Opinion – Page 24 of 27

28Jan

By No Comments

Opinion

Let’s Reconsider Consent

The 'I Heart Consent' campaign was a good idea but it was run in a way that I can only describe as dreadful. It was a campaign directed at the male community, yet for the most part it failed to engage men; it was a campaign interested in excluding men, or at least that’s the impression given. This campaign should have separated itself from the nasty face of feminism, which would have resulted in less time preaching that women are fundamentally different to men (which of course is false) and it would have turned attention to the real cause - consent! Men are placed in uncomfortable positions more often than is apparent and it would only be false to claim that only men go out ‘on the pull’; I for one have witnessed many girls with the intention to ‘pull’. This is of course a two way stree...

28Jan

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Opinion

Why are we all so scared of freebies?

It’s 1am on a Friday night at the SU and people are starting to trickle out, some a bit worse for wear. This is where the Christian Union Club Mission comes in, offering free water, doughnuts and crisps to tired revellers. Yet one question we seem to be asked is “How much is it?” Maybe it’s a ‘British’ thing but we don’t seem to accept the idea of freebies. When I suggested going to grab some free Ben & Jerry’s just a stone’s throw away from our flat, my flatmates were less than keen. Yet, as a student, I would think that everyone would jump at the chance to get something for nothing. As a devotee of the free stuff I cannot tell you why it’s been neglected by my peers, but I can guess that part of this is because they expect there to be a catch. Motives for giving out freebies di...

28Jan

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Opinion

Landfill of the Soul

An instruction from the accommodation services details the meticulous levels of cleanliness I have to achieve by 10 am on the day of departure. It is as I undergo this next stage of sanitising my frankly depraved living conditions, emptying the contents of my small bin, that a realisation struck me; my entire academic term can be defined by the goods I am disposing of. As I ferreted through the thrown-away, I noted an increase in the amount of screwed up paper, seemingly anonymously discarded. This to me shows a new reluctance to accept anything less than perfection, whilst the subject matter of the screwed up paper - of philosophy, of article ideas, of drawings - acted as a perfect demonstration of the person I am trying to become. Pretty profound stuff for items whose new temporary...

28Jan

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Opinion

The Paradox of Militant Liberalism

Does the rise of political correctness have the potential to be just as oppressive as intolerance? The internet has given young people a larger platform than ever before to air their views on the world and make their voices heard. No corner of the internet is more demonstrative of this than the popular blogging website Tumblr. Its users are outspoken on issues such as race and gender; it isn’t easy to scroll down your dashboard without encountering some sort of social commentary. Whilst it can only be a good thing that society is far more accepting of difference these days, what happens when it starts to go too far in the other direction – when social justice fighters police freedom of speech? Should I really be wracked with guilt every time I catch myself dancing to Blurred Lines on a ...

28Jan

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Opinion

The Bechdel Test

What is it? The Bechdel test was first introduced in Allison Bechdel’s comic "Dykes to Watch Out For", in a 1985 strip called “The Rule”. In order for a film to pass the Bechdel test it has to meet the following requirements: 1. It has to have at least two women in it 2. Who talk to each other 3. About something besides a man There have been variations to the criteria of the test, for example the female characters have to be named. Think about a movie that you watched recently, or any movie at all. Does it have at least two female characters? Do they have a conversation about something besides a man? Can you try and name more than 3 films that pass the Bechdel test? I actually found it kind of difficult. And that’s where the problem lies. The problem isn’t just about the lack ...

Maintenance of campus accommodation: an experience of varying satisfaction

28Jan

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Opinion

Maintenance of campus accommodation: an experience of varying satisfaction

It was half past eight in the morning and I was fast asleep. As it was my day off from lectures, I wasn’t planning on getting up anytime soon. However, my peaceful slumber was soon disturbed by incessant knocking at my door; knocking that had also woken up the other seven members of my flat. A maintenance worker had come to fix something that had been reported by housekeeping during the last room check. With no forewarning that maintenance was to be coming, and not even knowing that something in my room needed fixing, it was a less than pleasant start to a Monday morning. While I was grateful something in my room was fixed, this incident highlighted issues with the on-campus maintenance procedure. There is a lack of a system in place that alerts students as to when they should expect ma...

28Jan

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Opinion

It’s Time to Consent

Watching Frozen for the millionth time, I’m still surprised that Kristoff asks Anna whether he may kiss her. Expecting the hero to seize a victory smooch, I realised we’ve long forgone consent because we’re not used to seeing or asking for it. Here was a Disney film portraying consent for a kiss, when 55 years ago the kiss in Sleeping Beauty was metaphor to obscure the character’s rape. Our popular culture, which so heavily socialises us, has brushed over the need for consent. We’re all given Sex Ed. at primary school, and talking about sex becomes as ordinary as a DFS sofa sale. So it’s disappointing that university students find drunken hook-ups less awkward than talking about consent. It’s defined as “agreeing by choice and having the freedom and capacity to make that choice.” ...

28Jan

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Opinion

The Ugly Girls Club

The Ugly Girls Club is probably the coolest trending feminist campaign out there. What came as an insult from another student towards the RHUL feminist society, turned out to become a powerful tool in dealing with the subject of society’s vision of women. The little incident that sparked the selfie campaign shows everyone how the feminist movement is wrongfully regarded by most people who are unaware of their true beliefs. Unfortunately, many men and women assume that equality has been reached for all; they see feminism as an anti-male movement by women that are unhappy with how society is. Sadly I once held this view on feminism, due to the fact that I had never come by any inequality and thought there was no need for women to constantly fight for something that wasn’t needed. I was us...

28Jan

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Opinion

New Year, New You

New Years Resolution’s are the chance for us to brag to our friends about turning over a new leaf, becoming ‘a new me’. A new me who goes to lectures and seminars, who makes use of the gold gym membership bought back in Freshers week, who doesn’t waste all their money on VK’s just because the bar queue is shorter… All new years resolutions we’ve heard and said to ourselves plenty of times, only to be broken within the first month. Because let’s face it, the person you are on December 31st 2014 is definitely the same person you’ll be on January 1st 2015. Despite this, new years resolutions are a tradition. And since so many of us are going to make them, why not make a couple which are student relevant? New years resolutions might not make Royal Holloway a better place but if, for once, w...

28Jan

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Opinion

Am I a Man or a Muppet?

What’s your favourite Muppet movie? For me, it’s the 2002 TV movie ‘It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie’. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s basically an ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ pastiche. The Muppets are yet again trying to win back the Muppet Theatre (seriously, it’s like one of Lew Zealand’s amazing boomerang fish) while Kermit has an existential crisis and wishes he’d never been born, with predictable results. Plus Whoopi Goldberg is God, which is one of the best casting decisions of all time. Now, I can tell that right now you’re thinking a) what is wrong with you Flic? Muppet Christmas Carol is clearly the best Muppet movie, and b) what’s the point you’re trying to make here? The Muppets are for kids. So I should probably make an admission; I get anxious. In this contex...