Lauren Taylor

Hi! I'm Lauren, a second year English and History student at the University of Exeter from South Wales.

The Falmouth Anchor •

Are universities neglecting existing students to protect their income?

On Tuesday, 10 August, 2021, an earlier date than usual, students across the country received their A-level grades and found out whether or not they were accepted to their chosen universities. There have been complications across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these arising from decisions made by students last year in regard to their university acceptances. One year ago, no one knew what the academic year would look like as universities struggled to navigate online learning i
Unhoming Pedagogies •

Loans, Lockdown, Learning: Experiences of Financial and Educational Precarity —

Even before starting university, I was acutely aware of educational hierarchies, especially in terms of class. At seventeen – when I received my offer to study at the University of Exeter – I noticed that the grades on my offer were much lower than expected, and a special code was written alongside. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I rejoiced that I only had to obtain BBB in my A-Levels, rather than the AAB that I had anticipated. That said, I have always been a perfectionist, so I contin
Empoword Journalism •

Living in Cornwall During The G7 Summit

Leaders from across the world – including the UK, US, Germany and Japan, just to name a few – have travelled to St Ives, Cornwall to take part in the G7 Summit, discussing a wide range of topical issues. With an event of this size, it is unsurprising that it has caused chaos across the county, and I have been able to witness it first-hand. I am currently a student studying at the University of Exeter’s campus in Penryn, a mere two miles from the coastal town of Falmouth. The reason that locatio
Empoword Journalism •

The Met Police Have Double Standards on the Policing of Vigils

On Friday 9 April 2021, the Royal Family released a statement announcing the death of HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99. Following the announcement, crowds began to gather outside royal residences such as Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, to lay flowers and pay their respects to the deceased royal. In doing so, many broke the Covid-19 regulations put in place by the government by travelling outside their local area and meeting in large groups before the relaxation of the r
The Falmouth Anchor •

Do you feel safe? Female students discuss their experiences in the wake of Sarah Everard’s death

The news of the past couple of weeks has been difficult to digest for many across the country. Despite doing everything women are constantly told to do in order to stay safe – wearing bright clothing, talking on the phone to her partner and walking on a main road – Sarah Everard was still killed by a man who was hired by the system that is supposed to protect us. The incident has sparked nationwide conversations about women’s safety, experiences of sexual harassment and assault, as well as crit
The Indiependent •

The Welsh government never solved the 'essential' problem

The Coronavirus pandemic has been characterised by uncertainty. To an extent, this is understandable. After all, we knew nothing about the disease when it first began creeping across the planet a little more than a year ago. Our governments acted with good intentions and, we can assume, did their upmost to balance our interests and keep us safe. But as time went on and we learnt more about the disease, the less acceptable we should find dithering, ill-thought through advice. As a devolved nation
The Indiependent •

An Influencer In Lockdown: An Interview With Eve Bennett

Navigating a global pandemic is difficult enough but with over 200,000 YouTube subscribers watching your every move, there is another dimension of pressure. Eve Bennett is familiar with this pressure. But still, she is everything you would expect her to be. She answers the Zoom call sat in her bed, wearing an oversized hoodie, sipping on a diet coke, no different to how she portrays herself in her videos. To those unfamiliar with Eve, she is a student at the University of Oxford, studying Germ
The Indiependent •

There is No Spell That Reawakens a Dead Franchise

It is time for us to admit that the Harry Potter series has run its course. After two decades of overwhelming success, new projects of the series only exist to line the pockets of those involved in production, rather than because the fans want the content. I am biased since I did not jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon as I did not see the appeal of Harry Potter. I always try to make excuses as to why I am not a fan of the series, but now I feel like the reasons are falling into my lap. I am sur
The Indiependent •

A Love Letter To Live Music : Page 22 of 48

The sun was setting, and the golden hour was upon us as Taylor Swift took to the stage. She was glowing as the setting sun shone directly on her; she looked almost angelic. Taylor Swift can put on a show: with an array of lighting effects and videos projected behind her, as well as the dancers whose moves complimented Swift’s lyrics, the crowd was transported away from Swansea to Swift’s heavenly world. The atmosphere she created was electric and was matched by the eager crowd. She completely
The Falmouth Anchor •

2021 SU election candidates speak to the Anchor

The candidates running to become the 2021/22 Students’ Union presidents were announced on 22 January. There are four roles, each full-time jobs: President Falmouth, President Exeter, President Student Experience, and President Welfare & Inclusivity. SU presidents represent students and negotiate with the university and other institutions. The Anchor offered interviews to each candidate and spoke to them about who they are, why they are running, and what they would like to achieve. Candidates
The Falmouth Anchor •

A Lockdown We Are Learning To Love

At the age of 19, I am in a happy, 2-year long relationship – yet there are people I know from school who are married or have children, while others have not yet experienced a first kiss or first date. Needless to say, the world of dating is varied and complicated. Adding a global pandemic to the mix turns romance into a virtual cacophony of chaos that many people want to avoid – but is it possible that some relationships are thriving? Could lockdown beneficial for the dating scene? Dates with
The Indiependent •

How ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ Changed TV Representation For The Better

The cancellation of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was a blow to its fans. We all sat and wondered: how could a show like Riverdale be renewed for more chaotic seasons, and problematic film series with no substance like The Kissing Booth get multiple sequels? Unfortunately, the series had many things pitted against it right from its initial release on Netflix in 2018 – it was in competition with other accredited supernatural drama shows such as Stranger Things and the fact that it had the sa
Empoword Journalism •

A Travelling Fanatic: How the COVID-19 pandemic has put my dreams on hold.

In March 2020, we did not imagine ourselves having made hardly any progress with the Coronavirus pandemic. When Boris Johnson declared that we were going into lockdown and many countries closed off their borders to visitors, we all believed it would be back to normal in no time. I was still adamant that I would be flying to Dublin in less than 3 weeks after the initial lockdown announcement. How wrong and naïve I was. I had ended 2019 on a travelling high, returning from solo-travelling Europe
The Falmouth Anchor •

Warm, fuzzy and over-the-top: the best of Netflix’s festive favourites

I confess, I am obsessed with the cringe, over-the-top Christmas films that Netflix produce every year. They are the best form of escapism (which we definitely need this year more than ever) and fill you with enough joy to last a lifetime. I will also admit, I watched The Christmas Prince in the middle of lockdown and enjoyed every second of it. Netflix’s Christmas films give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, even if they are not blockbusters or Academy Award winners. So, I would like to present my fav
Candid Orange •

Why the hospitality and retail industries should be closed over Christmas

Having worked in retail for several years I have experienced the festive season from behind a till in a high street clothing store, engulfed in the hustle and bustle of last-minute Christmas shoppers. I have experienced the best and the worst of customers, with some generously gifting staff chocolates and other treats, while others are incredibly rude, draining what little Christmas spirit staff have left at the end of a long Christmas Eve shift. I sympathise with retail and hospitality staff a
The Falmouth Anchor •

Marginalised Voices: breaking the stigma – miscarriage and Meghan Markle’s voice

Last month, the world found out that Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, suffered from a miscarriage in July. The heart wrenching piece written by the Duchess for The New York Times, titled The Losses We Share, explains her personal experience and how she knew that she was losing her second child, as well as the losses people have faced from COVID-19 and racial brutality. Unfortunately, Meghan’s story has resonated with many women across the world as miscarriages are much more common than we are l
The Meridian •

Cornwall isn’t open: Why Cornwall’s tier one status could be harmful for the county

Since the health secretary Matt Hancock announced a new tier system to combat the coronavirus pandemic on the 26th November, placing each English county into a specific tier depending on their current coronavirus situation, an atmosphere of dread has submerged the Cornish community. As one of only three counties placed in the lowest tier, and the only one on mainland England, Cornwall has emerged from lockdown with more relaxed rules than what most other counties have been assigned in the new g
The Falmouth Anchor •

Fireworks spark fury – are they more dangerous than they’re worth?

This year, the arrival of Bonfire Night has sparked a lot of debate around the necessity of fireworks and their harmful capacity. An occasion which happens once a year, the 5th of November is celebrated across the UK to remember Guy Fawkes’ failed plot to blow up Parliament in 1605. Since large bonfires and firework displays have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than usual decided to partake in at-home bonfires. But even after Bonfire Night, I can still hear the odd firew
The Falmouth Anchor •

Keep dancing: some Strictly sparkle is just what we need right now

Every Saturday night from October to December, I get into my comfy clothes with a cup of tea in hand (maybe a couple of biscuits on the side) and settle in to watch the magical world full of glitz and glam that is, of course, Strictly Come Dancing. I have grown up watching Strictly, it has been a part of my life for a long time. I still want to say, “Nice to see you, to see you, nice!” at the start of each episode and I will admit, I was emotional after Bruce Forsyth’s passing in 2017. I have ma
The Falmouth Anchor •

Boris’ calorie count initiative: mixed messages mess with mental health

With the reopening of the hospitality industry, the government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme sounded like a dream come true to most of us, right? As a self-confessed pub and restaurant enthusiast, 50% off food and drinks on selected days in August seemed incredible. Less incredible is the extra side of guilt – one we did not order. Alongside the scheme – introduced last month to help the struggling industry recover from the Coronavirus pandemic – Boris Johnson and his government are now encour