Opinion – Page 8 of 31

12May

By Madelaine GrayNo Comments

News, Opinion

The Mystery of the Missing Middle Class

Erasing middle class identity in modern society. In recent years, the previously referred to ‘middle class’ has been shrinking, shrinking, shrinking. The rising cost of living and salary stagnation have contributed to this, as well as sky-rocketing wages for the upper echelons of the working world. In short, the rich have got richer, and the poor poorer. This change has happened recently – incredibly recently. It used to be that the descriptor of “middle class” was used as a bit of a put down in certain circles, in response to seemingly frivolous statements made by young people. Now, this has been replaced by the assumption that anyone with any disposable income whatsoever is a member of the 1%. So, how did this happen? There has never been a clear and universally accept...

No Longer Standing: The Monumental Message in What Remains

31Mar

By Sofia BajerovaNo Comments

News, Opinion

No Longer Standing: The Monumental Message in What Remains

In the early hours of the 23rd of December 2021, Hong Kong University’s Pillar of Shame statue was removed from the centre of campus. It has stood there at the University of Hong Kong since 1997 and represented the numerous lives lost in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, one of the most delicate topics in Chinese politics. Recently replaced with a new seating area, no remnants of the statue remain onsite. The image of the orange twisted bodies imprinted only in memory. The Tiananmen Square Massacre has largely been erased from history in Mainland China and Hong Kong is now following suit. The Pillar of Shame stood as a symbol of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, highlighting the difference of freedoms between Hong Kong and the Mainland, a gap that is being gradually clos...

21Mar

By Accalia SmithNo Comments

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...

Repeating History? | ‘Munich’ and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

27Feb

By Accalia SmithNo Comments

News, Opinion

Repeating History? | ‘Munich’ and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Netflix recently released 'Munich: The Edge of War', a film adaptation of Robert Harris's book. It centres around the Munich agreement, Chamberlain’s attempt to ensure peace in Europe via the negotiation of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. With Vladimir Putin’s Russia waging war on Ukraine, reading this book felt very apt for me, and terrifying. Looking up from the pages to hearing the news at the moment felt like I hadn't left the world of the book at all. Europe is facing one of the largest attacks since World War Two, leading to many people referring to the current events as the prelude to world war three. This is not the first recent Russian threat to Ukraine, but it is it’s most unjustified, violent and daring. Missiles and helicopter attacks began on Thursday resulting in...

31Jan

By Madelaine GrayNo Comments

News, Opinion

A Litany of Insults

Why women never seem to win in the world of casual sex. Modern society has undeniably done a lot for the rights of the ‘fairer sex’. The right to vote, first and foremost. The right to own property. The right to open a bank account, to work outside the home, to enter any career we may choose. And of course, the sexual revolution went some way to reducing stigma around premarital sex, decentring the myth of virginal purity. With that came the right to choose – in the form of access to birth control, as well as freedom to terminate unwanted (or unviable) pregnancies. Despite all of this, it is clear to many that in contemporary sexual culture, the odds are still strictly not in our favour. There is a litany of insults directed at women, and the way they choose to navigate the world...

31Jan

By Max FlemingNo Comments

News, Opinion

Are Bisexual People Greedy?

Max Fleming on why we need to consider love as a spectrum. The Bisexual community is often misunderstood by those in the LGBTQIA+ community and heterosexual folk alike. The spectrum of love that Bisexuals feel isn’t often brought to the attention of others and so hides in plain sight, perpetuating loneliness and isolation. The simple answer to the question ‘Are Bisexuals Greedy?’ is no. We are not greedy; we are not disloyal. We are not recognised for who we are. The easiest way to describe the feeling of being Bisexual is to liken it to a spectrum. On one side, you have an interest in one sex, and an interest in another sex on the other side. For example, some Bisexual men might lean towards other men. This does not mean that they are ‘gayer’. They simply have a preference ...

31Jan

By Elena-Teodora ChiujdeaNo Comments

News, Opinion

The Taboo of Virginity

University through the Eyes of a Virgin Over the years, a stigma has been attached to virginity. Whilst the 1960s praised the idea of innocence and purity, particularly amongst women, we now feed off sexual empowerment and diversity. Yet, we still live with this irrational thought: ‘I must be the only virgin on campus’. Not true. We are the generation that is having less and less sex; 18.9% of 18 to 24-year-olds were sexually inactive in the early 2000s whilst in 2018 it was reported that 30% of students and young adults were not having sex. So, isn’t virginity amongst students more normal than abnormal? Why are we avoiding sex like the plague when we are such a sexually aware generation? The logical answer might be the Covid-19 pandemic that forced students to live at home l...

31Jan

By Cecilia Munoz FernandezNo Comments

News, Opinion

The Journey to Self Love

Surely we have all heard the myth about how you can’t love somebody else if you don’t love yourself. As much as self-love is something everyone needs to work on, healthy relationships can actually become a solid foundation for your journey towards self-love. When in a romantic relationship where there is good communication, genuine friendship and companionship, intimacy, sex and affection can become a source of confidence and reassurance. When it comes to sex or intimacy a majority of people find it hard to be naked in front of their partners, it is very common to feel uncomfortable with nakedness for a variety of reasons (like traumatic experiences, purity culture, beauty standards and body dysmorphia) that usually come in hand in hand. Healing your relationship with your body a...

“One More Strike and He’s Out”- Boris Johnson in Trouble

30Jan

By Josh SebonNo Comments

News, Opinion

“One More Strike and He’s Out”- Boris Johnson in Trouble

On 16/12/2021, the Liberal Democrats handed the Conservatives a significant by-election defeat in North Shropshire, halving the conservative vote from 63% in 2019 to just 31% in 2021. This result is not only significant due to the extent of the swing, but because the seat was the 58th (out of 361) safest seat for the Conservatives. It has elected Tories since its conception in 1983 without fail, with an ever-increasing victory margin year on year over the past decade. The Conservative Party chairman didn’t hold back on why his Party had been dealt such a blow, deeming the by-election “a referendum on the Prime Minister’s performance” and stating, “one more strike and he’s out.” There is no secret as to why a referendum on Johnson’s performance has reflected badly on him. 2021 ...

Covid does not discriminate. Rich or poor, you are exposed to the virus.

30Jan

By Elena-Teodora ChiujdeaNo Comments

News, Opinion

Covid does not discriminate. Rich or poor, you are exposed to the virus.

The Covid pandemic started over two years ago. The highly infectious virus ingrained a fear in society that has never been seen before. Places known for their busy streets and tourism turned into ghost towns. Australia is one of the only countries where Covid could not settle its claws amongst citizens, with barely five confirmed cases since March 2020. So, Australia handled the pandemic well, right? Wrong. The praises from all over the world about their good strategies went to their heads. Once the Omicron variant came around, the government freed the Australian population — restrictions be damned. Cases rose quickly during the holidays, but the health care system was over its head. A Covid wave was alien to them. Omicron is supposedly a milder version everyone will get at some point, so...