Formal applications to join The Oxford Student’s Editorial Team for Hilary Term 2023 have now closed.
We are always still keen to welcome articles and contributions, as well as applications to join the editorial team, on a constant, rolling basis – so feel free to get in touch with our editors or join our contributors’ group on Facebook.
This term, we are looking to continue to reform, rebrand, and re-establish ourselves in the same direction established in MT22. We are always happy to welcome new ideas and contributions. Whether you’re a long-term student journalism veteran, or have absolutely no experience at all, we are excited to receive your applications!
More information on the role of an Editorial Team member can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/oxstueditorialteam/
We are also looking for artists, photographers, graphic designers and creatives to join our Creative Team. More information is available here: https://tinyurl.com/oxstucreativeteam/
Below is a description of each section of The Oxford Student, which is especially important for those interested in our Editorial Team:
News & Investigations
News is one of our most vital sections and at the heart of what we do at The Oxford Student. We are dedicated to reporting on issues pertinent to Oxford students and aspire to do so in a timely manner. From the dodgy dealings of our colleges to the progressive, new guidelines for diversity mandated by our Student Council, we want to cover those important stories which impact our life here at the university. Our News Team strives to uphold high journalistic standards in accordance with the journalist code of ethics and we take pride in our editorial independence – we will never shy away from a story because of bias. As part of the News Team, you will be an integral part of keeping our readers up-to-date with University-related news through commissioning and editing articles, as well as investigating the stories that really matter and answering those all-important questions and concerns students may have here. You will learn proper forms of investigation and the unique style of news reporting as well as be briefed on the legalities of it all – crucial skills that will help start a burgeoning journalism career of your own.
Comment
This is our opinion section dedicated to spreading the voices of our student body on the most topical and controversial issues relevant to students, young people and the nation/globe. This section, which has included debates and opinion pieces on topics as diverse as the morality of the Oxford Union to whether we should support college stash, can attract thousands of readers, and truly impact how other students understand their experience of the university and the hot topics of the day. As part of the Comment Editorial team, you can help shape the discourse within the university through commissioning and editing articles, as well as regularly contributing your own writing.
Features
The Features section is a place where students can shed light on their personal experiences. With longer and more in-depth pieces, Features will provide a place for students to relate to and understand their peers. Whether it’s how you’ve adjusted moving from secondary school to Oxford, how you’ve experienced and interacted with student politics, to your experience of how mental health and living up to academic expectations interact, the Features Section is a place to tell your story or a story you think is worth telling. As part of the Features Editorial team, you can help shape the discourse within the university through commissioning and editing articles, as well as submitting your own writing. Features also have a really important role in giving a voice to students who feel marginalised by the University experience in ways that are not necessarily part of Pink or Identity. Editors have the ability to conduct interviews and platform important voices.
Profile
Profile is a section dedicated to providing thought-provoking interviews with a wide variety of people, from internationally famous celebrities and thinkers to students at Oxford continually pushing the boundaries. Being part of the Profile team means getting to meet some incredible people, and helping to decide what parts of their mind you wish to explore through the interview format. This is also a great section to take part in some informal networking and an excuse to meet some of your favourite people.
Entertainment
Everything from books to plays to films: if you’ve ever reviewed Bridgerton for an audience, this section wants you! Previously part of Culture, this section is up-to-date with every next big thing, so if you spend all your time in the library actually watching new releases, then this is the place for you! The bookworms amongst you are also welcome to review what it is you read when you should be reading Plato or something…
Identity
As part of our commitment to inclusivity and diversity, we have a dedicated section which focuses on issues regarding race and cultural identity. Identity Editors have the opportunity to work with contributors to explore issues specific to members of the BAME community, celebrating diversity and also shining a spotlight on their experience.
Pink
As part of our commitment to inclusivity and diversity, we have a dedicated section, as part of Features, to focus on LGBTQ+ and gender issues. This section will explore sexual identity and gender identity, with a wide-ranging focus on how these issues affect all members of our society, with contributions from all backgrounds, no matter how they identify, welcome. Hopefully, we will return to a print edition next term, and Pink will be expanded in the coming months to feature a double-page spread so our Editors can present more work from our LGBTQ+ community than ever before.
OxYou
One of our funniest sections, OxYou is the page to let out all your Oxford woes. For this section, we want humorous content that is directly related to life at Oxford University. Fallen in love with your college spouse? This will be the place to find some articles with advice about that conundrum. Want to become your college’s resident BNOC? How about a 5-step guide to achieving this! Anyone applying for this section has a GSOH (which should be on your Bumble account), and should be ready to become the next Rordon Gamsay!
Gaming
Gaming is a huge subculture within our University, most of us here fancy ourselves a bit of Animal Crossing or Overwatch and the Oxford Minecraft Project keeps getting bigger. However, gaming is not something we often talk about, typically drowned out by news and university politics. We want to take advantage of these unfortunate times to continue to expand our platform for E-Sports & Gaming, where people can share their favourite games and a uni-wide discussion can take place. If possible, we even want to try host intercollegiate E-Sports and stream it on our platforms. If you feel like you could further this section, please sign-up!
Sport
This section is for all those who find themselves glued to the screen when the football or rugby is on! You’ll have the opportunity to write about your favourite clubs, developments in world sporting events, and other pertinent developments in the world of athleticism. There’s also the opportunity to explore elements of gender, politics, and class, and how they interact within sport. This section also covers university sport, and any match reports that you follow.
SciTech
STEM students make up an overwhelming proportion of the student body and we want to make sure we are representing them. In light of the current world situation, and with our University’s leading role in the race to the Covid-19 vaccination, our Sci-Tech section has seen record numbers of readership, with opportunities for Editors to speak to some of the leading lights in the scientific and technological world within our university. Sci-Tech’s job is to present some interesting reads about what our STEM students have been up, as well as keep our community informed of everything relevant to them. If you are keen to spread the word about STEM please apply!
Gen Z
The other side of what used to be the Culture Section, covering all the latest internet trends and young people things (we’re definitely down with the kidz). If you spend all your time on TikTok and know all the beauty YouTuber drama, this section needs you!
Food & Drink
We hope to be serving up some tasty reading in the Food and Drink section, highlighting all the best places to eat in Oxford (once we get back to it of course), but also providing a great resource to cook up some delicious dishes for yourself. Being part of the Food and Drink section requires a big appetite, as members of the team often get invitations to review restaurants for free and a keen eye for crafting and creating recipes to share with our readers. It also provides a space for those with a love of alcoholic beverages to give us the rundown on the Oxford drinking scene, as well as somewhere to share your own dangerously potent creations! Bon Appetit!
Green
Green is our section for environmental issues! You’ll cover everything from veganism to climate change and examine some of the key challenges and opportunities facing our world! Joining the Green section will require an interest in sustainability and will see you work closely with Oxford’s environmentalist groups to hold the university to account over key ‘green’ issues! We’re not just looking for ardent eco-warriors though, Green section is the perfect place for those with a passion for conservation and a desire to appreciate the beauty of the natural world! This section is still relatively new, so there is real room for you to make it your own!
Style
Covering everything from high fashion to street fits, anyone with a love of clothes is encouraged to apply for a section that will contain images, articles, and illustrations! The section is being reintroduced, so there is a lot of editorial freedom here; this is your chance to give a section direction. Even those of us who wear jeans and a black hoodie every day are encouraged to apply if you think you have that little creative spark! This should be a really fun section, with a lot of room for imagination.
Featured image description: ‘Apply to Join The Oxford Student for Trinity Term 2022’ written in bold, against a navy-blue background.
