“To transform yourself, then, begins from the outside in and not the inside out. But what happens to the past self, the uglier, younger self, that you leave behind?” Renée Orleans-Lindsay reflects on ‘glow up’ culture and beauty standards.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/beauty-sick-on…

“Nothingness is an ongoing abyss.” Naomi Finapiri takes us lyrically through her quarter-life crisis.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/the-curious-ca…

Photo taken by Luis Dalvan, accessed via pexels.com under a CCo license.

“You wouldn’t believe, after eight weeks at this university, that life exists beyond the SU, Union hacks, collections, bops, formals, and Park End.” Mahima Nayak discusses the phenomenon of distance at Oxford University.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/oxford-worlds-…

Taking stock: Between diasporas, shopping for dessert

Elliot Koubis explores how food can unite people culturally and gives his recipe for Ekmek Kataifi.

Photo by Brooke Lark free to use under Unsplash license

theoxfordblue.co.uk/between-diaspo…

‘Using Google Maps in this way dovetails with our increasingly itinerant way of consuming food.’ Elliot Koubis shares how he uses Google Maps to document the best food in London.

Photo from Elliot Koubis
theoxfordblue.co.uk/from-pin-to-pl…

“Confronting the pervasive influence of insensitive media is essential to fostering a culture that values sensitivity, respect, and ethical reporting.” Nina Naidu discusses the issues within true crime culture.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/a-room-of-our-…

'I know, when I return home for Easter properly, I will miss the buzz, Oxford’s insatiable buzz, of magazines made, jazz music played...'
Chloe Smith explores vacation dread: its causes, symptoms, and how it can be cured.
Illustration by Imogen Edmundson.
theoxfordblue.co.uk/sublime-drizzl…

Nina describes why you should always book your transport well in advance.

Photo by Joel Tinner

theoxfordblue.co.uk/dont-trust-the…

“Rustication has actually turned out to be the opposite of giving up: instead it has been a defiant act of reclamation.”
Alice Brooker concludes her column, reflecting on the benefits of rustication and reclaiming past joys.
Image by Jens Koster.
theoxfordblue.co.uk/diaries-of-a-r…

'I suppose then if there is anything to gain from this article it is the knowledge and reminder that people are not their exterior presentation.' Evelyn Patronus discusses living with DID, reflecting on how it affects their life at Oxford.
theoxfordblue.co.uk/simply-a-stude…

'Inaya picks up on a common feeling that a lot of people with disabilities have: of being not disabled enough to feel they can use the label.'
Ruby Bailey-Proe talks to their friend Inaya about being a neurodiverse student.
Image by Ruby Bailey-Proe. theoxfordblue.co.uk/disabled/

'Like a child learning to recognise their own face in a mirror for the very first time, I dip my feet into a life that is not mine – but could have been.' Thisuri Perera reflects on language, and how it impacts family, intimacy and belonging.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/my-mothers-pas…

'In this penultimate entry, I wanted to reflect on some of my favourite places to be in Oxford during my year off.'
Alice Brooker delves into her favourite safe spaces in Oxford.
Image by Jens Koster.
theoxfordblue.co.uk/diaries-of-a-r…

'Once you’ve heard a 90-year-old man read John 1:1 in a Yorkshire accent, with absolutely no cadence, it is ripe for mockery.'
Chloe Smith returns to the topic of being a vicar's daughter.
Illustration by Imogen Edmundson.
theoxfordblue.co.uk/sublime-drizzl…

'It’s important to look at the good parts of February, and make this freezing, no-good month a little bit warmer.' Lucy Pollock discusses romanticising the bleak winter months by finding some of February's redeeming traits.
Illustration by Jesse Smale.
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'Be bold, be brave, and celebrate love as much as you can throughout the year.' Carmen Nayeli Cardozo discusses the Valentine's Day craze and how to handle it with or without a partner.

Illustration by Anna Payman.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/who-and-what-i…

“I am in the realm of dissociation so everything is dipped in magic and madness.”
Alice Brooker explores the feelings of dissociation and depression, using poetics and abstraction to articulate her own experiences of mental illness.
Image by Jens Koster
theoxfordblue.co.uk/diaries-of-a-r…

'I am the daughter of a vicar, niece to an archdeacon and the granddaughter of a vicar - more than enough Anglicanism as far as I am concerned.' Chloe Smith delves into life as a vicar's daughter and its theatricality.
Illustration by Imogen Edmundson
theoxfordblue.co.uk/sublime-drizzl…

Kiaya Phillips examines the popular fashion trend of bows and how this interacts with contemporary
discussions surrounding reclaiming what is feminine. Illustration by Anna Payman.

theoxfordblue.co.uk/bows-and-femin…

'Caging the beast is dangerous – it will bite back or throw books at the heads of librarians. '
From Center Parcs to local libraries, Poppy Thornton explores the concept of 'Britain on Holiday'.
theoxfordblue.co.uk/britain-on-hol…