Beth McCowen, Author at The Orbital

Class and Disability: Disconnected or Intertwined?

12May

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

Lifestyle

Class and Disability: Disconnected or Intertwined?

According to the Government’s 2020 Family Resources Survey, there are 14.1 million disabled people in the UK. It has recently become more apparent than ever that even in the 21st Century, social class is still a defining factor in people’s lives. But how these classes affect disabled people, and why they might be more vulnerable to falling victim to these systems and the prejudices surrounding them, are not often discussed. Scope’s Disability Perception Gap report found that 1 in 3 people see disabled people as being less productive. Attitudes such as these lead the disabled community to become isolated and often viewed as inferior citizens. There is a lot to unpack here, since unfortunately ableism is ingrained in so much of the way our world functions. Disability does not neces...

The Rise in Spiking (and Not Just as We Know it)

28Feb

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

News

The Rise in Spiking (and Not Just as We Know it)

What is Spiking? Drinks being spiked on nights out has been an issue for years. According to Better Health, drink spiking is putting alcohol or drugs into somebody’s drink without their knowledge or consent. It is illegal and is often related to other crimes like robbery and sexual assault. As women, we instinctively cover our drinks, never leave them out of our sight, don’t take drinks from strangers, and take every other precaution possible to keep ourselves and our friends safe. In late 2021, there was a frightening development in spiking. People are now being spiked not through drinks, but through injections. Incidents have mainly been reported in Nottingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Edinburgh. This type of spiking carries additional risks because dirty needles can carry infections ...

31Jan

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

Film & TV

LGBTV: Representation on television

People often seem to underestimate just how powerful it can be to see someone like you in a book, on a stage or screen, or anywhere else for that matter. For members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially young people, representation can be the difference between feeling alone and feeling seen and validated, especially if they are struggling to come to terms with their sexual orientation or gender identity. Here are just a few of the most influential LGBTQ+ characters who we count ourselves lucky to have witnessed the journeys of. Arizona Robbins, Grey’s Anatomy This angelic Pediatric Surgeon gave a heart-warming portrayal of a sapphic woman, in one famous scene proudly referring to herself as ‘lesbianic’. Her popular but turbulent relationship with her wife Cal...

The Harry Potter Reunion: Through the Eyes of a Fan

3Jan

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

Film & TV

The Harry Potter Reunion: Through the Eyes of a Fan

At the very start of 2022, people all over the world sat in anticipation, waiting excitedly to watch some of their favourite actors from the films that shaped their childhoods reunite. There have, however, been some controversial opinions on the nature of the reunion and the involvement of the books’ author, J.K. Rowling, after questions have been raised about her series of transphobic comments, as well as a distinct lack of diversity in her novels and their film adaptations. We sat down with two lovely members of Royal Holloway’s Harry Potter Society - Mayuree Kumkar and one who preferred to remain anonymous, to hear their thoughts on the matter. "I don't think any other movie has you feel like you grow up with them as you watch it." The members began by speaking about how it was a...

22Nov

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

Features, News

An Update on the Kyle Rittenhouse Case

In August 2020, Black Lives Matter protests began after Wisconsin police shot Jacob Blake, a black man, seven times in the back. On the third night of the protests Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, shot at three men using a semi-automatic rifle. Two of them were killed, and the third was left seriously injured. Clearly, this act of murder was motivated by white-supremacy and vigilantism, again highlighting the racism problem in America, which so many continue to deny the existence of. Rittenhouse claimed that his intention was to protect property. Whilst patrolling the area, he was pursued by a group of protestors and shot one of them. Following this, he is further followed and identified as ‘the shooter’. He then fires bullets at three people who approached him. During...

Mistreated, Misunderstood: The Illness Affecting Millions of Women, Many of Whom Don’t Even Know It Yet.

14Nov

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

Lifestyle, News

Mistreated, Misunderstood: The Illness Affecting Millions of Women, Many of Whom Don’t Even Know It Yet.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places. It can cause severe pain, bleeding, scar tissue, nausea, infertility and more. 1 in 9 people born with a uterus (I like to call us womb wielders!) live with it, and there’s currently no definitive cure. Despite how common it is, the cause of the disease is not yet clear. The diagnostic process is long and complex, with the average person waiting 6 to 8 years from the onset of symptoms to find out that it’s endo. It can impact every aspect of people’s lives, and that’s why it’s so important that we raise awareness and push for change. Endometriosis is frequently referred to as a ‘women’s disease’. Whilst it primarily affects those with female reproductive organs, it is im...