Whilst sifting through old copies of Essex’s student newspaper it became apparent that nothing has changed. Our students have always been obsessed with student politics and have always complained about the same types of issues. Every student has made their voice heard to the Students’ Union about the issues they face at Essex. In the articles we collated complaints about financing our university experience is very similar throughout history. Students have worried for decades about the rising costs of tuition fees and accommodation. Campus entertainment disputes concerning drink and ticket prices are still discussed today.
On-campus accommodation has always been a popular topic and the issues remain unchanged, for example there are recurring accommodation crises due to waiting lists, however there are complaints about the noise, quality and price of towers accommodation. According to one article, residents in Rayleigh tower have always been troublemakers, as they still throw things out of the window at people just like they did in the past!
On the topic of bad behaviour, student’s involvement in alcohol, drugs and sexual partners has also been a common topic throughout history. This has caused students to complain about the early closing time of the SU bar, but could also contribute to the varied crimes of campus. Unfortunately, men attacking women on or near campus has also been a recurring newspaper story. Despite this, women’s rights (as well as LGBT rights) have also been a common topic. An article complaining about sexist, raunchy magazines is eerily similar to the argument about The Sun, which was very recent.
Although we are celebrating our 50th anniversary, students at the University of Essex have not got many new things to complain about! Although our discussion topics may have remained similar throughout the years the flow of conversation never stagnates. Our strong opinions have changed the University for the better and continue to shape it into an excellent institution.
History repeats itself | The Rabbit Newspaper
Whilst sifting through old copies of Essex’s student newspaper it became apparent that nothing has changed. Our students have always been obsessed with student politics and have always complained about the same types of issues. Every student has made their voice heard to the Students’ Union about the issues they face at Essex. In the articles we collated complaints about financing our university experience is very similar throughout history. Students have worried for decades about the rising costs of tuition fees and accommodation. Campus entertainment disputes concerning drink and ticket prices are still discussed today.
On-campus accommodation has always been a popular topic and the issues remain unchanged, for example there are recurring accommodation crises due to waiting lists, however there are complaints about the noise, quality and price of towers accommodation. According to one article, residents in Rayleigh tower have always been troublemakers, as they still throw things out of the window at people just like they did in the past!
On the topic of bad behaviour, student’s involvement in alcohol, drugs and sexual partners has also been a common topic throughout history. This has caused students to complain about the early closing time of the SU bar, but could also contribute to the varied crimes of campus. Unfortunately, men attacking women on or near campus has also been a recurring newspaper story. Despite this, women’s rights (as well as LGBT rights) have also been a common topic. An article complaining about sexist, raunchy magazines is eerily similar to the argument about The Sun, which was very recent.
Although we are celebrating our 50th anniversary, students at the University of Essex have not got many new things to complain about! Although our discussion topics may have remained similar throughout the years the flow of conversation never stagnates. Our strong opinions have changed the University for the better and continue to shape it into an excellent institution.