The Barometer Half Term 4 2020-21

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BAROMETER FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021

HALF TERM 4

FROM THE EDITORS CONTENTS: Spring Concert - Henry B The Wetherby Cycling Club Oliver B Peer Mentoring Update Henry B Mentor Jr. - William P-N A Day in the Surgery Sebastian L In Honour of Captain Moore Robert B Dear Readers, After more than two months of online education, the editorial team are back at school. We are still meeting online in order to preserve year group bubbles, yet WSS is definitely buzzing with a huge sense of relief!

The return was a little hectic, but the boys have done well to stay organised and produce the usual tremendous variety of articles.

What’s more, we were delighted to release our very own Wetherby Lockdown Cookbook a few weeks ago. If you haven’t had a look, you can read it here: https://issuu. com/wetherbysenior/docs/the_ wetherby_lockdown_cookbook We hope you find something that interests you in the pages that follow.

Henry B, Year 12 Senior Editor Alastair S, Year 13 Senior Academic Prefect Cover photo: Mr Chidell

Enzymes - Henry B Hillingdon Youth Council Casey J

Video Games: Good or Bad? Theophile N ISA Essay Competition Ahmad A, Faris B, Tommaso S, Max P, Henry B Insurrection at the Capitol Building - Dan R The Two Sides of Moscow Barnaby M-J The Vaccine: Is it Safe & How Does it Work? - Kaveh K Minerals - Joseph S Theatre Appreciation Society Vangelis F

The Future of Hydrogen Fuel Henry B

Ace of Spades & A Heart of Madness Part 2: The Traitor - a short story by Ramzi K

The Importance of Music Thomas P

Ingredients - Why are they Important? - Henry B

Careers Lecture with Mr. Pimlott - Henry B

Team GB - Alpine Ski Racing Aidan U

On The Hot Seat - Maxime H and Nicolas S

Rangers FC - From Bottom to Top - Harris R

To MR Bolderow Monty C writes...

Today is a day where we see a man who has led the school depart and I know everyone will be sad to see Mr Bolderow leave, but it is also an opportunity to thank him for and celebrate all the amazing work he has done with every part of the school community.

One thing which I have personally enjoyed learning

from him is the importance of determination. His assemblies have always helped motivate me before big exams and I think this is can be seen in the great results the school has experienced.

Finally, Mr Bolderow, you will be greatly missed and I hope that you will stay in contact with the Wetherby community and I wish you luck in you future endeavours. Thank you sir!

SPRING CONCERT Henry B, Year 12 writes…

It was brilliant to see such a large number of contributors in this year’s second virtual concert.

Music at WSS has continued to thrive throughout lockdown, with boys attending over 150 online lessons every week. Clearly, our additional time at home brought out the musician in all of us.

The Spring Concert was thoroughly enjoyable and it was

a fabulous exemplification of our unremitting school spirit. During a packed hour of performances, the online audience were delighted by a series of sublime soloists and exceptional ensembles, all of whom recorded themselves at home using various instruments.

As usual, the effort from the boys and peripatetic music staff was tremendous. I imagine it must have been very challenging for Mr. Martin to conduct the

entire brass band over Zoom and for teachers to coordinate solo accompaniments; flawless tempo is imperative for multiple musicians to successfully play in time.

Hopefully, regulations will soon mean that the music department can return to live concerts rather than digitally streamed ones.

THE WETHERBY CYCLING CLUB Oliver B, Year 9 writes…

Many boys are avid cyclists and they now have the opportunity to socialise and compete with fellow enthusiasts. In our current predicament, cycling has become exceedingly popular, as it is an excuse to get outdoors. Once again, we as a school have been able to expand upon our extensive range of extra-curricular activities, opening a door for boys to share their passions and meet other aficionados. The Wetherby Cycling Club has managed to keep boys fit and involved with school life, whilst encouraging integration between year groups.

The Strava app is a useful platform that enables us to record our activity in one place. It also keeps us up to date with our average speed and elevation gain.

Mr. Pimlott, a dedicated athlete, devotes his time to weekly lunchtime meetings. During each session, we discuss new challenges that accommodate all cycling abilities. One of our favourites was the “new route”

task. Gold notes were awarded to all who completed it. As weather conditions begin to improve, we set ourselves an ambitious objective for the half term break: to cycle fifty kilometres.

PEER MENTORING UPDATE Henry B, Year 12 writes…

During times like this, one can easily underestimate the importance of interacting with other people. If anything, that’s what the peer mentoring scheme is good for; it’s just a chance to have a chat.

A terrific team of enthusiastic sixth formers have offered their time to talk to younger pupils about anything from school life to an interest they have in common.

We can sympathise when it comes to revision, exams, and managing a work-life balance. In addition, boys can benefit from academic and co-curricular advice to help them make the most of their time at school. This may include help with difficult homework,

information about GCSE/A Level subject choices, what to expect in the years ahead, and much more.

Recently, the team spoke to form classes through Microsoft Teams, reminding them that we are available. We also created posters and a document with some information about each of us: what we are studying, what we like doing in our free time, and how we can help.

Integration between year groups is one of the best things about our friendly Wetherby community, but year group bubbles have made this quite difficult over the past year. Nevertheless, a number of boys took this scheme as an opportunity to keep an informal dialogue going between older and younger pupils.

Meet the Team

Let us know if you ever feel like having a chat!

Meet the Team

MENTOR JR. me to tutor their child. I have now been tutoring that same child since November.

William P-N, Year 12 writes...

Mentor Jr. is a programme which allows sixth form pupils to tutor primary school children for free. The aim of Mentor Jr. is to make education more widely available to those who may be in a less privileged position. The programme itself was actually founded by a Year 13 pupil at a London school. Initially, it was intended that pupils would visit the schools and tutor them there, but since the pandemic began, all of the sessions have been done remotely. The sessions themselves are usually about an hour long, and are centred around either maths or English.

I actually first discovered the programme when it was briefly mentioned in The Barometer last October. At the time, I was searching for a volunteering programme for my Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award and realised that this would be perfect for me – I could do it once a week, right after school was finished, and at home. Furthermore, as

it was done remotely, I was still able to continue with the sessions while we were in lockdown. This programme also interested me because I saw it as an opportunity to help pupils catch up on their education, which had disrupted as a result of schools being closed in March last year.

Personally, I find being able to tutor children from home particularly useful – it takes up very little time as it does not require me to travel to another location for the sessions. In addition, it is the perfect option for volunteering in this current climate because it can be done from home.

The process of becoming a mentor was very simple. First, I had to fill in a form on their website, and they got back to me within only about a day or two. Next, I was told that I had to write a bio for myself, which would appear on their website in order for parents to discover me. Within less than a week of being on the website, I was informed that a parent wanted

One thing I particularly enjoy about the programme is the sense of accomplishment you feel as a result of the sessions; it is extremely rewarding to know that you are helping a child learn new things, especially when they are currently unable to go to school. In addition, by tutoring the same child on a regular basis, you begin to form something of an emotional bond with them – you gradually get to know them better as you continue to tutor them.

Overall, if you are struggling to find a volunteering option for your DofE, or just want to give back to the community and help people out, then I would highly recommend Mentor Jr. To find it, you can simply type mentorjr. com into your browser or search “Mentor Jr.” on Google.

A DAY IN SURGERY Sebastian L, Year 12 writes...

Last autumn, I had the privilege to shadow Parviz, a plastic surgeon at the Royal Hospital in Whitechapel. I met him at a kebab shop one evening, and we struck up a conversation. When he heard that I wanted to study medicine, he offered me the opportunity to see first-hand what it is like.

A common misconception about plastic surgery is that it is strictly cosmetic. However, plastics is defined as a branch of surgery that specialises in repairing and reconstruction of damaged, or missing tissue. Its primary aim is to restore functions of tissues as much as possible, with appearance as a secondary aim.

I arrived early in the morning and Parviz handed me my scrubs before taking me along to the consultants’ meeting where all

the procedures for the day were discussed and presented. I was really inspired by the cooperative approach everybody took.

The first surgery was a simple skin graft on an elderly lady. I was nervous, unsure whether I could stomach the sight of blood.

However, as soon I introduced myself to the team, my nerves relaxed and were replaced by excitement. The surgery was quick and Parviz made it look easy.

Not all surgeries were that simple.

A man in his mid-thirties suffered multiple stab wounds to his abdomen and right arm. Parviz worked meticulously to reattach arteries, tendons, and nerves. I was blown away by the notion that it was even possible.

In another surgery, Parviz had planned to remove some metal work from the spine of an elderly

man. It wasn’t going as well as it ought to have done, so Parviz and his team had to discuss how to proceed and come to an agreement with the orthopaedic team. The teamwork and ability to adapt under pressure was incredible and it highlighted the importance of those qualities for this job.

What surprised me most about my visit was how willing the staff were to teach and share their knowledge – true to the Hippocratic oath “to teach them this art, if they want to learn it, without fee or indenture.”

What was supposed to be a short visit turned out to be twelve exhilarating hours, during which I discovered a new world. I learnt so many things from how to scrub in to how a skin graft is performed.

More importantly, I now know I would love to be a surgeon one day.

IN HONOUR OF CAPTAIN MOORE a roofing materials company in Yorkshire.

Captain Tom’s most well-known achievement was his 100th Birthday Walk, sdring which he aimed to complete one hundred 25-metre lengths of his garden.

He completed ten lengths each day and branded the effort “Tom’s 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS.”

Robert B, Year 12 writes...

On 2nd February 2021, Captain Tom Moore passed away after contracting Covid-19. In this article I would like to bring attention to Captain Tom Moore’s life and his many accomplishments.

Tom Moore was born in Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 30th April 1920, son to Isabella and Wilfred Moore. He grew up in his homet own and was educated at Keighley Grammar School, where he continued to live until he was stationed in Weston Park in Otley as part of the 8th Battalion.

Throughout the Second World War, Moore climbed up the ranks first as a Second Lieutenant in 1941 and lastly as a temporary Captain on 11th October 1944.

Moore served a final time in Arakan in western Burma where he survived dengue fever. Afterwards, he became an instructor and the technical adjutant of the Armoured Vehicle Fighting School in Bovington Camp, Dorset until he was finally demobilised in 1946. His life after World War II comprised of him working as a sales manager for

He originally intended to raise £1,000 pounds by the 30th April 2020 (his birthday) but this goal was reached after four days.

The target increased to £5,000, then £500,000 and many people became aware of this fundraising event. By his birthday, he had raised a total of £32.796,475 plus another £6,173,663.31 in expected tax rebates, more than 1.5 million individuals donated.

The money donated is being spent on things such as well-being packs for National Health Service Staff, facilitating rest and recuperation rooms, devices to enable hospital patients to keep in contact with family members, and community groups who support patients once discharged from hospitals.

Upon reaching £5 million, Moore explained his motivation: “When we started off with this exercise, we didn’t anticipate we’d get anything near that sort of money. It’s really amazing. All of them, from top to bottom, in the National Health Service, they deserve everything that we can possibly put in their place.

They’re all so brave. Because every morning or every night they’re putting themselves into harm’s way, and I think you’ve got to give them full marks for that effort.

We’re a little bit like having a war at the moment. But the doctors and the nurses, they’re all on the front line, and all of us behind, we’ve got to supply them and keep them going with everything that they need, so that they can do their jobs even better than they’re doing now.”

Captain Tom’s contributions to the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic should be celebrated because of the positive change he’s brought to the entire nation.

He has inspired millions to take action and improve the lives of those who work for the NHS during a global pandemic and for that he should be remembered.

ENZYMES

Henry B, Year 12 writes...

An enzyme is a large globular protein. It is a biological catalyst that increases the rate of a reaction by lowering the activation energy without being used up. Extracellular enzymes are released out of the cells where they are produced, whereas intracellular enzymes are found in the cytoplasm or attached to the cell membranes.

Endotherms are organisms that regulate their body temperature so that enzyme function may be as optimal as possible. Mammals and birds require a much greater food supply than similarlysized reptiles, but the benefits of continuous enzyme function give the former a considerable advantage.

digestive system, break down large molecules into smaller ones.

Others, such as DNA polymerase, build up large molecules using smaller ones. Enzymes also facilitate communication between cells. Hundreds of enzymes have been purified and studied in an effort to understand how they work so efficiently and with such specificity. The resulting knowledge has been used to design drugs that activate or inhibit particular enzymes. An example of this is the ongoing research around AIDS treatment.

that proteins are flexible. When the enzyme and substrate form a complex, structural changes occur so that the active site sits precisely and snuggly around the substrate which induces the change. The shape of the active site changes and the enzyme moves the substrate closer to it. Amino acids are moulded into a precise form, after which the enzyme wraps around the substrate and distorts it. After the product(s) is/ are released, the enzyme reverts to its original shape.

Why are enzymes important?

Enzymes are vital – they serve a wide range of important functions in the body. The majority of metabolic reactions are enzyme controlled. Hence, a lack of enzymes would result in a reaction rate so slow that it would cause serious, if not fatal, damage. Some enzymes, such as those found within the

Active site and substrate specificity Enzyme action Lock and key model: This assumes that the active site is rigid in its shape; only one substrate can fit into the enzyme’s active site.

Induced fit model: Crystallographic studies show

Some enzymes speed up chemical reactions by bringing two substrates together in the right orientation. Others create a favourable environment inside the active site, such optimal acidity or polarity. They may also bend

substrate molecules in a way that facilitates the breaking of bonds, allowing molecules to reach the transition state more quickly.

Certain enzymes may take part in the reaction – active site residues form temporary covalent bonds with substrate molecules. In all cases, the enzyme will return to its original state at the end of the reaction. Indeed, a hallmark property of enzymes is that they are not altered by the reactions they catalyse; they release products and are immediately ready for the next cycle of catalysis.

molecules. This ionisation can alter the way in which they bind to one another, which is why extreme pH changes will result in denaturation.

Enzyme kinetics Denaturation is the disruption to the bonding interactions responsible for the secondary and tertiary structure of enzymes, which causes a change in the shape of the active site. Covalent bonds are not broken; no chemical reaction takes place. Only the shape of the molecule is altered.

Inhibitors Enzyme inhibitors are substances that alter the catalytic action of an enzyme and consequently slow down or, in some cases, cease catalysis. Competitive inhibitors are substances with a similar structure to the substrate.

They block the enzyme active

Temperature and acidity Reduced temperatures deactivate enzymes. They are not denatured – the active site remains intact – but the decreased kinetic energy of particles means that there are fewer successful enzyme-substrate collisions. Increased temperatures initially speed up the rate of reaction, but eventually the heavy vibration breaks hydrogen bonds that maintain the secondary/ tertiary structure, so the enzyme is denatured.

Slight changes in pH will affect the charges of enzyme and substrate

site, but they cannot react with it. An example of a competitive inhibitor is arabinose, which fills the active sites of glucose oxidase instead of glucose.

Non-competitive inhibitors are substances that differ from the substrate, but bind to another location on the enzyme molecule, thereby changing the shape of the active site and preventing the substrate from binding to it.

HILLINGDON YOUTH COUNCIL Casey J, Year 9 writes...

I am an elected member of the Hillingdon Youth Council and the London Youth Assembly. You might ask, “What does a member of the Youth Council do?” It’s simple: we are the voice of youths in London.

Our members are aged between 13 and 19. At the moment, we meet once a week via Zoom because of Covid-19. Our group has an aspiration to make a positive difference within local communities, whilst increasing our skills, practising public speaking, and learning how to network. We do this in conjunction with our local leaders and we often work on initiatives with our MP, to present it to the House of Lords for consideration.

One of these initiatives was Don’t Zap the Zip, which was protecting the Zip Oyster cards many of us rely on to get to school.

The government had plans to terminate the initiative, but these were scrapped thanks to tireless campaigning. This would not have mattered much to you and I. However, thousands of children would have had to walk to school in the cold, the rain, and the snow because their parents would not be able to afford the bus ride to school. Travel should be free or heavily discounted for under-18s.

The boroughs also tend to work together and we are lucky to have The Right Honourable Boris Johnson as our Ruislip MP. We have a range of projects that we all work on or lead, depending on our age. Some examples are recycling, environmental issues, regeneration, racism & inclusion,

domestic abuse, and homelessness.

Some of these topics can be hard to take in. For example, I was not aware that we have a domestic abuse shelter in our borough, nor that it was so full that they struggled to help more people, especially during lockdown.

For 2021, I decided to create my own project with the help of my team leader, Lakhbir. I wanted to base my project on the work of a very important charity that I have supported previously by doing some fundraising.

them some kind of protection.

There is a lot of grooming and trying to get young kids into gangs to do drug runs, especially during lockdown given that everyone is online most of the time. Social media is the perfect tool to exploit children our age. The digital world is not a safe place and not everyone who is a “friend” is actually a real child.

I will be working with the Head of the St. Giles Trust SOS+ programme. This is an intervention offered to schools, teachers, and parents, but many I contacted the CEO of St. Giles do not know about it, as they only Trust and asked if they could help find out when a child is classed me carve out a project to deal with as a youth offender and forced knife crime in schools, as I was not through court to get some help. I sure how I could make a positive am going to use this opportunity contribution. This is one of the to raise awareness in the 34 main issues that St. Giles Trust schools in my borough. When deals with and it is a topic that we they reopen, I might be given are fortunate not to come across the opportunity to speak during in our Wetherby community. an assembly at a local school, However, it is a huge one in many together with an SOS+ leader. I other schools. Children as young will speak on behalf of the Youth as nine take knives to school – not Council to raise awareness, and because they think it will make St. Giles Trust will deliver the them popular, but because they rest. You can find out more here: are scared of other kids. Some join https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/ gangs and feel that this will afford the-sos-service.

THE FUTURE OF HYDROGEN FUEL Henry B, Year 12 writes…

Our egregious reliance on fossil fuels has caused more damage to our planet than we could have ever imagined. The human population continues to grow and the majority of countries are developing. Hence, the demand for energy is increasing and the search for sustainable alternatives is more critical than ever. The EU aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and it has pledged £16 billion to develop the necessary hydrogen power technology to do so.

Being the world’s most abundant element, there are many ways to obtain H2: for example, “green” hydrogen is made by electrolysing water (H2O) using energy from renewable sources like solar panels or wind farms. More commonly, natural gas (CH4) is reformed with steam, a process that is more ecological if carbon capture and storage are implemented. “Brown” hydrogen is the cheapest to produce, but coal releases more carbon into the atmosphere, so this method is not a means to the desired end because it merely

shifts pollution from one place to another.

Hydrogen is a much cleaner fuel than its non-renewable counterparts. It is stored as a compressed gas and combined with oxygen from the air to generate electricity in a fuel cell. The only byproduct of the reaction is water. Despite that, many European car producers believe H2 to be inefficient and impractical. Energy is dissipated when it is transferred from a gas to an electrical current. As a result, the overall efficiency of the power-to-vehicle-drive energy chain is only half that of an electric vehicle. The Toyota Mirai was released in 2014, yet its UK sales are limited to a few hundred units. Volkswagen chief executive, Herbert Diess, believes that hydrogen fuel will never become widespread in cars and, like many other manufacturers, VW Group is directing its attention to electric vehicles instead.

Despite being unrealistic for cars, hydrogen could be the future of rail transport. Fuel cells are only ~50-60% efficient, so

electric power is preferable where possible. However, trucks and trains cannot afford to sacrifice payload to transport batteries. As the mass of a vehicle and the need for power increases, so too does the collective mass of a battery pack large enough to provide that power. With this in mind, the relative efficiency of H2 compared to batteries makes the former a more economical choice for large vehicles since batteries would be too heavy. 2018 saw the debut of the world’s first H2-powered train, the Alstom Coradia iLint. 50% of European rail networks are not electrified. Hydrogen trains could therefore replace Deutsche Bahn’s obsolete fleet of 1,300 diesel locomotives. Similarly, trucks account for 22% of road transport carbon emissions, a figure that could be easily diminished by operating hydrogen HGVs. Aviation also contributes to global emission levels. It remains to be seen whether or not the same principles of hydrogen power efficiency apply to aircraft. In September 2020, tech start-up, ZeroAvia, completed the world’s first hydrogen-powered flight using a small six-seater aircraft.

This revolutionary drivetrain may become the standard for large airliners, just as it is an attractive alternative for trucks and trains that cannot feasibly carry large and heavy batteries.

Research needs to be supported by governments and private enterprises. There is still a great deal of progress to be made before hydrogen technology can be channelled to meaningfully reduce carbon emissions in our vital quest for a greener future.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC Thomas P, Year 11 writes...

Lockdown has destroyed our daily routines and created a strange ‘new normal’ for us. At the beginning, we all chose what we would work on or focus more on since we had more time to ourselves. I, for example, chose to focus on sport and exercise to better myself and release energy in an otherwise restricting time.

When I was exercising or cycling, I would listen to music. We all do; it somehow motivates us and pushes us to achieve more.

The average American listens to four hours of music a day and I certainly wasn’t exercising for four hours, so I would listen to music just to relax.

Something has always intrigued me about vintage music from the mid to late 20th century and as I listened more, I quickly fell into this world of music that drove the cultures of the time from 1960s hippie craze to 1970s disco. My musical taste adapted from the trendy rap I used to listen to, to the Beatles, Oasis, and, most importantly, Jimi Hendrix. I can safely say that James Marshall ‘Jimi’ Hendrix has changed my life for the better. His guitar playing is unmatched, playing notes that somehow join up to create something as fluid as the wind that carries the notes he plays. When finding music you truly love, you see the world in a different way, as if your mindset is tinted by the music you listen and relate to. No one says that Jimi has great vocals; it’s all about how great his guitar playing is. He is able to convey so much emotion through face-melting solos or slower, more melodic riffs that ring around your head in a calming swirl. For me, he can be related to geniuses on the piano, such as Mozart, by the amount of emotion they can convey through pure playing.

Music has a unique way of touching people and it has a rare ability to bring us all together in this universal language. One Love was held in Manchester after the tragic events to spread love and hope back to a city stained with darkness. 55,000 people coming together and singing at the top of their lungs is a far more powerful message of unity than mere words. Music has always influenced culture, driving new waves such as punk rock. At One Love, we as a human race demonstrated we won’t cower to evil and that the vast majority of people are good, but also that we are stronger together. This can be made much more personal to someone since mental health problems have been more prominent over lockdown and life naturally takes its course – we hit low points and music can help get us through these times and find strength in ourselves. However, it also allows us to access our raw emotions, as our subconscious connects with particular songs depending on what you most feel like. I like to think of bad and negative energy as dead space which can easily be pushed by non-physical factors, in this respect, music.

Listening to music is great, but having a creative outlet in music allows you to release your own beauty into this world rather than being a passenger and listening to someone carve their way through life. I have played guitar for years, but never really pushed myself until I started to listen to Jimi Hendrix four months ago; I have since played up to two hours a day. I have made more progress in four months than I would have made in years had I continued on my previous trajectory, and I am hooked. I went from a single Squier Stratocaster (which is by all accounts, a starter guitar) to a Gibson ES-335 and 1990 Fender

Stratocaster (which is essentially the much older and better brother than the Squier). My songs and general playing style are heavily inspired by Jimi Hendrix, of course, but I enjoy adding hints of blues from legends such as B.B. King and Chuck Berry.

Having this creative outlet gives me my own time to relax and I truly concentrate on the music and let out my own raw emotions. The emphasis on “own” is to express the fact that listening to other musicians exposes your emotions to yourself, but playing allows you to release them, as you play what you truly feel and can therefore better understand your emotions.

Music is a vector through which to express confidence and truly show yourself. It was honestly so refreshing the first time I truly just played and let my fingers do the talking. I felt so relieved after playing and it just took a minute to understand that I had fully uncovered myself using a guitar. Playing music, to quote Henry Beecher, “cleanses the understanding; inspires it and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach left to itself.” Put simply, there is no wrong in music, as you are the music. Listening and playing music does so much good to the soul, by washing away the dust set in from ignoring our true feelings and allows us to let loose wild sounds and civilise them into time and tune.

If this article can get one person to say, “hey, playing an instrument seems kind of cool; I might try it,” or, “I might try to listen to music deeper or even try this Jimi guy,” then I have succeeded, as music has such a profound impact on my life.

I hope this can help others discover how great this form of art is and let it help them too.

CAREERS LECTURE WITH MR. PIMLOTT Henry B, Year 12 writes…

Mr. Pimlott is the Head of Science and Biology at Wetherby Senior School, but for most of his life he didn’t work in education. His initial ambition was to become a doctor; he spent his summers “changing bed sheets and emptying potties” in the renal unit at St. Thomas’ and he observed heart surgery at King’s. Despite his endeavours, his applications to numerous teaching hospitals were declined.

Undeterred, he decided to complete a science degree and planned to re-apply to medical school in the future. During his second year of biochemistry at Edinburgh, he began attending anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology, among other medicine-related lectures. It was at this point he become disenchanted with the idea of medicine and wanted to find a career that better fit his skillset. “You have to remember huge lists of information, and my brain understands and learns by breaking things down.” It was not an easy realisation after he had spent so long planning it.

He continued with his degree in molecular biology, spending his final six months sequencing bacterial genomes using restriction enzymes.

Whilst it was interesting on a conceptual level, he despised the repetitive nature of lab work.

“You have to be realistic about what your skills are. Everybody is good at something, but nobody is good at everything.”

The son of a nurse and an investment banker, Mr. Pimlott hadn’t been exposed to many other career options. He highlights the importance of doing a lot of research and gaining first-hand experiences.

In order to do so, it’s worth looking at some of the smaller companies; there is less competition, but the training

and practice are equally valuable.

“You shouldn’t make decisions just because you think you want [a job]. You have to try it out first. Find out as soon as possible because it might not turn out to be what you thought it was.”

After his third year at Edinburgh, he wanted a job with a substantial salary, so he became an investment banker.

His mathematical brain became really interested in corporate debt; he loved understanding how it works. Debt is a niche career compared to the prevalence of the equity market, but it is insanely large and “the numbers are mad.” Trading debt for an investment bank involves an enormous amount of capital at risk.

“Undergraduate degrees develop fundamental transferable skills, like independent research, though nine out of ten people I know have a master’s degree as well.”

Mr. Pimlott reminisces on his applications, noting that he had to be particularly selective given that it can be very draining to tailor a CV and cover letter for each potential employer.

“You have to be sensible when it comes to applying because applications take time.”

After gaining some experience, Mr. Pimlott was recruited by a top-tier bank – Morgan Stanley.

However, 2008 saw one of the worst financial catastrophes in history. Triggered by the crash of the housing bubble in the USA, the crisis resulted in the demise of Lehman Brothers (one of the world’s biggest investment banks), brought many key financial institutions and businesses to the brink of collapse, and required government bailouts of unprecedented proportions. Financial markets went into meltdown and whole countries were on the brink

of going bust. People were queuing to take money out of banks. Jobs in finance disappeared instantly; Mr. Pimlott was sadly among the many who were made redundant, which was devastating for him and very tricky to bounce back from.

Fortunately, he managed to find another job and remained in the debt market until 2015.

Decisions in life may not always be driven purely by passion, though they are equally linked to one’s status.

The imminent birth of Mr. Pimlott’s daughter acted as a catalyst for Mr. Pimlott to become a teacher. As a new father, teaching was appealing because it has numerous lifestyle benefits, such as longer holidays or shorter hours compared to investment banking. Little did he know that this would prove to be, in his words, “the most rewarding job” he has ever had.

“Teaching is […] certainly the most rewarding job I’ve ever done.”

Ultimately, life throws challenges at us, but the people who are most fulfilled are the positive and enthusiastic ones like Mr. Pimlott.

He was flexible and he had the maturity to realise at a young age that medicine was not his real passion, so he adapted to the opportunities that he had at the time.

“In order to succeed, you have to be resilient. You have to realise that you have made mistakes but move on.”

Career choices are a mix of pursuing passion and recognising opportunities when they arise.

Originally, Mr. Pimlott saw himself becoming neither an investment banker nor a teacher, but given the chance he was able to do so and be successful in both careers. He remains a passionate scientist and he continues to inspire us all.

ON THE HOT SEAT

Maxime H and Nicolas S, Year 12 write…

This week, Max and Nico sit down (over MS Teams, of course) with Deputy Head Boy, Miron Bykov.

Miron joined Year 9 at WSS in summer 2017 and has since grown into a talented academic role model for the school.

Last year, Miron and Co-Deputy Head Boy Tobi set up a free website called STEMentoring.com, where they provide free tutoring for younger pupils struggling with STEM subjects. If you think you could do with a bit of help, why not check it out and sign up? https://www.stementoring.com/ In the past few weeks, Miron has been hard at work preparing for his mock A Level exams: mathematics, further mathematics, biology, and Russian. Other than that, Miron spent lockdown exercising and watching sports; he’s a big NBA and boxing fan. Miron is hoping to study computer science at Imperial College or UCL next year.

What is your favourite sport?

Very tough question! I have been into boxing and basketball for a while. I try to regularly watch the Memphis Grizzlies (NBA basketball), as well as Vasyl Lomachenko (lightweight), GGG

(middleweight), and Oleksandr Usyk (heavyweight) when they fight.

focussed and not allow the feelings to get to me yet, since it’s not the end just yet.

What motivates you to work hard?

For me, it’s a number of personal reasons. At times, it’s the only option; I don’t have many distractions because I’ve never really had a smartphone in my life.

What is your favourite cheat meal?

It would have to be some McDonald’s; the thought of those fries makes me hungry 24/7.

What would be your ideal holiday destination?

I haven’t travelled around the world much. Hopefully, this is something I will be able to do soon. I would love to go somewhere exotic, maybe Africa?

What is your favourite way to spend a day off?

Day off? What does that even mean? Just kidding, I try to spend some time with friends, maybe play video games or watch a movie.

What is your favourite thing about Wetherby Senior School?

The community at Wetherby is very friendly. This is something that surprised me when I first joined.

What advice would you give to younger pupils?

Make sure you keep up with the workload. Most of the time, this will require doing work outside of class. Revising a small amount but regularly is much more effective than cramming it all into one day.

If you do this, exams won’t stress you out at all since you know everything.

How do you deal with work stress?

Intense workouts help release excess energy created by stress.

What is a dream that you have yet to achieve?

I’ve lived in a council estate almost all my life. Since the age of 15, I’ve been waiting to move to university and have my own accommodation. It’s crazy how I’m almost there! Still, I try to stay

Biology, chemistry, or physics?

Since I do biology as an A Level and Mr. Pimlott or Mrs. Zaman may be reading this, I have to say biology.

If you had one more year at Wetherby, what would you want to achieve?

I would try to finish with five A Levels instead of four, just to raise the bar higher for my younger sister who has just started secondary school.

What is your favourite memory at WSS? My bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award brings many funny memories to mind.

Which teacher do you think would do best on The Great British Bake Off? Why? Honestly, I have no clue about the cooking abilities of any teachers. I’m guessing that Mr. Montgomery’s or Mr. Sullivan’s chicken & rice must be delicious after many years of perfecting the recipe. On a serious note, I would nominate Mr. Leverage given his love of French cuisine.

VIDEO GAMES: GOOD OR BAD? Theophile N, Year 7 writes...

Video games have often been called bad. There have been rumours that they deteriorate your eyesight or encourage violence. In this article, I am going to highlight the benefits of gaming and rebut the poor unfounded allegations against online games.

“Video games destroy your eyesight.”

The University of Rochester, New York, found that after a month of consistent video game playing, players actually had a 20% improvement in eyesight. A study conducted by brain scientist, Professor Balvelier, stated that not only your eyesight improves; your attention to detail is also enhanced.

“People turn into criminals because of video games.”

We have all been at home or in the car listening to the news when someone was convicted of murder or abuse and playing video games was cited as a potential cause of their crime. As with eyesight, there is conclusive data that disproves these theories. Not only does the science disprove them, but even the people I interviewed disagreed with the assumption that playing video games incites violence. Samir Agili, CEO of Tilting Point says this is “ridiculous” because “it doesn’t affect the mentally healthy, but the mentally unstable may be affected.”

Concentration and knowledge – the advantages of video games One of the most interesting things about video games is that certain types improve concentration and increase your attention span.

Mr. Agili told me that all video games have advantages: FPS (first person shooter) games help your concentration skills. Other games set in a different time period can teach you about history, such as Civilisation. The most outstanding positive outcome of a game is conflict resolution. One of my interviewees, Asi Burak, Founder and Chairman of Games for Change, made a game about the Israel and Palestine clash, which could lead to resolving the quarrel in real life.

When video games heal.

Many video games can help the healthy but even more can heal the sick. Disabilities like depression and ADHD can be treated with video games. Mr. Burak thinks that video games are a new power that should be tamed and used to our advantage.

The disadvantages of video games.

Video games have proven to be a useful and increasingly popular resource, but we must remember that nothing is perfect. The one thing all the research has pointed out, as well as my interviewees, is that video games are like drugs: they are addictive. “Everything in moderation” is what both Mr. Agili and Mr. Burak said. Video games are like steak; they are good but only in moderation, so you should pace yourself.

You can listen to the full interviews here: Samir El Agili, CEO and cofounder of Tilting Point: https://soundcloud.com/theonoren-868026351/samir-agiliinterview/s-Q9tuyXzfk8c Asi Burak, Founder and Chairman of Games for Change: https://soundcloud.com/theonoren-868026351/audio-trimmedasi-interview/s-mnTUlduFsu4

ISA ESSAYS

Ahmad A, Year 12 writes...

The Personal Adaptive Companion “Hi, My name is PAC. I am your personal adaptive companion, and who might you be?”

These were the first words out of the thing’s mouth, and already my eyes scoured his plastic surface for an Off button. To this day, I’ve no idea what compelled me to purchase a humanoid machine as a companion. Being a writer, we generally prosper in seclusion, teasing our brain to leak some insanity into itself, so that our work could possess those undefinable elements that make our dreams so alluring. Orwell wished to have an authentic experience of prison and had several times attempted to get himself incarcerated.

He failed.

“I’m the sheep who bought you,” I mumbled under my breath, all the while thinking of a more snarky remark to make to this thing, the epitome of corporate blind optimism. It was like the text message that would come on Remembrance Day, or any other solemn day, to bring tidings to you about their 20% sale off their women’s lingerie section, which I have most certainly nothing to do with, with a loud, obnoxious ping to boot. Boot you, specifically, out of the family reunion you just so happened to be attending.

Sitting right next to dear aunt Cass’ bespectacled piercing eyes,

which at times made her almost as omniscient as she believed the lord to be. Anyone who had experienced the same message would note that this robot is similar to that message, but worse.

Anyone who didn’t and were standing next to the former at the time of such a notation would ask why. Why? It had legs.

Yes, legs; bipedal legs with platinum pistons, presenting it as a metallic satyr. However, the worst part was a wide screen on its toaster shaped chest that would display its advertisements, a walking embarrassment redefined by our most innovative companies. Now all who come visit your household would know that you had searched for women’s lingerie 20 or so times in the past week, thanks to your ingenious companion.

I’ve now realised that I have been internally monologuing a paragraph and a half while a robot stood in front of me with the same question hovering stubbornly in the air. For a moment I pondered whether or not I could leave him like this. Would he even question it? I hoped not, for while I wasn’t a comedic writer, I found some uncanny irony in the idea of a machine standing there for the rest of my life, never knowing who exactly the man beneath a nest of tussled hair, a shrunken robe and his late Nana’s pink slippers was.

Sipping my cold tea and sighing, I finally replied, “I’m Blue Jay, a writer.” The robot paused for a second, before replying “a pleasure to meet you, Blue.” My parents, Ana Valisen Brightpost and Vincent Hemmelhock Jay, bless their souls, thought it humorous to name me Blue Jay, after the bird. I was and still am perpetually compared to that triangularly-brained avian by

anyone upon hearing my name, and yet PAC’s programming seemed to spare me from that beaten horse of a joke either out of ignorance or programmed kindness. For all I knew, it was Asimov’s first rule that prevented him from saying it, since I was quite certain that it counted as hurting me at this point.

‘Alright’, I thought to myself, ‘lets see how this works’, “Clean up my room, PAC.” I heard internal fans surge with power as PAC began to move, his LED screen pointlessly displaying an icon of an old feather duster. ‘God’, he sounded like nana’s hoover, an ancient apparition within my childhood nightmares.

‘Good times’. I decided to pour myself a whiskey, take my Calabash gourd souvenir from an old theatre shop, and relax on my couch. Head down, of course, nose buried in the crevasse between couch cushions as I pondered a story to write yet again.

I was beginning to feel like a man searching for a needle in a haystack, whilst having an inexplicable lack of hands to do so with. Talent was something that I never possessed, and personally never wanted either; whether it was out of self-comfort, or out of envy, I told myself that having a magnet to find the needle would yield no satisfaction once found. Nevertheless, my stubborn creed began to feel as pointless as an egg for a doorstop, neither me or that hypothetical fellow of talent were experiencing the satisfaction of success. Thus, as usual, I began to garble into the 1 inch void before me, I’ll probably return to my sedentary state after this ritual again. However, my tweeting, as my ever-so-comedic mother called it, was interrupted by something hard being placed upon my head.

PAC rhythmically patted my head

and said, “that is not a healthy way to deal with frustration Blue.”

I half thought it would offer me a soma pill. Disappointingly it didn’t. Instead it just gave me a recommendation for a book called Dealing with Frustration. Quaint.

If it were anything else other than a machine ignorant of lady irony’s möbius strip, I would’ve most likely socked it for that. The fellow who wrote this book has likely gained more satisfaction than me. Then again, a cockroach is most likely enjoying more satisfaction than me as it feasts upon some gum off a shoe, a true Michelin delicacy.

Having my daily session of selfloathing interrupted, PAC had gained my attention. I naturally assumed that he was done with cleaning my room and had graced upon my unmoving corpse for more orders. “What would you suggest for a writer’s block, PAC?” To this day I regret this act of sheer desperation, for what came out of PAC’s mouth most likely plunged me deeper into my Shakespearean melancholy: “A walk” “...No” However, the machine still decided to bring me my clothes. “Fine,” I’ve given in to its bulbed eyes. “Maybe this will be good for me.”

Faris B, Year 12 writes...

How important of a turning point was the 19th Amendment, in the development of women’s rights?

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote, a right

known as women’s suffrage, and was ratified on August 18, 1920, ending almost a century of protest. It was a crucial turning point in women’s rights, this was largely due to their significant contribution to the war effort granting them the overdue right to vote in the United States.

Despite this the amendment didn’t solve many longstanding issues and there was still much work needed if women were to be considered equal in society.

The campaign for women’s suffrage began to pick up pace at the time of the Civil War in America. Before the 19th Amendment, women had suffered numerous crushing defeats in their attempts to form a more equal society. For context by 1865 women could not vote or stand for office and the lack of progress continued into the late 19th century due to major divisions between suffrage groups and women organisations. This had been made indefinitely clear as there was a dismissal of women’s attempts to register a vote in 1871 which reversed the progress suffrage groups had been working tirelessly to make. As time continued to pass and women’s efforts for the vote continued to be looked past, it appeared as if there was going to need an event to majorly shift public attitude in order to help get the support they needed. This came in 1917 when the US joined the First World War and many of the economically active men went off to fight, leaving the brunt of the work in the country with women.

This was such a significant turning point in women’s rights as there had never been an example in American history where the country was so dependent on the role of women in the functioning of the country that it left the personnel in charge with a major decision to make as they could no longer reasonably justify preventing a basic right to vote. A fascinating comparison to make is that between the success

post the First World War and the failures of the late 19th century and in particular after the Civil War. The obvious difference when you consider both events is that the Civil War was fought internally, hence the men remained in the country and the responsibility of maintaining crops and land or working in factories was never afforded to women which left them unable to a strong enough claim to demand a vote. If further reason was needed to incite change in the country, America had joined the war to defend freedom and democracy yet they persisted on preventing 50% of their population from voting due to their gender which would have been extremely backwards and contradictory and of course would not have been a good look for one of the aspiring powerhouses of the 20th century.

By 1940 the effects of amendment had come into force and there had been significant developments by the time of the Second World War. Women were trusted with highly skilled positions in government as well as there being women committees where promoting gender equality was discussed. All this progress yet there was still much to be done if equality was to be achieved, although development between the two wars was evident, women were still left out of major decision making during the conflict and had to settle for uneven pay in at any level of work. Further areas in which the amendment didn’t eradicate many of the major issues included the voting rights of ethnic women, particularly in the south where largely due to society still being segregated restrictions on African American voting persisted up unil the 1960s.

Linking back to the 19th Amendment, it is clear based on the evidence discussed that the immediate effects guaranteed the short-term voting rights and

involvement of women into society as their efforts in the First World War were decisive in gaining the respect they deserved. Nevertheless, as the world continued to evolve and the inequalities that the 19th Amendment didn’t eradicate grew more apparent, the need for change continued into the late 20th century as unequal pay is one of the issues that hasn’t been truly resolved to this day. Further deficiencies of the amendment which were relevant at the time it was passed was securing voting rights for American women, this of course was still a very racist America in the 1920s so it may have been unrealistic to demand more yet is important to consider the argument. In conclusion I do feel the 19th Amendment was an important turning point in women’s rights and provided a strong first win that women needed to push on for complete equality.

with a White Paper explaining the overall design of the Bitcoin network. This started to make headlines in many newspapers and financial magazines, urging us to understand this new intangible currency more. What seemed to be like another fad then (like fidget spinners), has become one of the most debated aspects of modern times for both economists and world leaders.

As I imagine, everyone is more familiar with transactions done with money, which actually has a physical entity, in the form of banknotes and coins, known as ‘fiat currency’. Fiat currency is a national currency that gets its value because the government of a country or a central bank declares it legal tender. As a result, all people and companies accept it as a means of settling debt and executing transactions.

To properly deal with the concept of cryptocurrency, I believe that one needs to be able to think further and imagine a form of money, which instead doesn’t possess a physical form and only exists online.

Tommaso S, Year 12 writes...

Cryptocurrency and financial inclusion in developing countries Since the beginning of this century, we have witnessed a fast-paced development of technology and its breakthroughs in sectors where no one could have expected to see technological applications ever being introduced before (like AI in remote healthcare services).

In the financial sector, this technological wave has paved the way for the emergence of a new currency, born outside of traditional financial systems: cryptocurrency.

So, what is cryptocurrency? This term was first coined when Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin was released onto the internet in 2009, along

Let’s take a couple of steps back and try to see the bigger picture of the world’s economies: one can detect that in developed countries that are relying on established financial systems, governments and organisations (e.g. the IMF) are investigating the potential of cryptocurrency, in particular, to understand if this new currency can fit in their financial regulations. At the same time, people in developed economies are showing an interest in cryptocurrency as an alternative option for their investment.

Staying on the same bigger picture, the real challenge however is to understand if cryptocurrencies could, with their own peculiar technological properties, eventually benefit the economies of countries whose financial systems are either

non-existent, inadequate or not materially accessible, providing a reliable way to access financial services for more people and companies who struggle to do so.

It is a matter of fact that global inequalities are strictly related to limited access of financial services for companies and individuals.

Access to basic financial services (e.g. opening bank accounts, payments, remittances etc) in some areas of the world is in fact prevented by a variety of factors, hindering even the smallest economic improvement of small financial transactions in daily life.

In developing countries, the main obstacle for both individuals and companies is the bureaucratic complexitiy regarding the access to financial services. Cryptocurrency can bring advantages from this practical standpoint. The feature of anonymity of the participants in the cryptocurrency community allows new users to avoid the complex know your customer” procedure of the banking sector, where they are requested to provide proof of identity, addresses or financial background (e.g. minimum salary) that are difficult, if not impossible, to be supplied for those in economically disadvantaged or isolated areas.

Also, access to cryptocurrency doesn’t require any complex technological equipment, just general access to the Internet and use of a digital device (e.g. a smartphone). Statistics on internet access and mobile phone penetration in developing countries are in this respect more than encouraging, showing nearly 70% of the population in developing countries owns a mobile phone.

Another very important detail that can contribute to facilitating economic transactions is the small fee required to make monetary exchanges on the Blockchain.

Users usually have to pay a fixed

transaction fee in the range of $0.0000901 and $2.587, which is much lower than the ones applied by any money transfer operator channel, like Western Union or MoneyGram (charging an average 6.8% per transaction, reaching 8.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa).

Cryptocurrency, through its Blockchain technology, can also offer a safe store of value for those who aren’t able to access bank accounts because of their distance from a financial service provider.

Users, even in the most remote geographical areas, could in fact store their money in their electronic wallet, keeping it safe and easy to access.

The decentralisation of its Blockchain architecture makes cryptocurrency also not bound to a specific geographical area, so transactions can be executed from anywhere to anywhere on the globe. As cryptocurrency doesn’t have actual borders, peer-to-peer money transfers can be facilitated.

This aspect is extremely important considering the significance of remittances (money that migrants send back to families and friends in their country of origin) as part of a livelihood for most part of the people living in the poorest areas of the world.

The lack of intermediaries allows cryptocurrency to offer a faster way to send money across the globe.

Execution time of a transaction varies according to the specific kind of cryptocurrency, but the regular time frame is in a range of minutes. Remittances and money in general can take usually weeks to be received over traditional channels and this is a major issue for people who rely on remittances for their livelihood or to deal with contingency problems (e.g. natural disasters, civil wars etc.).

Last but not least, cryptocurrency can even offer the opportunity for people of emerging economies whose access to exchanges and

stock markets is extremely limited, to invest money.

Just like fiat currency, cryptocurrency can be obtained, transferred or exchanged to and from other currencies and is now being used to pay for goods and services more often. The advantages highlighted above, together with a high level of security for transactions on Blockchain, could spark new confidence in the users, eventually making their business interaction better with a direct positive impact on their economies.

Only time can tell if cryptocurrency will become the new frontier for international monetary aid.

Max P, Year 12 writes...

Should the UK adopt a federal and more centralised system of government?

In 2015, UK government finance chief Sharon White, said the UK is “almost the most centralised developed country in the world”.

This statement came even after devolution had been in effect for over a decade with the creation of devolved institutions in Scotland, which came into effect in 1998.

Since then, Wales and Northern Ireland have also gained their own governments, though with varying degrees of autonomy. Despite this, tensions between Scotland and England still arise. More recently, Brexit has further acted to divide the two peoples; the referendum itself had monumental effects on the Scottish independence movement, which had already been strong with almost 45% of the Scottish populace voting to leave the UK in the 2014 referendum. However, the lack of decentralisation in England has

had countless negative effects on the entire country while devolution has acted as more of a half-solution for a nationwide issue. It should also be understood that much of England itself also suffers from the UK’s centralised government; the Institute for Public Policy Research published a report in 2019 that detailed the north-south divide in the country and how it has resulted in great disparagements in health, employment opportunities, disposable income, and productivity. Northern cities such as Blackpool and Hull have worse mortality rates than some areas in Romania, while job opportunities are far higher in London and the south east - the divide in disposable income has only increased in the past 10 years with those living in Fulham boasting, on average, £48,000 more than those living in Blackburn or Leicester do. It certainly seems that these divides in the economy are a result of the UK’s highly centralised governance where out of every £1, 95p is taken in by London.

With problems such as these, the argument for a federalist system raises its head. In understanding federalism, one must understand exactly what such a system entails; the Federal Union define the characteristics of federalism as a “multi-level system of government, where each level of government is democratic and has its own direct relationship with the citizens. It might be understood variously as the dispersal of power within a political system – by reducing the power of the political centre – or as the linking together of different political systems by a framework of shared law and institutions.”

Important parts to recognise as the absolutes of federalism are the reduction of “power of the political centre” and “separation of powers”.

The first and arguably most vital element of British politics that

federalism would solve is England and Scotland’s relationship. A proposal of federalism is simply a way of keeping the union between the two countries secure to prevent financial and political instability in the event of Scottish independence through making Scotland (or the would-be states that would make up Scotland) generally free of the constraints of the Westminster Parliament. While England would still have the largest influence because of its high population, due to the high decentralisation, federal decisions would not have too much of an effect anyway. Even better, a Scottish Parliament could be kept and the states report to that before London.

However, when it comes to parts of the country that desperately need more independence and autonomy, northern England comes to mind.

As I have noted previously, the north suffers from the lack of power over their own budgets, taxes and general policies that simply do not work the same throughout the entire country. Michael Keating from the Centre on Constitutional Change notes that federalism in the UK is focused on the “principle of dividing power and ending the monopoly of the centre…allowing different parts of the union to develop their own institutions according to local needs”. Surely if the entire country is allowed to flourish and develop, instead of all the resources being placed into one area, then the greater wealth equality and community growth would mean the entirety of England can realise its full economic potential.

It’s important to realise that centralisation causes problem to London itself. While the city is the most important financial centre in Europe, its high desirability and lack of opportunity in other areas, have certainly contributed to the city’s housing shortage -

increasing rents and property prices while wages remain the same. The London datastore found in 2018 that the number of Londoners living in poverty had reached 2.4 million (28%).

Because of this, many who work in the city cannot afford to live there and so thousands have to be spent each year by individuals on transportation. Why should people from outside the city be forced into working and travelling to the city that works to make sure they never see their tax money be brought back into their local economy?

The return of tax funds to local communities has been proven to work in this country from the limited examples in which it has occurred: in Wales, about £1 billion was provided to the local councils in order to help create new jobs and attract new businesses. As a result, Aston Martin moved some of its productions to South Wales, providing 750 highly skilled jobs, showing how the use of spreading wealth across the nation instead of hoarding it in the South is beneficial. From a financial view, the benefits for federalism are obvious.

However, even if there weren’t so many economic benefits that would come with implementing a decentralised system, I would still maintain my argument simply from the point of the right to self-determination. With decentralisation, people would gain personal political power and individual regions could have their own specific laws without having it interfered with by the whims of Westminster. It simply is not right for an MP from Hampshire to have as much control over policy in Leicestershire as an MP from Leicestershire does.

Individual regions of England should have to consent to laws before they are passed if not in the

name of economic improvement, then in the name of greater personal freedom.

Henry B, Year 12 writes...

CRISPR – A blessing or a curse?

An exploration of CRISPR/Cas9 genetic engineering technology and its pivotal implications on science, society, and the natural world.

The biggest technological revolution of the 21st century isn’t digital; it’s biological. CRISPR/Cas9 gives us extraordinary control over the basic building blocks of life, but it is surrounded by an ethical conundrum. It enables us to reshape the biosphere: cope with climate change, cure diseases, and even design our own children. However, it has monumental implications on humanity, so it should be extensively researched before being administered on humans.

Originally discovered in cells of Haloferax mediterranei, CRISPR refers to the genetic structure of certain bacteria1, the Cas9 protein employs a guide RNA to police the intracellular neighbourhood for a complementary DNA segment.

Cas9 can be programmed to sever a specific point of interest2, a single base in a miscellany of six billion nucleotides. At present, we understand the fundamentals of CRISPR, but progress is needed before it can be used on a large scale to edit human genes. Perhaps scientists should focus on plants, which pose fewer problems and allow us to discover more about the technique.

In a world where the adverse effects of human activity are becoming evident on our climate, CRISPR may have a critical role in enhancing adaptability and helping species to cope with these changes.3 For instance, editing the genomes of certain crops such that their

stomata close earlier during dry seasons would make them less likely to wilt. We could re-establish the symbiotic relationship between coral reefs and the organisms within by enabling the coral to handle warmer ocean temperatures.

In the last few decades, we have investigated the human genome and identified many alleles responsible for certain characteristics. However, conventional gene therapy was essentially a random process4 geneticists simply didn’t have the technology to isolate the locus of a single nucleotide, so the effects of an unintended outcome could be disastrous. With CRISPR, we can treat mutations with more specificity than ever and cure genetic disorders like sickle cell anaemia.

SCA is a genetic condition that prevents red blood cells from carrying oxygen efficiently, resulting in chronic fatigue, tissue damage, and a shortened life expectancy5 all because of a microscopic substitution in DNA sequences that affects the structure of haemoglobin. CRISPR therapy allows patients to regenerate their own normal haemoglobin, thereby mitigating the need for transfusion.

Moreover, using CRISPR to breed pigs for xenotransplantation improves immunocompatibility and greatly diminishes the chance of rejection by the human immune system6. This could reduce strain on healthcare systems and save the lives of patients on waiting lists.

Personalised medicines developed with CRISPR would be more effective7, but the FDA has halted numerous trials on the grounds that patients developed cancer many years later. This demonstrates the major importance of testing the technology on other organisms before using it on humans.

CRISPR can cure diseases, but there is a downside. Its adoption must be judged prudently because it can

equally allow us to alter human characteristics beyond nature’s intentions and there is a risk of inadvertent change. Scientists know little about the implications of one gene on another, so CRISPR should only be used to treat life-threatening conditions – those severe enough to warrant unintended side effects. At the moment, it would be flippant to consider large-scale genome editing because CRISPR/Cas9 is still in its infancy and has yet to be proven safe for humans. There is also scepticism about cost; DNA editing may result in genetic inequality.

CRISPR is to become universally available, it must be governed by strict international laws and an enforcement body. It is a powerful tool, so scientists must use it in situations where it may save lives – for now, at least. Legislation must allow individuals to make their own choices within certain limits.

Gene changes in the blood or skin expire at the end of that person’s life, whereas modifications to germ cells will be passed down, resulting in unpredictable and potentially catastrophic effects on future generations8. Far more research and deliberation are necessary before it becomes a viable option9. CRISPR was first used to alter the genetic code of future generations when the CCR5 receptor was removed from two human embryos to prevent HIV infection. The resulting global uproar culminated in the jailing of He Jiankui, one of the leading scientists on the project10. It made researchers worldwide ask, “where should we draw the line between disease and diversity?”

There is no doubt that CRISPR/ Cas9 has given us the ability to alter our relationship with nature, but we must make a distinction between survival and indulgence.

The breakthrough is ultimately a blessing, but it would raise innumerable practical and ethical issues if it became widespread at this early stage in its development.

Genetically, we are very similar to the apes that roamed shrubland a few millennia ago. The difference lies in our ability to advance our ambitions. CRISPR is driving the rate and direction of human evolution. It is likely that combined bio-implant technologies for strength, longevity, and processing speed are around the corner. They could easily be used to consummate a ‘man-machine’ chimera akin to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Bioethicist Alta Charo has a more optimistic view. She reminds us that this curse of a eugenic society has not been realised until now.

Her congress-funded tour of California sperm banks revealed a strong tendency for customers to choose individuals who resembled their partners, regardless of imperfections12. In The Reason of Things, A.C. Grayling asks, “if something is unnatural, does that automatically make it wrong?” With the right regulations, CRISPR could definitely become a safe method of improving quality of life.

Some people might make themselves more muscular or able to survive on only four hours of sleep per day11. What if this were a job requirement for certain occupations? If

NOTE: This essay has been abridged to comply with a 1000word limit. Please contact Henry B if you would like to read the full version, including the references1-12 cited above.

Whatever the application of CRISPR, the worst possible repercussions must not be overwhelming. In the UK, it is lawful to use genome editing in humans, where the change is not heritable, or in embryonic research (under strict licensing conditions).

The main ethical issue arises with cells and embryos intended for implantation.

INSURRECTION AT THE CAPITOL BUILDING Dan R, Year 10 writes...

Many people probably don’t know the last time and the only time the US Capitol had been breached (Ahem... by you) was on August 24, 1814. During the War of 1812, British troops invaded Washington DC and set fire to the Capitol, the Presidental Mansion and other local landmarks. That was over 200 years ago. Only a torrential rainstorm saved the Capitol from complete destruction. Since then, no foreign forces or revolutionaries had breached the security of the Capitol building.

However, a few weeks ago, somehow, in a shock to the world, a force of 30,000 USA insurrectionists sent a shockwave made-in-the USA throughout the world. They invaded their way inside of the Capitol building.

Whether or not the lack of defence and security was deliberate, it still happened for the first time in 207 years in an act of evil persuasion by the former President Trump.

There were anti-semites and white supremacists, called Proud Boys and one of them even died for a hopeless cause. They had been lied to for months by the rightwing media such as QAnon on

Twitter. Some were also Senators or Congressmen and, the loudest voice of them all, the former President Trump. They were told that their votes had not been counted and Trump really won the election.

After this, it might seem like America is extremely divided and the hope of unity that President Biden wields might never arrive.

Right now, it is unlikely. But there is hope.

Now you might say to me, “Dan you are such a handsome globetrotting New Yorker / Londoner with a world view!” And I might reply “Yes I am!” But people of my younger generation growing up in this age of instant communications and media are being exposed more and more often to the wrongdoings of citizens in the past and the present. We are more open to different races and religions than ever before as America becomes more diverse.

Just last year, Mississippi voted to remove the Confederate flag (a symbol of hate and slavery) from their own state flag after failing to do so in a vote only 20 years ago. More people are becoming aware of the changes that we all need to make to save the USA and our world. Different communities and people are more and more interactive with each other than ever before. We are a new generation that will prevail in the face of this neo-fascist danger that wants to destroy the whole world. We instead intend to make the future brighter for our generation as we strive to build a more perfect union.

THE TWO SIDES OF MOSCOW Barnaby M-J, Year 7 writes...

Moscow is the bustling capital of Russia, but not many people know that it is also one of the most dangerous cities in Europe.

When I visited in early 2020, I had the chance to take a look at some of the atrocious conditions that people must endure on a day-today basis in Moscow but first lets take a look at the Golden Districts.

In these districts, you will find many things that show the presence of the super-rich the super-famous and the superdangerous, as in these districts the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, resides in the safety of the Kremlin. I was able to secure a pass to visit the Kremlin and some of the things inside would befuddle, dazzle and amaze you.

As you travel up the velvet and gold staircases you will find some of the darkest secrets in Russian history, such as political prisoners.

Some areas are so secretive you can be imprisoned for many years for the simple act of taking a photo with your phone. When you enter these districts, you must have your passport with you at all times and security is second to none, it truly is the surveillance state. This is all for a very good reason and that is because of the sheer beauty and engineering marvels within these areas will exceed your expectations, and you will find that some of the most expensive and amazing places in Eastern Europe are held within the boundaries of this mysterious yet wonderful city.

Now we have discussed the centre of this bustling city, we will take a look at what is often ignored in Moscow and these areas are called the “bedroom districts”.

Inside these areas crime is rampant, there is virtually no law enforcement and these are often considered to be the most dangerous slums in Europe.

Almost all foreigners who enter are mugged, assaulted or in extreme cases, murdered. The largest district is located near the Domodedovo international airport and it is made up of mostly Soviet, run-down architecture which is filled with many broken gas pipes, dangerous electricity sources, broken windows, and asbestos. Along with this the buildings tend to be full of drug

cartels and opium dens which create a very hostile and gang controlled area. Many people tend to have drug problems from very young ages, but sadly this is often the ignored majority of the Russian and eastern European population as these problems are not exclusive to Moscow, and exsoviet countries struggle with this population divide and sadly, many happen to be on the poorer side of the spectrum. Many of Russia’s problems lie here, but many charities in the capital are actively working to tackle these issues.

THe VACCINE: IS IT SAFE & HoW DOES IT WORK? Kaveh K, Year 9 writes...

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about vaccines. There are some that have an almost 100% prevention rate, and others, such as the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which have a lesser prevention rate, around 80%, but are much cheaper to make and easier to store. But are vaccines effective, are they safe, and if offered one, should you get one?

The Covid-19 virus cannot be cured (yet). The best way to lower the amount of people infected is by preventing them from catching the virus in the first place. We do this using vaccines. These are weaker versions of the virus they are trying to defend your body against. When “white blood cells” find and destroy the weaker version of the virus, they learn what to expect, so if they are faced with the actual virus, they know how to kill it. Everyone gets certain vaccines after being born, such as Recombivax HB, a vaccine that prevents you from getting Hepatitis B, a life-threatening disease that affects your liver.

Most vaccines you receive during infancy have gone through dozens of clinical trials and have had extensive testing before being rolled out. However, the vaccines we currently have for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) have only been around for about a year. While these vaccines have gone through many randomised controlled trials, as with all vaccines, there may be unwanted side-effects.

Different vaccines have different side-effects. The Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine currently has the highest rate of success, and only poses a risk of mild side-effects, such as fatigue and headache.

The British government has made it clear that they want to start rolling out vaccines to all schools, alongside extensive testing programmes. At the time of writing this article, this looks to be limited to teachers, as there is a minimal risk of pupils under the age of 18 from being affected

by Covid-19. The government says they first want to vaccinate people at the highest risk (the elderly, key workers and people with

underlying health conditions), followed by under 60s and so on.

You may have been offered the vaccine as part of a randomised trial in your area, which the NHS has recently been carrying out.

You may be thinking about why you need a vaccine if it doesn’t affect you. After all, you won’t even notice it if you get it, right? The chances are, you won’t, and that’s exactly why you are being offered a vaccine. Under-16s act as carriers.

While not affected themselves by Covid-19, if they spread it to an elderly person, it can be lethal.

To summarise, vaccines are safe and have minimal side-effects.

As new developments occur, this article may become outdated.

However, this is what is currently known. If you have any questions about vaccines and are looking online, make sure to only visit reputable news sites you can trust, such as the BBC and NHS. For more information on the COVID vaccines, go to http://bit.ly/ wssvaccine.

MINERALS Joseph S, Year 7 writes...

Calcium Your bones are made up of calcium. It helps to make them strong, e.g you can stand up or score a goal. It can help build strong and healthy teeth.

Foods that have lots of calcium: - Dairy, such as cheese and yogurt - Tinned salmon and sardines with bones.

- Green leafy vegetables, like broccoli.

- Calcium-fortified foods.

Iron Your body needs iron to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your tissues. You need oxygen to help stay healthy and alive.

Iron is critical in the production of haemoglobin which is a part of red blood cells which carry oxygen throughout the body Foods that have lots of iron: - Meat, in particular red meat.

- Tuna and salmon.

- Eggs.

- Beans.

- Dried fruits, like raisins.

- Baked potato with skins.

Potassium Potassium keeps your muscles and nervous system working properly Foods that have lots of potassium: - Bananas.

- Tomatoes.

- Potatoes and sweet potatoes with skins.

- Green vegetables, like spinach and broccoli.

- Citrus fruits, like oranges.

- Low fat milk and yoghurt.

- Legumes.

THEATRE APPRECIATION SOCIETY Vangelis F, Year 9 writes...

A few months ago, I signed up for theatre appreciation society.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as someone who likes plays a lot, I really enjoyed the club. Over the course of the spring term, we watched The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Frankenstein.

Overall, I enjoyed Curious Incident more because the plot was more entertaining to me.

It is about a fifteen-year-old boy named Christopher with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. In the story, Christopher finds his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, dead and he takes it upon himself to solve the case of who murdered it. This play is captivating, due, in large part, to the brilliant use of smooth and flowing movement throughout; every little anecdote is given its own sequence of movement to

help visually narrate and enhance the scene. I believe that this play is very interesting and exciting to watch. The whole performance

is meticulously planned. When theatres open again, I would love to go and watch it in real life.

Ace of Spades & a Heart of Madness Part 2: The Traitor A short story by Ramzi K, Year 10...

It has been one month since the last incident of the last game where the arrogant were blackened and had to pay a life-threatening price that they had initially imposed on their opponents. The twins never returned since and not much is known of their current status. Since then, Oak Hill announced that their student council race has begun. Of course, it would not be Oak Hill if there was no gambling involved in the race. One can now only gamble with vote chips and the first five people with the most votes by the end of the term win and become the student council. The current reigning council leader, Celeste Ludenberg, has an astounding 200 vote lead so far, but Tara Marks is making a steady income of votes and may have just devised a gambit that could guarantee her that council leader position.

A week into the race during the lunch break, Mary found a mysterious note crammed in her already bursting backpack telling her to meet in the auditorium for a game after school. Naturally, Mary couldn’t resist a chance to gamble, so no further persuasion was needed.

With poise and assurance, Mary ambled into the unlit auditorium without thinking to turn the lights on; she embraces the dark - the unknown - because that is just who she is: twisted. In an instant, the lights were switched on to reveal five people on the stage. One of them was Ash, the first person she met at this school. The person next to him was Irina Harper, a tall and serious yet, at times, naïve girl with Russian heritage. Violet Ellis, an adorable short girl with short wavy hair and a headband stood by her with a smile that could cure a deadly disease.

There was one boy sitting at the back who gazed emptily at the ground

through his rectangular glasses, famous for one of the biggest gambling losses in history. He was a former student council member, Elijah, who once defied Celeste in a council meeting about the music department. Celeste wanted to abolish all musical clubs, ensembles and lessons as she is numb to the wooing and enchanting of all music and loathed it with a passion. Elijah was the exact opposite; music was his life, as he was destined to be famous for his talent being the prodigy that he was, so he defended it, which resulted in a gambling duel between him and Celeste. Everyone knew it was going to happen, but Celeste teared him to shreds without an ounce of remorse, leaving him scarred with millions of pounds of debt after a high-stakes game.

Celeste knew his actions all stemmed from a place of rage which made him predictable and Celeste used this to annihilate him. Now he swims in the vast black seas of despair, constantly searching for a shore to wash up on and breathe, but he has not found safe haven since and has been engulfed entirely by a lack of hope. His hair has even gone a particular shade of grey and that is now known as the grey of pure desolation. At the far left, there was Tara, a girl in a wheelchair with long black hair and stern, narrow eyes. She definitely has a strong chance of making it in the school council with all of these votes she has racked up so far. “Now that Mary has arrived I shall explain why I have gathered you all here tonight,” announced Tara “I offer an opportunity for all of you to gain in votes with ease and assurance as you will all be playing with my votes.

Allow me to explain the game; it is called ‘For The Greater Good’. There will first be a discussion period at the start of each round. Then, each of you will be taken one at a time to

a separate room. In said room, there will be two containers: the personal fund box and the tax contribution box. You will each have five silver coins to deposit in your preferred box in whichever way you like. The order of the turns will be: Violet, Irina, Ash, Mary, and then Elijah.

After everyone has had their turn, I will distribute the coins as follows.

Firstly the coins in your personal funds box are yours to keep. The coins you put in the tax contribution box will be doubled and distributed equally to all players. At the end of the fifth round, there will be a voting period in which you all vote who should be banished and not receive any reward by the end. I will not be playing, however. I will be collecting all the votes of the banished one and those who do not have a balance of forty coins or above by the end of the five rounds. However, I will also be generously rewarding those who get forty or above. All clear?” Some eagerly nodded, drooling at the thought of towers of votes while others already started coming up with strategies; the greed was insatiable. Once everyone had their turn, the results were announced: “20 coins were donated to the tax box. Times by two and divide by five to get 89 which is the number of coins that will be given to you all,” Tara said as a wave of shock rippled in the room. Violet dramatically gasped and cried, “Not only did someone not pay full tax, but they decided to pay no tax at all, otherwise we’d have 25 coins in the tax box! How could you? This is a game in which we all lose if we don’t learn to cooperate!” In a huge panic, Ash then tried to clear his name, “I paid my taxes, I swear! Please don’t banish me!” “Well how are we supposed to believe you, dingbat?”

Irina shouted. “I think we should all just calm down!” Thus, the true essence of ‘The Greater Good’ game.

There is a traitor among them and not only did they not pay any tax but they are lying about it. Some took the road of fear and distrust and started to panic, while other’s stayed silent and either schemed away quietly in the shadows or watched others worry. This game is a mini version of the council election race if you think about it. You must side with your opponents to see your own goals achieved while at the same time scheming to outwit them.

“Everyone listen up. I have a strategy to reveal the traitor. Here I have written a number on all of these pieces of paper somewhere between one and five. All of you must donate that many coins to the tax box. How will this reveal the traitor, you may ask? Assuming everyone puts in the designated amount to tax, then if the traitor didn’t donate again, the traitor’s identity can be deduced from the shortfall. There’s the risk of being a few coins short, but it will prevent any betrayal in the long run,” Mary explained and everyone looked at each other for reassurance and agreed to abide by this strategy.

In round two, a measly 13 coins were paid in tax this time and if you round it up, only six coins will be distributed. “That’s strange, I intended the numbers to add up to 21.” Mary said as she giggled briefly.

Violet then exclaimed with fury, “Was that a joke? You think this is funny? Were you planning this all along? It should have worked!”

Completely calm and poised, Mary said, “It did Violet. Think of the cards like bait, once the traitor bites the hook and makes a splash, that’s when they’re easiest to find. As proof we now know that there are two traitors, right?” Then Violet looked at Elijah and noticed that he was simply just watching from a distance “What do you have to say, Foureyes? You’ve been pretty quiet recently.” She picked on him.

“Nothing, I have no interest in these games anymore.” Elijah responded “Argh! You’re all useless!” And on that note, round three commenced

and the scores counted 15, which meant everyone was given six coins again. “We might as well just hand all of our votes to Tara because it’s just getting rather sad at this point.”

Irina said as she sighed and shrugged. Elijah buzzed all of a sudden and raised his eyebrows in realisation. He then stood up and proclaimed “You know what? You’re right Irina, and if I’m going down, I’m taking you all with me! I refuse to pay any tax next round! Will you join me Mary?” Then Mary smirked smugly and proceeded to also state, “Count me in! I’m not paying any tax at all!” Ash joins in, “Yeah me too. Why not?” Then Violet yells, “What is wrong with you people? If we could all just pay tax we could all benefit!” Elijah and Mary are clearly planning something but will it work or not, is the question. The discussion period abruptly finished.

Everyone has lost all hope now as defeat was imminent. It was a truly miserable sight to see everyone look down in shame and sorrow. Then, despite all of the claims to pay no tax, round 4’s score was, surprisingly enough, a full 25 coins. It took a second for everyone to process, but then they all rejoiced as their faces lit up. “We did it! Everyone paid tax and even got the traitor to pay up!”

Violet celebrated. “So as long as we stick with this path, we can all still make it to the forty coin mark. That’s great! No further discussion is needed. Let’s just continue, shall we?” Ash requested. The final round began and the final standings are about to be announced, but first… one must be banished for treachery.

“How are things looking for you now Elijah? Still a little murky or did that last round clear things up?”

Mary asked with a grin that was too self-satisfied to not worry about.

“Everything is crystal clear. Allow me to elucidate. Trust is indispensable in ‘The Greater Good’ game, so the traitor had to have no trust, someone who can hide behind a natural look of innocence while carefully eroding our trust. Ergo, the

traitor is Irina! And her accomplice, Violet! They had to have colluded somehow to be able to sidestep Mary’s card strategy and simultaneously pay full tax last round without seeming suspicious.”

Elijah explicated, but there are still some holes in his theory. “But where would they confer if everyone was watching during the discussion?”

Ash questioned. “By leaving instructions for the next person on a sheet of paper! Such conduct isn’t exactly by the book but not prohibited by the rules. What if Violet left all of her coins to Irina and instructed you to put them in your personal funds box. Think about it, one would only stand to gain from this. Trust isn’t necessary for manipulation; the grounds of profit and loss work just fine.” Elijah spelled it out for everyone but Violet objects, “Your logic is pretty sound so far but any two consecutive players could do this so please, enlighten us. Why am I the devious mastermind?” Elijah then elaborates “We happen to be playing against Mary. Anyone who has ever gambled with her before knows that money is not her goal but merely a consequence; her idea of fun is the thrill of gambling, so abiding by Violet’s requests wouldn’t even cross her mind. So it had to be a consecutive pair not connected to Mary and you two are the only people who tick those boxes.

Therefore, Irina has the most coins and thus should be banished.” Elijah resolved his detective’s conclusion at last. There was silence… and Irina was banished. The scores were as follows: fourth was Elijah with 40 coins, tied second were Mary and Ash with 41 and first was Violet with 45 coins. “So, were you planning to sell me down the river all along?”

Irina asked, defeated. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout it!” Violet cackled a little. “You had me hook line and sinker, brilliantly played.” Irina graciously accepted her loss and gave up her votes as a single tear rolled down her eye. The tear of the vanquished.

INGREDIENTS - WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? Henry B, Year 12 writes…

Italian cuisine is relatively simple, but it relies entirely on the quality and freshness of its ingredients.

With this in mind, even something as simple as a garnish can have a crucial impact on the taste of a dish. For example, a standard-issue jar of supermarket oregano differs immensely from what you might find in my kitchen. I hand-pick oregano from my aunt’s vegetable garden during the summer and the resulting crop makes for a very different culinary experience.

Similarly, supermarket pesto is incomparable to that with which I am familiar. My aunt also grows basil, so we make our own pesto by churning the basil with extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic – it only takes half an hour from plant to plate.

Here is how to distinguish highgrade Italian produce from counterfeit imitations:

Olive oil Oils from different regions of Italy have contrasting organoleptic qualities. Sometimes, I will cook with Cerrosughero, a mellow and tasty olive oil from Lazio. I also use Masseria Maccarone, an oil from the region of Puglia that is a lot spicier and tangier. I tend to favour the latter, though both are highquality Italian extra virgin olive oils.

When selecting a bottle of oil, only choose extra virgin olive oil that has been obtained solely by mechanical (not chemical) means.

It must be retrieved by the process of cold extraction. Sadly, many olive oils are labelled as “extra virgin” despite their elision of the relevant criteria, so it’s up to the consumer to sort the real products from the imposters.

Firstly, ensure that the origin is Italy, not Europe. “European” olive oils contain olives from different countries, but the manufacturers do not divulge which specific countries the olives are from, nor the proportions of each type that are used in the production of the oil. The term “European”

might even denote a blend of many different oils, which results in an unauthentic and irregular taste. Check for a CAP (Codice di Avviamento Postale – the Italian equivalent of a postcode).

According to Italian law, the CAP may only be displayed on the bottle if the olives themselves are cultivated in the same area where the oil is produced. It’s also a good idea to look for the D.O.P. mark (Denominazione di Origine Protetta). This guarantees and protects the typicality and origins of extra virgin olive oil. Indeed, the D.O.P. emblem ensures that all the olives used in fructification are harvested from trees belonging to the production area and that all the phases of production occur in the same place of origin.

In the cold extraction process, which operates below 27°C, homogenised olive paste is formed by a kneading machine that separates the solid olive pulp (sansa) and the liquid part, which consists of oil and water. The latter passes through a centrifuge in order to separate the two components. If an oil has the same

taste as a raw olive, it has not been properly separated from the olive sludge (morchia).

Of course, the best way to judge an olive oil is to smell/taste it.

Look for scents of green fruits and vegetables, like kiwi and parsley.

If the oil leaves afternotes of sweet fruits like peach and melon, then it is likely to be low-grade. It should leave a spicy sensation in the back of the throat, as well, but this can depend on the origin and the type of olives. Try dabbing your finger in the oil and rubbing it. Is it absorbed quite quickly? When you taste it, does your mouth dry up or remain greasy for a long time?

Proper oils should not leave traces for an extended period of time.

Naturally, excellence comes with a bigger price tag. However, good extra virgin olive oil has a much more intense flavour, meaning that a lot less is required to adequately season a dish, so the pursuit of a high-quality product is actually more cost-effective than it may appear. Extra virgin oil also contributes to a balanced diet; it is full of polyunsaturated lipids, which are much healthier than the alternative and are proven to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cheese Parmigiano Reggiano and “parmesan cheese” are very different indeed. The latter is merely an imitation of the true Italian dairy product. In order to be labelled as Parmigiano Reggiano, the cheese must meet stringent requirements, including a minimum age of twelve months and a specific production process.

What’s more, the milk from which it is made must originate from Italian cows of the Bologna, Mantova, Modena, Parma, and Reggio Emilia provinces (cows

from other parts of Italy simply won’t do!). In fact, at least 75% of the cows’ feed must be produced in the same geographical area.

You can recognise true Parmigiano Reggiano thanks to the authorisation sticker of the Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano.

Grana Padano is a similar cheese, though it is only aged for at least nine months. It, too, has an emblem that confirms its authenticity.

TEAM GB ALPINE SKI RACING Aidan U, Year 12 writes...

same skills.

my way back out to Austria with all the restrictions. I was given For me, skiing is more than just The biggest challenge for me in permission to travel and after what a sport or a hobby. I see it as a the 2020-21 season was moving felt like my thousandth Covid-19 lifestyle. Although it is considered up from the kids’ category to test, I got back to Austria – back a winter sport, the training never the adults’, which is not limited to my arduous routine of training really stops. I often find that the to national-only competitions. in the morning, school in the summer months are some of Saying it is a big step up would be afternoon, and racing at the the hardest; you have to train in an understatement: almost every weekend. One of the really cool the gym twice a day without the racer is a good skier and as a new things about alpine ski racing is satisfaction of being able to ski. entry into the class, I have no that you can race someone who Like any athlete in any sport, this ranking. In February 2020, I was is competing at the highest level is where I must dig deep and keep on the podium at the U16 British and who has won races on the pushing.

Championships, but in December World Tour. It makes you realise I was starting at the back with 180 two things: firstly, you are not that I feel inspired by my idols. These odd racers ahead of me. far away from your dreams, and include Marcel Hirscher, one of if secondly, there is a long way to go not the best alpine ski racer there In the early summer, I managed to before becoming the best in the has ever been, and F1 champion, get out of the country and train at world.

Lewis Hamilton. I admire how an indoor ski facility in Holland.

When competing in an individual both these athletes are able to As travel restrictions were resport, it can sometimes be consistently dominate their sport; imposed, this one week was my hard to have fun given the Hirscher won eight overall world only venture onto the slopes. In competitiveness and constant titles before he retired in 2019 and Holland, one can only practice the ambition for perfection, but Hamilton’s accolades are equally slalom discipline because there you have to take a break from it impressive. I also enjoy being is not enough space for speed from time to time and enjoy the in an underdog position: I am disciplines on the indoor slope. I mountains and the sport itself. I inspired to push more when I am returned to school in September love powder days, when we head not the favourite. for two months and then moved off-piste, find tree lines, and build to Austria over half term to join jumps, or standing just above the My season usually begins in May, a new team with new coaches, cloud line on perfectly groomed so this year’s start was completely teammates, and routines to learn. and grippy piste with almost wiped out. The summer months An injury set me back for four nobody around; you feel like usually entail long days on weeks in November and gave you’re on top of the world. I relish Nordic glaciers, but with travel me some time to catch up on and treasure memorable moments restrictions and gyms in London schoolwork before starting the like these and they remind me closed, it was much more difficult Austrian National Championships. why I love this sport. to prepare for the coming season. I Following a three-week break for spent my time making the most of Christmas in the UK, I had to find what I had at home, including my bodyweight, which was my main source of resistance. Another way I found to boost my fitness was kiteboarding, a sport that I fell in love with as soon as I first tried it, or so I am told; I was too young to remember! Kiteboarding helped me to improve my sporting fitness because it has similar movements to skiing and requires many of the

RANGERS FC - FROM BOTTOM TO TOP former Brentford manager, Mark Warburton, was brought in. He clinched the Championship title on his first attempt and Rangers were back in the Premiership.

In 2012, AC Milan agreed to participate in a Legends game with Rangers to raise money for the club. It worked very well and Rangers’ stadium, Ibrox, was sold out to full capacity.

Harris R, Year 10 writes…

Administration; liquidation; demotion: Rangers FC had sunk to rock bottom. On 14th February 2012, the mighty Glasgow Rangers went into administration and exactly four months later, into liquidation – the formal winding up of the club that was founded 140 years before.

Rangers applied to join the Scottish Premier League (SPL) as a new company, still known as Rangers FC, but their bid was declined by all other clubs except Kilmarnock, who abstained from voting. Following this spiteful rejection, Rangers applied to join the fourth division of the Scottish football league. Their application was accepted, so the club went through various owners and managers on its bumpy journey back to the top of Scottish football.

The highlights include Dave King taking ownership of the club after a tumultuous few years of unprofessional and selfserving ownership. I couldn’t forget to mention Rangers legend, Ally McCoist, who managed the players from the fourth division up to the second division (Championship). After failing to gain promotion to the Premiership, Ally McCoist left the club. Change was needed and

It was evident that the club’s fans were sticking by them. During the club’s time in the doldrums (the three lowest leagues of Scottish football), attendance at Ibrox stadium never dropped below 40,000 fans. This shows the fans’ dedication despite the poor quality of the football.

The lows came in the form of self-seeking and, sometimes, fraudulent owners wanting personal gain and fame rather than prioritising the rebuilding of Rangers FC. These include Craig Whyte, who was subsequently banned from Scottish football for life, Charles Green, who had undisclosed personal ties with Craig Whyte, Sandy and James Easdale, who seemed to think they were qualified for the job after

running a rickety suburban bus company in Glasgow, and Mike Ashley, who had glaring conflicts of interest between the club and his own brand, Sports Direct, which sold Rangers kits.

In 2018, Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard, was appointed as the new Rangers FC manager. The progress was quickly becoming clear as the club reached the Europa League group stage for the first time since 2012. In 2019, Rangers went a step further by reaching the Europa League round of 16.

We also won the derby at Celtic Park, colloquially known as the Old Firm, for the first time in ten years.

This season, we are undefeated in the Premier League, an incredible achievement even though there are still seven games to play.

On 07th March this year, the comeback was complete when Rangers claimed their 55th glorious title. This has also resulted in qualification for the Champions League. It has been a painful nine-year journey with many hiccups along the way, but the Glasgow Rangers are back on top – where we belong.

Date: 26th March 2021 Who: London-based NBC News foreign correspondent Over the past 15 years, he has reported from more than 60 countries around the world, interviewing terrorist leaders, investigating financial crimes, embedding with militant groups, explaining complex political negotiations, uncovering human rights abuses, visiting natural disaster sites and highlighting the challenges of climate change.

Time: 14.15 – 15.15 Venue: via Microsoft Teams in bubble venues TBC