Author: Katie Holmes

One of this government’s most controversial proposed policies, now set to be passed by the new prime minister, is the reintroduction of grammar schools, which were first banned eighteen years ago. This is not surprising – with the appointment of Theresa May, the Conservative Party has waved goodbye to a Bullingdon-led cabinet for a Tory […]

How is it that the homeless go hungry whilst, away from the streets, satisfied students leave plates of food that never get eaten? In this article I will attempt to answer this question, which has angered me since my arrival in this city so dominated by class divides. My own college’s ‘hall’ can be seen […]

As an American going to school in the UK, I believe that the big picture of my university experience isn’t so different from that of my peers in America: we have lectures and classes of varying size, we eat cafeteria food, we consume copious amounts of cheap, questionable alcohol which (let’s face it) more often […]

According to the EU, its main claim for existence is that it has led a historically war-torn, conflict-prone continent to peace and harmony. Whilst Europe has seen a far lower incidence of conflict since the end of the Second World War in 1945, I do not believe we can attribute this to the European Union […]

This may be my first year living in Oxford, but from what I can gather Trinity Term is truly the term of tradition. Michaelmas has matriculation and Oxmas, Hilary has torpids and half way hall. But these have nothing on May Day, Ascension Day and trashing, which is to name just a few traditions that […]

If you are one of those people who likes to imitate someone’s regional accent, you need to stop. Last week, I was at a social event with one of the university’s societies. Another guest, who I happened to be speaking with, decided that he would entertain us with a commentary on one of his “friends” […]

One year on from the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the Red Cross reports that millions are still living in sub-standard temporary shelters. Rebuilding after the disaster has been painfully slow, and with over 800,000 houses destroyed, this has had profound consequences. The reasons given for the delays are numerous. The Nepalese government is keen to […]

I like to think of myself as a full advocate of democracy. I want to vote to leave the EU because I feel it is a sphere that the people of this nation have little ability to affect. I want to disaffiliate from the NUS because it has extremely low turnouts at elections and still […]

Most of the media coverage at this pivotal point in the London mayoral campaign has turned away from the policy debate in favour of amplifying accusations of negative campaigning. Team “Back Zac” is apparently a sinking ship, filled with angry Tories slinging mud desperately at the bookies’ favourite – if you’ll allow me to mix […]

In a post-Citizens United America, the amount of money spent on U.S. elections is staggering, making many Americans feel disillusioned with the electoral process. Though the perception of corruption and unfair influence from large campaign donations is rampant, this election cycle has proved that campaign contributions can only get a candidate so far. The fall […]