Independent Women Magazine - Summer Issue 2020

SUMMER ISSUE 2020 SUMMER ISSUE 2020

“In the dark times Will there also be singing?

Yes, there will also be singing About the dark times.”

-Brecht

Editor’s Welcome Editor’s Welcome Editor’s Welcome Well I think it’s safe to say that no one could have predicted this is what our Summer Term would be looking like at the start of the year; I certainly wish I'd known before scouring for hours online looking for a speech day dress! But, whatever life throws at us, we just have to adapt and carry on. And St George’s has been no exception, Teams were set up and school life continued (almost) as usual, just without a lunch queue at 12 o’clock. New clubs were formed and assemblies continued, when VE day came around celebrations were in full swing, and we were even blessed with a three minute video of the teachers dancing.

For me, lockdown has meant a lot of family boardgames (although Monopoly has been banned), attempting to learn a new language (with worryingly little success), and trying to avoid the barrage of discomforting news on our screens. So, when Ms Magee first pitched the idea of a lockdown edition of IW I was a little worried. Would there be any interest from the writers? If there was, would it just be an issue full of articles about coronavirus, something that we’ve heard plenty of already? But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Take this issue as a reflection of our school and student body in times of uncertainty and fear. We have both comprehensive articles reflecting on these times of change, looking at coping with fear and reading past the headlines, but also lighthearted stories on the dilemmas and commitment of online book groups, and stories of runaway potatoes. We’ve even been given exclusive access to some of the teachers’ workstations, to see whether you can guess who’s who. What I hope you can see from this is that we, St George’s girls, can take anything in our stride and tackle it with conviction, courage and humour. We hope this issue can give you a welcome break and distraction from some of those online classes and remind you of the diversity of thought and creativity in our school.

So, in our final issue of the session, I would like to thank you all for looking forward to and reading our magazines.The U6 team has loved putting them together and working for you this year.

With love, Georgia xxx No copyright infringement is intended in this publication.

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SUMMER ISSUE: CONTENTS

Independent Women

3 BOOK GROUP BUTTERFLIES

Georgie talks us through her dilemma of joining an online book group.

4 FEEL GOOD FILMS

14 CORONAVIRUS:

COMPASSION FOR THE CLIMATE

The Film Soc compiles some films to put a smile on your face.

Naomi looks at the positive effects coronavirus has had for the climate crisis.

5 FASHION IN FILMS

15 DREAM CATCHER

Our fashion editor, Immy, lists some of the best films to get fashion inspiration from.

8 SNOWLFAKE

GENERATION- ARE WE REALLY SNOWFLAKES?

Molly looks at what it means to be a part of the 'Snowflake Generation’.

10 TIMES OF SOLIDARITY OR TIMES OF DISCOURSE?

Our senior editor, Georgia, looks at the recent murder of George Floyd in America.

13 THE PRESSURE OF PRODUCTIVITY

Jessica comments on our obsession with productivity.

Charlotte recounts some of her strangest dreams, and whether there is a meaning behind them.

21 THE YELLOW UMBRELLA

A tale of a yellow umbrella on a stormy day.

22 RUN POTATO RUN!

A potato is on the verge of being eaten ... will it escape?!

23 YOU CAN'T FLUSH A CAT DOWN THE LOO?

17 PERSPECTIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC

Tilly looks at some of the more positive headlines which may have passed us by.

19 SKIN DEEP

Why beauty is far more than skin deep.

20 WAR ZONE

In honour of Mental Health Awareness week (18th-24th May), Tilly explores the challenges surrounding mental health.

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Teddy reflects on how an amethyst gemstone became a moral compass.

25 ISOLATION

WORKSTATIONS: HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR TEACHERS? Can you guess the teacher from their home workstations?

29 ON COPING: THE

PANDEMIC AND FEAR

Our senior correspondent, Helena, looks at how she has coped in this time of uncertainty.

BOOK GROUP BUTTERFLIES

It’s been 2 weeks since this life changing decision of mine, and with my newfound wisdom I can confidently tell you there is nothing to worry about, much like the older sibling who returns from their first day of P3, a selfproclaimed mathematics genius having learnt how many sides an Octagon has.

by georgie mason, l6

Firstly, this commitment thing is working very well for me! I like the gentle pressure it places on me, like the subtle inspection of an examiner over my right shoulder during the last 60 seconds of an exam. It’s pleasantly motivating! Oh, and (shock, horror!) we actually discuss where everyone is up to in the book to ensure no one is left behind, turns out my peers aren’t supernatural beings who can read at a supersonic speed, the page number expectations are delightfully realistic.

I’ve never been a particularly enthusiastic bookworm, but with lockdown leaving me with what feels like infinite hours, I decided to join Mr Leask’s Litsoc (literary society) Team. Even post the weekly Zoom quiz, daily PE department workout and hourly BBC news update, I was still left twiddling my thumbs (at risk of sounding like my 68-year-old Gran), so why not?

I’ve always kept a book of some sort on the go for as long as I can remember, but I use “on the go” loosely. I would always eventually make my way through the neglected novel, but with the ongoing schoolwork, the endless clubs, the socialising and all-round hectic life, not to mention... Netflix’s existence, reading just got pushed down my life’s priorities list.

Additionally, the novel we are currently reading (‘Warlight’ by Micheal Ondaatje) is a humble 285 pages - rather than the initial 1285 prediction. And you are most certainly not required to have devoted your entire life to books, we’re all fabulously busy!

Despite my joining of LitSoc being a quick, spontaneous decision (living life on the edge in lockdown, I know), after having ‘joined’ I started to have doubts. The option of unsuspectedly peering round a classroom door into a room full of book lovers, catching sight of the 1285-pagebook glaring at me from the table and scurrying off down the M-corridor out of nerves was not available in this new, virtual alternative. What if my fellow peers were Olympic standard reading intellectuals and I was completely unable to keep up with their unnatural pace? The Team ensured commitment, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

Also, cake bribery wasn’t an option…

So, join a virtual book club because you may be pleasantly surprised!

Except for the no-cakesituation, I would anticipate disappointment in that region. A cake GIF simply does not suffice!

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feel feel goo󠀆 goo󠀆 films films It seems that now more than ever we could all use some feel good films, so the Film soc have come together to recommend some of their favourites.

THE MUMMY (1999)

Though not a great movie by any objective standard, The Mummy remains my go-to comfort watch. It’s got a little of everything: comedy, action, drama, romance... All against a backdrop of Egypt, both in the time of the Pharoahs, and the early 20th Century. It channels the energy of the Indiana Jones movies, which are objectively better (well, the first three...), but Brendan Fraser’s Rick is a little more lighthearted than Ford’s Jones, making the whole thing more fun. What’s more, Rachel Weisz’s Evie is a clever, capable strong female lead: take that, Bembridge Scholars!

-Mr Leask

JULIE & JULIA (2009)

For food fanatics like myself, Julie & Julia is sweet and comforting... much like a warm apple pie on a winter’s day or a chocolate molten cake. Julie & Julia is without a doubt - my go-to Friday night film. On my most recent watch, however, I found that the message of the movie was particularly relevant to our current circumstances – cooking can unite us. Julie and Julia are not only separated by time but also by space. Regardless of their distance they share one strong commonality their passion for cooking. Throughout the course of the film you are taken on a relatable roller-coaster ride of emotions, from the pure joy of perfecting a Bœuf Bourguingnon to Julia’s own fearless satisfaction; after she proves to her male counterparts in her cooking class and, arguably, to herself that she is more than just the bored housewife of an American diplomat. Julie & Julia is everything from empowering to charming, while Meryl Streep gives another outstanding performance where she truly captures the beauty of Julia Child living in a man’s world. Perhaps the film will inspire one of you to be bold and attempt a recipe or two from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking…

-Eilidh, L6

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004)

This movie is set in a during a war period in a prehistoric alternate universe where magic, monsters and demons run amok. The story follows Sophie, a young hat maker who was cursed and finds herself living with a well-known wizard, Howl, to revert the curse. Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki films are iconic for their ethereal, magical visuals that immerse viewers in surreal worlds. They create an encompassing feeling of adventure, wonder and escape. It’s become one of my favourite films as it holds important messages which show us what really makes us human, common in many of Miyazaki’s films. In Howl’s Moving Castle there are hidden nuances of the unfairness of war on soldiers and armies, and the truth that love can transcend visual expectations, just to name a few. Couple this with the magical scenes where nothing in particular is happening, it’s clear why I love Ghibli films.

-Iman, L6 4

FASHION IN FILMS: Our fashion editor, Immy, explores the 7 films with the best fashion moments.

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BLOW UP (1996)

Set and made in the 60s this - quite slow starting - film takes place in London and is centred around an in-demand fashion photographer. The film has appearances from Jane Birkin and Veruschka and although the film veers away from fashion and towards other themes there is always a constant nod to the wardrobe of the ‘swinging sixties’ in London.

DIOR AND I (2014)

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Different to the others, Dior and I is a documentary about the fashion house Dior, and Raf Simons’ first collection for the couture powerhouse. It gives everyone an insight into the goings on of a creative director and how the industry is changing to keep up with the fast pace of fashion.

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CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (2009)

The film revolves around Becky, a shopaholic who ends up being hired to write for a financial magazine. Although she isn’t the best financial advisor, she manages to thrive writing an anonymous column about keeping your money safe, and shoots to fame whilst changing her spending ways.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)

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Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has several chic moments, intense subject matter aside. For vintage fashion fanatics, Margot Robbie’s wardrobe for Sharon Tate is as covetable as ever, even in 2020, with costume designer Arianne Philips doing major justice for the late actress’s famous style. Philips also helps to capture the whole setting of Hollywood and the differences between famous groups through wardrobe.

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FUNNY FACE (1957)

Fred Astaire famously stars as photographer Dick Avery - a character based on Richard Avedon - while Audrey Hepburn takes a turn as a reluctant model plucked from her life in Greenwich Village and sent to Paris for the collections. Hubert Givenchy designed every single one of Hepburn’s costumes - all modelled against the backdrop of Parisian landmarks, from the Louvre to the Jardin des Tuileries.

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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)

With a costume budget of 1 million dollars, it is understandable why Devil Wears Prada has some of the best fashion in film. Considering the film is about a fashion magazine ‘Runway’ and its Editor-In-Chief, Miranda Priestly (based on Vogue and Anna Wintour), the wardrobe had to be up to scratch. Although an original budget for costume was set at $100k, this was clearly broken to deck Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and even Gisele Bündchen in head-to-toe designer outfits.

ROMEO AND JULIET (1996)

Baz Luhrmann’s stylised adaptation of Romeo and Juliet has such mesmerising shots created by the wardrobe of the Montagues’ beat up converse, neon hair and iconic Hawaiian shirts contrasting with slick black leather and velvet looks of the Capulets’.

Romeo and Juliet themselves have a closet consisting of entirely clean Prada silhouettes.

Although half of the wardrobe isn’t exactly ‘high fashion’, this film is set apart by the symbolism of the casual - and significantly tacky in some cases – wardrobes.

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Snowflake Generation - Are we really snowflakes?

You may be aware that, in recent years, our generation, you and me, have been dubbed as ‘snowflakes’. The Collins English Dictionary has added another meaning to the word snowflake as ‘the young adults of the 2010’s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations’. Today, in our rapidly changing society, we live acceptingly, appreciating all ranges of diversity and peoples’ opinions. Yet, there are so many types of people nowadays, the majority of which carry controversial debates, which makes it hard to argue against in fear of causing offence or being seen by those around you as unaccepting of others; even though, supposedly, everyone is free to share their opinions. This has led many people, mainly amongst those of the older generations, to believe that the motifs of generation snowflake are contradictory. However, arguably, as a result of rapid societal change, polarised socialisation experiences from the different generations has led to conflicting views about acceptance.

Society has developed rapidly in terms of social acceptance and is still expanding human rights and equality for all e.g. from 2015 to 2018, the gender pay gap has slowly started to narrow, increasing women’s pay compared to men by 5% (although this is a small amount, it proves that change is being made). Many people agree with the decisions made to achieve this and the views spread about modern societal issues such as gender inequality, racial discrimination, sexual orientation etc. For example, in June 2016, the Secretary of Defence Carter announced that the Pentagon lifted the ban on transgender people serving openly in the US military– one of many achievements made benefitting the LGBT community. Although not all issues have been resolved, for instance, one of many examples include over 70% of ethnic minority workers say they have experienced racial harassment at work or been subjected to unfair treatment by their employer because of their race, awareness for these problems has increased massively; mainly due to us, generation snowflake. Despite our previous generations efforts to kickstart social equality by introducing hugely beneficial laws such as the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Race Relations Act of 1976, the majority of societal change regarding controversial issues has come into play as a consequence of the actions from our generation – the Equality Act of 2010, the Human Rights Act of 1998 , the Employment

Equality Regulations regarding religion, belief, sexual orientation and age Act of 2003, the legalisation of gay marriage in 2014 – the list goes on and on.

“The young adults of the 2010’s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations” For today’s millennials, cultural and ethnic diversity is the norm, since we’ve been socialised to acknowledge so – quite rightly. However, the number of different ‘groups’ in society seems to be on the rise, and perhaps the majority of the older generations are finding it hard to keep up. On the contrary, those millennials less engaged with shifting modern societal attitudes can also find this quite confusing.

I admit that I can become discombobulated with the everchanging initialism of the LGBT community; which currently adopts the form of LGBTTQQIAAP, standing for (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersexual, asexual, ally, pansexual). But does this mean that I am causing offence?

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Well, since we’ve been dubbed as ‘self-righteous prima donnas’ and ‘pampered, precious ickle darlings’, you’d

think so. Although this is a very specific example, it has been debated extensively that lots of people in our current modern society feel as though they cannot express their opinions openly in fear of causing offence to someone. This problem has arisen repeatedly within universities, creating more and more ‘safe spaces’ and ‘trigger warnings’ and washing campuses of words, ideas and subjects, justified by the increasing protest from offended students. As a consequence, recently there have been many cases of the pressure this inflicts on teachers and professors in schools and universities.

One account shows a teacher in a mid-sized American state school, occasionally giving college lectures, using a fictitious name to protect himself as he ‘wrote an essay for Vox describing how gingerly he now has to teach’– the title of the article stated ‘I’m a Liberal Professor, and My Liberal Students Terrify Me’. Others have argued that university students are now being inhibited when entering the ‘adult world’ since they have no opportunities to debate and be exposed to situations where their opinions are challenged and contradicted by others.

speaking. Although it is argued that generation snowflake is creating an ‘anti-free speech’ environment, important issues have been addressed and condemned as a result of our generation ‘speaking out’ in the first place. It is also common for most to agree that criticising young people for wanting to do something about the mass inequality and discrimination facing our world today is ludicrous. The question still lurking however, remains: how much is too much?

This is generally the source of the generation snowflake debate: has the calling out of discrimination got out of hand? Stemming back to the origins of ‘trigger warnings’ and ‘safe spaces’ – usually in the form of online discussions and forums for example, those who were suffering sexual assault, disclaimers and trigger warnings were used to protect those too traumatised to read graphic details of relatable events. Many other examples of the primary use of trigger warnings show that this practice has emerged from good intentions.

However, this process began to gain momentum, whereby more and more requests for different trigger warnings surfaced – quickly escalating. Writer Greg Lukianoff explains that ‘when you turn it into something that’s fundamentally about someone’s subjective response, it very quickly creates a debate of ‘why should your trauma be privileged over mine?’”.

“We are living in the most liberal society to date, which, just under a century ago, seemed unimaginable.”

This could be used to explain why some people believe they cannot express their opinions since this ‘knock on’ effect of inclusivity could be making people fearful that if they do not address individuals or situations to fit everyone’s ‘needs’, then they could be labelled as causing offence. Similarly, many people feel if their opinion doesn’t fit the ‘criteria’ of that desired from generation snowflake, it will be discarded; justifying the description of us ‘snowflakes’ as being unable to cope with contradicting viewpoints to our own.

Despite this ongoing, conflicting debate, the facts remain: currently, we are living in the most liberal society to date, a life, which, just under a century ago, seemed unimaginable. As a generation, we are able to experience and witness an astonishing array of diversity in everyday life, right at the heart of this incredible, positive shift in our, now, much more accepting societal attitudes – snowflakes or not. Realistically, there will never be a 100% agreement in any deviation from tradition, because each generation takes on its own form of diversity – and since we’re seemingly so liberal, we should accept that. Right?

However, I believe we have to remember that, currently, we are living in a period of rapid societal change, along with the fact that our world is populated with many people, coming from different generations, time periods and experiences of socialisation – shaping how each of us view the world. For instance, you probably have more knowledge about gay rights than your grandparents – of course this is just generally

Molly, L6 9

Times of Solidarity or Times of Discourse?

In a time of unprecedented compassion and unity, George Floyd’s death proved that issues of race and discrimination have not gone away.

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Will there ever be an end to discriminatory violence?

For the past few months it has felt like all other news stories have ground to a halt. No climate change, no elections, not even Brexit(!) has been broadcast on our screens. Instead, the ‘new normal’ became the rise and fall of death tolls, graphs pointing out the countries coping the best with the virus and the countries not coping at all. A sense of solidarity and unity arose across communities, across countries, and across the world. Anniversaries of tragic incidents like the Manchester Arena bombing and London Bridge terror attack passed us by while we sat at home, in a very different world.

described him as ‘a gentle giant’, a loving father, ‘a very calm, nice guy’ and ‘loved by all’. George Floyd was well-known in his community, but now, unfortunately, he is well-known to the world as an example of the issues of race and abuse of power deep-rooted in America. A shop keeper had reported to police that he believed someone was trying to pass some counterfeit money, and when they arrived they arrested Floyd. What followed was the haunting video recorded on a phone, of a policeman pinning Floyd down by the neck, for seven minutes, while Floyd gasped “I can’t breathe”. Eventually the policeman removed his knee, but Floyd was limp and unresponsive. He was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead.

This changed on Monday 25th May, when a string of racist incidents in America flew into mainstream media. The first was a video shared by Christian Cooper, an African American man, politely asking a white woman called Amy Cooper to put her dog on the lead, as per the instructions, in Central Park.

The situation quickly escalated when Ms Cooper refused to do so and threatened to call the police on Mr Cooper, stating, “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.”

What followed was a disturbing call to 911, in which Ms Cooper put on a distraught voice and told the responder that she was being threatened. This demonstration of blatant racism and nod to the old standing power-dynamics of race in America was particularly unsettling when a new story broke out later that day. George Floyd was murdered on the evening of Monday 25th May in Minneapolis, Minnesota in an act of police brutality. The outcome of Christian Cooper’s situation could have been the same as George Floyd’s, but fortunately the police made no arrests and Amy Cooper later apologised for her actions.

Police statements said Floyd was in ‘medical distress’, but made no mention to the fact this distress was at the hands of an officer. In the phone footage of the incident you can hear passers-by plead for the officer to get off him, and eventually to check his pulse, while Floyd tells the officer he cannot breathe 15 times. Since Monday, the four police officers have been fired, and mass protests have taken place in Minneapolis, but what will come next?

What do we think when we see an incident like this “How has this happened again?” or “What would have happened if someone didn’t film this?” It is an uncomfortable question to think about; because the answer is probably both. It begs the question: how many other deaths have there been like this that have gone unnoticed? How many more times does this have to happen before we see a change?

George Floyd was a 46 year-old man, he worked as a security guard at a restaurant, and had moved to Minnesota ‘to be his best self’, as one friend said.

In accounts and messages of love, friends and family 11

Perhaps we found George Floyd’s death that much more disturbing because of the wave of unity we have felt over the past few months. Stories of neighbours helping neighbours, volunteering to do more, and random acts of kindness seemed to temporarily wash away the veil of hate and discrimination from our screens. But this has shown it is worryingly easy for it to return. Times like these are strange, because events that unify us, can very easily put discriminatory acts back on the rise. We saw it in the rise of islamophobia after terrorist attacks, and we saw it at the start of the Coronavirus against Asian communities both in the UK and the US. But this is different. These incidents weren’t triggered because of Coronavirus, but in spite of it. At a time when we hear ‘the new normal’ uttered every half an hour, these cases of racism seem to be fixed in time. Events like Covid-19 shift outlooks and change history. What will we remember? The differing and scrambling responses of countries to prepare? Or, the Clap for our Carers, the unity, the solidarity? If it is the latter, then we need to do more to change the entrenched racism across the world. US Representative Ilhan Omar stated, “Black lives matter isn’t just a chant, it’s a call for justice.” And with outcry from mayors, celebrities, and the global community, hopefully George Floyd will get the justice that he undoubtedly deserves. Perhaps we should be enamoured by the huge response this story has seen, proving that we are not willing to let these acts go unnoticed. Protestors have rallied for days on end in all fifty states and across the globe to demand justice. At the time of writing, a petition demanding justice for George Floyd has over 1.1million signatures. There is hope that these acts of both discrimination, as seen in the Christopher Cooper case, and discriminatory violence, as seen through the events surrounding George Floyd, will become far less common as each of us come to realise how precious and fleeting life is.

When we emerge from this pandemic, and we will emerge from it, our outlook will be changed. Take with you the unity, the solidarity, the hope, and remember those appalling cases of discrimination and violence.

Keeping George Floyd’s, and the many others lost to discriminatory violence, story with you will embolden you to challenge and speak up for what is right; and then perhaps discriminatory violence will become a thing of the past Georgia, Senior Editor

George Floyd George Floyd George Floyd “loved by all”

“gentle giant” “he would light up the room ”

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

SIGN

You can sign the change.org petition titled “Justice For George Floyd” seeking that the police officers involved are brought to justice.

You can also sign the petition called Educating Our Children On Racism Through The School System on change.org to ‘educate our children on race, racism, its history, its effect, and its origin.’

DONATE

If you are able, you can donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund to help post bail to protestors who have been arrested.

You can also donate directly to Black Lives Matter to support the fight against racism.

EDUCATE

It’s difficult to change something if you do not understand it. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Beloved by Toni Morrison are amazing novels highlighting racial injustice. I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing is Maya Angelou’s memoir, an incredible read that deals with acute racism and prejudice, but also highlights strength of character and hope. If you’re looking for a video, I would highly recommend the TED talk

by Baratunde Thurston on How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time, available on YouTube.

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The Pressure Pressure ofof Productivity Productivity The

It’s official. If you don’t come out of quarantine fluent in Spanish, a prodigy on piano and an expert on baking focaccia bread, you’re a disgrace.

Now for the touchy part … dare I say it? You don’t have to be doing loads of extra schoolwork. Getting ahead for next year would be great, but don’t feel guilty for not doing all that you possibly can. You don’t have to be reading both Moby Dick and Dracula. You don’t have to be doing loads of those online courses that your teacher has been talking about. At the crest of the pandemic, for now, school has been an issue for many. Though online school surges and swashes in a seemingly endless wave of routine even despite the coronavirus, it is the implications of our interrupted school year that is the most worrying.

Even my parents seem to be outdoing me with their productiveness. My Mother’s sawing can be heard in the back of my online classes and while her panelled bedroom does look lovely, I must question why I haven’t even gotten round to hoovering my room yet.

Quarantine has flooded the internet with this obscure obsession: productivity. Incessantly, there seems to be this idea that all our time needs to be spent bettering ourselves, picking up new hobbies, and continuing to prove our worth even during a global pandemic. What is this craze for productivity? Is it a source of competition? A distraction?

I’m not talking about online school. I’m talking about those thick, heavy university courses that seems to ooze out of your computer screen and weigh your eyelids down. The type that fills you with daydreams of abandoning all academia and moving Perhaps, the current artwork by Raz Latif to some far-off country discontent with ourselves as a chalet girl. Just is a diversion from the don’t put yourself anxiety that the through that. Save that coronavirus is causing. joy for later. This type Largely, this pursuit has of academia has always been tangible, now become a source of it only has been made anxiety for many, me more intense. With more included. Online time to be online, courses to get into populations have begun to university are not the take notice of the endless be all and end all. flaunting of online lives.

Although they may be Floundering aimlessly in a our saving grace after sea of uncertainty, this is the madness of cancelled exams, they’re not there to be a something to hold one to, an incentive to prove themselves shackle around our necks. as equally talented and elite. Even knitting your own masks has become a competition online!

There is more to enjoy during quarantine than just getting things done and out of the way. Just as we may never have this much spare time again for productive endeavors, it’s very likely that we may never have this much time to do nothing. Summer term at St George’s is usually so hectic that we don’t get to enjoy the warming weather or the picturesque gardens around this time of year without the looming shadow of exams.

Despite the personal sources of the pressure to be productive, there are certainly outward factors. When articles remind us once again that “Shakespeare wrote King Lear during quarantine” or that “Isaac Newton invented calculus while social distancing,” we could do well to remember that some of the best discoveries have been made by simple observation or laziness. I like to advise myself, as I walk by the forgotten dishes in the sink again, that Penicillin was discovered by Fleming in an unwashed petri dish.

In fact, free time at any point is usually taken up by revision or fretting over school. Days taken off are filled with anxieties of missed classes. Christmas holidays are filled with preparations for mocks. Easter holidays are spent on exam revision. When was the last time that students genuinely got a few weeks without deadlines?

In the rush of outwards factors in this pressure to be productive, one thing is particularly disturbing to me.

Ridiculous amounts of weight loss ads are flooding Instagram and every social media platform. Every second post is a transformation of some teenage girl washing up on the explore page, or people on their stories showing pretentious smoothies that are guaranteed to help you “drop ten pounds in two weeks”. Come on, people.

Haven’t we moved beyond this?

The answer: a long time. Come to the dark side and take a break. Having had our exams cancelled, our last few days at school trampled upon, and our summer holidays quite possibly tainted, I must say that I think we all deserve one.

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Jessica H, L6

Coronavirus: Compassion for the Climate

Naomi, L6

Venice, Italy

Jalandhar, India

The Coronavirus is an invisible deadly menace that has tricked nations into blaming one another. Courageous NHS workers battle on the front line against the virus everyday -for whom we clap for every Thursdayrisking their lives. Scientists persevere around the clock looking for a vaccine. You and I stay at home wishing lockdown to be over soon. The politicians are wracking their brains for solutions. Around the globe millions are suffering. However, among the current Covid-19 chaos there is light at the end of the tunnel for our planet and mankind.

It is easy to adopt a pessimistic mindset in times like this, Covid-19 has suspended normality across the globe. With attention now focused on fighting the virus, what does this mean for the fight against climate change? There have been huge improvements in air quality due to the drop in pollution from transport. Flights are one of humanities deadliest weapons against the atmosphere, heavily reducing flights has massively reduced global Co2 emissions. Yes, our holidays and trips have been cancelled, but think of it as giving our planet a breath of fresh air from the colossal carbon dioxide emissions. In the EU, daily emissions have fallen 58 per cent compared to pre-coronavirus levels.

The amount of ‘gasoline’ supplied in America fell by 50 percent over a two-week period ending in April. ‘Canals in Venice have transformed from cloudy to crystal clear, clear enough to see fish swimming below’, this is due to Italy being in lockdown and the halt in tourism.

Furthermore, ‘The Himalayas are visible from India for the first time in 30 years’ due to reduced air pollution. We can grasp these headlines as positivity in these uncertain times.

With millions now working from home, car journeys have more than halved. On top of this, public transport is running less frequently.

Perhaps people will be more encouraged to walk short distances after lockdown instead of taking the car. Nevertheless, there is a flipside to this. Once life has returned to what we perceive to be normal and we are seeing a decrease in the Coronavirus threat, there could be potential damage to public transport industries. Crammed trains, busy buses and sweaty tubes are breeding ground for the Coronavirus. The stigma attached to this may mean that a lot more people opt for the comfort of their own cars post-Coronavirus which could contribute even more to climate change and air pollution.

Los Angeles, USA

The sudden actions taken to suppress the spread of Covid-19 highlight the extent of what measures can be taken in an emergency. Many experts are pleading the government to apply the same urgency to climate change. The virus exposes how things can be done differently. The drop in carbon dioxide emissions is only temporary. They will return to the normal pre-coronavirus levels if the economy resumes as before. There is extreme difficulty is reducing carbon emissions in a way that sustains the economy. This being one of the many global issues the pandemic has highlighted.

We are pleading life to go back to normal, social lives to be restored and holidays to be rebooked. But can we go back to complete normal after this crisis? Climate change hasn’t gone away because of another crisis overtaking it in priority. There are valuable lessons to be taken away from the outbreak of Covid-19, even if it means a drastic change in the way we live.

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Dream

Catcher

“I'm lying in bed and a buzz breaks the silence, I open my eyes and see a wasp, angrily bouncing off the closed window unable to escape, unable to stop buzzing. So, I get up and I go over and open the window and it lands on the windowsill, but it doesn’t go out. I look a bit closer and it's not a fly, it’s a monkey, about the size of my hand. Slightly concerned that there's a miniature monkey in my house in suburban Edinburgh, I try and coax it out the window but instead it jumps back inside my room and disappears under my bed. Before I have a chance to try and get it back out, however, I spot it walking back out from under my bed, followed by three others. So three of the monkeys jump up onto the windowsill and out of my open window, one of them is struggling to climb up onto my window, I bend down to help it up and realise it’s Casie (a friend of mine), well its Casie’s head on a little monkey and she's chatting away to me. At which point my mum walks in and offers Casie breakfast before she heads off with the other monkeys.

And then I woke up.”

A stunned silence greets the end of my story. Well, I think Mr Leask is stunned but the rest of the class probably drifted off to sleep themselves midway through the story. This is a regular morning in the L6R form class, Mr Leask intrigued by my psychotic dreams (mainly because he never remembers his dreams) while the rest of the class is thoroughly bored. We try and decipher meanings out of the jumbled-up stories that form my dreams, and regularly someone chips in with, “you’ve gone mad”.

I’ve always been fascinated by my dreams, in awe at the storylines my subconscious puts together, the next famous director with its plots and scandalous tales, that I could never dream of when awake. There must be more to dreams than just hinting at my impending insanity, as many have suggested.

Dreams come in all shapes and sizes: recurring ones, stress dreams, dreams which you can’t distinguish from real life - I have certainly looked at people in a different light after having had a strange encounter with them in my dreams’- I one time had a very vivid dream that Mrs Bryce was stalking me, but I think it would probably be unfair to hold that against her, as the real Mrs Bryce has no such obsession. Equally, I was very disappointed one morning when I woke to discover that I was, in fact, not best friends with Simone Biles (4-time Olympic gold medallist gymnast) and that I hadn’t actually bumped into her in my hairdressers, only in my dream.

15

I’ve been to Hogwarts and to Peru in my dreams, I’ve even been to G9 in my dreams- slightly less adventurous I’ll admit. But what does it all mean? Does it mean anything at all?

Corona virus has given me the time to research and answer this question; ‘Can we interpret our dreams?’ And I think the most accurate answer is: ‘if you want to’.

Over time the understanding of dreams has changed, as has the understanding of most things. Gone are the days when people believed that dreams are God’s way of communicating with humans, or that dreams can predict the future. Inevitably in the big bad world of ‘The Internet,’ there are many different theories and interpretations about dreaming as it is something we still have very little understanding of, but this is the conclusion I have come to. Dreams can’t tell us anything we don’t already know; they just rearrange thoughts that were already in our heads and show them to us in a different way. Some of it is likely to be nonsense but in amongst the rubbish there could be a profound metaphorical commentary on some aspect of your life. It is only fair for me to add that often people are more likely to believe something they see in their dreams if it is in line with conscious desires and beliefs, so tread lightly, don’t just see what is obvious, what works for you. Nevertheless, I believe that diving into your dreams could give you a better understanding of yourself and your life, bringing to light themes you may not have a chance to notice.

Maybe the more scientific thinkers out there will always be sceptical, so I’ll just say this; Dmitri Mendeleev’s periodic table was created in a dream (although not exactly the same as the modern-day periodic table it is the basis of it, which is central to all chemistry). Similarly, the Beetles song “Yesterday” was largely invented in a dream. So, think about this; the next big hit or scientific discovery may have been in your dream last night but you’re too sceptical to dig a little deeper and analyse what you dreamt.

So, this is a call to arms: LISTEN TO YOUR DREAMS PEOPLE!

By Charlotte L6 16

Perspectives During A Pandemic

Reading Past the Headlines

9 weeks. 9 weeks of crowding round the TV at 5pm. 9 weeks of death, anxiety and claustrophobia. 9 weeks of uncertainty, fear and isolation. Coronavirus has brought the UK together whilst being so far apart in an unprecedented time of chaos and sadness. But while we’re jumping at the sound of the BBC news notification, hoping for a sense of comfort and progress, instead we’re met with the death figure climbing ever higher despite our best efforts to follow the rules. We have been so consumed by the news, the numbers, the rules and regulations that we have forgotten that while society may have come to a standstill, the world still moves on.

I think perspective in times like this is key. Looking at the situation from the positives rather than focusing on the negatives may seem cliché but is critical for both society and individual health. Spending weeks upon weeks following every briefing obsessively, reading the live feed in between breaks while working hard during the required hours will strip you of any essence of faith, leaving you to become a product of the news. Instead of spending every meal-time discussing the news, each conversation with your isolated family members miles away echoing government guidelines, let’s talk about something else. ANYTHING ELSE!

While we’ve been caught up in the virus, we have missed huge milestones and accomplishments around the world every day.

In the last week, turning points have been made that have changed people’s lives. A 2018 Californian wildfire started by PG&E equipment took the lives of 84 people. Last week, the company agreed to plead guilty to the charges and paid $4million in fines while funding restoration for residents who lost access to water due to the fire. This has impacted the lives of 84 families and relieved them of some grief knowing the responsible are being held accountable for the damage and destruction they caused.

The death penalty is a controversial subject area, but it is argued by many that there is evidence of people being t r e a t e d i n a n u n e t h i c a l a n d d i s c r i m i n a t o r y m a n n e r w o v e n throughout. It has also seen many innocent people executed for crimes they did not commit, with 156 people since 1973 being released from this punishment upon evidence they were in fact innocent. Last week, Colorado became the 22nd state to repeal the death penalty, meeting 60% of American’s wishes.

On March 15th, we were focused intently on the deaths rising from 21 to 35, one of these deaths in Scotland. We forgot to grieve for the lives lost on March 15th 2019, where an Australian white supremacist killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand. However, Brenton Tarrant’s initial denial of being involved in this act of terrorism changed last week. He now pleads guilty, providing some relief to the “Many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15th” (Jacinda Arden, NZ Prime Minister). Tarrant will now spend life in prison.

17

93% of malaria deaths occur in the African region with 435,000 deaths occurring globally (to date there have been only 3,200 Coronavirus deaths in Africa). This disease still rages on amongst civil wars and dictatorships which have been cast aside amidst Covid-19. Innocent young lives continue to be taken every day but our awareness towards these events has ceased. Therefore, going unnoticed at the start of May was the news that scientists have discovered a microbe, Microspordia MB, that completely blocks mosquitoes from being infected with malaria. This microbe has so far shown a 100% blockage rate and has the potential to have a profound effect on a mosquito’s metabolism, making it inhospitable for the malaria parasite. This could slowly reduce the infection rate of this 30-million-year-old deadly disease.

Similarly, last week, Australian scientists made a breakthrough in prolonging the life of precious, breathtaking coral. With 30% of The Great Barrier Reef’s coral perishing in 2016 and another 20% in 2017, this natural wonder is dying and little attention is being given to it. Earlier in 2020 it suffered a mass bleaching event, the third in just 5 years, but I can bet many of us have no idea what coral bleaching even is, let alone the devastating effects it is having on our climate. However, this recent breakthrough has found a way to help coral reefs fight the effects of bleaching by making them more heat resistant.

On top of this, Australian scuba operators have stopped running tours because of coronavirus and are instead using staff and vessels to plant new corals along the Great Barrier Reef.

Hopefully, news like this reminds us that coronavirus has not halted life entirely, there are still key moments taking place every day.

While some of these events are taking lives, others are changing them. Giving people justice, comfort, sustainability and health.

Perspective is key amongst a pandemic, taking the time to read beyond the daily headlines, spending less time focusing on what has been lost and more time on what has been gained. Outside of the immense sense of community spirit and appreciation this period has brought us, we must recognise the monumental turning points that have been made in criminal justice and science, just to name a few.

Next time you pick up your phone and open that dreaded app, stop and think, would I rather fill my head with more of the same negativity or explore the hope that continues to occur in the world? Spend a few 5pm’s with your family, playing a board game or trying to make that sourdough you have been feeding for the past 3 weeks. Use your time wisely because we sure have a lot of it!

Tilly, U6 18

Skin SkinDeep Deep

BY ISOBEL, L6

The human skin is our body’s largest organ, a soft landscape punctuated by freckles and scars: rosy, ebony, alabaster; shining like sunlit copper. If you have read To Kill a Mockingbird, you may have stumbled upon the idea that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” It is perhaps this idea that the skin encases our very being which makes me so terrified about the state of my own. Skin is like the cover of a book, concealing a story, fiercely visible, always first to be seen.

So whilst life as we know it explodes into chaos, I have been standing in front of my mirror as a painfully imperfect face stares back from behind the silver glass. I should be smiling, but each spot, dimple, frown line; each tiny triviality seems to transfix me. Don’t get me wrong; I know how superficial this is. People get spots… life goes on.

Nevertheless, the pressure placed on teen girls to conform to society’s standard of beauty is so immense we may as well be at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. I’m sure many of you feel trapped by a similar desire to constantly inspect your appearance, especially because of the constant teams calls in which your own face somehow becomes more interesting than that Duffy poem or ionic equation.

In times like these, we are encouraged to focus on values like friendship, compassion and love, but this can be hard when we are overcome by desperation to escape the skin we inhabit. Just last week my beautiful little sister applied a concoction of bicarbonate of soda and rosewater to her face in an attempt to clear her acne. Those of you studying chemistry will be aware that bicarbonate of soda is rather alkaline and the result of her quest for glowing skin was more red-hot poker than soft radiance.

It’s a bumpy world we live in. We cannot let the texture of our skin define our own self worth. You can spend your whole life striving for perfection. You can buy all the tea tree oil and charcoal soap you want but your spots will not vanish. These worries are skin deep. In fact, acne is caused by an overproduction of oil by the sebaceous glands and contrary to popular belief, is pretty much out of your control.

Anyway, perfection simply doesn’t exist.

So in this time of confinement, where screens and mirrors seem to dominate existence, we should aspire to let go of what we can’t control and focus on what we can. I hate to break it to you, but we are all little cosmic irrelevances.

Nevertheless, the impressions we leave behind on others seem to haunt our existence. One of Maya Angelou’s most famous quotes is: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So when a spot the size of Mount Vesuvius next erupts on your forehead, remember that your beauty is not simply in how you look but how you act. Having spots does not make you ugly or disgusting. It makes you human.

Smile, let your friends know you love them, help whenever you can, laugh boldly. It is impossible to erase every tiny blemish, wrinkle, and pockmark but we can decide to be kind; people remember kindness, not acne.

“…beauty is not simply in how you look, but how you act.”

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In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week, which took place between the 18th-24th May, Tilly (U6), explores the challenges surrounding mental health.

War WarZone Zone

My mind is like a battlefield. Violent and unexpected.

Some days my thoughts are fighting against me, pushing me back and taking over what should be mine. Other days they are quiet, waiting in their trenches, giving me some peace after all the firing. Maybe one day they’ll raise the white flag, surrendering themselves to me, walking over to where I am hiding and telling me it’s over. I’ve won; they’ve lost. But once this war is over, another one will ensue. Slow and surreptitious at first, and then, before I have gripped my weapon, they are firing, and I'm forced back to my trench to wait it out, again, praying the gunshots will silence once more. The repetitive sounds of bullets surrounding my head, closing me in. Unable to reach out for help in fear of getting hit. Instead I comply with their every order and forget myself. Held hostage by my enemies, hurting and alone, scared and lost.

With every command I lose more control, my hand slipping off my weapon, my strength dying out. My fellow soldiers have abandoned me to fight this battle solo, pushed out by the enemy but also pushed out by me. I have become the enemy, struggling within myself, no longer resembling the strong warrior I once was: a weak, submissive, powerless being taken over by them.

But I can still grab my weapon, can still stand up against them, make my way out of the dark, claustrophobic trench and march over to where they rule. I can choose to fight once more.

With every battle I win, the next is less destructive. Soon, I will not have to retreat back to that space but stand my ground and fire back. Knock them off their higher stand and regain leverage, regain control over my thoughts. One day it won’t be a battlefield but an expansion of peace and calm where I rule as an individual, no external influences, no illogical thoughts firing my way. I built my own amour.

I built my own protection, and I will survive.

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The YellowUmbrella Once there lived a little boy and his father, who went out for a rainy walk by the cliffs. The little boy was clutching his umbrella tightly as the wind howled.

“Daddy,” the boy asked, “Can we walk here again soon?”

“Of course we can, Son, of course we can.”

The wind howled harder, as though it mourned a loss, and the clouds were a deep, sombre grey.

The young father gripped his son’s hand tighter.

Suddenly, lightning struck just behind them on the cliff. The boy jumped in fright, dropping his umbrella in shock.

“We need to go, Son!” the Dad shouted.

“But my umbrella!” he said back, pointing to the umbrella tumbling down the cliffs.

“Leave it! We have to go!”

“But it was Mummy’s!” he cried, as his dad dragged him away.

“We can get it tomorrow!” said the father, pleading for his son to follow him more easily.

Eventually, they made it to the car. But as they drove away, the young man knew they wouldn’t get it tomorrow. They would look, of course, but the storm would destroy it, no doubt.

The next day, however, when the clouds had cleared, the yellow umbrella sat, safely, at the bottom of the cliff.

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Amber, L4

RunRunRunRun POTATO RunRunRu

The family were about to cut the potato. But before they could, the potato leapt up and said “Hi”.

by Jeff himself. It read: “Hi I am Jeff. I used to be an ordinary potato but now I am a multi-billionaire. First, I did the Hot Dog De-odorant advert, then I starred in ‘The Potato Wars’ movie, then I did the half-time show at Eurovision. After that, Jeff World theme park was built, and I married Taylor Swift. It’s been a blast!”

The family were hungry. They wouldn’t wait for dinner.

They jumped at the potato. So, the potato ran for his life.

He leaped off the plate, slid down from the table, ran through the legs of his attackers, down the hallway and out into the street.

The article filled two pages, but successful potatoes attract attention, including unwanted attention...

He ran and ran, and, as he ran, shocked onlookers filmed him running and jumping and looking over his shoulder.

No one had ever seen a potato like this before. Without realising it, the potato was going viral.

Jeff was sleeping. They slipped through a window with ease.

Pitter patter went the feet of his kidnappers. Jeff snapped awake, but it was too late. Before he could scream, he was bundled into a sack and off they went.

As he slowed, the exhausted potato caught sight of a shop full of little beds. Humans call them shoes. He ran into the shop, jumped into one, and fell asleep.

Next thing he knew, Jeff was tied to a deep fat fryer. Three weird figures stood above him.

When the potato awoke, he saw a girl pointing at him through the window. She squealed and suddenly there was a crowd outside the shop.

“Give us a billion pounds and we’ll let you go” growled the first villain in a villainous voice.

Shoe Shop Bob, who was about to open, noticed the crowd, then noticed the potato, and gasped

“If you don’t, we’ll have your chips!” continued the second.

“What will you choose?” finished the third.

“Are you Jeff?”

Things were looking grim, but Jeff was in luck.

Shoe Shop Bob had rounded up the fans, followed Jeff’s tracking chip, and led a thousand followers to the villains’ lair. The rescue was easy.

“Jeff?” questioned the potato.

“That’s your name” explained Bob, “You’re famous! See those people out there? They love you and there are millions more. They want YOU to be a star and I can help you.

Whaddya say?”

The next day, Jeff gave an interview about his scary adventure and that’s when he made the announcement:

Jeff the potato agreed, Shoe Shop Bob became his manager and already being a viral vegetable, his route to stardom was easy.

“You know what? I'm over this fame stuff.

I need a quieter life. So, from here on in, I’m going to settle for a career in radio”.

One month after Shoe Shop Bob became Jeff’s manager, an article came out in a paper written

Stella, P6 22

Photo by PIXTA

YOU CAN’T

FLUSH A CAT DOWN THE LOO.

It was all too much. I glared at it intensely and with little hope. What had I done? Stupid, stupid, STUPID. I was nothing more than your local petty thief, nothing more than a shallow shoplifter, a magpie – a bird-brained, primitive stealer of shiny goods. I despised myself.

It was nothing of great expense, importance or significance, of course. It wouldn’t be missed, and besides everyone had taken one. It was all the talk (more like whispers) on our primary three art trip; who had taken one, from where, and who was going to take one. A piece of amethyst gemstone meant to inspire our drawing. Instead, surreptitiously stolen from a bucket filled to the brim. It fit perfectly into my seven-year-old hand.

For a while it lay hidden in plain sight; in a tackily decorated and bejewelled, fuchsia pink, love-heart shaped jewellery box. I think the box had been gifted to me by my local church one Christmas. For some time, the amethyst rested in its proud place like a cat snoozing on my lap. I couldn’t move it for fear of waking it and having to face the dire consequences of my actions, but I couldn’t leave it there dominating my every thought. I couldn’t leave it there while my tummy twisted itself into a giant nauseating knot. I couldn’t leave it there while my brain fired at a million miles an hour, reminding me of the terrible decision I had made.

I had to wake the cat. I opened the box and immediately felt the need to dispose of the evidence, as quickly and efficiently as possible. What better way to do that than to flush it down the toilet? Flush away the stone and flush away my guilty conscience, right? I sprang into action and ran along the corridor and into the bathroom as fast as my little legs would take me. I slammed the door shut, swivelled around and frantically locked it. I was shaking, I couldn’t get caught now. It was all almost over. I went over to the toilet, opened the lid just a fraction, threw the stone in and flushed, putting all my body weight behind the action and pushing so hard that I’m surprised the handle didn’t fall off. Tiny hands frozen in place, I stayed put, anxiously waiting the gurgles out, longing for my plan to be a success, longing to put an end to my worries. I opened the lid and slowly peeked in. A wave of tears overcame me, and the air emptied out of my chest. The pretty purple stone sat, undefeated, at the bottom of the toilet. I sat, defeated, on the bathroom floor.

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But then, an epiphany! All I had to do was wrap it in toilet paper and then it would be big enough to be swept up by the current and whisked away from my life, taking my guilt along with it. I reached my hand confidently into the toilet – without a care in the world for germs – and took hold of the small, delicate crystal, bringing it out of the cool water. I carefully wrapped it up in toilet roll, kind of like a mummy, making sure all the sides were covered, I even tucked the edges in so that I was left with a nice neat guilt package, ready for export. I gingerly placed the package into the shining white ceramic postbox, already feeling some relief from my guilt and worry. I closed the lid and pushed once again on the handle, this time with less physical might, but more emotional will. This was my last chance. My eyes were squeezed tightly shut and my whole body tensed. The moment lasted forever. I nervously whispered words of encouragement at the toilet, waiting until the smallest of sloshes had subsided before I revealed my fate. With my eyes still squeezed shut, I tentatively lifted the lid. Then I peeled back one eyelid, willing for the crystal to have been swept away. I peered into the white bowl, at last, it was empty.

I was a bad person. I worried that someone might tell on me. I was worried that my parents would be angry with me. I even worried that there was CCTV footage and the police were out to get me. When my parents had the drains cleared, I worried there would be conversations about why there was a purple stone in the pipes.

I used to worry that I would never get rid of the cat. But now I worry about losing it. I think that it has somehow become my moral compass and the incident of the amethyst allowed me to discover it. The cat showed me that I have high expectations of myself, and I had let myself down. I had let myself be pressured into doing something that I didn’t agree with just because everyone else was doing it. I had crossed an unknowingly self-made boundary, all for an admittedly pretty little rock (purple was my favourite colour), but I felt terrible about it. The cat has helped me to understand that avoiding the truth makes me very uncomfortable and I’m rubbish at it; I can’t lie about my age when buying bus tickets or train tickets, and I can’t take fake sick days. I know that if I skip a school club just because I can’t be bothered, I won’t forgive myself for it. Funnily enough I also can’t steal. It doesn’t matter how small or inconsequential an action, if it goes against my values, the cat tells me no.

The flush had been successful, the amethyst was gone, but still the stubborn cat lay unmoved, snoozing on my lap. I had managed to get rid of the physical evidence, but I hadn’t managed to get rid of my guilt. Waking up the cat wasn’t about getting rid of the evidence, it was about admitting to myself what I had done and facing my guilty conscience – which you can’t flush down the toilet. Who would have known?

I realise now that I worried so much and I felt so terrible not because of what other people would think of me, but because I was deeply ashamed of myself. I was afraid that I would become the quality which I despise the most; inauthentic.

For a moment I had slipped out of character, and I will never do it again, all thanks to a small amethyst crystal and my very own moral compass cat.

It was a tiny trivial little stone, yet I had worried about the amethyst for a long time. I worried that

BY TEDDY HENDERSON, L6 24

isolation workstations:

How well do you know your teachers?

During lockdown we’ve all had time to get better acquainted with our home living spaces: whether it’s been getting round to some much needed home improvements, taming the mountain of mess in that long neglected bedroom, spending more time in the garden or getting to know the people you live closest to just that little bit better (a bit too well in some cases....I swear I can hear Mrs Clarke blinking when I’m sitting on the sofa trying to read! Has she always blinked so loudly!?)

But there’s one space in particular that we’ve all been settling down in much more since dear old St George was forced to sheath his sword and stay at least two metres from the dragon: our workspaces. A dedicated study space, a desk with a lamp and computer, the kitchen table, a corner of the playroom....these spaces where we have been learning, teaching, drinking, eating, laughing, crying, sighing and trying to get to grips with this new way of working have become a central feature in daily lockdown life.

As they say in showbiz: the show must go on, and your teachers have been working hard each day from their isolation inspiration stations to make sure that you are all engaged and well supported in everything you’re doing during this tough time. When we’re spending so much time each day at our workstations, we want them to be nice spaces which keep us focussed, but most importantly, they should be spaces we actually want to work in. A pot plant on the windowsill, the window open, lots of natural light getting in and a good, sturdy but not too comfy chair. These workspaces are as different as we are, each with their own character. But how well do you know your teachers? And do you think you’d be able to work out which of your teachers works their magic from these workstations? Take a look at the pictures and the clues, and have a guess. Answers are upside down at the bottom of each page….we’ve been playing this amongst the staff since after the Easter Break and some of the answers may surprise you! There’s no lockdown on fun, after all!

-Mr Clarke

2

2. Mr Barratt

25

1. Miss Strachan

1

3. Mrs Mott

4. Mr Clarke

5. Mrs Barr

26 6. Mr Walker

6

5 4

3

7. Mrs Nicholson

8. Mrs Donnelly

27 9. Mr Rodger

9 8 7 


11. Mrs McInally

12. Mrs Bell (music)

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10. Mr Leask




12 11 10

The Final Word with Senior Correspondent, Helena, U6

On Coping:

The Pandemic and Fear

There’s something deeply disconcerting about this time. Not knowing when or if I will go to university come autumn. Not knowing how long this lockdown will last or when the next time I will get to see friends or family will be. I will even have spent my 18th birthday in lockdown. The lack of normality has got to me.

I have never really seen myself as a person who relies on a sense of routine but with the ever-changing chaos these are the things I have begun to cling to. Normality comes with reading, listening to music, walking through familiar parts of town that are no longer familiar because nobody is there. And that’s the problem. Even the things that should be normal are no longer normal. The city is silent, nobody’s around. It’s as much of a ghost town as the villages in the Westerns I love to watch. The silence is uncomfortable, the centre of Edinburgh is usually noisy and bustling; filled with people all pushing past each other to get where they need to go, but no more.

The only thing really getting me through this is music. Not the music I typically listen to but nostalgic tunes that I recognise from my younger childhood; reminding me of happier times when I wasn’t so stressed about finishing school, university plans and my grandmother in a care home. Pop music has made more of an appearance than usual but so has music from the 60’s and 70’s - the music my parents played that they remembered from their own childhood and the music I remember from mine. There is something about 60’s and 70’s music in particular that is so comforting and homely; even songs I don’t recognise still feel safe and warm because of the melodies and almost tinny quality of some of it.

In an attempt to escape the fears and anxieties that can be all-consuming in a period as fraught as this, I have rediscovered old favourites. I have reread some of my favourite books and revisited all the albums and musicals I listened to when I was first getting into music and musicals properly. I have found myself listening to the Newsies soundtrack too many times for it to be entirely normal and understanding the lyrics of Jason Isbell in a way that I could never before. This escapism has allowed me to leave the fear and anxiety behind even for a moment and find hope and an ability to carry on. I have gained a new appreciation for the music I have loved for so long and gained an ability to contextualise it within my life. Jason Isbell’s ‘24 Frames’ comes to mind here. Whilst previously ‘24 Frames’ seemed like it had no relevance in my life and was merely a reflection of the singer, it feels pertinent now that normal life has in effect gone ‘up in flames in 24 frames’.1 Whilst Isbell is singing about the disintegration of his relationships due to life on the road, he also holds up a mirror to the listener forcing them to see the disintegration of their own relationships - a feat that is somewhat more present now due to being locked inside and only seeing each other at a two metre distance.

Every time I hear it now, I feel a desire to call friends and family for a chat and to catch up - something that I never really felt before this pandemic.

This has brought me great joy and again has acted as a means of escaping the emotions and fears that this pandemic has birthed inside of me.

1.

Here 24 Frames refers to the speed at which film reels spins. It is essentially equivalent to the blink of an eye.

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I heard ‘24 Frames’ for the first time in two years just after we had been forced into lockdown and I started crying. I don’t know why but the song started playing and I broke into tears. Suddenly, the song felt all the more real and urgent. For the first time since I first heard Springsteen, it felt like somebody perfectly encapsulated the way I was feeling and the estrangement from society and normal life that was beginning to settle in, but also reassured me that this feeling was normal and that I was not alone in it.

When normality is restored, and we can finally see our friends and family again we may well feel as estranged from each other as Isbell feels in this song. But that is only a hypothetical and we may after all feel closer to each other and at one with the rest of humanity. The only thing I can guarantee is that my outlook on life will have shifted. How and to what extent is still to be determined, but I know that I will never see normal life in the same way. I doubt that I will take the ability to meet up with friends, to see live music, to go to the cinema for granted ever again. Nothing about ordinary life will feel normal but instead surreal and perhaps utopian. But this is not a bad thing, by being deprived of things we have taken for granted for so long we will be reminded of just how lucky we are to have them and to be able to access these services. Every trip shopping just for the sake of it, going to the cinema not because we particularly want to see the movie but because of the experience and even every trip to a cafe with friends for a coffee and a chat will feel special, and perhaps we may gain greater joy from just living in the moment and doing these seemingly mundane things than we ever have.

‘24 Frames’ -Jason Isbell

“This is how you make yourself vanish into nothing And this is how you make yourself worthy of the love that she Gave to you back when you didn’t own a beautiful thing This is how you make yourself call your mother And this is how you make yourself closer to your brother And remember him back when he was small enough to help you sing You thought God was an architect, now you know He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow And everything you built that’s all for show goes up in flames In 24 frames…”

When shops reopen and the city centre becomes busy once again, life will not return to what it was. It may return to a facsimile of it, but never again will it be exactly the same.

We will all still inadvertently give everybody space; we will find ourselves observing some form of social distancing even when we no longer have to because it will have become ingrained in our brains and memories to do so.

This return to life outside of lockdown may be hard or it may be easy, but it will happen, and we will all be different.

What we really need to do is be aware of this inevitability; not fear it but know it is happening and come to terms with what life will be when this stressful and uneasy time comes to an end. The uncertainty and unease we feel will pass and we will come out of this. And when we do, it will be an opportunity to do everything we dreamed about doing whilst in lockdown. One day, somewhere far down the road, we may even look back at this period as a time of great personal growth and a time in which we learned to cope when the world felt like it was falling down around us.

Here’s to then!

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