GAIA Magazine Summer 2024 Issue

GAIA MAGAZINE

Summer 2024 issue

Featuring exciting competitions, a range of articles and a goodbye from this year’s team.

GAIA coordinators 2023-24

Contents

Page number guide:

3: note from the editor in chief

4-8: In the years 1997 to 2007, why was no Conservative leader able to heal divisions and make the party electable?

9-10: The Cuban Missile Crisis & Putin: An event that history repeats?

11-13: England’s Biggest Witch Hunt: The Pendle Witch Trials.

14-21: Recap– A year in GAIA

22-24: The Geology of Antarctica

25-27: The Bangladeshi Genocide

28-31: Can Sponge Cities change the way we ‘handle’ rain?

32-33: Geology Quiz

34-46: High School competition overview and winners

47-48: Early Hinduism

49-51: ‘Romance’ in Greek Mythology- the myth of Hades and Persephone

52-54: Haiti– the first successful slave revolt

55-57: The unification of Hawai'I

58-61: range of quizzes

62-63: In Defence of Anne

64-66: Is the future of farming compatible with achieving climate change targets?

67-68: The story of Sun Wukong

69-71: Tirailleur – France’s forgotten heroes

72-73: Chernobyl – A Horror Story That Lies in Truth

74-75: This year’s team, notes and thankyou’s

76-101: Highly commended high school competition articles + final overall note on entries

102-105: quiz answers

106-107: GAIA poster + farewell from the editor

Note from the editor in chief

Wrapping up my term as chief editor of the GAIA magazine feels strange– this amazing magazine has become a huge part of my life in my first year at Winstanley and the genius team we have built in GAIA has become like family. It has been an unbelievable honour to work alongside the society this academic year and I will continue to support it by attending events and clubs in my upper sixth–as I hope all of you will too! I know I am a little biased, but in my opinion, the GAIA society is the most hard-working and dedicated society at Winstanley and I wish the next generation of GAIA luck in replicating the successes we’ve seen this year. Between amazing charity bakes, creative karaoke and our outstanding contribution to culture day, next year’s students certainly have big shoes to fill! We wanted to go out with a bang- and in our biggest issue yet we have lots of exciting features for you. Read ahead for (as always) amazing student articles, a high school competition feature, a range of quizzes and more! This magazine is my proudest issue to date and a fantastic way to see out GAIA 2023 -24. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and I hope to see you for our farewell to the whole of this year’s GAIA at the end of year event! We’ll be there all afternoon with sales for charity and celebrations!

Thank you so much.

Lily Barber, editor in chief of the GAIA magazine

In the years 1997 to 2007, why was no Conservative leader able to heal divisions and make the party electable?

By Diarmuid Lawell

By 2007, after two years of David Cameron, the Conservatives finally seemed a credible electoral winner for the first time in years. However, this was not the case in Labour’s 179 seat landslide in 1997, and with Blair leaving office in 2007 after the so called ‘Curry House coup’. Across the four Tory leaders, William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard, and David Cameron, only one managed to unite the party to make it an electoral force, whilst the others continued the path of political extinction.

When William Hague became Leader of her Majesty’s opposition in 1997, after Major resigned due to the catastrophic election, he was instantly seen as ‘Thatcher’s candidate’. A right-wing Eurosceptic, Hague was the opposite of a natural conservative. Brought up in Yorkshire in a mining family, he was not the most likely to become Tory leader based off of this, however after his resoundingly successful speech at the party conference in 1977- most famously proclaiming ‘half of you won’t be here in 30- or 40years’ time’. Upon his political accension in 1997, his main aim was to align himself with the presidential position making ‘Hague’ become a well sought-after name. But Hague could not be taken seriously as a candidate. In attempting to rebrand his image, and make him ‘cool like Tony’, Hague only managed to make himself look like a fool. Upon rebranding efforts in 1997, Hague and his wife took part in the celebrations at the Notting Hill Carnival to no success- his 1999 trip to Drayton Manor proved no success either. The iconic picture of a Baseball cap with the branding ‘Hague’ captured the attention of the nation’s tabloids, with the Sun describing him as a ‘playful egg’. Finally, in 2000, he put the final nail in the coffin of his personal persona, when he attempted to look like your typical working Yorkshire man. Whilst trying to make himself seem ordinary and youthful, Hague simply made himself look idiotic, out of touch with the electorate, and weird. Whilst a period like no other, ‘Cool Britannia’ was in full swing, with Tony Blair hosting pop stars, footballers and actors at No.10, Hague was busy doing the opposite.

Noel Gallagher famously said at the Brit Awards, ‘there is only seven people in this room giving a little bit of hope to young people… and Tony Blair, and if you have any sense you go up there and shake his hand, because he’s the man!’ Ruining his reputation within and outside the Conservative party, leading to a catastrophe in 2001, Hague failed to unite the party. However, it was not all Hague’s fault that the Tory party was unable to heal. When he assumed office in 1997, 145 out of 165 MPs were Eurosceptic, such as Anne Widdecombe. Leading groups, such as the Bruges Group, formed as a response to Thatcher’s 1988 Brugge speech, had a grasp on policy within the party, making it impossible for Hague to implement his own personal agenda on the party and its manifesto. The perfect example to show Hague’s lack of control is in 1999, when Michael Portillo (yes, the man who loves trains) was re-elected to Parliament after a by-election in Kensington and Chelsea. Hague was instantly pressured into promoting Portillo back to the office of Shadow Chancellor within days of his return, to keep the party united and prevent them from ousting him from his role. So, when it came round to the 2001 election, Hague hadn’t unified the party, coupled with a poor election campaign, such as his ‘save the pound’ van, hardline immigration policy and tough on crime failed to resonate with the electorate, who came out once again voting for Tony’s cool red wave of fun! Hague only managed to pluck one seat of new Labour in 2001, despite four years of endless attacks and campaigning.

Though Mr Hague is seen as a failure, he did achieve some success in unifying the party. In 1999, at the European Elections, in which the party destroyed Labour at 36 seats to 29.

Therefore, showing Hague could pull the party together on European issues, allowing them to take seats of the incumbents and challenge new Labour on Europe. His attempts to unify the party, with campaigns such as ‘listening to Britain’ had some success in bringing the party together, with MPs such as Peter Lilley (who, in 1992 had a little list of societal offenders) becoming more socially liberal and modernising. He managed to take the first step in moving the Tory party away from the image of, according to Future PM Theresa May, as the ‘Nasty Party’. With the party on a slow road to recovery, Hague can hold some credibility knowing that it was not all his fault, and he began to look to the future. Some would argue that William could never have won, purely because of such well-oiled new Labour machine, ran by spin-doctors Mandelson and Campbell, who had the Conservatives down on their knees, exposing them on all fronts at every opportunity available.

Next up on the Tory wheel of fortune, is Iain Duncan Smith, who became leader in 2001 after Hague resigned. As soon as he assumed office, IDS was always seen as a compromise candidate, never fit for office. He only became leader after tactical voting against the proEurope Ken Clarke, and the out of touch Train grand master, Michael Portillo. From the start, he was seen as Mrs Thatcher’s candidate, out of touch with the party, with the ‘Mods’ ever rising, with David Cameron winning in the 2001 Witney election, and George Osborne winning in Tatton. A key part of the Maastricht rebels in 1993, IDS re-opened key Euro-divisions within the party, which was slowly healing under Hague after the 1999 European elections. Once again, the party was divided over Europe, unable to unify and function as a party capable of winning office. However, IDS’ biggest failure came uncontrollably in 2003, when he was dealt a poor hand in relation to the Iraq war and the removal of Saddam Hussein from power. After the UN Security Council failed to find any Weapons of Mass destruction in 2002, the Iraq war seemed a ‘nonissue’ as surely the UK government couldn’t invade a nation for no reason? But when the ‘Sexed-up’ dossier was released on the 24th of September 2002, claiming Saddam had WMD’s at the ready, able to attack the UK in 45 minutes, IDS had no choice but to follow the traditional Conservative party line of going to war. Therefore, after the death of 600,000 innocent Iraqi’s, and the Blair/Bush failed invasion, IDS couldn’t attack the Government on the invasion, as he was one of the 146 Tory MPs to vote AYE. The party may have been majorly united over the Iraq war, but the future consequences of the inability to attack Blair over the invasion was catastrophic. In turn, IDS was ousted in November 2003 for Michael Howard, despite never even facing the electorate.

On the other hand, it is true some may argue that IDS was a ‘unifying force’ in his time as LOHMO. He was the beginning of what is known as ‘compassionate conservatism’, with visits to the Easterhouse Council estate in Glasgow, in 2002. The new wave of empathy under the Tories was found, which is ironic as it was him who took millions from under-privileged families as the secretary of state for Work and Pensions in the Austerity period. Nevertheless, Iain Duncan Smith came, saw, and converted to a radical new form of Conservatism. Similarly, in relation to Iraq, IDS had no choice but to back the invasion. If Smith took an an-

anti-war stance, he would have been ousted instantly for betraying foundational conservative values, posited by thinkers such as Michael Oakeshott. In conclusion, IDS was dealt the worst hand he could ever have been dealt as Tory leader, and despite any effort to unify the party, he could never had taken large strides forward.

Up next is Michael Howard, the third leader in 6 years. In 2003, he was appointed leader, despite being already unpopular within the party. After serving as Major’s home secretary from 1993 to 1997, it was him who abolished closed shops, and opted out of the social charter. It was Anne Widecombe who described him as having ‘something of the night about him’, which I’ll let you interpret how you feel is necessary! Howard faced the electorate in 2005 and was given a better result than Hague achieved in 2001. But most would argue that it was a total failure not to capitalise on Blair’s foreign failings in 2003. His manifesto for 2005 was described as a ‘Victor Meldrew manifesto’, as it was old and grumpy (based of the BBC sitcom, one foot in the grave), which is ironic as the Tory party in the years mentioned seemed to have both feet in the grave, with Tony’s Red wave of fun in cruise control, and unlikely to stop anytime soon. His emphasis on law and order was wated, as new Labour was now the party of law and order, with Blair claiming that he is ‘tough on crime, and tough on the causes of crime’. Another blow came for Howard in 2005 at the European elections, when the party was devastated by UKIP, showing that the divisions on Europe once again had the party at a needles edge. Howard was unable to unite the party over Europe, leading to the defeats of 2005. Despite this, it was Howard who promoted the idea of party unity. It was him who gave David Cameron his first role as shadow education secretary, and likewise with George Osborne as shadow chancellor. He saw the need to embrace the modern side of the party, allowing unity to commence in the years later.

Finally, we turn to David Cameron, a man reborn as of 2023. When he became leader in 2005, Cameron became the first moderniser leader of the party, after eight years of rocker rule. His idea was to move the party to the centre ground, becoming ‘more Blair than Blair’. He saw the electoral change as ‘just common sense’. His prospective policies reject-

But it was David Cameron who finally made the Tories look electable again as of 2007. The May image of ‘Nasty party’ had been eradicated, with the detoxification of the party in full swing. They finally looked like they could challenge Blair and Brown, with Cameron performing well in PMQs, with the majority backing from his MPs. By 2007, unification was achieved, with the party surrounding Cameron with their backing, with the hopes to win in 2007, which came true when they defeated Brown’s government in the polls. And obviously, the rest is all happy, with European divisions never coming to fruition ever again within the party!

To conclude, only one leader managed to unify the party by 2007, with the rest failing to gain support and make the party and electable force. William Hague may have had some success in the 1999 elections, but his ability to constantly make himself look like a fool meant the party was once again ‘extinct’. IDS made attempts to stride forward with compassionate conservatism after witnessing Major’s government failings in Glasgow, and Michael Howard clearly ‘had something of the night about him’! All three failed to make the party electable, with tragic defeats in 2001 and 2005 to Tony’s army. But contradictory to the common place, Cameron did manage to unify the party against all odds, despite changing the party’s stance on many policies, such as gay rights. Thanks to him, the party finally looked capable of winning an election, no longer having the appearance of the ‘Nasty Party’. Overall, Conservative leaders between 1997 and 2007 made very few successful attempts in unifying the party and making them electable.

Article written by: Diarmuid Lawell

Edited by: Lily Barber

The Cuban Missile Crisis & Putin: An event that history repeats?

‘Of course, nobody does [want another Cuban missile crisis]’ - Vladimir Putin. A quote, ironically enough, from the man, who many have come to conclude may cause a second round of the most terrifying event in the aftermath of the Second World War. He may claim the quote to be his attitude towards the current tensions between East and West, but his actions may speak much louder than his words. Many of Putin’s morals and agendas of the modern day heavily reflect those held by Nikita Krushchev, leader of the USSR during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Furthermore, it can be argued, that Biden could be Kennedy’s counterpart. So, is this a disaster waiting to happen? History, as we can evidence, often repeats itself.

1961- the beginning. Kennedy decided to attempt to overthrow the communist leadership of Cuba, lead by Fidel Castro. Exiled convicts, that at one point lived in Cuba, were sent to instigate a revolt against its leader. However, the plan was discovered by spies sent to uncover the American plot and the Cuban people were in overwhelming support of Castro, and so the attempted revolution failed. This led to a great feeling of mistrust from Castro, that steered him to seek assistance from the Soviet Union.

As a precaution, Krushchev and the Soviets decided to place nuclear missiles in Cuba to act as a deterrent: 200 miles from American soil. This was a source of great distress to the West - the construction of these missiles began during the summer of 1962. As a response, Kennedy decided to create a naval blockade to prevent the institution of the weapons. Negotiations lasted 7 days between Kennedy and Krushchev- ending in the decision that the USSR would dismantle the weapons if America agreed to remain outside of Cuba, to not invade again. However, in the seven days that passed before the agreement was reached, it was the closest mankind as a race had ever been to an all-out nuclear war. Both sides, before negotiations, were more than prepared for war, with Kennedy going as far as announcing on television in a live broadcast that the USA were stepping up surveillance.

It can be argued that there are many similarities in the 60s and the modern day. The first being the characteristics of the respective Russian leaders. However, many contend that Krushchev had a firmer grasp on reality than Putin. In contrast, Krushchev was however a lot weaker than Putin, with Putin currently having significantly more autonomy. To add to this, Russia is currently a nuclear superpower, with a much greater capacity of warheads and missiles than those in their 1962 arsenal. Finally, Krushchev did not want war or new land, and it is debated that he was purely provoked from the Bay of Pigs incident.

The same cannot be said for Putin.

Another consideration to factor in is the influence and positioning of NATO. NATO was formed in late 1949, meaning it had only existed for the good portion of a decade before the conflict took place. A considerably smaller number of countries were involved in the treaty at that time, and the only country concerningly at risk was the USA. Now, however, NATO countries border Ukraine, meaning the risk is a lot closer to home for those in Europe. Not only is NATO a larger organisation with significantly more influence, it also means that should a nuclear war occur in the modern day, there would be mutually assured destruction. Putin is also extremely contradictory, so it difficult at this time, to know where we stand. He has been quoted to say he does not plan a nuclear attack, but has also been recorded saying he will use all available means to defend territories Russia has gained through annexation. This ultimately means, the West is not fully aware of what Putin’s true motives may be. Furthermore, Putin has rejected any comparison of him to Krushchev, possibly hinting at a different set of ideals in regard to conflict, especially with the West. Kennedy and Biden, however, are slightly more similar. Both understand to similar extents the importance of the preventing of nuclear war. Biden himself has stated: "For the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, we have a direct threat to the use of nuclear weapons, if in fact things continue down the path they'd been going" - this highlights his views towards the threat of Putin. Whilst Kennedy may have worsened tensions regarding this to an extent, both men understand and understood the threat that both leaders of the opposition posed. Both men are not worried about publicly denouncing the opposition, using direct language to emphasise their strong opinions on the events of their times. However, Kennedy was much more offensive than the defensive Biden. Kennedy acted directly against the Soviet Union, resulting in severe consequences via his naval blockade. Biden, in contrast, hasn’t committed to a physical response against Russia, nothing that would provoke them similarly to the way Krushchev had been. Whilst Putin may have spoken out against the USA, in regards to the provision of Ukrainian aid, there has been no strike against Russia by America, meaning there is a slightly lesser threat than in the 1960s. In conclusion, it can overtly be seen that both sides do not want a repeat of the events of 1961-62. Though, as previously stated, just because the leader claims they do not want conflict, this does not reflect their ulterior motives. The question that desperately needs answering, is can Putin to be truthful about his genuine intentions? The answer seems to be a fairly firm no. We do not know if Putin is in any way thinking rationally over his hatred for the West - this could ultimately have drastically negative consequences for life as we know it.

Article written by Jasmine Lindsay, edited by Grace Kelly

England’s Biggest Witch Hunt: The Pendle Witch Trials.

The Pendle Hill Witch Trials are the most famous of England’s witch - hunting phenomenon, taking place in the 17th century, during the reign of King James I – history’s notorious witch obsessed monarch (to the point where Shakespeare put the iconic Weird Sisters in Macbeth). The most famous victim of these trials was Alice Nutter, who has a statue in Lancashire (as pictured in figure 1) and was the only official landowner; meaning she was of a much higher social class than the victims detailed in this article. Overall, the most interesting aspect about these cases overall is the Witchfinder’s key source of information in this twisting familial war: the youngest daughter Jennet (aged 9). In order to understand why these events took place, context is vital. During the 17th century, England was at a peak in religious confusion: it had survived the constant switching of denominations during the Tudor Dynasty, with Henry VIII starting the Church of England, and ending with Elizabeth I’s general compromise, her ‘Middle Way’. The country had remained strictly Protestant under its new Scottish ruler, to the point where Catholicism was on the verge of expulsion from the country, which (aside from the Catholic hunts) would’ve given more stability to the Protestant people, however, the Protestant faith still continued, with a great fear of Hell and its inhabitants: Demons. It had culminated in the theologically obsessed monarch writing his own book - Daemonologie – which can still be purchased today. It was this developing interest in the supernatural for the people of England, that made the perfect story for a beggar family in Lancashire to combat their local rivals. The family consisted of Elizabeth Southers, also known as Old Demdike, an infamous local witch, her daughter Elizabeth Device and her children Alizon, James and Jennet. In 1612, the case of John Law began. Law was a pedlar (someone who sold small items on the roads) who had started off his day by walking through the village of Pendle to sell his wares at the market; he was approached by Alizon Device – the eldest granddaughter of Demdike – who was demanding he sell her some pins. He, in the fashion of the merchant class, refused to sell pins to a beggar and moved on. However, according to Jennet, the youngest granddaughter, it was at this point that a large brown dog , supposedly named

Ball, approached Alizon and asked her what she demanded he do, to which she responded for him to “Lame John Law”, which he accusedly did in the form of what we would now recognise as a stroke. There is a debate among historians on whether to accept this as Alizon attempting to curse the Law and, through a well-timed twist of fate, it genuinely happening? Or should we simply rule this off as a coincidence, the ramblings of an overly religious child? Despite this more plausible coincidental theory, this event would change and end the lives of ten people.

Following this incident, Alizon began to believe in her own supposed powers and felt extreme guilt over what she believed she had done, even to the point where she accompanied Law’s son Abraham to beg for the pedlar’s forgiveness, along with trying to remove the curse. Soon after this, on the 30th March 1612, Alizon, accompanied by her brother and mother appeared before the Justiciar of Lancashire, Robert Nowell, to admit to her Catholic crimes of witchcraft. At the same time, James I was enacting a plan to abolish Catholicism in England through the criminal justice system – which at this time included Witchcraft due to general beliefs around the practice. So, because of these beliefs, this could indicate that Nowell could’ve engaged in a closer relationship with the king, through his work on this case, potentially receiving a lordship or an earldom as a reward for his labour.

To endanger the family further in this case, each of the younger generations told the Justiciar, and newly appointed Witchfinder, that, not only did young Alizon curse another child not long ago, but that Demdike had the mark of the Devil: undeniable proof that she had sold her soul for her craft. However, they didn’t only accuse their own family members of witchcraft, but also the family members of the rival beggars (who had robbed them of the majority of their resources only months before this occurred, clearly showing that there was a lot of animosity between the families and a need for revenge ran deep) Chattox (Anne Whittle) and her daughter Anne Redferne. Alizon claimed that Chattox had killed ten men and also made a deal with a demon, this one taking the form of a man called Fancy.

And so, due to the sheer amount of accusations of witchcraft, the families gathered in Malkin Tower and hosted a meeting hoping to raise sympathies for the family, to receive donations of food. It was at this point that Jennet Device began her second reign of terror: she told Nowell about the meeting which led to eight more people being put of the list of

those arrested: Elizabeth Device, James Device, Alice Nutter, Katherine Hewitt, John Bulcock, Jane Bulcock, Alice Grey and Jennet Preston. The majority of these people were sent to Lancaster Castle, tried and hanged (Preston was sent to Yorkshire for her trial where she was also hanged). So, it could be argues that the Pendle Hill Witches were nothing more than a group of guilty children, sympathetic family members and townspeople.

Article written by Miya Rae Woodward-Green

Edited by Grace Kelly

Recap: a year in GAIA

Our society leader Silvia Marques, assistant head of History at Winstanley College, has summed up the most memorable successes of this academic year:

‘Gaia is only a success when the students who run it are committed, enthusiastic and organised; these attributes have all been true this year, which has enabled Gaia to achieve so much.

Gaia’s commitment to History, Geology and Geography can be illustrated through the joint projects that we have contributed to, including three issues of the Gaia magazine, the Bake-off, Winter Wonderland and Culture Day.

Gaia’s enthusiastic coordinators have run a variety of activities, which has enabled their love of History, Geography and Geology to be shared throughout the college. Key memories for me are the ‘paint a rock’ sessions and entry to the Geology Society competition led by Phoebe and the wonderful Geology team. Also, the Ancient mythology video and other activities organised by Rose, the Horrible Histories Karaoke organised by Mya and Jasmine, Reel Geography, the Model UN organised by Jake and his team and finally our excellent entries to the Historical Association Great Debate which Louise Holmes organised. Our enthusiastic coordinators have led quizzes, debates, podcasts and events that really promote why our subjects are worth studying.

The organisation skills shown by Gaia members and coordinators have been key to our success. Lily’s excellent leadership of the Gaia Magazine has enabled so many people to contribute to the writing of articles and taking part in the design and editing of the magazine. Mayukhi’s leadership of the Society as a whole, has allowed the society to run efficiently, to ensure communication is shared and enabled everyone to have a say in decision-making.

I truly believe that Gaia has given so many people the opportunity to enhance, explore and test their skills, whilst enjoying their passion for History, Geography and Geology.’

Most memorable of all has to be Gaia’s commitment to raising funds for charity. Your dedication to creating exciting and innovative ways to encourage fund raising has benefited not only Gaia and its members but provided vital support in the local community, British society, and international relief. Thank you all for your commitment Silvia, we could not have done it without you!!!

(pictured above: the female humanities staff )

Our wonderful humanities staff have made a huge difference this not only in their admirable dedication to outstanding teaching, but in their unwavering support for GAIA and the events we hold. In particular, Silvia Marques has been integral to our success this academic year– organising charity events, TED talks, competitions for students and more. Thanks to her, GAIA has been undoubtably the most successful society this year and all the students have flourished under her influence and encouragement.

Our team has worked endlessly to produce the immense successes which we’ve seen across the year. Our coordinators go above and beyond every term to create a fun and educational society for all of our peers, all with the expert guidance of the exceptional Mayukhi,. They never fail to enrich college life and the humanities subjects at Winstanley. To be a part of GAIA is to love your subject– but it’s also so much more than ESI. GAIA is a chance to explore your creativity, to connect with like-minded people you may never have otherwise, to have fun and build bonds that you’ll cherish for life. We’ve certainly had fun this year in GAIA, running horrible histories karaoke, a charity bake sale, rock painting and a plethora of other amazing events. In light of the successes we’ve all shared, here’s a recap of our society highlights from across the year!

(see next page)

TED Talks

Many of our students have participated in TED talks this year– and we’ve even had some special guests hold talks for students too. TED talks are a fabulous way to learn about a new topic whether you present or attend one and have certainly been a highlight in GAIA’s academic successes.

Model UN

Model UN has been a joy for geography students this year and particularly for anyone interested in politics or debate! As you can see it’s had a fabulous turnout and has received wonderful feedback from all of our students!

REEL Geography

Reel Geography has been a weekly delight in GAIA, sustaining excellent attendance and buzz amongst the geography students amongst us who are always looking forward to the sessions each

Debate

Debate has been exceptionally interesting this year. Led by Ollie and Leila, the debate team have hosted some fabulous events and even attended the HA Great Debate earlier this year!

Our podcast, hosted by two of our coordinators, is a fantastic way for media-minded students to engage with the humanities and has been a lovely addition to our clubs!

Horrible histories

Karaoke

I think I speak for everyone when I say this club is the epitome of how fun GAIA truly is. No matter whether they have a crowd of 20 or are simply singing for themselves, these students are dedicated to making their club as fun as can be.

Geology

Our geologists, led by Amber Wells, have remained incredibly dedicated to their subject, attending a geology competition in London.

The London Geology Competition

protected wildlife sites and buildings that they had to account for. This brought together all the skills they had learnt in geology and allowed them to apply it to a ‘real’ life scenario. After deciding on where they would place each turbine, why they have decided there and what geotechnical tests they would conduct to ensure the land was suitable. After this they presented their findings to a panel and the challenge was complete.’ We at GAIA are incredibly proud of their achievement!!

From team lead Amber Wells: “In March, a team of five managed to get through to the finals of the London Geological Society school’s competition. They arrived at Burlington House in London and were faced with problem-solving challenge. The task was to decide on the best place to build some wind turbines in a local town. The town had multiple different rock types, endangered species,

Gratitude event June 24th

The team showed their gratitude with a reimagined session of geology rock-painting aimed towards gratitude. Students were invited to paint rocks with affirmations, calming images or images which spark joy and thank you messages for the things or people which have helped them along this past year.

GAIA joined the guidance and Student Union teams this term in their gratitude event and End of Year Celebration – raising money for UNICEF by selling items appropriate to the club. We pride ourselves on the kindness of our team which was certainly evident during this event!

They also showed off their inner ‘Swiftie’ by mimicking the lyric-embossed friendship bracelets that have been seen all around the globe at concerts this year. Instead of lyrics, students wore colourful GAIA bracelets with matching colours and even smiley faces!

Culture Day 2024

This term in GAIA, we participated in culture day, setting up a creative stall to sell teas from around the world in the name of The British Heart Foundation. The stall was a fabulous success and raised over £100 for the charity. A huge thanks to Mayukhi, Kieran, Ollie and Joe for helping to keep the sales running as smoothly as possible. And a massive thank you to Silvia Marques, our team lead, for setting us up at the event.

Comment from the event lead: “On Friday 19th April, the college celebrated its very first Culture Day. GAIA participated by selling tea from around the world to celebrate the diversity and inclusion that Winstanley college holds as a core value. We raised over £100 for the British Heart Foundation, a charity which we chose as heart disease does not discriminate. GAIA is always proud to celebrate diversity and to be involved with charity events, and we look forward to seeing more take place next academic year. “ - Mayukhi Mittal, GAIA secretary and assistant editor.

GAIA Charity Events

At Christmas, we organised the Campaign target of over 100 donations to help keep Wigan warm in the Winter of 2023. Last term, we worked with the charity ‘Brighter Better Orrell’ to help fund its installation of new gym equipment at Orrell Water Park to encourage exercise. We organised our GAIA Bake Sale to help raise money for this, for which baked goods are representative of something historical, geological, or geographical related. At GAIA, charity events which are fun, and engaging are always on the agenda, and we encourage as many of you to get involved, as we continue to support each other. We’re looking forward to raising even more money in the final weeks of this year!

GAIA provides Winstanley College with the opportunity to give back to charities which can reach the local community. We at GAIA are frequently organising charity events and campaigns to help those in need.

The charity events are continuously running, and we would like to contribute to as many charities as we can!

The Geology of Antarctica

By Amber Wells

The geology of Antarctica is an intriguing one due to the thick ice sheet covering the majority of the continent However, due to new technologies, like remote sensing, we have been able to start to reveal some of the structures beneath the ice. Here is some general information and geology of this large, irregular continent.

Antarctica likes to be the ‘best’ at a multitude of things. The continent seems like a flat sheet of ice; however, the average elevation is 2,500 metres, with the highest point on the icecap being 4,093 metres. Additionally, it holds about 90% of our planet’s water and 30 million cubic kilometres of ice (this is unfortunately decreasing due to global warming).

Even with all this water, Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth, and the amount of moisture it receives per year is similar to that of a hot desert. As well as being the driest, it is also the windiest continent on Earth with winds flowing down coastal slopes under gravity’s influence; these are known as katabatic winds. Unexpectedly, Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth, and the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth here was -89.2 degrees Celsius.[1]

The northernmost part of mainland Antarctica is called the Antarctic Peninsula and was formed by uplift and metamorphism of sea-bed sediments between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras. Along with the uplift, igneous intrusion and volcanism occurred in this area.

This volcanism affected West Antarctica’s geology, which is quite similar to the Andes (in South America), with raised topography compared to the rest of the continent. The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the major active rift valleys and lies between West and East Antarctica. Normal strike and slip faults are involved in this action which occurred in Cretaceous time within Zealandia[2] (Crust that subsided and broke away from Gondwana, a possible supercontinent). The most common rocks found in the western area are andesites and rhyolites, which were possibly formed throughout the Jurassic, suggesting volcanism as these are igneous rocks.

East Antarctica is geologically old, going back to the Precambrian with some rocks being over 3 billion years old. It is a continental shield/craton, meaning it is of Precambrian age, composed of crystalline igneous and metamorphic rock and is tectonically stable, therefore has not been affected by those processes. On top of this base, younger sedimentary rocks cover it from the Devonian and Jurassic which formed the Transatlantic Mountains. During this time of sedimentary deposition, matter from plants and animals compacted down, especially in the Transantarctic mountains to form large coal deposits. The other mineral deposits in the Antarctic are extensive such as iron, copper and nickel ore in the East. The continent is also a prime area for finding meteorites. Usually, these special lumps are rocks and are hard to find as they become covered in vegetation or weathered by the environment, however, in Antarctica this is not the case. Some meteorites fall on the ice sheet and are encased by a thick layer of glacier ice. Due to the subzero temperature, weathering processes are negligible, so the meteorites remain unaltered over prolonged periods of time. The flow of ice may carry the meteorites, and this leads to them eventually emerging at the surface along mountain fronts, and the last overlying ice is removed by aeolian forces and sublimation. Since 1969, over 10,00 meteorites have been collected from Antarctica, from space and other planetary bodies.

Antarctica has a range of landforms, including mountains, plateaus, ice caps, glaciers, volcanoes, fjords, rivers, tundra, permafrost, rock formations, ice sheets and icebergs. The continent's Transantarctic Mountain range stretches 3,500 kilometres across, yet another range (Ellsworth) has a highest peak, Mount Vinson, standing at 4892 metres tall. The ice sheet that covers the land is the largest and thickest in the world (unsurprisingly), at an average of 2.5 kilometres thick. This weight depresses the continent by several kilometres and is divided into the East Antarctic ice sheet and the West Antarctic ice sheet. Glaciers in this cold region form as the snow accumulates, compacts and eventually turns into icewith gravity, these masses flow downhill as glaciers. The Lambert Glacier is its largest and is over 60 kilometres wide and 400 kilometres long. As mentioned before, Antarctica has a few active and dormant volcanoes, however, these mainly occur below the sheet, so we are limited in our observations. The most active lava monster is Mount Erebus, located on Ross Island, and has been erupting since 1972.[4] The interior of Antarctica is covered by tundra, a cold and dry biome, characterised by low vegetation and home to permafrost (frozen soil). If you did glaciers in geography GCSE, you may be familiar with the terms Erratics and Moraines. These landforms are very common on the continent. Erratics are large boulders that have been plucked and then transported by glaciers, before eventually being deposited into an area of foreign rock. Moraines are another depositional feature which is formed by the energy loss of a glaciers, causing it to drop rocks/sediments as it retreats, forming piles left behind. Finally, ice shelves are one of Antarctica’s primary feature; these floating extensions of the ice sheet are important habitats for much of the life that braves the cold and harsh conditions as they function as hunting grounds. Once again, Antarctica steals the trophy for the largest ice shelf in the world, the Ross ice shelf.

To conclude, Antarctica is vast with plenty of geology, but unfortunately, all of this information is gathered from above the ice sheet or using technology to look below.

Article written by: Amber Wells

Edited by: Isaac Read

The Bangladeshi genocide

“Our government has failed to denounce the suppression of democracy. Our government has failed to denounce atrocities… Our government has evidenced what many will consider moral bankruptcy.” – Archer Blood, American diplomat, April 6, 1971

The genocide that occurred in 1971 and led to the birth of Bangladesh was a brutal affair and has been largely forgotten by the Western world. With the current global situation, it is vital to understand the US’s relationship with genocide and geopolitics.

The Partition

In 1947, the British period of control in the ‘Raj’ was coming to a close and they divided the territory into two distinctly religiously unique regions - the Hindu India and the Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan was further divided into two distinct cultural territories - West Pakistan, an Urdu speaking Punjabi region, and the culturally Eastern Bengali (modern day Bangladesh). The territories were separated not only by culture and ethnicity but also 1000 miles of Indian territory, and as such it created a huge divide in the country, both economically and politically. After all, most of the ruling elite had fled westward to modern Pakistan and consequently, Bangladesh only received 25% of the country's industrial investment and 30% of its imports yet contributed to 59% of the country's exports. In a blatant show of disrespect, the Pakistani elite showed how they viewed the Bangladeshi people, in the motion to make Urdu the national language- only 10% of Bangladesh had a working knowledge of the language. This showed the view of the Western Pakistani people, that the Eastern Pakistani people were thought of as culturally and ethically inferior to themselves. Such feelings were exacerbated in the government response to the Bhola Cyclone, which killed 300,000 people in Bangladesh and was given a sluggish response, an event which coincided with the first election in Pakistani history.

The election

Since 1947, political capital had been focused on the west of Pakistan and the leader of Pakistan, General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan- West Pakistan's chief martial law administrator and president- decided to call the first election in Pakistani history. He, however, was not a paragon of democracy, as Khan was using the old trick of limiting voter freedoms. This was a tactic used by military dictatorships, to maintain a facade of democracy whilst maintaining power with legitimacy, simultaneously preventing any possibility of losing power- this tactic is colloquially known as ‘Basic Democracy’.

The election divided the seats into 138 in West Pakistan and 162 in East Pakistan (which had 20 million more people living there). Due to this, the East, which had one primary concern- independence from the West or at least greater autonomy- created the Awami

League, led by Sheikh Mujibur, that managed to command an overwhelming majority of the votes in the East. Meanwhile the West was divided between multiple major parties. This would have for the first time in the country's history given political power to the East of the country, something unacceptable to the Western political elite.

Negotiations

Khan, who was concerned for the stability of the country, suspended the first meeting of the assembly and instituted martial law across the country. From this, a civil disobedience call was raised by Mujibur (the man who should have been the President according to the election) in front of a crowd of 50,000 people (7th march). To resolve the matter, Khan and Mujibur had decided to meet for 8 days (16-24th of march) and for a while it seemed like the negotiations were going somewhere. But, on March 25th , Mujibur was arrested and 60,000-80,000 Pakistani troops that had infiltrated the country over the period of 18 days rose up and conducted Operation Searchlight. Although this appeared to be a legitimate military operation, it was in fact the massacre of Bengali civilians by Pakistani soldiers.

Searchlight- a Genocide in the Dark

Estimates for the death toll of Operation Searchlight were between 500,000 to over 3 million people. The CIA released their own death toll of 200,000 approximately 4 months in, whilst it was a Soviet newspaper Pravda that released the 3 million figure. Both of these figures may be unreliable, as the CIA had an interest in downplaying the genocide, as Pakistan was a US ally, and the Soviets as such were equally invested in raising the number as high as possible. However, both of these figures are believed to be an acceptable range, with more modern estimates being on the higher end of the spectrum. Although there was infighting between the Bengali factions due to differing opinions on independence or unity with West Pakistan, a majority of the atrocities and killings were perpetrated by the Pakistani military- a majority meaning that close to 99% of the deaths and other crimes that occurred in Bangladesh were committed by the Pakistani military. Contextually, the scale of the crimes indicate that 10 million people fled Bangladesh during the course of the genocide to neighbouring India- approximately 1/5 of the population of the UK at the time. A doctor who was flown to Dhaka to assist late term abortions- Geoffrey Davis- estimated that the figure of rapes (200,000-400,000) was far too low.

The end of the genocide

In early December, the genocide was brought to an abrupt halt, once Pakistan withdrew troops to the border and the India-Pakistan war erupted. India brought Pakistan to a complete surrender and took 90,000 Pakistani soldiers as Prisoners of War. As a result of this new conflict, Bangladesh gained their own independence.

US implicitness

The sad truth is that the Evangelical Christinas of the US, whatever their intention, did not take a stance as they did for Biafra, because in general, people care about people they can relate to- we see this in the contemporary genocide the Israeli government is currently conducting in Palestine. As the American political capital was focused on the Cold War and India, who were becoming closer to the Soviet Union, Pakistan (who were funded by American weapons and money) was given a blank cheque in Bangladesh and they took it, and this resulted in the death of over 1 million people.

Written by Oliver Towler

Edited by Grace Kelly

Can Sponge Cities change the way we ‘handle’ rain?

Beautiful, bright green spaces are suddenly emerging around the world. Countries such as China, India, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA are being drastically altered by this new outlook upon modern engineering. Due to the ongoing climate crisis, the rate of average yearly precipitation has increased from an average of around 1200mm per year within the U.K. to over 1320mm as of 2020. This drastic rise of 120mm, or 10%, may not initially seem like a large quantity, yet has dire consequences on wildlife, ecosystems and ultimately will directly impact humans. A report by NASA finds that a rise in temperature of apparently as little as 1.5°C will impact to a 2% rise in annual rainfall and a 17% rise in the amount of land facing extreme weather events. The solution - Sponge Cities.

Pioneered by China’s Kongjian Yu, the concept of a Sponge City relies upon utilising natural forms and processes such as rivers, lakes, exposed soil and even integrated wetlands to absorb excess water flow. These natural forms contrast the impermeable surfaces typically associated with urban developments, and provide a cyclical system, which also acts as a breeding ground for nature. Water can then eventually be stored in these facilities, working its way down to the underlying plain bedding rock. This can then be exploited in times of need, acting as a water source, instead of simply trying to divert the water away from the area. For example, in February 2024, Los Angeles experienced approximately 230mm of rainfall of just three days due to the Atmospheric River. This was over half of what Los Angeles experiences over a year long period. However, the city was prepared capturing a total 32.5 billion litres or 8.6 billion gallons of stormwater. This is enough to provide water to 106,000 households for one entire year. The most effective systems often operate in layers. At the surface you will commonly see mosses, shrubs, grasses, ferns and sedum, a ‘hardy’ plant which is drought tolerant, making it incredibly effective for when droughts are followed by sudden ‘flash flooding’. Below that, a filter layer can prevent soil escaping into another layer. This helps to maintain the quantities of soil needed in the surface layer for optimal growth. Finally, below that there are additional layers to intercept plant roots from infiltrating the actual roof. This helps to keep the system compact and prevents side effects such as possible property damage. Water will often be managed by a ‘smart-valve’ where forecast predictions can be programmed to cause the valve to trigger the release of previously stored water, and prepare for the next event. A helpful analogy to this process would be the wringing out of a sponge, preventing it from becoming oversaturated. Here, you can adapt making the whole cities’ water management scheme malleable.

Sponge Cities are still constantly adapting having been first trialled as early as only the 2010’s. Therefore, the way they are presented to society is constantly evolving as well. Originally, value was only placed on reactive methods, an approach all too familiar and not at all dissimilar to the original ‘hard engineering’ methods attempting to control water. A key example of this, was in Beijing (China) where in 2012, 79 people lost their lives due to a small-scale tsunami costing $1.6 billion in damages. This was originally addressed by a plan to employ yet more dams. However, a sudden change of policy resulted in the trials of adaptive Sponge City methods in 16 districts. Despite not originally having the most success, the idea did eventually begin to gain traction causing the interest of other developed and developing countries, with strong economies. The original ideas still centred around protection, treating aquatic environments and damaged urban ecosystems. This included simply restoring original pavements and surfaces, whilst trying to keep soil exposed on some surfaces, for vegetation growth. However, with recent backing form Xi Jinping (the current president of China) the entire outlook has been transformed, with industry and transport featuring adaptations and a complete focus on the growth of vegetation wherever there may be unused space. The Chinese Government has since pledged that by 2030, 80% of its urban space must include Sponge City features. A focus has now been placed on restoration identifying ecological patches, constructing ecological corridors and creating links to form networks This certainly presents less attempt at control and more upon adaption to the natural flows of water.

Key Definitions

Ecological patches - A patch is an area of habitat differing from its surroundings, often the smallest ecologically distinct landscape feature in a landscape mapping and classification system.

Ecological corridors - An area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities allowing the movement of individuals between populations, that may help prevent negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity.

Aquatic environment - An interacting system of resources such as water, flora and fauna.

Atmospheric river - Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics.

Flash flooding – A sudden extreme flooding event.

NGO (Non- Governmental Organisation) - a non-profit organization that operates independently of any government, typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue.

Topography – The shape or type of land surface as well as its gradient.

However, there are few disadvantages of Sponge Cities. A main issue may be perceived as the economic funding required by governments, which for some countries may not be possible. A construction of a sponge city is not commonly below $1 billion (approximately £780 million). However, albeit initially appearing astronomically expensive, a close cost-benefit analysis appears different. A report from the U.K. Government found that on average, £1.5 billion is spent per year is spent on constructing extra water pipes to manage increasing water quantities. Furthermore, by the end of 2017-2019 the U.K. Parliament had spent a total of £2.8 billion on hard engineering flood defences. Comparatively, despite the Sponge Cities initially appearing finically unviable, the reality shows a short-term sum for a clear long-term gain. In addition, a commonly thought of disadvantage of Sponge Cities is the construction time and building disruption. Yet, the required continuous building of dams, reservoirs and river embankments ultimately consumes more time and results in increased disruption. A report by a Netherlands NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation), found that over 45% of the average time spent constructing short term solutions could be saved by constructing long-term reliable solutions such as Sponge Cities. A final possible issue maybe the difficulty of construction upon certain topography. Though, the conversion of vegetation used to more ‘hardy’ lichens and mosses, rather than more commonly perceived ‘plants’, will ultimately still make a large difference and will be better than not attempting the initiative at all.

To conclude, Sponge Cities can greatly change the way we handle rain, providing a wonderful alternative to the traditional temporary solutions. Their ability to help us reconnect with nature in urban settings and understand the true power of water, may be the key to unlocking the solution to flooding we have been searching for for millennia. They not only help current generations, but aid future generations to be able to prosper alongside, in harmony with water.

Written by Aidan Berry

Edited by Grace Kelly

Gaia Magazine (Vol.2)- QUIZ

Geology Edition!

Q.1 What is Geology?

A. Study of the physical environment

B. Study of the structure, dynamics and evolution of earth

C. Rocks.

Q.2 Which of these is the densest rock?

A. Pumice

B. Osmium

C. Peridotite

Q.3 Which of the following gemstones is the rarest?

A. Emerald

B. Ruby

C. Diamond

Q.4 What is the melting point of pure gold?

A. 582 0c

B. 1,064 0c

C. 1,483 0c

Q.5 Some of the oldest fossilised trees found to date were recently discovered in Dorset and Somerset, UK, but just how old were they?

A. 380,000 years old

B. 380,000,000 years old

C. 380,000,000,000 years old

Q.6 A volcano that spans 450km in width has been discovered on which planet in our solar system?

A. Mars

B. Pluto

C. Uranus

Q.7 What percentage of the earth is made up of iron?

A. 5%

B. 35%

C. 65%

Q.8 How many earthquakes occur around the world each year?

A. 200

B. 2,000

C. 20,000

Q.9 Which of the following produces the highest quantity of gold each year?

A. The Muruntau Mining Complex, Uzbekistan

B. Boddington Gold Mine, Australia

C. Nevada Gold Mines, USA

Q.10 What is the rarest mineral on earth?

A. Feldspars

B. Tanzanite

C. Kyawthuit

Quiz written by Harrison Bailey

See page for answers

High School Article Competition

This term in GAIA, we ran a competition for students in Year 9 and 10 at schools in the local area to submit articles on one of our represented subjects (history, ancient history, medieval history, geography or geology). They were prompted to write an estimated 700 word article or essay on a subject they’re passionate about to be within a chance of winning Winstanley College merchandise, a range of goodies and an Amazon voucher– alongside having their work published as part of the magazine.

This was a fantastic opportunity to expand your research and knowledge skills and to get your name recognised by our wonderful humanities team if you are a prospective student. Being a contributor to the magazine also means becoming a published writer, as our publication is published online via the Winstanley website.

It has been an absolute joy to read all of the submissions for this competition and its wonderful to see a passion for the humanities in the next generation of students. In judging this competition, we all had a say as coordinators, and also had a student who specialises in literacy and another whom specialises in historical and geographical research peer review each and every article to decide on our winners: but it was certainly no easy task with so many talented writers!

Our top 3 entries are published in the following pages with a small commentary on why we chose them. Even if you weren’t lucky enough to win, I can wholeheartedly say there was not a single entry that was bad in any way– every student displayed exceptionally academic writing and an interesting perspective. The entries who didn’t quite make the top 3 can be found in the penultimate pages of the magazine as every single one deserves to be published!

Thank you to everyone who entered, we hope you will consider Winstanley in your application for colleges!

First place– Melissa Thompson, Byrchall

Nicholas Winton

How can the ordinary accomplish the extraordinary? - The impact of a silent, unsung hero

Winton came from a wealthy, Anglo-Bavarian Jewish family that converted to Christianity after they emigrated to England from Germany and changed their last name after having a German surname in the last war but lived a comfortable life. His mother raised him in accordance with the values of kindness, respect for others, and a commitment to decency. Everyone wanted to leave Prague, however originally fled there in fear of the Nazi invasion and desperation, but Winton wanted to go where he could put his values into practice while people were clamouring to get out. He was still more than willing to take on the daunting task of people whom he had no allegiance with, in a place he didn't belong, but believed he was able to do something about it and couldn't just sit and read about it. It was his belief he had to go to do something and his actions were driven by empathy, a desire to make a difference, and compassion. On his arrival to Prague, he took it upon himself, with help from his mother and a few volunteers, to save the children from threat and protect the vulnerable because to him it was vitally significant to help these people and important to stand up against discrimination and injustice. He risked his life trying to save the lives of these children. Being an English man was difficult considering German men, for example, Oskar Schindler could get away with saving them by getting the children to work for him in his factory, which proves Winton's situation was a lot more dangerous, knowing if he got caught, he'd be most likely killed. Nicholas Winton saved their lives and made a difference when they were in danger. He gave them the chance to escape and find safety and the children went on to live fulfilling lives.

Winton quietly played a major part in saving and organising rescue for mostly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in the holocaust. In 1938, Hitler occupied Austria and demanded possession of a region of Czechoslovakia: the Sudetenland which the leaders of Britain, France, and Italy agreed to his demand in the hope of avoiding war. The next day Hitler's troops crossed the border into Czechoslovakia resulting in tens of thousands of refugees fleeing towards unoccupied Prague. Winton was sent to the refugee camps where he was stunned and disturbed to witness the destitute quality of life of the families, especially the children surrounded by squalor, hence couldn't stand by and let the children get caught up

up in the situation. It affected him to see the mostly young children's perilous living conditions of experiencing malnutrition, barely any access to shelter and some even dying. He then attained the determination to rescue the children from Prague and evacuate them to England before the presence of the Nazis grew larger and the borders closed so it was a race against time. However, his ambition to have a mass transit of children without money or visas was going to be challenging. He was fixed on trying to find out the scale of the problem and find existing information that was withheld by vulnerable groups who were scared to share, therefore he had to persuade them because he wanted to earn their trust. Firstly, he started to take photographs of the children and gather their details like their names where he sat outside in the freezing cold just to collect them. He was the mastermind behind arranging trains to transport the children to England to temporary families however could only transport them if they could be placed with a foster family to look after them and give care until they were eighteen but intended for them to return to their families as soon as it was safe. He also dealt with the arduous problem of trying to organise learning permits and travel warrants for them to leave, along with raising the funds due to the warranty of £50 to get them there and for their eventual return to the country. The process was slow due to the British bureaucracy believing the war was unlikely and therefore had no urgency to deal with the matter, so he made appeals in newspapers to get the press working and persuade them and organised the children's placements personally. Eight trains successfully made it out of Prague resulting in Winton's incredible and remarkable efforts saving the lives of 669 children, preventing them from meeting the same fate as their families after learning they were murdered in concentration camps. Unfortunately, the ninth train was stopped at the last minute containing 250 children on 1st September 1939 due to the beginning of war and all the borders controlled by Germany closed off and the children were never seen again. The first train travelled with twenty children on board and the ninth train was supposed to take 250, showing how massively the scale has increased and the awareness spread about the matter of urgency to conceal them from the horrors that the invasion will bring. He didn't try to promote himself for his own personal gain thereby kept quiet about his accomplishment and did it for wanting to genuinely help the children when they desperately needed it. Every child was a valuable life saved. His dedication and one life saved many. Each life and child mattered.

Edited by Oliver Towler

Our first place choice

A huge well done to Melissa Thompson from Byrchall school, who’s article on Nicholas Winton was our favourite entry, earning her the coveted first place!

Note from the lead judge:

“A very compelling story which highlights a hero who saved the lives of close to 1000 children. I loved its depth on the journey of the children and the focus on the impact- showing its relevance today, the survivors are still alive and a large number of them not just a few.”

-Oliver Towler

Note from the editor:

“Melissa has demonstrated exceptional writing skills similar to those of my peers at A-level, this piece is wonderfully researched and nails not only the informative function but is very entertaining and engaging to a reader. Melissa is clearly a talented pupil and exactly the type of student I would search for to work under the magazine! Keep up the good work Melissa, you’re a fabulous writer!”

-Lily Barber

Second place-Megan Wilmot, Byrchall

Salem Satanism and widespread witchcraft: what was the impact of the condemned?

From the decrepit streets of Salem in Massachusetts to countries in Europe (including France and Switzerland) to towns only a 45minute drive away for instance Lancaster, the prosecution of "witches" has dawned on us as early as the 1500s up to the 1800s. Between 1590 and 1592 in East Lothian, more than 70 women were accused of witchcraft with their activities centring in North Berwick. King James VI of Scotland even intervened with these cases, highlighting the broad impact the witch trials had on society as it was an era of superstition not only in England but also in countries such as Greece as they dedicated Gods to these themes (such as Hecate – the goddess of witchcraft which is also referred to in Macbeth although the scene had to be removed due to the hysteria caused at the time), leading on to this ideology being a key theme in plays and literature - such as Macbeth in 1606. A common belief of witches was they could create storms linked to Act 1, Scene 1 in Macbeth as the three witches are introduced with thunder and lightning. James VI experienced this superstition when traveling home from Denmark by boat with his new wife as a storm emerged causing one of the fleets to sink. These events even led to James VI writing his book 'Daemonologie' in 1597, which heavily inspired William Shakespeare when writing Macbeth as many attributes of the rituals were referenced directly with the weird sisters.

However, the reasons women got condemned were obscure, especially taking into account that these victims were hung, burnt at the stake, and even in some cases rolled in barrels down Pendle Hill, for example you're a woman; you're rich or poor; you had an argument/ disagreement; you're old or young (Dorothy Good confessed to being a witch at just age 4, implicating her mother, Sarah, who was hung in 1692); you had sex out of wedlock (religious influence over society); you owned a doll (these where associated with 'poppet' dolls which witches used for casting spells) or if you broke any rule of the Bible implying you were in a pact with the devil. The hysteria from people impacted society so much that it caused legal change, due to the tensions of politics and religion between the colony and England, around witchcraft starting with Henry VIII. However, his Witchcraft Act of 1542 didn't suffice and was repealed in 1547 to be replaced in 1563 by an 'Act against

Conjurations, Enchantment and Witchcraft' insinuating the increasing fear throughout Elizabeth I's reign. This connoted that no matter who the monarch was, the fear of the paranormal and superstition dragged through the decades with the same overwhelming fear riddling people's brains. Furthermore, Scotland released its own set of much harsher laws enacted on 4th June 1563. This act remained upon Scottish statute books until it was repealed as a consequence of a House of Lords amendment to the bill for the post-union Witchcraft Act of 1735. The consecutive year a law relating to 'magical powers' was put in place, imposing fines or even imprisonment for those who claimed to have 'magical powers.'

In a town in Suffolk, Ipswich, the Puritan movement dominated political life. Observance of the Sabbath was strenuously enforced, and inhabitants of several town parishes showed no remorse with their enemies: the fornicators; gossipers "gossipmongers"; alcoholics "alehouse-haunters" and witches. In the summer of 1645, a town sergeant was sent by the authorities of Colchester 'to invite men of the town to come to Ipswich by a warrant' suggesting to historians these 'guests' could have been witchfinders as less than 2 weeks before they dined richly at The Lion on August 20th, the town staged its first significant witch trail. At least seven suspected witches around this time were questioned, four of whom were believed to have committed murders. Most notorious was Mary Lakeland, who confessed to being in a pact with the devil, sucking the blood out of a wound on her hand that the devil made and multiple acts of witchcraft such as killing her late spouse, she was burnt at the stake on account of petty treason instead of being hung for witchcraft. Conveniently for some, there was a multitude of ways to deter, identify, and fight witches such as: boiling the victim's urine and hair in a bottle or sticking a hot poker in the suspect's faeces. Priests and Protestant ministers would call witches to the front during divine services and make them repeat tracts of scripture. Additionally, the swimming test (the guilty would float but the innocent would sink) was a cheap and convincing way and was a providential miracle as the pure element of water rejected those who renounced their baptism. However, this test was more brutal than it seemed as an account of 1613 billed as 'Tragicke Comedie' described how a suspect's opposing thumbs and big toes were tied together then a rope would be tied to her waist before being thrown into a mill pond.

On the other hand, in America, the infamous Salem Witch trials began in the Spring of 1692, when a group of young girls in the village of Salem claimed to be possessed by the Devil itself, accusing several local women of witchcraft, including a slave called Tituba which this accusation could have been racially motivated due to the discrimination against black people at the time, which spiked a wave of hysteria.

A special court was assembled for these cases which accused everyone (including men and children) of witchcraft, going against 'societal norms' of a patriarchal, misogynistic society and contradicting most other trials which only necessarily accused women. This hysteria was ignited by a combination of religious fervour where anything out of line with the Puritanical society was seen as a threat to social order, going against the Jacobean belief in England of the Divine Right of Kings; the tension of society as the economic and political landscape of Salem was marked by a stark divide between landowners and farmers and the speculation of superstition causing paranoia due to an outbreak of mysterious illness which caused those infected to exhibit strange and uncontrollable behaviour, sparking rumours of witches performing dark rituals and engaging in pantomime. These rumours spread like wildfire due to spectral evidence, allowing dreams and visions as proof of guilt even though in modern-day society this evidence would be seen as insufficient, especially regarding the endangerment of a person's life.

These trials ended on a high, however, as in Salem the use of spectral evidence was being heavily criticised and even the President of Harvard College spoke out saying "It would be better ten suspect witches may escape than one innocent be condemned”. Salem Trails continued until 1693 and by that, all those in prison with witchcraft charges were released and pardoned. In England, the Bideford witch trial of 1682 resulted in the last people being confirmed of execution. However, the last executed was alleged by Mary Hicks in 1716, with Jane Wenham being one of the last convicted to death despite her case being put aside due to the passing of the 1735 Witchcraft act.

Edited by Ollie Towler

Our second place choice

A huge well done to Megan Wilmot from Byrchall school, who’s article on Salem was wonderfully written, earning her second place!

Note from the lead judge:

“Megan’s article is clearly well researched and shows a great detail in the use of dates and information– adding a professional and informative edge to the piece. The themes surrounding the hysteria were also presented interestingly, I would love to see more of Megan’s writing and have an in-depth piece which explores all the factors.”

-Oliver Towler

Note from the editor:

“Megan’s topic struck me right away as incredibly complex and interesting, and her writing proved me correct. A wonderful and interpretive piece which was an absolute pleasure to read! Megan is clearly a fantastic researcher and knows how to engage a reader in a topic. Wonderful Megan, well done!”

-Lily Barber

Third place– Bobby Mishurov

The Spark of the Bulgarian Revolution

Every nation has had its spark. That one person that changed the course of history and that beat all the odds to do it. From Britain to America, France to Australia, South Africa to Peru, every country has had its hero. And Bulgaria is no exception. Being under Ottoman rule for over 500 years, the Bulgarian people needed their spark, and no man was better for the job than Vasil Levski, the Apostle of Freedom.

Born on the 18th of July 1837 in Karlovo, Rumelia (now part of modern-day Bulgaria), to a family of clergy and craftsmen in the emerging Bulgarian middle-class, Vasil Ivanov Kunchev (later given the nickname "Levski", meaning lion-like) was predisposed to a life of artisanry and studied homespun tailoring as a local craftsman's apprentice. In 1855, Levski's uncle took the young boy to the city of Stara Zagora, where he attended school and worked as his uncle's servant. After his early education, Levski decided to study in a clerical training course being officially accepted into the church on the 7th of December 1858 and later being promoted, earning his nickname, "The Deacon".

At 25, and after reading multiple revolutionary manifestos, Levski decided to move to Belgrade and join the famed Bulgarian nationalist Georgi Sava Rakovsi's paramilitary force, called the First Bulgarian Legion. The group soon got their time to shine, when Serbian and Ottoman tensions boiled over, erupting in a large-scale invasion of Belgrade, in which the legion defended the city triumphantly. Even with this success, the First Bulgarian Legion was sadly disbanded under Ottoman pressure on the 12th of September 1862. After this fiasco, Levski moved around to other groups, but couldn't find anyone as good as his original team, eventually leading him to head back to Bulgaria.

On Levksi's return home in the spring of 1863, his uncle reported the young man to Ottoman authorities as a rebel, getting him imprisoned in the city of Plovdiv for three months. Luckily, two sympathisers of the revolution convinced the police to let him free. After his release, Levski decided to travel around the country as a teacher, helping persecuted Bulgarians find shelter and starting patriot groups everywhere he could.

In November 1866, Levski visited his former leader Rakovski in Iasi, modern-day Romania. On the recommendation of his former compatriot, Levski was chosen as the standard bearer for a new detachment. In April 1867, the group crossed the Danube, moving along the Ludogorie region and reaching the Balkan Mountains. After skirmishing, the band fled

to Serbia. The local government was sympathetic to the cause there and allowed the detachment to form the Second Bulgarian Legion, with similar goals as its predecessor, in Belgrade. Levski was an important member of this legion, but between February and April 1868 he suffered a gastric condition that left him bedridden. Without his help, the legion was once again disbanded, and after a failed effort to revitalise the group, Levski was once again shortly imprisoned.

Rejecting the approach on revolution that had failed him before, Levski decided to undertake a more local approach, choosing to tour around Bulgaria, sharing the ideas of revolution to every layer of society. This tour was so well received that he decided to do it a second time, this time handing out printed fliers legitimising himself as the representative of the Bulgarian provisional government.

From late August 1869 to May of '79, Levski became active in and around Bucharest. During this period, he was in contact with revolutionary writer and journalist Lyuben Karavelov, whose publications gathered mass support and eventually led to the foundation of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee, in which Levski had a significant role. Though In a disagreement over planning, Levski headed back to Bulgaria.

Throughout the 1870's, Levski would expand the Committee’s reach through an underground network of agents who communicated and coordinated in secret. This group was called the Internal Revolutionary Organisation, and was extremely confidential, with each member being initiated with an oath over the Gospel or a Christian cross, a gun, and a knife. As the IRO expanded, it coordinated activities with other rebel groups. Though due to a lack of funds, the organisation went into a crisis. A crisis that would lead to Levski's downfall.

In a desperate grab for cash, Levski's assistant robbed an Ottoman postal convoy without approval, landing him in the hands of the authorities. Whilst being interrogated, the assistant revealed the true size of the organisation, and Levski prominent role in it. Consequently, Levski decided to flee to Romania, but stayed in the small village of Kakrina for a day to collect important documents, eventually being arrested by surprise after a local priest betrayed him to the police.

On the 18th of February 1873, in Sofia, Vasil Levski was hung for his revolutionary crimes against the Ottomans. Only three years after his death, the Russo-Turkish war would break out, and the Bulgarian people would use this opportunity to revolt against the Ottomans, finally getting de facto independence.

Vasil Levski was truly the spark that the people needed. Many monuments have been erected for him across the world and he is commemorated all over Bulgaria for his achieve-

achievements and ideas. And in this modern era, where many young people feel that they have no voice or power, it's important to remember people like Levsky, and realise that we can in fact be the sparks that change the world.

Edited by Ollie Towler

Our third place choice

A huge well done to Bobby Mishurov from Fred Longworth school, who’s article on The Bulgarian revolution was extremely interesting, earning him third place!

Note from the lead judge:

“It was a compelling story that really jumped straight in and was very interesting to read, comprehensive and covered the main events of his life and the revolution which was relevant and done succinctly. The end of the article is done well in connecting the historical person to the modern day. It was a great use of dates with good specificity and clearly a well-researched article.”

Note from the editor:

-Oliver Towler

“Bobby’s article was a captivating story with fantastic attention to detail. This pupil’s writing flows very well and remains equally interesting throughout. A big well done to you Bobby– a talented student who is a credit to their school.”

-Lily Barber

Early Hinduism

Note: This article only explains the history of early Hinduism instead of their spiritual values.

The roots of Hinduism can be traced far back to the Indus Valley Civilization (circa BCE 3300-1300). Its traditions and culture, such as ritual bathing and Figurines and Icons representing deities and motifs of religious or symbolic meanings, have been continued by the consequent population of India and remain relevant to this day.

The Pashupati seal was uncovered in Mohenjo-daro during excavations in 1928-29. The horned bull was also called the “Proto-Shiva” as the hand gesture of the imagery (Mudra) and the Yogic posture (asana) indicate forms of Hindu worshipping. The seal dates way back to 2500 BCE, long before the emergence of the Hindu holy texts Vedas (c. 1500-500 BCE), though it should be noted that there are many interpretations of the Pashupati seal. There is also evidence of the Indus Valley Civilisations worshipping in various ways, as no large temple structures are found, unlike contemporary civilisations like the Egyptians or Assyrians.l Despite this, it is evident that the Hindu tradition (or early Vedic spiritual teachings) traces back to those early human civilisations.

Hinduism had a very rich textual history, going back to the composition of the Vedas. During 1500-500 BCE, commonly referred to as the Vedic period, the four Vedas - Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and the Atharvaveda - were composed to be one of the main pillars of Hinduism. By the late Vedic Period (c. 1000-500 BCE) the Brahmanas, Upanishads and Aranyakas appeared, associated with sutra texts which are explanatory aids to the other works. Those texts formed Hinduism's philosophical and mythical foundation, unlike the Abrahamic religions (Torah, Bible, Quran), which only have one core scripture. Each book contained a vast array of contents, from hymns, discussion on war, sacrificial rituals, spiritual music and even curses and charms. Later books like the Upanishads (mentioned above) constituted the foundation for theological and philosophical discussions on the Vedas texts.

Two other major Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are also assigned to be composed during this period, but historians and scholars debated the validity of these dates. Both stories were frequently rewritten, edited and added too, and it was only turned into sacred literature later, along with their protagonist's deification. The Mahabharata is the longest poem in the world with over 100,000 verses written in the entirety of the Epic. Its influence also extends to the modern day, as children were named after characters in the book, and one part of the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, became immensely popular as a Hindu spiritual text, summarising the Upanishadic conceptions of God between the conversation of Krishna and Arjuna, which were essentially portrayed as

demi-gods in the whole story of the Mahabharata. The epic also offered themes for philosophical arguments, like just wars, (if there is such a thing), and if suffering caused by war could ever be justified. Subsequently the book is still consistently referenced in modern day, as its philosophy is still relevant and subject to debate.

The Vedas were orally transmitted between the Indo-European-speaking people (known as the Aryans) before it was transcripted. During studies between the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, archaic Sanskrit, in which the Vedas were written, was found to be very similar to Latin or Greek in its grammar, and many contemporaries then believed, based on the assumption that Sanskrit was the progenitor of all Indo-European languages, that Aryans were what all the Indo-Europeans used to reference themselves as. Also influenced by Darwinist theories, the concept of a superior breed of human – Aryanism - emerged, quoting from the Rigveda that the Aryans had features such as blonde hair, a tall stature, blue eyes and dolichocephalic skulls (long skulls). This theory had been disproved, as early as the 19th century, by Indology pioneers like Max Muller and Hans Heinrich Hock, commenting that it is nonsense and misinterpreted the Vedas scripture. It is very distinct, as the term Aryan made reference to a group of people speaking the same language, instead of ‘races’ separated by skin pigmentation or features of the body.

So, who exactly are the Aryan people? To explain simply, the term was an endonym (selfdesignation) referenced in Vedic scriptures to a group of people sharing the same language, culture and religion, living in the region known as Aryavarta, referring to the territory expanse from the Sindhu River to the Ganges-Yamuna doab in the Northern Indian subcontinent. By the time they settled in the Ganges-Yamuna doab, they possessed technology capable for metal-working and pottery. The government system also gradually shifted from clan-based, where decisions were made by a council headed by a hereditary warchieftain, to a more centralised Kingship-based territorial identity and state, as more elaborate and expensive ceremonies were maintained, symbolising the status and power of the King. One of the most influential and far-reaching Hindu traditions that influenced Indian culture is the development of the caste system in structuring society. An extract from Rigveda described the emergence of four groups from the body of a Hindu god Prajapatithe Brahmans (Priests), Kshatriyas (Military/warlords), Vaishyas (Merchants) and Sudras (Workers). This mythological feudal system laid the foundation for the later caste system in Hindu society.

Written by Isaac Ho

Edited by Grace Kelly

‘Romance’ in Greek Mythology- the myth of Hades and Persephone

(contains graphic content)

In the modern world, the myth of Hades and Persephone is rightly seen as a tale of rape and kidnapping; in contrast, ancient people believed that it was a story of the marriage between the God of death and the Goddess of spring, which formed the basis of the cycle of the seasons. But why are these views taken by the ancient people, and what is the true story?

Contextually, Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and possibly Zeus, and since it's a myth from more than 2000 years ago, for simplicities sake say he is her father. She spent most of her time with her mother, tending to the plants of the earth and overseeing agriculture. However, Zeus had other plans and as her father he had the ‘right’ to marry the young maiden off, choosing his brother who was infatuated with her Zeus allowed his daughter and brother get married, despite these very uncomfortable familial situations. However, they both knew Demeter would (understandably so) not agree to the union, so told no one of their plan to have her marry Hades. As a result of this plan, one day whilst she was not supervised by her mother, Hades rose from the underworld and kidnapped her. A nymph named Sion witnessed the abduction and had tried to rescue Persephone, but there was nothing she could do. Whatever happened to the nymph is not entirely known, but it is known that Demeter got no news of her child, and no one else had witnessed the event.

Demeter, during her search, requested assistance from the Titan Hecate who told her to ask Helios, a God who witnessed all of earths happenings. He told her of all that had transpired and, knowing Zeus was involved, she demanded her daughter's return, or she would hinder all the crop that would grow on earth, until her daughter was returned. Zeus, who did not want the population to starve, albeit his less than altruistic motivations, demanded that Hades return Persephone, which he consequently did. This, however, was not before having her eat a few pomegranate seeds, not necessarily by force, but definitely through trickery. Due to a quirk of the underworld, this became very important, as if one were to eat the food of the underworld, then they would be bound to the underworld and as such they could not leave. This inflamed Demeter, who had to compromise her own

daughter's happiness and life and agreeing that Persephone could stay in the underworld for a third of the year (which would become winter) and the other two would be time spent with her mother. Demeter was not pleased, however recognised this was the best outcome, and agreed to it, with the consequence of not allowing crop growth while Persephone was in the underworld- which can explain why crops grow seasonally. Because of this, the ancient Greeks did not consider this forced marriage as uncomfortable or unnatural, but instead a pairing that explained the workings of the world. The Greeks viewed the tale on two levels- firstly a surface level explanation for why the world was how it was, and why crops did not grow in gloomy winter, Demeter mourning her child. Helios would disappear sooner and appear later to try and limit what he could see during these months, although he was later replaced by Apollo.

Secondly, the ancient Greeks also held deeper regard for the tale as a whole in that it symbolised the relationship between life and death - how life comes from the ground that looks dead, mirroring how every spring Persephone rises from ‘death’ into life and the world celebrates with her.

Her myth also represented societal norms of marriage. The first being the arranged aspect, present in many parts of the world and cultures, and enforced within Greece routinely, as women were used either as ‘tools for childrearing’ or political pawns who could enhance the status of their family though their natural beauty. Both the mother and child would also typically be unaware of the marriage, which would have been arraigned in advance. Therefore, it is likely many of these tales happened or mirrored events in real life, but it's unclear whether Greece had protections for marital rape - this, however, is highly unlikely considering the shocking fact that UK did not have marital rape laws in the UK until 1992.

This myth is also thought to represent the ancient tribal tradition of stealing women in Raids, after which these women would be married to the kidnappers and never see their family again. However, as Greece developed a strong legal system across the poli, these raids became highly uncommon, meaning the tradition should have died out. Whilst this is not exactly true, the myth was most likely symbolic in ‘modern’ ancient Greece, like being given away by the father in typical British marital culture.

In further context, Demeter and her relationship with her siblings was seemingly awful, with her eldest brother Hades marrying her daughter forcibly, and Poseidon (the middle sibling) raping her whilst in the form of a horse, leading to the birth of the world's fastest horse. Zeus, her youngest sibling, did something similar in which he chased her in the form of a snake and raped her, leading to the birth of Persephone. Essentially, Demeter was a victim throughout her life, being victimised by her own family. Whilst this is all a myth, it has a saddening factual basis, as girls in the modern world are similarly victimised by those

those around them, even their own family, highlighting the importance of education on Greek Mythology for today’s impressionable audience. The tale of Hades and Persephone is a cautionary one, remaining of the utmost relevance throughout the ages.

Written by Oliver Towler

Edited by Eva Marsden-Barnes and Grace Kelly

Haiti - the first successful slave revolt

Overview of Haiti

Discovered by Europeans – aside from the several million Taino - on 6th December 1492 and Haiti was named La Isla Española (The Spanish Island of Hispaniola). The Europeans had decimated the local population through slavery and disease from 30,000 to several million. As such, the islands monetary value was plummeting. Without slaves, the Spanish to solve this problem, imported thousands of chattel slaves from the other islands across the Caribbean. The Spaniard's who were in Haiti for the gold left in and around 1514 and by the early 16th century, French pirates had entrenched themselves on the islands surrounding Haiti. Eventually, bases were set up, with plantations soon following and finally the establishment of Port-de-Paix in the 1660s marked French control of Haiti. By the late 17th century, the island held 5,000 African slaves working the French plantations. In 1697, the Spanish formally ceded the remaining Spanish 1/3rd of the western portion of the island –modern day Haiti- to the French who renamed Haiti to Saint-Domingue. The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for the island, becoming the most valuable French new world colony, exporting primarily sugar. By 1780 nearly 2/3rds of French foreign investment went into Haiti, a lucrative endeavour, as in the same period more than 700 ships made a stopovers yearly.

Surrounding factors

However, the French were over exploitative of the island, and slowly the islands ecosystems began to deteriorate- particularly the poorer areas the slaves were permitted. Food sources were becoming less available, and streams began to dry up causing richer areas to slowly degrade. Factor this in with the constant influx of slaves, which had caused the population to multiply by 100 over the past century, to 556,000 and 500,000 slaves (only 32,000 Europeans with the rest being affranchis- freed blacks or mixed people). The island was divided into 5 classes the grands blanc (elite merchants, landowners and aristocrats), petite blancs (overseers and tradespeople- middle class) and the blanc menants (labourers and peasants). These were the white classes, and below them were the aforementioned affranchis (often themselves slavers who aspired to reach the status of the ‘blanc’). Finally, you had the bosal (the slaves).

Due to the cruelty of the plantation owners and their lack of forethought, there was often mass famine across the bosal population- however as a result, escapes became a common occurrence. These escaped slaves, or maroons, began to fight the colonial militia in guerrilla battles, where they would gain necessary military experience.

Revolution

A series of conflicts began with the French decision to imprison Vincent Ogé- a biracial man who was tortured and executed in 1790 for requesting colonial reform. This led to an uprising, which was quelled by the 1791 decision to grant citizenship to the wealthier affranchis. However, the European population refused to comply and two months later, in July, fighting broke out and in August, thousands of the bosal rose up in defiance and started a rebellion. To appease the affranchis and gain their assistance in quelling the bosal (who were more likely to listen to the biracial group), the decision was ratified in the April of 1792 which granted citizenship to all affranchis. The damage, however, was done, and the island was torn between rival factions who were supported by either the Spanish on the eastern half of the island or the British in Jamaica. In 1793, Léger Félicité Sonthonax visited the island to try and maintain law and order, and he offered freedom to any who joined his army. Soon he abolished slavery all together- something the French parliament later ratified.

In the late 1790s, Toussaint Louverture- a military leader, former slave, and revered hero of Haiti- gained control of several areas of the island and gave nominal allegiance to the French. However, he did begin to negotiate with the British to pursue his own goals, and in May 1801, he named himself Governor General for life. Napoleon, in an attempt to keep control of the island, sent his brother-in-law Charles Leclerc. After several months of struggle, they came to an armistice in the May of 1802. However, the French broke the agreement and imprisoned Toussaint, leading to his death on April 7th, 1803. Following rumours that Napolean was going to install slavery on the island again, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe led a Black army to resist the French in 1802- winning, they forced the French out of Haiti. Although, they kept a presence on the eastern portion of the territory until 1809, which they had gained from Spain in the 1795 treaty of Basel.

Aftermath

The revolution sent shockwaves through the entire world, but much of the world refused to recognise Haiti as a country in its entirety. After all, this would mean giving slave uprisings a legitimate platform and as such spread the ideology of racial equality across the world- something the inherently racist system of colonialism cannot allow. However, France, 21 years after the official independence of the Haitians, recognised the countryonly to bill them 150 million francs to recoup the losses they incurred on the island. However refusal meant invasion so were forced to agree (France robbed Haiti of 150 million francs- £1,058,702,944,91 in modern money or 1/20th of Haiti's modern GDP, so an unimaginable cost in the 19th century ). Then, in 1862 the US recognised the country –only for a political reason- trying to be harsh on the south. Throughout the following century, the

, the Haitians have fought with their wealthier, more Eurocentric neighbours who think of them as less and have had to deal with the effect of a US drain of wealth. This included the pseudo-slavery imposed on the island in 1934 by US marines. After the withdraw of the marines, Haiti was left penniless and soon a tyrannical dictatorship would arise under the Duvliers‘papa doc’ and ‘baby doc’ were a father and son military dictatorship who brutally ruled the island until the 1980s.

Modern day effects

In 1994, 20,000 US soldiers entered Haiti to back the president Aristide, and around a similar time frame, Bill Clinton sent troops to Haiti under operation to uphold democracy until the year 2000, effectively colonising the island. The troops are often told to have done many brutal things to the Haitians, as further research will reveal.

In 2010, an earthquake shook Port-au-Prince, killing 300,000 people, displacing a further 1.5 million people and then 6 years later the country was struck by the Hurricane Matthew. This only further displaced Haitians, many of whom fled to the US and were granted Temporary Protective Status. More recently, gang warfare shook the country with the president fleeing and the gangs taking over the streets, opposing the governments forces. The incident has now been controlled, although Haiti remains in a precarious position.

Although there isn't much, we can change our perception of Haiti from the colonial influenced view that the world majority holds. Haiti was the first nation to have a successful slave revolt, they fought off attempts from Britain, Spain, the US, and France from conquering them and reestablishing slavery. Although the nation certainly has failed today, to treat it as a failed state ignores the advances it made in racial equality, the struggle the Haitians fought and the struggles the modern Haitian people have overcome- from US imperialism, dictatorships, natural disaster, and widespread gang violence. The modern day people that make up the nation remain independent, all of which sprung from a series of revolts in the early 1800s.

Written by Oliver Towler

Edited by Grace Kelly

The unification of Hawai’i

First peoples

1.5 million years ago there was a violent eruption, and this event is thought by geologists to have formed the islands of Hawai’i. However, more recently, approximately 1000 years ago the Polynesian people discovered the islands of Hawai’i and over the course of a few hundred years the migrating peoples continued to colonize the islands and eventually they came under the rule of a singular family- the family of Kamehameha I- however this was divided by the cousins and rulers.

Prophetic child

The birth of Kamehameha I was marked by both joy and tragedy for all those involved. His parents and tribe were joyous, as he was born a child of prophecy, he was to be a great king and warrior- at least according to the prophecies, a claim made due to the star that raced across the sky around the time of his birth (confirmed to be Halley’s comet). Yet this could not have been worse news for the competing tribes spread across the archipelago and so for the first few years of young Kamehameha's life, he was hidden away in a sacred valley to be raised by foster parents and priests, away from the threat of death that followed the child. However, after 5 years, his supposed father had died and he returned to Hawi’ian society and came under guardianship of his powerful uncle, the chief, and was tutored alongside his cousin. By tradition, his cousin should have received the main tutelage as the eldest cousin, however this tradition was bypassed and his uncle’s attention was split between the two children. And so, Kamehameha was raised in the arts of statecraft, war and diplomacy developing a growing rivalry with his cousin who he would eventually compete with.

The stone

This is a slight aside regarding the prophecies surrounding Kamehameha (they were numerous after all). Aside from his prophetic birth, another act of his is regarded as prophetic and that is the lifting of the volcanic stone- now located outside the Hilo library- that weighed reportedly 2.5 tons. This act was said to hark the coming of a great conqueror, who would unify the islands and this was presumedly Kamehameha – a prophecy he would soon fulfill.

Family rivalry's

Around 1779, his doting uncle lay on his deathbed and bestowed two wishes upon his retinue, his son Kīwala‘ō was to inherit his chiefdom and Kamehameha was entrusted the care and devotion of the war god, Ku. This move only festered resentment among the two cousins, who in 1782, went to war with one another over the division of lands. In this civil war, Kamehameha was supported by many powerful uncles and cousins and it culminated in the battle of Mokuohai, in which his cousin was slain.

After gaining power within his own chiefdom, he began a series of conquests, in which by 1795 he had conquered his way across the archipelago and all but two islands held out. Fortunately, Kamehameha was an outrounding diplomat so he engaged in discussion with the rulers of Kauai and Niihau and instead of a battle, an agreement was reached and the islands became subjects of the great king. And so, in 1810 for the first time in history, the Hawai’ian Islands were unified under one king.

Western weapons

Across history, native peoples are spoken about, we in the west often have a rather racist image of the native peoples inabilities to use guns- this is far from fact. This is an image that is inescapable, like the image of the honorable samurai rejecting guns, or the savage Zulus fighting naked and with clubs- both of these are demonstrably false racist beliefs are only held in high factual regard due to white supremacist beliefs. The samurais and Zulus had guns and so did the Hawai’ians- although they were outdated Napoleonic weapons, they were definitely armed with gunpowder. However, although Kamehameha did certainly have superior technology and weaponry, he would not accredit his victory to these factors, but instead to the war god Ku, who he built a massive temple to atop a hill to commemorate his victory over his cousin and his successive victories furthermore.

Western take over

For the coming century Hawai’i became a vital sugar production center, and slowly the American sugar barons ingratiated themselves into the ruling of the Kamehameha dynasty, who then slowly began to erode the rights of the native peoples by handing special rights to the whites. Along with the banning of traditional customs, Hawai’i soon became a playground for the rich royal family, invading white missionaries and exploitative American capitalists, who used Hawaii's cheap labor to their advantage. Sick of paying taxes, the American businessmen, specifically James Dole, organized a coup to overthrow the local government and used local US marines to ‘protect’ the interest of the American government.

. Despite the explicit orders against the actions by President Cleveland, Congress did however legitimize the coup, and President Mckinly went a step further by annexing the island in 1898 during the Spanish American war.

Hawai'i became a state in 1959, thereby ending any possibility of freedom from the United States and the culture of the island has been almost wiped out. However, this does not stop a few brave activists fighting for both the self-determination of the Maui people on the island, and the restoration of Hawai’ian culture.

Written by Oliver Towler

Edited by Grace Kelly

War Quiz

Which of these countries didn’t take part in any world war?

A: Brazil

B: Spain

C: France

Which 2 countries fought in the Whisky war?

A: Scotland and Iceland

B: Ireland and Norway

C: Denmark and Canada

Where did the war of the bucket take place?

A: Azerbaijan

B: Poland

C: Italy

Where was the longest lasting war fought?

A: Spain

B: Iran

C: Japan

Who had the most casualties in WW2?

A: USA

B: Soviet Union

C: Australia

What country started world war 1?

A: Austria-Hungary

B: Germany

C: France

What 2 countries fought in the shortest war?

A: USA and Panama

B: Russia and Mongolia

C: UK and Zanzibar

In the Spanish civil war, which 2 countries supported the Nationalists?

A: Russia and China

B: Germany and Italy

C: France and UK

Where did the first historically recorded war take place?

A: Mesopotamia

B: Egypt

C: Mesoamerica

Where is Star Wars’ Tatooine filmed?

A: Mojave desert

B: Tunisia

C: Sahara desert

By Cameron Boyers

Medieval England law Quiz

Decided whether these medieval laws are true or false (some are laws that are currently being enforced; others are medieval laws)

Playing football was a crime ________________

Cutting down a tree on someone else’s property was a crime ________________

Eating raw onions down a street was a crime ________________

Shaking a rug in the street was a crime ________________

You can’t have a donkey sleeping in your bath after 07:00pm as it was illegal

It illegal to bite your landlord ________________

It was a crime to slurp your soup in public ________________

It was illegal for the keeper of a pub to permit drunkenness in the premises

Eating more than two courses was a crime ________________

It was illegal to steal or kill a whale ________________

Holding a salmon in a suspicious circumstance was a crime ________________

It was a crime to sneeze around a horse ________________

By Ayse Rose Mckenzie

See final pages for answers

Mythology Quiz

Determine whether these gods are from Greek or Roman mythology.

Helios ________________

Janus ________________

Bacchus ________________

Diana ________________

Asclepius ________________

Eos ________________

Bellona ________________

Aether ________________

Ariadne ________________

Minerva ________________

Dionysus ________________

Mithra By Ayse Rose Mckenzie

See final pages for answers

In Defence of Anne

Anne Boleyn has long been viewed as one of history's most infamous harlots, following the accusations that led to her death in 1536. Charged with adultery, incest and witchcraft, she was imprisoned by husband Henry VIII before her eventual beheading at the Tower. But whilst the King’s second wife is often portrayed as a villain, it is likely that she is more a victim.

As a young girl, Anne was sent to live in the French Court in the service of both Queen Mary and Queen Claude. Consequently, she was well educated, and became established, with many members of the court holding her in high regard, noting her humour, beauty and intelligence. Upon her return to England in 1521, Anne took up a place in the household of Queen Catherine (Henry VIII’s first wife) and it is believed to be here, considering their proximity, that Anne caught the eye of a then handsome King Henry.

Whilst a lady in waiting, Anne falls in love and becomes betrothed to young nobleman Henry Percy. To prevent the union, the King banished Anne to her family’s home of Hever Castle and her suitor to London. Between May 1527 and October 1528, it is believed Henry VIII sent approximately seventeen love letters to Anne, often detailing his deepening affections for her and promising her his devout commitment. During this time, Henry had become estranged from Catherine due to his persistent efforts to obtain a divorce, and pursue a relationship with Anne. Perhaps surprisingly, Anne reciprocated her King’s feelings and after years of secret letters and clandestine meetings – though by the early 1530s, their relationship was very public – the two were married on 25th January 1533. Regardless of the contents of Anne’s lascivious letters to Henry, it is unlikely she was truly in love with the King, considering he had just dismissed the man she did love, Henry Percy, from court. It is also worth noting that twenty-something Anne was essentially powerless to resist the attentions of the King. Moreover, Thomas Boleyn, Anne’s father, was a power-hungry man who would have had little hesitation in using his daughter’s burgeoning relationship with Henry to increase his own political standing. Of course, he had previously allowed his eldest daughter, Mary, to have an affair with Henry so it is unlikely that his younger daughter was given much choice in the matter. So, what was Anne to do?

At first, the marriage between Anne and Henry was allegedly one filled with love and passion. Once the initial sparks had died down, however, Henry began to grow dissatisfied with the relationship. Anne was known to be more intelligent than her husband and was not afraid of using her wit in her exchanges with the King, nor was she frightened of standing her ground in the face of his hectoring. The history suggests Henry was a spoilt and irascible egomaniac, and so did not take kindly to Anne’s robustness or tolerate the view many other European nobles had of him after his marriage to his new Queen. His obses-

-sion with Anne had made Henry a laughingstock and over time, he had become alienated from the men who once held him in such high regard. Of course, due to his self-obsessed nature, it was not his fault that he had fallen from grace: duplicitous Anne must have seduced him with witchcraft.

Despite promising Henry a boy, Anne was yet to produce a male heir instead providing one daughter, Elizabeth, alongside several miscarriages. As Henry viewed these miscarriages as his wife failing in her duty it meant consequently, that the allure that she once had was diminishing. In addition, Anne’s witty, confident and assertive personality played on her husband’s insecurities. Henry’s resulting paranoia eventually became too much for him and he desired a way out of his second marriage, just three years after it had begun. Henry took up an interest with Jane Seymour, a plain and subservient girl who served in Anne’s household, whose lack of education would surely have provided a comfort to England’s insecure monarch. On 2nd May 1536, Queen Anne was imprisoned and tried on charges of adultery, witchcraft and incest. A guilty verdict was inevitable, due to the corrupt nature of the King’s court, and Queen Anne Boleyn was executed on 19th May 1536. In the near 500-years since her execution, Anne’s reputation has suffered in the eyes of the public, but is that deserved? When we take a closer look at the circumstances surrounding her conviction, it becomes apparent that such a reputation is an undeserved one. As suggested above, Henry’s decision to marry Anne was one that greatly angered both church and state. Statesman Thomas Cromwell excised prominent influence on the King and is widely acknowledged as the man that fed Henry’s paranoia over Anne’s fidelity. As the record suggests, Cromwell, like Henry, was threatened by the witty, beautiful and intelligent Queen and was eager to see her ruined. An opportunity arose for Cromwell when he saw Henry’s developing feelings for Jane Seymour; Cromwell was very close to the Seymour family and greatly favoured Jane. Thus began his campaign to destroy the King’s marriage. Fully aware of Anne’s intelligence, Cromwell had to be cautious when whispering his suspicions of Anne’s crimes into Henry’s growingly receptive ear. Eventually, the impressionable King was convinced by his Chief Minister’s reports on his wife’s affairs, and the mechanism that would lead to her execution was set in motion.

After her death, Henry made the effort to destroy all evidence of Anne’s existence. As all portraits of her were destroyed, modern historians often refer to Anne Boleyn as a ‘woman without a face’ since we will never know what she looked like (all existing portraits were drawn from artists memories years after her death) making her legacy a truly tragic one.

Article Written by Mathilda Small

Edited by Grace Kelly

Is the future of farming compatible with achieving climate change targets?

As the new year began, farmers across Europe began to protest and strike as they sought to be heard by their respective governments. Countries such as France, Germany, Brussels, the Netherlands, and the UK are suffering from the farmers’ protests, as they threaten economies and societies across Europe. It is important to remember that farmers aim to maximise profits and numerous EU policies could put many farmers out of business. Persistent striking by farmers could lead to a decline in the economic landscape of many EU countries and social unrest jeopardises the stability of these nations.

Why are farmers protesting?

Arguably, the agricultural sector is the most important sector of the economy. According to The World Bank, agriculture accounted for 1.8% of France’s GDP in 2022. Many farmers have used the slogan ‘No farmers, no food, no future’ to highlight how farmers are fundamental to a country’s food security, and therefore social wellbeing and economic prospects - Rishi Sunak himself explained how ‘Food security is a vital part of our national security’. Farmers in Germany have been protesting as the government drew up plans to abolish a farming vehicle tax exemption and diesel tax breaks leading to unsustainable costs of production. Farmers across the UK complain of low supermarket prices and cheap food imports from post-Brexit trade deals, leading to a decrease in profits for farmers. 2023 saw high rates of inflation across Europe, which meant higher prices of agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, energy, and feed for livestock. Farmers have not received compensation from the government, such as an increase in wages, and therefore there have been negative impacts on farmers’ incomes as their disposable incomes fall. The reduction in farmers’ quality of life is evident, with roughly 1000 farmers across France barricading roads in January 2024. According to the BBC, ‘Dutch government proposals for tackling nitrogen emissions indicate a radical cut in livestock - they estimate 11,200 farms will have to close and another 17,600 farmers will have to significantly reduce their livestock’. Combatting climate change is at the forefront of many political leaders’ agendas, namely those of developed, industrialised countries. However, this should not be at the expense of people’s ability to work and live. Hence, it is important governments develop effective and sustainable ways of enhancing biosecurity.

How has climate change impacted farmers and what does the future of agriculture look like?

In 2023, increase in global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius across the entire year. Farmers are the most exposed and vulnerable part of the economy in relation to climate change. Climate change has had countless detrimental effects on farmers ability to grow crops, as unprecedented weather events have had devastating impacts, such as severe reductions in harvests and crop yields. As farmers try to meet net-zero targets across Europe and produce goods sustainably, it is paramount that governments work with farmers to reach agreements to enable a smooth transition to a green society, where farmers do not suffer economic losses in the process. As climate change continues to be exacerbated by societal inertia, it is imperative that we think differently in accordance to agricultural policy so that food security is maintained. The transition to a green economy should not be seen as a hindrance but rather an opportunity.

What are the wider effects of the farmers’ protests?

Food security is the idea that countries should have continuous, reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food. It is clear that the farmers’ protests across Europe pose significant threats to nations’ food security. However, the question of whether governments and organisations are threatening food security themselves persists. For example, higher regulatory standards in France are causing lower agricultural production and less domestic supply as farmers find it more difficult to produce. Reduced domestic supply has been seen across Europe, as new phytosanitary standards are significantly threatening agricultural output. The consequences of this are increased imports which reduces food security as the trade deficit increases, where imports are greater than exports. Notably, if the farmers persevere with their protests, there could be knock-on effects globally as supply chains today are so interconnected.

Key definitions

Vehicle tax exemption and diesel tax breaks – vehicles which do not require tax to be paid on them

Inflation – the rate which prices increase over a given period of time

Societal inertia – resistance to change

Phytosanitary standards – relates to the health of plants, the standards mean that agricultural goods have been inspected and are pest and disease free

Red tape – excessive adherence to official rules and formalities which slows processes

What are the solutions?

There has been some progress in France, with the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, having announced 150 million Euros in aid to livestock farmers, a decision to no longer increase farm diesel tax and a promise not to ban pesticides in France which are permitted elsewhere in Europe. Just recently in February, in the UK, at the National Farmers Union in Birmingham, Rishi Sunak will be providing an injection of £220 million into the farming sector as a package of funding for technological innovation. The main solution to the farmers’ issues is to have effective processes which maintain high quality produce and do not compromise standards so that farmers are protected in the future. Governments need to reduce the amount of red tape which farmers are facing so that we can improve domestic supply. Most importantly, we must have discussions with Commissioners in order to negotiate, as without productive conversations, success will prove much more difficult. Finally, society must support farmers so that they do not feel forgotten by their governments. The television documentary series ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ about Jeremy Clarkson’s farm in the Cotswolds helped to raise the profile of the farming industry and raise awareness of the issues which farmers face. A large part of the resolution is celebrating our farmers, as only by doing so will governments hear the farmers and thus, we can maximise our food security.

In conclusion, farmers are the backbone of societies as they provide the foundation of social and economic wellbeing. Governments are already responding to the unified concerns of farmers, as they look to reduce farmers’ grievances about market conditions. Combatting climate change will remain a struggle, but it can be compatible with sustainable farming if governments engage with the farmers to devise constructive policies. We need to plough on with the green agenda, in a way in which it does not act as a barrier to agricultural production.

Article By Mayukhi Mittal

Edited by Grace Kelly

The story of Sun Wukong

By Libby Roberts

Sun Wukong, better known as ‘Monkey King,’ is a fictional character from the 16th-century classic Chinese novel Journey to the west (西遊記). He is depicted as a rhesus macaque, a species of monkey native to northern India and southern China, with supernatural origins relating to the Taoist deities.

In Journey to the west, Sun Wukong is said to have been born from a stone egg that was nurtured by Yin and Yang, meaning that it was able to produce living things. When Sun Wukong hatched from the egg, two beams of light came forth from his eyes and disturbed the Jade Emperor (assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, Primeval Lord of Heaven) in the heavenly kingdom. After being disrupted, the Jade Emperor sent down two of his officers to investigate, who then returned, claiming that it was simply a monkey. In the early years of his life, Sun Wukong lived with a troop of ordinary monkeys, who then declared him their ruler after he jumped into a waterfall and found a palace behind it, making it their home. Sun Wukong then gave himself the name ‘Monkey King.’ However, he grew restless, discovering that one day he must die, so he set out on a journey to achieve immortality. On his journey, he finds a temple where he learns supernatural abilities, including the ways of immortality, from a Taoist martial artist called Puti Zushi. When Sun Wukong returns home, he fights and kills a monster, enslaving monkeys from his troop, but he finds that no human weapons are suited to him. So, once again, he goes on a journey to find a powerful weapon. He takes a large staff from the dragon king, Ao Guang, which he shrinks down so that he can wield it. After this, Sun Wukong wreaks havoc on earth - he allies with seven demon kings and wipes off his own name from the books in Hell so that he can never die. All of this attracts the attention of the Jade Emperor, who attempts to pacify Sun Wukong by offering a place in the heavenly kingdom. At first, he gives him the place of ‘Stable boy,’ but quickly changes it to ‘Guardian of the Heavenly Peach Garden’ to keep Sun Wukong from instigating increasing trouble on earth. When hearing that the peaches grant immortality when eaten, Sun Wukong eats all the peaches in the garden and angers the Jade Emperor. Multiple gods are sent to kill Sun Wukong, but all fail. So, the Jade Emperor calls for the help of the Buddha, who makes a bet with Sun Wukong, stating that if he can jump out of the palm of his hand, then he will become the ruler of the heavenly kingdom. Sun Wukong smugly accepts and jumps

Sun Wukong on the cover of the book The Chinese Myths by Tao Tao Liu.

from the palm of the Buddha to the farthest reaches of the universe, where he finds five great pillars. To prove that he was successful, he signed his name on one of these pillars and then returned to the palm of the Buddha to claim his victory. However, the Buddha reveals that the five great pillars were his own fingers, as shown by Sun Wukong’s name written on one of them. In defeat, Sun Wukong tries to flee, but the Buddha imprisons him under a mountain for five hundred years. In later years, once freed from the mountain, Sun Wukong helps a Buddhist monk travel to India to retrieve holy scriptures and spread Buddhism to China, leading to the story Journey to the west.

The story of Sun Wukong has inspired many people today. The story of Journey to the west is depicted in many forms of media. For example, the 80s TV show Monkey retells Journey to the west in a comedic fashion. Also, Sun Wukong is featured in both Marvel and DC comics. Around China, Journey to the west is retold in traditional Chinese operas and is even worshiped in southern China, Taiwan, and areas of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, and even Thailand. There is evidence that Journey to the west did in fact occur, with Sun Wukong representing a young monk's ambitions. The book can be purchased and read today, and is the most popular Chinese myth in the western world.

Article written by Libby Roberts

Edited by Grace Kelly

Tirailleur – France’s forgotten heroes

Tirailleur means “skirmisher” or “rifleman”, the Tirailleur Sénégalais as they were formally known as, were riflemen from Senegal and other French colonies in West Africa, conscripted (often forcefully) they served vital roles in both the first and second World Wars (in World War Two they made up 9% of the French free forces). The last Tirailleur died at age 104 and was only a day away from being honoured by the then President Jacques Chiracin 2004, a full 86 years after the end of the war- something that is now widely accepted as disgraceful by the French government. However, the government in question took 90 years to honour the troops who saved their country, from not only imperial Germany, but also the Nazis who they led the French pushes against.

World War 1 and the inter-war period

The French colonial project was brutal. 170,891 West Africans were forcefully conscripted into military service and 30,000 were killed - and yet, after this war, they received no honours from the government who had so brutally taken away the lives of their brothers and scorned them so harshly via regular mistreatment and lack of proper supplies. It took 90 years for them to be recognised as both the heroes and victims they were – often times, the soldiers were only 19, a disgrace that lays heavily upon the shoulders of the French government.

The interwar period saw the Tirailleur stationed in the occupied German territories which during the occupation they were slandered as the “black horror of the rhine” a propaganda tool used by far-right German parties who wished to draw hatred for the Treaty of Versailles- a slander that would be reused by the Nazis in later periods.

Nazi occupation

When the Wehrmacht (Nazi military units) entered France in the May of 1940, they encountered resistance from the French forces across the country, particularly the Tirailleurs who knew they would be shown no mercy by the Nazi regime. However, it was not the regime who first began to enact their racist policy, but the ordinary soldiers who enacted their prejudice. The Chasselay massacre was two days after Marshal Pétain’s announcement that he would seek an armistice with the Nazis on June 19, 1940. On this morning, the Nazis attempted to enter the countries 3rd largest city and encountered resistance they did not expect- it was from the Tirailleur. The Wehrmacht executed all prisoners captured on the first day- the second day was different however, and on this second day the city was finally captured, and the prisoners were divided into two, Africans and White French. The first group were taken to abandoned fields and killed in cold blood. While some of the

white French were killed, they were only killed when they tried to help the Senegalese and these acts of bravery had dire consequences.

Jean-Baptiste Marchiani , in the summer of 1940 requested he be allowed to build a sacred land for the Tirailleur to be buried in, using the African red ochre to build a traditional west African cemetery.

The men who escaped the massacres of the Tirailleur across France were put into camps, where these Prisoners of War were forced to work in logging, farms and factories. These Frontstalgs (name for the camps) were places of brutal repression and beatings by the occupation forces, however they were ‘luckily’ kept in the occupied zones and not to the directly Nazi controlled regions, where they most likely would have been killed. They were kept in these camps to stop the spread of racial impurity, which ironically may have saved the lives of many of these men.

French freedom?

In 1944- as the French homeland was almost liberated- Charles de Gaulle ordered a ‘whitening’ of the troops and so the black war heroes were sent home to West Africa to be forgotten about by the French public. However, the Senegalese were sent to camps and villages that they did not originally come from and some of the Tirailleur were sent to a remote village called Thiaroye (a camp set up by the French). Here, they were given a pitiful pension, reduced rations - all while their white French counterparts were rewarded handsomely.

To be heard, the outraged soldiers took Damian, a high ranking general, hostage. This proved to be a huge mistake and instead of placing the Tirailleur in a better bargaining position, it angered the colonial forces to the point that they stormed the camp and reportedly murdered 300 war veterans in cold-blood. Disgracefully, French response to the massacre of war heroes who liberated their nation was to call the Senegalese spies. To retain their reputation, the heavily anti-Nazi Senegalese soldiers were named Nazi collaborator spies who were heavily armed and preparing to attack the French. The story of the Tirailleur is a tragic tale, involving a group of war heroes who laid down their lives to save France and her colonial empire, and were treated with not only scorn

and disdain from the enemy, but also violence from their supposed allies. It has only been in the 21st century in which recognition for the sacrifice of the Tirailleur has been acknowledged in French politics, however in the wider world the story of the Tirailleur is lesser known – a tragic oversight that is hopefully remedied in the near future.

Article written by Oliver Towler

Edited by Grace Kelly

Chernobyl – A Horror Story That Lies in Truth

On April 26th, 1986, in the small town of Pripyat, Ukraine, residents awoke at 1:23AM to an explosion of light and sound coming from a power plant just 3km away. Wives and children of the men who worked on that very power plant gathered in terror at the edge of the residential area to see the blaze from afar. At this point, the fire appeared well-contained, and the locals had been reassured that there was nothing to worry about as it was only the roof that was on fire. Officials said that it was perfectly safe, yet they had no idea that whilst they stood to watch the inferno, their bodies were absorbing radiation equivalent to 2,000 chest x-rays. Just a few years later, this would prove deadly.

The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 is considered one of the worst and most tragic industrial accidents in human history, with 50 deaths attributed to the event and a further 4,000 to its aftereffects. This infamous event scarred the entire world, leaving the city of Pripyat and the surrounding exclusion zone completely abandoned- displaying the tragic fact that even something as simple as a single button press can release radiation levels that have catastrophic effects on countless lives- such as the 5 million people affected by this event. Though, if not for this terrible mistake, we would have significantly less knowledge regarding the effects of radiation on the human body, as well as how to contain it if such an event were to occur again. The long-term effects of the Chernobyl Disaster were not immediately apparent to those involved in its cleanup.

When the RBMK reactor core went into full meltdown and exploded at approximately 1:23:45 am, engineers were confused. The well-known fact was that RBMK reactors did not explode, a fact that likely raced through the minds of every engineer and overseer present. A fact that, combined with the deep-seated fear of failure in the face of a competitive and image-obsessed Soviet Union, meant that nobody even believed that the reactor core had exploded. Antatoly Dyatlov as the Deputy Chief Engineer ordered that water be pumped into the core. Engineers pleaded with him, insisting that the core was gone and that water was flooding the lower levels of the plant. Dyatlov’s cowardly ignorance meant that some of the engineers were forced to go and see for themselves from the roof. None of the engineers who went out onto that roof lived for longer than a month afterwards.

When word finally got out that reactor 4 had exploded, the lies still persisted. Victor Bryukhanov, the manager of the plant, attempted endlessly to cover up the error- as the release of such information beyond the iron curtain would be a monumental blow to Russia’s image and position of power. These lies led to the death of hundreds who did not escape the radiation zone in time, as they were assured that the area was safe. A key figure who worked against the spread of propaganda in the face of such a horrific event was Valery Legasov, a soviet chemist- whose efforts to contain the disaster were well documented in the tapes he made that were released to the public upon his suicide on the 27th of April 1988, two years after the event. A quote from the HBO docuseries resonates: “What is the cost of lies? It is not that we will mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all.”

The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 is still felt today by millions as a symbol of the devastation that can be caused when attempting to harness a power we cannot fully control. The fact that the 1,017 square mile exclusion zone will remain uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years accurately conveys the stark reality. That this event really happened, and it can happen again.

Article written by Joel Purvis

Edited by Lily Barber

Lily Barber, editor in chief

I’m so thankful for all the fun, joy and enrichment GAIA has brought into my life. GAIA and its students are a credit to the college and I hope that next year’s students are just as passionate and crazy about GAIA as we’ve all been! A huge thank you to everyone in GAIA, each and every one of us have put our all into our clubs/events and the society as a whole– which is what brings it such success. Good luck to next year’s students!

Mayukhi Mittal, GAIA secretary

As we transition to the next academic year, I hope that many of the incoming Lower Sixth are inspired by the work and events which GAIA has held and produced this year. As the GAIA team will shortly give up their roles in September, we hope that the new members of Winstanley are motivated to get involved with and expand GAIA. Whilst I do not do any GAIA subjects, I have gained lots, both academically and personally and I hope that if you choose to join GAIA you enjoy it as much as I have. I am always happy to answer questions or help with any GAIA issues, whether now or the next academic year. Congratulations to the GAIA Team and its members for a fantastic year!!!

GAIA coordinators and Magazine team

Many thanks to the magazine team who’ve been so helpful in all of their work for this issue! Your magazine team for this issue are:

Lily Barber (editor in chief)

Grace Kelly (assistant editor)

Mayukhi Mittal (assistant editor)

Isaac Read (assistant editor)

Eva Marsden-Barnes

Martha Hawys-Griffiths

Harrison Bailey

Oliver Towler

And a massive round of applause for our lovely coordinators who’ve been running GAIA all year! Your coordinators are:

Geology – Amber Wells

Geography – Jake Hughes, Aidan Berry

Ancient and Medieval History – Ayse Rose Mckenzie

Horrible Histories Karaoke – Miya Rae Woodward-Green, Jasmine Lindsay, Elizabeth Roberts

Debate Team – Oliver Towler, Leila Morris, Jake Hughes, Stephanie Duru-Okwbua

Podcast – Harrison Holden, Cameron Boyers

Quiz – Amber Wells, Cameron Boyers, Finn Houghton

Magazine Chief Editor – Lily Barber

Poster Designer - Miya Rae Woodward-Green

Secretary – Mayukhi Mittal

Highly commended high-school entries

Here are the rest of the entries from the high-school competition! As I mentioned in the winner’s pages, all the articles were very well received by staff and students and we thank everyone for their submissions. You all did a wonderful job and we’d love to have each and every one of you as a part of GAIA if you were to attend Winstanley. What a lovely way to conclude our final magazine for the academic year 2023-24– we hope you enjoy the students’ fantastic writing!

Holly Marshall, Byrchall

Why was Jack the Ripper never caught or identified?

Jack the ripper is, most likely, one of the biggest mysteries in the history of British crime. As they were not, and still have not, been discovered. But why? Why was Jack the ripper such a difficult case to crack and why couldn’t the police force find them? Many reasons such as, the inefficiency of the police force in the era of Jack the ripper, lots of media interference, and the victims were considered irrelevant. I believe that the main reason why the ripper was not caught or identified was the capability of the police force, and their lack of evidence and ability to prove anything even if they did have evidence, but all of these reasons and more is why Jack the ripper is such an interesting case and why I have chosen to write about it.

Firstly, I think that the main reason for why jack the ripper was not even almost discovered was the fact that the police methods used, and the police force altogether was unsophisticated and inadequate. Their methods were inefficient because they could have used fingerprints, but there was no database for it, and they could not match blood type either, so the clue itself told them little. And the ripper police only had a few tools to work with, so their work was reliant on luck. Also, forensics such as fingerprint recognition didn’t exist as we know them in 1888, and preserving a crime scene wasn’t even considered, therefore police heavily relied on witnesses or any physical evidence left behind; and if they did find clues, they would still rely on witnesses to put the pieces together. So, if a crime scene had no witnesses, they were useless.

Another reason Jack the ripper was not identified is that the case got so much media attention and also interferences. This includes aspects like the ‘dear boss’ letter, where the name ‘jack the ripper’ originated from which was theoretically given by the ripper them-

-selves. Other theories show that the people of the media such as journalists or even politicians could have sent this letter. Therefore, there was no unambiguous evidence that these letters were from the real murderer or someone of the public, meaning that the police would have many misleading pieces of evidence, such as these letters.

More reasons include the relevance of the victims in society. His supposed ‘Only 5’ victims were call women, and prostitutes so the public did not think that their murders were relevant since they did not have an impact on their own daily life. Also, someone considered a prostitute or anyone that would engage in sex for money would be looked down upon and would be considered indecent. Therefore, the victims would not really have anyone close to them or anyone in the public except the police who would care or be interested enough to help crack the case or find some evidence to avenge the victims.

The case of Jack the Ripper has many limitations to the fact that he was never caught and identified, the main reason that he was not identified and caught, in my opinion, was the fact that the police force was incapable of using the modern methods of identification and forensics that we have today. The police force was not just incapable in ways like the forensics, also that there was no witnesses and no way to prove who it was without conducting a full investigation. There was also no way to know that these murders were connected, other than the way that they were killed, the murders could have nothing to do with each other and Jack the ripper could be multiple people. This would also throw the police off, theories like this could lead their investigation another way that could mislead the whole case.

In conclusion, I believe that the main factor for the fact that ‘Jack the ripper’ was never caught was the lack of capability and understanding of forensic science and fingerprint testing within the police force in Victorian society, and their inadequacy of training or education in the matter. The case could have been solved ages before if the police had more knowledge of use of modern technology and fingerprint or DNA testing.

Jasmine Rowlands, Byrchall

Why do we remember Florence Nightingale and not Mary Seacole?

A Study in resilience

Mary Grant, a virtuous woman, was born in Kingston Jamaica, in 1805. Mary’s father was a Scottish army officer and her mother a free black woman. Mary’s mother, ‘the doctress’, relished medicines, and nursing. She supervised a boarding house in Kingston, where she nurtured the sick, influencing her great beliefs in herbal medicines. Her command of the boarding house was later given to Mary and her sister, Louise, to maintain their nursing, continuing the treatment of locals and passing soldiers.

In 1836, Mary married one of the resident guests, Edwin Maratio Seacole, however, was soon widowed, abiding her as Mary Seacole. For several years, Mary continued nursing and treating people through both the cholera epidemic and yellow fever outbreak, using herbal medicines she adapted through her mother and love of travelling. By travelling to the Bahamas, Haiti, and Cuba she learned how the people used local plants and herbs to treat the sick. When visiting Panama, she aided another cholera epidemic carrying out an autopsy, to learn more on human anatomy. She accepted her flaws and opened her mind to a variety of techniques to improve her medical skills.

In 1853, Russia invaded Turkey. Britain and France, concerned about the growing power of Russia, went to Turkey’s aid. This conflict became known as the Crimean war. Soon after British soldiers arrived in Turkey, they were being diagnosed with cholera and malaria. At the time, disease was a far greater threat than the enemy, resulting in 87% of soldiers dying from disease, not actual battle. In the significance of the decease, Mary knew she could make a difference.

Seacole travelled to London to offer her services to the British army. However, as there was considerable prejudice against women’s involvement and racial discrimination, Mary was declined. As casualties rose, the government was obliged to change their minds. Florence nightingale and 38 nurses, who had no practical experience in cholera, were selected vaguely to treat the sick soldiers.

Unable to admit defeat, Mary Seacole travelled to Crimea, at her own expense, to offer her worthy knowledge to Florence Nightingale’s team. When Seacole applied for Florence’s team, she was turned away with the weak excuse that no more nurses were needed. Declining defeat she formed a business, named the British hotel, also referred to as “Mrs. Seacole’s hut”, a few miles from the battle front. Mary’s obliging “hut” fed and cared for

hundreds of soldiers, daily. If not at the hotel, like a knight in shining armor, Mary galloped towards the battle front, fearlessly, with two mules in attendance, one carrying medicaments and the other, victuals.

During Mary’s bravery, Florence Nightingale, and her team of nurses were stationed in a hospital several miles from the frontline. Their absence highlighted Mary’s honorable attitude, as you would often see Seacole treating wounded soldiers ,from both sides, during battle. Mary’s independent status ensured her to be a familiar figure on the battle front as she was evidently a hero.

After the war ended, in 1856, Mary returned to England where she opened a canteen, a venture that failed due to a lack of funds ,as Mary previously spent her earnings on medical efforts, back in the Crimean war. She later became bankrupt, where she was then encouraged to write an autobiography, published in 1857, as “The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole”.

It sold well, giving some comfort to Mary during her final years. Mary Seacole later died of apoplexy on the 14th of May 1881, leaving her fearless actions within history, hoping to be remembered and appreciated by many. However, because of racial influences Mary’s life story was about to be forgotten for centuries.

The Lady with the Lamp Mary Seacole, who exceeded Florence Nightingale, is not the name you remember within nursing, but why?

What is rarely discussed in nursing history is Florence Nightingale’s bigotry and racism. During Florence’s time as a nurse, British society was heavily influenced with slavery. As slavery was legal it was considered the norm, creating excessive inequality. Florence Nightingales participation in racism was concealed by the fact that she was a white, upper class, Christian. Because of others class, race, and religion she prioritized and favored individuals.

Florence Nightingale played a significant part in removing Mary’s name from history, whether she realized it or not. Nightingale wrote many pieces of literature, influencing white supremacy. She counseled many key political figures, with the motive of colonialism and isolation of indigenous people. Nightingale was a staunch supporter of the expansion of the British empire. Even aware of the deaths left in its path she claimed white supremacy was a necessity for a “pure” civilization.

By Britain’s racist society Mary Seacole had vanished from the expansion of nursing history. Just like many other diverse leaders, Seacole was removed from her noble accomplishments, with the weak excuse of not fitting Nightingale’s “ideal” nursing figure.

Modern day

It was until 136 years after Mary’s death, that her name was announced again. When nurses from the Caribbean visited Seacole’s grave, to honor her endeavors, they promised to restore Mary’s name. On June 30th, 2016, a memorial to Mary was unveiled as a statement of her brave accomplishments and moral actions. She was voted the greatest black Briton, becoming the UKs first, honored and named black women. However, a problem resurfaced. Many historians around the world claimed the remembrance of Mary had exceeded too far and was outshining Florence Nightingale. Seacole is still at the center of an unfair controversy in whether her existence is to be remembered. It is threatened that Mary may be removed from the national curriculum in order the preserve traditional British characters like Winston Churchill. This attempt at silencing black voices shows the influence of Nightingale’s standards of an “ideal” nurse to present day. It is immoral voices like hers that we listen to and are manipulated by. As both nurses shared the same accomplishments, both earned a place in nursing history.

Hollie Brown, Byrchall

The radium girls were a significant reason for creating a safer workplace for women post WW1’. Assess the validity of this view.

The Radium Girls were women from all over America who suffered the consequences of working with radium in a large quantity for an extended amount of time, eventually leading to three groups of women from New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois conducting lawsuits on the companies they worked at for what they suffered, each one winning their own case. But was their success in the lawsuit a success overall?

After the long and gruelling case of the eight ex-dial painters of Illinois against the Radium Dial Company, the lawyer of the first radium girls, Raymond Berry, and Alice Hamilton, a Harvard professor of public health, worked on negotiating better working conditions for those who worked in the watch studios: the watch factories beginning to provide their employees with better suited, protective equipment as well as training them in handling of radioactive materials. Not long after this, in 1949, Congress passed a bill to ensure compensation would be provided to anyone who suffered an occupational illness. These girls and the previous girls who had inspired their court case had a major impact on the development of the occupational safety and health standards of America, as well as having quite a bit of significance in the labour rights movement. There was also an impact on science with the multiple cases. A scientist, Robert D. Evans, was the first to measure the radon and ra-

-dium excretion from a former dial painter, and from this he went on to measure the dependable body contents from twenty-seven other dial painters at MIT, his information being later used in 1941 to establish the tolerance level for radium. This information later helped the centre for human radiobiology be established in 1968 at Argonne National Laboratory, which primary purpose was to provide medical examinations for the still-living dial painters and when the project ended, a book was published on the effects of radium on the human body in 1993 by Peter Alexander.

However, their case only came with the success it did because of two previous cases in other parts of America. The two cases were of the radium girls of New Jersey and Connecticut. The first case, despite inspiring the others, came with a bad representation from the media, due to the popularity of radium and how much was used in everyday product such as toothpaste and cosmetics, as well as the number of businessmen with shares in the US Radium Corporation. The women involved in the case, Grace Fryer, Katherine Schauber, Albina Maggia and Edna Hussman, did not live for long after they had won, which is why nothing was immediately done afterwards. But with the success of their case, it did make many people more aware of the dangers of long-term exposure to radium and gave the other radium girls more confidence in starting a case of their own. The second case was slightly more successful in the aftermath, as the company in which the girls had sued, the Waterbury Clock Company, had to issue $90,000 into medical settlements after seeing women in their factories die from the radium poisoning. But again, nothing was put into place within the factories to prevent any more harm coming to the girls working inside. Despite nothing being put in place, the girls being issued money showed that their was in fact something being done to help those who suffered, which again brought more awareness on the situation. With the radium girls in Illinois being the third and final case, the change in conditions in the workplace perhaps only came into action due to the amount of ex-watch factory workers coming out with the damage working closely with the radium had done to them, to show the public that there was in fact something being done to further prevent it. Even with all of this, damage had already been done. Over fifty women had died of the radium poisoning before anything came of the three cases and those who had been working in the factories before and during the court case would suffer the same fate. Even with the large number of workers who did end up suffering, without them the matter of the radium girl’s cases would not have been taken as seriously, and no investigating would have been done to later help their success.

Overall, the Radium Girls have made a large the impact on America today in many different ways legally, scientifically, and has even inspired the entertainment industry with each of the women’s experiences for books, movies and even a musical. So despite the time it took and amount of girls to come forward with their stories, the Radium Girls were successful in making the workplace for other dial painters in the watch studios safer in order to prevent them from suffering a long and painful death, along with inadvertently helping other causes and future studies such as the labour rights movement and the tolerance level of radium for a person.

Heidi Togher, Byrchall

Macbeth was the greatest explanation for the gunpowder plot:

Macbeth by far, is the greatest explanation of the celebrated story of the near assassination of king James 1. From its numerous references to the plot itself to themes of betrayal and treason also presented in the plan.

William Shakespeare, a close friend and companion to King James 1, created the play Macbeth as a form of flattery toward James. This is evident when Macbeth is rightfully torn of his status and life after challenging a very popular Jacobean belief of the Divine Right of Kings. This was the belief that the King is appointed by God and anyone who would go against this belief (and the Great Chain of Beings) would disrupt natures course and evoke chaos to rise. It shows that anyone who may go against the king would be met with a brutal and deserving death (for example, Guy Fawkes). After being caught with the gunpowder, Fawkes was arrested and sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering.

During “The Porter Scene” of Act 3 Scene 4 in Macbeth, the porter repeats the adjective/ verb “Equivocator”/ “Equivocate” to MacDuff and Lennox as they try to enter Macbeth’s castle. To be an equivocator it means to use ambiguous, unclear language that could be interpreted in many ways. This can be seen as a direct link to priest, Henry Garnet, who had dealt with heavy criticism for equivocating. The priest was confessed to about the gunpowder plot and planned assassination of King James, he was sworn to secrecy by the Seal of the Confessional, the Jesuits use equivocation as a sort of “loophole” to avoid the sin of lying. During his trial, Garnet’s use of equivocation was extremely selfdeprecating. “Here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who committed treason enough for God’s sake yet could not equivocate to heaven. Oh, come in, equivocator.” This is one of the key quotations that openly reference the Gun Powder Plot in Macbeth.

This is not the only reference to equivocation: it is one of the soul reasons for Macbeth’s downfall (other than his hamartia of pride), it was the witches that he put his trust in who used equivocation. The witches constantly use ambiguous and vague language to confuse and give him a vaster sense of pride and conceal their real intentions. A quotation that can be used to confirm this is: “Until great Burnam Wood to high Dunsinane Castle shall come

against him”. The use of equivocation here gives Macbeth into an even greater sense of pride, “that will never be”, here he begins to think he is invincible due to their ambiguity. He would never have expected that the wood would move and be used as weaponry and protection for the army that came against him. Instead, he gained a false sense of confidence and was unprepared for the consequences.

This correlates with another point of religious tension between King James and his subjects. King James was the head of the Church of England meaning that everyone was forced to attend the same church as him, a noted cause of the attempted assassination. King James was against Catholics and people who practiced other religions could be punished. After the release of James’ book “Daemonologie” and his strictly religious rules, his citizens became suspicious about his links to the supernatural and divine. By showing that the witches were “fiends” and almost villainous and how James was so interested and associated with them can highlight how skeptical the public was of him. His close proximity to witchcraft and more importantly the devil in a strictly religious, Jacobean, patriarchal society, King James himself could be seen as sacrilegious. This is what many Catholics/ anyone would have believed. This can be seen as a motive for the plotters.

However, some limitations of the play being an explanation for the plot would be the scarce number of references and information available to interpret in it. Although there are a few links, there is not enough to uncover the secrets of the plot, a motive or much else that can link to the gunpowder plot. There is a minor amount of evidence to try and pry information from the play. You must have an open judgement and be able to interpret the language in a certain way. Meaning that if its so complex to almost “de-code” then is it really meant to explain the Gunpowder Plot?

Another reason Macbeth cannot be seen as an explanation for the gunpowder plot is Shakespeare bias. Shakespeare’s relationship with King James was very close and the fact that Shakespeare’s intentions when writing Macbeth was purely flattery toward the King. It doesn’t explain any other theories such as The Government Conspiracy Theory, The Manipulated Conspirators Theory, The Religious Rivalry Theory and The Foreign Influence Theory. So, when writing Macbeth, Shakespeare would not include the points in the plot where it would make James seem weak or fragile in front of his subjects because at the time the king was believed to be appointed by God. So, with a King who was, in Shakespeare’s words: “infirm of purpose” it would have been disrespectful. Furthermore, the King was also seen as God’s representative on Earth so it would have been seen as even more discourteous toward God.

In conclusion, I believe that the tragic play Macbeth is one of the best explanations for the famous Gunpowder Plot. Due to the many references to the plot, Shakespeare’s close relationship with the King and a close insight to what the plotters methods and thoughts were at the time. Thus explaining maybe a motive, execution and methods of the plotters through subtle language.

Robert Greenaway, Byrchall

What was the impact of Emperor Goazong's rule of the Song dynasty?

Emperor Goazong, born as Zhou Gou was born June 12, 1107, was the 9th child of Emperor Huizong. His impact on history is often overlooked, with many not being aware of the chain effect of his actions. If Goazong never became the Emperor of the Southern Song dynasty, the world we live in today would likely be very different, whether the world we live in would be better, or would be worse is up for debate.

The first impact Goazong's rule had was on the rise of the Mongol Empire, with his choices in the Jin-Song wars in the 1130’s. After the Jin armies battering after the battle of Huangtiandang and the subsequent beatings by Yui Fei’s elite forces, the Jin were in full retreat, by 1939, the Song were approaching their old capital of Kaifeng, when Goazong recalled Yui Fei back to the imperial court, and ordered him to stop his offensive towards Kaifeng. He subsequently framed Fei for treason, and later had him executed. This had an impact on the rise of the Mongol empire as it allowed the Jin dynasty to continue as a large power, one which would be easily beaten by The Mongol Empire 70 years later, giving them a much easier time rising to become the biggest empire for the next 700 years, as the Jin were easily outmatched by the superior Mongols. If the empires of the Jin and Southern Song were ruled by a single party (Song in this case), the Mongols would have struggled to beat them, fighting what would have been a massive regional power. Furthermore, the influence of The Song Dynasty would have been effective as stopping the Mongols from rising to a militaristic state in the same way that they did. With the region's biggest power breathing down their neck, they would have struggled to grow to such a large size, which some may argue they only managed to do as there was no clear dominant power in the region, something a successful Song would have been.

Secondly, Gaozong's concession of Northern China hindered the Song’s intellectual and progressive society from advancing at the rate it was, as Northern China was a goldmine for natural resources, like coal, mineral rich soil, and metals. If the Song had these resources for longer, they may have advanced much further than the Jin empire ever did using them, and they were in most cases not as progressive or innovative as the Song, a society based around philosophical minds, which would have most likely been able to work to a much higher capacity in a larger empire, which the Song no longer was by the 1150’s, still

60 years before the Jin were invaded by the Mongols. Furthermore, Goazong had executed some of the Song’s greatest minds during the war to protect his own power, such as Yui Fei, the military commander he ordered to retreat and then poisoned by the Prime Minister. While Fei was no intellectual, growing up in a peasant family, he is regarded as one of the best militarists in Chinese history, who was a victim to his own country, along with many others who wanted to fight back against the Jin post war, and post Yei Fei’s poisoning.

However not every action Goazong took had negative aftereffects, as he brought wealth and quality of life to much of the population living in the South, turning to sea trade to try and rehabilitate the economy post war, creating a strong trade network, an impressive feat considering the large post war reparations the country had to pay to the Jin, 12.5 tonnes of silver and 250,000 packs of silk every year until the Jin reinvaded in 1164. Goazong’s ability to maintain or relatively stable economy while paying off the war reparations managed to rescue his reputation among the high levels of society, who saw him as a weak emperor who ran from the fight in the early-mid 30’s, only fighting back when it was unsustainable for him personally, something that allowed him to have a long reign and focus on economic and social progress for the majority of his remaining rule, rather than having to fight to keep internal stability and his throne. This was of great help to the Song, as anything but positive societal progress after a humiliating and costly war would have led to catastrophic internal instability.

In addition to this, Goazong’s adoptive son, Emperor Xiaozong, was an incredibly successful and popular ruler, carrying Gaozong's legacy in a more successful and stable manner, while correcting some of his mistakes, such as rehabilitating Yui Fei’s name posthumously, clearing out the Prime Ministers faction in the court, and bringing more stability to the nation than Goazong ever could, however he still assisted the rule as retired Emperor. In many cases Xiaozong looked to his adoptive father for support in his rule, with Goazong leading the way for him to become the successful emperor he did, one who boosted the navy, economy, and beat the Jin after their invasion in 1164, avenging the fallen soldiers of Goazong’s ill-intentioned retreat.

Goazong’s rule over Southern Song is controversial among historians even today. Some claim his betrayal to his country in the Jin-Song wars is unforgivable and cannot be overlooked, especially as his reasons were based upon keeping his own power and safety over the needs of people and country, seeing him as yet another unworthy selfish emperor of China who has burned their name into history for nothing more than their malpractice, while some see his success after the war as a key reason for the Xiaozong’s success, and without him Song would never have stayed as one empire, even if they defeated the Jin in 1940. Whichever side you take on his rule, their is little argument that his actions had a part in shaping the historical landscape as we know it.

Summer Cunningham, Byrchall

hy was Julie d’Aubigy a significant impact on society’s view on women?

Julie d’Aubigy was born in 1673 in Paris. She had quite a quiet life growing up before making such a significant impact on the world and their views on women. One way she was so important was her relationships with women throughout her life and the ways she subverted expectations of women during her life.

At aged fourteen she became a mistress who then became her husband. This was clearly a forced marriage as she was only young and had no control over what was happening. Just a while after their marriage she left her husband and ran away with a man called Séranne. This caused the start of her rebellion against the political views that were put in place for women and the ways her life developed until her death.

Séranne had quite a big effect on Julie’s life as she became incredibly famous because of her fencing abilities, which is what he helped her with. They did many fencing shows at fairs which is where Julie’s impact became known when a man would not believe she was a woman because she was so good, so she took of her shirt which left everyone speechless. The reaction from men to her talent is what made her realise how unfairly treated women were and how she wants to subvert the expectations.

After doing fencing for a while she started her career in opera singing at the Marseille opera where she was adored by many fans especially one woman who she fell in love with. However, the girl's family did not agree with lesbian relationships and sent her off to a convent forcefully. Julie wanted to show her love for this girl and followed her there. The pair wanted to escape the convent and run away together, however the plan that they formed to do this was brutally brilliant. They knew they needed to draw attention to their actions so people knew it wasn’t wrong for women to love other women and how far they would go for their rights.

They decided to steal the body of a dead nun from the convent and tie it to the bed in the room and set the room on fire. Although this plan was extremely unhinged and unseen of, their plan worked, and they successfully escaped together where they were then on the run. However, Julie was sentenced to death under the name sieur de Maupin as the judge

did not believe the possibility of a woman abducting someone. Then Julie ran away again and returned to her family in the countryside wearing men’s clothes which were extremely disapproved of by them, however she didn’t care and continued wearing them.

When at home she bumped into a man, Comte d’Albert, which angered him, so he challenged her to a duel not realizing she was a woman where she beat him severely and even injured him until helping him with his injuries and nursing him back to health where they became friends out of d’Alberts gratefulness.

She then took singing lessons again as she wanted her life back where she met another lover with whom she ran away to Paris with where Julie auditioned for an opera whilst becoming a member of a huge musical. Because of this, Julie’s crimes were excused by the king because of how famous she was and how much the crowds loved her. This is where her name became known as La Maupin.

This impacted her perceptions of women overall because she wanted to be known as a huge inspiration to young women which is why it changed her views because of how she could get away with her crime because men wanted her to be seen on stage and not locked away. This is when she realised it was for men’s pleasure and not her popularity amongst young women

However, again her peace did not last long as she attended a ball in men’s clothing and kissed a woman on the dance floor which caused three men to challenge her. Julie met them outside where she beat them all but then fled to Brussels as she was in danger of being arrested again.

Julie carried on performing and did not let this incident stop her. She became the lover of the Elector of Bavaria however this did not last long as he told her that he found her too much for him after she stabbed herself on stage with a real dagger. After this he offered her 40,000 francs to leave him alone which is equivalent to 34,550 pounds today. However, Julie was extremely offended by this and did not accept the money and instead left him to go to Spain.

She then worked as a maid to Countess Marino, who she hated and made jokes about her by placing radishes in her hair so everyone could see then but her, which caused multiple embarrassing events for her which forced Julie to leave. After this she returned to France, where she was again excused for her duels before returning on stage. Her life only got more eventful from this point when she tried to kill herself and threatened to kill the Duchess of Luxembourg and ended up in court for attacking her landlord.

Although all these events happened, she was still friends with d’Albert even though after an argument she bit his ear until it bled. She then started having high profile affairs with women.

In 1703 she fell in love with Madame la Marquise de Florensac where they then fled to Brussels because Julie was obsessed with her. They both lived together for two years, and she is known as Julie’s true love. Until suddenly and with no warning Florensac died of a fever. This left Julie extremely distraught and heartbroken until the point she placed herself in a convent where she died at age thirty-three.

So, who actually was Julie d’Aubigy? Julie was an enormous impact on society at her time and despite her outgoing attitude was extremely loved and admired. Her open lesbian relationships left a shock to the world which is why she is still known now after hundreds of years. She has had a profound impact on the views of women in society and not only did she subvert expectations of women, but she has made many more women feel comfortable with their sexuality which is her greatest accomplishment.

In conclusion, I think that Julie was such an important woman because of her fearless attitude and determination in her life. She was important because of the way she acted and how she achieved things she wanted through violence. This is why she is significant because women wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for her and her challenges against the patriarchy.

Layla Stephenson, Byrchall

How did the Mormon pioneers’ journey affect modern day Mormons?

The Mormon pioneers were members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from the 1800s, who migrated from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley. They were being led on this journey by Brigham Young and they left their homes in Nauvoo Illinois to escape the religious persecution that they were experiencing. This journey was taken by about 70,000 people, which had begun in advance parties that were sent out by the church leaders, after the death of the church’s leader, Joseph Smith, who as a young man was known to have had the first vision in the Sacred Grove after he prayed about which religion he should of joined and then to be visited and taught by an angel called Moroni and to then go and translate the book of Mormon from reformed Egyptian into English, which is a book that works alongside the Bible in the Mormon religion, felt that he then then had to make it clear to the others that they could no longer stay in Nauvoo Illinois. The most significant reason for this journey was because of the religious persecution that they were facing from the non-members of the church, the main examples of this persecution was that they were

Attacked for believing in the trinity being separate beings and then the rumours started about them apparently practicing polygamy, which they in fact do not practice as it is frowned upon in their religion.

Since the church was founded in 1830, members of the LDS church had frequent conflicts and many difficult relations with the non-members, due to their unorthodox religious beliefs (such as them believing that the ‘holy trinity’ are three separate beings and participating in the baptisms of the dead) and the conducted behaviours of the members of the church. This and other reasons had caused the church leadership to think it necessary to be on the constant move from one place to the next. Sidney Rigdon of the then first presidency, was preaching controversial sermons whilst in Missouri, and these speeches have sometimes been seen as a contributing factor to the conflict that was known as the 1838 Mormon war. As a result of this, the Mormons were expelled from the state by their Governor Boggs, whilst Rigdon and Smith were arrested and imprisoned in Liberty Jail.

The Mormons settled in Salt Lake Valley, which at the time was being used as a buffer between the Shoshones and Utes, which are the native American tribes from the area, whilst they were at war. Upon their arrival, the Mormons developed and cultivated the arid terrain around them to make it more suitable to live in. Almost immediately Young had sent out scouting parties for them to go out and identify and even settle into additional community sites. The church members then eventually started to head south into the presentday Arizona and Mexico, west into California, north into Idaho and Canada and finally east into Wyoming, where they would then settle into many communities that were in those areas. These Mormons had to travel to the Salt Lake valley in mainly large farm wagons, handcarts and even in some cases they had to personally carry their belongings. Their trail along the Platte River and North Platte River, then over the continental divide to climb up to the South Pass as well as the Pacific Springs from the Fort John, which is along the valley of the Sweetwater River and they then had to go down to Fort Bridger and from there, down to the Great Salt Lake, has to this day became known as the Mormon Trail.

Covered wagons pulled by oxen were known to be common, particularly in the earlier American companies. Some of the pioneers often overestimated the number of belongings that they could haul on this long journey of theirs and as the oxen were weakening under the strain of these belongings, the wagons had to be lightened by the discarding of prized possessions, this included book collections, their families china and even some furniture. Due to the weather conditions that they had to endure, they found it best to travel between April to September. Although some of the companies started late in the season which then resulted in their hardship and sometimes disaster. Some of the most famous of these companies are the Willie and the Martin handcart companies. They were only leaving Iowa in the July of 1856 and they did not reach Utah until the November, and during that time, had to suffer many deaths due to the winter weather and their lack of adequate supplies.

The Mormon pioneers’ journey has left a lasting legacy as the Mormon pioneers are cele-

-brated annually on the 24th of July in the state of Utah, which is also known as pioneer day. Salt Lake City also has a Mormon pioneer memorial monument, where many of the Mormon pioneers are buried, such as a young Eliza Snow, and even in some places, Mormons decide to hold an event called the pioneer trek for the youth who are of the age of fourteen to eighteen, where the youth who are participating decide to dress as pioneers and pack a few of their things to carry in handcarts. The go on this hike for a couple of days so that they can feel the experience that the pioneers had and during this time of multiday events, the camp organisers try to encourage the participants to avoid the use of technology or anything that the pioneers did not have on their journey, so that they are able to be fully emerged in the experience of the pioneers. The Mormon pioneers faith, resilience and hard work has even many years after the initial journey has continued to inspire generation of the modern Latter-Day Saints and many others who have learned to appreciate their remarkable story of endurance and everything that they had to sacrifice.

Emma Dolan, Byrchall

Was

‘Hamilton’

an accurate portrayal of Elizabeth Schuyler and what was her impact on history?

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, portrayed vividly in Lin-Manuel Mirandas acclaimed musical ‘Hamilton’ emerges as a captivating historical figure whose impact reverberates far beyond her time. By delving into her character as portrayed in the musical and exploring her historical contributions, we uncover a profound legacy shaped by resilience, advocacy and enduring influence.

Born into a prominent New York family in 1757, Schuyler was destined to play a pivotal role in the early history of the United States. In ‘Hamilton’ she is depicted as a strongwilled and intelligent woman, who not only captures Alexander Hamilton’s heart but becomes an indispensable partner in his tumultuous journey. She held the ability to engage with Hamilton on an intellectual level, also sharing his interests in politics and philosophy. Through her portrayal, the musical showcases her intellect, wit and unwavering support for her husband’s political endeavours. However, Elizabeth’s role transcends that of a supportive spouse; she emerges as an active participant in shaping the nascent American nation.

Elizabeth’s personal background and experiences also shaped her resilience and fortitude in the face of adversity. Raised in a distinguished family, Schuyler was well-educated and accustomed to the social and political circles of her time. Her marriage to Alexander Hamil-

ton further thrust her into the heart of Americas early political landscape. Despite their shared triumphs, Elizabeth also endured profound personal losses, including the tragic death of her beloved son, Philip Hamilton, in a duel in 1801. Philip’s death mirrored the painful loss of her husband just three years later, yet Elizabeth faced these tragedies with remarkable strength. These experiences deepened her commitment to preserving her family’s legacy and fuelled her determination to create positive change in the world. Elizabeth’s ability to overcome personal sorrow and continue her philanthropic efforts underscores her resilience and enduring impact on American history.

One of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton’s most enduring impacts lies in her steadfast commitment to preserving Alexander Hamilton’s legacy following his tragic death in the infamous duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. Devastated by her husband’s untimely demise, Elizabeth took it upon herself to organize and edit Hamilton’s papers, ensuring that his writings would be published. In addition to her philanthropic endeavours, Elizabeth played a crucial role in shaping public perception of Alexander Hamilton and his political ideals. Despite facing financial struggles after her husband’s death, she took it upon herself to preserve and promote his writings. Elizabeth ensured that his ideas continued to resonate with future generations, profoundly influencing the course of American political thought. This monumental effort not only solidified Hamilton’s historical reputation but also highlighted Elizabeths role as a custodian of her husband’s intellectual legacy.

Furthermore, Elizabeths influence extended beyond her role as a caretaker of Hamilton’s legacy. In 1806, she co-founded New Yorks first private orphanage, the Orphan Asylum Society, which later evolved into the Graham Windham Organization. This institution continues to serve vulnerable children today, embodying Elizabeths enduring commitment to philanthropy and social welfare.

I believe that the portrayal of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in ‘Hamilton’ underscores the pivotal role that women played in shaping history during the founding era of the United States. Her character challenges traditional gender roles of the 18th century, which was a male dominated society, where the only identity a woman could have was being the wife of a prosperous man. Instead, she is presented as intelligent, articulate and politically astute. Through Elizabeths narrative arc in the musical, audiences are reminded of the oftenoverlooked contributions of women to the nation’s development.

Elizabeths impact on history is not only seen through her advocacy and philanthropy but also through her resilience in the face of personal tragedy. Following Alexander Hamilton’s death, Elizabeth navigated financial hardships and family responsibilities with remarkable strength. Her determination to uphold her husband’s legacy and contribute positively to society speaks volumes about her character and enduring influence. Moreover, Elizabeths role in ‘Hamilton’ serves as a testament to the complex and multifaceted nature of women’s contributions to history. Her character goes against the expectations of women being passive and submissive, instead showcasing her strength and agency. Through her portrayal, Elizabeth becomes a symbol of empowerment and resilience,

inspiring audiences to recognize and celebrate women’s historical achievements. In conclusion, Elizabeth’s portrayal in ‘Hamilton’ and her historical contributions highlight a legacy of resilience, advocacy and philanthropy. Through her efforts to preserve Alexander Hamilton’s legacy and her pioneering work in social welfare, Elizabeth left an indelible mark on American history. Her character in the musical serves as a beacon of inspiration, challenging perceptions of women’s roles in history and underscoring their indispensable contributions to the nation’s development. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton’s impact on history extends beyond her immediate actions; it encompasses her enduring legacy as a trailblazer for women’s rights and social reform. Her commitment to philanthropy laid the groundwork for future generations of activists and advocates.

Emma Colquitt, Byrchall

Who was the man that saved the world?

The LGM-30 minuteman III, the most powerful US missile since 1974 was barrelling towards the Soviet Union and commander Stanislav Petrov had mere minutes to make a word changing decision. So, what did he do?

September 7th, 1939, Mr. Yevgras Petrov and his wife gave birth to their first child Stanislav Petrov at the Soviet military air base of Chernigovka, Vladivostok. Petrov enrolled in the Kyiv military aviation engineering academy in 1967 and graduated in 1972 at age 33 where he specialised in long distance radar systems. Stanislav was told from a young age; he was never allowed to become a pilot like his dad as during the Second World War he was shot down resulting in a serious head injury, Mr. Petrov didn’t want that for his little boy.

Petrov met his first wife Raisa Petrova while he was stationed in the east of Russia, she was working as a cinema operator at a nearby airbase in Kamchatka. They married in 1973 when Petrov was 34 years old and just a year after his graduation. Together they went on to have two children; Their son Dmitri followed by a daughter Yelena. Perhaps due to the nature of Petrov’s work, he and Raisa worked hard to try and keep the lives of his children private, however it is known that Dmitri was an anarchist who joined the Ukrainian military in 2022, he was later killed in action in the war of Bakhmut at the age of 33.

Petrov joined the military in 1972, immediately following his graduation. He was assigned to the brand-new emergency early warning system, Oko, a Russian word meaning ‘eye’ as that is exactly what it is. Oko is a satellite which can identify Inter-Continental Ballistic Mis-

ssiles (ICBMs) by detecting the outgoing fumes via an infrared light. They were officially recognised as a military weapon in 1982.

It is important to note that at this time the Cold War was at its peak, the two superpowers, America, and Soviet Union, had a doctrine of mutually assured destruction (M.A.D). This meant that if one superpower attacked the other, they would have authority to utilise the entirety of their nuclear warhead arsenal to neutralise them.

On the 26th of September 1983, Petrov headed out for his night shift at the air base of Serpukhov-15, a secret military base just outside of Tarutino. This is the western control centre designed specifically for the Oko satellites.

It was just past midnight when the dreaded alarm came blaring over the speakers. Oko had detected the launch of one ICBM (The minuteman) from America followed by at least four missiles behind it. Due to the doctrine of MAD, Petrov was suspicious of the attack; why would America attack the Soviet Union when they knew it would inevitably end in a nuclear war? Well, just 3 weeks prior Soviet forces shot down what they initially thought was a US spy plane, in reality it was Korean airlines flight 007. All 269 crew and passengers were killed including a US representative Larry McDonald. Could this have been an act of revenge? As a result of this Petrov decided to disobey multiple soviet protocols and wait for confirmation of the attack. This never came. If Petrov had reported the supposed nuclear warheads headed straight for them, Petrov’s superiors may have launched a counterattack (M.A.D) which would have ultimately ended in a full nuclear war between the two superpowers. So, what really happened? Oko had detected a sunbeam that had refracted off of high-altitude clouds just above North Dakota. Stanislav simply didn’t trust the recent technology; he didn’t trust the fact that the 30 layers of confirmation had been bypassed so quickly. The supposed Missileman was just minutes from impact when it seemingly just vanished.

Unbeknownst to Petrov at the time, was the fact that he didn’t have the power to launch a counterattack against America, the famous red button was never functional. According to military psychologists at the time, the decision of a nuclear war should never be put in one person’s hands.

If Petrov had been more ‘by the book’ the incident would’ve been reported to the military general Yuri Votintsev, he may have deployed a counterattack using countless nuclear warheads. If that had happened, the world would’ve encountered its first ever nuclear war. Immediately following the incident, Petrov celebrated his decision with half litre of vodka and fell into a 28-hour sleep and returned back to work shortly after. Petrov was interrogated heavily by his superiors about his decision, and he was initially praised, however, he was reprimanded for failing to follow Soviet protocols; he hadn’t recorded the incident in the ‘war book’.

At the time Petrov wasn’t awarded for his efforts but in a press statement released by Yuri

Votintsev, his ‘correct actions’ were ‘duly noted.’ On January 19th of 2006, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations presented the World Citizens award to Mr. Petrov for his ‘unique act of heroism that saved the world’.

After taking an early retirement from the military in 1984 (although Petrov emphasised that he was not forced out), he was hired by the research centre that developed the Oko satellite. He retired not long after to care for his wife suffering from cancer, she unfortunately lost her battle to cancer in 1997.

Stanislav Petrov, a soviet military officer who single handedly saved the world by preventing the world’s first nuclear war, in 1983, recently passed (2017) away at the age of seventy-seven due to pneumonia. In his memory 26th September was officially named Stanislav Petrov day.

Holly Herrity, Byrchall

Who was Sophia Jex-Blake and what impact did she have on the medical field?

Sophia Jex-Blake was an English physician, teacher and feminist who encountered sexism throughout her life. As a pioneering figure in the medical field, who worked profusely to create a way into the industry for women, I believe her life's work should be greater acknowledged. She was one of the most influential historical figures in gaining educational rights for women and making the medical field equal for all. Beginning her career, Sophia started her campaign to secure a university education for women in 1869, and from there created a legacy for herself, founding the first women's hospital in Scotland, and opening a school for women to study medicine.

Sophia was born January 21st, 1840, in Hastings, Sussex. Sophia was home schooled throughout her early childhood, she then attended multiple private schools in the south of England, until 1858, when she enrolled at Queens' College, London. Despite her parents' objections to the role, and her father's refusal to allow her salary, Sophia became a maths tutor in 1858, alongside her work as a student. She stayed at the college working as a maths tutor up until 1861.

After the American civil war was over, Sophia travelled to the U.S. to learn more about women's education. Whilst visiting a multitude of schools and colleges, Sophia was deeply influenced by the practice of Co-Education, teaching females and males together. This was commonplace in the United States but was a rare practice in the UK. This event would later lead Sophia to publish a book based of her visits to different schools across America. Whilst

in Boston, Sophia became an assistant at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, where she met Dr Lucy Ellen Sewall. Sewall was a pioneering physician, who greatly inspired Sophia and her work. This time spent at the hospital was a turning point in Sophia’s life, a catalyst in her realisation that becoming a physician was her lifelong vocation.

In 1865, Sophia wrote to Harvard university, alongside a trainee Susie Dimock from New England Hospital, asking to apply to attend the medical school. However, the two were denied access because they were women. Sophia did not let this destroy her dreams of becoming a doctor, and instead applied to attend a new medical college being established in New York. Sophia's ambitions soon encountered a set back after her father died, and Sophia immediately returned to England to look after her mother.

In 1869, an essay from Sophia: "Medicine as a profession for women" appeared in the book ‘Women's Work and Women's Culture’. In the essay she argued women should be allowed to practice medicine as it is a natural instinct in women to take care of the sick. However, women were suppressed by men to learning about things such as crafts and cooking in the 1800s. Sophia argued that it could be easily discovered if women where capable of practicing medicine by giving: "a fair field and no favour". By this Sophia meant teaching women the exact syllabus as they taught men and sitting the same exams as men sat.

Despite all of Sophia's setbacks, she was still determined to gain access to medical education in the UK. Sophia resolved to apply to a Scottish university, considering the more diverse attitudes to education compared to England at the time. In 1869, Sophia applied to Edinburgh University to study medicine, however, was denied access as she was the only woman who had applied. In response, Sophia released adverts in newspapers convincing other women to join, causing Edinburgh university to receive a second application of five other women, as well as two other women later in the year. These women later became known as the “Edinburgh seven.” All this was the start of Sophia's campaign to secure female access to a university education. The women could not instantly start their studies as the application requested a degree in medicine to attend all classes and exams. This, however, did not discourage the women and they all applied for the second time, with Edinburgh University accepting their applications this time round, making the university the first in Britain to accept women.

Although these women had fought for their education, they were still met with hostility whilst proving they could do the same as the men who were studying medicine. These women were targeted with heaps of aggression and violence, particularly by other male students, who: threw mud at them, attached fireworks to their front doors, followed them home, and sent them obscene letters on a frequent basis.

All the sexism and aggression resulted in the Surgeons Hall riot on 18th November 1870. When the women arrived at their anatomy exam, they were met with a mob of over 200 men throwing rubbish, mud, and insults at them. Despite this, the women made it into the examination hall, and sat their exam, whilst the mob let multiple sheep into the hall, in

hopes of distracting the women. However, this distraction did not work, and the women did not let the sheep stop them. The riot gained national headlines and many supporters of the campaign, one being Charles Darwin.

The women had finished their degree, however where denied the qualification as faculty members argued they should have never been allowed on the course anyway. Their degrees where withdrawn and the campaign failed in 1873. However, many of the women left England and attended different universities around Europe to finish their studies and obtain their degrees. Sophia was awarded her medical doctorate in January 1877 at the university of Berne in Switzerland.

After Sophia finished her studies abroad, she returned to Edinburgh where she became Scotland's first female doctor, alongside being one of Britain's first. In 1878, Sophia opened her first practise, which allowed poorer women to access healthcare for an extremely cheap price. However, in 1881 Sophia's mother died and she fell into a depressive state, causing her to close her practice until 1885. The practice expanded and became Scotland's first hospital for women and was completely staffed by women. The hospital was named ‘The Edinburgh hospital and dispensary for women and children.’, and the following year,1866, Sophia opened the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women. Unfortunately, the school ended in 1892, but one of her past students merged her school with the School of Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh. Sophia kept and ran her practice for another 16 years up until she retired in 1889. After she retired her practice moved to a different site and it became known as the Bruntsfield Hospital, which was kept running until 1989. After Sophia retired, she moved to Windydene with her romantic partner Dr Margaret Todd. Sophia died in Windydene aged 71 on the 7th of January 1912. To commemorate Sophia's life, Margaret wrote ‘The Life of Dr Sophia Jex-Blake'.

Overall, Sophia Jex-Blake led the change in women's educational rights in Britain. She faced opposition on her aspirations her whole life, however made one of the largest changes for the educational rights women have. Without her campaign, other female education activists such as Malala and Hillary Clinton would not have achieved the remarkable success they have. Sophia Jex-Blake has forever transformed the medical field for women across the world; a beacon for feminism and highlighted that gender should not supress the career you strive to achieve.

Adryell Aidoo Anderson,

Fred Longworth High School Ghana! The First Country in Sub Saharan Africa to be Independent of Colonial Rule.

‘Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the continent of Africa’ were the words of the resilient nationalist Kwame Nkrumah, who fought strenuously to became the first president of Ghana and to start a new era in African history. The incredible feat advocated self- governance, Pan-Africanism and perseverance. The path to independence was initiated in the twentieth century, when a fire kindled in the souls of the residents of Ghana: it was the will to depart from colonial rule and gain independence.

On the 10th of December 1947, Kwame Nkrumah returned to Ghana, which at the time would have been called The Gold Coast, since he had received a request from J.B Danquah (the leader of the United Gold Coast Convention) to become the UGCC’s general secretary. Nkrumah, alongside the UGCC, tenaciously toiled for the freedom and liberty of the country; he addressed a multitude of meetings and started to build up support and gain publicity to create a substantial foundation for the campaign.

Less than 4 months had passed after Nkrumah’s return to the Gold Coast and joining of UGCC, then a radical yet crucial event occurred that became a catalyst for change in the Gold Coast. A day before the end of February, a group of demonstrators including three former World War II veterans of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force walked on what is now known as the 28th of February road that leads toward Christiansburg castle in Osu, Accra. The three ex-servicemen – Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe, and Private Odartey Lamptey – approached the castle with the intent of submitting their petition on unpaid war benefits to the British Colonial Governor. Just as the protesters were about to cross over towards the castle, they were intercepted by the British Police Superintendent Collin Imray and his subordinates. Mr Imray ordered his men to shoot at the crowd but they declined. In a state of rage, Mr Imray mercilessly murdered the men and injured several other protesters as they refused to stop their march to the castle.

As the news spread so did the discontentment. Angered people took to the streets in riot over the demise of the three ex-servicemen and the Governor had to declare a nationwide emergency. The group of nationalists named ‘The Big Six’ -the leaders of the UGCC-took the opportunity to ridicule and criticise the governor by calling him ‘Crazy Creasy’ and sent a message to the secretary state of London on how worse violent atrocities and futile sacrifice would become the new normal in The Gold Coast, if the United Kingdom didn’t comply and allow them to receive independence. The Governor decided to detain the leaders for supposedly orchestrating and encouraging the riots. On March 8th, teachers and students from the schools St Augustine’s College and Mfantsipim School protested on the un-

-necessary imprisonment of The Big Six. This resulted in their dismissal. After spending a month in prison, The Big Six were released. Appalled by how the teachers and pupils were being treated, Nkrumah opened his own secondary school (currently known as Ghana National College) for those that had been dismissed.

It was the 12th of June 1949 and Kwame Nkrumah, dissatisfied with UGCC's ties with colonial business and their sedate and staid way of achieving self-legalisation, decided to cut ties with the political party and form his own. Upon his disassociation with the UGCC, Nkrumah established The Convention People’s Party with the slogan ‘Self-Government Now’ juxtaposing the slogan of the UGCC that states ‘Self-Government in the shortest time possible’. Nkrumah with his team of politicians quickly became well renowned in the nationalist political scene.

In 1950, Nkrumah announced a national boycott on European goods but was later imprisoned due to his forceful demands for independence and the killing of two armed officers by protesters at Christiansburg castle. Upon his release, Nkrumah fought relentlessly alongside his fellow politicians to reform Gold Coaster society and was appointed the first ever Prime Minister of The Gold Coast administration on the 22nd of March 1952. It would be five more years before complete independence in the British Colonial known as the Gold Coast would occur and the world would witness the birth of the new self-determined country named as Ghana.

Acclaimed figures such as Martin Luther king and his wife Coretta Scott King, Princess Marina and the Duchess of Kent, who represented the Queen, were present at the Independence ceremony on the 6th of March 1957. As the clock struck twelve, Nkrumah addressed the eager crowding stating “At last the battle has ended! And thus Ghana, your beloved country is free forever.”

Agatha Bebbington-Pugh, Fred Longworth High School

Coca

Cola:

the American drink that is basically capitalism in a bottle.

The issue at hand is big companies taking advantage of cheap labour and exploiting workers and the environment. An example I have recently found out was that of Coca-Cola and the business they have in India.

Coca-Cola has helped India turn into a sugar-producing powerhouse as a massive 58 of their bottling plants are situated there. These water intensive plants have caused massive ripple effects as they strip water from wells and the ground leaving citizens to turn to the government in drought season when the water lacks. Not only is this bad for humans but animals as well as the water sources they would use are no longer around. The lack of water means farmers are not able to grow their crops preventing them from earning money to keep themselves afloat leading to the vicious cycle of them having to go and work for the company that led to their dismay.

This issue was particularly present in the village of Plachimada where the villagers linked the sudden lack of groundwater with the industrial company. Large protests ensued, leading the local government to revoke Coca-Cola’s license to operate and order the closure of its £25 million plant.

In 2003 studies by the central pollution control board of Indian found that sludge from the factory was contaminated with high levels of cadmium, lead and chromium. Lead is particularly bad for children, affecting their nervous system, and cadmium which is taken up by plants, is toxic to the kidneys and liver and can cause cancer. They also tested 57 of the other carbonated beverages produced by Coca-Cola. To no surprise up to 3-5 pesticides were found in all of the samples. However, despite the consistence evidence against them they continue to refuse to admit anything out of the ordinary. Even the CSL (central science laboratory) got involved with testing samples, but their tests came back with no traces of anything. It was later discovered that the samples they had been provided with came straight from the company owners themselves so nothing could be said about the results as they’re being a possibility of the samples being rigged or treated differently than the usual product. With all this information and the experiments conducted I find it hard to believe anyone would drink such a product especially after knowing about the large affects it has on so many innocent people.

Know whilst it may seem to be all negatives there are certain positives in the plantations. The Coca-Cola plantations are some of the biggest opportunities for a job, from working in the factory to being a delivery driver. It also brings an influx of money into the country as the increased number of people working means the more tax that can be paid into the community to improve lifestyle and infastructure through the country benefiting every-

-one. It would be even better however if they also got paid faired wages.

As shocking as it may seem Coca-Cola do not pay their employees nearly as much as they do in corporate headquarters. Infact, they get paid less than the minimum wage in England so for the work they do tirelessly everyday they hardly get a salary. The working rules in India are also more flexible meaning the plantation can work people longer hours for the same pay. This also means no additional costs when it comes to dumping their waste either.

In the above statements its obvious enough that Coca-Cola has no sense of moral rights, but it gets worse when all their waste products get chucked back into the environment with tones of its toxic chemicals to then infect the remaining water. This also mean any water to fall into village wells, lakes or other sources, at later times will be unclean as it has the remains of sludge the company produces. This issue will not only be affecting humans but once again animals and the environment. These are the same animals that humans will kill and eat meaning that all the chemicals that the animal has previously digested will still be circulating in there body causing illness and possible disease for humans who eat the tainted meat.

While all this is going on in India the company is finding more and more ways to cover up any evidence of there ever being any ethical problems with their production by playing the sludge off as ‘fertilizer’ and the prominent problem of their plantation saying ‘they received full conformation to build on the land with no problems’ they then refuse to show any evidence of these documents leading people to wonder if there ever were any documents in the first place.

There was many ways India has tried to previously get Coca-Cola out of the country like the prevention of selling it to any type of school and markets in the country. In 1947 the India government had said they wanted India to be a socialist country which means equality leading to supporting of local businesses at the expanse of foreign business. This pushes Coca-Cola further from the markets. Thus, whilst India was recovering from a bloody conflict with Pakistan, Coca-Cola was busy setting up a distribution network across the country. Coca-Cola’s timing was perfect. Just a few years later, Pepsi was denied entry into the Indian market while Coca-Cola was making bank. It was a bad sign and started to raise awareness when Coca-Cola was more accessible than something as basic as water which in the long run is crazy. However, as seen today that short lived success would eventually be its undoing as more awareness was spread and they would lose billions due to their lack of care towards India. This includes their exploitation of workers and fellow citizens of the

company putting the country’s health and wellbeing last to the profits they made and how much money they could squeeze from the pockets of their own employees.

End of Articles.

From the editor:

Another huge thank you to everyone who participated! I hope you're all proud of your hard work and determination. I also hope our lovely winners enjoy their prizes and have enjoyed reading the publication that is my own personal pride and joy and one they would certainly be welcome in again!

Once again, your winners are:

1st place: Melissa Thompson

2nd place: Megan Wilmot

3rd place: Bobby Mishurov

And our highly commended young writers:

Holly Marshall

Jasmine Rowlands

Hollie Brown

Heidi Togher

Robert Greenaway

Summer Cunningham

Layla Stephenson

Emma Dolan

Emma Colquitt

Holly Herrity

Adryell Aidoo-Anderson

Agatha Bebbington Pugh

It has been an honour to read and publish each and every article.

Quiz Answers

GEOLOGY QUIZ- ANSWERS

Q.1 B. Though the physical environment plays is an important aspect of Geology, there is much more to it than that. As stated, geology is the study of pretty much everything related to the earth itself, and beyond.

Q.2 C. Peridotite is the densest of the three, and one of the densest minerals on the planet, along with gabbro. Pumice is one of the least dense, and even floats in water, and although osmium is denser that peridotite, it is not a rock, but in fact an element.

Q.3 A. Many people consider Diamonds to be extremely rare, but in truth it is one of the most common gemstones. Rubies and Emeralds are both much rarer, however emeralds are rarer to find.

Q.4 B. The melting point of pure, 24k gold is a massive 1,0640 c, around six times hotter than a toaster.

Q.5 B. Known as ‘Camolophyton’, these trees vaguely resembled palm trees, and date all the way back to the Devonian period.

Q.6 A. The volcano was of course discovered on mars and is around 3 times wider than the widest volcano on earth, Mauna Loa.

Q.7 B. As much as 35% of the earths mass is made up of iron, which equates to around 2 sextillion tonnes of iron!

Q.8 C. According to the USGS, around 20,000 earthquakes occur around the world each year, which equates to around 55 a day.

Q.9 C. The Nevada Gold Mines are the worlds highest producing gold mine, contributing to 2.9% of global Production.

Q.10 C. We had some trouble finding a definitive answer to this question, so thanks to Andrew Storey in geology for helping us find an answer. According to sources found by Andy, the rarest mineral on earth is called Kyawthuite, and there exists only one known specimen, found in Myanmar. It is said to have formed through immense pressure and heat created through the collision of India with South Asia 180 Million years ago.

Medieval law quiz answers

1. It was a medieval crime - It was completely outlawed in England in 1314 as it caused complete havoc, a lot of property destruction, and even deaths.

2. It was a medieval crime - Forest laws in medieval England led to an increase in crimes as they heavily restricted common people's rights to hunt, gather wood, or graze animals.

3. It was not a medieval crime - It may not have been a law in the medieval period, but it is illegal to do this now in Northfield, Connecticut.

4. It was a medieval crime - As of 1839, beating or shaking any carpet or rug in the street in London is against the law.

5. It was not a medieval crime - It may not have been a law in the medieval period, but it is illegal to do this now in Arizona.

6. It was not a medieval crime - It may not have been a law in the medieval period, but it is illegal to do this now in Maine.

7. It was not a medieval crime - It may not have been a law in the medieval period, but it is illegal to do this now in New Jersey.

8. It was a medieval crime - Under the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, for example, it is illegal for the 'keeper of a public house to permit drunkenness on premises', yet any pub-goer could swear they see that law being broken by millions of people each week.

9. It was a medieval crime - Laws to restrict what people could eat and drink were intended to curb excess and to prevent people emulating the lifestyle of their ‘superiors’.

10. It was a medieval crime - Whales are "royal fish," and when they wash up, they automatically become the property of the royals in charge though the head is the kings, and the tail is the queens.

11. It was not a medieval crime - An offence in England and Wales from 1986, for any person who receives or disposes of any salmon in circumstances where they believe or could reasonably believe that the salmon has been illegally fished.

12. It was a medieval crime - the town of Newmarket, Suffolk, there was a law brought in that made it illegal and punishable to sneeze or blow one’s nose near the horses. It was brought in as a protective measure for the equines, so they wouldn’t fall ill and become unable to race.

Mythology Quiz answers

• Greek God - The God of the Sun. Son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia.

• Roman God - Roman God of beginnings, endings and change. Giano is a roman God without a Greek equivalent.

• Roman God - the god of winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre.

• Roman God - goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the underworld.

• Greek God - the god of medicine and healing, Asclepius was believed to have a deep understanding of both physical and mental health.

• Greek God - goddess and personification of the dawn, who rose each morning from her home at the edge of the river Oceanus to deliver light and disperse the night.

• Roman God - goddess of war, sister and female counterpart to Mars, the god of war.

• Greek God - primordial god of light and was also the god of the sky.

• Greek God - As the goddess of the Labyrinth, she was responsible for saving numerous innocent demigods. She was a Cretan princess, the daughter of King Minos of Crete.

• Roman God - Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy.

• Greek God - Dionysus is the god of winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre.

• Roman God - Mithras was a god who was very popular with soldiers all over the Roman Empire. He was the deity of covenants, light, oath, justice, the sun, contracts, and friendship.

War Quiz Answers

Which of these countries didn’t take part in any world war?

A: Brazil

B: Spain

C: France

Which 2 countries fought in the Whisky war?

A: Scotland and Iceland

B: Ireland and Norway

C: Denmark and Canada

Where did the war of the bucket take place?

A: Azerbaijan

B: Poland

C: Italy

Where was the longest lasting war fought?

A: Spain

B: Iran

C: Japan

Who had the most casualties in WW2?

A: USA

B: Soviet Union

C: Australia

What country started world war 1?

A: Austria-Hungary

B: Germany

C: France

What 2 countries fought in the shortest war?

A: USA and Panama

B: Russia and Mongolia

C: UK and Zanzibar

In the Spanish civil war, which 2 countries supported the Nationalists?

A: Russia and China

B: Germany and Italy

C: France and UK

Where did the first historically recorded war take place?

A: Mesopotamia

B: Egypt

C: Mesoamerica

Where is Star Wars’ Tatooine filmed?

A: Mojave desert

B: Tunisia

C: Sahara desert

Farewell note from the editor in chief

I can’t believe that that’s a wrap on GAIA 2023-24 and my term as chief editor of the magazine! It’s been an absolute joy to work for such a fun and enriching society which has not only taught me about the humanities in new and different ways but has developed me as an individual socially and academically. I owe so much of my success in the first year of college to this publication and I certainly won’t ever forget the joys of writing it and working with an exceptional team of my peers who go above and beyond to aid me in my production. Writing and editing such a rich publication can be immensely stressful at times and I owe a huge thanks to three people in particular who have really helped me through it–my assistant editors.

Grace Kelly– Grace has been my absolute rock during three huge publications, always consistent in her dedication and passion to/for the magazine. Certainly my most astute editor, I wouldn’t have been able to manage the rapid turn-arounds without her help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Grace.

Isaac Read– though Isaac has only joined us for this current publication, he has been enduring in his selfless dedication to editing and assisting me wherever he can.

Mayukhi Mittal– As GAIA secretary, Mayukhi has been the heart of GAIA all year round and my main source of intel on all the unbelievable events she leads, creates or oversees. Stepping into the role of assistant editor this term, Mayukhi has been outstanding in her research, writing, editing and reliability (which is a huge thing when you’re writing an extensive publication such as this) and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to create such a fantastic outcome without her.

A massive thank you to Silvia and the whole team– I am honoured to have been able to write and publish three exceptional issues of the GAIA magazine. I’ll certainly miss working with each and every one of you. Thank you to anyone who wrote an article this year, the students and their passion for the humanities are the heart and soul of the magazine and I take great pride in editing and publishing such amazing work from incredibly talented students. A special shout-out to Amber Wells and Oliver Towler who have submitted the most articles all year– never faltering in their wonderful skills.

Thank you to all the writers, researchers, editors, staff and readers who have been at the core of all the success the magazine has seen. I can’t wait to celebrate all of our successes at the End of Year Celebration on July 2nd – including the publishing of this issue. Here’s to GAIA 2023-4!

Lily Barber, Chief editor of the GAIA magazine