Opinion – Page 18 of 31

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...

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

29Jan

By Bethany GoodingNo Comments

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...

22Jan

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Opinion

Make Up Your Time

Makeup has been a fun and longstanding tool for people to create a brand-new outlook for themselves to present to the world. Personally, I find it useful to cover the lingering effects of that morning’s hangover. Most people would have been exposed to makeup from age 12 or 13, going through the stages of experimentation as they move through puberty and secondary school. With the abundance of makeup tutorials and the wide array of makeup brands we have access to, the world of makeup has never been the same. There are hundreds of YouTube channels and Instagram accounts that are dedicated solely to makeup reviews, hauls and specialised looks for every occasion imaginable. It is wonderful that there is an opportunity for creativity to strive and for people to utilise makeup at their leisure. B...

7Dec

By Rebecca OwenNo Comments

Opinion

The Value of Internships

Internships are a great way for university students to gain practical experience and skills to prepare them for graduation, and are key to building a network of contacts and industry knowledge in a field that perhaps their degree doesn’t offer them. That being said, are all these internships worth their salt? We’ve all seen the internship and graduate job descriptions brandished under the alluring title ‘opportunity’ that incorporate the key phrases “entry level”, “must have X number of years experience” and “unpaid”. It would seem the reward is heavily disproportionate to the skills the intern would be providing the company. It’s a Catch 22 scenario — you’re applying for something to give you the experience, but are being denied the opportunity because of your lack of experience. No...

3Dec

By Shannon GrayNo Comments

Opinion

Is Autism Really That Atypical?

Netflix’ newest controversial show, Atypical, follows Sam Gardner, an autistic teenager, as he attempts to navigate the confusing world of dating. The show gave autistic people hope for a new perspective on what it means to be autistic, but instead, it was stereotypical, unrealistic, and neglected to feature any genuine autistic representation. The representation of autistic characters in the media is already scarce, and whilst Dan Harmon’s Community and Adam Reed’s Archer portray Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as complex and varying in each individual, when people think of autism they’re not likely to think of these representations. Instead, people are often affected by a phenomenon I call the ‘Sheldon Cooper Effect’: they only think of autism as it’s most harmful portrayal, Sheldon Co...

25Nov

By Bethany GoodingNo Comments

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 ...

24Nov

By Becca BashfordNo Comments

Opinion

Take A Knee

“If peaceful protests did nothing, the powerful wouldn't try so hard to silence them.” - NYCLU Last year, NFL player Colin Kaepernick created a worldwide debate about what it means to be patriotic in one simple action: kneeling during the U.S national anthem. Immediately, the public sphere was divided in their opinion of what Kaepernick intended by ‘Taking a knee’. Put simply, Kaepernick intended to do one thing, and one thing only: to draw attention to police brutality and racial inequality in America. However, the subsequent media frenzy painted his actions as anti-American, anti-military, and unpatriotic. But what people seem to forget is that peaceful protests are not a new thing in America’s history. Taking a knee is reminiscent of pivotal moments during America’s civil rig...

Reduced-Anxiety Events: Neglected, but Necessary

23Nov

By Natasha PhillipsNo Comments

Opinion

Reduced-Anxiety Events: Neglected, but Necessary

Going to large events – music concerts, theatre performances, comedy shows – can be nerve-wracking for anyone, but living with mental illness can exacerbate an already intimidating situation. Often, venues hosting such events will accommodate for physical disabilities – by providing access ramps and wheelchair spaces, accommodating visual impairments and allowing assistance dogs – but these disability requirements seldom include safeguarding for sufferers of mental illness. In the same way that a wheelchair-user would be deterred from attending an event catering solely for an able-bodied audience, those with anxiety or panic disorders often avoid overwhelming situations. This is an issue that is often overlooked, but ignorance and stigma makes it easy for venue and event management to look...

22Nov

By Emma HalahanNo Comments

Opinion

The Suicide Statistic: It Matters

In 2016, 146 students in England and Wales committed suicide, a 94.6% increase from 75 students in 2007 (Office of National Statistics). The university mental health crisis is real and it is growing. Yet in its wake, universities and colleges seem to be frozen in fear with very few rushing to collect any data about these issues. Royal Holloway is one of them. Whilst mental health difficulties present in many more ways than the few who do die by suicide each year, keeping the statistics of how many students complete suicide is important. It illustrates the number of students in severe crisis and allows students to hold their universities accountable for better mental health service provisions as a result. The RHUL Mental Health Network submitted a Freedom of Information request to Roy...

11Nov

By Rachel HainsNo Comments

Opinion

Armed With Chances; Poised For Change

As the United States faces its deadliest mass shooting, the 347th mass shooting this year alone, questions are once again being raised regarding the country’s lack of gun control. How many people have to die for change to happen? 28 people in Connecticut, 49 people in Orlando, 59 people in Las Vegas. The list of fatalities gets longer and more dizzying every day. The New York Times reports that, in the United States, there is at least one mass shooting a day. Yet, little is being done to amend or restrict the availability of the cause of these deaths - guns. When the Titanic sank, boat safety regulations changed to ensure there would always be adequate lifeboats on board in future, so that a tragedy like it would never happen again. Unfortunately, the United States seem unable to ...