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

Author: Bethany Gooding

Black Panther
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Black Panther

The newest Marvel film, Black Panther has smashed box office records, heading towards $1 billion in global ticket sales. The huge turnout to cinemas to watch the newest superhero movie proves the industry wrong in their belief that films dominated by a black cast would not be popular. Across America, a trip to the cinema became a cultural event as African-Americans arrived in traditional African dress. The huge success of the film highlights how long it has taken a film like this to be made and how long it is taking for the entertainment industry to diversify. The music industry is becoming increasingly diverse as grime and rap artists rise in popularity. In 2016 the Brit Awards were criticised when not a single black person was nominated for any of the awards. This year, Stormzy’s succ...
How important is it to be titled the ‘Most Beautiful Campus in the UK’?
Opinion

How important is it to be titled the ‘Most Beautiful Campus in the UK’?

I know I’m not the only one whose phone is often full of artistic snaps of Founders from various angles, nothing quite beats the iconic building of our campus. It looks amazing in all weather, with some people lucky enough to see it surrounded by snow at the end of last term. But are we taking our love of this building and our campus slightly too far? At the end of 2017 Royal Holloway was named the ‘Most Beautiful University in the UK’, beating both Oxford and Cambridge after an online poll by Holiday Lettings. At the beginning of January, Times Higher Education gifted the campus with the same title. I’m sure most of us would agree that campus is well deserving of this honour but why has it been so glorified by the university, with other rankings being disregarded and ignored? Last t...
To Kill a Mockingbird: Necessary Discomfort
Culture & Literature, Literature

To Kill a Mockingbird: Necessary Discomfort

Set during the 1930s Great Depression in Alabama, the classic American novel tells the story of a white lawyer, Atticus Finch, who helps to defend a black man who has been falsely accused of raping a white woman. The racial theme has made To Kill a Mockingbird one of the most banned classics in America. The recent banning of the book from a public school in Mississippi is simply one in a long line of challenges the book has faced since being published in 1960. The book has been banned for various reasons including the use of language in the book such as ‘nigger’ and ‘whore’, for containing adult themes such as sexual intercourse and rape and for ‘conflicting with the values of the community’. However, the most recent reasoning for the banning of the novel certainly deserved the backlash...
Hashtag Solidarity
Opinion

Hashtag Solidarity

On October the 5th the New York Times revealed numerous allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein, a Hollywood producer. These allegations stretch over three decades and it was revealed that at least eight of them were paid off. Many women have begun to speak out about the harassment they experienced from Weinstein. Among those women are well-known actresses including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. The coverage of these allegations encouraged others in the industry to come forward including Jennifer Lawrence and Reese Witherspoon. Alyssa Milano, an actress, tweeted on October the 15th encouraging assault victims to use the hashtag #metoo to demonstrate how huge the problem of sexual assault is in 2017. She says “This was really about showing this happens everywhere. That ...
The Ballot Box Advantage
Opinion

The Ballot Box Advantage

On the 8th of June, an unprecedented number of 18-24 year olds turned up to vote in the general election Theresa May had called for just two months earlier. The following day people took to Twitter claiming that 72% of young people had voted in the snap election.  Although this figure is now believed to sit at around 66%, this remains the highest turnout for young people in 25 years. The rise of young voters was also seen in the EU referendum when 64% of under-25s voted. This is still such a small number when compared to the 90% of those aged over-65 who voted. In the referendum, 71% of under-25s voted Remain compared to 36% of over-65s, so it stands to reason that the outcome could have been significantly different if there were a higher number of younger voters. These facts have cause...
Beauty Comes in All Shades
Lifestyle

Beauty Comes in All Shades

For decades the beauty industry has received criticism for being overwhelmingly white, neglecting to provide for a diverse range of skin colours. In the 1940s there were makeup lines for black women but they focused on using products to lighten skin which were cunningly presented as being blemish creams. Moving to 1975, an article was published in Black Enterprise reporting on Revlon’s line of foundation, lipstick and blush for black women and Clairol’s introduction of the grand total of two makeup shades for darker skin. In 1990 Maybelline began ‘Shape of You’, makeup for black women, but this didn’t even last a decade. It appeared Maybelline only introduced this range as they saw an opportunity for profit rather than to cater for all women. Now, we may have seen progress in the makeup...
A Hot Christmas
Lifestyle

A Hot Christmas

Beth  Gooding shares what it is like to have a hot Christmas. The time is finally here, the run up to Christmas has begun. We will now spend the next few weeks hoping and praying for snow on Christmas Day to bring that extra bit of magic to our holiday. Whether it snows or not, we will spend the entire day moaning how cold we are and probably doing anything to avoid going outside. The day will likely  consist of many Christmas movies being shown on TV, maybe even watching the Queen’s Speech, filling our stomachs with endless pigs in blankets and numerous other foods whilst huddled in pyjamas or jumpers for the day. But would we ever swap this freezing British Christmas day for one in the Philippines where the temperature can reach 30 degrees? Or maybe Dubai where it is on average 21 de...
Mental Health in the Older Generation
Features

Mental Health in the Older Generation

Bethany Gooding shares her experiences with an often neglected area of mental health. When visiting home recently I went from a house full of millennials to a house full of oldies (sorry Mum and Dad!). We were looking after my Grandad for a few days whilst my Grandma was in hospital, meaning the weekend was not the restful break I had planned. My Grandad suffers from dementia and spending the weekend with him made me realise how prevalent mental illness in the elderly is and how I believe it needs more acknowledgement and wider awareness amongst the public. With growing public awareness and campaigns surrounding mental illness, illnesses affecting the elderly should not be ignored, especially with the growing elderly population. Since 1974 the number of those aged over 65 in t...
Top 5 Things to Do in London This Halloween
Lifestyle

Top 5 Things to Do in London This Halloween

Fancy a change from the typical RoHo fancy-dress flat parties this year? Fed up of spending Halloween in a semi-drunk state with fake blood running down your face? Why not hop on the 40 minute train from Egham and celebrate Halloween in true London style this October. 1. If you joined the craze and binge-watched Stranger Things on Netflix this year, head to Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen in Shoreditch on the 28th. There's a themed night featuring Eleven’s favourite food; caramel waffles, themed cocktails and 80’s tunes all night long. Expect flickering Christmas lights and alphabet painted walls as you enjoy Halloween from The Upside Down. London based DJ’s will be providing the 80’s music all night! £5 entry 2. From the Upside Down to Sky High, if your bank account is on your side, he...