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

Tag: history

Women’s Progression in Print
Culture

Women’s Progression in Print

By Evelyn Fernandez-Jarvis Were you aware of the progression women had to make to have their work published and respected?  Well, I recently became aware during a trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London. For centuries women have been striving to get their work, not only, published but respected. Women were only allowed to publish their own work properly in the late 19th century; however, their work did not have as large an impact as their male counterparts because women’s work was not taken as seriously by society.  Once I started looking around, I was overwhelmed by women who had made drastic impacts on literature and published their work under pseudonyms to make sure it was received on an even playing field. A well-known example being Mary Ann Evans (1857-1911...
Life 100 Years Ago: A Closer Look at our Alumni
Culture & Literature

Life 100 Years Ago: A Closer Look at our Alumni

It's almost impossible to walk past or through Founders and wonder what was Royal Holloway like back in the day that building was normal. Certainly, it was relatively leisurely and opulent. Until WW1, residents at RHUL would devote almost two hours a day to their four-course dinner and after dinner coffee. It might be odd to think of the RHUL students of yore as real people with bad study habits and addictions to hot beverages, who sat in your seat and slept in your room. But in reading first-hand these young women’s experiences, it makes you think about what has drawn the many minds that make up RHUL’s history. Tea Parties We’ll start south of Founders, overlooking the area sometimes called The Meadow Walk. These grassy alcoves, today furnished with flower beds and benches, used to...
Debrief: Dr. Amy Tooth-Murphy
Features

Debrief: Dr. Amy Tooth-Murphy

When I met Amy in her office, something I immediately noticed was her collection of books. One caught my eye straight away: Female Masculinity by Judith/Jack Halberstam. Coincidentally, the book came up more than once in our interview - she described how she came across it for the first time while she was working at Oxfam during her undergraduate degree: “I was a stones throw away from the uni but nothing like this had ever been shown to me. It turned a light on in a way, I didn’t realise Queer studies was something that even existed.”. Amy described how her journey in academia actually began in law – and that after a short 6 months she realised that it was too constrained for her ‘fairly strong opinions’ to be heard and explored, so she ended up doing her undergrad in English Literature a...
RuPaul, transphobia, and remembering your Herstory
Opinion

RuPaul, transphobia, and remembering your Herstory

“If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”, “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag” … we’re all familiar with RuPaul’s famous one-liners, which are often expressions of self-love; defending our right to be authentically and unapologetically ourselves. RuPaul’s status within the LGBTQ+ community cannot be understated. Bringing drag into mainstream culture is no small feat, but being the most famous drag queen in the world also comes at a price. So when RuPaul recently sparked a debate about who can or can’t be a drag queen, it made me wonder how valuable RuPaul’s opinions still are when he’s clearly forgotten his Herstory.  In a recent interview with The Guardian, Ru shocked us all when he said he wouldn’t accept a transgender contestant on his...
RHUL Historian Awarded Prestigious Prize
News

RHUL Historian Awarded Prestigious Prize

Earlier this year, Daniel Beer, British historian and History lecturer here at Royal Holloway, published his groundbreaking book The House of the Dead: Siberian Exile under the Tsars. It is an insight into Russian history and the Tsars’ role in exiling people to Siberia under brutal conditions. The book is meticulously researched and showcases the revolutionary spirit and the regime’s desire to quell it as quickly and effectively as possible. Since its release, the book was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2017, the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize 2017 and the Longman-History Today Book Prize 2017, all of which are extremely prestigious historical and literary prizes. It is an amazing achievement for Dr. Beer to have The House of the Dead chosen. On Nov 17, The House of the De...
The Greatest Treasures of Budapest
Features

The Greatest Treasures of Budapest

Budapest was created in 1873 by the merger of three cities: Buda, Óbuda and Pest and it’s the capital of Hungary. Its inspiring architecture, beautiful river views, and the world-famous 16th-century thermal baths make this city a popular attraction to many. Whether it’s a romantic escape or a squad adventure, Budapest is home to many incredibly beautiful treasures and landmarks that you cannot miss if you visit. Buda Castle The historical palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest sits on the south tip of Castle Hill, on what is known as the Várnegyed (castle district). Built in 1247, Buda castle was one of the Largest gothic building in the middle ages. If you visit here you should set aside one whole day to do so as it is not only a magnificent building, but it is also home ...
Emily Wilding Davison Building Officially Declared Open
Features

Emily Wilding Davison Building Officially Declared Open

On Wednesday 18 October, the Emily Wilding Davison was officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of London, Princess Anne. The building was closed to students between 9am and 4:30pm on that day to allow for the Princess’ tour and speech to be given. The building was worked on for nearly two years, with almost 3000 people working on the construction of the building to get it to what it is today. The library contains more than 400,000 books and over 1000 study spaces for student use. It offers other services, such as the Union Shop, the Santander Bank, the Student Services Centre, the Careers & Employability Centre and the Exhibition Space for interests in art and culture. The opening was a remarkable event, with many students head...
Doctor Who’s regenerating – in more ways than one…
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Doctor Who’s regenerating – in more ways than one…

The casting of a new Doctor is actually a reflection of the intended audience, writes Beth Carr. Months of speculation and waiting ended at the weekend: not only did Federer win Wimbledon in straight sets but the identity of the next Doctor in Doctor Who was revealed. A hood was dropped and the secret of Jodie Whittaker’s casting was out. You might know her from Broadchurch, working with Doctor Who’s new showrunner Chris Chibnall, or from playing ditsy Beverley in St Trinian’s. She’s also no stranger to sci-fi after starring in 2011 film Attack the Block. Despite this success under her belt, Whittaker’s casting has caused a tsunami of response from both fans and non-fans of the show. The reason? She is a woman taking over a role traditionally and exclusively played by men, a Time Lor...
Name for New Library Centre Announced
News

Name for New Library Centre Announced

On the 11 January 2017, the name for the new library centre was finally announced. After months of deliberation Professor Paul Layzell, Principal, and SU President Natasha Barrett announced, via a live stream on the student intranet, that the centre will be called the ‘Emily Wilding Davison Building’. With the founding institutions of both Royal Holloway and Bedford College being the two of the first in the UK to grant women access to higher education, the university wanted to landmark the new library and student service centre, to celebrate one of the renowned alumna. Emily Davison, who began her studies in 1893 at Royal Holloway, is said to ‘encapsulate Royal Holloway’s ethos of empowering individuals to drive social and cultural change’, and as the Principal, Paul Layzell, commented ...
Exhibition in commemoration of Royal Holloways suffrage history
News

Exhibition in commemoration of Royal Holloways suffrage history

The suffragette campaign swept through Britain in the late 18th century in demand for greater gender equality and the expansion of the political franchise to women. This year marks the release of the motion picture 'Suffragette', and a growing recognition for the campaign of rights for women. The ‘Suffrage at Royal Holloway’ exhibition in early October commemorated the inspiring campaign for women in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This was featured in the Victorian Gallery one of the many historical gems of Royal Holloway, and a rather fitting location for the celebration given the era. Former alumna Emily Wilding Davidson, whose ideas of women’s rights were founded during her five terms at the university in 1892, featured in the exhibit and is particularly notable for her mi...