

Across the media, countless graphs of American voting patterns were produced like clockwork. They all essentially portrayed Trump voters as uneducated and ignorant, sug-

The coverage implies a moral and intellectual failing in these voters, reducing them to caricatures unworthy of further discussion. Similarly, after the Brexit referendum, it was quickly discovered that those voting for the right-wing populist solution to their problems tended to be less educated voters. As if being less educated is a personal failing, marking someone as irredeemably stupid, as opposed to an individual existing in a broken system. Why is this something the media then mocks and ridicules, as if there is something fun-

betrayal. They turn to populist figures, not out of ignorance or malice, but as a desperate response to being left behind. In Britain, for example, the Reform Party has managed to entice a significant proportion of the electorate. Their nationalistic, populist rhetoric, appealed to less educated voters in ‘left-behind’ areas of the United Kingdom which receive on average less government funding won them two million votes in the last election

“ Expertise has been wielded as a tool of exclusion and dismissal

The world does not need more grandiose statements right now. Yet, I think it is clear to say that we are living in an age of division where the left urgently needs to find new ways to win back the support and trust of the working class, as opposed to alienating them with patronising rhetoric of experts. Writing off significant parts of a population as racist, unintelligent, and uninformed is both wrong and ineffective. Populism, and Trumpism, are not going anywhere and will morph into something more potent and dangerous unless the Democratic Party can re-engage with Trump voters and offer up something new, meeting the voters where they are. We only need to look at history to understand why.

Therefore, this harmful rhetoric sidelining right-wing populist voters as uneducated and linking their lack of education to immorality will only advance populism further, and will push more voters to Trumpism and other anti-establishment figures who will outlive Trump and continue his movement.

The core of Trumpism— and indeed populism worldwide—is its ability to tap into the frustrations of those who feel unseen and unheard by the establishment. These voters, often in economically disadvantaged or deindustrialised regions, perceive the elite’s rhetoric of expertise as a smokescreen for inaction or

Reading all the way to the end (well done!), you must have your quirky opinions too. What do you think about the Government raising tuition, Trump returning to “Drill, baby, drill!”, or the disparities between Oxford colleges?

At The Oxford Student, we seek to publish diverse voices from across the Oxford community. If you have an answer to these questions (or others) email us at: oxstu.comment@gmail.com

Trump’s Inauguration ceremony. Credit: AP

“

Profiles

of the week

Credit: Amelia Woons

Talk to my Manager!

“

Oxford’s Supermarket Employees — and where they shop

Ananya Parakh

Have you ever walked into a supermarket and not bought anything? Walking past paying customers, paranoid that you’re going to be pulled up for shoplifting, when, really, you’re innocent? You were only there to have a conversation with the employees. If not, and you think that’s weird, don’t worry. We’ve done it for you.

I don’t know about you, but when I walk into a supermarket, I expect queues, confused countenances in the meal deal aisle, and people running into other people with apparent absolute astonishment at the fact that they live in the same city and go to the same Tesco everyday. Little did I know that fear would be what

I’d encounter when interviewing supermarket employees. You think studying at Oxford is busy? Try working a Sainsbury’s opening shift. While this corporate culture might leave one with no time

“ You think studying at Oxford is busy? Try working at Sainsbury's

to chit-chat with strangers, true fear manifests in the sentence, “Talk to my manager.”

Might these employees be operating under the delusion of working at MI6, such that the secret information they hold has the power to crumble large

conglomerates to cheese dust were they to disclose a single wrong piece of information? If you’ve always wondered what goes on behind closed doors labeled “staff only” (or never gave it a second thought, like normal people), the reticence makes me wonder more. Are they simply afraid to lose their jobs from the ambiguity of managerial authority, or are there things they aren’t meant to tell nosey OxStu journalists.

After many failed attempts to have a conversation with busy bee workers in the afternoon, my friend and I hiked up at 7 in the morning to Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S in Oxford city centre, to uncover the stories of the people that know it best, day in and day out.

Your favorite meal deal can

reveal more about your inner soul and which clique you belong to than any American chick flick could let on. Here are some tried and tested favourites: Sainsbury's: "A tuna sweetcorn sandwich with some fruit juice, if I'm feeling healthy."

“ Cheese & Marmite sandwich, salt & vinegar crisps, Ribena." - M&S

Tesco: "I never buy a meal deal. It doesn’t really interest me. But if they make it bigger…” (So valid, but in this economy?!)

The key to getting answers

from these mysterious workers seemed to be to find the ones that seemed the friendliest. And how did we do that, you ask? We looked for smiles, a rarity in the British workplace. At M&S, Amber was holding onto a tower of crates with a walkie-talkie in her hand (really playing into MI6 now) as we prattled on about a day in her life.

“I’ve always been in retail so I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I was at Co-op before here, where I did my time for 10 years.” As a supermarket cognoscente, I had to defer to her for a snack recommendation. At M&S, try the “Spiced Iced buns”. I haven’t and shan’t try them because they kind of sound like Ice Spice, and I’m not a fan.

Editor: Yashas Ramakrishnan Section Editors: Lika Gorskaia and Nayana Juliette Syed

When asked about how often they catch shoplifters, she chuckled, and commented, “Every single day.” As for who holds the title of their biggest competitor, Ambe was convinced it was “either Tesco or Sainsbury’s. M&S is… I just think it’s better. Better priced, better place to work. Not that I’ve got much to go off but I always enjoy my shift when I come to work, so...”

Our Tesco-stigation took place on a freezing Monday morning, where we met Jahed. “I’ve worked here since 2016. I was studying at Oxford City College before this, doing business” Given the number of acquaintances that have

“The

confessed to partaking in such activity, I felt compelled to ask: How often do they catch shoplifters? “It’s very rare. It’s because we’ve got a security line. Me or the other workers are always aware. I’m only working in the morning and there are usually more shoplifters in the evening.”

What's the worst question that you can ask a supermarket employee? I mean after, “Can I snag something for free?”, it’s probably, “what do you want to do after this?” Barely acceptable for uni small talk, but it might be comforting to know that they have no idea, and they’re all just winging it. Like the rest of us. Or me at

least. Asda is probably their biggest competition, “because they keep cutting their costs”. How wonderfully convenient that we can’t shop there! You know that a supermarket is doing well when the employees have no time to talk to you. Tesco finished first on that list, and last on compelling conversation, which is what matters most. Obviously. Walkin down the aisles of the iconic St. Aldates Sainsbury's, we found our chatty friend Saif holding a taser-like object; a sticker printer. A testament to the seasonality of fresh produce, the reduced-price practice is meant to encourage consumers to align their diets

with the cyclical stocking of aisles. When asked about his career trajectory, he self-efficaciously revealed that he’d worked “as a manager for a year and a half.” Before that, “I was a colleague whilst doing my A-levels, and became a manager after I finished.” Kudos to him for getting the job before the fresh Oxford graduates rush for it!

What’s your favourite snack at Sainsbury’s? What should students get here? He jokingly commented: “I shop at Tesco, I don’t know.” Sainsbury’s gets shoplifted everyday. Multiple times a day. “We usually have a security guard. If he’s not there, we just have to ask

Thing That Art Is”

In Conversation with Stephen Fry

Faith Caswell

Irecently had the illuminating opportunity to sit down with Stephen Fry to speak about art, technology, and our need for stories. The conversation was incredibly thought-provoking and inspirational, and it is my great pleasure to now share some of Stephen’s remarks.

I began the interview by asking about the topics Stephen planned for his first engagement at the Sheldonian. He replied that he hoped, first and foremost, to speak of “the simplicity of arts”. Stephen observed that “we’re very used to regarding the arts as one of the more complex things that human beings do, and they are complex in their techniques and processes… but the thing that art is, the thing the creative industry makes or produces or offers is usually very simple in its effect and what it does to us. It bypasses the more complex, rational parts of the brain to some extent.”

The mediation of complexity and simplicity in the arts can be best understood in comparison with elements of the natural world. Like how a valley in the Lake District is a simple result of the action of water and plate tectonics

over time, a piece of poetry is what is borne of the creativity of a human mind. And yet we choose to complicate it. We talk about so many different aspects of a tiny section of a tiny island in this big, big world, and the same is true of a small poem you happen upon and subsequently analyse.” The vast complexity of a single poem or natural phenomenon is an unavoidable truth, but as Stephen puts it, “it isn’t a bad idea to clear all that baggage away”.

This baggage is not merely passive; it’s a complexity that we have created. It’s our culture, our self-made conditions of the present day. “I’m anxious about anybody trying to write a novel now, set in the present… every character somehow has to be knowable in terms of their views on gender and race and other forms of cultural difference. They have to have a stand, and they must stand for something in this kind of moral maze that we

live in at the moment. I’m merely saying that there is an anxiety in the world of creation and I think one of the things that that has resulted in—and I myself am a victim of it, a passenger of this particular flood, if you like—is the appeal of the mythological world, the world of the deep past.”

This longing for the mythological is part of the desire for stories which get to the heart of something. The father-daughter relationships in stories such as Shakespeare’s King Lear and Cymbeline or Wagner’s Die Walküre are, as Stephen says, “utterly stripped of the context of their time.” Nowadays, the truths of such human relationships feel much more clouded. Writers who intend to excavate the core of a father-daughter relationship are forced to narrate instead “the truth about a middle-class father who lives in NW3 and his relationship with his daughter who goes to King Alfred school.”

“Everything is poisoned by culture and discourse and the nuances of our own time and we are victims of that, we can’t speak outside it, and so we yearn for things like myth and fantasy

for the items back. You can’t touch them, you can’t chase them. They’ve gotten very strict with the rules. It’s for our and our colleagues' safety.”

To end on a note of cheesy taglines: “I think Sainsbury’s is better than Tesco 'cause they value the customer more, they’re always thinking ahead, and they’ve always got great prices, like the ones I’m putting up right now.” Great prices? For Narnia perhaps. If you ever decide to leave the confines of your bed to pick up groceries, know that there is an ultimate best supermarket. And the choice you’re making? It's probably wrong. Happy shopping, folks.

and so on, where you can just see pure human action going back and forth.”

Stephen acknowledges the “dark side” of dismissing problems rooted in the historical contexts of these stories, in which men behave with mastery and violence and women have less agency. It seems that recognizing this fact doesn’t need to take

“ Everybody’s a victim when it comes to the politics of it.

away from the fundamental sense of wholeness and truth in these stories, or the desire to return to a simplicity of art.

In my view, the notion of a simplification of art does not equate to a mere stake in an art for art’s sake agenda, but is rather a consideration of the ways in which, if boiled down, art can draw us closer together. Moving away from such pleasures and joys of art, the divisive ideological lines of past decades have instead made what Stephen calls the “judgments” of art deeply complicated.

“Everybody’s a victim when

it comes to the politics of it. That’s to say if you’re on the traditional side, however you want to put it, where you just think it’s okay to go to university to study Shakespeare, Jane Austen, George Eliot, then feel a victim because you think, ‘I’m told that those days are over.’ On the other hand, if you are the one who is very concerned with queer literature or literature to do with various races, you still feel you’re in a place… [in which] the gargoyles and the statues and everything leers down at you and tells you you’re an interloper. So both sides feel as if they’re victims, and it’s always a bit of a shame isn’t it? So I wish to be a healing balm.” Perhaps the simplifying of art is a necessary measure to keep the water at our ankles. Even if all humans have left is a “tiny little bit of land,” we can only hope that it is made up of what Stephen calls “pure human action”, to keep ourselves grounded in this unfixed, unanchored present. This time might indeed be an anxious one, but we are fortunate to have Stephen’s words as a healing balm.

Read the full article at www.oxfordstudent.com.

The Rad Cam Period Problem

When Oxford University welcomed its first female students to Lady Margaret Hall, the nine pioneering women lived and worked under rules that prevented them from, for instance, walking “unsupervised” with a man. Until 1920, they were not actually able to graduate with a degree. Oxford has come a long way over the past century but provisions and considerations for women remain woefully insubstantial. Much more research and advocacy should focus on the lack of resources in place to prevent spiking in clubs, sexual harassment between peers, and the conscious or unconscious biases that continue to put female students on the back foot in

tutorials. Nevertheless, one of the simplest and yet damning indictments of Oxford’s “patriarchy” problem is the complete and utter disregard for the needs of those who menstruate.

“ None of the bathrooms even contain a machine to be used in a pinch, let alone a selection of free products.

How ironic that one might find a historical account of the evolution of menstrual products on the shelves when there is not a single menstrual product in sight. None of the bathrooms even contain a machine to be used in a pinch, let alone a selection of free products suited to the needs of a diverse range of bodies. Sheffield Hallam University sets a good example for Oxford as to how this blatant shortcoming might be amended; there are free period products throughout the campus bathrooms and, according to their web-

will have to be temporary, of course, and the time pressure is on to race out the building to the local Boots and buy a replacement. It will be uncomfortable too, both physically and in the sense that you are doubtless wondering if the balled-up loo roll has formed a visible lump on their behind or, worse, has already begun to unravel. The scenario is all too real for menstruating people who choose to study at the Rad Cam.

“ The response is disappointing but not surprising.

site, any student can simply ask for the type they need. If they would rather do this confidentially, they can ask at the desk for “Tammy” (tampons) or “Patricia” (pads).

To the senior executives of the Bodleian Libraries, I might say, imagine yourselves in the position of someone caught off guard by their period while working in the Rad Cam. Perhaps your bag is upstairs, or perhaps you forgot to pack a pad or a tampon today – it’s easy enough. In any case, now you must fashion some sort of improvised emergency liner out of painfully thin, scrunched up toilet paper. It

Let me put that failing into perspective. Oxford boasts a student body that consists of over 13,500 female students, –a figure that exceeds the male population by almost 500 students. Determining an exact figure of menstruating people is not clear, as not all women menstruate and not all those who menstruate identify as women. The figure, then, might be designed to overcount the population affected by this issue, to mitigate the risk of underplaying or misrepresenting the amount and range of people that this article represents. Along the same lines, although these people may not all use the Rad Cam regularly, if even a quarter of

them make use of it in a week, that could still be, at a generous approximation, over 3000 students that might be menstruating in the Rad Cam at any given time. Based on the average menstrual cycle, we might reasonably estimate that there could be hundreds of people in the Rad Cam on their period every single week – not including any staff. Their natural bodily experiences are neither provided for nor even acknowledged.

When I spoke to the Rad Cam enquiries team twice to ask that they consider this issue, I received no reply beyond the underwhelming and essentially avoidant: “I will pass on your suggestion to senior staff to discuss.”

The response is disappointing but not surprising within a country whose government, until the 1st January 2021, openly taxed period products as luxury items. Indeed, the attitude of some major institutions to menstruation has always been ill-informed and inconsistent. It is little wonder that such ignorance occurs, given the failings of institutions on every level to adequately educate its members, especially those young men who are least affected. A study from June 2024, led by the University of Bristol and Anglia Ruskin University, found that many of their participants had left school lacking basic knowledge about ...

Read the full article on our website.

features@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Faith Caswell

Section Editors: Elly Bailey, Georgia Fielding, Leila Huang, Chewon Kang, Amelia Miller, Nayana Juliette Syed

Photograph of Radcliffe Camera. Credit: Faith Caswell

Elly Bailey

100 years of OUCA

Georgie Allan reflects on the recent centenary celebration of the

Oxford University Conservative Association.

The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) celebrated its centenary last year, and can reflect on decades of shaping British politics. When considered in a wider context, it has played a crucial role in originating many of the political operatives active today. The source of 4 former Prime Ministers, as well as numerous cabinet and civil service officials, OUCA

claims to “provide a space for Conservatives of all stripes”. I spent last term attending OUCA’s social events, and interviewing members and alumni to see for myself how the organisation has changed from its founding, and the role it plays for students in the modern day.

OUCA is certainly a society that most Oxford students will have heard of, its black tie events and blatant drinking

culture “catering to a certain self-perception”. As I heard it described “there are two schools of OUCA. There’s your genuine toff, then there’s your person who’s desperate to be a toff and come off as a posh person…and some random people in between.”

Despite this characterisation, its membership is somewhat more diverse than the ‘Conservative’ name would suggest – around half of those I interviewed identified as a Labour voter, many of them paying party members. The motivation behind their involvement varied; one Blairite went on the recommendation of a socialist friend who promised an “amusing” time, another preferred the “boozier” atmosphere to that found at the Oxford Labour Club (OLC).

Within the Oxford student community OUCA is best known for its weekly Port

and Policy events, currently held at Black Sheep Coffee on High Street. Popular with students from across the political spectrum, the event nominally features debate on three motions, one of which is a surprise reveal on the night, though the rhetoric is somewhat drowned in debauchery, product of the titular port.

The port itself used to be offered in 3 varieties though this has since been reduced to just 1, bought in bulk at the start of the term and stored in the room of a Junior Officer. As a former committee member justified to me “I’m sure they enjoyed some of the benefits of having lots of port that wasn’t very rigorously counted in their room.”

Served by Junior Officers, port portions are determined by your rank in the society.

‘Officer’s portions’ mean your glass is filled, while ordinary members are permitted little

more than a single shot of port with each serving. However, as the Junior Officers are usually relatively new to the society, lying is often a safe bet to save yourself the constant back and forth for more liquor, particularly as the selection has been reduced to either one type of port or cranberry juice.

The drinks are somewhat necessary in order to tolerate the mayhem. In a room saturated with hacks from all student political societies alike, a healthy portion of the Union committee and a regular cast of aspiring orators screaming to be heard above the chatter, it’s easy to feel lost. Though the society is generally a welcoming, ‘broad church’ which happily opens its doors to newcomers of all political persuasions. One member ...

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LA fires set social media ablaze

Faith Caswell

Thousands of firefighters are still working to contain the fires that have spread across Los Angeles since the first blaze on 7 January. Nearly 200,000 people have been under evacuation orders as entire neighbourhoods have burned to the ground alongside 12,000 buildings and 40,000 acres of land. At least 27 people have lost their lives.

LA is a notoriously celebrity-packed area of California and the list of high profile individuals who have lost homes include Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges, Mel Gibson, Adam Brody, and Billy Crystal, amongst many others. With the Golden Globes taking place just a day before the first Palisades fire, the media spotlighted both events in close succession, ex-

acerbating people’s outrage at California’s stark wealth gap. The finger-pointing, unsympathetic responses to the fires on social media in particular are perhaps not unprecedented, but certainly worth considering.

Mandy Moore, This Is Us star, recently shared a GoFundMe page through her social media to ask for donations to her brother-in-law and sister-inlaw, who lost their home in the Eaton fire. The responses to her post were nothing short of scathing. The top comment on the post reads, “You’re worth like 14 million – a GoFundMe is insane”. Other comments express similar anger that she doesn’t bear herself financially responsible: “YOU give your brother-in-law that money! Why ask millions of Americans

who are struggling just to get by?” The backlash to Moore’s request for donations doesn’t just display the common tendency to take social media posts as personal affronts; it also seems to indicate the underlying belief that celebrities are not deserving of the same empathy as your average citizen. This is not to say that status and money do not play serious roles in the capacity to recover from disaster; of course they do. But public infuriation with Moore’s request for donations to her family is part of a bigger trend that views celebrities as super-humans whose societal obligations outweigh their own needs. And perhaps there is some truth to this: with great power comes great responsibility.

A leading perspective on so-

cial media suggests that the LA fires are “karma” for celebrity disavowal of the war in Gaza. One post compared the fires in LA with the wreckage in Gaza with the caption: “Seeing many of these ultra-wealthy celebrities lose their homes, and cry like babies on television, after endorsing the genocide in Gaza makes things come full circle. No matter how rich, famous, powerful you may think you are, you can meet the same fate you endorse for poor and disposed people in Gaza.” Celebrities like Palestinian-American artist DJ Khaled who have remained silent on the conflict have been subject to disapprobation online. This week especially, DJ Khaled received enormous backlash for posting “Pray for LA” on his Instagram. Some viewers

commented: “Meanwhile, he’s said nothing for 15 months as his fellow Palestinians in Gaza have been slaughtered”; “He’s a coward”; and that he has “Sold his soul.”

Actor James Woods recently teared up in an interview on CNN about losing his home to the fires. He is known for his far-right, inflammatory comments, especially on X. In November 2023, Woods posted on X reiterating his support for Israel, saying, “no ceasefire, no compromise, no forgiveness. #KillThemAll”. In an open letter to Woods, award-winning Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha writes, “When our house was bombed on October 28 2023, I did not have a house or a safe place to go. I have ... Read the full article on our website.

Photograph of OUCA.

highlights how not everyone knows the rules of the road. The Highway Code (the offi cial guidance for road users in the UK) clarifies the regulations cyclists should adhere to. Rule 71 states that cyclists at “traffic light junc tions and at cycle-on crossings with traffic lights, […] MUST NOT cross the stop line when the traffic lights are

The roads of Oxford

Georgia Fielding looks at road safety in Oxford. Is the problem red light rebels or infrastructural issues?

In 2021, a video of an Italian cyclist skipping a red light went viral. Thinking the road was clear, the cyclist jumped the red light, only to be abruptly cut-off by a car driven by I Carabinieri (the Italian regional police). With their sirens blaring, the police shout through a megaphone: “the red light is also for you too!”. The short video went viral for its comedic value; the speed and ease with which the officers stopped the cyclist was so perfect, it could have been staged. The dramatic music over the clip was the cherry on top. Despite its humour, the video also raises a pertinent question: where do cyclists stand with regards to road safety?

Oxford is home to a large community of commuters who would opt for cycling over walking, driving or taking the public transport. In November 2022, an Active Lives Survey conducted by the Department for Transport recorded that 41 percent of the Oxford popu-

lation cycled. In comparison, between November 2022 and November 2023, around 7.4 million people in the UK were cycling, averaging to just 11 percent of the population. Oxford far exceeds the national average.

“ Despite Oxford being a cycle-friendly city, the rules that govern how cyclists should behave are overlooked.

Despite Oxford being a cycle-friendly city, the rules that govern how cyclists should behave on the road are sometimes overlooked, not understood or, simply, just unknown. Whether cyclists

should have to stop at a red light when they are cycling on the road seems to be in contention.

While the exact number of cyclists who skip red lights is unknown, the figure can be estimated to be around 16 to 54 percent, compiled from several different UK-based surveys. This figure varies depending on the crossing and location being surveyed, regardless it

“ Perhaps, then, the issue isn’t with any category of road users but rather the layout of the UK road system itself.

red”. So, why do some cyclists in Oxford skip red lights? One of the reasons could in fact be to maintain their safety. Cyclists are vulnerable compared to drivers, who are protected by the metal frame of a car and can travel faster. This is particularly true in Oxford, where there is a large volume of cars and buses that outsize and outpace push-bikes. Continuing forward despite a red light can clear cyclists out of the path of the vehicles behind them. This also allows cyclists to get ahead and create distance between themselves and the cars and buses. Furthermore, cyclists sometimes

do not adhere to red traffic light signals in order to preserve momentum and to ensure they can keep moving at a quicker pace. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t distract from the fact that a cywho does not obey a red light is breaking the law and putting pedestrians, and themselves, at risk. But cyclists are not the only road users who sometimes ignore the Highway Code.

Pedestrians too often cross the road despite the red man’s stop signal, usually when the road is empty or when they judge the risk of being run over to be low. Unlike for cyclists, it is not required by law for pedestrians in the UK to wait for the green man and thus there are no legal ramifications for misusing the pelican crossing. This differs to other countries, where a pedestrian can be fined up to 250 USD for jaywalking. Nonetheless, crossing without the consent of the pixelated green man is dangerous. Perhaps, then, the issue isn’t with any category of road users but rather the layout of the UK road system itself. Maybe, Oxford needs to install more toucan crossings, which are intended to help cyclists feel safer on the roads. Or perhaps another answer could be to invent smarter puffin crossings which are designed to prevent pedestrians having to wait too long at the side of the road. Until then, however, to echo the words of I Carabinieri, the red applies to all.

Photograph of lone bike in front of the Rad Cam. Credit: OxStu Media Library

Photograph of person biking in Oxford. Credit: Suad Kamardeen

Culture

Losing my Divinity Reflections on the Bodleian Library’s Oracles, Omens and Answers Exhibition curated by David Zeitlyn and Dr Michelle Aroney.

Iwas watching the screen when the heart stopped beating.The numbers grew lower, collapsing in forceful defeat. Then, silence. It stopped. Changing my life forever.

Well… okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But at the time, when huddled around a screen at primary school, the digitised beating of The Love Calculator was a big deal. To see a measly stat like “13%” next to the name of your ‘soulmate’ was utter agony. But now that I’m older and know vaguely about codes and algorithms—and not married to anyone from my primary—I realise that those early divinations of love were just a load of hogwash.

And yet, despite discerning its trickery, I still think fondly of The Love Calculator: perhaps even now a small part of me would still be excited by its novelty and whimsy whisperings of fate.

This mindset of willing gullibility and suspension of disbelief even in the face of scientific disproof radiates through the exhibition Oracles, Omens and Answers. Held in a small, dark room at the back of The Weston Library, all the space needs is some hanging beads and incense, and you’d think you were in a fortune chamber. The exhibit illuminates artefacts used for divination and fortune-telling from throughout history, and all over the world. Glowing under spotlights, radiating sublimity and anticipation, the items range from fortune sticks used in 3rd

2Bests of

024 was a year full of exciting filmmaking: the return of Francis Ford Coppola to the big screens with Megalopolis, reinventions of classics with the adaptation of Wicked and the release of Gladiator II, and exciting debuts from up-andcoming directors. With this flood of options and oh-solittle time to watch it all, here are my highlights of the year so you have some pointers on what to add to your watchlist.

Century Taoist temples, to a palm reading of Oscar Wilde’s hands, to piles of those curly plastic fish.

A very on-brand review in New Scientist reduced the exhibition to being about ‘how we started asking the difficult questions that made rational enquiry possible in the first place,’ suggesting that the aim is to underscore the importance of old practices in order to appreciate the ‘progress’ that we’ve since made in scientific predictions. Being as far from a STEM student as is a monkey in a shoe, I didn’t view it this way at all. Instead, Oracles, Omens and Answers demonstrates a decided lack of human ‘progress.’ In fact,it highlights how little we’ve changed. This is because, even though scientific studies have debunked astrol-

1. La Chimera by Alice Rohrwacher is my best movie of the year. It tells the story of a gang of tomb raiders who make money off selling old Etruscan relics in Italy. And I’ll leave it at that; the less you know, the better. I’ll just add this: it might be the History student in me, but this is one of the most compelling explorations I have seen of how humans deal with our shared past.

2. The Holdovers came out so long ago, in the beginning of January 2024 in the UK, that it feels a bit odd to include it on this list. It is a tale of a found family following three fascinating characters, who, all for different reasons, have been left behind to spend Christmas alone in a New England boarding school. Funny, poignant, and memorable, it became a new required holiday viewing for me.

3. Looking at a love triangle between three tennis players in Challengers, Justin Kuritzkes and Luca Guadagnino explore how personal dynamics can seep into sports. Tennis matches here are not merely competitions, they are also conversations. Hilarious, sexy, and remarkable, this movie was the most fun I had in a theater all year.

ogy, horoscopes and crystal balls, we’re still charmed and intrigued by their predictions. Scanning through centuries of fortune telling methods, you’ll notice the constancy of human concerns. It’s all: “Am I sick?” “Pregnant?” “Can I trust them?” “Will I be famous?”

“Rich?” or “Will I find love?” Even “powerful people have always used diviners and divination” says co-curator Zeitlyn. This is evidenced by the splayed copy of Virgil’s Æneid, which Charles I would flutter open to foretell his fate. Or

4. Bird by Andrea Arnold is tender coming of age tale about Bailey, played by an excellent Nykiya Adams. Part fairy-tale and part realist filmmaking, the movie shows the common struggles of a girl understanding her place in the world. What makes the film so special and unique for me is Bailey’s lively community in Kent. The world around her is fascinating, populated by characters you cannot look away from.

5. All We Imagine as Light is a gentle portrait of two nurses in Mumbai as they navigate life in the city, unstable living conditions, and relationships with the men in their life. The movie is subtle about the understated acts of joy and resistance of the women at its center—and is all the more beautiful for it. A stunning debut by Payal Kapadia.

6. Never would I have pre-

in the autobiography of Joan Quigley, the official White House astrologer, employed to advise Ronald Reagan. Whether we seek solace in natural methods, such as watching which card a spider will scuttle upon, or instead prefer AI cartomancy booths, everyone wants answers to the same old questions. Oracles, Omens and Answers is a representation of the ways in which the average mind has, and will continue to....

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dicted that a movie about Roman Catholic cardinals would be so entertaining. Enter Conclave. Sequestered in the Sistine Chapel and tasked with deciding who the next Pope will be, these men of God scheme, plot, stab each other’s backs, and take unforgettable vape hits. Not even the holiest among us are above a little gossip.

7. The Wild Robot made me cry on a plane! When a robot is accidentally left on an isolated island and tasked with keeping a gosling alive, the lines between technology and nature are increasingly blurred. This is a lovely tale of acceptance, community building, and motherhood— all in beautiful animation.

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Blacker

Editors: Kitty Fischer, Ana Pasa, Rufus Jones, Christina Scote, Natalie Tan

Tarot cards. Credit: AlbanyColley, Pixabay

Kitty Fisher

“The Earth is The Answer” Ana Pasa reviews Samatha Harvey’s Orbital, winner of the 2024 Booker

Prize

It has been years since people first found themselves both delighted and awed by an image of our planet seen from space. Nowadays, we have become used to this manner of seeing our world, and, though still struck by its beauty, we no longer feel any sense of its novelty. Samantha Harvey’s Orbital, which brings us into the International Space Station for 16 orbits around the Earth, renews this sense of newness as we gaze down at the earth through the eyes of astronauts inside. It is a perspective that is at once frightening, hopeful, familiar, and challenging. That this planet is the only one we have is a phrase that has been constantly repeated, and yet its force is felt most strongly in this story set outside of

it, in which all energies and thoughts seem to return to Earth. As the narrative voice observes: “Some alien civilization might look on and ask: what are they doing here? Why do they go nowhere but round and round? The earth is the answer to every question.”

Harvey’s prose does not ascend into exalted tones or grandiose speeches. It is Interstellar without the haunting music that lends a sense of transcendence to its scenes. At first, one feels the lack of that lightning-strike, hairs standing up on the back of your neck type of feeling. However, gradually, Orbital’s narration conveys something even more striking. This is not an imagined space, but space as seen by people—and indeed the pages are brimming with hu-

manity. Whilst one might be able to dissociate from a view of space painted in sharp bolts of emotive language, one cannot escape taking on the perspective of its six characters, who see the world without borders, but equally shaped by “a politics of human want.” It can be as loving as “the face of an exulted lover” but also dangerous and violent when they stop to take pictures of an incoming typhoon.

The astronauts themselves seem to blend into one in the spacecraft as they share the same unique experience, and also the same cramped quarters and recycled resources. At the same time, they are all their own entities, with stories on earth that we are told, with different beliefs and views. In this microcosm of mankind

there is hope, and while we are wrapped up in the world that Harvey creates, we feel it too. She does not downplay the challenges that are faced on earth, but she does remind us of its importance, and of the heights that mankind has been able to reach. It is an important perspective to take.

The astronauts seem particularly placed to contemplate the future of the earth, after all by sending information

about the weather back to the planet, they become the unfortunate fortune-tellers of disaster. One of the astronauts wonders if maybe our fate will be to disappear like the dinosaurs - or maybe we will escape by going to Mars. Regardless of all of that, the most important, and most inspiring message that Harvey transmits is also the simplest: “A human being was not made to stand still.”

International Space Station. Credit: NASA, Flickr

A Crappy Christmas in Catalonia

Sasha Foubister tells us about some... interesting Catalan holiday traditions

Upon entering 2025, I find myself reflecting on how the transition between years is made palatable. We are distracted from terrifying new beginnings and doomed resolutions by a flurry of Christmas spirit. Returning to Oxford, new beginnings and failed resolutions upon us, my mind wanders back to the odd contrast between the excitement of Christmas and the gloom of whatever this is. Having spent the holidays in Catalonia, I have experienced my fair share of exciting Christmas rarities, and felt I ought to share.

To every Spaniard, the Catalan in the room will always be the butt of the joke. Whether it’s their inherent need to dis-

tinguish themselves from the rest of the country, or a fulfilling of the unfortunate stereotypes, the Catalans are far from popular: boring, strict, and miserable are words often used to describe them. But, come Christmas time, the Catalans let their hair down and pull out some of the most amusing Christmas traditions you’ll have ever seen. Starting off strong with their equivalent of Father Christmas: the Tió, now more com monly known as the Cagatió, which literally means “The Shitting Log”. An actual log, with a painted face and a little red hat, is “fed” every day during December, in an attempt to fatten it up. On Christmas Eve, the children stand

over the log and beat it with sticks. Why? To make it shit itself. The log’s shit, covered with a blanket to preserve the poor thing’s modesty, consists of presents. This penchant for violence, or perhaps for toilet humour, shows that at Christmas, the Catalans are slightly less serious than usual, and probably suffer slightly more from splinters. Oddly enough, the other main Catalan tradition also revolves around shit. It can’t be a coincidence – they must just find it funny. In Spain,-

tivity scenes are a Christmas classic, but in Catalonia, a little farm boy is added to the medley of traditional characters. His trousers pulled down, his bum to the wind, he merrily does a poo hidden away in a corner, eager to be found. This boy is known as the Caganer, “The Shitter”, and is a kind of Where’s Wally figure. Nowadays, Caganers are sold in a range of different characters: from a shitting Che Guevara to Boris Johnson. In some municipalities, it is still customary to perform a live version of the Nativity and, this year, there was a lack of auditions for the role of Caganer: maybe because it was a much colder winter than usual.

To stay on the Catalans’ poo

trail, it seems to be the case that shitting in the nativity is not enough, and the youth of Catalonia now shit on the tradition as a whole. In town squares, where public Nativities are set up, the kidnapping of Jesus has become an annual occurrence. This blasphemous crime, has forced local councils to tie their baby Jesuses to their cots with thick chains - a rather unsettling sight, and proven to be an ineffective anti theft device. All in all, the Catalans go crazy at Christmas. Forget boring and bring on the fun. Perhaps their frivolity in the winter months is a mere manifestation of their contrariness – a desire to prove the rest of Spain wrong before the year comes to an end.

What’s On?

Stephen Fry will be speaking at the Sheldonian tonight!

Gregory Doran, Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theater, is running a ‘Shakespeare Gym’ this Saturday at St. Catz.

The deadline for OUDS’ New Writing Festival is at midnight on January 28. Get to writing!

The Isis Magazine is hosting a Life Drawing session on the 28th at Magdalen College.

A student-led version of Into the Woods, by Peach Productions, starts its run at the Oxford Playhouse! From Wednesday 29 to Saturday 1.

The Children, produced by Fennec Fox Produces starts Tuesday 4 at the BT.

The Isis Magazine will be hosting a Zine-Making workshop at Keble College on Tuesday the 4th of February.

The Oxford International Film Society will be showing showing Japanese movies these next few weeks! Keep your eyes peeled on their Instagram if you want to see Angel’s Egg (1986) or The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (1939)

Why you should read: Alexander Pope

Rufus

Jones

If I asked you who the second-most quoted author was after Shakespeare, who would you say? Jane Austen? C.S. Lewis? Oscar Wilde, perhaps? The answer is Alexander Pope, someone I’m certain didn’t spring to mind. He was an 18th-century poet and translator responsible for such famous phrases as ‘damning with faint praise’, ‘eternal sunshine of the spotless mind’ and ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’ among others. Despite this accolade, he isn’t read nearly as much as he should be. His knack for the memorable phrase isn’t his only appeal, however, and Pope’s humour, bite and perspective make him well worth your time.

Alexander Pope was born in 1686 to a middle-class London family. Their Catholicism meant ordinary school wasn’t an option so Pope had to be taught to read at home. University was also off-limits meaning Pope’s education was largely self-directed. Without formal schooling, and the relationships that come with that, Pope spent most of his time in the library, immersed in the world of the Romans and Greeks of years past. His poor health only exacerbated his isolation; Pott disease, a tuberculosis of the bones, rendered him a hunchback unable to grow

past 4 foot 6 inches tall.

Pope found solace from his rather hermetic lifestyle by writing poetry and proved to be a precocious talent. By his early twenties, his first poems had been well-received and a number of literary friendships had blossomed. Fuelled no doubt by spirited coffee-house chats, Pope’s work took on a sharp edge, and he began to make a name for himself as a satirist.

An Essay on Criticism is one of Pope’s best known works and a good place to start if you’re unfamiliar with him. The poem was meant to serve both as a guide for how to write well and as a critique of all the terrible critics of his day who only got into criticism because they couldn’t write anything of merit themselves (cough cough). Its opening lines establish the conflict of the poem, whether it’s easier to be a writer or a critic:

‘Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill / Appear in writing or in judging ill; / But, of the two, less dang’rous is th’ offence / To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.’

Pope was a connoisseur of the rhyming couplet and most of his poems follow the AA, BB, CC, etc. formula. Even though his poems do go on a bit, it’s impressive that the rhymes never feel cliche. I can’t help but wonder how good Pope would have been at King’s Cup whenever anyone picked

up a nine. Since Pope loved the ancient world, he does make quite a few allusions to Graeco-Roman history and mythology. By all means look up what you don’t know but don’t fret about what you’re missing the first time around.

The barrages of rhyme are the best bit and should be appreciated without constant dashes to the footnotes.

It was with lines like ‘In poets as true genius is but rare, / True taste as seldom is the critic’s share’ that he became beloved by readers and loathed by reviewers. One such ungracious recipient of criticism was the writer John Dennis who thought the young Pope was nothing but an overconfident little brat for writing such disrespectful things about his seniors. Whenever the chance came, Dennis wrote disparaging things about Pope in the press. Pope responded in kind and a lifelong feud was born. Some were so angered by Pope’s barbs that they couldn’t contain their responses to paper, making it necessary for Pope to carry a gun when taking his dog on walks, lest he encounter an enraged victim of his pen eager to settle a score.

Pope was interested in more than just the literary world, however, and he maintained a lifelong love for the outdoors. His green thumb was evident from one glance at his massive, intricately-designed gar-

“ They couldn’t contain their responses to paper, so Pope had to carry a gun when taking his dog on walk.

den and underground grotto (which you can still visit today with special permission). The grand landscapes of Windsor that he walked as a child were the perfect subject for a pastoral poem (Windsor-Forest) and are full of glowing descriptions of the natural world. Pope’s reflections go beyond the hedgerows, however, and his appreciation for nature serves as a springboard into candid explorations of humanity’s history of violence and its disastrous consequences for the natural world.

If only for their aesthetic quality, Pope’s works are definitely worth reading. It’s clear that Pope loved playing around with language and his rhymes and word-play are the work of a genius. There is also more than meets the eye with Pope’s poetry, however, as the simplicity of his rhymes often hide subtle but poignant ideas about writing, art and human nature.

Alexander Pope, Credit: Wikimedia Commons

100 Years of the Great Gatsby

Christina Scote reflects on how F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus remains relevant today.

Comparatively few books ever make the literary canon. Even fewer are counted as among the greatest in the canon.

But The Great Gatsby is. An appreciable number of authorities on the subject have called it “the greatest American novel”. In less than 200 pages, Fitzgerald packs in extraordinary depth with an extraordinary voice, leaving us with both the lasting taste of an epoch and timeless lessons.

Published in 1925, the book turns 100 this year. So, it’s fitting that this academic year in Oxford will see two Gatsby-themed events. This Hilary, the Union are putting on a Gatsby-themed ball. This follows hot on the heels of the 93% Club Gatbsy-themed rag ball last Michaelmas. From the Union organisers’ lack of reticence about repeating a theme, we can probably deduce a rather subtle implication that they expected the two attending crowds to have little overlap.

But apart from that, it is not hard to imagine why a Gatsby theme would be a good pick for a ball. Balls are meant to be opulent, and there is no opulence more heightened than that found in the segment of 1920s American society that Fitzgerald skewers. The word for ‘glamour’ comes from an Old Scottish word for magic. In glamour there is a glimpse of the unreal, of Heaven on Earth, and you can live it for one night (if you cough up the fee for a ticket). The historical nature of the theme also offers a role-playing, escapist adventure: step into the Jazz Age, another world and time.

Of course, in the book, Gatsby’s parties have a dark side. It is understandable that we should suspend our

disbelief for a night and revel in the party. But Fitzgerald was warning us that these are sham aesthetics - cultivated by people with something to prove, populated by vultures. The attendees double as socialites and parasites. Every person who attends Gatsby’s party is using him, in a sense, for their own purposes. They drink his champagne and dance on his lawn and throw around his name but not one of his so-called ‘friends’ turns up to his funeral.

“ Fitzgerald was warning us that these are sham aesthetics—cultivated by people with something to prove, populated by vultures.

With the character of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald constructed a character study of a man with a very unhealthy psychological state. Tragically, no one around him really picked up on it. Gatsby’s most enduring character trait is he is hopeful to a fault. Everything about him turns on hope: his eyes “concentrate on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor,” and “understand you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believe in you as you would like to believe in yourself.” His extraordinary sense of hope is tied to two central dreams: wealth and the wealthy woman he loves, Daisy Buchanon. Daisy, unfortunately for Gatsby, is married to another man,

Tom. Gatsby waits for her for five years, disavowing other women, and throwing regular parties to catch a glimmer of her attention. It is a sacrifice that almost feels masochistic to watch. Like a naïve gambler with a powerful ability to delude himself, he wagers his happiness on Daisy leaving Tom to be with him.

Sometimes the flaws of fictional characters, taken to the extreme, throw our own flaws into a glaring technicolor. Hope is not generally a vice but in Gatby it is one. Gatby’s means of living was to seek a certain ideal, call it X, and think that attaining X would be his means of achieving happiness. For Gatsby, X is being with Daisy and having a lot of money. The problem is this renders him dependent on an external scenario that may or may not happen. It is not a sustainable strategy for attaining happiness. In the extremity of Gatsby’s folly we can see echoes of those today who think that they will finally be happy when they are thin enough, rich enough, loved enough, successful enough. The takeaway for all readers is that happiness is not attained by specific intermediaries; the arrow of pursuit should go directly from you to it.

But flawed as Gatsby is, another brilliant lesson in the book lies in the fact that Nick, the wise and perceptive narrator, roots for him. Gatsby’s unworldliness teaches us a prudential lesson, while society’s apathy, contrasted with Nick’s empathy, teaches us a moral one. Gatsby is morally flawed, but the people who look down upon him aren’t interested in that. They look down upon him because he is new money—tacky, and can never amount to what old money is. Nick wants

“

Sometimes the flaws of fictional characters, taken to the extreme, throw our own flaws into a glaring technicolor.

us to know that Gatsby deserves our sympathy more than the shallow, old money class he is hopelessly trying to impress. Near the end of the book, Nick finally blurts out his true feelings to Gatsby: “They’re a rotten crowd… you’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”

They really are a rotten crowd. Tom is vile and cruel. As for Daisy, the reader immediately gets a sense that she was never going to leave Tom to be with Gatsby, despite promising to wait for him. She was hedging her bets the whole time; ultimately, she proves too attached to her place in the

old-money world to leave it. Beautiful, and charming, with a voice that the ear follows “as if it is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again”, Fitzgerald is warning us about a dangerous kind of person. A dazzling trompe-lœil, a charismatic type who is by nature dangerous because they tell you what you want, but push comes to shove, will reveal that they haven’t enough backbone to fill an eggcup. Fitzgerald may grant her “inexhaustible charm”—a statement that is as much about the man who speaks it, Jay Gatsby, as the woman whom he is speaking about—but in the end, she is nothing more than a total disappointment. Some think the real villain of The Great Gatsby is the old money class. Some say it’s the empty promise of the American Dream. Others, that it’s the pursuit of an inauthentic version of that dream. For our hapless anti-hero, we have Jay Gatsby in a pink rag of a suit. For our keepsake, we have the lessons we learn.

Vintage Great Gatsby Poster,. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Credit:

Georgia Fielding

Diving below the surface: On synchronised swimming

Georgie Fielding on ten years as a competitive synchronised swimmer, and why she quit on her eighteenth birthday

Synchronised swimming is a strange and often misunderstood sport. To the untrained eye, its feet sporadically bursting through the surface of the water, garish eye-make up and obscenely high-legged costumes. The untrained eye isn’t exactly wrong. It is, after all, a strange sport. But as an ex-synchronised swimmer, I’m oddly protective of it. In 2022, its demanding nature was evidenced when an Olympic-level athlete fainted in the water mid-competition. Having spent years of my life in the pool, training to hold my breath whilst simultaneously being upside down, moving my legs, I can understand how the in

identity@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Anjola Olumoroti Section Editors: Arun Lewis, Georgia Fielding

excellent social hub and I formed close relationships with many of the girls I trained with, a handful I am still close with today.

Across 2015 and 2016, I competed in three international competitions. Balancing longer training hours (sometimes even 5am sessions) alongside GCSE’s was tricky. I occasionally had to miss school for training camps or to travel to competitions. Although I managed to succeed at my GCSE’s, I couldn’t manage both my A-levels and the sport. I grew tired of missing out on social opportunities and not having my weekends to revise or rest. I was also struggling with the pressure to perform in the sport.

I’m studying for an Mst at another. I lived in Italy for a year. I have a long-term partner and, somehow, I’ve finally found time to socialise. Do I think I could have managed all that whilst training? Personally, I don’t think so. Sacrificing the sport for my education and well-being was the best decision for me.

Nevertheless, as a 25-yearold, I appreciate the experiences my 10 years as a synchronised swimmer gave me. I fondly remember my coaches and teammates who always believed in me. Synchro taught me resilience and determination and, importantly, how to respond positively and proactively to disappointment and failure. Sometimes, I even nostalgically miss those pool-side days, laughing with teammates

“ On my 18th birthday, and at my last championship competition, I quit.

cident happened. In reality, it’s an aquatic form of ballet but with two key differences: you’re not allowed to touch the floor and you’re not allowed to breathe. However, it shares the beauty and grace of ballet: designed to look effortless, I’d forgive you for thinking it was easy. You’d also be wrong.

ready dedicating around 12

“ At the age of 11, I was already dedicating 12 hours a week to the sport

hours a week to the sport. My Saturdays and Sundays consisted of training sessions from 10am until 4pm. I competed at a national competition for the first time in 2012. From there, as my skills grew, the training and competitions became more frequent and intense. At its peak, I was requested to train on Monday, Tuesday and Friday evenings, and all-day Saturday and Sunday. Most of my friends socialised at the weekend or would hang out after school. I had to decline their offers so often they stopped asking. Thankfully, the sport provided an

As a team sport, it was important that everyone swam their best: if one person messed up the routine, the whole team suffered. While team sports craft a sense of community and belonging, as I got older, I also saw they could be ugly. What was most distressing was having to compete against my team members, my longest standing friends, to be selected for the competition squad. We spent every weekend together, saw each other grow up and mature and supported one another on difficult days. But we all wanted to compete and win medals and, unfortunately, there was only room for a select few. Having to compete for a duet place against one of my closest friends was the final straw.

On my 18th birthday, and at my last championship competition, I quit. I spent a few years coaching but when I moved to university to complete my undergraduate degree, I lost contact with the sport entirely.

It is now nearly seven years since I made the decision to leave the synchro world. Would I go back? Probably not. In that time, I’ve got an MA degree from one prestigious university, and

and the incredible feeling of success when our hard work paid off. Yet at the same time, the competitive nature of sport made me feel likeI wasn’t good enough. It taught me that a bronze medal was good but not good enough.

Seven years and countless therapy sessions later, I have learnt to be proud of all the medals I have stashed away at home, whether bronze, silver or gold. I admire my former teammates who persevered and made it to the highest level possible. But I am also happy I stopped when I did.

And yet, despite it all, I still can’t help but feel a sense of warmth whenever I catch a glimpse of synchro-legs in an advert, or snuck into a film.

Mixed experience

Arun Lewis is a section editor at Identity.

I’d like to make clear that I’ve never suffered prejudice because of being half-Indian and half-British. I’m the world’s stealthiest South-Asian (blame my British side), and as such can’t claim, as so many others rightfully can, to have been the victims of hate or bigotry because of inviolable aspects of who they are. As someone of mixed-descent, the issues I have are different. I’ve fallen into a weird limbo on culture, on community affiliation and which languages I speak.

Having spent much of my life, bar a few months visiting India, in the UK, I’m detached from the sweeping linguistic toolkit my mum’s family have. My family come from opposite ends of the subcontinent, so I’ve got a range of possible tongues to learn: Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali. But aside from some rudimentary pleasantries, my Hindi is as good as my French - non-existent. Attempts to be eloquent in English might be a subconscious attempt to compensate for my lack of a linguistic inheritance. I’ve suffered no harm for my lack of Punjabi wordsmithery, but I wonder what conversations I could’ve had with family members past and present which I missed due to it. I wonder what ideas and memories my grandfather could have talked about more easily in Bengali, rather than English.

Culturally, I don’t sit at ease in either English or Indian spaces. Whenever I’ve visited a temple, I’ve felt like an outsider, an intruder into a space I don’t really understand. I grasp the basics of Hinduism - the many deities and a few stories like Hanuman and Devi Durga - but I lack a real understanding of what the space means to those who believe. Yet whenever I enter a church, I feel like an interloper. I can’t stomach some of the more

rogue dishes English cuisine has to offer, yet I’ve also got the spice tolerance of a leaf. One mildly spicy bite and I’m reaching for the milk, but I can’t claim to be a fan of sausage rolls. I don’t find either English, British or Indian nationalism particularly appealing or inspiring: an irrational belief in the supremacy of one country doesn’t land when, by my very nature, I’m tied to two. I feel those talismans of identity, communal spaces and shared experiences, are out of reach. Not from any exclusivity from within these communities - both sides of my family have always been decent to me. Even far-flung relatives in India, who become ‘auntie’, ‘uncle’, or ‘cousin’ as I forget their names, have always shown great kindness and love towards me. But I feel like having a foot in two camps has left me understanding neither, with no banner to steady my identity when facing doubts.

My family has done their best to give me an upbringing that balances both sides, so even my name is evenly split. The first two Indian, the last two English. But I still feel the opposing pulls of history. One side of my family ruled over the other, one opposed empire whilst the other worked to maintain it. Squaring the cultural circle is tough, trying to find that happy medium of being at ease without offending either side of a family. Without knowing where to stand before you’re old enough to have your own opinion, you’re left making slightfaux paus against both sides without the history and cultural understanding to know what to say.

Being based in the UK also skews my read on what being Indian means to me. I don’t feel like...

A Muslim’s Perspective on Christmas Ayan Haji on

Christmastime in a Muslim household

Growing up Muslim meant going without celebration on Christmas Day. A peek into my family home would show a rather unremarkable day. No tree adorns the living room, no lights wrap around the banister, and there are certainly no stockings on the mantelpiece. Breakfast passes without any utterances of ‘Merry Christmas’, dinner comes about without any fanfare. Perhaps Christmas lunch will be spaghetti this year. Even so, I have come to look forward to the day.

There are certainly benefits to Christmastime as a Muslim. My father was always happy for double pay on a bank holiday. My mother was certainly grateful for the days off work, and the chocolates she received from the parents of her students who were in a festive, and bountiful mood. I, too, am grateful for the winter vac.

As a rather devout Muslim, I have never much yearned for a traditional Christmas. It is true that Christmas is heavily commercialised, perhaps to a point where it has become somewhat detached from its original religious meaning. It is celebrated by some atheists, Christians, and some Muslims alike. However, personally, the idea of celebrating Christmas makes me slightly uneasy – after all, it is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The pomp of Eid twice a year was enough to satisfy my childish need for celebration and I have never much liked turkey. My parents lovingly laboured to make these days as special as any Christmas. Eid ul-Adha was marked with feasts of tender lamb and rice. Eid ul-Fitr means our home is

decorated with a balloon arch displaying ‘EID MUBARAK’, tentatively held up with Sellotape in the absence of helium. As children, my sister and I begrudgingly wore matching

“

But from the outside peering in on Christmas, it will be another unremarkable December day.

dresses with a slip-on bedazzled kids’ hijab to the masjid, returned home to open a new LEGO set or Nintendo DS, and ate like kings. Eids, now that we are adults, look much the same (sans LEGO, unfortunately).

The holiday season has always been a source of amusement for me. I partook in primary school carol concerts, singing ‘Jingle Bells’ with equal enthusiasm as ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. One year, I even played the titular ‘Penguin Pete’ in my school’s Christmas play, a source of particular pride for me, though the role was split between three people. However, as the schools closed for the Christmas break, all sense of participation in Christmas, in the traditional sense, stopped. This is not to say that Christmas Day comes without ritual. I don’t celebrate per se but Christmas Day comes with some tradition. For example, I eagerly await the TV programme. As a Londoner I am almost never bored in a city with endless activities. This changes, naturally, on the only day of the year where everything is closed. Cooped

up inside, flicking through channels from morning til night has become the protocol. Christmas Day marks the one day a year I allow myself to watch EastEnders, perhaps my most longstanding tradition. I remember with particular clarity the 2011 episode where a B&B explodes (upon reflection, perhaps seven was too young to watch this).

As a young child, I must admit one thing which aroused jealousy: my friends’ Christmas presents. Returning to school on a bleak January morning, most were exchanging tales of the many wrapped presents and stocking fillers alike they had opened on the fateful 25th of December. I stood, smiling, with no tales to tell of my own. The next Eid could not come fast enough, where I could boast of my presents the day after.

Now, I look forward to Christmas even though I don’t celebrate. This year, I am keenly anticipating Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Before this, I will switch between the permanent features of Christmas TV. Perhaps I will catch the first half of Bridget Jones’ Diary, or the last half of Die Hard after watching my annual episode of EastEnders. I will gorge on chocolate generously gifted from neighbours, and friends alike. On Boxing Day, I will go to Sainsbury’s and buy a packet of reduced-price mince pies (after meticulously checking that the ingredients don’t contain any alcohol) and then watch the football. In the run up to Christmas, I perhaps will admire the lights in central London, maybe pop into a Christmas market. But from the outside peering in on Christmas, it will be another unremarkable December day.

I’m autistic. Why are you surprised?

Georgia

Fielding is

a

section editor at Identity.

Starting a postgraduate course at a new university means starting fresh. People know nothing about you and, as an autistic individual, I often worry that my new classmates and professors think I am rude, too quiet or just “off”. It turns out, however, that I am an expert at masking.

For those who don’t know, masking involves a neurodivergent person suppressing their neurodivergent traits and characteristics in order to appear neurotypical. Due to patriarchal gender stereotypes, women are more likely to mask than men, with girls taught from a young age to behave in a certain way. It’s no wonder, then, that I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 18. Six years on from my diagnosis, I make more of an effort to unmask: consistently pretending to be someone you’re not is exhausting. Nonetheless,

when I sat down with an academic staff member for the first time and explained to them that I would like to incorporate autism into my paper because “I myself am actually autistic”, I was taken aback by their reaction.

Eyes wide, mouth open, hands slapped on the table as if gripping onto it for support - they were a picture of shock.

“Really!? You don’t seem it!”, they exclaimed, aghast.

Needless to say, this is not an unfamiliar reaction.

“ Do I just laugh and awkwardly move on? Mostly, I just roll my

Even friends of the same age have responded with disdain and disbelief. I haven’t yet figured out the correct way to respond: do I show them my six-page NHS diagnosis? Do I politely encourage them to do some research into the

I get jealous of children at airports. Whenever I travel back to Poland, my country of birth, I look nostalgically at those carefree little humans; their time in the UK was just a vacation with a predefinedbeginning and an end, and now they were returning to their one and only home. Every day upon their return, they would speak Polish, see Polish car registration plates, pay in Polish currency, and not question any of it. I am jealous of the lack of questioning. Before writing this article, I asked my friends what they find hardest about being an international student. They mentioned challenges I have already adapted to, like managing different expectations in academia, navigating

variety of ways autism can present itself? Or do I just laugh and awkwardly move on? Most of the time, I opt to roll my eyes and continue with the conversation.

The lack of awareness for autism (and neurodivergent people in general) is concerning. This is particularly true when this lack of awareness occurs amongst professionals, such as professors or job recruiters, who possess a significant amount of authority. According to the government-backed review into autism and employment, “Autistic people face the largest pay gap of all disability groups”. Saddeningly, just three in ten autistic adults are in employment. This compares to five in 10 for all other disabilities and eight in ten for those with no disability.

These are disturbing figures. Admittedly, until recently, I didn’t completely understand how these figures had come to be. I have had six different jobs since I was 17, in a variety

unfamiliar healthcare, and overcoming the language barriers. They also listed challenges I struggle with most of the time, like not fitting in anywhere, missing your family and friends, and facing the impermanence of building a home in a place you might not stay. To me, underlying all these challenges is the fear of choosing wrong. Whenever you make a choice, you can always wonder: have I chosen correctly? And if the choice concerns something as major as building your life, the fear of choosing wrong can be paralysing. Imagine constantly fighting with this scenario in the back of your mind you will eventually realise that moving was a mistake, but it will be too

Credit: Amelia Woon

of industries. Yet, when I received an email congrat-

“ Typing “disability adjustments” into the search bar yielded “NO RESULTS”.

ulating me for making it to the next round of interviews for a summer job, the employment gap for autistic people suddenly became sickeningly clear.

The second part of the re -

late to go back and start from scratch because everyone will be so far ahead, you might as well give up trying. What does it even mean, far ahead? As my anxiety says, it is about settling with loved ones: friends, partners, children; growing roots together. But here comes the rebuttal: I came here just over a month ago and have already met people who feel like good friends; they get me. We would be having dinner and I would feel a sense of familiarity that I no longer feel with some old friends back home. And this new-found familiarity is what I hang onto in moments of doubt. As I get older, I have a clearer sense of what I am looking for in people, and I find it. Every time I move, I

cruitment process, I was informed, was an online assessment, consisting of an aptitude test and a personality test. The aptitude test contained a mix of maths and logic-based questions, and I was expected to work my way through 50 of them in just 15 minutes. Since processing speeds can sometimes be slower for autistic individuals, and with no option for extra time, this test put me at a disadvantage compared to my neurotypical competitors (I must add that...

Read the ful article at oxfordstudent.com

eventually find it. Maybe staying in one place would leave me lonelier than constantly moving but always finding the people I need at each stage of my life.

When I came with these doubts to my college counsellor, she gave me helpful advice: if you think Oxford might become home for you, make it so already. Stop seeing it as a temporary space. Invest in decorating your room, buy plants, find your favourite pub, and become a local. Treat Oxford like it is home already and maybe it will allow you to let go.

Maria Obrebska on life as an international student

science@oxfordstudent.com

Why your gut knows best

Patricia Nalule discusses how gut microbes shape mental health

Our ancestors evolved into a world that was, and still is, fundamentally microbial. While we often associate microorganisms with devastating diseases — like vibrio cholerae, which the Victorians dubbed the ‘blue death’, and the infamous Yersinia pestis that killed an estimated 30 – 50 percent of the entire population of Europe during the late Middle Ages — these pathogenic microbes represent but a small fraction of an ancient community of organisms that are vital to our wellbeing and survival.

The human gastrointestinal tract hosts a complex ecosystem of microorganisms, primarily bacteria but also viruses, fungi, and archaea, collectively known as the gut microbiota. This microbial community plays a pivotal role in maintaining our physiology, metabolism, and im-

mune function. The millions of bacteria in our gut ‘talk’ to the brain in what is known as the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication system between the gut and the brain involving the nervous system, hormones, and the immune

“ Dietry changes have a significant impact on bacterial composition.

system. This back-and-forth communication affects our digestive health, but scientists are only just beginning to understand how important this ‘microbiome-gut-brain axis’ is for our emotional wellbeing and even mental abilities. It is estimated that 90% of the body’s serotonin – a key

neurotransmitter crucial for regulating mood, anxiety and cognitive function - is produced by enterochromaffin cells in the gut epithelium. Research have shown promising results with probiotics, which are live microorganisms administered in appropriate amounts, in managing symptoms of anxiety and depression. In a 30-day study, healthy volunteers receiving probiotics showed reduced cortisol levels and reported improved psychological effects that were comparable to those taking Diazepam, a commonly used anti-anxiety medication. Though the exact mechanisms of action are unknown, studies of probiotics in rats have found that oral ingestion of Bifidobacterium infantis resulted in increased tryptophan, a serotonin precursor, and GABA, a calming neurotransmitter.

The gut microbiome demon-

strates remarkable plasticity, with dietary changes having a significant impact on the gut bacterial composition in as little as 24 hours. While there is no ‘normal’ microbiome as everyone’s gut is unique, the Mediterranean diet composed of whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and only certain animal products (fish and poultry) has been shown to have beneficial effects on gut health. However, it is important to note that antibiotics, while being effective against pathogens, canpathogens can disrupt this ecosystem through the non-selective elimination of both harmful and beneficial microbes. Despite emerging research showing promising insights into microbiome-based interventions, until we better understand how gut microbiota influence the health of our mind, probiotics cannot be considered a reliable alternative to conventional psychiatric medications for treating anxiety and depression.

mRNA Therapy Shows Promise for Pre-Eclampsia

It’s no secret that women’s health remains underfunded and understudied, with only 1% of research and development focused on a limited number of women-specific related health conditions. Concerningly, around 800 women die from preventable pregnancy or childbirth-related conditions every day. There are countless

reasons as to why women have been excluded from pharmaceutical research - historical bias, using the male body as the norm, greater barriers to entry, particularly in developing drugs for pregnancy… the list goes on. These gaps in our medical knowledge mean we lack effective treatments for many health conditions affecting women. Let’s take pre-eclampsia as an example, a dangerous condition that affects 3-5% of pregnancies, and contributes to more than 50,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 foetal deaths worldwide. It arises after 20 weeks of gestation,

likely due to a dysfunctional placenta releasing toxic factors into the maternal circulation. Characterised by hypertension, abnormal amounts of protein in urine and other systemic disturbances, it poses significant short and long term risks to the mother and foetus. If left untreated, multiorgan failure, seizures, stroke and fetal growth restriction occur.

Current treatments available focus on managing symptoms early rather than the underlying cause, and inducing delivery may be necessary. However, promising new therapies are on the rise. In a

recent publication in Nature, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that delivering mRNA encoding VEGF protein, a blood-vessel growth factor, to the placenta reduces signs of pre-eclampsia in mouse models with minimal effects on the fetus. Like Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, delivery is mediated by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These are spherical particles consisting of a single lipid bilayer, with various components to protect RNA and facilitate its transport.

Read full article on our website

Editor: Amelia Bryan

Editors: Nicola Kalita, Patricia Nalule, Mominah Ramzan

Human figure with bacteria. Credit: Monstera production

Woman gets ultrasound. Credit: Mart Production

Planetary parades and eclipses: the cosmological events of 2025

Amelia Bryan dicusses celestial events to look forward to this year

As we head into 2025 it is important to remember that there is plenty going on above our heads, and this year is set to be especially eventful. We started the year with the annual Quadrantid meteor shower and there are many more celestial events to come.

If you missed this meteor shower there are many more to look forward to this year, a list of which can be found on the Royal Museums Greenwich website . Meteor showers occur when interplanetary matter burns up in the atmosphere at around 100 km above us. When this matter enters the atmosphere it is completely evaporated and the air in the path of it is ionised. This is where we see the light come from, as the ionised

gas and evaporation particles emit radiation. When the Earth is in the path of many of these meteors, it becomes a meteor shower. Each one has a comet from which the meteors originate, and as the comet orbits the sun it creates debris which the Earth moves into.

One of the best planetary events we have seen in years is expected to occur throughout January and February, this is often termed the ‘planet pa rade’. With four planets being visible to the na ked eye - Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. A further two, Neptune and Uranus, will be visible through a tele scope. An alignment of over 5 planets is relatively rare and

the next is expected to occur in 2040. However, there is plenty of time to see them as they will be visible for about a month, until late February.

Also expected is a partial solar eclipse, where the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, similar to what occurred in North America last year. Though, do not expect this eclipse to be as dramatic, as only 30% of the sun will be blocked when viewing from London. This is expected to take place on 29 March 2025, with maximal coverage at 11:03am, and will be visible from all parts of the UK. If you miss this eclipse you can still expect to see 5 before the decade is finished, but if you’re hoping for a total eclipse visible from the UK the next will be in 2090.

While not as exciting as the solar eclipse, the lunar eclipse is still set to provide many beautiful views. During the lunar eclipse the moon will appear to turn dark red, as the only light reaching the moon is being refracted back from Earth’s atmosphere. This will be on 7th September 2025.

For those interested in the moon, there will be three su-

permoons in 2025. One is termed the Hunters moon7th October, one the Beaver moon - 5th November, and the other the Cold moon - 4th December. During the super moon it will appear up to 14% brighter and 30% bigger. This celestial phenomenon occurs when the moon is at its closest point in orbit, called a lunar perigee.

What Happens While You Sleep? The Science You Need to

Know

Mominah Ramzan discusses sleep stages, importance and tips

Sleep — it’s something we all do; yet few of us truly understand. Remarkably, a third of our lives are spent sleeping. However, for something so fundamental to our lives, many know little about sleep, and more importantly what you can be doing to improve its quality.

Breaking down sleep simply,

there are 4 stages separated by REM and Non-REM sleep.

Stage 1 - Non-REM sleep. The change from being awake to sleepy, within the first 5-10 minutes of sleep. As your brain begins to slow down, and muscles relax, your heartbeat becomes regular and eye movements slow. The brain waves that occur in your brain’s fron-

tal lobe are still produced.

Stage 2 - Light, Non-REM sleep. Lasting roughly 20 minutes per cycle, this is the stage people spend most of their nights asleep in. Your heart rate and breathing continues to slow, body temperature drops, and sleep spindles form. These are brief bursts of rapid, rhythmic brainwave activity, which

sleep. Slow brain waves, called delta waves, are found in this stage, contrib uting to the re freshed feeling you experience when you wake up in the morning. It is the most difficult for external stimuli to awaken you during deep sleep, while your body consolidates any learning or memories, as well as begins physical repairs.

well as an increase in heart rate, and irregular breathing partners. Your body is temporarily paralysed, preventing you from actually acting out your dreams.

act as a shield, preventing external stimuli from waking you up.

Stage 3 - Deep, Non-REM

Stage 4 - REM sleep. Rapid eye movement, REM, sleep occurs ~90 minutes after falling asleep. Your brain activity looks similar to that of when you’re awake, with your eyes moving rapidly underneath your eyelids. Dreaming is most common during this stage, as

All stages of the sleep cycle are important, but particularly REM, as it contributes to memory retention, emotional processing and even protection against dementia. In fact, newborns spend most of their sleep during REM, due to its contribution to brain development.

Many people experience sleep deprivation, however its long term effects can be damaging.....

Read the full article at www. oxfordstudent.com

Meteor in the night sky. Credit: Oleg Moroz

Yellow alarm clock. Credit: kaboompics

Melania Trump on her choice of hatwear for the inaugaration: “I suddenly became bigheaded!”

oxyou@oxfordstudent.com

The OxYou

| Deputy Editor: Jan Maciejewski | Section Editors: Arun Lewis, Lara Murrani, Kit Renshaw-Hammond

Stating, Personally

OxYou’s exclusive look at the average sociology personal statement written for UCAS...

I’ve lived in a society for a while now, and it’s got me thinking — which is good. Watching ‘Tipping Point’ on ITV with my Nan made me think a lot, especially about the futility of human life and chronic gambling addictions. I analogised the symbolic tipping counters to the culture of risk-taking in teenagers and as a result, stopped my sister from voting in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. From then on, it was a slippery slope into my intimate fascination with the rise of secularism.

I am literally obsessed with Sociology — I cannot stress this enough. Please let me onto your course. Having stolen a dolphin balloon when I was five, I am hyper-aware of the psychological impulses which drive members of society to commit crime. I have consciously checked my unconscious bias with regard to theft, and I feel my conscious checking of my unconscious bias demonstrates my unconscious loyalty to the liberal left.

I am particularly excited to study the ‘Crime and Punishment’ section of the Sociology course, because I anticipate that my time at university will involve social malaise including, but not limited to, drunken behaviour, gross indecency, and embezzlement. My friend having anxiety means I have work experience in care; each time we go into town, I do the ordering at Wetherspoons (even though there’s an app). This work experience has expanded my horizons in empathy, which I can now teach to men generally. I am also aware that this is a stereotype and would love to explore the roles stereotypes play in our society with my all-female coursemates.

Learning to challenge the status quo is a fundamental part of my identity. Or is it? See, I believe in ethical practice, and ethically practice things all the time. For example, when I get a new handbag, I ensure it is at least twice the size

of my pug and never second hand, which I believe develops the skills needed to become a practical sociologist, making me perfect for your course.

Studying History at A Level has led my inquiring mind to discover that we’ve lived in a society for a really long time. Through this course, I developed transferable skills such as close reading and analysing the repercussions of sociological change. Depth studies on Russia and China have exposed me to the fact that communism might not be all good, which is hard to reconcile with my TikTok ‘For You’ page. My longstanding parasocial relationship with Marx means that I can argue the merits of his work with greater authority, given I have the inside scoop, which I have monetised by offering life skills coaching. I applied my reading of Marx and Engels when I visited a Pizza Hut, evaluating the efficacy of the salad bar as a communist case study. I concluded that communal resources should be cleaned regularly, and should have segregated tongs. My knowledge was expanded by reading Roger Hargreaves ‘Mr Men: Mr Tickle’, leading me to consider the pros and cons of altruism with regards to the nanny state. Applying sociological concepts to the modern day is important to me and I believe the practice offers fresh insights — unlike the salad, which was not fresh at all.

To be honest, I’m great. Let me on your course. It’s the only one I really like and there’s a 24-hour McDonalds nearby. Everyone I’ve ever met has said how nice I am, so please, please, give me a place, preferably with reduced contextual grades. In my spare time I cry at WaterAid adverts, litter, and work at my local takeaway. I believe that my great breadth of experience in every crevice of society makes me an ideal candidate to explore the nuances of Sociology. As I always say (RIP JFK): Ask not what your society can do for you, but what you can do for your society.

Read the full article on the OxStu website.

IRory Stewart and Alistair Campbell set to announce Las Vegas Residency; Trump considering deportation.

t’s that unfortunate time of the year again: New Year’s Resolutions. Getting into shape and sorting out your family dynamics may look impossible. But, since everyone’s doing it, let’s suggest some New Year’s Resolutions for 2025. If you don’t like them, fantastic! You might realise how bonkers they are. Avoid getting sucked into the Union. Though the Union’s appeal isn’t empty, with impressive guest speakers and stimulating debates, walk through the doors on a Thursday and you’ll see bare-knuckle student politics with less actual importance, and more vitriol than a Christ Church student forced to interact with a poorer college. For too many poor souls, walking through that narrow gate is akin to being sucked into a black hole. Friendships, hobbies, your course — nothing is safe from the time-sink that is the union. Don’t get a VOI after a big night out. Despite what your brain is telling you after a strong night in Bridge, you are not a top-level trapeze artist, and your balance shows you up for it. Binning it down High Street in a VOI is a brilliant idea to get home fast — right until the humble pothole sends you arse-over-face into the tarmac. Next time, just walk.

Talk to your flatmates. According to studies by respected thinkers — by which I mean my five minute shower thoughts — it’s been suggested

that whilst Oxford doesn’t operate a standard accommodation system, there is actually nothing stopping you from talking to the people you share a building with. Some might be odd, but what’s a little mental instability between friends? Better yet, if they do something bizarre, forgo maturely discussing it, and post about it on Oxfess instead!

Discover what St Peter’s is. The only thing I know about Peter’s is that they’ve got the occasional funny football account Instagram post — guaranteed to get at least a chuckle, if not a full snort (different story with rugby lads: they’re always snorting something). A goal for this term could be to discover if Peter’s, and other small colleges, actually exists. If you do confirm life exists beyond Oxford city centre, you can then see what wonders these extra-terrestrial colleges contain. You might be amazed to discover that they’ve started admitting women. Do we honestly think you’ll do most, if any of these resolutions? Not a jot. You’re busy enough already. But try something in the New Year, even if it’s actually moving towards a driving license rather than an off-license, or committing to a new hobby for more than half a month. 2025 can’t be any worse than 2024 - why not make it just as odd?

Read the full article on the OxStu website.

Chloe Smith

Credit: Canva

Credit: Bauschron

Arun Lewis

Luke ‘The Nuke’s’ Triumph at the PDC World Championship

Seventeen-year-old Luke Littler kicked off the new year with a tremendous victory, defeating Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 in the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace and making history as the youngest player ever to win the title.

After a remarkable run to the final last year, where he was narrowly denied victory by current world number one, Luke Humphries, the 2025 championship offered Littler a chance for redemption and an opportunity to prove that his impressive performance in 2024 was no fluke.

With a strong season behind him, the Warrington prodigy was favourite to win this year, especially after a comfortable 6-1 victory over Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals. However, the task was a challenging one as to emerge victorious, Littler would have to overcome none other than three-time PDC World Champion, ‘Mighty Mike’ himself. Although the match began with a shaky start, with both

players visibly nervous, Littler quickly took control, racing away with a 4-0 lead and leaving Van Gerwen to play catchup. However, both players averaged over 100 showcasing the high standard of play in the final. Throwing twelve

“ A chance for redemption and an oppurutnity to prove that his impressive performance in 2024 was no fluke.

180s and never failing to hit a double 10, Littler made life difficult for the Dutchman, who struggled to recover. Van Gerwen hit only 14 of his 38 double attempts which ultimately proved costly in his pursuit of a comeback. Littler ended the night with an average of 102 and an incredible

56% on the double.

The victory came with more than the hefty cash prize of £500,000 and the prestigious trophy presented by Olympic icon Sir Chris Hoy. It also significantly improved Littler’s world ranking. Having entered his debut final of 2024 ranked 164th, Littler had already jetted his way up to 4th place going into this championship. Now with this win under his belt he secured world number two, positioning him well to challenge Humphries for the top spot.

Sir Keir Starmer’s congratulatory words to the young teen illustrates just how special the occasion was. The prime minister described his performance as ‘mesmerising’ and suggested he should be proud, not just of himself but for what he has achieved for the sport as a whole.

Littler’s win also seems to have caught the eye of fellow teen sports star Emma Raducanu who at a press conference ahead of her first round in the Australian Open ex-

pressed admiration for the dart wunderkind, claiming she would to meet him and find out more about the secret to his success.

More broadly, Littler’s performance has led to a huge surge in interest around darts,with

“ Littler quickly took control, racing away with a 4-0 lead and leaving Van Gerwen to play catch-up.

what is being termed the ‘Littler effect’. Clubs across the country are struggling to meet the demand, with many running extra sessions and drawing up long waiting lists due to the number of children eager to get involved and follow in their hero’s footsteps.

Mike Laws, head coach of the Hull Junior Darts Academy told the BBC that the club’s membership has almost doubled in the last year. He stated that ‘with Luke Littler, they’ve seen what he can do and obviously they want to do it’. Even supermarket giant ASDA has felt the effects of Littler’s spectacular win, commenting that sales of dartboards increased by 1900% during the tournament.

Moving forward, Littler told Sky Sports that he believes he ‘has the ability’ to break Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor’s astounding record of 16 World Dart Championship titles. ‘If I want it, I’m sure I’ll do it’ was Littler’s statement. Famous for a series of pictures showcasing him playing Darts at just 18 months, and clinching his first major title at the age of 14, there is every reason to believe this possibility.

Are you trying to convince poeple that your sport is not irrelevant? oxstu.sport@gmail.com

The ‘Maher’ Effect

Ella Cody explores the rise of womens rugby and the power of social media.

Despite the UK being very much known for Rugby, with Twickenham Stadium referred to as ‘the Home of Rugby’, women’s rugby at a league level has not been afforded the same stature. Even with rugby in England, where the Red Roses made their mark on the sport internationally, being ranked the number one team in the world and beating France in 2023 securing the Women’s Six Nations trophy - as well as setting an attendance record for a women’s international rugby match.

On a club level in England, there is the Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby, a club competition for nine teams. One of those teams is the Bristol Bears who play at both Shaftesbury Park, which is their regular stadium, and Ashton Gate - with Ashton Gate allowing for bigger

crowds at a capacity of 27,000, as compared to 112.

Bristol Bears have shot into the spotlight since December, with the arrival of rugby sportswoman, social media star, and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ runner-up Ilona Maher.

The announcement of her arrival came 2nd December, and in a matter of two days Bristol Bears had to switch stadiums for their upcoming fixture. The Bears v Gloucester-Hartpury fixture which was originally meant to be played at Shaftesbury Park was inundated with demand resulting in the move.

This demonstrates the power of social media and the stars they have produced. Rugby player Ilona Maher has 4.8 million followers alone on Instagram, more than 5 times the amount that the Bears women have. Maher is known for both her success in rugby and her emphasis on body positivity

and expression. Despite this lack of following, the tag feature on instagram meant that those who are purely fans of Maher were able to see her move to this club, and potentially go on to explore this area of sport in England.

The match was played on 5th January, and despite the Bears losing, there was a record crowd of 9,240 for a women’s game at Ashton Gate stadium. This record attendance has been accredited to the arrival of Maher, who despite not being certain to play, was able to bring the crowd. This appreciation and spotlight on women’s rugby in England can be connected with the growth of women’s sport in England as a whole. Women’s matches, whether in football or now rugby, have seen an incline in attendance adding to the recognition of these sports and it is spectacular to see.

Even with this incredible turnout for Bristol Bears, Maher has been outspoken about such a rise in attendance, and for it not to be a one-off. Rather, she has emphasised the importance of people coming and loving the game, urging more people to connect with the sport. This is because of such a focus on women’s rugby now in the UK, this popularity should not be just because of the arrival of a player like that of Ilona Maher, but rather because of the game itself, in order to maintain sustainability.

Echoing Maher, in order for women’s sport to grow sustainably we should be wary of sporadic turnouts. This is due to the fact that as fans, we want to see the game consistently grow and for people to fall in love with whichever Read the full article at oxfordstudent.com

Arsenal vs Aston Villa: 2-2

Ollie Watkins and Aston Villa place held Arsenal to a draw which dents their title challenge

Struggles continue for Manchester United as they suffer a fourth loss in six leauge games Manchester United vs Brighton: 1-3

Bazball Expands: a new era for England’s white-ball team

England celebrate the 2022 T20 World Cup Credit: Wikimedia

Haris Book

Following a revelatory ascension in Test cricket, Bazball is extending to the white-ball games, with Brendon McCullum beginning his tenure as coach this week.

When McCullum was named England’s Test coach in 2022, he was faced with a red-ball

side in need of revival, contrasting sharply with a well-established white-ball side. Now, as he takes the helm of in the wake of his revolution in Test cricket, the situation could not be more different.

Over the last two years, England have lost both their world titles. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, they managed to lose six of their opening seven

games despite being reigning champions of the format. In T20s, they crawled to the semi-final in the 2024 World Cup without ever truly putting together a coherent performance against a top side.

The complete demise of the white-ball side has left the ECB hoping that McCullum’s Test revolution can spread to the game’s other formats. McCullum has stated that his desire is for ‘a watchable brand of cricket’.

That hope and desire are being thrown straight into the deep end this month with a packed white-ball calendar. England are set to play three ODIs and five T20s against India, before competing in the Champions Trophy across the border in Pakistan.

The idiosyncratic red-ball

approach, expressing an eagerness to attack aggressively with bat and ball, is already on display before any cricket has been played.

Absent are England’s medium-fast bowlers, with quicks very much the emphasis.

Much of this new injection of

“ Expressing an eagerness to attack aggressivley

pace comes from the returns of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. McCullum said of his decision, ‘Pace just adds that little bit of uncomfortableness for the opposition and allows a bit more margin for error too.’

With the bat, Joe Root’s return to the ODI squad for the first time since the 2023 World Cup promises excitement. The new era of English white-ball cricket begins with a T20 against India at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which will provide an interesting test out of the gate. The core of the team has shifted dramatically since they won the T20 World Cup in the summer, following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the format. Further uncertainty is provided by the absence of India’s fast-bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, due to injury. Although appearing well poised on paper, the expansion of Bazball is set to face a true baptism of fire over the next two months.

Haaland signs record breaking deal

Haris Book discusses the new longest contract in Premier

Leauge

football

Erling Haaland has signed a record 9.5-year contract with Manchester City, marking the longest domestic football deal. His new term sees him commit his long-term future to the club until 2034 in exchange for a reported £500,000 per week base salary.

The prolific talisman signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. Since then, he has won every major domestic trophy on offer whilst scoring 112 goals in 127 games. The prospect of another 10 years of Haaland haunting Premier League defenders is a daunting thought. If he continued with his unprecedented 0.9 goals per game ratio, he would

Puzzles

break Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goal record of 260 by 2030, with several years to spare.

The length of the deal is equally as unprecedented as the striker’s proficiency, but it is fundamentally smart business because it ensures long-term stability. By signing Haaland until 2034, the champions have removed all possibility that he could be prised away in the prime of his career for a loss.

There has been an increasing trend in recent years of worldclass players running down their contracts in the prime of their careers before leaving on free transfers, such as Kylian Mbappé with his sum-

mer move to Real Madrid. The

“

The prospect of another decade of Haaland haunting Premier Leauge defenders is a daunting thought

Liverpool trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah all finish their contracts at the end of the season and have been

Sudoku - Easy

linked with moves away from the club. To lose one of these players for free would be dire; to lose all three would be catastrophic.

Haaland’s new deal is also a brazen rebuke of Manchester City’s critics. Securing one of football’s global mega-stars for the next decade whilst staring down the barrel of the over 100 charges brought against the club by the Premier League feels frivolous and care-free. Threats of relegation, fines, point deduction and potentially being stripped of past titles have not affected the club’s mentality and business. The club has always denied any wrongdoing, and they are certainly acting that

way.

Good news has been sparse for City fans recently, having slumped to fifth in the Premier League table due to inconsistent performances and injuries to key players, leaving them 12 points behind leaders Liverpool. But the guarantee of many more years of Haaland dominance will certainly be a small consolation prize. With manager Pep Guardiola recently signing a two-year extension as well as the club already purchasing two center-backs in the January transfer window and the arrival of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt imminent, the club’s prospects appear to be improving.

The Oxford Student - Week 1 Hilary 2025

O XFORD S TUDENT

The University of Oxford’s Student Newspaper, est. 1991

Postgrad society in legal squabble with Oxford Union

Christ Church investment wars

The Rad

Cam Period Problem

Editorial Team

Ananya Parakh Brasenose College

Bill Nighy spotted filming at Worcester

Christ Church in investment battle

François Hollande and rapper Common to speak at the Oxford Union

Oxford Postgraduate Society accuses Oxford Union of “passing off”

Tractors on Oxford High Street as farmers protest inheritance tax changes

What is Oxford like from

Brian Cox speaks to Union T

City Council pens election concerns

SU to include Common Rooms reps

SU survey finds support for introduc-

tion of a reading week

Ellison Institute to invest £130m in Oxford University

Labour’s Education Reforms: The Way for a Fairer System?

Navalny’s Legacy

Tell

the Truth, Spread the Truth

Americans, Too, Have Had Enough of Experts

“

Profiles

Talk to my Manager!

Thing That Art Is”

The Rad Cam Period Problem

100 years of OUCA

Georgie Allan reflects on the recent centenary celebration of the

Oxford University Conservative Association.

LA fires set social media ablaze

Culture

Losing my Divinity Reflections on the Bodleian Library’s Oracles, Omens and Answers Exhibition curated by David Zeitlyn and Dr Michelle Aroney.

2Bests of

“The Earth is The Answer” Ana Pasa reviews Samatha Harvey’s Orbital, winner of the 2024 Booker

Prize

A Crappy Christmas in Catalonia

Sasha Foubister tells us about some... interesting Catalan holiday traditions

What’s On?

Why you should read: Alexander Pope

100 Years of the Great Gatsby

Georgia Fielding

Diving below the surface: On synchronised swimming

Mixed experience

A Muslim’s Perspective on Christmas Ayan Haji on

I’m autistic. Why are you surprised?

Why your gut knows best

Patricia Nalule discusses how gut microbes shape mental health

mRNA Therapy Shows Promise for Pre-Eclampsia

Planetary parades and eclipses: the cosmological events of 2025

Amelia Bryan dicusses celestial events to look forward to this year

What Happens While You Sleep? The Science You Need to

Know

Mominah Ramzan discusses sleep stages, importance and tips

The OxYou

Stating, Personally

OxYou’s exclusive look at the average sociology personal statement written for UCAS...

Luke ‘The Nuke’s’ Triumph at the PDC World Championship

The ‘Maher’ Effect

Ella Cody explores the rise of womens rugby and the power of social media.

Bazball Expands: a new era for England’s white-ball team

Haaland signs record breaking deal

Haris Book discusses the new longest contract in Premier

Leauge

football

Puzzles

Sudoku - Easy

Sudoku - Evil