Toby Morrison (Ex-President) is a final year PPEist at Magdalen College

Lockdown has had a funny effect on all of us. I for one seem to be struggling to find my sense of humour. This could be something to do with sitting next to a dog all evening who does nothing but sigh. We’ve all been stuck at home for almost two months and I’m beginning to wander what has happened to us.

Juan Dávila (Social Secretary) is a first year reading Engineering Science at St. John’s College

As I write this is seems like the world has changed. For those reading close to the time of publication this must look like a rather obvious fact. We are bound indoors, the economy has stopped, and it what seems but the blink of an eye we all discuss “flattening the curve”, “The R0 value” and containment strategies like the Doctors in epidemiology that we are, never mind that a month ago this would be foreign to most of us. However, in one thing I take solace: I was right all along.

Stanislaw Szelag is a first year reading Theology and Religion at St. John’s College

If one was to summarise the intellectual flavour of the first twenty years of this newest century in one word, it would be: ‘disarmament’. What one saw in the last two decades (at least theoretically speaking - my fully-fledged consciousness was not around for almost half of the period) was a final and definite surrender by the intellectual layers of the society of their authority, and ability to introduce discipline to social and individual life. By the awkward-sounding ‘intellectual layers’, I mean not the ‘upper classes’ but a much broader, generationally-determined group of ‘the older ones’.

Aurora Guerrini (Communications Director) is a DPhil student reading Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at Worcester College

As we all find ourselves stuck at home, most of us have been beset by periods of intense boredom. Now, I may be speaking for myself when I say that there are few activities that I find more fulfilling and enjoyable than reading a book.

Maddy Ross (Committee Member) is a first year PPEist at Balliol College

I have been a member of Amnesty International since I was eleven. In my school, it was the only real option for those looking to get into politics; supported by the Principal, we held frequent fundraisers, and my English teacher, whom I idolised, talked us through human rights abuses that occur throughout the world. I was impassioned and angry; I spent a lot of time reflecting on how lucky I was and how I could try to make things better. I took myself very seriously when I was in year seven, in the way that only pre-teens can. However, one thing always puzzled me. In modern conservatism, a respect for individual rights is paramount, and so it makes a lot of sense for a conservative to support human rights organisations such as Amnesty International. What makes less sense is why there are so few conservatives in these movements. Why do these charities, that campaign on global and local issues, not seek to widen their support base to include more conservatives, who are naturally inclined to embrace their values? Instead, in many cases they actively reject our support.

Annabelle Fuller (President-Elect, Ex-Secretary, Ex-Communications Director, Ex-Senior Committee Member) is a second-year undergraduate reading Classics and English at Magdalen College

We’re stood outside Old Marston’s library. It’s around 10am; it’s drizzling. We’re being handed a wadge of plastic refuse sacks and several litter picking sticks. This is OxClean.

Ben Goodrick (Whip) is a 1st year reading Classics at Trinity College

Why Conservatives should oppose the plan to remove the Iliad and Aeneid from Mods?
Since the mid-19th Century Oxford has insisted that undergraduates read Homer and Virgil as part of Honour Moderations, the first part of the Classics course. Demanding as they are, especially for newcomers to the ancient languages, these authors have rightly been seen as the foundations of the classical traditions. But now this could be a thing of the past, thanks to plans reflecting the drive seen across academia towards dumbing-down, political correctness and a general moroseness towards Britain’s illustrious heritage.