By Arya Mehta I won’t lie, I have a lot of deadlines for Monday and I have quite some exciting things happening in my life, but I did want to give you guys a good article. My opinion this week: SEXUALLY ACTIVE PEOPLE SHOULD TRY USING LUBE. The use of lube can literally transform your…
Grades are Dumb
By Arya Mehta I know this is quite a cliché/cheesy opinion column article in college magazines or even high school publications but I think in Week 11, when we’re all struggling to get to the finish line, this serves as an important reminder that our grades don’t define our worth or predict our future. I…
Racism in the Netherlands – Through Gloria Wekker’s “On White Innocence”
By Arya Mehta The Netherlands is often portrayed as this safe, liberal haven with its egalitarian ideals and ‘colorblind’ values. But, as Gloria Wekker, inspired by Toni Morrison, points out in her lecture on “White Innocence” (linked in the bibliography, fantastic read), this colorblind outlook does not translate into non-racism. In fact, it does more…
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…
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….
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….
To Feel Again: Reminiscence in the Present in ‘Find Me’
“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of 30 and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything—what a waste!” (by Samuel Perlman) (James Ivory in…
Vulnerability in Love: Relationships in Call Me By Your Name
By Iris Vergeer ’I liked you from day one, and even when you’ll return ice for my renewed offers of friendship, I’ll never forget that this conversation occurred between us and that there are easy ways to bring back summer in the snowstorm.’ Ever got so struck by someone’s words that they took over your…
Happy Birthday, Buddy!
By Sithis Yim Samnang Happy Birthday to my ten-year-old brother, Sotheareach! I know it’s been two years that I have not been to your birthday parties, buddy! And, for that I am so sorry. I’d really like to watch you grow up and be the best brother I can be, but I guess that is…
World Speech Day on the 13th of March – Come join us!*
*free pizza & t-shirts included! By Vanessa Bade The academic and public sphere regularly emphasizes world citizenship. We should “think globally” , we should be “world citizens” that look beyond our own horizons. UCR´s Professor Burke explains to me; “Young people who have been privileged enough to have enjoyed a tertiary level of education –and…
Is Conscious Consumption Useless?
By Vanessa Bade If you know anything about me, you know I love to call myself an environmentalist and I take pride in the eco-friendly decisions I make on a daily. I always opt for oat milk and avoid fast fashion like it is the devil (which, indeed, it is). And I constantly lecture my…
Death of the Colossus
By Alon Nudler Almost eight months have passed since I wrote my first article on what I saw as a lack of community at our university. Since then we have seen some real changes occur. Orientation week and moderation were added as ways to enforce academic obedience, the everchanging growth and decline of RASA societies continues,…
How Can I Be a Good White Person?
By Amée Zoutberg Triggered already? Good. Personally, I do believe that in the Netherlands you do not need to be white in order to be Dutch. This might very well be one of the keys to our respective social success and cohesion as a society. From what I can tell, this same principle goes not…
Monkeys, Millennials and Meditation
By Vanessa Bade Because of my easily distractible nature, I am very cautious and selective regarding the apps I download. However, that principle proves ever more difficult in a world in which a new app is developed seemingly every minute and my self-discipline challenged equally frequently. I must admit, I am a sucker for a…
Life in Bubbles
By Vanessa Bade Growing up abroad, I was sent to small private schools for most of my high school career. Every four years, it seemed as though I was leaving behind a country and its culture, ready to emerge into another one. Really, though, all I was adopting and leaving behind was my school environment;…
Art on Social Media: Insta – Poetry
By Vanessa Bade As a wee little amateur writer of thirteen years, I often came across what is called a mental block; a lack of creativity. I felt stuck; like I wasn’t able to produce anything new, original or interesting. In those cases, I would dwindle my thumb and wait, or throw down the pen…
Voluntourism
By Vanessa Bade This summer I decided to volunteer at a dog shelter. I was extremely excited and ready to get my hands dirty to support a cause I cared deeply about. The first few days, I was euphoric, and genuinely wanted to make a change; improve the lives of countless abandoned and abused shelter…
Third Time’s a Charm
By Alon Nudler #UCRboycott and #confesionsgate both behind us, we are now facing the closure of Roosevelt Confessions 2.0. , as they say third times’ a charm. On the 15th of July, Roosevelt Confessions 2.0 made an admin poll asking us, the passive and active observers, whether we would like to keep the page active….
Fish, Not Drugs
By Amée Zoutberg It’s a slow Sunday afternoon. I decide I feel like doing something nice, and what is more nice to do than to buy some postcards to send to your grandmothers? In a shop near the center I find some colourful, Middelburg-themed postcards that are not too tacky and not too touristy. One…