Editorials – Week 5 Trinity 2023

Read our Trinity 2023 fifth week print edition, where these editorials appear, here, or pick up a physical copy in your JCR, pidge room, or lodge!

Rose Henderson

It’s fifth week already, and spending most of it in the SU laying in this print edition has been an interesting approach to avoiding its infamous blues. From the usual ‘jokes’ that Ayomi can’t use InDesign, to Milo and I finishing off the edition in a darkened room after the rest of the editors have abandoned us, the articles we publish today represent a huge amount of effort on behalf of the entire team. 

Last week, Ayomi and I met up with some of the previous Editors in Chief at OxStu, and when asked about the 2am lay-ins and chasing up editors who hadn’t written anything, we could honestly report that we hadn’t experienced that at all. While we would love to say this was entirely down to us, true credit must go to the people that turn up at 4 Worcester Street every fortnight. Every deputy editor consistently choosing to take a few hours out of their busy weeks to come in and lay in makes a significant difference both to the quality of the paper and to the time we end up leaving the SU! 

As for the articles in this print, the quality has been, as usual, consistently high. Beyond the news pages, look out for our contributors’ analysis of events in Oxford, from Frankie Coy’s feature on the Sackler family whose name has just been removed from University buildings, to Leon Wheeler’s comment piece dismantling some of the misguided narrative over relations between the SU and the Oxford Union. 

Ayomilekan Adegunwa

This week I have been thinking about the role of student journalism. What is the point of student journalism? Why do I dedicate hours of my life to a newspaper which is read less than an anonymous Facebook group? 

As I am sure you aware, Oxford has once again found itself in the midst of a culture war. Last term it was the 15 minute cities, this term it is free speech. This term’s invitation of Kathleen Stock has captured the attention of the media – it seems like the Telegraph runs articles about Stock everyday. The backlash to her invitation, and the subsequent backlash to the backlash have been incredibly intense – with letters signed by hundreds of people being sent to the Telegraph and death threats being sent to student activists. 

The media have turned this into an adversarial battle between those who are fighting for freedom of speech, and those who are intolerant of hearing views other than their own. In this, they have often misrepresented events or taken shortcuts to get the story that they wanted. Leon Wheeler’s comment piece on this is great – give it a read! 

I’ve been really proud of the work that the Oxford Student has done in this area. We have presented the facts and brought light to confused issues. Again, I must say an enormous thank you to Rose Henderson, to whom the continuing functionality of this fine newspaper is solely down to. 

I hope that you enjoy the great journalism in this week’s edition. 

Emily Hudson

The curse of a finalist is to be brimming with ideas with no time at all to realise them. Hence, this editorial is a tribute to all the articles I would have loved to write so far this term. These have topics ranging from why the name change of Bannau Brycheiniog national park is a good thing to the evolutionary origins of coiled hair – with many more in between. Perhaps these will materialise, but if they don’t we can rest assured that they did exist somewhere, if not in print. Lay-in has been as fun as ever and honestly provoking productive discussion (as evidenced by the inspiration for Matt’s latest article!) Thanks to the editors for your company and for your dedication to this week’s edition! 

Matthew Holland

OxStu readers, I have had the most Oxford weekend ever (20th and 21st). 

On Saturday, I spent most of the day working, bumped into many other editors at various points, went to a Magdalen Garden Play, and then managed to gatecrash DJ Dipper’s final set at Oxford. 

Sunday was much less BNOCy, I’m afraid. I met up with many friends across the day, went on a walking tour, went punting, and once again bumped into some other editors. 

Conclusion: I’m a terrible editor and an even worse student. Luckily, the OxStu is full of editors much better than me who have managed yet another amazing two weeks of content.