"What are you thinking right now?"

the eart h is dyin g and what ar e we doin g?

WHAT ARE f o e t s a w a k r o w e m o is h ? e m i t

YOU THINKING RIGHT NOW ?

viral tik tok recipes

wynpress term 1 2022

the pres sure of b e i n g under pr essure

To whom it concerns Mersei Mananga

5

Adventure within the comfort of my home Atheerah Isaacs

7

The pressure of being under pressure Amy Press

9

Is your red the same as my red?

Amy Scholtz

10

2022 Michelle Maneya

12

feeling-o-meter Liezaan Bosch

14

Our earth is dying and what are we doing?

Rumaanah Surtee

15

Tiktok cookbook Jade Beukes

18

Modern day grief Chelsea Adrian

20

the fear of losing myself Chloë Harding

21

War Jesse Daniels

22

Want to cure your boredom?

Imaan Ajam

23

Homework: useful or useless Olivia Behrens

24

EDITOR'S LETTER Tick, tick, tick, tock Staring blankly at the clock Pulses racing, your feet are pacing To the monogomous tune of the mundane 9 to 5 Tick, tick, tick, tock Staring blankly at the clock The Earth is dying, our cars are flying!

You're hungry, you're sad You're mad - the government did us wrong Tick, tick, tick tock Staring blankly at the clock Your mind wanders to unknown A fantasty A melody You made yourself a vow Listen to your thoughts

a

paradise

What are you thinking right now?

taherah orrie

To whom it concerns...

Dear government and those in power, How are you doing on this fine day? Another day you wake, with food piled up on your plate. In the comfort of your home, you sit and basque in all the fruits of the favours the nation has done for you.

The same favour and trust that you have spat in our faces, now replacing it with disgrace.

Disgrace into shame, Shame into dismay , Dismay redirecting us to alternatives to change the ways.

The way we lack confidence in your ability to provide concrete solutions and your endless show of shameful amusement.

The way you care more about a couple millions of rands, over the millions of civilians.

The way you are so quick to blame the past and fail to hold those who should be held accountable, those being the ones who were put in place to make improvements.

The way our students, our youth, don’t dream about a better South Africa but rather the places better than South Africa they'd rather run away to.

The way we put food on your plates but you can't reciprocate the same “responsibility”.

There are so many “ways” one is susceptible to confusion, to rage.

““Keep the Western Cape DA!” and the rest of South Africa should remain the same? They're tangled in the web of corruption and redundant deceit.

Lies as white as linen sheets.

The stain of your sin so deeply embedded, it looks like a masterpiece.

Nelson Mandela. The father of South Africa. Some, if not many, may say he is the face of the nation. A face so beautiful, one emitting determination. Determination to make what is now, apparently, a “Rainbow Nation”.

Dear government and those in power, Tell me honestly, with minimal hesitation. What would our dear Madiba think of the nation that has been created?

ADVENTURE WITHIN THE COMFORT OF MY HOME Since the unpredictable arrival of Covid-19, many of our planned adventures have been brought to a halt, leaving plenty of us to wonder: how do we escape when there’s nowhere for us to go? The answer may be easier than you think. As Lilian Jackson Braun said, “A library card is the start of a lifelong adventure.”

If the idea of adventure, drama, or love has been on your mind lately, our incredible librarian, Ms Manners, graciously took in suggestions last year from students and managed to obtain a large variety of new books to add to the enormous collection of the Margaret Stewart library. There is truly a book to satisfy the tastes of any reader.

ATHEERAH ISAACS

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

by V.E Schwab is a historical romance with a hint of fantasy. This incredible standalone novel follows the story of young Addie LaRue who in an attempt to escape a marriage in the early 18th century, bargains with a mysterious god who in exchange,grants her immortality.

The catch- everyone she meets is bound to forget her. This tragic tale makes for an unforgettable read.

If there is a coming-of-age story we should all make time to read, it is Bantu Knots by Lebo Mazibuko. We journey alongside Ledi, a young black woman who grows up with her strict grandmother in Pimville, with the endless desire to look more like her light-skinned mother. We witness as Ledi tries to navigate her complicated relationship with her mother, as well as deal with the challenges of womanhood and beauty ideals. Lebo Mazibuko has delivered an incredible tale of a young black woman and her struggle in the modern world.

We are Inevitable tells the story of young Aaron struggling with the loss of his brother and the process of moving on. Aaron finds himself lost as everyone moves onto college while he remains in Washington. That is until he meets clever and magical Hannah. A thought-provoking novel tackling addiction, grief, and loss, Gayle Forman sheds light on many struggles of the youth and how “the inevitable” is ultimately about perspective.

The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi has welcomed the arrival of Ignite Me, Restore Me and Defy Me. The adventures of Aaron Warner and Juliette Ferrars continue in Mafi’s continuation of the mind-blowing sci-fi series.

“It’s breathtaking, every page never fails to leave you on edge.”

- Mariam Abrahams, grade 12.

AMY PRESS

THE PRESSURE OF BEING UNDER PRESSURE Pressure can be described as by the Pascal principle: the continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it, or, in a more relatable sense, the feeling of being stressed, like the whole world is on your shoulders. In reality, true pressure feels like both.

Starting the new year we find ourselves being put under intense pressure and stress. The freedom we felt during the holidays feels as though it has disappeared into thin air. We always will find ourselves under pressure, one way or another, whether it's school, work, or family-related; whether we put ourselves under pressure or whether it's placed on us.

Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves without even realizing it. We can all be too hard on ourselves and this can cause us to feel mentally and physically distressed. But stress and pressure can also come from the people whom we surround ourselves with: teachers, parents, friends. Even measuring ourselves against somebody else is seen as a means of comparison.

We all relate to the pressure of wanting to achieve something. To get the best marks and make our families proud. We feel pressure when we are expected to act a certain way, handle situations correctly, and never make mistakes.

Pressure is caused by issues that come up regularly, and that we all worry about, like the due date coming up on an assignment or the fear of failing that math test. These could also be simple once-off events or stressful recurring ones.

The trick is to learn to handle pressure. Let yourself fail because that is okay and a part of the learning process. Stop setting impossibly high goals to accomplish in short periods of time. Learn that it is okay to make a few mistakes here and there because, in the end, we are all human. Keep track of those dates in a way that works best for you and do the work before the time.

As an example, being a people pleaser is hard, but rather choosing what is best for yourself - is going to benefit you in the long run. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, whatever they may be. What's done is done and we can’t change that, work towards other, realistic goals rather than bringing yourself down on the ones that went sideways.

Pressure is difficult, not only to live with but to accept. It's important to remember that everyone experiences stress to some extent and it shouldn’t be a force that holds you back, but instead, drives you forward.

Is your red the same In the psychology of colour, red as my red? two colours on the same Or is it green or blue?

Recent research on colour vision has indicated that it's entirely possible that the colour we associate with strawberries could be the colour that someone else calls blue and the sky someone else’s red.

Although we see the same exact light wavelengths, we perceive them differently.

The cones in our eyes are sensitive to certain wavelengths and activate when light within a certain wavelength range reaches them. Scientists have proven that colour is not even a physical property of an object, instead, a sensation.

Beyond this, a whopping 300 million people in the world are estimated to be colour blind, unable to distinguish between a fiery red and the green grass they walk on.

spectrum can have completely different effects.

Red, for example, is said to evoke feelings of both panic and passion while light pink is said to be calming. Still, it is entirely possible that the red and pink you see is not the same as the red and pink I see. In the same way, what makes us happy and what we don’t enjoy differ from person to person.

Aside from the hard science behind it, the emotional aspects of colour are also influenced by the culture, region and historical period. A study on cultural differences showed that Western and East Asian concepts of warm and cold colours are essentially the same. However, in Japan, blue and green tones are perceived positively and hues in the red-purple range negatively.

The opposite was true in Europe and North America.

While black symbolises mourning in the West, other cultures associate grieving periods with white, purple or gold. This also means that common metaphorical and idiomatic uses of colour in English ( such as “green with envy,” “feeling blue“ and “a white lie,”) are difficult to translate into other languages, as these colours may lose their intended figurative meanings.

If we apply these theories to other areas of our lives, even siblings who grew up together are prone to have contrasting memories of early life. Their respective recollections of childhood are at odds with each other, warped by the varying freedoms that accompanied a difference in age, being raised by what seemed to be entirely different versions of their parents or simply having opposite personalities.

Colour perception proves that even the most basic of human experiences cannot be proven to be common to us all. Our perceptions and our awareness in life are tainted by our own unique factors. Be it due to culture, language, hobbies, interests, traumas or fears, no one is able to live the exact same life as another.

With this, we should remain conscious of the factors that may differentiate our reactions and responses in life. Be aware that in disagreements, misunderstandings and wildly different opinions, we do not live the same lives.

Perhaps more profoundly, we may never be able to see the world the same way as our neighbour and must be ready to accept the existence of our own alternate realities.

Amy Scholtz

2022 Four years ago, 2022 seemed light-years away. Although I was only in grade 8, I had already looked forward to the year that would allow me to finally wear the beige matric jersey that I had admired from the very first day. Recently I was on the verge of a mental breakdown whilst staring at my long list of homework, assignments and projects that I had to complete. Many matrics relate to this scene daily.

The reality that every mark and study session is vital for the final exams has increased feelings of anxiety and pressure amongst students. So instead of being anxious, here are three tips on how to navigate this terrifying, yet exciting year…

Finding your “Why” If you're reading this and haven't already given up, there will be moments during those three-hour study sessions where memorizing complex terms and confusing proofs will seem meaningless. To stay motivated, you need to find a personal reason within yourself that will push you until you write your last paper. Whether it be not having to open a maths textbook again or the promise of a more independent life after school, find your own “why”, outside of the stressful expectations that other people may have for you.

Breathe If you are already a very motivated and focused person in regard to your schoolwork, it is also important that you pause and breathe. Overworking yourself will be detrimental to your mental health, therefore you need to work up to your limits and not according to another person’s studying schedule. On your breaks, calm your mind by doing activities such as mindfulness meditations or taking power naps whilst listening to rain soundtracks. Remember to make time for the things that define who you are as a person, outside of the academic environment.

Shift your focus…

NOW Oh, how we love those small black screens! Many of us often spend a longer time mindlessly scrolling instead of using our phones as useful tools to find educational resources.

According to Shakila Africa,“ One Tiktok video ends up being fifteen.”

Dear matrics (me included), this is a sign to break up with your phones and your favourite social media platforms that tempt you into spending hours on them, instead of studying. Making a conscious effort each day to minimise distractions will surely be worth it in the end. Phone or possible distinctions? Choose today.

"Having perseverance, passion and keeping steadfast in prayer is what makes a successful matriculant" ~Shakila Africa "We've come this far. Let's keep working hard, the world awaits us" ~Chloe Smith

michelle maneya

Encouraging quotes

Our Earth is Dying & What Are We Doing ? climate anxiety A coined term which is quite topical recently.

Climate anxiety stems from the inevitability of global warming, and the human race’s poor response to combating climate change that has put our entire planet at risk. It is a state of anxiousness and frustration, caused by a significant lack of urgent measures that have not been taken into account to save our planet from the destruction we are causing.

The rise to power of the human race has come with extreme environmental losses and consequences which in turn affect us as the youth. We are faced with panic and worry for the future of our planet. We watch satirical movies such as the Netflix phenomenon Don’t Look Up! that highlights the truth of politics and economics which are constantly prioritised over our very survival. We watch as Jennifer Lawrence’s character, a young scientist struggle with anger and anxiety about having the knowledge that the human race will die but cannot change the course of events, as world leaders dismiss her and fail to act quickly. Well… we can definitely see the similarities within ourselves and the message of climate anxiety that the film wants to communicate.

Climate anxiety is very prevalent in our generation as we struggle with the burden of the climate crisis. In South Africa, we see how our leaders don't react effectively to the impact we have on the environment. This includes the loss of indigenous biodiversity, our continuous increasing fossil fuel consumption, and our terrible waste management systems that ironically fuels our damage to the earth, to name but a few.

The toll this takes on the youth is unquestionable.

We are the voices pleading in continuous lament, for action from the government, we are the future experiencing impending Day Zero caused by devastating droughts, and we have to rely on the inefficient non-renewable energy sources when load shedding occurs. Yet no one in authority or leadership seems to treat this as a state of emergency. It’s exhausting because these selfish decisions to not act sustainably will continue the generational pressure and burden which is to be placed on us as the future generation due to past and present negligence.

Previous generations and world leaders have not acted with enough ambition, or conviction, to collectively save our planet. We as the youth now find ourselves asking world leaders to speak about "2050" in which they aim and pledge, as a globe, to be more sustainable. All of this, after Shell has completed its seismic survey in South African waters and after Western companies have mined all of Africa’s natural resources, leaving nothing behind but wastelands. It is far too late!

With consumer culture pushing us to consume at an ever-increasing rate, we will be passed the point of just “making sustainable decisions” in 2050. This burden is thus left on our shoulders and future generations to deal with. We are inheriting a planet that needs saving due to greed and power, which has blinded society in acting decisively on the climate crisis.

Global warming should be everyone's fight! We must all affect change to save our earth. We, the future of civilization, need to break this endless cycle of destroying our planet and promote a conscious effort of prioritising the healing of our planet. We all must look at ways of living sustainably in order to maintain and preserve the planet not just for future generations, but for ourselves. It is up to us to change societal thinking and find solutions to the problem that we have inherited. We must be able to see a future on our planet where we are not the burden. Where we are able to do more than just survive but thrive alongside nature.

rumaanah surtee

TIKTOK COOKBOOK Jade Beukes I’m sure we’ve all heard of at least one of the many viral and tasty recipes circling around on TikTok lately. If you haven’t, I’m certain someone you know has. If you are anything like me, you’ve been absolutely dying to make these but have no idea where to start. Well, in this article, I’ll be breaking down two of the most popular recipes on TikTok so that you can make these delicious foods at home all by yourself!

The first recipe is the viral Salmon Bowl, popularized by Emily Mariko, which is a quick and easy at-home alternative to sushi.

Ingredients Method

1 tin shredded salmon 200g White rice 1 Avocado 50 ml soya sauce 50 ml kewpie mayo 50 ml hot sauce of your choice Roasted seaweed sheets (optional)

1. Add water to a pot and bring it to a boil.

2. Add the white rice in for 15 minutes or until light and fluffy.

3. Place the rice in the fridge.

4. Put your shredded tinned salmon into a bowl and crush it with the back of a fork.

5. Add the soya sauce, kewpie mayo and hot sauce into the salmon.

6. Stir well.

7. Mix the chilled rice into the bowl.

8. Now, you can eat it just like that or,to improve your meal even further, scoop the mixture into a seaweed sheet and roll it up like sushi.

9. Itadakimasu!

Of course, a drink is needed to wash down that delicious dish, so why not give the famed Tiktok Whipped Coffee a go.

This coffee is pretty simple with a recipe that is extremely versatile as it can be done with many powdered drinks.

This makes it possible for even our non-coffee lovers to enjoy this tasty treat too.

Ingredients 30g of any brand of instant coffee 30g white sugar 30g boiling water 250ml of milk Ice cubes

Method 1. Add coffee powder, sugar and boiling water into a bowl 2. Beat with a hand mixer using the whisk attachment 3. until the mixture is thick and forms stiff peaks.

4. Place milk and ice cubes into a glass.

5. Pour the whipped coffee mixture into the glass and stir.

6. Enjoy!

Modern Day Grief Chelsea Adrian I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT GRIEF AND HOW DESPITE ALL ITS TRAGIC COMPLEXITIES, IT BOILS DOWN TO ONE THING: LOVE WE WE CANNOT KNOW GRIEF WITHOUT ALSO HAVING KNOWN LOVE. WE GRIEVE PEOPLE NO LONGER IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE AT ONE POINT, WE LOVED THEM. WE GRIEVE MISSED HOLIDAYS IN A PANDEMIC BECAUSE AT ONE POINT, WE USED TO LOVE CELEBRATING. WE GRIEVE OUR TRAUMATIC PASTS BECAUSE WE LOVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TO KNOW WE DESERVED BETTER.

AND WHILE LOVE CAN BE KNOWN, WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF GRIEF, THERE CAN BE NO GRIEF, WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF LOVE.

The fear of losing myself chloë harding I feel myself bend to its will, The pain is loud, still, I am relentless A broken bond, I feel myself fall, Succumbing to the pressure and fall.

Twisting in pain, Closing my eyes, I feel myself losing the light inside.

It weighs on my shoulders, Like a brick on concrete, Holding me down, Until I've fallen in too deep.

An erratic mind, An erratic soul, Erratic dreams, But the feeling of nowhere to go.

I see it in my future, A path so clearly carved, Yet I fall subjected, To the bending of its will.

I ponder about chaos, I ponder about war I think about those dead, corpses piled on the floor I think about those thirsty and starved whose rations don’t suffice at all, their future expiring right before their eyes, their voices as soft as can be, yet they call

Tears stream down her cheeks, a five-year-old child, screaming distraughtly for her mother, the war still yet to be reconciled

War

jesse daniels

The bombs explode, it echoes in their ears, guns pointed towards them, yet this war has continued for years and years

I ponder about chaos, I ponder about war the war, please, no more.

Want to cure your boredom?

As a teenager in today's world, my go-to has always been, “I’m bored.” I’m pretty sure that during these two minute weekends, you’ve been a bit bored of yourselves. These are a few influential tips to help cure your boredom: 1. Step out of your comfort zone and try something you’d never do in your right mind like bungee jumping or skydiving.

2. To stay within the budget, you can try out a new sport. Perhaps you might love it!

3. Those yummy food videos you see on tiktok, try and make them!

4. Try to get away from your devices and find a good book.

5. If you don’t like reading, create your own game from scratch. Whether it’s a board game or one that requires physical movement. Get that blood pumping!

Imaan Ajam

homework: useful or useless ?

Olivia Behrens

Sometimes, at the height of the school term, I feel as if I am drowning - in work, in responsibilities, in my commitments. More and more work begins to pile up until it paralyses me completely. I go into my fishbowl. I begin not registering my work emotionally, though logically I know it is there. My fishbowl is soundproof so that all I can see are my projects, tests, homework and obligations banging on the glass, desperately trying to grasp my attention. My fishbowl deafens their screams.

Though I am scared. I am scared when my fishbowl shatters.

I have begun wondering about the necessity of homework. There is no doubt it can be useful to engage with the work being done at school at home… but let’s be honest: who has the time? In between sports, studying for tests, trying to stay up to date with your projects and obtaining the required hours of sleep to be able to function during the day, little time is left to do the 12page worksheet you got in Afrikaans.

And so, I end up either hurriedly copying the memo late at night or desperately trying to copy a friend’s answers 5 minutes before the class starts. My main aim: avoid a demerit at all costs. Staying up late to finish homework and waking up early to do more leaves me absolutely exhausted for the school day ahead, where I cannot focus in class long enough to do the exercises before the next lesson begins.

It's a deadly cycle; a task that after 12 years of schooling I have still not mastered. I am starting to think this is impossible. My school life integrates into my home life until it doesn't until everything begins to blur and it's only a matter of time before I begin brushing my teeth in the corridors or sticking my hand in the air at the dining table to ask permission to go to the bathroom.

I was worried that this would come across as a type of glorified complaining, and perhaps it is.

However, it is no secret that there are some real problems with our education system and, especially with regards to homework, and the number of hours spent on it. Although, this does not even begin to form part of the much larger issues at hand.

I do not have many solutions to this conundrum other than to abolish homework altogether - I dream about being able to leave all my books at school and not let them pile up on my bedroom floor in the section transparently labelled “to-do pile”. A girl can dream, I guess.

Being a self-appointed expert of the South African schooling system following 12 long years of having to “deal with it”, I can deduce that being overloaded with work means one can only engage with any kind of work at a superficial level.

Thus, surely having less would mean our learning would be more intentional and meaningful, I presume. Imagine learning about meiosis for its fascinating role in producing gametes rather than how we can get the most marks for it in our final exam.

And I know, I know that sometimes the only way out of it is to do it… if only the inside of my fishbowl was not so comfortable.

Special thanks to: Our thoughful and talented Wynpress committee for creating such enticing work;

always

Ms Johannes-Swanson for all of her efforts dedicated to ensuring every Wynpress issue reaches its full potential; Dr Wallace for taking the time to ensure that the issue is perfect for publishing; the Communications and Marketing team for sharing our work with the Wynberg family; and last but certainly not least, many thanks to you, our amazing readers for your never-ending support. *Images and cartoons are courtesy of Canva (www. canva. com)

wynpress term 1 2022