Wednesday, June 3Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Tag: RHUL

The Allure of Aristocracy
Features, Film & TV, News

The Allure of Aristocracy

Dearest Reader,  Bingeing season is upon us. It’s time to devour the highly anticipated second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, following the plot of Julia Quinn’s novel The Viscount Who Loved Me. This season sees Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, who takes the lead role in the storyline. With the new season approaching, we’re going to delve into the many reasons why viewers love period dramas like Bridgerton so much. The Ability to Travel back in Time Period dramas allow viewers to experience a time that they will never get to live through, giving people a means of living vicariously through the characters and embracing the world of the 1800s. Do I really want to learn to knit? No. Would I do it to pretend I’m a debutant for a day? Yes.  Fetch my carriage. Am...
A Future Nearby
Creative Writing

A Future Nearby

We met in a riot.  We stood at the centre of the universe bathed in colours that sang as we sang and fought as we fought.  We were proud and wild and angry, at such a young age We had so much to feel  And we felt so much.  I noticed your fierceness.  How your pink hair was held up by the honey sun  Your green eyes glared at a world which closed its eyes when we got hurt for  Being. We marched for the boy in hospital and for the boy who sat beside him. You brandished your sign to the sky and to God and it asked  ‘how can you hate love?’  It was a carnival of pain and beauty.  We held hands in the crowd like children Because we were children really.  At twenty we had just introduced ourselves...
Touch and go
Creative Writing

Touch and go

A sunset is ever-changing, Every minute of it revealing a new face, a new colour, a new sight. Oranges, pinks, and reds colour the sky, Merging to create a new painting every evening. Similarly, how sunsets are constantly altering, So are the people in our life. Every stage of our life contains different people compared with the last, It’s hard to understand that everyone isn’t going to stay. People are always passing by. But that’s okay, Because often through these short encounters with people we learn more about ourselves and we learn new lessons. And perhaps that is their only purpose in our life, The sun sets. And when the sun sets, The stars appear. They are now the light, the colours, and the new sight, But the thing is with stars is t...
Isolation
Creative Writing

Isolation

We watch our friends find love. In a field or classroom, Whilst we sit in our chairs  And watch the happiness of others. We watch our parents laugh. At the dinner table, Whilst we stare at our plate Wanting the affection of another. We watch strangers embrace. In the dim lit street, Whilst we hide in our rooms Isolating from the danger of others. We watch our siblings happy. With their normality, Whilst we stare in the mirror Wondering what is wrong with us. Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash
A New Heart Moved In 
Creative Writing

A New Heart Moved In 

What happened to my well-trodden pathway  Of certainty and the pungent cologne Do I not take part, or possess a say? Masculinity is my comfort zone Femininity is cryptic, who knows And, mum, I'm scared shitless at this newness, Because my best friend gives me tornadoes In place of butterflies and I'm clueless. Dad, I thought I knew what was going on Walk me down the aisle to the unknown Won't know who I love 'till I'm too far gone I'm an atheist praying; I'll atone Now I find myself fumbling at the edge of an oblivion only I know. Photo by Marc A. Sporys on Unsplash
The Boogieman
Creative Writing

The Boogieman

He is always watching Waiting Wanting to come out Wanting to suffocate You  They don’t see him Stirring  The pot of pain That brews inside Me  Hiding him away from Them He isn’t welcome In the eyes of Others I love him yet hate  Him I want him but Want him to go Away He is me and I am him Together Not by choice But by birth Unfortunately. Image: Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash
A Litany of Insults
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...
“One More Strike and He’s Out”- Boris Johnson in Trouble
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. 
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...