By Anna Szczełkun Moria, the biggest refugee camp in Europe located on the Greek island of Lesbos, was destroyed in a fire almost two weeks ago. Even though it was designed for 3000 people, there were up to 13 000 people living there before the fire. The camp was so severely overcrowded, that the inhabitants often…
Love & Seven Numbers Away
Love By Sithis Yim Samnang Your scars are way too beautiful, each one of them is a century I missed in you. I want to be the asshole who can actually write so that the sky, brutal, is as tender as your skin. I am leaning into the afternoon breathing on every cut. I want…
Reflection on My Unforgettable Spring Semester
By Junghyun Song When I got an email in March that all the classes would be canceled for the week, I was more relieved than shocked because I was not ready for my mid-term exams. Also, the gravity of the virus situation did not fully strike me at the time, so I naively believed that…
Students Should Minimize Their Trips Home to See Family/Friends to Once Every Three Months in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Nathaniel Nichol Although the overall Covid-19 caseload in the Netherlands is still relatively low on a population-adjusted basis, the virus is still here (WHO Data, RIVM). The current evidence indicates minimizing close personal contact is one of the most effective ways of stopping the spread of Covid-19 (CDC). In light of this, it is…
On Freedom
By Arya Mehta This semester, UCR has chosen the theme “Cultures and Institutions of Freedom”, which I find to be a paradoxical expression. Institutions are inherently a tool of the state and do not, and cannot, provide ‘absolute’ freedom (if that is even possible). UCR, as a Western institution, is limited to Western epistemology and…
The Upside Down and the instagrammable museum experience
By Marije Huging This summer, the largest Instagram museum in Europe, started by a popular Dutch Youtuber Anna Nooshin, opened its doors in Amsterdam. ‘’The Upside Down’’ experience contains 15 rooms filled with 25 decorum and installations, all made for people to take the perfect picture for Instagram. The opening of this grand establishment also…
Vaccines May Soon Be Ready, but Are We?
By Anna Szczełkun As the number of worldwide coronavirus cases surpasses 25 million and most of the European countries experience sharp infection increases, more hope is directed towards developing a successful vaccine. With the disease spreading so uncontrollably, vaccination may be the only way for us to return to our normal lives. Currently, over 160 different…
Learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement and Racism
By Anmol Rajpar, Katherine To-Hauser, and Maud Smulders If you are interested in learning more about the BLM movement or racism in general, we have gathered some recommendations for Tv-shows, movies, petitions, places to donate, and black-owned businesses. TV Shows/ Movies: ⁃ Dear White People “As college radio host Samantha White leads the outcry over a…
Seeing All Those Uneducated, Unaccompanied Black Squares on Tuesday for #Blackouttuesday Made Me Want to Delete Instagram
By Katherine To-Hauser Founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement created turbulence throughout American and global society. The movement concerns itself with human rights, originating in Black communities in America. Enough is enough, it cries. Black Americans are systemically racialized and targeted daily in the United…
On the Importance of BLM
By Demi de Randamie When I was ten years old, a schoolmate didn’t want to walk with me because of my skin colour. He was afraid my blackness would rub off on him. When I was twelve years old, my teacher complimented me on how well I knew the Dutch national anthem. She was surprised…
My Opinion on UCR’s Promotional Videos
By Marijke van Selm Just a disclaimer: I am part of the Tabula Rasa daily board. However, the opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect TR’s opinion. This article is an expression of my own thoughts on the matter. Lately, UCR has been releasing promotional videos, filmed and edited by a UCR student….
The Power of a Simple “Thank You”
By Eva Kloppenborg My time at UCR is regretfully coming to an end. Soon, my three years spent in this beautiful bubble will become a memory that I will look back at with a wistful sense of nostalgia. Over the years there have been many hurdles, many doubts and many nightly feelings of a gnawing…
Still on Fire; The Battle for Attention in the News Between the Corona and Climate Crises.
By Luna Erica “Our planet is on fire.” Just a few months ago, the notion that climate change was a force to be reckoned with firmly bore its spot in the news. Now those colorful protest signs, latest recycling methods, and vivid images of the Australian bushfires have given up their prominence in the news…
Fill the Void
By Justin Kist Now is not the time to rest your weary head. As we are kilometers apart, ranging from a few to some thousands, life continues. The world turns and so does UCR. Assignments, exams, and projects still exist. In a different set-up, yes, but it still continues. Like UCR always seems to do….
Dear International Students
By Tallie Nikitchyuk Hey international students! You, yes, you. Where are you on the election posters? Why aren’t you seeing yourselves welcoming our newbies in an over-the-top Introweek costume, saving the academic day in a crisp blue blazer, serving up delicious food and drinks in the purple heart of our community, or sharing the…
Falling in Love: the Stories of UCR
Compiled by Sithis Yim Samnang You know there’s that one person when you look into their eyes, you can sense the soft idleness in your floaty little heart. You can feel the attraction and… CRASH! You fell right into that hole. And your wish is for that person to fall right back; hopefully, into yours….
Wildflower
by Boudica Gast Wildflower – there are wild things around you a tangle of thistles and a web of thorns now you can’t go outside, like the gloom-monger warns well, what do you know? now you can’t get your space to grow between the growing gloom of the claws and the fangs of the…
The Pixels of a UCR Quaranscreen
By Luna Erica “Go to sleep,” someone says. You find your bed, and everything goes black. When the light floods into your field of vision again, you see the sun rising through your window. It is square. This is Minecraft. Now that our “real lives” are compromised, UCR students have taken to digital lives as…
Well, fuck.
by Mathilde Eon It has been over two weeks since UCR closed the doors of its classrooms to students, teachers and staff. I remember hearing cheers outside my Bagijnhof house as I was reading the email announcing the decision of management. Next week’s classes and exams were cancelled until further notice, the night was still…