Why we should be voting to save subfusc

The University is currently voting on the single most important issue in a decade: whether to make subfusc compulsory for exams or not. The debate has been viciously fought on both sides. But the answer is clear – we should all be fighting to save subfusc.

Subfusc is an institution. It’s a tradition that was around for hundreds of years before us, and it’s on us to make sure it’s here long after we die. When you make it non-compulsory, you kill it off. Surely we don’t want to be THAT generation who discarded our own rich history. Is that how we want to be remembered?

Those who want to scrap subfusc say that it creates an elitist culture that alienates those from non-elitist schools. Nonsense. Matriculation won’t be affected by the referendum, so images of subfusc-cladden students will always be associated with Oxford regardless.

This also assumes sixth formers are even aware that subfusc is compulsory for exams. Say the word “prelims” to most applicants and they’ll stare at you blankly – making subfusc non-compulsory won’t make the tiniest bit of difference.

In fact, we’d hazard a guess that many students are attracted to Oxford because of quirks like subfusc. As one fresher said to us: “We came to Oxford because of the weird traditions”. It’s what makes us special and unlike anyone else. Subfusc is something to embrace. It doesn’t create an elitist culture. It creates a unique one: one that distinguishes us from the rest of the world. It’s the identity of Oxford.

Others say it’s a money problem – subfusc is expensive. But thanks to the second hand shops all over Oxford, you can get your gear on the cheap. Plus you’ll need it for matriculation anyway. There’s no added cost for exams.

You may think you look ridiculous in subfusc, but the point is, everyone else does too. Yeah exams are stressful, but they are made a hell of a lot nicer by knowing you’re all in it together (*insert HSM singalong here*).

It may feel a little bit like you’re in costume for an exam, but the sense of unity, tradition and mutual support that arises from it is unbeatable in an exam scenario. You don’t have to worry about whether your shirt is wavey enough, or if that edgy kid next to you is judging you. Making subfusc optional would completely destroy this sense of unity. In subfusc, we are all equal.

And let’s not forget trashing. Who wouldn’t want to get covered in crap straight after three hours of intense mental concentration? It is the biggest relief after an exam to have to think about nothing except avoiding the next “friend” to come running at you with a can of silly string, and then having to trapse through Oxford looking like a glitter explosion in a suit factory. This wouldn’t be fun if you’re wearing trackies and a vest. Subfusc is what makes it special.

There’s a single argument for abolishing compulsory subfusc – it induces anxiety amongst some. But there’s a simple solution for that: make it non-compulsory in the separate exam rooms that already exist for those with anxiety. That obviously makes sense. But there is no need to expand that out to the rest of the university – keep it compulsory for the rest of us.

Ultimately, it comes down to this. Oxford’s subfusc can be found nowhere else in the world. Walk around Oxford with it on and tourists stare at you with wide eyes and ask to have their picture taken with you. This isn’t something to be ashamed of, it’s something to take pride in.

Be proud of this ancient convention, and everything that it represents. Embrace the history. It’s our culture, our identity. The identity of those that came before us and those that are yet to come. This is a university built on tradition. Let’s keep that.

So join us. Vote here – click the blue login button and vote Yes to save subfusc.

By Emmanuelle Soffe, Giorgia Litwin and Shakeel Hashim