Students – Page 9 of 11

12Feb

By Emma HalahanNo Comments

Opinion

Residents Versus Students?

For those that haven’t yet joined Englefield Greenies, the Facebook Group for all residents of Englefield Green, it is the battlefront on which the war between students and residents is being waged. Daily occurrences of noise complaints regarding student houses, upset about lack of parking due to commuting students, and general animosity are rife. But do the Greenies have a point? What once was a traditional Victorian village has been overrun by a good chunk of our 9000 students and according to our 2013-2020 strategy that number is only set to rise. Is their disdain the result of years of poor treatment and a convenient discourse we have spun dismissing them as an intolerant community? Do all Greenies hate students? We spoke to some to get the real story. Time and time again on Engl...

What Can the Royal Opera House Do For You?

17Dec

By Jordan ThorneNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

What Can the Royal Opera House Do For You?

Situated in Covent Garden, the current Royal Opera House is the third building to stand in the area after the two previous theatres burned down in a fire. The second re-opening kicked off with the royal seal of approval and a new name ‘the Royal Italian Opera House’. After hosting composers such as Handel and Michael Costa, the Royal Opera House was growing in both audience and repertoire. It was renamed once again to what we know now as ‘the Royal Opera House’ after it sadly burned down for the second time. However this has not affected its popularity as it now covers over two acres – from main stage to rehearsal studio… But over the years words such as ‘Elitist’, ‘snobby’ and ‘highbrow’ have been used to describe ballet, opera and other art forms on display at the Royal Ope...

RHUL hits the Fringe: Singing on Skid Row

15Sep

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

RHUL hits the Fringe: Singing on Skid Row

Ethereal Theatre Company held auditions at Royal Holloway months ago, choosing the best of the best to go with them to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to perform the cult classic ‘Little Shop Of Horrors’. As the other audience members and I stood in line to enter The Grand Theatre at Surgeons Hall in Edinburgh for their last performance, two of the show’s crew greeted us in hazmat suits and stamped us all with Skid Row barcode ‘tattoos’, a key component of the direction in which the production has gone in. Director Mahmoud Zayat took Howard Ashman’s script and incorporated dystopic themes of “control”, “surveillance” and “innovate science”. This production thus has Skid Row under surveillance, as they are an experiment in determining a person’s level of greed. For those who don’t know,...

Suspected ‘Bomb Scare’ at School in Egham

31Mar

By No Comments

News

Suspected ‘Bomb Scare’ at School in Egham

Zara Gillick reports on the recent suspected 'bomb scare' at Magna Carta School, Egham. Just before 4pm on Friday 27th February 2017, Surrey Police and a bomb disposal team were called to the Magna Carta School in Egham when concerns were raised over an ‘item confiscated from a student’. Staff at the school called the 101 non-emergency number about the object in the afternoon before the police arrived at the school and then contacted the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, who came shortly after. A message was put out on the School’s Facebook page reassuring parents, students and staff, stating that although it was a 'false alarm', it was dealt with 'in accordance to school emergency procedures'. Angela Jenkins, the school’s business manager, confirmed ‘we went through our ...

Most Disadvantaged Teenagers Less Likely to go to University than Ever Before

24Mar

By Louise JonesNo Comments

News

Most Disadvantaged Teenagers Less Likely to go to University than Ever Before

Recent reports regarding access to higher education suggests that those from disadvantaged areas in the UK are less likely to attend university. Louise Jones finds out more... Teenagers from the most disadvantaged areas of the UK are four times less likely to apply for university than those from more well off backgrounds, official figures have revealed. Statistics suggest a young person’s chances of applying for an undergraduate course depend heavily on where they live, with the number of those planning to go on to higher education falling in some areas of the country. The analysis follows concerns raised over a lack of social mobility within education, with the gap between rich and poor students being granted university places reaching record highs last year. With recent media at...

Curtain Call: The Expense Of The West End

14Mar

By Georgia BeithNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Curtain Call: The Expense Of The West End

Georgia Beith discusses the inflating prices of the West End theatre scene and how that negatively impacts upon students. Theatre has long since been a favourite pastime of British society. From the playhouses of Elizabethan England, to the grand music halls of the Victorian era, theatres have been landmarks of London for centuries. Yet with soaring ticket prices, it’s becoming an art form that is increasingly inaccessible for people without mountains of disposable income, people like students and young people. Despite sales of tickets stagnating, the prices for West End tickets have continued to rise, alienating much of the British public from enjoying London’s top plays and musicals. A quick Google search show that if you want to book tickets to see a West End show this weekend, yo...

Plans to Bring a Swimming Pool to Egham Town Centre

1Mar

By No Comments

News

Plans to Bring a Swimming Pool to Egham Town Centre

Anna Robinson reports on further redevelopment plans for Egham town centre. Following the announcement of plans to redevelop Egham town centre, Runnymede Borough council is now asking for feedback on plans to build a new leisure facility, with a swimming pool and health spa. The first public consultation was held on Saturday January 28, from 10am to 4pm, to give the chance for Egham residents to feedback, offering a local perspective on the developments. This is an exciting prospect for the small suburb, not only for local Egham residents, but also for students at Royal Holloway. Royal Holloway Swimming Club currently trains a 10-minute drive away, at Bishopsgate Pool, so having a pool closer to campus could mean exciting things for the success of the ever-growing club, as well as ot...

Runnymede Borough Council to Switch Off Night Street Lights

27Feb

By No Comments

News

Runnymede Borough Council to Switch Off Night Street Lights

Anna Robinson reports on the recent council plans to turn off street lights in Egham and Englefield Green between midnight and 5am From 1 December 2016, Surrey County Council implemented a new ‘part-night lighting’ policy, which proposed that street lights in many residential areas across the county would be switched off between midnight and 5am every night. Runnymede Council have announced that this county policy will be instated in the Borough of Runnymede from February 2017, affecting the areas of both Egham and Englefield Green. This will stretch from Staines Upon Thames, all the way up to West Byfleet. This is causing concern for students in the area, as it could mean the walk home from work, the library, the train station, or an evening at the SU, will be in the pitch black. As...

Update on Financial Support for EU Students Following Brexit

6Dec

By No Comments

News

Update on Financial Support for EU Students Following Brexit

The organisation - Universities UK (UUK) – represents universities as a voice, ‘helping to maintain the world-leading strength of the UK university sector and supporting university members to achieve their aims and objectives’. Following the terms of the advisory referendum held in June 2016, in which 52% of votes were cast in favour of leaving the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the government would invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, and the formal procedure of withdrawal, by the end of March 2017. Immediately this caused a friction of worry among EU students attending university in Britain as uncertainty arose regarding their position, fees and the general security of their degree programmes over the next few years. Furthermore, students on courses with E...

3Aug

By No Comments

News

University grants scrapped.

As of last Monday, students starting university courses in England will no longer be able to receive maintenance grants. The change, announced in 2015 by Chancellor George Osborne, condemns poorer students into a ‘lifetime of debt’, according to the NUS, with the move deemed as ‘disgraceful’. The vice-president of the NUS, Sorana Vieru, says that the move: “punishes poorer students simply for being poor, so they have to take a bigger loan than those students from privileged backgrounds. “It could put off students from underprivileged backgrounds from applying, who might not understand how the loan system works, or are very debt-averse. “We also know that mature students are way more debt-averse than younger students and BME students perceive student debt on a par with commercia...