Skipping Out Issue 3 Winter 2016

skipping out ISSUE THREE WINTER 16

THE MEDIAPERSPECTIVES ON RUSSIAN MEDIA & DIVERSITY DRIVING MISS HOLLY -a teenager’s journey around London ‘TWELFTH NIGHT’ -in pictures

THE PUPIL VOICE MAGAZINE OF

Independent Day School for Girls aged 4-18

4-5. OPINION Media Diversity in Hollywood

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6. NEWS IN BRIEF 7. HALLOWE’EN A scarily good brief history of the face-paint industry’s favourite holiday

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CONTENTS

8-9. SCIENCE FICTION It’s time to get more women beamed up, surely, Scotty?

10-11. PUTIN ON A SHOW Sofia explores Russian media

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12-13. ECO PICS If you were hoping for photographs of recycling bins, you’ve come to the wrong place

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14-15. SURROGACY Heading down a bumpy road?

16-17. STREETCAR & STREET CAT Are our two reviewers feline the love?

18-19. WHOSE PET IS THIS, ANYWAY? Pets at Home? We got ‘em.

20-21. TWELFTH NIGHT Pictures of the recent and triumphant School play 22. DRIVING MISS HOLLY Recent new driver Holly offers ‘words of wisdom’ for fellow drivers.

23. 60 SECONDS WITH.... Miss Anderson

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CONTRIBUTORS Imogen Moody, YEAR 8 Léonie Nöcker, YEAR 8 Eden Levy, YEAR 8 Holly Morton, YEAR 13 Sofia Karas, YEAR 13 Stella Mackinnon, YEAR 13 Jesse Wise, YEAR 13 Lucy Hill, YEAR 13 Una Yates, YEAR 13 Emily Oulton, YEAR 13

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Editor-in-Chief HONOR MUNDEN, YEAR 13

Skipping Out is a pupil-led magazine created by Channing School’s Press Pack. It aims to give all students in the Senior School a voice and freedom to express their opinions, passions and interests.

If you’re interested in getting involved- by writing, photographing, drawing, editing, designing or even advertising; come along to Press Pack, every Monday lunchtime.

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Issue no. 3 FREE DISTRIBUTION

Editor's WELCOME I am writing this just after a meeting with Mrs Gething to compile this Winter Edition of Skipping Out. Having read through girls' articles, I can truly say that there is such a wide variety of interests and opinions - perhaps reflecting Channing itself that I hope you will find it a distinct and memorable edition. There are so many articles that stick out in my mind, such as Imogen's Media Diversity article, and Una's Review of 'A Streetcar'. I have been particularly intrigued by what is on offer and hopefully you will be too...

Add me on Facebook Instagram: honormunden

I'm watching...

I'm reading...

I'm seeing

Two Doors Down on BBC2

Bram Stoker's Dracula

ELP Festival of Print

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OPINION

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Imogen Moody Year 8 Media diversity. The representation and inclusion of minorities and women in media content, employment and ownership. It ensures people the right to be seen, heard and accurately portrayed in radio, television, cinematography and journalism, regardless of their race, gender, class disability or sexual orientation.

Regarding the statistics shown by the Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School (USC) for Communication and Journalism, the inequality in today's mainstream media has been widely underestimated. From harmful stereotypes to blatant prejudice to an all white cast of Oscar nominees (yet again) there couldn't be a better time to address and educate ourselves on this issue.

It is no secret that Hollywood is not diverse media. The Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative at the USC conducted several studies on popular films released in recent years. They concluded with some devastating results.

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In 2014, 73.1% of the leading roles were white.

That means that the 37% of Americans belonging to ethnic minorities are being denied the same opportunities as white people.One of the most underrepresented groups are Latinos who comprise 16.3% of the U.S, buy 25% of the cinema tickets and still are only represented as 4.9% of the characters. Age was a huge contributing factor that meant that there was not one female leading role over the age of forty-five in the top one-hundred films.

The inequality carries through behind the scenes, the first directors you would think of are most likely white men. The most probable reason for this is that for every 5.6 male directors there is 1 female (statistically speaking- there isn't just half of Woody Allen just knocking around somewhere).

Unsurprisingly, women accounted for 0% of the cinematographers awarded in the academy awards since 2006, and in the entirety of the Academy Awards' history, no female has ever been nominated for the Cinematography category. Only four of the 435 Academy Awards nominations for

OPINION Best Director since 1927 have gone to women.

Kathryn Bigelow is the only one to ever win.

What about LBGTQ+? Or people with disabilities? Surely they're not getting the representation owed to them? It would be no understatement to say that 2016 has been a pretty rubbish year for LBGTQ+ representation, considering that only 17.5% of the major one-hundred-and-twenty-six films had any characters that identified as part of the community according to the GLAAD's Studio Responsibility Index. But even then, only eight were deemed successful in passing the GLAAD Vito Russo Test that checks for LBGTQ+ representation, general content and makes sure there isn't any anti-LBGTQ language, "humor" or plot lines. Despite the statistics being similar to last year's, the quality of diversity has undoubtedly gone down. Only one film ('Hot Pursuit') was transinclusive.

On the other hand people with disabilities are being completely ignored when casting rolesfor example casting able-bodied Sam Claflin as the paralized Will Traynor in Jojo Moyes' 'Me Before You' is perceived as excluding actual disabled actors from roles and limiting their representation. Diversity has been the talk of Hollywood for a long while, and at first it was mainly focused around gender and racial equality, but as time progressed sexuality joined the conversation too.

Only very recently have viewers pointed out the lack of disabled actors gracing their screens but science then not much has been done to aid the cause. "It’s popular to say LGBT groups, women, people of colour define diversity. It’s not so popular to say people with disability define diversity. But the reality is that disability puts the ‘D’ in diversity.”Danny Woodburn Talent agent at Kazarian, Gail Williamson, has been managing and representing disabled talent for more than twenty years. She has 120 different clients with varying disabilities and firmly believes that anyone of them couldhave taken on 'Will Traynor' more successfully than Sam Claflin, calling the casting choice 'cripface'. Prejudiced retorts have been used to defend the decision claiming that disabled people don't have the talent or training for leading roles but if we look over at the gender equality struggle then we realise that these are the same old excuses enlisted to mask mistakes.

So Hollywood isn't getting anymore diverse anytime soon; that is if things are left the way they are. From sexism to ableism, the same white man mistake is being made over and over and over again. 2016 has experienced an all white cast of Oscar nominees, a sheer drop in LBGTQ+ representation quality and 'cripface'. Help spread awareness and go to the Media Diversified website to learn more about how you can help the movement.

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news

News in Brief Honor Munden Year 13

Bake Off winner announced The champion of this year's Great British Bake Off was announced on Wednesday 27th October. Candice Brown, 31, a PE teacher from Hertfordshire, won the accolade, beating 11 other contestants. Mary Berry herself believed it was Candice's gingerbread replica of ‘The King William IV’ pub, finished with a sticky carpet and darts board that put her in the running for winner. It's the end of ‘Bake Off’ as we know it, with the show moving to Channel 4 - without the beloved Mary Berry and innuendo-fuelled Mel and Sue - while the BBC is set to create a similar baking show that will take Bake Off’s place. So, with Bake Off gone, where do we go to see people crying over cake? Perhaps in the Channing Staff Room at lunchtime when the Bakewell Tarts have run out...

Carney thought to step down before 2021 Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, has been called to step down by Brexiteers as soon as possible. Despite signing up to an 8-year term in 2013, it is thought Carney will in fact only remain until 2019, when he may return to his home turf of Canada. He was criticised for the warnings he made before the EU referendum, stating that the UK economy would be hit hard if we were to leave.

Though, Business Secretary Greg Clark said Carney did a “tremendous job” as governor. It seems as if the Brexiteers have found a new target.

Cat found on car roof after 45 mile commute This cat is not ‘feline’ so good. Matt Haine, from Wiltshire, travelled the 70minute drive to Weston-super-Mare in his white Transit van before realising his cat had come along for the ride. Mr Haine spotted the shadow of his beloved 'Flo' clinging to the roof of his van, prompting him to bring her down and safely strap the cat into the passenger seat. Mr Haine said that Flo had “learnt her lesson”.

Lord Farage?

The coarse and outspoken Mr Nigel Farage is often in the headlines - unsurprisingly.

After stepping down as leader after the 'success' of the EU referendum, he came back again 'for the last time' to act as the interim leader. Those who were standing to replace him were Suzanne Evans, Raheem Kassam and Paul Nuttall. Nuttall, now the new leader of UKIP, recently told Sky News that he would aim to secure a peerage for Farage in the House of Lords. Those who support the idea believe it 6 would be a “fitting tribute” to the man who brought Britain out of the EU.

Seasonal

Behind the Scenes of Halloween LĂŠonie NĂścker Year 8 Halloween is all about having fun, stuffing yourself with sweets, decorating, pumpkin carving and costume design! But where does Halloween originally come from?

people dressed up, carried lanterns made of scooped out turnips and visited homes to be rewarded by fruit, money or cake, which is a bit like going trick or treating!

Halloween is not the only name for this time of year. It is also called Hallowe'en, Allhallowe'en and All Hallows's Eve. Halloween is the first day of Allhallowtide (also known as Hallowtide, Allsaintstide or Hallowmas Season).

Allhallowtide is a triduum (a religious observance lasting three days) derived from the Western Christians and it lasts from 31st October until 2nd November. It originated from the Celtic regions of Britain, before being adapted by Christian traditions. It is a time for remembering the dead, martyrs, saints, and all faithful dead Christians.

In 1911, in North America, 'guising' was reported when children were seen going around the neighbourhood asking for coins or food. Then in 1915, the name 'Halloween' was invented by an anonymous person. In Canada, 1927, 'guising' was officially changed to 'trick or treat' as then they would either play a trick on the giver, or get food from them. 'Trick or treat' only started becoming popular in the U.S. when there were appearances in 1934 and 1939.

For Christians, the original celebrations consist of praying and reflecting next to the tombs of their loved ones and it is a sad time. People would clean the tombs, light candles and plant new flowers, a day known as 'All Saint's Eve'.

America decided to make it a fun and happy event by completely changing it with dress-up, trick or treating and pumpkin carving. All Saint's Eve is still worshiped and celebrated, but not commonly. Until 1930, 'souling' was practiced on Halloween. Poor people would beg the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the rich and their friends and families.

In 1895, 'guising' started in Scotland and Ireland.

'Guising' is when children went from door to door for food or coins and when

But then how did Halloween become a fun and joyful event? My hypothesis is that the United States is known for its entertainment. They created cartoons, including the Disney princesses; they invented Nickelodeon!

Disney is probably their biggest children's entertainment idea. Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Kim Possible, Little Einsteins, Whinnie the Pooh are only a few of the Disney original cartoons. As we see, the U.S. are the kings of entertainment, therefore, why would they not make Halloween also a fun event?

And, death represents ghosts, linking to horror and witchcraft, which is a great idea for decoration and costumes. So, did you really know that Halloween used to be something sad and dull? That most people cried at that time, instead of being excited? I am not much of a Halloween person myself, but learning about all of this has given me different ideas... what about you?

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film

The power of Emily Oulton Year 13

When I watched Lord of the Rings on a rainy summer holiday, off the coast of Scotland, I fell in love. I loved the characters, the dramatic action sequences, the humourous asides and the wise words of Gandalf. I loved them so much, as soon as finishing the trilogy, I immediately went back and watched it all again.

The one part I didn't love was the women.

And, to be fair, I didn't have much choice in this matter. In 9 hours and 18 minutes of film, I can count the number of women who speak, on one hand. Not even all five fingers are needed. One is purely a love interest for the romantic lead, one pines after the same aforementioned romantic lead, one is an elf who barely speaks at all (she mainly communicates via telepathy) and the last is a mother, who sends away her children to save them from the marauding hordes of Saruman’s army. Only three out of four are given names. Only one appears in all three films. If you wanted to find a scene where a woman talks to someone who is not a male character, you would come up empty handed. Women are depicted almost exclusively as cowering in caves, while their loved ones fight their battles or pining after a man who cannot be with them because he has a higher calling.

There are redeeming moments. Eowyn, a ‘Shield Maiden’ of Rohan has one of the most iconic moments in the trilogy when, faced with a monster who cannot ‘be killed by any man’, she pulls off her helmet, hair streaming in the wind and declares (with considerable pride),

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science fiction

film “I am no man”.

Then she stabs him in the face.

Disappointingly, that's the end of her feats. She moves on from Aragorn, (the romantic lead) but only because she seeks solace in the arms of another man. While Aragorn is crowned King, she seems to fade away. There are no ‘Adventures of Eowyn’. Her potential is never fully realised in the films; at best she’s a five-minutes-of-fame heroine, at worse, an unnecessary corner of a love triangle whom no one ever seems to like.

In the years since I first watched Lord of the Rings, change has come about at a seemingly glacial pace. Strong, powerful, well written women in science fiction, superhero and fantasy films are like smiles on the Northern line. Few and far between, yet so rewarding when they surface, it is truly baffling that they don't appear more. Of course there are some - but there seems to be a limit of one woman per film. In ‘Avengers Assemble’, Scarlett Johansson holds the female fort as ‘Black Widow’, one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe. In ‘Star Trek’, Zoe Saldanda plays Lieutenant Uhura, another incredible woman in a sea of male characters.

I go and see these films, and I enjoy them, but I find myself clinging to these women, placing entirely unrealistic expectations on them.

Expectations to be funny and clever, beautiful and vulnerable, flawed and brave. And here’s the problem at its crux. For one woman cannot show all these traits, in a two hour blockbuster, when there is a large main cast. In fairness, no man could either, no matter how well written.

There's not enough time. But it's not noticeable with men as there will be other male characters to help shoulder the burden. If the lead is handsome and brave, his partner-incrime can be smart, his sidekick loyal, his antagonist clever and evil.

There is nothing wrong with trying to write a multi-faceted character; in fact it is a goal that writers should be encouraged to strive towards.

However, if all the complexities and wonders of womanhood are crammed into one character, the result on screen will be less than impressive. In doing this, writers achieve nothing more than than e-sided romantic interests.

While change has been slow, it has been happening. I could have wept with joy when the protagonist of Star Wars VIII was a young woman called Rey, who had her most interesting relationships with a spherical orange droid and with General Leia Organa.

With an all-female Ghostbusters sweeping the box office, a rumoured Ocean’s Eleven remake starring Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna to look forward to and Wonderwoman just around the corner, women do seem to be inching forward.

This issue may seem trivial or stupid to some, but I cannot overstate how important it is for little girls across the country to see heroes that look like them change worlds, whether they be fictional or not. For young women to be able to understand the importance of female friendship even if it is in a galaxy far, far away. And for boys, and men, to understand that women have a place in any and all worlds they happen to grace their presence with.

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history

Sofia Karas Year 13

When I visited Russia in the summer of 2016, I was assured by our tour guide that the Russian media was completely free. The previous year, in January 2015, a prolific journalist and prominent critic of Vladimir Putin was shot seven times in the back metres from the Kremlin itself. This man was Boris Nemtsov. He was 55 years old and a father of four. But more than that, he was a symbol of hope to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Russians who opposed the Kremlin. Serge Schmemann of the New York Times wrote that the Moscow rally held to remember him seemed like, "a memorial march for the hopes and dreams that lay alongside Mr. Nemtsov’s murdered body in the middle of the night on the bridge to Red Square.” Nemtsov’s murder showed how easily someone can take a life in Russia. Whilst evidence does not seem to point to a Kremlin sanctioned order, it certainly appears undeniable that Nemtsov was killed for his criticism of the Kremlin. It was a clear example of how free speech, and the people, of Russia are far from free.

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Since his meteoric rise to power to reach the presidency in 2000, Vladimir Putin has been gradually disabling the independent media in Russia. RIA Novosti, Russia’s largest news agency, was liquidated on the 9th December 2013, after Putin issued an executive order.

The following year, in March 2014, Russia’s attorney general ordered federal censors to block the opposition website Grani.ru, accusing it of publishing “incitements to illegal action”, including unsanctioned political rallies. More recently, on the 13th of May 2016, three senior editors, including editor-in-chief Yelizaveta Osetinskaya, resigned from the independent Russian media outlet RBC. RBC is owned by Mikhail Prokhorov, a liberal billionaire who ran for office against Putin in 2012. His private offices had been raided in April 2016 by tax officials and law enforcement officers, supposedly in connection with reports RBC had published concerning the Panama Papers (which incriminated members of Putin’s own family).

Whilst the Kremlin denied involvement, they did not need to be directly linked to have

HISTORY contributed to the resignations. Kremlin involvement in the media, whilst not always overt, is undeniable. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT (Russia’s largest stateowned media outlet) has a direct and secure line to the Kremlin on her desk which she claims is to “discuss secret things”. Attacks on oligarchs with media influence no longer in favour with the Kremlin, became common in the early 2000s.

The most notorious cases included those of Vladimir Gusinsky and Boris Berezovsky, both of whom left Russia to live in a form of modernday exile. The motivation for the Kremlin to carry out these attacks is clear; Putin knows the power of the media. After all, he himself was brought to power by oligarchs who controlled the media. Svetlana Mironyu, former editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti, summed it up succinctly when she said “It’s control, control, control. The only strategy they all have is ‘whatever it takes.’ No ideology. No strategy.

No new approach, no understanding. […] When you have a monopoly on media, on advertising, on everything, then you have all power […]”.

Igor Yakovenko, a professor of journalism at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, gives further insight into the motivations of Putin. He explains that, if previous authoritarian regimes were three parts violence and one part propaganda, Putin’s is effectively all propaganda and relatively little violence. “Putin only needs to make a few arrests” explained Yakovenko, “and then amplify the message through his total control of television.”

What is almost unbelievable is that it appears that the people of Russia know, at least to an extent, that they’re being lied to. Opinion polls show that over half of Russians believe that the media should manipulate information if it is in the interest of the state and approval ratings were above 80% as state-run television channels began to viciously attack the West. Perhaps, then, this is the greatest sign of the success of Putin’s takeover of the media in Russia.

What is clear is that life under Putin’s ruthless media machine is slowly becoming unsustainable. If the Kremlin further encroaches on the rights of Russian citizens, it risks turning Russia into a pariah state. However, there are still those in Russia who are bravely fighting back against the restrictions on their freedoms and rights.

Everyday, politicians, journalists, and ordinary people risk prison sentences and even exile to protest the work of the Kremlin.

As Vladimir Yakovlev, the founder of Kommersant, wrote on Facebook after Nemtsov’s murder: ‘People live in a crazy illusion that the country is surrounded by enemies […] The information war is first and foremost destroying ourselves.’

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Competition

Autumn Photo Competition

Winner: Aybala Rose 10F

Highly Commended: Olivia Bendell 7S "We chose the photo of the toadstool because we felt it really captured Autumn. The colours are bright and the definition is sharpe."

- Stella 12

COmpetition

"Thank you to all those who submitted photos this year. They were all such high quality that the Eco and Arts Officers struggled to decide!"

- Jesse

Highly Commended: Zoe Mackinnon 11W

Highly Commended: Emily Poncia 10K

Highly Commended: Molly Malbon 8Z 13

Surrogacy A medical miracle or a cause for condemnation?

Lucy Hill Year 13 Surrogacy. The practice by which a woman (“the surrogate mother”) becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby in order to give it to someone who cannot have children. Today, surrogacy typically implies a medical miracle only possible due to scientific breakthroughs. In most cases the baby is not biologically related to the surrogate, but of a couple seeking a child. In some cases, the biological parents may have no connection to the future parents of the baby. For many, surrogacy brings up connotations of hope and joy. For others, the word is clouded in controversy, a form of cheating God, cheating nature and a cause for condemnation.

Legal issues around surrogacy have so far only been tested in the US courts.

In the case of Baby M in 1986, the first ever successfully litigated surrogacy, the subject of commercial surrogacy was brought into the public domain for the first time. In this case, the issue arose as to who is the legal parent when both parties involved claimed rights to the baby, known as baby ‘M’. Legal rights were awarded at first instance to the surrogate mother, but on appeal to William Stern after a lengthy and public legal battle. Not only were arguments over the ethics of legal surrogacy raised for the first time but the argument over the best interests of the child also arose. The case of baby M would come to be the first in a string of public surrogacy cases which have separated opinions over the last three decades and led to the debate over what the rights and wrongs are in modern surrogacy.

Are women who carry surrogate babies manipulated?

In the case of baby M, Mary Beth Whitehead was the biological mother. So when the appeal court ruled in favour of the Sterns, activists argued that Whitehead’s body had been abused, branding surrogacy as a form of manipulation of women. These activists promoted the idea that Whitehead had been ‘coerced’ into becoming a surrogate, that she had acted not out of altruistic tendencies but out of desperation. In court, it was stated repeatedly that she was a poor woman, and had been forced, out of desperation, to offer her services as surrogate mother. Furthermore, her exploitation was evidenced, it was claimed by the fact that she had been refused any access to the baby, after carrying it to term. She herself admitted that she had not realised how strong her attachment would be to the baby by the time it was born, but by then it was too late. The arguments before the court led to a consideration of issues of morality and a distinction being created between altruistic and commercial surrogacy.

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There is no doubt that commercial surrogacy occurs. It is legal in some states of the USA. Where commercial surrogacy is strictly prohibited, there is nothing to stop a couple travelling to ‘fertility tourism’ hotspots. India has been the most popular hotspot, where the industry has been estimated to be worth more than $2.3bn (£1.7bn) a year. Hotspots may change - in August 2016, the Indian government unveiled plans to ban all commercial surrogacy, a destructive blow to the ‘business’ of surrogacy.

Having children for vanity?

As there is no explicitly clear structure for surrogacy in any country, couples are, in theory, able to create their ‘perfect’ baby and to have the option not to ‘accept’ the child after its birth.

One case exemplifying this issue was that of an Australian couple who paid for the surrogate services of a Thai woman. When it emerged that one of a set of twins had been born with Down’s syndrome, they took only one child, leaving the other behind.

This case is an example of another issue around surrogacy; that surrogacy is a form of modern day eugenics and a way for parents to create ‘designer babies’. Controversy also surrounded this case when it emerged that one of the parents was a convicted sex offender. This led to concerns as to who should be allowed to have access to surrogacy.

A more recent phenomenon has been that of modern career women using surrogates to ‘maintain’ their career. In a recent study a doctor in the US predicted that around 2,000 women have used surrogates for the purpose of maintaining their career and bodies. These cases if surrogacy, whilst few, cause perhaps the most controversy due to the fact that the women using surrogates are perfectly healthy and require surrogates not due to lack of fertility or for any other medical reason, but to maintain their bodies for the sake of their careers.

Should everyone be allowed to have children?

Surrogacy raises many issues, but particularly concerning is the issue as to whether everyone should have the right to be a parent. Clearly, if a person can conceive without assistance, without having the need to resort to surrogacy, then there can be no control. But should the surrogate mother make enquiry as to the suitability of the parents wanting the baby which she is to carry to term as regards their history? Is it right that she should have to hand over the child even if the parents are subsequently found to have a history which suggests they are unlikely to be good parents? Are the interests of the child or of the parents paramount? In a case involving a convicted sex offender, the court decreed that the he had the right to raise his surrogate baby, despite outcries from the public.

Surrogacy and ethics Altruistic surrogacy, particularly where the surrogate mother is a family relation, is generally widely accepted and sympathetically viewed, though there is still some opposition. In 2014, the UK courts were of divided opinion over a 46 year old woman by the name of Theresa Hohenhaus who had given birth to her own grandchild. In accordance with UK law, Hohenhaus was able to carry her daughter’s biological child for her daughter who had been disabled by leukemia.

Here to stay Whilst surrogacy may be shrouded in controversy, and only negative stories make the headlines, it is important to note that the majority of surrogacy cases have positive endings. For many couples, surrogacy is a last resort, but one that can bring them the joy of having a child. In addition, for many same-sex couples the process of adoption is difficult, and so surrogacy is another chance of having children. Surrogacy, without doubt, is becoming more and more popular. In Britain alone, surrogacy rates have increased by 255% in the past six years. Notwithstanding the controversies, there is no doubt that the number of surrogacies will continue to rise.

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CULTURE

was haunted by a silent chorus of Mexican flower sellers who were the play's symbol of death. At the end, the same actors double as the doctor and nurses who take the broken Blanche away. The dramatic metaphor of light was, of course, exploited to excellent effect, for example, the space between furniture was marked out with fluorescent strip lights, which flickered at key moments.

Una Yates Year 13 Studying this brilliant play for A level, I was excited to see it being brought to life in theatre.

Inevitably, each performance of the play is different and I was intrigued to see the dramatic choices that director Sarah Frankcom had made. A Streetcar Named Desire tells the tragic tale of Blanche (Maxine Peak), an elegant ‘southern belle’ lost in the new industrialized world of New Orleans. Staying with her sister Stella (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) Blanche sparks a dark and violent conflict with Stanley (Ben Batt), Stella’s volatile and bullish husband.

The production oozed with the symbolism Williams had intended. The production was played on the vast green carpet of Fly Davis's design, a symbol both of life's gambles and that the whole flat is Stanley's domain. The floor was periodically cleaned up, vacuumed for two or three full minutes directly after Stanley’s undoing of Blanche. Davis provides a squalid set: a couple of mattresses on the floor, a minifridge. A bathtub filled with water gave way to dramatic effect when Blanche, dressed in a ball gown and rhinestone tiara immerses herself in water near the end of the play, a marked sign of her descent into madness. At times, Blanche

Peake captured Blanche perfectly. She was light and effortless, flirtatious and charming. The small physical gestures really make her Blanche DuBois complete.

She truly embodied a woman who lives in a world of magic and make-believe, is full of contradictions and who evades the harshness of reality.

Ben Batt, playing Stanley, convincingly personified such a reality. He stalked the stage, asserting himself with, at times, violent brutality, always on the cusp of an explosion and encapsulating the character that Tennessee Williams so brilliantly imagined. It was the conflict between these two characters that provided the devastating climax to this tragedy.

The production builds slowly. It is a play of subtlety and precise detail. Peake shows her strong connection to the audience as she appeals to them at the end of the play with the famous line ‘whoever you are, I have

CULTURE always depended on the kindness of strangers’.

With the line thrown out into the audience, the play had a definite dramatic end. In this way the ending was a departure from Williams' writing. What is so tragically beautiful about the play is, despite all that Blanche has been through, once she is led away by the doctor (‘as if she were blind’), life goes on. She leaves nothing behind but empty perfume bottles.

Frankcom’s production loses this element of the tragedy, although Peake could not have proved to be a better choice for one of the most poignant, contradictory and tragic characters in modern drama.

ON SCREEN

Honor Munden Year 13 To many dog lovers, this may not be the film at the top of their list; to many cat lovers, this still may not be a film at the top of their list. Why go see a film about a homeless man and his stray cat? Why watch the pair depressingly traipse around London trying to get by? Why go see any film at the cinema? Because film enlightens us on issues affecting the world. Yet this film structs a cord closer to home: homelessness in the streets of London. As a society we have turned a blind eye to this issue, focusing instead on how we can help society as a whole. This film is evidence of the need to start from the bottom, using grass-roots charities and Councils to get the homeless back on their feet again. 'A Street Cat Named Bob' showed that those sleeping rough need a purpose - for the film's central

character, James, this was Bob, a stray cat who crept into his bedsit one night. Bob provides meaning in James's life, compelling him to stop taking drugs and work towards being clean. Bob, who appears as himself alongside six other lookalike cats, is an exceptional actor, maintaining his courage and sweetness throughout the film. James, played by Luke Treadaway, also successfully depicts an anxious recovering addict battling his mental health and reliance on drugs, whilst also caring for his furry companion.

This film does lack a substantial plot and dwells on certain aspects of the film for too long. However, this is excusable thanks to the poignancy of the film, and its ability, or Bob's ability, to make hearts melt.

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Just for fun, can you match the Channing member of staff to their pet(s)? Answers on the school website and on the School notice board after the holidays.

CONNIE

VICTORIA & ALBERT

LOUIS

MURPHY

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FISH

DARWIN

BOB & VALENTINA, PRINCESS OF PURRSIA

TEJA FIZZ

CASSANDRA & CHOMSKY LUBANOVA

LUNA

SMUDGE

BAILEY

MR PHILLIPS MRS ELLIOTT

MS NEWMAN

MRS ELLIOT

MRS FRANKLIN

MRS GETHING

MS HARDING MR HOLMES

MISS ARNOLD

MISS WILKES

MS BEENSTOCK

MR MURPHY

MISS PENGLASE

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‘Twelfth Night’

Performed at Jackson’s Lane Theatre 29 November- 1 December

a quick peek backstage!

‘The Illyrians’ perform hits of the ‘50s, live at Orsino’s Palace Wine Bar

Una (Viola), washes up on shore and helped by these kindly sailors Men behaving badly... or at least oddly!

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A fight erupts between Sebastian (Maddie) and Sir Toby (Eleonora)

Olivia (Emmanuelle) and Feste (Rebecca and Lily Bea)

Maria (Natasha) is horrified with Sir Toby’s ‘merriment’

Malvolio (Isabella) falls for dastardly tricks, but manages to pull off yellow breeches and fishnets!

All’s well that ends well, and the only way to celebrate is a fab group dance!

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opinion

Driving

in London

Holly Morton Year 13

The American humourist Dave Barry once said that “the one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.” Quite true, for in fact, I am an exceedingly above average driver. It is due to this that I thought I would share some advice on how to drive in London.

London was rebuilt after the Great Fire in 1666 and the road network was not designed for the size of the modern car or the volume of cars on the road. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to choose the right car. I would advise buying a very large vehicle with off road capabilities.

This will enable you to spot your friends in other off-roaders over the roofs of your fellow drivers as you sit in traffic on Hampstead High Street. In case of dire blockages the useful offroad capabilities will enable a shortcut across the Heath.

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Another important thing to remember is that your needs are paramount. Should you need to stop and pop in to a local store, simply pull slightly to the side and put on your hazard lights. This is shorthand for “ I’ll only be a minute” and no one minds waiting whilst you quickly compare the new scent range from Jo Malone. Don’t worry if you come back and see people waving at you – they are merely using their fingers to enquire if you have purchased 1 or even 2 flasks of perfume. Sometimes they also gesture such advice as don’t forget to

shake the bottle to get the full effect of the scent.

As to driving itself, London’s roads are very full of cars; so in order to maximise traffic flow, drive as close as you can to the car in front. If you are the car in front don’t hesitate to keep the driver behind you alert by suddenly testing your brakes every quarter mile – if timed right, this also enables you to simultaneously drive and window shop at Hobbs, Monsoon and other emporiums on Haverstock Hill.

A key difference between London and country drivers is how you join flows of steady traffic.

The Londoner is adept at nudging forward and merging with existing traffic with an insouciant air and a cheery wave. The country driver is apt to wait for a break in traffic and must be encouraged by sighs and gesticulations and the occasional use of the horn. When pulling alongside after such encouragement let them know that you are aware they are out of their depth by turning towards them with a pitying shake of the head.

In this way it is hoped that they are put off from returning to the capital.

So there you have it – a quick guide to fitting in on the streets of London which I am sure you will find useful. My last few words of wisdom – giving way is for other people.

Interview

Leonie Nocker Year 8 Q: Where are you from?

A: I'm from Oxford. I was born in Oxford, then I moved to Bristol, and now I'm in London.

Q: What was your school before you started teaching at Channing?

A: My school before was a mixed school in Oxford.

Q: What made you passionate about Geography?

A: At GCSE, I got really passionate because of a field trip to a certain area in Oxford. Even though I had already visited that area and it was quite familiar to me, it was interesting to visit it again as this time we looked at gentrification and poverty in the area. Since that, my love for Geography has grown and I love teaching it.

Q: What is the most interesting country you have visited and why?

A: I have visited quite a few but Mexico is probably my favourite so far. I went there this summer. I loved the culture and the variety of the eco systems and biomes in the country.

I started off in the Carribean in Yucatan with the beautiful sandy white beaches and coral reefs. Then I went to the Mountains in Chakas. There was a big change of landscape with lots of animals, plants and tropical rain forests! I really enjoyed the biodiversity of the people, the tribes, the traditional families, events and society. Then I went North through the desert and I saw cacti three times my height! To finish, I went to Mexico City, a Megacity and very modern. Once more, I was fascinated by the diversity of the people!

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I actually have quite a big range of hobbies which I tend not to stick to for long! For the past three years, I have been learning to salsa dance as I visited Cuba in 2013, which got me really interested in Latin American culture. I also like cooking new recipes and I do a lot of yoga and I went to India two years ago for a two week yoga retreat.

Thanks for your time and we all hope you enjoy teaching at Channing.

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Independent Day School for Girls aged 4-18 Headmistress: Mrs B M Elliott MA (CANTAB) The Bank Highgate London N6 5HF T: 020 8340 2328

www.channing.co.uk