Issuu

THE

FOCUS

A READING SCHOOL MAGAZINE EDITED BY SUYASH S. 1

THE FRONT COVER OF EACH ISSUE SHALL FEATURE IMAGES SHOWCASING NATURAL LANDSCAPES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH YOU HAVE TAKEN FEATURED ON THE FRONT COVER, PLEASE CONTACT SUYASH S.

ISSUE 2 31.03.20

CONTENTS CORONAVIRUS : THE SOCIAL SCOURGE

INFECTION OF THE ECONOMY

CORONAVIRUS: NATURE’S COMEBACK?

LEADERSHIP: BIOLOGY

ONLINE SCHOOLING: THE FUTURE

DOWN WITH THE SCHOOL UNIFORM?

TRADITION AS OLD AS TIME: LONG LIVE THE BLAZER! 25 ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE TUDOR PERIOD 30 ADVENTURES IN BERLIN

‘VIRAL FEVER - BUT NOT THE ONE YOU’RE THINKING OF…’ 40 RAASMUN: MODEL UNITED NATIONS

SPEEDBOT: MACHINE LEARNING

TYSON FURY: RISE OF THE GYPSY KING

THE PUZZLE SOCIETY’S CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Dear Reader, As the blood of Caesar seeped from his unsightly, unholy wounds, it carried both the sustenance of a dictatorâ€™s spirit, and the sanguinary Republican dreams of the murderous conspirators. The cruel, formulated killing did not give way to the assertion of the Roman Republic. It did not give way to the destruction of imperial and authoritarian rule. Instead, it served to establish a lineage of Emperors who domineered over the conquered lands of one of the greatest empires in human history. There is beauty in the sheer irony and horror of this story. And it is of the utmost importance that we recognise the vulnerabilities within the accomplishments of the most proficient members of society. The successes of certain actions may only be judged upon their consequences. Unfortunately, it exceeds human capability to understand and foresee the culmination of upcoming events. In short, we do not know what the future holds, or the ramifications of our actions. These are indeed testing times that we occupy, with little to no indication of how things may turn out. We may choose to delay in taking measures - we may choose to parlay with words and seek comfort in thought and discussion, much like Shakespeareâ€™s tragic, eponymous hero, Hamlet, whose very hamartia was overthought, or we may act on impulse, with a sense of profound immediacy. The truth is, difficult times require even more difficult decisions. We need not send our valued youth to satiate the hunger of a Minotaur, much like the ancient Athenians, but we do need to make the right choices. This issue gives voice to the different opinions held by Reading School students on these very choices, and their consequences.

Do not be put off by texts steeped in classical references. They do more than just add authenticity to a writer’s words. They show us, as a friend and mentor once said, ‘perhaps what a person has to do is think of what the highest principles are, try to stand up for them, and then hope that this high-minded decision and action will not turn out to be so horribly wrong after all.’ I would like to leave you with a poem, which ties in nicely to the sentiment of this message.

‘We Innocents, Maidens, and Virgin Lads Waiting for the Minotaur’ BY PHILLIP WHIDDEN More than slightly puzzled in a distant way By artefacts from long-gone cultures, we React as people always do when they can’t say Exactly what the ancients then could see In their religions and their mysteries. Their dogs with three heads or a scalp with snakes Must come from monstrous arcane histories Beyond our brains—except the black depth lakes Inside them. There the fangs of monsters plumb Anxieties. We fear that we’ll say yes. We know the nightmares and the horns that numb. We don’t need priests or prophets. We can guess Too easily. The primal dreams and prayers Are all too clear to us. They are our snares.

Best wishes, Suyash, The Editor 6

CORONAVIRUS : THE SOCIAL SCOURGE P . SAUNDERS

The world is in a state of crisis the likes of which has not been seen since the end of the Second World War. Yet, the true dangers of the current coronavirus pandemic are far more subtle, far-reaching and more worryingly, already beginning to manifest. This is not about some newlydiscovered symptom or some long-term effect of the disease, nor actually is it anything about the virus itself. Rather, it is about the phenomenon that its rapid spread has caused in many of the countries that are being hit the hardest, including ours, which may have a larger political impact than appears probable at this point.

In similar fashion to Europe, the internet is saturated with the coronavirus, making escapism considerably difficult. The vault of well-meaning but foolish things that people are saying about the virus, which I may be contributing to, are ten a penny, and frankly quite dull. The least that can be said is that there are large variety of different reactions to the lockdown of daily life, from the productive, (learning a new skill or language) to the idiotic (panic buying or shaving oneâ€™s head). Throughout this discourse there is one malicious group rubbing their hands together with glee. Eco-fascists. This fringe group of Neo-Nazis 7

are so well-reasoned and sensible that their ideology can best be compared to that of the villain from ‘Kingsman' - a comedy/action film. The gist is that humans are a virus on the Earth, and that in order to save the world, people must die through genocide or other means. As is the case with any Nazi worth their salt, they also hate multiculturalism and have a hearty affinity for white supremacy. They disseminate their hateful views through posts intended to be heartwarming, talking about how the air is clearing and the environment is improving due to the restrictions imposed to deal with the crisis. They are the first overlooked danger of the pandemic. “Maybe this is what we needed,” they claim, “After all, the greatest threat to life itself is too much life.” Their forked silver tongues attempt to poison people’s minds with rhetoric celebrating the deaths of thousands. And, perfectly on cue, Donald Trump came in to add more fuel to the fire of fascism. His constant reference to the virus as the “Chinese virus”, and his

scapegoating of all other nations, reinforces the points that eco-fascists make about anyone who accepts multiculturalism as being an enemy of humanity, and that we should stop contact with all of Asia since it is their fault and may happen again. It is the nature of Neo-Nazis, fascists and the Alt-Right to obfuscate their truly vile ideology with appeals to “common sense” and the “greater good.” We cannot listen to these disgusting human beings, nor should you allow such claims to go unchallenged. Make no mistake, people are dying. This is not the time to celebrate. We are not better off with people dead. We are not better off isolating our countries and 8

permanently closing borders. The coronavirus crisis could be the turning point the world needs to finally fix its dreadful response to the still ongoing climate crisis, but mass deaths or genocide are not the way to do it. Secondly, as already established, the entire world is in a state of panic. Entire countries are going into total lockdown, thousands of people are dying daily and stock markets are tumbling. It would hardly be unfair to call this a state of emergency. Yes, the human race will survive this virus and yes, it may seem that we are simply waiting indoors until we can walk back into the world just as we left it. The truth is that the world we will inherit will have changed. Here is the second danger - the most imminent and the most tangible. Authoritarianism. Look at one of the most recent measures passed in the UK. The police now have the authority to break up gatherings of more than two people. Obviously, if this power had been granted in any other situation, it would set

off alarm bells ringing in our brains, but given the gravity of the current situation, it is appropriate. This seems to be the reaction throughout the world, such as in Italy, where the military has been called in to maintain the quarantine. Regardless, this is an emergency measure. How can it be denounced as the dawn of a dictatorship? Looking at countless examples from history, short-term emergency measures almost always end up as the exact opposite, and become a fixture of a new system. In fact, this kind of backdoor permission is the single most effective way of establishing unpopular reform. In danger, short-term security takes priority over long-term 9

accountability. Emergencies do not overrule normal political reform, they streamline it. While the risk of a police state forming, from this one measure is rather low, laws are made by with a precedent, and there are many other controversial corners being cut in migration laws, council support and healthcare. When the emergency measures are finally no longer necessary, does that actually mean that they will be repealed? If we want the answer to be no, we must not forget what life was like before the lockdown, nor can we be passive in our response. We cannot afford to lose the memory of individual liberty, as each small concession we give up is one small victory for an ill-intentioned government. Even if you trust Boris Johnson to not have ambitions of demagoguery, the power to use the police to dispel private gatherings could be an invaluable tool in any would-be tyrantâ€™s arsenal. Again, I do not wish to overstate the issue, nor distract from the fact that these measures are required in such a

dramatic time, but we cannot allow ourselves to ignore potentially life-altering decisions being made right now.

I understand that I could be providing a message of hope in what is, to be quite honest, a very scary time. There is a lot to be hopeful for, whether the promise of societal progress or predicted grades instead of agonising exams. But we must remember that once the dust settles, we will be living in a world irreversibly changed by the current events. Will that change be for the better? No matter your age, your voice has power and you can make a difference, so long as you ward off cynicism and remain vigilant of the hidden dangers.â€Š 10

INFECTION OF THE ECONOMY D . GOYAL

Here, I discuss the unprecedented implications of the current situation, while trying to answer the question: “What on earth does it all mean?” Over the last few weeks you may have seen scary headlines like, “Morgan Stanley predicts 30% contraction in the global GDP,” or, “Equity markets rout continues to burn investors,” and, “Coronavirus outbreak will kill millions.” Although these are true to an extent, I believe that the worst is yet to come with an inevitable recession that might last years. The tourism industry will be the worst hit as consumer spending will dry up over the next 6 months as confidence in the economy is at all time lows.

Just 3 months ago, the economic climate seemed more certain and more robust than ever before, with Brexit being finalised and the US-China trade disputes being resolved. However, little did we know that, as Trump puts it, the “Chinese Virus” would cripple the world in such a short space of time. 11

65% of UK output is attributed to consumer spending, therefore such drastic cuts in consumption will lead to mass unemployment. Some agencies predict unemployment will peak at 20%, the highest since the Great Depression of 1929. With millions across the UK out of work and with little income, the unseasoned Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, took bold actions to lessen the blow. Some of his policies include a direct injection of ÂŁ30 billion into small businesses and deferred VAT payments over the next quarter. While these expansionary fiscal measures will lead to some support for the economy, will this be enough? Sunak is counting on small businesses using these credit facilities to survive the next couple of months but I donâ€™t think this is sustainable over the long term. Given the recent implementation of a lockdown by the Prime Minister, it is extremely unlikely that many of these firms, which underpin the performance of our economy, will be able to survive as spending would

essentially be zero, hence leading to the biggest downturn of the past century. On an international scale, Chinese PMI (an index which measures the output of the manufacturing sector) hit a record low at 35.1 in February 2020. A reading below 50 suggests contraction in activity. Furthermore, world stock markets crashed by 30% in a matter of weeks with damming consequences for pensioners and investors. Gold, a safe haven among traders, stayed at a multi-year high, buoyed by strong appetite during these uncertain times. Such turbulent market conditions have not been seen since the Financial Crisis, and foreshadow a continuation. On the contrary, to make matters better, the FED printed $6 trillion in their latest Quantitative Easing program, buying up government bonds and other mortgage backed securities in a hope to stimulate spending. The impact of these unprecedented measures are yet to be seen but it is unlikely to be enough to help the global economy stabilise. 12

CORONAVIRUS: NATUREâ€™S COMEBACK? A . KRISHNA

With the infamous Coronavirus being the headline of almost every country on the planet, it requires no reinforcement that this pandemic is a significant issue. It has claimed the lives of

thousands and infected a large portion of the global population, leaving the planet in a state of major international crisis. This invisible killer clearly has had some devastating impacts. 13

But when all is said and done, this unforgettable tale of the COVID-19 Pandemic isn’t purely negative. Of course the resultant socioeconomic implications of the virus, have been nothing short of brutally destructive. Everything from supermarket shelves, the summer exams, sales targets and the stock markets, have all suffered colossal scars as a result of the pandemic. However, the environmental impacts don’t seem to be the same. In fact, to the surprise of many, they appear to be diametrically opposite.

pollution and harmful emissions across the northern segment of the country.

The Italian peninsula, with over 7000 dead and over 70000 infected, has been under total lockdown since March the 9th. With all shops, schools and offices shut, the nation’s streets were left subject to the forces of nature. Since then, the results have been pretty self-explanatory, with reports citing colossal falls in air

And it doesn’t just end with Italy. China, despite its economy’s heavy dependence on the manufacturing sector, was forced to close all factories to combat the spread of the virus - and within just fifty days, the evidence is clear. NASA’s satellite image below reveals how the widespread closure measures have

And it doesn’t just end there. There have been plenty of other pleasant impacts. The once murky canals of Venice, upon being relieved from the swarms of tourists and the fleets of gondolas, have restored themselves into crystal clear waterways and have been accompanied with the return of dolphins and other aquatic lifeforms after decades of absence, due to the lack of pollutants.

drastically improved China’s air quality. The megacities of Beijing and Shanghai saw massive reductions in nitrogen dioxide levels, a potent greenhouse gas which is emitted from car exhausts and factories. A recent report also showed how China, in the last couple of months, has decreased its carbon emissions by a quarter. This was then later studied by a Stanford professor, Marshall Burke, who stated that, “The reduction in air pollution in China… may have saved twenty times more lives in China than have been currently lost due to the virus.”

So, as we wait patiently and embark upon this indefinite journey through historic times, let us reflect upon this episode of the COVID-19 outbreak, and how within days of simultaneous worldwide inactivity, the results we have seen are substantial. They are greatly encouraging in a world where climate change is a growing issue, and let us regard it as an expensive lesson to humanity, that climate change action, if conducted on an international scale, will certainly yield tangible and evident results.

LEADERSHIP: BIOLOGY V . JAYARAM

classrooms, but it also allows them to demonstrate their passion and interest within it. Personally, I believe that the biology prefect team and department as a whole have utilised this opportunity to the fullest, bringing in original and engaging ways to promote and spur interest across all the year groups. ‘Aperture’ : an opening or gap, a term commonly used in photography as the hole that lets light into a camera lens. This rather abstract term is now used as the title for our biology magazine,

The role of subject prefect not only allows students to promote their desired subject beyond what’s taught in 16

Reading school’s first ever subject specific publication, aiming to shed light onto the aspects biology that the classroom simply doesn’t cover. The magazine is managed by the prefects, and the articles are made by the students themselves. For our first volume, we worked closely with our year 12 colleagues and brought together 10 informative, student written articles, which were edited and proofread by the biology team, ensuring that quality was not compromised. Our goal with Aperture is to provide a medium that allows students to express a love for biology and gain appreciation for their work. Not only this, but by utilising the passion presented by our writers, we hope to inspire a love for biology within students that previously may not have given it a second glance. As Aperture grows, we will introduce articles from a range of different

year groups, and we hope that we manage to motivate other subjects to carry out a similar initiative, allowing all pupils to affirm their position as super-curricular students. As prefects, we want to ensure that students are given the chance to show their love for biology outside of school. The main way we achieve this is by promoting external biology based competitions, so that students interested in participating can show their love for the subject, on a national level. One of the competitions currently being promoted is the ‘Microbiology in Schools Advisory Committee (MiSAC) UK’ annual competition, in which students from across the nation write about a chosen topic. This year, the chosen topic is vaccines and their importance. Alongside this competition, we also have the ‘unsung heroes of 17

scienceâ€™ competition, run by Hertford college, University of Oxford. This competition involves creating two-minute videos about an unsung hero of science and why you chose to talk about them. We already have many keen students volunteering to partake in both of these incredible opportunities, and the biology prefects and the department will bring many more with time.

vast array of resources available, we are determined to constantly aid anyone who needs help in any area of biology, from years 7-11, and we hope to build on what is already an incredible system made for students

Of course, we must have a focus on the academic aspect of student life, along with the extracurricular, so in order to support students as much as possible in their studies of biology, the biology prefects are responsible for the management of the Biology Clinic. We are determined to provide the best aid for students to understand topics in which they may struggle. With a team of supportive mentors and a

As you can see, the role of biology prefect spreads to a vast number of different roles, and plays in with various different aspects of school life, but our ultimate goal is to support anyone with any level of interest for the subject, both outside and inside the classroom, so that biology isnâ€™t seen simply as a passive subject, but as something far more vast and intriguing.â€Š 18

ONLINE SCHOOLING: THE FUTURE N . SRIKAJANAN

With planet Earth destined for ever-increasing dependence on technology, should something that we have used over the centuries, since the time of the Saxons,

be changed? Schools have been instrumental in children’s learning; should we stop attending school and transfer education to the online world? Or should we 19

maintain our traditional system because it is has proved so successful?

transport, which increase carbon emission levels and contribute to global warming, so online schooling would even help the environment. One of the main advantages for the student is the ability to study at home, in an atmosphere in which they feel comfortable. Moreover, students with physical disabilities may favour this form of learning because it allows them to study from the comfort of their own home, thus avoiding any accessibility issues that they may encounter when attending a regular school. In addition, this could attract more home-schooled students who prefer to be educated from the ease of their own home, but could progress further with the aid of a qualified teacher. When it comes to the advantages for staff, they could benefit significantly from online schooling, particularly, those members

The practicalities of online schooling are quite straightforward. Students can log onto their computer or device first thing in the morning and can receive their work via email; and if more support is required, certain online schools have FaceTime applications, which enable the student and the teacher to communicate face-to-face via webcam. Parents and teachers may feel that the normal school day is becoming increasingly hectic and tiring, with some students having to commute for more than an hour every day. However, when being schooled online, students would be less stressed which could increase engagement. As mentioned earlier, commuting to school includes many forms of 20

of staff who have children; it could enable them to spend more time at home, working flexible hours and with parttime options available. It means that we are not alienating those teachers who have outstanding abilities but live far away from school or are unable to be on the premises 5 days a week.

schooling for a few days, have mixed views. Some of them find online schooling interesting, but a few of them prefer conventional schooling. One student commented, “It’s hard to get used to, but you can get the hang of it.” However, he thinks that learning new topics is “extremely hard”. Another student likes it and said, “It is a good method to use”. However, he was opposed by a student who claimed, “School is better because it is an environment which promotes an understanding of discipline.” Online schooling is an extremely exciting prospect for the future. Could it replace the ‘brick and mortar’’ schools that we have been learning in for what seems an eternity? Will online schooling be engaging enough to enable us to learn effectively? Well, we will just have to wait and see!

Nevertheless, there are some disadvantages to online schooling and it’s important to recognise them. Students could be subjected to fewer social interactions. This could create a community of people who do not converse! Following on from this, students who take up online schooling have less access to practical activities such as reading in libraries, experimenting in science labs, PE, Music, Drama and Art, all of which develop important life skills. Students in Year 8, who have been experiencing online 21

DOWN WITH THE SCHOOL UNIFORM? F . SHEEDY    dull grey September sunrise in year 7, perpetually being choked by his own tie. That, or writhing around trying to fashion some breathing room in a blazer that can “last until summer”. Five years down the pipeline, and almost able see light at the other end of my last year before sixth form, I have finally come to the conclusion that the school uniform causes more problems than it solves. There are limited ways with which you can express yourself in a school setting

Depending on who is reading this, you are likely a parent, or a student at the school itself. Therefore, you or your son has spent the majority of his mornings, since that first 22

(aside from the ÂŁ11.99 branded pencil case you bought to spice things up a little), but one clear way would be through the clothes you would wear. Iâ€™m not saying that each item would be an in-depth character statement about yourself, but you could sleep safer at night, knowing that whatever combination of clothes had made its way to the top of your drawer the next morning would be uniquely yours, and not the same clothing lauded by the other thousand or so copies seen every break-time in the quad. A government analysis of annual school uniform

expenditure in 2014/15, revealed that in secondary school, an average of ÂŁ231 was spent on school uniforms. The fact that the uniform proves itself to be such a financial leech, before the child has even arrived at the school, likely discourages parents from contributing to fundraising initiatives that will actually help the child and their learning. Because make no mistake, school uniform has not been linked with an increase in attendance, behaviour or positive attitudes to the school, as per a study done by a Professor of Sociology in the USA.

And yet, some still try desperately to prove that a uniform increases students’ ability to conform. Perhaps on a surface level, but even then, is that something we really want. In Sixth Form, schools are effectively choosing clothes for adults, who legally have full independence. They should at least have some freedom afforded to them. I’m not saying that we go completely liberal, letting them wear whatever they want, but impose a dress code which leaves them some degree of choice, but also prepares them for the kind of expectations found in an office setting, in which they are likely to find themselves a few years after leaving. There are positives to a school uniform, and I understand that. It gives the school a sense of identity and accountability to the outside world. My question is this… if we

depend on a school uniform to provide this for us, then aren’t we doing it all wrong? Our philosophy should be that a member of the public could tell who a Reading School boy is, because he is the one who gives up his seat on the bus, the one who holds the door open and the one who always smiles and says hello. Because yes, everyone here feels some degree of pride in this school, but let it be said that the school uniform has nothing to do with it.

TRADITION AS OLD AS TIME: LONG LIVE THE BLAZER! H . ROMPANI

School uniforms have been in practise in the UK since the 16th Century, and maybe even in practise at Reading School since the 16th Century. Like

many other great progressions of the 16th Century, such as Shakespeare, the square root sign and the flushing toilet, uniform should not be 25

consigned to the past. It is equally, if not more important than Shakespeare’s works to the schooling system (sorry Mrs Geraghty-Green).

oneself actually is and how school uniforms that are worn from 8:30 to 3:30 during the weekdays prevents this? Surely expressing oneself, which we can assume to be the outward presentation of one's emotions, beliefs and individuality, is not something that is limited to the clothing we wear in this time frame. Now of course it is important to express yourself, as Dr Dre eloquently put it “There's no fessing and guessing while I'm expressing myself”. But there is more to expressing yourself than just what you wear. And there are so many other pros of a school uniform that trump the pros of students being able to express themselves through what they wear.

Reading School, like any other school, wages an ongoing war on the uniform front. For some boys at our school, as it once did for me, the un-tucked shirt and absence of blazer symbolises a freedom from shackles of authority, which brings much joy. Despite this urge to not wear uniform properly, I have yet to hear a legitimate argument for why uniform at Reading School, and any other school for that matter, should not be a thing. This is not to say there is a lack of discourse surrounding the issue. The debate around school uniform is a widely spread one. I have even been confronted with the issue in year 9 French lessons. One argument that comes up frequently is that school uniforms prevent students from expressing themselves. But the question that must be asked in response, is what expressing

At their core, schools need to equip us to go into wider life and to flourish. And I’m afraid that whilst you may want to wear tracksuit bottoms to your workplace, most will have some sort of dress code that prevents this. Shouldn’t schools prepare us for this? Furthermore, in slightly reducing our ability to display individuality in school, 26

Other arguments include the idea that school uniforms are rooted in the past and old fashioned, and therefore should be left to the past. However, this argument is one based on an irrational belief of old equals bad. Reading School, an institution rooted in 900 years of history, is at the forefront of education in the UK and repeatedly attains some of the highest exams results in the country. It is our traditions and heritage that provides a grounding for us to look to the future, rather than holding us back. Our link to the past makes us stand out as a special institution that has a history of excellence. And high standards of uniform are part of this.

we gain a strong sense of group identity through our uniform. We are united by it, as Reading School boys. With the strengthening of our community at the forefront of our mission at Reading School, a uniform that helps to provide a sense of identity and brotherhood is increasingly important. In fact, YouGov Omnibus research found that in the US, where only 20% of schools have a uniform, over 60% of parents with school aged children believe uniform has a positive effect on promoting school pride.

But instead of going on about the arguments in favour of banning school uniform, it's much better to express just how beneficial a school uniform is to schools. In the same way workplaces have dress codes for a reason, schools have uniforms for a reason. And that reason has recently become more and 27

more prevalent with many schools ditching the polo t-shirt and trouser form, and adopting the stricter suit and tie form, illustrating wider and stronger appreciation of the benefits of uniform. One of these benefits is the impact on behaviour. Uniform sets a standard that must always be adhered to. It sets boundaries that are fairly easy to adhere to, and rules with which students are more comfortable. This, in turn, prevents the development of further issues (in fact, 9 in 10 teachers believe that school uniform positively affects pupils’ behaviour according to a 2017 report of 180 teachers). Whilst it may seem slightly draconian to punish students for not wearing uniform properly, it is imperative to do so, because if students can’t follow the basic rules of the school uniform, how can you expect them to follow even more serious rules? At the same time, schools need to teach students to recognise that rules are not always good and sometimes must be broken. A country of order-takers is not something we want. But

uniform is not where we should practise the challenging of authority, because uniform acts as more than just an aid to discipline. Our school has a responsibility to help motivate social mobility within the wider Reading community and uniform is a very important tool in achieving this. This is because uniform provides very little indication of one’s socioeconomic background (especially if enforced so that all students wear it to the same standards). If uniform was removed and students could come in with any clothes they wanted it would suddenly be quite easy to recognise who came from a less fortunate background and vice versa. Not only could this lead to students feeling out of place and uncomfortable, but could also lead to bullying. In fact, in a survey of nearly 600 UK parents, just 11% felt a school uniform didn’t counteract bullying. For every boy at Reading School, and every student across the country, to feel safe and equal among their 28

peers, school uniform is a necessity. Furthermore, having to wear home clothes adds a financial burden on students and their families, who in the case of uniform would be supported by the school or local council in meeting the cost of uniform. Uniformâ€™s use as an economic equalizer is something that, regardless of one's beliefs about discipline, tradition or expression, cannot be argued with, especially from within a grammar school.

to deal with the social pressure of choosing an outfit every morning would cause havoc to my routine. So for any boys reading this magazine please remember the purpose of the school uniform. Remember that it not only unites all Redingensians and helps us stand out as a high achieving school, but it also has deeper purposes. It prepares you for a life where it always helps to be well dressed and smart, and it aids our school in championing social mobility.

Despite the limitations to uniform it is something that should remain firmly in schools. It is imperative that we have that economic equalizer, that creator of identity, that enforcer of discipline and most importantly that lack of stress when deciding what to wear in the morning. My morning routine is already tight enough as it is, with sleep becoming more and more valuable as I have progressed through the school years. Having 29

ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE TUDOR PERIOD R . DHANJAL

Recently, members of the Historical Association were filled with laughter after going to an excellent lecture held by Professor Steve Gunn – who currently teaches at Merton College in Oxford.

The topic, most unusually, was on ‘Accidental Death’ in the Tudor period. I can only attempt to do his morbidly funny lecture justice.

In these times, having information written down was of the utmost importance, and so we now have incredibly accurate representations of what would have once taken place. Much like the image on the left. This is a script describing the death of a maid named Margaret Somer. At the River Kennet in Newbury -on the 28th February 1545- Margaret Somer was cleaning a herring barrel worth 4d (d = pence) when she fell in and

drowned. According to the statement, 4 jurors signed their names and 9 signed with marks. The signings included names like Thomas Dolman, the clothier who purchased the manor of Shaw in 1554, and Walter Collyns, the town constable in 1540. In the chart above, we see the status level of those who died. The most common death is that of a widow. Some more drowning deaths include that of Richard 31

Webbe of Reading, bargeman, who was working with various others, ‘towinge or drawing’ a boat called ‘a Westerne Barge’ through ‘Cotterells locke’ [now Shiplake Lock] on the River Thames by a rope tied to the boat. Suddenly Richard found ‘hys Feete slippinge or slydinge’ and he fell in and drowned at Wargrave, Berkshire, 30th October 1578, 9-11 am.

by the violent course of the water and drowned. But it wasn’t just drowning that was the issue… Reading, Berkshire, 20th May 1591, 7 pm: Geoffrey Baylie was standing near a fulling mill called a ‘thickinge mill’. He fell into a well called the ‘knee pitt’ and was crushed and pressed by a piece of timber called ‘the knee of the same myll’. He died instantly. East Hendred, Berkshire, 22nd October 1541, 1 pm: Richard Carier of East Hendred, husbandman, was digging earth in a pasture called ‘Justyce’. Six cartloads of earth fell on him, killing him instantly. Margaret Jorden found his body. During this period, in 1573, poet Thomas Tusser wrote a poem: ‘Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry’. It contained phrases like: “Now season is good To lop or fell wood

River Thames at Windsor, Berkshire, 3rd March 1581, 6-7 am: John Colye of Lambeth, Surrey, was a waterman rowing in his own boat on the Thames in the parish of New Windsor, near a bridge called ‘the towne bridge’. The boat was suddenly caught by the violent course of the water and carried into ‘the pyles’ of the bridge and crushed against them, so that water came into the boat and it sank. He was carried away from the boat 32

Get timber out, Er yeere go about...” This refers to the end of March so the trees are ready to be chopped down. This leads us on nicely to a couple of deaths involving trees…

pulled so hard that the rope broke and he fell backwards head-first, breaking his neck. Thomas Tusser also wrote lines like: “Forget it not Fruit brused will rot... Go gather with skill, And gather that will.” Lyford, Berkshire, 5th September 1542, 8-9 am: Anne Yate was collecting plums in a garden called ‘beegarden’. She was suffering from a head illness called a ‘mygrym’. Due to her ailment, she stumbled over a tree stump, fell into a pond and drowned. Some of the statements are rather gruesome. Leeds, Kents, 26th May 1588, 9pm: John Cheeseman of Leeds, millman, had a hernia in his stomach. He was in a chamber in the house of Anthony Davy of Leeds, innkeeper, with adolescents and young men. They were playing wantonly together, jumping and dancing. John

Frilford, Berkshire, 9th April 1534: John Cole of Frilford, carpenter, was felling an elm tree. The tree fell onto a haystack, bounced off and struck him in the chest and he died instantly. There are also lines in the poem that encourage men to sell grain in the market. “If weather be faire, and tidie thy graine, Make speedily carrege, for feare of a raine...” Newbury, Berkshire, 12th August 1539, 6-7 pm: John Stacye of Enborne, labourer, was loading the cart of Thomas Hasyll of Enborne with grain, in the field called ‘west felde’ in Newbury. He climbed on the cart to tie up the load but 33

was drunk, and caring little for his hernia, he conducted himself in a disorderly manner, bringing great strain to his body. A great part of his entrails, by misfortune, were thrust up out of his stomach to his outer skin and could not be pushed back. He languished and greatly laboured with his adverse health until the 28th of May, and soon after, died of a rupture. Fulstow, Lincolnshire, 4 pm, Wednesday 10th August 1552: William Lamley was playing in the kitchen of Andrew Lemyng. When he tried to dance on one leg, he stumbled and fell onto the fire. A kettle of boiling water spilled over his body and scalded his back and legs. He languished until 3 pm on the 15th of August, when he died. Leaveland, Kent, 28th April 1567, 8 am:a William Westbiche of Canterbury, blacksmith, was

in the kitchen next to the house of Goodleve Baker of Leaveland, widow, with John Norington and Alice Lull, who were preparing dinner (the mid-day meal). William was dancing in the kitchen while they cooked. He spun around and impaled himself on the roasting spit, dying instantly from a wound in the right side of his chest. I hope you have found this article morbidly amusing.If you want any more details about future lectures on a whole range of historical topics, or the work done by the Reading Branch of the Historical Association, contact Chris Sexton at sexton44@gmail.com .

ADVENTURES IN BERLIN J . SPENCE & B . WALKER For a few days at the beginning of March, the Year 12 History students visited Berlin on a school trip as part of our studies of the Cold War. Here are some impressions of a few of the sites which we visited:  arranged in a grid pattern, jut out of the ground across a sloping plain which is located just one block away from the Brandenburger Tor. We were encouraged to develop our own impressions of what the memorial meant to us as we walked among these concrete slabs. Although the slabs at the edge of the J . Spence: Our walking tour plain are relatively short, the through Berlin, on the first day, further you walk into the took us to the Memorial of the memorial, the higher they grow ‘Murdered Jews of Europe’, up around you, until you designed by American architect become overwhelmed and Peter Eisenman and British disorientated by the height of engineer Buro Happold, which the grey pillars – yet still the was inaugurated in 2005 to ground slopes down towards mark sixty years since the end the centre, directing you away of WWII. Over 2,000 from the outside and propelling rectangular concrete slabs you towards the lowest point of 35

this memorial, the centre, perhaps representative of the constant escalation of the Third Reich’s persecution of the Jews. As soon as the lowest point is reached, the ground begins to slope up again and your focus is drawn to the edge of the memorial. Although you may feel utterly engulfed in the centre of the memorial, a path will always lead you safely out again, just as the human race has learnt from the atrocities committed in the holocaust. The lasting feeling I got from walking through the memorial was how uniform the blocks were – there was no sense of individuality or identity. The diverse people remembered here were persecuted because of the religion which they happened to share – yet, in the eyes of those in power, the fact that they were Jewish was the only thing that mattered about them, and throughout their persecution, their individual differences were disregarded and their religion became their defining (and in this case incriminating) feature. B . Walker: After the guided walking tour of Berlin, we

stopped off at the Reichstag, which was the seat of the ‘Bundestag’ or the German National Parliament. We visited the amazing 360 degree glass dome atop the building, with picturesque views of Berlin lit up in the twilight. It was amazing to think that we were at the centre of political decision making of a country. Across the view, we were enthralled by the sites steeped in history, like the Berlin Zoological Gardens and the Brandenburg Gate, but we were also entranced by the modernism that Berlin invited, like the Ludwig-Erhard-Haus.

Taking in the sights, it was clear that Berlin was where the past, present and future all collide. J . Spence: A guided tour of the Stasi Museum, housed in the former headquarters of the East German State Security Service, provided a fascinating insight into the lengths to which this organisation went in order to gather information about the huge number of citizens on which it was spying, totalling more than a third of the East German population. Such was the secrecy with which they did this, that it wasn’t until long after the fall of communism in Europe, that one family living in former East Berlin decided to install a new door in their house and discovered the Stasi had been spying on them. Noticing some strange metal objects poking out of the top of the old door which they had just removed from the doorframe, they chipped away at the door to reveal a bugging device and several batteries hidden in the cavity inside the door. Such bugging devices could be skilfully installed in

people’s homes by a Stasi employee – precautions had to be taken to ensure that they would not be caught redhanded by one of the members of the household returning home. Of course, this required yet more covert activity – whilst the Stasi’s full-time employees and unofficial collaborators alone made up nearly 2% of the East German population, many more gave information to the organisation without knowing they had done so. In order to find out when would be the best time to install a bugging device in someone’s home, it was common for a Stasi employee to dress up as a 37

postman and knock on a the door of a target’s neighbour, to enquire when their neighbour was likely to be home from work so that a parcel could be delivered to them. Whilst the neighbour providing this information remained ignorant of the malicious purpose it would serve, the Stasi employee could now be sure of the best time to break into the target’s house and install a bugging device. Although, as the German Democratic Republic fell, Stasi employees did attempt to destroy a lot of the files that they had kept on people, the vast majority still remain intact in an archive on the same site, and people have been working continuously since 1995 to piece together the files which were shredded – the archive holds an astonishing 111 kilometres of files in total. Since 1992, it has been possible for citizens to see their own files in the archive, and some 2.75 million people did so in the first ten years of the archives being open. Many of

those who have been to read their files have discovered a harrowing truth – that members of their immediate family and their close friends, whom they thought they could trust, had been passing information about them on to the Stasi; for fear of discovering the same, many Germans have chosen not to visit the archives. It seems that in this system obsessed with ultimate control, the informers truly were everywhere.

B . Walker: The last stop of our visit was an introspective one. After whizzing around Berlin for a good 6-7 hours each day for the past week, it was a curious change in tone to have a quiet afternoon of deep thought. We visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration 38

Camp in Oranienburg, which had primarily been used to hold political prisoners during the Third Reich. Walking around the starkly silent site, it was unsettling to think of the past horrors which had taken place right beneath our feet; as we continued through the maze of out houses and barren landscapes, the time for contemplation was overwhelming, as if there was an underlying sense of malice in the air that we could all collectively sense. It was especially striking to think about the volume of people who would have stood exactly where we were standing, feeling a far worse mix of emotions, shrouding their uncertain futures. I was thankful that I had the opportunity to visit such a place, and was able to truly understand what a place like that meant to me.â€Š

‘VIRAL FEVER - BUT NOT THE ONE YOU’RE THINKING OF…’ M . GUPTA

Who are some of the most famous people on the internet in our generation? Are they politicians or Hollywood celebrities? No, they’re people who make

their career on one of the biggest social media platforms in the world – YouTube. Pewdiepie. Mr Beast. theodd1sout. These are the names that we know 40

today. With millions of subscribers and viewers, they can earn millions a year. According to Forbes, in 2019 alone, Pewdiepie earnt around £15million, and his net worth is estimated to be around £30 million. So where did it all start? In 2005 former PayPal employees Steve Chan, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim founded YouTube. The domain name, "YouTube.com", was activated on the 14th of February, 2005, with video upload options integrated on the 23rd of April 2005. The first YouTube video, titled ‘Me at the Zoo’, was uploaded and showed cofounder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo. The trio used their money from eBay’s buyout of PayPal to fund the site’s early development. From the summer of 2006, YouTube began to be one of the world’s fastest growing websites, and by July the site

had an average of 100 million views a day. Google purchased YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion in stock on the 13th of November, 2006, making it Google's second-largest acquisition. Susan Wojcicki from Google, became CEO of YouTube in 2014. An American technology executive, Wojcicki was involved in the founding of Google and became its first Marketing Manager in 1999. She followed the success of YouTube and proposed the acquisition to Google. Today, Wojcicki has an estimated net worth of nearly $500 million. From the new ownership, YouTube continued to grow and in 2019 YouTube had made $15.1 billion in ad revenue. According to wall street analysts, the brand is valued at more than $100 billion. So why has YouTube become such a hit?

YouTube is a free streaming service. Anyone can access content and watch/upload videos. At the time of its creation, YouTube was the only such portal of its kind, and remains to be the most popular and successful. YouTube also poses a great global influence through

careers. Music sensations such as Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran started their musical careers by using YouTube. Its no cost structure facilitates new talent. YouTube is also a great way to express yourself. There are infinite possibilities in the world of YouTube, and content creators have the opportunity to express themselves through their videos. It promotes free speech, as individuals have the right to speak out on the platform. President Obama used YouTube as part of his 2012 re-election campaign, and it is used widely for political purposes. People can promote their causes, such as the #TeamTrees movement, where popular youtubers promoted donations to the cause. This proved to be very successful as over $20million has been raised. This is an excellent example of YouTubeâ€™s power

media. Videos posted have made the world burst into laughter, create uproar and trends. YouTube has also been a way for people to kickstart their 42

to positively influence the masses. It has re-energised the educational system. Huge amounts of free content is available, ranging from how to learn a language and to life/business coaching. One of the most well-known educational channels is TED. It has been used in both classrooms and boardrooms across the globe. On top of this, most people use YouTube to learn new skills or ‘how to’ complete a specific task. YouTube has everything from “How to build a Laptop” to makeup tutorials. YouTube provides a great solution to most issues. YouTube is a powerful business tool and is a great way to promote your brand. It is a cheap and easy marketing solution for getting your content out to potential customers, and is used by start-ups to multimillion-dollar companies. However, there is a dark side to this ‘machine’. Although

YouTube manages the content on its servers, it is quite unregulated and anyone from the public can post on it. This, unfortunately, can lead to graphic and explicit content being posted online to all audiences. An example of this was the “Momo” post. Many of these shocking clips were posted onto YouTube Kids, revealing harmful content to young children. However, in recent years, YouTube has gotten better at managing content, putting numerous safety regulations in place to address these issues. Whether you are a fan or not, it is undeniable that YouTube is one of the most important global platform today. With millions of viewers worldwide, YouTube is the 2nd most popular website in 2020, second only to Google after overtaking Facebook. It truly is a masterpiece of the 21st century.  43

RAASMUN: MODEL UNITED NATIONS A . ABZHANOV

A. Felix, S. Nerellakunta, A. Abzhanov, H. Patel, D. Cooper, R. Qin, R. Chikkam and M. Yidjeu - delegates to RAASMUN.

On the 7th of February, a delegation of 8 Reading School students from Years 12 and 13, went to the Royal Alexandra and Albert School

for a Model United Nations Conference. Model United Nations is a debating forum based on 44

current affairs and world issues. Working in groups and committees, such as the Security Council, Human Rights Council and Disarmament and International Security Committee, the students represent different countries (Reading School represented Poland) and are presented with their assignments in advance, along with topics that their committee will discuss. Delegates conduct research before conferences and formulate positions that they will then debate with their fellow delegates in the committee, staying true to the actual position of the member they represent. The Delegates faced a plethora of different issues, such as: the situation in Ukraine, the usage of socialist measures to prevent a global financial crisis, the ethicality of using ‘deep fakes’ in the media and the future of warfare - huge variety of topics that our

delegates debated very effectively. The day started out with a speech by Crispin Blunt (the MP for Reigate and former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee). He warned delegates about the dangers of badly thought out UN resolutions and legislation, using the example of the total outlawing of Cannabis (including medical use) in the 1960s. After this, delegates went to their committees to debate and discuss resolutions (documents outlining our policy for a particular topic). As part of the ‘Economic and Financial Committee’ representing Poland, my objectives were to introduce a digital tax and increase regulation of the financial sector. We soon got busy with ‘caucusing’, which is informal lobbying of other delegates in our committee to gain approval for your 45

resolution. After this, we discussed and debated all our resolutions. This involved amendments which were voted upon, and I had a protracted debate with the USA and Russia about leadership and socialism. With the support of the UK and France, I managed to get my resolution on digital taxation passed, despite fierce opposition from

Russia. Meanwhile, the Reading School delegation managed to pass resolutions in the other committees, and Ruilang Q even negotiated a seat for Poland as a permanent member of the Security Council! Overall, the Royal Alexandra and Albert School Model UN conference was a fascinating and lively event, which gave us much insight into how the UN works and allowed us to develop vital skills in negotiation, debating and research. It was the first MUN competition for many of our delegates (including myself), and we are certainly looking ahead at entering many such competitions in the future.â€Š 46

SPEEDBOT: MACHINE LEARNING S . LI drivers exceed the speed limit on 20mph roads. Similarly, up to 49% of drivers admit to using their phones at the wheel, causing 70,000 traffic casualties in the US every year. Yet, using GPS to extract speed limit information can be unreliable and insufficient compared to traffic signs, which can relay a wider variety of traffic information more quickly and clearly. Therefore, I decided to create Speed Bot. Version 4.13 of Speed Bot, available for free on the Google Play Store, is designed to combat traffic casualties by automatically detecting and recognising traffic signs in

According to the World Health Organisation, 1.35 million people die every year as a result of road traffic crashes, with 181,000 deaths in Britain alone. The biggest causes are inappropriate speeds and distracted driving. 53% of drivers exceed the speed limit on 30mph roads and 81% of 47

The main concept behind Speed Bot is neural networks. Neural networks are basically complex functions that mimic the brain. When data is inputted into a basic network, it is fed forwards through different layers. At each layer lie neurons, which take the data, manipulate them with values called weights and biases, and then outputs a certain value. After this, it is repeated thousands of times and we end up with a final output in the output layer. However, if this is done randomly, all weâ€™ll end up with is just a random number. We need to train the network, and this means changing the weights and biases based upon previous performances to make them work for any input image. Essentially, neural networks solve problems using systematic trial and error, but are really good at it.

your phoneâ€™s live camera feed. This is done using machine learning and image manipulation; no Internet access or location permissions are required. In total, Speed Bot can recognise 47 different traffic signs, and when tested in multiple environments with different visibility levels, Speed Botâ€™s overall detection and recognition accuracies were 97% and 84% respectively, solidifying its ability to save lives.

artificial intelligence is part of every one of our actions, is not far ahead. And Speed Bot is just one example of artificial intelligence. A small example - if you are interested in neural networks, or AI in general, I encourage you to research more and consider joining machine learning club, where weâ€™ll be going through Tensorflow and how to implement neural networks in Python. For me, artificial intelligence is the road works that will bridge the gap between this era and the coming one, and hopefully, it will allow you to detect and recognise that there are no speed limits in the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. P.S. Speed Bot is currently at 126 downloads. Letâ€™s get it to 1000 by 2021!

In these past 17 months, the process of getting Speed Bot out into the world has taught me a lot. It has given me an insight into the (horrifying at times) life of a software engineer, and has given me skills and knowledge that will surely help me into the future. A world where everyone owns a self-driving car, where emotive and sentient robots become our companions, and where 49

TYSON FURY: RISE OF THE GYPSY KING S . DE

fantastic achievements which tennis and golf fans could rave about for days. But these do not quite match the riveting tale of the Gypsy King himself: Tyson Fury. It is the 28th of November, 2015. Two fighters enter the ring in Westfalen â€“ one a veteran boasting an almost 10 year stranglehold of the heavyweight championship, the other, an attention-grabbing Englishman in whose veins flows the spirit of boxing. Neither of them can predict that this night will be a turning point in heavyweight boxing history. Wladimir Klitschko vs Tyson Fury. The fight, in all honesty, is not an entertaining

In an age where so much is changing, there is unexplainable joy in seeing old, worn-out has-beens returning to their very best. In 2017, Roger Federer won three 5-set battles and went on his way to a 6th Australian Open, after a horror knee injury. Just last year, Tiger Woods won the Masters after a long term back injury and making headlines in previous years for all the wrong reasons. These are undoubtedly 50

one but to those with boxing nous, it is an interesting battle. Fury negates Klitschko’s strengths and in the latter six rounds, astounds him with shocking speed. Neither fighter offers much in the way of offence but Fury has just edged every single round to make him the world heavyweight champion. As world champion, Fury’s tenure of holding his belt was considerably fewer than his beaten opponent’s – almost 365 times fewer in fact, as he lost it after just 10 days. Before the fight, a rematch clause had been agreed, meaning that Fury would not face the mandatory IBF challenger, causing him to be stripped of his belt. The period after gaining world champion status was a dark one as Fury has admitted – from abuse of dangerous substances to ballooning in weight to over 330 pounds, Fury had, in his words to Rolling Stone, no motivation. Despite gaining the riches and just rewards he had worked so hard for, he felt hollow and empty. He even failed a drug test for cocaine and was (somewhat mercifully) spared the humiliation of

domination by Klitschko by an ankle sprain before the fight. This feeling of no motivation is as sports fans know, an all too common one. It is part of the reason why (barring last season) no Premier League team had managed to defend their title in 10 years, and it is why current world no 1 Novak Djokovic, after winning his long coveted French Open, suffered an alarming dip in form right after. But the level of Fury’s depression was incomparable – in subsequent years after being treated for depression, he recounted a deeply distressing moment. “At the bottom of about a five-mile strip there’s a massive bridge that crosses the motorway. I got the car up to about 190mph and I was headed towards that bridge. I didn’t care what no-one was thinking, I didn’t care about hurting my family, friends, anybody. I didn’t care about nothing, I just wanted to die so bad, I gave up on life. And just as I was heading towards that bridge at 190mph in this Ferrari – it would have crushed like a Coke can if I’d have hit it – I heard a voice 51

saying: ‘No, don’t do this Tyson…Think about your kids, think about your family and your little boys and girls growing up with no father and everyone saying your dad was a weak man, he left you and he took the easy way out because he couldn’t do anything about it. And I thought that I’ll never ever try or think about taking my life ever again.’’ The recuperation that Fury went through was nothing short of astounding. With the help of Ben Davison and psychology meetings, he was able to not only get back to a fully motivated state but a state where he could box, albeit at ‘50%’. To recover so quickly is remarkable, but to do so and arrange a fight against the most feared, undefeated heavyweight in the world is something else entirely. This also came at a time where negotiations between Anthony Joshua, who had won Fury’s vacated belts, and Wilder seemed never-ending. The first fight between Fury and Wilder was one that got people off the edge of their seat, and the fight’s

biggest highlight only goes to show the heart of Tyson Fury. In the 12th round, Deontay Wilder landed the blow he had been searching for the entire fight and with a devastating haymaker, Fury was down, like the previous 41 fighters Wilder had faced. It looked as if he was out. But in Tyson Fury’s head, he is never, EVER out.

Unfathomably rising, as the crowd looked on in shock, Fury truly completed his comeback. Although the fight controversially ended in a draw (most would have given it to 52

twice before his team threw in the towel. Fury dominated and deservedly won the WBC belt, which had evaded anyone who fought Wilder. What makes Fury such an inspiration is not his impeccable boxing technique or how he surprises people time and time again. It is his spirit. His drive, perseverance and ultimately his love of family has brought him to the position he is in. He has conquered demons that no one should ever have to face, and was not afraid to recognise that he badly needed help. It is for these reasons that I feel that Tyson Fury really is the greatest sporting phenom of recent times.

Tyson), the stage was set for another one. Fury Wilder II was a very different fight to the first one â€“ before the fight, Fury parted ways with Davison, the coach who had got him back to fitness, and both fighters looked exhausted by their prefight media duties. Only one of them truly wasnâ€™t. Boxing in Nevada in front of thousands of eager spectators, a masterclass from Fury ensued. He was a lot more aggressive and surprised Wilder. At no point did Wilder ever seem in control of the fight, being knocked down 53

THE PUZZLE SOCIETYâ€™S CRYPTIC CROSSWORD D . COOPER

A warm welcome from the Reading School Puzzle Society! We are a small but dedicated group centred around various puzzles such as sudoku, crosswords, star battles, and so much more. We meet Monday lunchtimes in room 17; feel free to come along upon the reopening of the school! Please enjoy our homemade puzzle:

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE OF APERTURE AT : https://readingschoolco.sharepoint.com/SiteAssets/ SitePages/Home/APERTURE%20edition1.pdfâ€© 56

‘THE FOCUS’

A READING SCHOOL STUDENT-RUN INITIATIVE