RYEVITA MAGAZINE

Issue 1

October 2021

In this issue: I TOO HAVE A DREAM

OCTOBER: MONTH OF MISSION

Uncovering Hidden Disabilities

The importance of the Month of Mission to us all.

THE FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK Emma Raducanu: A Turning Point for Girls in Sport?

PREPARING FOR COP26 Rye's Climate Change Ambassador on the Importance of Taking Action

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rye life

RYE VITA STUDENT MAGAZINE SHARES THE LATEST THOUGHT PROVOKING ESSAYS, EXPLORATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS FROM OUR STUDENTS.

CONTACT US RYE VITA MAGAZINE Rye St Antony School Pullens Lane Oxford magazine@ryestantony.co,uk www.ryestantony.co.uk

EDITORIAL TABITHA Head Girl, Year 13

WELCOME It is good to see you here

Welcome to the first issue of Rye Vita magazine.

This magazine shares the latest thought provoking essays, explorations, educational insights and school life highlights from students at Rye St Antony School.

In this edition, Niamh's personal drive to educate the public on hidden disabilities, why the month of mission is necessary today and the importance of activism ahead of COP26.

We hope you enjoy this edition.

CORA Graphics, Year 13

LARA Chaplaincy Patrician, Year 13

CONTRIBUTORS Emily– year 12; Olive – year 12; Mikella– year 12, April– year 11, Niamh – year 10, Megan – year 8, Sofia – year 8, Mio– year 7, Asia – year 7, Olivia, Hugo, Martha – year 6 WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE? Email us 3

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CONTENTS 3 UNCOVERING HIDDEN DISABILITIES

16 THE USE OF AI IN ENDING RACIAL BIAS

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I, TOO, HAVE A DREAM: Uncovering Hidden Disabilities

37 AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: JON KRAKAUER

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POLITICS: A CODIFIED CONSTITUTION FOR BRITAIN A DEBATE

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OCTOBER MONTH OF MISSION

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What is the month of mission and why is it important?

PREPARING FOR COP26

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THE POWER OF MUSIC Music, lockdown and the power of song

SPACE WEEK Women in Space...

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HISTORY: CATALINA OF MOTRIL

The Black woman who may have had the answer to one of the English crown's greatest mysteries in Tudor England

Ahead of Glasgow's COP26...

INTO THE WOODS AUDITIONS Lara reports on the latest auditions at Rye 44

REVIEW: INTO THE WILD

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WHAT IF...JAPEN HAD NOT BOMBED PEARL HARBOUR?

Could we use artificial intelligence to end racial bias in policing?

19 THE USE OF AI IN ENDING RACIAL BIAS Could we use artificial intelligence to end racial bias in policing?

Jess reviews Jon Krauker's lauded novel 46

PGL: YEAR 7 AND 8 RESIDENTIAL Megan reports on year 7 and 8 trip 47

PREP SCHOOL CAPTAIN'S SPEECHES The latest news from the school council

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EDUCATION FOCUS: AN EVALUATION OF THE EPQ

Filling the gap in an exam-based curriculum

25 FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK: EMMA RADUCANU: A TURNING POINT FOR GIRLS IN SPORT?

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RYE’S 91ST BIRTHDAY Celebrating 91 years of excellence, resilience and rich history 51

SCHOOL COUNCIL The latest news from the school council

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UNCOVERING HIDDEN DISABILITIES

I TOO HAVE A DREAM Words: Niamh, Year 10 Illustration: Cora, year 13

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

58 years ago, in 1963, Martin Luther King had a dream: to encourage human equality and rights for the People of Colour.

I, too, have a dream. I have a dream that hidden disabilities, such as autism and Tourette’s, are talked about more in today’s society. I have a dream that hidden disabilities appear on the school curriculum by 2030.

I have a dream that more people with hidden disabilities are chosen to present those hourlong documentaries for the BBC. By the end of this article, I hope that more people will be able to support me in my dream so that one day my dream can become a reality.

We are all made with different things that make us who we are. This could be from our skin, eyes, hair and personality. No matter who we are or what we look like, we are all included in different activities in some way. However, some people are told that they can’t join a specific group or do a specific activity because their hidden disability spoils things for others.

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IF YOU EVER SEE A PERSON WITH A SUNFLOWER LANYARD ON LOOKING STRESSED OR UNCOMFORTABLE, OFFER TO HELP THEM AND ASK IF THEY ARE OKAY.

However, some people are told that they can’t join a specific group or do a specific activity because their hidden disability spoils things for others.

The public need to know that it means that the person wearing it might need help. The lanyards are there to let us know that we should look out for that person if we are around them.

Would it be your fault if you naturally had a different hair color to everybody else? Did you dye your hair on purpose?

There is nothing wrong with hidden disabilities.

If you ever see a person with a sunflower lanyard on looking stressed or uncomfortable, offer to help them and ask if they are OK instead of walking past.

People should make everyone feel included, whether it’s working in a company or doing group work in a classroom. People with hidden disabilities should be treated fairly and should never be rejected purely due to who they are.

I would like to point out that not everyone knows the real reason for sunflower lanyards.

So, what are they? No. I am not talking about the mask exemption lanyards. In fact, the sunflower lanyards have been around since 2016.

That is when most of year 10 will have been 9 years old! The lanyards were originally made for Heathrow airport, but they can now be seen in many public spaces. This is why more people need to know about them.

Finally, hidden disabilities aren’t talked about enough in today’s society. How many times have you learned about hidden disabilities in PSHE? How many times have you heard about hidden disabilities in public?

Why have only two people that I know from TV actually been on those hour-long documentaries for the BBC? Hidden disabilities need to be well known. People need to spend some of their free time learning about why hidden disabilities are so important to learn about in our world today.

To conclude, I would like to say a few more things. We are all normal. We aren’t known enough. Few people know the real story.

Remember my dream.

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MOTHER TERESA:

I ALONE CANNOT CHANGE THE WORLD BUT I CAN CAST A STONE ACROSS THE WATERS TO CREATE MANY RIPPLES

World Mission Sunday – the one day in the year when the entire global Church comes together in support of mission – will happen on 24 October 2021. Coordinated by Missio, the Pope’s charity for world mission, World Mission Sunday is an opportunity to support every mission diocese and faith community which are in need of our help.

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INTERVIEW FEATURE

Claire, Year 13 and Chaplaincy & Well-being Patrician interviews our Chaplain Mrs Walsh about Rye in the Month of Mission

What is meant by the ‘Month of

Who is taking part?

Mission’ and who started it?

This year, Mission Sunday falls in the Mission Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of

half term holiday but there are still a

October each year (this year the 24th

variety of ways in which you can be

October). It is a time when the Global

involved. If you have contact with a

catholic family pray for those

Catholic Church, go to Mass and pray

engaging in the Mission of the Church

for those who engage in mission.

around the world, sharing the Good news and caring for those most in

If you are able to, make a financial

need in our world.

contribution through the collection at Mass.

OCTOBER: MONTH OF MISSION What is this year’s focus?

This year’s focus is taken from the Acts of the Apostles: We Cannot Remain Silent: ‘For we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard’ (Acts 4:20). A beautiful passage that speaks of the strong desire to share faith once someone has experienced it.

You talked about Josephine

Even if you do not go to Church, take a moment of reflection on this day to pray for someone engaged in mission.

Read about the work of missionaries on https://Missio.org.uk and perhaps engage in an act of mission yourself: who in your life needs to receive Gods love? Have your eyes open for

Who inspires you most on your

opportunities to demonstrate Gods

mission?

love to someone.

Bakhita in your assembly- where does she fit in?

Josephine Bakhita is a great example of the power of Mission. Someone reached out to her in the depths of

I have a friend who has joined mother Teresa’s order, Missionaries of Charity,

So what’s your story right now?

her name is Sr Jessica. She is an

You’re headed off to do another

inspiration to me as she is preparing to

movie?

put her own comfort and safety second to a life reaching out to those most in

her despair though an act of mission,

I’ve got a bunch of things going on.

need. As a student in school she

she experiences Gods Love for the first

I’m doing a movie called House at the

worked at a local soup kitchen with the

time that then lead her in tern to

End of the Street [with Elisabeth

Sister in Liverpool, this ignited

reach out to others.

Shue and Max Thieriot]. (cont'd on

something in her and after going to

page 33.)

university to students Maths and receiving her PGCE she joined the sister. I speak with her once a year and I am overwhelmed by her courage and heart that over flows with compassion.

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The Power of Music WORDS BY DAISY, YEAR 12

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‘Music’. I can guarantee from that one word, so many different emotions, memories and feelings will be rushing through you, that you probably didn’t even think that you would be able to experience. Music has that impact on people- it is just so powerful and is so important for our daily lives.

When you wake up in the morning, you will probably put on music, to energise yourself and to get yourself ready for what the day has in store, thus putting you in a better mood. Long car journeys would be so different without music and frankly quite boring.

In a recent survey created by the company ‘Openo’ it was revealed that over half of the population (58.5%) of people travel by car purely to listen to music, as they say it makes the time pass faster, and you can immerse yourself into another world, with many different and exciting music genres.

Whilst writing this article, I decided to ask some of my friends the importance of music on their lives and how it helps them. One of my peers said that “music uplifts me when I’m feeling stressed- when I am feeling like that, I blast my favourite tunes, until it makes me feel better”.

Another friend, who writes songs, says that music “empowers me, and I use that power to write songs, it enhances my work”. With music and more specifically writing songs or pieces, you can use different experiences and emotions to enhance your work, therefore when people listen to it, they may feel the same feelings as when you wrote it, but maybe they will experience other emotions, that you weren’t thinking about.

"Music uplifts me when I am feeling stressed-when I am feeling like that, I blast my favourite tunes, until it makes me feel better"

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‘Music is also very important for forming relationships and “connecting with other people”, as another friend says, which is incredibly true, particularly with me, as one of the first things I say to people when I meet them, is whether they like music and what particular genre of music they like.

Another importance for music is how it affects your mental healthanother friend says that music is able to take her away to a “storyland- which I think everyone needs to go to once a while- which is very important to the mental health of people”.

This just goes to show how powerful music is and how much of an impact it has on each of us, no matter what genre we listen to, our ability- we might laugh, cry or get angry, and there is reasoning behind this- there is science behind music. When we listen to music, our brain releases a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine (which is the feel-good chemical), thus putting us in a better mood.

Dopamine is normally released following a reward, such as a delicious meal or getting 100% in an exam that you have been working really hard on. So, when we listen to music, possibly when we are feeling stressed or unhappy, dopamine is released, therefore putting you into that happier frame of mind, and making you feel less stressed.

Music is a drug of happiness- it leaves you craving for more, and when you are in a dark place and want to feel happier, you play music and that will make you, even for just a moment, feel better. This is the opposite for the effect that sad music has- when you listen to sad music, it improves mood regulation and has psychological benefits. It enables the listener to disengage from stressful situations, and focus instead on the beauty of the music.

I have witnessed the power of music first-hand and have seen the impact it has on people, with the charity ‘Soundabout’. Soundabout is an incredible charity that focuses on removing the barriers from someone with a disability having a voice, with a focus of music.

A couple of years ago, I joined the Soundabout Inclusive Choir and I was incredibly nervous beforehandI worried how I would be able to communicate with people who have disabilities, and more importantly, how there would be a balance of inclusion with people who have and don’t have disabilities.

But, as soon as the choir session started and hearing people sing and play their sound maker’s, I was gripped, and it was the most incredible thing in the world. One of the best things was seeing how music affected other choir members, in particular this man called Sam. Sam is a man in his twenties, who has down syndrome, hearing loss and a bit of a stutter and when he first joined in the choir, he was very quiet and kept to himself at the back of the room.

Then, at the next session, he went to the front of the choir and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ so beautifully, with so much power and when he was singing, his stutter almost went entirely, it was amazing! Sam, almost three years later, is now a very proud member of the inclusive choir, is able to hold his harmony in singing and is able to perform almost every session very confidently- and it is incredible to see just how much of an effect music has.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus outbreak caused the inclusive choir and so many other music groups to close and instead move online.

This was hard for Sam and so many other choir members- because although zoom is a great alternative for singing live, it’s not the same as singing live and being able to feel the energy of other people, and it was a bit hard to adjust to at first.

But, surprisingly, the lockdowns did have a great impact for Soundabout- it led to a piece done on the Six o clock BBC News, a Songs of Praise piece and, more significantly, the formation of 11 other choirs all around the UK, meaning that Soundabout have been help even more people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Now, last weekend (9th October), 18 months since lockdown and the choir having to stop and instead move onto zoom, some members of the Oxford Choir met and sang together for the first time in forever and it was incredible.

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‘The energy in the room was insane and seeing everyone in person and not on a tiny zoom screen, was so emotional. As soon as the session started and we began to sing the ‘Hello Song’ (which is what we start every session with), I began to feel like things were back to normal and it was so nice to sing with other people.

During the session, we sang ‘Do-remi’ from the Sound of Music, which was the song that we were working on before the session and it was so nice to hear what other people sounded like, after only being able to hear yourself on zoom. We also worked on the signs in the song, particularly the signs ‘Do re mi’, which come back a lot during the song and everyone looked brilliant doing them.

One of my favourite parts of the session, was hearing people play their instruments, particularly during the extended instrumental in the song. During the instrumental, the choir director encourages people to play their sound makers as loudly or as quietly as possible, which normally, on zoom, she would do by unmuting people, which sometimes had some sound issues.

There was, however, the added problem and that was how it was going to work with the people who didn’t feel it was safe, covid-wise, to come to the rehearsal or (because Soundabout expanded so much throughout the UK) for the people who it was too far to travel to.

So, there had to be a zoom TV screen put in place, in the room that was able to show and hear the choir in the room, the choir director, Ellen, and also the people on Zoom, without any added feedback.

It was a struggle at first, as there were sound issues, but they were resolved, and the session ran so smoothly for both people on zoom and in person. People on zoom also did feel, even though they were online, very much part of the choir and as if they were in the room together, which was a worry beforehand.

'We might laugh, cry or get angry, and there is reasoning behind this - there is science behind music.'

So, the incredible Soundabout Choir really shows how incredible and powerful music is and how it really helps people, no matter what ability or what struggle you have.

But, with it being in person, there was a clean sound and the choir director, Ellen, was able to point to one side of the choir and say, “Only this side of the room play”, which gave everyone the opportunity to properly listen to everyone’s instruments.

There’s also a performance section in the session, where people are invited to perform if they want to and everyone’s performances were amazing- it really felt like normality again, because you were able to hear people clapping and cheering again after the performances, which you weren’t able to hear on zoom.

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CATALINA OF MOTRIL Year 12 Historian, Olive, interviews Mrs Compton on 'Catalina' of Motril 1480s-1530s

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HISTORICAL SPOTLIGHT

‘Catalina’ was born in Motril, Granada, which until 1492 was an autonomous Muslim kingdom. As such, she almost certainly grew up a Muslim and was captured in the Spanish Reconquista of 1492. She must have at least outwardly converted to Catholicism as she was placed in the service of the infanta Catarina - best known to us as Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII (ruled 1509-1545).

Olive: What do records tell us about her life?

Mrs Compton: She appears in records as

Carrying the linen sheets to and from the

Catalina, and has no recorded surname, but

royal bedchamber, Catalina was in a unique

may have chosen this first name in line with

position to know whether Catherine and

the tradition of being named after her

Arthur’s marriage was consummated before

mistress. The nature of her capture would

his death- an issue that was to divide the

have made her a slave in Spain, but due to

scholars of Europe in the years to come.

slavery being illegal at this time in England,

The marriage was short-lived, and Arthur

her arrival would have ended this, and made

died only six months later from the

her a close personal servant of the Princess.

sweating sickness in 1502.

The nature of her employment with Catherine would be to make the royal bed,

Why did Catherine marry her husband’s

as well as to attend to other matters of an

brother? Was that allowed?

intimate nature.

Yes, it’s strange but true! All that was needed was a Papal Dispensation to allow

Records tell us that Catalina ‘the royal

Catherine to marry Henry VIII- this was

bedmaker’ set sail from Spain to England

based on the bible verse in Deuteronomy

with her mistress who was pledged to marry

saying that it was a good thing to take your

the elder son of Henry VII, Prince Arthur,

brother’s wife if he had died childless, as the

amidst a retinue of approximately 60. The

new husband would be able to provide for

Princess Catherine and her attendants

his widow and therefore continue to help

caused quite a stir as they entered London,

his brother, after his death.

each wearing a ‘busteous and marvellous’ hooped gown. As one of two Black women

Why would knowledge of Catherine and

travelling with Catherine, we know Catalina

Arthur’s marriage be so significant later?

was in a Grenadan dress and ‘barefoot’

By 1527, desperate for a male heir, and in

according to Thomas More who wrote about

love with Catherine’s lady in waiting, Anne

it at the time, a sight that would have

Boleyn, Henry VIII sought an annulment

staggered Londoners.

from Catherine on the grounds that her marriage to his brother, Arthur, invalidated

What was Catalina’s role and why do you

their 18-year union.

think she’s significant?

On Catherine’s first marriage, Catalina travelled with the royal couple to Ludlow Castle in Shropshire.

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Catherine insisted her first marriage had never been consummated. The Pope prevaricated on Henry’s ‘Great Matter’ and Cardinal Wolsey convened a court, asking scholars from the great universities of Europe to decide which verse of canon law should prevail: Leviticus or Deuteronomy?

Why was Catalina’s service relevant?

This debate would be moot if the issue of Catherine of Aragon’s virginity could be proved. Catalina’s first-hand knowledge of the princess’s bedsheets became a matter of national importance and records show that she was requested to testify about the consequent state of the King’s marriage, and it was believed, soul.

Did she end up giving evidence?

But by this point Catalina had left Catherine’s service and had married a Moorish crossbow-maker called Oviedo in Ezcaray, northern Spain, with whom she had two daughters. Upon his death in 1531, Catalina moved back to her hometown of Motril. It is unclear whether she gave testimony in the case of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon’s marriage- none has been recovered-, however it is unlikely that she did.

It is unlikely that Catherine of Aragon’s nephew would have allowed the questioning of his aunt’s word to occur in England, so far outside of his jurisdiction- as a resident of Motril Catalina was once again under Spanish rule. Perhaps she feared for the safety of herself and her family given that her knowledge would anger either the King of England, or that of Spain, but Catalina disappears from the records in the exact years that Henry’s Great Matter was in the minds of everyone in Europe.

If you could ask her one question what would it be?

I don’t know! I have a few. If I could, I would ask: Did she know the answer to Henry’s questions? Was she chased down by the English, or Spanish, crown because she knew too much: What happened to her?

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WHAT IF … JAPAN HAD NEVER BOMBED PEARL HARBOUR?

WORDS: CLAIRE, YEAR 13

On December 7th 1941, 353 planes of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbour in Oahu, Hawaii, with the intention of destroying as much of the US Pacific Fleet as possible.

They destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 American planes as well as killing 2403 soldiers, sailors, and civilians and wounding about 1000 others. The result was that America, a nation divided between those who wanted to join the war and those who wanted to remain isolationist, scarred by the memory of World War I, was propelled into the thick of World War II, joining just four days after the attack on Pearl Harbour.

Over the course of the war, the US federal government would spend $350 billion dollars, which was twice as much as it had spent in total for the entire history of the U.S. government up to that point.

But what if Pearl Harbour had never been bombed?

Some argue that America would have joined the war anyway, though later, so the timeline of events would have been different, which could have also resulted in a different outcome. It is also possible that America would never have entered the war but would simply have continued to quietly support Britain via Atlantic convoys.

Some argue that America would have joined the war anyway, though later, so the timeline of events would have been different, which could have also resulted in a different outcome. It is also possible that America would never have entered the war but would simply have continued to quietly support Britain via Atlantic convoys.

Though it is impossible to imagine exactly what would have happened in this scenario, had it resulted in the United States remaining isolationist it could certainly be argued that the allies could not have won the war in 1945.

If America had not joined World War II, it is likely that the situation in Asia would have played out very differently.

Japan had been trying to extend its empire by invading East Asia, including Manchuria and Korea, as well as formerly French, British, and Dutch territories, and was also embroiled in a bitter war in China. Japan had huge success in these wars, holding territories such as what is now Indonesia and Malaysia, Burma, and a sizeable chunk of China.

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It is likely that, without US intervention, Japan would never have been pushed out of these territories, resulting in, perhaps, a lasting Japanese empire in Asia. This could have meant that China would not have been the country it is today, but rather might have continued to exist under the shadow of Japanese rule, which could also have meant that Mao’s so-called ‘Cultural Revolution’ would not taken place.

A second question is: Without America, could Germany have been defeated in Europe? In his memoirs, Churchill describes his utter relief at learning that America had decided to join the war after Pearl Harbour, in 1941: ‘Now at this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death.

So we had won after all!’ From this, England had evidently previously been unsure of its chances of victory, and that the entrance of the US was seen as a crucial turning point. If America had never entered the war, England would have been outnumbered in a sea of Nazi-occupied countries in Europe.

Without the Americans, it is likely that D-day (when allied powers united to begin to fight for the liberation of France from German occupation) would never have happened, and it is possible that later in the war, Britain would have succumbed to German invasion.

If this had happened, and the war had not ended when it did, the Holocaust could have been carried out to completion everywhere under German occupation.

Additionally, the German military presence would have had less need to have been committed to Western Europe, so could have diverted its force to the defeat of the Soviet Union.

Pearl Harbour has been called an act of ‘strategic imbecility’ by historians: by precipitating America’s entry into the war it had the unplanned effect of ensuring the defeat of Japan and Germany in the war.

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WORDS: APRIL, YEAR 13

Potentially the most infamous case of racially-

It’s no wonder that in 2019, 54% of those who

motivated police brutality, George Floyd, a 46-year-

died due to police brutality were identified as

old Black man was murdered during an arrest after

BAME, despite the fact that they only made up

a store-clerk accused him of using a counterfeit

approximately 39.7% of the population according

$20 bill.

to the 2019 US Census Bureau. Demonstrably, the decisions made by police officers in the heat of

By kneeling on his neck and back for almost 10

the moment are influenced to a large degree by

minutes Derek Chauvin, the police officer involved,

racial biases that have discriminated against

condemned Floyd to the same fate as thousands of

ethnic minorities; a phenomenon exemplified

other Black people, who are up to six times more

throughout global history but only emphasised by

likely to be killed by police in the US; the differences

the media in recent years.

being most stark in deprived, urban areas such as in Chicago and New York.

Attempts at gradual reform have thus far been ineffective, as evidenced by the Minnesota Police

Stephon Clark, aged 22, was shot more than 20 times

Department’s failed agenda which designated

in 2018 by officers who claimed to believe that Clark

$193 million to various reform policies and

was holding a gun. He was only holding a mobile

training. Ultimately, the presence of implicit

phone. In the same year, Botham Jean, aged 26, was

racial bias in human nature could lead one to

shot while eating ice-cream in his own home, by an

argue that the judicial system can never be

off-duty officer who testified that she thought it was

completely free from racial discrimination, since

her apartment and that he was an intruder.

preventative measures such as unconscious bias training can only reduce this risk rather than

Atatiana Jefferson, aged 28, faced a similar situation a

eliminate it completely; this is especially

year later when she too was shot in her own home

pertinent to policing, a career in which the

through a window by a police officer responding to a

individual is frequently faced with quick, high-

call from her neighbour, who reported that her front

stakes decisions in which racial biases and

door had been left open.

instincts can overpower rational thought.

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affiliations retain the errors of human prejudices, causing them to be further engrained into the judicial system. Additionally, a similar report found that PredPol, a program for police departments that predicts where future crime hotspots may emerge, gets stuck in a feedback loop of over-policing neighbourhoods where the majority of the population are Black.

This “artificial” strain of racial bias is especially dangerous as it both informs decisions which may injure or even kill ethnic minorities and protects the humans who make these decisions, who could be absolved of responsibility for such incidents on the grounds that they were acting in accordance with the algorithm. The tenets of machine learning involve computers using data from human speech and decisions to synthesise the patterns that then inform their operations; if implemented poorly, artificial intelligence could harm black communities rather than strengthening them.

So, what if we could program an impartial machine to make these decisions for us?

This approach unfortunately isn’t as unprejudiced as it seems. As Shannon Vallor, a computational ethicist at Edinburgh University puts it, “There are no independent machine values. Machine values are human values.” In May 2016, it was discovered that a computer program used by a US court for risk assessment was biased against Black defendants, labelling them as likely to reoffend at almost twice the rate of White people, according to the investigative journalism publication ProPublica.

The data used by these computational reports; arrest records, income, postcodes and social

This doesn’t mean that there is no room for artificial intelligence in judicial decisions impeded by racial discrimination. With sufficient preparation that involves multi-stakeholder dialog, regular monitoring and ethical, datainformed standards, AI could automate the processes in law enforcement that are most susceptible to unconscious bias.

For example, when neuroscientist Riham Satti conducted computational linguistic research into how recruiters focus on demographic details when deciding who to hire, his eyetracking technology found candidates’ names and where and what they studied.

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Since a candidate’s name reveals little by itself, the

and departments to diminish the culture of

most probable explanation is that the recruiters

immunity and incentivise officials to be proactive

infer facts about the candidate’s race from their

in ensuring that their interactions are equally

name. There are 140 types of cognitive bias that

respectful across ethnic groups.

affect human decision making, and it is nearimpossible for the brain to avoid all of them, especially in situations such as law enforcement

Another robot being engineered by Cindy Bethel,

where the officer is reliant to some extent on their

director of the Social, Therapeutic and Robotic

instincts and reflexes.

Systems Lab at Mississippi State University for law enforcement purposes is equipped with

This model could be adapted to automate policing

night-vision cameras, which would allow officers

decisions; indeed, a Stanford researcher, Sharad

to scope out a room before they enter it. As

Goel, concluded that when an algorithm controlled

Bethel posits, “Everyone is safer when there isn’t

for demographic information in written police

the element of surprise, when police have time to

reports that implied someone’s race, the verdict

think.”

given by the officers interviewed was more indicative of the US’s racial distribution than when

Her truism echoes the aforementioned primary

these details were left in.

research in its premise that with less time to think calmly and rationally, police officers (and all

Another study conducted by Dan Jurafsky and

humans) are more susceptible to subconscious

Jennifer Eberhardt used AI to analyse the language

judgments influenced by cognitive racial biases,

used by police officers in different encounters

therefore leading to a more contentious

revealed that officers spoke to black people with

encounter. Another of Bethel’s projects develops

significantly less respect than they gave to

this premise further through the use of small,

White people.

humanlike robots to interview children who have been abused, sexually assaulted, trafficked or

By implementing these measures, the judicial

otherwise traumatised.

system could both prevent officers from making unconscious judgments from someone’s race and evaluate the effectiveness of such policies on police interactions with BAME individuals, facilitating higher accountability and sanctions for police officers who showed racist tendencies.

Although national statistics already indicate the significant extent to which the judicial system discriminates against ethnic minorities, by focusing

'There are 140 types of cognitive bias that affect human decision making...'

on individual officers, the legal authorities could decentralise the monitoring of police standards, in line with racial biases to local authorities 21

to identify these biases before they act on their judgment, or that could affect the social and behavioural evidence provided in interviews- a phenomenon that disproportionately impacts ethnic minorities.

However, the effect that such technology may have is far from negligible, and with proper implementation, streamlining and monitoring, artificial intelligence could become instrumental in enforcing a more equal justice system. An equally important component of this lies in programming these machines so that their algorithms do not entrench preexisting ethnic inequalities into their mechanisms and therefore do not sustain the Her recent study of approximately 250 children or adolescents who had been traumatised were willing to disclose information to a robot that they weren’t willing to disclose to an adult. This kind of technology could yield more informative, less painful interviews to aid investigations.

These robots could also be implemented within the judicial system to eliminate the social and behavioural variables that may impact the accuracy and objectivity of the interview, as the robot could not affect the interview through its body language, facial expressions and other similar factors, all of which have been proven to be amplified when interviewing BAME individuals.

Evidently, the role of artificial intelligence in law enforcement is currently constrained to controlling the variables that could either invoke unconscious racial bias in police officers and incentivise them to be proactive in thinking rationally and methodically

current racial heterogeneity within the judicial system.

Though we are unlikely to see robots completely taking over the responsibility of police officers and making decisions independent of human input in the near future, this is not to say that artificial intelligence will not be instrumental in putting police reforms into effect and monitoring their operation and effectiveness, which remains one of the biggest challenges in legal praxis.

As the UK celebrates Black History Month this October, it is crucial that we not only commemorate the systematic oppression and discrimination faced by Black people in the past, but also acknowledge how these structural barriers continue to affect black communities in 2021 and use the empirical evidence from this history to inform how we initiate the change that will remove these barriers in the future.

Words: April, Year 13

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Education Focus April, Year 11, completed an EPQ whilst completing her GCSE studies. Her chosen question was: why was the most educated demographic less likely to vote far-right in the 2016 US election but more likely to vote far-right in the 2018 Brazilian election? In this article she evaluates the skills that she has learnt from completing this project.

The EPQ: filling in the gaps of an examination-based curriculum For the majority of GCSE courses, the 2017 UK education reforms meant that coursework was almost eliminated from the specification, with ministers arguing that the system was open to abuse and was therefore an unrealistic reflection of the pupil’s true ability. Yet this could not be further from my experience of taking the Extended Project Qualification, a completely independent assessment normally taken by A-Level students, alongside my GCSEs. The nature of the EPQ is such that it develops a completely different skillset to those you use in your GCSE lessons. While most commonly described by its benefits for the time-management skills and independence that you gain from working alone with only periodical meetings with your supervisor, I found the academic research skills I developed significantly more valuable. For one, the depth of research required for an EPQ gives you critical analysis skills that are vital for the modern knowledge economy.

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In the era of digitalisation, information that is

By establishing a clear line of argument and

ostensibly factual can be extremely damaging

justifying my conceptual approach and

to our institutional and democratic welfare.

methodology, the EPQ also allowed me to

The ability not only to distinguish pure fact

evaluate how I had contributed to the

from opinion but to identify where a skewed

literature surrounding my topic, what the

version of events is being told and to analyse

weaknesses of my research were and how

weaknesses in someone’s argument is very

future studies into the subject area ought to

rarely touched upon at GCSE; mostly content

proceed, making my research more

is taught as black-and-white, and

significantly more relevant.

undisputed, despite the academic reality that not all scholars agree and that theories are constantly evolving in light of new evidence and sociocultural perspectives.

THROUGH ITS DETAILED AND INDEPENDENT NATURE, THE EPQ DEVELOPS SKILLS THAT AREN'T DEVELOPED IN GCSE COURSES...

By researching the origins, factual basis and

These skills are all entirely necessary the

methods used for academic theories relevant

standard of debate for A-Level, university and

to my topic, I developed key skills in

employment, yet these skills are not at all

questioning and analysing source material to

touched upon in the GCSE curriculum, which

the extent that it made my research more

instead focuses on our ability to use

objective. In conjunction, the experience of

prescriptive, almost-robotic answer

drafting an essay of over 5,000 words made

structures and memorise large swaths of

me consider writing structure more logically-

information, which are in many cases less

with so much content to work with, I

indicative of our true cognitive ability and

frequently fell into the trap of including every

potential, especially in subjects such as the

single detail that I could justify as being

humanities that are founded on the aim of

relevant to my wider topic as opposed to

drawing causal inferences and interpretations

constructing a cohesive line of argument

about current issues and yet require arbitrary,

pertaining to my specific question when first

generalised responses that do not answer the

drafting my thesis.

problem given.

Through its detailed and independent nature, the EPQ develops skills that aren’t developed in GCSE courses, but that are nonetheless essential for the future.

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25

WORDS: EMILY, YEAR 13

FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK IS EMMA RADUCANU A TURNING POINT FOR WOMEN IN SPORT?

It’s fair to say that the majority of us are

Winning 10 matches in a row, three in qualifying, seven

drilled with the details of Emma Raducanu’s

in the main draw, all without dropping a set.

momentous US Open win. At just 18 she became the first qualifier to win a major tournament, not to mention, she was sitting in an exams hall taking her A-levels just months before.

While we could endlessly talk about the extraordinary win and the journey she took to get there, the story created outside the court is the story that can help shape change for girls in sport.

The emphasis of social media and celebrity is often on external beauty, seen by how often female athletes are sexualised and subjected to judgment based off their looks. Emma Raducanu bought a new dimension to this.

The Women’s Sport Foundation listed ‘Lack of positive role models’ as a factor influencing girls’ participation in sport. Emma proves to all young girls, that education and sporting success, at the highest level, can go hand in hand. Success at this level not only inspires other girls to reach high, but also encourages deeper investment into sports, increasing accessibility all the way from grassroots to elite level.

Aiding investment can only make a further positive impact, providing more access for young girls who want to progress in sport. Emma’s story is now an example of a young girl who can be a champion in and out of school. The US Open not only increased accessibility to role models for young girls, but increased visibility for woman in sport.

While enduring a public setback, which some deemed as a failure, she demonstrated resilience and strength, both mentally and physically, leading her to achieve what many thought as the impossible.

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"...WHEN OTHERS USE THE WORD ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ IT ONLY DESCRIBES WHAT THEY BELIEVE AS THE UNTHINKABLE, NOT

WORDS: EMILY, YEAR 13

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE OURSELVES."

The final totalled a staggering 9.2 million watchers, outperforming Wimbledon 2021, with the peak viewership for this year’s tournament being 7.9 million.

More and more girls watched their televisions, seeing two, fierce young women playing in a highly pressurised match and think, ‘that is not beyond me.’

The fairy-tale of New York,” is now a fairy-tale that young girls can see as a realistic dream to aspire to.

Emma Raducanu’s story proves once again that when others use the word ‘impossible’ it only describes what they believe as the unthinkable, not what we can achieve ourselves.

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WORDS: OLIVE AND MIKELLA

DEBATE

SHOULD THE UK ADOPT A CODIFIED CONSTITUTION? Without a single authoritative document, the UK remains one of just three nations globally without a codified constitution. Instead of this, the UK’s constitution is drawn from multiple sources such as statute law, common law, conventions, and authoritative opinions. This means it has evolved over centuries with its basis formed in documents such as Magna Carta (1215).

OLIVE: IN FAVOUR OF CODIFICATION

It is argued that codifying the constitution would provide greater clarity. With multiple sources, it is almost impossible for the average person to understand what the constitution says without studying it in depth, especially with unwritten parts, like conventions.

This evolution has been possible because uncodified constitutions allow flexibility,

As Vernon Bogdanor has remarked it is ‘the

meaning that as society changes, the

understandings are not always understood.’

constitution can change and adapt to reflect

Removing the vagueness of custom and tradition

the society it serves. The argument for and

would represent a desirable modernisation of the

against codification has existed for years, with

political process. Our political process has evolved

valid arguments on both sides. In a debate where tradition comes up against the ability to evolve and parliamentary sovereignty is brought into question, it is unsurprising that the debate over whether or not the UK should

immensely since its development during the medieval period: a time of extreme social and legal inequality.

Our membership and exit of the EU, devolution, and the introduction of the UK Supreme Court changed

adopt a codified constitution is one which

the legal processes of Britain forever, and its

continues to divide people across Britain.

modernisation should not, it is argued, stop before it is clear to the public what is and isn’t constitutional.

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DEBATE

It can be argued that this lack of clarity which is

This is when power concentrates in the hands of

currently the case in Britain places us at risk of a

the executive and Parliament’s agenda is

constitutional crisis. 1909 saw a constitutional

dominated by the government of the day.

crisis following the rejection by the House of

Whilst some see this as beneficial, arguing that

Lords of the Liberal government’s ‘People’s

it allows for effective government and for

Budget.’ The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949

parties to follow through on manifesto promises

which followed limited the power of the House

(people expect the promises they voted for to

of Lords. It was convention that the House of

be enacted) some argue, by removing the

Commons, as the elected body, had dominance

possibility for executive dominance, you would

over the House of Lords, but this was not legally

remove the ability the people hold to ensure

binding as though convention is a source of the

that they are receiving what they voted for.

constitution, it was not law.

Furthermore, it is argued that by softening the Once the acts were passed, it became statute

power of a majority and by removing the

law and therefore became legally binding. A

dominance they have in parliament, it would

more recent example is the proroguing of

become more difficult for governments to

Parliament in 2019 by Boris Johnson, which was

govern effectively. The Parliament Acts of 1911

overturned by a unanimous vote of the UK

and 1949 changed the constitutional power of

Supreme Court. It is also convention that the

the House of Lords’ absolute veto to a

monarch gives royal assent to all acts of

suspensive veto.

parliament, if the queen refused, a constitutional crisis could occur.

If a bill has been passed by the Commons and rejected by the Lords in twice, a third

This would cause parliament’s attention to be

introduction of the bill will require only the

diverted to the crisis when it could be

consent of the Commons. The bill will then go

discussing other matters such as COVID

for Royal Assent, which will be granted by

recovery, Education, or the Environment.

convention, and will become law, regardless of

Codifying the constitution could prevent this.

the beliefs of the Lords. The acts made the

Another argument in favour of codification is

House of Commons the dominant component

the prevention of executive dominance.

of Parliament meaning that the government of the day- who control Parliament to varying

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DEBATE

degrees depending on whether they have a

In Germany, the first 20 articles of the

majority- have legislative power concentrated in

constitution cannot be amended at all, and they

their hands. One proposed solution to this is the

provide the basic rights of the citizen and the

introduction of a proportional representation

government. Whereas in Britain, our human

system, whilst others believe it could be solved

rights are protected in the Human Rights Act of

by codifying the constitution, and some argue

1998 and through the European Convention on

proportional representation should be

Human Rights (ECHR). However, any

incorporated into a codified constitution.

Government with a majority in Parliament would have the power to repeal the Human

Charter 88 was a pressure group -later merged

Rights Act and opt out of the ECHR.

with the New Politics Network to form Unlock

The Conservative government announced plans

Democracy, a newer group who also campaign

to “opt out” of parts of the ECHR in order to

for codification- that argued that a codified

speed up deportations of asylum seekers and

constitution with checks and balances is also

protect British troops serving overseas from

essential to solving the problem of executive

legal action in September 2020. Dominic Raab,

dominance.

who was appointed Justice Secretary in Johnson’s latest cabinet reshuffle has regularly

Finally, some argue in favour of codification

expressed his dislike for the Human Rights Act,

because they feel that the current, uncodified,

calling it “feckless” and “undemocratic”.

constitution provides a weak protection of rights. Many nations’ constitutions entrench

He supports a proposal which has been raised

human rights, meaning that their citizens’ rights

by successive Conservative governments in the

are constitutionally protected, not left

past decade to introduce a ‘Bill of Rights.’ In

vulnerable to the flexibility of statute law.

2018, Amnesty International said that the Bill of

Without entrenchment, some argue that

Rights would be less protective than the current

human rights have a more precarious status in

Human Rights Act and in 2020, published an

Britain. Hypothetically it could take a majority of

article entitled, ‘Eight reasons why the Human

just one to amend or rescind human rights

Rights Act makes the UK a better place.’

legislation. Only a codified constitution, like that of Germany for example, could provide a

It explained multiple benefits of the act,

guarantee against that.

including that the Act makes ‘never again’ (a reference to the atrocities committed in the two

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DEBATE

world wars) more realistic; ensures that all

MIKELLA: AGAINST CODIFICATION

people, including those who are vulnerable are treated equally by public authorities; protects

An argument in favour of keeping Britain’s

women from domestic violence, and makes it

uncodified constitution is that the current,

safer to be LBGTQ+. If these rights were

uncodified, constitution is flexible and

entrenched in the constitution it would be

adaptable for various situations. Codified

harder for any parliament to vote away human

constitutions, such as in the USA, are much

rights.

more rigid and not as adaptable. Currently, with an uncodified constitution, British parliament has the power to amend the constitution through statute law so the constitution continually modifies its institutions, democratises its processes and protects the rights of its citizens.

In the USA, change to their codified constitution from 1789 – a very different time from nowrequires the support of two thirds of congress, or three quarters of the 50 states. This means that even when one party has a majority in the legislature, they will not necessarily have the power to amend the constitution created by men who reflect a very different society than America today. This has made it difficult for amendments such as the Equal Rights Amendment, first introduced in the 1970s to be placed into the constitution, even when the Democrats, campaigning with this promise, have been in power. Therefore because the uncodified British constitution is so flexible, it can evolve and change as society evolves and changes and we are able to escape the limitations of a codified constitution, avoiding 32

DEBATE

amendments which a government would

The current uncodified constitution has been

support from being kept out of the constitution.

able to be changed according to changes in the

Because the constitution is uncodified, it can be

British democracy since the Great Reform Act of

amended in line with the will of the people.

1832. The principle of Parliamentary sovereignty means that parliament can legislate on any

If the people voted in a government which

subject of it’s choosing, but with a codified

supported a different electoral system, such as a

constitution, the constitution would, as the

proportional representation system, this could

authoritative document, be able to bind

be changed through merely passing an act. If

parliament in this case, going against the core

the current First-Past-The-Post system was

principle of parliamentary sovereignty at the

entrenched in the constitution, it would be

heart of British democracy.

much harder to change. The House of Commons is elected, meaning there has been a

Furthermore, it is argued that the current

continuous link to democratic principles since

system allows for effective government.

the electoral reforms of the 19th Century.

Because the House of Commons is the dominant chamber, the government of the day

1909 saw a constitutional crisis following a

has power to make whatever changes they

rejection of the Liberal government’s ‘People’s

would like to if they have a majority; this is

Budget’ by the House of Lords. In response, the

executive dominance. If the constitution was

Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 were passed,

amended to reduce executive dominance, it is

limiting the power of the unelected second

argued that governments would not be able to

chamber so that the will of the people was

govern as effectively, preventing them from

always prioritised. This may not have been

passing manifesto promises, and reducing

possible with a codified constitution created in

accountability for voters.

a society where only 60% of men could vote.

Under the current system, if a government fails Additionally, it is argued that codifying the

to follow through on manifesto promises, they

British constitution would undermine

can be scrutinised fairly effectively. It would be

parliamentary sovereignty and prevent

harder to tell whether it was the fault of the

effective government.

party or of the opposition if executive dominance was reduced. For example, in 2019, the Conservatives specifically ruled out against

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WORDS: OLIVE AND MIKELLA

DEBATE

tax rises, however, an increase in national

I believe that the introduction of a proportional

insurance has since occurred and this has

representation electoral system, within a

allowed voters to make a decision based on

codified constitution, or a codified constitution

clear evidence over whether this was important

which has appropriate checks and balances, as

enough to change how they will vote in future.

proposed by Charter 88, to prevent elective dictatorship is important to ensure that

MIKELLA WROTE AGAINST ADOPTING A CODIFIED CONSTITUTION, AND CONCLUDES:

parliament represents the people. This would increase vote value, and I think ultimately reengage many in politics.

I believe that the UK should not adopt a

codified constitution. In my opinion I believe

Finally, I think it is vital that we strengthen the

that an uncodified constitution is the best for

protection of human rights in Britain. Through

modern day because times are changing and

endless political turmoil, I believe that human

it’s evolving with society. The uncodified

rights should be protected regardless of who is

constitution is the most adaptable to these

in government. Recent months have seen

ever-changing times and it’s the best suited.

attempts to curb the right to peaceful protest,

Remaining uncodified is the best decision and

within the Conservatives’ new Police, Crime,

it makes more sense, if to change to codified it

Sentencing and Courts Bill, something which

will be much more difficult to pass Acts and it is

Amnesty International have petitioned against.

too rigid for modern day.

It is time to entrench them in a codified constitution, making it more difficult for OLIVE WROTE IN FAVOUR OF ADOPTING A CODIFIED CONSTITUTION, AND CONCLUDES:

parliaments to vote them away. No Parliament should have the power to vote away fundamental human rights, as outlined in the

While I recognise the benefits of a constitution

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As we

that has the ability to evolve with society,

enter a new age of post-Brexit Britain, I believe

support parliamentary sovereignty and allow for

that now is the time to codify the constitution.

effective government, I believe that an uncodified constitution is unfit for Britain today.

As participation in politics wavers, I believe that now is the time to provide people with clarity over the constitution so as to reduce confusion.

With some sources, like conventions, being unwritten, greater clarity is needed to make it clear to the people what is and isn’t constitutional.

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AHEAD OF COP26 GLASGOW...

CLIMATE CHANGE COP26 – WHAT IS IT? WHY DOES IT MATTER? WHAT CAN YOU DO? RYE'S CLIMATE CHANGE AMBASSADOR, OLIVE YEAR 13 INVESTIGATES

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

COP26 (the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties) is taking place in Glasgow between the 31st of October and the 12th of November.

It is a summit which will bring world leaders together ‘to accelerate action’ across the globe towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change). The Paris Agreement was a milestone in the fight for climate justice.

It was agreed at COP21 in 2015 and was the first time in history that almost every nation entered a legally binding commitment to reduce emissions. The agreement aimed to keep warming below above pre-industrial levels to 2C, with the ideal being below 1.5C. The 2018 IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) special report on Global Warming of 1.5°C demonstrated how detrimental it would be to exceed 1.5°C of warming.

N O M A D I3 C 5 | 2 4

'It is vital that you take action, no matter how insignificant or small you think it is. Now is the time to stand up and tell world leaders that we want action. We are running out of time.'

It is predicted that sea level rise is projected to be 0.1 metres lower with 1.5°C compared to 2°C,loss of ecosystems and species loss are projected to be lower at 1.5°C than 2°C and if we can limit warming to 1.5°C, the increased in ocean temperature and acidity are projected to be less than if warming reaches 2°C. The Paris Agreement also set out goals on adaptation and finance.

The agreement recognised that many people are already experiencing the impacts of the crisis, and that financial and technical support would be required.

The parties which participate in the conferences are the signatories of the UNFCCC which was a 1994 treaty which had 196 parties and the EU sign it.

The event is split into two zones, the Blue Zone, and the Green Zone.

COP 26 matters because we are at a tipping point. If action is not taken to cut emissions to at least half by 2030, we will set off an irreversible chain reaction of events. Cutting emissions by half by 2030 would give us a 50/50 chance of avoiding the irreversible chain reaction of events beyond human control.

In the words of Greta Thunberg, ‘a 50% risk is simply not acceptable to us – we who have to live with the consequences.’ It is clear we must do better. If we do not, climate disasters like wildfires in Australia, flooding in Bangladesh and drought in Kenya will become all the more common.

Millions of people will be displaced due to these events, becoming climate refugees. Many people still believe that warming of up to 2°C will not be a problem.

The truth is the opposite.

If global warming reached 2°C, almost all warm water coral reefs would be destroyed, ice cover in the Arctic would disappear and loss of ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic could be triggered, leading to several metres of sea level rise.

These events would have devastating impacts on ecosystems and the communities they support.

The MAPA (most affected people and areas) tend to be low-income communities and areas that are already tackling extreme poverty.

Indigenous communities and those living in poverty tend to be those least responsible for the crisis but will be those who suffer the most as a result of it.

An average UK citizen emits the same amount of carbon dioxide in 5 days as the average Rwandan citizen emits in a year.

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'In a world of 7.7 billion people, it is hardly surprising that many of us feel powerless in the face of a global crisis. But we are not powerless, no one is powerless.'

Those responsible will be among the last to suffer.

You cannot separate the issues that will arise as a result of the climate crisis from the economic divide between the global north and the global south.

The crisis is caused by much of the global north, and its consequences will hit much of the global south.

Vulnerable communities will experience the results of our action. It is a privilege that we can ignore the crisis, that we are fighting for our futures, not for the present.

When I think about the crisis, I think about my adulthood, I think about my future children. It is a privilege to be able do that.

And we must use our privilege to fight for those for whom the crisis is their current reality. It is our moral responsibility.

The most common question I am asked is ‘what can I do?’

In a world of 7.7 billion people, it is hardly surprising that many of us feel powerless in the face of a global crisis. But we are not powerless, no one is powerless. The millions of youth climate strikers across the world have demonstrated that no one is powerless.

Every voice, every action, every change matters. We live in a country where we have the right to protest, to express our views and to speak out against injustice.

We are free to vote for a party that we want to vote for and can demand change when we want it.

And we must do that if we are to protect the world’s most vulnerable communities, to protect our futures, and to ensure that we do not destroy our planet.

There is much that we, as individuals, can do to combat the climate crisis.

In my eyes, there are two channels of action; there is individual action and national and international action.

Individual action, such as using public transport, switching to an electric car when you need a new car, cutting down or cutting out meat consumption or switching energy provider to one which only uses renewables is vital to the global effort to tackle the crisis.

Perhaps your action for COP26 will be to make a change in your own life to cut your own emissions. It doesn’t have to be perfect; you don’t have to never drive again or never eat meat again, but it does need to be change. Because if we continue along the current trajectory, we will destroy our shared home. Education is also vital. We must prepare future generations for the climate crisis.

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"One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world."

Malala Yousafzai

We must ensure that everyone understands the climate crisis and its implications in order to tackle it.

Talk to your children about the crisis, read articles, buy books, watch documentaries with your family. You could establish an education program within your local community, or at your school or your child’s school or follow Teach the Future on social media.

Conversation is key.

If people don’t understand the crisis, it is unreasonable to expect them to act to tackle it. A global conversation is needed, looking at the intersections between marginalised identities and the climate crisis, looking at solutions and raising awareness.

Every action is important, every conversation can accelerate change.

It is vital to get action and conversations started in schools, as Malala Yousafzai said, ‘One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.’ We must ensure that we are learning about the crisis so that we are prepared to tackle it Then there is national and international action. This is action by the government and by governments across the world, in collaboration with each other. This is legislation to reduce and end the use of fossil fuels, putting significant investment into renewable energy sources, subsidising public transport and electric cars, criminalising ecocide, and cooperating with other nations to cut emissions, sharing technology and resources.

A combination of the two types of action is needed and we, as individuals and as communities, have power over both. However, individual action alone will

not solve the crisis and we must not let governments influence us into thinking so. In 2017, The Carbon Majors Report was released.

It showed that since 1988, just 100 companies have been the source of more than 70% of the world’s emissions. Only legal action will cause companies to stop prioritising short term profit over the planet.

That is why since 2019 I have been attending climate strikes in Oxford. They have been invaluable in teaching me about the climate crisis.

I have heard Members of Parliament, leading climate scientists, major climate activists like Howey Ou, and other youth strikers, talk about the crisis and why it matters.

I would encourage everyone to attend at least one climate event during COP26. The Global Day of Action for COP26 will be Saturday the 6th of November, halfway through the conference.

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A series of grassroots-organised events will take place on the day and there will be events taking place in many neighbourhoods in Oxford, joining together in the centre of the city.

There will be actions across the UK and if nothing is happening near you, consider travelling to a larger event or organise your own. It is important for as many people as possible to get involved to demonstrate to the government that we, the people, want action.

Write to your MP, visit theyworkforyou.com to find out who your MP is and how they have voted on climate issues. Sign a petition, follow a climate organisation on social media, spend time thinking about your power as a citizen and as a voter.

It is vital that you take action, no matter how insignificant or small you think it is. Now is the time to stand up and tell world leaders that we want action. We are running out of time.

'Spend time thinking about your power as a citizen and as a voter. ' 39

NOW

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SPACE WEEK: WOMEN IN SPACE Report By Sofia, Mio and Asia

"Dreams don't show up on government surveys or school league tables, but they are the fuel that makes us want to get up and get on."

Maggie Aderin-Pocock | june 2014

For the assembly on Wednesday 6th October we spoke about Space Week- which ran from 4-10th October- and the theme this year’s Space Week was Women in Space. During that week we celebrated the contribution of women to this amazing mission.

Ms Pillay-Sayers’ Physics lab is named after a remarkable young woman. Mae Jemison is an astronaut in the USA and in September 1992, she became the first Black woman to visit space. She went on the shuttle called Endeavour. She is now 64 years old, but still likes to dance.

We believe that we should seek out every opportunity to raise our own awareness and embrace and race the profile of our abilities as young women.

Not only is it Space Week, it is also Black History Month where we celebrate the achievements of Black people throughout History. Being the first Black woman in space was an incredible achievement and encourages us all to aim high.

Just like St Josephine Bakita and Mae Jemison did not give up their dream of being what they wanted to be, we shouldn’t either, whatever your dream is.

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'Into The Woods' Auditions Review Words: Lara, Year 13

There is much excitement in Rye - for, after almost 2

All the students participating gave it their all, every

years, we are finally having another school

song was from the tops of their voices and all the

production! The big announcement came at the end

scenes composed were fun and unique. Everyone's

of September, and we are thrilled to say that this

support for one another was inspiring and the Rye

year's musical delight will be ‘Into the Woods Jr’ and is

spirit really shone through.

to be led by Mr. Foster, Mr. Gill, and Mrs. Sherwood.

This was the first of three auditions which were each Into the woods is an eclectic mix of fairytales

more outstanding than the last. The talent of our

whipped up into a musical with the intertwining

students is simply unmeasurable. In the last week we

stories of Cinderella, Jack and the beanstalk, and

have heard the most powerful voices and witnessed

Rapunzel to name a few.

some brilliant transformations of character, and I can’t wait to see and hear them on stage.

Auditions took place on the 27th of September where

After much anticipation on Tuesday the 5th the cast

eager students were to learn a song, a dance and

list was released. It is with great pleasure that I can

some dialogue from the scene between Little Red

report that all who auditioned will be involved and I

Riding Hood and the Wolf. think I speak not only for

look forward to hearing the echoes of “Agony” (an

myself when I say we had a fantastic evening full of

all-time favorite from the musical) in the corridors.

excitement, encouragement, and wolfish howls.

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I HAVEN'T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT!

JESS, YEAR 12, REVIEWS JON KRAKAUER'S 'INTO THE WILD'...

Inspired by an article in outside magazine, Into The

others idolise and respect him for doing what they

Wild is a non-fiction tale of a 27-year-old who quit

dream of but would never dare do.

law school, burned his credit card, left his family and gave his savings to Oxfam to travel across

Either way, you will have a vivid response, and it’s

America and venture into the wild.

guaranteed this book will have a real impact on your life, making you think about big philosophical

This is a heavily researched book which unravels all

questions and your personal beliefs.

the facts of the original article, making it almost a

There is also an amazing film about this directed

detective story. Don’t be put off by the fact its

by Sean Penn, which is now on Netflix and is a

nonfiction: Chris McCandless being a real person

really good (if sad) watch.

makes it really resonate, and it definitely isn’t boring. It is inspirational, philosophical,

The book is only short and Is definitely worth,

enlightening and exciting.

reading. I’m dyslexic and a really slow reader and I still read it in a day.

However, this book is also divisive. You will either love it or hate it. Some people think Chris

Despite this, I haven’t stopped thinking about it

McCandless was selfish, reckless and self-pitying,

since.

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PGL WITH YEAR 7 & 8!

WORDS: BY MEGAN, YEAR 8

Last weekend, years 7 and 8 visited PGL Liddington for an action-packed long weekend of fun activities!

All together, we completed 10 activities and 3 evening activities – there was a wide variety of tasks: from raft building to rock climbing, ambush to abseiling – all tasks were optional but we were encouraged to give everything a go. For most of our activities we had to wear a harness (zip wire, Abseiling, Vertical Challenge, Giant Swing and Climbing), a helmet or a life jacket (Canoeing and Raft Building).

My personal favourite was the giant swing, while others preferred rock climbing and abseiling! Each full day (Saturday and Sunday) we had breakfast, an amazing meal with plenty of options, 2 activities, lunch (sandwiches and soup), 2 activities, dinner - warm meals with salad and dessert, a small break for showers and powernaps, and then an evening activity.

In between we also played lots of small games, mostly chaos tag and splat, the grand splat master of the weekend was Sofia Sordo of Year 8. Our 3 evening activities were: ambush (a group game of hide-and-seek, in the dark, in a forest) PGL sports night with wacky races and a singing and dancing campfire!

At PGL we were joined by the wonderful teachers, Miss Bland, Miss DeRushie, Mrs Forcer, Miss Matarazzo, Miss Sanders and Miss Willgrass, for every activity there was also a qualified PGL instructor and our PGL group leaders were Toby and Sophie.

The teachers each awarded two prizes to students who they had seen being particularly brave, good at trying new things and being kind and supportive to each other.

All in all, we had an excellent (but tiring) weekend.

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RYE PREP SCHOOL CAPTAINS The Year 6’s presented some fantastic ideas in their bid to become the Rye Prep School Captains.

Overall, the judges were very impressed with the

OLIVIA, YEAR 6

field, and all the students should be congratulated for their incredible efforts. Congratulations to Olivia for becoming our new Prep School Captain, as well as to Hugo and Martha, her Deputy Prep School Captains. Read on for their inspiring and stirring winning speaches.

Hello, I am Olivia and I am here to make a difference. I am running for Prep School Captain.

It’s an important job, and it needs to be done right.

I am more than willing to devote my time and energy to something as important as this.

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All my life, I have always thought that there was

I think we should learn about more religions in R.S,

something different about me. The way I felt when

so we get a better understanding of culture. We

I read about women’s pay compared to men. One

should learn more about issues like racism is

sentence went around my head: ‘This isn’t fair’.

PSHEE so we are better prepared for our futures.

And it’s true. It isn’t. I wanted to do something. But

Getting to know the senior girls better so as not to

I felt so helpless. I am here to make sure your

be afraid of them, but to see them as friends.

voices are heard. No matter what people tell you,

More Drama lessons, debate clubs, reading groups

you aren’t weird, you’re unique.

and learning more about struggles in other countries, and what we can do to help. But I’m not

And you’re strong. Maybe you are passionate about donkeys, beaten, wounded, and suffering in

here to read out lists. I’m here to campaign. Just like Hilary Clinton.

other countries. Maybe you can’t stand the thought of someone being bullied because of the

I want Rye to be an inclusive and equality-based

way they look. Maybe you wish people cared more

foundation. But I can’t just say that, my actions

about deforestation. You deserve to be listened

must reflect my words. But I can’t do that without

to. And I will make your voice heard.

your vote. I can’t ensure that anyone from another country feels welcome and surrounded by friendly

I am kind, giving, curious and I am passionate

and engaging people. Because everyone can find

about equality and activism. I have a lot of

their Rye way. Use Rye as your foundation for your

experience being a leader as I am an older sibling.

building blocks and build your castle sky high.

I won the house award last year, and I have

Achieve the impossible. Thank you for listening.

researched the lives of great female leaders. I am

MARTHA, YEAR 6

strong and resilient, and I never hesitate to help anyone in need. I am very gifted and experienced in may subjects including English and Maths. I am also inclusive and inviting to anyone, no matter who.

Be Ambitious. Be Curious. Be Yourself: Rye’s motto.

It’s a great message. It’s a motto I live by. But today, I have a different motto that I hold close to my heart, said by my mother’s mother. “You’ve captured the stars, now reach for the moon!” You should go a bit further, that extra mile, strive to achieve your dreams. For the start of a new month, think of this when you consider giving up or saying: ‘Good Enough.’ Be Ambitious. What can do next to

Hello, I’m Martha. Thank you for this opportunity to explain why I’d like you all to vote for me as your Prep School Captain.

Firstly, it would be an honour and I would do my best to rise to the challenge.I love being part of this school and I would be so proud to be Prep School Captain. It’s important that the Prep School Captain is enthusiastic about Rye and is excited to stay here for Senior School too. I know I will. I would be proud to show new children and parents around our lovely school. I will tell them they have made a good choice!

improve? Be Curious. Explore more. Be Yourself.

I’m different, and I’m proud.

I can explain that Rye has helped me to grow in confidence and I can show what a great leader I

How can Rye improve? Great question. It’ one I’ve asked myself countless times

am.

Being a leader is not being a boss - and it does not mean being bossy. A great leader is a role model that supports everyone to be the best they can be. A great leader listens to other people’s opinions and this is one of my strengths.

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Being a leader is not being a boss - and it does

In summary, I will listen to you and help you be the

not mean being bossy. A great leader is a role

best you can be. And have a lot of fun too!

model that supports everyone to be the best they

HUGO, YEAR 6

can be. A great leader listens to other people’s opinions and this is one of my strengths.

Hello my name is Hugo.

As Prep School Captain I would help everyone find the passionate and enthusiastic side to themselves and not to lose confidence over anything anyone says like “You’re not smart” or “You’re not pretty” those are just mean things that people can say.

They are not who you are don’t let insults ruin your

Many of you will know me because I have been at Rye since nursery and I have always enjoyed the activities that Rye has to offer. I also have a younger sister in Year One which offers me an even better idea of the needs of the younger years, and not just of those my age.

confidence!

I am kind, approachable and a good friend, and I Rye is a school that has good values.

As Prep School Captain I will demonstrate those values and encourage confidence, and achievement. Everyone deserves to achieve

make a good ambassador for the school having been here so long. I have a good feel for the school’s ethos, and as you can see I have no problem speaking in front of people.

anything they desire in life and at Rye we would love for this to happen. I know some people have big dreams and at rye we will support everyone to accomplish these dreams.

I have been on the school council and the food committee so I understand working with people well. I have also captained the school hockey and netball teams in fixtures against other schools in

It is important to try lots of things so you can discover which one you love. Don’t worry that you’ll not be good enough. Because if you don’t try –

the past, as well as being asked to captain again in the upcoming match against Headington.

Some of my ideas for the school are:

how will you ever know? Also, we don’t have to be the best to contribute to a team and to have fun.

·As we come out of the pandemic, I would like to ensure that we get to do the exciting trips that we

I have done lots of activities, ballet, ice skating, violin, football, martial arts and many other things.

The thing I still love to do is drama. I have been in many performances at different drama clubs:

have missed in the past year, such as going to the Cotswold Wild Life Park or camping. These activities help to build independence and selfreliance.

Perform, Stagecoach, and currently at Creation Theatre which has taught me to speak out loud and perform with confidence.

·I have greatly missed charity days and they are very important for raising money for charity. As well as being great fun they ensure that we give

One idea I have, is to set up a mentor scheme.

back to the community.

Year 6 children can mentor younger children to help them find their skills and interests in life. The older children can talk about all the different activities and clubs they have tried - to help the younger ones discover new interests.

To be Prep school captain there are qualities needed: Being Mature, being responsible, being confident, being respectful and being kind and fun. I believe I have these qualities and I hope you can see these qualities in me as well.

·I think that there should be a wider range of clubs like football club which would be good for team building and fitness, plus we could have fixtures against other schools. Film making club would be good for working on our drama skills and understanding digital technology.

I would really like to be school captain and I feel that together we can make Rye the best school it can be for everyone.

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RYE'S 91ST BIRTHDAY WORDS: TABBY, HEAD GIRL, YEAR 13

On the 24th of September we celebrated the 91st birthday anniversary of Rye. It was great to finally get our school community together and feel connected as a school once again after a year that has been challenging for most of us in different ways.

In 1930, the school was founded by Elizabeth Rendall and Ivy King. The school initially resided in Central Oxford for its first nine years. It then relocated to Headington, its present site, just after the outbreak of World War II. We are fortunate as a school to have extensive grounds full of wonderful trees and visiting wildlife including foxes and many squirrels. The original school is a beautiful Victorian building designed by Alfred Waterhouse who also designed the very impressive Natural History Museum in the Centre of Oxford.

Our 91st birthday celebrations began with an inspirational speech from Miss Croft, speaking about the importance of our education and the positive impact that both our teachers and students have on Rye’s ethos. During the day we were lucky to enjoy Rye cupcakes and ice cream to celebrate the event.

A highlight for many was when we took part in competitions in our houses. Competing in games, such as obstacle courses and rounders really enforced our Rye way of teamwork, working together and having fun. Even the teachers got fully involved in the excitement of the day, embracing the games with enthusiasm and energy. At the end of the challenges, the winning house was revealed. Congratulations Binsey house!

Our school has come so far and become such an amazing place for students to grow into smart, considerate, and kind people.

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From our meeting, I hope to start up a life skills club, where our students can learn many useful skills, such as first aid, car maintenance and selfdefense and also developing their understanding in areas such as finance and savings, getting a mortgage and managing a budget.

It is important that students feel they have a voice and that their ideas and concerns are listened to. It is always the aim of the school council to listen, discuss, take action and make a change. I can’t wait for our next meeting on the 3rd of November to speak with you all again.

RYE REGULARS CATCH UP ON ALL THE SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS!

BY TABBY, HEAD GIRL

At Rye St Antony we are proud to have many student representatives that contribute proactively to our school council meetings. Our school council meetings aim to make improvements to the school and give the students a chance to raise their ideas and be involved in decisions about the school that will affect them and ultimately enhance their learning experience at Rye. On the 15th of September 2021 we held our first meeting of the year, and it was lovely to meet together and hear everyone's suggestions. I also appreciated that everyone took the opportunity to raise issues, speak honestly and take part in discussions that involve all their classmates.

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