The Galley: Summer 2024

From the Editors-In-Chief...

2024 is deemed as ‘the year of elections’. In a year so fundamental for democracy, it is clear that the electorate need to be educated and that those who are in power need to be held to account. These two pivotal aspects of the democratic process are carried out by none other than the media - in essence, the fourth pillar of democracy. So, a free and fair media is of evident importance. Whilst The Galley is far from an influencer of global change, it contributes to a system in which everyone can have a voice at a time when individual voices are increasingly under threat. From the ‘nothing works’ doctrine to the post-truth political world, The Galley is filled with interesting pieces from Dollar pupils that speaks to not only the Dollar experience, but the experience of young people today On a more personal note, this is my final edition of The Galley after 5 years of contributing to the magazine, making me both incredibly proud of this issue, and incredibly sad that it is my last. Thank you to all of our incredible writers, editors, my brilliant co-editor in chief Logan, and of course, the wonderful Ms Abel.

So, I hope you enjoy this summer edition of The Galley.

Happy reading!

Another term goes by and, with it, another edition of The Galley is published.

It feels as though barely any time has passed since our last publication, and the afternoons of formatting and proofreading that accompanied it. In truth, such aspects of editing are repeated every year; but, with this comes a strange sense of comfort: in the midst of the changing world around us, a subtle continuity exists. Our year groups may change, our subjects may be ‘dropped’ or ‘crashed’ but, every year, one can count on The Galley to serve as a reminder of the unique sense of community we have at Dollar.

This year’s journalistic cohort have done well in fulfilling this. They have demonstrated with great visibility the indubitable passion, focus and resilience demanded of them. Their spirits have been indomitable, and the fruits of their labour (laid out in the pages which follow, for your perusal) are a testament to this.

Personal thanks must be given, naturally, to our section editors, as well as Izzy - my fantastic co-editor-in-chief - who, in her final year working with The Galley, has contributed the same outstanding devotion she has made her reputation. Ms Abel, whose running of such a tight ship makes sure that we can actually deliver this to your grasp, is also deserving of unending thanks. Without her, none of this would be near the realm of possibility.

I was always drawn to this magazine, in my (even) younger years, because I felt it provided something which everyone - regardless of age or interest - could enjoy. I hope that you shall find the same.

Izzy Braid (VI)

Logan Moss (V)

With thanks to Alex Todorova(V) for our brilliant cover artwork.

Izzy (VI) “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to politicians” – Charles de Gaulle Through these articles, the writers delve deeper into the complex world of politics. They explore the ever changing landscape and demonstrate that politics affects us all in various manners.

This edition features articles from Izzy (Form VI) who writes about ‘post-truth’ politics with passionate detail, and an article from Honor (Form VI) that explores how the US criminal justice system was shaped.

Whatever interests you, we hope that through our articles you, as readers, are inspired to learn more about the political world. Politics can in turn give us knowledge to strengthen our understanding of the world and inspiration to take action to make it a better place. Politics should indeed not just be left to politicians, we can all contribute to politics in individualised ways.

We really do hope you enjoy this edition. Happy reading!

The grass is white. It turns purple when it doesn’t get enough water. The sun is purple too, and the moon is made of cheese. Comté, obviously. Sometimes I see angels flying in the sky and sometimes I shoot laser beams out of my eye. One time, the Prince of Monaco proposed to me, but I had to turn him down. I was too busy cloning the first human being. Her name was Stacey.

Unfortunately, none of that is true. Grass is green and the moon is made of rock and I’ve never cloned anyone. But that is one version of the truth. The other, which exists (in my brain) is not a lie but is instead my truth; the truth I decide to believe. I believe I am a good person, but someone else might not think so. Each belief does not invalidate the other; but how can two contradicting ideas exist at the same time? Truth is satisfactory to believe. If truth fits my version of the story, if it removes blame from my shoulders, if it makes sense of a world that doesn’t, then I believe it.

For centuries philosophers have tried to remove the ambiguity from the bedrock of democracy through diagrams and theory and hypothesis – and for centuries they have failed. Aristotle, Cicero, Burgess, Kirkham have agreed on one thing that they deem to be true: the truth is a lie. The foundation on which our society stands on is not concrete. Truth is like sand that can be moulded and folded, blown away a moment later and reshaped into something entirely different. Today, the grass is green, but tomorrow, it could be white.

Truth is a social contract that we choose to sign. As much as we would like to believe this contract is legally binding – it’s not. Populist leaders were the first to realise this.

They have begun to rip the pages from this social contract one by one. It starts off innocent enough; it doesn’t matter he pretends that’s his natural skin colour and not a spray tan; it doesn’t matter he pretends he’s like the people he represents; it doesn’t matter he spins lies about the people coming into the country whose tongues move differently; it doesn’t matter he detains those people and generates a hatred for them so intense they want to build a wall. Oh wait. That does matter. That’s not innocent at all.

flew into the Oval Office on a plane fuelled by lies.

Vanessa Wilson (VI) Trump He postulated on average twenty-one falsehoods per day during his presidential term. “We are fighting against political elites”. “The coronavirus is under control”.

News & Politics Editor the “The election was stolen”. No, he was part of those elites.

No, what followed was a global pandemic. No, what was stolen was the dignity of American politics. Whilst the statements he espoused are objectively false, it simply doesn’t matter, because for millions of American voters, this became their truth. And this truth is becoming exceedingly easy to believe.

In a world plagued by fake news and aggressive polarisation, navigating what is truth and what is manipulation from the other side becomes a task that many simply don’t have time for. It seems easier to believe what he says than to

News and Politics

News and Politics Truth and Grass

go to the effort of questioning it. Because when politics and culture wars come knocking at your door, you better pick your side and stick to it. Trump has used truth as a weapon. He has turned the grass white.

Of course, the former president is not the only one whose Pinocchio nose is getting longer. Boris Johnson’s nose grew out of 10 Downing Street’s door whilst partying during COVID-19 lockdowns. And this is saying something considering his nose was already long following the Brexit campaign. It seems strange that he got away with it, until you realise covering up a lie with a lie seems to create a twisted version of the truth. He presented himself as a harmless man, with endearing, messy hair, and a funny way of talking without actually saying anything. But this was all part of the act; the act of creating an alternative truth. It doesn’t matter that he went to Eton and Oxford and his full name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.

No wonder we shortened it to ‘BoJo’. Of course, this is all by design. Frequently referring to him as ‘BoJo’ or ‘Boris’ by the media and the electorate emulates his act as ‘man of the people’. “He looks like my old great uncle, or like I’d see him down at the pub.” It doesn’t matter that this could not be further from the truth if it’s what the people believe.

Summer 2024

It is funny what people choose to believe. A couple years ago, if you searched for El Salvador’s president, you would be greeted by his twitter handle. Nayib Bukele reads what looks like a picture book in his profile picture. He sports a well-manicured beard and a tight blue top that shows off his gym progress. Behind him, is a green landscape with thousands of dots that span across it. These dots are soldiers marching. Okay, the leader of El Salvador seems harmless enough. That is until your eyes trail down the screen and you arrive at his bio. There it states: Born 24th July, 600 following, 5.9 million followers, “World’s Coolest Dictator”. Ah. Instead of rejecting his authoritarian title, he embraced it to the point of boasting it on twitter.

That’s cool. I guess. However, what’s not cool, is dictators.

What’s not cool, is Bukele’s twisting of the truth to gain re-election. The truth about the “Bukele model” is that his success resembles that of the leaders he once condemned.

His preferred method of governance includes dispatching troops to intimidate the legislature, packing the Supreme Court and Attorney General’s office with supporters and running for a second term – despite re-election being forbidden by the constitution. The Bukele Model is the truth, and that truth is scary. The truth is that people and democracy are in danger. So, it’s easier to point to the good stuff. Bukele is young and he has nice hair and his Instagram is cool and it doesn’t matter he’s a dictator because he’s a ‘cool’ one. Does it?

Naturally, the post-truth world is not just founded by ‘cool’ dictators and populist giants. The media, whether print, broadcast or social, is a powerful tool that when wielded, can either strengthen or hinder the democratic process. If operated in an independent, balanced, and pluralist fashion it can strengthen the foundations on which democracy stands. But when used to disseminate propaganda and sow divisions within a country, it can obliterate these foundations quicker than it established them. Increasingly, it matters not what the media covers but how they cover it.

Ahead of European Parliament elections in Hungary in 2019, the MTVA broadcast group sat down to discuss how. One editor was recorded outlining that the organisation needs to adopt the ‘appropriate narrative’. This ‘appropriate narrative’ means one thing: reporting stories with an eye to pleasing the government of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

After outlining this narrative, the same editor threatened that “If anyone is not prepared to work under these conditions, he is free to file his resignation immediately”.

This leaves Hungary without vital political levers. This leaves Hungary without real democracy. Without a media that reports the hard, unbiased fact, the fourth pillar of democracy crumbles. The public are left unable to make informed political decisions, the line of communication between people and politicians is cut, and scrutiny of the powerful is obliterated. But there are two sides to every coin.

As much as the media can work to destroy democracy, the revolutionary potential of it cannot be discredited. The Arab Spring revealed the media as a technology for liberation and benevolence - but this benevolence is coming increasingly under threat.

It’s obvious that ‘post-truth’ politics is knocking at every democracy’s door, but what does that mean for the people whose truth is trying to make sense of a world that seems increasingly against them? The German word of the year was ‘Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache’. This word refers to the tendency of “political and social discussions” to be dominated by “emotions instead of facts”. And that is what post-truth politics means. Political debate is framed largely by appeals to emotion disconnected from the details of policy, and by the repeated assertion of talking points to which factual rebuttals are ignored. We care more for felttruth rather than real truth. And the people ruling our world, setting political agenda today know this.

Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Nayib Bukele, Viktor Orban, and the other leaders that rule over the 1.7 billion people languishing under populist regimes are the merchants of post-truth, exploiters of trust and confidence artists who take advantage of the communications revolution.

They stir up multimedia excitement by calling for public revolt by millions of people who feel annoyed, powerless and no longer held in the arms of society: people who are so frustrated or humiliated they are willing to lash out in support of demagogues promising them dignity and a better future. This post-truth is more than entertainment or the dictatorship of illusion mediated by the production and passive consumption of commodities. In the hands of the powerful, or those bent on climbing the ladders of power over others, the post-truth phenomenon functions as a new weapon of political manipulation. Post-truth is said to be the beginning of the end of politics as we’ve known it for existing democracies.

As soon as we allow world leaders to lie and manipulate what’s real, we create a culture in which truth itself becomes extinct. Polarisation will only grow, political systems will only get worse, and power-hungry men will only become more cruel, more domineering. Wars and world affairs, internal conflict and isolated incidents must be transparent.

The real truth has to both fuel and smother every fire that lights in the political world. Most importantly, the grass needs to stay green.

How the ‘Nothing Works’ Doctrine Reshaped the US Criminal Justice System Honor (VI) In many ways, prisons can be viewed as a microcosm of society; they are only as effective as the population allow them to be. One clear example of this is the concept of the ethos of justice, which varies in different countries, with different cultures and different beliefs. On the one hand we have Norway, whose rehabilitation-focused approach prioritises prisoners’ life after prison, rather than the need for further punishment during imprisonment. Notice the difference?

Then, somewhere in the middle lies the UK, where we like to ponder rehabilitation, but beneath the surface what we truly desire is retribution. There are many examples of this, with public outcries over sentencing leading to a reevaluation of the initial sentence, and the end result, the more satisfactory result being a harsher, longer sentence. I’m sure you can think of a couple of examples. Now I am not saying this is either right or wrong, but it is undeniable that we are caught amid two extremes – the battle of rehabilitation versus retribution. The latter option is widely accepted by none other than the USA – or as one 20th century prisoner from Mississippi wrote – the Underprivileged Slaves of America.

It is worth noting that until the 1970s, the US penal system was comparatively more focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. However, this all changed with the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine.

It is a rare occurence that one sociologist releasing a single report inspired a complete overhaul of the US criminal justice system. In 1974, this is precisely what happened when the American sociologist, Robert Martinson, published a study called ‘What Works?’ which described his skepticism and pessimism towards rehabilitation programmes. It was surprisingly embraced enthusiastically by national media, and soon developed into the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine. The subsequent mentality was one that believed rehabilitative schemes were a waste of time and money, and this shift in mindset has been drilled into the American ideology ever since.

At the same time as this, there was also a massive shift in perspective on the war on drugs. Presidents like Nixon and Reagan reframed the issue; instead of drug problems being seen as a medical issue, it was now a criminal one.

This condemnation led to a surge in incarceration rates, and so it is no surprise that one of the most pressing contemporary issues that US prisons face is overcrowding.

In the US, there are 2.2 million people incarcerated, and this overcrowding can lead to much resentment towards the system that has caused them to be in this environment, which can offer a partial explanation for such high recidivism rates. For context, recidivism (also known as reoffending) refers to a person’s relapse into criminal behaviour, often after the person receives sanctions or undergoes intervention for a previous crime. In the US, this is much higher than any other developed nation, where recidivism stands at a staggering 76.6% within only 5 years. So, they are arrested again – subject to the same environment – yet we naively expect a different outcome.

Throughout history, governments and scholars have invoked various rationales for removing people from society and confining them to imprisonment in response to criminal behaviour. The US displays a tripartite approach regarding their theories that underpin their ethos of justice: retribution, incapacitation and deterrence.

Retribution is a theory of justice in which the purpose of criminal penalties is to punish individuals for committing crimes. However, systems based on retributive models are retroactive; they punish what has already occurred and contemplate no effect on future behaviour. Incapacitation is a theory of crime prevention in which the primary purpose of prison is to separate people from society and thereby limit their ability to commit additional crimes.

News and Politics

So, truth is important, and aversion to it has real life implications. Politics is not a game power-hungry men can use to elevate their status and get high paying consultancy jobs once they are voted out of office. Politics is helping your friend that lost their job. It’s making sure your nephews are raised healthy and educated. It’s making sure your sister has a warm bed to sleep in at night. Politics isn’t a complex world in which lies have no consequence. The consequence is the January 6th insurrection; the consequence is millions dying in a pandemic; the consequence is the poor getting poorer whilst the rich get richer; the consequence is the breakdown of society as we know it.

Although this can be effective on a surface level in the short-term - after all, it physically prevents offenders from committing further crimes while incarcerated – this model fails to recognise the repercussions this can lead to upon release, and so it becomes a cyclical issue as shown by the recidivism rates in the US. Deterrence is also a theory of crime prevention, proposing that by seeing punishment enacted on others, or personally experiencing punishment, a person will be motivated to avoid crime in order to avoid such consequences. This final approach can be seen with the existence of capital punishment which exists and is implemented in countries such as the US. This has existed in the US since colonial times, and its history is arguably intertwined with slavery, segregation and social reform movements. Undertones of this still ripple through the criminal justice system in the US, with cases such as Rocky Myers.

Summer 2024

Rocky Myers was a black man convicted by a nearly allwhite jury who sentenced him to life in 1994, without the possibility of parole for the murder of his white neighbour.

The trial judge overrode their decision and imposed a death sentence, where the only evidence that linked him to the case was a video-recorder of the victim, which he claims he found abandoned in the street. Furthermore, key testimonies against him were also tainted by inconsistencies and allegations of police pressure, with one later recanted as untrue. As a result, he has spent three decades on Death Row, and there are campaigns held in an attempt to free him. Amnesty International have created a petition to sign asking the governor of Alabama to grant clemency to Rocky Myers and commute his death sentence. He remains on Death Row, and after Alabama executed a man using nitrogen gas, this prospect of his release does not look promising, as punishments are becoming increasingly harsh. It is this retributive lens through which the US views their justice system that truly plagues the system, and this is largely due to the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine.

Therefore, in conclusion, it has to be contended that the US criminal justice system is undoubtedly focused on punishment, and the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine put this idea in paper, thus developing the ‘What Works’ mindset in American culture. Between the 1970s and 1990s, the federal government and state legislatures passed laws limiting judicial and parole discretions. Policies in many jurisdictions then shifted toward more structured and transparent sentencing schemes, meaning that the sentence for a crime was predetermined by law, and judges could do little to vary it. As a result, generally longer sentences for all types of crimes emerged, and in conjunction with the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine, this pessimistic and retributive attitude prevailed and still does to this day in the US criminal justice system.

I think I think what I think, I think. But can I be more certain of my own thoughts?

How do I know that what I say I think, though it may be proven to be false, is at least my conviction? Do I even buy my own beliefs?

If, like me, you have ever found yourself on the losing end of an argument, particularly one which you entered with the assurance of an arrogant boxer only to find your supposed convictions dizzied and gasping for air, you may have had the privilege of being wakened to such questions. If that is the case, then the beginning of an answer, dear reader, is in your hands.

These days, everyone seems to speak with a great deal of conviction. Voices proclaim slogans shouted through speakers, and screens light up with the forceful writings of impassioned 12-year-olds. To communicate in such a way is easy. However, when those slogans are pre-recorded and escape the scrutiny of being said live, when those words appear next to empty circles supposed to identify their author. And in fact, it is hard to not fall into such a habit when those listening pay only seconds of their attention, when there is a limit on the very supply of characters with which to articulate one’s thoughts! The trouble is that, to paraphrase Wittgenstein, a belief that is blindly held, an idea that goes unchallenged, is like a boxer who never enters the ring, and ideas, like boxers, are not weakened, but strengthened, by combat.

And so, to return to the earlier questions, perhaps the best way to gain confidence in one’s own beliefs, in a world where so many seem so certain of their own, is to put them under stress and watch as they change, not to attach to the feeling of being right but to the assurance that one is moving closer to the truth, to understand that “undefeated” does not mean “proven”. To that end, I invite you to engage with this edition’s line-up of ideas to be wrestled with.

Should we expose ourselves to tragedy in art more often? Should tyrants be killed?

Are there things equally, or even more, essential to public discourse than freedom of speech? Before you pick sides, remember that fighters train for months before a match, and if you haven’t given some of these questions much thought, it may be wise to just take them as a sparring session. Now, with that said, let the bell ring.

Paul Mackay (IV) Views Editor

Views

Views

Who Turned the Light Out? Emma (IV) Darkness. That’s it. That was all she saw. It was what she woke to – brought by the bitter shrieks. It formed the broom she swept with, the dust she cleaned and the cold in her bones. It streamed from her in the tears that carried her to sleep. It was constant. It was painful. It was not what she deserved. We know this. We were told this.

But we were also told of the light. The light that came pouring into her life one day. She saw it in the warmth that soothed her, the hands that held her and the love they gave her. There was so much light it blinded her until when she looked at her life, it was unrecognisable.

And they gave her the light because she was good. They gave her a happy ending.

Heart-warming they call it. Unrealistic is another word that comes to mind, but don’t let anyone hear you say it.

If anyone asks, a fairytale ending is what you’re aiming for. And if you’re pure of heart then you’ll get it. Except... how often does that happen? Hard work is another route that will guarantee success. Although, come to think of it, that doesn’t always work either. Maybe luck is the reason. Maybe society is just clinging on to that fairytale ending.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

Society is unwilling to accept tragedy, and children in particular are shielded from it. The material they are exposed to from an early age – we’re talking Disney movies and such – enforces the idea that happy endings are guaranteed. Good will always prevail over evil.

However, many of these tales have not always been so positive. In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 1837 tale ‘The Little Mermaid’, Ariel did not marry the prince as the modern animated movie depicts. Instead, the mermaid sacrifices herself, dissolving into a cloud of seafoam.

Similar changes were made with tales such as ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Tarzan’, which contributes to the unrealistic expectations children have of life – expectations that will crush them when they reach adulthood. This is one reason unhappy endings are so important; they are genuine representations of the side of life that we try so hard to ignore. When, as a society, did we stop telling

our children the truth? It has had a devastating impact given the ongoing mental health epidemic. Around 20 percent of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, misfortune and sadness will find you at some point. In fact, the only thing that is guaranteed in life is death. So, wouldn’t it be better to have that representation of sorrow and misery ingrained into your mind first? When you hit the floor, the only way to go is up. If we began life with the expectation that not everything will go our way, then we would only be pleasantly surprised when it does, rather than shattered when it doesn’t. Because sometimes, the bad guy wins.

On the other hand, fiction can often provide an escape for people looking to forget about all that gloominess for a while. After all, why would someone choose to read about something dark and upsetting when life already has that in such plentiful supply? However, although temporary escapism is something that I think is needed, it also allows people to ignore problems rather than looking for a solution to them. Personally, I am a sucker for a happy ending (preferably with everything tied up neatly and no loose ends) and reading fantasy novels is one of my favourite pastimes. However, I also frequently find that as the pages keep turning, a pile of homework begins to mount up on my desk until it looms ominously over my head. Unfortunately, just because my mind has been whisked away to fantastical places, does not mean that the deadlines have also vanished.

When this happens, I get overwhelmed and start stressing.

This only makes me want to disappear even more. Obviously, this is a miniscule problem when compared with the vast number of issues around the world: the cost-of-living crisis, loss of abortion rights, the demonisation of transgender people by the government, starvation, and war to name a few. But just as I can pretend the deadline is still ages away, people can turn a blind eye to these issues when reading or watching idealistic books or films and so nothing is done about them. We need more literature – more film, music, art – that show desolation, regret, heartbreak, and grief. If people had no choice but to notice, change would begin.

Most likely gradually, albeit, but still progress. Having tragedy more thoroughly represented in fiction – especially aimed towards the younger generations – would be a step in that direction. No one can stop you from living in a bubble of denial, but one day that bubble will pop, and life will come flooding back in.

Fiction can be used as a coping strategy. It even has its own term – bibliotherapy! Reading fiction has been shown to help people who may struggle with anxiety or depression.

Reducing stress levels is another benefit to reading, with a 2009 Telegraph study finding that reading reduced stress in participants by nearly 70 percent. It even reduces symptoms of dementia. This is all great of course, but on a lesser scale I think that just having misfortune and misery represented in fiction has an impact on how people then cope when they must live through it. When people stop clinging to the idea of happy endings and have more realistic expectations of the world, it comes as less of a blow when reality checks in.

Many read to gain knowledge, so perhaps if you knew that there isn’t always a light at the end of the tunnel you might do something to get out of that tunnel yourself. Who knows, maybe you wouldn’t be in the tunnel at all. Or if that’s not possible, sometimes purely knowing the darkness is there

So maybe the children should know about the world they live in – all of it – because it’ll be up to them to change it. And maybe instead of running away we could turn and fight the monster that chases us. And maybe the books will help us to get through the tough times, because they prepared us and gave us a path. And maybe, just maybe, the light will find us and if it does, we’ll remember the darkness.

Emma’s writing ‘Who Turned out the Light?’ was ‘Commended’ in the Scottish Schools Young Writer of the Year Competition, 2024

Romeo and Juliet Laws: Protecting Young Love while Preventing Predators Freya (V) In September 2023, the tabloids were flooded with allegations against Russell Brand, who had reportedly entered a relationship with a 16-year-old girl while he was 31 years old. ‘Alice’, as she became known, only felt able to speak out about her relationship with Brand when she herself had reached her thirties. ‘Alice’s’ cogent and convincing account, shared on BBC’s ‘Women’s Hour’ expressed her belief that whilst the relationship was ‘legally sound’, she was actually in ‘an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship’. She called for the age of consent to be raised, in order to protect vulnerable minors. In the wake of this, a massive media debate emerged around the age of consent. The ‘UK Says No More’ campaign, makes the point that there are no grey areas in consent, but the recent events in the media would suggest that the topic of consent is hazy, particularly in relation to 16 to 18-year-olds.

Sex education teaches teens that consent is a simple yes or

no, but with recurring allegations against older adults with teenagers, our society has to question if a 16-yearold is mature enough to consent to being with a 31-yearold. This poses the question: should the age of consent be raised in order to protect those that fall within the age of legal sexual consent but are still defined by UK law as a child?

The Crown Prosecution Service defines consent as someone ‘agreeing by choice’ and having the ‘freedom and capacity to make that choice.’ The age of consent, in terms of lawmaking, was shaped historically around the age of puberty and marriage. This was defined by the law of 1576 as 13 and only changed to 16 following the Criminal Amendment Act of 1885. It has remained at sixteen ever since, despite some pressures from groups campaigning for lowering the age of consent, on sensible grounds of public health and less sensible grounds by extreme groups such as Paedophilia Information Exchange (fortunately they disbanded in 1984!). In a policy paper, Bates highlights that the age of sexual consent in the Victorian era was to control public health and less about the protection of children. It was not until the early noughties, when a shift in the topic of consent focused on child abuse and the specific phenomenon of ‘grooming’. In response, a UK law in 2003, recognised ‘abuse of a position of trust’, meaning adults in an influential position, for example a teacher, could not have a sexual relationship with a minor (under 18). This created a further blur over the age of consent, with a dual system in place. Adding further to the complexity of the laws surrounding teenagers, at 16 you cannot legally buy alcohol, place a bet, vote in a general election, send explicit photos of yourself or get married (in England and Wales). But you can consent to sex…

The discussion around the age of consent reignites from time to time. The debate was raised in 2013 by a professor of public health, who suggested that it should be lowered to 15 to promote access to health care services, although he acknowledged that it would require the support of public opinion. All three political parties opposed the suggestion. The Independent reported that lowering the age of consent would be ‘politically impossible’ and attempts to lower it were described as a ‘paedophile›s charter’, giving legitimacy for predatory adults to focus on younger teenagers. The primary argument therefore for raising the age of consent can be seen as the protection of minors from predatory adults. This has

Views

makes it seem less scary. Especially when you know you’re not alone.

been long supported by the Safe Schools Alliance UK, who strongly believe that the age of consent should be raised to 18. Secondly, raising the age would also address the grey area of relationships that are currently legal but are acknowledged by Cosmopolitan magazine to have a ‘power imbalance’. The rape and sexual abuse charity SARSAS have stated, ‘a sixteen-year-old doesn’t have the life experience… to navigate the world of what a healthy relationship looks like’ and therefore are vulnerable to control and manipulation. The difference in the legal status and maturity of a 16-year-old is a key driver for raising the age of consent. This is supported by medical evidence which demonstrates that cognitive capacity reaches adult levels around the age of 16, however psychosocial maturity reaches adult levels beyond the age of 18, creating a ‘maturity gap’ which can affect decision making in relationships, according to the Journal of Law and Human Behaviour. Therefore, giving young people the safety net to bridge the gap in the legal system by raising the age of consent from 16 to 18 would protect them from maladaptive relationships.

Raising the age of consent to 18, would allow children to be children for longer and has the potential to protect young people from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The Safe Schools Alliance suggest that there is public support for changing the laws around sexual consent, highlighting a survey done by You Gov which showed 64% supported a change so that ‘people above a certain age would be prohibited from having sex with 16 and 17-year olds’. This demonstrates a shifting trend in public opinion about the potential for the coercion of minors within legally consensual

King-Hill writing in The Conversation, suggests it ‘runs the risk of asserting more control over the bodies of young people aged 16-18 years old’. Another counter argument against raising the age of consent, is the criminalisation of healthy normal relationships between young people and restricting their access to healthcare. This has been opposed by the Criminal Crown Prosecution stating, ‘Children of the same age or similar age are highly unlikely to be prosecuted’. Similarly, The Guardian points out that access to contraceptive advice for minors is readily available by the NHS, making both these arguments nonissues. The more convincing argument accepts that young people will have sexual relationships earlier, but raising the age of consent will allow teens to mature at their own personal rate. The concept of the Romeo and Juliet laws, used in some US states, may provide a compromise to allow consensual sexual relationships between minors with a small age gap, reminiscent of Shakespeare’s young lovers. The Guardian reported that there is an unofficial ‘onset age of young people feeling pressured to become sexually active’. Raising the age of consent would allow an increased ‘lead up period’ where teenagers feel they should start having sex, thereby reducing pressure around losing their ‘virginity’ before its even legal to have sex consensually.

The Russell Brand allegations have provoked a vital reevaluation around the outdated age of consent laws.

The complexity and confusion around teenage laws are absurd and have to trigger our society to begin thinking about changing the laws around sexual consent. The ‘maturity gap’ between 16 and 18 years olds is scientifically significant yet we allow 16-year-olds to consent to have sexual relationships with fully grown adults. However, any change should also acknowledge the normal development of young love, perhaps through the Romeo and Juliet laws, allowing a sliding scale of an acceptable age gap in teen relationships. The legal age of consent should be about protecting minors from predatory adults but allowing them to be ‘star-crossed lovers’ as well.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

Death to Tyrants: Is Tyrannicide Morally relationships. When examining the ‘age of consent’ throughout history, what needs to be considered is the Justifiable? context in which laws are made, in terms of societal norms and values. Since the Criminal Amendment Act in 1885, there has been significant development in societal opinions that influence our views on the age of consent.

Victora Bates emphasises, ‘the original decision-making factors are no longer relevant in our society… changes in social, legal and medical ideas about childhood, sex and sexuality necessitates a re-evaluation of sexual consent law.’ How can a law made 138 years ago be relevant in today’s world!

Are we, though, being over-reactionary to respond to the Russell Brand allegations by raising the age of consent?

Academic debates have suggested that changing the age of consent is not the solution to protect young people.

Lucy (V) Murder is wrong. That is an accepted truth, or is it? In the case of tyrannicide, the killing of a tyrant, the jury is out. Not surprisingly, various philosophers and political theorists oppose tyrannicide, believing that violence is not the answer and may not bring any improvement to a country.

They believe that peaceful and lawful methods of removing a rogue leader are far more effective and moral. Somewhat ironically, Abraham Lincoln supported tyrannicide. He believed that if citizens have tried all legal and nonviolent ways to oust a tyrant but failed, it would be justifiable to turn to assassination.

History has been somewhat forgiving to Brutus, with Plutarch writing in ‘The Life of Brutus’ that Marc Antony believed Brutus’s actions were ‘driven by the splendour and nobility of the deed’. This notion of nobility stems from the belief that assassination serves as a form of justice, particularly as tyrants often escape the consequences of their actions. From a retributive justice stance, the killing of Caesar appears justifiable, given his erosion of democratic systems in Rome and his many violent military campaigns during the Gallic War and Caesar’s Civil War. Now, whilst vigilante justice may appeal to some, critics argue that seeking justice through another criminal offence falls short of satisfying the principles of a moral society.

While the idealistic pursuit of peaceful means to hold a tyrant accountable remains commendable, it is important to acknowledge the complex real-world scenarios where such methods may be impossible.

The main school of thought people look to whilst advocating for tyrannicide is utilitarianism. This is the belief that the action resulting in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people is the morally right action. So, following this logic, killing a tyrant who was inflicting great suffering on a vast number of people is morally right, provided that their suffering is expected to be alleviated after the tyrant’s death. In theory, this principle makes sense, as one must sometimes compromise their morals to achieve the greater good. Without sounding too Machiavellian, sometimes ‘the end justifies the means’.

However, the reality is not as clean cut as this, as there is a critical flaw in this reasoning; you can never predict the outcomes of your actions. In many instances, we see that greater suffering occurs when a tyrant is killed than when he is alive. This is because of the power vacuum which is left when an all-powerful autocrat dies. This vacuum is often filled with civil unrest and violence as many power-hungry groups try to seize power – rarely resulting in a free democracy emerging. In the case of Caesar, the power vacuum left after he died was filled with a civil war as the assassins, led by

Marc Antony, and Caesar’s heir, Augustus Caesar, fought each other for power. After much fighting and attempts to share power through two triumvirates, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome in 27 BC. It’s safe to say that the death of Caesar did not bring democracy and peace to Rome but rather violence, civil unrest and another allpowerful autocrat. In more recent times, we saw great political instability in Iraq following the 2003 American invasion which ousted and executed president Saddam Hussein. The power vacuum after Hussein’s death led to the rise of Islamic extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISII who seized large parts of the country and caused even greater instability.

Yet despite its unpredictable nature, political assassination has an undeniable emotional appeal. It presents a comforting solution to complex problems – kill the ‘bad guy’ and all your problems will vanish (or at least improve). This ‘bad guy’ narrative underpins the United States’ use of ‘targeted killings’, the rationale being that the demise of key figures in oppressive regimes will lead to humanitarian improvements within the country whilst undermining the regime. The US, NATO and other organisations frequently use this strategy as part of their foreign policy, a recent case being the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani.

A contemporary example of a ‘humanitarian’ assassination is that of Muammar Gaddafi during the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions. While the details surrounding Gaddafi’s death remain murky, it is widely believed that his convoy was struck by a NATO missile resulting in his capture by Libyan militia fighters who beat him to death (although some sources say he was later killed by a gunshot wound). For 42 years, Gaddafi ruled Libya with an iron fist, suppressing human rights and funding terrorist organisations including the IRA. So understandably, NATO intervened under the Doctrine of Responsibility to Protect during the civil war, backing Libyan militias revolting against Gaddafi. So, was it morally right to kill Gaddafi? Well, the hope was that killing Gaddafi would stop the civil war, thus preventing deaths and creating an opportunity to establish democracy. The moral justification behind the intervention is utilitarianism – the sacrifice of one person to save many.

The problem with the ‘bad guy’ narrative is that one person is never solely responsible for a country’s problems. By focusing on one villain, it’s easy to overlook the bigger picture. Unfortunately, the problems within a country often persist or deteriorate after an autocrat is killed,

Views

So had Abraham Lincoln been alive in 44 BC, he would have likely supported the murder of Julius Caesar. This violent act of patriotism has interesting parallels to Lincoln’s own assassination, with John Wilkes Booths famously shouting ‘sic semper tyrannis’ (‘thus always to tyrants,’) after he killed Lincoln. These words, attributed to Brutus during Caesar’s assassination, are interpreted as meaning that a tyrannical leader will inevitably be overthrown. Perhaps Booths had been inspired by his time playing Shakespeare’s Marc Anthony just five months prior to his killing of Lincoln.

as many groups aggressively try to seize power. In Libya, attempts to build a democratic state failed, and the country fell into another civil war between the UN-recognised Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army. The war continued into 2020, resulting in huge instability and humanitarian crises, further exacerbated by the increase in presence of Islamic extremist groups in the region.

When you analyse examples of tyrannicide, one of two things usually happens. Either the autocrat is replaced by a simple individual and nothing changes, as in the case of Julius Caesar. Or, the country is plunged into huge instability and chaos, as in Libya.

Despite its history of failure, tyrannicide is still a widely discussed issue. This enduring debate is fuelled by the sad reality that brutal dictators stubbornly remain in power.

In the face of oppression, assassination offers a tempting solution where you can liberate a country through a single act of violence. As Shakespeare wrote, ‘Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.’ The people who have suffered under a tyrant have the moral right to take their fate into their own hands and liberate themselves from oppression.

Repeating History: So, can tyrannicide ever work? Despite its poor track record, supporters argue that when done effectively, tyrannicide The Media’s Influence has the potential to pave the way for democracy. After the death of a dictator, the main factor in successfully on Islamophobia transitioning from a dictatorship to a democracy lies in the establishment of an interim government who are capable of stabilising the nation and creating free elections. We saw this happen in Spain after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975. Franco’s successor, King Juan Carlos, gave the power back to the people through a carefully orchestrated plan over several years. With the help of international organizations, including the UN and EEC, he established a transition government, legalised political parties, gradually lifted censorship, and set up free and fair elections. Spain’s success story supports the view that the death of a dictator can bring democracy to a country.

Advocates for tyrannicide argue that instead of passively waiting for a dictator to die and hoping their successor wants to establish democracy, a proactive approach should be taken. Supporters of tyrannicide like Thomas Aquinas, a medieval philosopher, believe that citizens should be allowed to kill a tyrant for the common good if it is believed that no greater harm would be caused by their actions.

Aquinas wrote in his commentary of ‘The Sentences’ by Peter Lombard: ‘He who kills a tyrant to free his country is praised and rewarded’ (In 2 Sentences, 44.2.2). This reflects the belief that killing a tyrant is a noble and selfless deed.

Aadam (V) “First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist…

Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew…” – Martin Niemöller.

Throughout history, religious and cultural groups have, to varying degrees, been subjected to hatred, isolation, and discrimination, often with significant consequences not just for such groups themselves but for humanity in general.

Humanity’s historical copy book is blotted with examples of bitter and unfair prejudice, bigoted injustice, and harrowing genocide. The extermination of six million Jews during Hitler’s bloody march across Europe is perhaps the biggest stain of all, but examples abound elsewhere within Europe as well. As Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted: “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

Today, my reader, another ghost of hatred and discrimination against a religious group haunts our “liberal” and “moderate” society. Today in Britain the tabloid media seem set on a crusade of hyperbolic propaganda aimed at searing the idea that Islam’s basis is terrorism and extremism.

In short, for a branch of the British media, Islam is the enemy of western civilisation: a religion of violence, misogyny, and hatred. Whilst Muslims are not currently victims of genocide, nonetheless a different kind of killing is taking place. Even here in our liberal nation, Muslims are being marginalised and treated with suspicion and fear. And the same pattern is repeated in America, Europe, and throughout the world. The British tabloid media in particular seems to bask in a burning pool of lies and deceit, and on any given day the British people are subject to stories of Muslim activity full of hyperbole, loaded words and emotive language.

Evidently, Islam is associated with negative behaviour and negative connotations. Yet, with even just a little reading into the tenets of Islam, you would find that this is the very antithesis of what the religion actually teaches. The quagmire of tabloid media articles about Islam and Muslims shows a

concerning Islam deep into society. A recent survey conducted in the UK showed that over 50% of Muslims said they had experienced unfair treatment by law enforcement. One in two people - you or your mother, father, sister, brother, friend. The media’s stereotyping of Islam and its followers has caused unfair treatment and discrimination towards Muslims in all aspects of life from employment to education to housing - the most basic of human rights.

Again, one of the most common stereotypes of Islam and Muslims is that of terrorism. It has been 22 years since the harrowing incidents in New York of September 11th, 2001.

Truly that day was a day of darkness for humanity that must never be repeated. Yet today, 22 years later, the flames of prejudice against all Muslims continue to burn, sparking anti-Muslim discrimination throughout the world. These atrocities were carried out by a small minority of Muslims.

We cannot, in a liberal society, hold all Muslims responsible for these acts of inhumanity in the same way that we could not hold successive generations of Germans responsible for the acts of the Nazi Party.

Furthermore, right-wing newspapers such as the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, and The Sun are consistent providers of anti-Muslim propaganda. Sadly, it has become increasingly difficult to find any “good news” stories related to Muslims and Islam. One recent study has shown that a staggering 78% percent of the stories in the Mail on Sunday newspaper featuring Islam or UK Muslims were of a negative slant. This torrent of Islamophobia harmfully impacts both the everyday life of Muslims and their mental health. The National Library of Medicine has found that the practice of Islamophobia negatively impacts Muslims by disrupting several systems— - the individual system, in the form of stress reactivity and identity concealment; the interpersonal system which negatively impacts social relationships; and the socialisation processes and the structural system which cover the public area of institutional policies and media coverage. Even just one of these systems would cause a major impact on an individual, but all three together is catastrophic. Identity concealment? Haven’t we been here in history before when ethnic groups seek to hide or even deny their religion for fear of reprisal against them? With the help of the media, our society has become fear-mongering, causing Muslims, living within our nation, to fear for their futures.

Notably, Islam is being accused of violence and terror. Yet our media is guilty of the very accusations it lays at the feet of Muslims. The British media, pushing small-minded policies of insulation, isolation, and discrimination seek to ghettoise Islam. Islam is not a religion of violence or terror, but a faith that teaches its followers kindness, modesty, and forgiveness. Yet like so many other religions throughout history, Islam is being scorched by smouldering hate and fear. For humanity’s sake, society must find a way to leave our fear behind and forge a path ahead for all faiths to live together peaceably. A path not just for the Muslim communities but for all communities.

Moreover, the British tabloid media has burned falsehoods

The reality is that findings show that Muslims view such extremism as rarely or never justified, including in predominantly Muslim countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iraq. We simply cannot blame an entire religion and its followers due to the acts of groups such as the Taliban or ISIS. To condemn every single Muslim to feelings of fear solely based on the biases gained through the staining of the media’s ideas of the “truth”, is absolute madness. If we allow ourselves to swallow the stereotypes the media has created in order to discriminate against Islam and Muslims, then we become no better than those who chose to swallow the propaganda of Nazi Germany.

The right-wing politicians that discriminate against Islam often refer to the term ‘Jihad’: a well-known phrase in the UK and the USA used by the media to claim that Islam is their enemy. Jihad means ‘holy war’ and is propagated by the media and right-wing politicians to show that Muslims are part of a ‘holy war’ against the West. ‘Jihad’ actually refers to the striving and struggle of all Muslims on the path to finding God. It is a path of peace, not of war, yet the media has chosen a negative light, wilfully ignoring the truth which is that at its heart: Islam strives to end wars and conflicts between people, not start them.

Evidently, the British tabloid media has become a pool of prejudice and falsehoods which seeks to ghettoise Islam by isolating and discriminating against Muslims.

Reader, you are being made to believe that Islam makes and breeds extremists and terrorists, but what Islam truly is, is a religion of compassion, modesty, forgiveness, and kindness. It is time for us to speak up for Muslims. Speak up for a society of tolerance. Speak for the idea that we can all practise our different faiths and creeds in harmony with one another. We must seek to make change. Failure to speak out against hatred and discrimination against one is failure to speak against hatred and discrimination against all… “...Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me.”

Views

strong anti-Muslim bias which instils fear and isolation in Muslims. Sensational headlines such as “Duchess’s Mosque linked with 19 terrorist groups,” and “BRAINWASHED: Mum of nine… converts to Islam so that she can marry…Gambian toyboy” leave Muslims feeling that the only path to plough is one out of the limelight of mainstream society for fear that they find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Every time this occurs Muslims become more and more marginalised in society.

In Defence of Discernment: Promoting Quality in Free Speech Naomi (IV) In today’s modern age, I truly believe that we underestimate the value of challenging conversations. Being challenged allows us to gain a new perspective and question our beliefs.

However, increasing social media usage has brought the ability to substantiate the falsehood that we are correct in an extremely harmful way. When we are then challenged outside this bubble of validation, we often assume the other person is incorrect because we have come from a platform that creates the illusion that everyone holds the same opinion as ourselves.

Discernment is the ability to distinguish between reliable information and questionable sources, between constructive criticism and hate speech. By encouraging discernment, we can ensure that freedom of speech remains a powerful tool for progress rather than a weapon for harm. Promoting quality in free speech does not mean imposing restrictions or suppressing certain viewpoints but rather involves fostering critical thinking skills and media literacy among individuals. Promotional content often manipulates public opinion by distorting facts and spreading misinformation. This not only undermines the truth but also erodes trust in legitimate sources of information. By exercising discernment, society can protect itself from falling victim to these tactics. Education plays a vital role in equipping people with the means to evaluate information sources critically and foster a culture where people are more likely to engage in meaningful discussions rather than blindly accepting everything they hear or read.

Living in this echo chamber can make individuals and even societies incredibly vulnerable to misinformation. The Butler Report (released in 2004 after the Iraq War) exposed the consequences of not validating the sources of information that are convenient to believe. In this case, a trusted source gave information about chemical warfare with no expertise on the subject. The government did not check to see whether the source could really have gotten this information as they wanted to believe that Iraq was in possession of chemical weapons. The Butler Report serves as a stark reminder of how misinformation can shape public opinion and erase trust in institutions. It is imperative for governments and media organisations alike to prioritise accuracy and transparency to maintain credibility with their constituents.

Furthermore, statements released on X are short pithy sound bites intended to impress a wider audience. However, most ideas require more careful thought and explanation than can be expressed in 250 characters and the opportunity to like or dislike a tweet on your first impulse discourages reflection where you may change your mind from your initial reaction.

When confronted by opposing views curiosity and tolerance is no longer our initial reaction. With social media has come the belief that we are entitled to punish others for having different opinions and this has, unfortunately, become our normality.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

As social media becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, we have become more conscious than ever of how we are being perceived. With the birth of cancel culture, it is easy to worry about our reputations and how our comments online could ruin our personal lives. If we withhold our views to avoid conflict with those around us, it discourages us from having quality conversations with one another. In doing so, we become trapped in an environment where our opinions are seemingly fact, satisfying our need for validation in an unhealthy and empty way.

Social media can also encourage polarisation, as most platforms’ algorithms ‘enhance’ user experience by showing personalised content based on reactions, which creates echo chambers that hinder critical thinking.

Eventually, the line between social media and reality becomes increasingly blurred for those who have been engulfed by this utopian environment. Therefore, it is crucial for social media platforms to reassess their algorithms and prioritise diversity of thought and accurate information over engagement metrics to create a healthier online environment for all users.

In conclusion, while freedom of speech is essential for a thriving democracy, promoting quality in public discourse through discernment is equally important. Encouraging critical thinking skills through education and implementing fact-checking mechanisms on social media platforms are effective ways to promote quality discourse while preserving individual liberties. Upholding quality in free speech ensures that our society remains knowledgeable and capable of making informed decisions based on accurate information rather than falsehoods or prejudices. We must strive for a balance between freedom and quality by encouraging constructive dialogue while maintaining the awareness of the consequences our words may have.

Paul (IV) I watched a man sitting on a stump, shirtless, with a knife in one hand and the innards of a duck in the other. The ground around him was strewn with trash and feathers, cut by a dirty creek coughing up litter. Above him, garments hung drying in the sun, as did the memory of death, only 40 days fresh. ‘He’s preparing food for his family’s fortiethday feast,’ said my boss soberly. Tonight, I learned, when the labourers return from the sugarcane fields, they will gather with friends and neighbours and, over this duck and under a corrugated tin roof, celebrate their beloved departed soul’s ascension to heaven.

We continued walking through the ‘barangay’ (the smallest unit of local government, typically consisting of 50-100 families), wending our way through its narrow paths between modest dwellings, pausing to speak with the residents who dared to be out in the scorching midday sun. Many more, however, were not at home but in the aforementioned fields, agricultural workers on large sugar plantations. Most of them would retire at the age of 65 on meagre pensions, and until then, their families subsisted on their low daily wages.

As a result, they had no defence against the ambush of a large expense, and as they also had no assets that could be considered by banks as collateral, they were easy prey for informal lenders charging up to 20% interest each day. At the end of every brief exchange with the residents we spoke with, we would hand them a flyer for our micro-lending corporation, one that structured sustainable loan terms and whose employees went out of their way to impart a level of financial literacy to current and would-be borrowers.

As we neared the completion of our foray into this neighbourhood, the ringing of a ‘dirty ice cream’ wagon, a wheeled cart hitched to a motorcycle, marked the end of our business duties. My boss explained that the ice cream was hand-churned by individual vendors in their own homes rather than being produced in presumably more sanitary factories. Such knowledge only increased its appeal to me, and we happily traded 75 pesos (£1.05) for three cones of the young entrepreneur’s sorbet. When we had made our way back to our starting point, I found the duck-

man still sitting on the stump, now plucking feathers from more fowl and washing them under a manual water pump. To his right, I saw scrawny chickens roaming freely, children crying out gleefully as they chased their ‘dirty’ dairy delights, and a young man lying in the shade of an old mango tree, his legs stretched out on a pile of smooth bamboo poles. To his left beyond a final row of homes, the fields stretched a great distance and terminated at a lush treeline. I looked back to the barangay and imagined the place at dusk, lit with the laughter of families feasting together on the fortieth day of bereavement. Weeks later, I find myself still captivated by the unfamiliar juxtaposition of material poverty and apparent contentment that I witnessed.

If one looks at the Philippines by the numbers, it is not a wealthy country. The World Bank categorises it as a ‘lower middle-income country’, and, while rich in natural resources, it has been hobbled by a history of colonisation, corruption in politics, and an entrenched class system that prevents social mobility—all of which contributes to rampant economic inequality. A significant proportion, anywhere from 18% to 55% of the population, lives below the poverty line, according to World Bank statistics for 2024, and most of these financially precarious households live in barangays like the one I visited. And yet, (and I am trying to remain impartial given my Filipino heritage) I have not been to a place where the people are so universally ‘happy’—not merely friendly—but infectiously cheerful.

During my very short internship at the micro-finance company, I found this joyful spirit suffusing every interaction, be it around pleasure or business and whether I was among the urban well-to-do or the rural working people. In one instance, I met a seaman who had just arrived back after months away from home due to his work contract on a commercial ship. When he heard I was originally from America, he asked me about the various parts of the country I had visited, and he jokingly recalled his own ports of call in the U.S. He bantered merrily with the staff and showed not a hint of the blues from being so long at sea, nor the financial circumstances requiring him to apply for a micro-loan. It occurred to me that it did not matter whether he was in the middle of Manila or the Pacific Ocean…this man would make friends and bring laughter wherever he went. How can a man with such abilities fail to be happy?

Views

Reflections on my Experience in the Philippines

It therefore did not surprise me to learn from my colleagues at the micro-finance company that many customers come seeking loans to buy their grandchildren a birthday gift or host a party for their neighbourhood, or even that many clients will renew their loans simply to stay in touch with the faces they grow accustomed to seeing every month when payments are due. Money, it seemed, was not an end in itself but a means by which one could enjoy arguably the best part of life: one’s companions and relationships. I observed that while the residents of the barangay were poor in money, they were rich in community, to the point that death, rather than leaving a family forlorn and vulnerable, instead served to strengthen the bonds between relatives and neighbours; that even after a day spent in heavy toil under the tropical sun in return for only 274 pesos (less than four pounds), people would sacrifice their time and remaining energy to enjoy dinner together and make merry.

I do not at all wish to say that the condition of a Filipino living in an impoverished barangay is without its unique sufferings. That being made clear, I cannot deny that I witnessed a remarkable capacity for cheerfulness, possibly springing from the experience of essential joys increasingly rare in the affluent world, among which dense, rich, and close relational bonds were most noticeable. Some, however, would argue that this apparent cheerfulness is only some sort of coping mechanism, evolved over generations of poverty and its accompanying stresses; when the future is so uncertain and tomorrow may bring catastrophe, the soul may require, for its own sanity, the enjoyment of the simple pleasures each day brings. Conversely, when the seasons are stable and tomorrow can be counted on, man’s mind may turn to securing the future, even at the expense of appreciating the present.

Summer 2024 Spring Winter2021 2023

Whatever the case may be, what belies the Philippines’ seemingly entrenched poverty and inequality is that it now boasts the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia, and the dream of freeing one’s family from poverty appears to pervade much of the younger generation. Time will tell whether the country’s politics and institutions will enable these ambitions or hinder them, and whether such goals can coexist with a culture that prioritises spontaneous joys with one’s friends and family. I recall meeting one young waiter, no older than 25, with a most admirable work ethic and a charming balance of professionalism and friendliness. He

dreamed of moving to Europe and climbing its hospitality industry, and yet, upon receiving a large tip from a generous diner, he spent the windfall by treating himself to the finest burger on the restaurant’s menu. Whether his capacity to enjoy ‘stops along the way’ in this particular instance is a virtue or a weakness, I am not here to judge. Nonetheless, I do believe there are practices I witnessed in the Philippines that reflect different ideas about what is necessary and truly important for the enjoyment of life. The fortieth day feast, in its proof of a steadfast commitment to community, is one such example; when neighbours gather for dinner at sundown, when grace is said over the chirps of crickets and the music of the night, and a man comes bearing the evening’s poultry, does it matter whether that duck is cooked over a flame or pureed and spread on a cracker, whether it’s skewered with a pointy stick or served on a silver platter?

The Pre-Workout Predicament Paul (IV) ‘Slothful masses, chained to the computer chair and slaves to the comforts of the modern day, I present to you the paragons of self-mastery! Behold, the Palestratos!’ The curtain vanishes and, in an instant, the bodies on the stage are revealed. They are meant to be beautiful. They appear to be strong. They seem to be posing, or at least, to be attempting to pose. But their hands, gesturing towards the heavens, won’t stop twitching as if tickling the feet of Zeus as they hang from Mt Olympus, and their legs jitter until the entire stage is filled with wiggling sacks of flesh instead of athletes whose graceful stances imitate the marble statues of antiquity. What could possibly be the culprit? By the quivering feet of each ‘paragon of self-mastery’ sits a plastic tub of Sour Watermelon Mike and Ike Pre-Workout.

For those unacquainted with the delicacies of gym cuisine, pre-workout is a stimulating concoction usually consumed 30 to 45 minutes before a workout to combat fatigue and increase one’s capacity for exertion. It’s sold in a variety of forms—gummies, capsules, ready-to-drink bottles—but is most commonly found as a powder. What gives preworkout its stirring effect? The simple answer is caffeine.

An average scoop of pre-workout packs between 150 to 300 milligrams of the stuff. By comparison, a cup of coffee only contains about 100. I know, weak sauce. As if this weren’t invigorating enough, many gym rats have adopted the practice of dry-scooping their pre-workout, and regardless of whether this is driven by an earnest desire for an even greater stimulus or simply to be part of a wider trend, it’s a dangerous habit, with doctors warning that such high concentrations of caffeine can leave one’s heart slightly too ‘pumped’ and on the verge of a heart attack. But if preworkout were just extra-strength coffee, it wouldn’t be as popular with teenagers as it’s proven to be. What really makes pre-workout so appealing to young buyers are its flavors.

‘Feeling like some Mike and Ike?’

‘Oh, I’m sorry. I meant Mike-and-Ike-flavoured pre-workout.

You want to get the best out of your workout, don’t you?

You’re an athlete, after all.’

‘Hmm…I suppose you’re right. Maybe I do need some Mike and Ike. ‘Well then, bottoms up!’

That’s right. Pre-workout, a supplement endorsed by the ‘fitness’ community, comes in flavours you’d expect out of a gumball machine: Strawberry, Sour Watermelon, Screamin’ Sour Cherry and Caribbean Punch are all actual pre-workout flavours made in a collaboration between MyProtein, a supplement company, and Mike and Ike, a candy brand, and just about every other company that sells pre-workout has formulated their own saccharine flavours. But members of the ‘fitness’ community are far too savvy to indulge in what would essentially be soda or juice, just consider all the sugar.

That’s why supplement producers use artificial sweeteners instead. Problem solved! Not so fast…Let’s examine one of the artificial sweeteners found in the Screamin’ Sour Cherry: sucralose, which is indeed a staple in many other pre-workout ingredient lists. Well, this wonderful invention of British chemists has been found to negatively interfere with the gut microbiome, the intricate ecosystem of bacteria and other microbes which plays a crucial role in almost every aspect of human health, from metabolism to brain chemistry. Its impact on the body is so pervasive that it’s often referred to as ‘the second brain’, so perhaps messing with this microbiome by drinking a candy-flavored energy drink isn’t the best idea.

Irony and artificial sweeteners aside, is this exactly a problem, though? I mean, if a tasty drink can help you make more muscle during your workouts, what’s not to love? But that question is precisely the problem. Working out, exercise, fitness–these are not supposed to be free from sacrifice. The gym should be a place where one voluntarily submits oneself to pain for the sake of growth, not an anabolic playground with sweety-flavoured water fountains to wash away the fatigue from hard work. Yes, your gains will increase, but as someone who has consistently engaged in resistance training for over two years, I can confidently say that as wonderful as bigger lats and juicier biceps are, muscle is not the greatest reward of the gym. Discipline is. What begins as the desire to sculpt a better physique can quickly develop into a pursuit to strengthen not just the body but the mind and the soul as

If you’re going for the Mr Olympia, by all means, use what you have available to you. At that level, every gram of muscle counts (steroids are a conversation for another day), but if you’re just an amateur gym-goer, try a workout without stimulating yourself beforehand–no pre-workout, no exhilarating music or motivational videos–just you, the rack and the bar. See how much you really enjoy it, and if you loved it, great! Save your wallet and your gut the hassle of pre-workout. And if you didn’t, well, here’s your chance to set a new personal best.

Paul’s writing ‘The Pre-Workout Predicament’ was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Scottish Schools Young Writer of the Year Competition, 2024

Views Features

‘What? No! I’m going to the gym to enhance my fitness.’

well. As cliche as it sounds, the gym teaches you to disobey the frail voice inside your head, the voice that says today ought to be a rest day and dinner a cheat meal. If you get around that voice only by appeasing it with a sugary energy potion, you’re cheating yourself out of the real gains, willpower and resolve. Even as I say this, many who have consistently lifted for months or years without energizing aids must confess that the gym no longer requires much discipline from them. It’s become one of the best parts of their day, but that’s the beauty of it! What was once challenging is now pleasurable, and there now stands one fewer obstacle in the way of becoming a healthier human; what is easy and what is good for oneself are increasingly aligned. To use pre-workout is to rob oneself of this expansion in capability, to be marginally more muscular, sure, but take away the crutch, and one is left defenseless against the suggestions of that indolent voice.

Features It feels as though no time at all has passed since I was editing the last edition of The Galley, during another bleak and harsh Scottish winter. Yet here I am, almost six months later, looking out my window and seeing the swifts and swallows fly overhead as the sky is painted a hazy pale blue for another couple of hours. It seems summer is finally here; exams are over, and so too is school coming to an end. For many, this just means a couple of months off to enjoy the summer holidays, although for some of us such as myself, this signifies the end of our time as a pupil of Dollar Academy. This sense of time is something that all of us ponder, and it is a force that ties many of us together, regardless of our experiences. With summer fast approaching, the longer days and lighter nights have inspired many of our writers in this new edition of The Galley.

Here, our writers have all explored the concept of time in varying ways, perhaps even unknowingly.

Some travelled to Auschwitz, where they gained an uncomfortable yet invaluable insight into the infamous concentration camp, and learned the names of those who history often overlooks. Other writers reflect on times past, whether reminiscing of summers fondly spent in the Czech Republic, or looking more introspectively at how they have learned to embrace ADHD. Additionally, we have our interview with Jen, as she relays her experiences during her own time as a pupil at Dollar Academy, and how it shaped her to be the person she is today. However, changes in seasons also bring about personal change, and that includes goodbyes, where this edition’s Desert Island Discs waves farewell to Mrs Morrison and her time at the school.

We cannot control time and what has happened in the past, but we can welcome change by adopting an open-mind and new perspective, which is what this edition of Features allows the readers to explore.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

Honor Fletcher (VI) Features Editor

Paul (IV) ‘Punctuality and regularity of attendance, courtesy and consideration are essential to the smooth running of the school.’ These are words that Jen, now a cherished member of the assistant house staff in McNabb and Tait, became very familiar with on afternoons filled with the sound of chalk against a blackboard. Her crime? An activity known today as ‘break’ or ‘lunch’ to pretty much every fourth, fifth, and sixth year but to the teachers of Dollar Academy in the 1980s, was seriously indecorous behaviour: eating in the streets. But by all accounts, Jen was a good pupil.

During the 1982-83 school year, in Form V, she recalls taking Higher Maths, English, Biology, and, she thinks, French.

‘There’s so many different options now from when I was at school,’ she reflected. ‘We did all your basics: maths, English, PE, but there wasn’t this much opportunity, I don’t think, when we were at school as there is for you now.’

The classroom itself, like the curriculum, was also simpler. The absence of computers meant that the rooms of Playfair and Dewar were occupied by only the teacher, students, books, and not a whiteboard, but a black chalkboard. Also black were the gowns every teacher was required to wear. Even with this decidedly dark ambience, Jen is glad her schooling was free from glaring screens and the glow of pixels. ‘When I was young, everybody was taught how to communicate with each other, and I think that’s a lost art now because everything’s done on text, or it’s done on Snapchat or whatever else. To walk into a room and have the confidence to be pleasant and just to be polite, I think that’s a totally lost art now.’ Perhaps a more immediate concern for teachers today, however, is just getting their students’ eyes up from their smartphones, or, when computers are in use, off the games and onto the work. In Jen’s day, there was a very simple answer to misbehaving pupils.

‘You got the belt. It was “Oh my goodness, if I misbehave, I’m either going to get the belt or somebody’s going to throw the blackboard duster at me.”’ The sense of fear and respect for authority came from more than just punishment, though. The teachers themselves had an aura about them that served as a reminder that rules ought to be obeyed. ‘Our teachers were still here from the war. They were often quite old and were very distinguished men. They had their gowns on, so they were quite formidable, so you just...you just didn’t!’ While some inevitably misbehaved and got the belt, Jen looks back decades later, relieved that ‘luckily, thank goodness(!), it didn’t happen to me. I think I was too frightened.’

Following all the rules at Dollar Academy in the 1980s was no easy feat. Besides the aforementioned prohibition on eating in the streets, one’s uniform seemed to extend to their hair and face. ‘Boys had to have [their hair] two inches above the collar. It wasn’t allowed over your ears, and it wasn’t allowed over your eyes. The girls weren’t allowed to wear makeup or jewellery.’ For girls in particular, the administration ensured compliance. ‘We had this woman

called a “lady superintendent”. Looking back, I think “What lovely ladies”, but at the time, I didn’t feel they were so lovely’.

‘Every morning, we had assembly, and the girls had to go up one side of the stairs, and the boys had to go up the other. The lady superintendent used to stand at the top, and, goodness me, if you got caught with makeup on, you had the humiliation of standing at the top of those stairs taking your makeup off while everybody was coming up to go to assembly. Somebody from a different school might have thought, “What is all this about?” but we didn’t know any different. It was a rule, and you just followed the rule.’

When her dad moved abroad for work and Jen became a boarder, there were only more rules to come. All boarders attended church on Sunday morning and then returned to their respective houses to write letters to their family. On two Saturdays a term, they could go to Stirling if they wished, but the Dollar uniform accompanied them.

If, however, they stayed in Dollar, they were generously permitted to wear jeans and a single-coloured V-neck over a white shirt... that is until the rules changed, and it was back to school uniform on weekends. At the time, there was one girls’ house, Heyworth, and five boys’ houses: Dewar, Playfair, McNabb, Tait, and Argyll. But in 1980, to accommodate the increased demand for girls’ boarding, Jen was part of the first group of girls living in Argyll. ‘For me,’ Jen reviews her stay, ‘it was just like a massive, big sleepover with my friends. I just loved it.’

The dining as a boarder, however, wasn’t five-star. The horrors of scrambled-egg cubes at breakfast still bring a shudder to her shoulders. ‘It was not the best of food.’

That consensus notwithstanding, the dining hall was still as popular as it is today, with the lunch line stretching out the door and round the corner.

After a long day of 45-minute classes with the odd double period, Jen and her friends would often head downtown, enjoying the freedom announced by the final ringing of the school bells. In the autumn and winter, the only activities available were hockey, rugby, CCF, and pipe band. Not involved in these, Jen and her entourage would make their way back to the wall in front of Argyll, chatting with their day pupil friends. Summer term, however, excited their inner athletes, where the tennis and squash courts became their favourite places to spend the afternoon during those months.

Features

Dollar Academy: Through Jen’s Lens

After prep, the fun continued as Argyll boarders all huddled around the television. ‘We could watch one TV program a night, so we’d all vote on it. It was “Top of the Pops” on a Thursday, and on Saturday we’d watch “Dallas”. There was no PlayStation back then; we didn’t have phones; we didn’t have social media... It sounds as if it was brutal, but it wasn’t. Everybody just did things together. We just made our own entertainment, and I think that’s why I look back on it so fondly.’

Jen’s time at Dollar came to an end after Form V. She had completed her five Highers (Advanced Highers didn’t exist yet) and decided it was time for a change. Over the following years, Jen would find herself in the vibrant streets of San Francisco, Boston, and New York. ‘Coming from a small town, it just blew my mind.’ But eventually she traded the bold, American skylines back for the humble chimneys and stone facades of Bridge Street. After working at Gleneagles and a nursery, owning and managing the Castle Campbell Hotel, and raising a family, helping to run a house full of school-age boys hardly seems like the easy option, but Jen insists that it’s a ‘dawdle’ compared to what she was doing before. ‘I was just looking for something local, and I thought, “I’d like to check back in and see what the boarding house is like.”’

It was only once she took on the role of the austere house matrons of her day (women whom she certainly wouldn’t have known on a first-name basis) and was immersed in the warm atmosphere of McNabb and Tait, that Jen appreciated the severity of her boarding experience. ‘It wasn’t homely like it is now, but that’s because I see what it is now. If I hadn’t worked here, I wouldn’t have known that because I still loved it! I still really enjoyed it. But when I see what boarding is like now, actually, it was really strict.’

Remarkably, even with all the restrictions, the attitude with which Jen recalls her Dollar years is one of gratitude and fondness. Perhaps that’s because beneath the changing shell of rules and routines, the Dollar spirit has remained intact. ‘Everybody got along, whether it be a junior or a senior. Everybody looked out for each other, and I think that spirit is still here now. I see that all the time... I don’t think anyone can fully describe the Dollar spirt, but the proof in the pudding is how many former pupils still keep in touch. There’s something about this school that just keeps everybody safe and together. You all protect each other.’

Summer 2024 Spring 2021 Winter 2023

As much as the durability of the Dollar ethos is comforting to Jen, seeing the individual boarders change and mature is the most rewarding part of her job. ‘I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege of watching these boys grow. A boy might come in a bit quiet or a little bit naughty, but then everybody nurtures him. We try to give him a good path to follow, and as he follows that path and goes into the world, you just think, “I helped with that.” We all helped make this boy into this young man.’

Despite being over 200 years old, the shock and interest with which one hears the stories of Jen’s school years at Dollar Academy, it shows that even institutions of stone are not immune to change. One can only imagine what aspects of our school experience will astonish and amuse our grandchildren or, indeed, what Jen as a pupil might have thought peering into a classroom from the 1880s, and in pondering that, the thought of our place in history arises. Will there come a day without uniforms and calling

teachers by their last names? Will the Dollar spirit always endure, regardless of how many times the school sheds it skin and adapts its policies? Do we stand near the end of a long march of reform and advancement, or have we only just begun to scale the steps of progress, to which, is there a top? On the other hand, perhaps we enjoy a golden age of lenience, and looming events will plunge subsequent generations into the days of the belt and school uniform on weekends, of teachers in black gowns and writing lines on the chalkboard for being caught, most shamefully, eating in the streets.

When asked how she remembered that single sentence from over four decades ago so well— ‘Oh, it’s because I had to write it so many bloody times!’

My Life with ADHD Rosie (FV) Imagine living your life with constant anxiety, an anxiety that you can’t control; you don’t know what’s causing it and it won’t go away. A door closing sounds like a gunshot, a gust of wind like a chorus of screaming children.

Imagine living your life unable to concentrate on things that matter, being distracted by the smallest sounds.

Wondering why your friends are leaving you out, being told you can’t play the game because you’re too loud or you can’t come to the party because you may feel overwhelmed. This was me. ADHD has affected my life in many ways, including how I feel, act and see things.

I’ve shown clear symptoms of ADHD since I was two years old through my inability to follow simple instructions and impulsive actions, but all kids act up… right? Soon, it was time for me to go to school, which I loved. I easily made friends and was able to socialise particularly well, but there was always something different about me. I would make impulsive decisions and often needed much more supervision than my classmates. I enjoyed learning but I was never able to focus on a set task. My school reports became increasingly repetitive: “Rosie is a bubbly student. She’s great to have in the class but often struggles to focus and listen to instructions.” I found it difficult to regulate my emotions and keep calm, and sometimes I would be so hyperactive that my friends didn’t want to play with me. I

By the time I entered primary four, signs of ADHD became more visible to not just my parents, but to me.

I knew something was different, as now everyone was beginning to mature and adapt to school life, but I wasn’t.

I felt anxious and overwhelmed, trapped inside my mind as everything went on around me. It was only when I became extremely sensory and my reactions to trivial things became worryingly severe that I was finally tested for ADHD. I was eight years old, and I’d choked on a pineapple. Not a big deal, right? I didn’t eat my dinner that night. I stared at the pizza like a dog at the food that it wasn’t allowed to eat. Only, I was allowed to eat it, but I couldn’t. My throat forced itself shut, my mouth went dry and all I could do was cry. Some children would have gotten over something as insignificant as this, but I didn’t. The next day I didn’t eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner and this became a recurring habit. I was stuck in this pit of anxiety, and I couldn’t escape, which was difficult as I didn’t know how I got there in the first place. For hours I would lie on the floor clenching my stomach because of the cramps. I wanted to eat, and I needed to eat, but I couldn’t. This abnormal reaction made it clear that I needed help as I was underweight and unhealthy.

I finally got an ADHD diagnosis. Each week I would find myself in a different room being questioned. I would stand on the scales hoping the number would be greater than the last. I wasn’t allowed to do physical exercise. Instead, I had to watch. Do you know how hard it is to sit and watch whilst everyone is having fun?

Wondering why you are putting yourself through this but not knowing how to end it? I hated it. I was different to everyone else. Teachers forced me to stay inside until I’d finished my lunch, children constantly asked why it took me so long. If I’m being honest, I didn’t quite know why either.

Soon enough, I was medicated and felt much better. As I began to eat more regularly, I gained more weight to the point where I was becoming healthier again. I was told that I could do PE again and for the first time I can remember, I cried of genuine happiness. My reports began to change as listening and focus were not a huge problem anymore. The anxiety surrounding my eating was on and off until I was around eleven, but everything became easier. It felt as though I was taking a new tablet each month as they constantly tried to find the best medicine. I was so young, so it was rather complicated for me, and I had no option but to trust the adults around me.

Primary six and seven were the times where I noticed my ADHD-related struggles most. I would become hyper-focused on certain things and pay little attention to others. I was unable to effectively motivate myself to revise for tests and I would sometimes come across as distracting during class time. I wanted to tell everyone that I had ADHD and that makes me different to them, but I didn’t. I kept it all to myself because I thought nobody would understand. It was clear that most of my class were maturing faster than I was and it made me angry; angry

because I would try so hard to be like them, but I thought I never could be. I recall the sympathy in my mum’s face when I would ask her “Why can’t I just be like everyone else?” She would tell me that having ADHD was a strength, but I knew it wasn’t. If so, why did I need to be medicated?

Why did I have to endure this constant struggle if it was supposed to be a strength? However, I found that when I became hyper-fixated on a conversation or an assignment, I could produce a great piece of work. Some noticed I was highly creative and particularly good at interpreting my peers’ emotions based on their body language and how they spoke, which I considered a strength. I slowly began to think that my mum was right after all.

Now that I am sixteen and in FV, I feel confident in people knowing about my ADHD, although I do know that life would be easier if I didn’t have it. I still feel different as I know some people don’t understand me. There are days I feel like I have nobody and even though I am surrounded by friends and family, none of them have been through what I have. Nevertheless, these types of days are rare as I am constantly supported by understanding people who know my situation. I do still experience anxiety and struggle to focus when unmedicated, and emotional regulation can still be a problem, but the difference is I know how to deal with it. Despite the struggles I endured, having ADHD didn’t stop me from receiving exceptional results in my National 5s last year and it has not hindered me from working hard towards my Higher exams this year. I am grateful for the additional help I have received throughout this journey and the adaptations made for me to thrive both in class and during exams.

Having ADHD is hard, and I feel empathy for all of the young people dealing with it. However, what I’ve come to realise, is that society is becoming increasingly aware and more supportive of the condition, making ADHD less of a liability. Of course, life may have been a lot easier if I didn’t have it but if I didn’t, then I would not be who I am today.

Overall, having ADHD has influenced me as a person and, despite going through so much at such a young age, I realise now that I never gave up. I didn’t let ADHD stop me from doing the things I loved, instead I was able to get it under control through medication and help from others.

Now that I am medicated and aware, I can live my life more normally, leaving all the pain and suffering behind me. A door closing is no longer a gunshot, just a door. A gust of wind goes unnoticed. I am proud of who I was. I am proud of who I am. I am proud of who I am going to be.

Features

would cry, wondering what I had done wrong. Why didn’t they want to play with me? ADHD not only affected my school life, but my life at home, too. I would throw tantrums, demand everything my way and would not do as I was told.

Life in the Czech Republic Beáta (VI) The Czech Republic is a small country in the heart of Europe with a diverse culture, coming from the Slavic roots, beautiful nature and rich history. As someone who has lived in both Scotland and the Czech Republic, I must admit I find many similarities between the people of both, involving self-deprecating humour and strong tradition. Although Scottish tradition in my eyes is more about strength and toughness, the Czech is, in the words of my grandpa, about drinking and women. This is why I have decided to introduce some of the Czech traditions as they differ quite a lot from the Scottish ones.

The first difference in culture is all the events surrounding Christmas. This Christian celebration has changed to quite an extent since the Czech Republic is the most atheist country in the world, so it is now mostly about spending time with your loved ones. The lack of money in the country throughout its history is shown in our Christmas dinner, which is fish soup, followed by a fried carp fillet with potato salad, and finished by receiving gifts from Baby Jesus while eating varied homemade biscuits (some households offer as much as twenty different kinds). This all happens on the evening of the 24th December and is repeated with different parts of the family throughout the holiday.

Throughout the day, each family has different activities that they do; some go ice skating, some go on walks, and my family always goes to the Zoo.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021 Winter 2023

Perhaps one of the weirdest traditions in the Czech Republic is Easter and especially Easter Monday. Every day of the week before Easter Monday is linked to a certain colour and everyone’s favourite is the Green Thursday, where people usually go out for green beer.

On Easter Monday the boys get up bright and early to go make a whip from willow branches and then they walk around houses singing songs and whipping girls, so they stay young and beautiful and in return they receive eggs, chocolate or shots of homemade slivovice (plum liquor).

In some places this is followed by a cold shower. But to make it more equal, on leap-years the roles switch, and girls can whip and splash boys in return.

Summer months are dedicated to loads of travelling both inside and outside of the country.

In Moravia, which is the south region of the Czech Republic, it is also time for ‘Hody’: a celebration where teenagers and university students get together and

organise an evening full of traditional music and dancing.

For the organizers this means putting on the traditional costume and performing pre-learned dances throughout the day. In the evening this is usually followed by some sort of an afterparty with numerous rides and ‘interprets’ taking over the music, usually resulting in some sort of a police interaction, especially for the ones who end up drinking a bit too much.

A typical experience for every Czech child is summer camp.

These go on throughout the whole summer and differ in types and duration, but the typical summer camp consists of staying on a campsite either in tents or cabins for about 2-3 weeks. As there is usually no service and minimal number of plugs in at least a 10-kilometre radius of these camps, it is all about enjoying nature by playing games and sports and resting with your peers. This is one of my favourite parts of summer as I have been going to the same summer camp since I was six years old. And although some games and situations might leave you slightly traumatised, especially if you are quite young, the connections and memories I have from all these years are priceless. All of my fellow friends would agree that summer camp ends up being your second home and family.

Another frequent activity in the summer, which is not very popular in Scotland, is rafting/kayaking on rivers and visiting public pools and waterparks. As of the typical visit to a waterpark, it mostly consists of mothers desperately trying to put sunscreen on their children and frying as many schnitzels as possible so that nobody is hungry, while the dads get to enjoy a freer routine, often consisting of drinking beer and going on all the rides. However, rafting holidays are where the dads have to take the initiative as mums are usually left behind at home, finally enjoying some free time for themselves. You can probably imagine the complete chaos that goes down when you send a group of dads with children to a camp where they go on rafts every day for a week. At the camping site you can always spot the stereotypes of Czech camping like socks in sandals and the main meal for the week being ‘langoš’, which is a fried batter with ketchup, garlic and cheese. Shockingly, the only drink for the dads would then be beer, as winning the highest beer consumption per capita every day does not happen on its own. However, the kids do not have to follow many rules which results in being beneficial to their character development.

There are plenty of other day-to-day things that differ largely from Scotland, however this should give you an idea of how simultaneously chaotic and beautiful the Czech Republic is, especially growing up there. In my eyes it is the perfect mix of responsibility and fun which teaches you a lot from a young age. Although I love Scotland and all it comes with, I cannot wait to spend yet another summer back home.

Freya (FV) Welcome to The Galley’s fifth ‘Dollar’s Desert Island Discs’, a Dollar twist on the iconic radio programme. Our castaway this edition is the Assistant Rector, Mrs Morrison, who will be departing the Dollar ship this summer. So, before we say goodbye we look forward to hearing the eight tracks that Mrs Morrison would take to her desert island.

Freya: Are you a fan of Desert Island Discs?

Mrs Morrison: Yes, I definitely am a fan. I love listening on Sunday mornings if I’m pottering around in the kitchen and then more recently catching up with the podcast in the car. It was also in the background in my childhood; my mother used to listen to it, so the theme tune (Sleepy Lagoon) has been a part of my life for a long time.

Was it difficult picking your eight tracks?

Very, very difficult, because there are so many different ways you could interpret this; I’ve looked at it as a sort of review of my life so far. Different music means things to you at different times, and you’re constantly hearing new things or being introduced to something. So you almost need to step back and see if a track stands the test of time as to whether it’s going to make it to the top eight tracks.

You have been part of the Mixed Voice Choir at school.

Would you say music is an important aspect of your life?

I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily as important as it is to some people, but it’s an aspect I really like. My father played the piano, but we didn’t really have music playing at home when I was growing up, more Radio Four and words. I did start piano lessons. I used to catch a bus to my piano lesson on my half day from school, and then walk a mile home for lunch on my own at age 9 or 10. Then, for one birthday, my present was to give up my piano lessons, which I regret now, because it is such a special thing to be able to play an instrument. However, I’m very fortunate, my husband loves his music, so a lot of my music education has come from him and his sister, and then from my two sons Courtenay and Fraser, and of course from Dollar Academy through singing with the Choir and the wonderful Musicals, Orchestras and the Pipe Band. Psalm 23 nearly made the cut and singing Zadok the Priest in St Giles Cathedral was a very special moment.

At school, what shaped your interest to study Economics at Cambridge?

Well, that’s a good question, because probably it’s the fact I never actually studied it at school. Economics wasn’t offered at the school I was at, and I think I thought it sounded quite interesting. I like Geography – the human side of Geography – and I was interested in current events, so I thought Economics might be interesting. It was also quite strategic too, because in applying for a subject I hadn’t studied I couldn’t be tested in it, so I didn’t have to do an entrance test in Economics.

How did you find Cambridge?

I loved Cambridge completely from start to end. It was a very unique time. I think I was very lucky to be there at the time and to be in the college I was in. It was slightly out of the centre of town, so all its grounds, a bit like Dollar, were onsite; we were right next to the river so I could row, and it was a very special time.

What inspired you to make a career change and train to be a Primary School teacher?

It is absolutely Dollar Academy that inspired me. We moved to Scotland from Vancouver so that our sons could come to this school. My husband had really enjoyed visiting Dollar (and playing against them) when he was a child at school, so he thought it would be a great school for our children. I remember waiting to pick up the boys one summer’s evening, and just sitting on the wall outside the dining room, before the railings went back up, and thinking what a special place it was. I met lovely children, lovely teachers and I thought I could maybe be a part of this and do something here.

What is your second track?

My second track takes me straight back to Jesus College’s bar and it’s ‘Make Me Smile’ by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. It’s a song that we played a lot in that bar, and I spent many happy hours there. Whenever I am with my Jesus College friends today, we will put on that track and everyone will just look at each other, smile, and start to dance.

Let’s hear your first track!

My first track is ‘Sunny’ by Boney M. This was my first ever purchase of a vinyl record. I’m so pleased vinyl is making a comeback, but I think there’s a whole generation who will have a missed out and will continue to miss out on this special experience of going out and buying your first record and then listening to it. So this track takes me back to a very happy childhood.

What brought you back to Scotland and Dollar after living in Canada?

After Cambridge, I lived in London for 15 years, the last 9 years with children. We had a lovely life there but London is for the young and rich I think, and we were ready for a

Features

Dollar’s Desert Island Discs

change. Although I’d been born in Scotland I’d never lived there and I think my husband finally felt that after 18 odd years down south, he could face the weather back here, so we gave it a chance! In between actually coming from London to here, we got this chance to go to Vancouver, which again was fantastic. We bought our house, un-seen, while in Vancouver, and have spent 20 years there now.

Let’s hear your third track My third track is by Elton John, ‘Tiny Dancer’. It’s in the film, ‘Almost Famous’, which I absolutely loved, about Rolling Stone magazine. One of our first and most treasured possessions is a Seeburg 1956 jukebox. Iain changes the records regularly, but this one is always there and has been there from the beginning. The track reminds me of many hours dancing at home in the kitchen with loved ones

It was commissioned for our Bicentenary, and it reminds me of that fabulous year and Sports Weekend in particular.

What have been your toughest moments working at Dollar?

I don’t like confrontation, so tricky conversations which you have to have from time to time are always tough. I think when things don’t work out for a child here, no matter how hard we’ve tried. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it does, and those times are difficult. When we had to close for COVID, that was really hard, but thankfully it’s sort of in the past now and while it was tough we did learn some things from it and tried to create some good experiences too. Currently, it is seeing the damage that social media can cause. I find that really upsetting to see, as I think you’re growing up into a world that can be very unkind and difficult to navigate.

What will you miss most about being at Dollar?

What has been your happiest moment working at Dollar?

So many! It starts when you drive up the West Approach.

I just love that view. I don’t teach that much anymore but when a lesson, or a Prep and Junior Assembly has really interested pupils or caught their attention, that makes me feel very happy. Mainly it’s being involved in all the many events; from really big ones like the Christmas Concert at the Usher Hall, cup finals at Murrayfield or Glasgow Green, Cross Country Championships, musicals, sports days, Christmas Dances, to the smaller things like the Form I Board Game Bonanza last term, the Egyptians and Pirates Days in the Prep School and all the lovely events that I see children enjoying in so many different ways.

What is your one highlight of all the school events each year?

Summer 2024 Spring 2021 Winter 2023

Highlight of my year… well I think the Sponsored Walk is a huge thing, but it’s only every two years. I just don’t think I could pick one, as it changes all the time and every time something fabulous comes along where I think ‘that was a moment!’ Honestly, I just really enjoy watching you all grow up from when you were little and seeing you doing all these lovely things through the years, like sports days, Christmas concerts and musicals, then seeing you all grown up.

What is your fourth track?

I wanted some pipe music, as the Pipe Band have been a huge part of my life at Dollar. They practise right outside my window, so they are my summer soundtrack. The Pipe Band was also such a big thing for my son Fraser. I nearly picked a tune he used to play back in the day, but I just checked and they don’t play it now and haven’t done for about 12 years: ‘Air Force One’. It’s a wonderful tune and I hope they bring it back. Instead, I went for ‘Dollar Sunrise’.

There are too many things that I will miss! I’ll miss the Pipe Band on summer mornings; the view of the hills from my window, seeing the children running into the playground in the morning – that always makes me feel that we’re doing a good job, when they run in smiling and laughing. Honestly, the peace when you’re all in class; there are some wonderful moments as I walk around the campus when it’s absolutely quiet! I think the main thing is the random chats I have with so many people each day; a wave as I drive into school, a chat with the guys as they open or lock up for the day, the spinning crew, all my wonderful colleagues throughout the school, our beautiful grounds and the guys that keep them the way they are, popping in and out of classes and just the small chats with you all; even if it is, you know, ‘tuck your shirt in’ and ‘take out your earrings’. That sense of belonging is something I will really miss.

What is your fifth track?

I love hymns. For me, singing in Assembly is really important and actually a kind of spiritual thing that we can do as a community. I know all the hymns from my own school days, and I want to keep up this tradition for all of you too. I nearly picked ‘Amazing Grace’; but I’ve chosen ‘I Vow To Thee My Country’. It probably reminds me of living in England, where I did live for a long time, but mostly I have chosen it because of its connection to rugby. The World in Union, the World Cup anthem, is based on part of that hymn. Rugby has played such a major part in my life, through different experiences watching rugby and the places I’ve visited because of rugby.

This song reminds me of the joy of hymns and the great pleasure I’ve got from rugby over the years.

What do you do to relax outside of school?

I like to walk. As some of you will know, I have a lovely big dog; he was very much present during COVID and he appeared on the videos. So, I love walking the dog, that’s probably the principal thing I enjoy doing to relax outside school and in the holidays.

What is your sixth track?

My sixth track is quite a cheesy pop song, it’s ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. I had to have it in because I just don’t think you can do anything but smile when this track comes on. We used it for our first ever Big Dance in the Prep and

What are you looking forward to doing the most after leaving Dollar?

I’m looking forward to spending all of August in Islay, where I love going. I’m looking forward to being able to visit my sons and my granddaughter in London whenever I want to.

I’m mainly looking forward to travelling more and definitely getting away somewhere in January or February. Then maybe seeing what happens next in my life; teaching being my fourth career, I’m wondering if there may be a fifth!

Let’s hear your seventh track!

‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’, the Nicola Benedetti version. I mean she’s a beautiful musician and it’s very moving. It tells the story of the high road and the low road; the high road is the one you’re meant to take, and the low road is maybe the path less taken but the one that will always bring you back, in spirit, to Scotland, and that’s why I particularly like it. I played this at an assembly the day of the Scottish Referendum in 2014; it felt such a sort of momentous day for everyone. I’m so proud to be Scottish but I’m also very proud to be British, to be European and indeed just to be part of the world as a global citizen. Loch Lomond is a very special place for my family and when I drive along it, I know I’m on my way to Islay.

You are about to be cast away from the Dollar ship; how will you survive on your own on the desert island?

I’m not sure if I’m being cast-off or I’m casting myself off, but yes it will be strange being away from Dollar. I will survive absolutely brilliantly without technology, so that’s going to be one of the big upisdes. I think I quite like my own company, so that doesn’t really worry me too much and although my husband would dispute this, I think I could be quite practical and build some things if I had to, so I think I would be okay! I think I could survive and hopefully find a way back.

What is your eighth and final tack?

My eighth and final track is ‘Moon River’ sung by Audrey Hepburn. This song was actually written for her although people have covered it since and it’s from possibly my favourite film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. I just like the idea that there is a big world out there waiting for us to explore. I mean, it has got a wonderful line: ‘Two drifters, off to see the world / There’s such a lot of world to see’.

You will be given the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible, and in addition you will be delivered by carrier pigeon the latest copy of Fortunas and The Galley! You can take one book of your choice with you to the desert island, what are you going to pick?

I’m going really highbrow here and asking for the seven volumes of ‘In Search of Lost Time’ by Marcel Proust, translated of course into English. I wasn’t a reader as a child – one of my regrets – and I’ve been playing catch up with the classics ever since. One of the joys of being a teacher is we’ve got long holidays to really get into a classic novel so this one should keep me occupied while I wait to be rescued.

What luxury item would you pick for the desert island?

My luxury item is a hot bath filled with lavender bubbles to remind me of Provence, where the lavender grows.

Finally, if your discs were swept away with the waves, which one would you save?

Now this is actually probably the trickiest part of this whole procedure - I keep changing my mind. I thought I’d take the ‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’ because it will take my spirit back home but actually, I’ve picked ‘Happy’, the cheesy one, because although I think I’ll survive, I will miss my family and probably despair at times of ever being rescued. So, I think a track that can pick me up again, put a smile on my face and get me singing and dancing is the one I should take.

Thank you, Mrs Morrison, for sharing your choices with the readers of The Galley! Importantly, thank you for what you have done for the school, and best of luck for the next chapter of your life!

Features Sport

Junior School on our first Olympics Day, when we all learned a dance routine to it and then performed it together. So, I think it will always remind me of just having fun together and put a smile on my face.

Our Visit to Auschwitz Tyler (VI) & Saffron (VI) We were offered the opportunity to visit Auschwitz, the infamous concentration camp, to learn more about the Holocaust with the Lessons From Auschwitz organisation.

We were unsure as to what to expect despite touching upon the topic in history classes and seeing images online, and even now it is difficult to fully comprehend what we saw. Learning about the barbaric conditions endured by prisoners, listening to the invaluable experience of a Holocaust survivor and more, this trip was immensely interesting but simultaneously harrowing.

Tyler: One topic that stood out to me was pre-war Jewish life. The comparison between the normality and happy families and individuals to the brutality the Jewish population endured with fear consuming their everyday existence filled me with despondency. A statistic that particularly caught my attention was that in 1933 the Jewish population was 520,000 (less than 1% of the German population), compared to the total amount of Jews massacred being 6 million, which is unfathomable and disturbing.

At Auschwitz I, one of the rooms had a projection of families and children playing with their siblings and friends, laughing, and having fun. This contrasts with the story of Czeslawa Kwoka, who arrived with her mother in Auschwitz on 13 December 1942, at the age of 14 years old.

She was separated from her mother and unfortunately died 3 months later. In her prison photo, she had a bruise on her lip from being beaten by an officer (as Czeslawa didn’t understand German) and therefore didn’t understand what she was being told.

This story highlighted to me how life had changed so drastically for the Jewish population and how their prejudice became almost routine in a war setting, and although this one story does not and cannot describe the stories of all the other millions who suffered under the Nazis. Furthermore, it shows the colossal change that the Jewish people had to endure under German oppression.

Saffron: What struck me most when taking part in the Lessons From Auschwitz project was the total loss of culture and communities of Jewish people from many places in the world; villages, towns and cities with a once vibrant Jewish community saw their people taken, and many would never return. The Orientation Seminar revealed the stories of many Jewish people who had become victims of the Holocaust, rich and poor, and from various places including Poland, Germany and even countries such as Greece which would mean long and treacherous journeys to Auschwitz Birkenau.

Upon passing the town of Oświeçim, which we did not get the chance to visit but learned about, it became clear how the Holocaust was not only an eradication of people, but the complete destruction of community and culture.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021 Winter 2023

The town was once home to a large Jewish community who made up 58% of the population and, in 1939, The Great Synagogue seated around 1000 people. Integration was common in this town, as the Jewish community served on the local council alongside Christian inhabitants of the town. Yet this was all halted following the outbreak of war, and today, the Jewish community that was once flourishing in Oświeçim is gone; there is not a single Jew living in the town as the last, Kluger, a survivor of the Holocaust who later returned, died in the year 2000.

WhyLearnLanguages?

Ten Reasons Elliot and Jai (I) Learning a second language is a thing that many people start but never finish, but this is not wasted time. The act of learning a language is good for your brain, and learning a second language is not just good for speaking to millions of people from various countries around the world.

Dollar Academy Through The Ages Elliot and Jai (I) Dollar Academy has been a place of learning for over 200 years, and has a rich history that most of us never think about, as we are all wrapped up in our daily lives. This is an opportunity to shed some light on Dollar’s extensive history.

Dollar Academy was built upon the land owned by John McNabb, who died in 1802. John McNabb specified that upon his death, half of his estate was to provide a charity or school for Dollar and beyond. Following legal delays, Rev. Andrew Milne was appointed minister of Dollar Parish by local landowner Craufurd Tait. They created the idea of an academy to educate boys and girls from the parish and beyond. In 1818 Andrew Milne was appointed Rector of Dollar Academy and he commissioned Scottish architect William Playfair to design the building. Playfair also designed the houses for boarders, which were last refurbished in 2011.

In 1961, a disastrous fire completely destroyed the interior of the Playfair building. All classrooms and the library were lost. Locals and staff were willing to help, and teaching continued in the Prep School, Harviestoun Castle, local halls and even in private homes. The inside of the Playfair building was reconstructed, refurbished and was fitted with 3 floors rather than the original 2. The building was eventually reopened in 1966.

In more recent years, new buildings were added, including the Games Hall, the Swimming Pool and Dining Hall, the Music Department and Auditorium, the Computing and Mathematics centre, the Home Economics building, the Maguire building and Westwater, named in honour of a former pupil who died at Gallipoli in World War I. In conclusion, Dollar has had a long and interesting history and it is surreal to see how Dollar Academy has evolved from a single building to a thriving community of buildings, pupils, parents and teachers.

Here are ten more reasons why you should learn a second language: 1. Cognitive skills like problem solving and dealing with abstract concepts are improved when studying a foreign language.

2. Learning a language enhances opportunities in fields such as business, government, medicine, law and marketing.

3. The study of a second language can improve your vocabulary in your own language.

4. Foreign languages expand your view of the world and make you more flexible and tolerant.

5. Language study improves your prospects in business as you can work in many countries.

6. Learning a language and the culture of the people it is spoken by improves your cultural awareness.

7. The study of a foreign language improves listening skills and memory.

8. Learning language to travel can save you money as a tourist, and you feel accomplished when you speak the language to a local.

9. The study of a second language boosts confidence.

10. The ability to speak a second language enhances your multitasking skills.

In conclusion, learning a second language is extremely important in this globalised world, improving not only your communication, but also your brain and job prospects too.

Form I Corner

Form I Corner

What’s With All The Apps?

Elliot, Forbes and Jai (I) Recently with the boom in apps, it can be difficult to decipher which apps are useful, necessary and fun rather than scams that are riddled with ads. These are our top five apps to help you in everyday life.

Audible Audible is an app which allows you to listen to many podcasts and books. Audible has many genres all the way from Drama to Action and has an incredible selection of authors. One of Audible’s many specialities is it contains countless podcasts. It has a range of free and paid books; however, if you stick with it long enough you can accumulate credits. Credits are alternatives to paying for books. One credit is equal to one book. With the wide variety of books you can explore the hidden world of creativity. Audible is the new way to read. This is the new app which you can use on the go while doing anything due to its effortless design. Even though Audible sounds like a Jack of all trades, this app can become very expensive as, even with the subscription, you will need to purchase some books. This app can feel like a setback for fast paced readers as the audio can be slow however this can be sped up. Their massive library can recommended you books to read and there are up to 18 pre-made categories. The membership includes access to the plus category and 1 credit a month. The more you use the app the more you gain as you can unlock achievements which improves longevity. This can be downloaded on both the Apple AppStore and Google Play.

Pros: - Listen to almost any book; - The speech is accurate; - Easy reading with virtually no effort.

Summer 2024

Cons: - Expensive as the subscription costs £7.99 per month and you still have to pay for some books; - The fact that you can’t read the books and that you must listen to the books can be annoying.

Chat-GPT Chat-GPT is a controversial AI tool and is incredible when used for the right reasons. Chat-GPT is cutting edge and is currently using GPT-4. The generative AI was recently text only, but is now able to generate images. It has over 50 million downloads and is free with no ads, but there is a paid version. Chat-GPT is fantastic for summarising long texts and understanding complicated material. Chat-GPT is not to be used for writing essays as the information is 2 years old, as its last update was in 2022. The information can be inaccurate and sometimes it makes errors that are unhuman like. The text can sometimes sound robotic.

The app is good for inspiration and creative ideas. Chat GPT plus is incredibly expensive at £19 per month and the only way that you can access images is through the paid version.

Pros: - Remember what happened in the conversation; - Summarise long texts; - Creative ideas and good for inspiration.

Cons: - Paid version is expensive; - Last update was a while ago.

Duolingo Duolingo is a well known language learning app with well over 500 million registered users and is editor’s choice on the Google Play store. You can learn over 40 languages and you can practise speaking, listening, reading and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills. Duolingo has fun and unique characters and game-like lessons that make you keep coming back for more. Duolingo is designed by language experts and science-based teaching helps you to achieve your language learning goals. The app has competitive leaderboards that help you stay motivated and a streak system to make practising a daily habit. Duolingo is proven to be effective. Duolingo is not ad-free with the free version, but you can pay for Super Duolingo, which has no ads and unlimited hearts. Hearts are the amount of mistakes that you can make. You start with 5 hearts and they regenerate every so often, but once you run out of hearts, you have to use gems (the in-game currency) or do a lesson to get more. The ads are not excessive and are fair, given that you can access everything for free. Overall, Duolingo is welldeveloped, fun and useful.

Pros: - Large selection of languages; - Intuitive and easy to use; - Well thought through and effective learning.

Cons: - Can be very annoying, especially streaks and leaderboards; - Super Duolingo is expensive, costing £60 per year individually or £90 per year for six people.

Kinnu Kinnu is a hidden gem that recently came out of beta and is now available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Kinnu is a fun way to learn a broad array of topics from the Art of Persuasion to quantum physics and dinosaurs.

There are currently 112 ‘pathways’ (subjects) on Kinnu.

Kinnu courses give a basic understanding of the selected course and helps you expand your horizons and learn things about topics that interest you. Kinnu uses a highly advanced learning engine with AI that adapts to your learning style. It is gamified and highly addictive, and is a fun alternative to social media. Kinnu helps you retain knowledge and reviews subjects every so often so that you don’t forget them. The rapidly expanding catalogue of pathways are not designed to give you advanced knowledge on the given subject but to pique your curiosity and encourage further reading. The lessons take 2-5 minutes to complete and the app has a streak system to encourage learning. This app is underrated and

Pros: - Wide selection of topics; - Ad-free, fun and easy to use; - Accurate, concise information.

Cons: - Cracked pathways can be annoying; - Highly addictive (but still productive if used for the right reasons).

Wordle Wordle is a word-based game which allows the player to guess a five-letter word (don’t be fooled - this can sometimes be a real challenge). The game’s objective is to guess a 5-letter word; however, while you progress through the game you will be given hints so you can hopefully guess the word.

Wordle explores a vast amount of vocabulary as it resets daily. You can access Wordle on any web browser and can be downloaded on both IOS and Android. The benefit of playing Wordle includes enhanced vocabulary, which you obtain by playing the game. That can be used in formats such as essays, creative writing and reading tests or ordinary small talk. Wordle can be used as a team building exercise as it can take multiple heads to crack the word. Unfortunately, Wordle resets daily and changes the word so you can only play it once per day. Wordle is just the tip of the iceberg if you want a real challenge then you could play Quordle, Octurdle and this could go up to 12 letters.

Pros: - Fun and good to exercise your brain; - Vocabulary improvement as some words are quite obscure - Good to play with others.

Cons: - You can only play it once per day; - You can easily find answers online.

Question 3: Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos?

Answer: Elon Musk: 19 (63%) Jeff Bezos: 11 (37%) Question 4: Marvel or DC? Answer: Marvel: 24 (80%) DC: 6 (20%) Question 5: Cats or dogs?

Answer: Cats: 8 (27%) Dogs: 22 (73%) Questions 6: Football or Rugby?

Answer: Football: 16 (53%) Rugby: 14 (47%) Question 7: Hockey or Tennis?

Answer: Hockey: 13 (43%) Tennis: 17 (57%) Question 8: Is cereal or toast better for breakfast?

Answer: Cereal: 14 (47%) Toast: 16 (53%) Question 9: Are hotdogs sandwiches?

Answer: Yes: 4 (13%) No: 26 (87%) Question 10: YouTube shorts, Spotlight or TikTok? Answer: YouTube shorts: 9 (30%) Spotlight: 5 (17%) TikTok: 16 (53%) Question 11: Coke or Pepsi?

Answer: Coke: 25 (83%) Pepsi: 5 (17%)

12: Dominos or Pizza Hut? Controversial Questions Question Answer:

Aleena, Elliot, Jai and Phoebe (I)

Dominos: 17 (57%) Pizza Hut: 13 (43%)

We asked 30 Form I’s the following questions so that you can find out the public opinion of the internet’s most controversial questions.

Question 13: Sweet or savoury?

Answer: Sweet: 20 (66%) Savoury: 10 (34%)

Question 1: Who is your favourite Spider-man?

Answer: Tom Holland: 19 (63%) Tobey Maguire: 9 (30%) Andrew Garfield: 2 (7%)

Question 14: WhatsApp or messages?

Answer: WhatsApp: 28 (93%) Messages: 2 (7%)

Question 2: Taylor Swift or AC/DC? Answer: Taylor: 19 (63%) AC/DC: 11 (37%)

Question 15: Pancakes or waffles?

Answer: Pancakes: 21 (70%) Waffles: 9 (30%)

Form I Corner

cutting edge. Kinnu gives everyone the power of learning.

Kinnu is also completely free with no in-app purchases or ads.

The Rapid Rise of the Indian Premier League: A Blessing or a Curse?

Nikhil (V) “If we look back in 10 years’ time, this is going to be a massive landmark in cricket, I think. It’s a bit like when the World Series started.” This was what Australian cricketing great Brett Lee had to say about the inception of this new and innovative league. I think everybody can agree that he was completely correct as, 16 years on from the first Indian Premier League season in 2008, cricket has been revolutionised into a sport that would almost be unrecognisable to cricketers of the past due to the massive shifts in the way the game is played and the new vocabulary that we use.

Affan Dziyaul Afdhal (V) Sport Editor I can confidently say that the IPL has changed the lives of In this edition, we present you with a diverse collection of stories highlighting the multifaceted nature of sports.

From local triumphs and international leagues to the everlasting debate of snow sports, we aim to capture the essence of competition and the spirit of athletes.

Snowboarding vs. Skiing: Everyone can enjoy a holiday in the snow, but how do you choose to spend your time there? The longstanding debate between skiing and snowboarding continues to spark discussions among snow sports enthusiasts. Siena discusses the difference between snowboarding, introduced as a ‘cool’ and ‘rebellious’ sport, which has brought a modern freestyle aspect to the slopes, contrasting with traditional, technique-focused skiing.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

The Rapid Rise of the Indian Premier League: A Blessing or a Curse?

Sixteen years after its debut in 2008, the IPL has revolutionised cricket and how it is played. However, the IPL’s dominance is not without controversies. Within this edition, Nikhil explores where the future of cricket lies, raising questions about the sport’s direction and balance between commercial interests and pure love for the game.

FXI Hockey Success: Earlier this year, Dollar Academy’s own FXI hockey battled in the Scottish Cup Semi-Finals, turning an ordinary lunchtime into an unforgettable celebration. The entire school gathered to witness the incredible victory, and no one was disappointed. The thrill of such a victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and their supporters, and the essence of the achievement has been perfectly encapsulated by Sophie.

many determined and hopeful cricketers. Ravichandran Ashwin was once a young cricketer with boundless potential and the IPL helped him to show the world how good he was.

Fast forward to today, and he is arguably the most reliable allrounder India have ever had. Or look at Dinesh Karthik who’s stellar 2022 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru took him from being a part time commentator to having a vital role in the Indian squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup. If that does not capture your heart and soul, I don’t know what will. The IPL is clearly a stable base for aspiring Indian cricketers to build their careers from.

On the other hand, no international matches with any major nations were played during the IPL season in 2021.

This means that all the best players that India has to offer were competing freely in the IPL which is a treat for fans like me. However, during the BBL season Australia still play international matches meaning the top Australian players cannot play in the league. In addition, it is likely fans would rather watch the Australian national team over their domestic league. Every fan of any sport wants to see the best of the best battle it out against each other for silverware, which is why the IPL undoubtably gets full attention from fans, whereas other leagues are left to suffer while their flagship players are off on international duty.

Furthermore, IPL takes the top players out of their home countries and makes them play as ‘mercenaries’ in their league. As of 29th May 2022 (the day of the IPL 2022 final), a whopping 8 of the top 10 non-Indian bowlers in T20 had played in the IPL before, and 4 out of the top 5 non-Indian allrounders had played in the IPL. But why do so many of the top international players go to the IPL? The average salary of an IPL player as of the 2022 mega-auction (where the players get assigned to their teams) was $492000. For comparison, the average salary of a BBL player is a measly $42000. It is without question that players from each country could play in their own domestic leagues but prefer the exorbitant salary and luxury that the IPL provides.

On the contrary, the BCCI’s (Board of Cricket Control India) poor handling of the powerhouse which is the IPL can be a put off for the fans. It is undeniable that some of the BCCI’s actions show intentions of pure greed and no love for the sport. For instance, a strategic timeout is now a CEAT Tyres Strategic Timeout. It is obvious that the BCCI’s sole interest is in the commercialisation of cricket.

More than this, the way the game is now approached, has also changed drastically. In the past, the batter who had perfect technique and shot placement was always better; on the contrary, all that is required to be a top IPL batter is the ability to hit the ball hard. Moreover, losing your wicket was a matter of life and death to the batter of that time meaning that anybody who could score runs quickly, while staying in consistently, was unquestionably an exceptionally talented player. Yet today, batters play with their only thought being, ‘I must get it past the rope.’ Consequently, they play careless shots and get out early, often without consequences.

Patience and temperament are becoming rare commodities in modern cricket.

However, the IPL also improves the quality of international matches and competitions. Each team plays at least 14 games and even more if they get to the playoffs. These matches help the players to gain experience and learn how to play under pressure – which is particularly important at the international level. More than that, it also keeps player’s fitness levels and form up, and serves as a place for players to experiment with new playing styles and techniques. Any fan will know the feeling of excitement when your favourite player pulls off something incredible against all odds, whether it be taking that crucial game-changing wicket or hitting that incredible boundary, which immediately puts the enemy on the back-foot.

It is obvious to see that Brett Lee was right on the money with his statement. Anybody can clearly see how much the IPL has improved the quality of cricket in not just IPL matches, but also international matches (which is what everyone really cares about) and provided the steps for young talent to have successful and prosperous careers.

These massive boosts to the sport do come with a few costs though, as anything good does. All the other cricket playing countries seem to have to bow down to the greedy BCCI as all their players are constantly drained away from their homes and, with them, any more money these countries could be making is also taken away. The future of the sport lies in the lucrative hands of the IPL. So the real question is: what’s next for the second most popular sport in the world?

Sport

Unsurprisingly, another one of the IPL’s fortes is that its viewership trumps those of other leagues. As of 2017 the IPL was the 6th most popular domestic league in the world with an incredible 31,750 spectators per match on average. This massive total beats even the La Liga (the pinnacle of Spanish domestic football) which boasted the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are two of the most well-known sporting names ever. These astonishing numbers prove the world beating popularity of the IPL.

First XI Hockey Success Sophie (I) Earlier this year, Dollar’s very own FXI hockey team earned a place in the Scottish Cup Semi Finals. They played a home game at the Academy. Everyone at Dollar rushed outside to witness the incredible victory that lunchtime, and no one was disappointed.

The team fought hard and played second to none to the last second and by the end, Dollar had achieved a welldeserved place in the Scottish Cup Final! The cheers from everyone at Dollar rung out through the academy as the final goal was scored with drums banging, pupils cheering and staff celebrating.

Summer 2024 Spring 2021

When the Cup Final came on March 15th, everyone one who could see the match went to support. And what a match it was! Down to the very last second the team played a phenomenal game, making history as they became the Scottish Champions with an unforgettable victory. I can only imagine how thrilling it was to bring home a title like that to Dollar Academy: Scottish Champions.

Siena (III) Everyone can enjoy a holiday in the snow, whether you are sledging, battling it out in a snowball fight, skiing, snowboarding, or building a snowman. But the real question is how do you choose to spend your time there?

Skiing versus snowboarding has been a longstanding debate between devoted holiday-goers. Throughout the seventies, snowboarders would be barred access from many mountain ranges due to the increasing rivalry between the two snow sports. With the introduction of snowboarding came a ‘cool’ or ‘rebellious’ era, which innately modernised the most popular alternative - skiing. Snowboarding brought a new kind of culture to society: a modern, freestyle aspect where tricks and flips overruled the classy skiing style.

When it comes to the equipment required, snowboarders must buy their board, bindings and boots whereas skiers must purchase their skis, poles and boots- skiers’ bindings normally come with the skis. Snowboarding equipment tends to cost a lot more than ski equipment depending on the type of skis. There are many different types of skiing, all focusing mainly on technique and precision such as: ski-racing, which includes giant slalom; downhill and slalom; cross-country skiing; and heli-skiing. In contrast, snowboarding is based mainly around freestyle, off-piste, and a love of conquering the impossible.

Still, the fact remains that skiing is easy to learn but much more difficult to progress in, and snowboarding is hard to learn but easier to progress in. For skiing learners, it is much easier to ride ski lifts as skiers have their legs separate for better balance whereas snowboarders are encouraged to undo one of their bindings while on the ski lift. This means inexperienced snowboarders may find it especially hard to go on ski lifts as both of their feet are on one board, resulting in poor balance. Snowboard learners are much more likely to injure their wrists and tailbones because of the way snowboarders are always attached to their boards.

The way the boards are means limited movement for the snowboarder but is better for their knees. With their backs

to the piste at all times, snowboarders are also subject to restricted visibility, which adds to the danger for those who are less experienced.

Both snow sports have their hazards. Snowboarders receive 4-16 injuries for every 1,000 days on the slopes, whereas skiers receive three injuries for every 1,000 days spent skiing. Luckily for skiers, there is a safety mechanism on their skis. If you fall badly, or twist your leg on skis, your bindings automatically release your boots. Once your skis are off, you are less likely to receive an injury. Snowboarders, on the other hand, lack a safety mechanism to rely on and therefore are more susceptible to minor injuries. Little comfort though this may be, snowboarders are likely to be going slower than skiers down the mountain due to their hindered visibility and don’t normally obtain huge injuries because of this.

Finally, the fun factor. Skiing can be an intrepid way to explore your surroundings or a full on, GS (giant slalom) race. This does not mean that skiers can’t do tricks. Quite the contrary: skis are durable and bendy, allowing the skier to venture into high jumps, flips and tricks but, overall, they are best at downhill. Snowboards navigate better off-piste, specifically in powdered snow whereas skiers can ski on slightly packed, icy snow too. Many snowboarders have described the off-piste experience as “the feeling of gliding on a cloud”. It is also easier for snowboarders to do tricks such as Ollies, 50-50s or going backwards. Whether you ski or snowboard, I think we can all agree that the rush of freedom as you hit the slopes is the best feeling.

“When you think about it, we’re strapping strange planks of wood to our feet and launching off of giant snow walls.

It’s pretty intense.”

- Shaun White, American former professional snowboarder.

Features Sport Science

Snow Boarding vs.

Skiing

With exams almost finished and summer break just around the corner, it is time to shift our focus from stacks of paper to current events. While we may have hunkered down for exams in recent months, the world of science has seen remarkable things. From the first sighting of a wild orangutan treating a wound with medicinal plants to the recreation of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal face, science has not rested, and neither have our writers.

“When we gaze out at the immensities of space, we understand them because there are immensities within us as well.” - Raj (The Big Bang Theory) The emptiness of space contradicts the vast amount of opportunities that it has to offer. In “Investing in Space,” we explore the unexpected benefits of space exploration.

From financial success to scientific breakthroughs, the pitch-black sky is our infinitely huge playground with innumerable secrets to unfold. Additionally, as Raj says, we understand the mysteries of space because of the complexities within ourselves. In “Adler’s Individual Psychology,” we learn what motivates us to get up every day and how our infant days have shaped us.

From physics to psychology, nothing can escape the grasp of maths. In “Gaussian Curvature,” Alex unveils how curves and spirals integrate into our lives.

In our busiest days, remember that science is a fervent pursuit of knowledge that stops for no one, so “the important thing is to never stop questioning” - Albert Einstein.

Adler - Individual Psychology Evan (V)

Summer 2024

As humans, we must take in nourishment, expel waste, and inhale enough oxygen to keep ourselves from dying - everything else is optional. But if that is the case, where does the root of our motivation stem from? Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, believed it was sex. Regardless of the advancements of humans, our inspiration to wake up every day is nothing but a primitive biological desire ingrained into our DNA. On the other hand, Adler’s individual psychology posits that our source of motivation comes from social connectedness and a striving for superiority or success.

Evan Wang (FV) Science Editor

Alexandra Todorova (FV) Science Editor

Alfred Adler was a 20th-century pioneer in the field of psychology. His attention to the significance of birth order and feelings of belonging led to the development of his school of individual psychology, which was unlike any other of his time.

The basis of Adlerian psychology rests on the fundamental idea that all infants are born with feelings of inferiority.

From birth, babies have unconscious and fictive goals, such as the need to gain their parent’s attention. They combat these emotions of inadequacy through nurturing and caring for the child and early interactions with family members and peers. If the child receives a substantial level of nurture and care, they learn that hard work (e.g. crying) can overcome their goals (e.g. the need for their parent’s attention). In this case, the child compensates for their feelings of inferiority and develops into an adult who can handle imperfection. This idea becomes embedded in the child and shapes how the individual will approach things in adulthood.

However, if the child does not receive the level of nurture and care they seek, their feelings of inferiority are not compensated, which may accumulate and become too intense. Over time, this matures into overwhelmingness and a constant search for compensation until it is no longer satisfactory. This results in overcompensation, when the child not only achieves their goals but exaggerates them by going above and beyond and becomes pathological.

Adler uses the example of Demosthenes, an ancient Greek figure born with a terrible stutter who became the “greatest orator in Greece.”

in our formative years and “birth order,” which can significantly and predictably impact a child’s personality.

As is the case with animals, firstborn children are commonly associated with being the larger and stronger ones of the family. Therefore, these children frequently have high levels of personal power. Furthermore, firstborn children’s achievements often overshadow their younger siblings’ achievements. Thus, the motivation for younger children to escape the shadow cast by their older siblings drives them to strive for superiority. If the family supports the second child along the way, they will succeed along with the firstborn.

The youngest children in a family usually live in a constant state of inferiority. Depending on how well they compensate for these feelings of inferiority, they either become the most successful family member or fail to excel due to a lack of confidence. The latter invariably leads to the individual being distant from the rest of the family.

The last type of child is the only child, who receives all their parent’s attention. As a result, Adler described them as “dependent to a high degree, constantly waits for someone to show him/her the way, and searches for support at all times.”

Even though overcompensation motivates a person to achieve something far beyond their abilities, it can quickly develop into an inferiority complex. An individual with an inferiority complex lacks self-esteem because they cannot satisfy their negative feelings. In other words, it is when someone cannot accept their flaws. According to Adler, the hallmark of an inferiority complex is that “persons are always striving to find a situation in which they excel.”

Psychologists classify feelings of inferiority as primary or secondary. Primary inferiority is the feeling we possess as infants, which remains throughout our lives. This feeling allows us to be productive and accomplish the tasks we set out to do. Meanwhile, secondary inferiority is the exaggerated feelings of inferiority a child can experience when they do not receive adequate nurture and care. This type of inferiority comprises the inferiority complex and is not beneficial.

Adler’s individual psychology, although correct at times, is frequently criticised for not being able to be proven empirically. Furthermore, Adlerian psychotherapy, which helps a patient overcome feelings of inferiority, is attacked for its lack of a foundation for concepts not related to the individual’s birth order and early recollections. But however effective Adlerian psychotherapy may be, there is no doubt that we are all influenced, in one way or another, by the behaviours outlined in Adler’s individual psychology.

Gaussian Curvature - Mystery Behind Maps, Oranges, and Another way a person with feelings of inferiority Pizza may use as a method of escape from his difficulties is through a superiority complex. Individuals with a superiority complex are often “impertinent, arrogant, and pugnacious.” A superiority complex is frequently expressed by trying to be unique, such as wearing expensive clothing. In this case, they compensate for their lack of self-respect with the authority associated with high-value brands. However, these actions do not satisfy the individual’s personal goals and lead them to live a life according to other people’s values, devoid of meaning.

Individuals with a superiority complex can also use “easy superiority” or, more simply, revenge. Easy superiority happens when the individual’s striving for success fails, and they resort to making everyone else feel as miserable as they do. Finally, some people portray themselves as victims using real or imagined stories so that everyone caters to their every need. As Adler pointed out, humans have unconscious goals that they constantly seek to fulfil. With a superiority complex, the individual’s goal is revealed as attention to compensate for their lack of attention as a child. However, achieving the goal through these means does not reward the person with the satisfaction or meaning of Adler’s ideal life, where a person forms healthy relationships and competence.

Adlerian psychology stresses the importance of nurture

Alexandra (V)

I remember curiously gazing at the map on the wall in my primary school classroom and then at the globe, but something never quite felt right. Although I couldn’t place it then, I later learned that the map I had been gawking at wasn’t as accurate as I had been led to believe. In actuality, the map was completely distorted.

I came to terms with this revelation because it is simply impossible to recreate the surface of a sphere (or any curved object) onto a flat plane (such as a piece of paper) without distortion. Because of this, all maps are distorted.

But why is this? A surprising way to visualize this is through fruits; oranges are a good example. Undeniably, a sheet of paper is flat. The sheet of paper, therefore, has “0 Gaussian curvature” as there is no point that has curvature on it. However, it doesn’t take a genius to understand that an orange isn’t flat. If we take an arbitrary point on an orange and trace two perpendicular lines going through this point, we create two lines with a positive Gaussian curvature.

If you’ve ever tried laying an orange peel on a flat table by bending and pushing it down, you know it always sticks up, if not just a little. This is because it is impossible to change the Gaussian curvature of a surface if it is bent unless the surface itself is stretched or distorted. This is presented through Gauss’s Theorema Egregium, which describes the Gaussian curvature of a surface as its intrinsic invariant.

In simple terms, this means that however we try to bend the orange peel, the point we have chosen will always have a positive Gaussian curvature value. But what about negative values?

We all combat this inconvenience by folding the pizza crust into a ‘U’ shape. By curving the crust, we remove the crust’s

0 Gaussian curvature to make it positive. However, as we already know, there must still be a line with 0 Gaussian curvature, as this is an intrinsic value. This line runs right down the pizza to its tip, making it flat, straight, and easy to eat.

Applying the same concept to world maps makes it easy to understand why map projections are inaccurate through this analogy. For instance, the Goode Homolosine Projection, also commonly called “The Orange Peel Projection”, operates on a similar principle as cutting up an orange peel and attempting to lay it flat. Although it gives us an idea of what the globe looks like, through its squishing and squashing, there are severe deformations in the shapes of countries on the map and the distance between them.

Let’s take another fruit - this time, a banana. A point on the outer side of the fruit also curves positively in both directions. A banana, therefore, has a positive Gaussian curvature value on the outer side.

However, this is not the case on the inside, as one of the lines curves inwards, negatively. Previously, a positive value multiplied by a positive value would result in another positive value. This time, a negative value multiplied by a positive value results in a negative Gaussian curvature value.

It’s fascinating that we all use these principles relating to curvature in our everyday lives without realizing it. A surprising example is how we eat pizza. Pizza, naturally, is a flat surface. As previously discussed, this means it holds

Other maps use different principles, but all involve warping the globe to fit easily on a rectangular map. As a result, Africa is 14 times larger than it appears on a Mercator map!

This begs the question: Is there a way to optimally cut a spherical surface, such as the previously discussed orange, to reduce distortion completely?

People commonly peel oranges with their hands. However, some may use a knife to create a spiral from the top, as such:

a 0 Gaussian curvature value. Since this value is also said to be intrinsic, if we bend or move the pizza, it will retain its value of 0. When the slice is lying on a surface, it’s simple to conclude that the two perpendiculars of a point at the base both hold a curvature value of 0. Alternately, when holding the pizza at its crust, the tip of the slice droops down - implying a negative value. However, our chosen point must retain its value of 0, so the perpendicular line through the crust must have 0 Gaussian curvature, as anything multiplied by 0 is zero.

Suppose the spiralling cut in the orange has a width of 1/N. As the value of N tends towards infinity, an Euler spiral is formed when the spiral is unfolded on a flat surface.

An Euler spiral is a brilliant mathematical curve whose curvature changes linearly with its curve length. In other words, as the amount of spirals and curves in the Euler spiral increases, less distortion is created when the resulting spiral is placed on a flat surface.

it is vital to understand that the $54.6 billion and the $1.46 billion account for only 0.23% and 0.045% of their GDP,

A similar technique can be applied to a globe, where if we make a spiralling cut through the top and continue it down, a surprisingly accurate map is created. As we increase the value of N (and therefore decrease the spiral width), the distortion of the map (defined as 1/N²) is reduced, and consequently, the accuracy is increased. This can be seen through multiple iterations of the Euler spiral map, where as the spiral width decreases, the distortion also decreases:

Although this map bodes difficulties of its own through its peculiar layout, it also presents an ingenious mathematical simplicity. Although we should likely refrain from integrating it into our education systems, it certainly induces mathematical interest. So, maybe it is reasonable to conclude that we can actually learn a thing or two from fruit, pizza, and the sophisticated way orange peels spiral out of control.

respectively, a mere fraction of what other fields spend.

Moreover, in 2021, the $92.4 billion investment produced a revenue of $469.3 billion through satellite technology and broadband, evidence that space exploration is an extremely profitable endeavour that helps advance the global economy.

While space provides us with answers to our universe, it also provides opportunities for our people. In the 2021 fiscal year, NASA, the organisation that leads the frontier in space exploration, sustained an estimated 340 thousand jobs. And in 2020, the UK space agency, a growing organisation entering its second decade, created 3000 jobs across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island.

Furthermore, billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson have invested in Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic, respectively, demonstrating they concur that space is the future for humanity. These private space corporations not only fuel generations of space exploration, but they also had a total of 145 thousand employees in 2020. But more importantly, jobs in the UK space sector have a mean salary of £45k, miles ahead of the median of £31k in the general populace. Thus, space exploration is offering people jobs with decent wages that reflect the expertise required.

Investing in Space Our Past and Future Evan (V) Every year, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) spends approximately $23 billion on space exploration, money that could be spent on resolving or easing problems such as global poverty. So, what justifies investment in space rather than other fields that are arguably more significant? This article will examine the various factors that argue that the benefits stemming from space exploration are irreplaceable and paramount to our survival as a species.

To begin with, the most rudimentary judging process of an investment would be to investigate how effective the space industry is in generating profit. In the case of 2021, the world spent a combined total of $92.4 billion, with the US spending $54.6 billion and the UK spending $1.46 billion. From our point of view, it would seem ludicrous that governments were willingly paying unimaginable amounts of money when they could improve the lifestyles of the public through a more reliable NHS or handle the post-COVID economy. However,

Apart from monetary statistics, space allows us to answer questions about our universe. Four hundred and twenty kilometres above the surface of Earth is the International Space Station (ISS). It is representative of the achievements of decades of success and failures and Earth’s greatest laboratory. The conditions in space are almost impossible to replicate on Earth, yet most revolutionary scientific theories can only be conducted in such environments. Theories that have given us insights into gravity, the atmosphere, fluid dynamics, etc., have all been confirmed through experiments conducted on the ISS. And although these theories can seem quite abstract, they cannot be more relevant to our day-to-day lives.

The understanding of the atmosphere has given rise to weather forecasts and warned us of impending climate change, offering us a chance to save our beloved planet

before it is too late. The knowledge of fluid dynamics has allowed the creation of sports cars and motorsport racing, which so many fans worldwide adore. Moreover, it has also been crucial in the development of wind turbines, air conditioning systems, and oil pipelines, without which, life would be so much more inconvenient.

While discussing the benefits of space exploration, there can be no omission of the technologies that have originated from it. One of the most notable of these creations is the water purification system. Initially designed for the lunar missions, NASA built a water purifier that was both small and efficient. The system was better than the original chlorine-based system it was commercialised and is now used in swimming pools, fountains, etc. And, more importantly, these purifiers were also used in the 1990s to supply clean water to rural areas of Vietnam for an estimated 50 to 70 million people.

America, when Armstrong stepped on the moon, whether you were a Republican or a Democrat, space resembled hope and the power of a nation whose unanimous support for the space program remained undeterred from the political landscape. Furthermore, space is an enigma we as humans seek to solve.

Space is our vast and endless backyard, and we are responsible for using it to its fullest extent. It is an indisputably successful financial investment and has inspired technology that has directly or indirectly improved our quality of life.

The list of space’s advantages goes on. Finally, space is an acknowledgement of something greater than ourselves, and perhaps the reason we explore space is because, like Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “The day we stop exploring is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world, devoid of curiosity, empty of dreams.”

A common criticism of modern space exploration is that billions of dollars are being exchanged for a few photographs on Mars. And while these endeavours may have provided us with the indispensable items of today, they no longer have the same potential for us to exploit as before. However, exploring Mars allows scientists to understand how a planet (that used to be an incubator for life - like Earth) can undergo such pivotal changes in its climate that traces of life can no longer be found. It also allows scientists to learn about the planet to prepare for future human exploration, with the final goal of setting up a colony as the ultimate backup plan for our species.

Stephen Hawking once said, “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist.” We, as humans, are creatures of curiosity. We seek to understand our surroundings and explore the furthest reaches of the universe. Therefore, space exploration is not just a financial investment or technological advancement, it is also an expression of our nature. Space exploration also provides people with a sense of national identity. In 1969

by Safiyah (III) The punk movement was popularised by The Clash, the Sex Pistols and other western bands that defined the genre for years to come. However, Japan has gone unnoticed in the scene despite their sizeable community, contributions to the genre and insane performances arguably some the most audacious displays of punk ethos of all time. Japanese culture is often more conservative than its western counterparts, meaning the subculture is pushed further underground, resulting in a stronger rebellion from the punk community. Acts of violence, political messages and extreme stunts are looked down upon and thus gained no notoriety. Due to this, the commercialisation and watering-down of the genre never happened. Though this means that many incredible bands haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve, the genre has stayed true to its message since its inception.

Emerging in the early 1980’s and continuing their Imogen Ireland (VI) movement today, female punk bands in Japan have challenged stereotypes and found their space in what is traditionally male-dominated genre. Bands like Shonen Entertainment & Culture aKnife and OXZ paved the way for women in music to be accepted into the music industry in a time where that Editor idea was being challenged. With few women in Japan’s The Entertainment & Culture section provides a perspective into the happenings in our society and culture today. With art and culture’s origins often residing in politics, we can take a glimpse at modern society through the art that it produces. As is prevalent through time, the most striking and challenging art was produced in times of conflict, change or political upheaval.

This section features a variety of articles that give a perspective on today’s creative industries and society. This edition’s articles speak on: the reality of music festivals, French new wave cinema, Japanese female punk bands, female musicians and book-to-movie adaptations. hopefully you can find some respite or simply joy from this section!

underground music scene adopting the punk aesthetic, their looks came as an intentional shock. Venues would often deny these artists from playing shows, often resulting in messy underground live shows. However, continuing the movement itself was an act of rebellion, acting against the authority of society for the sake of art.

In essence, female punk in Japan is more than just a music genre - it’s a cultural phenomenon that embodies ideals of justice and authenticity.

As these bands continue to break the mould and inspire new generations of artists and fans, the legacy of the Mariko Gotō is my personal favourite artist of the genre.

Her voice is vaguely childlike, which when combined with distorted guitar and frantic screaming makes for an uncanny juxtaposition. She first entered the public eye with the success of her work with Midori, a punkjazz fusion band formed with a member of her previous group, Usagi. They have the raw intensity of a punk band but play jazzy chords, bluesy chromatic melodies and swung rhythms, an unorthodox stylistic marriage. What’s most striking about her artistry is her live shows in which she often performed shows in seifuku, a Europeanstyle naval uniform often associated with youth and innocence. Gotō would then contradict this stereotype by performing certain songs erratically, banging her head against the microphone, throwing her guitar around and crowd surfing, a powerful display of rebelling against social expectations. Midori is an incredible band and I’d recommend them to listeners of either genre.

Entertainment & Culture

Female Punk Artists of Japan

A Brief Introduction to La Nouvelle Vague

by Imogen (VI)

They released 3 albums, 3 EPs and two demos before their disbandment was publicly announced by Gotō on December 25, 2010, with their last show titled “Sayonara, Gotō-san” played on December 28. She then pursued her solo career and has gone under many aliases and genres since. Still, she stays true to punk and is an excellent artist overall.

BLEACH, better known as Bleach03 or Bleachmobile, is an all-female, hardcore noise-punk band from Okinawa. Formed in 1998 and quickly rising to fame in the underground music scene, they can be credited for opening up the way for the likes of Midori and Kokeshi doll. Strangely, all members would contribute to vocals, the product being incredible live shows. Their guitarist would yell their lyrics, such as in the song ‘The Head That Controls Both Right and Left Sides….’, where she says “unable to cry, unable to laugh, I wanted to live peacefully but it’s too late”, followed by a raw, gritty scream by the bassist.

Miya, Bleach03’s bassist, continued to stand out for her sharper voice and incredibly technical and funky bass playing. While working with Bleach03, she created 385, a funky, jazz-punk group. Being inspired by other punk bands at the time, their 2 EPs and full album are very close in sound to Midori’s music, while still incorporating their own style.

Summer 2024

Overall, the Japanese punk scene is due its credit for its incredible artists and culture, especially for female artists.

Their influence extends far beyond the confines of the alternative music scene, serving as a testament to the power of music as a tool for self-expression and social change. This movement remains as powerful and relevant as ever.

La Nouvelle Vague (literally ‘the new wave’) was a film movement that appeared in late 1950s early 60s France, which fought the traditional filmmaking conventions and rules, prioritising instead unorthodox, innovative new experimental approaches of editing, visual, narrative and directing styles.

The term was first used by a group of French film critics and cinephiles associated with the magazine ‘Cahiers du Cinéma’.

Founded in 1951 by André Bazin and Jacques DoniolValcroze, this influential publication provided a platform for young critics to express their ideas about cinema. Many of these critics, including François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, would go on to become key figures in the New Wave movement. The films released in the New Wave movement explored many of the same common themes. These themes included loneliness, a self-awareness of cinema, the nature of memory, the past, and the quick and sometimes violent nature of love.

What inspired it?

For decades prior, there had been established norms within the production of cinema (particularly in Hollywood). But towards the end of the 50s, a rising number of cinephiles began to critique this stale approach, claiming that films had lost their capacity to capture true emotion and real life and lacked sincerity. The ‘Cahiers du Cinéma’ had a disdain for films produced in France during the 1940s and 1950s – all which featured an approach to cinéma that they termed the “cinéma de papa,” a derogatory term for the style that they considered formulaic, overly glossy, and downright dull.

The 1950s saw developments in many different aspects of french culture which helped to accumulate to this movement’s emergence, such as: the decline in audiences for Hollywood and other mainstream cinemas due to the impact of television, the growing art cinema scene, the growth of youth culture and the development of new technologies.

Who were the big names in the movement?

The true creators of this movement is a disputed subject and can be a matter of opinion. However, there are five ‘core’

directors that are indisputable- Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer and Jacques Rivette.

Some of the most influential ground breaking films include: ‘Pierrot le fou’ and ‘Le mépris’ ( Jean Luc-Goddard), ‘les quatre cent coups’ and ‘Jules et Jim’ (François Truffaut), ‘Hiroshima mon amour’ ( Alain Resnais) And ‘Paris nous appartient’ ( Jaques Rivette)

The philosophy behind the movement

“A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order”. This quote from Jean LucGodard encompasses the core of what the movement was about: to experiment, mix and take the unconventional route to telling a story. The directors often sought to create a sense of confusion and ambiguity in their work, a contrast against the previous ‘cinema de papa’, where there was one set mould of ‘straightforwardness’. This then allows for increased individual interpretation of films. This movement, led by a group of young, passionate yet inexperienced filmmakers, sought to create a new form of storytelling that reflected the changing social and cultural landscape of postwar France; they wanted to instead embrace authenticity and experimentation. This era encouraged the New Wave filmmakers to explore the extents/limitations of film as a medium, to discover their own filmic obsessions, and to define their own directorial styles.

There were two major principles that the New Wave believed in. First was a rejection of classical filmmaking, which placed emphasis on building narrative from montage (the cutting together of shots to tell the story). Instead, the New Wave opted for wide, long takes that would allow the action to take place much more realistically. The second was the “auteur” (author) theory, which stressed that films were personal, artistic expressions of the director, and that the director was indeed the author of the film. Like literature, films should have the director’s stamp and a distinct voice and style. This group of filmmakers believed that a film was to be ‘authored’ by the director and no one else, and rejected the idea that directors should simply be technicians serving the script.

The philosophy put into practice

These new revolutionary ideas of ‘what film should be’ manifested themselves in the invention of many new

With the invention of the small, lighter model of camera, the device could become an extension of the director. The camera could squeeze in small spaces with the actors, often filming them from the backseat of a car or from the passenger seat, in tight bathrooms and on narrow balconies, creating a sense of intimacy between the camera and the characters. This is then heightened by the frequent shattering of the fourth wall, with characters staring into, or even talking directly to the camera.

This movement led to the birth of many directing techniques that are the norm today, and that can be found in virtually every film; for example, the invention and use of the jump cut. The jump cut is when a scene is cut forward in time, whether by a split second or many seconds. An example is in Godard’s ‘A bout de Souffle’ ( Breathless) when a character shoots someone, but all the viewer sees is the gun being pointed then there is a jump cut to the other character falling over. Godard was no doubt the most prolific user of the jump cut.

Additionally, New Wave cinema included a large use of close-ups and famously lacked establishing shots, as the filmmakers weren’t concerned about establishing spatial and contextual relationships as much as they were about the ‘mise-en-scene’ (staging).

It’s influence today

By the late-60’s, the New Wave had hit American shores in the form of “new Hollywood.” Directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas were all beneficiaries of the New Wave movement. The effect of the New Wave on their work is unmissable upon examination.

In David Lynch’s, Quentin Tarantino’s, Martin Scorsese’s, Wes Anderson’s and Christopher Nolan’s works, hints of this ground-breaking art movement can still be found.

The Nouvelle Vague did not have a precise end, instead it gradually faded through absorbtion into the culture and other movements over the coming decades. And by emphasizing the personal and artistic vision of film over its worth as a commercial product, the Nouvelle Vague set an example that inspired countless other artists across the world. In every sense, French New Wave directors were the true founders of modern independent cinema.

Entertainment & Culture

techniques. However, the films’ modest budgets often forced the directors to become technically, as well as ideologically, inventive. Due to shooting on low budgets, often with inexperienced crew members and even nonprofessional actors, New Wave directors were forced to experiment, think outside of the box and embrace the more understated approach when it came to telling a narrative.

The Day the Music Died

to get yourself into. The slyness of strangers and a subtle exchange of substances for money - vulnerable young people are often presented with their first opportunity to try one of many different drugs on offer.

By Anna (VI)

Perhaps drug taking is part of the music festival culture making up an aspect of the atmosphere, which helps music festivals feel like an escape. But is it worth the risk?

The growing social phenomenon of music festivals is a summer essential to many people in the 21st century. The escapism music brings to society is timeless with music having been appreciated throughout history. Since the 1960s, music festivals have spanned global popularity. Days of euphoric atmospheres, buzzing crowds of music die-hard fans, vibrant colours and a diverse range of people all coming together: what is there not to love? Only the risk of being spiked, the damage on the environment, fast fashion festival uniform. Are music festivals really about the music anymore?

Even if you go back to the age of peace signs, campfires, and guitar playing where music festivals first began there were problems. Aside from the hippie aesthetic most might think of when the Woodstock festival (New York 1969) comes to mind; the tragedy is famous as one of the worst music festivals in history. The notorious event juggled packed crowds a lack of available water and high temperatures. Amid the thousands of attendees many experimented with drugs leading to around 742 overdoses.

Yet this festival remains known as ‘iconic’. In fact, Warner Brothers released a documentary about the three-day event. Joel Makowe author of ‘Woodstock: The Oral History’ thinks that “a lot of people really lived Woodstock through the movie and so the movie influenced, I think, more people than the actual event’. Whether it was because it was the late sixties, or the festival itself, undoubtably Woodstock has claimed its spotlight for being one of the greatest music festivals of all time (if this is because it was the best or worse is debatable).

Summer 2024

Since Woodstock was nearly 55 years ago, surely music festivals have improved. Surely this pattern of deaths due to drugs couldn’t have gotten worse. Surely we haven’t continuously been destroying the environment as we carry out the festival tradition begun by hippies. At Transmit the only peace signs are for posing for photos.

Over the years, the age of festival patrons is getting lowerand lower - meanwhile the vast types of drugs are ranging from alcohol to cannabis to ecstasy and even class A drugs like cocaine.

The well-known British newspaper The Guardian stated in one article that more than half festival attendees are taking drugs. The temptation drugs bring to young people when they are in the playground of drug usage provides a dangerous sense of peer pressure to many. It has been scientifically proven any drug use can lead to addiction. As insignificant as it may feel in the moment, frequent usage of drugs can lead to a lifetime battle with addiction. Due to bustling crowds, growing excitement, overwhelming summer heat, taking drugs is a surprisingly slippery slope

Whilst some people might have had a positive experience with taking drugs at music festival, drug testing is a muchneeded safety net. There are plenty of articles that provide evidence of people being spiked at festivals. One of whom is Loren Fowgatt, who went to Leeds festival in 2017. Loren shared her story of being spiked in the hope to prevent this atrocity from happening to others; she said “I just want to raise awareness out there about how dangerous drugs are and how careful you’ve got to be”. Not only have there been reports of spiking but also deaths as a result of drugs.

In 2018, eighteen-year-old Georgia Lee died from taking MDMA at the Mutiny festival. In more recent times, during the annual festival Reading and Leeds in 2022 David Celino died following taking MDMA. David was the age I am.

Sixteen. It is not as simple to give one reason for the deaths of these young people. However, if drug testing were present it would be a step in the right direction, as well as providing some justice to the loved ones who have suffered from these devastating deaths.

For many the experience lies with being in a sea of people screaming to the songs you’ve been waiting to hear (since forever); this is what allows people to feel that sense of escapism. It’s the music funnily enough at the musical festival – who would’ve thought.

Nowadays a lot of people are going to music festivals to drink or try drugs or simply catch the experience through the screen of their phone rather than giving the performer such a gift as their two eyes instead of a camera. Perhaps festivals have just simply adjusted from generation to generation.

This poses the question, are festivals a reflection of how we are as a society?

As festival patrons rush from one act to another, their environmental footprint is presumably not on their mind.

In the swaying of audiences is the energy it takes to power all the lighting and sound, the emissions from transport taking audiences to the festivals, thousands of plastic water bottles.

By the end of the festival, it is common to see last night’s dancefloor looking like tomorrow’s landfill. Glitter and litter all round.

The effect of this on the environment has not gone under the government’s radar. In 2021 the parliament committee published a document called ‘the future of UK music festivals’; among the pages of this they stated that our festivals “generate 25,800 tonnes of waste, 22,876 tonnes of CO2”. They also mention that festivals in the UK use 185 million litres of water – annually. I’ll leave you to do the maths.

Due to the government acknowledging the destructive consequences of festivals on the environment there is hope that steps will be taken to improve this. After all no one wants to go to a music festival that deteriorates our planets state - even one insignificant individual can contribute to a change in how festivals are run. For example: car share or use of public transport to get to your location, use the bins

Music festivals are a key part of summers across the world and they will continue to be with or without a safer approach with drugs and awareness of the environment. Once upon a time there was not as much concern as there is now. To strive towards that safe ‘atmosphere’ at music festivals which we all want, there are many changes we all could make.

Book to Movie Adaptations

by Sophie (V) Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of book-to-movie adaptations being released, with the number of book-to-series adaptions also growing significantly. However, this is certainly not a new trend, with the first known book-to-movie adaptation dating back to 1899, when Georges Méliès released 2 adaptations.

Additionally, it is estimated that around 50% of Hollywood movies are adaptations. If such a large amount of film is made up of adaptations, what is their importance in media and society?

Firstly, book-to-movie adaptations have been proven to be very important in the development of young children.

Having watched a movie which is based on a book encourages the child to pick up the book later on, which leads to an expanded vocabulary as well as improved literacy and an increased imagination. It also allows the child to make links between the movie and the book, leading to improved analytic skills. Additionally, the sentiment: “read the book before watching the movie” encourages many children to read a book before diving into the movie. Both these situations lead to the child potentially developing a passion, which only stimulates their development.

The view of reading the book before watching the movie does not just encourage children to read more. In an era where reading rates are down significantly and global literacy is declining, the ‘pressure’ to read a book before watching a movie only encourages people to get into reading. Even if this unspoken rule is ‘broken’ and the movie is watched before the book is read, people would still more often than not pick up the book to compare it to the movie, with many often agreeing that the book is indeed better.

Besides increasing literacy and reading rates across the globe, book-to-movie adaptations also bring about a wave of nostalgia among people who read the book long before the adaptation came out, with the most recent example of this being Percy Jackson, where the long-anticipated TV series was released by Disney in December of last year (although Percy Jackson had been adapted before into a movie series, rather unsuccessfully). The series proved to be Disney +’s most successful TV series premiere to date, and this was most certainly because of the high anticipation among readers of

the books. Besides this series being incredibly successful, it also led to an increase in the sale of the books, with the book rising in the bestsellers chart, proving how these adaptations are also incredibly helpful for authors of the original books as they can reach an increased audience.

Seeing a beloved book series come to life is (most of the time) a good thing, and readers often look forward to the release of an adaptation of their favourite books, with Amazon Prime especially being very successful in this over the past years. However, as mentioned with the original Percy Jackson movies, these adaptations don’t always prove to be successful and can be a huge let-down to the readers of the books, which has been proven many times again.

Take The Hobbit for example. Although it is an incredibly successful movie trilogy, it deviated a lot from the original novel whilst adding many additional characters and plotlines, which was incredibly disappointing for longterm fans of the novel. This not only proved true for The Hobbit but also for other seemingly successful series, like Twilight, which was a huge disappointment for fans of the books.

Despite some of these movies not turning out as successful as one might expect, there is no doubt about the positive impact they have on society and media, providing incredible content yearly with an increasing number of films being based on the oh-so-loved favourites of many people. Not only do these adaptations have a positive impact on literacy and reading rates in both children and adults, but they also often prove to be comforting and sentimental for the initial readers of the books. This only proves the incredible importance books have in our current society.

Female Musicians Pitted Against Each Other

By James (V) Woman in the music industry have been facing an uphill battle for years, whereas the men as ever seem to be taking a shortcut to success. When it comes to the instruments they play, how they express themselves as musicians, and how they can exhibit their gender and sexuality, women in the music industry are more constrained than men. Because of societal expectations and preconceived ideas, women in the music industry are devalued and mistreated. Apart from safeguarding themselves against financial exploitation by labels that induce artists to sign deal memos to put the label in a position of strength, women also need to look out for sexual exploitation.

Our culture sends out a lot of contradictory messages regarding women’s identities and worth. While music serves as a release, it becomes something that prevents a lot of women in the field from being true to themselves and from growing as individuals and artists.

Women have been facing this issue for years upon years.

Despite being influential in most, if not all musical genres, they are still seen as inferior to male musicians.

Entertainment & Culture

located instead of carelessly littering and don’t buy into fast fashion just to have a cute outfit for a couple of days. Most of these are probably suggestions you have heard. Still, we have to think more about our impact.

The mystique surrounding jazz, for instance, works against women, as author Peter Watrous explains in his piece “Jazz Views “Why Women Remain at the Back of the Bus.” It upholds a set of values predicated on the old-fashioned ideas of masculinity. When a woman performs a deep blues on tenor saxophone, she steps into traditionally male terrain, where women are expected to learn how to be male to carry off any displays of passion. Even still, women who engage in this type of “transvestism” face criticism for it. Watrous notes that even Louis Armstrong’s lip disfigurement during a trumpet performance appeared appropriate for a male, but less so for a woman. Society is uncomfortable with seeing women perform typically masculine behaviours.

As a result of this, women in the jazz world and in other genres of music are forced to miss opportunities.

Summer 2024

The media also plays a significant role in the constant comparison of woman against each other. They love to create false rivalries between female artists because it sells. Tabloids and gossip columns thrive on the private lives of Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. The supposed ‘feuds’ become the focus instead of the incredible music.

They are being reduced to their personal lives instead of being celebrated and known for their musical talent. Of course, there is also the gender stereotypes found within the industry. Society often portrays woman as emotional, dramatic, and prone to conflict. These stereotypes influence how female musicians are portrayed in the media and contribute to the perception that they are constantly at odds with each other. It is like they are constantly meant to be at war with each other for the number one album of the year, rather than supporting each other. The lengthy debate of who is better – Beyonce or Taylor Swift - was put to rest when Beyonce attended the LA premiere of Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ concert film in October, and Swift attended the premiere of Beyonce’s ‘Rennaissance Tour’ in November. They proved to the tabloids that despite what was said about their alleged rivalry, they supported each other’s record-smashing, Ticketmaster-breaking, bank account-shattering tours.

The fact that the pair had to publicly put an end to the debate rooted in societal misogyny proves woman must fight harder to stay afloat in the music industry, despite how popular they become.

There also remains the fact that there is limited representation of women in the music industry. When there are only a few spots available for women to succeed, as ridiculous as that sounds, it creates this sense of scarcity and intensifies the competition that is itself forged from the media. Despite this, more women are breaking through the barriers held by men, creating a much more inclusive and supportive music industry. Clear examples of this include the breakthrough of artists such as Lizzo, representing full-figured, black women; Olivia Rodrigo, representing the Filipino American community; RAYE, representing not only independent artists, but also her Ghanaian-Swiss heritage; and artists such as Renne Rapp and Brandi Carlise who all represent the LGBTQIA+ community, respectively, and many more. Nowadays, it is beginning to feel like anyone can make music, but even a

decade ago, the music industry was exclusively populated by skinny, white, young girls, which put many aspiring artists off trying to break through, as they felt they would not fit in. Many fans feel that the introduction of these new artists is doing the music industry wonders. However, none of the artists have emerged as massive, household names that even your grandparents will know. The next step is for these music companies to push these artists even further into stardom, propelling them to become the next Lady Gaga or Jennifer Lopez.

But throughout all the magic, madness, heaven and sin within the female music community, there are many positive aspects. Many female musicians are actively working to challenge these narratives. Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift have all become billionaires recently and, whilst Swift’s is fully due to her music, Rihanna and Gomez’s music played a part in their billionaire-ship. Swift also became the first woman to hold all 10 spots in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 following the release of her 6-time Grammy nominated album, Midnights. Swift also became the first woman to win Album of The Year at the Grammys 3 times, for Fearless in 2010, 1989 in 2015, and Folklore in 2021, and the first person to win 4 times, with her 4th win in 2024 for Midnights. Beyonce is now the most awarded musician in Grammy history at 32 awards won and 88 total nominations.

Madonna is recognised as the best-selling female artist of all time with over 300 million sales. Rihanna was second at 250 million sales and Mariah Carey was third at 220 sales.

Aretha Franklin became the first women to be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, just 4 years after it was set up in 1983. Despite this, only 8.4 % of inductees are female, not a good look for an institution that exists in a world in which 50 percent of the people on the planet are women. And in 2019, Stevie Nicks became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice- once as a group, and again as a solo artist.

Following on from all the major success female musicians have been rightly graced with throughout the years, the attitudes towards female musicians, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or political views, have begun to change for the better. Successful artists are constantly lifting their peers up, with female musicians frequently taking time to promote their peer’s latest music or projects. They are collaborating, mentoring, and advocating for one another. Just in 2023, the number of US female musicians included in the year’s biggest hits reached a record high. However, we are still far from parity, as that high was barely 35%. However, it is still a step in the right direction. Furthermore, at the most recent Grammy Awards, the nominations were heavily dominated by female musicians, including artists such as SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Victoria Monae.

Throughout history, the phenomenon of female musicians being pitted against each other in a genuine manner (in contrast to male musicians being pitted against each other ‘for a bit of fun’ and in a satirical manner) can be attributed to a combination of historical context, media influence, industry pressure, and, unfortunately, the sheer amount of sexism, racism, and homophobia still found throughout the industry, even in the 21st century.

Let your imagination be set free. Put yourself in the shoes of many characters: from imagining yourself among giants in the Highlands to meeting strange creatures in the forest. Or emerge yourself in the everyday monologue of a woman in today’s society, or an individual seeking an archaeological analysis of writer’s block. In the Creative section, whether you are a big reader, a lover of photography, or simply in need of some thoughtful fiction, there is something for everyone.

So settle in, and take a break from the news, media and thought-provoking opinion pieces, for a wind-down in the creative section.

Saffron Phillips (VI) Creative Editor

Here There Be Giants Fraya (V) He enjoyed roaming the highlands for days on end, taking in the magnificent views, exploring the untouched wilds. He’d venture into the rolling hills with nothing more than what he could carry on his back, and he’d do so, like clockwork, every summer. He was enamoured by the outdoors. Out here all his worries about work and bills seemed so insignificant. Out here it was just him, the wind, the rain, the sun, and the hills that had weathered the millennia in silent vigil.

As the sun began to set, painting the landscape in beautiful colours, covering them in bronze and gold, he crested the summit of the hill he’d been steadily trekking up. The mild warmth of an unusually sunny day was being leeched away by the chilly breeze as night began to set in. He’d need to make camp for the night.

A flicker of orange light caught his eye, and he zeroed in on it. There, a mere hundred or so metres away, nestled protectively away from the wind by a rock formation, was a campfire. He could spot the silhouette of a person hunched over by it.

A person. Here, very remote, up in the hills? As it’s getting dark?

Well, he wasn’t exactly one to talk— he was out here himself after all. But he couldn’t spot a bag with them, or a tent set up.

He walked tentatively over, curious.

A lion’s mane of greying ginger hair didn’t look up as he came to a stop opposite the campfire. The old man simply continued to work away with a knife at a small wooden carving – of what, he couldn’t quite tell yet.

“Here there be giants, lad,” the gravelly voice warned ominously.

He faltered at that, wondering what prompted that comment, and politely questioned what the elder had meant.

The man heaved a sigh, halting the repetitive scrape scrape scrape of his knife on wood. When he finally looked up from his project it was to reveal sharp blue eyes and crinkled crows-feet on a weathered face. The old man looked like the kindly sort, friendly, like the cheerful old folk one would find reminiscing at a round table in the pub. The man was the picture of a stereotypical Scotsman living in the highlands; wild ginger hair and untamed beard, weathered, but despite his frail frame, strong.

“Nae heard the stories, ey?”

He shook his head, no.

“Settle down then, traveller, and I’ll tell ye,” the old man gestured to a vacant spot by the fire, and so, with only a little hesitation, he shucked off his bag and dropped it on the dry ground, settling next to it.

The old man began the story in a low voice, “Long ago, ‘tis said giants walked the land. Plenty folk tell tales o’ how the earth would shake from their very footsteps. Plenty giants weren’e tall enough te touch the sky, but theys were tall enough

Creative Creative

With yet another edition of The Galley we welcome another set of superb creative pieces. Amongst them are a multitude of short stories from a range of year groups, alongside some wonderful photography from Fraya (FV) to accompany it. Get comfortable, reader, you’re in for a treat.

te ‘ave all the power o’ a rockslide and be as immovable as the very mountains from which they were born and te which they would return as they died.”

It had grown dark now, and an odd look which he couldn’t quite identify grew on the old man’s face, making him look haunting as the shadows cast by the flickering campfire painted contrasts across his bony face.

“They say that these here hills are a graveyard,” The reveal hung in the air, and he couldn’t help it as his eyes flickered from the old man’s face to look out over the sea of dark hills.

“Oh aye, lad. This is a graveyard. We sit atop the corpse of a warrior from a battle that shook the very earth itself! This hill is the tombstone, and the little letters on our maps her eulogy; Anne O’ Beinncridhe her name been. But that’s no why I tell ye this story, do ye see the stone circle on the hill yonder?”

His eyes followed the man’s bony finger to where it pointed; a circle of around abouts forty towering stones that stood atop a plateau, lit by the pale silver glow of the moon. He didn’t pull his eyes away from the site even as the old man began to speak.

“They say after the war ended, the survivors set about burying the dead, piling stone afta’ stone upon the bodies te form these hills. Then came the funeral dances, swinging around an’ around in circles. But they became lost to the sound o’ a fiddle that began te play, and they never stopped, even as the sun rose and the first arrows o’ light hit them. The giants were turned te stone. Some people say it was a brownie playing the fiddle, using magic to entrance the giants and turn them to stone, some people say it’s a metaphor for the holy words of a Saint, turning the giants to stone for their sins. Some claim that the fiddle can still be heard, and that the giants continue te dance, when the moon rises.”

As the old man finished speaking, he turned to look at him, but old man was gone. The fire had gone out, looking as if it had long since burned out rather than crackling away mere moments ago, but under the light of the moon he could make out the old man’s crude wooden carving sitting where he had once sat.

The wooden figurine of a fiddle was the only evidence that the old man had been there at all, and as he tentatively set up camp and tried to sleep, he swore he could hear the fiddler play as the breeze carried the tune.

Photography Fraya (V)

Summer 2024

Izzy (VI) Inspired by Jamaica Kincaid’s 1978 poem, ‘Girl’: Upon leaving the house it is of the uttermost importance that you look presentable; makeup is required to convince society your skin is naturally that smooth, your eyelashes naturally that long and your cheeks naturally that pink; here is how to apply concealer to cover up the eyebags you have from never being able to sleep and here is how to lather your lips in lip gloss to ensure no one notices your nasty habit of biting them when you’re nervous; buy the miracle foundation, it would be a miracle if it can cover the spots on your face; buy a silk pillowcase for your hair, pink preferably, and wash it at twenty degrees every week; wash your face morning and night; wash your hair every other day with Olaplex, it doesn’t matter it costs a quarter of your pay check; always keep ChapStick in your back pocket; here is how to make a spinach smoothie for breakfast that doesn’t taste like spinach and here is how to feel full after only eating a spinach smoothie for breakfast; let go of grudges because they cause wrinkles; get eight to ten hours of sleep each night and rise each morning with the sun; never have bare nails; never spend too much time looking in the mirror, even though your appearance is what you will be judged on; never compare yourself to others, but know you will always be compared to those around you; never try dieting pills or fads, no matter how many times the voice inside your head calls you fat; find your signature scent; spend time at the gym but never work out too hard; never eat too much but never eat too little; you are a woman with a man inside watching a woman; why do you wear so much makeup?; while in school be quietly smart; don’t get in the way of the boys; don’t raise your hand to answer a question as you’re probably wrong and don’t ask for help when you desperately need it- you need not be a nuisance; don’t be the dumb blonde; don’t be the obnoxious know it all; walk quietly through the halls; don’t drag your feet; always have gum on you; when the teacher asks for a strong boy to carry chairs don’t bring up the fact you are just as strong as they are; on dress down day never show your shoulders; do your homework the day you receive it; don’t be mad that you are called hardworking and diligent when your male counterparts are called geniuses and intelligent and don’t be mad that your opinions aren’t listened to at the meeting; don’t be mad the man will always make more money than you and don’t be mad you will always have to rely on that man; you should smile more baby; don’t judge what the other girl is wearing on the street; smile softly at those who smile first; moisturise so you don’t get stretch marks; go running on Wednesdays and walks every other Thursday; here is how to angle the camera when posing for Instagram and here is how to use dry shampoo so your hair doesn’t look greasy; wash your sheets on Sunday and help your mother clean the dishes on Monday; make your coffee at home to save money; always try clothes on before buying them; eat Ben and Jerry’s when the crying won’t stop, but never spend too much time crying over a boy; drink two gallons of water a day; forget about the man who told you to smile more and forget about how much your shoes make your feet hurt; call your friend when you need advice and call your mum when you need help; listen to music to put yourself in a good mood; play sports only in which you look graceful; don’t sweat or pant or try too hard; be elegantly good and understand that your sport will always be second to the one that your brother plays; why do you look so frustrated? be sure not to leave the house in anything too revealing for the need to not attract unwanted attention; remember you will always be blamed when you become the victim; always carry your phone when out; send your location to a family member or friend; always cover your glass; drink enough to make you forget but not enough to make you vulnerable; realise you are always vulnerable; never accept lifts home with strangers, but never go home by yourself; lift your friend’s hair when she’s being sick; don’t let a man take her home; always trust your gut; walk in the brightly lit street; take the long way home; here is how to forget about the constant news of the things that happen to girls like you; here is how to avoid eye contact with the person on the dark street; here is how to hold your car keys to use them as a weapon; here is how to put your head down and cross the road and quicken your pace; here is how to get home safe; why do you look so scared?; never take your phone out in conversation, you don’t want them to think you aloof; never yawn while someone’s lecturing you, you don’t want them to think you impudent; never take too long to reply to a text, you don’t want them to think you bad-mannered; never talk of your self’s achievements, you don’t want them to think you conceited; never complain of a person’s wrong doings, you don’t want them to think you ungracious; maybe never do anything at all, perhaps that’s for the better.

Creative Creative

Girl

Digging Affan (V) “Oh no. I must come up with something to write my English assignment.

What should I write? Discursive or persuasive or creative? Hmm, so many options, and I don’t know what to write. Can it be a blend of all? Wait. Mrs. Mackie once told me to check the course specifications on the SQA website if I didn’t know what to write. I must do that at once.” I told my computer.

I dug into the highest band range for creative and discursive content in the portfolio-writing marking instructions. “Selfawareness”, “Personality”, and “Understanding” were among the few artefacts I excavated. The words read like sacred revelations preserved in oracle bone scripts, but at this stage of writing - or rather uncovering - I was only an archaeologist, not a philologist. I was just as clueless as before, but my brows began pulling downwards, and my teeth clenched.

“But I’m a good writer! I wrote for the school magazine a few times. Why can I not come up with any ideas this time? Hmm. A-ha! A lightbulb now flashes above me! ChatGPT! I shall resort to Mrs. Mackie’s formidable arch-nemesis. Open me a new tab.” I requested Google.

“Why… do I… as a writer… struggle… to come up… with ideas?”. I typed into the most cursed. “You may be facing what’s known as a writer’s block. It is a condition in which a writer finds it challenging to produce new written work or experiences a significant decrease in their creative output. Several factors causing it include distractions, perfectionism, and perceived lack of ideas,” the malevolent said, prophetically.

Like any expedition, I must trust the untrusted and unreliable. I thought that wasn’t a good self-justification for using A.I., but I continued. Methodically, I solved each factor and crossed it out of my list to begin my quest.

Distractions? I banish my social media accounts. Perfectionism? I armour myself with coffee to shield myself from ruthless, self-inflicted attacks. Perceived lack of ideas? Well, my attempt to decipher that four-word enigma proved to be an endeavour my caffeinated soul couldn’t endure.

“What do you mean ‘perceived’ lack of ideas? But I do know that I don’t know. I’ve run dry. I can’t have ideas if I’m idealess. I mean, at least I’m self-aware about that.” I ranted to my lamp. The lamp piercingly stared back at me. The sharp rays would shovel into my eyes if I continued looking at it. I concluded that my lamp must be telling me to look elsewhere.

Shone by the light, I left the dark dungeon of the ChatGPT tab. Like Indiana Jones, I must explore through sediments of dusty and layered consciousness to unearth relics of ideas. If I wandered without concentration, I would be booby-trapped and remain in the labyrinth of my thoughts forever, procrastinating. But unlike Indiana Jones, I didn’t begin the search by strapping my boots. I opened YouTube.

“Higher… English… Assignment…” I typed into the more reliable and benevolent. I dragged the cursor to the search icon, which I didn’t click. “Ooo, what’s that? A TED Talk by Sarah Kurnick titled ‘Aliens Built the Pyramids’? This video will prove to be of great significance to my assignment, surely!” I dragged the cursor away from the search icon and clicked on the alluring TED video swaying in my recommendations page despite knowing my assignment wouldn’t be about extraterrestrial life. It seems that I had fallen into the first pitfall there was.

Summer 2024

I spent twelve minutes watching the video. Sarah Kurnick argued that the belief aliens aided ancient civilisations in constructing monuments was harmful as it implied that people of the past couldn’t independently achieve greatness. “But that would also mean I can develop great ideas independently, without the internet. So, I must not dig for inspiration. I must dig for… me. Yes! This must be what ‘Personality’ meant!” I hypothesised. I closed the SQA, ChatGPT, and YouTube tabs with a heavy mouse to unearth myself.

Spinning and spinning and spinning in my swivel chair, perhaps if I passed out with dizziness, I could walk through the maze of memories within my human mind and uncover the thoughts that build up my individuality. Or perhaps I could cherry-pick the best idea to write my assignment about. Or I could end up vomiting. That thought seemed more likely, so I stopped spinning and avoided getting lost in thoughts. As I sat statically, two eyes on my shelf glared at me: Piranesi and The Midnight Library. Although I had stopped relying on external sources for inspiration, if I skimmed through Clarke’s and Haig’s ideas that influenced me, I could better understand my ideas. I reached for the two novels.

“Pi-ra-ne-si. Imagine being trapped in ‘The House’. A world of infinite hallways, infinite vestibules, and infinite unique statues representing infinite ideas must be claustrophobic. You were trapped there, yet you maintained your whimsical curiosity as you recorded each room and each statue in journals. If I were you, I would be bored and have an infinite slumber. No-ra Banks. How were you not bored in ‘The Midnight Library’? A library consisting of infinite books containing infinite information on the consequences of the infinite choices you could’ve taken before you overdosed? I

Amid my musings, I felt a peculiar resonance with their respective journeys. Their unyielding fascination with these boundless, ethereal worlds, with realms of thoughts and possibilities, struck a chord deep within me. As I pondered the allure of ‘The House’ and ‘The Midnight Library,’ it became evident that, in their chosen abodes of imagination, they were unburdened by the mundane limitations of reality. These characters found refuge in the inexhaustible reserves of their own minds just as I was beginning to realise the value of traversing my own labyrinthine consciousness. Their tales were not merely fantastical narratives but are reflective of the inherent potential within any individual to embark on a journey of self-discovery, their unique identities through exploration and the unfettered wandering of thought.

And it occurred to me. ‘The House’ and ‘The Midnight Library’ were never natural settings. It symbolised the vast consciousness of Piranesi and Nora Banks and all the memories within them. And why would someone choose not to be lost in their own thoughts? Why had I avoided traversing through the twisted tomb of my own thoughts? There have never been any booby traps; no spears or snakes or spikes, only the opposite. The only pitfall I had fallen in was not entering the maze all this while. Procrastination, it turns out, isn’t entirely harmful; it’s a necessary part of the creative process because, within the minutes and hours supposedly wasted, it is where the most extraordinary and g-reative ideas are buried. Those who wander are not lost, and those who aren’t willing to be lost will never come up with wonders. I dug, and I understood.

Unseelie or Seelie?

Affan (FV) The Unseelie, shrouded in shadows, trample waxcaps with vehement mischief; their nightlight hexes disperse throughout the woodlands, recoiling hair follicles like an echelon of springtails leaping. But the Seelie swayed like iridescent silk, leaving the wind untouched when twirling, and would teach mottled beetles about the dangers of bramble prickles and gorse thorns with gentle whispers. The two courts spoke distinct languages; the Unseelie had a tongue for accented gibberish, and the Seelie vocalised musky and soft.

I was seven when I arrived in Scotland. My parents were here for postgraduate study, and I was here to imprison fairies. I had a butterfly-catching net twice larger than my stature, a used pickle jar bigger than my head, and a journal to record my observations. Each day when the school bell rang, I would scurry away, hefting my equipment to the forest floor – where moss thrives on damp soil protected from the sun by alder trees – to carefully inspect the underside of each fern, twig, and pebble. The ferns whirled around Yellow Stainers as the crisp, brisk breeze blushed my damp knees. Based on my notes, the Unseelie often use Yellow Stainers as hats due to the fashionable discolouration on the cap when bruised. I plucked one. While examining it, the gills bedaubed with fine white powder made me sneeze.

“Blessh ywu!”

My goosebumps jumped. An Unseelie had cast an ill spell onto me. I turned around.

“Hiya! Whervyshll yer plasykyll wivirth myee?”

“Huh?” “Whervll yer plasy wivit mye?”

“What?”

“Will you play with me?”

“Oh, umm, okay can.”

I spoke my mother tongue at home, and English was unintelligible to me. The harsh consonants and strong accents of the Scots were piercing to my delicate ear. And I felt like a being from the otherworld protruding the grace of the fairyland

Creative

couldn’t even bear the drowsiness of reading one book in my English class. Hmm. Why would these characters remain in a world fossilised by nothing but ideas?” I asked this question not to my computer, lamp, ChatGPT or YouTube. I asked the question to myself.

when I falteringly communicated with my peers, often asking them to repeat themselves to puzzle their words together until I understood. For this reason, I would hunt ethereal beings by myself. Until today, a boy with auburn hair, which teased the peeking spring sun better than a lake’s reflection can and freckles organically scattered across his face – prettier than Yellow Stainers amongst the grass, came up to me. I thought he was not an Unseelie; he must have approached me desiring the mushroom I had, so I locked my fingers.

“Whaads jhaad ein yerfinkess?”

“Huh?” “What’s that in your fingers?”

“Oh, umm, fairy hat.”

“Meeye a seeyie?”

“What?”

“May I see?”

“Oh, umm, okay den.”

I revealed the mushroom sitting on my palm. His eyes were greener than jealousy, a complexion I had never seen before.

I thought humans could not have green eyes; had I stolen the property of an Unseelie? He was not one, surely. But the Unseelie are well-documented to show aggression and territorial behaviour when provoked. As a precaution, I immediately returned his hat to him before he asked. He stood there staring at the mushroom I gave him, now in his pale palms. His pupils darkened before he bawled out to the alder and birch, “Och!” “Huh?” “Jhissk issk a wee Yellow Stainer ein ma hauns!”

“What?”

“Theesye arsk toksikk ammd poizomous!”

Before I could ask him to repeat himself again, he dropped the mushroom, stepped on it, and ran away from me. What made him act in such way? I could not understand what he said. I was hoping he would hunt fairies with me. He must have been an Unseelie; that might explain the evilness. I jotted in my journal, “Unseelie… have… red… hair…”

Summer 2024

The ink was smudged by tearful, jittery fingers as I was upset over the now mushed fairy hat. From that day, I trusted no one; they were all Unseelie in disguise – like the boy I met. I would not talk with anyone in my classroom. I refused gifts from my neighbours. And when the fishmonger in Morrison’s said, “Hiya pal!”, I ignored her and looked away just because under her hairnet, she had coppery chestnut hair.

I am seventeen and have arrived in Scotland again. My parents are at home working, as they have completed their studies, and I am here as a boarder, though I have yet to abduct a fairy. I have learnt the silver-tongued language of the Scots from the internet, though I still choke on my tonsils when pronouncing the consonant “th” at the start of a word and would still replace them entirely with “d” like I did a decade ago. However, a month after my re-arrival, I realised there were no more Scots who spoke abrasively and rugged in an incomprehensible dialect. A twang previously so ubiquitous now abruptly vanished like the extinction of fairies as I grew. Where did the accented gibberish go?

“Hey, you’re zoning out.”

I clicked back into where I was. A Seelie is smiling. I look at her.

“Huh?” “Don’t ‘huh’ me. I’ve reminded you it’s much polite to say pardon.”

“Alright, so now you know oak, birch, hazel, rowan, aspen, holly, and hawthorn. What’s that?”

She pointed to a tree which pricked me a bit.

“Oh, dat must be a holly.”

“No, you can tell by its leaves. A holly would have spiny elliptical leaves with prickled edges.”

No, I could not have possibly told by its leaves; it was autumn, and trees were shedding. The ground is pulpy with oak and birch leaves slushed with mud, and the soggy cuffs of my jeans rub against my skin above where the socks end. Each step made the squelching sound like stepping on a toad as we sauntered. She has profound amber eyes with thin hazel lines flaring in her iris, much like the veins in leaves of autumn foliage. Her hair was to her shoulders, wavy and chatoyant titian in colour, which mingled gracefully with the wind and light. I would have been scared of her ten years ago, yet she was how I had imagined a Seelie.

Despite that, she has a stern demeanour and is dour when speaking, which only hides away when she rattles on about Scottish flora. And for that reason, I would only ask her to talk about Scottish flora. Initially, I only cared about mushrooms, not plants or trees, but the succulent ardency of her words within her dainty descriptions eventually made me famished for her passion, too. I understood the soft and musky language she uses when speaking about trees.

I think I started liking trees as I gazed outside the windows at my guardian’s house during the winter break. I was not familiar with trees then, but I liked seeing snow flurrying onto hardened evergreen trees, which made them look like giant dandelions, just less fluff y and more mysterious. My guardian had his mother living with us. His mother gleamed like a portrait, required a stairlift, and only spoke French. We communicated by exchanging smiles – I suppose two beings from the otherworld being together helped make us both feel less alienated. I am over sixteen now, which means I no longer need a guardian and will stay alone, renting spare rooms during term breaks, so the last break was my last with her. As the taxi arrived, I was about to heft my large duffel bags down the stairs when she said, “Viens ici, viens ici. Essaie ça” I don’t know what she said, but this time, I understood what she meant. Maybe the accented gibberish never went away; I just started understanding the Unseelie better, which made everyone Seelie to me. I sat on the stairlift, had my bags on my lap, and she pushed a button, sending me downwards. The stairlift moved gently, and it would have been faster had I walked down instead, though it made me smile as I left my home here.

“Is your finger alright? See, what’s pricked you there is a blackthorn. It has elliptical leaves with a pointed tip and thorny – Oi, you’re zoning out again!”

“Pardon?”

“What are you thinking of?”

“Nothing. Look at dose Yellow Stainers growing on what seems like an aspen’s stump. Dey grow from late spring to autumn.

You know, I used to believe fairies wore dem as hats.”

“Haha, that’s silly. I wonder where they’ll go soon in winter.”

She reached to the Yellow Stainers. Before she could pick one, I nudged her hand away.

“Hey don’t, they’re toxic.”

Creative

“Sorry, de ‘huh’ is a childhood habit.”