Athina Bohner

Athina is the Features Editor at The Glasgow Guardian and a third-year International Relations student at the University of Glasgow. She is honoured to have been highly commended for Best Journalist in Scotland 2023 by the Student Publication Association.

Her work as a newspaper journalist allows Athina to contribute towards amplifying people’s voices, raising awareness within student communities, and shedding light on pressing injustices. Athina feels particularly passionate about reporting on human rights issues and the climate crisis.

In 2022, she was highly commended for Best Scottish Political Piece by the Student Publication Association and shortlisted for Best Human Rights Story in the UK. Please feel free to message her on LinkedIn.

The Glasgow Guardian •

UofG students react to First Minister’s resignation

On Wednesday, 15 February 2023, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon resigned in a surprise press conference. The UofG law graduate served as the country’s First Minister for eight years and as a Member of Scottish Parliament since 1999.

The Glasgow University students interviewed on the day of her resignation expressed a variety of emotions, ranging from shock and sympathy to frustration and disappointment. A student from Wales remarked: “It’s quite sad to see her go, but I also kind of u
The Glasgow Guardian •

“Not in our name”: Students launch campaign against UofG’s fossil fuel and arms investments

On Friday 3 February 2023, approximately 100 students gathered at the Main Gate to demand that the University of Glasgow fully divest from arms and fossil fuels. In addition, GAAF is calling for the implementation of an accessible, mandatory, and empowering climate course. Its third demand is for an ethical careers policy, which would ban oil, gas, coal, mining, and arms companies from recruiting through the University.

The Glasgow Guardian spoke to dozens of protesters at the rally, who expres
The Glasgow Guardian •

“Women, Life, Freedom”: Fighting for Iran’s future from the streets of Glasgow

On 19 November 2022, impassioned voices demanding "freedom for Iran" engulfed the streets of Glasgow, as over 1,000 protesters of all generations marched from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green. While proudly singing pro-democracy songs in Farsi and waving Iranian flags featuring a sun and lion, the protest embodied a deeply personal portrayal of Scotland’s Iranian diaspora standing in solidarity with the people of Iran.

Since 16 September, widespread anti-government demonstrations have erupted
The Glasgow Guardian •

How the Queen’s death divided Scottish public opinion

When Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September 2022, aged 96, the UK seemed to come to a staggering standstill. However, while the floral tributes in front of Buckingham Palace grew, so did the longstanding criticism of the British monarchy’s colonial legacy, institutional racism, and sexual abuse allegations. In particular, this stark divide in public opinion was evident in Scotland - a country where the idea of monarchy in the 21st century seems to be simultaneously loved and h
The Glasgow Guardian •

“Sticking plasters over the cracks of a broken system”: in conversation with the NUS Scotland president

In conversation with The Glasgow Guardian, National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland president Ellie Gomersall has addressed the most pressing issues of the day for University of Glasgow students, from the rising cost of living to mental health.

With regards to the housing crisis, which has seen UofG students paying extortionate rents, living in emergency accommodation, sofa surfing, and commuting from Stirling and Edinburgh, Ellie Gomersall told The Glasgow Guardian: “What we really need to se
The Glasgow Guardian •

Coping with Mother’s Day when grieving the loss of your own

“Happy Mother’s Day!”, the grocery store display exclaims cheerfully in a large, cursive font. Instantaneously, I freeze in my tracks, staring blindly at the obnoxious cardboard cutout of a photogenic mother-daughter duo grinning cluelessly at passing customers. I feel my heartbeat pounding through my chest as the assortment of peony bouquets and heart-shaped coffee mugs turns into a tearful blur of pale pink.

Standing all alone in the brightly-lit aisle, the world around me seems to pass by in
The Glasgow Guardian •

Hundreds in Scotland protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and George Square in Glasgow last weekend to protest against Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. In the early morning of Thursday 24 February 2022, the Russian military launched a full-scale invasion, which has sparked profound international outrage and large anti-war demonstrations in Russia and around the world. According to the Ukrainian emergency services, over 350 civilians have been killed by Russian forces in Uk
The Glasgow Guardian •

UofG students support the strikes

The Glasgow Guardian spoke to University of Glasgow students on campus and set up an online survey to gain insight into student opinions regarding the ongoing UCU strike action.

The majority of students who took part in the survey supported the strikes, with 75% of students fully supporting the strike action. Despite overall expressions of support for the strike action in a survey conducted by The Glasgow Guardian, only a third of respondents said they wouldn't cross the picket line be it to at
The Glasgow Guardian •

How to save the world, one step at a time

As thousands of politicians and climate activists gather in Glasgow this month to debate the future of our planet, UofG students may feel a hopeless sense of climate despair. To lift our spirits, The Glasgow Guardian has compiled a list of four simple ways in which we, as university students, can contribute towards "saving the world" during COP26, and beyond.

Unfortunately, our impact is significantly limited by the upsetting reality that just 100 companies – including the UK-based BP, Shell, a
The Glasgow Guardian •

Buchanan Street demonstration calls for UK immigration reform

On Thursday 25 November, around 100 people gathered at Buchanan Street steps to commemorate the 27 refugees who drowned on Wednesday 24 November while attempting to cross the Channel from France to the UK. Protesters lit candles and observed a minute of silence for the lives lost, which included a pregnant woman and three children, in what has been identified as the deadliest Channel tragedy on record. The demonstration featured a number of speakers from local refugee organisations, who emphasiz
The Glasgow Guardian •

Thousands take to the streets for Fridays for Future Glasgow

On Friday, 5 November, over 30,000 activists of all ages took to the streets of Glasgow to protest the climate crisis. The march started at 11:00am in Kelvingrove Park and ended in George Square. The day was part of the Fridays for Future protests that were started by Greta Thunberg in 2018, who rallied and spoke at the end of the event.

The protest highlighted diverse voices, including indigenous climate activists from the Global South. Almost all of the speeches in George Square were given by
The Glasgow Guardian •

Big Night In: Will staying in make it safer to go out?

In light of the recent rise in spiking incidents, especially by injection, numerous cities across the UK, including Glasgow, are boycotting nightclubs on Thursday 28 October to demand that venues take people’s safety more seriously. Once again, our human right to feel safe has been undermined by a misogynistic culture of male violence, which Big Night In aims to address. Previously named Girls Night In, this national, student-led campaign wrote on Instagram that it “hopes to bring attention to j
The Glasgow Guardian •

Former Glasgow University geography lecturer accused of sexual harassment

As part of their "Degrees of Abuse" investigation, Al Jazeera reveals that senior lecturer in geography, Dr Ian Shaw, has been the subject of sexual harassment complaints by four different women.

An investigation by Al Jazeera, as part of their "Degrees of Abuse" series, has reported sexual misconduct and grooming perpetrated by Dr Ian Shaw, former lecturer in geography, at the University of Glasgow. Between 2018 and 2020, the senior lecturer in geography has been the subject of accusations sub
The Glasgow Guardian •

‘Fight like hell’: Inside Glasgow’s Youth March for Climate Justice

On Friday, 24 September, the voices of approximately 1,000 mask-wearing protesters rang loudly through the streets of Glasgow, as activists of all ages marched from Kelvingrove Park to George Square in support of Fridays for Future’s Global Youth Climate Strike. Their message was clear: “uproot the system” and ensure that COP26, which is taking place in Glasgow this November, delivers meaningful change in addressing the global climate crisis.

To further understand people’s divergent motivations
The Glasgow Guardian •

Keep your head up, sunshine

Throughout their lifetime, everyone will experience a number of pivotal turning points characterised by immense change and monumental challenges. After all, the essence of life is learning to embrace these difficult moments of metamorphosis and grow into wiser, kinder, and stronger versions of yourself. One of my turning points took place this August. Having finally turned 18, I said a tearful “Auf Wiedersehen” to my family and friends in Hamburg and boarded a Ryanair flight to Scotland, and mov