Friday, March 29Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Author: Michele Theil

Student Autism
Features

Student Autism

University as a student with High Functioning Autism (HFA) is daunting at times. Growing up as a kid who went from medical test to medical test during my infant years after diagnosis, and, more recently, being thrust from a special school with 82 pupils to a university of over 9,000 students has been a challenge to deal with. Specifically when you don’t know anyone in your halls, or your classes, for the first few weeks. When going on a night out and there's the rush of people queuing to get through at the gate. You get in and you’re confronted with flashing colours and music that dominates over what your friends are talking about. What are they saying? Who was that person who shouted at you across the SU? Are they angry or happy? Why should you care? All you want to do is get back t...
A Glass Slipper is No Match for MTS
Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

A Glass Slipper is No Match for MTS

As a self-proclaimed Musical Theatre geek, I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of Musical Theatre Society’s (MTS) spring term production, Soho Cinders. It is described as ‘Cinderella with a Twist’, adding in elements of contemporary London and bringing in an LGBT+ relationship as well. It is an interesting show, with catchy up-beat numbers that definitely stick in your head long after it’s over. The show starts slowly, with the ensemble filing in to the room subtly – people barely notice until cast members interact with and speak to audience members, catching their attention and keeping their focus for the first number. A narrator, played by Reuben Havelock, appears to introduce us to the characters as they sing Old Compton Street. Bryony O’Hare as the sassy best friend Velcro shines fro...
SU President
Elections

SU President

In a joint venture with Insanity Radio, we have interviewed Presidential candidate Jack O'Neill – presidential candidate Rubuiya Y. Zannat declined to be interviewed – and created a podcast with questions that delve deeper into their individual manifesto points. Our ongoing Sabbatical Officer coverage and involvement with the elections has been exceptional this year, with the media outlets chairing Candidate Question Time, and we will continue with this by interviewing all winning candidates on elections night so keep an eye out for our coverage. Here are our brief summaries of each candidate and their manifestos: Jack O'Neill Jack O'Neill has been VP Education this year and is aiming to follow in predecessor Clem Jones' footsteps by running for the role of President this year. He ha...
VP Societies and Media
Elections

VP Societies and Media

In a joint venture with Insanity Radio, we have interviewed all the candidates for VP Societies and Media and created a podcast with questions that delve deeper into their individual manifesto points. Our ongoing Sabbatical Officer coverage and involvement with the elections has been exceptional this year, with the media outlets chairing Candidate Question Time, and we will continue with this by interviewing all winning candidates on elections night so keep an eye out for our coverage. Here are our brief summaries of each candidate and their manifestos: Marta Barton-Navarro - 0:00.30-0:11.30 Marta is promising to meet with media managers monthly, improve communication between the SU and student groups, and engage more societies in Varsity. All of these issues have been key to every c...
VP Education
Elections

VP Education

In a joint venture with Insanity Radio, we have interviewed all the candidates for VP Education and created a podcast with questions that delve deeper into their individual manifesto points. Our ongoing Sabbatical Officer coverage and involvement with the elections has been exceptional this year, with the media outlets chairing Candidate Question Time, and we will continue with this by interviewing all winning candidates on elections night so keep an eye out for our coverage. Here are our brief summaries of each candidate and their manifestos: George White - 0:00.30-0:10.30 George White is aiming to increase study spaces across campus, oversee a smooth transition when it comes to the academic restructure on campus, eliminate paper hand-ins and provide further engagement with academic...
VP Sport & Development
Elections

VP Sport & Development

In a joint venture with Insanity Radio, we have interviewed all the candidates for VP Sport & Development and created a podcast with questions that delve deeper into their individual manifesto points. Our ongoing Sabbatical Officer coverage and involvement with the elections has been exceptional this year, with the media outlets chairing Candidate Question Time, and we will continue with this by interviewing all winning candidates on elections night so keep an eye out for our coverage. Here are our brief summaries of each candidate and their manifestos: Joshua Bibby Josh explained that his campaign focuses on cross-club collaboration, better communication between clubs and the SU, better reporting of fixtures by student media outlets and transparency in decisions for Colours Ball...
VP Welfare & Diversity
Elections

VP Welfare & Diversity

In a joint venture with Insanity Radio, we have interviewed all the candidates for VP Welfare & Diversity and created a podcast with questions that delve deeper into their individual manifesto points. Our ongoing Sabbatical Officer coverage and involvement with the elections has been exceptional this year, with the media outlets chairing Candidate Question Time, and we will continue with this by interviewing all winning candidates on elections night so keep an eye out for our coverage. Here are our brief summaries of each candidate and their manifestos: Sophie Bury - 0:00.30-0:12.30 Sophie Bury is standing on a platform of ensuring that lecture capture is instituted across departments, a review of the sexual health care provided to students (or lack thereof), prioritising student...
Not a Friendly Ghost
Lifestyle

Not a Friendly Ghost

Ghosting has been a popular topic with every infamous dating columnist in the last few months. From Sunday Times journalist Dolly Alderton to Cosmopolitan sex writer Carina Hsieh, it’s really all anyone’s been talking about. Ghosting is when a person ends a platonic or romantic relationship, or in the vernacular of university dating - a “thing”, by not replying to messages or calls and just ignoring you until you ‘get the message’. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of ghosting, you can attest that it is The Worst. It’s horrible when someone you liked, care about or even love decides one day that they don’t want to talk to you again, wihtout any explanation. But, while we all condemn the ghoster and sympathise with the ghosted, can we all honestly say that we haven’t ghosted anyone?...
Crazy Rich Representation
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Crazy Rich Representation

Asian representation on both the small and big screen is reaching a peak at the moment. We’ve got Crazy Rich Asians, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and even veteran show Fresh Off The Boat all trying to represent Asians in pop culture and give us all someone to look at that is reminiscent of the face in the mirror. Fresh Off The Boat, Crazy Rich Asians and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before are vastly different stories. And yet, having Asian characters at the forefront of any story is so powerful that my Twitter feed is exploding with praise and love for what they represent: a milestone through which culturally, we are accepting that Asian characters are what acceptable and will be popular, especially as it seeks to give a voice to those that didn’t have one before. Crazy Rich Asians i...
Student Productions: One to Watch
Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Student Productions: One to Watch

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: theatre is a gift. The dedication and hard work that goes into producing a high-quality show for the audience to enjoy is unparalleled and should be appreciated - even at the student level. University students juggle degrees, part-time jobs and socialising with hours and hours of rehearsals almost every night so that, in just a couple of months, they can stand in the Student’s Union or Jane Holloway Hall performing their hearts out for the students who attend. However, while these shows do attract quite a lot of people, there are scores of RHUL students who will graduate without ever seeing a student production. My only question is why? Student productions are an opportunity to watch a high-quality show for a relatively low cost. Most show...