LEIGHTON PARK’S STUDENT LED NEWSPAPER
The Acorn I S S U E
Featured
8
8 / 2 / 2 4
articles: •
Current affairs—By Millie Easton
Woke Capi-
talism: The art of commercia l cancel culture •
Electric cars.
•
A snapshot
for 2024
Inside this issue: House essay competition -a winning excerpt
3
All about the 4 Labour Party
Award Season
5
Think Greener
6
Puzzles Corner
7
Do we need a Bully ban? On December 31st 2023 at 12:59 pm thousands of candles were lit across the UK for all the XL bullies who were put to sleep. A ban has been put in place because of attacks from the American XL bully across the UK with five cases of bullies attacking their owners. But the BBC say that no official statistics are kept for a particular breed in the UK. One family even moved to Scotland to keep their XL bully but unfortunately Scotland recently
adopted the ban too. The American XL bully has been under a ban through the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which has already banned four other breeds and now the XL bully will join them. The ban started on December 31st with the laws as follows; no selling, giving away, abandoning or breeding the XL bully and all of the breed must wear a muzzle and be on a lead in public areas. However December 31st was only the first stage of the ban. If you do not wish to keep an XL bully they
Gaming News - By Charlotte Parker
Teen beats Tetris! 11 year old Willie Gibson has become the first person to BEAT Tetris.
His initial reaction was “Oh my god…I’m going to pass out. " Only AI has ever got this far in the game. It took him 38 minutes to get the game to crash after he reached level 157.Willie’s score read 999999. Willie dedicated his defeating Tetris to his father who died last month and was very supportive of his son's love for gaming.
have to be euthanized by January 31st and you must have a certificate to keep them by February 1st . With the bad news, you may believe the breed is as dangerous as they say but many dog charities and shelters are saying that the attacks are not because of the dog breed but the owners who aren't taking good care of the dogs. Continued on page 2
PAGE
2
Are the Bullies really to blame for bad behaviour?
By Millie Easton
years.
Do we need a Bully ban? (cont from page 1)
To stop the number of dog attacks from rising in 2024 some say that euthanizing these dogs is not the answer at all but for all dog owners to properly train their dogs. Or if you know they can bite then consider a yellow nervous lead or harness and maybe a muzzle. Many of these owners do not like putting on a muzzle because it may be uncomfortable but you can get more comfortable muzzles that are not plastic or metal to keep you, other people and your dog safer.
However, this belief may be open to discussion, as many people are now saying that this is just for the government to cover up how many dog attacks there have been, which is a number that is rising every year. There are so many attacks from many different dog breeds across the UK but it’s not because of the dogs… it's because of us. In 2020 when COVID hit many people got dogs
to accompany them in lockdown as everyone was at home all day every day (except for exercise and food shopping) . This did mean that a few people could not keep the dogs healthy and give proper training to the dog, causing more attacks. Now that they are 3-4 years old they will be stronger than when all the dogs were puppies. This caused the 34% rise in dog attacks in five
Technology—By William Jewell
Plugging in to the Future Over the past 20 years, the percentage of electric cars has skyrocketed with an estimated 14% of cars globally being fully electric. All car sales of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars are being banned in the UK after 2035. After many years of mainly equal sales, the five most highly sold electric cars are the Tesla Model
THE
ACORN
Y, Tesla Model 3, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet EV/EUV and the Tesla Model S. A new competition may completely turn the tables on it. One of the main brands is commonly known as BuildYourDreams, or in short, BYD, making the early mark of moving into market since March 2023. All other brands promise start of sales in early 2024, spanning to late 2025.
Many brands are promising low, affordable prices for high-end luxury electronics that normally only come with much more premium cars. Maybe this will change electric cars forever, or “Are friends electric” might stay the same!
ISSUE
8
PAGE
2024 spectacles - By Fin Walker
A Snapshot for 2024 2023 was quite the year for film, tv and gaming. So can 2024 live up to its legacy? Look through the plans and discover the wide array of media coming soon… Kung-Fu Panda 4 The long awaited 4th movie in the Kung-Fu Panda franchise is officially slated for release on March 8th. This movie follows Po as he learns to let go of the mantle of Dragon Warrior and pass it to a new generation. All the while, a mysterious threat that steals Kung-fu from Po’s opponents arises. Will he succeed?
Inside Out 2 A sequel to one of the most Popular modern Disney franchises in history, Inside Out 2 explores the emotions and their changes as Riley grows up. This one is sure to introduce
teenage emotions such as the newly-loved Anxiety. Coming June 2024
Star Wars Outlaws
Calling all sci-fi and Star Wars fans, a new release is on the way from Ubisoft. Star Wars Whether you are a Outlaws follows the scoundrel Kay Vess as she navigates new viewer or through a torn-open world a diehard Whovigalaxy. an, Season 15 (officially Season 1) Based in between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star is set to be Wars: Return of The Jedi, the Ema new start to a pire increases its presence on outmore fantasyer-rim worlds which could present based a challenge for Kay, her pet Knix Show, following and Commando Droid Co-pilot ND the newly bi-generated Doctor, -5. Landing on Xbox Series X+S, his companion and a rePS5 and PC. Coming soon vamped TARDIS across space and time. Where and when will they go next? Foamstars Coming March 2024 Doctor Who Season 15
The Traitors Season 2
The Traitors, a show based on finding the traitors in your camp before you are all eliminated, is coming back with another season. If you love mystery, this is the show for you. Released on January 3rd.
For all you Playstation players, here’s one you won’t want to miss. Foam party is a 4v4 party 3rd person shooter being developed by Square Enix that is set to release in 2024 on Playstation 4 and Playstation 5. Foam the most and win the match. Will you be able to win?
House Events—By (The Acorn’s very own) Maiya Singh
House Essay Winner—Excerpt An excerpt from the end of House Essay winner Maiya Singh’s essay entitled ‘Are there too many laws?’. ‘In conclusion, the question asked is vague and impractical. All countries, states, towns and cities have different ideals and beliefs. It massively depends on the country. Many countries function perfectly with many laws because they are adjusted to it, while oth-
er countries would struggle with a mass amount of laws. This is because of their crime rates, lack of respect for their government, lack of enforcement, cost of policing and corruption. The main role of the law should be to ensure safety and increase the quality of life. Certain places will need more laws, and others less, making this an almost impossible question to answer. Laws and regulations ought to mirror society's shared values, norms, prac-
tices and customs in order for justice to emerge. Despite the influence of social values on laws, ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ are not necessarily equivalent to ‘moral’ and ‘immoral’. If there are too many or too few laws it's hard to know. How do you fairly judge what is necessary and what is not? Therefore, the question asked shouldn't be if there are too many laws, it should be if there are the right ones and are they properly enforced.’ Congratulations Maiya! The House Essay competition is an annual event. Why not take
3
PAGE
4
Politics - By Isla Walker
Who Are the Labour Party?
Photo credits to The Labour Party
In the last edition of The Acorn, we wrote all about the Conservatives but this time we focus on the Labour Party. Since the 27th of February 1900, the Labour party has been part of the general election and has either been the governing party or the official opposition.
There have been six Labour prime ministers and thirteen Labour ministries. Since the 2010 general election, it has been the second-largest UK political party by the number of votes cast behind the Conservative Party and ahead of the Liberal Democrats. The leader of the Labour party currently is
Sir Keir Starmer. Their policies are to help Britain build again, switch on Great British energy, get the NHS back on its feet, take back our streets and break down barriers for opportunities. As the next general election is this year, who knows what will come for the Labour party?
The Interview—By Gracie Moss-Jones
Musical inspiration—Alice Mackenzie Music is a key part of so many people’s lives, and it is an essential part of our school. I wanted to talk to someone about their opinions, aspirations and successes in music. So I have talked to Alice Mackenzie (Yr 10), and this is what she said:
The Acorn—’What does music mean to you?’ Alice—’Music is the best thing in my life and it is the thing I enjoy most in the world. All of my closest friends have been met through music and so it is a huge part of my life.’
TA—What are some of your early memories of music? A—My earliest memory of
THE
ACORN
music is singing in the car with my mum on the way to and from school! TA—How old were you when you started playing an instrument/s and why do you play? A— I started bassoon in year 4 (when I was 10). I chose it after trying it out with my amazing teacher and realising I loved it. And I have been singing for ever.
TA—Are you doing music GCSE? And do you plan to go further (e.g. A level etc) A- I am currently doing music GCSE and loving it and will hopefully go on to do music A-levels and then possibly further.
TA- What is an achievement you have made doing music that you are really proud of? A—I was very proud and grateful that I was able to play with the National Youth Orchestra. It was an amazing experience.
TA- Do you have aspirations for music and could you share them? A– I would love to have a career that meant I could continue to do music in my adult life. I aspire to improve enough to be able to play with amazing orchestras. There are plenty of ways to get involved with playing and performing music, or doing music media or tech inside and outside of school. If you want to, take up a hobby, an instrument or a co-curricular!
ISSUE
8
PAGE
Society Segment - By Maiya Singh
Woke Capitalism: The Art of Cancel Culture Cancel culture is a real issue in today's society due to social media and internet platforms. The idea of cancel culture is essentially the phenomenon or practice of publicly rejecting, boycotting or ending support for a group of people, a person or an organisation, usually due to socially or morally unacceptable opinions or political views. From cancelling culture, the idea of ‘woke capitalism’ arises. To define woke is close to impossible as everyone has a different take on the idea. Capitalism (in a few short words) is often thought of as an economic system in which certain private individuals own and control the most factors of production. Overall, woke capitalism is the term used by some commenters to refer to a form of marketing, advertising and corporate structures that pertains to socio political standpoints tied to social justice and activist causes. It is when companies go above and beyond what they need to do in an attempt to benefit society.
One of the best examples currently is the Costa mural. Costa Coffee faced a massive boycott around August last year over a Pride mural celebrating diversity and inclusion. The image came from a design made for the company’s Brighton and Hove store for LGBTQ+ Pride last year. It was shared on Twitter and has since sparked calls for a boycott on the chain. The drawing depicts a transmasc person drinking coffee with chest scars, common amongst trans men (someone who was a woman at birth but identifies as a man) who choose to have top surgery. The company defended their image and gave the statement, “At Costa Coffee we celebrate the diversity of our customers, team members and partners. We want everyone that interacts with us to experience the inclusive environment that we create, to encourage people to feel welcomed, free and unashamedly proud to be themselves. The mural, in its entirety, showcases and celebrates inclusivity." Another smaller-scale example was in 2012 at Chick Fil A. Their CEO made an off-the-cuff statement about gay marriages. He opposed the idea, claiming that God knew more and that God would not support. The next day there were two lines outside: one line protesting and one line essentially saying ‘we agree, we want to buy from you now’.
Nike also had a moment of ‘woke capitalism’. However, theirs was largely more successful. They had a sponsorship with Colin Cappernick (an American football player) who would kneel during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality. Nike supported him as an athlete and portrayed him as someone who had persevered against the odds. It was a subtle message, tapping into the idea of BLM without forcefully saying anything. Nike faced some backlash. Around Twitter there were videos posted and shared of people burning their shoes. However, Nike had enough followers and a big enough platform to make it work. Finding the balance? Companies have started to find the correct balance, between risk to reputation and benefits, without steering too far left and too far right. The middle ground on some of these issues is slowly disappearing and companies have started to realise that it is no longer a good option to stay in the middle. This imposes a certain difficulty for companies, especially concerning advertisement. If you want to hear more on this topic, listen to AntiSocial with Allan Flemming on BBC 4
Award Season! Film News - By Ella lake In the new year we have already seen many international scandals including the recent Golden Globes awards in early January. The award show was Hosted by a last-minute pick named Jo Koy. Not only was the frantic decision to have him take the role a controversy, but some of his jokes were seen as demeaning and sexist towards the actors and filmmakers in the crowd. One of these one-liners was his comparison of the box office hit ‘Barbie’ with ‘Oppenheimer.’ The premise of the joke was that Op-
penheimer was a detailed, amazing piece of work based on an extensive novel and Barbie was merely a movie about a doll with unrealistic features. After this joke, the crowd’s mood had immediately changed from bubbly and excited to unimpressed by the blatant sexism towards a movie about far more than body image.
Jo Koy’s next mistake was to take a hit at the world's leading artist Taylor Swift who has recently started dating the famous NFL player Travis Kelce. Koy started the joke by saying “As you know, we came on after a football double-header.” He then said “The big difference between
the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift, I swear.” As though repeating History, the Crowds' expressions and moods grew unimpressed and confused by the poor jokes being made. You would like to think that after 2024 the Golden Globes have taken a hint about what improvements should be made for future hosts, but I guess we will have to wait for next year.
5
PAGE
6
Environment - By Lilia Abassi and Saarvi Sarawagi
Think Greener
Do you want your meat to come from places like this ?
In the wake of COP28 last November, the LP AlterEco club conducted a series of interviews involving different members of the School community to find out about their views on carbon footprints, climate change, and how aware they are of the impact it is having on us. In short - To find out from different parts of the community we asked: Do you know what we're talking about? Do you care what we’re talking about? Can you do anything about it? Harriet Custance: Q: How much do you care about climate change? A: “I would say I care a lot about climate change, and
make conscious decisions about it in daily life but feel helpless in many ways. The carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that we produce by doing a variety of everyday things such as travelling, heating our homes, and the food we eat. And it is measured in tonnes. Q: How do you think meat affects climate change? A: The meat itself does not affect climate change, it is the way that we mass produce it. It definitely affects climate change. For example, cutting down the forests to produce land for the cows. The methane that is released from cows is a huge factor. “ Mark Budge: Q: How would you describe
Mia Xu (Sixth former): Q: What do you understand as the main causes of climate change? A: “Burning Fossil fuels, certain energy resources, industrialization. These are all contributing to climate change. Rio de la Mora (Sixth former): Q: How do you think meat affects climate change?
A: “It is well known that livestock, especially cows, are large contributors to climate change through their release of methane, a greenhouse gas. As the world has industrialised there has been more and more meat available for people to eat, as it becomes cheaper to buy it, which has worsened climate change. Q: How do you think we can reduce the carbon footprint? A: I think there is a flaw in our society at the moment, THE
ACORN
your carbon footprint? “I drive to and from school with my daughter; we recycle as much as we can and use a hot composter for all of our food waste. We have considered solar panels for our house but the technology is not yet good enough to make it properly viable. So we are trying to reduce our carbon footprint. We do the easy things that do not need too much change….However, we have not yet tried the idea of reducing meat consumption. This is a lifestyle change that is needed but we have not yet done it.” Eva Peirce (Year 10): Q: How would you describe your carbon footprint? A: “The amount of carbon dioxide you release by the choices you make. For example by taking the train or a plane. “
that individuals believe that they cannot do anything about climate change and that only companies can counteract it, but there are so many humans on the planet, and if each of them stopped using cars when there are other public transport actions, or even walking/ cycling when possible. And if people stopped eating red meat, and focussed on having a more plant-based diet.” Stephen Taynton: Q: How do you think we can reduce the carbon footprint?
Hannah Fox (Sixth Former): Q: How much do you care about climate change? A: “I'd say I care about climate change a moderate amount, I think. Personally, it's something you should have in your mind when you are doing everyday activities.
The Alter-Eco club would like to thank all members of the Leighton Park Community who took part in their interviews.
Eleanor Borlase (Fryer):
You can use this link to determine your own carbon footprint and get advice on how to be more sustainable:
Q: How much do you care about climate change?
https:// footprint.wwf.org.uk/
A: “You need to take action and take responsibility and educate the people.”
A: “On a scale of 1-10: 6. It doesn’t really affect me.”
PAGE
IS
• • • • •
Guinea-Bissau France Benin Saint Lucia Timor-Leste
• • • • •
Kenya Ghana Northern Ireland Nigeria Australia
Feel like testing your brain? Want to get your mind in a muddle? Welcome to Leighton Park’s very own…
By George Verry
Riddle of the term: • I stand tall with branches wide, leaves and fruits by my side. What am I? • Thirty white horses on a red hill. First the chomp, then the stomp, then they stand still. What are they? • I end the race, I am the beginning of the end. I am in water, fire, sunshine and darkness. I am the beginning of earth and the end of life. What am I?
7