Love, Period Dignity Campaign

Beat The Stigma: Menstruation and the “Period Dignity” Campaign

By Hope Docherty Those who menstruate will spend roughly 10 years of their lifetime bleeding. Bleeding of course being their period and not a slice to the finger whilst chopping some vegÔǪ But with this fact why do so many of us feel uncomfortable talking about our ÔÇÿtime of the monthÔÇÖ, namely at a younger age? It is bizarre that we mostly teach ourselves that … Continue reading Beat The Stigma: Menstruation and the “Period Dignity” Campaign

Contributing Writer
Culture

Mask Off?

Words by: Clarissa Boon Covid-19 introduced many unfamiliar new practices into our daily lives, such as wiping down groceries and wearing masks out and about. To an OCD sufferer like myself, the governmentÔÇÖs repeated emphasis on hand-washing heightened my fears of becoming unwell. Armed with some gloves and Dettol antibacterial wipes, I became obsessed with trying to hunt down and slay the invisible enemy. I … Continue reading Mask Off?

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Film & TV, Literature

The Tomboy in Literature and Film

by Shivika Singh Tomboy – a term used to define girls who are not stereotypically feminine, with their tastes and behaviors usually associate with being manly or boyish. Tomboy has been a major archetype across a wide range of literary and cinematic texts. The history of the term ÔÇÿtomboyÔÇÖ dates back to 16th century when it was used as a reference to rude and boisterous … Continue reading The Tomboy in Literature and Film

Contributing Writer
Fashion

The Best Fashion Apps To Download

Words by Katie Chester Often when you think about fashion apps you think about those aimed towards younger girls, but there are so many different apps which will have you glued to your phone! From making shopping really simple to closet organizing and outfit planning, stylist servicing and industry tips. If you’re still using your phone’s internet browser to shop the latest ASOS drop, and consequently … Continue reading The Best Fashion Apps To Download

Contributing Writer
Travel

India’s COVID-19 Crisis

Image by Govind Krishnan Words by Shivika Singh A second wave of COVID-19 ravaged India in the month of March and continues to do so.  India’s active caseload currently stands at 37.15 lakh (3,715,000) and 2.49 lakh (249,000) people have died of the virus. The total COVID-19 cases in India currently stands at 2.29 crore (22,900,000) and 1.90 crore (19,000,000) people have recovered from the … Continue reading India’s COVID-19 Crisis

Contributing Writer
Food

My Food Journey at University: The Lessons I’ve Learnt

Image by Vasily Koloda (via Unsplash) The independence that university brings has, for one thing, changed my relationship with food significantly. Over the past three years, I’ve bonded over pizza at AGMs, cooked egg fried rice at four in the morning, and eaten some of the best foods I’ve ever tasted from some amazing independent restaurants and bakeries. The lessons I’ve learnt are far from … Continue reading My Food Journey at University: The Lessons I’ve Learnt

Hannah Penwright
Download, Video Games

Mario Party is finally online, but are Nintendo late to the show?

By Marcus Yeatman-Crouch ItÔÇÖs been three long years, but Super Mario PartyÔÇÖs latest update will have many thinking itÔÇÖs a brand new game. Since its original release in 2018, the iconic couch co-op game has been restricted to, wellÔǪ just the couch. 10 out of 80 mini games were available to play online with friends, and it was impossible to play the main feature ÔÇÿMario … Continue reading Mario Party is finally online, but are Nintendo late to the show?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Features

Long-Covid: How the virus lives on…

CRAIG STRACHAN The fatigue was immobilising… My experiences with Long-Covid can best be described as (to state the obvious) a real drawn-out affair. I was back home for Christmas; I had a negative test before I came back, and I didnÔÇÖt socialise with my friends. But there was a small outbreak at our local TescoÔÇÖs which is where I suspect I caught Covid. I first … Continue reading Long-Covid: How the virus lives on…

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Creative Writing, Literature

Great Xpectations Short Story Winners

We are delighted to publish the winners of the Great Xpectations short story competition hosted by Xpress. 50-word category winner – Eve Davies Nan and The Orange Tommy sat upon the grass in his uniform daubed with milk, splats of paint and mud, munching on a tangerine. Its mist glistened in the afternoon sun. He chatted to air, dropping scraps of pith next to him. … Continue reading Great Xpectations Short Story Winners

Neus Forner
Fashion

Best Skincare Brands Not To Miss

Words by Meg Burgess With the pandemic giving people much more thinking time, discussions about skincare have increased ÔÇô not only is it something that helps your makeup stay on better, but it also improves your skins health. SkincareÔÇÖs popularity skyrocketed when people stayed inside and learnt how to take better care of their skin, rather than relying on makeup to cover it. Over the … Continue reading Best Skincare Brands Not To Miss

Contributing Writer
Download

Games Must Revise Scene for a New Audience

By Mike O’Brien SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Portal (2007), Halo: Reach (2010), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Crime and Punishment (1866). In powerful art, there is no such thing as stasis. Of the 205 special-effects shots in KubrickÔÇÖs 2001: A Space Odyssey, many frame celestial still life landscapes, ossified gazes at ossified space. For centuries, playwrights have halted … Continue reading Games Must Revise Scene for a New Audience

Mike O'Brien
Image of person holding a samurai sword
Film & TV

The Asian Silver Screen: Historical Dramas

Historical dramas are very popular in Asia. Many are fictitious representations but are set to be from ancient periods, like kingdoms and war. Everything from set design, the costumes and the language used (more formal and some words that are completely different from today) are all just a sight to behold. Here are some of our contributors’ favourite ones! The Rurouni Kenshin Movie Trilogyby Alex … Continue reading The Asian Silver Screen: Historical Dramas

Contributing Writer
Instagram shadowbanning sex education
Love

Shadowbanning: Instagram’s Sexual Content Policy Endangers Sex Education

By Sasha Nugara Shadowbanning, also known as stealth banning and ghost banning, has been around since the 1980ÔÇÖs and is used to block comments and posts by certain users. Recently on Instagram, many accounts that use the platform for sex work and education have found their accounts have been shadow banned, limiting their reach and customer base. Despite the fact that this shadow banned content … Continue reading Shadowbanning: Instagram’s Sexual Content Policy Endangers Sex Education

Sasha Nugara
Music

From Yellow Pythons to ‘that’ Madonna Kiss: A Brief History of Britney’s Most Iconic Moments

Image via Edge PublicityWords by Henry King O’Reilly In the late nineties there was one name on the lips of every mainstream media outletÔǪBritney Spears. The pop superstar is one of musicÔÇÖs biggest names and is responsible for some of the nineties and noughties most defining, and controversial, moments. The Music Video That Changed Everything In 1998 Britney exploded onto the pop scene with one … Continue reading From Yellow Pythons to ‘that’ Madonna Kiss: A Brief History of Britney’s Most Iconic Moments

Contributing Writer
Literature

LGBTQ+ Faces in Literature: Evelyn Hugo

by Amy Green. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo explores the life of a bisexual actor in the golden age of Hollywood. Evelyn, an effortlessly seductive actor, finds herself using her assets to leverage herself out of poverty. Being thrust into stardom in the 1950s, she quickly finds herself a male suiter and fell hard. … Continue reading LGBTQ+ Faces in Literature: Evelyn Hugo

Contributing Writer
Features

How to be a Good Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community

By Shivikah Singh The term ally refers to someone who stands in solidarity with any other marginalized social group and believes in their cause. An ally recognises social, political or legal issues affecting a community and believes in their rights and equality, and works for their upliftment. An LGBTQ+ ally is any person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBTQ+ social movements and challenges … Continue reading How to be a Good Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community

Contributing Writer