Introducing: Your New Opinion Section

Historically, the debate sections of Oxford student papers (including, God forgive, that of the Tab) have been as fun as Michael Gove reading aloud the advertisement section of the Oxford Student in a crowded pub.

Writers have debated politics and re-debated the Oxford Union’s most recent debate.  We reckon that when people want an opinion about national politics, they seek an expert—not a nineteen year old kid stealing Starbuck’s free wifi— and realize readers hate reading that shit.

Today, we ditch our old Debate section for good in what can only be seen as a mercy killing. Wannabe Christopher Hitchens are gone.’Listicles’, personal essays, debates about student life, and op-eds on Oxford culture are here to stay.

With help from my deputy editors, Peter McKenna and Henry Johnson, I’ll be editing the all new OPINION section.  A subtle change in name, but we hope a radical change in direction.

(For those of you who haven’t figured out yet, I am the Mitchell formerly known as Bitchell. Yes, my column is dead, but I’m still around. Sorry.)

Over the next few weeks, we will publish opinion pieces about finalists and anti-depressants, Hassan’s superiority to nights on the town, and whether an Oxford degree is worth all the stress, considering today’s unemployment rate.

Of course, we’re not the only three young students living in Oxford. Our opinions are not the only opinions, and we’re not here to create a polarized student website, the Oxford equivalent to FOX News. We want to hear your voice too.

Over the next term, we’ll be taking open submissions for debates, op-eds, and personal essays. We’d love to share what you really think about Oxford life—whether that means how much you hate (but want to fuck) Conservative club members, your negative opinion of poor people, or your support for the latest coup in your college’s JCR, we’re interested in hearing your opinion.

If you care about your reputation and/or have a soul and would prefer your friends didn’t know what you really think about them, that’s fine—we can publish your article anonymously.

We’d love to help you get your feelings off your chest and maybe stir up some trouble.

Feel free to even write an article about how the new Opinion section is the death of student journalism. Again—anything goes.