The Glass Corridor: Issue 4

Issue 4: 8th January 2024 Editors: Jessica Dodwell, Hattie Filmore and Alice Keeling

Table of Contents Events………………….............................. p3 - p5 Book and Film Reviews..................... p6 - p9 STEM.............................................…........ p10 – p11 Sports....................................................... p12 Politics...................................................... p13 Creative Writing and Art................... p14 – p16 History...................................................... p17 – p18 Student Spotlight................................. p19 – p20

events A Digressive Narrative of this Year’s Pithy Panto Maaria Rajput

It’s a tale as old as time. As soon as the first autumn leaf twists golden and gooily in its socket, arrangements commence for the Christmastime show. This year, Beauty and the Beast cast itself, shrewd and comedic, onto stage…rolls allocated, sets painted, tickets sold (out). Outside, northerly skies rolled in and frost whisked over every rooftop. Inside, rouged cheeks and pointed feet- there was a beast to transform.

So the story goes like this. A wicked witch transfigures the kindly prince Pierre of Perpignon into the hagged creature whom we all know and love. Only Beauty Éclair, a maiden from the humble French town of ‘Orn-Cassel, stands any chance of undoing the curse. The next almost-three hours are occupied by a nutty professor, a brassy dame, red roses, yellow dresses, and at one point, The Ketchup Song.

Meanwhile, I secured the part of the enchantress, responsible for the “Well I'm sure you can be louder than that, I said hello boys and girls” spiel that was luckily very easy to

memorise. Even still, my favourite character had to be the one and only Beauty, played by Freya Elias in the upper sixth for the Friday and Saturday evening performances. In and amongst rehearsals, we sat down for a quick chat and a Radnor Fizz.

Me: Freya:

Me: Freya: Me: Freya: Me:

Freya:

Me:

So how are rehearsals going for you?

It was slow at first- but things are definitely picking up.

I know that you’re quite a seasoned actressmmm- weatheredculturedveteran-and that you’ve been in every QEGS Christmas production of the past seven years. What’s your favourite that you’ve done?

It would have to be…Chicago, last year. It was completely my style.

Big, glamorous, grown-up. That’s why I loved doing Grease at my theatre too.

How’s musical theatre outside of school for you?

Freya: Right now, I'm actually in the middle of a fiveweek audition process for Les Mis. Les Mis is my favourite! Who are you going Me: for?

Freya: Eponine, oh my god.

You’ll land it. Let me know of the show Me: dates! (Slight pause as I click at my keyboard.) Now, something perhaps a little…out of pocket… in year 8, you told me (she begins to laugh) -that you're meant to cake on makeup before shows to prevent glare on your face from the stage lights. After all these years, I want to finally know- is it true?

Freya: Yeah, it is true! Stage lights tend to make your face really washed out and kind of take away the definition of your features, so you’ve got to be as matte as possible. At performances, the mums will literally run around and streak you all over with blush, it’s insane.

Insightful! Let’s return to our panto. What do Me: you think has been the most chaotic moment?

Freya: As you’ll probably recollect, we didn’t have a Beast for about three weeks. (We exchange an exasperated and knowing look.) But we do nowLili’s great. She channels the Beast’s angsty overtones so well.

Though I was hoping that we’d do away with a Me: physical Beast completely.

Freya: What do you mean?

Have the Beast as a concept. Like, the Beast is Me: the Victorian working class. (we both splutter) Freya: The Beast is isolationThe Beast is fourth-wave feminismMe: Freya: The Beast is veganism(we take a moment to catch our breath).

Finally…any last panto tips for me? Actress to Me: actress?

Freya: I’d probably just tell you to add a bit of yourself into your character, into the way you perform.

Essentially you are your character, and your character is you- like, you were chosen because you fit the role.

I’ll try my best. Thanks so much!

Me: Freya: My pleasure!

Just as they do every year, the audience loved it.

Choreography vibrant, quips clean; backstage crew seamless, costumes with seams very much intact, lavish and iconic. Director Mr Watkins even managed to shoehorn a mobility scooter on stage (“when it comes to pantos, Maaria, more is more'') and, in the particular opinion of many, the technical crew’s control of the coloured lighting was smooth yet astute. As for me? I managed to get over a personal frustration that at some point almost drove me to tears…my underlying instinct to say at once both “prince” and “beast” led to the coinage of the perplexing portmanteau “priest” that felt impossible to unlearn. I fortunately avoided this miswording in my two real performances.

It was well and truly a Christmas wrap. Barring the unfortunate moment when one lead dancer sprained her ankle rehearsing the can-can, (I guess now she can’t can’t…I’ll show myself out) one thing is for certain; this beastly and beauteous bonanza was a smashing stocking filler.

is a Prussian retelling full of mystery, magic, adventure and fun. It is written by Sophie Anderson. Other books by her include: The Castle of Tangled Magic, The House with Chicken Legs, The Thief Who Sang Storms and The Snow Girl. I’d really recommend you check these out. The age rating I’d give for these books is Year seven - Year nine.

My Recommendations Ava Massey

My fourth recommendation is the ‘a good girl’s guide to murder trilogy’ by Holly Jackson. I am currently reading a good girl's guide to murder, and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. It is a mixed media book (as in, it includes entries from here log and other things like that).

I have also read Kill Joy the prequel novella.

It was amazing and I loved to see the backstory Hello, and welcome to my article. My name is of how Pip (the main character) came about Ava and I'm in Year Seven. discovering that she was interested in murder mystery. The plot was obviously about murder The topic that I have chosen to talk about is mystery but there were times when I got a bit book recommendations, and if I think the nervous about what was going to happen. I was film/films live up to the books I'll add them in. often on edge as I was worried someone could die any second. Notably there was a fair amount The first books that I will be recommending are of swearing so if that is something you try to the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling, I really avoid: here is your warning. I think the love this series and have read all the books. I age rating I’d give for these books is Year seven think it is good for all ages and the films and up. definitely live up to the books. They are full of action and magic, as well as suspense and Another recommendation is the sometimes a bit of minor mystery, so if that chocolate box girls series by Cathy Cassidy. sounds like a good read to you, I would think This author has written a lot of my comfort reads about picking them up. and the chocolate box girls series is definitely one I like to come back to. It has teen/tween The second recommendation is another J.K drama and often very unrealistic things happen.

Rowling, it's called the Ickabog. It is a really In Summer’s Dream the book is all about heart-warming story with amazing character her experience of anorexia, so if that is a description. It also includes many hand drawn sensitive subject to you, I would give this book pictures. It's another adventure book with a a miss. The age rating I would give is Year mystical element. If you like snowdrops, then seven – Year eight. you’ll enjoy part of this. The age rating I’d give for this book is probably Year seven – Year ten. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my article and I hope it has given My third recommendation is the girl who could you some ideas of what you’d like to check out speak bear. This is one of my five star reads, it of the library next.

A Haunting In Venice: Film Review Isabel Abbott

“A Haunting In Venice” was the third in a series of films starring Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot and is the latest addition to a series of adaptations of Agatha Christie’s books. Whilst the previous two films (Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile) largely stuck to the plot of their source material, “A Haunting in Venice" was far more original. This film was loosely based on Christie’s book “Hallowe’en Party”, however there was hardly any influence from the original story.

One of the problems with this film was that it tried too hard to be too many things and failed to meet the expectations of any of the genres it covered. The climatic suspense of a classic whodunnit was neither suspenseful or climatic, the fear and jump scares of a thriller ghost film were also absent. By trying to cover a wide range of genres, the film failed to focus on developing the plot, which left the story anti-climactic and falling short of the expectations of viewers.

However, what was most harmful to this film was how it completely butchered the characters from the original stories. The character of Ariadne Oliver had always been one of Poirot’s close

friends. However, in “A Haunting in Venice”, Oliver comes off as someone who is entirely self-centred and only cares for writing a new best-seller. This is completely out of character for the version of Oliver in Christie’s novels. Christie had largely based Ariadne Oliver as an exaggerated form of herself. Oliver was often Christie’s tool of furnishing both the reader and Poirot with key clues. However, “A Haunting in Venice” makes her the complete opposite. This move also ruined the potential of making her a recurring character, as she was in the books. Also, Poirot’s character is wrong from the very beginning. The idea of him retiring to Venice whilst still appearing quite young is incredibly out of character. To quote the him from The A.B.C Murders “If the little grey cells are not exercised, they grow the rust”, which clearly shows how the Poirot of the books would not want to retire so soon as he would become too bored.

This film, in more ways than one, is simply not a Poirot film. This film was more similar to a ghost thriller, like The Conjuring, than a detective story. It focused far more on the supposed curse of children who had previously died in the house, rather than focusing on finding out clues and information that point to the killer. Almost every single interview Poirot conducted was overshadowed by the “voices of the ghosts” that only Poirot could hear. Whilst it is later discovered the Poirot’s tea was drugged, it off sets Poirot’s character entirely. The books clearly state how Poirot knows that ghosts do not exist, and a similar situation to the drugged tea was found in “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding” where Poirot knew to avoid it. This just furthers the point that none of the characters, not even Poirot were written correctly in this film.

Overall, this film failed to meet the reputation of its predecessors. Whilst the idea of

a more original detective story would bring a fresh sense of suspense to Christie’s works, this film went too far in changing the story and characters which disappointed fans of Christie’s stories.

What does it take to become a Nazi? On C.P. Taylor’s Good Hattie Filmore Frankfurt, 1933. A harsh spotlight isolates Professor Halder (Tennant) from his Jewish friend, Maurice (Levey), on the brutalist set before the tone softens and eerie silence is broken. With retrospect, this opening conversation is one of the most revealing points of the play. Maurice expresses his fears of Nazi antisemitism while Halder attempts to convince him that the Nazi’s “temporary racial aberration” will soon quell.

Halder goes on to deplore Goethe for not helping Beethoven when the composer was on his deathbed. The glorious irony of this is that Halder soon finds himself similarly turning away from his own friend as he becomes enveloped by Nazis: Halder actively abandons Maurice, refusing to help him find safe passage from Germany while taking advantage of his property.

If you didn't manage to catch A Haunting in Venice in cinemas, it's now available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and at no additional cost on Disney+

The intricate structuring of the production overwhelms the audience to begin with. It’s hard to keep track of where events sit on the timeline, which character each actor is playing – as three actors ingeniously take on ten roles between them – and how any of the events are linked. Before long, however, the changes of scene and character are perfectly identifiable. Over the course of the play, the intertwined events form a thorough account of Halder’s journey from mild family man, deplorer of a friend not helping another friend, lover of all things intellectual, into an SS officer actively involved in book burnings, Kristallnacht, and Eichmann’s genocide at Auschwitz.

Halder’s transformation explores the pertinent question at the heart of C.P. Taylor's Good: how can a liberal man of rectitude end up committing such

atrocities? Halder’s descent into Nazi perpetrator is more understandable than any audience will be comfortable to admit.

He is seduced by officers who exploit his vanity, flattering his writings and handpicking him to work on projects of state importance.

Halder never claims to accept Nazi policies; only to enact and intellectually rationalise them. The more Halder justifies his actions to his conscience, the faster his resistance to Nazi barbarity dissipates. By the end of the play, the audience are presented with the bone chilling experience of watching Tennant don an SS uniform while casually discussing his upcoming day with his wife. There is a sense of nervousness, of excitement, about his first day as an SS officer posed at Auschwitz. But there is no doubt that Halder is now a Nazi, through and through. Taylor’s Nazis are not irascible monsters; they are controlled, measured, and ordinary. Good is the very embodiment of the commonly quoted Nazi excuse, “ just following orders.”

As long as far right extremism and political corruption persist, Good will remain a necessary piece of theatre. Unfortunately, Taylor died the night of Good’s premiere so was never to know its success, the tragedy of which seems almost palpable in Cooke’s haunting production.

Haven’t Read a Book in a While? Easy Ways to Read More From the Editors •

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Listen to audiobooks. This is a great way to make use of those spare minutes of your day (travelling on the bus, walking to and from school, getting ready in the morning) when you wouldn’t be doing anything else anyway. An Audible subscription is never a bad idea, but there are also lots of audiobooks available as podcasts or on YouTube for free!

Experiment with different forms. If you’re not a fan of long novels, you might prefer short stories. Try listening to an episode of The New Yorker Fiction podcast – a new short story is read and discussed every month.

Log your reading. It’s really motivating to see all the books you’ve read written down and helps you to get a sense of which types of writing you enjoy the most. Downloading the Goodreads app would also be helpful for this!

Unlocking the Mysteries of Sleep Aleesha Asghar

Sleep, an essential aspect of our daily lives, remains one of the most intriguing and phenomena in science. As we drift into our dreams each night, a series of complex biological processes unfolds, contributing to our well-being and cognitive function. Let's delve into the science behind sleep and explore what happens when our eyes are closed.

The Sleep Cycle: Sleep is not a uniform state but rather a dynamic process characterized by distinct stages. The sleep cycle consists of two main types: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

During NREM sleep, our

bodies undergo repair and restoration. It is a crucial time for physical recovery, growth, and immune system maintenance. As we transition into REM sleep, characterized by vivid dreams and rapid eye movements, our brains become highly active, consolidating memories and learning from the day.

The Role of Brain Waves: Scientists are able to monitor brain wave activity during sleep. In NREM sleep, slowwave activity dominates, promoting physical restoration. As we enter REM sleep, brain waves resemble wakefulness, highlighting the intense brain activity during this dreaming phase.

Hormones and Sleep Regulation: The regulation of sleep is intricately linked to

the release of hormones, with melatonin playing a pivotal role. Melatonin is a hormone helps regulate our circadian rhythm, signalling when it's time to sleep. Exposure to natural light and a consistent sleep schedule influences melatonin production, contributing to a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

The Importance of Sleep for Cognitive Function: Sleep is not just a period of rest; it is a critical component for brain function and emotional well-being. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to poor concentration, memory issues, and increased risk of mood disorders.

The Impact of Technology on Sleep: In our modern, technology-driven society, the prevalence of screens and artificial light often disrupts our natural sleep patterns. Blue light emitted by our devices reduces melatonin production, making it harder for individuals to fall asleep. Establishing a good sleep routine, including screen-free time before bed, is crucial to maintaining optimal sleep quality.

The science of sleep reveals fascinating insights into the important processes that contribute to our overall health and well-being.

Understanding this means we understand why sleep is so important, and can make informed choices about our sleep habits, fostering a culture that values the importance of a good night's rest.

Penalty Heartbreak for the Sixth Form Team Charlie Courtney After picking up a couple of convincing results it was onto the cup for the 6th form team as they would face opposition in the form of Carre’s grammar who played their football in the league above. As well as being the first cup game it would also be the first home game of the season.

The game would start fast with QEGS taking the initiative and scoring early with an effort from outside the 18 yard box struck powerfully

by Alex.C as the keeper couldn’t keep it out giving a great boost to the team. 1-0 QEGS early. The lead would then be doubled only 5 minutes later with the captain Tristan.C placing beautifully into the bottom corner again from range giving the keeper no chance.

2-0 QEGS. At this point it looked like another white wash could be on the cards but injury problems as well as an improving performance from the opposition meant they started to grow back into the game after a slow start. They would start to create a few chances which would only be kept out by a great last ditch tackle from Vishnu.S which was then saved by the keeper Harry.M, but as the pressure continued to build eventually they would score with a tidy finish from the corner of the box well into the corner. 2-1 QEGS. More chances would follow for the visitors with half chances coming from long balls and long throw ins which were well dealt with.

After a cynical foul on the right hand side the ball

it would be finished well by Udula only for the Carre’s linesman to disallow for what looked to be an extremely harsh offside after the run appeared to have been made from behind a defender. Still 2-1.

Half time whistle would then go after what was an encouraging half but with the very real risk on the counter.

Soon into the first half after good defending against a building Carre’s attack an unfortunate bounce would give the equalizer after a ball across the box bounced off a defender into the back of the net giving the keeper no chance. 2-2 and Carre’s growing.

With a succession of chances for building up it looked like Carre’s would find their winner but a couple of good 1 on 1 saves from Harry.M as well as a goal saving clearance from Lucas.B it would remain level.

With only a couple minutes left Sam.T would take the ball past a couple layers before being brought down 25 yards out for a free kick opportunity. Sam would take it himself and despite looking destined for the top corner and the winner to take them through it would be saved exceptionally by the opposition keeper to take the game to a penalty shootout.

In the lottery of penalties anything could happen and after a selection of 5 unsavable penalties by the opposition they would progress with a 5-3 win on penalties.

Despite the result there were plenty of positives from going toe to toe with a side in the league above and losing in the most unfortunate of fashions.

What does it mean now Victoria Atkins (QEGS local MP) is now health secretary?

Chloe Ward Victoria Atkins was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the 13th November 2023. Before this, she was the Financial Secretary of the Treasury from October of last year to November of this year.

Atkins was elected as the Member of Parliament for Louth and Horncastle in May 2015, but before this, she was a criminal barrister, specialising in prosecuting serious organised crime.

What does the health secretary do?

They have the overall financial control and oversight of NHS delivery and performance, alongside having oversight of social care policy.

They also deal with matters concerning England’s national public health, as well as maintaining relations with international health partnerships, like WHO (World Health Organisation).

The department receives more letters from the public than any other government department, and consequently, there are 50 officials in the correspondence unit.

What do MPs do?

MPs stand for Members of Parliament. They represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. Each MP is given a constituency, which is an electoral area.

There are 650 constituencies for the UK. MPs consider and propose new laws for the country, as well as raising issues that matter for their own constituency.

MPs split their time between working in the Houses of Parliament, working in their constituency and working for their political party.

When MPs, like Victoria Atkins, become government ministers with specific responsibilities in certain areas, such as Health or Defence, they do not stop working for their constituency and will still hold regular surgeries to help their constituents.

Victoria Atkins, QEGS’ Local MP

The first person who springs to mind when you hear Health Secretary is probably the infamous Matt Hancock. He ran as the health secretary from 2018 to 2021. His tenure was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which, he played a prominent role in the governments response. He resigned in 2021 after breaching COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, when CCTV released footage of him having an extramarital affair with Gina Coladangelo, the director of the Health and Social Care department. Hancock is now is currently being questioned at the Covid Enquiry whether his and his governments mis-judgment and poorhandling of the pandemic caused the unnecessary deaths of more than 30,000 lives.

Creative Writing Creative Writing and Art Anonymous I think creative writing can have lots of benefits. I believe that no matter what your age, everyone can do this activity, which involves lots of focus and creativity. All your ideas were there. Stuck in your head, you could just let out a piece of paper in a matter of minutes. Creative writing is a form of artistic expression. And it has four different forms.

The first form is playwriting, the second is poetry, and the third is song writing.

Researching helps to add detail that makes the story more realistic. Being able to conduct research efficiently and using a variety of methods to do this improves your knowledge of your subjects and helps you write about them in a more convincing way.

Creative writing can be used for entertainment, informative, or persuasive purposes. The most essential element for me in creative writing. These characters are essential to creative writing. While it is possible to author a book creatively in the second person, you must still develop character to tell a story.

Character development is the discovery of who a character is and how they change throughout their story. You need to have a strong plot or narrative. Characteristic use of language. And an emotional appeal. In this topic, there are three stages: prewriting,

drafting, and the final revising stage, which includes editing and proofreading. On the first day, in the first stage, you research your topic and do preparatory work before you enter the drafting stage. The most generic form of creative writing is poetry. There are three principles in creative writing: developing your writing style, creating realistic characters, and lastly, writing convincing dialogue.

In this paragraph, I will be writing about the topic of art. This topic is all about creative or imaginative talent that involves technical ability, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. The word art comes from the Latin ars, which originally meant' skill' or ‘craft’. Art is important because it can be therapeutic relief, a conduit for selfexpression, or simply a way to appreciate life’s beauty. The Neanderthals were the first artists to walk on this earth.

More than 65,000 years ago, a Neanderthal made strokes of red ochre on the wall of a cave and became the first artist known to humankind. The types of art are visual arts [including architecture, ceramics, drawing, filmmaking, painting, photography, and sculpting] and literary arts [including fiction and drama]. The ten common principles are balance, empathy, harmony, movement, pattern, proportion, repetition, rhythm, and unity. Art criticism is the analysis and evaluation of works of art. Art criticism is the analysis and evaluation of works of art.

Surprisingly, art can help when someone is going through depression, anxiety, or stress.

Art calms the mind and takes you to a whole different world. No one will ever stop you from setting your mind free. Whether you have no experience or are a professional artist, you have to be resilient and never give up. Most importantly, you have to do art to express yourself in your own unique way.

Plotting vs Pantsing Evie Cooper You may be familiar with the expression ‘there are many ways to skin a cat’ but personally I find that image rather morbid, so instead let’s go with ‘there are many ways to write a book.’ Now that feels a little closer to home. The non-writers may think writing a book just involves sitting down and, well, writing, but I can assure you it’s not quite that straight-forward, otherwise we’d all be published authors by now. There is, in fact, no right or wrong way, it’s all down to how you work best and how your brain operates.

So, instead of leaving you in the dark about how to approach creative writing, I thought I’d introduce you to two fundamental techniques and compare them.

Plotting No need to define this one, it’s in the name only joking, I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that. Plotters are writers who love to outline every little aspect of their story before they even consider starting. Sometimes it can be as extreme as writing a miniature version of the story, fully equipped with fleshed out characters possessing lore more confusing than my taste in music, or sometimes it can

be a few logical bullet points with maybe a couple of Pinterest boards for flair. Either way, in my mind, plotters sort of have their lives together (something I also aspire to have) and rarely have plot holes - for the non-writers, think of the nonsensical points in movies, when you pull a face and say something like “but how did they just suddenly learn to fly a helicopter?” Yes, those are called plot holes, and they tend to occur when the writer accidentally forgets a fairly important detail in the story, which can make the readers rather baffled.

So, what are the advantages of plotting?

Well, as you might expect, it’s much easier to use smart-people-devices like foreshadowing if you already know which path your story will take and where it’ll end up. Having a strict plan to follow may also alleviate the stress of having to constantly come up with new ideas, because they’re already noted down and all you have to do is turn them into full sentences. In a perfect world, anyway. Plotters are also more likely to create believable characters because of the extensive thought that goes into their motivations, world views and in many cases, childhood trauma. That goes for setting and general research as well - hours snatched from your grasp, falling into wormholes of YouTube videos about hotwiring motorcycles, makes all the difference, trust me.

(continued on next page)

Pantsing

When it’s put like that, being a plotter doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well that’s the attitude I had, until I caught a moment to really think about it. Sure, planning to that extent might help later down the line, but your impulsive creativity might end up being hindered. That’s where pantsing comes to play. Literally, it means writing by the seat of your pants, having zero idea of what’s going to happen next and just going with the flow. I like to think the average pantser is perhaps a tad too fond of caffeine and regularly stirs awake at 3am, cold sweat beading as they blearily scrawl a line of dialogue on the notepad by their bed - and you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be totally illegible in the morning. The free spirits of the writing world, pantsers harness all of their chaotic energy and unleash it on their poor, unassuming stories. You’ve got to admit, they certainly don’t lack drive (or personality).

But is there a method to the madness?

Arguably, yes. By letting the ideas come naturally as you write, you have more freedom to change your mind along the way. That comes in especially handy if you have a Eureka moment and decide to subvert your entire ending, which in turn takes the plot in a totally different direction.

A plotter might have a cardiac arrest at that thought, but a pantser can easily adapt because they don’t set anything down in stone. Pantsing can also result in more authentic story-telling - if the plot twists are as surprising to the writer as they are for the reader, they’re likely to have much more of a spontaneous impact and make for a

thrilling read. Characterisation can work in a similar way too, as pantsers tend to learn about their characters as they write them, so readers never have to worry about squinting at massive info dumps and can be drip-fed the important stuff instead.

“What if I’m a bit of both?” I hear you chime.

Well, then you’re what’s called a plantser or, more uncommonly, a plotser (but calling yourself a plantser makes it sound like you’re a cute plant mom, so I’m rolling with that). If you hadn’t already guessed, planters get the best of both worlds. So, whichever style you resonate with most plotting, pantsing or plantsing - your approach should benefit you and only you.

At the end of the day, every writer is unique and goes about writing in different ways, so laugh off the silly stereotypes and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, if pens give you blisters).

HISTORY Understanding the History of What’s Happening in Gaza by Daisy Lascelles Since October 7th, the atrocities in Gaza have flooded social media and the news, with graphic pictures capturing the deterioration of human life and highlighting the conflict. Some of you may grasp the history and politics of the situation, and others may be in the dark as to why this has all happened.

Despite being a student who frequently watches the news and is an avid history fan, I too had little to no knowledge of the history behind the conflict with it appearing relatively briefly in my history coursework. In this article I will be attempting to give a brief summary of the History behind Gaza.

For those of you that know nothing about Gaza, I'll give a geographical run down. The city of Gaza is located in the Gaza Strip, which occupies 140 square miles along the Mediterranean Sea, and is northeast of the Sinai Peninsula. The Gaza Strip has a population of 2.1 Million people, including 1.7 million Palestine Refugees.

the Balfour declaration in 1917 by the British Government to support a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

The United Nations vote in 1947 to partition land in the British Mandate of Palestine into two states - one Jewish, one Arab is certainly a key starting point in the conflict.

Did Israel exist before 1948?

No, before 1948 the country of Palestine was controlled by Britain after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War One. Palestine was inhabited by an Arab majority and a Jewish minority, as well as a myriad of smaller ethnic groups. During the 1920s to 1940s the migration of Jewish people to Palestine increased, especially due to the increasing anti-semitism in Nazi Germany.

How and why was Israel created?

In 1948 after increasing violence between the Arab and Jewish communities, with protests against British rule also increasing, Britain withdrew and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the State of Israel. It was intended to be a safe haven for Jewish people fleeing persecution.

After Israel declared statehood, five Arab countries attacked. After the first ArabIsraeli war, Israel controlled the majority of the territory.

What was the starting point of the conflict?

How was Gaza affected by this?

The starting point depends on your viewpoint and perspective, it could be traced back to the Romans or the 19th Century Jewish migration to the Ottoman Empire, or

During the war the Gaza Strip was occupied by Egyptian forces, many Palestinian refugees fled to Gaza. The Gaza Strip was under Egyptian military rule from 1949-1956 and 1957-1967, with the

UN voting for the partition in 1947

The Muslim Brotherhood previously avoided armed conflict and were largely dedicated to working for a more religious society. However under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin this changed, with Yassin using support for Mujama Al-Islamiya as the foundation for the formation of Hamas.

Why Does Hamas control Gaza?

residents of the Gaza Strip stuck in a limbo state of citizenship, with the Egyptian Government refusing the refugees citizenship, and refusing them migration rights into Egypt or other Arab countries.

Similarly, Israel did not allow them to return to their former homes or receive compensation for loss of property.

During the Six-Day War of June 1967, the Gaza Strip was taken by Israel, remaining in Israeli control for the next quarter century until 2005, Israel withdrew its troops in 2005 but retained control over its airspace, shared border and shoreline.

What is the Palestine Liberation Organisation?

In 1946, a coalition of Palestinian groups founded the Palestine Liberation Organisation under the leadership of Yasser Arafat to pursue armed struggle and establish an Arab state in place of Israel.

What is Hamas and how did they enter the picture?

Hamas is the Islamic Resistance Movement, which is a political and military organisation governing the Gaza Strip. Hamas emerged in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising as an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestinian branch.

Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. The Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was appointed prime minister. Israel began arresting Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament and imposed sanctions against Gaza. There have been no elections since.

What's happening now?

There has been no progress towards a peace agreement under Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel's prime minister), who has said he will never accept a Palestinian State. Increasing tensions regarding restrictions and military actions could have been one of the reasons for Hamas's latest attack. More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7th, most of the dead are women and children, amounting to 0.5 percent of Gaza's more than 2 million people.

From this article I hope you can get a brief understanding of the history behind what's happening in Gaza; however, if you want a more in-depth history, here are some recommended books: - My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit - In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story, Ghada Karmi - Arab and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman and Khalil Shikaki - Six Days of War by Michael B.Oren - On Palestine by Noam Chomsky and IIan Pappe

Student Spotlight Violet-Mary Baxter discusses generation of young women and girls who are creative thinkers and problem solvers. being a 2023 Goodwood To win this competition, I had to send a short Festival of Speed video clip explaining something I was MasterCard Champion passionate about and what I would like to be The Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) takes place in the heart of the Goodwood estate and is all about celebrating speed and fantastic new technology. I was given the amazing opportunity to become a Goodwood FOS MasterCard champion for this year’s 2023 festival, and a chance to interview female trailblazers in the motorsport industry.

This meant attending a masterclass lead by Grace Webb, a journalist with a passion for motorsport - you may know her from her own TV show Graces Amazing Machines. She also presents the highlights of events like the Isle of Man TT races. The masterclass was all about how to act on camera, what and how to prepare for the day, and helping us.

I also met the other five MasterCard champions.

Mastercard gave us a short presentation about their girls4tech program which was all about encouraging young women and girls into a STEM career (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). There are currently 3 million girls involved in girls4tech in over 60 countries and territories. The program helps girls discover how their strengths and skills can lead to a career in STEM. MasterCard’s aim is to find the next

when I am older. The competition was an amazing opportunity and helped spread awareness about the fact that women and young girls can pursue careers in motorsport and be extremely successful.

When the day finally came, it was a very early team for the Formula 1-led women’s feeder start. I headed straight down to the media series; this was formed for women and young centre from the campsite as I was doing the girls, 25 and under, to help develop the skills four day event. There was a sense of nerves of the best drivers in the lower levels of and excitement between the six of us as we motorsport. went over final preps with Grace, including which questions I wanted to ask and read Stephanie Travers, deputy team principal at through our cue cards.

X44 Vida carbon racing, was selected from over 7,000 candidates in Petronas’ inaugural global talent search to become a Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer. This really boosted Stephanie’s career as she soon became a senior which made her a co-manager for the Petronas trackside laboratory. Stephanie was the first ever female fluid engineer at Petronas and was given a well-deserved opportunity to collect the constructor’s trophy at the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020.

At that point we found out who we were going to be interviewing and I had the most amazing, These two women were so kind and patient once in a lifetime opportunity to interview both and it was a pleasure working with them. I look Stephanie Carlin, Team Principle for X44 Vida forward to hopefully working with them and Carbon Racing, and Stephanie Travers, others in the future.

Deputy Team Principal for X44 Vida Carbon Racing. These two incredible women both Overall, the Festival of Speed was an amazing have very high achieving jobs in the same weekend and I look forward to returning next year!! team which is owned by F1 star Lewis Hamilton. Stephanie Carlin is the first ever female Team Principal in the Extreme E paddock. Alongside Stephanie’s role as X44 Team Principal, she is the deputy Team Principal at Rodin Carlin as well. She has multiple years of experience in the world of running teams and involvement in racing programs featuring sports cars, scooter racing and single-seaters. If that weren’t enough, she is also the Team Principal for Rodin Carlin’s