I have put myself behind these metal bars, the keys nowhere to be found. Some labels and social constructs checking in on me on the daily: “I see, you’re still trapped.” I remember putting my mom’s sanitary pads to my knees and sliding down the hallway. Where did that person go? (Actually, probably a good…
What’s Up With Poland? – A Report From The Front
By Anna Szczełkun Poland is experiencing the largest protest since the fall of communism in 1989. Tens of thousands of Poles are on the streets, and not only in the major cities, but across the whole country, and they are furious. As a person born and raised in Poland I can’t stop thinking: how did…
Through Rolling Landscapes & Acquaintances IV- Tippi Hedren
Through Rolling Landscapes By Fenna Capelle Through rolling landscapes I found a path I needed to pursue It reached out as far as my mind could bear to let it free Like a doubtful sceptic who, in dreaming, knew not where to turn to And I followed it to the last caress of its sheer…
Humans of UCR: Derin
By Maud Smulders I’m a dude, who lives in Bagijnhof 3. Occasionally I cook things, I love making people food. Well, not make people-food, but make food for people. I wouldn’t make people-food unless someone asked me that as their deathwish. Recently, I made a hot sauce and people seemed to like it. Then I…
It Can’t do us Part
as nature’s defence delivers its onslaught – should we commit mass-self-slaughter for the natural world – or is it a mistake a star-crossed affair or the Doomsday dawning the plastic shelves devoid the streets forsaken the drawn-back curtains colourless, pseudoplants on the sills, but the hospitals are all but deserted. journalists thirsty for the death-toll…
Bit Bored? Big Board. (part 1)
By Luna Erica Bit bored -> big board? Well, not necessarily. As the spring semester creeps up on our stressed, fetal-posed bodies, the UCR election season bowls into view. Every year, the boards we have grown to see as invincible entities submerge back into the sea of other students. Then, a few lucky fish swim…
Emily is Away: Choice and Acceptance in Indie Games
By Luc Aboubadra Do our choices really matter? Is the world really a blank canvas on which you can paint your fate? If you could rewrite your past by making different decisions, would that positively influence your present? I’m pretty sure anyone reading those lines has already asked themselves those questions, and many similar ones…
Once it’s Gone it’s Gone!
By Yolande Hobbs I have to say that when Yoyo told me she’d be going over to England for just four short little days, simply to sit at an auction for one of them, all to gather data for her Senior Project, my first thought was: “Why would you even go to an auction house?”…
Life after UCR: Part 2
By Anja Herrmann This is a continuation from the previous article, Life after UCR Part 1. In this sequel, UCR alumni talk more about their experience at UCR, what they would have done differently, what societies they were involved in, and more! Amélie Snijders Graduated in 2019, majored in Politics and Law and minored in…
Cold Water
By Boudica Gast I wrote a poem the other day on the occasion of me and my friend sitting hungover like a pair of idiots on the pavement in the rain. Elliott was just in front of us, yet we didn’t get up and find shelter there. We stayed just where we were, cold…
“Feeling Blue: The Performance Pressure & Mental Health of the 21st Century Student”
By Amélie Snijders and Mieke Pressley Acquiring a university degree has never been a simple task. It inevitably goes hand in hand with many hours of hard work and the occasional unhappiness about having to spend this time on studying, writing a paper or preparing for a presentation. Recently, however, there appears to be an…
UCR Students Over the Summer Break
Edited by Anja Herrmann While catching up on lost sleep was on top of this summer’s agenda for most people, UCR students will always have additional activities up their sleeve. On my quest to find these stories, I have heard about visits to a wide array of countries rich in history, attempts to finally…
The PoLaw European Election Debate: A Successful Evening of Critical Thinking and Political Discussion
by Amélie Snijders On Thursday evening, the 25th of April, the political and law society of UCR (PoLaw) invited five candidates for the European elections to come and defend their party’s views. The debate was a mix of cultural values and freedoms with a critical but enthusiastic audience. The event was an impressive display of what student…
Iran: between Tradition and Modernity
by Andrea Undecimo ‘Pink mosque in Shiraz’ When I first told my parents and my friends that I was going to spend two weeks, alone, in Iran, the reactions I received spanned from honest worry for my mental health, to attempts to persuade me not to go, because the place was crowded by religious fundamentalists…
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…
2018 Election Interviews: Guido, Tess & Hannah
It’s Election Season! Names and posters have been flying around for a while, and everyone is getting prepared to present themselves and their ideas next week at the Election GA. Each year, Tabula RASA gives the candidates the opportunity to react to a quick Q&A, so that the whole student community can read a bit…
How Do You Come Up With That?
By Nanóuk Kromhout van der Meer Even though I cannot say I’ve always been writing, I have always been a writer. If I would sentimentally look back on my life, one thing would clearly stand out. Stories have always been a part of me, even as a child I always made them up. Like…
A Good Time for Optimism about North Korea?
By Eric Zhang In late January, the world’s attention was drawn towards what was deemed by many as a possible turn of events in Korean politics. Mr. Kim Jong-un has for the first time addressed Moon Jae-in as the president of South Korea in his 2018 New Year speech, and proposed a senior-level talk about…
Frida Kahlo – Beyond the Unibrow
By Gloria Borroni As I am getting closer to my graduation, I am trying to plan all the things I would like to do once I get my well-deserved and precious time for rest before starting a master. On the top of my list there is a visit to the MUDEC, the museum of cultures…