The Roar: Issue #4

THE ROAR SUMMER EDITION

MEET THE TEAM Veera, Writer and Chief Editor Hello! I'm Veera. I love having very strong opinions on headphones with wires (they reign supreme), and having a chemical composition that is comprised of concerning amounts of oat-milk cappuccino. I’m qualified to do this because I apparently dress like your grandfather if he was also your English teacher ;-)

Daria, Writer and Chief Editor Hey everyone! My name is Daria and I am currently in 11th grade. I’ve been part of the newspaper for the past 2 years, usually writing articles about anything interesting.

Ellyn, Writer and Chief Editor Hi my name is Ellyn and I am currently in Grade 11, going through my third year at ACS. I’m a writer for the Roar, and am interested in world issues, especially humanitarian crises which is something I love to write about as a way to raise global awareness.

Emily, Writer and Chief Editor Hi, my name is Emily and I'm in Grade 11. I joined ACS in January 2021, and I have previously lived in Switzerland, the US and Belgium. I'm very interested in politics, environmental issues, music and reading. When I'm not busy with school, I really enjoy knitting and crocheting.

MEET THE TEAM Sreeja, Writer and Designer Hi! I’m Sreeja and I’m a writer for the Roar. I’m currently in 11th grade and this is my first year in ACS. I’ve lived in India, Indonesia, Australia, Austria and now the UK. I love to read (when I'm not drowning in the IB) and most of my articles are about books or tv shows I’ve really enjoyed, specifically young adult fiction or media about biology :)

Camilla, Writer Hi! I am a writer for the Roar and I absolutely love it. It gives me the opportunity to write about all sorts of things such as mental health, a book I may be obsessed with, and the possibility of ‘nanopsychiatry’ in the future. Time in which I do not use to focus on the IB or stress about the IB is dedicated to making my own jewellery and customising clothes.

Mags, Writer The average stem student. A passion for a painful subject, no grasp on English, and a concerning caffeine addiction.

I haven’t slept in 3 years and am the only person who enjoys reading about math

Jai, Writer Hello! I’m Jai, this is my first year writing articles for the roar, and as a student in grade 9 this is my first year in highschool. I have been going to ACS since I was in grade one, or 2013. Prior to living here, I lived in Singapore although to be honest I don't really remember it too well.

I'm interested in a range of topics and would write about anything that interests me, my main interests being Space, Chess and historical topics.

Sophia, Writer Hi! I am Sophia, I recently became a member in the Roar newspaper. I am in 7th grade and I have been at ACS Egham for nearly two years since I moved from Luxembourg. The Roar is hard work but I really enjoy writing articles and being a part of the group.

Tamerlan, Writer Hi, my name is Tamerlan Asadov and I am a writer for the Roar. I am from Azerbaijan but I have lived in England for 13 years and I have attended ACS Egham all these years. I like reading and writing, in particular, I enjoy writing about the stock market and researching financial developments in the world.

Hello again!

EDITOR'S NOTE

This is officially the fourth edition of ACS Egham’s newspaper! Carrying on the legacy of the famous and undeniably wonderful, Alex, Aryana, and Saskia, we hope this edition will not only entertain you but also give you new perspectives and ideas. The writers have worked hard to bring you a wide range of content and a few fun activities at the end, we hope that the Roar will continue onwards and upwards through this issue and everything that comes next! :) Thank you to the Roar team, as well as Ms. Barrowcliff, Ms. Coffey, and Ms. Larkin -- this issue would not have been possible without you! A further special thank you to everyone who has helped design the issue and sent over exciting content!

We hope you enjoy the reading and our tribute to some very important members of the ACS community. If you have any inquiries about the contents of this issue or questions about the Roar in general, please feel free to contact one of us!

Happy summer, ACS! See you next year!

- Daria, Ellyn, Veera, and Emily

WORLD POLITICS

SUMMER. 2022, ISSUE 4

Iran’s War on Journalism Ellyn Leblay

Journalism has throughout history been a form of essential information sharing, international communication, and professional platform through which awareness can be raised in a plethora of widely accessible mediums. The profession in itself entails the enterprise of gathering and presenting news to wider audiences. It has proved itself indispensable to democracies in time, and the preservation of freedom for communities globally. While ignorance has consistently been a barrier towards progress and has often fostered the derailment of conflicts into violent and inhumanely apathetic events, journalism is pursued in an attempt to provide all communities with a wider and understanding of the world and its events.

It aids in shedding light on the accomplishments and failings of humanity, and promotes an awareness of the world and its elements in an incomparable way.

The pursuit of journalism remains an endeavour widely valorised, especially in modern times where accessibility to information is facilitated by technology, which aids in the raising awareness about issues and conflicts of the world. Consequently it continues to be a targeted profession due to its ability to expose the truthful nature of events, upon which it becomes faced with unending brutality and murderous response from state or civilians.

Iran, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, wages a war against journalism. The Iranian regime is one of the world’s worst persecutors of journalists and suppressors of freedom of speech in the form of journalism. The harsh political tactics utilised to censor information are difficult to overstate, but stem from a complex past between the nation’s authoritarian political development and civilian response.

After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the authoritarian government has grown harsher with its impositions on journalism.

The revolution brought together Iranians from diverse social groups, and has its roots in Iran’s exceptional history.

The union originally came together in an attempt to administer reform. Circa 1953, a coup was orchestrated against Prime Minister Mosaddegh’s government to install a more liberal government led by Mohammed Reza Shah.

With significant collusion from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia, the power struggle ended with Reza Shah in control. Despite his reliance on western allies to stabilise his role in government as Shah, he moved to dismiss the parliament and launch the White Revolution. It consisted of an aggressive campaign of modernization and Westernisation. While economically efficient, the campaign was immensely brutal, suppressed socio-political development, and led to a spiralling decrease of living standards for the Iranian population due to inherently corrupt distribution of wealth amongst social classes, which promoted high rates of inflation felt for decades to come. The White Revolution is crucial to the commencement of encroachment of the government on civilian rights and freedoms, and is where censorship on journalism experienced a nefarious bloom.

Iran’s War on Journalism Journalism currently experiences systematic repression from Iran’s leaders due to the exposure they provide to some of atrocious issues that remain unnamed in the Middle East due to the complex socio-political and religious tensions they evoke. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), it is the seventh most censored nation globally and 173rd out of 180 in press freedom rankings. The corrupt and unethical need to control the news stems from the Iranian government's ‘obsessive’ urge to contain and revise the flow of information available to the population, in aims to cultivate attention to specific topics and foster ignorance towards others deemed ‘a threat to national security’. This persistent malfeasance prevents the population from obtaining a complete, informed, and balanced international interpretation of global issues and all that they address.

The reasons provided for this obtrusive involvement in a flow of information that arguably should be freely accessed by individuals to make educated decisions, is often excused under the umbrella of ‘threats to national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state’. Likewise, the labels ‘defamation and threats against a government contractor/official’, ‘disrupting public order’, ‘waging war against God’ are consistently provided as justification for removal or bans imposed.

While attempting to preserve respectful and ethical boundaries over spiritually sensitive proclamations and guaranteeing the safety of national representatives can be seen as rational and valid motives, they should not infringe on the rights of civilians that may have drastically contrasting opinions to those held by the State. Unfortunately, this is the case in Iran where the methods employed to silence journalists are egregious.

The most common include imprisonment, where journalists are arrested for addressing subjects considered ‘volatile’ by the government. While the number remains unclear due to extreme censorship, journalists have recently been arrested for publishing news concerning the widespread protests of the country; the status of coronavirus in Iran and the regime's response; the IRGC's missile strike on a Ukrainian airline jet over Tehran; corruption; women’s rights; and mistreatment of minorities and detainees.

For the publishing of topics ranging from mundane daily events to critical global news, journalists are tortured and experience atrocious human rights violations as they are left detained in confinement without access to legal aid.

In addition to imprisonment of undetermined lengths under merciless conditions, pursuers of journalism are also subjected to brutal harassment. Harassed both by authorities and the government, they are forced to abandon property and assets to prevent imprisonment.

Through measures such as removing passports, access to employment, and branding individuals as pariahs due to obtained “proof of collaboration in terrorist actions with the enemies of Iran”, they entrap journalists under a murderous shadow of threat. This, alongside continuous censorship both in enterprises and social media, are only some of the measures employed to silence all that is considered undesirable for the eyes of the general public by the State.

The battle to combat this flagitious and deeply appalling crisis has been met by challenges and yet continues to be fought by courageous journalists based in Iran. Despite the lingering menace, they continue to try to provide the civilians of Iran with access to information and a recognition of the true nature of the State. While these efforts remain priceless as they continue to work one of the most hazardous professions in Iran, it continues to have limited impact. This is why it is crucial to continue to promote organisations that support and offer protection to individuals who experience the consequential threats of the government upon pursuit of journalism, and to promote the publication of knowledgeable, impartial, and versatile articles to consistently continue to raise awareness for news audiences, who perhaps don’t realise the true enrichment they have access to.

Emerging Violence in Ethiopian War of the Tigray Region Ellyn Leblay The volatile region of the Horn of Africa has long been the home of tensions between political parties and discord among ethnic and ideological beliefs. Despite that, Ethiopia had recently succeeded in emerging as an anchor of stability and promise following the passing of a peace plan with long time enemy and neighbor, Eritrea.

However, recent events of tragically decreasing democratic course of action and an uprise in brutal military responses to a political standoff has led to the birth of a festering humanitarian crisis, currently among the most horrifyingly impactful in the world. In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, 2 million are combating starvation and severe malnutrition, the rapid spread of disease, a devastating economic blockade, and harrowing displacement. This worsening crisis is occurring due to unforgiving military actions and policies put in place to enhance attrition and destroy civilian morale into surrender of involved parties.

To be able to delve into the conflict and comprehend the underlying repercussions it is inflicting among the population, it is crucial to understand the series of events that led to its development as a devastating crisis of modern times.

The nation of Ethiopia had long remained frail and influenced by the hostile environment of the Horn of Africa, and struggled to establish a permanent and secure government as the head of state. This instability was promoted and reinforced by the integration of a Soviet regime in the 1970s. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, better known as the TPLF, was founded in 1975 and led a coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to overthrow the Soviet backed regime in 1991. The coalition was a historical moment in which opposing and previously conflicting ideologies and political parties agreed to stand together to establish a democratic government. Despite being a minority and having their stronghold in the Tigray region, the TPLF led the newly implemented government and remained in power for nearly three decades. This allowed for the implementation of economic reforms and societal progress, but persistent ideological seclusion remained. Their influence promoted a war with neighbouring Eritrea, that lasted between 1998 - 2000 (with a final peace settlement secured in 2018), and drastically influenced the living conditions of the population.

Emerging Violence in Ethiopian War of the Tigray Region In a portrayal of public discontent with the progressive suffocation of the population and its minorities, protests were held in 2018 for removal of the party, which backed into its Tigray stronghold in late 2018. The newly elected government was faced with their refusal of joining the Prosperity Party of the new President, Abiy Ahmed.

The ignition of the conflict lies in these lingering tensions between political parties, fostered by an unstable past of revolution and violent protesting to demand change, and where differing political ideologies promote the emergence of a power struggle.

With the unforgiving and merciless arrival of COVID 19 in 2020, Ethiopia was quick to suffer from the repercussions. With monumental dependence on agriculture as the country’s main industry and source of income, the sector making up 46% of the national GDP and ensuring 85% of employment, lockdown and reduced commerce had striking implications on the economy and civilian support of the government in the country. Newly elected President Ahmed had been seen as a promising leader, making progressist decisions and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate with the completion of a peace settlement with Eritrea.

This was until he was faced with a global crisis that wreaked havoc on the growing and frail economy of the country. He pushed for the postponement of the 2020 general election, justifying the pandemic as a preventative obstacle. Upon this decision, the TPLF tensions increased and started becoming more directly confrontational through an execution of regional elections. With a history of deep rooted dismay for the TPLF, Ahmed began withholding funds for regional administrations.

This prompted violent outrage with the TPLF forces who attacked a federal military base in Tigray in what they called a pre-emptive strike against federal forces preparing to attack them from a neighbouring region.

Upon demonstration of military threat, President Ahmed declared a national state of emergency and launched Operation Law Enforcement, in which he discharged overwhelming military pressure into the area.

With surges of TPLF fighters launching towards the capital to overthrow the government, violence has emerged and dominates the once settled and peaceful land of Ethiopia, with civilians as the main casualties and survivors of unspeakable harm.

The Tigray region has become the epicenter of a worsening humanitarian crisis, fostering the spread of horrific events and living conditions among a population of innocent civilians. Since the early stages of the conflict and eruption of military response, an economic blockade has been imposed on the Tigray region, rendering it a warzone devoid of the necessary resources for the survival of the innocent bystanders trapped within it.

The lack of access to basic necessities have created persistent malnutrition, increasing rates of starvation, and a rise in disease due to the provision of an environment susceptible to the spread of COVID 19 and conditions that relentlessly harm and weaken individuals. With the creation of an environment in which deadly viruses prosper, the region has seen increasing cases of COVID 19, malaria, measles in infants and young children, and a distressing rise in sexually transmittable diseases due to the increase in sexual assault and violence.

Only limited United Nations aid has been able to be provided to civilians in need, a reality caused by the government-imposed blockade, which has kept desperately needed aid from reaching the area. In late November 2021, the World Food Program announced that 9.4 million people across northern Ethiopia required aid against malnutrition. This continues to increase today.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

Emerging Violence in Ethiopian War of the Tigray Region The fighting, brutal and unforgiving with continuous military strikes, has caused the displacement of over 2.2 million individuals. The mass human exodus is required to travel through conflict ridden areas in order to access makeshift refugee camps, which have been the target of ethnic cleansing. Harrowing massacres of minorities and opposing parties have plagued and instilled persistent fears within all individuals of the region, as a conflict arisen by political ideologies morphs into an irreversible eradication of innocent civilians. While a communications black out has prevented real time updates on the situation, thousands of individuals from minority groups have been reported as targeted repeatedly.

In addition to massacres, another weapon of war has been horrfyingly growing in use and ‘popularity’, the use of sexual violence. The tremendously traumatic repercussions this indescribable action imposes upon individuals subjected to it has caused it to become a favourite of both fighting parties. It allows them to assert their dominance over the region and traumatise individuals in hopes to break morale past will of fighting. The alarming increase in sexual violence has been described as ‘practically a genocide’ by doctors within the region, and one of the most unforgivable and haunting developments of this war. Paired with kidnapping, gang rape, narcotic poisoning, sexual slavery, and dehumanising rape rituals with violent tendencies, it has become one of the worst assaults on the popultion. Men, women, and children are subjected to unspeakable horrors while a justification of warring parties remains ‘a purification of the bloodlines’. This, among other acts of devastating violence, have rendered this conflict one that makes a mockery of the basic tenets of humanity, and one that has rendered it an urgent humanitarian crisis.

Summer 2022 - Issue 4

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE STOCK MARKET? W

Tamerlan Asadov

ith the pandemic effects fading and the economy on the rise again, the stock market saw a good year in 2021. However, 2022 became a bumpy ride for investors. Having started the year on a strong note, inflation woes began to worry investors both in the UK and the US. At the end of January, the major US indexes saw a massive fall, the largest losses since 2018. Within 2 weeks, the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 12% and Dow Jones 500 fell more than 5%.

It is hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for this fall.

The main reason was the fear of interest rate hikes by the US central government bank, the Federal Reserve (The Fed). Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the Fed has kept the interest rates very low to stimulate the economy. However, with the economic rebound, the Fed now announced that there will be 6 interest rate hikes, and instantly, the investors became very frightened. Surprisingly, interest rates are still at a low historic level, so the stock market crash is not just caused by fundamental economic reasons, but more as a result of investors’ fears. An important long term reason was the overvaluation of markets, with the major US stocks having rallied more than 50% since the recession in 2020.

However, this was to become only the first part of the storm. Tensions grew between Ukraine and Russia, culminating on February 24th when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The major US indexes gradually slid to give up their rebound in February. The FTSE fell more than 5% in the beginning of March, but strangely, the US stocks oddly rose during earlier March. Major technological stocks such as Google and Apple rose up until March 8th. However, once the war took a heavier toll, and with risks of a nuclear war, all of the stocks both in the US and the UK collapsed.

The Russian stock market tumbled.

Currently, there has been somewhat of a rebound but most stocks of the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 remain at a low. Many investors are disagreeing about whether or not it is the right time to buy. The international crisis is putting pressure even on the US and UK economics. For instance, oil prices have risen substantially which in turn exacerbates the supply side issues in the UK and the US. Some stocks have already seen a huge rebound, such as Chinese electric companies, Li, Xpeng and Nio who have seen more than a 30% jump in one day.

I

s it time to buy yet ?

It is difficult to say. Could this be a great buying opportunity? Most stocks are between 10% to 20% from their peaks, so in terms of rebound potential, it still remains.

Yet, at the same time, the international crisis can pose a grave risk to the stability of financial markets, especially if Russia defaults on its debt. In addition, inflation in many countries is on the rise and supply-side issues are yet to be resolved. In the US, the Fed has confirmed the hike in interest rates which in turn will have a negative impact on the long term on the stock market. But the temptation of large returns is still very appealing to many investors.

All in all, it remains to be seen what will happen.

THE ROAR: ISSUE 4, 2022

PARTYGATE What possibly breeds corruption in 21st century politicians?

BY VEERA GUPTA Power breeds corruption.

President Nixon’s Watergate scandal shook the nation and the rest of the world when it resulted in Nixon being the first US

This is not a radical idea, it is one that the vast majority of

president

people have heard at least once before and have probably

impeachment

also agreed with (to a certain extent). Bearing this in mind, if power and corruption are so deeply interlinked in today’s world, then why have we not eradicated the issues within the

systems

of

power

that

breed

corruption?

Why

is

corruption so notorious and why does it continue to take root within politicians today?

corruption

entrusted

1974.

resign

The

to

shock

avoid

that

even

almost the

certain

land

of

the

of political corruption is deeply telling in terms of its insidious and prevalent nature.

Aside from the obvious, political corruption is deeply rooted into

less

economically

developed/developing

nations

and

is

shocking in its scale. The examples are endless: between 1967-

generally

the

misuse

billion

USD

in

funds

from

the

Indonesian

landscape. In fact, one of the most well-known examples of

Listing these examples could go on for pages, but it definitively

a political corruption scandal in government takes place in

proves

the land of the free itself, the United States. In 1972, several

exerts

robbers

global scales.

who

the

were

global

found

to

or

be

even

is

not

a

national

connected

to

It

15-35

embezzled

off 1.2 billion USD from a state owned oil company in 2014.

in

corruption

gain.

roughly

Suharto,

political

development

individual

of

Mohamed

scheme headed by now ex-government officials who syphoned

that

private,

as

President

recent

clarify

for

defined

Indonesia’s

government. Another example is that of a money-laundering

to

power

in

to

is

important

political

is

have

free’s democratic government was not free from the clutches

1998,

Political

to

President

the the

existence idea

that

of

political

political

corruption

corruption

historically

exists

on

and

massive,

Nixon’s reelection campaign, were caught robbing the office of

the

Democratic

building

complex

National

in

Committee

Washington

in

DC.Nixon

the

Watergate

went

to

great

lengths to ensure that the crime was covered up but he was eventually exposed by the Washington Post who coined the incident ‘the Watergate scandal’.

Now when focusing on Britain, it is important to understand that corruption has evolved and can be much less blatant than outwardly funnelling billions of dollars from the government or committing government.

and

covering

up

crimes

from

the

federal

All of the prior discussion leads us back to the elephant in the room: what does Partygate have to do with political corruption?

Boris Johnson’s conservative government has overall been dealt a tough hand of cards. Firstly with Brexit and shortly afterwards with the COVID-19 pandemic, but alongside these situations, there has also been a lot of anger generated towards the current government.

The claims against Johnson himself did not start with the Partygate scandal. Questions surrounding Johnson’s funding have been circulating throughout his time as Prime Minister. There are numerous examples of this including Johnson failing to declare Conservative party donations that helped fund his

£15,000

holiday to the Caribbean in January of 2021 to there being further issues within the

Conservative party itself failing to declare the

£200,000

donation that helped Johnson refurbish his

Downing Street residence. This in itself may seem like a small, slightly suspicious, bureaucratic issue but nevertheless, the biggest issue remains within the fact that if a Prime Minister is receiving donations

of

significant

value,

that

personally

benefit

them,

then

it

isn’t

impossible

that

the

donations may come with an underlying obligation towards the PM’s benefactors. This is an inkling of corruptive behaviour that has the potential to sway priorities of who the government is serving.

Furthermore, anyone living in England right now knows that there have been serious concerns about the way that the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled. There has been heated backlash over mishaps that the government has supposedly perpetrated such

as

the

issue

at

beginning

of

the

pandemic

with

the

procuring

of

personal

protective

equipment

(PPE).

This

includes

everything from masks, to gloves, to gowns for doctors and the NHS. A major issue was found when in order to fund this PPE for the NHS,

£156

million of taxpayers’ money was spent on 50 million masks that were deemed as unsuitable for NHS usage. This

could have been viewed as an honest mistake but the speculation surrounds the fact that the company that produced the mask had never produced PPE equipment before and was co-owned by Andrew Mills, a government advisor who was close to Liz Truss, a cabinet minister and a foreign secretary.

In addition to this, there are more speculated cases where Johnson’s government has prioritised its allies in the pandemic such as when

£1.6

billion in contracts were awarded to COVID-PPE businesses by the government. It was noted that allegedly that the

recommendation of select conservative ministers (such as Matt Hancock, Michael Gove, and Grant Shapps) made it ten times more likely that a company would receive a contract. Companies like PPE Medpro won a

£200

million contract only weeks after

its conception where it was founded by a former business associate of the conservative peer Baroness Mone. Furthermore, David Meller who is a conservative benefactor procured a

£160

million contract at the recommendation of Michael Gove for PPE

production. Though much of this is speculation-based, there is a curious thread of events that the public has linked between those who benefit from the current government’s investments and those who lose out.

So where does Partygate bring us? Partygate, for background, is the name that has been assigned to the series of parties that the Prime Minister and his associates had thrown in and around 10 Downing Street throughout the pandemic and in direct violation to the lockdown rules that had been implemented. As of February of 2022, at least 16 parties of this type have been reported on by the media all of which has so far culminated in a number of MPs sending in letters of ‘No-Confidence’ against Boris Johnson.

This incident illustrates the idea of lack of accountability for Johnson’s government. Johnson uses his place of authority to subvert the rules that he himself mandated to protect the UK in an international pandemic of unprecedented proportions.

The insidious nature of this leads us to wonder if Johnson and the other party members involved can be trusted as their actions within the pandemic were ultimately a misuse of their ‘entrusted power’ for their own personal enjoyment. On top of that, the actions of the government prior to and during the pandemic calls into question of whether or not all of the governments actions have been based in integrity or if they have been based in a greed for profit. This is the baseline of what would be defined as political corruption and through this we see that corruption, like many other things, has evolved. We see it in how many of the motivations for corruption are the same, but the means to the end are different. With all of this, we reach a simple conclusion to what turns out to be a simple question. What breeds corruption in 21st century politicians?

The answer is that corruption is bred from exactly the same motivations it has always come from. A desire to manipulate a system with a power a politician or political party was trusted with, for that group or person’s personal gain.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE!

All that remains to be answered is this: why does it matter whether or not politicians are corrupt? Boris Johnson’s government has not in itself done anything as radical as some of the aforementioned cases of political corruption and perhaps corruption, to a certain degree, is a given in politics. But even so, why is 21st century

political

corruption

at

this

level

still

something

the

everyday

man

should

concern

themselves with?

This is important simply because the people we elect into power should be a standard of morality and integrity, as these are the people who have the most power to shape the world we live in. It is not a big ask that the people in government should have the best interests of the country and its people at heart. Political corruption in any form plagues democracy as it obstructs the power of the general collective and allows for there to be almost a sense of lawlessness at the heart of a country’s political system. Politics involves everyone, and the people we democratically elect should reflect the desires of the 'hoi polloi', because even the people who can’t afford to buy into the corrupt nature of a government deserve protection and prioritisation.

Politics is not a rich man’s game, or at the very least it shouldn’t be. Corruption on the other hand, very much is. This is a reason to care: your voice matters, and it being disregarded affects you more than it affects the system.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

The Environmental Impact of HS2 and Broken Promises to the North ‘High Speed 2’ (HS2) is a controversial railway line from London to Birmingham that is currently under construction (Original plan shown in Figure 1).

By Emily Austwick

When these industries started to be exported out of the UK on the basis of cheaper labour, the North suffered economically. This, and many other factors, have led to the “North-South Divide”, which is very contested politically; whether or not the divide is more prevalent, if it’s closing, or if it even exists in general.

The second phase of it was planned to fork off to Manchester and Leeds, and was meant to significantly cut down travel time between London and the North of England. It promised to bring economic development to the North, which has historically been at an economic disadvantage to the South. Yet, the line to Leeds was cancelled in late 2021. HS2 is dubious because of the detriment it will cause to the environment, as the lines were planned to cut directly through several ancient woodlands, as well as several towns.

The exact reasoning as to why the North has historically been less economically developed than the South is not entirely clear, however, it is suggested that the North prospered during the industrial revolution (around 1760 to 1820) due to he large amounts of raw materials available. There then became an over-reliance on these industries for jobs.

Woodlands are pertinent to keeping the ecosystem stable. They provide habitats for wildlife and absorb CO2 on a massive scale. Woodlands take hundreds of years to establish and are described as ‘irreplaceable’. The original HS2 plans would destroy or damage hundreds of woodlands across England - as the planned lines would pass directly through several forests and towns, requiring many houses to be torn down. The plans also put local animal species in danger, as there are at least 3 endangered local species found around the proposed route. HS2 had planned a ‘green corridor’, along the route, with the initiative of replanting more trees than had been cut down but it wouldn’t have been enough. As previously stated, the woodlands take hundreds of years to establish, therefore the replanted trees would likely never reach the same levels of carbon absorption as the current woodlands.

The second phase of HS2 would have been more detrimental to the woodlands, as seen in the image to the right. Hence from that perspective, it’s fortunate that Phase 2 was completely cancelled in November 2021. Yet, High Speed 2 promised to bring economic growth and development for the Midlands and the North of England to help bridge the North-South Divide.

T

g

G h r t e i e w n w e u a s s By Emily Austwick s hi I n e h

Greenwashing was a term first coined in the 1980s by Jay Westerveld, an environmentalist - but has been an issue for years previously. It is used to describe when companies spend more money marketing their products as eco-friendly than they do actually being sustainable. Over the years, many companies have been found to be guilty of this, for example IKEA, Coca-Cola and unsurprisingly, many different fashion brands.

IKEA was found to have been reportedly using illegal logging companies for its children’s furniture in July 2021. The Russian companies would violate local environmental law by cutting down trees in the protected Taiga forests of Siberia. The forests are essential to the overall health of the planet and the environment in general, and illegal logging weakens the forests and makes them susceptible to wildfires releasing tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, now with less trees to absorb it. The logging companies would practice under the pretext that the trees they were cutting down were ‘diseased’, and that it was for the benefit of the forest that they would be cut down - this was untrue. This was discovered by the organisation Earthsight, who presented their findings to IKEA. IKEA denied that the wood was harvested illegally, but also stated that they no longer employed the company.

Many fashion brands have been trying to jump onto the “trend” of sustainability and being eco-friendly, without actually taking the necessary action to genuinely make a difference to the environment. For instance, H&M, a huge fast-fashion brand, started an ‘eco-friendly’ line called the ‘Conscious Collection’ back in 2010; and in a way this could be seen as trying to divert people from looking deeper into their negative practices.

H&M has not provided enough information as to how their collection is sustainable, what makes this line different from the ordinary line - are workers being paid livable wages? Are the materials used in the clothing recycled? Some sources have claimed that the materials used in the Conscious Collection are actually more damaging to the environment than the ordinary line, as they contain more microplastics - but overall there isn’t so much evidence to support these claims.

The fashion brand, Coach, has admitted to slashing its own unsold or returned bags, after being ‘called out’ by an activist - Anna Sacks - on TikTok in October 2021. In the video, Anna shows a bin bag filled with Coach bags that have been slashed beyond repair - it has been suggested that Coach did this to claim tax back from damaged goods.

This comes after Coach promoted their bag repair scheme, claiming to be “committed to sustainability”, encouraging consumers to repair their items rather than throwing them away.

Slashing the bags means that they cannot be used properly, and will have to be completely thrown away as they cannot be fixed. The brand admitted their wrongdoings in October, now vowing to stop the practice for the future. Many different brands have been caught doing this over the years, to avoid reselling and reclaim tax - some examples being Burberry and Nike.

In this age of environmental awareness, it is imperative for consumers to do some research into the brands that they choose to support - especially when we are aware of brands using tactics such as greenwashing in order to manipulate consumers.

The Roar: Issue 4

LITERATURE

WHY YOU SHOULD THE ROAR EDITION 4, 2022

READ GEORGE ORWELL AUTHOR'S

RECOMMENDATIONS

AT THE END!

CURATED SELECTION OF BOOKS AND ESSAYS

BY DARIA CHERNOVOLENKO

"IN THE END, THE PARTY WOULD ANNOUNCE THAT TWO AND TWO MADE FIVE, AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO BELIEVE IT." - 1984 (1949)

"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS." - ANIMAL FARM

(1945)

Born in eastern India on June 23rd, 1905, the son of a British colonial servant named Eric Arthur Blair quickly found a love for writing. First liking the sounds of words, then finding excitement in long and detailed descriptions, Blair had gone through many “writer” phases before finally publishing his first book in 1933 - Down and Out in Paris and London.

Nevertheless, Blair is more famously known by his pen name, George Orwell, which he had adopted to avoid embarrassing his family due to his position in poverty and pursuit of a career below acceptable societal standards. His most famous publications include the allegorical novella Animal Farm and the dystopian novel 1984; both of these titles are studied as part of numerous educational curriculums. It can be confidently stated that Orwell’s writing had a huge impact on the way that we view literature, so much so that a new genre of literature was formed in his name Orwellian Literature. This genre consists of writing that describes a social condition or situation that Orwell would identify as being destructive to an open society. For many different reasons, students see his work as something boring or “a waste of time”. However, after having a deeper look at his writing, it is clear that there are many things that we can learn from him.

Orwell’s work is brimming with symbolism. He skillfully includes objects or characters that at first seem useless but through his talent of utilizing “uselessness”, he allows the readers to delve into his mind and appreciate the context of his work. Orwell creates links to history and theoretical social hierarchies through the use of representation. To use a commonly known example, Winston’s varicose ulcer. At a first glance, readers may state that this is a character trait and that different medical conditions are popular in modern novels, but have you ever thought about why Orwell used an ulcer specifically? To spare some thought, Winston’s ulcer ‘disappears’ after he meets Julia and supposedly falls in love with her.

Here, the physical presence of the ulcer is eliminated, however, Orwell carefully incorporates it throughout the book. Overall, the ulcer represents Winston’s consistently repressed humanity.

This was only one symbol from one novel that Orwell had chosen to include in his work, nevertheless, there i s a myri ad of other (no less significant) symbols. Words such as “Bi g Brother'' and “Thought Poli ce'' have become a popular currency i n many languages from around the globe. By reading his publications, one can appreci ate soci ety i n a new light and make sense of small details.

It is not a secret that Orwell was a very vali ant and movi ng wri ter, as can be suggested through his showcase of clashi ng opi ni ons about man y things. However, could different opi ni ons benefi t readers? Taki ng a look at his essays, specifically turning to the essay ti tled “Charles Di ckens”, it can be seen that his opinions did di verge from many others at the ti me.

He had made bold claims that Dickens was not able to fully i llustrate a ‘British man in poverty’, purely due to hi s pri vi leged upbri ngi ng and position in society; Orwell was especi ally passi onate when di scussi ng this in relation to A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectati ons. Needless to say, his essay on this author did bring some concerns from cri ti cs, however as a whole, it was accepted by society. Thi s contrasts wi th hi s novel 1984 , which is banned in many countries to thi s day, due to i ts cri ti cal analysis of restrictive societies. Although readi ng books that powerfully i llustrate a certain type of opinion is someti mes benefi ci al to graspi ng centr al concepts of a given topic, broadening one’ s mi nd wi th juxtaposed i deas is no less important.

Another important aspect of George Orwell’ s wri ti ng i s the fact that he doesn’t soften the truth. Some may argue that wri ters such as Ernest Hemingway or William Golding do the same, however, i t i s through the use of simple language and compel li ng phrases that Orwell i s able to d o this in a clearer light. Of course, Orwell never di d say anythi ng expli ci tly.

He never tried to explain things that may have been seen as i mmoral - he only stated what he saw and thought i n ways that di d not catch too much attention. Taking a look at his essay “Why I Wri te”, Orwell blandly outli n es that there are only 4 chief motives that any author wri tes: egoi sm, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and poli ti cal purpose. As much as some have argued against these poi nts, they were never able to disprove them. In his own words: “wri ti ng a book i s a horri ble, exhausti ng struggle, like a long bout with some pai nful i llness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not dri ven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand”. Hence, clearly stati ng that n o book writing is written for pleasure, but rather to i nfluence or share ideas. It is no lie that the novel 1948 i s named an “I nfluenti al Novel”, but why? It is because Orwell found and exaggerated subtleti es i n soci ety that no one else bothered to look at. Hence, by readi ng Orwell, a reader may gain a truer insight into abstract i deas and possi bly even understand why some things are the way they are.

"PERHAPS ONE DID NOT WANT TO BE LOVED SO MUCH AS TO BE UNDERSTOOD"

- 1984 (1949)

"THE CREATURES OUTSIDE LOOKED FROM PIG TO MAN, AND FROM MAN TO PIG, AND FROM PIG TO MAN AGAIN: BUT ALREADY IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHICH WAS WHICH. "

- ANIMAL FARM

(1945)

"WRITING IS A CHOICE. SOMEWHERE NEAR THE CORE OF THIS CHOICE IS TEH AMUSEMENT OF SEEING OUR MIND COME OUT INTO THIS WORLD. "

- WHY I WRITE

In conclusion, whether you opt to read essays or di ve i nto hi s novels, George Orwell is worth reading, no matter the occasi on. Hi s sly use of symbolism, literary devices, and clashi ng opi ni ons may not only broaden one’s thoughts but may also improve thei r wri ti ng. Bei ng ahead of his time, it is no surprise that his work i s ti meless - remai ni ng relevan t throughout decades of social evoluti on. To end, i t would be wi se to share a final idea from Orwell himself: “Power i s i n teari ng human mi nds to pieces and putting them together agai n i n new shapes of your own choosing”.

THE AUTHORS RECOMMENDATIONS: BOOKS BY GEORGE

ESSAYS BY GEORGE ORWELL:

ORWELL:

- 'CHARLES DICKENS'

1984 AND ANIMAL FARM

- 'WHY I WRITE'

(1946)

' TRUE FREEDOM IS THE RIGHT TO SAY SOMETHING OTHERS DON' T WANT TO HEAR. "

Book Reccomendations SUMMER

2022

-

ISSUE

4

Genre: literary fiction, literary realism, war story Age rating: 12+ Set in Gorizia, a small town near the Italian-Austrian border, a farewell to arms follows Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American-born Italian soldier. While working with the Italian ambulance service during World War I , Henry meets an English nurse Catherine Barkley. Over a period of time, their relationship was purely professional, however when Henry was brought in with a deep injury one day, their relationship blossomed into something greater. Throughout the book Hemingway provided a realistic and unromanticized account of war, specifically in the years 1916-18. Although this book is an easy read, some ideas are abstract and hard to take a grasp on. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to everyone who is into historically-based novels as a lot of details and events that are mentioned in this novel are true.

Genre: philosophical fiction Age rating: 14+ The plague is set in the city of Oran. The story is told through a natator, who the audience knows was a part of the plague, however their identity is concealed until the end of the book. The journey through the plague is one of self-realisation, human suffering, and a testament to the human condition. A truly influential piece of literature bearing in mind current circumstances. I recommend this book for its commentary on the human experience in tragedy.

However, due to the insights of the book and the nature of the literature I only recommend this book for students of or over the age of 14.

Book Reccomendations SUMMER

2022

-

ISSUE

4

Age rating: 14 + - due to the nature and gravity of events discussed, which can provide a graphic description of war, and its appalling consequences in terms of casualties, motives, and actions. The theme remains sombre throughout, so think twice if you are expecting a more optimistic account of events.

This book is a gripping and drastically detailed depiction of life of Ernst Junger during his time as a German soldier of World War One. The prose and literary style allow for a moving account of dark events and their darker consequences still, from the contrasting perspective of a German soldier. Due to the role of Germany as part of the axis powers, the german perspective is often overshadowed and ignored due to the controversy weighing down their intentions and actions. This is part of what makes it such a captivating book, as the author provides an autobiography of his life in the trenches on the other side, where a sense of compulsive nationalism and military commitment is echoed through the chaos and egregious loss of life.

Genre: literary fiction, young adult Age rating: 14+ You expect the book to be a certain way, starting with a cliche of high school characters with predictable motivations and storylines. Then it shifts slowly from everything you expect, and by the end of it, you’re not sure if you’re reading the book. It follows the lives of two black characters going to an all white private school in America being targeted by an anonymous texter ‘Aces’. The two characters are different from each other in almost every way which makes it compelling for us, as the audience, to see how they tackle similar problems being thrown at them. One of my favourite things about this book is they way the author explores the complex issue of insistitionalised racism through two queer black teenagers. These intersecting identities are becoming more and more common with YA novels and are helping reduce a lot of harmful stereotypes and stigmas around them! If you need a quick but gripping book to read, I recommend Ace of Spades which is hard to put down when the plot thickens.

Book Reccomendations SUMMER

2022

-

ISSUE

4

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Age rating: 13+ Based on the myths of Greek times, the novel is set during the Trojan war and tells the tale from the point of view of Patroclus, in Homer’s iliad Patroclus was the companion and the suggested love interest of Achillies. The story delves into this relationship, and tells a vivid story of the Trojan war from an interesting point of view. I recommend this book as an enjoyable read that delves into an interesting historical perspective.

Genres: Young Adult fiction, Romance, Humour.

Age rating: 14+ This is a heartwarming story set in Dublin about two very different girls: Humaira (Hani) Khan who is a social butterfly who is popular, relaxed and trying to explain to her friends that she is bisexual even though they don’t believe her. While Ishita (Ishu) Dey is independent, an academic overachiever, getting ready to go to college and later hopes to become the head girl. They both end up starting to fake date so Hani can prove to her friends that she is bisexual and so Ishu can become more popular to get votes to become headgirl. During their fake relationship they both start to develop feelings for each other.

Will the two tell each other how they feel to begin a real relationship and will both overcome friends and family complications to succeed?

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

THE ROSiE PROJECT: A REVIEW CAMILLA SHEARD

This book is recommended for readers 16+ as it contains mature themes Love isn’t an exact science - not that anyone told Don Tillman, a 39 year old geneticist who leads an ultra structured life. Delays due to tardiness or unforeseeable situations are met by further optimization in an attempt to catch up on “wasted” time. Rigid order dominates his apartment and his pantry is kept stocked, in accordance to a standard menu covering each day of the week, (every Wednesday Don cooks "lobster mango-avocado salad with flying fish roe in wasabi, crisp roasted seaweed and fried Lauchgarnierung"). And what about pictures on the walls? One can have less expensive views when one visits a gallery! Don’s whole life is timely and cost efficient.

Don has never had a second date and, in an attempt to rectify this problem, he devises the ‘Wife Project; a scientific tool to find his perfect partner. Despite Don’s “fail-proof” approach, possibly ‘the most incompatible woman’ Don could ever imagine waltzes into his life. Rosie, an adorably spontaneous girl who smokes, works in a bar and has some deep seated

Although this fact becomes clear to the reader

“daddy issues”!

Rosie’s arrival throws Don’s safe, predictable,

very quickly, my adorable protagonist doesn't

organised-by-the-minute life into total chaos.

Don gives lectures on the subject of Asperger's

But what is this strange and alien emotion that

syndrome, but fails to make the link between its

he appears to be developing towards her?

prominent features and his own personality

Could it be love?

traits. Yet, Don very kindly and assertively

I found The Rosie Project highly enjoyable to

explains to his audience during his lectures that

read, especially due to the fact that Graeme

"Asperger's isn't a fault, it's a variant. It's

Simpson wrote the book from the point of view

potentially a major advantage." At the heart of

of Don. This subterfuge was compelling and

The Rosie Project lies the belief that we all

effective, and I soon felt privy, “let in” on

behave according to our own "variant", and that

something crucial to Don’s life, which not even

what passes for normal can cause as many

Don himself had realised: he has Autism.

problems as any named condition.

really seem to see himself as autistic. In fact,

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

THE ROSiE PROJECT: A REVIEW

The truly amazing thing about this book is how it starts the conversation about autism; how incredible people on the spectrum can be and how compassionate and caring they are whilst also having social difficulties.

One thing I feared was that the author would

This book isn’t necessarily the sort of romance

gloss over the more dark factors associated with

that gives you butterflies; it’s not a whirlwind

autism and the very real challenges that people

love story or a “love at first sight” kind of thing .

on

The narrative invites the reader to follow the

Simpson did not disappoint and in fact alluded

blossoming of a lovely and genuine relationship

to mental health issues that Don suffered in his

between two people who some might consider

20s.

the

spectrum

face.

However

Graeme

a little bit ‘quirky’. It’s beautiful and more than enough to keep you hooked and reading. Don

Moreover, the way in which Don tries to

and Rosie’s story may not be full of grand

‘improve’ himself towards the end of the book

gestures, but it is beaming in true and lasting

resonated with me because of the way that I,

love,

and

and

very

neurotypical people have learned to fake their

mutual

acceptance;

admiration,

which

I

respect

thought

was

I'm

sure

other

autistic

and

even

refreshing.

behaviour (social camouflage),to be accepted

And, before I forget, there is even more to the

socially. That is why I felt that this book was so

book than the romance! As our protagonists

great. Don was unapologetically himself and

also work incredibly hard in order to solve the

Rosie utterly and completely accepted him for

mystery of who Rosie’s father really is. The

that.

‘father project’ is an experiment that leads them on many adventures, all of which are hilarious.

Whilst I may have had an interest in this book because of my own diagnosis, I think this book

Maybe I should not relate so strongly to a 39-

can

year-old fictional man, but it’s out of my control

lighthearted and warm nature. It’s a very easy

at this point. His narration is pitch perfect. His

read and unconventionally romantic. I felt that

precise, formal, geeky tone and the way it

the biggest lesson to take away from this book

conveys his world view had me reading this

is self-love - more specifically how to be your

book in the span of a day. His unapologetically

authentic self and not lose it in the pursuit of

direct lines such as in the instance of: "I'm not

love or professional success. I feel that this

good at understanding what other people

lesson may be one that is needed by everyone

want," Don tells Rosie. "Tell me something I

in this day and age when it is so easy to nitpick

don't know," she sighs. "I thought quickly

things about oneself and try to change oneself

“...Ahhh ... the testicles of drone bees and wasp

in order to ‘fit in’ better. I can tell you that I have

spiders explode during sex." had me laughing

tried and failed to fit in before, but that all that

out loud. His true inability to read between the

trying is entirely worth it for when you find the

lines and take on subtle social cues are things

right people.

that I, and I assume others, have habitually experienced.

be

enjoyed

by

everyone

due

to

its

SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

DEGENERACY IN GEOMETRY

By Mags Hanson

In mathematics, the term degeneracy generally refers to “A limiting case in which a class of object changes its nature so as to belong to another, usually simpler, class” (Wolfram MathWorld). This definition is intentionally vague and says very little about what a degeneracy case is. The reason for this is because there is no single definition for degeneracies across mathematics and instead, there are unique, technical definitions of degeneracies specific to each field of mathematics where degeneracies are found. The best way to understand what a degenerate case is would be to observe the equation: y=(x-1)n , n ℕ

in the “usual dimension or the cardinality” of the shape. The effect of this definition is that any shape which experiences a reduction in its usual dimensional value, ie. a triangle being reduced from two dimensions down to one dimension, or if points coincide, then the shape is degenerate. This allows us to say that any non-complex shape in which a length, angle, area, volume, or other key element required by the definition of said shape is zero - the shape is degenerate.

(the screenshot of desmos graphing software shows the equation above using n values from 1 through 10, with the only root of (1, 0) highlighted)

Digon The digon is a degenerate polygon with two vertices and two sides. The shape is degenerate in euclidean geometry because the sides can’t curve, which means that they have to be straight.

Therefore, the two sides coincide which causes the shape to have an area of 0 and to look like a line.

Similar to the monogon, the digon has to be removed from Euclidean geometry to be properly modeled. In elliptical space, the digon can be easily visualized. A regular digon has equal sides and equal angles, such that if constructed on a sphere as a pair of 180° arcs which are connected at antipodal points (points on a sphere that are diametrically opposite each other), it would form a lune.

∈

Most people will be aware that a polynomial to the nth power has n number of roots under the conditions that n is within the set of natural numbers, denoted as nℝ. However, if you were to graph this function, there would only be one point at which it touched the x-axis which is because the function is a degenerate case. This degeneracy is due to all the roots of the polynomial being located at a single point, which is often referred to as multiplicity of roots. This means that a polynomial has an aspect that makes it simpler, however, also means that it requires special attention.

In geometry, degeneracy refers mainly to a change

Monogon The monogon, also known as the henagon, is the most fundamental degenerate polygon. The monogon is a polygon with a single edge and vertex which results in all monogons being regular.

Most definitions of polynomials in euclidean geometry exclude the monogon. This is due to it being widely considered impossible in euclidean geometry because its endpoints must coincide, unlike any euclidean line segment.

However, in spherical geometry, the monogon can be constructed on the great circle, also known as the equator, of a sphere. This creates either a Monogonal dihedron or a Monogonal hosohedron.

Both of these shapes are degenerate in normal Euclidean space (1) but can exist through spherical tilting (2), though it is complicated.

Though few people know what a lune is, most people have seen them and know of their applications. Longitudinal and latitudinal lines are created by many lunes. Another example of the usage of lunes is the six lunes that make up a beach ball.

Finally, a standard torus, a sphere, and a circle are all degenerate if their radius is equal to zero. If the radius is equal to zero a point of zero areas and/or volume is created.

Application Degenergy in geometry has limited use. Besides lunes, geometric degeneracy only serves to further categorize and understand the mathematical theory. However, in quantum mechanics, if there is multiplicity in the eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian operator (3) it will give rise to degenerate energy levels. Usually, degeneracy indicates some underlying symmetry. Furthermore, symmetries in physics are fundamental in understanding physical theories and models. However, this is only tangentially related to geometry and too complicated for further investigation in this article.

(image of a lune (green) on a sphere)

Triangle There are two main types of degenerate triangles which are where the “triangle has one vertex lying between the other two” or where the triangle has “two vertices at the same place” (underground mathematics). Despite two types of degenerate triangles existing, the result is the same. The second dimension is removed from the triangle which results in an area of 0 and at least one angle to be 0°. The result from trying to draw these degenerate triangles will always be a straight line.

1. “a space in which Euclid's axioms and definitions apply; a metric space that is linear and finitedimensional” (Wordnik). The five main axioms in Euclidean plane space are 1. Any two points can be connected by a straight line, 2. Any line segment can be extended further, 3. Given a straight line segment, a circle can be drawn using the line segment as a radius and one of the endpoints of the line segment as the circle's center, 4. All right angles are congruent, and 5. The parallel line postulates.

2. In maths a tiling can be defined as “a collection of subsets of the plane, i.e. tiles, which cover the plane without gaps or overlaps.” (What is a tilling?).

3. Hamiltonian operators correspond to the total energy inside a quantum mechanical system. The eigenvalues of the operator are the possible outcomes of the total energy of the system.

(image of 3 degenerate triangles)

Torus, Circle and sphere A sphere can be described as a degenerate standard torus where self-intersection is allowed and the axis of revolution is equal to 0.

A circle can also be described as a degenerate torus in which the minor radius has gone to zero

THE ROAR | 2022 | EDITION 4

IMPLICIT BIAS IN MEDICINE

BIAS IS IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES, from what we do, to the way we communicate, to the things we produce.

It’s inevitable because we are a species that is/are influenced by our own unique environment. Thus it should come to no surprise that there is also bias in medicine. Yes, sciences have biases! If this is new to you, you have clearly never attended a TOK class before and for that be grateful. Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient (Wikipedia Contributors), managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment and palliation of their injury or disease. And as medicine is practised by people, there are going to be biases, it's unavoidable. For example, if you were a doctor and you had to treat a patient who released their anger out on you because they had to wait to see you, your kindness and empathy is likely to not be directed towards that person.

However, what if this bias was less specific and more general? A bias that would not be accessible through introspection? A bias that could harm a large group of people? This bias is known as implicit social cognition, it is responsible for the creation of stereotypes and attitudes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. These prejudices reside deep in one’s subconscious and are difficult to conceal (PatientEngagementHIT). These biases are behind the propagation of harmful stereotypes and microaggressions towards certain groups. Unfortunately, medicine is not free from this type of bias and is detrimental to individuals from these communities who just want professional care and further research that takes place.

BY SREEJA ROY

However, the patriarchal system is a double edged sword and the men who carry it get pricked as well. Due to the stereotype of men being more “stoic, stronger, in control and less likely to complain”, men are less likely to see a medical professional about the pain they have, especially about their mental health. In one quote from a study a patient said “You have to be bed-ridden or half dead before you’ll go (to the doctor’s)” (O’Brien et al.). This toxic masculinity and refusal to get help in fears of looking weak have trickled down into the healthcare systems where it’s people’s lives that are being put on stake.

IMPLICIT LGBTQIA++ BIAS There are much fewer studies done on implicit biases that healthcare professionals hold towards the LGBTQIA+ community, largely because a large majority of healthcare providers (globally) hold very strong believes against the queer community or are severly uneducated about gay and gender non comforming individuals to provide proper care.

Hence these biases are a lot more apparent, like a study published by the Center of American Progress in 2020 showed that 15% of 1,528 self-identified LGBTQ respondents endorsed postponing or avoiding medical treatment due to fear of discrimination (“Transgender Discrimination in Healthcare”). Other biases include medical professionals assuming a patient’s gender and/or sexuality which leads to isolation and avoidance to properly disclose all necessary information pertinent to receive the proper medical care.

This has lead to members of the LGBTQIA+ to be more likely to smoke, use alcohol and illegal substances, attempt suicide and experience depression (The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People).

CONSEQUENCES Implicit bias can be just as dangerous as explicit bias as it is more difficult to recognize and correct. One of the largest effects of implicit bias in the medical field is the lack of research done which has led to knowledge gaps, which in turn leads to more biases. The lack of knowledge has led to delayed diagnoses and inadequate symptom management which has led to lower satisfaction from patients in minority groups. Due to the lack of empathy, individuals are more likely to avoid medical care as they do not trust medical professionals and organisations due to negative experiences (PatientEngagementHIT). Further the people being biassed against don’t have the proper knowledge to understand that they aren’t receiving proper care. The prejudices hold medical providers back from delivering the healthcare that they took an oath to provide. Without correcting these implicit biases, the medical system cannot function and will lead to more abuse, neglect and death.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

It’s still decades away, but what breakthroughs have there been in nuclear fusion?

By Mags Hanson The first credited theoretical design for a fusion reactor was created in 1950 by Soviet scientists Andrei Sakharov and Igor Tamm. The principle intent of the reactor was to take high-energy plasma and hold it in magnetic containment. The extreme conditions from the high temperature of the plasma and the magnetic field were intended to create conditions similar enough to those in the core of a star so that atoms would fuse. However, despite a solid theoretical model, no viable reactor has been built so far. This is due to how complex the process is to create star-like conditions.

Artificial sun prototype At the centre of our sun, the pressure is 265 billion bar, or roughly 261 billion times the air pressure on Earth at sea level. This pressure at the centre of the sun allows nuclear fusion to take place at a temperature of 15 million degrees celsius. In nuclear fusion reactors, there is a strong magnetic force. It’s hard to compare the forces of pressure in the centre of a star and magnetic flux density (magnitude and directional pull of a magnet). Through testing, scientists have found that the sun is stronger. This is due to the finding that for a fusion reactor to operate it must produce a temperature of “at least 100 million degrees, which is some seven times hotter than the centre of the Sun” (Baluc 906). Fortunately, the Chinese “artificial sun” prototype, a device designed to superheat and contain plasma, was able to reach a sustained temperature of 120 million degrees centigrade for 390 seconds. This device itself is not a fusion reactor, but a test of a component that is required within a fusion reactor. The tests are to find the most optimal way of superheating and containing plasma that could be utilised for the ITER fusion reactor.

ITER Magnet and superconductor Another recent breakthrough in the construction of a fusion reactor would be the completion of the central magnet for the ITER fusion reactor. This magnet was designed in the US General Atomic factory and is in the process of being shipped to France. The magnet processes 13 tesla which, to understand, is about 13

times stronger than the magnet in an MRI which produces about 1 tesla. This magnet is 280,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field. The reason the magnet is so strong is that it has the task of containing all of the superheated plasma. However, by adding such a large magnet, other problems arise.

Due to the strength of the magnet, the superconductors that are traditionally used in a project like this had to be modified. Older models of tokamak reactors as well as the CERN hadron collider use niobium-titanium superconductors. The niobium-titanium superconductors used in a fusion reactor can “only bear magnetic fields of up to 9-10 Tesla” (once upon a time). Since the ITER magnet will be 3 teslas too strong, the superconductors have been changed to niobium-tin. Nubium tin superconductors can withstand up to 14-16 tesla with a theoretical limit of 20 teslas. Nubium tin superconductors have to be kept at a temperature of −268.95 °C, so that they keep their superconducting property.

Future and further applications In the realm of fusion reactors, these are the only breakthroughs that have happened as of late. The creation of a magnet, a switch in superconductors, and a milestone achieved in temperature. Overall, these huge breakthroughs have brought us a lot closer to fusion reactors, but they are still a long way away, with the completion goal for ITER being in 2030. These are very complicated machines and will take many more breakthroughs to complete.

The innovations that I have discussed not only provide advancements in fusion reactor technology.

For example, nubium tin superconductors would be the ideal superconductor for a particle collider larger than the Large Hadron Collider. Nubium tin is only useful in a situation where nubium titanium isn’t viable. Unfortunately, the other two advancements, the Chinese artificial sun as well as the magnet, provide little advancement in other categories. Due to both of these advancements involving such extreme situations, this research only applies to fusion reactors.

LOOKING TO THE STARS

JAI GUPTA THE ROAR | EDITION 4 | 2022

THE VALID ARGUMENT BEHIND WHY WE WON’T FIND ALIENS Humans have been around for a very long time. Scientists to this day cannot quantify exactly when humans originated, but we do know that it was roughly 12 000 years ago when humans first settled down from our hunter-gatherer ways. Since then, humans have been making vast and rapid developments such as inventing new ways to efficiently farm.

These newer farming methods allowed humans to branch off as they no longer needed to focus all of their energy on simply providing food thus opening new doors in a range of industries. Since these innovations humans have morphed into complex societies. Similarly after human society reached new heights in development our vision expanded to the stars and beyond. People have looked at the stars since some of the oldest complex civilizations, notably Babylon in 1000 BCE when babylonian astronomers first recorded Jupiter's path by measuring how much it moved each night. This demonstrates how throughout human history, we have looked to the skies asking this question: are we truly alone in this universe? We yearn to understand more of the vast expanse that lies all around this bubble we live in.

It was only in the 20th century when humans truly took large scientific action to understand our place in the universe. Scientific human ambition seemingly had an end goal, landing on the moon and after the successful launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 (the first human object to reach space) this goal was seemingly in reach. Advancement didn't stop there, soon after the turn of the decade in 1961 the USSR launched Yuri Gagarin in the Vostok 1 spacecraft, and he became the first man in space. Towards the end of the 1960s the goal was finally achieved when the US launched their Apollo 11 spacecraft and at 3 A.M GMT on 21 July 1969 Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. This period of rapid innovation is known as the space race, a period of vast astronomical development fueled by the competition between two of the world's superpowers: the USA and the USSR. The race culminated in the creation of NASA, the world's leading space agency, and the first man on the moon.

Since then human ambition has crept its way up to Mars and beyond. 1977 saw the launch of two major space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 and are to date the human machines that have reached farthest in space. Voyager 1 left the solar system on August 25th 2012 and Voyager 2 reached the same boundary in November of 2018, passing through the solar system with no sign of any life. We have furthermore sent a series of probes to our nearest planetary neighbours with sufficient tools to not only discover life, but also actively search for it.

Institutions such as SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) actively use antennas to pick up on potential radio waves from around 20 thousand nearby stars. Yet for the hundreds of billions spent on this search, we have nothing to show for it. Out of all the stars we can see, all the planets we can look at through our super telescopes, and despite identifying several highly possible host planets such as the trappist system, no life has been found.

This begs the question, Why? Of the roughly billion stars in our solar system, why is it so quiet? Are we truly alone? Several scientific arguments including Drake’s Equation, the Fermi Paradox and the Kardashev Scale exist.

The Fermi Paradox, in simple terms, is the lack of substantial, quantifiable evidence to the existence of intelligent life in the solar system. The reasoning behind this paradox is that humans have been outwardly looking for any signs of life and have dedicated billions to it, yet there are seemingly no signs to be found. The paradox specifically looks at the large quantity of stars in the solar system, the age of the solar system in comparison to the age of life on earth, and the range of discovered earthlike planets. This is where the concept of the Great Filter came into play. The Great Filter further elaborates on the idea of why intelligent life is exceedingly rare and the argument directly correlates to the Kardashev scale. The Kardashev Scale is a hypothetical scale used to classify species based on development and power consumption. The scale goes from Stage 1 to 5. A Stage one species can harness all the energy from their host planet. For earth and humans that would be 4x1012 watts of energy, humans currently harness 7x107 watts which means we still have a ways to go to even reaching stage one. Stage two is the next stage up in the progression, a Stage two species can harness the energy radiated from their host star, in whatever way possible. A common, purely hypothetical, idea is the Dyson Sphere which is a sphere built to surround the surface of the star and directly extracts the energy within. Mathematically, this hypothetical sphere would extract 4x1026 watts of energy. Logically, the next progression is a Stage three civilisation which has the ability to harvest the full potential of energy within their galaxy. This ties into the Fermi Paradox as the natural steps of the development of a species to reach these stages are as follows: 1. The right circumstance for life to form a. The formation of a suitable star (such as are sun) b. The formation of a planet in the stars habitable zone c. The development of said planet, so it can form an atmosphere 2. Emergence of reproductive molecules (I.E. RNA) 3. The emergence of simple single celled organisms 4. Complex (eukaryotic) single-cell life 5. cell reproduction 6. Emergence of Multi-cell life 7. Evolution of Tool-using animals with intelligence 8. An intelligent species developing on a global scale (where we are now) 9. Interstellar colonisation explosion

The previously mentioned ‘Great Filter’ is a mechanism that states that one of these steps is incredibly unlikely or difficult. If we have overcome the most difficult step, this would explain why seemingly no extraterrestrial life exists as we would be one of the rare occurrences that developed past that difficult step. Alternatively, if the difficulty lies in steps 8 or 9 (8 which we are in the process of doing and 9 which potentially lies ahead), that means that an abundance of life forms reach stages 8 or 9 and there is some filter preventing humans developing beyond this barrier.

Another aspect that mathematically suggests and highlights the improbability of humans discovering extraterrestrial life is Drake’s Equation. Drake’s equation numerically equivocates the number of technologically advanced civilisations in the milky way to the product of a set of ever changing factors. Drake’s equation states that:

After Substituting these numbers in….

After putting these numbers in one would get N = L/10. Which means N (the number of technologically advanced civilisations) is equal to their average lifetime divided by 10. A logical progression is that civilizations characteristically destroy themselves within a decade of achieving radio astronomy, which is taken as a marker of an advanced civilization, then N = 10/10 therefore N=1, and there are no other intelligent life forms in the Milky Way galaxy. Alternatively, if we follow back to N = L/10, it is assumed that 1% of the civilizations learn to live without self destruction, then N = 1,000,000, and the nearest advanced civilization would be on average a few hundred light-years away. To put into perspective how far that is it takes light, the fastest force in the universe, hundreds of years to travel that distance. This means that it's fully possible for us to miss signs of life from such a large distance away.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

Animal Testing SOPHIA BERG

Animal cruelty is harming animals and not allowing animals such as pets or other creatures to have food, shelter, water, good veteran or good care. It can also extend to torturing, maiming and even killing them. There are many forms of animal cruelty, such as animal abuse.

Someone could also hurt animals by using something innocent and incapable of defending itself, animal cruelty extends to pets that are mistreated by dangerously violent owners that go to the extent of killing their household pets. But, one of the most well known forms of animal cruelty, is animal testing.

What does animal testing mean?

The term animal testing refers to when a living animal is used as a test subject for some kind of research purpose, usually related to biology. The animals are used for things like cosmetic products, alternative food options, cleaning products, drugs, cigarettes, human health and new medications. During testing the animals may feel physical and psychological suffering which could cause death, leading to the end of the experiment but if they survive they have to endure more experiments and probable pain.

Why does this happen?

The main reasons why animal testing happens is because animals are a prime test subject as they have similar biological characteristics to humans, such as organs like the lungs, heart and brain. Also, animals such as mice have 98 % of their DNA in common with humans and have a shorter lifespan compared to humans, meaning scientists can study them throughout their whole lifespan. They may also have some similar health problems such as cancer and diabetes. This gives opportunities of observing, learning and understanding these diseases through examining the course of the animals’ lives.This means that as the sales workers want to make sure the products are safe and are not toxic to human health, so they make sure the products are safe by trying them on the animals as they believe that they are disposable.

Tests have been done for veterinary medicine that have helped many treatments for pets and wildlife (endangered or not).

Treatment of animals Even as the animal is being used for medical training, research, biology lessons, chemical, food or cosmetics testing, so many animals are being injured and living the worst life imaginable for simple things such as a new lipstick. We don’t think about how much harm could have been done to make these products.

The animals have physical pain as well as psychological distress. Their living conditions are tough as they try to survive not only being exposed to dangerous chemicals and living in a small, barred cage alone which leaves physical scars. However, they might have also been socially isolated and mental traumatized causing even more anxiety. Everyday they have chemicals forced on them, inhale poisonous fumes, get operated on and have so many more gruesome things done to them. The animal gets multiple reactions to the toxic chemicals and can catch diseases. This makes 75,000 animals including mice, rats, dogs and Guinea pigs die yearly due to research. Also, lots of tests fail or what’s being tested doesn’t even get sold meaning that an innocent animal's life was stolen for nothing. But, not only is animal testing dangerous to animals, the chemical scan also has a chance to react differently to humans than it did on animals so it can be hard to predict what will happen which makes it risky for the buyer.

Image source: https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-animal-testing

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4 Cosmetics testing Cosmetic testing means using animals to test products used in day-to-day life such as everyday hygiene products like shampoo, soaps, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. All of the animal’s suffer as they have substances dropped into their eyes, smeared on their skin or fur and have chemicals pushed down their throats causing them a lot of pain which permits injuries that could cause them to eventually die. The products tested are luxury products that have been defined as cosmetics.

Cosmetic testing still happens around the world right now but in some places it is banned and is illegal by the law to test cosmetic products, markers or test ingredients on any animals.

Places cosmetics have been banned include the United Kingdom since 1998, Norway, Israel, European Union since 2013, India since 2014, Guatemala from 2017 and has been banned in New Zealand from 2015.

Many countries are still processing laws to ban cosmetic testing. These are countries are China, Australia,Canada, Brazil, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, USA.

Is animal testing still happening?

Today more companies, governments and people have realised that most animal testing is no longer needed and is cruel so countries are creating laws to protect these animals. This means that animal testing rates will decrease in the years to come. Proof that these laws are coming into effect is shown as currently cosmetic testing on animals and their ingredients has been banned in 40 countries. It is also illegal to market cosmetic products that have been tested by animals since 1998 in the UK and has been banned since 2013 all over the EU. But not all animal testing is other, experimental testing still happens and is found acceptable. Though, in a few places such as China and Japan, cosmetic testing is still allowed. Rates have been decreasing for most animals in experimental testing. In 2018 The test results on smaller animals include 1.1 million (mice), 170,665 (rats), 146,680 (birds) , 11,159 (rabbits), 297,881 (fish), and 6,445 (guinea pigs). Results on larger animals that are being tested are 3,207 (monkeys), 4,481 (dogs), 159 (cats), and 10,424 (horses).

Alternatives There have been many advances in the past for medicine using animals as models to test treatment and drugs to keep humans safe but now scientists are looking for some non-animal alternatives that can be used to test on. This is so that in the future laws will state that you can only perform testing on the alternatives instead of on the animals.

These alternatives will be more practical, less expensive and it will be more reliable as sometimes the health scientists find that it is hard to predict the real-world, human reaction to animal-tested products so they are aiming to make an alternative method that will not harm animals in the process. This will also help us understand and stop environmental pollution as well as find ways to stop diseases killing our wildlife.

Some alternatives that are still in development or are already being used by animal cruelty free cosmetic

companies

companies

are

and

artificial

other skins,

testing

skin

cell

organisms, human cells, tissues and some high tech

computer-modelling

techniques.

Also,

studies have been done on human volunteers which is also good and has proven that they can skip

animal

testing

by

asking

people

to

volunteer which starts the debate surrounding whether we really need animal testing as an example success through human trials the vaccine was developed so quickly and was successful even though they are traditionally tested on animals for safety and efficacy reasons.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4 Symbols Even though cosmetic testing is banned in many places, 56% of animal testing is basic research and is still allowed. In the world, 47% of people still are fine with animal testing being used for research for medical purposes.

However, there are some passionate people who are going against it but in an extreme way, as far as attacking the people assisted with the research. As for the bans, many companies try to do testing in secret so customers don’t easily notice the fact that they have tested on animals - this means people get uneasy as they don’t know what they can’t see about the companies.

This is why people who like using products such as cosmetics and toiletries that have not used animal testing can buy goods which have specific logos on the packaging or have labels which have a symbol representing that it is animal cruelty-free. Companies are obligated to have taken a pledge as well as having to pay a fee to have a licence to have the logo on their products. This is so that you know that their products are officially cruelty-free. Though, some companies do try to copy and fake the logos, so you need to look for the exact three bunny symbols that represent cruelty-free practices that customers can trust. However, if the product doesn’t have the logo, it doesn’t mean it isn’t cruelty free. You just need to research it and also look at the ingredients on the package that might also suggest whether it is cruelty-free or not.

Imagine source: https://www.independent.co.uk/infact/animal-testingcruelty-free-cosmetics-toiletries-household-products-a8877221.html

Regardless of what animal testing seems like, we need to stand as a whole and find new modern testing alternatives so we can replace outdated animal testing and experimenting.

Things will be done faster, cheaper and more reliably. Make sure to buy products from either of the 3 logos, proceed with caution and remember all creatures deserve to be listened to and understood. This will change, drastically reducing animal suffering by stopping animal cruelty in labs, and will bring a better world to animals and humans.

The History, Status Quo and Future of Stem Cell Research Camilla Sheard Stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated (cells that have undergone gene expression to become more specific) cells that can multiply indefinitely to make more of themselves.

They are also able to develop into specialised cells that make up our blood, brain, muscles, bones and other organs. Stem cells may be distinguished from progenitor cells (which are unable to proliferate indefinitely) and precursor or blast cells (which are usually committed to differentiating into one specific cell type).

Stem cells are the earliest type of cell in a cell lineage, and can be found both in embryonic and in adult organisms. Researchers study them to learn if these basic building blocks of life can help unlock new medical treatments or shed light on why certain health conditions and diseases occur.

In this respect, as stem cells may be used to replace diseased or damaged cells under certain circumstances, scientists hope that further research into the subject may one day lead to breakthroughs in treatment for conditions such as – but in no way limited to - Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, heart disease and Parkinson’s disease.

In addition to that, scientists are also investigating whether or not certain stem cells might be used to test the safety and effectiveness of medications. The idea is that stem cells could be differentiated in a laboratory environment, into each of the specialised cells targeted by a given drug. Researchers could then test such drugs on the “newly-specialised” cells to assess its potential to cure or manage a medical condition.

The origins of stem cell research can be traced back to the early 1960s, when Ernest McCulloch and James Till discovered the blood-forming stem cell through their pioneering work in mice.

They began a series of experiments in which bone marrow cells were injected into irradiated mice. They observed lumps in the spleens of the mice that were linearly proportional to the number of bone marrow cells injected, then hypothesised that each lump (colony) was a clone arising from a single marrow cell (stem cell). Approximately 20 years later, in 1981, embryonic stem cells were first isolated and successfully cultured using mouse blastocysts, by British biologists Martin Evans and Matthew Kaufman. This allowed the formation of murine genetic models, a system in which the genes of mice are deleted or altered, in order to study their function in pathology.

In 1998 the desire to use stem cells’ unique properties in medicine was greatly heightened when James Thomson first isolated embryonic stem cells from human blastocysts. For the first time, scientists could, in theory, generate all the building blocks of our body in unlimited amounts.

It was possible to have cell types for testing new therapeutics and perhaps even new transplantation methods that were previously not possible, as mentioned in the introduction of this article.

Yet, destroying human embryos to isolate cells presents a minefield of ethical hurdles. Human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research could be considered unethical since it results in the destruction of human life for research purposes.

Such ethical hurdles cannot be avoided when dealing with such instances. Going further, ‘saviour siblings’ are an important source of controversy.

‘Saviour siblings’ entail going through an IVF treatment to create an embryo free of the condition of their sibling and ultimately a match to said sibling. The embryo is then implanted and when born, the stem cells from their umbilical cord are harvested immediately. Ethical issues arise from the fact that the saviour sibling may come to be treated as a commodity or be physically or emotionally harmed. Or even, that the child cannot give consent to its cells being taken.

Today, in an attempt to bypass the need for embryonic stem cells, the development of biotechnology has allowed for the genetic manipulation of somatic cells (any cells in the body other than those involved in reproduction).

This followed the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to be pluripotent, and therefore can differentiate into all cells of the tissues of the body. This discovery gave rise to ‘Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell’ technology (iPSC), first developed by Shinya Yamanaka and Sir John Gurdon (who were awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for their discovery). Since iPSCs can be derived directly from adult tissue, they completely circumvent the need for embryos and can be made in a patient-matched manner. This means that these cells could be used to generate transplants without the risk of immune rejection. *Yamanaka named iPSC with a lowercase ’i’ due to the popularity of the iPod*

SUMMER - ISSUE 4

EXTRATERRESTRIAL MINING SPYROS DRAKOPOULOS

As resources are being depleted,

new methods of mining will develop. Mining industries have shifted their interests to the stars. Outside our planet, millions of kilometres away, the Main Asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids are rocky objects varying in sizes that contain rare metals in them. Some asteroids ranging from 1km< in diameter can contain millions of tons of ores. For example, a very large asteroid known as Davida, (size 150km radius), holds billions of tons of ores.

Scientists have been, for a long time, trying to figure out the best way to transport such asteroids closer to the earth so that their resources can be exploited.

This method of mining for resources is very beneficial not only due to the sheer amount of resources that can be collected but also because of its economic and engineering benefits. As previously stated, the Davida asteroid is considered to be the 7th largest asteroid discovered in our solar system. It is estimated that if scientists were to mine this asteroid, we would be able to extract ore worth more than 25 quintillion $USD. The development of the asteroid mining industry would highly benefit the economy of countries investing in the industry.

Ores extracted from asteroids are as or even more valuable than ores found on Earth due to how they have not been exposed to gases like oxygen and remain pure. Most metals on the periodic table are highly reactive with oxygen, forming metal oxides. Though metal oxides are relatively tougher in terms of their properties compared to the malleable pure metals, pure metals can be more easily combined to form alloys.

SUMMER - ISSUE 4

Additionally, pure metals are often used in engineering. For example, copper and aluminium are used when making wires due to them being highly conductive and malleable("Asteroid Mining").

Other than metals, scientists have discovered that many space bodies, including asteroids, contain varying sized deposits of frozen H2O. Already existing asteroid mining companies have speculated that this H2O could be separated into Hydrogen and Oxidizer (Rocket Fuel). This separate mining resource could be helpful in the creation of extraterrestrial fueling stations for rockets. Nonetheless, political interventions have greatly prevented the experimentation of this industry("Asteroid Mining").

In the past 4 years, the US, also recognised as the most active country in space exploration, has been steadily decreasing the budget of its national space agency, National Aeronautic Space Association (NASA). This has led to NASA having to manage the number of projects they prepare. However, outside privately owned Space Organisations like Blue Origin and SpaceX have budgets that allow them to perform such experiments. As regards the previously established mining companies, they can buy cargo space in rockets from the aforementioned agencies in order to get their space-crafts into space. In addition to political intervention preventing astro-mining, scientists are also wondering whether the large quantities of ores found in asteroids will affect the economy. If asteroids like Davida were to be exploited for their resources, the prices of ores would crash as inflation would increase by thousands of times. The prices would decrease since the supply of ores would increase drastically, thus making them less valuable ("THIS ASTEROID").

Overall, astro-mining carries large benefits for the development of technology as it will introduce us to more materials to engineer with but also enhance our understanding of space and space travel. But until the first exploitable asteroid is found near Earth,, companies will continue to search for the right asteroids to practice on.

How can quantum computing change our

BY YAN DIAS world?

In the many years since modern civilization came into existence, technology has advanced immensely. Motorised cars, airplanes, cellphones, vaccines, computers and many other things were created with the development of society, but humanity is far from over with its progress. Multiple areas of science and technology still have things to be achieved and discovered, one of such areas is quantum computing.

Quantum computing was first idealised as a possibility by the physicist Richard Feynman in 1959, but only in 1994 did a scientist named Peter Shor discovered a quantum algorithm which would allow quantum computers to process data much faster than conventional computers, and this paved the way for the university of Yale to build the first quantum processor in solid state, a 2-qubit superconducting chip.

(Yale’s quantum processor.

“All on a Chip”).

Qubits or quantum bits are the pieces that form a quantum computer. They differ from normal computer bits, made of 0s and 1s, by having a new number (which also can be called a digit), that is not a 0 or a 1. This digit is a mixture of both 0 and 1, this means that the information given by that digit is all outcomes at once until it is observed, which makes it become one specific information. That is an example of one of quantum mechanics' main principles, called superposition.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

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ENTERTAINMENT

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF HARVEY SPECTER HARVEY SPECTER HARVEY SPECTER IN "SUITS" Daria Chernovolenko Having released its first episode in 2011, the American TV series “Suits” quickly gained popularity amongst viewers; it features many famous faces, such as Megan Markle and Gina Torres. This show as a whole had lasted 9 long years, with 9 seasons and 114 episodes (each about 40 minutes in duration). Doug Liman and Dave Bartis - the executive producers of the show - have confidently illustrated

the

eventful

lives

of

lawyers,

paralegals, and secretaries as well as allowed viewers to gain some remarkable legal jargon.

However, it is important to mention that, as in any modern show, some aspects of this lifestyle are exaggerated therefore, viewers shouldn’t believe everything they see on the show. Anyone who has watched this show can understand how we can go on and on talking about different aspects of it, how it embodies certain true aspects of the “law” life and how it never lets the storyline become monotone due to the fast pace of events.

Nevertheless, there is one character that

revolves around relationships, wealth, and fame. Specter, throughout the series, prides himself on being a “closer”, meaning that he has won almost every lawsuit he had ever taken part in.

Graduating top of his class from Harvard Law School, Specter quickly obtained a valuable array of connections with worldclass lawyers, paralegals, and millionaires all of which have helped him with his career in the long run. Having incorporated this “cold-hearted” attitude from very early childhood, Specter positioned himself to be the “untouchable” man that only cares about his career and blindly ignored any long-term human relationship.

stood out from the crowd - Harvey Specter.

In order to achieve his goal, Specter is seen

Played by Gabriel Macht, Specter is certainly

to manipulate people around him, mostly

one of the most influential figures in the

for very selfish reasons, without any regret

series;

and

or backlash. No fear or vulnerability is ever

determined lawyer, he energizes the storyline

seen on his face, no matter the situation

of the series. Nonetheless, arguably not only

that he finds himself in; he takes a great

did Specter have an impact on the series, but

effort to hide any trace of ‘human’ weakness

he also causes a change in the lives of the

from any of his coworkers. Nevertheless,

viewers.

despite his “macho” character portrayal,

representing

a

strong-willed

Many viewers characterized Specter as a man who embodies the “big shot” male, and one that only

Spector has a softer side to him, that allows those close to him, to understand his struggles and help him should the need

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF

HARVEY SPECTER HARVEY SPECTER HARVEY SPECTER

present itself. This side of Specter started to evolve after the introduction of the series’ second-most important character - Mike Ross.

Mike Ross and Harvey Specter first met

As both characters spent more and more

during

late nights working with each other and

a

job

interview

that

Ross

had

accidentally stumbled upon. Running from a

helping

pair of policemen whilst holding a briefcase

moments, the two marry each other in the

full of illegal substances, Ross runs into

season 8 finale. As both characters spent

Donna (Specter’s secretary at the time) who,

more and more late nights working with

in turn, invites him into the interview,

each other and helping one another with

mistaking him for another candidate, Rick

life’s worst moments, the two marry each

Sorkin. Being almost polar opposites of each

other in the season 8 finale.

other, the two hated each other at first but then started to form a relationship that would soon drastically change them both.

The duo began cracking through cases at lightning speed, both using their “special” skills

to

their

advantage

(Ross

had

a

photogenic memory, whilst Spector was gifted in manipulating others). Their loyalty also grew, as shown through the time when Ross went to jail for Specter; Harvey was surprised by this act as he always felt that no one ever had his back. This is illustrated in the quote: “Because I never thought in a million years I’d meet someone dumb enough to go to prison for me”. Furthermore, up until the very last episode, of the very last seasons, the two never parted ways.

one

another

with

life’s

worst

Drastic character development can be seen in Specter directly from the influence of Paulsen. In season one, Specter quotes “I’m not about caring, I’m about winning”; this line underlines the fact that not only is Specter lacking basic human emotion, but he is also ready to manipulate individuals in order to win. Season 2 brings the quote “Now is not the time to quote the “Breakfast Club””. The reference to the legendary teen movie “The Breakfast Club” is significant and shows how Specter’s character changes over time when with Donna. The “Breakfast Club” illustrates a Saturday detention shared by five drastically different high school students. Even though there were arguments and disagreements, all five managed to leave as friends or at least

Of course, no analysis of Harvey Specter can

in a closer relationship than before.

be

Donna

Knowing that Specter had said this, shows

Paulsen. As mentioned previously, at the

that when he started to show his human

beginning of the show, Donna was Harvey’s

aspect and attention towards his clients, it

secretary and the two shared only a purely

may have felt uncomfortable and new to him

professional relationship.

(similar to the feelings that the “Breakfast

written

without

mentioning

Club” characters had experienced).

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF HARVEY SPECTER

HARVEY SPECTER HARVEY SPECTER

Recognizing this, he motions to Donna that this

The majority of lawyers do not work for a 2-

subject should not be overanalyzed, as this may

hour window per day (whilst also receiving 6

soften his character, as well as it is a polite way

figures in their paychecks), nor do they

to ask Donna to be quiet. Fortunately, Donna

receive approved patents for clients within a

continued to talk even after being asked not to

day (it takes at least a few weeks for them to

do so, however she spoke on a different topic.

even be considered). Even so, the series as a

In conclusion, Harvey Specter, portrayed by Gabriel

Macht,

inspirational,

and

was

a

a

key

very

motivational,

character

in

the

American TV show, “Suits”. As with any main character in any storyline, Specter experienced major

character

development

that

allowed

viewers to break many abiding stereotypes.

Commonly, TV shows represent lawyers as individuals with limited interests and a myriad of grey suits; however, Specter helped show that lawyers, like other individuals, have their own private lives e and personalities. All in all, this character is exemplary in illustrating that one can develop personality, and those around them may motivate this. As a character, Specter is successful in reflecting the idea of how hard, long work pays off in the end; this is a large takeaway for the audience. Of course, whilst mentioning all the great aspects of Specter, about his attitude and demeanor, it should be mentioned that his personality is far from perfect. Should we strive to be like him? Well, yes and no. Motivated in his career and clearly driven to achieve his goals, Specter can inspire us to not waste time and take on challenges to achieve the things that we all dream of.

However, at the same time, his occasional “toxic” relationships with colleagues and partners are not always something that should be copied. As mentioned at the beginning, this show is glamorized and exaggerated for commercial reasons, therefore Specter’s life is consequently romanticized.

whole,

together

with

all

its

weird

and

wonderful characters, is worth watching (even if it's only the first couple of seasons).

The Roar | Edition 4 | 2022

By Veera Gupta

WHAT WE OWE EACH OTHER: THE GOOD PLACE’S TAKE ON MORALITY

The Good Place was set up for traditional, commercial success.

A show written by Michael Schur, a man credited with the creation of Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99 and one of the original writers on the Office, was always bound to be a show that was going to do well. This in conjunction with a good cast and a team of successful writers all spelt out success for NBC’s 2016 comedy that was a highly anticipated show, but also turned out to completely subvert expectations in terms of the show’s most major underlying theme.

What The Good Place brought to the table was something unprecedented within a sit-com of this scale of popularity - a philosophy lesson.

Be warned, this article may contain spoilers for the show (so if you want to go watch it, which you definitely should, come back to this article later).

The show follows Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who has died and been sent to heaven. The twist is that Eleanor is actually an objectively bad person who realises within the first episode that she is not supposed to be where she is. The show explores her journey with her group of misfit, out-of-place friends trying to navigate and reform the corrupt and unrelenting nature of the broken after-life the show initially presented. The show’s exploration behind good and bad, heaven and hell, and the motivations behind the choices people make naturally all lend themselves to a philosophical element that is rarely seen in day-time television and almost never seen within the sitcom format.

This article will explore just a few of the key philosophical thoughts and ideas examined within The Good Place that really add to the show’s depth and most importantly, make the viewer consider the implications of their actions in regards to the idea of goodness within their own lives.

Firstly the idea of the moral imperative is a key catalyst within the first season of the show and is the first step in what leads to incredible amounts of character growth within the show’s protagonists. The moral imperative is in essence the idea of the categorical imperative pitched by Immanuel Kant. This idea dictates that regardless of changeable and situation-based variables, one must act in accordance with an unwavering moral code. Kant applies this to mean that cheating, stealing, lying, killing and any other immoral acts can never be justified no matter what the context is. For example, killing somebody and stealing medicine for a dying child are equally immoral.

This is applied in the show when Eleanor, in her quest in season one to become a better person in order to stay in the Good Place (the show’s equivalent to heaven), enlists Chidi Anagonye, an indecisive philosophy professor. Chidi struggles to come to terms with the moral implications of helping Eleanor become a better person to stay in the Good Place, somewhere she does not belong, by trying to understand the situation through Kant’s categorical imperative. The idea of the categorical imperative in this sense begs a question within the show, is applying the rigid moral code of the categorical imperative always relevant to morality (even if it means that Eleanor is cheating the system) or is it a barricade to morality? If Eleanor is asking for help and endeavouring to become a better person, wouldn’t denying her this help also be against Kant’s imperative? The paradoxical elements of what it means to be good in traditional philosophy are examined even in the first episodes of the show.

A further thought that the show examines is the idea of Utilitarianism and the ‘Happiness Pump’.

Utilitarianism is the idea that the most morally good decision or action is the choice that provides the greatest amount of happiness or good for the largest number of people. In The Good Place, entry into heaven is based on a point system, where points can be earned or lost based on the morality of the choices you make while still alive. Once someone dies, if their points number highly enough they reach the Good Place, if not they go to the Bad Place (the show’s equivalent for Hell). In season 3 we meet a character, Doug Forcett, who through consuming psychedelic drugs has managed to accurately predict the Good Place point system, and has spent his whole life since this revelation living the perfect utilitarian life in order to maximise his chance of not going to the Bad Place. Doug lives off the grid, only eats specific foods to minimise his environmental impact, and minimises all contact with anything that could have any negative repercussions.

However, Doug is miserable and has a breakdown over accidentally crushing a bug because it goes against the utilitarian ideal he perceives is needed to get him into the Good Place. Doug has become what Harvard University Professor Joshua Greene calls a ‘happiness pump’, someone who wants to put as much good into the world as possible but at one’s own expense. This is seen to be a critique of utilitarianism as the existence of ‘happiness pumps’ displays the idea of being good as an unachievable and undesirable moral ideal, painting the idea of goodness as something that a normal person could never achieve. This is not only a critique of Utilitarianism’s impacts on the individual but also is a pivotal point for reform within the show’s framing of what it means to be a person worthy of going to the Good Place.

Finally, the final piece of evidence in The Good Place’s jig-saw-like commentary on the applications of moral philosophy is what could be arguably considered one of the tenants of the show.

Tim Scanlon, the creator of the moral theory “contractualism” and a renown ethicist wrote a book called ‘What We Owe to Each Other’ that according to Michael Schur became one of the show’s biggest inspirations. ‘What We Owe to Each Other’ is a defence of Scanlon’s theory of contractualism: a theory that in its essence states that the way to be moral is through obeying and following principles that no person could reasonably object to. This is an interesting explanation of what eventually happens to the characters in The Good Place because at the end of the day, the most important part of what makes the show what it is is the development of the four main characters - Eleanor Shellstrop, Chidi Anagonye, Jason Mendoza, and Tahani AlJamil. In the beginning of the show, they all try to abide by the twisted laws of the after-life that they think that they don’t belong in, consequently hurting themselves and the people around them.

However, as their conceptual understandings of their situation changes and as they grow as people, they start to a abide to a new system of rules, even if it is unconscious. The morally right thing is now prioritising each other and doing the best thing for not only themselves, but for the greater good of humanity as a whole when the group takes on the challenge of reforming the after-life system to be more ethical, realistic and sustainable. This is a radical change in perspective within the storyline of The Good Place and a fairly controversial stance in itself. The point of living under this school of thought is that goodness in life is not measurable by counting up points and playing the game of life by a cosmically decreed rulebook on morality.

Contractualism instead suggests that our only moral duty is to be good to each other, to provide support, give each other room to grow as people and to prioritise carrying out the duties we have to the people involved in our lives.

According to Scanlon, this is what we owe each other.

The Good Place was a show like a thousand others but was somehow also remarkably different. Below the humour, the characters and the overarching plot, there is a commentary on life, love and human existence that forms the essence of what makes the show special. This commentary is what transforms the show into something that is more than just a sit-com.

People deserve chances for redemption, people are products of their environments and people will be good to themselves and others if they are given the opportunity to be. Michael Schur himself stated that the show’s unifying theme revolves around the idea that though people come from varying socioeconomic, racial, religious and cultural backgrounds, Schur believes that if or when people are given a chance to be good, most people will respond with an affirmative “Yes, I want to be a better person.”

The Good Place explores all of these complex ideas surrounding moral philosophy on life in a way that is not only accessible but also incredibly thought provoking.

By moving through traditional philosophical schools of thought and also the struggles of applying them in the 21st century, The Good Place’s power is finally realised in how it always circles back to the fundamental question of what it means to be a good person and how it challenges the audience to work that out for themselves.

Oh, and of course the show asks the most difficult question of all. One that goes beyond utilitarian beliefs of one’s actions being self-serving and in pursuit of a greater good.

This is the question of what we truly owe to each other, and by extension, finally understanding if what we owe to each other is what we also owe to ourselves.

A Game of Time: A Brief History of CHESS

By Jai Gupta Chess is a game that most people know, some know how to play and how the pieces work. Others are more invested in the intricacies of the game, finding joy in studying it and satisfaction in spotting tactical sequences of moves. A game filled with so many novelties and theoretical knowledge must have an interesting history behind it… Today, let's take a look into how the 64 blackand-white squared board-game originated.

A brief introduction to modern chess, there are a total of 16 pieces with 8 ‘major’ pieces - these are worth more than one point. There are 2 rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops, 1 Queen and 1 King - the 8 remaining pieces are pawns, which are considered to be the ‘minor’ pieces. The rooks can move any number of squares horizontally or vertically, as long as there are no pieces in front of where they are moving. The two Bishops move on the diagonals - one Bishop on the dark squared diagonals, and one on the light. The Queen is the most valuable piece excluding the King - and can move any number of squares, in any direction, while the King can only move one square in any direction. Knights move in an ‘L’ shape, while pawns, which are the pieces in front of all the ‘major’ pieces, can advance 2 squares straight on their first move (if you have not yet moved a pawn). After its first advance of two squares, it can only advance one square forward. The chess board is set up in the image shown below.

Source: Chess.com

The aim of the game is to capture the King. A player would do this by delivering a ‘checkmate’, where the King is attacked by a piece and cannot escape the attack, as all the subsequent squares around it are “blocked”. There are several other rules to the game of chess, for example, ‘Pawn promotion’ (if a Pawn makes it to the other side of the chess board, you can promote it into any piece of your choosing, besides the King) and ‘castling’ (where the rook and King bypass each other). How did chess evolve to be this way, gaining this many rules and intricacies? In order to answer that question we must take a need dive into the history of the game The exact time frame of the invention of chess is highly debated, with some insisting it went back to the Ancient Egyptians. Although the common theory, that most historians can agree upon, is that the game originated in northern India, from around the 600800s A.D. However, the game was far from the game we play today. The pieces were different, moved differently and were named after the Indian military.

Rooks were chariots, knights were elephants, and bishops were infantry. The game was quickly taken up by bordering neighbours such as the Persians, but the next major development in the game was due to trade, for instance, through the silk road, the game reached Europe. Roughly in 1200 C.E Spain, the first significant rule change occurred since the game's development. Pawns were allowed to move 2 squares on their first move, and Queens were allowed to move anywhere, any number of squares. Centuries went by and rules such as ‘castling’ and ‘pawn promotion’ were added, and by the 18th century the game looked very similar to the game we know today.

Modern chess history is the enticing section of chess history, with the development of ‘chess theory’, openings and ideas. Chess was relatively unexplored, and when the game started being taken seriously, players dedicated themselves to learning moves and coming up with new ideas that are commonly used in the chess world today.

Defining ‘chess theory’ as the knowledge of historical patterns and ideas. Understanding and memorising sequences of moves for both sides when starting the game are known as openings. Chess theory and the understanding of how chess games were won was introduced in the 18th century by François-André Philidor of France. Philidor was a composer of music, and for decades, was regarded as the best chess player of his time.

He published the first official chess book, which talked about previous games in order to illustrate his principles for conducting a ‘strategic battle’ rather than ‘tactical play’.

‘Strategic play’ refers to the long term play of slowly improving the position, in favour of understanding moves, move orders and plans in different positions. Whereas ‘tactics’ refer to a sequence of moves, often involving the sacrifice of material for positional advantages. Philidor believed that Pawns, and the structure of how you placed them was vital to strategic play, outlining how the shape your Pawns form on the board can greatly impact aspects of the game. For example, where you move your Pawns can determine if a Bishop is useful or not, simply by what colour they stand on. If most of your Pawns stand on one colour, that would restrict the movement of the Bishop of the same colour. Later, a group of Masters from Modena, Italy, criticised and claimed that Philidor was overvaluing pawns in his book. These masters preferred a more dynamic style of playing, implementing the sacrifice of Pawns (giving up a Pawn without any material compensation) in order to free up space for other pieces to move; these types of manoeuvres are known as Gambits.

The first chess tournament was held in London, in 1851 and the winner was Adolf Anderssen. He was regarded around this time as the best chess player in the world, until he was crushed in a decisive match, with a score of 7-2, by Paul Morphy. Morphy was the first great American chess player, and his name in the chess world is still synonymous with fast wins and dynamic attacks. Later, in the 19th century, the first official World Chess Championships were held, (a format unlike other championships, where a challenger emerges from a series of tournaments to challenge the current world number one) the first championships were held between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort, with Steinitz claiming victory and becoming the first official

World Champion with a score of 12.5 to 7.5 (half points were awarded to both players in the result of a draw).

In the 20th century, the chess world really took off, with the main star of the early 1900s being José Raúl Capablanca, a Cuban chess player who became the third official World Chess Champion. Capablanca was renowned for the simplicity of his play, while his patience in making simple moves with direct threats allowed him to positionally overwhelm his opponents. He remained relatively undefeated, and is still considered to be one of chess’ greatest players, defeated by another great player Alexander Alekhine. Alekhine lived an eccentric life and was like many chess prodigies; claiming the Master title at age 16, then later the title of Grandmaster at age 22. The World Championship title got passed around like this and now, the modern World Chess Champion with the highest rating of all time belongs to Magnus Carlson with a rating of 2865.

SUMMER 2022 - ISSUE 4

DIANE NGUYEN - AN EXPLORATION OF TRAUMA

By Sreeja Roy

Note: Bojack Horseman is a show on Netflix, that deals with dark themes and is recommended for ages 15+ (Commonsense Media). CW: depression, mental health, alcohol misuse

Diane Nguyen is a central character in the show Bojack Horseman. A show where anthropomorphic animals and humans coexist. If you can get past the talking horse, Bojack Horseman is an extremely nuanced show, exploring the full depth of the human psyche through its characters. Each character is fleshed out with unique personalities and motives, allowing the audience to relate to them on a personal and emotional level. The show follows a cast of characters, each emotionally damaged in their own way, on their journey to find happiness and self fulfilment. Diane Nguyen is no different. An ‘Asian-Daria’, who is a writer that struggles to create for herself. She’s criticised by fans for being pretentious and hypocritical; indulging in the sins she preaches against, and then in fits of self-pity, imposing destruction to herself and others around her. On the surface level, she sounds like a horrible person and at times she can be, but to reduce her to her shortcomings would be to disregard the show’s purpose. There’s a cause for her actions, a cause she actively tries to deal with, a cause that acts as a glass ceiling to her happinesses. But eventually she manages to come to grips with her own actions and does achieve happiness, a different version of happy to the one she pictured in her head, but happiness all the same.

Before being able to understand why Diane is the way she is, we need to understand the experiences that shaped her. Brought up in a neglectful household, her parents and siblings failed to treat her as a human being. They constantly ridiculed her, berated her for asking the simplest of questions and made sure she had no self-esteem.

They made it extremely difficult for her to express herself and prevented her from believing that she was worth being heard. These feelings are later accentuated through her marriage to Mr. Peanut Butter (who is a golden retriever). [It makes sense if you watch it]. Mr. Peanut Butter is extremely charismatic (because he’s a dog) and a born tv personality who embodies the spirit of “go big or go home”. Throughout Diane and Mr. Peanut Butter’s marriage, Mr. Peanut Butter showered Diane with love and gave Diane all the things he thought she wanted through grand gestures. This dog would be Mr. Right, if it wasn’t for the fact that Diane hated these grand gestures which she tried to express to him time and time again. She didn’t like the “pressure that [came] with these sorts of gifts and gestures”, yet he ignored her all the way up to the end of their marriage. Mr. Peanut Butter’s inability to listen to Diane reinforced her own beliefs that her voice wasn’t worth being listened to. He projected what he believed Diane wanted, creating an image of Diane that she could never live up to.

Diane spent her entire young life being neglected and that pattern repeated itself through her marriage to Mr. Peanut Butter, cementing her insecurities and tying her self-worth to these events.

Diane’s struggle with depression is one of her main storylines, with most of her unpleasantness stemming from this. Her need to find a ‘purposeful purpose’ comes from wanting to fill this void in her life and to prove to people and herself her own worth.

She wants to make a positive difference by writing about different social issues but she ends up writing think pieces for a vapid online blog. What she wants and what she gets are polarising and to deal with these ‘failures’ she submerges herself in irony. She copes with her trauma and her hurt by making jokes about them, brushing them off like they didn’t affect her. Irony is her tool that she drowns herself in to disconnect from feelings of vulnerability and raw emotions. Because dealing with her emotions is too difficult, it opens up old wounds which cause more hurt. It’s easier for her to use logic and intellect to reach higher ground to mask her feelings of inadequacy.

The episode “Good Damage” is a pivotal point of Diane’s character development where the audience finally sees her from her perspective and allows them to empathise with her. Diane unpacks her trauma and we get a view of how she processes her childhood. This is the first time Diane confronts the reality she’s built for herself and an attitude that fortunately stays with her for the rest of the show and is one of the strongest signals for trauma recovery. In this episode, Diane’s main objective is to write a book of memoirs about her traumatic experiences to make people who went through similar things feel less alone. Her hope is to take her trauma and mould it into something positive.

But in order to do that, she has to access her trauma. Her memories of her damage are chaotic and messy, which the show portrays as scribbled sketches that are difficult to fully understand to both the viewer and Diane.

These poorly formed images make it difficult for her to verbally express her emotions and relay her experiences, which ironically enough is a result of her trauma. She finds herself stuck in this vicious cycle, where she can’t express her emotions because of her experiences, which leads to a buildup of unhealthy coping mechanisms (like excessive drinking) and suppressed hurt which leads to larger issues like depression that makes it even harder for her to communicate.

Diane believes with all her heart that her trauma has to be worth something and she can use it in some way to benefit her life or others, by telling a story about her pain, so it doesn't feel like all the struggle was for nothing. She describes herself as being a broken bowl glued back together with gold, like the Japanese art of kintsugi. Where her trauma is highlighted rather than hidden. But once again the voices in her head break that thought calling her selfish for thinking she could be a “beautiful salad bowl”. It's an odd thing to want to be but Diane desperately wants to be a “beautiful salad bowl” believing that it’s the only way to truly represent her feeling of broken-ness. It stems from her believing that her damage makes her special and it's her duty to turn her damage into something useful. However, we are all just products of our life’s circumstances, and in Diane’s case she was made to expect to not be heard and believes that those experiences of abuse have to hold inherent value. Near the end of the episode she has this existential crisis about how her life could have been different if she didn’t hold on to the belief that she could turn her trauma into good damage. She spirals into why she had to go through all that hurt when at the end she couldn’t even use it. But there is never a greater purpose for those experiences, quantifying trauma doesn’t help in recovery, as it’s unique for each individual.

Life with trauma is all of the pieces of the kintsugi bowl, and our will to grow and move one is the glue and gold that holds the cracks.

MISCELLANEOUS

STUDENT COUNCIL This article will serve as a record of all of the activities and events held by the student council that have happened throughout the year. This is so that you are able to see everything that the student council has done and the general trends that have appeared over the year. Furthermore, this will let you see what the student council does and allow you to give your suggestions on how the student council could better serve the student body and the international community as a whole.

2021

2022

Show racism the red card: During this time period three events were going on. The main and longest lasting event is a sports match on the field. In years past this has been a football game, however in an attempt to renew interest in the event, the sport of choice was dodgeball.

Furthermore, refreshments as well as merchandise were on sale. The event took place during high school lunch and was available to all grades 9 through 12. The money that was raised through tickets, food, and merchandise was donated to the UK charity Show Racism the Red Card. This is a charity aiding to educate and spread an anti-racism message through sports, specifically football.

The student council has done three main events in 2022 so far. These are three advisory presentations focused on the LGBTQIA+ community, gender equality, and the disabled community.

At the same time, a charity raffle was taking place for Black History Month. For this event, students were able to purchase a raffle ticket. For 1 pound students could enter to either win the first place or runner-up prize pool. All items in the price pool were purchased from local black owned businesses. Furthermore, all money not going towards the prizes was donated to the charity, Blueprint for all. This is an antidiscrimination charity located in the UK that combats inequality through addressing opportunity disparity and providing equal opportunities for all.

The final event that was taking place during this time was a multi-media arts competition. Most forms of written or drawn forms of art were accepted. Furthermore, the aim of the competition was to tell the stories of and to highlight the discrimination faced by the Black community, with specific focus on the UK. The competition was open to all upper schools with the only ramification being that it had to be school appropriate and centre around the stories and challenges of the Black community.

future events

The LGBTQIA+ presentation occurred on January 31st and was hosted by two eleventh grade students, Sreeja and Mags. This presentation aimed to highlight the LBGTQIA+ community inside and outside of ACS as well as the challenges they face. The aim of the presentation was to provide introductory information as well as start a discussion that the student council hopes to continue through this year and into the years to come.

The second presentation was focused on gender equality and took place on March 7th and was primarily hosted by a tenth and ninth grader, Spyros and Grayson, who were supported by a group of ninth graders. This presentation focused on gender based discrimination and the statistics behind it, as well as possible ways to combat it globally as well as within ACS. The third presentation was supposed to be focused on ableism in schools (but was unfortunately cancelled due to scheduling conflicts). It was primarily organised by an eleventh grader Weronika and supported by a team of ninth graders. This presentation focused on introducing the concept of ableism including behaviours, beliefs, and language that propagate it. Furthermore, the presentation aimed to discuss actions and language that should be used in order to combat it.

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/STU.AC S-SCHOOLS.COM/ACSSTUCO/HOME

The student council will be hosting a dance on 17th of June between the hours of 7: 30 and 11 o’clock.

This dance is for the students and therefore isn’t tied to any charity. It will be held in Performing Arts Centre (PAC) as well as the connected courtyard. Tickets will have been on sale for a while by the time you are reading this. There will be food, entertainment, and friends. As a celebration of you, this is an event you can enjoy to kick off summer and enjoy the calm that comes after the storm that is end-of-year exams!

Also during the month of June the student council will be organising and hosting a colour run. The proceeds of this event will go to the charity AKT. AKT is a charity that provides safe homes, employment, education or training to LBTQIA+ youth and young adults between the ages of 16 - 25 who are homeless or live in a hostile environment. This charity was decided through a survey sent out to the ACS community and was, by a significant margin, the most requested charity.

Interview with Mr. Lewis CONDUCTED BY VEERA GUPTA If you want to read the full interview go to this document! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rP3rL75-94WewB_9xN5OYPP0nKjKJLQhpVM_jAB-Sd0/edit?usp=sharing

How would you describe your experience at ACS and how has it been different to other schools?

The first thing that comes to mind is that ACS is a group of four schools, well three when I first started, so we added a school. I think being part of a group of schools makes a difference, being in an international school in England is significantly different to being in an international school elsewhere. The dynamics are different, the demographics are different, and the demands for the job are different. This is partly because you're a part of a group of schools, and I think the legislation in the UK around child protection and safeguarding all of those topics and a completely different dimension to the role as well adds quite a lot of complexity I would say.

What would you say is your favourite part about being Head of School here?

If I am being honest it's this type of stuff, it's very ironic that the things you like the most as a head of school you do the least. So talking to students, being in classrooms, being at student activities, It's the thing I enjoy the most but get to do the least - it's just the nature of the beast. When you manage, like i have a staff of over 200 then you have a parent community, it's a very big complicated community to manage which means i get less time to do what i really want to.

If you were not a teacher or principal what job do you think you would have pursued?

That's an easy one, My real ambition in life was to be a professional football/soccer player. But I was never any good, but that's what I wanted to do. Then for a long time I wanted to be a journalist, I actually wanted to be an investigative journalist. Do you know the program Panorama...

It's basically investigative journalism, uncovering corruption, fraud…I wanted to work for the BBC. But at the time of which I wanted to do that it was really difficult to get into the BBC, so I applied for teaching as a backup and that's what I ended up doing. But it was really journalism which I wanted to do, specifically political journalism and investigative journalism in particular.

Are there any final thoughts you would like to give to students or teachers reading the Roar Newsletter?

Yes, I mean I put in my yearbook piece as well, as a thank you to everyone through the years. People have been really supportive, I mean they have taken on additional challenges. The last two years especially have been really tough and people have demonstrated the utmost respect, resilience, commitment and decency that they never ever would have been asked to demonstrate before. And my wife continues to work here so despite me leaving, Egham will always have a very special place in my heart. My kids both went here, my daughter graduated here, my son went here till grade 10. My wife works here. I spent 12 years here, this is not a final - it's always going to be a part of my life. I will always be really proud, when I see achievements from students, teachers, etc, I'm always really proud. I am still in touch with a lot of ACS Alumni because of my daughter and when I hear they are doing well it's like: Yeah that's good! It has to have something to do with ACS Egham.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN HL SUBJECT BE IN THE DP?

A NOTE OF GRATITUDE summer

2022

Sophia

-

issue

4

Berg

Throughout this year we have faced many challenges from

battling

through

Covid

19

to

adapting

to

a

fundamental change in our usual school life. Despite that,

we

have

had

clean

classrooms,

spotless

bathrooms and sanitised surfaces wherever we go.

Thank you to everyone who has made an effort in keeping our gardens tidy and flourishing, as well as volunteered to supervise our activities. Thank you for giving us an education that promotes a bright future so

the

students

of

ACS

Egham

can

lead

lives

educated by some of the best. Thank you.

A special thanks to the people who won’t be with us next year, we will miss you but are glad to have had you

as

part

International

of

our

School.

community We

hope

enjoy the next steps in your life.

at

you

ACS

stay

Egham

safe

and

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