University – Page 9 of 14

Say his name: how Candyman’s sharp social commentary exposes the horrors of reality

16Oct

By Kianna BestNo Comments

Features, Film & TV

Say his name: how Candyman’s sharp social commentary exposes the horrors of reality

Nowhere near as sweet as he sounds, the urban legend of Candyman is rooted in the bitter realities of racism at the hands of white supremacy, birthing a monster and personifying the terrors of oppression. Arguably ahead of its time, the origins of the frightful hook handed menace stem from the realities of a history not so long ago, placing the slasher film and systemic racism alongside each other to induce the greatest levels of fear. The son of slaves and a product of the sinister consequences of the Jim Crow era, Bernard Rose’s Candyman (1992) places on the big screen the constantly perpetuated message that the Black man must be feared. Told from the perspective of graduate student Helen Lyle, the motivations of the Cabrini-Green bogeyman are touched upon but fall back to the ...

The Mermaid of Black Conch Review: A Mermaid Love Story fused with Colonialism

16Oct

By Leah EdwardsNo Comments

Literature

The Mermaid of Black Conch Review: A Mermaid Love Story fused with Colonialism

Monique Roffey’s The Mermaid of Black Conch has recently gained a lot of publicity, having won Costa Book of the Year in 2020 and more recently, a BBC Sounds audio adaptation. Whether they’re sirens in Greek mythology luring sailors to their deaths, or tiny, doe-eyed Disney characters in colourful seashell bras, we’ve seen and read mermaids in all their forms. On the surface, the novel appears to be just another folk-lore tale, but below scratch beneath the water’s surface and it’s a deeply unique story. The Mermaid of Black Conch is not your typical white European Disney Princess, but an indigenous woman from long agow with a tribal tattoo covered torso. And, instead of a glamorous underwater paradise, the setting is a post-colonial Caribbean world. The novel takes place in April 1...

16Oct

By A.L WalesNo Comments

Creative Writing

Gutter Talk

early mornings in plettenberg bay five am & the sun was not yet high but it was warm still and bright plett sun is a different breed rich was by my side back then & red flocks flew west when they heard that laugh hingeless & hungered & hollering oorah those ears car doors on a sedan in midsummer left open to cool him down I was in Kensington when he next called midday my time midnight his I heard the tik screech through his jangled mind & lacerate his words discordant until the teakettle boiled into a goodbye & the smack of bone on tile it was a sickening sound at night I dream of africa the waves smash against my mind & the moon is still not high ...

The Samaritans Left me on Voicemail Imao

16Oct

By Zaki ChanNo Comments

Creative Writing, Features

The Samaritans Left me on Voicemail Imao

The Benefits of Working as a Full-time Student: Undergrad 2021 Edition

16Oct

By Jessica WoodNo Comments

Lifestyle

The Benefits of Working as a Full-time Student: Undergrad 2021 Edition

Working whilst studying has become increasingly popular over the years, with almost all of my student friends having a part time job alongside their full-time degree. In fact, research has shown that over half the student population work to subsidise their studies. I could begin by arguing semantics and my standpoint on the increase of tuition fees for our generation, or the unrealistic work experience requirements placed on new graduates, however, instead I want to shed light on my own experience as a working student and how it is possible to: ‘have it all’ (Girl’s Trip, Ryan Peirce). I’ve been working since I was sixteen -- through my GCSEs, A-levels, and the holidays in between- and only now that I am twenty-one do I feel like I have a right to speak on this topic. When ...

The appeal of autumn: Reasons to Fall in Love with Autumn

16Oct

By Jessica WattsNo Comments

Features, Lifestyle

The appeal of autumn: Reasons to Fall in Love with Autumn

It’s that time of year again: the earth applies her sepia filter and autumn arrives. It’s the season that calls for dad jumpers, thick socks, and hot chocolate on tap. Scarves, bobble hats and fingerless gloves seep into everyday outfits and you start pondering over your boot collection, wondering whether last year’s Chelsea boots are still ‘in’. It sounds so romantic that it’s easy to forget the correlation between the fall in temperature and the rise in mental illness. Autumn and winter are largely polled as people’s least favourite seasons. The latter half of the year isn’t as romantic as it might seem, but is there a way to rekindle our love for autumn this year? S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a condition which affects up to three in a hundred people in the UK. A somewhat ...

The Dos and Don’ts of Halloween Costumes in 2021

16Oct

By Beth McCleanNo Comments

Lifestyle

The Dos and Don’ts of Halloween Costumes in 2021

Ah, Halloween; a strange time of year. For some, it’s a day of celebrating old traditions, a way to honour the dead and make them immortal through our memories. For others, it’s a time where you can get discounted chocolates and binge horror movies. Regardless of how you celebrate the end of October, one thing is certain: whether they are meticulously planned or thrown together at the last minute, there will be copious numbers of chaotic costumes. However, if you don’t know where to start, here are some Dos and Don’ts to help you get your act together. DO: be sensitive to other cultures. Although we have made great strides in bringing attention to insensitive costumes, unfortunately, common Halloween attire still includes ‘Mexican’ ‘Native American’ & ‘Tribal’ outfits. These ...

15Oct

By Luz Sanchez-Real ZielniewiczNo Comments

Science & Technology

Much Ado About Sleeping

The end of summer feels like the end of a dream. Lie-ins morph into morning lectures; you never seem to win the daily battle with your alarm clock; and all you really want is to finish that dream about the llama and the-- never mind... Sometimes, it seems that getting a good nights’ sleep (and then waking up again) is harder than getting your actual degree. You’re likely aware that there are different stages of sleep which affect how you’ll feel when you wake up. However, it’s difficult to get the timing just right. To paraphrase Shakespeare, ‘the course of true rest never did run smooth’. If we break it down, though, you might just figure out how to wake up feeling fresh as a daisy and ready for all of those 9AMs... The first step to a solid sleep is the non-REM (REM = Rapid ...

Hycean Worlds: A Possible New Frontier in the Search for Life Beyond Earth

15Oct

By Jessica CopelandNo Comments

Science & Technology

Hycean Worlds: A Possible New Frontier in the Search for Life Beyond Earth

The search for extraterrestrial life has conventionally been focused on Earth-like exoplanets -- terrestrial planets orbiting within the habitable zone of their host stars. This method is based on the premise that as life has risen in Earth’s conditions, somewhere with similar conditions could also give rise to life. As such, various exoplanet surveys over the years, including the Kepler and TESS satellites, have catalogued a few thousand Earth-like candidates for further investigation, finding that 1 in 5 Sun-like stars have an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone. However, the candidate pool may have just expanded. In August this year, researchers at Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy proposed a new hypothetical class of habitable exoplanets and dubbed them Hycean worlds, a ...

Cristiano Ronaldo Takes Manchester United

15Oct

By Joseph OSullivanNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Cristiano Ronaldo Takes Manchester United

In an eye-catching turn of events, the 36-year-old legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, returned to Manchester United in a deal worth £19.8 million. Ronaldo’s incredible career so far first ignited when, at 17, he joined United from Sporting Lisbon. Being managed by the remarkable Sir Alex Ferguson, who Ronaldo still says is a “father figure” to him, helped him to develop into the superstar footballer he was destined to be. When he left united in 2009 at 23, he was an £80 million player with a Ballon dO’r, Uefa Champions League and three premier leagues to his name. Cristiano Ronaldo is known worldwide; he’s transcended ‘football star’ and entered the realm of celebrity. His return to United, and the worldwide reaction, is evidence of this. Football is still revelling in a summer transfer ...