Jasmine Cox, Author at The Orbital

19Mar

By Jasmine CoxNo Comments

Diversity in YA Literature

As a genre that has arguably only been a marketed category within in its own right during the last century, YA literature has rapidly progressed to the forefront of diversity discussions. Diversity feels particularly important with regards to the YA community because naturally, they are the next in line to push for intersectional representation. In terms of mainstream publishers, such as Macmillan, Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, statistics show that the numbers of LGBTQ+ YA novels have been increasing rapidly since 2014; Malinda Lo gathered that in 2015, 54 LGBTQ+ novels were published by aforementioned publishers, and in 2016, figures rose to 79. Although recent years show a positive rise in YA novels about sexuality, there seems to be a lack of literature being published s...

Trampolining Club bounce their way to new heights in preparation for Varsity 2019

1Mar

By Jasmine CoxNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Trampolining Club bounce their way to new heights in preparation for Varsity 2019

In conversation with the Trampolining Club’s Secretary, Olivia Tonkin, I set out to discover what she thought the Club was most looking forward to at Varsity this year; competitions are a great way to socialize with multiple universities, and Olivia mentioned that Surrey University attend all of the same competitions as them throughout the year, which will make for a fun and friendly environment at Varsity. Especially as a lot of the members joining Trampolining Club “start from absolute novice level”, says Olivia, “it’s exciting to see them compete for the first time at Varsity – it’s a lot smaller than the Southern regional competitions that we usually attend, so there is a lot less pressure”. When I asked Olivia whether she felt optimistic about the Club’s chances of winning at Varsi...

Why are the women of Brazil so divided on Bolsonaro?

23Nov

By Jasmine CoxNo Comments

Opinion

Why are the women of Brazil so divided on Bolsonaro?

Jair Bolsonaro, nicknamed ‘Trump of the Tropics’, was newly elected as President of Brazil on the 28 October, with 55.1% of voters in support of the far-right politician, eclipsing his rival Fernando Haddad. Bolsonaro, a man of high military profile, has pitched himself as the iron fisted hero who will bring down the soaring crime rates across Brazil. Supporters voted for Bolsonaro on the basis of his pro-gun and nationalist ideals, his defense being the right to self-defense and protection of the much-treasured ‘family’ home. However, when taking a closer look at his aggressive agenda, Bolsonaro is creating more of a heightened sense of tension than ever, especially seen through how he is exploiting women’s fears of crime. Bolsonaro’s popularity amongst women started to grow after the ...

25Oct

By Jasmine CoxNo Comments

Opinion

Safety of Student Data

As thousands of new Freshers embark on their university experience this September, new information and data will be given to institutions. Under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the Office for Students (OfS) is permitted to share student data with bodies such as the Student Loan Company and HMRC. The OfS holds information such as mental and physical health, graduate employment and academic growth of all students. This is under Section 63 of the Act, which declares OfS may cooperate and share information where it considers appropriate to do so. A Department of Education spokesperson said that it is important that OfS has the right to distribute information in order to avoid issues such as poor quality of management and governance, protecting the student experience and any poten...

2Mar

By Jasmine CoxNo Comments

Opinion

Will Britain remain Green?

EU environmental laws are maintained at an impeccably high standard, and with over 80% of Britons in favour of these levels of protection, it is alarming that the repercussions of Brexit jeopardize the guarantee that Britain will maintain these standards. The surfacing of these fears was evident in Theresa May’s speech last month, whereby, she announced her ambitious 25 year plan to reduce the waste of plastic: ‘Brexit will not mean a lowering of environmental standards’. […] ‘We will use the opportunity Brexit provides to strengthen and enhance our environmental protections – not to weaken them’. Alongside this, environmental campaigners have voiced their concerns that propositions such as this demand legislation, which echoes the sentiment of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who wants to ...

Jasmine Cox on Homelessness in Windsor: How the Conservatives are Getting It Wrong

2Feb

By Jasmine CoxNo Comments

Opinion

Jasmine Cox on Homelessness in Windsor: How the Conservatives are Getting It Wrong

Homelessness in Windsor has gained attention recently after Councilor Simon Dudley raised concerns about the town’s “epidemic of rough sleeping”. On the 2 January 2018, Simon Dudley, Conservative council leader for The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, sent a letter to Anthony Stansfeld, Thames Valley Police (TVP) addressing what he calls a response to “anti-social behaviour” and “aggressive begging and intimidation in Windsor”. With the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle taking place in Windsor Castle May 2018, it seems unjust that not only is Dudley decidedly taking action now that tourism will massively increase, but he is taking action against them instead of helping the homeless. Dudley states in his letter that the Royal Borough has “invested heavily in the sup...