IW Magazine

IW AUTUMN 2024

Pretty Privilege

That’s Hot! All the Best Reviews

FROM THE EDITORS

It was while sharing a recent article we had read on women’s lives under Taliban rule that the idea for this Autumn Edition’s theme came to us. These women, now unable to speak outside their own home for fear of arrest (or worse), could neither voice nor share any detail about their life – however big or small – with anyone.

Maybe we speak for many of you when we say that we often forget how privileged we are to have that opportunity to speak and share. It’s so easy to take something so ‘basic’ for granted.

That’s why we believe “Our Lives, Our Voices” is the perfect theme for this edition, one which we realised unintentionally chronicles a range of all our joys and struggles as young people and girls. Because it doesn’t matter whether we're speaking out about the catcalling we face on the streets, expressing how navigating the ever-impossible maze of beauty standards makes us feel, or even just raving about the music albums of the moment, we’re all constantly giving voice to our lives. What makes us laugh, what makes us cry – our whole, full-on Inside Out 2 set of adolescent emotions.

And there’s nothing more powerful than that.

2

Stella and Katherine x

Inside

IW

filters: friend or foe? 4 my life offline 6 pretty privilege 8 a little pen 10 rebels-with-a-cause 12 taylor swift: eras quiz 14 good news! 16 the importance of femsoc 18 the rise of ai 21 reviews 22 our fav hot chocs 22

3

4

5

6

Pretty Privilege When do looks outweigh talent?

Character is more important in life than beauty.

This is something we hear constantly - but how true is it? How far can beauty actually take you? Far, it would seem. We call it ‘pretty privilege’ - the unearned advantages of physical attractiveness.

A pretty successful career Physically attractive people have been proven to earn 15% more than people who are considered ‘not pretty’. This is appalling and completely unacceptable. The data also uncovered that pretty people are more likely to be hired and promoted. Similarly, a student’s appearance in the classroom can also impact their grades. In 2017, a study revealed that female students earned lower grades in online courses than they did in face to face classes.

These findings match a study from 2022. This feels to me like ‘choosing a book by its cover’. Just because one has perfect eyes and a button nose does not mean that they are smart; just because one has shiny hair does not mean that they are hard working; and just because one has a good smile does not mean that they have a good heart! You have to read all the pages before you can judge the book.

A pretty good personality Let’s take a deep breath and talk about how pretty privilege affects how you are seen as a person. Pretty people are perceived as smarter, funnier, kinder and healthier. Pretty people ‘have the key to a door of opportunities, connections and choices which are shut, locked and barricaded to others’ writes Lilly Delmage of Glamour UK. Traits that were seen as annoying or socially awkward can suddenly seem attractive if you are seen as pretty. The geek becomes ‘smart’. The irritating chatterbox is ‘outgoing’. This really hits deep. It’s like being pretty gives someone who looks at you or hangs out with you a coloured lens where everything you do is good or over-exaggerated in a positive way.

If we believe that character is more important than beauty then we can finally be judged by who we are rather than how we look. Interestingly, ‘unconscious bias’ is now part of a suite of training courses run by mainstream businesses looking at diversity and equality. This must be a good thing. It is time to open our eyes and look through the outer packaging and value the content within for what it really is – a gift. Whether thin or round, pretty or plain, we all deserve an equal chance and a fair game.

We all deserve an equal chance.

Sophia Belsey L5

9

Who knew a little pen could cause so much harm?

Society continues to fabricate the harsh reality of vaping I will never forget stumbling across a group of young teenagers on a tram, whose faces were engrossed by bright illumination as air enveloped them with sweetsmelling clouds. All seemed well until the sounds of spluttering and coughing caught everyone’s attention. Serving as a stark reminder, the vibrant façade of these little pens of pleasure conceals a much darker and damaging secret.

Initially promoted to help people quit cigarettes, it is evident that vaping has attracted a greater audience than anticipated. A 2024 survey by ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) reported that 18% of 11– 17-year-olds had tried vaping, a staggering 980,000 children! Over half had tried once and 4.2% more than once a week. Furthermore, among non-smokers who use ecigarettes, 51% indicated that their primary reason for vaping was ‘just to give it a try.’ Following this, 18% highlighted peer influence as their main motivation, while 11% stated that they were drawn to vaping due to the variety of flavours available.

E-cigarettes enable individuals to inhale nicotine through a vapour rather than smoke. Additionally, they don’t burn tobacco nor produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most damaging elements in tobacco smoke that could lead to COPD and Type 2 diabetes. That said, the long-term health effects of this vaping "epidemic" remain uncertain due to its recent

emergence, which is rapidly escalating concern, according to Dr. Mike McKean, Vice President of Policy for the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health.

We must remember that behind the statistics and scientific research, there are real people, like Kyla Blightt, a 17-year-old girl from Egremont, Cumbria, who has already suffered serious ramifications from her seemingly innocuous vaping addiction.

Blightt, who appeared on Good Morning Britain in June 2024, bravely advocated for teenagers to avoid the peer-pressuring environment of vape culture by emotionally claiming: “it is not worth it at all!” expressing regret, and suggesting the truth behind vaping, concealed by societal expectation, could lead to severe consequences if Thankfully, extreme consequences like this have not gone unnoticed by the government. In March 2023, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explained plans for a ban on disposable vapes, along with

what was once thought of as trendy and harmless activity has now manifested into a national crisis

restrictions on fruit-flavoured varieties and marketing. But will this be delivered effectively in the long term, especially with the brute force of our good old friend social media continuing to glorify vaping as an act of popularity?

What was once thought of as an on-trend and harmless activity has now manifested into a national crisis. The extensive research and mounting evidence clearly suggest that vaping poses serious health risks, especially to us, whose lungs are still developing. As we navigate through ever-evolving modern society, we must acknowledge the true extent of the harm caused by e-cigarettes, not be fooled by their perceived innocence, and raise awareness, educate, and implement effective regulations to protect individuals from their deceptive nature. After all, who knew a little pen could cause so much harm?

Chelini Abeyasinghe U6

11

Rebels with a cause Recently, there seems to have been a sharp increase in songs rooted thematically in the troubles faced by people all over the world. But if you look only a few decades back, you’ll find that this has always been the case. Music and struggle have always been inextricably linked. Turning to the rebellious musicians of the past, we can discover just how deep this relationship runs...

Female musicians have been breaking boundaries for longer than you think her failed relationship with fellow folkie Bob Dylan; and her rendition of The Band’s ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’, a tale of the last days of the American Civil War. And she was never just a musician; she was an activist.

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez was born in New York City in 1941, to a Mexican father and a mother from Edinburgh. As she grew up, she began playing guitar and singing folk music, and her professional career began following her appearance at Newport Folk Festival in 1959. Gathering a dedicated following due to her entrancingly pure soprano voice, she would go on to record over 25 studio albums, sticking mainly to folk, through dappling in genres such as country and gospel music. Her most successful songs include ‘Diamonds and Rust’, a bittersweet ballad telling of

civil rights. She wrote and performed many protest songs; the highlight arguably being her 1973 composition ‘Where Are You Now, My Son?’, a 22-minute track, interspersed with poetry and singing, featuring recordings from her visit to North Vietnam that Christmas.

Her most recent album was 2018’s ‘Whistle Down the Wind’, consisting of ruminative, acoustic interpretations of songs by writers such as Tom Waits and Mary Chapin Carpenter; a tasteful record to round off a prolific career – a career which not only changed folk music forever, but which has inspired many to find their voice and stand up for what they believe in.

Kate Bush She never passed up the chance to have her voice heard – whether it was her staunch anti-war campaigning, or her friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. and their fight for

Following a string of hits in the 1980s, Kate Bush was recently introduced to a new generation when her song Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) became an unexpected and belated hit. I personally fell in love with the song when I was very

“A career which has inspired many to find their voice and stand up for what they believe in”

young – we had it on CD, and it was the soundtrack of countless road trips.

Catherine Bush, born in 1958, was musical from a young age, studying piano, organ, and violin. When she was 16, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour noticed her talent and helped her record a demo tape, which got her a deal with EMI. She shot to fame aged 19 with her debut single, ‘Wuthering Heights’, based on the Emily Brontë book of the same name. She has gained popularity for her often bizarre (but always remarkable) songs, coupled with her expansive vocal range, and her experimental musical style, both sonically and thematically.

Arguably, her strongest songs are her most poignant ones. Her cathartic tearjerkers include ‘This Woman’s Work’, portraying the struggles of childbirth and motherhood, and ‘Army Dreamers’, a mother’s lament for a young soldier killed in action. In my opinion, her magnum opus is

‘Cloudbusting’, from 1985’s ‘Hounds of Love’.

It’s about young boy remembering his father who has found a way to control the rain and has been taken away by the government.

Kate Bush made many contributions to the world of music. As well as an impressive musical legacy (with the likes of Adele, Elton John, Björk, and many more, expressing their admiration for the singer), she was the first artist, for instance, to use a wireless headset microphone – on tour in 1979, she found that holding a microphone interfered with her interpretative dancing, so a solution had to be found.

Despite preferring to stay out of the spotlight nowadays, Kate Bush has certainly left her mark on the industry. Pop music would surely not be the same without her.

By Stella Whitworth U6

Which Taylor Swift Album are You? Lover or hater, nobody can deny that this year has been Taylor Swift’s. In January, Taylor Swift celebrated her historic fourth win of the highly coveted Grammy for Album of the Year, becoming the first artist ever to do so. But which T Swizzle AOTY are you? Take this quiz to find out...

1. Who’s your fav singer (apart from T-Swift, obviously)?

A. Ed Sheeran: he’s just... Perfect B. Miley Cyrus because Party in the USA... duh?

C. Lana del Rey – I'm a deep person, what can I say?

D. SZA: I want to Kill Bill too??

2. Your bestie has ghosted you completely: what do you do?

A. Cry... a lot. Consider arson. And then continue crying. A lot.

B. I have a ton of other friends; who cares??

C. Write some heartfelt poetry about the ordeal D. Design an elaborate mastermind revenge plan. Vigilante that shizz. Then hold a grudge.

Forever.

14

3. What’s your favourite book genre?

A. Anything fantasy or romantic B. Book? What’s that?

C. I would rather work on writing my future Nobel Prize winning literature D. All the modern classics; anything Great Gatsby-esque

4. It’s Own Clothes Day: what’s your go-to fit?

A. A cute dress (likely floral) and some Ugg boots B. Mini skirt and crop top C. Maxi dress and a cardigan D. Dark jeans and a sparkly top

5. You’re out with friends and you fancy something to eat; where do you go?

A. McDonalds. What?! It’s cheap!

B. The new pho restaurant everyone’s talking about C. Why don’t we stay at home? I foraged some mushrooms earlier D. Harvey Nics: it has the best cocktails – sorry, mocktails

6. And finally, what’s your favourite colour?

A. A sunny yellow B. Sky blue C. Grey because I am profoundly profound D. Indigo

If you got....

Mostly As, you’re Fearless. Happy, sunny, and hopelessly idealistically romantic: you are the personification of Taylor’s hit sophomore country album. With you, every (To)day’s a Fairytale and an absolute Love Story: we all hope you’ll never Change.

Mostly Bs, you’re 1989. The absolute life of the party, you’re the person of everyone’s Wildest Dreams. You will quite literally never go out of Style. Heartbreak may be your national anthem, but you always Shake It Off. Mostly Cs, you’re folklore: The 1 as poetic as William Wordsworth as he sits by The Lakes. Your soul is too deep for this world; sometimes it’s hard to bear, but just keep on This Is Me Trying.

Mostly Ds, you’re Midnights. Glamour. Darkness. Bejeweled. All words that can be used to describe the Mastermind that is you. You may be the bitter Anti-Hero at times, but at least Karma is your boyfriend. The epitome of cool, you just Hit Different.

13

15

16

The importance of a Feminist Society in a girls’ school.

Molly Mathers U6

18

I was once walking down the street, and a group of a halfdozen boys hollered at me.

I was wearing a semi-short skirt, with sheer tights, and red Doc Marten boots.

Many would tell me that in those clothes I should just have expected it, and I did. I saw them across the street and with every step I knew it was coming. I knew and I willed them to walk on, to look away, to not notice me. But they did.

There are two things that make me remember this particular experience so clearly. First, my mum was with me – I was a 15-year-old girl walking to the chip shop with my tall, slightly scary, grey-haired mother beside me. And I got cat-called. By myself in that outfit, or with a friend, I’d be more accustomed to it. But with my mum? That was different territory. The second thing that riled me was how young these boys seemed to be, they were no older than fourteen, and most looked about twelve. By that point, I was used to being whistled and stared at by older boys and sometimes grown men, but ones my little brother’s age? That was new.

I’d been cat-called before this. The very first time, I had just turned eleven, and was going on a run around the park. I loved running and playing sport. I was a swimmer as well. I was wearing ‘Star Wars’ printed leggings and a pink zip-up hoodie. A questionable fashion choice, but I was a child. That was the last run I ever went on. Soon afterwards I got my period, quit swimming, and stopped playing hockey.

You might wonder what this trauma has to do with running FemSoc at St George’s. “Why have a feminist society in a girls’ school?” is a question I’ve been asked when I mention it. But I feel that this question misses the point.

No, we don’t need FemSoc in the same way a school might need an LGBT+ or BAME society (for the record, we have those too). FemSoc is about something slightly different than ensuring inclusivity. Of course, girls are included here, that’s kind of the whole idea, but this school is not the world and – now this might shock you – we exist outside it.

Feminism isn’t just about equality in the statistics, but also the day to day, mundane, misogyny that we’ve become so used to that most of us have given up caring. Doing something about harassment like what I’ve just described requires you to care, and caring about it requires you to acknowledge it.

Acknowledging it hurts.

Giving girls a place to feel seen and come to terms with the world around them is what I believe FemSoc is for. Dealing with it alone – whether its first-hand experience or hearing about someone else’s – is terrifying. Talking about feminism – what it means, who it’s for, and why – makes these issues easier to live with and to challenge.

I want people to be able to leave the relative safety of a girls’ school and have the confidence in themselves to demand respect from society. You can’t challenge harassment and disrespect until you have enough inner confidence that femininity makes you no less deserving of dignity than any man.

To me, this is what FemSoc is about. The world beyond school is a scary one and for a lunchtime club to have the power to make that world just a little less intimidating? That’s pretty cool.

The Rise of AI The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a captivating journey, marked by advancements that propel machines towards unprecedented levels of intelligence. Here we dissect the key factors contributing to AI's increasing intelligence and the technological strides that have transformed the landscape of AI research and application.

1) Machine Learning At the core of AI's march towards greater intelligence lies the paradigm shift from traditional rule-based systems to the dynamic field of machine learning. This change enabled AI systems to learn from vast datasets, adapt to novel scenarios, and enhance their performance over time. The ability to learn and evolve represents a fundamental building block in the quest for more intelligent AI.

2) Deep Learning A pivotal moment in AI's journey was the rise of neural networks and deep learning. Inspired by the intricate architecture of the human brain, these technologies allow AI systems to process and understand complex patterns within data. The depth and complexity of neural networks help machines to excel in tasks that were once deemed insurmountable.

3) Transfer Learning As AI continues to evolve, the concept of transfer learning has emerged as a key strategy for developing its intelligence.

Transfer learning involves training AI models on a broad dataset for a general task and subsequently finetuning them for more specific applications. This approach enables AI to transfer acquired knowledge from one domain to another, fostering adaptability and improving performance: a significant leap in AI's cognitive capabilities.

The trajectory of AI's intelligence is marked by these four transformative systems. As we stand at the forefront of AI's evolution, it is evident that these advancements are not only reshaping the technological landscape but also posing challenges that demand ethical consideration and responsible development, such as the use of AI to complete academic assignments. AI has become so advanced that they can write comprehensive pieces.

In fact, most of this article was written by an AI. Could you tell?

Cara Walker (L6)

21

autumn round up Autumn is definitely the time of year to start hibernating and this round up of books, films and podcasts might help you to choose your next favourite thing...

BOOKS

Social media is a stressful place. Trying to figure out the truth behind what you see online is tricky. Why Do You Hate Me? slows down the lightning-fast fire of short-form content and helps make sense of the scandals. Each week Marianna Spring dives into her inbox of trollers and pulls apart the polarisation, putting it back together for the listener to make sense of.

Sylvia Plath - Ariel

Ariel by Sylvia Plath is a meaningful and thoughtprovoking book that covers a wide range of topics including motherhood, nature and death. It is a window into the notorious poet's mind, and shows the reason so many people are fascinated by her and enamoured with her works. The poems Lady Lazarus, Tulips, and A Birthday Present specifically left a lasting impact on me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in poetry and Sylvia Plath. This book made me more interested in her life and work, and I continue to find out new things about her due to this book.

Something WICKED this way comes...

Much loved and most ‘Popular’ musical finally makes it to the big screen in November. If you love a little Oztentaion, then go green and have a fantastically wicked night out!

Bill Bryson - The Body

When my dad bought me this serious sounding book, I admit I was a bit disappointed. But that didn't last long, because as soon as I turned the first page I knew that this was no ordinary, boring, science book. This book made science interesting, even the tiniest little things. I suppose this book taught me that even the things that seem boring can be interesting. I would really recommend this book - it is brilliant!

Clara, Lower 5

22

In cinemas November 7

HOT

o late c o h c Hello,

hot

chocolate

lovers.

And

hot

chocolate haters, although this probably isn’t the article for you. For this article we were tasked to try as many different kinds of hot chocolate as we possibly could in one

week

and

rate

them

together.

Cadbury’s (£4.50 at Tesco)

However we were forced to each review

Charlotte – acceptable but quite

them separately as we realised we all had

sweet and less chocolatey than some

extremely different thoughts on how the

– 3/5

ideal hot chocolate should taste.

Amber

Before we begin, here’s a quick outline on

chocolate. Sweet but not too sweet. I

what each of us are looking for:

like them quite sweet, though – 4/5

–

Good.

The

classic

hot

Kelsie – chocolate and milk, sweet Charlotte – Chocolatey and not too sweet

again – 5/5

Amber – Very sweet

Average of all our scores – 4/5

Kelsie – Really just fine with anything so

Everyday

long as it is hot chocolate To ensure a fair test, we had all of them with milk and 1 and a half teaspoons of powder and took notes while we drank them. Here are the results.

Instant

Chocolate Drink

Hot

(St. George’s Brand)

Charlotte flavour

–

but

Very a

nice

touch

chocolate

too

sweet,

however would drink again. - 4/5 Amber – Good. Brilliant. Actually

Galaxy

genuinely sweet, not just like, weird

(£3.50 at Tesco)

Charlotte

Favourites

–

Too

sweet,

not

enough

chocolate 3/5 Amber – It's fine. Doesn’t really taste of anything though. Maybe that’s my fault for not stirring it enough but it’s just sort of fine. 3/5 Kelsie – chocolate milk, lovely 5/5 Average of all our scores – 3.7/5

tea. - 5/5 Kelsie - Chocolate, milk, creamyish 5/5 Average of all our scores – 4.7/5 OUR WINNER! That’s it from us hot choc fans.

Happy drinking!

23