Sunday, June 14Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

News

Katie Hopkins’ Visit To Royal Holloway Cancelled Amidst Security Concerns
News

Katie Hopkins’ Visit To Royal Holloway Cancelled Amidst Security Concerns

Royal Holloway Debating Society, headed by President Jessica Lee, wanted the journalist to speak at an event in the upcoming week. This is now not going forward. The SU, in a statement released today, explained that due to safety concerns regarding protests and counter demonstrations there is too much of logistical demand regarding the provision of security for the event. The SU have made it clear that the safety and security of their students is their primary concern. They felt that the number of signatories to an open letter published by Jack Stokes, President of Labour Society, in which Katie Hopkins was heavily criticized, constituted a significant security risk. There has been widespread backlash across campus which was spearheaded by the open letter and has prompted statements ...
Man Arrested In Connection With Stabbing in Englefield Green
News

Man Arrested In Connection With Stabbing in Englefield Green

In an update to our previous article Surrey Police confirmed today that a man has been arrested on the charge of attempted murder in connection with the stabbing that occurred in Englefield Green on Friday (13/09) evening. Surrey Police declined to comment as to whether either the victim or the alleged perpetrator of the crime were students at the university or whether, in fact, any investigation was being conducted into a university student in connection with this incident. They have commented today that there has been an increase in officers in the area as a result of the incident. This is the second stabbing in the area in the last nine months after the attack outside the SU shop in December 2018. It is still up for debate as to whether Surrey Police believe this incident is m...
Power Without Principle
News

Power Without Principle

I reached the Houses of Parliament last Wednesday feeling rather windswept and I had a short walk across Westminster Bridge to thank for that. As I entered the House of Commons public gallery the mood was tense. I soon learnt that, as the Second Reading of the European Union Withdrawal Bill (6) was passed by an overwhelming majority, I was not the only person going to be battered from all sides.  From that point forward amendments were put forward by Richard Graham MP, Stephen Kinnock MP, Sir William Cash MP, Sir Christopher Chope MP to name a few that were vehemently disputed in the chamber during the Committee Stage of the Bill. Points of Intervention came thick and fast.  Members spoke with varying degrees of coherency; Richard Graham MP and Stephen Kinnock MP spoke wit...
Brexit Party Removes Royal Holloway Video
News

Brexit Party Removes Royal Holloway Video

On Tuesday, The Brexit Party released a campaign video pledging to "scrap interest on student loans". The video was produced in collaboration with the Student Brexit Group, a Royal Holloway based student group representing pro-Brexit students. Abby King, a recent Royal Holloway graduate, quickly realised that scenes in the video had been filmed on the University campus, and was quick to respond on Twitter. https://twitter.com/abby_king96/status/1151762108234772480 The video contains several scenic shots of the university's famous Founder's Building, and several university students have expressed concern that the inclusion of these clips makes it appear that the university endorses the video and its message. The video has been viewed more than 75,000 times. Credit: The Brexit ...
Back Gate To Close Overnight, Following Resident Complaints
News

Back Gate To Close Overnight, Following Resident Complaints

In what has been described as a "difficult" decision, Royal Holloway College have today announced they are going to resume closing the back gate overnight. From the start of term in September, the gate will be closed at 12:30AM each night, and re-opened at 5AM. The back gate originally closed at 12:45 on Friday and Saturday and 11:15 throughout the remainder of the week. The back entrance to campus is located on Spring Rise by the Senate House Library depository. It had been opened overnight in January 2018 following lengthy campaigns run by students and the Students' Union, starting with a petition in 2015. Access had been provided through the use of swipe cards outside of regular hours. The announcement follows lobbying from local residents, who told the college that students ar...
Royal Holloway’s Dance Society and Varsity
Features, News

Royal Holloway’s Dance Society and Varsity

Please could you give a brief description of your society? Dance Society is one of the most unique societies on campus! We not only offer classes in every style of dance you could think of, but also have competition teams, socials, shows, volunteering, performing and choreographing opportunities! We actively try to get as many people involved in the society as possible. Whether you’ve never danced before or if you’re practically professional, there’s something for everyone. What will your Varsity performance involve? At Varsity, we will be competing with several of our award-winning competition teams! The styles vary and it will be a wonderful performance for all watching. Does your piece have a name? We are competing with several different pieces, the names of which are cur...
Hanging up the Racket: saying goodbye to Andy Murray
News, Sports & Socs

Hanging up the Racket: saying goodbye to Andy Murray

Reigning Olympic Singles Champion, and 2-time winner of Wimbledon- Andy Murray is no normal sportsman. That’s why his news of retirement has come as a shock for both the tennis world and the public eye. The 11th of January 2019 saw the tennis player announce his plans to hang up his racket after a lifetime of playing; Murray announced that he had a difficult decision to make. Hoping that he could finish his golden career at the birthplace of British tennis, Wimbledon, it seems that his dream could be snatched away from him if the pain from his debilitating hip injury prevails, making the Australian Open his last tournament. Andy Murray looked to be a promising tennis star from a very early age- he won his first tournament at the Dunblane Sports Club as an under 10’s junior. Then in 2005...
As anti-gay torture continues, we need to pay attention to Chechnya
News

As anti-gay torture continues, we need to pay attention to Chechnya

It's likely you'll remember the first wave of attacks on LGBT+ people in Chechnya, a federal subject of Russia, in April 2017. The independent Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, reported that up to 100 people suspected of being gay were abducted and tortured as part of a coordinated government campaign. At least three men were reported to have been killed by this governmental scheme, but the actual number of victims is likely to be much higher. 'Honour killings' still take place in Chechnya, as individuals deemed to have dishonoured their family by being LGBT+ are sometimes killed by a family member. While some gay men have been able to flee Chechnya and tell their stories, others in the LGBT+ community desperately need media attention, activism, and governmental help. Since December ...
Lily Parr: the lesbian football icon I didn’t know I needed
Culture & Literature, News

Lily Parr: the lesbian football icon I didn’t know I needed

I'll start off by saying that I don't like sports. I have little to no knowledge about most sports, P.E. was my least favourite lesson at school, and I spent the majority of Sports Days at home 'sick'. But while brainstorming ideas for this LGBT+ issue of Orbital and researching how many premier league footballers have come out as gay (hint: really, really not many at all), I stumbled across a woman who has now introduced me to the incredible history of women's football. Lily Parr's football career began in 1919, at a time when the popularity of women's football was at an unprecedented high, until the Football Association banned women from playing on their member grounds in 1921 (due to women's teams playing charity matches to raise money for the families of striking miners, and also...
Evacuation Confusion Reveals RHUL Emergency Unpreparedness
News

Evacuation Confusion Reveals RHUL Emergency Unpreparedness

On Wednesday afternoon, a suspicious package at the George Eliot mailroom prompted Surrey Police and College Security to evacuate nearby buildings on campus. Given the spate of bomb scares across the UK this month, one would hope for a well-coordinated response to a similar threat at Royal Holloway. Unfortunately, the university’s evacuation fell far short of “well-coordinated” and contradicted a spokesperson’s suggestion that “the College spends considerable time and resources on emergency planning.” Interviews with community members and an analysis of evacuation messaging reveal the university’s inability to quickly and clearly articulate emergency protocol. To adequately protect its community members, Royal Holloway must address its emergency unpreparedness and communicate more effectiv...