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Dr Manali Desai becomes the only woman of colour to currently head a Cambridge department
Downing sacks 27 non-academic staff with 56 others facing changes in their employment conditions 
University of Cambridge tops Good University Guide 2021 but ranks the worst for social inclusion 
Dr Desai will become one of the first ethnic minority women to lead a Cambridge department in the University’s 811-year history
This comes after it was revealed two other Cambridge colleges – Queens’ and Downing – are also making redundancies
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Cambridge retains its top spot in the Good University Guide league table for the eighth consecutive year despite scoring the worst in the guide’s social inclusion ranking
Varsity recently exposed Queens’ plans to make 32 staff redundant
Students given just twenty-four hours to sign guidelines which may be amended without notice
The College provided 1,456 nights of safe accommodation to women and children fleeing domestic abuse amid shortages in refuge places during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Trinity Challenge aims to use data and analytics to combat COVID-19 as well as build resilience against future health emergencies
Varsity analysis of five years of admissions data reveals the disadvantages faced by state school applicants and the misrepresentations of state school admissions in University statistics
The University will offer all students living in college accommodation a weekly test for SARS-CoV-2, even if they are asymptomatic
Creative arts and the school curriculum don’t go together
Refusing Stockholm Syndrome
A wobbly start to Cambridge
Bursting the bubble: Perspectives on pedagogy in the pandemic
Features Editor Ashna Ahmad explores how the confines of the school system made her arts education restrictive and uninspiring.
Kevin Glasgow shares his experience returning to teach at primary school after lockdown was relaxed, and discusses the challenges of a full return to the classroom
Alex Jacob and Maya Beney discuss the harmful habit of viewing charitable donations as transactions.
Georgia Goble dissects the phenomenon of widespread pessimism among the generation which grew up after the financial crisis.
Reflecting on Sweden’s approach to COVID-19, Giulia Armiero shares her experience as an Italian living in Sweden.
Being a Cambridge fresher was difficult for Grace Blackshaw, but now she’s proud of just how far she’s come.
Looking back on her A-Levels, Miranda Stephenson reflects on how the school system’s focus on examination and functionality harms the learning process
In light of the A-level results fiasco, Amy Kitchingman reflects on the emotional impact of educational inequality.
Georgio Konstandi discusses his experiences of growing up with prejudice and extremism within the Greek Orthodox Church.
Hatty Willmoth compares her first Michaelmas at Cambridge to the new challenges faced by her sister and other incoming freshers.
Recent graduate Isha Shukla reflects on her journey with body dysmorphia and the importance of taking it seriously
Commercial Feature
Commercial Feature
Commercial Feature
Pornhub is a dangerous platform. Here’s why.
The strange death of unionist England
On cancelling cancel culture
The importance of studying education
Riannon Chaplin
Riannon Chaplin argues that neither a simple ban on the lyrics to Rule, Britannia! nor their usual patriotic celebrations address the need for introspection.
Thea Melton
Students should not have to pay for mistakes made by a government incapable of understanding what the nation’s pupils need, argues Thea Melton.
Tigs Louis-Puttick
Tigs, who spent June and July volunteering in Moria Camp, writes on the recent fire that ravaged Moria camp
Leoni Boyle
Leoni Boyle considers the case for studying education
Opinion
Peter McLaughlin argues that a trend of indifference to the union has developed in England, threatening the stability and governance of the United Kingdom.
Siyang Wei
The university has lost the trust of its international student population, and more must be done to protect this community, argue Aastha Dahal, Howard Chae, and Siyang Wei.
Opinion
Jed Asemota critiques the discourse around cultural icons of imperialism, arguing it distracts from the systemic issues that modern Britain faces.
Opinion
Following increased coverage of migrants crossing the English Channel, Lara Brown makes the legal case in support of those seeking asylum in the UK.
Opinion
An anonymous student criticises the court of public opinion and stifling of debate that cancel culture has encouraged in recent years.
Opinion
Shemeya Hurd-Thomas argues that the National Obesity Forum’s proposal could have dangerous consequences.
Meet the Ghanaian student who deserves PhD funding: an interview with Gerald Arhin 
“We can’t ignore this anymore”: Gill Whitty-Collins on gender inequality 
Camille Yolaine: “Sometimes people want to make you fit into standards. I hope I can change them a bit”
Meet the Ghanaian student who deserves PhD funding: an interview with Gerald Arhin
Olivia Emily talks to corporate manager Gill-Whitty Collins about structural gender inequality and her new book, Why Men Win at Work.
The English professor, who recently drew controversy for her tweets, talks race, student activism, and fighting online trolls with Interviews Editor Juliette Guéron-Gabrielle
Niall Campbell, a Project Officer with the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan, talks to Edward Parker-Humphreys about the prevalence of student loneliness at Cambridge
Caterina Bragoli talks to French fashion influencer Camille Yolaine about all things la Parisienne, la Nouvelle Vague and maintaining a sense of self on social media
Conversation Lab
Senior Features Editor Georgina Buckle puts “makeup activist” Eszter Magyar under the magnifying glass
Caterina Bragoli talks to author Jemma Wayne about her new novel To Dare, the importance of voicing unspoken female experiences and her time at Cambridge
Irene Velicer speaks to medical experts about the challenges of palliative care and alleviating pain during Covid-19 deaths
In an interview with Varsity, former education secretary Justine Greening sets out her vision for how the education sector can break Britain’s “tradition of inequality of opportunity”
Jake Moll speaks to mathematician, Cambridge graduate and quiz show master Bobby Seagull
10 Black female scientists everyone should know about
Will a COVID-19 vaccine end the pandemic?
Cambridge Spotlight: Research reveals a new niche for nylon in self-powered devices
Cambridge Spotlight Series
In the next installment of our Cambridge Spotlight Series, Pip Knight explores Sohini Kar-Narayan’s work on the use of nylon in nanogenerators.
Rory Cockshaw explains the recent discovery of phosphine on Venus, and what it might mean for life beyond our planet.
Rory Cockshaw discusses the affordances of subjectivity and culture in science through the lens of key Japanese primatologists.
Cambridge Spotlight Series
The first ever article of our Cambridge Spotlight Series features the work of Malar Chellasivalingam, who describes how Cambridge’s Department of Engineering is using MEMS technology to combat air pollution.
Eilidh Rivers sheds light on some of the challenges a newly developed vaccine will face, and considers whether a vaccine is enough to reverse the effects of the pandemic.
Shahvez Ul Haq introduces some recent advances in nanotechnology and describes its application in the battle against Covid-19.
Lidija Beric delves into the life and work of this fascinating philosopher and mathematician.
Shazia Absar explores mass sociogenic illnesses of the past and asks what they can tell us about the current coronavirus pandemic.
Megan Cousins explores how a lack of water has dramatically worsened the Yemen crisis.
Anna Papameletiou explains why this rodent is so unique, and what humanity can gain by studying its behaviour.
Nice girls don’t have body hair
Finding Optimism with ABCDEs
Glowing up in lockdown
Me, God, and the English Tripos
David Quan, a hopeful fresher from Adelaide, Australia, explains how our ABCDEs can evoke gratitude and help us to live optimistically.
Olivia Farrington argues that #lockdownglowup posts create a superficial and unrealistic pressure to transform – that is ultimately not for everyone
In the wake of Covid-19, atheist columnist Jesi Bailey reflects on reigniting her faith in humanity… through online church.
Reflecting on the English Tripos and her Christian faith, Cecily Fasham grapples with what to do when church leaders get it wrong.
An anonymous student discusses their struggle with an eating disorder, and the problems with being weighed in school.
Lifestyle Editor Miranda Stephenson explores the racist, sexist stigmas surrounding the pressure to shave.
Aisha Niazi explores the tyranny of waiting in the ‘in-between’, and her personal journey towards embracing the moment.
Having escaped her liberal bubble on holiday, Lauren Long discusses sexist jokes, ‘bad feminism’, and just how much more needs to be done in the pursuit of gender equality
Exploring the mixed legacy of colonialism within the British Indian community, Ashna Ahmad discusses colourism, social mobility and the myth of a ‘model minority’
Reading ‘why I’m no longer talking to white people’
Racist Porcelain: The Trend of the “Blackamoor” in Europe
Orsolya Petocz looks at the ways that Reni Eddo-Lodge’s blog and book leads people to examine their privileges and not just be not-racist, but to actively be anti-racist
Maisie Pedder reads her way around the globe, and explores how literature can be a gateway to more from the safety of your own room
The final of three stories inspired by people from all over the world that we have lost due to COVID, this piece by Olivia Jacklin is inspired by the work and life of Michael Sorkin.
Long Reads
Adam Dumbleton thinks about the values we still share with William Wordsworth, and how modern phenomena from cottagecore to staycationing owe their status to ideas expressed in Wordsworth’s poetry.
As part of our student creatives series, Saksham Sharma presents an ode to Wittgenstein, a Cambridge philosopher of the early 20th century
Caterina Bragoli examines Sargent’s ‘Portrait of Madame X’ and considers what the portrait’s reception has meant for artist, sitter, and artistic posterity.
Obituary
Olivia Jacklin finds the sound of cosmopolitan Bombay, inspired by the life and work of magazine editor Gulshan Ewing.
Zoe Swanwick looks back at her recent experiences in French exhibitions to find the future of the gallery experience
Inspired by a recent exhibition, Esmee Wright looks at the current representation of women artists
Olivia Jacklin discusses the life and work of brutalist architect Michael McKinnell.
Excess baggage – what is it with students and tote bags?
Dress-coded: experiences with school uniform
Style on screen: the maximalist allure of Baz Luhrmann
“Where did they come from and why can’t I stop buying them?”, asks Fashion Editor Martha French
Fashion Editor Lara Zand explores the decadent world of the renowned director through his films’ wardrobes, examines how the costumes participate in the narrative and considers the style legacy they’ve left today.
In the first piece in Varsity’s two-part series exploring the the links between uniform, identity and community, Marina McCready speaks about her experiences dressing at school and at university
Style Icons
Pilar Fernandez celebrates the wardrobe of Mad Men’s most iconic woman
Fashion Editor Lara Zand traces the origins of this hallowed convention and questions its contemporary relevance
Style Icons
Fashion Editor Martha French on the enduring power of cult TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer over our wardrobes.
Caterina Bragoli introduces us to fashion’s original ‘It Girls’ Anita Pallenberg and Bianca Jagger, and examines their style legacy that lives on decades later
Vanessa Tang explains how social media and economic concerns are revolutionising an industry in crisis.
With the start of Helsinki Fashion Week, Fashion Editor Isabel Sebode presents the innovative new medium to bring fashion into the market digitally.
Worlds Apart: The Witcher as seen by a Game of Thrones fan
The Film of the Forties: The Third Man
Love on the Spectrum – a dating show where cheap entertainment encroaches on authentic representation
Clueless at 25 – still, like, totally buggin’
Out from the shadow of Game of Thrones emerges The Witcher, seeking a destiny all of its own, argues Ryan Yeap
‘The Third Man’ sees a tumultuous perversion of expectations and a reappraisal of friendships in war-torn Vienna. Louis Young considers this timeless brilliance to be the defining moment of the decade
Will our enduring fondness for this fashion-forward flick ever fizzle? As if, writes Pilar Eche Fernandez
Meaningful representation takes a back seat as Netflix’s latest dating show capitalises on cringe-watching, writes Rosalind Phillips-Solomon.
Ed Cooke investigates Das Mädchen Johanna, Alexander Nevsky and El Cid, and explains the phenomenon of medieval heroes appearing in autocratic propaganda films.
Review
Alan Moore and David Gibbon’s comic book adaptation is as mind-bending as it is time-bending, writes Laura Lenkiewicz.
Robert Sizer questions the bizarre, multifarious positions that Gregg Wallace seems to hold in the British TV canon, and wonders at the genius behind it all.
Christopher Nolan’s return to cinema will blow your mind, if it doesn’t boggle it first, writes Ryan Yeap.
The experiences of the protagonist, his move through purgatory, and his eventual death generate the ideal metaphor for the American experience, argues Ishani Sarkar
Ashna Ahmad discusses censorship, the vital distinction between fiction and reality, and the glamourising of abuse in 365 Days and 50 Shades of Grey
Springsteen’s finest hour: Darkness on the Edge of Town
Eric Dolphy: How a jazz original was left for dead by racist stereotyping
Review
Tom Williamson looks behind the scenes of Springsteen’s life and examines the significance of his studio album, Darkness
Review
Marina McCready explores the emotionally and musically complex nature of Taylor Swift’s new album, while evaluating why it has attracted such high critical acclaim
Interview
Music Editor Nathaniel Warren interviews an upcoming international rock band: The Foolks – Featuring Cambridge artist, Jamie Wiltshire
James Mitchell explores diversity issues within choral music
Caterina Bragoli talks to musician Aidan Tulloch about his new EP Somewhere Without Lights, his production process and the influences of home and travel
Patrick Graney reflects on the life and death of a truly unique musician
Juliet Firth explores whether the optimal soundtrack for sleeping or studying really exists
Spotlighting straight female musicians as gay icons is counterproductive, argues Georgia Goble
Jamie Robertson is impressed by Fiona Apple’s newest album, finding a hopeful, timely sound
Betty Townley is impressed by the third HAIM album, finding it escapist yet honest
Helen Turner-Smyth has nothing but praise for this ‘poetic tribute’ to Scottish theatre past and present
Interview
As the theatre world grapples with social distancing rules, Nell Burnham speaks to guitarist Matthew Burgass about what this ‘new normal’ might mean for pit orchestras and bands
‘If we can stage Shakespeare, why not Kathakali?’ Vidya Divakaran explores a different side to Cambridge theatre
Feature
Sheamol Obeda describes her experience discovering theatre at Cambridge and how being part of the BME community changed that journey
‘The power of hearing someone speak just like you, be it on television or on stage, should not be underestimated. It feels like home.’
Preview
Co-director and adaptor Morgan Edward Overton discusses bringing Strindberg’s ‘A Dream Play’ to the (virtual) Cambridge stage for the first time ever
Helen Turner-Smyth argues that we don’t need to pick a side when it comes to classical and modern theatre
Preview
Felix Enslin discusses his new radio play where murder mysteries and the digital world collide
Preview
Creative director and company director Luis Almonacid describes his team’s journey in adapting Caryl Churchill’s play for a world in lockdown and beyond
‘Bread is not just a theatre group. It is a movement.’
Sport
Blues Women’s Rugby player Coreen Grant reflects on the highs and lows of training during lockdown.
Jack Wadding looks at the importance of the Champions League in comparing both European clubs and leagues alike.
As part of Varsity’s series to mark when the Olympics would have been, Ben Phillips looks at how GB Boxing is managing the resumption of ‘normal’ training.
Recounting the story of her sister’s illness, Miranda Stephenson discusses the double-edged sword of childhood sporting success.
Editor-in-chief of SEASON Felicia Pennant talks to Finn Ranson about racism and finding identity in football.
Bethan Moss reflects on the impressive amount of money that Cambridge’s athletes have raised for charity during lockdown.
A look back at all the highlights, drama, and excitement from this year’s Virtual May Bumps.
A Varsity investigation has found structural issues within the Cambridge University Men’s Blues Committee. Stemming from the Committee’s unique history and traditions, they highlight the need for a critical modernisation of the way in which Blues are awarded.
Over the next few days, the Pembroke and Girton RFC will be running 400 miles to raise money for “Show Racism the Red Card”. Varsity speaks to the team’s captains to find out more.
Live every Friday at 6pm. This week; Covid-19 and its effects on student life.
Switchboard
Varsity’s Switchboard is back, spotlighting the issues directly affecting Cambridge students and bringing their voices to the forefront.
Varsity goes behind the scenes, giving you a sneak peek of the planning, organisation and acts for the unprecedented virtual May Week Mega Event
This week: Life and death in the NHS, CUSU Class Act, and reclaiming Lesbian Visibility Week
This week Switchboard discusses: (Mis)calculated grades, the myth of “following the science”, and a quarantine haircut
This week: Cambridge colleges for COVID, compulsory clapping, and Virtual Ramadan.
Switchboard is back to keep you connected to the Cambridge community at a time when students and staff are scattered across the globe.
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