The Oxford Student - Week 5 Michaelmas 2025

O XFORD S TUDENT

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

Magdalen-owned school deemed inadequate by Ofsted

Magdalen College School, a comprehensive secondary school in Brackley, Northamptonshire, has “failed to provide pupils with an acceptable standard of education”, according to the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

Ofsted specifically said that the management of the school, of which Magdalen College, Oxford is partly responsible, is “inadequate”, alongside the quality of education, to which Ofsted said that “pupil outcomes [at GCSE level] are too low”. Additionally, the same report states that pupils do not report the use of discriminatory language because they feel “the school will not do anything about it”.

Magdalen College School

Brackley said that they acknowledged the outcome of the report and that a “rapid action plan” was being implemented. The headteacher has since been removed by the trust.

Magdalen College founded the school in 1548, initially as an evacuation site for students escaping Oxford during the plague. For the majority of its initial history, Magdalen College handled the education of local students on the site from Brackley when it was not in use by Oxford students.

While the school became a comprehensive school — and later an academy — in 1973 by merging with another local school, the school still has significant links to Magdalen College. For example, as of 2024, Magdalen appoints 3 fellows of the college to the governing board, giving them significant

minority influence over the school.

A former student of the school told The Oxford Student that allegedly Magdalen College is “not doing anything” to help the school, and that “[Magdalen] totally ignores it”.

Additionally, the school currently leases part of their land and buildings (specifically the St John’s site) from Magdalen College, which retains ultimate control and ownership. A former student described the conditions in the school as “dilapidated”. (is there a better source that verifies this?

In contrast, Magdalen College had the second largest endowment of any Oxford college, £787.2 million in 2024, narrowly beating Christ Church (£787.1 million in 2024).

Continued on page 4. Read more at www.oxfordstudent.

Bed bugs affect Brasenose rooms

Brasenose college has been reportedly affected by a bed bug infestation at the Frewin Court site. Rooms in Staircase 17 and 19 were said to be infestated in the last week of August, and again in October, Week 2 of term.

After the two separate sets of complaints from the affected students over the summer, the pest control team claimed to not find signs of the presence of bed bugs upon initial inspection of either room. On being presented with pictorial evidence from one of the students,

the team allegedly re-inspected the room and confirmed its presence. A heat treatment was carried out for both students after this second inspection. The student alleged that a staff member described the fumigation process as “expensive” when asked about it. The Accommodation Team claimed in response to this: “Regarding the cost of treatment, we mentioned it only to clarify that Brasenose College absorbs these expenses rather than passing them on to students, which is not the case at all institutions.

Continued on page 4

An Oxford college

ranking by Oxonians

ten questionable, but here they are…

As we slowly begin to wave goodbye to 2025 (and our academic sanity), what better way to wrap up Week 5 then with a College Ranking? The OxStu asked – and Oxford delivered.

We grilled participants on what their favourite and least colleges were (aside from their own, though some college loyalists could not be dissuaded).

The results and the reasons behind them were varied, and of-

Firstly, let’s start with the honourable mentions. When discussing second or third favourite colleges, security troubles were often a positive aspect to many voters. One voter explained: “Harris Manchester cos there’s no security and the pool table is top tier.” Another recalls “St Peters – the philosophy tutor there wore a monocle during my interview”.

Continued on page 13

St Peter’s College, Oxford. Image credit: Canqi Li

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Identity

IAn no (wo)man’s land: is cosmetic surgery anti- feminist? 19

From the archive

Life-size Jeremy Corbyn stolen from OULC welcome drinks 11

Culture

Picture this: les Violon D’ingres

it’s lready the end of Week 5 – congrats on getting past more than half of Michaelmas! While I’m glad I’m still alive and functioning to a certain degree, I’ve realised I really need to find a balance between overdosing on caffeine and accidentally falling asleep. I can also deeply feel the fifth-week blues now (and reading about BBC executives resigning following edits to a Trump documentary, as well as a guy being accused of chewing on another guy’s finger at a Binsey pub in the news has made me feel even stranger). To all those who are suffering from the fifth-week blues, I feel for you.

That said, I hope the Ox-

Ican’t believe we’re already halfway through term!

Week 5 always seems to sneak up on us – one moment you’re getting lost on your way to your first tutorial of the term, and the next, you’ve somehow

Editorial Team

Editorial Board

Canqi Li and Christina Scote (Editors-in-Chief)

Harry Aldridge and Hannah Stewart (Associate Editors)

Ananya Parakh and Yashas

Ramakrishnan (Director of Strategy)

News and Investigations

Will Lawrence and Christine Savino (Heads of News)

Aamina Thava, Abhipsa Panda, Audrey Miu, Christine Savino, Gabriella Bedford, Julia Stacey, Jun Lee, Makkunda Sharma, Marcus Swinerd, Olivia Miller, Vincent Chang (News Section Editors)

Stu issue you’re reading right now will cheer you up a bit. While it does include some not-so-cheerful stories, it also features articles that have reminded me of the fun in life. Esme’s article on our own college ranking results both entertained and educated me; Clemmie’s piece on the science behind latenight kebab van snacking made me feel so validated as a chronic Hassan’s and Posh Nosh overspender; and Sam’s Union noticeboard cracked me up unapologetically. And I have to say I’m eagerly awaiting the next few weeks – with Oxmas approaching, I expect life to be lifing even more. I also know that the OxStu will be publishing a lot of exciting stories. So, stay tuned for that, and I hope that, like me, you’ll be picking up some cheap advent calendars!

Canqi Li Pembroke College

settled into the swing of things. Even though we’re more than halfway through term now, there’s still plenty of time to try something new, get involved, and finally pitch that article idea or join the team you’ve been eyeing since Week 0. It’s never too late to jump in. Some of the best pieces we’ve published have come from last-minute ideas, or from people who decided to try their hand at journalism for the first time!

If the mid-term slump is hitting, take it as your chance to dive in and try something new.

Lila Robinson (Head of Investigations)

Daniela Braw-Smith, Ngoc

Diep Bao, Rishima Cheepala (Investigations Section Editors)

Comment

Ellie Apostolidi (Deputy Editor)

Arun Lewis, Ellie Davies, Emily Dillon, Gabriela Austin, Guilherme Lopes, Niyanthri Arun, Oscar Moore, Qasim Ahmad, Saara Lunawat (Section Editors)

Profile

Meira Lee (Deputy Editor)

Audrey Miu, Beth Riding, Guilherme Lopes, Kinoli De Silva, Martha Kiyan, Isla Jenman, Sophie Verai (Section Editors)

On the menu this week, which nobody saw coming, was the OxStu getting a volley of praise from our closest and mostest, overheard_at_oxford. I’ll admit I raised my eyebrows. Something I think we should talk about more is the phenomenon of being socially written-off for lousy reasons. I can find no explanation in the patterns of how some people behave other than the fact that they don’t want to talk to people they don’t think are “cool” enough (in some circles, this reads: M-O-N-E-Y-E-D). You do worry for their health, that they might strain themselves by engaging with someone less than fully glamorous. One gift this mindset gives us is it

Whether it’s writing your first article for The Oxford Student, procrastinating your degree by playing sudoku on the last page, or taking on a project you’ve been interested in, give it a go and see where it leads. In this edition, you’ll find everything from a dig through the archives to a new number link to try your hand at, alongside opinion pieces that challenge and entertain. From interviews to reviews and features, this paper really showcases an incredible range of voices across the university.

Features

Esme Thomson (Deputy Editor)

Beth Pearson, Chaewon Kang, Emily McPhee, Isobel Wanstall, Martha Kiyan, Nala Holland (Section Editors)

Culture

Sophie Harrison (Deputy Editor)

Esme Thomson, Isobel Wanstall, Ivett Berényi, Jack Wharton, Lili Myers, Richard Kuehl (Section Editors)

OxYou

Arun Lewis (Deputy Editor)

Kit Renshaw-Hammond, Bao Ngoc (Alice) Diep, Sam Bankole (Section Editors)

leads to some beautifully rococo scenes in social settings, of asking questions only to be met with one-word answers. How are you? Yeah, fine. Did you go anywhere over the vac? Huh? Oh yeah, France. And they say the art of conversation is dead. I always think that while thebarriers to entry into these friend groups are quite high in some ways, there’s also a sense in which they’re quite low, since it seems like any good-looking person with a trying and difficult personality can be shoed in. Put it this way: I become friends with people because I like them. They have to like people because they’re supposed to be friends with them. It is, all said and done, a monument to doing it backwards. But anyway. Lately I’ve been reading one OxStu article every evening before bed, like breaking off a square of dark chocolate after dinner. That’s all from me; blow me a kiss and enjoy sixth week.

Christina Scote Trinity College

As this is my final editorial, I would like to finish by saying a huge thank you to everyone on the team, past and present, for making this such a rewarding experience. It’s been a privilege to write alongside so many passionate people and I’ve learnt so much along the way – I can’t wait to see what the paper achieves in the weeks to come!

Harry Aldridge Associate Editor New College

Identity

Ivett Berenyi (Deputy Editor)

Ansu Bhattarai, Bao Ngoc (Alice) Diep, Celine Leung, Rodin Bantawa (Section Editors)

Science

Yuhan Wang (Deputy Editor)

Ansu Bhattaraj, Becca Su, Caitlin Turnbull, Clemmie Watkins, Lanna Khadim, Nour Bouzidi (Section Editors)

Sport

Ava Doherty (Deputy Editor)

Charles Prestwich, Charlie Aspinall, Michelle Luo, Makkunda Sharma, Tamar Okunhon (Section Editors)

news@oxfordstudent.com | Heads of News: Will Lawrence, Christine Savino

JCR, MCR conference addresses inequality

Conference of Common Rooms, including JCRs and MCRs. Credit: Oxford SU

The Conference of Common Rooms (CCR) convened today under its pilot framework for the 2025/26 academic year on 28th October, achieving quorum and reaffirming its mandate as a forum for collective decision making, and accountability across Oxford University.

Delegates engaged in detailed scrutiny of student welfare, finance policy, and collegiate transparency, with motions concerning operational sustainability and longterm programme evaluation.

The session opened with the election of the JCR Deputy Chair, in which Magdalen JCR’s candidate was elected unanimously.

The outcome was described as a significant step in enhancing the influence of Common Rooms on the Oxford Student Union’s (SU) decision-making and reinforcing the SU’s proximity to the collegiate community.

Sabbatical officers provided several updates. Key achievements included the Freshers’ Fair, which recorded over 12,700 student interactions, alongside ongoing SU projects.

Officers confirmed that a new SU website, addressing

persistent election poll counting issues, is scheduled to launch by the end of the week.

A central focus of the conference was the proposal to reinstate a public College Disparities Monitor, aimed at providing transparent comparisons of costs and provisions across colleges.

Historical precedents include the College Disparity Report and the original College Monitor, both of which were discontinued, leaving a

“ “The conference also addressed rising financial pressures...”

gap in comparative data.

The motion established a College Disparities Working Group (CDWG), chaired by the President for Communities and Common Rooms, with voting representation from both JCR and MCR Presidents’ Committees.

The group will determine data collection, presentation, and accessibility, ensuring compatibility with mobile platforms.

During discussion, Balliol JCR questioned whether the monitor could effect meaningful change in under-re-

Council proposes new structure for local government

Oxford City Council has put forward a major plan to reorganise local government across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.

The proposal would replace the current seven councils with three new unitary authorities: Greater Oxford Council, Northern Oxfordshire Council and Ridgeway Council.

sourced colleges.

Officers clarified that the monitor functions primarily as an observational safety net, offering visibility for Common Rooms and prospective students while holding colleges accountable in intercollegiate forums if necessary.

St Catherine’s MCR asked whether transparency mandates could be enforced; officers confirmed that uncooperative colleges would be publicly flagged.

Delegates emphasised careful presentation and archiving, noting that previous datasets had largely been lost.

Supporters highlighted the monitor’s potential to enable better negotiation for Common Rooms, citing Wadham MCR’s observation that endowment levels often do not correlate with actual spending. No opposition was recorded.

The conference also addressed rising financial pressures, directing officers to campaign for a national student hardship fund, enhanced local provisions for food and housing, and affordable travel initiatives. These include free bus travel for under-22s and a universal student railcard accommodating mature students. Read the full article online at www.oxfordstudent.com

Under this model, each of the three councils would take full responsibility for local services in its region.

The plan aims to ease the housing shortage, stimulate economic growth, and enhance local voices in regional decision-making.

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “A once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle the county’s housing crisis and create tens of thousands of new jobs for residents.”

She continued that the plan would “protect the character of Oxfordshire’s market towns, give rural and urban areas their own voice, tailor services to local needs, and make long-term savings through a focus on prevention.”

The council estimates that by 2040, up to 40,000 new homes could be built in the Greater Oxford area, including 16,000 social or affordable units–while using only 2.6% of the Green Belt.

Economic analysis suggests the plan could generate around 218,000 jobs and add approximately £168.8 billion to the UK economy by 2050, with growth focused on sectors such as artificial intelligence, computing and life sciences.

The model also proposes representation for each new council within a proposed Mayoral Strategic Authority

“ “...each of the three councils would take full responsibility for [services]”

for the Thames Valley, which would hold devolved powers for housing, transport, and regional growth.

The last major reorganisation of local government in Oxfordshire took place in 1974, making the restructuring proposals significant in the county’s history.

This three-council plan will compete with alternative models already submitted to Oxfordshire County Council: one proposing a single county-wide unitary authority and another suggesting two unitary authorities.

The government has asked for final proposals to be submitted by 28th November.

Vaults and Garden closing,

new location

confirmed

Vaults and Garden announced today that it will be relocating to 2 King Edward Street, close to the current location and Oxford University’s Oriel College. This new address currently houses Chick Pea, a restaurant also founded by Will Pouget that will now be moved to High Street.

Located across from the Bodleian Library, Vaults and Garden has been popular among tourists and the local community for over 20 years.

However, since the arrival of a notice of eviction in 2020, the café has been involved in a legal process noticeably intensifying in recent months.

Originally, founder Will Pouget’s fight against the eviction brought upon him by landlord Rev Will Lamb of the University Church was to be taken to High Court, with legal costs exceeding £200,000.

Local support was shown through petitions and donations, but due to failure in reaching the £100,000 target via CrowdJustice funding, Vaults and Garden has now announced the café’s closure from its current premises on 26th November.

The decision to reach an agreed settlement with University Church, which served the eviction notice, to allow for an orderly closure of the café had already been declared earlier in October.

It is unconfirmed who will replace Vaults and Garden. However, University Church has previously stated that it intends to create a social enterprise in the Old Congregation House, where Vaults and Garden is located.

Read the full article online at oxfordstudent.com

Continued from page 1

This means that Magdalen College has an endowment of close to £2 million per undergraduate student, making it one of the richest colleges per capita. Magdalen College also has an excellent academic reputation among Oxford colleges – before the Norrington table

“

“[Magdalen has] close to £2mn per undergraduate”

was discontinued, Magdalen College held the second-highest average score. The Oxford Student approached both Magdalen College School Brackley and Magdalen College Oxford for comment. Magdalen College School Brackley stated that they had “nothing further to comment on”, and Magdalen (Oxford) did not respond.

Magdalen-owned comprehensive school deemed indequate by Ofsted Bed bugs affect Brasenose rooms

Continued from page 1

The student claimed that they had been asked to leave their belongings in the room indefinitely while treatment was being carried out. They furthered that they were then relocated to a different room on the same floor, which also happened to be infected with bed bugs.

The student stated that it “took about two to three weeks to get back to the room I was supposed to be in…If I hadn’t noticed it, I’m sure it would have been a lot more stressful.”

Bed bugs were then rediscovered on 22nd October. The students from the two affected staircases were asked to evacuate their rooms for the fumigation process. Six out of 14 people were affected by bed bugs. Lara, a 3rd year Brasenose student, was informed by the pest control team that all of her clothes had to be stored in bin bags on the day of fu -

migation. Allegedly, none of the 14 students affected were informed of the necessary measures prior to the process. Lara said, “Everyone was out at lectures, and then they were running around to get bin bags, move everything out in the span of 20 minutes.” The fumigation was meant to occur on Monday. Students claim that this was not finished and five of them could not access their rooms on Tuesday without prior warning. “I tried to go to my room at 12pm and the entrance said “Do not enter till 7pm”. I didn’t know the risks of going to a building that was being fumigated, because I hadn’t been told.” There were allegedly two washing machines available for 14 of the affected students, because washing machines in Staircase IV were out of order. Due to this, and the presence of infected items in the laundry rooms, students began outsourc-

ing their laundry. Lara said, “One person spent £400 on their laundry. I wasn’t in my room for 7 days. Lots of us went home. I just don’t feel comfortable sleeping in my room.” Those affected were asked to move out of their rooms again on 3rd November for the second round of the fumigation process. Out of the 14 rooms in the two staircases, one room was not fumigated during this period as it had already undergone the treatment on 12th September. Lara was upset

at this “piecemeal approach”, when everyone shared the same carpet, bathroom and kitchens.

The student whose room was not re-fumigated, entered their original room after the processes were complete, after spending some time at home. They discovered a bed bug at 1am. According to the student, on approaching the porter’s lodge alternative accommodation was unavailable. Read the full article online at oxfordstudent.com

Oxford University ranked second globally on Soft Power Index, behind Harvard University

Oxford University is the highest-ranking UK university in the 2025 Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Kaplan’s Soft Power Index, and the second-placed institution worldwide after Harvard University.

The HEPI/Kaplan index looks at the number of senior world leaders (presidents, monarchs, and prime ministers) who studied at undergraduate or postgraduate level in another country.

Countries that have educated a significant proportion of the world’s most senior leaders are thought to benefit from a boost to their “soft power,” which enhances their ability to shift the direction of important global discussions.

After having launched the Soft Power Council in early 2025, then-Foreign Secretary and now Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy MP, said: “Soft power is fundamental to the UK’s impact and repu-

tation around the world. I am often struck by the enormous love and respect which our music, sport, education and institutions generate on every continent.”

The UK has matched its best-ever score since the index began in 2017, and equalising its record from 2019 and 2021, with 59 world leaders being educated here.

For the first time, the HEPI/ Kaplan index included an analysis of where world leaders studied as international students, and among the UK universities, Oxford had a clear lead.

Twelve senior world leaders have attended Oxford, compared to six from Manchester, five from Cambridge, four from the LSE, and three from both Bristol and UCL.

Internationally, only Harvard outranked Oxford with 15 senior world leaders having graced the halls of Massachusetts.

Oxford’s share of world leaders predominantly studied the

social sciences with one having done a graduate degree in politics, two having done graduate economics (including former Bank of England governor Mark Carney), and one having studied PPE (President Ferndinand Marcos Jnr, although he failed to finish his degree).

Oxford graduates also have a dominant place in Asia as six of the senior world leaders are from Asian nations, compared to only three European leaders.

The twelve world leaders who were educated at the University of Oxford are: King Philippe of Belgium; King Jigme Khesar of Bhutan; the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney; iv) the President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta; the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán; Emperor Naruhito of Japan; King Abdullah II of Jordan; the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović; King Harald V of Norway; the Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman. Haitham bin Tariq; the

The UK government announced its plans to invest £500 million in the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor on 23rd October.

The announcement is the latest update following the regional development proposal introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in January this year, which heavily emphasised the potential for the Oxbridge areas to become “Europe’s Silicon Valley.”

“The UK has all the ingredients to replicate the success of Silicon Valley or the Boston Cluster,” said Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance, “but for too long [it] has been constrained by short-termism and a lack of direction.”

With the government facing increasing pressure to kickstart economic growth and

improve living standards, Reeves believes that the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor will “offer huge economic potential for our nation’s growth prospects” and expects it to add £78 billion to the British economy within the next decade.

Although Labour MPs in the North have expressed concerns about Reeves’ plan being overly focused on wealthier areas of the South, Vallance affirmed that “because [Oxbridge is] such a powerhouse of invention, it will also fuel the economic growth of the county, so this is definitely about making sure we get the benefits of all these opportunities felt by everybody.”

Of the £500-million investment, £400 million will be spent on developing new homes, infrastructure and business in Cambridge.

President of the Philippines, Bongbong Marcos; and the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele.

Following the publication of this index, Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of

the University of Oxford, said, “That so many world leaders have studied at Oxford speaks to the transformative power of education – to shape ideas, deepen understanding, and inspire service on the global stage.”

£500mn invested for Oxbridge “Silicon Valley”

At the annual Innovate Cambridge Summit this year, the Cambridge Innovation Hub announced that it will be receiving at least £15 million in cornerstone government funding. This follows the Ellison Institute of Technology’s £10-billion plans to expand its Oxford base over the next ten years, which is predicted

“ [The government] “believes the project will add £78bn to the British economy”

to create over 7,000 new jobs.

The Hub, situated in the centre of Cambridge, aims to support scientific innovation by connecting entrepreneurs,

investors and researchers.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, hopes that Cambridge can “become Europe’s leading destination for early-stage deep tech and life sciences companies”, with recent reports showing that these Cambridge-based companies have generated over £7.9 billion in revenue since 2015.

Investors are increasingly turning their attention to university startups: Facebook, Google and Reddit are but some examples showcasing the economic potential of buying into university-founded businesses.

In March 2023, the University of Oxford celebrated its major milestone of having launched 300 companies, generating over 9,000 jobs and £6 billion in investment.

Of these companies, half were launched in the last decade alone. This potential has been met with a significant rise in investments, with independent investment companies such as Oxford Science Enterprises increasing its funding for Oxford spinouts from a yearly average of £125 million to £880 million.

In Cambridge, there has also been a surge in efforts to transform research into business ventures. Since launching in 2013, Accelerate Cambridge has supported over 400 ventures and raised £720 million through its threemonth entrepreneurship and mentorship programme.

The government expects the development of the Oxbridge Corridor to generate jobs across all sectors, including those outside of the science and technology industries.

The cost of High Table

Dining is an essential part of life at Oxford University; from the fresher’s formal, to halfway hall, to the final subject dinner. Before every ceremony comes the grace, spoken from the High Table, signifying that students can begin dining. This investigation explores the cost of dining at different colleges, how High Table participants have their meals subsidised, and how much colleges earn from their kitchens. This article draws on data obtained through Freedom of Information requests submitted to each college. Not all colleges responded, and not all who did were able to provide everything we asked for..

At Pembroke College, fellows can dine for free at the High Table, while guests pay £20 per meal. For students, the cost is £8 and guests can expect to pay £11.50. In the year 2024/25, the college received a £15000 legacy gift to subsidise the cost of the High Table, but they have no data on the total cost of running it. Whilst we cannot know how this subsidy was used, this legacy gift highlights the presumed importance of such hierarchical dining.

costs based on status. In the year 2024/5 the total income from High Table was £12295

St Anne’s charges their fellows £5.57 for breakfast at their high table, £5.57 for weekend brunch, £11.77 for dinner, and £25.03 for guest night. Students are charged £16.50 for formal hall and there is also no differentiation based on status. Members of the Senior Common Room used up £97,928 worth of all meal entitlements in the year 2024/5, and the income from High Table participants who exhausted their entitlements reached £9552.

At Somerville College, fellows

“ In the year 2024/25, Pembroke college received a £15000 legacy gift to subsidise the cost of the High Table.

of the college can expect to pay £7.36 for lunch and dinner at High Table. They do nothold data for the costs incurred

Queen’s college does not track cost per head for High Table or formal halls, and subsidies are applied broadly to activities or expenses associated with running High Table rather than per-meal calculations. Students can expect to pay £10.17 for a formal dinner, but they do not calculate a cost per head so we cannot discern the profit made from student meals.

Queen’s College does not alter

fast £7.70, lunch £8.90, dinner £18.40, Guest Night £36.90, and Formal Hall £24.60. There is no differentiation based on status. The total income from High Table participants in 2024/25 was £24,313. For students, formal hall is charged at £24.60. They note that it is not possible to quantify the role subsidies play in High Table meals as the kitchen does not allocate the cost of ingredients, staff time, and other charges between meals.

from High Table, and they claim to subsidise all meals so therefore don’t distinguish between what is put towards fellows and general catering.

The college also does not price their food based on status

At Balliol, fellows and staff are not charged for meals within their dining rights, but drinks are charged separately.

The college provided the following rates for guests and visitors to the High Table: break-

Senior Common Room lunches are charged at £20.30. There is no price difference determined by status, only between those with common table or other dining allowances and those who do not. Whilst on duty, their staff receive free meals. Students are billed £19.60 for an average formal hall and their guests can expect to pay £23.50. The college also operates a subsidy scheme for access students, where they provide £5 and the JCR provides £5, making a formal £9.60 for some students. In the year 24/5, the total income from students, fellows, and guests was £289,800 but they do not track the breakdown between High Table and other meals. At Hertford College, High Table dinners cost £19.50, £26, or £31.25 depending on the type of formal, with wine charged separately at full recovery cost. Prices are the same for Fellows and guests. For students, the equivalent range is £11.40 to £15.30. Certain staff

receive a limited number of free meals, but otherwise, all meals are charged. The college’s total catering subsidy amounts to around £95,000 per year for student formals and £18,000 for High Table. Keble College’s High Table costs average £18.85 per meal, with students’ average meal cost at £12.21. The total income received from High Table participants in 2024/25 was £15,573.90. Both High Table and formal dinners are subsidised. Fellows and staff typically have meal entitlements as part of their contracts or fellowship terms, and the college also provides student bursaries for meal costs, totalling £78,603.70 in the year to July 2025.

At Lincoln College, Fellows dine for free at High Table, while guests are charged £36.80 for an SCR dinner and £51 for Guest Night. Students pay £7.70 for standard dinners and £13.20 for guests. There are no subsidies applied, and the total income from High Table in the pre-

vious year was £24,306.62 (only from guest payments). At Merton College, High Table dinners cost £22.84 on an ordinary night and £32.04 on Guest Night, while student dinners are £5.82 and £8.77 respectively. There are no subsidies, and prices appear to cover costs directly. New College’s Common Table dinners cost £27.65 and Guest Nights £31.15. For students, formal hall costs £9.97, while Guest Night is £24.55. The college confirms that it subsidises student meals which ultimately comes out of the College bottom line. However, they do not track these costs to the College, so they were unable to give an exact number. Across the colleges, a clear pattern emerges: High Table dining remains heavily subsidised in many cases, and where costs are tracked, they are substantial. It is also abundantly clear that there are great disparities regarding the cost charged to the student.

The British left of 2025 looks more fractured than ever before. Within the Labour party, tolerance for opposing views has narrowed to the point of disappearance, but even within this divisions have managed to emerge along the lines of the deputy leadership race and short lived speculation around a Burnham leadership bid. Beyond Labour, the harder left has for the first time managed to generate momentum around two distinct non-Labour projects, Polanski’s newly ‘eco-populist’ Greens and Corbyn and Sultana’s supposedly mass democratic movement of Your Party. While Your Party’s policy direction has not yet been decided, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to imagine that there will be much it will agree on with the Greens: public ownership, climate and social justice are issues that come to mind. The Greens under Polanski seem to be enjoying immense success at the moment, polling neck to neck with Labour and in one poll even coming out 3 points ahead as well as growing its numbers up to 140,000 members. The Corbyn-Sultana project on the other hand has also seen successes, boasting 800,000 ‘sign-ups’ at the peak of its momentum and generating 50,000 paying members several public spats later. Despite this, in discussion around Your Party there is a sense of disillusionment around the project seeming to be dead before it has even re-

Is the left doomed to feud?

Vanisha Karna is a contributor for Comment at the Oxford Student.

ally begun.

In light of this, it’s easy to ask why a project like Your Party is needed on the left, especially when in terms of material policy it seems to have so much in common with Polanski’s Greens. Sultana would argue that there are major and important points of difference between the two projects, such as those of greater democratic accountability in a project that is truly socialist from its inception, as well as differences in foreign policy with Sultana and Corbyn disavowing NATO more explicitly. Beyond differences in policy, however, a project like Your Party has a role to play on the British left in being able to capture the votes of parts of the left that the Greens will likely not be able to reach.

“ [Your Party] will not be immediately substituted by the Greens.

While mitigated by Polanski’s media-savvy, the Greens still carry an association with being a party with little substance beyond climate issues, and this is an issue that a new party of the left would not have to face and overcome. Moreover, the vision of a Your Party rooted in grassroots movements perhaps would have been able to channel the momentum of the anti-Labour discontent that saw four

new independent MPs enter parliament last year. While the role of these independent MPs within Your Party has been somewhat controversial with the suggestion that some perhaps aren’t as socially liberal as a MP in a socialist party ought to be, the grassroots movements that they have formed within their communities that led them to these surprise victories are real and likely will not be immediately substituted by the Greens just because the Greens are a ‘better’ party for the left. Apart from Labour’s position on Gaza driving many voters away from Labour, so were issues within local communities caused by cuts such as a lack of youth opportunities, issues that an explicitly socialist party may be able to articulate solutions to in a more effective way than the Greens.

The proposed structure of Your Party, ironically enough, seems to be trying to provide an antidote to endless left wing feuding. A huge element of the appeal of the Your Party project to the left is that it wants to be a truly democratic left wing party. This would involve, as described by Sultana, a unitary structure without delegates, one member one vote and leadership not done solely by MPs. This vision, of course, has run into huge difficulties even before the party’s founding conference. The desire for the party to be membership led rather than MPs having any outsized influence has been met with opposition

from the independent MPs involved, eventually leading to the catastrophic launching of the membership portal by Sultana without the approval of the other MPs involved. Moreover, there has been surprisingly little transparency in the founding process of the party before the conference itself, with much of what we know about the process being through factions briefing against each other in the press and leaked messages. While some of these divisions stem from differing visions on the direction the party should take, some also come from residual personal grudges from these same figures’ involvement in the Corbyn years and perceived power-grabs.

This begs the broader question on whether there is something fundamental about left wing politics that means it is always doomed to conflict. For the past century, much of the electorally focused left has used the Labour Party as its vehicle as the only viable way to power under first past the post. This in itself has led to feuds becoming seemingly inevitable as groups with sometimes fundamental differences in worldview are forced to work alongside each other in the party. The problem with Labour being the left’s only viable route for electoral success can be seen most recently in the issue of new mass membership during Corbyn’s tenure. Corbyn’s victory in 2015 on an unashamedly left wing

platform saw elements of the non-Labour left temporarily put their differences aside and engage with Labour as a way to advance these policies. That MPs who often came from a more centrist tradition within the party were expected to work alongside a membership who sometimes came from groups such as the SWP meant that it was inevitable that bitter factionalism and divisions would ensue. However, it seems that Labour’s monopoly on the electoral left is loosening. On the left, the Greens and now potentially the Corbyn-Sultana project are emerging as forces who can challenge Labour’s hegemony, almost similarly to how Reform is a new force rising on the right.

“ [It] may mean that there is less of a need for those with fundamental differences to work together.

While it is premature to assume these parties will actually experience huge electoral successes, especially considering the rise of Reform and the perception that Labour are the only ones who can realistically stem this rise, the way that the two party system is fragmenting into multiple Read the full article online at oxfordstudent.com

Stop the...brains?

Niyanthri Arun

It’s fair to say that there have been better times to be a foreign student in the UK.

Anti-immigration rallies attract millions of attendees in cities across the country, graduate visa policies change day on day, and institutional caps on international student intake are being tightened – it seems like the UK is taking inspiration from its neighbours on the other side of the Atlantic in the name of border control. The irony is that international students contributed significantly to what made British universities worldclass in the first place, and not just in the form of overseas tuition that comes in at multiple times the domestic fees and helps keep smaller universities afloat. The wealth of perspectives a diverse student body brings, and the reputational advantage it creates, cannot be understated. If the UK wants to preserve its image as being home to the most elite educational institutions in the world, it must recognise the part international students have played in making it so, instead of trying to close the doors on them.

British institutions of higher education have been recognised for centuries as bastions of intellectualism, freedom of expression, and meritocracy. However, ideas and innovation do not peak in closed environments, and some of the most illustrious alumni of top British universities are not from the UK at all. From Mahatma Gandhi to Alexander Stubb, British universities have overseen the intellectual growth of many global leaders, with 59 world leaders having been educated in the UK. Moreover, seven out of ten institutions on the Soft-Power Index – which determines rankings based

“ It’s fair to say that there have been better times to be a foreign student in the UK.

on how many world leaders went to each – are British. The high number of British-educated leaders is simultane-

leaders and revolutionaries: the growing number of people around the world who are able to leave their countries to study also have influence.

ously a consequence of, and a contributor to, the UK’s soft power – its ability to influence global affairs through cultural or economic means. When global leaders and visionaries form a personal link with this nation and invest back into it in the form of creating exchange programmes, scholarships, or by setting up businesses and organisations here, Britain stands to benefit. The UK is one of the most popular destinations in the world for study abroad programmes, and many top universities offer students the opportunity to study abroad as well; an exchange that enriches the multicultural environment British students gain exposure to at home and abroad. At the University of Oxford, various courses in the humanities and a growing number in STEM subjects alike offer study abroad opportunities, recognising them as valuable in gaining a global education that helps understand the subject and the world on a deeper level.

It is also important to recognise, in the conversation about soft power, that it is not just developed through world

A difficulty every Oxford student has faced is navigating hordes of tourists when making their way around the city, some of the families pointing out university sights to children as young as five years old and showing them where they too could study in the future (whether that type of goal-setting should be encouraged is a separate issue). The point is that these tourists are making the choice to visit the UK, and specifically universities within the UK, because they have cultural capital. They are seen as places that not only prime ministers and top lawyers and bankers have gone to, but also a neighbour who always studied well, or a cousin who was able to do research there that they could not in their home country for lack of resources or support. British universities are seen as a beacon of hope and progress – a reputation that carries forth to the UK as a whole and gives it negotiating power with developing countries that send a high number of students to this country (see recent deals with India as an example). International students introduce cultural and diplomatic benefits in ways both obvious and not. Despite these advantages, a common reason provided

“ Seven out of ten institutions on the Soft-Power Index are British.

for introducing measures that disincentivise foreign students, such as reducing graduate visa periods and introducing international student levies that could cost British universities up to 600 million pounds a year, is that many international students use their education as a “vehicle to move themselves and their dependants to a new life in Britain”.

It is true that a small minority of foreign students abuse

their visa status by entering through the student visa route and applying for asylum after entering the country. Ultimately, though, Britain must decide whether the approximately 3% of international students who took this path (many of whom rightfully had their claims denied) pose such a threat that the economic and cultural benefits that the other 97% bring are invalidated. For it is also true that while some international students wrongfully take advantage of the educational pathway, the diverse and tolerant reputation British universities have developed creates a positive feedback loop where many top-achieving students from countries around the world look to the UK as a place to bring their skills. The gradu-

“ As a collective, foreign nationals already contribute far more to the UK economy than they take.

ate visa route, for example, is useful in retaining homegrown talent so that they can continue feeding back into society. As a collective, foreign nationals already contribute far more to the UK economy than they take. When the cultural competence acquired through having studied in a British institution is added to the mix, international students are able to contribute and assimilate into society in a way that benefits all. At a time where it appears that international students are not as welcome as they once were, it is important to remember their importance in creating and retaining the prestige that benefits universities, home students, and the UK on the world stage. Indeed, the emphasis should be on attracting students who are effectively closed out from other educational hubs like the US and develop its

Read the full article online at oxfordstudent.com

Profile

“

A tour of the Schwarzman with William Whyte

Whyte about

The entirety of the Oxford student population has posted an Instagram story lounging in the shiny new Schwarzman building by now. That is why, standing at its entrance about to be toured around by one of the people who brought it to life, I felt an immense privilege, like I was about to be let in on the building’s secrets.

William Whyte is not an architect, engineer, or construction surveyor. He is a historian. He was also the Senior Responsible Owner for the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, which opened at the start of term after six years of planning and construction. The Schwarzman was delivered on time and on budget – As William himself has said, if you want a job done, give it

to a historian. One thing that he was keen to stress from the start was that this would not have been possible without a huge team effort.

William, who has written extensively about Oxford’s architecture, had the perfect expertise for the project, which explicitly called for a “contemporary version of a traditional Oxford building”. Having conducted extensive research on Thomas Graham Jackson, the late-19th-century architect who built many of Oxford’s iconic buildings, William was able to apply his knowledge to shape a building which stands at the intersection between this institution’s historic past and its exciting future. In many ways, the large seating area which the whole building looks towards emulates a

college quad, and the roof of the Schwarzman has the characteristic dome seen in landmarks of the University such as the RadCam. But unlike the Radcam, everyone, university or otherwise, is encouraged to come into its big square.

“In a city full of doors that say no entry, and lawns that say do not step on the grass, the Schwarzman offers a new relationship between the University and the city”. It was clear from our conversation that breaking down the town and gown divide was a central goal of the Schwarzman – to begin creating a University for Oxford, rather than in Oxford.

As an architectural historian, William is concerned with the interactions between the built urban space and society.

When I asked what reaction

efficiency. One way in which the new Centre achieves this is by being almost totally built using British materials and parts. The seats in the Concert Hall, for example, were made in Bourton. This of course reduces emissions from transportation.

The Concert Hall was, to me, clearly the crown jewel of the building. As we stood overlooking the space, the feature that most jumped out to me was the amazing acoustics. William explained how every curve had been minutely designed to ensure that sound from the stage bounces down onto the audience, up into the foyer, and, crucially, back onto the stage, so that performers could hear themselves.

he hopes the Schwarzman will elicit in historians a century from now, William chuckled, saying that he believes it may be looked back on as “the moment in which the University decided to open up”.

The Schwarzman follows the

architecture and connecting town and gown. “ The Schwarzman offers a new relationship between the University and the city. of the week

principle of Passivhaus – a voluntary building standard which reduces a building’s carbon footprint, prioritising ultra-low energy consumption, thermal comfort, and

One question lingered: Why is it that the humanities, that set of disciplines seemingly focused on our past and present, received a £185M gift to build such an impressively innovative building? William thinks the aim is to link the humanities to other subjects through technology. In a world where the humanities are under threat, William holds the strong conviction that “it is up to us to show that the humanities have a future” by engaging with the modern world in new ways, demonstrating the value that an understanding of the human experience can bring to solving our problems as a society.

Being the first University building open to the public, the Schwarzman Centre has the potential to genuinely break down physical and metaphorical barriers. Oxford is often criticised for being a bubble, and indeed, it is – how could a place as surreal as this not be? But we have a chance at changing that, by democratising the impact the University has on the city, by giving its residents a say, and by inviting the public into these halls of knowledge. We will all be better for it.

Read the full article online at www.oxfordstudent.com

From the

“ Life-size Jeremy Corbyn stolen from OULC welcome drinks

23rd October 2019, by Maria

Kostylew

On Wednesday night, at the Oxford University Labour Club Welcome Drinks held at Worcester, a 6 foot cut-out of Jeremy Corbyn was taken. The cut-out was previously presented to the Co-Chair of the OULC, Jay Staker by other members of the committee for his 21st birthday. The event featured local MP Anneliese Dodds and was

“ We suddenly realised that Jeremy Corbyn was missing. Somebody must have taken it when they were drunk.

one of the biggest events on OULC calendar. To the question how the loss has been discovered, one of the members of the Labour Club responded: “We were cleaning up after the event, when we suddenly realised that Jeremy was missing.

Somebody must have taken it-maybe they were drunk.”

The Co-Chair of the OULC, Megan Howells commented: “We are really upset by the loss of the cut-out. As a 21st Birthday present it had a lot of sentimental value. Whether it was

done as a political statement or out of carelessness, such behaviour is unacceptable. We really hope that the cut-out will be found.” The cut-out has not been yet recovered with the culprit still unknown.

”Hillary Clinton made Honorary Fellow of Mansfield

Hillary Clinton has been made an honorary fellow of Mansfield College, The Oxford Student can reveal.

Lettuce-eating mandated by Magdalen JCR

Magdalen JCR is now requiring one of its committee members to eat lettuce at every general meeting.

The undergraduate common room has proposed a constitutional amendment that mandates the Oscar d’Tortoise (a JCR position with no real roles or responsibilities) to chow down on the vegetable at every GM. This amendment was part of a motion originally intended

only to provide the position holder with a 60p lettuce allowance per meeting. This is in preparation for an annual tortoise race. However during the meeting it was agreed that the motion should include a constitutional amendment as well.

Magdalen JCR Constitutional amendments require the approval the college governing body and so the JCR president, Sam Sherburn, will have to present the amendment to

them before it is passed The motion was put forward by the Oscar d’Tortoise himself, Zachary Klamann. In particular the proposal noted that: “the position of Oscar D’Tortoise requires training in the eating of lettuce quickly and efficiently” and “In order for Oscar to win the tortoise race, he or she must be skilled in lettuce eating”. It also included a provision encouraging Oscar to buy organic lettuce because “60p is a lot”.

Zach was very pleased at the success of his proposal: “Oh, I’m so excited…it’s a big deal, a constitutional amendment so I’m very proud of that”. He added: “I’m very keen to see Sam Sherburn present the amendment before the governing body”.

“I think I’m redefining what it means to be a tortoise man and I hope to continue to do that for the next two and a half terms”.

The former Presidential candidate, herself wife of former President Bill Clinton, was in the College to talk at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, as part of a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Here, she was in conversation with the former Principal of Mansfield, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, who has recently stepped down to lead Sheffield Hallam University, in an event titled “An evening celebration of three remarkable women”. This places her alongside other figures such as Bob Geldof, lead singer of the Boomtown Rats and the organiser of Live Aid, and Dame Maggie Smith, the actress, in being made an honorary fellow of the College. Ronald Reagan, a predecessor of her husband, was previously granted an honorary fellowship of Keble in 1994. While visiting the College, Clinton also unveiled a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt, who was chairperson of the UDHR committee, and also a former first lady of the USA. The statue was sculpted by Penelope Jencks, and is a copy of the original which is located within Riverside Park in Manhattan. This may cause some consternation for Secretary Clinton, as the park is overshadowed by Trump Place, named after her rival in the 2016 US General election. by James Ashworth, from 8th October 2018

OxStu’s College Ranking 2025’s results

by Esme Thomson

Continued from page 1

“The People’s Republic of Wadham” recalled a hearty community, a couple of boyfriend’s colleges were mentioned (have you read Vogue recently?) St John’s received praise for donating a much-appreciated cat to Trinity, and there was general awe at many college’s unique architecture. One articulate participant voted for All Souls, stating: “Need I explain? It is the Oxford of Oxford, it has mystique, the college is gorgeous.” Positivity was shared; albeit not equally.

Excluding the singular votes for colleges such as Keble and St John’s, the lower

“ In second place, Magdalen predictably scores high with 12%.

scorers scraped a few votes too – St Catherine’s scored mainly on the merit of its inhabitants, “despite the RAC”. Merton, Christchurch and Brasenose beat poor St Catz -one of Merton’s most passionate supporters states: “Merton – ignore the bad rep. One of the most beautiful colleges in Oxford without question. Still like it even though a Mertonian berated me on the street in first year once after I shouted ‘up Merton!’ and he thought I said ‘fuck Merton!’. We sorted it out.” Communication is key.

Jumping up to our top contenders, Worcester and New juggle for third place with 10.8% of the vote. New’s votes were based on a surprisingly universal comment of: “It’s pretty!” whilst Worcester’s

are in!

voters cited its “lovely gardens and lake”. In second place, Magdalen predictably scores high with 12%, with explanations varying from “the deer park” to the ability to “flex on friends and family”. Bragging is, after all, essential to Oxford life.

And finally…Balliol steamrolls into a comfortable first place with 15.6% of the vote. College bars take note – having a signature drink with an alliterative name is your secret weapon. Most responses cited the “nice people” and the affordability of the bar, and of course, the Balliol Blue. Voting decisions mostly depended on whether the voter preferred architecture or alcohol.

But the rankings of the worst-rated colleges were the most riveting to read.A few baseless accusations were

thrown about (we have legal obligations, people) that will never see publication but will hold a special place in my heart forever. St Catz students, I’m sorry, I’ve given you false hope. St Catherine’s is officially the least favour-

“ Balliol steamrolls into a comfortable first place with 15.6%

of the vote.

ite college of our voters with 19.2% of the vote, most of whom damn the aesthetics –one response cites “St Catz. Far, crumbling, ugly: looks like a high school in Arkansas.” Scaffolding, RAAC and

its distance from other colleges were insulted, but surprisingly, the niceness of Catz students was emphasized. Small victories? Balliol didn’t escape without a scratch. Our

“ St Catz students, I’m sorry, I’ve given you false hope. St Catherine’s is officially the least favourite college of our voters with 19.2%...

winner, alongside Trinity and Oriel, shared a sad second place with 7.2% of the vote each. Half of Oriel’s votes simply stated: “tories” as their reasoning. Interestingly, Trinity and Balliol’s condemnation mostly went without explanation other than a few unnamed enemies housed within their hallowed halls. In huge contrast, 3rd place runner-up Christchurch was blasted due to allegedly being an “insufferable lot”, with complaints ranging from “when I looked round before applying to Oxford I got forced into a very long and boring tour of their cathedral” to “they didn’t do a general release for their ball”. It’s a tough day for colleges starting with a C. Even our more obscure colleges couldn’t escape a couple strays. One commenter states “Kellogg. I would rather go to Cambridge or just shoot myself than be a student there. It’s like Wormwood Scrubs. So many students and yet the college consists of something like two Victorian townhous-

es stuck together. No history or prominent alumni. What does this college have going for it?” Typical college rivalries also plagued responses – “St John’s why do they have a forest that is so rude also ancestral beef” and “Balliol because college rivalry” (this also included the alleged death of a fish I’m not sure I want to look into). Second and third least favourites varied more wildly. Responses ranged from “John’s cos man needs a sat nav to get around there”, to one brave soul admitting: “I don’t know any more colleges”. Whoever you are, I appreciate your honesty. So, what can we take from this? Mainly, that the Oxford experience is dominated by your college. So many responses were based on architecture, whether it was admiration of Gothic clusters or damnation of brutalist blocks. So much of Oxford is stored out of sight, blocked off by a bod card. I would wager that so many of these colleges have only been viewed from the outside looking in. The friendliness or hostility of college members was also a huge factor in voting, as well as their general susceptibility of being broken into (we do not condone this).

A quick disclaimer – this was based on a survey answered by 83 respondents. Their votes and comments reflect personal opinions. These are drawn from a small (but articulate) sample size that are not necessarily fact-based or firmly reflective of reality and do not reflect the entire university. The only thing Oxford students agree on is a mild distaste for Cambridge. So, let us know what you think – has your college been unfairly slated or ignorantly praised? Contact us on our Instagram @ theoxstu !

From home to dorm

Field notes from the edge of adulthood by Martha Kiyan.

From the sacred space of home into the turbulent storm of dorm life, off we drift into the cosmos of adulthood. It feels surreal at first, euphoric even! Everything and everyone squashed together in one space-time continuum, and the body can’t keep up with the brain’s delirious sense of freedom. Then reality hits, and what once felt like escape turns into a daily Mad Hatter’s tea party. The terrain is foreign. For those freshly uprooted from home, the transition isn’t relocation but evolution. Now your senses sharpen–there are sights, sounds, and smells everywhere. Some good, some outright criminal. In these halls of shared inconvenience, you can almost hear Durkheim sighing as you try to locate your own lucky spoon in the pile of collective depreciation in the sink. Every cupboard reveals a new definition of ‘clean, all right, and dirty’. Each hallway chat is a test of how far empathy can stretch before it breaks under the weight of 3 a.m. kitchen confessions, or heated back and forth arguments over ‘quiet hours’.

O the monumental collapse of boundaries! Freedom is served on a platter, at first, until it makes the laundry walk feel like communal tragedy. Your psyche flails as you are no longer in the safety of your domestic certainty. Your homely rituals are now nostalgic urges from the past. The unconscious stages small rebellions–from skipping vegetables to mistaking stress for confidence–in the chaos of newfound freedom. In the dark hours before an essay deadline, you regress to a pre-linguistic state of muttering and pasta. And then after dawn, your soul is begging for mercy, and you curdle into chaos of ego depletion. As such, from the wreckage, a rough methodology emerges, so make of it what you will.

1. Study hard, party later. This one is hard once you’re thrown into social circles, but you must remember: partying is sweeter when you get good feedback from your professors.

2. Observe from the trenches, don’t join in immediately. Unless it is a lottery draw, re-

main incognito about yourself and your personal life, this will save you from the first-secondthird and consecutive hand embarrassments as people like to gossip…and roast others on a big skewer. So, once they put a name to a face–you are doomed! Instead, hold back; observe who laughs, who listens, who cleans up. Observation is your superpower.

3. The kitchen is the mirror of the soul.

Forget lectures–watch people cook. The ones who hoard, who hover, who steal your milk, and burn pizza with confidence. The kitchen is humanity under fluorescent lights.

4. Homesickness isn’t weakness.

That ache is your mind rearranging itself. Sit with it. It’s proof that you’re learning to take care of yourself. Seep into familiar things and nurture your inner self.

5. Rituals keep your anxiety at bay. A mug, a walk, a playlist–routine is rebellion against entropy.

6. Beware the cult of composure.

Everyone is improvising stability. The bravest thing you can do is embrace it and seek help in others. Don’t keep it bottled up.

7. Close your door. Silence is not selfish. Boundaries build sanity; they let you return to others whole.

8. Drama, drama, drama. Bins, noise, dishes, etcetera–don’t take things personally! Laugh, forgive, move on. Life’s too short to be haunted by the horde of past unpleasantries.

9. Don’t fall for Byronic features and cutlery.

Proximity breeds illusion and keeps one trapped in a bubble of fake safety. Own your own space and mind. Go for it only if they respect both, otherwise you will dissolve into someone else’s story.

10. Keep a piece of home close to you. Home isn’t a place; it’s a feeling—a token of love. Carry pieces, keep them safe, and let them comfort you.

When to stop: the business of time management

‘What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.’

William Henry Davies wrote this famous line as a reaction to the pace of ‘modern’ life in 1911, and today, over a hundred years later, this pace has only intensified.

‘Oxford is the hardest you will have ever worked’ - we are told time and time again, as the university’s official line is to treat our degrees like a 9-5 job. Meanwhile current students advise relaxing and focusing on having a good time - first year is not that important anyway, right? In reality, many Freshers are finding a ‘9-5’ too little time to manage their workloads and are already relying on after-dinner study sessions and caf-

feine-fuelled late nights to meet those constant deadlines. So- how much time should we be putting into our degree, when do we need to worry that it is too much, and when should we be concerned that it is too little? The department of Physics suggests that 3638 hrs per week, including 20 hours of individual study time, is what the degree demands. This is approximately 7-8 hours of study per day, roughly a 9-5. This feels like a manageable amount of time to dedicate to one’s degree and even allows for the evasive luxury of having a weekend. On the other hand, many engineers and medics are suffering from long days of classes, PPEasy isn’t living up to its name, and humanities students feel they can never cover enough of their reading lists...

A quick look on ‘The Student

Room’, that fount of all academic wisdom, will give you a myri-

“

So- how much time should we be putting into our degree, when do we need to worry that it is too much, and when should we be concerned that it is too little?

ad of answers, ranging from 20 to 70 hours a week. However, talking to a recent graduate has shed more light on the subject of time management than the supposedly helpful (and very opinionated) commentators in the depths of the internet. She explained that, as a student, she found the best way to organise

her time was to firstly block out the things she really valued in her week, like a whole day off to rest and catch up with non-academic tasks. Similarly, if she had an activity or time with friends planned, she would make sure to be efficient with her work so that she could relax without stressing. Early on she committed to not asking for extensions on her work to improve an essay or do more reading as she felt this would drag into the next piece of work and hinder her set aside social and extra-curricular time. Instead, she would do her best with a piece and then move on, accepting that everything cannot be perfect. In hindsight, she reflected that ultimately, she didn’t regret any of the time that she didn’t spend studying. Perfectionist tendencies and unhealthy comparisons are something we all have

to contend with in a university like Oxford. The majority of us have gone from being smart in an average school to average in a smart environment, and this takes some getting used to. Competition can be inspiring and productive, but we have to remember that we are amongst the most academic students in the world - it’s alright if you’re not top of the class, and valuing your social life does not make you a terrible student! So don’t worry! You are probably doing enough work, and if you are not, no doubt your tutors will very soon tell you. We are all figuring things out and struggling to strike a healthy balance. Ultimately, only you can tell yourself when you have done enough work, but it is important that you recognise

Read the full article online at oxfordstudent.com

Culture

culture@oxfordstudent.com |

Section

Editor: Sophie Harrison

Boots: A study of manhood in the marines

Marcus Swinerd is a News Section Editor.

Recently blasted by The Pentagon for its “ideological agenda” that “feeds woke garbage” to its audiences, Netflix’s latest coming-of-age series Boots follows a closeted Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), who impulsively enlists in the US Marine Corps with his best friend, Ray McAffey (Liam Oh).

Based on Greg Cope White’s 2016 memoir The Pink Marine, the series is set in the 90s, when it was still illegal to be openly gay in the US military. Despite the anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Netflix backlash from Pentagon press secretary Kingsley, who claimed “the weight of a rucksack or a human being doesn’t care if you’re a man, a woman, gay, or straight”, the endearing and uplifting series soared to 9.4 million views worldwide during its second week on

Netflix. The significance of a series like Boots is ever more pertinent in today’s climate, especially with Trump’s administration having banned trans people from the military service, claiming “[they] cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service”. The groundbreaking series challenges this anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.

Viewers witness the boys in the summer camp embark on relentless physical and emotional tasks that require them to become more empathetic and strong-minded men. However, as the episodes go on, the intensity of the drill scenes dwindles, just as the rivalries between the boys and their camp leaders soften too. By the end of the series, there is a cathartic effect as the characters seem to have learnt more about themselves and each other. For example, Cope’s mum, Barbara (played by Vera Farmiga) witness-

es him evolve from a weak and insecure boy into a more emotionally and physically put-together man, all within the space of a few weeks at summer camp.

A barrier that is consistently broken in Boots is that of masculinity, what it means to be a man. Cope’s internal conflict and confusion surrounding his sexuality and manhood is represented through what he calls “the angel on [his] shoulder, [which is] honestly, sometimes the devil”. Portrayed as the externalisation of his hidden gay sexuality, this alter-ego character mirrors what viewers want Cope to be; confident in who he is as a gay man that can achieve anything (i.e. be a Marine, the equivalent of a ‘strong man’ in this series) despite his sexuality.

Boots is effective in demonstrating the impacts of parental and familial relationships on the boys in the camp. It

brilliantly uncovers how toxic masculine traits typically stem from controlling, hypermasculine and unemotional fathers. Both Ray’s father and that of brothers John and Cody Bowman (played by Blake Burt and Brandon Tyler Moore respectively) influence the insecurities and struggles of their sons.

Netflix hasn’t yet confirmed whether there will be a second series of Boots. However, if there were to be one, I think that providing a deeper dive into the backstories of other characters, such as Hicks

(played by Angus O’Brein) and Slovacek (played by Kieron Moore), would allow Netflix to spread further awareness surrounding issues pertaining to toxic masculinity and manhood. All in all, the first series of Boots provides much food for thought, demonstrating via the microcosm of the military camp how the values of ‘machismo’ remain rooted in society.

Read the full article at www. oxfordstudent.com

A View from the Bridge, or a study in tension

tension to the Oxford stage.

AView from the Bridge opens with an orchestral swell and a premonition of crime. Over the music, a lawyer’s voice replaces the Greek chorus of old, commenting on the tragedy to come. From the outset there’s a familiar sense of inevitability. Surely, this won’t end well; someone will die. Yet there are glimmers, here and there, of an escape route – compromises and warnings that the protagonist fails to heed. It’s an old formula, but the play feels modern, anchored in the 20th century and resonating in the 21st. Directed by Rosie Morgan-Males, Labyrinth Productions brings Arthur Miller’s masterclass in

A series of photographs shown at the opening establish the historical moment. The staging is fairly bare, using tiered metal scaffolding to represent the industrial setting, at once open yet evoking entrapment. Set in 1950s Brooklyn, the play follows Eddie Carbone (Nate Wintraub), an Italian-American dockworker who lives with his wife, Beatrice (Rose Hemon Martin), and her orphaned niece, Catherine (Catherine Claire). The domestic space quickly becomes volatile due to Eddie’s disturbing obsession with Catherine. This is first hinted at by his comments on her skirt and his objection to her taking a job, before boiling over amid her romance with another man.

Rodolpho (Robert Wolfreys)

and Marco (Gilon Fox) are Italian immigrants, recently arrived in New York. Cousins of Beatrice, she offers to put them up. Rodolpho, to Eddie’s dismay, is unmarried, blonde and enjoys singing. The other dockworkers seem to like him for his innate good humor and charm, and soon so does Catherine.

Nate Wintraub’s performance as Eddie combines jealousy, flashes of anger and insecurity, while Claire and Wolfreys impress in the supporting roles. One of the play’s most unique aspects is the integration of music from a live orchestra. It is fairly rare to hear a score played consistently, even during dialogue. While this can momentarily be distracting, it destabilises the precedence of language onstage in a thought-provoking way. In this

case, the music, as much as the words spoken, underscores the period, emotion and disconcerting tone of the piece.

Though rooted in post-war America, A View from the Bridge’s exploration of immigration, solidarity, law and ethics, individual passion and hubris takes it beyond its immediate context to something that can unsettle us today. Lab-

Credit: Freddie Houlahan

yrinth Productions delivers worthy source material with serious, committed student performances, and a second act that builds tension with precision.

Read the full article at www. oxfordstudent.com.

Picture this: Le Violon d’Ingres

Richard Kuehl is a Section Editor for Culture at The Oxford Student. He takes a look back at an iconic photograph by Man Ray.

If you were to ask the average person to name the most expensive photograph ever sold, I am sure that few would correctly guess Man Ray’s 1924 Le Violon d’Ingres. In May of 2022, an original print of the iconic work sold for an eyewatering $12,400,000 at a Christie’s auction in New York. That same year, a copy of Edward Steichen’s 1904 The Flatiron came in as a close second at $11,800,000. What makes thes sales stand out is that both images went under the hammer for triple the price Andreas Gursky’s Rhein II had commanded eight years prior at $4,338,500. What is it about Le Violon d’Ingres that makes it so appealing to both deep-pocketed art collectors and teenagers on social media?

Although Le Violon d’Ingres might seem straightforward at first, it is anything but. The image depicts the famous model Alice Prin, also known as Kiki de Montparnasse, from behind wearing a turban and sitting on a piece of fabric. Her arms are drawn forward to accentuate her naked, curved back on which are two black f-holes that resemble those found on a violin. At first glance, Ray is objectifying de Montparnasse’s body as a musical instrument, showing the similarities between the curves of the female figure and those of a violin. As such, it is an eye-catching work of surrealist imagery in which the animate and inanimate are transfused and the lines between reality and the surreal are blurred. Yet, there is more to the image than meets the eye.

The work’s title is in fact a multi-layered inside joke that is a little hard to pick up on for non-native French speakers. It translates to “Ingres’s violin”, referring to the 19th century

painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, a notable follower of Orientalism known for his female nudes. Ray’s photograph was partially inspired by works of his such as The Valpinçon Bather (1808).

“ If you were to ask the average person to name the most expensive photograph ever sold, I am sure that few would correctly guess Man Ray’s 1924 Le Violon d’Ingres.

Yet, beyond being a simple homage, the work’s title, Le Violon d’Ingres, is also a set expression in French meaning an activity practiced as a pleasurable pastime. This is because Ingres, although primarily a painter, enjoyed playing the violin in his spare time. Therefore, the title of the work can also be seen as a reference to Ray’s relationship with the picture’s model Kiki de Montparnasse, both his mistress at the time and a “pleasurable pastime.”

Not least because of its multi-layered dimension and eye-catching quality, Le Violon d’Ingres ended up becoming the most famous work of surrealist photography with an afterlife reaching well into the present. Ironically, the motif of the two black keys objectifying de Montparnasse’s body has become a popular tattoo. Beyond that, fashion designers such as Viktor and Rolf have referenced the work in their collections. Anoth-

er element contributing to the image’s lasting legacy is Ray himself. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky to a Jewish immigrant family, he spent his childhood in Brooklyn where he was drawn into the world of the arts. After finishing high school, he turned down a scholarship to study architecture and instead pursued a career as an artist, producing paintings, sketches, photographs and even short films. A noticeable follower of both Dadaism and Surrealism, he contributed to both moments through his many innovative works and experiments in photographic technique. He accidentally rediscovered the process of solarization with his model and lover Lee Miller and created the technique of the Rayograph which he kept refining until the end of his life. From 1921 to 1940, Ray lived in Paris where he mingled with avantgarde creatives such as Pablo Picasso and Paul Eluard among many

others. Today, Ray is not only remembered as one of the defining faces of Surrealism, but also as the embodiment of the boundary-pushing, cosmopolitan artist.

It is perhaps because of this that his photographic works have proved to be great favourites among collectors. What

“ An eye-catching work of surrealist imagery in which the animate and inanimate are transfused.

the sale of Le Violon d’Ingres proves is that photographic prints are increasingly more desirable on the art market as fine art photography contin-

ues to establish itself. However, it is also a sign that wealthy collectors are above all drawn to established old masters of photography whose images enjoy widespread recognition and acclaim. One can only hope that this will have a trickle-down effect, with the works of lesser known photographers rising in both value and esteem.

The impact that celebrity collectors such as Elton John are having on public attention to and interest in photography is already visible. In 1993, he purchased one of Man Ray’s works entitled Glass Tears for $193,895, the highest price ever paid for a photograph at that time, setting a precedent for Le Violon d’Ingres’ recent sales record. The rock star’s extensive collection numbers over 7,000 works and includes not only images by high profile celebrity photographers but also many works by lesser known and up and coming creatives.

What’s On?

Theodor Meron launches his new poetry collection, Poems on Being, on Love, and on Grief, in conversation with Baroness Helena Kennedy, at de Jager Auditorium, Trinity College on Wednesday 19th November from 5-6pm.

Cartesian Productions’ Under Milk Wood, a play set in the small Welsh town of Llareggub, runs at the Keble O’Reilly Theatre until Saturday 15th November

Seabass Theatre stages Doctor Faustus at the Keble O’Reilly from 26th29th November.

Mamma Mia: The Musical is showing at New Theatre Oxford from 25th November

The exhibition showcases Treasured, John le Carre: Tradecraft and Paddy Summerfield: The Camera Helps are ongoing at the Bodleian.

The Eleventh Hour: Stories about the ‘last possible moment’

Ivett Berényi is Identity Deputy Editor and Culture Section Editor.

The Eleventh Hour is the “latest possible moment before it’s too late”. In his newest collection, Salman Rushdie extends this moment into five short stories, taking us through grief, destruction, liminality, unfinished business and the ends of language. Though one would expect these preoccupations to propel us right to the endpoint, the finish line, the last words, Rushdie’s creativity continues to breathe life into each line. An optimistic reader will continue to fight Death along, between, and cast upon these lines. An optimistic reader also knows it’s not too late to do so – we are held in time, at the latest possible moment.

“Death and life were just adjacent verandas.”

The short story collection

kicks off ‘In the South.’ We follow two elderly neighbours, Senior and Junior, with adjacent verandas, one soon to face death while the other lives.

“her music really had acquired powers of enchantment”

A short family saga centred around the piano and sitar prodigy, Chandni, ‘The Musician of Kahani’ would fit nicely into Rushdie’s corpus as a full-length novel. Chandni’s magical musicality is inextricable from twenty-first century celebrity culture, late-stage capitalism and the personal repercussions of maintaining a brand. The theme of death is not as intrinsic as in the former story, but certainly lurks between the lines.

“The clock hands were stuck at midnight”

‘Late’ is perfectly timed midway through the collection. This is a story of transition, liminality, temporality and

acceptance. Through the protagonist, S. M. Arthur, Rushdie imagines purgatory at the University of Cambridge.

The Honorary Fellow has the unfinished business of sharing his secret history with the only person who can still see his ghost, Rose, a young scholar among the first women admitted to this unnamed Cambridge College. Rose’s encounter with gender-and race-based discrimination empathetically aligns her with Arthur, whose queer history takes us right back to World War Two.

“Art lives on but artists are vulnerable.”

This short story is a masterclass in navigating realms that are strictly constructed in our imaginations, through our indulgence in free association. Each reader must tread the very thin line of Eden and purgatory once they enter the rabbit hole of ‘Oklahoma’, a thin line made of stones of madness.

“our language is promiscuous”

The abstract meditations on our use of language in ‘The Old Man in the Piazza’ form a stark contrast to the opening short story. While nobody dies, the lifeline of our language struggles to survive.

We are confronted with death at each moment of The Eleventh Hour, abstract and human, magical and organic. The theme of unfinished narratives fails at the last lines, where a reader may reasonably expect that Rushdie has finished writing.

These short stories form a collection that destabilises the notion of writing a well-rounded review. Each and every finish line affirms an end to continuation as the living, reading mind follows the phantoms, impostors, and magical artists to their graves.

Read the full article at www.oxfordstudent.com

A review of Monster: The Ed Gein Story

ture Section Editor.

The highly controversial release of Monster: The Ed Gein Story has sparked a frenzy of reactions, varying from horror to admiration. As I sat down to watch this series, I was already anticipating an intense watch; after having watched the first two series, Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Monsters: The Lyle and Erike Menendez Story, I was familiar with director Ryan Murphey’s dark style. However, these couldn’t have prepared me for what was to come. The cinematography of the series is spectacular. Camera angles designed to bring the viewer to the edge of their

seat, amplifying the grotesque nature of Gein’s crimes, made the episodes captivating.

Charlie Hunnam provides a masterclass in acting, evoking Gein’s care-free, oblivious nature even in the most shocking of scenes. Perhaps this is what makes this series of Monster more horrifying than the rest; whilst Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers were aware of their wrongdoings, it appears as though Ed Gein is clueless. Whilst Murphey shows Gein’s crimes in uncomfortable detail, he also takes care to portray the twisted childhood which many have claimed contributed to Gein’s psychological illness. From an alcoholic father to a mother who believes all women are products of the devil, Murphy

sets the backdrop for Gein’s complex relationship with the world.

Whilst I couldn’t help but hit ‘play the next episode’ repeatedly, I was already predicting the backlash that this series would face. Murphy takes the bold move of depicting not only Gein’s story, but also exploring the production of Psycho, which is supposedly inspired by Gein. This interesting bridge between telling the murderer’s story and portraying the making of a film based on his crimes sparked a host of criticism. Anthony Perkins’ son (star of Psycho) condemned platforms such as Netflix for taking the crime genre and attempting to give it a glamourous and meaningful portrayal.

But if you are looking for a

horror-style crime series that will provide shock after shock then Monster: The Ed Gein Story is for you. Personally, I couldn’t help but become addicted and found the plot development, cinematography and characterisation fascinating. However, this is not a fiction series. The show

depicts real people whose descendants are still very much alive. Whilst this series is marketed under the genre of crime, perhaps Murphy pushed the limit of blending crime with horror.

Read the full article at www.oxfordstudent.com

Monster. Official Netflix poster (cropped)

Editors: Ansu Bhattarai, Bella Brown, Celine Leung, Ngoc Diep, Rodin Bantawa

to less safe clinics for a cheaper procedure, losing their lives due to side-effects. Unfortunately, associated risks do not deter people. However, this article does not intend to criticise the people choosing to undergo cosmetic alterations. Rather, it is a criticism of the circumstances that lead to a person giving up so much for these procedures.

The normalisation of cosmetic alterations tells us something about the expectation placed upon women. It has long been established that a woman’s beauty dictates the respect she is given in our patriarchal society; it is through that complicity that we are given the space to voice our thoughts. Is the desire of looking younger than 25 just a revised edition of the 60’s belief that women have an ‘expiration date’, with the addition of greedy cosmetic firms exploiting our insecurities to the extent that many women whole-heartedly believe it is inherently a negative thing to show signs of age?

We have all heard of the mid-life crisis, characterised by frustration and straddled too far between youth and retirement, almost a no-man’s land of existential dissatisfaction. But recently, another crisis seems to emerge, affecting primarily women and is centred around the quarter-life stage. On one end, there are 19-year-olds, increasingly paranoid of losing their youth (despite only starting it) as they approach 25; on the other end, we have a frantic scramble to prevent aging beyond 25.

In the age of social media, where our digital presence seems to reflect our real-person lifestyle, there is a drive to show the world a pristine, per-

fect image of ourselves. The aesthetic outings, luxury holidays, lavish lifestyles, and of course the ideal look to complete the picture of perfection. And for women, youth is the foundation for beauty.

There is a growing anxiety to aging, stronger than it ever was before, it seems. We see magical, anti-aging creams and wrinkle-preventative serums advertised to teens. While everybody has insecurities, it is rare to see such a

“ We have a frantic scramble to prevent aging beyond 25.

large push to completely erase a process that is natural to humans. Women are familiar with the timeless compliment of “You look so much younger!” as they reveal their true age. With advancements in technology and push from celebrities, cosmetic procedures are rapidly becoming a simple fix-all and not-so-secretive ‘secret’ to staying youthful. Botox, injectables and filler are marketed and sold to women as quick and reliable ways of smoothing out skin and polishing imperfections. But are they the elixir of life from modern technology we think they are?

Cosmetic procedures are without a doubt expensive, and there have been countless news stories of people going

shows the shift in acceptance that these are necessary procedures to obtain youth.

“ We must first have the freedom to embrace ourselves.

Take the recent Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as an example: for the first time, women over the age of the terrible forty were on the runway, a showcase that gripped the 2010’s as the epitome of beauty. But they still look 25. For all Victoria’s Secret’s attempt to make their most diverse and inclusive show to date, it can’t help but send the message that an ‘older’ woman can be celebrated, only if she still looks like she is 25.

“ Many women whole-heartedly believe it is inherently a negative thing to show signs of age.

Perhaps even the linguistic rebrand of ‘plastic surgery’, once kept hushed up and ferociously denied by celebrities, to ‘cosmetic procedures’

A Sylvia Plath poem, ‘The Munich Mannequins’, describes the models in the 1960s as having a “sulphur loveliness”, one that is beautiful, but extremely harmful. This unfortunately still rings true decades later, where the paradoxical standards of beauty are detrimental to women’s physical and mental health. And still, today cosmetic surgery is being labelled on social media as empowering, a way of taking control of her appearance. Even feminist, in some circles. In some ways, yes, cosmetics are empowering; they are a form of self-expression. I, myself, along with many others like to experiment with makeup styles. Of course, they are sometimes borne out of small insecurities over things we aren’t quite ready to accept, but for the most part, I would like to believe that make-up is an artform. Getting plastic surgery to permanently alter our appearance, however, is a step too far in the wrong direction in my opinion.

After all, can these procedures really be seen as a feminist empowerment, when this was borne out of the need to find a solution to our insecurities, which stem from an impossible standard fabricated by the patriarchal society we live in? For this choice to be feminist and empowering, we must first have the freedom to embrace ourselves, something that is not often afforded to women. Cosmetic surgery is more an exploitation of insecurity profiting off of the conviction that a woman’s standing in society is tied to her youth.

Read the full article at www.oxfordstudent.com

14th November 2025

science@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Yuhan Wang

Section Editors: Ansu Bhattarai, Caitlin Turnbull, Clemmie Watkins, Lanna Kadhim, Nour Bouzidi, Rebecca Su

Dr. Robot?

Lanna Kadhim

With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), it seems that everything around us is ever-evolving. Often seen as our next major technological revolution, AI now walks the same road that telecommunications, the internet, and the World Wide Web have in the past. It’s no surprise that AI will find applications everywhere, including the field of healthcare.

Medicine is a field defined by expertise and rigour, both qualities that medical professionals rightfully take pride in. It’s a profession that has stood the test of time, evolving in tandem with humanity itself. As new innovations emerge, the field of healthcare is one to evolve and adapt with the times, mainly for a better understanding of human health and disease. Treatments and cures for conditions that were

explores how AI could revolutionise healthcare

once lethal now exist thanks to technological advancement. So why not bring AI into the mix?

We know the healthcare system is not perfect. Long wait times and backlogs for specialist consultations are very real, placing extra pressure on healthcare professionals. While everyone wants to provide a timely, high-quality standard of care, this can sometimes be difficult due to sometimes unknowable factors of time and resources. This is where AI could step in and take on some work.

AI in healthcare is often described as having two main applications: perceptual and interventional. The first focuses on disease perception and diagnosis, while the second supports intervention and treatment. From this approach, it is perceived as a tool in the hands of health-

care professionals, rather than a replacement. Medicine has always been shaped by the blend of humanity and technology. There will always be an emotional aspect to healthcare, and many times, it still takes a person sitting with a patient, reassuring them, diagnosing, and planning treatment together. However, AI can be applied to strengthen the accuracy and precision of diagnosis as well as refine personalised medicine. AI is a machine learning model and it continues to store data and learn as it goes on. AI could draw from the combined data of hundreds of hospitals, countless clinicians, and have access to vast laboratory datasets. It becomes an always-on, always-learning tool for clinical diagnosis, cutting the time it takes to reach a diagnosis and accelerating the start of treat-

ment for patients. Not only could AI diagnose, but it could also have the capabilities to predict a suitable course of action based on the diagnosis. The Oxford Clinical Artificial Intelligence Research (OxCAIR) team focuses on AI-assisted image analysis.

These include interpreting CT images, detecting fractures in emergency departments, and reading chest X-rays to support clinical decision-making. This would save money...

Read the full article online at www.oxfordstudent.com

In defence of the Oxford kebab van

Clemmie Watkins explores the science behind late-night munchies

We’ve all been there.

Crawling back from Thursday Night Bridge and you see the joyous sight of the Oxford Kebab van. Whether you’re a Hassan’s loyalist, Posh Nosh devotee or a regular at my per-

sonal favourite Hussein’s run by the ever-friendly Nadiya, resistance is futile. But why is this? Are late night kebabs purely an ingrained part of Oxford culture or can they be explained by underlying biological mechanisms?

A study published in the Californian Journal of Health Promotion found a clear association between heavy drinking in adolescents and the consumption of an unhealthy meal before bed. Little surprise – there’s a reason why college fire alarms are prone to going off at 2am when some bright spark has decided it’s a good idea to cook oven chips. In fact, this phenomenon is so widely documented that scientists have named it ‘the aperitif effect’.

But this effect appears confusing. If alcohol is the second most calorific nutrient after fat, why don’t you feel full after a couple glasses of wine? Traditionally, this paradox has led to the post-drinking munchies to be explained by

behavioural mechanisms. Alcohol slows down the propagation of nerve impulses and effectively ‘quietens’ your prefrontal cortex, the brain area responsible for self-control. With a reduced judgement making capacity, the temptation to tuck into a portion of cheesy chips might be too much to resist.

Yet aside from behavioural mechanisms, emerging neuroscience paints a more complex picture of the underlying reasons for this phenomenon.

A study by the Francis Crick Institute revealed that alcohol may directly tinker with neurological activity. Researchers sent mice on a three-day bender by injecting alcohol into their abdomens, followed by saline injections for the

subsequent three days. On the days where alcohol had been injected, researchers found a clear increase in food intake. What’s more, by observing brain tissue samples, the researchers observed an activation of Agrp neurones on the days where the mice had received alcohol. These neurones producte chemicals which tell our brain that it is time to eat. Stimulation of these neurones increases production of these chemicals, tricking your brain into thinking you’re hungry even when you’re not.

This finding is not reserved to mice. Scientists at Indiana University intravenously...

The OxYou

Deputy Editor: Arun Lewis Section

Editors: Ngoc Diep, Kit Renshaw-Hammond, Sam

You chose this degree. This is your life now.

How you co-exist with English pronunciation struggles, multilingual confusion, and the irony of being fluent in no language despite studying many

You do not know how to flirt in Vietnamese or in English, but you know that in Kaqchikel, you can make a move by saying: “Ninwajo’ rat at nuk’an.” [‘I want you to be my partner’] or “Rat xatxarij nuk’u’x.” [‘You conquered my heart’], which has proven extremely useful for your dating life in Oxford, obviously…

Sixteen years of living, and then you make an underinformed decision to choose your degree, shaping your life forever.

You’ve heard somewhere that you must make a decision based on which subject you excelled in at high school. That would be the path you can easily strive to be the best in. So, you choose Linguistics with confidence; after all, you were the English teacher’s student pet, but were rubbish at English Literature – Linguistics sounds right then. Right?

English isn’t your native language, you spent 12 years tormenting yourself about why the “e” in “lemon” sounds like /e/, but the “e” in “meme” sounds different. Why

are there three “e” s in the word “excitement”, and none are pronounced the same?

To double down on the English-issue, you chose to study in an English-speaking country, so you wouldn’t have to retake the IELTS exam after your bachelor’s degree.

And yes, after two years of essay writing, you discovered ‘Matthew’ has two t’s. Not one. Two. Why?

Here’s a situation you know well: mid-conversation, you want to say “confiture de fraise” but the English escapes you. Then you found yourself in a dilemma. Should you:

(a) abruptly stop talking like a malfunctioning robot, (b) drop the French and confirm everyone’s suspicion that you’re that personsomeone who’s too eager to show off her French.

The word is “strawberry jam”, by the way. You looked it up after the conversation. In French.

Read more at www.oxfordstudent.com

Union Noticeboard

Henceforth, the agenda items for the proceeding day. Prithee, take heed. Familiarise thyself with the Members’ Regulations, located within our obfuscated digital hub are listed below.

1. The Union shall be convening this eve to discuss the pertinent issue of leaves falling from the trees in the lawn.

2. Spaces still remain for our annual Access Ski Trip. It promises to be a snowy spectacle for all! Tickets: £1060. Dress Code: White Tie.

3. The Motion of No Confidence in the Union Safety, Equality, Leisure, Equity and Social Support Officer has passed with a substantial majority. Henceforth, the Member shall be removed from their position as an Officer of the Union.

4. Applications for the Social Standing Committee are officially open. If you consider yourself modest and self-effacing, with no worldly ambitions – be it political, social or economic – head to the link in our bio and apply.

5. Join us in the Chamber on Thursday for the Week 6 Debate ‘This House Believes that Diversity has Gone Too Far.’ In an era of overwhelming wokeness and ingratitude from those who have

been extended a helping hand, we are beginning to see the consequences of the ‘multicultural experiment’. Just how much was too much, and are we too far gone to be saved?

“ The Union shall be convening this eve to discuss the pertinent issue of leaves falling from the trees in the lawn.

6. The Emergency Motion for the aforementioned Debate will be: This House Believes that the Oxford Union Should Implement an IQ Test for all New Members. It will be a members-only debate.

7. Finally, please note that the Union Bar will be closed on Wednesday for the planned reception and fundraiser for the Honourable United States Secretary of War.

v

sport@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Ava Doherty Section Editors: Michelle Luo, Charles Prestwich

The abstinence myth: Why boxers still say no before a fight

What’s the big deal with abstinence?

Before every big fight, you often hear boxers declaring that they can’t have sex. Given that this phenomenon isn’t actually scientifically backed, why would, let’s be quite frank, horny men decide not to?

Well, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself for the last five minutes.

There are, of course, books that delve into this topic, such as A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister, which discusses how patriarchal attitudes have shaped ideas about sex for both women and men. Lister argues that these ideas can be traced back to certain Chinese philosophies that claimed sleeping with someone sapped one’s “life force.” That is where the notion of parasitic sexual stereotypes originated.

While I agree with Lister to some extent, it’s hard to argue that this is the prevailing attitude keeping the abstinence phenome-

non alive today. In modern times, we’ve seen depictions in cinema, books, and television showing that having sex supposedly makes people lose focus. Instead of the old idea of energy-draining sex from 1,000’s of years ago, the narrative has shifted toward portraying women as distractions, a stereotype rooted in outdated ideas about masculinity and control.

“ Narrative has shifted to portraying women as distractions.

This idea is supported bygender data suggesting that there is a clear imbalance in who practices abstinence before major sporting events. Women’s levels of sexual activity do not drastically fluctuate before competitions, whether the Olympics, football matches, or fights, whereas men’s

do. Their performance, in more ways than one, seems to vary.

I think we need a revolution in how we think about this topic, not only because revolutions are exciting, but because rethinking these attitudes could spark a broader conversation about whether gendered ideas in sport have finally had their day, like the dinosaurs. (Though I’m sure someone will take issue with that comparison.)

Some famous practitioners of pre-fight abstinence include Chris Eubank and Muhammad Ali, both of whom claimed that avoiding sex before a bout boosted their concentration. While that might be an effective personal tactic, it’s not necessarily backed by empirical evidence. So why give up something enjoyable if there’s no proven benefit? I don’t know. I’m still pondering that, though for the record, I am cutting down on my alcohol intake. (I kid, mostly.)

From a psychoanalytic point of view, abstinence across different areas, whether from drugs, alcohol, or performance-enhancing substances, serves as a visible sign of discipline and self-control. While substances like steroids are banned for good reason, abstaining from alcohol and recreational drugs shows dedication to one’s craft. But sex? That’s where the logic starts to wobble. Sex has been moralised to the point of being lumped in with drugs and alcohol, things that can have genuinely negative effects on the body and mind. Yet sex does not inherently do that. In fact, sexual activity can have positive effects: fostering emotional intimacy, reducing stress, and even improving sleep.

“ Why give up something enjoyable if there’s no proven benefit? I don’t know. I’m still pondering that.

So why does it continue to be treated as something that weakens athletes? Perhaps it’s not the physical act that’s feared, but the emotional one. Maybe these masculine sports figures are less afraid of physical exhaustion and more afraid of being distracted by emotional intimacy, by the promise of connection when they’re supposed to be focused

solely on competition.

But the real question is this: does sexual intimacy, lust, and love truly need to be conquered before a fight? Is it really a weakness, or could it, in fact, be a natural performance enhancer in itself?

“ Does sexual intimacy, lust and love truly need to be conquered before a fight?

Match results

Oxford United versus Millwall drew 2- 2 in the match on Sat 1 Nov. Despite this result, I think that Oxford United have the potential to go much further than they have done. Millwall may have the resources but the consistency of Oxford United speaks to the daily organisation of the team in all walks of life. Whilst it may not have been something that either side were hoping for, it is a reminder that both have the potential to do better.

Upcoming matches that we ought to look at Test 1 of 2 - End of the day Ireland has faced off Bangladesh with stumps from ireland being 270/8 (90). And Bangladesh is yet to bat, IRE chose to bat, starts at 3:30 11 - 15 Nov. But in the odds of who is going to win it is likely to be Bangladesh because they have geared up to have a stellar start.

Skating over pain

Ava Doherty

Ice skating, often imagined as an art of elegance, precision, and beauty, can also be understood as a vessel of pain—both physical and emotional—when placed within the context of social and economic hierarchies that shape its participants. Beneath its surface of shimmering grace lies a struggle of class, gender, and aspiration. The story of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, and the infamous 1994 attack that shook the world of figure skating, illuminates how the rink can become a stage for deeper social wounds.

Tonya Harding’s rise from poverty into the polished, exclusive world of competitive skating was not simply

Puzzles

a personal journey—it was a confrontation with the structures of power that define who belongs in beauty and who does not. Ice skating, with its sequins, soft music, and judges’ exacting gazes, idealised a specific image of womanhood: delicate, controlled, and upper-class. Harding’s rough edges, her working-class background, her bluntness—all of it was seen as transgressive. She was not just skating against other women; she was skating against a culture that viewed her very presence as an intrusion.

Thus, ice skating became an instrument of pain—not only for the physical strain it

Number Link by Daniel Tribe

demands of the body but for the psychological weight it imposed upon those outside its social ideal. Harding’s pain was not only personal but systemic. She could not articulate her resentment, envy, or despair within the genteel codes of the sport. To show anger was unladylike; to admit jealousy was shameful; to confront inequality was to be labeled bitter. Women were— and still are—discouraged from expressing negative emotion openly. In this sense, Harding’s tragedy was that she lived in a world where pain had to be disguised as performance, where grace was expected to hide struggle.

The attack on Nancy Kerrigan, while indefensible, cannot be separated from the environment that fostered such desperation. The event became a cultural spectacle, but beneath the tabloid headlines lay a deeper story

Sudoku - Easy

of class conflict and emotional suffocation. Harding’s inability to “articulate her pain effectively in a medium which was socially acceptable,” meant her failure in the sport she loves.

Goal: Connect each pair of matching numbers with a single continuous line.

Rules:

1. Lines may move horizontally or vertically, one cell at a time.

2. Lines may turn, but must remain within the grid.

3. Lines cannot cross or overlap.

4. Lines cannot pass through any numbered cell.

5. Every empty cell in the grid must be part of a line.

Each number appears exactly twice in the grid. Draw a path linking the two identical numbers, following the rules above. When completed, all lines will fill the grid with no empty spaces left.

Sudoku - Hard