GEOGRAPHIC JANUARY 2018
ISSUE NO.4
Editor’s note.
THE COVER
Taking over Sarah Tan’s legacy of Epsom Geographic has been no easy task, especially when all issues were consistently produced a high level. Taking over as editor so far has been a tremendous challenge, however it has given the opportunity to explore and witness the creativeness of both students and staff at Epsom. Her hard work, motivation and enthusiasm into launching this magazine last year has certainly paid off and she is able to enjoy the fruits of her labour. However, my work is just beginning. This year we have tried to change some design elements of the magazine, whilst keeping the main format the same as I wanted the magazine to have a sense of continuity after the original three issues. For those who have opened this magazine for the first time, Epsom Geographic is a platform that allows people to cover unconventional topics from different areas of the world; unleashing the inner geographer in us. Sometimes, we don’t realise how Geography is linked to various aspects of our everyday lives that we may ignore or find unusual. The articles included in this magazine shine a light on the different ways Geography affects us. Additionally, this magazine is an opportunity to showcase the hidden photographic talents of both staff and students. -
Contents
Syukrina Suresh, Year 12 THE EDITORIAL TEAM
Farisa
Perth, Australia -
Eu Keat Ng, Year 13
3
Natasha Naylor, Year 13
4
Azan Abdullan, Year 12
6
Charlotte Webster
Sydney Harbour, Australia - Kelly Cunningham
7
-
Robert Hopkin
Towards The Sky -
Henry Ng, Year 13
United Kingdom / Perth - Stella Spence, Year 12
9
Mongolia - Alice Coleman
Jaco Island - Joe Shepley Clarke
13
14
22
Can Dictatorship Be Justified? 24
Brighton Beach, Melbourne, Australia - Ben Yee, Year 12
12
20
Coles Bay, Tasmania
- Lo Yie Shern, Year 12 10
18
Can We Blame the Poor For Being Poor?
- Callum White
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
17
Cape Town, South Africa
- Saria Aida Zulkarnain, Year 12 8
15
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Syukrina Suresh, Year 12
Mont Blanc -
United Kingdom / Western Australia
- Alice Coleman
Diamonds -
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this magazine are the authors’ own and do not reflect the view of Epsom Geographic or Epsom College in Malaysia
- Millie Leather, Year 13
Cornwall, England -
Editor: Farisa Wan Fadzmi Assistant Editor: Ben Yee Production Manager: Jon Barker
26
Does Qatar Deserve to Host the 2022 World Cup? - Mikael Hashim, Year 9
28
Puns
30
Colouring Page (Manhattan, NY)
31
Eu Keat NG, Year 13
Perth
diamonds. “Food. Water. Diamonds By Azan Abdullah, Year 12
.
You know the essentials.”
Diamonds carry a lot of stories with them. One thing we should know is that crystals and diamonds are different. Crystals are created to look like diamonds, but with a cheaper price and a different way of production. Diamonds are very exclusive. They are used as a symbol of power. For example, the Cullinan diamond is put on the crown by the British Royal family and also take the top spot of Queen Elizabeth’s best diamonds accessories and jewelleries. But, for sure, diamonds are truly special, impressive and stunning. There are various ways that diamonds form Firstly, it is formed in the Earth’s mantle. The formation of natural diamonds requires very high temperatures and pressures. These conditions occur in limited zones of the Earth's mantle about 150 kilometres below the surface where temperatures are at least 1050 degrees Celsius. This critical temperature-pressure environment for diamond formation and stability is not present on or above the Earth’s surface. Instead, it is thought to be present primarily in the mantle beneath the stable interiors of continental plates. Diamonds formed and stored in these "diamond stability zones" are delivered to the Earth's surface during deep-source volcanic eruptions. These eruptions tear out pieces of the mantle and carry them rapidly to the surface. But we should also consider that tiny diamonds have been found in rocks that are thought to have been subducted deep into the mantle by plate tectonic processes - then returned to the surface. Diamond formation in a subducting plate might occur as little as 80 kilometres below the surface and at temperatures as low as 200 degrees Celsius. In another study, diamonds from Brazil were found to contain tiny mineral inclusions consistent with the mineralogy of oceanic crust. Others have inclusions that suggest that subducted seawater was involved in their formation.
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In addition, throughout its history, Earth has been repeatedly hit by large asteroids. When these asteroids strike the earth, extreme temperatures and pressures are produced. For example: when a 10-kilometre-wide asteroid strikes the earth, it can be traveling at up to 15 to 20 kilometres per second. Upon impact, this hypervelocity object would produce an energy burst equivalent to millions of nuclear weapons and temperatures hotter than the sun's surface. The high temperature and pressure conditions of such an impact are more than adequate to form diamonds. This theory of diamond formation has been supported by the discovery of tiny diamonds around several asteroid impact sites. Correspondingly, NASA researchers have detected large numbers of nanodiamonds in some meteorites. Nanodiamonds are diamonds that are a few nanometres in length. About three percent of the carbon in these meteorites is contained in the form of nanodiamonds. These diamonds are too small for use as gems or industrial abrasives; however, they are still a source of diamond material. In contrast, many people believe that diamonds are formed from the metamorphism of coal. That idea continues to be the "how diamonds form" story in many science classrooms. Coal has rarely played a role in the formation of diamonds. In fact, most diamonds that have been dated are much older than Earth's first land plants - the source material of coal! That alone should be enough evidence to shut down the idea that Earth's diamond deposits were formed from coal. Now, we know that is not true!
Mont Blanc Charlotte Webster
TOWARDS THE
SKY
By Henry Ng, Year 13 The Petronas Twin Towers was the tallest building in the world from 1998 to 2004 but until Today, it still remains as the tallest twin towers in the world. The
towers were built to represent Malaysia’s increasing wealth and the country’s desire to be more involved internationally. So how is the Petronas Twin Towers related to Geography? Many do not know that the entire site of the skyscraper was shifted 61 metres southeast. This is because during a borehole test, engineers found out that one tower was sitting at the edge of a cliff called the Kenny Hill and the other was sitting on soft rock. The sloping of the bedrock on one side was too shallow for the foundation to support the weight of the tower. Adding on to the problem, a geographical map of Kuala Lumpur show that majority of the land is made up of limestone, including the bedrock of Kenny Hill. As we know, limestone is prone to chemical weathering as it contains minerals such as calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate will react with acid rain and weather away. This becomes a huge problem as Malaysia, located in the tropics, has an average rainfall of 250 cm a year. This causes the bedrock to weather away at a rapid rate. Due to this reason, the site of the Petronas Twin Towers were shifted by 61 metres to allow the buildings to sit entirely on soft rock. Because of the depth of the bedrock, the buildings were built on the world’s deepest foundations with 104 concrete piles, ranging from 60 to 114 metres deep.
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Concrete piles were chosen because of its accessibility. Concrete is the most commonly used building material in Malaysia, and local constructors are also more familiar with it than any other material. A total of 173,200 cubic metres of concrete were used in the construction of the whole skyscraper (including the superstructure and the foundation). Adding on to this, concrete was also used due to its resistance to breakage and bending and of course, it’s cheap.
Wind load is also an important geographical aspect when building the Twins as Malaysia is subjected to strong wind and standing at such height, the wind load will be even stronger than what we feel on land. The skybridge, for example, was built carefully with such precaution. This might come as a shock but the skybridge is not exactly attached to the main structure. The skybridge becomes a really tough challenge for engineers as these two towers sway independently. This might break the bridge in half if the towers sway in opposite directions. Due to this reason, the four poles supporting the skybridge have a complex system of hinges, spherical bearings, and expansion joints to allow the skybridge to stay firmly in place no matter how much the towers twist and turns. The four poles will be the ones that changes its angle of slope as the
towers sways. The towers are able to withstand wind speed up to 126 kilometers per hour. Although Malaysia had a bright vision for Malaysia, the Petronas Twin Towers currently stands at 11th place in the World’s tallest buildings and soon to be 12th when the construction of the Changsha IFS Tower 1 is completed. With rising competition between countries, it is predicted by 2020, the Twins will not even be on the top 20. At this rate, Malaysia would need to step up its game to earn a place on the list. Current plans and constructions are going on to build several buildings that will replace the Twins as the tallest building in Malaysia such as the KL118 (currently
under construction) at a height of 682m that will claim its title it as the 4th tallest building right behind Burj Khalifa, as well as “The Tower” and the “Jeddah Tower” currently under construction respectively in Dubai and Jeddah. Another proposed skyscraper that hasn’t started construction is the Tradewinds Square that will be standing at a height of 775m, even taller than the KL118. Hopefully in the year 2024, we will see many more skyscrapers in Malaysia that will be in the list of the tallest buildings in the World and to let many more people know about this beautiful country.
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United Kingdom
PERTH
Stella Spence
By Joe Shepley Clarke
JACO
ISLAND
Jaco Island at the very eastern end of Timor Leste is a sacred island for the Timorese: no-one may stay or live on the island and its part of the Nino Konis Santana National Park. As a result it really is a truly unspoilt paradise, separated from the mainland by just a few minutes' ride in a small fishing boat, this is a tropical beach worth the 8 hours on dirt roads for the capital, Dili.
Inland from Jaco Island is the region of Lospalos and the Fataluku people who speak Fataluku (a Papuan language). Faltaluku spirit houses are constructed with a high tapering roof on top of stilts. These spirit houses, like local graves are often adorned with
animalist symbols.
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United kingdom Millie leather
Western Australia Millie leather
Ho Chi Minh city Alice Coleman
CAN WE
BLAME
By Saria Aida Zulkarnain , Year 12
THE POOR FOR BEING POOR?
‘If you were born poor, it’s not your fault. But if you die poor it is.’
intergenerational mobility low-income family
manages to go to college and get a professional job with high income. Meanwhile, Intragenerational social mobility is more difficult and less common than intergenerational mobility. So, what allows social mobility? It can be argued that education is one of the factors that can lead to
This is one of the most famous quotes by Bill Gates.
social mobility. When you work hard to be better
A lot of people might agree with this, as they might
educated, you get accepted to better educational
think that if you work hard enough, you can make
institutions, and when you graduate, you get a job
your life better. However, is this always the case?
with better pay. Sounds simple, right? However,
Can we really blame the people who are poor for
some people might argue that social mobility does
being poor all their lives?
not even exist, and this argument cannot be denied
Social mobility is defined as the ability of individuals, families or groups to move to a different socio-economic class in the society, for example from low-income to middle-class. This term is usually used to describe changes in wealth, although it might also describe general social standing or education. Social mobility might take place in a few years time, or over the span of decades and generations. Intragenerational social mobility is where an individual moves social
classes within his or her own lifetime. For example, when a child born from a
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just like that. One of the reasons for such arguments is because even at the start, not everyone gets the same educational opportunity. Recently, there were a couple of articles published on the Guardian regarding the admission rate to Oxbridge. In one of the articles, the author argued that Oxbridge still fails to admit more students from underprivileged backgrounds. Between 2010 and 2015, most students were from the top two social classes, while only 6% were from social
classes six and seven (with parents in routine or semi-routine work). More offers were made to Eton pupils than young people eligible for free
school meals. However, in a different article written by a different author, the author, who is a student in Oxford, argued that the blame should not be put solely on Oxford, as the problem lies much deeper. The author, coming from a middle-class family, argued that even at schools, students from this background usually do not receive enough encouragement from their teachers to apply for top universities. In contrast, students who come
This means people are either born into or marry within their family's caste; changing caste systems is very rare. An example of the rigid segregation of caste systems occurs today in India, where people born into the lowest caste (the “untouchables�) and can never become members of a higher caste. Despite growing urbanisation and the spread of secular education, caste identities remain strong, and last names are almost always indications of what caste a person belongs to.
from wealthy families and are sent to elite public schools, like Eton, receive excellent support which allows them to aim for top educational institutions, and also earn a place at their targeted institution. This shows that, even at the earlier stages, the people from lower class do not even have access to equal opportunities for better education and support system. This situation does not happen only in the UK, it happens all around the world. Even in Malaysia, if you speak to people from rural areas, they might think that being able to read and count is already enough, and they even think if you are able to do so,
you do not need to attend school anymore. This shows that some people from low-income background might not even have the awareness of important education is. When they do not have such awareness, how are they going to get themselves an education, what more to climb up the social ladder?
Social mobility is much worse in societies with the caste system. Social position in a caste system is decided by assignment rather than attainment.
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CAN DICTATORSHIP
BE JUSTIFIED? By Lo Yie Shern, Year 12
The Arab Spring Revolution may have ended half a decade ago, but the dust has yet to settle in the Middle East. The sounds of millions of frantic footsteps continue to be heard from this tumultuous region; this time not in anger against an authoritarian regime, but in fear of civil war, terrorism and economic malaise. The sheer chaos precipitated by the fall of the tyrannical dictators in the Middle East raises the question as to whether the assassination of a dictator is always the right option. Some
and power held by a dictator. From the likes of
subscribe to the conventional wisdom that
Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler, their total control
murdering a dictator is a necessary evil as it
over a country has been abused and misused, leading
liberates millions from his or her oppressive
to the suffering of millions upon millions of
rule. However, others disagree with this as they
uninvolved, yet unfortunate people. By assassinating
are firmly against the moral
a dictator, we are effectively preventing the deaths of
repugnance of murder, even in the case of a
innocent people that were unlucky enough to be
dictator, and believe that simply overthrowing
there at that time. Some might say that even the
him is enough. Some also disagree with this act
thought of killing another human being is evil and
because they question if killing a tyrannical
unethical and all life is of equal value. However, can
oppressor would benefit the people there,
the same be said if the assassination of one person
especially in light of the Arab Spring and the
could lead to the safety of countless others? We
assassination of Muammar Gaddafi. Taking all of
cannot keep imposing the ethics and moral rights
this into account, I believe the assassination of a
that disallow us from even touching him, when we
dictator cannot be justified.
are fully aware that they would not even blink an eye at the total and assured annihilation of others. The
Time after time, we have seen the amount of evil
theory of utilitarianism states that the best possible
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action is one that maximises utility. In other words, if
the action of killing the dictator leads to the
The difference is the person doing the killing. Just
happiness and, more importantly, the safety of the
because a dictator kills or performs their
mass, it is not only the best course of action but the
atrocities, there are certain morals and ethics
only option.
which must be followed and cannot be taken away. Killing anyone at all is, and forever will be, a sinful
That being said, the assassination of a dictator does
act of the highest order: an eternal sin.
not ensure the happiness and social stability of the country. In a world which is unpredictable and
Above all, there are other ways to overthrow a
organic, we can never assume that the
dictator which are just as effective without the act
assassination of a dictator can lead to a better life
of killing.
for people in the country. When the people of Libya
I, myself, believe that there should be an
overthrew Gaddafi in 2011, they rejoiced and
independent and agreed upon an international
expected major positive changes to their country.
court, just like the International Criminal Court in
What they received, however, was countless years
Hague, Netherlands, which can act to judge the
of civil war and tragedy across the country. There
dictator upon his crimes. In doing this, we are giving
was no system put into place to fill up the power
a fair ground in which not only is a dictator can be
vacuum left by the dictator. Libya was leaderless
dealt with properly, no other “worse governments”
and plunged into years of misery in which groups
can take over. However, the very aim of wresting
such as Fajr Libya, or “Libya Dawn”, and other
power back from a dictatorship should be to earn
extremist groups fought in a civil war over control
freedom, peace and equality. The designated
of the country. There is no better proof in which the
international court should not act for the benefits of
assassination of a dictator has not only led to no
the controlling countries, but, most importantly, for
benefit but has also led to the further downfall of a
the benefits of the people of the controlled
country.
countries.
Furthermore, the very idea of killing is morally repugnant. The worst of dictators are known to have contributed to the deaths of millions upon millions. Josef Stalin, Soviet Union’s notorious dictator, alone is believed to have added to this death toll with about 60 million people killed under his reign. By killing a dictator, are we not stooping as low as them? Do our morals really mean anything at all if we condemn them with this ultimate act of deciding who lives or dies? Even if we were to murder one dictator, the number of killers in the world would remain the same.
At the end of the day, there is a famous proverb stating, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind”. I believe the assassination of a dictator can never
be justified, although the intentions of the assassination are pure, the outcome cannot yet be determined and could lead to a worse situation for the people of the country. After all, as we continue to live in a world of conflicting interests, it is just not possible to appease and ensure the wellbeing of everybody.
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By Mikael Hashim, Year 9
To expect or not to “expect amazing” at the 2022 World Cup held for the first time in the Middle East, in the state of Qatar. The cup is said to be a bridge between the Arabian world and the Western world. However, for the below reasons, Qatar should not be able to host the 2022 World Cup.
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Climate.
Modern-day slavery.
The cup was supposed to be held in the summer, like every other World Cup. During this time of the year, temperatures could get as high as 41 degrees Celsius. This will not only lead to major discomfort to the spectators and players, but the immense heat may result to nosebleeds, sunburn and heatstroke. Because of this, it became necessary to install cooling technology to the stadiums like they have done before. According to the Guardian, this World Cup will not be held in the summer and for the first time will be held in November-December where the temperature would be around a safe 24 degrees Celsius. The change of date will be a difficulty for a vast majority of teams - which come from Europe - as it clashes with the European domestic football calendar.
More than 80% of Qatar’s population is made up of migrant workers who are not allowed citizenship. These migrants are really slaves- their working contracts get torn when they arrive, they earn less than what is promised and work long hours under the dangerous heat. They cannot quit their jobs nor are they able to leave the country. Because of this imposed labour, the creation of the stadiums will be a problem that will lead to a high death rate. The International Trade Union Confederation estimates up to 4000 deaths of migrant workers will die before the World Cup in 2022; and approximately 1200 have died already.
Culture and human rights.
Landscape .
Like most countries in the Middle-East, Qatar is an Islamic country and is culturally sensitive. Everyone would need to act sensibly and not offend anyone. Tourists also need to dress modestly, even when driving, or tourists could be arrested for dressing inappropriately while wearing a sleeveless top and shorts. To wear these modest clothing will be even more uncomfortable in the outside heat. Filming and photographing people without consent also leads to arrest. Journalism or any documental work there would require a permit. Furthermore, despite alcohol being very festive in World Cups, it is illegal to be drunk outside of bars and pubs.
Although Qatar is a peninsula surrounded by fresh water, it is very dry and there is a lack of vegetation. Qatar is more than 10 times smaller than peninsular Malaysia, and to expect the existing population of 3 million and potentially another million in the small country can lead to serious overcrowding. This would possibly lead to an increase in crime. Therefore, the climate, the culturally sensitive population, the controversy of the World Cup and the necessity of migrant workers’ deaths for the particular 1-month event are the reasons why Qatar should not deserve to host the 2022 World Cup.
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There’s too much friction between us It’s not my fault!
What did the ocean say to the shore??
Geography puns? There’s Norway I’d go Oslo as that… How could anyone make a Korea out of it?
Just you wait, I’ll show EU
Nothing, it just waved.
How do mountains see?
They peak!
What did the rock say to the geographer?
Czech out my punning skills
Wow, I’m Hungary Not me, I’ve just Eton
I’m Ghana go now Don’t take me for granite!
Kenya keep up the pace? Well, Iran quite fast. 30
Sure, talk to you Samoa later