Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
When the first lockdown was announced in the UK early this year there was a lot of turmoil, to say the least. Many of us were living away from family and friends, some even didn’t have housemates to keep them company. I for one was very fortunate enough to live with four others, and I […]
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The government has announced that the entirety of Oxfordshire will be in Tier 2 (High Alert) restrictions once lockdown ends on the 2nd December. The government states that this Tier is for areas with a higher or rapidly rising level of infections, where some additional restrictions need to be in place. You can find out […]
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Image description: An open book and cup of tea resting on some wood in front of a lake As we enter further into second lockdown, and the evenings are getting darker and longer, no doubt many of us are finding things rather tedious. If living through these ‘unique times’ isn’t quite entertaining enough for you, […]
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Image description: Close up of artist Jorja Smith on stage The coronavirus pandemic has imposed restrictions on almost every part of our lives, music videos have been no different. Artists’ responses to the problems caused by coronavirus have been as diverse as the genres they occupy. The results have also varied massively, some are gorgeous, […]
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I lost a bet a little less than a month ago. When asked if I thought we were headed for a local lockdown, I answered, half sarcastically, ‘I give it five days.’ No bolt from the blue came in five days’ time — the winner of the bet was duly rewarded, and I have since […]
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Image description: a wall of green leaves with the words “and breath” on a neon pink sign. Lockdown has returned—once more unto the breach, I suppose. Add to that post-fifth-week blues and feeling blue in general, and it’s shaping up to be a tough month. For many, the previous lockdown was extremely challenging, and going […]
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For members of the LGBTQ+ community, the Coronavirus pandemic has been particularly challenging. Queer people suffer from far higher rates of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety than their cishet counterparts and naturally, this has been made worse by restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic. Some have been forced to stay […]
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From literary classics to YA guilty pleasures, these reads will help you pass the long afternoons of lockdown. If you’re itching to travel: Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell Take an escapist tour of time and space with Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell’s mind-bending, genre-defying book about reincarnation. Split into six different narratives in six different times […]
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Image Description: A badge with the words ‘stay sane’ and a protestor holding a sign with the words ‘Covid 1984’ Way back when, in the first lockdown, I was added to a fringe Facebook group for lockdown skeptics as a joke. Lockdown scepticism was the realm of only a few, mainly those who held extreme […]
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Image Description: close up of lit diya lamps for Diwali Despite the cultural complexities that I have faced growing up as a British Indian woman in the UK, Diwali has always been one of the family traditions that has made me feel connected to my Indian heritage. It has always been a momentous occasion in […]
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Image description: a dark hospital room. Morality has played a key role in the coronavirus crisis. Doctors were forced to choose who to save, public health officials were forced to weigh freedom against safety, whole societies were put on halt. All in the name of morality. After all, it would be criminal to stand aside […]
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Updated 3/11/20: Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities has sent a letter to students, writing that “under national restrictions from 5 November, you should stay in your current home. This means you should not leave your term-time address to return to your parents’ or carer’s home until at least 2 December – and […]
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Lockdown is upon us. Luckily, Oxford’s “favourite” student publication is here to provide you with a review of the last week of freedom, carefully curated by our new education and tropical raincloud correspondent, Rordon Gamsay. Kick back, enjoy your (barely legal) pint, and read all about what your peers have been up to – mostly, […]
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The city of Oxford will move into Tier 2 lockdown restrictions this Saturday, the Council has announced. Different households will no longer be able to meet indoors in any setting, public or private. Overnight stays will only be allowed from those in your own household or support bubble, but both Universities – like schools, colleges […]
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– Oxford will be moving into higher alert (Tier 2) for coronavirus. Oxford City Council announced that as of Saturday 31 October at 12:01 am, Oxford will be under Tier 2 restrictions. – The key difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 restrictions is that Tier 2 restricts socialising indoors with people outside your support […]
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Image description: two men wearing masks, walking along a street Read Maddy’s column from last week: https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2020/10/16/what-about-the-fish/ At the beginning of the first lockdown (do you remember that? How wonderfully naïve we all were), I was added to a Facebook group for Lockdown Sceptics. Their posts were a little wacky, often linking COVID-19 to 5G […]
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It’s something you probably heard a few times since lockdown: “think about the people who are stuck in the closet with an unaccepting family who will not be able to support them in the way that they need”. Or maybe you saw articles looking at how people would be lonely in lockdown cut off from […]
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Image description: a beautiful sunset scene viewed from behind a window It’s day 9 of my first bout of self-isolation this term. Being an international student, I’m no stranger to quarantine. Flying back to my home country in March and returning to the UK during summer, the 14 days of isolation were done at both […]
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Image description: Student on New Inn Hall Street with sticky notes reading: “send beer; corona is here”, “it’s his fault” (with an arrow pointing to the window above), and “patient zero” Recent news that students may face a two-week lockdown before being allowed to return home is typical of this government. It demonstrates a failure […]
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