Majlis Summer 2019

MAJLIS

Summer Edition 2019

Brexit Hiplet NYC MUN DofE Silver Qatar at the Asian Cup

Contents NYC MUN 3-5 THIMUN 6-7 Botball 2019 8 DOFE Silver 9-11 House Events 12-17 Governemnt Shutdown 18-19 What Makes A Good Tax

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BREXIT 20-23 Mars Colanisation 24-25 Qatar 2022 26 A Changing World 27 Unveilling The Cosmos 28-29 Justice In Bosnia 30 Political Correctness 31-33 Bohemian Rapsody 34-35 Kid Cudi 36-37 Billie Elish 38-39 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2019

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Top Shows Of 2019 41 Should We Seperate Art From Artists

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Communication In The Cockpit

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Hiplet 46 Sirens 47 Are The Warriors Running The NBA

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Tyson Fury 49 Qatar At The Asian Cup

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NYC MUN

Culture and History in Washington DC After a tedious 15 hour flight, eight DCMUN members (myself included) arrived in the United States, precisely in Washington D.C., to begin a week long journey learning about politics in the capital city of one of the most politically influential countries in the world. Our first full day in D.C. involved visiting the Capitol building: the central hub of U.S. politics and the home of its Congress. The building itself was truly marvelous to look at; every painting, sculpture and mural held a story that made the U.S what it is today. Afterwards, we visited the Congress Library: the largest library in the world, containing 164 million items ranging from the original drawing of Marvel’s Captain America to the Gutenberg Bible. We also obtained library cards and were given access to the reading room: a rare and once in a lifetime experience. This library was, by far, my favourite place in Washington, simply because it was built on such a phenomenal mix of history, literature and science.

The city of Washington is packed with historical monuments and museums; our second day was

especially full of these icons. We started off visiting the Washington memorial which, due to lack of funding in 1833, is actually made of two different types of stone. We also visited some war memorials including those from the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Second World War, which really put the significant impact of these conflicts on future generations into perspective; we especially saw this in the Vietnam War memorial where the sorrow and despair was evident in the faces of the statues.

Later that day, we visited other places of interest starting with the Art Gallery which contained many recognisable pieces such as Van Gogh’s self portrait, followed by the Air and Space Museum which contained many vast and interesting exhibits on everything from the formation of black holes to the types of planes used in WW1.

History is highly prevalent in Washington D.C, even in its universities. On our last day there, we visited Georgetown University where we were given a small tour around the campus and learnt about its traditions and events, as well as the logistics behind applying to study there. Our tour guides, students at Georgetown,

were very welcoming and friendly, keeping us engaged throughout the tour, indoors and out, despite it being one of the coldest days in Washington! The visit to Georgetown ended our time in Washington perfectly, setting the bar high for our forthcoming time in New York.

Politics and Humanity in New York City Having arrived in NYC on December 10th, on our first night, we took a walk around some of the most popular places in Manhattan including Times Square, Rockefeller Center and, of course, the Trump Tower. The main purpose of this trip, however, was not to sightsee but to visit the offices of the United Nations; after being involved in the MUN ECA for three years, the thought of visiting the UN was, to me, both sensational and surreal.

First, we took a tour of the visitor centre where we learnt details about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), peacekeeping and human rights. We were also able to enter the committee rooms for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General

Assembly. Although we could not enter the Security Council as it was in session, we were lucky enough to see the General Assembly in session as we walked past. Our next stop was the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations where we were warmly received by His Excellency the Deputy Permanent Representative to the Qatari Mission, Mr. Jassim Al-Maawda. His Excellency shared with us his personal experience and insights into the role he carries out everyday, sharing his inspiration for working in politics - mostly stemming from his father - as well as the strategies Qatar is successfully using to manage the current blockade. Being at the Qatari Mission was a real treat and it felt like being at home. Our day, however, was not coming to an end yet.

Our next meeting was the icing on the cake for us students who have been passionate members of the MUN Club. At 3pm on December 11th 2018, we finally met the Deputy Secretary General to the United Nations, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed.

Due to her busy schedule, our time with her was limited but, nonetheless, unforgettable; never had we encountered someone

who can leave such a big imprint on our minds in such a short time. Her Excellency spoke with calm yet strong determination, and was realistic, inspirational and encouraging. She showed a tenacious drive towards politics and for providing better opportunities for everyone. In our brief conversation, we discussed some of the Sustainable Development Goals that are closest to her heart.

Afterwards, we were invited by Her Excellency to attend the Global Humanitarian Policy Forum organised by OCRA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) the next day. This was an extremely precious and, again, once in a lifetime experience where we had the opportunity to sit as part of a group with representatives from different countries across the world discussing what leadership is needed to reach those most in need, together with the challenges hindering the provision of facilities for those farthest behind.

While the UN was the most significant part of the trip, we also visited many other memorable places in New York such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Metropolitan Museum. We also visited New York University where we had a tour and

a meeting with Dr Sylvia Maier, a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU whose teaching interests bridge the fields of gender studies and international politics. Our meeting with Dr Maier led to an interesting discussion about the plight of women and the theory of feminism, and controversial points were made by both our students and Professor Maier. Needless to say, the debate raged long after we left NYU! We would like to pass on our most grateful appreciation to everybody who helped us make this ‘dream trip’ a reality. A special thank you goes to His Excellency Mr Jassim Al-Maawda who, despite his busy schedule, welcomed us into the Qatari Mission; Mr Nelson Muffuh who made our special visit to the UN possible and, of course, last but not least, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed whose words we shall always remember. These inspirational people have left an imprint on our hearts, and sowed seeds of hope and goodwill in all eight of us. We hope that, in the future, we will go on to make them proud of the time they have invested in us.

Words By Zaina Khalil

THIMUN Model United Nations is a platform for people of all ages, backgrounds and countries to come together and share their views on realworld issues, often attacking said problems at an angle that hasn’t been explored before. The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) Qatar is no exception to this, bringing local and international students together to debate pressing world issues.

The theme for THIMUN Qatar this year was Peace Justice and Strong Institutions, which is the United Nations’ ‘sustainable development’ goal (SDG) number 16: focusing on the creation and maintenance of peaceful, inclusive societies and transparent governments. THIMUN Qatar had many different committees in order to tackle the various issues that address SDG 16 including the International Court of Justice, as well as Arabic and French committees.

The three day conference began on the 23rd of January and was host to local Qatari schools, as well as international schools from 13 other countries including (for the first time in THIMUN Qatar history) Azerbaijan. This massive gathering of students from all over the world allowed them to share their views on the various issues and cooperate in order to create a cohesive resolution, ready to debate. The first day culminated with a beautiful opening ceremony, in the hall of the magnificent Qatar National Convention Centre, which had performances by a choir from the American School of Doha, an awe-

inspiring flag bearing ceremony, and encouraging speeches from the Dutch Ambassador, Dr Bahia Tahzib-Lie and Neil Walsh, chief of Cybercrime and Anti-Money Laundering Section at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

THIMUN Qatar and the Qatar Foundation’s (QF) goal is to help foster the leaders of tomorrow.

This year, THIMUN Qatar also collaborated with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Education for Justice Initiative, which resulted in an array of session speakers It was my first THIMUN Qatar who enlightened participants on conference and it would be an the threat posed by transnational understatement to say that I crime. Furthermore, throughout was blown away. The level of the 3-day conference, “participants sophistication and professionalism became more aware of human with which everything was handled rights issues and humanitarian was impressive, to say the least. problems, the complexities of The rooms were well managed, effecting social change and [that] everyone was extremely helpful their world is bigger than they to a first-timer and let’s not forget imagined” (Fatima El Mahdi. Head the feast that was lunch - it was of THIMUN Qatar). delicious! The QNCC proved to be an optimal place to host the The conference came to a perfect conference with spacious rooms, end with a breath taking closing a fantastic hall and, of course, ceremony that contained yet the “Maman” (Spider) sculpture another astounding performance

by Louise Bourgeois for some by the talented students of ASD, ‘gram-worthy’ pictures. Being the coupled with inspiring speeches delegate of China in the Security by the heads of the Admin and Council (a Permanent 5 member) Press team and, finally, Secretary led to many vetoes and, in turn, Generals and the Deputy Secretarymany interesting caucus meetings. General. THIMUN Qatar really The SC room was filled with exceeded the expectations of all competitive and ambitious students those attending. from all around the world, ready to jump at any opportunity to pose a Model United Nations is truly point of information, defend their a great platform for students to clause or pass notes to one of the build up their confidence while ‘P5’ for a veto simply because the interacting with new people as well debate was becoming “too boring”. as coming to terms (and looking Through such interactions, I was for solutions to) with pressing, realable to look at the same issues world issues that they may have from a different perspective, and been oblivious to before. THIMUN collaborating led to us coming up Qatar gives MUN the golden with a competitive resolution that touch needed for it to feel real and caused heated debate (and a couple exciting. of vetoes).

Words By Comail Rizvi

A competition unbeknown to most, Botball is a competition that challenges students to create and program robots, in order to complete specific tasks to get points. The grand prize: an all expenses paid trip to the USA for the entire team.

This year’s scenario was quite interesting: “Disaster has struck Botguy’s home in the form of a massive storm! Lightning has started numerous structural fires and flooding has left citizens of Botopia stranded. High winds and isolated tornadoes have caused damage to structures, resulting in widespread power outages and serious natural gas leaks”

Our task was to move various parts around the board in order to protect the ‘citizens’ (wooden figurines) and get them ‘supplies’ (various sized foam cuboids) which were placed around the board at different heights and positions; each task got the team points, for example, getting Botguy (who was on top of a 45 cm structure) attained a team 80 points.

Teams from schools all around Qatar spent 7 weeks, starting in November, strategizing, planning, building and coding their bots.

I was part of the Year 12 team that was competing on behalf of Doha College. For me, Botball was an experience like no other.

It consisted of long days after school (and some late nights) filled with complex choices and complicated problems to solve. As a team, we decided to try and take a more unorthodox route, instead of going for the enticing ‘Botguy’ we thought it would be better to attempt the other, more simple tasks in order to collect more things and, subsequently, more points.

After 7 weeks of non-stop building, frantic coding and many, many arguments, we finally had our bots ready for the competition. On Friday 8th February, our team walked into Carnegie Mellon with our heads held high

- disregarding our extreme lack of sleep! Around us, was a sea of people who looked like they were in the same boat. Some were frantically altering their robots as they saw what they were up against, others walked around flaunting their designs. Beginning at 8am, the competition lasted for a total of 7 hours.

Doha College did well; both the Year 12 and 13 teams raked up a good amount of points, showing our rivals that we meant business.

Though neither team won, we learned so much and, while some of the competition was daunting, we held our ground and went as far as we could.

Botball is a great experience; it’s a challenge that requires time, effort, commitment and problem solving skills, skills that taking part instills in its participants.

I know I’m definitely looking forward to participating, and bringing home the next year!

cup,

Words By Comail Rizvi

BotBall 2019

NEPAL Silver DofE

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Personally, I found the community section of the trip the most fascinating.

Visiting the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation on our first day in Nepal was the best way to begin an unforgettable week. The foundation consisted of a newly built school to help those children whose parents cannot afford their education, an eco-cafe, a clinic, a carpentry workshop and a collection of ecological houses built for those left homeless after the 2015 earthquake. After listening to a presentation by the founder of the organisation - who talked about fighting for social rights and the environment through supporting those suffering most in society, even if this meant having to go against the pressures of Nepali society - we got our hands dirty by helping out and learning new skills. From digging up weeds in the field, to making bracelets in the foundation’s out building, we got a fraction of a taste of the life of a Nepali citizen living in Dakshinkali.

I will never forget our day at the Kevin Rohan foundation; maybe because I was struck by the happiness and simplicity in the laughter of the children, together with the back story to the foundation and the hardship it took to build such an amazing place. I hope to go back one day and help out once again. In the meantime, the memory of that day will always remain close to my heart.

Maya Stafrace

Donald Trump’s tweets, updates on Brexit and the constant inflow of new memes: all were forgotten up in the mountains of Nepal where, for four days, we trekked up and down the mountains of the Helambu region.

Fuelled by a diet of solely carbohydrates and protein bars, we challenged our bodies’ and minds’ capabilities daily by hiking up trails of all terrains to complete the adventurous journey element of our Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award.

Some of our most memorable times came from the evenings that we spent together underneath a bright-yellow ridge tent. As well as it being the place where we recalled our day’s experiences and ate our modest trangia-cooked dinners, the tent was home to our uproarious games of ‘Mafia’, games which usually resulted in the tent shaking from our laughter.

In the mornings, after a refreshing night’s sleep on our soft, cushion-like sleeping mats, we would have to face the most difficult challenge of the day. No, not climbing for hours while being weighed down by hulking rucksacks, but getting out of our sleeping bags and once more feeling the cold of a refrigerator-like climate. Then, as the sun came out, our smiles did too and we prepared ourselves again for another day of spectacular views and contagious happiness.

Nadia Lie

They stretch for miles, each snow-tipped mountaintop peaking higher than the next, each rocky pinnacle piercing the sky, sapphire blue and cloudless.

The sunshine, which gleans and seeps into every carved crevice, which chases the shadows, which drips and oozes like honey, tickles my skin, like small sun-kisses that erupt lightly into pools of warmth and fervor.

The lightness of the air hangs thick, the cleanliness filling my lungs, powdered snowflakes glint as they waft around my head like the stars that will later cover every inch of the night sky.

It lies vast, the rolling hills, covered in layers upon layers of silt, decorated by millennia of erosion, like nature’s proud finishing touches to its own artwork.

It is hypnotic, the way the curves meander around the mountain.

Strange, for it is a way man-unknown way that nature works.

At day, a soft breeze lightly whispers sweet nothings and deep secrets of the Earth into our ears.

We embrace the solitude with open arms, soothed and relieved of the lack of civilization.

At night, a harsh, ubiquitous wind attacks our cheeks, brandishing our cheeks and numbing our fingers, which we warm with gentle mugs of masala tea.

And even though our feet ache, the blisters growing wider with each paining step we take.

Even though our legs burn, our skin is seared, our lungs are breathless, it is worth it, for this is what we call our paradise, a paradise which we wish we never had to let go.

Ailsa Cameron

As I walked through the bustling streets within the Monkey Temple, countless shopkeepers approached with extravagant merchandise and great prices, looking for a well-spending tourist. Picking my way through the beautifully crafted artistic pieces and colorful accessories, my eyes locked with a wandering monkey on the outskirts of one of the large golden domed shrines; in its hands, the camera of an unfortunate tourist. Soon, my eyes were drawn to the multitude of monkeys scaling the wavering flags sewn between the tall trees like spiderwebs. But, in the end, my eyes veered back to the colossal centerpiece shrine. I paid my respects and rolled the prayer wheels, wishing for some good fortune, and took my leave while reminiscing about the wonderful experiences I’d had at the Monkey Temple.

Noureldin Ali

HOUSE EVENTS

GOV ERNME SHUT DOWN A Battle for Closure

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n December 21st 2018, a groundbreaking event occurred: The US Government shutdown. This was an event which would soon go down in history as the longest government stoppage ever.

A US government shutdown occurs when Congress does not pass into law a spending bill.

But what was the exact cause of this particular shutdown - this shocking event?

Days before the shutdown, US President Donald Trump attempted to pass a spending bill worth $5 billion to build the wall between the US and Mexico. The Democrats refused to sign it although they did offer $1.6 billion for improved border security. In retaliation, Donald Trump vowed not to sign any spending bill passed by the Republicans in the Senate. Therefore, as a result of Congress’ refusal to sign a spending bill, the US government shut down. Whilst the Republicans have been hoping to find a way to blame it all on the Democrats, Donald Trump has issued a statement saying, “I’ll tell you what: I am proud I shut down the government for border security”. With this information, we can conclude that Donald Trump is the fundamental cause of the shutdown.

Donald Trump had wanted to specifically build this wall to reinforce border security between the USA and Mexico. Speculation about this idea not working has arisen several times and there have been many debates questioning whether the wall would actually be a viable option for

ENT N

improved border security as this plan appears to be an inefficient waste of US resources. Suggested disadvantages include: illegal immigrants potentially building tunnels underneath the wall; the quality of surveillance reducing; and immigrants going through the north of the USA and from the sea instead of through the US-Mexico border. Democrats have said that Donald Trump should instead focus on trying to allow these people who are crossing illegally to have an opportunity to see if they fulfil the requirements of becoming a US citizen.

With the government being shut down, many agencies and departments had to close down, such as NASA, the FDA, and the Departments of Education, Energy, and Labour. This caused many knock-on effects. For example, 800,000 government workers have not received their paychecks, causing 87% of commerce workers to use their reserve funds. In addition, parks and museums like the Smithsonian museum have closed, creating less tourism in the USA which negatively impacted their economy. On top of this, multiple workers had also been forced to go on furlough - a temporary leave of absence - and in urban and housing development alone, a whopping 95% of workers have been released .

There are numerous possible scenarios that can end the shutdown, however one thing is for sure and this is that the shutdown would only end in a compromise between the Republicans and the Democrats. One extreme way to resolve this issue is Donald Trump withdrawing his request, thus ending the shutdown. Trump might contemplate this only because he knows that people are voting against him and he would therefore walk away instead of facing an inevitable defeat. The other extreme is that Trump might end up declaring a national emergency. He could then use his executive power to subvert the legislative branch and build the wall. Somewhere in between these extremes is the possibility that Trump receives part of the money he has requested for the wall in return for a compromise of illegal immigrants being granted protection - mainly immigrants who were brought to the USA as children. However, this event is unlikely as there has been no indication of a meeting between the Democrats and the Republicans.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that the US government shutdown has been distressing. It has caused many negative implications on US government workers. No future statements have been made, but we are hoping for a resolution to occur between the Democrats and Republicans regarding Donald

Trump’s request. With this event we have learnt that the government in the USA is heavily divided; instead of standing divided, they should stand united and instead of arguing about what they want, they should be addressing what their people need. With all of this information, what is your view on the situation?

Do you agree with the construction of the wall and what do you think the government should do to stop the shutdown?

Words By Sebastian Inestroza

https://newrepublic.com/ minutes/152614/i-proud-shutgovernment-border-security-saystrump https://www.curbed. com/2019/1/7/18172058/ government-shutdown-hudprograms-trump-2019

What Makes A Good

TAX?

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s the famous saying goes “Nothing is certain except for death and taxes”; consumers around the world pay various taxes throughout their lifetime. However, there are certain taxes which can, theoretically, be avoided. These include indirect taxes which are levied on products by the government usually to generate revenue or to reduce demand for products that cause negative externalities, where the social costs exceed the private cost to consumers. In this article, we shall explore the factors that determine the effectiveness of a tax and how one can evaluate any tax implemented henceforth or reflect upon those already in place.

Adam Smith, who is regarded as the father of economics, extensively discusses the topic of taxation in his book ‘Wealth of Nations’ in which he highlights four critical principles that make a tax effective: equality, certainty, convenience and economy. Smith says that taxes should be paid in proportion to the benefit that is enjoyed by the consumer. Indirect taxes such as VAT in the UK or sales tax in the US come close to this as all consumers, regardless of

income, end up paying the same amount per unit for each product that is taxed. While some may misinterpret equality as consumers paying in accordance to their income, a flat level of sales tax ensures that all consumers pay equal amounts of tax per unit, which may adversely affect those on a low income. For example, the 20% VAT on tobacco in the UK presents a minor inconvenience for the wealthy smokers, but it affects the working class the hardest as they have to spend a larger portion of their income on tobacco and may have to sacrifice necessities if addicted.

The second principle of a good tax, according to Smith, is that the tax which each individual is bound to pay ought to be certain, and not arbitrary. The time of payment, the manner of payment and the quantity to be paid should be clear and plain to the contributor, and to every other person. This principle is harder for indirect taxes to meet as all consumers may not be aware of how much of the cost they are paying as a tax, in contrast to direct taxes like income tax.

The information gap created due to this may lead to asymmetrical

information, where sub-optimal decisions are made, which is a form of market failure that the government will have to address.

The third principle of Smith, convenience, mandates that every tax ought to be levied at the time, or in the manner in which it is most likely convenient for the contributor to pay it. Most forms of indirect tax are convenient in their manner of payment as the tax is, in effect, paid by the supplier and not by the consumer.

Contrary to common belief, the supplier is the economic agent that collects and hands over the taxes to the government, which makes it convenient for consumers to pay as it is levied at the time of purchase.

This form of taxation is also convenient for the supplier as it has to be paid with other taxes and this allows some of them to absorb the costs to reduce the impact of the tax on the demand. An example of this is the recent Qatar ‘sin tax’, where the tax on alcohol lead to the prices at the QDC doubling.

However, certain venues like hotels and bars can absorb the cost and pay the tax using the profits from other products, pushing less of the tax onto their customers.

This diagram illustrates how the imposition of a tax can help achieve government objectives, perhaps to reduce smoking and drinking, thus promoting a healthier lifestyle. The tax revenue can then be spent on things like education, health and infrastructure.

Smith’s fourth principle of good tax policy is that of economy. This basically states that the cost of collecting the tax should not be minimized, whilst the revenue generated should be maximized. As Smith said, “Every tax ought to be contrived as both to take out and to keep out of the pockets of the people as little as possible, over and above what it brings into the public treasury of the State.”

Other canons have been added by other economists over time such as diversity, simplicity and productivity, but Smith’s four canons remain the benchmark for evaluating a tax.

By applying the four principles of Adam Smith, we can evaluate the effectiveness of taxes that we pay day to day, or taxes across the world and their impact on our consumption, the environment, the externalities addressed by the tax. A well planned and implanted tax can curb externalities, add government revenue and increase social welfare, and being aware of what makes a good tax can help us make more informed judgments about the only thing that is certain other than death.

Words By Yuvraj Rane

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BREXIT

n June 23 2016, Britain undertook a national referendum to decide its future relationship with the EU. Having ascertained that Britain will no longer remain as a member state of the European Union, as the date of Brexit comes closer, fears of a nodeal situation are high, but should people really be that worried?

The issues surrounding Brexit, especially a no-deal scenario, can be alarming. Companies such as Sony and Bank of America have already moved their headquarters out of the UK to more favourable locations and the assumption could be made that with fortune 500 companies leaving the UK, jobs will be impacted and unemployment will rise.

This, however, may not necessarily be the case. According to documents published by CIPD, employment has been unaffected thus far; in fact, current statistics show that levels of employment are higher than pre-referendum levels.

Nevertheless, reports suggest that seven in ten EU workers could be barred from working within the UK. While this is seen as a negative, it could serve as an opportunity for more domestic workers to fill gaps in employment left by EU migrants, which would lower the level of unemployment within the sector.

Since the referendum, the UK pound has fallen 1.7% and 0.8% against the dollar and euro respectively. This is despite rising interest rates which usually raise the value of the pound. Furthermore, since the results of the referendum, the UK’s performance amongst the G7 has fallen drastically. In

many respects, these figures can be extremely alarming. But research by economists and analysts suggests that there is, perhaps, less reason to worry.

More recent articles show that the UK has recently been performing well amongst the G7 ‘The new quarterly GDP figures reveal that EU economies are experiencing a significant slowdown in growth.

The UK, on the other hand, is one of the few EU countries where GDP growth is higher this year than last year’s [2018] admittedly anaemic performance.’ Moreover, economic analysts, comparing various future scenarios, suggest that the pound’s poor performance is only temporary, and that in the long run there should be growth in the UK’s economy especially against ‘European Union countries [which] will suffer long-term damage equivalent to about 1.5 percent of annual economic output if Britain leaves’.

There is, however, a genuine concern for domestic workers, especially in areas such as the steel industry.

Assuming the UK takes a no-deal Brexit (which is increasingly likely) it is suggested import tariffs may fall, putting these businesses at risk.

However, a no-deal scenario could still have a positive effect. A no-deal would grant the UK WTO rules giving it more control over tariffs, as a result of which the UK can aid its domestic businesses and enforce protectionism.

In spite of Brexit, the EU are still responsible for 53% of the UK’s

imports and around 44% of our exports equating to around £264 billion. The assumption is that by leaving the EU there will be a halt in trade and our economy will take a huge hit. There are, however, a few factors which are often overlooked, making the situation seem far less alarming. Firstly, assuming you treat the EU as a trading bloc, they sell more to the UK than the UK does to them, making it highly unlikely that the EU would halt trading with one of their largest trade partners, as it would negatively impact their economy.

Furthermore, after leaving the EU, even if we enter WTO rules, the UK can simulate free trade and control their own tariffs better, which then makes the UK a more considerable trade partner internationally, ‘There is no reason for the British to put any obstacles to imports from the European Union’(Jacob ReesMogg). However, while Britain planned to initiate trade deals with 40 other countries to sustain trade post-Brexit, that plan has failed with regard to countries such as Switzerland, Chile, the Faroe Islands, and others.

It could be argued that a no-deal Brexit is beneficial to the UK long term. But there is an issue which plagues the negotiations: the Irish/Northern Irish border.

The problem faced is that between 1969 and 1994, the IRA fought on similar issues resulting in the death of almost 2,000 people. There is a prevailing fear that by placing a hard border between the two states, it will evoke more attacks. A solution has been proposed known as Backstop where Northern Ireland will act under EU law temporarily,

removing the need for a hard border, placing it instead between Northern Ireland and the UK. However, if a no-deal Brexit proceeds, a hard border will be put in place, which could lead to more fighting.

Many now feel that the initial referendum was a bad idea: it should have never happened; if there was a need to leave the EU, that should have been decided in parliament as the public do not have the full knowledge to decide.

Given that it did happen, although Theresa May is a strong leader in her own respect, it was not wise to put a ‘remainer’ in charge of the exit negotiations as there are simply too many conflicting interests which have caused the issues that the country is facing now.

It seems a No-Deal scenario would be ideal, to then move into WTO rules before negotiating the UK’s future relationship with the EU. The worst possible scenario now is for the UK not to leave at all; it is practically impossible at this point to go against a public vote in this way, as it would pave the way for the death of modern democracy.

While there are still issues that need to be sorted quickly, mainly the Irish border, I have confidence that the UK will survive, and that there is no reason for a fall into ‘Armageddon suggested by the BOE.’ Words By John Taylor

https://www.reuters.com/article/ us-britain-eu-bank-of-america/ bank-of-america-completesbrexit-switch-to-dublinidUSKBN1O20PD https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/ labour-market-outlook_2018autumn-2018_tcm18-50460.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2018/sep/20/seven-in10-eu-workers-in-uk-would-bebarred-under-brexit-proposals https://www.bbc.com/news/ business-45113862z The Group of Seven is a group consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

These countries, with the seven largest IMF-described advanced economies in the world, represent 58% of the global net wealth. https://www.ft.com/ content/79d4c812-a4ee-11e7-9e4f7f5e6a7c98a2

https://order-order. com/2018/11/09/eu-experiencingsignificant-growth-slowdown/ https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/760484/28_November_EU_ Exit_-_Long-term_economic_ analysis__1_.pdf https://www.reuters.com/article/ us-britain-zzeu-imf/no-dealbrexit-would-cost-europeanunion-1-5-percent-of-gdp-imfidUSKBN1K92FN World Trade Organization https://www.ons.gov.uk/ economy/nationalaccounts/ balanceofpayments/timeseries/ l7px https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/ economy/nationalaccounts/ balanceofpayments/

S P A C E X

MARS Founded in 2002 by famous entrepreneur Elon Musk, SpaceX is a private American firm that designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.

Considered to be one of the world’s fastest growing providers of launch services, SpaceX has secured over 100 missions (commercial satellite launches and US government missions), representing approximately over $12 billion on contract. Established to revolutionise space technology and reduce the transportation costs, SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to enable people to live on other planets.

Musk was quite frustrated as he believed that the work being done

by NASA was insufficient because they were not putting in maximum efforts to get people to Mars - a cold, unforgiving and almost airless rock located an average of 140 million miles from earth. If, under any circumstances, earth becomes an uninhabitable wasteland, colonisation of Mars is the last hope for humanity. Suitable surface conditions and past presence of water make Mars the second most hospitable planet after earth.

Musk’s concern for the survival of humanity is what prompted the idea and the development of SpaceX. In 2008, NASA awarded SpaceX a $1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. Since

COLONISATION then, the firm has worked tirelessly to develop several remarkable and impressive aerospace systems.

Falcon 1, its first orbital rocket, created history by becoming the first ever privately developed liquid fuel rocket to reach the earth’s orbit. In July 2009, Falcon 1 Flight 5 became the first liquid fuel rocket ever to deliver a commercial satellite to the earth’s orbit. In preparation for more ambitious launches, Grasshopper was a reusable self-landing rocket prototype tested by the company.

Dragon, a free-flying spacecraft designed to deliver both cargo and people to orbiting destinations, made history in 2012 when it became the first ever commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station and safely return cargo to earth.

Further, Falcon 9 - a two-stage rocket manufactured to safely transport satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit - was the first orbital class rocket that was capable of reflight. Finally, the Falcon Heavy is one of the most powerful operational rockets in the world. Launched for the first time on February 6 2018, Falcon 9 has the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons. Spaceflight is expensive; one Falcon 9 rocket is estimated to cost around $62

million. The key to lowering these costs is this re-usability.

Currently, SpaceX is focusing most of its time, energy and resources on the BFR spaceship, which is the hardest part of the system to get right. While the BFR facility is being constructed, engineers are working under a nearby 20,000 square foot tent to build the prototype spaceship out of advanced carbon-fiber resources.

Moreover, SpaceX officials are also meeting with NASA and other parties in order to work on the Mars mission plans. However, a lot of work, including safety from radiation and starvation, still has to be done in order to ensure a successful and convenient journey.

SpaceX has several plans for the future. In 2019, the company plans to test-launch the prototype Big Falcon Spaceship from the launch support facility in Boca Chica.

The main aim of the launch would be to gather useful data on the prototype in order to refine the next version. However, there is a high likelihood that there could be a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”

During the Satellite 2018 conference, Shotwell (president and chief operating officer) mentioned that the BFR would be “orbital in 2020”. This implies that by 2020, the booster and a spaceship will

be built, shipped to the launch site in Texas, integrated, and launched by then. According to Musk’s aspirational timeline, the launch of the Big Falcon Spaceship mission to Mars would take place in 2022.

This is because in summer 2022, Mars and earth would get close to each other, making it quicker to reach the planet. Musk suggests that the first spaceships would be full of cargo and machines that future missions would require for building facilities that can generate power, gather water, bottle up the air, and turn raw resources into fuel and oxygen for return launches.

Assuming that the first cargo, supply, and scouting missions are successful, SpaceX aims to send one or two crews towards Mars by 2024.

Therefore, mankind will step onto Mars for the first time in 2025.

If the above deadlines are met, Elon Musk’s main aim of creating SpaceX will most likely be accomplished: people will be living on another planet - living on Mars.

Words By Muskan Budhraja

2022 World Cup

Q

atar, a small country in the Middle East, is now all set to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. This will be the first time ever that the World Cup will take place in the Arab world, and in a Muslim majority country.

In addition, this will be the first World Cup that will not be held in May or June and is instead scheduled for late November until December due to the extreme weather conditions in Qatar during the summer. This change in schedule occurred due to concerns expressed over the climate in Qatar in October 2013.

A task force was given the job of considering alternative dates for the World Cup and on 19th March 2015, it was confirmed that the World Cup would take place between November and December; whilst this change is necessary, it unfortunately also interferes with the regular season schedules of several domestic leagues. On top of changing the dates, specific cooling technology, capable of reducing temperatures within a stadium by upto 20%, will be implemented.

The final match is intended to

take place on December 18th, which is also Qatar National Day. The matches will take place across eight different stadiums within Qatar, of which five are still under construction. These five include the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Wakrah Stadium, Education City Stadium, and Al Thumama Stadium. The capacity of these stadiums varies between 40,000 people to 86,250 people. Two stadiums, the Al Rayyan Stadium and the Khalifa International Stadium, are both being upgraded for the World Cup in order to increase their capacity.

Other upgrades to construction include Qatar aiming to construct zero-waste stadiums that have high sustainability and environmental standards through the use of environmentally-safe equipment.

Unfortunately, several accusations of corruption have been made against Qatar regarding their right to host the World Cup. However, an internal FIFA investigation cleared Qatar of any misconduct regarding the corruption allegation. There was also an investigation conducted

by The Guardian newspaper which

claimed that many of the workers were denied food and water as well as not being paid wages and having all of their identification documents taken away from them .

However, in 2017, Qatar signed an agreement to improve the situation of over 2 million migrant workers in the country.

Regardless of the various controversies, the hosts are professionally and tirelessly preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in order to make this event a family-friendly, exciting and unforgettable experience for all spectators, which we are certain that it will be.

Words By Mukan Budhraja https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2017/mar/19/qatar-worldcup-workers-india-nepal-cheateddeceived https://www.theguardian.com/ global-development/2016/mar/31/ migrant-workers-suffer-appallingtreatment-in-qatar-world-cupstadiums-says-amnesty

Over the past few decades climate change is a term that has been the focus of the public eye and continues may continue to be for decades to come, so what is it?

would we prevent climate change?

As citizens we can contribute to the prevention of climate change by using renewable energy, renewable light bulbs,car pooling, riding a bike and by conserving energy. There are also many companies helping to prevent In

A CHANGING WORLD Over the past few decades, climate change is a term that has been the focus of the public eye and may continue to be for decades to come. So what is it?

Climate change is the transformation of weather patterns, with the potential for this change to be permanent.

These changes are being caused by a combination of factors such as solar radiation, volcanic eruptions, tectonic plates and global warming. The main reason is global warming. Global warming is due to many factors, including greenhouse gases. These are gases such as carbon-dioxide and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere causing an increase in temperature.

Such increases mean oceans become warmer, sea levels increase, ice sheets shrink, hurricanes become more intense and precipitation patterns alter.

Climate change is the transformation of weather patterns,with the potential for this change to be permanent.

These being caused by Thesechanges changesare have severe effects many factors combined; such as solar not only on humans, but also on radiation, volcanic eruptions, tectonic many different of The animals plates and globalspecies warming. main and their habitats.

Many species reason as aforementioned is global have beenGlobal affected including, warming. warming is thefor example, bear, Adelie of increase inthe thepolar average temperature penguin, North Antarctic cod, and the Earth due to many factors, more notably gases.toad.

These are the nowgreenhouse extinct golden gases such as carbon-dioxide and methane. gasesshrinking, would trap With the These ice sheets heat in the melted atmosphere consequently the water makes the sea causing an increase in temperature. levels rise. This means that areas

are likely to become flooded, This would include effects such perhaps some areasincreased even becoming as warming oceans, sea completely drowned.

Themore change levels, shrinking ice sheets, in precipitation can cause intense hurricanespatterns and changes in many different areas to get less precipitation patterns.These changes water, not subsequently making but many would only affect humans, many different animals different plantspecies speciesofdie out. and their habitats This not only leads to some plant severely.Many species have also species becoming extinct, butbeen it and will be affected such as the could cause in an increase in well more known polar bear,precipitation Adelie droughts in low areas. penguin, north Antarctic cod, and the The long term now future, extinct golden toad.effects caused by climate could be the With the icechange sheets shrinking, the loss of the Arctic and Antarctic water melted would make the sea ice sheets, large coral reef declines, levels rise.

This would mean that and areas are most likely to be exposed to floods, and even some areas would be completely overflowed.

The change in precipitation patterns would cause many different areas to get less water, subsequently making many different plant species die out.

This would also not only make some plant species die out, but it could cause in an increase in more droughts in low precipitation areas.

The future, long term effects that would be caused by climate change would be the loss of the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, large coral reef declines, and the loss of many water sources in particularly areas.

With all of this information how

the loss of many water sources in particular areas.

With all of this information, how can we prevent climate change? As citizens we can contribute to the prevention of climate change by using renewable energy, renewable light bulbs, car pooling, riding a bike, and by conserving energy. In addition, many companies such as ‘Starbucks’, ‘eBay’, ‘Nike’, and ‘hp’ have moved forward to become more eco friendly in order to prevent climate change. Examples of these initiatives include using recyclable products, minimizing energy waste, and making sure there would be no wasted resources .

In conclusion, climate change is an ever-changing danger that will continue to affect us negatively.

Therefore, we should help to spread awareness about it and its effects in an effort to minimise it.

Words By Sebastian Inestroza

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/

Unravelling A

s little kids we all took pleasure in visualizing turtles and dinosaurs out of the clouds, wondering what those visible masses of minute liquid droplets actually were. The green aliens that we watched on cartoons were all we knew about space until we started learning science in school, and our inquisitiveness elevated way above the clouds.

Scrutinizing the vastness of space, the beauty of shooting stars, the danger - yet the exquisiteness - of black holes and the unknowns beyond our world has always bewitched us. Indeed, curiosity about space has intrigued the world for hundreds of years, from the ancient Greeks who proposed the word “planets”, to Einstein’s theory of relativity in 1905, the Apollo landing on the moon in 1969, NASA’s Viking mission to land on Mars for the first time in 1976, and up to the New Horizons mission to Pluto in 2006. Even today, space exploration is accelerating and it has played a significant role not only in the space industry, but also in numerous other fields such as education and entertainment.

In fact, around $20 billion a year is spent on space research, and bizarre discoveries have been made over the past few years.

Nevertheless, the significance of space expeditions and analysis has been debated by many. While some people strongly advocate seeking answers beyond earth, others are against it, concerned with the risks of tampering with the unknown, thus giving rise to the question: is space exploration really worth all the time and resources?

One of the main arguments in favour of space exploration is that it optimizes our understanding of the world we live in, not only in terms of learning about galaxies and other forms of life, but also significantly contributing to improving the lives of people on earth. The knowledge of asteroids, gravity, the atmosphere, black holes, dark energy and time has had notable effects on our lives.

Yet there are still so many other secrets waiting to be unmasked in space, far beyond what has already been unearthed. To uncover those mysteries, we have pushed the ambit of human knowledge

The Cosmos “I don’t think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I’m an optimist. We will reach out to the stars.”

Stephen Hawking

of energy, computing, artificial intelligence and manufacturing.

As a result, it is now possible to utilize satellites to predict weather, hurricanes and typhoons. This has helped save millions of lives. We can also monitor asteroids and comets, predict the magnitude of their impact and intercede to minimize the casualties - or even divert them off their path!

Moreover, not only have alternative forms of energy such as solar energy been discovered and constructively utilized to reserve non-renewable resources, but space exploration has also brought to light fossil fuels from other planets that could be just as useful!

Consequently, we are pioneering more schemes to sustain our planet, as we can see it from a distance and learn more about its environment.

extravagant cutting-edge technologies, devices and expertise. Another major drawback is that years of exploration has left behind what is called “space junk”; therefore, not only are we polluting earth but also the space beyond with satellites, space probes, and man-made trash. And of course, there is always the danger of bringing harm to earth, which could span from bringing back harmful organisms and materials to infectious ailments. All of which is yet to be discovered with space travel.

To conclude, whilst some believe that the discovery of extraterrestrial life, habitable planets, dark matter and galaxies, and making contact with races millions of light years away are admirable objectives, others suggest that such exploration is a Conversely, others question double-edged sword, which could whether we should be squandering either lead earth into a brand-new our time and money on era of evolution and development, uncovering the mysteries of the or direct it towards the jeopardy of universe, when these could be the voids in space. Nevertheless, fruitfully invested in overcoming consideration of the issue remains problems of overpopulation, essential for fathoming the hunger, pollution and health perplexity of the universe. predicaments. Although it is argued that colonizing other planets would be possible in the Words By Hams Almeldin near future with the discovery of exoplanets, travelling to outer space requires emphatically

Justice in Bosnia?

21 year old David Dragičević was found deceased in a river in the town of Banja Luka, Bosnia in March 2018. For many, many days after that, Davor Dragičević, David’s father, held a public protest at Krajina Square honouring David and pleading for justice.

In March 2018, 21 year old David Dragčević was out with his friends. He appears on security camera footage for some of the evening. But then he goes missing.

Apparently, David was ‘cut off ’ by some shady people. On the night he disappeared, he sent his mother an SMS that stated, “if anything happens to me, the perpetrator will be F. Ć.” What does that mean? Well no-one seems to know.

The day after the incident, David’s father, Davor, realized that David was missing, so he called friends, family and the emergency services and launched a rescue mission to try and find his son. Six days later, David was found deceased in the Vrbas river. Davor was devastated.

He was devastated even further though when the police suggested David’s death was a result of drugs and/or suicide. Police chiefs, and pathologist Željiko Karan, held a

conference where, according to change.org, the police told ‘white lies’ about David. Quotes from the conference include “David was a drug addict” and “David was a thief ”. Later, many of these allegations were proven to be a lie, apparently to cover up what really happened: a private autopsy revealed that David had in fact been strangled to death.

David’s father, Davor, rallied a lot of support to begin a protest in the main square. Balkaneu. com states that Davor accused the top police authorities, Minister of Interior, Dragan Lukač, police director, Darko Ćulum, several police inspectors and high ranking politicians, including RS president in the time, Milorad Dodik, of a conspiracy to kill David. More and more supporters gathered and Davor’s fight for the truth about his son’s death was raised as a political question. There have been more people protesting about this man’s missing son than any other ‘political issue’ has incited ever before in this area: more than 40,000 people have been protesting - very impressive for a town with about 200,000 people alone.

This protest took place for more than 470 days during which the

brutality between the police and the citizens taking part in the protest was fractious to say the least. Many people were put under intense investigation for simply filming the mass gathering of people in the town square. The protest was so great that a subsequent investigation into the death took place.

According to balkaneu.com, police officers involved in the later investigation admitted that the first investigation was not conducted properly and the police statement did subsequently change. The police now say that it was not suicide, nor was it an accident as they had suggested earlier.

Because of issues with the police, Davor has had to flee the country.

In December 2018, Bosnian Serb news agency Srna reported that Dragicevic was on the run and that police were searching for him. And then, a few weeks later, according to Bosnian sources, Davor announced, in a video, that he will come out of hiding and discuss the whole thing further. Many Bosnians are awaiting that with great anticipation: will there be fair and honest justice in this case?

Words By Dima Pudar

Political Correctness

Political Correctness The adults of today, that grew up listening to the defiant 20th century rock and hip-hop genre and watching anti-establishment or open-minded movies like ‘Fight Club’ and ‘The Breakfast Club’, now manage the world and the society in which we live in. As a result, the zeitgeist of modern society is that of a progressive and sympathetic attitude to the people around us but cynical and rebellious towards the people that govern us. In order to unearth the evils of our communities, we hold views of distrust and suspicion towards those that hold any kind of position of power - inspired by the rebellious movies and music we grew up on.

Thus, those in power have either been overthrown, hated by the public, or have adapted and hidden whatever bigotry and ill intent they may harbour; their language has become pleasant yet evasive politically correct. This provides the deceptive reality of those in power truly holding purely altruistic and compassionate values for all kinds of people, in order to adapt to and appease the critical public and appease them. However prejudice still lives in our society, and we are reminded of this every time such harmful views are expressed

by those that are more prideful of their harmful views than those in power can afford to be. In reaction to these ideals that oppose the progressive zeitgeist that has inspired the rise of identity politics and progression of the civil rights movement, we silence the people that hold these views instead of patiently discussing these views with them. Through this, we can see the irony of a society that promotes the freedom of speech as a core value in their progressive movements to then mute opposing ideals to that of their own. After all, we cannot advocate for the expression and freedom of all men, if we then discourage the expression and freedom of men that oppose that conviction.

and have abused this power in the past. It recognizes the repression of innocent beliefs and the well-mannered people who hold them, and the violence that was imposed upon them. The totalitarian treatment of the past is not completely mirrored in today’s society: those with contrasting views are not punished to the same extent. Also, by being strictly intolerant of prejudice against minorities, we can minimize its influence on children, and thereby hope that such harmful views become extinct in the future. This also creates a more harmonious and benevolent society in the present, if the prejudicial perspective and motivations are repressed.

However, the fact that prejudice has to be repressed means that it is still present and not abolished as hoped by our progressiveminded society. If left unchecked and ignored, in the hopes of a more tranquil society, we allow this bigotry to lurk in the shadows until it inevitably rears its ugly On the other hand, we must clarify head in our community. Enter, Donald Trump, Brexit, and the that this censorship is not as malevolent as the kind practised alt-right groups and politicians that are rampant and popular by totalitarian societies of the across Europe. Donald Trump, past. It favours the historically who has been a notorious figure for downtrodden and marginalised his controversial statements, was over those who have held power

“we cannot advocate for the expression and freedom of all men, if we then discourage the expression and freedom of men that oppose that conviction.”

predicted to lose the 2016 election.

However the world was shocked as Trump was victorious, and many predictions of many surveys preelection were proven tragically inaccurate. Thus, the Shy Trump Supporter hypothesis was created, describing the possibility of many MAGA supporters being hidden as a result of being bullied into being politically correct by the liberal US media. This is proven by the 6% point gap in estimates of support for Trump’s primary election between live and online surveys.

Britain’s overwhelmingly liberal media caused the same effect in Brexit, shown by the experience of a 32 year-old man who said, “I’m not going to tell the world I voted leave. It’s a personal decision and I know that my friends and family in London all voted Remain and wouldn't understand.” His support for Brexit was strictly based on its economical advantages, but he feared that others would

immediately see this support as xenophobic. In the aftermath of these two events, alt-right groups, such as the Neo-Nazis, have grown braver in expressing their views around Europe. Political correctness shows a harmonious society, but it does this by ignoring the more problematic views of this society and this is not the best way to abolish such views long term.

After all, a doctor does not ignore the illness of the patient in the hope that it will cease to exist by itself: he treats it.

I recently learnt the idea that political correctness is the gentrification of the English language and this analogy is an accurate one in many ways: its friendly and acceptable nature controls our lexicon in order to presents a tranquil and progressive society. However, this image is deceiving as prejudice is not

reformed through political correctness, just as poverty isn’t resolved by removing residents from neighbourhoods they can no longer afford. Political correctness - and gentrification - does not encourage true change, it only gives the illusion of it to satisfy the public in the short term. In the long term, this reality of bigoted ideas grows and becomes more evident until we are all shocked at the true nature of our society. We either accept the false reality that has been built for us or we confront our true identity in the hope that we can truly change it. In doing the latter, we fulfill the progressive ideals that we grew up with instead of taking comfort in the false illusion that they have already been fulfilled.

Words By Amin Arabo

Bohemian Rhapsody Will Rock You Stomp stomp CLAP! Stomp stomp CLAP your hands for the greatest movie ever made. Bohemian Rhapsody shares the touching, adventurous and captivating story of one of the most iconic 1970s British 70’s rock bands; having written songs like We Will Rock You, Don’t Stop Me Now and, of course, Bohemian Rhapsody, you instantly know I am talking about none other than Queen.

Although there are tear-shedding and heartbreaking moments in this spectacular biopic, elements of humor, head-banging, and hipswaying instances are guaranteed too.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the casting directors have done an impeccable job of selecting the actors and actresses to portray everyone involved in the telling of this story - when compared to the actual people, the resemblances are absolutely uncanny. British actor Gwylim Lee’s portrayal of Queen’s lead guitarist, Brian May, was by far the most astounding in terms of his appearance, speech, and mannerisms. As was Ben Hardy’s take on Roger Taylor, who nailed the drummer’s infamous catchphrase, “are you joking?”

Not to mention American actor Joe Mazzello’s spot-on impression

of bassist John Deacon with the traditional “Johnny D two-step” dance. But, of course, who can forget the star of the show? The one and only Freddie Mercury was played by Emmy award-winning actor Rami Malek, who boldly and compellingly performed the role as if he was born for it, with a performance that has recently won him an Oscar.

Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance at the Wembley Stadium was (and still is) arguably the greatest rock performance of all time. This, portrayed in the last scene, composes one of the most unforgettable grand finales seen in any movie. Surprisingly — if not, very surprisingly — the cast and crew shot this twentyminute sequence on day one. One can only imagine the pressure on the entire production team because they either had to pull it off convincingly on the first day of shooting or had the plug pulled out on the whole project.

They absolutely nailed it! It was so surreal, as a movie-goer in 2018, just sitting in a chair gaping in awe at a cinema screen feeling as if you were being taken back to 1985 right there in that stadium, surrounded by all the energy from the band itself as well as the avid

fans; it just felt so real. This goes to show exactly how memorable and powerful that scene really is, and how seamlessly everything was put together: foot for foot, move for move, lip sync to sync, the cast and crew made sure each and every single little detail was correct. “It was really useful to start with something so specific,” says Lee, “it was the one part in the film that we needed to capture in complete detail to the point that we had to ensure our heads were pointing in the right direction and at what angle I had to hold my guitar. It really helped us capture the essence of each character to tell the rest of the story up until this iconic performance.”

However, the film has received its fair share of negativity, with some ‘professional’ critics remarking that “Freddie Mercury deserved better”. Earlier this year, National Post writer Calum Marsh wrote a very one-sided — and quite frankly insulting — review on the movie, harshly targeting the actors as well as Brian May and Roger Taylor themselves, with the subheading, “One gets the unmistakable sense that May and Taylor’s greatest aspiration for Bohemian Rhapsody was to finally hear Freddie Mercury apologise.”

Ironically, this is one of the aspects one could mistake the movie to be suggesting: although there may have been some areas in the movie where it appeared that Freddie was nobody without the band, it is also quite explicitly demonstrated that Queen will never be Queen without Freddie. It’s not often you get to celebrate someone with such a persistent, powerful and passionate persona as Mercury.

The aspect of his life that is most beneficial for audiences is what he is capable of doing for a new generation: teaching people not to allow themselves to be stereotyped, for example. Here is what Rami Malek has to say about the negative criticisms: “We don’t shy away from anything, but what we’re here to do is show you an icon, someone we refer to as a rock god but also nevertheless a real, true, generous, beautiful human being — four of them in total — and beyond that, a really special film that means a lot to us.”

Since its release, the film has now won two Golden Globes for Best Actor and Best Picture, a Screen Actor’s Guild award for Best Actor, a BAFTA award for Lead Actor, and four Oscars for Best Actor, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Film Editing. It is undeniable that with all these very well-deserved awards, as well as a worldwide gross of $835.1 million, Bohemian Rhapsody stands an almost certain chance of being the best biopic of all time.

Words By Gwen Yap

Kid Cudi & His Legacy in Music

“My mission statement from day one: all I wanted to do was help kids not feel alone, and stop kids from committing suicide”. Scott Mescudi

bouncing between jobs at clothing shops in Manhattan, Scott released his breakout single ‘Day N’ Nite’ online and introduced Kid Cudi to Hip-Hop.

Scott Mescudi introduced himself to the late 2000s hip-hop scene with a set mission in mind that he repeated over and over, and which became more evident and powerful after each time. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Scott faced tragedy at a young age, just eleven years old, when his father died of cancer which resulted in his suffering from night terrors and a troubled mentality that, in turn, caused him to be expelled from his high school for threatening the principal.

More importantly, however, it gave him a passion for music. As a teenager growing up without a father, Scott used music as an emotional outlet for his frustration. After getting his GED (General Educational Development tests), Scott later dropped out of university and worked with upcoming producer Dot Da Genius to create his Kid Cudi music and persona. While

At this time, Hip-Hop was dominated by hardcore gangsta rap with artists such as Lil Wayne, The Game and Ludacris with their densely packed lyrics full of brags about cars, riches and women. The audience and mentality of the genre was overtly masculine and stoic and, like the African-American culture that it reflects, shamed and suppressed the truthful pain, angst and severe mental issues of men in a turbulent and racist America. Instead of dealing with their traumas and suffering, artists boasted of their material success and toughness to conceal their internal issues. Kid Cudi came as a revolutionary figure; bare and vulnerable with his emotions and personality in his lyrics and presentation, he expressed his darkest thoughts and his deepest flaws to an audience that secretly identified and

connected spiritually with his music. He pioneered a unique alternative sound in hip-hop, with wounded moans and warm singing of potent lyrics that separated him from a genre of disingenuous and ruthless musicians: who would’ve thought that the mind behind the classic Man on the Moon albums would be the most down-to-earth and authentic artist in his field?

The passionate and stirring attitude of Kid Cudi resonates with millions of adolescents; his lyrics are so powerful, his sound is so potent, and his experiences are so honest. His collaborations with Kanye West, namely on Kanye’s 2008 album 808’s & Heartbreak, transformed Hip-Hop into what it is today.

He not only showed his, and many other adolescent’s, depressing reality, but he also offered a beacon of hope and redemption from a broken state that he was proud to announce. This stance taught teenagers, who were otherwise encouraged to hide their anxieties and weaknesses, to confront their internal issues and be honest with themselves.

the album, he speaks of a brighter present with lyrics such as “on a mission, carry on, got my family, seeing better days” together with “pain in my eyes, every time I find, I’m stronger than I ever was”. This journey of self-discovery and perseverance has only endeared him further to his devoted fans with similar problems, and made his story as an artist more meaningful.

Today, it would be a sincere struggle to find a HipHop artist that hasn’t been influenced by Kid Cudi and, furthermore, who hasn’t professed his impact on them. From superstars such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott, to rock stars such as Lil Uzi Vert and Trippie Redd, Kid Cudi’s experimentation in rock and soul, as well as the innovative vulnerability evident in his lyrics, has shaped the 2010s era of Hip-Hop. In recent years, Scott With a trailblazing career, has learnt this lesson he rebelled against the the most, dealing with stigma of mental health depression and suicidal among adolescents, urges that resulted transcending music to in him declaring a place depression into the short retirement from mainstream spotlight music to enter instead of allowing it to rehabilitation. He lurk in the dark corners admitted to simply of a teenager’s mind, left being a “damaged to manifest into suicidal human swimming in urges. Pete Davidson, SNL a pool of emotions member and comedian, everyday of [his] publicly stated that “he life” with “a raging would’ve killed [him]self ” violent storm if it wasn’t for Kid Cudi’s inside of my heart music. Even further, he at all times”. He states that “if you’re 25 and hoped to come out under, [he] truly believe[s] “stronger, better.

Kid Cudi saved your life”.

Reborn”. And reborn he has returned, To have such an impact with he and Kanye on the mental wellbeing of releasing their teenagers around the world critically acclaimed is truly legendary - and joint project “Kids fulfills the mission of ‘the See Ghosts”. On man on the moon’.

Words By Amin Arabo

“It’s like a rebel sound. Like we are gonna do what we want to do and you’RE gonna have to respect it -

cause it’s us” Kendrick Lamar “There would be no Travis Scott if it wasn’t for Cudi. I want do what [he] did for the kids for my generation.

Cudi saved my live.”

Travis Scott “He was the dude that was like,

‘It’s okay to be sad, It’s okay to talk about these things and go through these things.”

Logic

“He was like a guardian angel, like a tour guide throughout life. He was one of the only artists making the music at that time for like, emotional people going through something” Lil Yachty

“[He is] the most important artist of the past 10 years, the

most influential” Kanye West

Billie and her rise Billie Eilish is one of the most talked about teens on the planet at the moment; from runways to stage performances, she captivates everyone. Eilish has broken records in the music industry, modeled for Calvin Klein, sold out arenas and so much more, all while only being 17 years old.

So, who is Billie Eilish?

A 17 year old singer/songwriter who went viral when she released her first song in 2016, Billie Eilish O’Connell, started gaining attention with the release of her debut single “Ocean Eyes”, a haunting, harmony-filled ballad written by her brother, Finneas, who is also a singer. Billie originally recorded the song for her dance teacher, who wanted to create a dance routine for the track. She uploaded it onto SoundCloud in 2016; currently, the track has more than 2 million streams. Since then, she has gathered a mass amount of followers in such a short time.

Does age really matter?

One can hardly bring up Billie Eilish—in headlines or through

word of mouth—without mentioning that she’s only 17 years old. But how could you not?

Considering she already has an acclaimed debut EP, a sold-out tour, and more than 3 million monthly streams on Spotify, it’s almost impossible to ignore her young age. Surprisingly, her music is not representative of her age - it illustrates complex themes and emotions that are mature for her years, making her accomplishments all the more impressive.

What is her music like?

You will have to be the judge of that. Aside from vulnerable tracks like “Ocean Eyes,” there are also some mature, at times even sadistic, themes in her lyrics; an unexpected match for her angelic voice. She is unique as she uses a variety of different emotions throughout her songs, and this makes her extremely mature compared to other singers of her age. Each song has a different story, a different theme. For instance, she plays a psychopath who’s just killed all her friends in her biggest hit, “Bellyache”; she

sings about burning someone’s car down in “Watch” and she chants “I want to steal your soul / And hide you in my treasure chest” in her song “Hostage.” The message is clear: Billie is not your average pop star.

What’s her fashion style like?

Her personal style sends the same message: unconventional, with baggy silhouettes, sneakers, layered coats and track suits.

The iconic silver-haired Los Angeles native can be found wearing a puffer jacket, turtleneck, a Louis Vuitton scarf around her neck and

Eilish to Stardom a Gucci one at her waist, all in mid-August! She loves dressing “out of the ordinary”. Most people feel like they need to dress casual and look like everyone else to fit in - that’s where they feel comfortable. But the way people feel when they feel like an outsider, that’s Billie’s comfortable.

How does she feel about all of this new found fame?

Billie says that it is really strange for her as she knows what it’s like to be a fan and to look up to someone… and now she has fans and a lot of people look up to her!

The singer says that it’s the fans that keep her passion going, and that her fans are like family to her.

Eilish also says that she tries to devote all her attention to them and that she wouldn’t be ‘anything special’ if it wasn’t for them.

What are her thoughts on social media?

She has a love-hate relationship with social media, but it’s a helpful tool for connecting with her fans: “I love it and I hate it. Social media can ruin something. It can completely ruin a relationship, a friendship, yourself. It can ruin how you feel or how you feel like you look. I feel like social media is insanely dangerous. However, it lets you connect with people you might not get to meet in real life, such as fans, and I think that that is really special.” Her fans can also follow her on Instagram (@ wherearetheavocados) if they wish to keep up with her life and new music.

Who is she signed with?

Billie is signed with Interscope Records, where she is in conversation with the label’s wellknown rap acts (Kendrick Lamar, Kamaiyah, Rae Sremmurd), as well as singers such as Selena Gomez and Carly Rae Jepsen.

What’s her most recent music?

Billie’s debut album, ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ set to release on March 29th, contains the songs “You Should See Me in a Crown” and “When the Party’s Over”, which were released as singles back in 2018.

The third single, “Bury a Friend”, was released on January 30th, 2019.

Clearly, Billie Eilish is one of today’s fastest rising stars. She has proven herself to be just as talented and just as skilled as those more experienced in the music industry, despite her young age. Her extreme passion and love for music have resulted in her immense success which shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

Words By Micaela Powell

Most Anticipated Movies of 2019

2019 is set to be a blockbuster year in terms of movies and entertainment. Some of the most awaited movies are due to be released throughout the year and they are guaranteed to make it more fun and exciting.

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. Spiderman: Far From Home, a sequel to Spiderman: Homecoming stars Tom Holland playing the lead role and Zendaya.

One of the most anticipated movies of 2019, Avengers: Endgame, will release on April 26th and is a sequel to the extremely successful Avengers: Infinity War. Since Marvel ended Infinity War on a cliffhanger, millions of people are looking forward to this sequel which may bring an end to a year’s worth of mystery and suspense. With a all-star cast including Chris Evans playing Captain America, Robert Downey Jr. starring as Iron Man, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and many others, Infinity War is all set to be a blockbuster. The trailer, released on December 7th, 2018, has already gained 84 million views and counting. Along with Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has two other movies lined up for the year – Captain Marvel, releasing March 8th, and Spiderman: Far From Home, releasing July 5th.

Not really into Marvel? That’s okay because Disney also has several movies lined up for the upcoming year. One of their major releases is going to be a remake of the original 1994 Lion King. Releasing on July 19th, this animated movie uses voice from several artists including Beyoncé, Donald Glover and James Earl Jones. The Lion King is set to be a huge success with the trailer racking up more than 10 million views in less than 24 hours. Along with The Lion King, Disney will also be releasing Toy Story 4. Set to release on 21st June, Toy Story 4 incorporates voices from Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts and Joan Cusack. Aladdin is also an upcoming Disney musical fantasy adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie. Expected to release on May 24th, Aladdin stars Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine and many others.

But 2019 isn’t only about Marvel and Disney; there are several other exciting and interesting movies which will release throughout the year including IT: Chapter 2, a sequel to IT, starring James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, and others, and directed by Andy Muschietti, it’s expected to release on September 6th. As well as this, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw is an upcoming American action film directed by David Leitch and distributed by Universal Pictures. Anticipated to release on August 2nd, the film stars the famous Dwayne Johnson, Neal H. Moritz and Dany Garcia, amongst others. Along with these films, New Mutants, Shazam, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Us, Men in Black: International, and many other movies, will also release this year.

Clearly, 2019 is going to be one of the most jam-packed years in terms of sequels as well as new movies. What better reason to spend your weekends at the cinema with friends and family?

Words By Muskan Budhraja

TOP SHOWS TO WATCH IN 2019 murderer, but we also indulge in his charm and dark humor. America’s most notorious serial killer is presented as a disturbing yet intriguing character who we witness by the archival audio footage that was taken of him on death row. Watch as you get sucked into the life of the sadistic At number three, we have The Umbrella Academy: sociopath and the motives of his decisions.

At number one, we have season 3 of the wella show based on a hit comic book series created known Netflix series Stranger Things. Just after

by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The series midnight on the 1st of January, it was announced portrays a dysfunctional family of superheroes, that the new season of the show would be released who have eight days to save the world and stop on the 4th of July. Producer Cindy Holland stated the threat of the apocalypse. Actors such as Ellen that “more special effects” is one of the reasons Page, Aidan Gallagher and Robert Sheehan for this season’s prolonged production, so we will star in this compelling show. This spine chilling all be expecting an amazing new addition to the series is guaranteed to blow your mind with the series. On the poster for the new season, rats are exhilarating plots and comedic features. If you love thrill and adventure then this show is for you. seen scattered across the ground which has caused fans to start speculating that this season could see the demo-rats entering the town. This Golden At number two, we have Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. In this documentary, Globes nominated show will definitely turn a lot of heads with its haunting twists and shocking not only do we get to experience the mischievous revelations that will appear in the new season. and troublesome side of the bloodthirsty 2018 brought many beloved shows to the world, but what do we have to look forward to in the New Year? From action-packed series to comedic plots, there are many shows to watch in 2019 and these are my top three picks.

Words By Eiman Ali

Should We Seperate ART In light of the many allegations that have been made in recent times with regard to men such as Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Kanye West and R. Kelly (amongst others), the inevitable question arises whether ‘art’ should be separated from the ‘artist’…or ‘sexual abuser’… or ‘racist’…or ‘homophobic’? The misconduct of these men tarnished the lives of many, and yet there is some debate whether a victim’s suffering should be weighed against an indicted committer’s music, films, television series or even news program.

this is viewed as an impulsive and unnecessary response that borders the level of extremism, compelling art enthusiasts to respond to the work of these individuals in light of the exposés and charges that flood media outlets at an alarming pace. Their work is considered contaminated through its involvement with a miscreant.

And yet, in a parallel response, music artists like Kanye West (who made an array of shocking revelations regarding his support for Donald Trump and the ideology he stands by), and men like R. Kelly Nate Parker, renowned actor(who is facing a series of charges director, suffered a box office for inappropriate behaviour with collapse with his movie ‘The birth underage girls), have not been of a Nation’ following an allegation boycotted at all or to a similar level of rape made against him; the Kevin as our Hollywood men. This is Spacey series, ‘House of Cards’ the dilemma of it all. Are we only was similarly obliterated following meant to separate art from the artist accusations of sexual assault; the as long as it is a person of interest radical Amazon show ‘Transparent’ we do not popularise? Or are we and the film and television work of simply meant to condemn the work Louis C.K. were all removed from of entertainers when it suits our circulation or thrown into disarray trivial artistic interests? Because by denunciations made not against the fact remains, programs were the work, but against the men cancelled because the popularity associated with them. By many, of the artist had waned for reasons

unrelated to the industry, and not because we found their art spiralling downwards or radically diminishing. The questions are now motley and endless: should our judgement be affected by such disclosures? Is a role less expertly performed if portrayed by a harasser? Is a routine less funny if an exploitative actor depicts it?

Does music make us feel differently if it’s sung or rapped by a rapist?

Where does our own guilt lie as a consumer of the works of these men?

Actor Colman Domingo witnessed the movie he starred in flop at the box office after its writer Nate Parker, as mentioned above, was accused. He states, “These are very sensitive situations that reflect what has been building up in our industry for years. I think it’s important for us to take a breath, assess and not respond impulsively”.

Domingo is amongst the many involved with the work of men who have been indicted regarding some form of misconduct who have undoubtedly suffered as a result -

From the Artist?

this could be financially. Or where it concerns fame. We are pushed to reason what should be considered an appropriate response. The acts of a few men cause tribulations in the lives of many but, once again, we cannot simply cast aside a victim’s distress for the sake of art.

therefore, what is the criterion used to evaluate each situation? Is there a middle ground for disciplining artists’ misdeeds? Or can – and should - art be separated from the artist? If yes, is it possible to distinguish someone’s biography from their reprehensible behaviour?

There are several who actively mourn the current ‘drain of talent’ in the arts and entertainment industries due to the widespread sexual harassment allegations made. In contrast, there are others who consider this an opportunity to pave the way for the creation of new art and consider it a stimulant for innovation. The fact remains, however, that charges are weighed and artists are treated differently by the people who support them;

These are not questions that can be answered lightly and, thus, the effects of them are likely to be dealt with in waves. The year is 2019 and we are speaking of rape. We are speaking of homophobia. We are speaking of racism. So, where do we draw our lines?

Words By Afrah Sameer

COMMUNICATION “Don’t you think it rains more? In this area, here?”

“Uh. It rains a lot.”

It was a dark, stormy night on August 6th ,1997 at Guam International Airport, in the U.S. territory of Guam. Up above, at thousands of feet, was Korean Air 801, carrying 254 passengers, most of whom, sat relaxed in their seats that fateful night, eagerly awaiting lading to begin their much anticipated vacation in the tropical island. In the cabin, Captain Park Yong-chul, along with first officer, Song Kyung-ho, and flight engineer Nam Suk-hoon, sat in ill-suited silence.

A generic search in Google of key skills needed by a pilot promptly delivers the result “good communication skills”, as one would expect, but the importance that assertive speech plays in the cockpit was little known and valued until a series of accidents were caused due to a lack of it. Until the late 1990s, the dynamic that presents itself in the cockpit involving the leader, the captain, and his subordinates, the first officer and flight engineer, manifested in the minds of the latter that all authority laid solely with the captain alone.

Sometimes, this meant that the captain received absolute respect, with those second-in-command fearing to contradict, or even imply contradiction of, the more experienced personnel. And where could this hierarchy be more apparent that in the conversations between the trio during flights?

From listening to black box recordings, it was noticed that

first officers, even when aware of critical problems, did not explicitly inform the captain of the issue and instead resorted to what is now known in the industry as ‘mitigated speech’. In Korean Air 801, when the first officer said, “Don’t you think it rains more? In this area, here?”, he wasn’t asking for an agreement to this weather forecast but was, instead, attempting to implicitly state the high risk for them involved in relying so heavily on their extremely low visual clarity. The captain, though, under pressure, assumes the former meaning and simply agrees to the statement.

Linguists agree that there are around six stages of assertiveness in speech, ranging from most to least mitigation: Command “Do this”; Crew Obligation - “I think this should be done”; Crew Suggestion - “Let’s do this”; Query - “Should we do this?”; Preference - “It would be good if we did this” and, lastly, Hint - “This seems to be happening” [and you should consider what to do about it].

Korean Air 801, isn’t the only flight where hints have led to fatal accidents.

In 1982, on Air Florida 090, the first officer hinted four times about the formation of ice on the aircraft’s wings - “Look how the ice is just hanging on his, ah back, back there, see that?” and “See all those icicles on the back there and everything” - and every time, the captain ignored him.

Nowadays, to prevent poor communication, sometimes, the leadership roles are switched, with the less experienced pilot being

appointed captain so that both parties can have equal status, one of experience and the other of position. Flight engineers are also trained to be more assertive and take responsibility in situations where pilots may be too exhausted to notice important indications in their surroundings. The industry continually works to investigate and analyse past crashes in order to learn about flaws that they can then work on to make air transport a safer means of travel.

Back in the air, as Korean Air 801 descended to a mere 500 feet from the ground, realisation unfolded in the crew’s mind. Unfortunately for them, time and distance were too short. The plane crashed into Nimitiz Hill, just three miles away from the airport, flying through pine trees and breaking an oil pipeline before eventually stopping and exploding into flames. Out of the 254 people on board, only 26 survived. Here is an extract from the final part of the black box recording for the flight: Words By Ashima Raghman Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: the Story of Success. Back Bay Books, 2013.

Korean Air Flight 801 - Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB)/Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript.” Codex Hammurabi (King Translation) - Wikisource, the Free Online Library, en.wikisource.org/wiki/ Korean_Air_Flight_801_-_ Aircraft_Accident_Report_ (NTSB)/Cockpit_Voice_Recorder_ Transcript.

IN THE COCKPIT 1542:19. FIRST OFFICER: let’s make a missed approach. (lift up, make a circle, and try landing again) 1542:20.56 FLIGHT ENGINEER: [runway] not in sight 1542:21.07 FIRST OFFICER: not in sight. missed approach 1542:22.18 FLIGHT ENGINEER: go around.

1542:23.07 CAPTAIN: go around.

1542:23.77 [sound of auto-pilot disconnect warning starts] 1542:23.84 FIRST OFFICER: flaps.

1542:24.05 GROUND PROXIMITY WARNING SYSTEM (GPWS): one hundred.

1542:24.84 GPWS: fifty.

1542:25.19 GPWS: forty.

1542:25.50 GPWS: thirty.

1542:25.78 GPWS: twenty 1542:25.78 [Sound of initial impact] 1542:28.65 [Sound of tone] 1542:28.91 [Sound of groans] 1542:30.54 [Sound of tone] 1542:31.78 [Sound of tone] END of recording

Hiplet

A combination of hip-hop and ballet A dance that was brought into the spotlight after a viral video was posted on Instagram is now redefining the dance world. These ballerinas are abandoning the traditional, graceful and elegant style of dance for a more modern hip-hop routine. And so begins the new obsession with Hiplet.

Would combining the two just be a creation of elegant dance with almost hip-hop moves on pointe?

Yes, that’s exactly what it is.

The lack of ballet technique has caused dancers to give a serious side-eye to the style, as they believe that ballet is supposed to exhibit beautiful arabesque lines and maintain posture and strength, which is why hiplet is not making the cut. Other dancers have criticised the hip-hop moves for not being derived from the original hip-hop but a modernised version of moves that look similar to hip-hop.

Homer Bryant, founder of the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Centre, had visited a rap concert and was intrigued at the impressive memory of the students dancing to the music through this cadence. He figured that if this allowed dancers to remember moves better and stay in beat, he might just have an idea in mind, giving birth to the concept of Hiplet. Although the term was first devised in 2009, in May of 2016 it came out of the shadows. Since Bryant posted the video, the group of Hiplet dancers has travelled around the world performing and gaining billions of views in a number of shows as well as TedX, Desigual campaigns, and Refinery29.

However, some dancers have been against the new dance style for a number of reasons. Many argue that it detracts from the previously increased amount of African American ballerinas in major ballet companies and some find it quite humiliating, as if those ballerinas had to find an alternative to the ‘original’ ballet due to the lack of opportunities.

Several others argue that the dance is neither hiphop nor ballet. Being a fusion of both, ‘contradicts’ the entire point of each dance style where ballet is a focus on pointe shoes and elegant movements, whereas hip-hop is a focus on locking, popping, and cracking.

However, many young girls are being empowered by the dance and inspired by the new opportunities that have opened up to them.

It has given them a place to shine, especially for those who struggled to fit into the traditional world of ballet, and they now have role-models to look up to.

Bryant hopes to soon elevate these dancers into the mainstream and make a difference in the dance world, with plans to turn his basement-situated troupe into a professional Hiplet Dance Company, bring in male dancers as well.

As for now, we get to enjoy the fresh performances and funky style.

Words By Mihini Palahepitiya Gamage

SIRENS

water, bonds broken, shrill singing resonating across the starry night sky reflected on the surface of the They were hungry for revenge. water. They sang, a deadly choir, and they sought their targets, It was a well-known fact amongst And when they fell, bubbles of air the men of the sea that having a escaping as they gasped, their cries ready to strike, enticing bait set woman on board was bad luck. weakened as they sank, deeper and for unsuspecting fools who dared When storms and hurricanes, and deeper, calls for help silenced by the wander accidentally into the trap. torrents of icy pouring rain, and turbulent ocean that encompassed Sailors. tearing gusts of wind struck ships, them, trapping them in its boneripping them to shreds and howling chilling grasp.

So they continued, luring the men - demons sent from the very depths towards them, pulling them down, of hell to wreak havoc on the As their legs were compressed into the depths; entire ships giving surface - men cowered in cabins tighter and tighter, they began to way, drowning the entranced crew. that could not protect them from fuse: fuse into shimmering scales For they came willingly - possessed the raging tempest that slammed of blood red and shadowed silver, by the haunting tunes, drowning their only shelter with walls of knife sharp and glinting in the out all other sound, and drowning water and frothing sea foam. luminous waters. Bloodless faces themselves. and blue skin were replaced with To them, there was only one an inhuman beauty; not one of And finally, finally, they had gotten reasonable explanation... an angel, but a vicious predator, what they wanted. snapping jaws hidden behind a Women. seemingly harmless guise. Salt They had only been out for one water poured down their throats, thing.

It was then, with wrists rubbed red soothing voices that were hoarse and raw, ankles bound with thick from screaming. At first, the One thing. fibrous ropes, with tears flowing melody came in erratic whispers, out of bloodshot, fearful eyes and but more and more voices joined Revenge. onto pale, colourless cheeks; it was in, a magnificent crescendo of then that they were heaved onto piercing shrieks. Shattered eyes the deck: thrashing and crying and - dark, empty, cold - held no Words By Namya Kathuria pleading for mercy, begging for remorse as they burst out of the Revenge.

their lives - yet to no avail. Inky black, an icy whirlpool, the water swirled below: a death trap.

Are the Warriors Ruining the NBA? The Golden State Warriors have won three championships in the past four years under the leadership of Stephen Curry.

Therefore, the statement that they may have been “ruining” the NBA may sound bizarre; however, it is based on the idea that, usually, when a team is dominant they reach a peak, but this is not the case for the warriors.

Indeed, they have been avoiding this trend, coming back even stronger than before every offseason with notable signings such as Kevin Durant in 2016 and DeMarcus Cousins this summer. This, however, has lead to complaints from some fans who claim that “they ruined the game” or that “they are making the NBA boring”. One thing that these fans may be missing, is that this may not actually be a negative as the axiom may be true: a rising tide raises all ships. The Golden State Warriors may have, in fact, raised the level of play and competition in the league with their successes, which is something many fans seem to have missed.

others, like Steph Curry however, it is only natural that they improve themselves in order to stay ahead of those trying to catch up, with Curry himself finding such statements “ridiculous” as he claims that “all is fair in love and basketball”.

Many may also wonder if the way the Warriors are pushing the NBA to its limit is a good thing, but this is the debate surrounding the league currently. The way that they constantly find methods of improving themselves, despite being (seemingly) on the top, is irritating for some fans of the sport.

To

Overall, I believe it is fair to say that it is ridiculous to be blaming the Warriors for, essentially, being too good; the real blame should be on the shoulders of the rest of the league. It is not the Warriors fault, after all, that the rest of the league cannot keep up. If the other teams really do want the game to be close, then perhaps they should be competing harder instead of complaining. On top of that, it should be noted that the success of the Golden State Warriors, and their team full of household names, is exactly the thing that has been bringing the NBA into the spotlight worldwide. Many audiences now tune in to watch and see what bizarre feat Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green will achieve next.

On the other hand, it is understandable that some fans may not be enjoying the sport anymore; when games against the Warriors are over by halftime, fans claim that all of the excitement is drained from the sport. By pushing their game to the next level, the Warriors have reduced the level of competition within the NBA, resulting in more predictable results which the fans label as “boring.”

Words By Harun Gunes

The Roaring Return of Tyson Fury Following his victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 for the world heavyweight title, Tyson Fury had the world at his feet. Yet what followed was a period of rapid decline as rematches with the Ukrainian were cancelled due to injuries, cocaine abuse and weight gain, as well as psychological problems for Fury. With Fury himself admitting that he had almost “given up on life,” his life undoubtedly seemed to be on the brink.

Yet, following a long period of depression and decline, Tyson Fury has returned. Claiming to having been living clean for more than a year or so, Fury has returned to the sport that people once thought he had quit for good. Marking his comeback after 32 months with a four round victory over Sefer Seferi in June 2018, followed by a victory over Francesco Pianeta, Fury made his intention to regain his world heavyweight championship title clear as he challenged Deontay Wilder in August 2018.

It would be in September 2018 that the fight between these two undefeated giants (both standing over 2 metres tall) would finally be confirmed, before they met each other in the ring on December 1st 2018, in front of a crowd of 17698, at Los Angeles Staples Center. The two would fight 12 rounds before the judges decided on a very controversial split decision draw, meaning Deontay Wilder would retain his WBC belt. There was, in general, an uproar against this decision worldwide, as many fans believed Fury had outboxed Wilder despite being knocked down twice, having mostly avoided Wilder’s famous big wild swings and expertly used his superior reach throughout the fight. According to CompuBox statistics, Fury did indeed have a 26% accuracy rate compared to Wilder’s 17% and landed 13 more punches despite throwing 100 less.

Following the fight, the ‘Gypsy King’ and Wilder both claimed to be the best heavyweights in the world, with a rematch seeming inevitable in 2019.

According to reports, Fury will make around £20 million from a possible rematch, as well as get the one belt he has never held. It is also believed that the victor of this potential matchup will face Anthony Joshua, who holds three of the four major championships in boxing: the IBF, WBA and the WBO. It should also be noted that Fury, who banked around $13 million in the first Wilder fight, gave this money to UK charities to build homes for alcohol and drug addicts in the UK, as he too can relate to their situation.

It remains to be seen if Fury will truly be able to reach the top and unite the world heavyweight boxing championships. However, he seems to have already won an even greater battle by conquering his depression, alcoholism and drug addictions. Now it remains to be seen where his career will take him, but having kept his undefeated record of 27-0, Tyson Fury has definitely returned to the world boxing stage once more.

Words By Harun Gunes

Qatar at the Asian Cup Euphoria gripped the streets of Qatar as the final whistle of the Asian Cup blew on 2nd February 2019, with the Qatari national football team claiming the cup for the first time in history.

Despite being a nation much smaller in size than many of its opponents throughout the competition, Qatar successfully managed to cruise its way to victory with the only goal they conceded in the tournament being in the final, during their 3-1 victory against Japan. Not only were they victorious, but the team had to endure hostile stadium crowds during some matches, due to the current situation surrounding the ‘blockade’ of Qatar, yet they held their heads head and played on with dignity.

Felix Sanchez’s team cruised through the group stages and knockout phase of the tournament, with notable victories including a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, with both goals coming from Almoez Ali, who would also go on to score four times in Qatar’s 6-0 victory over North Korea as well as a goal each against the hosts UAE and Japan. The Sudan born Qatari national would break the twenty three year record of Iran’s Ali Daei by scoring nine goals throughout the tournament, thus becoming its highest scorer in history. The Qatari’s ended the tournament with seven straight victories, scoring a total of nineteen goals throughout.

During the semifinals against the host country, the UAE, the cloud of the diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar (that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt launched in June 2017) hung heavy over the stadium, with even the Qatari’ national anthem being booed by the majority of the 38,646 strong crowd. That crowd, however, were stunned into silence by Khoukhi’s strike in the twenty second minute, with Almoez Ali’s soon to follow which resulted in sandals and projectiles being thrown at the players!

Undeterred, Qatar went on to claim a crushing 4-0 victory over its rivals, clearly demonstrating their skill and sportsmanship.

Afif that had the most assists in the tournament, managing to set up ten goals and create a total of twenty two chances: eight more than any other player.

Although Qatar’s own fans were not permitted to travel and support their players due to the blockade, many supporters from Oman were present in the stadiums. Almoez Ali persoanlly thanked them for their support after the victory against Japan, stating: “Omanis supported us and we have the right to celebrate with them after the crowning, and we sincerely thank them for their support”

The team will now be looking forward to maintaining this form during the Copa America in Brazil later in 2019, which they will attend for the first time in history. The competition will involve some of the best players in the world, with Qatar placed in a tough group with Columbia, Argentina and Paraguay. Many hope that the young team Qatar currently fields will have matured and grown in skill by the arrival of the 2022 World Cup, so that, perhaps, they can make a claim on it.

No matter the results, however, Qatar’s future in football seems bright, with a squad packed with many talented young players who have already proven themselves as stars on the international stage of sport.

Whilst Almoez Ali won ‘the golden boot’ during the tournament, Saad al Sheeb claimed the title of the ‘best goalkeeper’ after his outstanding performance, conceding only one goal throughout the entire tournament which only came during the second half of the final and thus keeping six clean sheets. Meanwhile, it was Akram

The team’s historic achievement will surely be remembered for a long time as a great sporting moment in the country’s history. The players have become heroes for many here in Qatar, and the team’s Head Coach, Felix Sanchez, together with their Head Fitness Coach, Alberto Mendez Villanueva, even visited Doha College in February to talk to the students about the tournament, as well as answer some questions.

Words By Harun Gunes

A

s people, we have the ability to speak, to emote, to express and to feel.

More often than not, we tend to forget the impact this has on other people. What someone says or writes can affect those around them in ways that an individual cannot fathom. Words can hurt, whether written or spoken. Words can create tension between individuals, groups and even countries. Words even have the ability to start wars and yet they can do so much more good. Words can help someone feel better about themselves and they can motivate people to go out and do something worthwhile. Words are the only way we can begin to fully express our true emotions.

We live in a world where it’s become increasingly easy for people to freely express what they think and how they feel and while it has had many positive effects, the ability to say anything at any time has all but consumed us. The fact that we face no real repercussions for our actions (especially online) more often than not has led to people using words to cause harm instead of doing good.

When anything becomes so normalised, it’s easy to start taking it for granted.

I believe that we need to start realising the power that words have, whether they be a comment on a social media post, something said as a joke or even a written article, which is why I believe the Majlis is so vital. I’ve said before that the magazine is an important outlet for students to express their thoughts and feelings; what I neglected to mention is how through this experience, students learn how powerful words are, and while they do serve as a medium for them to express what they want and feel, it also allows them to fully appreciate how what they say can affect someone other than them.

As part of a generation who is almost never silent anymore, I believe the power of words is something we should learn to respect and appreciate more. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the magazine I hope this is what you take away with you: “Words are free, it’s how you use them that may cost you.” - Anonymous

Comail Rizvi

Deputy Head Editor Of Majlis

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ue to the privileges and lifestyle that we have been blessed with, including the access we have to a high-achieving and successful private education, to understand the world around us and its issues – issues that we are fortunate not to face ourselves - is not only a goal, but a responsibility. When looking past ‘the bubble’ that we are afforded because we live here, you become a wiser, more refined and gracious person, and that’s why it’s important that every student in our school aims to do so. The Majlis Magazine is a platform for this motive, growing students beyond their academic studies to better understand society and follow passions and interests. Writers continue to look into the injustices happening in their countries, to acknowledge the artists or movies or TV shows they champion, and to research into the relevant controversies of society, building strong and measured conclusions or arguments for the issues of our modern times - all with a motivated and thoughtful stance that is seldom found in an extra-curricular activity.

With this eagerness, as more experienced writers, it is only natural that we mentor and support younger students to develop their skills in writing, research and critical thinking, skills that they can use in many of their academic subjects and many aspects of their future life. However, it is the writers themselves that largely provide the ideas for subjects to examine and issues to showcase as they truly believe them to be significant to our student body because they are interesting and impactful on themselves. Speaking from personal experience, all of the articles that I write are of my own accord and always have been because I choose the theories, people, and conflicts that I want to further examine and that I believe are crucial for others to be aware of. Therefore, even before the magazine is released, I am satisfied with the work I have done because of the knowledge I have gained together with the increased appreciation for my own situation. I believe that this is the true gain from writing for the Majlis, and I believe this kind of passion is embedded in the very best of our student body – the awareness achieved from writing these articles is invaluable and integral in our student life.

I would also like to thank the design team for their efforts in creating an aesthetically-pleasing and colourful magazine that amplifies the enthusiasm and interest of the words in each article.

Their work can be arduous, however, the development of their creativity and technological skills, as well as management, while designing the magazine is incredibly fulfilling. I would also like to thank the teachers, my deputy editor, the section editors and all of the designers for putting time aside to create this brilliant piece of work. As Chief Editor but, most importantly, as a fellow writer and designer, I hope to continue to grow the Majlis magazine over the coming year. I look forward to many of you joining us in this exciting development.

Amin Arabo

Head Editor Of Majlis

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MAJLIS Head Editor Writers Amin Arabo

Deputy Head Editor Comail Rizvi

External Editors Zena Shurrab & Nicole Pagdiwala

Internal Editors Comail Rizvi & Amin Arabo

Arts & Features Afrah Sameer & Muskan Budhraja

Sport

Harun Gunes

Zena Shurrab, Comail Rizvi, Muskan Budhraja, Sebastian Inestroza, Dima Pudar, Amin Arabo, Hams Almeldin, Yuvraj Rane, John Taylor, Afrah Sameer, Gwen Yap, Eiman Ali, Micaela Powell, Mihini Palahepitiya, Ashima Raghman, Namya Kathuria, Harun Gunes

Designers

Anjaneya Suden Yinka Famuyiwa Matti Hynes Amin Arabo Ashraf Gafoor Shehza Imtiaz Shaurya Singh

Head of Design Anjaneya Suden

Deputy Heads of Design Matti Hynes Amin Arabo Ashraf Gafoor

Teachers

Mrs Fairley, Mr Jadeja, Mrs Calvert, Mrs Ali