Thursday, June 4Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Tag: RHUL

Thomas Cramer: Sexually Harassing Girls on the Royal Holloway Campus
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...
The 12 Days of Christmas Films
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...
The Artistic Mother: Maid – A Review
Film & TV

The Artistic Mother: Maid – A Review

Based off Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, the new Netflix drama series Maid is a must see. Margaret Qualley (who you may recognise from Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) stars as Alex, a twenty-six year old woman who leaves her emotionally abusive boyfriend Sean (played by Nick Robinson) to try and make a better life for her and her two year old daughter, Maddy (played by Rylea Nevaeh Whittet). The title soon becomes clear as the protagonist lands a job at Value Maids cleaning wealthy people’s homes on the picturesque Fisher Island. The unglamorous job is challenging; Alex battles both low wages and entitled clients while simultaneously battling the flaws of the American Welfare system. On top of all this she must also...
Seasonal Depression: more than ‘down in the dumps’
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...
The Nightmare Before Christmas – The Return of Thomas Cramer
News

The Nightmare Before Christmas – The Return of Thomas Cramer

Cramer's criminal behaviour report - via Surrey Police With the nights getting darker as winter approaches and headlines in the media warning of increased injection spiking, worry and insecurity is considered at an all-time high for university students looking to celebrate the first winter in two years without a lockdown.  Unfortunately, there’s a pressing, returning worry for the student body of Royal Holloway. It takes the form of Thomas Cramer.  The 29-year-old was discovered in the third term of last year taking unsolicited pictures primarily of the female populace on campus. He subsequently posted these images to social media. In response to those taking a punch at him in the comments for his perverted actions, he used derogatory comments, which included racial pre...
The Premier League Checkpoint
Sports & Socs

The Premier League Checkpoint

The 2021/22 English Premier League season has well and truly kicked off, but how is it shaping up?  Leading the way is Chelsea, who are proving to be a well organised team. With the best defence and second most goals scored so far, it’s going to take a lot to slow this team down, their eyes set on a sixth premier league title.  Liverpool remain the only unbeaten team. In close second, Liverpool’s squad are almost fully fit, desperate not to lose out due to injury as they did in previous seasons. Mo Salah, a forward for Liverpool, has been unplayable for the most part but if he makes a solid comeback that could be pivotal, allowing him to haunt his former team, Chelsea, come May 2022.  Manchester City won't be happy with their start, having lost twice already. Pep Guardi...
Reviewed: Joshua vs Usyk
Sports & Socs

Reviewed: Joshua vs Usyk

It was a clean sweep from Oleksandr Usyk as the Ukrainian remained undefeated, securing a unanimous final result of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113. Anthony Joshua's second reign as heavyweight champion came crashing down after a timid and lethargic performance. The first 3 rounds of the fight saw Usyk assert himself more so than Joshua, who was using the opening as a chance to feel out Usyk and gain some reads. Joshua’s process appeared to be paying off, as the pendulum swung during rounds 4-6. The reigning champion upped the pace and took back control of the fight, watched on by 65,000 fans. However, Usyk quickly adjusted and during round 9 Joshua suffered an eye injury that only got worse as the fight went on. The eye kept swelling and consequently Joshua was unable to see, losing t...
Mark Zuckerberg and the Metaverse: science fiction or (virtual) reality?
News, Science & Technology

Mark Zuckerberg and the Metaverse: science fiction or (virtual) reality?

Mark Zuckerberg, no stranger to controversy, has announced a change in the branding of the parent organization of his media technologies empire. Facebook, originally designed as a social networking website where Harvard students would rate each other’s attractiveness, is now universally recognisable and impossible to escape. Its namesake company Facebook, Inc. is a social media giant owning Facebook (surprise, surprise), Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp. And now they will be attempting to digitally extend the physical world, through social media involving virtual and augmented reality - with a name change to Meta Platforms. Inc. to boot.  This rebrand accompanies a series of recent public relations crises including the revelations brought by whistleblower Frances Haugen about Fac...
Orbital’s Madelaine Gray Covers Royal Holloway’s XR Protest: How It Happened & What Next?
Features, News

Orbital’s Madelaine Gray Covers Royal Holloway’s XR Protest: How It Happened & What Next?

“Climate change isn’t stopping,” says one of today’s protesters on location at Royal Holloway. “It isn’t slowing down for anyone. There’s no time to delay.” And so it would seem. It’s a chilly day on campus, one of the first on which you’d be hard pressed to find a student without a coat or scarf. There’s been the threat of rain all morning, from both the forecast and the ominous-looking clouds. But the protesters are undeterred. After all, with climate change comes the promise of more rainy days, even in perpetually sodden Britain. Since launching three years ago, Extinction Rebellion has been catapulted to the forefront of British media coverage of climate change. Their bold statements and radical approach, based on the historic practice of civil disobedience, has caused both a hu...
KLKutz: In Review
Features

KLKutz: In Review

KLKutz is one of Royal Holloway’s underappreciated gems; too many students either go back home to their local barbershop or pay up to £40 for a sub-par cut on Egham high street. Well, they’re missing out and wasting money. Anthony Gidis started studying computer science at Royal Holloway in 2018. In the summer leading up to Freshers, he had a dilemma: Anthony wanted the university experience, he just didn’t want the university budget. It was either live in frugality or find a way to earn an income outside of maintenance payments. Frugality was the bleaker option.  Anthony had been getting weekly haircuts since his early teens; something he realised he’d have to forfeit on his university budget. Rather than mourning his haircuts, that summer he learnt how to barber for himself. ...