By Romke van der Veen With the release of Matrix 4 this winter, we could say this decade marks the return (of sorts) of Keanu Reeves into the limelight as our beloved action star. He is a celebrity that has amassed immense notoriety and fame for what is, in fact, only just a handful of…
Wild West Ethos
By Annika Lee found poem from Facebook comments on the 20 September 2021 New York Times article ‘Homeland Security investigates border patrol’s treatment of Haitian immigrants.’ Look closely it’s not the Wild West. Like master to slave God is a whip playing cowboys. So, big man, how would you stop the runner literally walking…
The AUKUS Élite
By Charlotte Vreden With the trilateral security pact between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, Australia finds itself in the noble company of an exclusive and elite clique of other cool nations, only to realize the harsh laws of popularity. Now, this could be a summary of what happened during the past weeks, but…
September
By Isa Boere these silent september skies do nothing but remind me of the golden brown in your eyes with the breeze caressing my skin and the tall grass touching my knees like your hands once did while the blackbirds sing their song after rainfall, the world covered in dew september is…
Reciting Society
By Wiktoria Pawlak A human who wanted to live in a safe reality created a superior structure that we now call a society led by specific laws, about which not only Fussel in ‘Uniforms’ speak but also Rousseau in ‘Social Contract’ and Gombrowicz in ‘Ferdydurkę.’ Uniforms aren’t just particular to the military. Each of us…
Revisiting Israel
Khalil Pansky “But now Jews too have behaved like Nazis and my entire being has been shaken”- Aharon Zisling The Israeli state’s true establishment began when Plan Dalet was put into place in 1948. David Ben-Gurion’s long-awaited dream. The plan included 58 massacres which took place throughout Palestine, the forcible relocation of those…
Zeeland; the Fight Against Water
Jasmijn Verhoef Zeeland is rich in history, but not being native to this area, I can only vaguely piece together the puzzle of what I must have at some point learned in history class, especially the history of Zeeland related to water. My interest in the topic was sparked by a recent visit to Neeltje Jans,…
The Conflict of Historical Filmmaking
Romke van der Veen When you’re depicting history in movies, or portraying a historical event, making a biopic or period-piece, you are always confronted with walking the line between drama, historical accuracy, or even documentarian type filmmaking. A great example of this conflict is the 2008 German film, Baader Meinhof Complex. Now, German historical films…
Nord Stream 2: Russia’s Leverage Over Europe?
By Charlotte Vreden A few days ago, the Russian pipelaying vessel ‘Fortuna’ welded the final pipe of the Nord Stream 2 project in the Baltic Sea. This project is highly debated among politicians in Europe and America. Nordic Stream 2 is a 10 € billion project of a new gas pipeline stretching from Russia to…
Dear UCR…
By Junghyun Song Who knows UCR better than 6th-semesters? This week, I spoke to some of them to listen to their reflection on the past three years of their university life. Overall, they were happy with their time at UCR. Nevertheless, they had some helpful advice and suggestions for UCR’s future. More Information about…
Acquaintances VI- (If All We Have Left Is) A Fifth Season
By Lua Valino de Jong Although this short story is of my own creation, it is inspired by the book Lanny (2019) written by Max Porter, which I would recommend checking out. Summer Do you remember the day we met? It was summer before I even knew what summer meant. I’d sleep and weep and dream…
Some Thoughts on the Women’s Prize for Fiction
By Marije Huging In March, the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the UK’s most prestigious book award for women writers, for which the winner gets 30 000 pounds, was released. The drama that ensued earlier this month regarding the prize has something larger to say about literary prize culture, and it’s entering into…
Eduroam Wifi- A Great Idea With Flawed Execution
By Junghyun Song On average, once every two weeks, I see a Facebook post on Koestraat All Floors, asking “Is anybody having a wifi problem?”. And immediately, there would be several responses, ranging from “mine is working fine”, “mine stopped working too!”, “mine works but it is extremely slow” to “mine hasn’t been working for…
Starting a Master’s program during a pandemic
By Anna Szczełkun It’s a busy time for last semester students. Many of us are in the process of applying to different master programs to continue our educational path. However, the decision of starting a Master’s right away may not be as obvious to everyone. With corona taking away big pieces of the university life, some…
Male Friendship
By Heleen Vanagt We come across many friendships in life. Some of them come very naturally to us and others take a bit of effort. Girls compliment each other while drunk in a bathroom and are suddenly besties. Guys talk once for two minutes and can bro out for the rest of their lives. Solidifying…
Child marriage Crisis during COVID-19
By Anna Szczełkun Girls married at a young age are significantly more prone to experience abuse and far less likely to stay at school. It also increases the risk of early pregnancies, which poses a grave health risk for mothers in developing countries. According to the UN, 12 million girls under 18 get married every year….
In Praise of Ali Smith and Leonora Carrington
By Marije Huging There was once a man who, one night between the main course and the sweet at a dinner party, went upstairs and locked himself in one of the bedrooms of the house of the people who were giving the dinner party. There was once a woman who got locked up in a…
Being A Campus Elder- A Conversation With Isabel Fenandez
By Junghyun Song Ever since moving into Koestraat from my former campus two months ago, Isabel, the campus elder of Koestraat, has helped me greatly to ensure that I settle down smoothly in a new environment. I have had asked her for help a myriad of times such as when something in my room got…