By Anja Herrmann Ah, yes- the infamous energy generator that sits idly by in Eleanor and at the very top of Franklin. We can almost hear our calling to get up and just get one, just one more cup of coffee. But based on our impressive eye bags and the decision-making of our last two…
Remembrance of the Sun
by Alisa Adams Three months into the summer break, I have, surprisingly, found myself missing the regularity and consistency of class (a lot of people might be cringing at this opening sentence). It is true, though: there is so much pressure surrounding the summer and what exciting and exotic things everyone will be up to….
Trials and Tribulations of the First Semester
By Anja Hermann Welcome to Zeeland! You made it to this distant “village” known as Middelburg near the edge of Europe, whether you took a 2-3 hour journey via the NS train, a ride in your parent’s car or took a 6-24 hour flight. You have arrived at this small place that some of your…
Communitas in UCR: “Is this the beginning of the end?”
by Luna Erica As we all surely know, when anything remotely big happens at UCR, the entire community knows in no time. And this time, too, UCR did not disappoint. The reorientation plan that was recently communicated to the students and staff of UCR – a plan that will be in effect very soon –…
Anger in UCR
Marco Segantini These past few weeks have surely been full of hell and fire for people at UCR. Of course, we all know that starting from week 10 (or before), few students in UCR manage to keep a healthy lifestyle and mind as well as keep up with the exorbitant amount of work required. In…
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…
A Walker’s Guide to Middelburg
We students live the busiest of lives. Continuously running around from place to place, struggling to stay on top of our coursework, and doing our best to upkeep a social life as well; it becomes easy to get into a routine of class-study-eat-sleep, forgetting to take a breather in between. When it gets a bit…
Evening of the Tiny Stage
By Mieke Pressley Every once in a while, I have to stop and stand in awe of all the incredible talent you can find at our university. People here are often so multi-talented, and furthermore, also so humble about it, that you cannot help but be impressed. It was with this talent in mind, that…
Suffragettes in Zeeland
By Judith Brouwer Whether its shooting the man who refuses to pay alimony, dressing up as a soldier to fight the French, or running for city council despite your party not believing in the involvement of women in politics; my favorite part of history has always been discovering individuals’ stories, such as these, in different…
A ‘Reviewflection’ of Stukafest
By Liam McClain, Aron van Os and Mieke Pressley Another edition of the student-oriented culture festival Stukafest has come and gone. Once again, we were treated to a variety of artistic performances on a small, intimate level. Give-or-take a week after the festival seems like a perfect time to reflect on some of the acts…
Feminer – a Chance to Get Inspired, Motivated and Get Started
By Lamba Tamana The last few decades, women have come a long way. From the first girls to be allowed to enrol in schools, to the first female presidents. Most of us have been enjoying our fair share of freedom without realising how lucky we are. However, life has not always been like this. Coming…
Stukafest Middelburg 2019: Cultural Performances in Our Own Rooms
By Mieke Pressley Two weeks of the semester have already passed by, and I don’t know about you, but, boy, it sure felt like a month to me. It was a slow start to the semester, struggling to get back into the rhythm of classes, readings, extracurriculars and the UCR social life. I, for one,…
(Re)Integration into Student Life at UCR
By Hana Shamaa Watching the fields pass in a blur and rain drops slide down the spotted train window, realization dawns upon me. No longer will I have the freedom to spend time with friends at a cafe in downtown Cairo at any time of day, no longer will I be able to ask my…
The Beauty of Difference – II
By Andrea Undecimo Life in Middelburg is very different from that in Ho Chi Minh. Quite a banality, one could say. But what does it really mean to move from the noise and cheerfulness of the Asian city to the quietness and tidiness of Middelburg? What impacts does such a change have on one’s personality;…
The Road Away from Middelburg: A Travel Guide to Ljubljana
By Natalie Burduli The winter break is in full swing, and most of the worn-out students have left Middelburg for a quick break from the reality of deadlines and morning classes. Every other morning, with a cup of tea in one hand and my phone in the other, I open my Instagram feed and discover…
I AM (not) A FRAUD
By Mieke Pressley This past semester I tackled a third year’s biggest obstacle in the road to graduation: writing my bachelor thesis. During this (very long) process of crafting the thesis, I found the same question, or some variation on the theme, lingering in the little corner of my mind. At first, a small…
About the HAC Christmas Market: Bringing the December Festivities to our Front Door
By Mieke Pressley The end of the semester is drawing near. Before long, we’ll all be dressing up in our best clothes for the Christmas Gala, before splitting ways for our well-deserved Winter Break. But before that, there is one penultimate event to keep an eye out for. An event that brings all the coziness…
Is Science Undemocratic?
by Andrea Undecimo A new truth has emerged: science is not democratic. This is at least what a famous Professor of Microbiology and Virology at the University of Milan, Roberto Burioni, has proposed in his book, published last year, whose title could be roughly translated as “The conspiracy of the ignorant: why science cannot be…
THEATRA: The Christmas Plays
by Maran van den Oord It’s cold outside, lights are everywhere to be found, and the market square is home to a huge pine tree once again. This can mean but one thing: Christmas is coming. But more importantly, THEATRA’s Christmas plays are just around the corner! Devils, ghosts, and prisoners; these plays (and one…
The Beauty of Difference – I
By Andrea Undecimo Being so used to the diversity that forms our small University, we sometimes forget what it really means to come from a different background, to have had another upbringing from ours and ultimately to see the world from a different perspective. Part of the educational process is, I believe, to put oneself…