Columns
By Sam Lailey, Senior Staff-Writer, MA Anthropology of Global Futures and Sustainability Pull quote: “And gentrification appears to be picking up pace. A report released by the Trust for London in 2025 has highlighted 53 neighbourhoods in the capital which, between 2012 and 2020, have seen a significant drop in
News
Nibras Salim, SOAS News Editor, BA Politics and International Relations SOAS’ newly released investment portfolio has gained positive traction amid the university’s ascension in the People & Planet (P&P) University League rankings. P&P is the UK’s largest student network campaigning for social and environmental
Anima
Deepika Anand, Features Section Editor, BA Politics and International Relations The Fourth Wave of feminism (c. 2012-present) is primarily said to be driven by digital activism, intersectionality, and a sustained focus on sexual violence, harassment, body shaming, and workplace inequality. The first is defined by the fight for legal rights
Anima
Jova Bostanci, LLM Human Rights, Conflict and Justice Delayed, cancelled, overpriced. These are the realities of Britain’s modern train network, and they’re becoming harder to ignore. For years, trains have failed to arrive, the quality has continued to disappoint, and fares have risen, making UK trains the most
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Chinaza Iwe, Culture Section Editor, BA History and World Philosophies We, as a society, consume an incredible amount of media; music, film, and literature being the favourites and often our guilty pleasures. Yet, we only see what is directly in front of us, the actors on screen or the words
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Chandra Verma, Opinions Section Editor, BA Politics and International Relations The first time I noticed an Indian dupatta advertised as a ‘Scandinavian scarf’ on Instagram, I believed it to be satire. The model was dressed in a light, embroidered cloth that was eerily similar to the one my mother wears
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Roxanna Brealey, Editor-in-Chief, History & Politics An article released by British Vogue on October 25th, titled ‘Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?’ written by Chanté Joseph, went viral almost instantly. Though what went viral was not the actual content of the article, but the headline itself. It has dominated the
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Kenza Bajjar, Sports & Societies Section Editor, BA Politics and International Relations I’m sure that at some point over the past year of Artificial Intelligence (AI) invading every facet of our lives, we’ve caught a glimpse of the ‘other side’ of AI, of those who don’t just
Midnight Adams, MSc Humanitarianism, Aid & Conflict For almost a century, America has dominated filmmaking and dictated the narratives we are taught. In what critics call the Western gaze, cinema becomes a tool of propaganda - dehumanising and tribalising the ‘enemy’. Lacking in understanding of the diversity within the Global
Jasmine Donnelly, BA Digital Media, Culture, & Creative Arts Nobody goes to the club any more! Only 25% of Gen-Z are still interested in going out, according to Keep Hush’s 2022 survey ‘U Going Out’. Packed tightly, shoulder to shoulder, sweaty and endlessly bobbing to the relentless, unchanging beat
Nur Al-Hayah Leadbetter, BA International Relations The term ‘Jewish Problem’ is one of history's most charged expressions which has been previously used to convey Europe's long, troubled relationship with its Jewish populations. While the language is grounded in prejudice and exclusion, it remains crucial to understanding
Grace Eaves, MA Global Journalism AI is transforming into something unsettling before our eyes, and we are all laughing along. Switching from clunky and uncanny videos–made funny because of their obvious absurdity and robot created novelty–to short-form clips that are indistinguishable from viral videos of the past. ‘I
Camilla Taylor, Senior Sub-Editor, BA International Relations You do not have to look far to see someone struggling. A friend with a master’s degree, still living at home because rent is unaffordable. Another juggling two jobs to pay off student loans that were sold as ‘an investment in our
Maaryah Rashid, Co-Deputy Editor, BA Politics and International Relations We have another epidemic on our hands, except this time, it’s not an attack on the immune system. A significant portion of the UK population has unfortunately adopted the xenophobic and harmful ideologies of the radical far right, championed by
Afina Nafisah Jasmine, MA Comparative Literature On a regular day last summer, I was participating in a project that required me to research relevant academic papers. I had been working on this project for several months and continuously helped the team collect secondary research as we slowly inched towards publishing
Melina Tavakoli Moghaddam, Sub-editor, BA Politics and International Relations with a Year Abroad You know when you walk up the stairs of the main library, find yourself on D floor, and notice on your right the breadth of resources dedicated to art and archaeology in Africa? Stacks and bays full
It is with great excitement that we finally launch Issue 33 of the Spirit! This first month of term has gone by in the blink of an eye, and I’m sure everyone on the Spirit team and this issue’s writers can agree that deadlines seem to approach at
Dear readers of the Spirit, Since the last release of the Spirit in October, we have received numerous pieces of feedback, which is greatly appreciated. We have also received many photos of the Spirit found in weird and wonderful places. One of my favourites was multiple photos of a cat
By Lilac Carr, BA Politics and International Relations At the start of the academic year, SOAS had a whopping zero political party societies. Now, just a couple of months later, it has two: SOAS Your Party Society, covered in the last issue of the Spirit; and now, the SOAS Young