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Features

One More UCU Strike…
Features, News, Opinion

One More UCU Strike…

How effective is the Strike action in creating the change it seeks? An Interview with James Smith The end of March will see the disappearance of professors from classrooms once again. Not because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but because of industrial strike action from the UCU (University and College Union). As a third-year student my university experience has been impacted by both the strikes and COVID resulting in an unexpected minimal amount of time spent on campus. In my first year there were extensive strikes which some students joined in on. Then COVID struck in March, disrupting the entirety of that year. Now, we are partly back to campus with both covid and strikes interrupting simultaneously. Professor James Smith, the UCU representative within the English department here at...
Love at first bite
Features, Film & TV

Love at first bite

Warning! Spoilers ahead. What initially starts as a romcom, soon transcends into every woman’s worst dating nightmare in Mimi Cave’s Fresh. Released on Hulu and Disney+, the horror comedy follows Noa (Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones), who, after loads of disastrous flings, decides to take a bite at dating again and falls for Steve (I, Tonya’s Sebastian Stan). Their meet-cute happens in a supermarket where he advises her on trying cotton candy grapes because he apparently needs some help with proving to his sister and niece that they taste exactly like cotton candy. This is one of the many references to food in the film. There are further references to food through up close visuals of characters eating food such as crisps or salad, so much so that it is like an upscale mukbang video....
From Backpacks to One Billion Racks
Features, Film & TV

From Backpacks to One Billion Racks

As one of the most controversial celebrities of our generation, any mention of Kanye West is sure to ignite a passionate debate. Just today making even more questionnable news with his latest music video release, separating the artist from his art becomes more of a struggle each day. But will the memories behind the music be his saving grace? Starting his journey from humble beginnings, Kanye West rode into the music industry on sheer determination, undeniable passion and an unwavering belief that he would be one of the greatest. As a sought after producer in the hip hop scene, West channelled his creativity through the beats, delivering a quality sound for established artists like Jay-Z, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. But he wanted more. Tired of creating and catering to the sound of other...
The Allure of Aristocracy
Features, Film & TV, News

The Allure of Aristocracy

Dearest Reader,  Bingeing season is upon us. It’s time to devour the highly anticipated second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, following the plot of Julia Quinn’s novel The Viscount Who Loved Me. This season sees Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, who takes the lead role in the storyline. With the new season approaching, we’re going to delve into the many reasons why viewers love period dramas like Bridgerton so much. The Ability to Travel back in Time Period dramas allow viewers to experience a time that they will never get to live through, giving people a means of living vicariously through the characters and embracing the world of the 1800s. Do I really want to learn to knit? No. Would I do it to pretend I’m a debutant for a day? Yes.  Fetch my carriage. Am...
Mummy, Daddy, I’m a star!
Features, Film & TV, News

Mummy, Daddy, I’m a star!

It’s undeniable that in any industry, who you know is the ultimate foot in the door. The film industry takes the cake. With opportunities passed through word of mouth, and swanky soirée conversations becoming the new elevator pitch, is it really about working harder or smarter? Looking to break into the film industry is proving to be harder than ever. For those who can’t attend prestigious performance art schools or don’t end up on the list for fancy film parties, dreams are shattered and talent is squandered. Whilst networking is a  helpful tool to put yourself out there, beyond how you’re viewed on paper, it can be dangerous territory, especially as exclusivity gets added to the mix.  When I was younger and an absolute musical theater fanatic, I went to the Sylvia Young ...
Emily in Paris: Praising aristocracy, shaming the proletariat
Features, Film & TV, News

Emily in Paris: Praising aristocracy, shaming the proletariat

By now, everyone’s heard about Emily in Paris. The Netflix show made its debut in 2020, with the promising concept of a young graduate learning to merge American and French cultures.   Instead, it romanticised elitist ideals, from the scenery to the extravagant fashion, as we follow Emily in her time abroad. The screenwriters put the rich on a pedestal, showing how the poor taint Paris’ opulence. In their eyes, of course. Let’s not forget race and homosexuality. Although there is representation, it comes across as tokenship, with no character development. There is no question that the finished production came up short of audience expectations; the online backlash was swift.  However, the high view count overtook the number of critics, and the show was renewed for a...
Sexuality, Movember, and Spiking in Sports
Features, Sports & Socs

Sexuality, Movember, and Spiking in Sports

Photo by Jeffrey F Lin via Unsplash I interviewed three anonymous members of sports societies to determine their stances on sexuality in sport, Movember and spiking in a bid to see how sports can tie these topics together. Sports have a huge voice to be heard, especially when the topics at hand require vocal stances. Speaking openly on such is the first step to provide an increased awareness, with the conclusive aim to positively affect these subject matters.   Sexuality in sport On the 27th of October, Josh Cavallo marked a significant breakthrough for gay footballers, powerfully coming out as gay. He became the first footballer in a top flight division to do so. This raised awareness of the LGBT+ side of football; for many years light has not shone amongst this side o...
Queer at Royal Holloway: Interviewing our LGBT+ Community
Features, Lifestyle

Queer at Royal Holloway: Interviewing our LGBT+ Community

University is often considered a place to ‘find yourself’. Most students have come straight from A-Levels, from the cliquey savagery that defines one as ‘popular’, ‘unpopular’, ‘weird’, ‘edgy’. In my experience of a small-town, back-arse-of-nowhere all-girls’ school, these categories trumped any personal identity. University, on the other hand, is all about individuality. Sometimes it’s almost like a game of ‘who can be the MOST unique, quirky, fucked-up of them all?’ Those kids who ran the social hierarchy in school (you can detect them because they adamantly claim that ‘popularity wasn’t a thing in their school’) have to re-adjust to this new ecosystem, leaving many 18-year-olds to essentially start again. Of course, many have been grappling with their identity long before university, m...
ERICA OSAKWE: ‘I CHANGED THE LAW’
Features, News, Opinion

ERICA OSAKWE: ‘I CHANGED THE LAW’

Trigger Warning: the following deals with themes of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is defined across government as any incident of coercive, threatening or controlling behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 and over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of their gender or sexuality.  It wasn’t until Summer 2021 that the Domestic Abuse Act was introduced, creating the first ever statutory definition of domestic abuse in Britain. The bill was rushed through in response to increasing domestic violence reports since the onset of Coronavirus. In other words, it took a pandemic for British politics to formalise its definition of domestic abuse in law. This lack of consolidation only serves to feed the tragic reality that one in ten offences ...
MAGPIE
Creative Writing, Features

MAGPIE

o beaut magpie ! inquisitive brown eyes feathered blue heart i see u everywhere well at least i think i do sometimes when i close my eyes u are flyin above me sometimes u visit at night in my dreams u come to me singin me lullabies u tell me everythin is gonna be okay sweet thing and im tryin hard to believe u but dreams don’t talk truth no more and i can’t see ursa major no more and i can’t hear ur voice no more and i just want to hold u close let me be ur nest but ur so far away Image credit: Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash