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Editors’ note Thank you to everyone who has helped make this first issue of The Inkwell, to everyone who contributed, and to everyone who helped organise and publish it. We have really enjoyed making it, and hope you enjoy reading it. If you want to contribute to the next issue, don’t hesitate to get in contact. Thank you, Alice and Louisa Contents Page 2 – Editors’ note and Contents Page 3-4 – The Russia-Ukraine Conflict Page 5-6 - How are you supporting the fast fashion industry? Is it really so bad? Page 7-8 – Energy Security vs Renewable Energy Page 9-10 – How to actually deal with the stress of exams Page 11 – Covid-19 in Hong Kong Page 12 – Culture Week Page 13 – Death – Creative Writing Piece Page 14 – Half-Term Highlights 3
The Russia-Ukraine Conflict By Alice Read-Clarke In recent months, there have been increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, largely focused on troops
amassed near Ukraine’s borders, but what is happening right now and why?
The Why
The Current Situation
There have been tensions between Russia and Ukraine for many years, which can be linked back to the fall of the USSR. As both Russia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union, and they border each other, they have strong social and cultural ties. When the USSR was split into separate countries, some citizens, particuarly in Ukraine, thought that they should join with Russia. These people are called ‘separatists’, and there has been fighting between them and the Ukrainian military since Russia annexed (cut of) Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Russia had claimed that it is moving troops away from the Ukrainian border, however this was disputed by senior US officials, who have also said that 7000 troops had arrived in recent days (17 Feb 2022). Both political leaders in the US and UK warned that invasion is imminent (19th Feb), a warning which was backed up by the escalation in fighting between Ukrainian military and separatists. There had been a ‘dramatic increase’ in attacks between these two forces, and two Ukrainian soldiers were killed on Saturday 19th, the first reported deaths in some weeks.
Russia also fears the influence of the global organisation NATO. NATO is a group of countries who agree to come to one another’s aid in the case of armed attack or invasion against one of the member countries. It was formed in 1949 and was originally created to counter the threat of post-war Russia, and the possibility of its expansion into Europe. Whilst Ukraine is not a member of NATO, it does have an understanding with the group that it could join the alliance at some point in the future. Russia is very much against Ukraine joining NATO, and also opposes NATOs movement of troops into eastern Europe since 2014.
On the 22nd of Febuary, Putin announced that Russia will officially recognise separatist-held regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, and that Russia troops would be moving there as ‘peacekeepers’. This action was condemned by world leaders, who also warned that this could be the start to a ‘full-scale’ Russian invasion. The UK begun to place sanctions on Russian banks, as well as wealthy Russian individuals. The Ukrainian President, President Zelenskyy, said that Ukraine will not fall to Russia, and urged its citizens to fight, allowing them to arm themselves, and supplying weapons. In the early hours of the 24th of Febuary, President Putin broadcasted a message announcing a ‘special military operation’ to ‘demilitarize and denazify’ Ukraine. He warned Ukrainian soldiers to go home, and threatened violence against those who resisted or tried to stop the Russian advancement. Soon after this announcement, it was reported that Russian troops had crossed the border, and attacks had been carried out on
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military targets, as well as near major cities in Ukraine. Countries throughout Europe have prepared to accept an influx of refugees, as Ukraine enters a state of emergency and martial law. On the 24th of
Febuary, Russian troops took control of large parts of Ukraine, including Chernobyl, the site of a devastating nuclear explosion in 1986, and many airports.
The Ukrainian president has decided to stay in Kyiv, despite being at massive risk from the advancing troops, and called on his citizens to help defend the city, suggesting that they make Molotov cocktails. He also called on citizens in Russia, and throughout Europe, to protest against war, although many Russians were arrested for protesting.
It is unknown what the outcome of this will be, but apart from placing sanctions on, Russia, Putin and his supporters, there is very little that western countries can do. If troops are deployed, that will be taken as a declaration of war, with resounding negative concequenses, so there is little to do but to wait and see what happens next.
TIMELINE December 17 – Russia issues its security demands, which involve requirements for NATO to cease military activity in Eastern Europe and for NATO to deny membership to exSoviet countries January 10 – Talks between Russia and the US fail to reach a resolution
Midnight Febuary 24 – Ukraine enters a state of emergency, and recommends Ukrainian citizens to leave Russia
January 24 – Both NATO and the US put force on standby, some countries begin to evacuate nonessential embassy staff Febuary 22 – Russia recognises rebel held areas as independent, and deploys troops as ‘peacekeepers’
Febuary 24 – Putin announces a special military operation and Russian troops cross the Ukrainian border from many directions, attacks across Ukraine end with deaths for both countries, including Ukrainian citizens
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November 2021 – Satellite imagry shows Russian troops amassing on the Ukrainian border
Febuary 8-12 – The UK, France and the US hold unsuccessful talks with Russia
Febuary 16 – Russia increases troops at Ukrainian border Febuary 26 – Russia places nuclear weapons on ‘high alert’
Febuary 15 – Putin confirms a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border. Febuary 28 – Kyiv and Moscow enter peace talks
Article correct as of 28th Febuary 2022
How are you supporting the fast fashion industry? Is it really so bad? By Louisa Jabbari What is fast fashion?
wear clothes in order to influence the public into buying the latest fashion trends, which then leads to people having more than they need.
You have probably heard the term “fast fashion” frequently in the last few years, whether it was in a news article or on social media, it is something we should be aware of. So, what is fast fashion?
Although fast fashion produces fashionable items and is inexpensive it has a vast number of negative consequences.
In the past new fashion designs used to be introduced seasonally whereas fast fashion brands now release multiple designs in as little as a week so that they can stay “on trend”. This has a significant negative impact on workers and their working conditions, as well as the environment as the clothes are made of cheap synthetic materials which do not decompose.
Trend cycles
Negative consequences
Due to social media the trend cycle has shortened tremendously- in the past trends would last around 20-30 years with 3 separate phases before they were completely rejected. The fashion magazine Savoir Flair states that “The 20year fashion cycle is dead”. Social media gives us quick access into other people’s lives through apps like Instagram and TikTok. These people are paid to promote and
Fast fashion results in many social issues. Back in July 2020 the brand boohoo received a backlash for paying workers under the minimum wage. In the UK employees over 25 should receive at least £8.72 an hour whereas boohoo workers in a factory in Leicester, were being paid £3.50 an hour, whilst not receiving any protection from the COVID-19 pandemic. Another similar incident occurred in the USA with the
Fast fashion is the rapid production of inexpensive clothing by massmarket retailers in response to new and upcoming trends.
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brand Fashion Nova, that was found to be paying the workers $2.77 an hour. Many other brands use factories in places like Bangladesh and Vietnam (lowincome countries) to source their products where working conditions are just as bad.
intrinsically wrong with fashion or trends and there must be a way of enjoying style without harm. Although there are many ecofriendly fashion brands on the market their demographic doesn’t fit with teenage tastes. Should more such brands appear for teenagers they should be supported, and teenagers must avoid those brands that damage the planet. The buying of better-quality items that last longer, even if more expensive, may be a way forward.
Another problem with fast fashion is not only how they treat their workers, as seen in the boohoo incident, but the material they use. Plastic fabrics like polyester don’t biodegrade like other fabrics such as cotton. It is estimated that 230 million clothes end up in landfills in the UK alone.
Thrifting and shopping in charity shops is a great solution because it lengthens the lifespan of the item of clothing instead of it ending up in a landfill. Money goes to charity and there is therefore an added benefit, you are helping others whilst shopping for clothes you want. It allows for individuality in fashion and lets people find their own personal style.
So, what are our Solutions? It is seen from our habits that we prefer cheap, poor quality clothing which makes us look “trendy” compared to good quality clothing which you may have to pay more for. This may be because there is a gap in the market when it comes to teenagers who want to look good but also want to buy from ethical brands. It may be that we need to educate ourselves and others into needing less and reflecting on the impact of relying heavily on fast consumerism. There is nothing
How does fast fashion affect the environment and people’s lives, and what can we do about it? Photos sourced from: https://www.istockphoto.com/ 7
Energy security vs Renewable energy By Ella Williams Recently there has been an increased awareness of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change recently. Rallies have been organised, petitions have been signed, articles have been written, all in the hope to secure a greener future. Countries have begun discussing these issues and developing solutions for the future, most recently at COP26 in Glasgow. A key part of the solution is making the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. However, like many things, this change has its costs.
Despite the massive problems caused by greenhouse gas emmissions from fossil fuels, the developing world relies on cheap, unsustainable, and damaging ways to create energy. This is because their economies cannot afford the high cost of renewable energies. These countries need a constant and cheap, energy supply to enable their development, as energy supply has a direct impact on a country’s development. When a country has less energy than they need they are in energy poverty.
Britain, as a wealthy, western country hasn’t always felt the full impact of climate change and as a country we can sometimes forget the fact that people in the developing world are suffering due to climate change caused by our energy resource carelessness. It is poorer developing countries, those who largely rely on local primary industry for jobs, income, and food security (e.g., farming, mining etc), that are most impacted by drastic changes in weather. The graph below shows the frequency of extreme weather events, you can see that they have almost doubled on numbers since the early 2000’s.
There are several ways for developing countries to switch to renewable energy sources, and many of them involve support from developed countries. One economic strategy is to accelerate investment in renewable energies, which lowers the price and allows developing countries to catch up with developed countries use of renewable energies. Another option 8
is to invest directly into the developing counties to aid them in buying renewable energies. This would reduce the developing world’s greenhouse gas emmissions directly.
In our efforts for a greener, more environmentally conscious world we must ensure that transitioning to renewable energies does not result in energy poverty in developing countries.
Renewable energies are an important factor in reducing our greenhouse gas emmissions, but have we considered all the effects of switching to them? Photos sourced from www.istockphoto.com
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How to actually deal with the stress of exams By Rivi Lock-Phillips The title of this may make this seem like the dullest article ever, but hopefully it helps people and isn’t too boring to read, as there are definitely going to be some people struggling with exam stress (myself included) who will benefit from some of the tips in this article. Hopefully you have had some time to revise over half term, as revising early and being able to go over topics a few times will help you retain information. I can’t say I haven’t procrastinated my revision...but I know that when I have revised earlier the information has definitely been easier to remember! This may be because closer to exams, my mind tends to be a lot more cluttered with stress which doesn’t concern me a month or so before my exams.
you avoid unnecessary stress in general, but particularly during exam times. 1. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance. As much as revision and school work is important, it is also important to care for yourself and do things that make you happy! Even as exams get closer, you should not be spending all of your time revising and should take breaks regularly to reduce the chance of become overwhelmed with work. Something that helps with this is creating a revision timetable and scheduling breaks from work so that you can be sure to cover everything you need to revise, but also take time to do other things.
Before I move on, it is important to mention that stress is completely normal and is healthy at times like this, especially when there are lots of other things going on. Now I have said that here are some other tips that may help
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2. Exercising - I know people say this a lot, but exercise is actually a very good stress reliever! It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, or how much it gets your heart racing- any exercise is bound to boost your mood and has been proven a countless number of times to reduce stress. Exercising with friends, even if it is just going for a walk, is a good way of reducing stress. 3. Sleeping well - Of course, with schoolwork and other activities, it can seem impossible to get a full 8-10 hours of sleep, but if you organise your time (timetable!!), you can work out how to get the best amount of sleep possible. Sleep is so important, and a lack of it can make you more irritable and can affect your ability to concentrate, which is
definitely important during exams!
Other Tips - Put things into perspective: exams are not the most important thing in the world, and other things such as your own health should be your priority. - Reduce caffeine intake, as caffeine is known to increase anxiety. - After an exam is over, try to move on and prepare for other exams. - Don’t be too hard on yourself! - Try not to surround yourself with people who are very stressed, especially if you know they will make you more stressed. photos sourced from: https://www.istockphoto. com/
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Covid-19 in Hong Kong By Rachel Pun In the UK, all Covid-19 restrictions were removed on the 24th of Febuary, but what is the coronavirus situation like in other countries, specifically Hong Kong?
Hong Kong's hospitals remain full as the city battles its worst wave of infections; the city has been brought to its knees with the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The number of reported cases has soared to more than 66,000 in just a couple of months. On Friday, 25th of February, Hong Kong confirmed 10,006 cases of the
coronavirus, and 47 new deaths were reported. This was the first time the number of cases had exceeded 10,000 in a single day. The pandemic in Hong Kong has been out of control for several days, and the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus is increasing rapidly every day. The number of confirmed cases in a single day has repeatedly hit new highs. Most patients are elderly or in poor physical condition.
Whilst we move on with life in the UK, it is important to remember that Covid is not completely gone, and we should be careful if we are to avoid another spike in cases. The spike of cases in Hong Kong is the most severe since the start of the pandemic. Photo : https://www.aljazeera.com /news/2022/2/17/omicro n-hit-hong-kong-seeksout-hotel-rooms-for-covidquarantine https://www.istockphoto.c om/
Culture Week at QAS By Margret Oppong-Mensah and Samira Elton Here at QAS, Culture Week was an opportunity for people to express themselves and display their personalities and identity. During Culture Week, students had the opportunity to sample various dishes from around the world, presented by the catering crew at lunch. There were also student-led cultural cooking sessions after school, which taught pupils how to make dishes such as kimchi and Russian dumplings. The EDI Fair was also in the Space to visit at lunchtime. A non-uniform day was held to recognize the many different arts, cultures, and languages represented in our school
community. On this day, students were encouraged to wear traditional clothing associated with their own culture or heritage if they so desired. The variety of clothing worn around school was incredible, and students enjoyed the day. The Friday lunchtime cultural fashion show was a considerable success, with many students strutting the catwalk. This is some of the stunning traditional attire worn in the fashion show. Staff and pupils learned about key aspects of each other's cultures, and it was great to see students engaging in such a positive activity in our community.
Death by Lavanya Basu Death is a raven. Death is the shadows. Or Death is the drunk nights, the swerving car, the old age that claims everyone eventually. Death is the long nights, the beeping machines, the grieving family. Death is the light, under the headlights that watched it happen, under the rays of the blinding sun, shining down into the old couple’s house, dead, but happy. Death does not choose who dies, only watches. And waits… And then Death takes those few precious gifts that life leaves behind, and carries their souls gently to rest in the eternity after.
Half-Term Highlights A visit from Toby Marlow, co-writer of SIX the musical L4 celebrated 100 days of Queens Annes
Tom Daley cycled past Queen Annes on his Comic Relief Fundraiser Lacrosse matches have been continuing, with Nationals approaching soon
We had culture and mental health week
We celebrated Chinese New Year
World Book Day in the English Department
Ash Wednesday Service