News – Page 9 of 37 – The Orbital

Canada’s First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: is it enough?

7Dec

By Courtney BridgesNo Comments

News, Opinion

Canada’s First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: is it enough?

September 30, 2021, marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada (Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code). This federal statutory holiday was passed through legislative amendments made by Parliament earlier this year, receiving Royal Assent on June 3. The aim for this holiday was set to ‘[honour] the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities’. Residential schools were ‘government-sponsored’ and created by ‘Christian churches’ to ‘assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture’. Their focus was placed on conversion and education. Over 130 schools operated in Canada between 1831 and 1996. They ‘disrupted lives and communities, causing long-term...

7Dec

By James ReynoldsNo Comments

Features, News

‘Danke Mutti’ – Merkel’s Legacy

There is a tale repeated by Germans that dates back to 1963. It speaks of a young girl who had changed into her swimming costume and shuffled reluctantly into the main foyer of her school’s swimming pool. A shy creature, she moved to climb the steps of the highest diving board one by one. Finally, having reached the end of the board, she became paralysed with fear and shivered at the prospect of making the leap. For what felt like an eternity, she stared into the murky abyss calculating the risks involved. After tentatively creeping back and forth for 30 minutes, she glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped. As she glided into the water, the school bell rang out and reverberated across the pool. Angela did what needed to be done. Dr Angela Merkel, the quantum physicist turn...

Beef VS Bug: how we can all limit the 1.5°C rise

23Nov

By Luz Sanchez Real ZielniewiczNo Comments

News, Science & Technology

Beef VS Bug: how we can all limit the 1.5°C rise

I’m not vegan. I flew home last month. I threw away a plastic bottle. Am I a bad person? As of right now, our planet is NOT on track to limit global warming to 1.5°C. And yes, we’ve all played a part in this. That trip to Greece last summer? Not a good choice mate. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to change. In light of the COP26 that took place in Glasgow this year, let’s have a look at how feasible the 1.5°C temperature rise limit really is, and how we as students are the best people to make that change and save the earth through our eating habits. According to UNEP’s six-sector solution, we can reduce up to 29-32 gigatonnes (GT) of CO2e by 2030, enough to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. How? By eating bugs. No seriously; reducing food loss and waste, and switching to more sus...

The legality debate on abortion; a new age of misogyny

22Nov

By Ilayda KaplankiranNo Comments

News

The legality debate on abortion; a new age of misogyny

Following on from the enforcement of the Senate Bill 8, on 1st September, women across the nation have been standing up and fighting for their reproductive freedom. A Texas statute that completely dismisses a woman’s fundamental right to decide on matters concerning her body, eliminates the option of terminating a pregnancy that is over six weeks. In many ways then, the Texas law is enacting a near-total ban on abortion, since most women don’t even know that they are pregnant during this timeframe. While it arguably bans abortions after the detection of a foetal heartbeat, medical experts have denounced this term as inaccurate; at six weeks of gestation there is neither a foetus nor a heartbeat. As a result of this widely accepted reform, there have been growing concerns and dangers r...

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...

5 Christmas destinations for a get-out-of-Egham-free-card

21Nov

By Elena-Teodora ChiujdeaNo Comments

Lifestyle, News

5 Christmas destinations for a get-out-of-Egham-free-card

With the holidays knocking on our door, students are looking forward to having a month of well-deserved time off – sort of. Yes, there are the notorious essays and extra reading pilling up, but who wouldn’t jump faster than you can say “Merry Christmas” at these five destinations, fitting for a student budget? After two years of hibernating at home, the COVID restrictions finally eased, so let’s enjoy the freedom. Budapest, Hungary First stop, the Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market, sprinkled with Christmas lights from window to window, streetlamp to streetlamp. To get there, embark on one of Budapest’s famous trams, decked in gleaming fairy lights, and you will live out your childhood Polar Express dream. Whilst walking under a star-like blanket of ornaments and indulgi...

The Unspoken Truth About Sports and Mental Strength

19Nov

By Peter VighNo Comments

News, Sports & Socs

The Unspoken Truth About Sports and Mental Strength

“The will must be stronger than the skill”- Muhammad Ali. Any and every athlete can relate to this quote. At some point every aspiring athlete has experienced rock bottom, a time when you question your love for a sport and feel like throwing in the towel. This is the defining moment when you reach the door hiding your full potential and you must create the key to unlock it; the key being your mentality. Nicknamed ‘The Greatest’, Muhammad Ali is not only regarded as a sports legend but also as one of the most celebrated and influential cultural figures of the 20th century. Standing at a height of 191cm and weighing 107kg along with a reach of 198cm and famed super agility, he was no slouch in the physical department. With four WBA heavyweight champion titles and two WBC heavywe...

Thomas Cramer: Sexually Harassing Girls on the Royal Holloway Campus

14Nov

By Elena-Teodora ChiujdeaNo Comments

News

Thomas Cramer: Sexually Harassing Girls on the Royal Holloway Campus

Thomas Cramer. The horrific actions of the 29-year-old have taken Royal Holloway by storm. In a cowardice act of harassment, on the 27th May 2021, he was seen driving around the university campus taking photos of young girls. A total of seven pictures surfaced later that day on his Instagram and Cramer was swiftly reported to campus security. I wish his behaviour was considered abnormal but being harassed and sexually objectified is sadly just something women are forced to live with in their day-to-day life. Imagine walking around campus to your lectures and later being told, by a friend or even a stranger, that a photo you were unaware was being taken in the first place was posted to Instagram. Scroll down to the captions and you’ll find @thomasjosephcramer attached vile d...

14Nov

By Victoria BurdenNo Comments

Features, Film & TV, News

The 12 Days of Christmas Films

With Christmas well and truly underway here are twelve festive favourites to get you in the spirit! Day 1 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2005) While not technically a Christmas film, Narnia’s eternal winter and an appearance from Santa himself gives enough reason to consider this film a great way to ease you into the festive season. With a mixture of action, adventure, fantasy, and a sprinkle of Christmas, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy in this children’s classic. Day 2 How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) / The Grinch (2018) For the Scrooges among us, this one is ideal for you. If you’re not quite ready for the chaos of Christmas but equally don’t want to miss out on the fun, sit yourself down and give this a watch. You might just find the Gr...

Seasonal Depression: more than ‘down in the dumps’

14Nov

By Beth McCleanNo Comments

Lifestyle, News

Seasonal Depression: more than ‘down in the dumps’

With November drawing to a close, any remnants of warm afternoons or bright mornings have disappeared. December often marks a time of festivities, curling up around fireplaces or sharing blankets with friends. However, it can also become a time when mental health plummets and you feel at your lowest. If your mental health rapidly fluctuates in line with seasons, there could be a medical condition behind it. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression, is a mental health condition that 1 in 15 people may have, according to the NHS. The most common type, “winter depression”, is where people become more affected by symptoms of depression during winter, with symptoms lessening in the warmer months. This is caused by a lack of sunlight, which can lowe...