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

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Government reveals ten-point plan to tackle the climate crisis – but is it enough?
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Government reveals ten-point plan to tackle the climate crisis – but is it enough?

James Bowers Climate change is unquestionably one of the largest threats to the society of tomorrow, and to a certain extent, to the society of today as well.  As science has been telling us for years, the need to reduce our carbon emissions must be seen as a top priority in order to mitigate the damage which has already been done to our planet, and to prevent the situation from worsening further still. After all, on our current trajectory, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that global warming could cause around 200 million people to become climate refugees by the year 2050. Despite this, there are still segments of society who refute the idea of global warming; an ideology which has only been strengthened in recent times by the reluctance and apa...
Royal Holloway to offer asymptomatic Covid-19 testing
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Royal Holloway to offer asymptomatic Covid-19 testing

Beginning tomorrow, Monday 30th November, Royal Holloway will be offering students and staff access to asymptomatic Covid-19 testing in order to allow those who wish to, to travel home safely for the winter holidays. Tests are voluntary, but highly recommended- it’s a great opportunity to feel at ease travelling home to see family members, and allows us as students to play our part in keeping everyone safe. Tests will take place in the Picture Gallery and can be booked here, as well as hall-departure slots for those who live on campus. On the website you will be able to find more information about when you should book your tests depending on your living situation.  The testing process consists of two lateral flow tests taken three days apart. Lateral flow tests consist of a ...
Coronavirus and mental health at university
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Coronavirus and mental health at university

Charis Owen The coronavirus pandemic has been an experience for all, something that was unprecedented and has completely taken control of our lives. It is a time where everything is questioned and simple things such as going to the supermarket requires adequate planning. This has made life exponentially harder. Students’ lives have been massively uprooted and from what has been reported in the media they seem to be the group that is most absent from the conversation. Every student has their own experience, varying between universities and the different age groups as to how they feel that it has been dealt with. However, what is clear is that students feel forgotten and that more attention is paid to other areas instead. The University and College Union (UCU) has asked that all teach...
The “Fine line between health awareness and health obsession”
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The “Fine line between health awareness and health obsession”

Courtney Bridges The wearable health market has seen a significant influx in sales over recent years, with the market worth originating at  $2 billion , in 2014, to now see continuing growth. With this increased use, and increased media exposure to the fitness industry, discussions on the effects of wearable fitness trackers are more frequently being highlighted. Grazia Maria Lally’s article in 2016 is one that alludes to points of this discussion that seem even more relevant today.  Main themes include whether they complement the progression of fitness habits, or hinder the mental health of its user, as Matt Roberts states ‘it is the fine line between health awareness and health obsession’, with voiced concern about ‘over-reliance’.  This has developed further ...
Mental Health and the Pandemic – What Machine Learning Can Tell Us
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Mental Health and the Pandemic – What Machine Learning Can Tell Us

James Bowers Over the course of the pandemic, we have had to make plenty of sacrifices for our own physical health, and the physical health of others. But, as research from MIT and Harvard University shows, many people’s mental health has also suffered as a result. Using machine learning, researchers from the two universities conducted a textual analysis of over 800,000 messages posted onto the social media platform, Reddit. The study showed that during the first wave of Covid-19 from January to April, significant changes occurred to the tone and content of users’ language, with discussions ranging from anxiety to suicide all on the rise. At the heart of the study, the researchers were particularly interested in how certain sub-groups of people reacted to the pandemic in comparis...
Egham Museum’s Adventures of Flora Seville
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Egham Museum’s Adventures of Flora Seville

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way many of us work. Unsurprisingly, museums and the broader heritage sector have had to drastically change their working practices too, moving the focus of their work to the digital sphere. Egham Museum has been no different in this regard and the pandemic has allowed us to develop new forms of digital engagement and ways of using social media. At the beginning of October, we had our most successful Twitter campaign, a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ thread set at Royal Holloway in October 1887 and based on the experiences of the first cohort of students. The opening tweet in the thread sees you assume the fictional character of Flora Seville and your challenge is to get through the day without being sent to the Principal’s Office. Although Flora is a...
The role gender and race are playing in the American election
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The role gender and race are playing in the American election

Wednesday 7th October aired the second live debate in the US presidential election campaign. This time it was the Vice-Presidential debate: Kamala Harris versus Mike Pence. If elected, Harris would be the first female and the first African American Vice President, perhaps setting the stage for her to then run for president in 2024 and 2028. This alone shows the steps that the USA is gradually taking to becoming a more equal society in terms of race and gender. This is a turning point in America. However, the debate was full of constant interruptions. Not unusual if following the format of last week’s debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden; the latter eventually breaking and going as far to tell Trump to “shut up, man” after Trump reportedly made 71 interruptions. The frustration fel...
Lewis Hamilton: From Racing Driver to Social Activist
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Lewis Hamilton: From Racing Driver to Social Activist

In its seventy-year history, only one black driver has ever sat on the starting grid of a Formula One race. As it happens, that driver has gone on to become one of the greatest competitors that the sport has ever seen. With six world championships and ninety race victories to his name already, Lewis Hamilton is within touching distance of breaking all the records that matter. Throughout his racing career, Hamilton’s on-track performances have always done the talking, but now it seems as though the 35-year-old Brit believes it is time to speak up. Having been inspired by this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests in America, Lewis Hamilton has spent much of the year using his vast platform to speak out about racial injustice and inequality. His campaigning has been consistent and unwa...
The Evolving Diversity of Media Platforms
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The Evolving Diversity of Media Platforms

Courtney Bridges Peter Preston describes how the decline in print media has been viewed as ‘standard stuff’ amid ‘digital carnage’, however  facts regarding the decline of radio and television news viewing are described as emerging ‘more elliptically’. This has been proven as the UK witnesses the removal of local radio to some extent, with stations being removed or replaced. Radio was already in decline, and this was further exacerbated by pandemic conditions. A possible reason for their removal lies within the pressure applied to stations as a result of COVID-19, causing radio to lose out on key advertising revenue, as broadcasting saw tougher operating conditions.  As radio is slowly being left behind, its significance as a form of leisure and recreation for many w...
UK ditches plans for transgender self-identification
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UK ditches plans for transgender self-identification

The UK government has scrapped new plans which were set to allow people to change their gender on official documents, without a medical diagnosis. The plans, which were developed under Theresa May’s government, had been part of a long-awaited reform of transgender representation within the legal system. The current legislation was last updated in 2004 and involves a lengthy process should trans people wish to officially change their gender on public documents, such as their birth certificate. As it stands, they must be over the age of eighteen, have lived as their preferred gender for at least two years, and be able to provide medical evidence of gender dysphoria to a panel. On top of that, individuals are currently obliged to pay a £140 charge for a gender recognition certificate. ...