Tuskan Times Volume 12 Issue 1

TUSKAN TIMES VOLUME 12 ISSUE 1

IN THIS ISSUE

LOCAL TEDX YOUTH @ ISF ISF’S FIRST BOARDERS NEW TEACHERS AT ISF

JULIUS GUTBROD TATJANA HELLAWELL & AMELIA WINKLER LUISA ELDRIDGE

5 6 7

TEA MIJATOVIC

10

EZRA PAVONCELLI ELENA SOFIA UZIELLI DIMITRI BONNEVILLE LYRA GOMES

14 19 23 26

MIYU LI COCO FERRARI-ROSS ADAM KARACSONYI

32 35 38

ALLEGRA DI FLORIO OLIVIA DICK

43 45

CREATIVE THE EXPERIMENT

POLITICAL GERMANY’S RISING FAR-RIGHT TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSELS COUP RESURGENCE IN AFRICA NATURAL DISASTERS IN MOROCCO AND LIBYA

MEDIA & CULTURE A POP CULTURE RECAP OF SUMMER 2023 8 PASSENGERS: “MOM-FLUENCER” TO CHILD ABUSER FORMULA 1'S ASTON MARTIN - FAIRYTALE TO FIFTH

OPINION THE POISONWOOD BIBLE JEOFFRY THE POET’S CAT

ON THE COVERS Front cover (ISF Students) This painting commemorates another year that students return to ISF and our community. It’s particularly joyful because it shows our very own Tuskan Times team members.

Back Cover (Nagorno Karabakh) I believe it is important to bring greater awareness to the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the people it displaced or killed. Furthermore, it seeks to emphasise the tragedies civilians face in the Middle East, including in Palestine in recent days.

- EZRA PAVONCELLI ‘25

MEET THE TEAM

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the first issue of the 2023-2024 school year! The Tuskan Times Team, filled with writers, artists, editors and designers, have worked incredibly hard to bring this issue to you!

In this edition, you will find a range of articles, from insightful political pieces about Germany’s Far Right and the Coup Resurgence in African Politics to a summary of this summer’s pop culture headlines in Media & Culture.

Also, keep a look out for the Local section, where you will find articles about some exciting new changes this school year! In ISF’s First Boarders, you will learn all about the new boarding house, and Julius Gutbrod’s comprehensive look at the TedX Event will surely make you excited about the event this November.

We are continuing with our successful Creative Writing and Opinion sections as well, which include fun and insightful literary reviews by Allegra Di Florio and Olivia Dick. Be sure to also check out Téa Mijatovic’s beautiful story, The Entertainer.

Thanks for reading!

Devaki Menon Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EDITORS

LAYOUT

DEVAKI MENON

ELENA SOFIA UZIELLI DEVAKI MENON STAMATIOS BALTOS LEELA MENON OLIVIA DICK CRISTIAN ARGENTO TATJANA HELLAWELL AUDREY EAGLY

LEELA MENON OLIVIA DICK ELIOT RICHARDS ELENA SOFIA UZIELLI DEVAKI MENON EZRA PAVONCELLI TATJANA HELLAWELL ISABELLA MARCELLINI

ASSISTANT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF OLIVIA DICK ELENA SOFIA UZIELLI HEAD OF LAYOUT LEELA MENON SUPERVISOR TESS HITCHCOCK

ART EZRA PAVONCELLI

LOCAL

In this section of the issue, our writers explore topics related to ISF and our community as a whole

LOCAL | TEDX YOUTH @ ISF

TEDX YOUTH @ ISF

By Julius Gutbrod '25

Greetings to the vibrant ISF community! We are thrilled to announce the return of the TEDx Youth @ISF event, a platform that has been dormant for two years, but is now ready to shine brighter than ever. As we gear up for this monumental occasion, we invite each one of you to be a part of this transformative journey. Save the Date!

Mark your calendars for November 26th! The event will be held at the prestigious Auditorium al Duomo, a venue that resonates with the grandeur and significance of the ideas that will be shared.

A Walk Down Memory Lane - The inception of TEDx at ISF can be traced back to 2015, the brainchild of our esteemed ISF alumnus, Micheal Chen. Under the vigilant guidance of Mr. Pitonzo, what started as a small initiative has now blossomed into a movement that not only engages our school but also resonates with the entire Florentine community.

“The growth and impact of this event over the years are a testament to the power of ideas and the passion of those who believe in them.”

TEDx: A Global Phenomenon - For those unfamiliar, TEDx is a program of local, selforganised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Rooted in the belief that ideas can change attitudes, lives, and the world, TEDx events reflect the larger TED mission: to spread ideas worth sharing. Over the years, TEDx has become a global movement, creating ripples of change in communities across the world.

Join Us on Stage - If you have an idea, a story, or a vision that you believe can inspire and ignite change, we invite you to grace our stage as a speaker. To ensure the quality and preparation of our presentations, we request potential speakers attend at least one of our preparatory meetings.

These sessions will be held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 15:05 to 16:00 in Room 14. It's an opportunity to refine your thoughts, receive feedback, and be a part of a supportive community of thinkers and doers.

“The TEDx Youth @ISF event is not just a platform; it’s a legacy - a legacy of ideas, inspiration and impact.”

The TEDx Youth @ISF event is not just a platform; it's a legacy—a legacy of ideas, inspiration, and impact. Whether you choose to participate as a speaker or as an audience member, your presence will contribute to the tapestry of thoughts and visions that will shape our future. Join us, as we embark on this exciting journey of exploration, enlightenment, and empowerment.

Warm regards, The TEDx Youth Organizing committee

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LOCAL | ISF’S FIRST BOARDERS

ISF’S FIRST BOARDERS

By Amelia Winkler & Tatjana Hellawell '25 This year ISF introduced its first Upper School boarding house located near the Villa Nuova. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide a place for students who live far away from campus a place to stay during the school week, reducing commuting time and making it easier for them.

“The purpose of this arrangement is to provide a place for students who live far away from campus a place to stay during the school week” The recent introduction of a boarding house facility at ISF has been a transformative development for our students, particularly those in grades 9-12. Commuting long distances daily can present a substantial challenge, affecting students' learning, study time, energy levels, and overall well-being. Recognizing this, the boarding house was established to address these hurdles.

As Sharyn Baddeley, the Head of School, explains, "With the boarding house, students have more time to study, and these challenges are made easier, allowing them to even take part in extracurriculars that they may not have previously been able to do." This new facility not only enhances our students' academic experience but also provides them with a more balanced and fulfilling school life, fostering their personal growth and development.

So how does this boarding experience work? What is it like? Grade 11 student boarder Scott Culletto has shared his experience with us. Scott testified that he much prefers staying at the boarder house, rather than waking up at 5 every morning in order to get to school on time. He mentioned how the boarders follow a schedule, in which there is set out free-time and allocated time for studying.

“The boarders follow a schedule, in which there is set out free-time and allocated time for studying.”

He also provided an average daily schedule for the ISF boarders: Wake up and breakfast - 6.45 - 8.15 Breakfast - School 8:15 - 3:00 ECAs / Free time - until 17:30 Allocated Study Time - until 19:30 Dinner - 19:45 Bed at - 22:00 All the food that is provided for the boarders is very similar to the food that is provided in the school cafeteria. As also mentioned by Scott, the boarding house bedrooms are divided into separate rooms for girls and boys, with a few students in each room. Devices aren't allowed in these rooms - they are only used in the common area on the ground floor, to ensure that the students have a better sleep schedule and are not too attached to their devices. To quote Scott, “I like boarding, being with people I know from base makes it a more fun experience.”

Overall, ISF’s first boarding experience has been very successful and the students enjoy being a part of this.

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LOCAL | NEW TEACHERS

NEW TEACHERS: A GLIMPSE OF THREE OF THE NEW TEACHERS AT ISF

By Luisa Eldridge ‘25 It seems that the school is filled with new teachers and students alike this new year at ISF. As a community accustomed to the arrival of fresh faces each school year, this year's influx of new staff members from across the globe is no exception. The arrival of new teachers brings with it a wealth of perspectives, experiences, and ideas that have the potential to enhance the ISF learning environment.

It is generally known that becoming a new teacher in an international school presents both challenges and opportunities. Relocating to a new environment, often far from one's home country and family, can be a daunting task for anyone, especially taking into consideration the potential for culture shock and challenging language barriers. However, the benefits of being part of an international community, such as the exposure to diverse cultures and languages, often outweigh the challenges of relocating to a new environment.

It would seem as though all of our new teachers, or at least the ones that I was able to speak with, are settling into the ISF community admirably

Next we have Ms. Smith, one of the new EAL (English as an Additional Language) teachers this year. Her duty as an EAL teacher is to assist nonnative English speakers with whatever subject they are struggling with, something she has 16 years of experience in, having helped various students all across the United States.

Lastly, we have Mr. Moss, one of the new history and social studies teachers this year. He has lived and taught in many fascinating and interesting countries, such as Krakow, Poland, Edmonton, Canada, and Nicosia, Cyprus - from which he carries valuable knowledge and teaching experience.

Taking our first look into ISF's newest educators, we have Mr. Ruelens. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Mr. Ruelens is not only an English teacher but also the coach of our cross-country club. With 14 years of teaching experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge from his time and experience teaching in locations such as New York, Greece, and Canada.

Though this is an incomplete list of the new teachers at ISF, and only scratching the surface, we hope it offers a glimpse into the new personalities that have joined the teacher’s staff.

On behalf of the entire school, we extend a warm welcome to all our new teachers and students, as we begin this wonderful new school year.

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CREATIVE WRITING

Check out some of our community's creative minds through their writing!

CREATIVE | THE EXPERIMENT

THE EXPERIMENT

By Téa Mijatovic '27 The icy cold raindrops blister my skin as people drop dead around me. From behind, a sack is put over my head and I am swept off my feet. I become stiff and frightened. I try to yell, but it seems there is no voice within me. My ear lays against a chest as it rises and falls, the fast paced footsteps bringing a frosty wind upon me. My thoughts are blurred as a tear runs down my cheek, leaving a mark on the white shirt of my captor. I watch that wet mark the whole way there, imagining the warmth of a single teardrop.

We stop. Not sure where. Not sure why. The only thing I can hear is the ragged breath of this unknown person. I start to become more uncomfortable, the sack around my head is becoming chokingly itchy. I begin to panic, my limbs trying to kick, but being too fragile and unfeeling to do so. The captor must have sensed my want to be released because he throws me onto a rigidly straight chair. He pulls me upright and in one split second the sack is torn from my head. In front of me I see nothing, just blackness. Click. A light above me turns on and before me are three men in all white suits, hair parted perfectly and a pistol secured in each holster. My confusion and fear must have shown through because they each gave a beaming smile, almost a gesture of reassurance. Then the middle, tallest man began to speak, so perfectly it seemed he’d practiced.

“We are working behind the scenes for the government and the president has ordered you to be the sample for the start of our cloning process.”

“Why me?” I ask with frustration in my voice.

“We know you have no family alive and have no home to go back to every night. This is an opportunity for you to make your life worth something. We will provide you with a bed, food and education.”

“I don’t need any of those things from you. I don’t need you all coming into my life, capturing me and then telling me I will be used to clone people. I will not do it.”

“Well then, I really didn’t want to have to do this, '' he says with a wide smile across his face, “if you don't want to do it, we will make you do it.” He takes out a pistol from his holster. My eyes go wide. My heart skips a beat and I leap off the chair, my feet trying to find the ground below me, and I begin to run. I don’t know where I’m headed to, but I need to be anywhere but here.

I feel my shoelaces come undone and the next moment I fall. I’m on the floor now, looking up at this man towering over me, begging, tears rolling down my eyes, “Please, please, just leave me alone, I just want to go home.”

“You have no home”, I hear a shot echo through the tunnel. I feel pain, but I still feel my pulse, and my blood flowing through me. It just makes me feel loopy and tired. Next thing I knew, I was passed out on the cold stone floor.

I wake up, still lying on my side, looking around with confusion. I am on a bed in an all white room, but one wall is all glass. Through it I can see the three men from before, a few men in lab coats, multiple refrigerators and a huge machine. As I am observing, the man who shot me, gives a suspicious look in my direction and then brings the two other men into another room. At first I thought nothing of it until I heard distant voices coming from the vents. I decide to stand on my bed and put my ear close to the cold metal until I can hear their conversation 10 TUSKAN TIMES

CREATIVE | THE EXPERIMENT

I cannot quite make out who said what but one man said, “If we don’t start the process now, everyone will find out it was the US government who let the disease get out of hand. The second someone breathes the air of someone who has the disease, it courses through blood from their lungs and kills them instantly. We will be attacked for not dealing with an overpopulated country more civilly. We need to make enough clones to fill in the gaps of the people who are dying. And we need to do it fast.”

“Well, if she doesn't cooperate then what will we do?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure she does” and this time I think I know who said that. I begin to process the information and understand everything that is going on. I now understand that the government created a disease to kill people because the country was overpopulated but it got out of hand. That's why people were dying all around me and why, suddenly, the government needs clones. They are desperate.

When the conversation ends I lay back down on my bed and act like I heard nothing. I see the men come back into the view of the window. They come towards me and then open the glass door, “Are you ready to begin the process?”

“Do I have any other choice?”

“Well, this area is guarded by thirty heavily armed soldiers who will kill you if you try to escape.” I get off my bed and follow them through the lab until there is a chair and table next to it. I sit down and wait until the scientists come over and start working. It's painful at times when they need to take some of my blood or take some skin, but I had no other choice. For five days in a row, I woke up and sat in the chair for 18 hours.

This was the routine everyday until they were finally done with me. By the end of it, I was fragile and tired. I could barely walk from all their needles and scalpels. I had bruises and cuts. And yet I wasn't sad because I really had nowhere else to go. I was alone.

When the process of the first clone began I was able to see it all from the large glass window in my room.

Scientists were running around holding papers and samples. They placed one thing into another thing and 2 days later they made the first clone. It was marvelous. She looked just like me. She had the same browned tan, dirty blond hair, tall slender figure and dark brown eyes that make you feel like you are looking into a void. I looked at her, but I just felt as if I was looking in the mirror. Every feature and curve was the same.

After that they began producing more, almost 20 a day. During this I am still locked in this white and glass box looking at hundreds of me being produced.

Suddenly, the scientists start screaming, true screams of terror. My pulse is growing faster and I leap from my bed to see what is happening. By the machine, five of the clones are beating up the scientist until his last breath escapes. I stand watching in complete shock as they go from one person to the next. At this moment, I realize the scientists made a huge mistake.

I’m trying to get out of this box so I can stop the machine from producing more, but there is no way out. I'm banging on the glass with all my strength, screaming to get out but everyone is leaving me behind. I slide down to my knees, forehead against the glass and tears welling in my eyes, when someone opens the door. I look up and see the tall slender man from before, he puts out his hand. I grab it and we run as fast as we can.

We are running through a tunnel and around us there are dead guards who had already encountered the clones.

We finally exit the building and in front of me is a city. My city, is the one I lived in, and it is completely quiet.

Everyone is dead from the clones and the disease. Both things are swift and fast, killing people instantly.

There is just me and my captor standing in the middle of nothing. Waiting.

I breathe in. I feel it course through my blood and then we both collapse.

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POLITICS

In this section, our readers explore topics relating to politics around the world.

POLITICS | A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT GERMANY’S RISING FAR-RIGHT

A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT GERMANY’S RISING FAR-RIGHT

By Ezra Pavoncelli '25 A growing discussion has surrounded the political climate of Germany, particularly regarding the increase in votes for the larger Alternative for Germany (AfD) and more niche parties such as the “National Democratic Party of Germany,” “The 3rd Way,” and “The Right Way.” To understand both the German far-right parties and their newfound popularity, it’s important to look at their positions that seem to appeal to German voters. This article will focus on the largest and fastest-growing far-right party, the AfD.

"The Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany) is a party founded in 2013 on the principles of centrist to right-wing policy."

Optically, the AfD is disastrous. Countless members have been photographed proudly performing the Roman Salute. The origins of this are rooted in the Italian nationalist and fascist movements leading to its eventual use in Italy and Germany led by Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler respectively, as well as under the regime of Francisco Franco in Spain, all of whom have held nationalist, identitarian³ views and promoted or performed genocides.

Explaining why the use of this symbolism is incredibly offensive and illegal in several countries, including Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Austria, should be unnecessary. However, it doesn’t end there. The AfD has used a vertically flipped rainbow triangle in campaigns against queer people, the coloured triangle and orientation of it being a symbol reminiscent of the pink triangles that queer people were forced to wear upon being sent to concentration camps by the Nazis.

This would include mild “Euroscepticism¹,” a more liberal economic approach and social conservatism. However, throughout the years their views shifted further right. Now the AfD has expressed positions such as opposition to immigration, opposition to Islam, German nationalism, denial of man-made climate change, national conservatism², a more fully formed Euroscepticism, anti-covid mask regulations, opposition to vaccines, COVID-19 denialism, and multiple accusations and statements relating to denial of the Holocaust as well as opposition to memorials dedicated to it.

“Stop our language from being ruined - Gender ban in universities!” (Referring to gender-neutral language) 14 TUSKAN TIMES

POLITICS | A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT GERMANY’S RISING FAR-RIGHT

If these views, symbols and sentiments seem extreme and repulsive, it's because they are. The denial of the murder of 17-19 million⁴ Jewish, disabled, Soviet, LGBTQ+, Serbian, prisoners of war, Romani and Polish people is just another talking point for the German far-right, as evident not only by their blatant use of Nazi imagery but also by their expressed positions on the Holocaust.

In a speech given by one of the founders of the AfD, Björn Höcke, he proudly proclaimed that “We Germans are the only people in the world who have planted a memorial of shame in the heart of their capital.” Höcke was referring to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe set in Berlin, a Holocaust memorial that has 2711 concrete stelae to serve as a place of warning and remembrance of the atrocities committed against Jewish people. This speech was widely criticised by the German public and politicians for being anti-semitic, but some AfD members saw no such issue.

As for economic policy, the AfD has little to offer.

Apart from the content of their manifesto, there are hardly any actual economic considerations made by party members in the public eye. This is demonstrated by a report published by Matthias Diermeier in which AfD voters were asked whether or not they knew the economic policy of the AfD in 2017. According to the polling, only around 25% of the voters knew what the AfD’s economic advocations were. Of the few economic sentiments they’ve expressed, one such accusation is that the sanctions on Russia for their invasion of Ukraine are harming the German public, which is a factual statement that is rarely disputed.

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"Apart from the content of their manifesto, there are hardly any actual economic considerations made by party members in the public eye."

According to their manifesto, they advocate for the removal of a tax that isn't actively applied and even the removal of the Euro. Furthermore, the AfD has taken a strong stand against any form of wealth redistribution.

“For AfD supporters with lower socio-economic positions, this means that they support economic policies that are against their economic interests. Extreme authoritarian cultural policies spiced up with criticism of the establishment and combined with a general opposition to redistribution can be identified as the AfD’s winning formula.” - Matthias Diermeier, Cologne Institute of Economic Research, and University of Duisburg-Essen.

The AfD has a firm commitment to what they describe as “family values.” The following is an extract from their manifesto’s section entitled “Families and Children,”: “It is a vital concern to the AfD to protect well-established cultural and regional traditions, and to preserve proven institutions. They keep people grounded and connected. Marriage and family are the nucleus and germ cells of civil society and a cornerstone of social cohesion, and therefore deserve special protection from government.” The growing concern in European countries regarding birthrates is not entirely unwarranted as the number of children per woman hovers around the statistic of 1.4 (below the replacement requirement of 2). This is observable in almost all industrialised countries and is simply a product of it. Some countries have combatted this with policies to aid parents in childcare, healthcare and parental leave.

POLITICS | A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT GERMANY’S RISING FAR-RIGHT

One such example of some of these policies benefiting the ability to have a sustainable birth rate is Nagi, Japan, raising their birthrate to 2.69 births per woman in 2019. However, this is not exactly the approach of the AfD. According to their manifesto, they outline their plans to combat this issue which include starting a public discussion about the topic. The AfD also advocates for the goal of abortion counselling to be changed from looking at the most sustainable, safe path for the parents to the “protection of the unborn.” They deny abortions being a human right, contrary to the assertions of hundreds of medical and human rights organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Amnesty International, the United Nations (UN) and Human Rights Watch.

That was the sentiment proposed by a representative of the party, Wolfgang Gedeon.

That statement does not assert an actual political point, and it's not supposed to. It is simply a predation upon emotion and a limited understanding of politics. Such rhetoric embodies the modern far-right movement in the Western world.

"One of the strongest points they push is the belief that climate change is not a man-made issue and should therefore not be combatted."

“Meanwhile, reactionary populism describes extreme right-wing populism and is practically synonymous with the “radical right.” It is most associated with anti-immigration policies and extreme nationalism; Donald Trump’s campaign was a perfect example. These sorts of parties also have very strong followings in many European nations today.” - European Center for Populism Studies.

Unsurprisingly, the AfD is staunchly antiimmigration. This ties into their nationalist, identitarian views as it seeks to create a racially homogenous Germany. The pursuit of such a cause is dangerous to both the German public and the people who do not conform to the “German identity” the AfD harps on.

An issue of growing importance is our current climate catastrophe and as such political parties are expected to present policies in order to change the impending doom we face as a result. The AfD does present some perspectives on environmental issues. One of the strongest points they push is the belief that climate change is not a man-made issue and should therefore not be combatted.

“The AfD's rejection of climate protection measures surpasses those of many other European far-right parties. The party doubts fundamental scientific findings about humancaused climate change, and considers the corresponding climate protection measures to be pointless." - Christoph Richter, Institute for Democracy and Civil Society.

The AfD is a party that focuses more on reactionary and inflammatory statements than politically sound positions as perfectly displayed by their equivocation of feminism, sexuality and immigration to “Green Communism.”

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And to only make matters worse, Marcus Pretzell, the MEP of the AfD at the time, expressed his desire for the borders of Germany to be “protected from refugees with armed force as a measure of last resort.” Pretzell wasn’t the only AfD member to spout such violent rhetoric though, shortly after the AfD’s then-party chair and MEP Frauke Petry expressed a similar sentiment and encouraged the use of firearms against refugees “if necessary.”

POLITICS | A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT GERMANY’S RISING FAR-RIGHT

Petry later tried to clarify and justify her statements encouraging the assault of men, women and children seeking refugee status in Germany. Unfortunately, only Pretzell was expelled from the party. That is not the end of the AfD’s vile assertions as one of the AfD’s former press officers stated, “The worse things get for Germany, the better they are for the AfD,” then shifting his attention to the topic of immigrants, “We can always shoot them later, that's not an issue. Or gas them, as you wish. It doesn't matter to me.” Aside from drumming up shock and rage within the German public, it also resembles the type of rhetoric used in Nazi Germany. Demonising a population and advocating for systematic murder, then selling such ideals to the public as a “just cause.”

One of the biggest crises states are facing in terms of international relations is the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in particular⁵. As any political party should, the AfD does have an action plan for this conflict. These plans favour the aggressor, Russia. The AfD claims to be pro-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) yet opposes the sanctions imposed on the country as a result of its violent threat against the democracy and sovereignty of another nation-state. The party seeks to tell the tale that the invasion of Ukraine is damaging Germany, which is true. However, the result of such assertions from the AfD is not to prevent Russia’s invasion or to aid Ukraine in seeking a safe result for the citizens but rather to prevent supplies and military aid to Ukraine.

In summary, the AfD is a party that promotes extreme right-wing, reactionary policy that has the potential to create untold havoc and instability with their foreign and domestic policies. Their consistent use of the appeal to tradition fallacy⁶ indicates a lack of innovative and effective policy.

The party is predicated upon a variety of backward, unconstructive policies that do not seek to improve the lives of the people in Germany, but rather to accomplish their own political motives.

These motives are primarily related to culture, race, religion, and sexuality and are done by their use of fear-mongering. The denial of scientific evidence regarding their perspectives on climate change and COVID-19 is a sound reason to discredit the AfD’s reliability and honesty as well as their ability to protect the public. Their manifesto and ideology are littered to the brim with policy prescriptions that disproportionately target minority and marginalised groups and publically use violent rhetoric and Nazi ideals against the aforementioned groups. The AfD emboldens the “Blood and Soil”⁷ideals of the Third Reich as shown by their use of genocidal rhetoric which is all the more concerning and dangerous.

They do little to address the real concerns of the German people but rather invent moral panics that drive voters to the policies that claim to fix the perceived issues they manufactured. The rise of these parties marks a disturbing reemergence of extreme right-wing populism within Europe. The mistakes made by brutal regimes of the past are not to be repeated or admired, we must pursue progress and change that is equal and just.

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” -George Santayana, Harvard, King’s College, and Cambridge.

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Footnotes: 1. Euroscepticism is a belief that promotes wariness and/or critiques further integration between EU member states or European countries.

2. National conservatism is an ideology that advocates for the upholding of cultural and national identities within a country.

3. Identitarianism is an ethno-nationalist movement that claims white Europeans have a right to the territories of Europe by virtue of them being white Europeans.

4. The figure 17-19 million deaths is the estimated figure of all the victims; of which around 6 million were Jewish. These appear to be the figures with the most consensus, though it's not exact and murder and persecution still existed outside of the Holocaust.

5. The February 2022 invasion of Ukraine is not the same as the Russo-Ukrainian war, but rather a part of it.

The Russo-Ukrainian war beginnings are in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, the full military invasion of the country only occurred in 2022 when Russia escalated the conflict.

6. This fallacy is defined by the notion that change should be denied because traditions exist and the aspects of the past should be upheld.

7. Blood and Soil (Blut und Boden) is a phrase from the Third Reich that, similarly to identitarianism, asserts that white, German people have the right to European territories or Lebensraum (Living space).

POLITICS | TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTERS

TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND THE JUNE 2023 MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTER AS METAPHORS FOR GREATER ISSUES OF DISPARITY WORLDWIDE

By Elena Sofia Uzielli ‘25 Our world is built on a hierarchy of money. The unequal distribution of wealth allows for situations where our collective societal awareness, interest, and resources are focused on one group rather than another. More often than not this group includes the beneficiaries of the polarisation of wealth rather than the victims. To put it in simpler terms; the rich get more attention on a global scale than the poor. Think of the average teenager; they could probably name at least ten of the richest celebrities but not ten of the poorest countries.

And not only could they name the celebrities, but they could also tell you a few facts about each, perhaps their last failed marriage or social scandal.

However, this could never be true for facts about the poverty as a result of war in South Sudan. This could never be true for the internally displaced persons in Syria. This could never be true for the refugees in Nagorno-Karabakh. This could never be true for the 80 million Indians living below the poverty line of $1.25 a day.

The vast majority of people living in MEDCs (More Economically Developed Countries) are not even remotely informed enough about the situations and struggles in most LEDCs (Less Economically Developed Countries), hence the lack of concrete action on the part of those with potential to carry it out.

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Whether it is spontaneous or involuntary, the absence of factual, emotionally involving information and news coverage about underprivileged or less privileged individuals and communities plays a crucial role in the widespread disinterest and emotional numbness about issues that plague societies different from our own – more fortunate – ones.

A prime example of the abyss between the collective attention given to more and less privileged groups of people is the disappearance and eventual implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible at the very start of last summer.

Social backlash emphasised the unfairness of the size of the search and rescue operation. However, all responses were strongly biassed to one side rather than the other and didn’t give a comprehensive and holistic view of the discrepancies in media coverage of the Titan as opposed to other, less “cinematic” but arguably more tragic events that happened around the same time, such as the capsizing of a boat carrying up to 750 migrants from Northern Africa to Italy.

The “Titan vs migrant boat” dilemma highlighted three types of inequality that can serve as a metaphor for the greater issue of our economic system; the effective wealth of all passengers, news coverage, and rescue efforts.

POLITICS | TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTERS

The first point – unequal distribution of wealth – is widely discussed and addressed by people, activists, and experts across the globe. When roughly 10% of the world’s population lives in poverty and billionaires like Jeff Bezos can afford to spend 5.5 billion dollars on a 4 minute trip to space, you know there’s something wrong with the flow and distribution of money. There was plenty of controversy about the five passengers on the Titan spending 250 thousand (a quarter of a million) dollars for an 8-hour trip to the wreckage of the Titanic, which is part of what fuelled the strong ‘eat the rich’ style sentiments born from the Titan submersible incident.

“When roughly 10% of the world’s population lives in poverty and billionaires like Jeff Bezos can afford to spend 5.5 billion dollars on a 4 minute trip to space, you know there’s something wrong with the flow and distribution of money.”

The younger generation in particular had lots to say about the overindulgent capitalist interests and forms of entertainment that the five men evidently had, as was shown by the general schadenfreude that characterised responses and reactions to the implosion. For instance, notoriously leftist British journalist Ash Sarkar, senior editor at Novara Media, tweeted “If the super-rich can spend £250,000 on vanity jaunts 2.4 miles beneath the ocean then they're not being taxed enough.” Instances such as this sparked controversy and accusations of “dehumanising” comments made as reactions to the Titan incident.

However, many of the accused responded by highlighting that they were fighting for visibility for other disasters that didn’t involve the upper extremes of the global wealth hierarchy.

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While it is true that the submersible incident benefited from the novelty factor (seeing as it isn’t every day that you hear of five millionaires lost under the ocean in a minivan size capsule), it is also true that this shouldn’t take away from the attention given to – unfortunately – oftenoccurring yet overlooked events such as the perilous voyage across the Mediterranean of African and Middle Eastern migrants in search of a better life.

Another aspect that factored into the inequality in media and popular attention was, as psychologists later put it, the “power of the individual”. The five passengers of the Titan – Stockton Rush (founder and CEO of OceanGate), Hamish Harding (British businessman), Paul-Henri Nargeolet (French explorer), Shahzada Dawood (Pakistani businessman), and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood – attracted more news coverage due to both their wealth and the small group size.

Psychologists stated that it is hard to relate to the individual when discussing larger tragedies, but when there are fewer people involved, whose names and stories we know, we are sometimes able to empathise as we can begin to comprehend the human emotions they felt.

“...when there are fewer people involved, whose names and stories we know, we are sometimes able to empathise as we can begin to comprehend the human emotions they felt. “

POLITICS | TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTERS

This, as well as the nervous crescendo as the planet held its breath during the worldwide countdown for the hours of oxygen left in Titan, led to the extensive news coverage which moved people’s attention away from other crises. Namely, on June 14, just a couple days prior to Titan’s disappearance (it was last in contact on June 18th), an overcrowded vessel capsized carrying up to 750 Pakistani, Syrian, Egyptian and Palestinian refugees and migrants across the Mediterranean.

Only 104 people were rescued alive. Despite its decidedly higher death count, the vessel, which capsized off the coast of Greece in the early hours of June 14th, did not receive the 24/7 obsessive media coverage that the Titan submersible did.

And, sadly, the coverage it did receive had an air of weary repetition since it is neither the first nor will it be the last time that we hear of a group of “illegal” brown people putting their entire world on the line to cross the Mediterranean on unsafe boats with the slim chance of finding a life better than the one they left behind. We use facelessness and anonymity to justify our emotional numbness to these recurring incidents. Otherwise, our consciences would have to bear the weight of the lives of each of the 25,000 human beings who have drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to get to Europe since 2014.

“We use facelessness and anonymity to justify our emotional numbness to these recurring incidents.”

The June 2023 migrant boat disaster was the second-deadliest refugee and migrant shipwreck on record (second only to the 2015 Strait of Sicily tragedy involving a migrant boat from Libya in which 1100 people died). One of the few survivors told CNN “You’d swim and move floating bodies out of your way.”

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In a world where wealth and attention are distributed evenly, the North African and Middle Eastern migrants would also be worthy of immediate international aid and search-andrescue efforts. However, seeing as disparity is the key ingredient in global politics, five rich men are put in the spotlight while 750 underprivileged migrants are criminalised and banished to the margins of human history. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, was reportedly aware of the migrant vessel’s dangerous, arguably hopeless, situation a full day before it sank. Despite this, they did not act. On the other hand, the international rescue effort for the Titan submersible involved close cooperation between the authorities and teams of equipment from at least five countries; United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Many people argued that this was a grave misallocation of society’s and various governments’ resources, seeing as notably more time, funds, and supplies were put towards finding five men who had deliberately and knowingly gotten into an unsafe submersible than were put towards saving the lives of 750 individuals who had been forced to flee their homes due to inhumane circumstances characterised by war, poverty, and oppression.

POLITICS | TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTERS

It may – and has – been argued that the five passengers of the Titan essentially strapped themselves into an underwater death trap. The submersible did not meet the safety criteria imposed by US law, and OceanGate was sued multiple times by experts, former employees, and engineers for violation of safety regulations. The materials, size, and structure of the submersible did not comply with requirements and Titan was only controlled by a Sony PlayStation remote.

Stockton Rush, CEO and founder of OceanGate, publicly stated that he thought “Safety is just pure waste.” This nonchalant approach was clearly reflected in the tragic outcome of the mission but, once again, the tour was a completely voluntary endeavour in which the passengers chose and paid to partake. This is mainly what made the incident an easy target for general frustration about society. However, other sources claim that the passengers were misled about the safety of the vessel, and were assured of its structural integrity before their ultimately fatal descent to the wreckage of the Titanic.

“We, as a society, are attracted to the new and unprecedented, and often overlook more commonlyoccuring yet equally – if not more – tragic incidents.”

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In either case, it is indisputable that the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece and the disappearance and eventual implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible served to underline the deeply-rooted inequality in our economic and social system. “Ours is a world in which the lives of a few matter significantly more than the lives of the many” (Al Jazeera). We, as a society, are attracted to the new and unprecedented, and often overlook more commonly-occuring yet equally – if not more – tragic incidents. Moreover, the unequal distribution of wealth, attention, and news coverage allows for situations where the collective focus is on the few, but wealthy rather than the many, but underprivileged. This leads to general disinterest, emotional numbness, and ever-growing disparities on a socioeconomic plane.

POLITICS | HAS AFRICA'S REJECTION OF DEMOCRACY CAUSED THE COUP RESURGENCE?

HAS AFRICA'S REJECTION OF DEMOCRACY CAUSED THE COUP RESURGENCE?

By Dimitri Bonneville '25

In the last few years, there have been over a dozen coup d’etat attempts in West Africa, which has become a growing sign of political instability in the region. The last overthrown government was in Gabon, ending the generational rule of the Bongo family and marking the 100th successful coup in Africa since the end of colonialism in each respective country. What has been causing all of these putsches? Is it related to the political ideologies, the leaders of the nation, or other factors that have influenced many military groups to take control?

To begin with, the recent coups in Guinea (2021) and Niger (2023) are all significant examples of the rejection of democracy in West Africa, as elected leaders were toppled by the military and public support for the new government was expressed by civilians. For example, on September 5, 2021, the armed forces allegedly kidnapped former president, Alpha Condé, and took control of the government in order to end “poverty and endemic corruption”. Is this anarchic behavior justified?

Certainly not, due to its aggressive nature; however, its reasoning is evident. Condé overruled the two-term limit stated in the nation’s constitution by proposing a cunning constitutional referendum and masking the corruption with additional liberal and progressive laws.

Not to mention Condé’s lack of effort to combat poverty, despite the rich minerals, such as iron, gold, and diamond, that the country possesses, only catalyzed distaste towards the political figure.

Moreover, three months ago in Niger, the world observed a coup against a completely different type of democracy. Mohamed Bazoum, the president of the country elected in 2020, was deposed on the 26th of July and kept under house arrest in his presidential palace.

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Unlike Condé, the reasons behind Bazoum’s expulsion are less evident considering that the president was not overly corruptive and was a major ally of Western countries.

However, his “good” leadership from the Western perspective does not take into account the opinions and lives of the locals in Niger.

“ However, his “good” leadership from the Western perspective does not take into account the opinions and lives of the locals in Niger.”

For example, many of the Sahel’s leaders, including Niger, have been accused by civilians of laundering most of the money given by France and the USA instead of prioritizing issues such as poverty and malnourishment. Moreover, there was a “strong anti-French sentiment” due to the European government’s neglect of corruption and their ignorance towards the poor treatment of the people. All of this depicts obvious or discrete examples of democratic leaders not fulfilling their duties from the people’s perspective, leading to a coup overthrowing them from power.

POLITICS | TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTERS

“ All of this depicts obvious or discrete examples of democratic leaders not fulfilling their duties from the people’s perspective, leading to a coup overthrowing them from power.”

Many people have acknowledged this democratic backsliding as shown by the surveys conducted by Afrobarometer, since only 44% surveyed say that elections work well to remove leaders from power, a sign that democracy potentially does not work in these countries.

On the other hand, some recent coups have taken power away from authoritarian leaders, like in Gabon (2023) and Sudan (2019/21). Firstly, Gabon’s was the most recent coup in Africa and had a roaring success among civilians. Ali Bongo and his father, Omar Bongo, had a total of almost 60 years in power in Gabon, despite the country’s efforts to impose democracy. Unlike Guinea however, the Bongo family put little effort into disguising their corruption.

Unfortunately for Ali Bongo, this led to a military coup on the 30th of August, leaving him under house arrest. This coup marked a tipping point in the people’s ability to endure authoritarian rule in the country, considering the election four days prior, during which Bongo unsurprisingly won with 64% of the votes. Additionally, Sudan’s politics over the last few years have been incredibly complex and unstable. On April 11, 2019, the threedecade rule of Omar al-Bashir ended with a coup by the Sudanese Armed Forces, imposing a military-led transitional government, which was to be in place for the next two years.

Even though the people were content to see the end to al-Bashir’s rule, they still expressed a great desire for a civilian-led transitional government.

However, despite multiple talks between the military and civilians, tensions and conflict kept on rising, leading to another coup on the 21st of September 2021, launched by al-Bashir loyalists, and a counter-coup on October 25th, about a year before the scheduled elections in 2022.

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Currently, the country is surrounded by constant conflict, with the lingering threat of a civil war. All of this demonstrates examples of authoritarian regimes toppling down due to a resurgence of military coups due to their long-lasting presence in power.

“Currently, the country is surrounded by constant conflict, with the lingering threat of a civil war.”

All of this demonstrates examples of authoritarian regimes toppling down due to a resurgence of military coups due to their long-lasting presence in power.

Even though poor governance is an undeniable cause for many of these military coups, it is far from the only one. Each country has its own nuances that can change the reasoning behind the putsches, such as insecurity and unthoughtful action by international bodies.

For example, Burkina Faso and Niger have had a large presence of Jihadist groups interfering with people’s safety. More recently, 29 soldiers were killed in Niger by an attack caused by hundreds of al-Qaeda and Islamic State members at the beginning of October. The fear that France will stop supporting the region with military aid, as had been shown by their withdrawal of infantry, has caused the people to plead with the government for heavier action or, in the case of Niger, overthrow the state completely.

POLITICS | TITAN SUBMERSIBLE AND MIGRANT VESSEL DISASTERS

“The fear that France will stop supporting the region with military aid, as had been shown by their withdrawal of infantry, has caused the people to plead with the government for heavier action or, in the case of Niger, overthrow the state completely.”

Moreover, Jihadist groups have caused the people to look for alternative support, leading to the integration of the Russian mercenary group Wagner. The support for Russia has escalated hatred towards France and the French-supporting government, a sign that is incredibly beneficial for the Federation, which is isolated from Europe due to the war in Ukraine. However, it is important to note that the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner, probably disrupted the mercenaries' activity in West Africa. Lastly, the actions of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have not been able to mitigate the coup resurgence. To some extent, international bodies’ lack of regulation against illegal and unconstitutional changes by previous leaders, such as the aforementioned Alpha Condé, has undermined their own authority and pointed towards their corruptive biases.

Instead of maintaining discipline and accountability with all political entities, their prejudice against military putsches has only escalated their fury for problematic leaders.

In conclusion, poor and selfish leadership, whether it is democratic or authoritarian, has the tendency to lead to coup attempts with civilian support.

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However, this does not mean that Africa has rejected democracy as a viable political ideology – in fact, 55% of people in authoritarian regimes and 67% of people in democratic countries believe that democracy is preferable in Africa, as concluded by a survey by the UNDP. This simply indicates that African nations need good leadership that will represent their values and beliefs while also listening to their voices in order to operate as successful nations. This is not to say that it is the only method of progressing as a community; most notably, Rwanda is an example of a more successful authoritarian country relative to others, but the small state in East Africa is an exception that does not follow the rule. Therefore, with a sense of community, Africa could finally unlock its full potential provided by the minerals, the natural beauty, and the people of these nations.

POLITICS | NATURAL DISASTERS IN MOROCCO AND LIBYA

THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON MOROCCO AND LIBYA

By Lyra Gomes ‘25

On September 8th, prodigious earthquakes struck Morocco, followed by horrific floods in Libya two days later. These natural disasters drove both countries into political upheaval and chaos. As we delve into this article, we will be exploring the heart-wrenching events that transpired and the contradicting ways both countries deal with it.

Morocco, a nation renowned for its rich cultural legacy and varied landscapes, was recently affected by one of the most powerful earthquakes to strike North Africa in more than 120 years. The 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. It is known to have killed at least 3,000 people, including children, with thousands more injured. In Libya, the city of Derna bore the effects of flooding as two dams in the city collapsed, causing an overflow of mud and water.

The Libya Red Crescent reported that as of Friday morning, 11,000 people were reported dead in addition to 10,100 missing. Out of the approximately 150,000 people who were living there before the accident, over 30,000 have been forced to leave. Not many reporters and foreign assistance organisations have been able to access both the flooding and earthquake areas. In truth, the crisis may be worse than expected. Morocco’s and Libya’s respective capacities to handle these disasters differ significantly.

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Derna is in the Eastern region of Libya, and is controlled by Gen Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army. The United Nations believe that an earlier warning could have prevented most deaths.

This caused public outrage, as the public suspected the Libyan government already knew of this and the fact that an earlier warning could have prevented most of the damages. Forces under the command of Khalifa Haftar are repressing protests and detaining opponents. Saddam, Haftar’s 32year-old son, has been chosen as chief of emergency operations, despite having no prior experience. This suggests that Haftar intends to use relief efforts to consolidate control. A Chatham House analyst, also speculated that Haftar might try to use resources for domestic and foreign help for personal advantage. Although it's unclear how these developments would affect Libya's stability, it's notable that Haftar travelled to Moscow later in September to deepen his personal ties with Russia.

“This suggests that Haftar intends to use relief efforts to consolidate control.”

Politicians in Libya have requested that the attorney general open a prompt investigation “to hold responsible everyone who made a mistake or neglected by refraining from acting or taking acts that resulted in the collapse of the city’s dams.”

International aid only arrived in Derna two days after the accident took place. According to Beaumont, a senior international reporting for the Guardian, “we don’t fully understand the scope of the catastrophe.” He mentions: “Are there really 20,00 dead, as the mayor of Derna says? It could be more.”

POLITICS | NATURAL DISASTERS IN MOROCCO AND LIBYA

Lutfi al-Misrati, the director of the search team, told Al Jazeera that he worries the city might contract an epidemic since there are so many dead in the river under the rubble and that bags are required for bodies. The Derna catastrophe has exacerbated Libya's political impasse and the absence of democracy. The international community remained silent while the Haftar family interfered with humanitarian relief for Derna by carrying out a severe crackdown on the survivors of the tragedy. Field Marshal Haftar received commendations for his honourable conduct during times of adversity.

Only teams from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and the UK have been permitted entry thus far. Assistance has not been accepted from, most notably, the previous colonial power --France--, as well as Taiwan, Turkey, Tunisia, or the US. After years of tense relations, Morocco's ruler, Mohammed VI, rejected backing from Paris, which controlled Morocco as a colony between 1912 and 1956. The king, who seems to despise the French government, ironically spends the majority of his year in an €80 million residence in Paris and owns an 18th-century Château.

“The Derna catastrophe has exacerbated Libya's political impasse and the absence of democracy.”

Additionally, in Morocco, most of the media are focusing on Marrakech; however the rural province of Al-Haouz was hit far worse. The province is mountainous, which made rescue attempts difficult after the earthquake and is likely to have an effect on the restoration process. The earthquake only aggravates the nation’s inequality.

The region's most affected areas already had high poverty levels, thus requiring significant governmental assistance. The fund established following the earthquake may not be sufficient to address the problem. The government has been criticised for refusing greater help.

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Due to these disasters, children face serious problems in the aftermath of these catastrophes, for instance, delays in education, starvation, drowning risks and more. UNICEF responds to these disasters by offering life-saving assistance and working with local authorities. They work to preserve children’s health, nutrition, and welfare in addition to providing water, sanitation and physiological support. Now, introducing a global spokesperson working in emergencies at UNICEF headquarters in New York; Ricardo Pires. In this exclusive interview, we gain invaluable insights on how UNICEF employs in addressing multifaceted challenges when it comes to natural disasters:

POLITICS | NATURAL DISASTERS IN MOROCCO AND LIBYA

How has UNICEF been involved in the response efforts in both countries?

UNICEF’s primary role at the onset and aftermath of any humanitarian disaster is to provide lifesaving services and aid to all children who have been impacted and are in need. However, this response has to be done in collaboration with local authorities at all levels. Our services include child protection, nutrition, health, and water and sanitation support.

In Morocco, UNICEF was ready to deploy staff and supplies to affected communities, but the Government chose not to request for official engagement, hence we were not part of the immediate response. We are on standby and ready to support when given the green light by those whose prerogative is to make such a decision.

Another serious concern for UNICEF is the prevention of water borne diseases, such as cholera and acute watery diarrhea.

To prevent that, we work on the restoration of safe water and ensure water quality monitoring. We also support hospitals and primary health care centers with medicines and equipment, together with other humanitarian and development partners.

UNICEF supports the procurement of vaccines and preparing for vaccination campaigns, including against cholera.

Reaching children with psychosocial support is also essential. Many have seen loved ones die, were forced out of their homes and in many cases separated from their families. Both on earthquakes and floods, UNICEF works to ensure children are safe and reunited with their loved ones.

The opposite happened in Libya. From the very beginning, UNICEF was authorised to reach affected areas and support thousands of children who got displaced and separated from their families. When the disaster broke, we received reports that thousands had died, many were missing and at least 30,000 people are estimated to have been displaced just in Derna, many of them expected to be children.

In Libya, the storm hit areas where already vulnerable communities live, following over a decade of unrelenting conflict. How is that going to impact children and communities?

What are the main dangers for children in the aftermath of such disasters?

There is rubble everywhere; cars that have been flipped upside down, and the entry to Derna for example, the most impacted area, has been very compromised. Critical infrastructure has been damaged across north-eastern Libya, particularly roads and bridges, but also disruptions to the telecommunications networks. Children depend upon this to survive and thrive, hence their needs will now be much bigger and the right resources need to be in place to ensure they are met.

When floods and earthquakes hit communities, thousands of people and children get displaced and in many cases lose their homes. The aftermath of floods, for example, is often more deadly for children than the extreme weather event itself.

Children are among the most vulnerable and are at high risk of drowning, disease outbreaks, lack of safe drinking water, malnutrition, disruption in learning, and violence. UNICEF has to reach as many children as possible. They need shelter, safe drinking water, medical supplies, and to be urgently unified with family members.

Psychosocial support is also critical.

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Indeed, people in the impacted areas have been on a slow path to recovery after years and years of war. Now, this path has been shattered by water and torrential floods.

POLITICS | NATURAL DISASTERS IN MOROCCO AND LIBYA

What are the immediate needs of the affected communities, especially children and vulnerable populations, in Morocco and Libya?

How is UNICEF addressing these needs?

As UNICEF, our key priority is helping the affected children and communities with the provision of much needed life saving supplies, and we are getting the required support from the authorities.

In Libya, we are coordinating closely with the Government’s emergency response partner, the Libya Red Crescent Society, and with the Crises Cell Committee in the East and the West, and other local and international organizations on the ground.

Beyond the immediate risks of death and injury, the severe floods in Libya put children at increased danger of waterborne diseases, dehydration and malnutrition. UNICEF is on the ground and deploying teams to hard-to-reach areas as well as humanitarian supplies to help every child in need but the situation remains dire.

Can you discuss the impact of the floods on children's education and access to healthcare in Libya and Morocco? What steps are being taken to address these challenges?

On top of losing their homes and in some cases their loved ones, when such disasters happen children are also deprived of their education and access to school. Beyond long-term academic outcomes, not being able to see teachers and friends in school becomes an additional stress factor that puts a dangerous strain on children’s mental health. Reopening of schools and the provision of temporary education is essential, but in most cases school facilities end up becoming temporary shelter for thousands of displaced families and children. Schools should be reopened as soon as possible to allow children to process their distress in a safe space and surrounded by people they trust and feel at ease with.

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“On top of losing their homes and in some cases their loved ones, when such disasters happen children are also deprived of their education and access to school.”

How can countries be better prepared for natural disasters such as this?

With extreme weather events increasing in frequency and intensity, governments must invest in better warning systems and infrastructure to protect vulnerable populations with incredible urgency. It is essential that we safeguard the health, safety, learning and opportunities of every child by adapting the critical social services they rely on such as water and sanitation (WASH), health, education, nutrition, social protection and child protection services and infrastructure, so they are resilient to the impacts of disasters.

Unfortunately, adaptation and resilience building remains critically underfunded and underresourced. It’s high time we increase the funds allocated towards this important work and prioritise children as we allocate them.

“It’s high time we increase the funds allocated towards this important work and prioritise children as we allocate them. “ The floods in Libya and the earthquakes in Morocco have revealed the major gaps in disaster response. This significantly impacted the lives of innocent people, including children. UNICEF is actively engaging in providing assistance to the affected communities, particularly in ensuring health, eduction, and wellbeing of children. Given the rising of extreme weather occurrences worldwide, these disasters emphasise the critical need for enhanced emergency planning and resilience-building.

MEDIA & CULTURE

!Our writers provide new takes on anything cultural!

Our writers provide new takes on anything cultural.

CULTURE | A POP CULTURE RECAP OF SUMMER 2023

A POP CULTURE RECAP OF SUMMER 2023

By Miyu Li ‘25

COLLEEN BALLINGER: GROOMING ALLEGATIONS AND UKULELE RESPONSE: Colleen Ballinger has been a YouTube sensation for over a decade, gaining tens of millions of fans, many of whom discovered her when they were teenagers or even younger. They were smitten by her comedy - her alter ego Miranda Sings - a talentless adolescent who believes she can sing despite always being off-key - being the main selling point. However, throughout the month of June, many of her fans came forward to talk about her inappropriate behavior towards them. Evidence of the influencer texting ill-suited questions to said fans, who were all at the time minors, was exposed to the internet, however no sexual crime was actually committed.

“Out of these accusations, the ones made by Adam McIntyre, an ex-fan of Ballinger, were the ones that reached people.”

Out of these accusations, the ones made by Adam McIntyre, an ex-fan of Ballinger, were the ones that reached people. McIntyre came forward, and made a video on Youtube, accusing the Youtuber of many heinous actions, including sending him a set of lingerie back when he was a minor. Ballinger replied with a video titled “Addressing everything”, defending herself but also admitting to the claims.

She states: “I sent a child underwear… And wow, anyone who heard this out of context and was offended, I completely understand because I would be too. But in this situation context is everything…

I’ve always given away weird stuff, and so in my mind at the time, this was no different than all the other weird stuff I’ve sent to my fans as a joke…”

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Throughout the whole video, Ballinger never apologized once for her actions but instead tried to justify herself, which is a pattern that is seen in her June “apology” video as well. Ballinger then took advantage of her fame and allegedly manipulated one of her fans to make a video discrediting McIntyre, to take him down behind the scenes, however this attempt failed as the fan later confessed to Ballinger’s work.

As new allegations were made by other fans, exemployees and ex-friends of Ballinger during June, the Youtuber came out with a video addressing the controversies that resurfaced. Said video consisted of a 10-minute ukulele song, in which Ballinger expresses her point of view on the situation. She claims that some allegations weren’t true and victimizes herself based on it, as she states “doesn’t matter if it’s true though, just as long as it’s entertaining to you.” Ballinger admits to texting in close proximity to her fans, oversharing about events of her life, however she claims that these interactions weren’t creepy at all and that she intended to be a “bestie” to her followers. The video gained track thanks to the repeating “toxic gossip train” in the song, as many people found it funny, adding to the hate directed towards Ballinger. Later in the song, she claims that she thinks she isn’t personally in the wrong, seen also in the lack of an overall apology throughout the 10 minutes video.

CULTURE | A POP CULTURE RECAP OF SUMMER 2023

Other parts of the videos went viral over the internet for the degree of ridiculousness they held, namely “the only thing i’ve ever groomed is my two persian cats” and “I’m not a groomer, just a loser”.

At last, Colleen Ballinger’s name eventually disappeared from mainstream media after a few weeks from the publication of the video, however the fate of her career as an influencer is uncertain.

ARIANA GRANDE AND ETHAN SLATER: The month of July, in terms of media, was pestered with Ariana Grande being accused of being a homewrecker. The accusation came from the events that took place across the month, as she allegedly had an affair with her co-star of Wicked, Ethan Slater. The allegations came out shortly after Grande’s divorce announcements and a week before Slater’s separation announcement with his wife and mother of his children, Lilly Jay. The timing is not a mere coincidence as, according to reports, the couple began dating after their divorces from their respective partners. Jay stated that Grande was "not a girl's girl." "My family is just collateral damage," she continues, insinuating that she accuses the pop star of being a homewrecker that ruined her family, however Jay fails to realize the wrongdoings of her own ex-husband, the person that chose to allegedly cheat on her.

From this scandal, other information about Grande’s love life resurfaced, as people on social media, especially TikTok, have found a pattern in Grande’s past relationships. Many, in fact, state that Grande has a history of going after men that were already in a relationship. Late actress Naya Rivera mentions in her book “Sorry not sorry: Dreams, Mistakes and Growing up”,

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that while she was in a relationship with american rapper Big Sean, “Shmariana Schmande” was trying to get in the picture and “poach” him away, which we can assume to have worked, as Grande and the rapper dated soon after. Moreover, Pete Davidson broke up with his girlfriend, Cazzie David, and right after entered a relationship with the pop star.

Neither Grande nor Slater have come forward to give their input on this situation to the present time, nor did they actually confirm the allegations o and they instead engaged in their relationship quietly, without appealing to the media.

THE BARBENHEIMER EFFECT: At the end of the month of July, two of the biggest movies of the year were released to the public: the Barbie movie and Oppenheimer. Both of the movies had enormous success across media, respectively earning over 1.4 billion USD and over 930 million USD at the worldwide box office. Barbie was able to reach the top place as the best selling movie of 2023, while Oppenheimer became the highest grossing movie regarding World War II in history. Despite being so comically different, they both took the internet by storm because of it.

“Despite being so comically different, they both took the internet by storm because of it.”

The contrast between the two sensations is pretty evident as Oppenheimer’s visual strength consists of the black and white usage, to convey a more “historical” effect , while, on the other hand, Barbie is truly glowing in pink, reports stating that the amount of pink used on the backgrounds caused an international shortage of pink paint. Nevertheless, regardless of the clear differences in plot, visuals and themes, what the two movies have in common is the odd behavior displayed by the fans on the internet, especially TikTok. It became viral the usance to dress up in extremely feminine pink outfits to attend the screenings of Barbie, while for Oppenheimer, people went in cinemas dressed in suits. This trend isn’t new, as we saw the same happening back in 2022 when the Minions movie was released.

CULTURE | A POP CULTURE RECAP OF SUMMER 2023

The dissimilarities were also a source of memes that plastered social medias throughout the whole month, sometimes resurfacing even now, people entertaining themselves by making jokes or picking sides and having discussions on which one is the better one, creating a competitive side to sensation. The latter indeed contributed to the rise to popularity between the two masterpieces, having an enormous impact on the internet, as it was the talk of the month.

Barbie, especially, was able to have a major influence on society as a whole, as Gerwig was able to hide deep feminist meanings behind the colorful and lightweight mood set by the scenery.

For example, it highlights the problems that women go through every day contrasting it with the fantasy world that Barbieland is, creating a clear contrast appreciated by the target audience.

However, the movie was subject to criticism, with people claiming that the portrayal of toxic masculinity doesn’t apply to all men, but in reality, the film was able to convey that men, just like women, are victims of the patriarchy that dusts upon us to the present day. While not all men were able to understand the deeper statement that Barbie gives, the latter definitely was able to open the eyes to many, as it gives explicit insight to women’s struggles.

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MEDIA | 8 PASSENGERS: FROM “MOM-FLUENCER” TO CHILD ABUSER

8 PASSENGERS: FROM “MOM-FLUENCER” TO CHILD ABUSER

By Coco Ferrari-Ross ‘26

The so-called “Mom-fluencer” Ruby Franke, owner of the popular-now defunct- YouTube vlog and advice channel 8 Passengers has just been taken into the custody of the Salt Lake City police department. six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah, each count being for fifteen years in prison, left millions of followers and viewers on her various social media accounts shocked and wanted to know what happened.

Her family channel launched in 2015 during a surge of Mormon family vlogging videos. Praised for her strict controversial parenting style, the videos that the family channel posted were vlogs of their dayto-day life showing their typical Mormon family, their methods of home-schooling, parenting and even cooking.

However, there were definitely moments in her weekly videos that did a little more than surprise viewers and raised slight concerns.

“However, there were definitely moments in her weekly videos that did a little more than surprise viewers and raised slight concerns.”

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In one video, after two siblings were filmed fighting over crayons, Ruby Franke stated that if they didn’t stop fighting “they would lose their dinner privileges.'' In another video, when her five-yearold daughter forgot to bring lunch to kindergarten, Ruby stated that she “needed to be hungry in order to learn from her mistake.”

The family went as far as sending their fifteenyear-old boy, Chad Franke, to a notoriously abusive “wilderness therapy” program for a year.

These programs have been under investigation by authorities for decades. A quick Google search of the program would have shown the parents multiple cases linking these services to abuse and propaganda. Even celebrities like Paris Hilton spoke out about the so-called wilderness therapy programs such as the Provo Canyon School.

However, that’s not even the most concerning aspect.

In order to send their son to this abusive wilderness therapy program they would have had to sign a waiver where he could be “legally kidnapped,” meaning Ruby Franke and Kevin Franke allowed people to forcibly remove their son without his consent, or knowledge of what was happening, from his bed in the middle of the night.

“Despite a multitude of concerned viewers the vlogger continued to film this “authoritative” parenting style which, as the channel grew in popularity, became increasingly abusive.”

MEDIA | 8 PASSENGERS: FROM “MOM-FLUENCER” TO CHILD ABUSER

Naturally, this severely traumatised their son. And this is just what was disclosed to the public through their public media accounts.

Despite a multitude of concerned viewers the vlogger continued to film this “authoritative” parenting style which, as the channel grew in popularity, became increasingly abusive. This led to her own posted videos being used as court evidence of her abuse.

So far these small incidents might not seem that detrimental and that’s because the situation did not escalate to an illegal level until 2019.

In late 2019 the abusive parenting couple joined a “life coaching service” called Connections, owned

by Jodi Hildebrandt, who was arrested alongside Franke.

Illinois just passed the first law protecting child influence. Still, as of now, there are no laws doing so in the rest of America, Europe, and Asia where influencing is predominantly popular.

This cult-like organization led the Franke family to cut connection with all of their external family and friends. Their videos started to raise more and more concern. Examples of extreme and controversial behavior include Ruby Franke publicly announcing that her fourteen-year-old daughter was faking an eating disorder and that she would prefer her starve than send her to an external therapist or, to put it bluntly, someone other than Jodi. Her oldest two children cut ties with the family and publicly stated their concern for their younger siblings on social media. But nothing could have prepared the public for what the true extent of this organization would lead to.

In the early morning of August 31st 2023, 12-yearold Russell Franke escaped from the Frankes Utah home after being abandoned for what is estimated to be two weeks without food and water.

This organization, which is now under investigation by the Utah police, specializes in parenting and relationships and urges its members to follow the guidelines of its program which include some highly controversial techniques such as; isolating yourself/family from anyone trusting their spiritual advisor fully which means not questioning people in power; members will also face consequences if they do so, ensuring that their spiritual leader is the sole figure of authority. Starting to sound like something? Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen; this is most definitely starting to sound like a cult.

Family blogging is not a new concept. Families have been exploiting their children for money and fame for decades, but with accessible social media platforms such as YouTube, it’s become a lot easier to do so.

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After climbing out the window the emancipated 12-year-old ran with duct tape and rope around his wrists and ankles to a neighbor's house who called 911. The boy, along with his three siblings, was severely malnourished and covered with wounds from being tied up with rope. The three other children were found in similar conditions at the Hildebrandt house where Ruby and her coworker were found most definitely aware of the situation that the children were in.

MEDIA | 8 PASSENGERS: FROM “MOM-FLUENCER” TO CHILD ABUSER

Neighbors proclaimed that they were surprised that “Body Bags were not retrieved from the Franke house”.

The Franke’s were even on a Utah Child Protective Services watch list seeing as neighbors and concerned family members made in total an alleged thirteen calls to Child Protective Services and the police about their concern for the six children.

The sheer amount of irony is what made this case so viral. Going from a praised parenting guru to a reported child abuser made the Franke case the biggest and most viewed case since Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard back in April 2022. In fact, this case gained so much public attention that the Zoom court hearing of Franke’s case was canceled after the link (which had been leaked on TikTok) became overly noisy due to the estimated 1,000 unwanted members of the Zoom call.

“Going from a praised parenting guru to a reported child abuser made the Franke case the biggest and most viewed case since Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard back in April 2022.”

Lastly, and the cherry on top, allegedly pleading not guilty, mother Ruby Franke, who was recently relocated to the medical unit of her jail for socalled “psychological means,” testified and accused her children of abusing her and sexually abusing other children, adding that they started watching graphic videos at the age of 3.

These sickening accusations sound similar to the diagnoses that Jodi Hildebrandt made when diagnosing a a 15-year-old with a porn addiction for having a secret phone that he played the video game ‘Grand Theft Auto’ on, which, to Jodi Hildebrandt, was considered a gateway to murder and drugs. This inevitably leads one to think; does Ruby Franke genuinely believe her son is an abuser, or is she as manipulative as we all think she is?

This case has led to the necessary revaluations of the parenting vloggers present on popular apps such as Tiktok, Instagram and Youtube, and the safety of children on social media.

“This case has led to the necessary revaluations of the parenting vloggers present on popular apps such as Tiktok, Instagram and Youtube, and the safety of children on social media. “ Social media often does not show the truth and we see that clearly with the Franke case. A picture perfect Mormon family on YouTube turned out to be a dangerous, abusive situation. This case would benefit from widespread visibility so that we as a society may take into account the safety of children online, even in an environment that seemed as safe as that of the Franke family.

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SPORT | ASTON MARTIN: FROM A FAIRYTALE TO FIFTH

ASTON MARTIN: FROM A FAIRYTALE TO FIFTH

By Adam Karácsonyi ‘25 The first half of the 2023 season was memorable for two reasons, one of which was the dominance of RedBull, winning every single race before the summer break ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix (GP) in Zandvoort. The second, and arguably more noteworthy, reason was Aston Martin’s rapid car which had out-developed, as a customer team, the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Mclaren, effectively becoming the second fastest car on the grid.

Unfortunately for the Silverstone-based team, after the British GP, the Aston Martin had a sudden, and then continuous decrease in pace compared to other competitors. While there are many factors that affected the drop in overall performance, some of the main causes consist of a new technical directive put out by the official tyre supplier Pirelli and the difference in performance between Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, hitting a technical performance wall.

Before analyzing the individual reasons for Aston Martin’s unsuccessful second half of the season, it is important to give context to how the season has played out so far. Red Bull has won both the drivers and constructors championships in Qatar leading by 331 in the constructor’s, while in the driver’s leading by 209. This dominance in both championships has created a fight for 2nd place between the teams Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren. The struggle for second place between the teams is visualized via the following chart .

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“Aston Martin had a strong start to the season, toe-to-toe with Mercedes and ahead of Ferrari and McLaren.”

It can be observed that Aston Martin had a strong start to the season, toe-to-toe with Mercedes and ahead of Ferrari and Mclaren. Despite developing an incredibly strong and fast-paced car with good downforce and top speed, Aston Martin could not keep up in the development battle against the other competitors. Although this was bound to happen due to Aston Martin’s formula 1 budget being on the lower end, a drastic change can be observed at the British Grand Prix (GP). This turning point turned out to have an extensive effect on the team’s position in the standings.

Between the GP’s Bahrain and Austria (9 race weekends), Aston Martin had scored 175 points, while between Britain and Qatar (8 race weekends), the team had only managed to score 55 points. In Silverstone, Pirelli introduced new tyres with different compositions; while it had minimal effects on most teams, Aston Martin was one of the exceptions whose car did not take the new tyres well. This was marked by a sudden fall off in race results, as prior to the GP weekend, Aston Martin was consistently on the podium in the former half of the season, while in the latter half, the team was often fighting just to be able to score some points. Fernando Alonso commented, “...when the new Pirelli tyres came in Silverstone there are a couple of teams that were struggling more, and a couple of teams that are very happy with the car now.” when questioned about the new technical directive by Pirelli.

SPORT | ASTON MARTIN: FROM A FAIRYTALE TO FIFTH

Later he added, “ "It's not only us, I think Red Bull has clearly been hit with those tyres, they've been one-two in every qualifying, one-two in every race, and now they are not even on pole position.” acknowledging the differences in how the machinery of different teams reacted to the divergent tyre compounds.

“Aston Martin was one of the exeptions whose car did not take the new tyres very well” Along with tyre issues, not being able to adapt and upgrade the car, DB was out developed by 3 constructor teams, the two most significant ones being Mclaren and Mercedes. The former started the season poorly, with a car whose engineering concept was changed late, and as a result it was not as competitive as it was meant to be. The Woking based team introduced an abundance of upgrades throughout the season, the first large upgrade package arriving in Austria. While the latter abandoned its design concept, and introduced a new one starting at the Miami GP. Aston Martin is running into a similar problem as of now, having found themselves at the end of the technical development path, where minimal changes can be made to improve the car at this point. For this reason, while the Silverstone based team may bring just as many upgrades as its rivals, the effectiveness is insignificant or is a step back.

With Ferrari opting to change its design philosophy for the following season, Aston Martin will most likely also opt for this solution in an attempt to keep up with its competitors.

By far the most serious contribution to the challenges of Aston Martin is Lance Stroll, who is often nicknamed as a “pay driver”. The concept of a pay driver is that the pilot in question has a background or sponsor with a large amount of wealth that finances a certain team with the unnegotiable condition that the driver must also have a seat.

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Lawrence Stroll, the father of the driver in question, is the part-owner and executive chairman of the Aston Martin Aramco F1 team, worth over 3.9 billion USD. Previously known as Racing Point, Aston Martin has been owned by Mr. Stroll since the financial collapse of the Force India (renamed Racing Point), and has rebuilt it completely, financially and also infrastructure wise, building a factory in Silverstone. However, despite the funding, one of the main deals of the investment - that of Lance Stroll being provided a seat in the team - is not up to par in performance expectations.

“The Canadian driver has by far the largest gap between teammates

The Canadian driver has by far the largest gap between teammates. While Spain’s Fernando Alonso has achieved an impressive 183 points as of now, Lance Stroll has only managed 47 points, nearly 4 times less than the Spaniard. The difference is clear in race results (graph 2), where on one hand, Fernando Alonso’s average finishing position is P5.47, while on the other hand, the Canadian driver cannot replicate the success of his teammate, finishing on average P9.54. Similarly, the two-time world champion is ahead in Qualifying (graph 3), on average lining up P6.06 on the grid, while his teammate achieved a mean of P12.17. The gap in performance has increased throughout the season, which has been the case with many of Stroll’s teammates in the past.

SPORT | ASTON MARTIN: FROM A FAIRYTALE TO FIFTH

The Canadian has had moments where he was not as bad as his reputation suggests; however, at the Qatari GP, after a frustrating Q1 exit, he pushed his engineer away, and demonstrated highly unprofessional behavior in an interview, receiving no reprimand from his team. This leads one to believe that because his father essentially owns the team, Lance Stroll is an invincible figure on the team, who will always be able to sit in a secure position outside any real dangers such as losing his seat, something many influential formula 1 figures believe should have happened a long time ago.

The consistent underperforming to a teammate would be tolerable, but according to Aston Martin, Lance Stroll as of the Singapore GP, has caused 2.3 million USD worth of damage by driver error, without the inclusion of technical failures.

Although this may seem like a small number when taking into account that Aston Martin as a brand is worth multiple billions of dollars, the reality is that due to the cost cap of 140 million USD implemented in 2021, teams need to calculate all of their finances accordingly or else they could get punished, which ranges from a fine to disqualification. By accumulating this sum of damage, Lance Stroll is harming the development of the team, as a result of being able to spend less money on upgrades, while needing to cover for avoidable mistakes.

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To summarize, Aston Martin’s tumultuous 2023 campaign has had its fair share of ups and downs, the first part being more relevant in the first half of the season, and the second in the second half.

Although Aston Martin’s pace drop-off has been significant enough to level the playing field, the contribution, or lack thereof, made by Lance Stroll has had by far the largest impact. Despite being safe in terms of seats for the future, he is not invincible from criticism by the public. He has demonstrated the inability to keep up with teammate Fernando Alonso with a reasonable margin of points in between the drivers, while personally hurting the team’s finances and ability to further develop the car due to said finances.

With Lance Stroll’s contract ending in 2024, rumors around the F1 paddock claim that Lawrence Stroll plans to sell the team, in addition to the pilot planning to move away from the motorsport series in the pursuit of a WEC seat. As of now, Lance Stroll needs to prove that he is F1 worthy, that he has the maturity to be a part of a team, and obtain a consistent form to be able to help in the constructors championship, in order to further establish Aston Martin as a team which shows competence, competitiveness, and as a potentially race winning team in the future.

OPINION

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OPINIONS | THE POISONWOOD BIBLE

THE POISONWOOD BIBLE

By Allegra DiFlorio '27

“This is what I must have learned, the night God turned his back on me: how to foretell the future in chicken bones” This quote from page 312 of “The Poisonwood Bible” written by Barbara Kingsolver, sets the tone for a review of a book that left an indelible mark on me. I chose this book because of how incredibly well-written it is and how the combination of the story and writing style made it one of my favourite books I’ve ever read.

“This is what I must have learned, the night God turned his back on me: how to foretell the future in chicken bones” This quote from page 312 of “The Poisonwood Bible”

Ruth May, the youngest daughter, emerges as a curious and innocent voice but at the same time the author, Kingsolver, is able to use Ruth May’s character as a more mature and open-minded perspective during the novel. Leah, one of the twins, is a tenacious and hard worker, constantly trying to win the approval of her father despite his indifference. Leah is tenacious and kind but is deeply affected by other’s opinions of her. Adah, who is mute and afflicted by hemiplegia due to issues during her mother's pregnancy, brings a unique objectivity to the story. Her obsession with palindromes makes her chapters recognizable and interesting.

Lastly, there’s Rachel, the stereotypical blond daughter, whose comical mispronunciations and superficiality provide comic relief throughout the novel.

The Poisonwood Bible follows the gripping tale of a family of six that moves from Georgia, USA, to the Republic of Congo in the 1960s. The family moved to the Congo because of the father, Nathan’s, uncompromising determination to spread Christianity as a missionary. The story unfolds through various chapter points of view (POVs), where Orleanna, the mother, and the four daughters, Ruth May, Leah, Adah, and Rachel, take turns describing their lives. Each chapter is recognizable by the distinct writing style which matches the characters.

When the Price family moves at first, things are different and difficult in the Congo, although over time, some characters adapt well and others struggle, people get sick, the Congo gains its independence, the family dynamics change, and several difficult things happen.

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OPINIONS | THE POISONWOOD BIBLE

Nathan’s obsessiveness and zealot drives much of the conflict, as he refuses to leave even when tensions rise. The consequences of his unwillingness to adapt or admit to failure catch up with him as he ends up sacrificing the life of one of his daughters for his mission. Throughout it all, Orleanna, a strong and hard working mother who is trying to do the best for her girls while managing a borderline abusive relationship and the difficulties of living in the Congo.

The author, Barbara Kingsolver, was born in Maryland, USA in April 1955. She grew up as the daughter of a physician who helped people in poor rural areas in Kentucky, providing her with a unique perspective that is reflected in her writing. In 1963, Kingsolver went to live with a family in the Republic of Congo, which is where The Poisonwood Bible is set. She went to DePauw University in Indiana, first on a piano scholarship and later changed her major to biology. She briefly moved to Soissons, France although moved to Arizona a year later. After finishing school, she became a scientific writer for the University she worked at, until she decided to pursue her writing, working primarily as a journalist. Then, while pregnant with her first daughter, Camille, in 1987, she wrote her first novel ‘The Bean Trees’. It was a huge success and now has been translated into over 20 languages. In the years following the publishing of her first book, Kingsolver moved to the Canary Islands, published a poetry collection, several short stories, and many more novels. The Poisonwood Bible was published in 1989 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1999.

Kingsolver’s ability to manipulate language is evident in how she crafts not just an enthralling narrative but also a moving experience for readers.

Her introduction of the characters and their quirks and dynamics immediately drew me in. Kingsolver employs relevant details to enhance the story for the reader, such as the girls smuggling Betty Crocker cake mix under their clothes because their luggage was too heavy; or the way Rachel misses Jiffy Peanut Butter and toilets that flush. Prior to reading the book, I read several articles regarding the history of the Congo and its long path to independence which helped me greatly in understanding some of the details in the book.

Allowing me to appreciate how cleverly Kingsolver used the characters as a commentary on the politics and prejudices. Even the seemingly minor elements, like the parrot, Methuselah, who is a pet of the Price family for a short period of time before being set free, is meant to represent the Congo’s initial attempt at independence and the subsequent thwarting of those efforts. I recommend that anyone considering this book familiarize themselves with the historical and political dynamics of the Congo at the time.

“I definitely recommend “The Poisonwood Bible” to readers who seek to read to think rather than read to escape into a romanticized world.”

I definitely recommend “The Poisonwood Bible” to readers who seek to read to think rather than read to escape into a romanticized world. While I initially hesitated due to the book’s unconventional narrative, I am grateful I gave it a chance, as I got incredibly involved and developed unique relationships with each of the characters.

Kingsolver’s use of language had a profound impact on my understanding of missionary life, and the emotional impact of the story stayed with me long after I had finished the book. Overall, I loved reading The Poisonwood Bible and I can’t wait to re-read it in the future.

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OPINIONS | JEOFFRY: THE POET’S CAT

JEOFFRY: THE POET’S CAT BY OLIVER SODEN: THE MAGIC IN BLENDING HISTORY WITH IMAGINATION

By Olivia Dick '25

Christopher Smart was a renowned English poet who lived, worked, and died 250 years ago in St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics on Windmill Hill in London from 1957 to 1963. While his life grants opportunity for interest, it is the cat who resided with Smart in this asylum that this book is based upon. Jeoffry: The Poet’s Cat was immortalized in literature when Smart dedicated seventy-four lines of verse to voicing Jeoffrey’s pure incandescence in his poem Jubilate Agno (written during Smart’s confinement for insanity). While it is only speculated that Jeoffry really existed, Oliver Soden, author of Jeoffry: The Poet’s Cat, extracts truth from diary and journal entries, letters, memoirs, novels, manuscripts, and nonfiction texts and blends this with his own insinuations, creativity, and imagination to create a vivid story that recounts the life of Jeoffry.

In 1750, “The Earth shook when Jeoffry was born.”

Spanning Jeoffry’s long and intricate life, the fictional biography covers Jeoffry’s different owners and the strikingly different lives he lives under each. From a poet residing in a mental hospital to being the treasured cat of a brothel, Jeoffry grows into a widely beloved companion over the course of his life. He manages to live three different lives in different settings and among varying crowds of people. A comfort, later a companion, and finally, coddled, Jeoffry means much to all those he finds in his company, whether he is aware or not.

In my opinion, Oliver Soden manages to create both a developed character in Jeoffry—a nonfictionally influenced fictional feline—and blend history and records with a creative imagination.

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This also develops an alternative perspective on not only Christopher Smart’s life and work but also the lives of normal people who lived during the mid-eighteenth century.

“Oliver Soden manages to create both a developed character in Jeoffry—a nonfictionally influenced fictional feline—and blend history and records with a creative imagination.”

OPINIONS | JEOFFRY: THE POET’S CAT

In addition, Jeoffry: The Poet’s Cat is simply funny.

Throughout the novel, Soden describes Jeoffry as being sent from above, as seen from the first line of the novel and stated previously: “The Earth shook when Jeoffry was born.” Soden’s mentioning that this cat was granted to walk upon the earth by divine entities is a good representation of the cat lover’s view of one’s own cat. Soden also personifies Jeoffry, giving him human-like characteristics and shaming his blindness to some major events: “Jeoffry knew little of the abortive apocalypse.”

To add to that, Soden’s descriptions of Jeoffry and his owners’ feelings towards the feline at most times demonstrate an undying love for Jeoffry. His beauty is compared to the purest of aspects on Earth, “like a mackerel sky at sunset.” And he would bring his owners a sense of serenity in contrast to their daunting, daily lives: "she would trail her long fingers through his rippling fur, as if dangling them over the side of a boat in summer to skim through the water.”

It’s safe to say that Soden is an extremely talented writer. This biography, spanning only 160 pages, is immersive and introspective. At some points, the story did seem to drag on; however, the grand picture of Jeoffry’s life was never lost. I always felt myself drawn back to the book and interested in where and who Jeoffry would wander into next.

“Although the book is mainly fiction, Soden’s non-fictional additions make the biography real and meaningful.”

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Although the book is mainly fiction, Soden’s nonfictional additions make the biography real and meaningful. Oliver Soden said it best in his afterword: “Beyond what Smart wrote about his beloved cat in Jubilate Agno, nothing is known about Jeoffry, although it is generally agreed, given the autobiographical and even diary-like nature of the poem, that he existed. So my portrait of the cat and of his life is imaginary. But that seems to me to be no reason for it not to be true.”

And truly, even if Jeoffry never existed, his life still makes for a wonderful story with an intricate message to live life by both observing others’ and creating your own. To understand what one’s presence means for those in their life and to love unconditionally when possible.