Author: Contributing Writer

Features, Invisible Illnesses

Invisible Illnesses III: Learning More About My Mental Health Than I Learnt From My BSc

Words by Caitlin Parr Illustration by Amelia Field University can be an immensely challenging time for any student. Whether youÔÇÖre naturally very confident or were at the top of your class in school, University is sure to present challenges and anxieties that are totally new and have the potential to disrupt your time there. Unfortunately the majority of University students, 1 in 4, will struggle … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses III: Learning More About My Mental Health Than I Learnt From My BSc

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Travel

Living Abroad Series: Ottawa

Words and image by Lois Brooks Leaving a small town in the South East of England to live in WalesÔÇÖ capital was a fairly big adjustment. However, when I heard about the opportunity to study abroad, I knew I just had to find out moreÔǪ When applying to study abroad, you are able to research and select from several destinations all over the world, depending … Continue reading Living Abroad Series: Ottawa

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Film & TV

Film Review: The Vigil

By Matt Taylor |ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà| ItÔÇÖs a strange time to be going to the cinema at the moment. Limited screenings, social distancing, and compulsory mask-wearing makes the experience a little different to what weÔÇÖre used to (even if such precautions are necessary to keep us all safe). ThereÔÇÖs also the fact that many big movies have had their theatrical releases delayed, or even cancelled entirely ÔÇô … Continue reading Film Review: The Vigil

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Creative Writing, Literature

Poem – Empty Lovers

by Tilly Jones. Empty Lovers I kiss your mouth in search of another, My lips longing for ones that are not yours. The close echo of an empty lover, Merely hoping to conceal their sores. Two wondering, vacant, beings of lust. Brief confidants in a passing moment, A secret encounter hiding from trust. A tender escape, our minds are absent, We can blindly dance this … Continue reading Poem – Empty Lovers

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Food

‘Eat Out to Help Out’: Too Good to be True?

Featured image by Indigo Jones From the 3rd to 31st August, we’re all able to get a 50% discount when dining at restaurants registered with the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme to help us get back into restaurants after they were shut during lockdown. At first glance, the scheme might seem like a great idea- we are all saving lots of money and getting … Continue reading ‘Eat Out to Help Out’: Too Good to be True?

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Fashion

The Fashion of Beyonc├®’s Black Is King

by Rowan Davies ÔÇÿShe got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the NileÔÇÖ– Exodus 2:3 The story of Moses, one of the most recognisable Biblical narratives, serves as a universal reminder that young kings and queens all over the world have the … Continue reading The Fashion of Beyonc├®’s Black Is King

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Film & TV, Food

Iconic Dishes In Films

Ratatouille By Tom Benny Ratatouille (2007) is one of the best-known Pixar films. Its success is huge, as it won Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards, currently ranks 43rd on MetacriticÔÇÖs list for ÔÇÿ100 Best Films of All TimeÔÇÖ (1 spot above Parasite!), and possesses a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. In fact, pet retailer Pets at Home reported an increase in … Continue reading Iconic Dishes In Films

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Film & TV

Alternatives To Mainstream Streaming Platforms

MUBI By Louise Marmie Faced with the scandal caused by the Netflix release of the film 365 days, accused of glorifying rape, human trafficking and Stockholm syndrome, the SVOD giant simply replied that “Netflix is an on-demand company, and viewers may choose what to watch”. In other words, it would seem that love of cinema is not what guides the editorial line of giants like Netflix, … Continue reading Alternatives To Mainstream Streaming Platforms

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Film & TV

Our Netflix Original Guilty Pleasures

Selling Sunset By Rhianna Hurren-Myers Selling Sunset went completely under the radar for me when it first aired in 2019, but as lockdown hit, the show was exactly the right level of easy reality-TV watching that we all needed. With three eight-part seasons (so far), the show follows the personal and professional lives of seven realtors at The Oppenheim Group, a prestigious brokerage specialising in … Continue reading Our Netflix Original Guilty Pleasures

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Culture

Mainstream Pop Culture: The Pros & Cons From a Quarantine Perspective

Words by Cerys Jones The presence of popular culture within contemporary society has become more prevalent than ever during the coronavirus pandemic. Different forms of media have adapted their content following the requirements of society, thereby molding the cultural industry into one solely focussed on education and entertainment. The execution and global dissemination of the ÔÇÿ#Blackout TuesdayÔÇÖ trend and campaign which took place on Tuesday, … Continue reading Mainstream Pop Culture: The Pros & Cons From a Quarantine Perspective

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Literature

Popular Books We Kinda Hate

Have you ever had that experience of finishing a deeply anticipated read – perhaps it was hyped up on social media or maybe it was considered as a classic, only to finish it thinkingÔǪthat was not good? Us too, and in this article our contributors are confessing the popular books that they believe just werenÔÇÖt all that. The Catcher in the Rye By Catarina Vicente … Continue reading Popular Books We Kinda Hate

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Culture

Saving The Arts of Germany

by Dill Tootill Covid-19 has seen the world hold its collective breath with the confusion of the present and concern for how the future will be shaped. Countries have taken vastly different measures in tackling the crisis: from the laissez faire features of BrazilÔÇÖs lack of intervention, to AmericaÔÇÖs anxiety ride of resistance towards offering any substantial help to workers. Yet, as Europe progresses in … Continue reading Saving The Arts of Germany

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art Cynthia Vera racial fetishisation
Love

I Am Not Your Porn Tag – The Weight of Racial Fetishisation

Words By Cynthia Vera Art by Jasmine Snow ÔÇ£Hey, chocolate mama!ÔÇØ See, these were the first three words a grown man ever yelled out at me which I remember making me feel like my body was not my mine, but rather an unwilling participant in a parade of sick fantasies. See, I was only 14, chubby cheeks and strong bones. I was still growing, still … Continue reading I Am Not Your Porn Tag – The Weight of Racial Fetishisation

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Food

Adapting Classic Student Recipes

Photography by Hannah Penwright Loaded Nachos Words by Indigo Jones The entire definition of student cooking is making hearty meals on a budget, and living in Cardiff adds an extra challenge- working around what ingredients are available from our beloved Cathays’ Lidl. Student cooking can often be disappointing and colourless, but that doesnÔÇÖt have to be the case! Alas, if you too are a student … Continue reading Adapting Classic Student Recipes

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Download

Corporate Twitter – Hip or Miss?

By Catarina Vicente ThereÔÇÖs no denying social media has become a powerful tool for brands in their marketing and advertising. Nowadays, any company that wants to have a bigger presence owns several social media accounts, in order to advertise their products, attract new clients, and to create an identifiable ÔÇÿpersonaÔÇÖ to further enhance their brand. With the resurgence of this new marketing strategy it was … Continue reading Corporate Twitter – Hip or Miss?

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Film & TV

DARKÔÇôNetflixÔÇÖs Greatest Mind Bending Sci-Fi Thriller

By Maya Deane DarkÔÇÖs final season was released around a month ago, and I can safely say that it qualifies as one of the most complex Netflix Original series that I have ever seen. Dubbed by some as the ÔÇÿStranger Things for AdultsÔÇÖ, Dark takes your expectations for a show about time travel and throws them out the window, taking an almost sick pleasure in … Continue reading DARKÔÇôNetflixÔÇÖs Greatest Mind Bending Sci-Fi Thriller

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Fashion

The Problems with Fast Fashion

by Maggie Gannon Fast fashion is a term which many of us are now familiar with and tend to associate with cheaper, ÔÇÿeasierÔÇÖ options of online shopping, with brands such as Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and Missguided at the forefront of our choices. However, the true meaning of what fast fashion entails is rarely focused upon, with its unsustainable nature hidden from the perceived benefits which cover … Continue reading The Problems with Fast Fashion

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Literature

Review: Beloved by Toni Morrison

By Sahina Sherchan. ÔÇ£Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.ÔÇØ This is not an easy read. Toni MorrisonÔÇÖs Beloved is about remembrance, a visit from the past disrupting the easy ignorance. We can no longer brush off conversations about slavery and the inequality that still persists in our society. This is a book in dedication to the ÔÇ£sixty million … Continue reading Review: Beloved by Toni Morrison

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