The Galley: Summer 2024

From the Editors-In-Chief...

2024 is deemed as ‘the year of elections’. In a year so fundamental for democracy, it is clear that the electorate need to be educated and that those who are in power need to be held to account. These two pivotal aspects of the democratic process are carried out by none other than the media - in essence, the fourth pillar of democracy. So, a free and fair media is of evident importance. Whilst The Galley is far from an influencer of global change, it contributes to a system in which everyone can have a voice at a time when individual voices are increasingly under threat. From the ‘nothing works’ doctrine to the post-truth political world, The Galley is filled with interesting pieces from Dollar pupils that speaks to not only the Dollar experience, but the experience of young people today

Ona morepersonal note, this is my final edition of The Galley after 5 years of contributing to the magazine, making me both incredibly proud of this issue, and incredibly sad that it is my last. Thank you to all of our incredible writers, editors, my brilliant co-editor in chief Logan, and of course, the wonderful Ms Abel.

So, I hope you enjoy this summeredition of The Galley. Happy reading!

Another term goes by and, with it, another edition of The Galley is published.

It feels as though barely any time has passed since our last publication, and the afternoons of formatting and proofreading that accompanied it. In truth, such aspectsof editing are repeated every year; but, with this comes a strangesenseof comfort: in the midstof thechanging world around us, a subtle continuity exists. Our year groups may change,oursubjectsmaybe‘dropped’or‘crashed’ but,every year, one can count on The Galley to serve as a reminder of theunique senseof communitywe have at Dollar.

This year’s journalistic cohort have done well in fulfilling this. They have demonstrated with great visibility the indubitable passion, focus and resilience demanded of them. Their spirits have been indomitable, and the fruits of their labour (laid out in the pages which follow, for your perusal) area testament to this.

Personal thanks must be given, naturally, to our section editors,aswellasIzzy-myfantasticco-editor-in-chief-who, inherfinalyearworkingwith TheGalley,hascontributedthe sameoutstandingdevotionshehasmadeherreputation. Ms Abel, whose running of such a tight ship makessure thatwe can actually deliver this to your grasp, is also deserving of unending thanks. Without her, none of this would be near therealm of possibility.

I was always drawn to this magazine, in my (even) younger years, because I felt it provided something which everyone - regardless of age or interest - could enjoy. I hope that you shall find the same.

News and Politics

“Politics is too serious a matter to be left to politicians” – Charles de Gaulle

Through these articles, the writers delve deeper into the complex world of politics. They explore the ever changing landscape and demonstrate that politics affects us all in various manners.

This edition features articles from Izzy (Form VI) who writes about ‘post-truth’ politics with passionate detail, and an article from Honor (Form VI) that explores how the US criminal justicesystem was shaped.

Whatever interests you, we hope that through our articles you,asreaders,areinspiredtolearnmoreaboutthepolitical world. Politics can in turn give us knowledge to strengthen our understanding of the world and inspiration to take action to make it a better place. Politics should indeed not just be left to politicians, we can all contribute to politics in individualised ways.

We reallydo hope you enjoy thisedition. Happy reading!

Vanessa Wilson (VI) News & Politics Editor

Truth and Grass

Izzy (VI)

The grass is white. It turns purple when it doesn’t get enough water. The sun is purple too, and the moon is madeof cheese. Comté,obviously. SometimesIseeangels flying intheskyandsometimes I shootlaserbeamsoutof myeye. One time, the Prince of Monaco proposed to me, but I had to turn him down. I was too busy cloning the first human being. Her namewas Stacey.

Unfortunately, noneof that is true. Grass isgreenand the moon is made of rock and I’ve never cloned anyone. But that is one version of the truth. The other, which exists (in my brain) is not a lie but is instead my truth; the truth I decide to believe. I believe I am a good person, butsomeoneelse mightnotthinkso. Each belief doesnot invalidate theother; but how can two contradicting ideas exist at the same time? Truth is satisfactory to believe. If truth fits myversionof thestory, if itremoves blame from my shoulders, if it makes sense of a world that doesn’t, then I believe it.

For centuries philosophers have tried to remove the ambiguity from the bedrock of democracy through diagrams and theory and hypothesis – and for centuries they have failed. Aristotle, Cicero, Burgess, Kirkham have agreed on one thing that they deem to be true: the truth isa lie. The foundation onwhich oursocietystands on is not concrete. Truth is like sand thatcan be moulded and folded, blown away a moment later and reshaped into something entirely different. Today, the grass is green, but tomorrow, it could be white.

Truth is a social contract thatwe choose to sign. As much as we would like to believe thiscontract is legally binding – it’s not. Populist leaders were the first to realise this. They have begun toripthepagesfrom thissocial contract onebyone. Itstartsoff innocentenough; itdoesn’tmatter he pretends that’s his natural skin colour and not a spray tan; it doesn’t matter he pretends he’s like the people he represents; itdoesn’tmatterhespinsliesaboutthepeople coming into the countrywhose tongues move differently; it doesn’t matter he detains those people and generates a hatred for them so intense they want to build a wall. Oh wait. Thatdoes matter. That’s not innocentat all.

Trump flew intothe Oval Officeonaplane fuelled by lies. He postulated on average twenty-one falsehoods per day during his presidential term. “We are fighting against the political elites”. “The coronavirus is under control”. “The election was stolen”. No, he was part of those elites. No, what followed was a global pandemic. No, what was stolen was the dignity of American politics. Whilst the statements he espoused are objectively false, it simply doesn’t matter, because for millions of American voters, this became their truth. And this truth is becoming exceedinglyeasy to believe.

Inaworldplaguedbyfakenewsandaggressivepolarisation, navigating what is truth and what is manipulation from theothersidebecomesataskthatmanysimplydon’thave time for. It seems easier to believe what he says than to

go to the effort of questioning it. Because when politics and culture wars come knocking at your door, you better pick your side and stick to it. Trump has used truth as a weapon. He has turned the grasswhite.

Of course, the formerpresident is nottheonlyonewhose Pinocchionoseisgettinglonger.BorisJohnson’snosegrew out of 10 Downing Street’s door whilst partying during COVID-19 lockdowns. And this is saying something consideringhisnosewasalreadylongfollowingtheBrexit campaign. It seems strange that he got awaywith it, until you realise covering up a lie with a lie seems to create a twisted version of the truth. He presented himself as a harmless man, with endearing, messy hair, and a funny way of talking without actually saying anything. But this was all part of the act; the act of creating an alternative truth. It doesn’t matter that he went to Eton and Oxford and his full name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. No wonder we shortened it to ‘BoJo’. Of course, this is all by design. Frequently referring to him as ‘BoJo’ or ‘Boris’ by the media and the electorate emulates his act as ‘man of the people’. “He looks like my old great uncle, or like I’d see him down at the pub.” It doesn’t matter that this could not be furtherfrom thetruth if it’s what thepeople believe.

It is funny what people choose to believe. A couple years ago, ifyousearched forEl Salvador’spresident,youwould begreeted byhis twitterhandle. NayibBukelereadswhat looks like a picture book in his profile picture. He sports a well-manicured beard and a tight blue top that shows off his gym progress. Behind him, is a green landscape with thousandsof dots thatspan across it. Thesedotsare soldiers marching. Okay, the leaderof El Salvadorseems harmless enough. That is until your eyes trail down the screen and you arrive at his bio. There it states: Born 24th July,600following,5.9millionfollowers,“World’sCoolest Dictator”. Ah. Instead of rejecting his authoritarian title, he embraced it to the point of boasting it on twitter. That’scool. Iguess. However,what’snotcool, isdictators. What’s not cool, is Bukele’s twisting of the truth to gain re-election.Thetruthaboutthe“Bukelemodel”isthathis successresemblesthatof theleadersheoncecondemned. Hispreferred methodofgovernanceincludesdispatching troopsto intimidatethe legislature,packing the Supreme Court and Attorney General’s office with supporters and running for a second term – despite re-election being forbidden by the constitution. The Bukele Model is the truth, and that truth is scary. The truth is that people and democracy are in danger. So, it’s easier to point to the good stuff. Bukele is young and he has nice hair and his Instagram is cool and it doesn’t matter he’s a dictator because he’s a ‘cool’ one. Does it?

Naturally, the post-truth world is not just founded by ‘cool’ dictators and populist giants. The media, whether print, broadcast or social, is a powerful tool that when wielded, can either strengthen or hinder the democratic process. If operated inan independent, balanced, and pluralist fashion it can strengthen the foundations on which democracy stands. But when used to disseminate propaganda and sow divisions within a country, it can obliterate these foundations quicker than it established them. Increasingly, it matters not what the media covers but how they cover it. Aheadof EuropeanParliamentelectionsinHungaryin2019, the MTVA broadcast group sat down to discuss how. One editorwasrecordedoutlining thattheorganisation needs to adoptthe‘appropriatenarrative’.This‘appropriatenarrative’ means one thing: reporting stories with an eye to pleasing thegovernmentof nationalist Prime MinisterViktorOrban. After outlining this narrative, the same editor threatened that “If anyone is not prepared to work under these conditions, he is free to file his resignation immediately”. This leaves Hungary without vital political levers. This leaves Hungary without real democracy. Without a media that reports the hard, unbiased fact, the fourth pillar of democracy crumbles. The public are left unable to make informed political decisions, the line of communication between people and politicians is cut, and scrutiny of the powerful isobliterated. Buttherearetwosidestoeverycoin. As much as the media can work to destroy democracy, the revolutionarypotentialof itcannotbediscredited.TheArab Spring revealed the mediaasatechnologyforliberationand benevolence - but this benevolence is coming increasingly underthreat.

It’s obvious that ‘post-truth’ politics is knocking at every democracy’s door, but what does that mean for the people whose truth is trying to make sense of a world that seems increasingly against them? The German word of the year was ‘Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache’. This word refers to the tendency of “political and social discussions” to be dominated by “emotions instead of facts”. And that is what post-truth politics means. Political debate is framed largely by appeals to emotion disconnected from the details of policy, and by the repeated assertion of talking points to which factual rebuttals are ignored. We care more for felttruth rather than real truth. And the people ruling our world, setting political agenda today know this.

Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Nayib Bukele, Viktor Orban, and the other leaders that rule over the 1.7 billion people languishing under populist regimes are the merchants of post-truth, exploiters of trust and confidence artists who take advantage of the communications revolution. They stir up multimedia excitement by calling for public revolt by millions of people who feel annoyed, powerless and no longer held in the arms of society: people who are so frustrated or humiliated they are willing to lash out in supportof demagoguespromising themdignityanda better future. This post-truth is more than entertainment or the dictatorship of illusion mediated by the production and passive consumption of commodities. In the hands of the powerful, or those bent on climbing the ladders of power overothers, the post-truth phenomenon functions as a new weapon of political manipulation. Post-truth is said to be the beginning of the end of politics as we’ve known it for existing democracies.

So, truth is important, and aversion to it has real life implications. Politics is not a game power-hungry men can use to elevate their status and get high paying consultancy jobsoncetheyarevotedoutof office. Politics ishelpingyour friend that lost their job. It’s making sure your nephews are raised healthyand educated. It’s making sureyoursisterhas awarmbedtosleepinatnight. Politicsisn’tacomplexworld in which lies have no consequence. The consequence is the January 6th insurrection; the consequence is millions dying in a pandemic; the consequence is the poor getting poorer whilsttherich getricher; theconsequence isthebreakdown of societyaswe know it.

As soon as we allow world leaders to lie and manipulate what’sreal, wecreateacultureinwhich truth itself becomes extinct. Polarisation will only grow, political systems will only get worse, and power-hungry men will only become more cruel, more domineering. Wars and world affairs, internalconflictand isolated incidents mustbetransparent. The real truth has to both fuel and smother every fire that lights in the political world. Most importantly, the grass needs tostaygreen.

How the ‘Nothing Works’ Doctrine

Reshaped the US Criminal Justice System

Honor (VI)

In many ways, prisons can be viewed as a microcosm of society; they are only as effective as the population allow them to be. One clear example of this is the concept of the ethos of justice, which varies in different countries, with different cultures and different beliefs. On the one hand we have Norway, whose rehabilitation-focused approach prioritises prisoners’ life after prison, rather than the need for further punishment during imprisonment. Notice the difference?

Then, somewhereinthemiddleliestheUK,whereweliketo ponderrehabilitation, butbeneaththesurfacewhatwetruly desire is retribution. There are many examples of this, with public outcries over sentencing leading to a reevaluation of theinitialsentence,andtheendresult,themore satisfactory result being a harsher, longer sentence. I’m sure you can think of a couple of examples. Now I am not saying this is eitherrightorwrong, butit isundeniablethatwearecaught amid two extremes – the battle of rehabilitation versus retribution. The latter option is widely accepted by none other than the USA – or as one 20th century prisoner from Mississippi wrote – the Underprivileged Slavesof America.

Itisworthnoting thatuntil the1970s, theUSpenalsystem was comparatively more focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. However, this all changed with the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine.

It isarareoccurencethatonesociologistreleasing asingle report inspired a complete overhaul of the US criminal justice system. In 1974, this is precisely what happened when the American sociologist, Robert Martinson, published a study called ‘What Works?’ which described his skepticism and pessimism towards rehabilitation programmes.Itwassurprisinglyembracedenthusiastically by national media, and soon developed into the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine. The subsequent mentality was one that believed rehabilitative schemes were a waste of time and money, and this shift in mindset has been drilled into the American ideologyeversince.

At the same time as this, there was also a massive shift in perspective on the war on drugs. Presidents like Nixon and Reagan reframed the issue; instead of drug problems being seen as a medical issue, it was now a criminal one. This condemnation led to a surge in incarceration rates, and so it is no surprise that one of the most pressing contemporaryissuesthatUS prisonsfaceisovercrowding.

In the US, there are 2.2 million people incarcerated, and this overcrowding can lead to much resentment towards thesystemthathascausedthemtobeinthisenvironment, which can offer a partial explanation for such high recidivism rates. For context, recidivism (also known as reoffending) refers to a person’s relapse into criminal behaviour, often after the person receives sanctions or undergoes intervention for a previous crime. In the US, this is much higher than any other developed nation, whererecidivism stands atastaggering 76.6% withinonly 5 years. So, they are arrested again – subject to the same environment – yetwe naivelyexpecta different outcome.

Throughout history, governments and scholars have invoked various rationales for removing people from societyandconfiningthemtoimprisonmentinresponseto criminal behaviour. The US displays a tripartite approach regarding their theories that underpin their ethos of justice: retribution, incapacitation and deterrence. Retribution is a theory of justice in which the purpose of criminal penalties isto punish individuals forcommitting crimes. However, systems based onretributive modelsare retroactive; they punish what has already occurred and contemplatenoeffectonfuture behaviour. Incapacitation is a theory of crime prevention in which the primary purpose of prison is to separate people from society and thereby limit theirability tocommitadditional crimes.

Although this can be effective on a surface level in the short-term - after all, it physically prevents offenders from committing furthercrimeswhile incarcerated – this model fails to recognise the repercussions this can lead to upon release, and so it becomes a cyclical issue as shown by the recidivism rates in the US.

Deterrence is also a theory of crime prevention, proposing thatbyseeingpunishmentenactedonothers,orpersonally experiencing punishment, a person will be motivated to avoid crime in order to avoid such consequences. This final approach can be seen with the existence of capital punishment which exists and is implemented in countries such as the US. This has existed in the US since colonial times, and its history is arguably intertwined with slavery, segregation and social reform movements. Undertones of this still ripple through the criminal justice system in the US, with cases such as Rocky Myers.

Rocky Myers was a black man convicted by a nearly allwhite jury who sentenced him to life in 1994, without the possibilityof parole forthe murderof hiswhite neighbour. The trial judge overrode their decision and imposed a death sentence, where the only evidence that linked him to the case was a video-recorder of the victim, which he claimshefoundabandoned inthestreet.Furthermore, key testimoniesagainsthimwerealsotaintedbyinconsistencies and allegations of police pressure, with one later recanted as untrue. Asa result, he has spentthreedecadeson Death Row, and there are campaigns held in an attempt to free him. Amnesty International have created a petition to sign asking the governor of Alabama to grant clemency to RockyMyersandcommutehisdeathsentence. Heremains on Death Row, and after Alabama executed a man using nitrogen gas, this prospect of his release does not look promising, as punishments are becoming increasingly harsh. ItisthisretributivelensthroughwhichtheUSviews their justice system that truly plagues the system, and this is largelydue to the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine.

Therefore, in conclusion, it has to be contended that the US criminal justice system is undoubtedly focused on punishment, and the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine put this idea in paper, thus developing the ‘What Works’ mindset in American culture. Between the 1970s and 1990s, the federal government and state legislatures passed laws limiting judicialandparolediscretions.Policiesinmanyjurisdictions then shifted toward more structured and transparent sentencing schemes, meaning that the sentence for a crime was predetermined by law, and judges could do little to vary it. As a result, generally longer sentences for all types of crimes emerged, and in conjunction with the ‘Nothing Works’ doctrine, this pessimistic and retributive attitude prevailed and still does to thisday in the US criminal justice system.

Views

I think I think what I think, I think. But can I be more certain of my own thoughts? How do I know that what I say I think, though it may be proven to be false, is at least my conviction? Do I even buy my own beliefs?

If, like me, you have ever found yourself on the losing end of an argument, particularly one which you entered with the assurance of an arrogant boxer only to find your supposed convictions dizzied and gasping for air, you may have had the privilegeof being wakened tosuch questions. If that is thecase, then the beginning of an answer, dear reader, is in your hands.

Thesedays,everyoneseemstospeakwithagreatdealof conviction.Voicesproclaim slogans shouted through speakers, and screens light up with the forceful writings of impassioned 12-year-olds. Tocommunicate in such a way is easy. However, when those slogans are pre-recorded and escape the scrutiny of being said live, when those words appear next to empty circles supposed to identify their author. And in fact, it is hard to not fall into such a habit when those listening pay only seconds of their attention, when there is a limit on the very supply of characters with which to articulate one’s thoughts! The trouble is that, to paraphrase Wittgenstein, a belief that is blindly held, an idea thatgoes unchallenged, is like a boxerwho neverenters the ring, and ideas, like boxers, are not weakened, but strengthened, by combat. And so, to return to the earlier questions, perhaps the best way to gain confidence inone’sown beliefs, inaworld whereso manyseem socertainof theirown, is toput them under stress and watch as they change, not to attach to the feeling of being right but to theassurance thatone is moving closerto the truth, to understand that “undefeated” does not mean “proven”. To that end, I invite you to engage with this edition’s line-up of ideas to be wrestled with.

Should we expose ourselves to tragedy in art more often? Should tyrants be killed? Are there things equally, or even more, essential to public discourse than freedom of speech? Before you pick sides, remember that fighters train for months before a match, and if you haven’t given some of these questions much thought, it may be wise to just take them as a sparring session. Now, with that said, let the bell ring.

Paul Mackay (IV)

Editor

Who Turned the Light Out?

Emma (IV)

Darkness. That’s it. That was all she saw. It was what she woke to – brought by the bitter shrieks. It formed the broom she swept with, the dust she cleaned and the cold in her bones. It streamed from her in the tears that carried hertosleep. Itwasconstant. Itwaspainful. Itwas notwhatshedeserved. We know this.Wewere told this. But we were also told of the light. The light that came pouring into her life one day. She saw it in the warmth that soothed her, the hands that held her and the love they gave her. There was so much light it blinded her until when she looked at her life, it was unrecognisable. And they gave her the light because she was good. They gave hera happyending.

Heart-warming they call it. Unrealistic is another word thatcomes to mind, butdon’t letanyone hearyou say it. If anyone asks, a fairytale ending is what you’re aiming for. And if you’repureof heartthenyou’ll getit. Except... howoftendoesthathappen? Hardworkisanotherroute that will guarantee success. Although, come to think of it, that doesn’t always work either. Maybe luck is the reason. Maybesocietyis justclinging on tothat fairytale ending.

Society is unwilling to accept tragedy, and children in particular are shielded from it. The material they are exposed to from an early age – we’re talking Disney movies and such – enforces the idea that happy endings are guaranteed. Good will always prevail over evil. However, many of these tales have not always been so positive. In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 1837 tale ‘TheLittleMermaid’,Arieldidnotmarrytheprinceasthe modern animated movie depicts. Instead, the mermaid sacrifices herself, dissolving into a cloud of seafoam. Similarchangesweremadewithtalessuchas‘TheJungle Book’ and ‘Tarzan’, which contributes to the unrealistic expectations children have of life – expectations that will crush them when they reach adulthood. This is one reason unhappy endings are so important; they are genuine representations of the side of life that we try so hard to ignore. When, as a society, did we stop telling

ourchildrenthetruth? Ithashad adevastating impactgiven the ongoing mental health epidemic. Around 20 percent of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, misfortune and sadness will find you at some point. In fact, theonlything thatisguaranteed inlifeisdeath. So,wouldn’t it be betterto have that representationof sorrowand misery ingrained into your mind first? When you hit the floor, the only way to go is up. If we began life with the expectation that not everything will go our way, then we would only be pleasantly surprised when it does, rather than shattered when itdoesn’t. Because sometimes, the bad guywins.

On the other hand, fiction can often provide an escape for people looking to forget about all that gloominess for a while. After all, why would someone choose to read about something dark and upsetting when life already has that in such plentiful supply? However, although temporary escapism is something that I think is needed, it also allows people to ignoreproblems ratherthan looking forasolution to them. Personally, I am a sucker for a happy ending (preferably with everything tied up neatly and no loose ends) and reading fantasy novels is one of my favourite pastimes. However, I also frequently find that as the pages keep turning, a pile of homework begins to mountupon my desk until it looms ominously over my head. Unfortunately, just because my mind has been whisked away to fantastical places,doesnotmean thatthedeadlines havealsovanished. When this happens, I get overwhelmed and start stressing. Thisonlymakesmewanttodisappearevenmore. Obviously, this is a miniscule problem when compared with the vast number of issues around the world: the cost-of-living crisis, loss of abortion rights, the demonisation of transgender people by the government, starvation, and war to name a few. But just as I can pretend the deadline is still ages away, people can turn a blind eye to these issues when reading or watching idealistic books or films and so nothing is done about them. We need more literature – more film, music, art – that show desolation, regret, heartbreak, and grief. If people had no choice but to notice, change would begin. Most likely gradually, albeit, but still progress. Having tragedy more thoroughly represented in fiction – especially aimed towards the youngergenerations – would be a step in that direction. No one can stop you from living in a bubble of denial, butonedaythatbubblewillpop,and lifewillcome flooding back in.

Fiction can be used as a coping strategy. It even has its own term – bibliotherapy! Reading fiction has been shown to help people who may struggle with anxiety or depression. Reducing stress levels is another benefit to reading, with a 2009 Telegraph study finding that reading reduced stress in participants by nearly 70 percent. Iteven reducessymptoms of dementia. This is all great of course, but on a lesser scale I think that just having misfortune and misery represented in fiction hasan impacton howpeoplethencopewhen they must live through it. When people stop clinging to the idea of happy endings and have more realistic expectations of the world, it comes as less of a blow when reality checks in. Many read to gain knowledge, so perhaps if you knew that there isn’t always a light at the end of the tunnel you might dosomething togetoutof thattunnel yourself. Who knows, maybe you wouldn’t be in the tunnel at all. Or if that’s not possible, sometimes purely knowing the darkness is there

makes it seem less scary. Especially when you know you’re notalone.

So maybe the children should know about the world they livein–allof it–becauseit’llbeuptothemtochangeit.And maybe instead of running away we could turn and fight the monsterthatchasesus. And maybe the bookswill helpus to get through the tough times, because they prepared us and gave us a path. And maybe, just maybe, the light will find us and if itdoes, we’ll rememberthe darkness.

Emma’s writing ‘Who Turned out the Light?’ was ‘Commended’ in the Scottish Schools Young Writer of theYear Competition, 2024

Romeo and Juliet Laws: Protecting Young Love while Preventing Predators

Freya (V)

In September 2023, the tabloids were flooded with allegations against Russell Brand, who had reportedly entered a relationship with a 16-year-old girl while he was 31 years old. ‘Alice’, as she became known, only felt able to speak out about her relationship with Brand when she herself had reached her thirties. ‘Alice’s’ cogent and convincing account, shared on BBC’s ‘Women’s Hour’ expressed her belief that whilst the relationship was ‘legally sound’, she was actually in ‘an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship’. She called for the age of consent to be raised, in order to protect vulnerable minors. In the wake of this, a massive media debate emerged around the age of consent. The ‘UK Says No More’ campaign, makes the point that there are no grey areas in consent, but the recent events in the media would suggest that the topic of consent is hazy, particularly in relation to 16 to 18-year-olds. Sex education teaches teens that consent is a simple yes or

no, but with recurring allegations against older adults with teenagers, our society has to question if a 16-yearold is mature enough to consent to being with a 31-yearold. This poses the question: should the age of consent be raised in order to protect those that fall within the age of legal sexual consent but are still defined by UK law as a child?

The Crown Prosecution Service defines consent as someone ‘agreeing by choice’ and having the ‘freedom and capacity to make that choice.’ The age of consent, in terms of lawmaking, was shaped historically around the age of puberty and marriage. This was defined by the law of 1576 as 13 and only changed to 16 following the Criminal Amendment Act of 1885. It has remained at sixteen ever since, despite some pressures from groups campaigning for lowering the age of consent, on sensible grounds of public health and less sensible grounds by extreme groups such as Paedophilia Information Exchange (fortunately they disbanded in 1984!). In a policy paper, Bates highlights that the age of sexual consent in the Victorian era was to control public health and less about the protection of children. It was not until the early noughties, when a shift in the topic of consent focused on child abuse and the specific phenomenon of ‘grooming’. In response, a UK law in 2003, recognised ‘abuse of a position of trust’, meaning adults in an influential position, for example a teacher, could not have a sexual relationship with a minor (under 18). This created a further blur over the age of consent, with a dual system in place. Adding further to the complexity of the laws surrounding teenagers, at 16 you cannot legally buy alcohol, place a bet, vote in a general election, send explicit photos of yourself or get married (in England and Wales). But you can consent to sex…

The discussion around the age of consent reignites from time to time. The debate was raised in 2013 by a professor of public health, who suggested that it should be lowered to 15 to promote access to health care services, although he acknowledged that it would require the support of public opinion. All three political parties opposed the suggestion. The Independent reported that lowering the age of consent would be ‘politically impossible’ and attempts to lower it were described as a ‘paedophile›s charter’, giving legitimacy for predatory adults to focus on younger teenagers. The primary argument therefore for raising the age of consent can be seen as the protection of minors from predatory adults. This has

been long supported by the Safe Schools Alliance UK, who strongly believe that the age of consent should be raised to 18. Secondly, raising the age would also address the grey area of relationships that are currently legal but are acknowledged by Cosmopolitan magazine to have a ‘power imbalance’. The rape and sexual abuse charity SARSAS have stated, ‘a sixteen-year-old doesn’t have the life experience… to navigate the world of what a healthy relationship looks like’ and therefore are vulnerable to control and manipulation. The difference in the legal status and maturity of a 16-year-old is a key driver for raising the age of consent. This is supported by medical evidence which demonstrates that cognitive capacity reaches adult levels around the age of 16, however psychosocial maturity reaches adult levels beyond the age of 18, creating a ‘maturity gap’ which can affect decision making in relationships, according to the Journal of Law and Human Behaviour. Therefore, giving young people the safety net to bridge the gap in the legal system by raising the age of consent from 16 to 18 would protect them from maladaptive relationships.

Raising the age of consent to 18, would allow children to be children for longer and has the potential to protect young people from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmittedinfections.TheSafeSchoolsAlliancesuggest that thereis publicsupport forchangingthe laws around sexual consent, highlighting a survey done by You Gov which showed 64% supported a change so that ‘people above a certain age would be prohibited from having sex with 16 and 17-year olds’. This demonstrates a shifting trend in public opinion about the potential for the coercion of minors within legally consensual

relationships. When examining the ‘age of consent’ throughout history, what needs to be considered is the context in which laws are made, in terms of societal normsandvalues.Since the Criminal Amendment Act in 1885, there has been significant development in societal opinions that influence our views on the age of consent. Victora Bates emphasises, ‘the original decision-making factors are no longer relevant in our society… changes in social, legal and medical ideas about childhood, sex and sexuality necessitates a re-evaluation of sexual consent law.’ How can a law made 138 years ago be relevant in today’s world!

Arewe, though, being over-reactionary torespond tothe Russell Brand allegations by raising the age of consent? Academic debates have suggested that changing the age of consent is not the solution to protect young people.

King-Hill writing in The Conversation, suggests it ‘runs the risk of asserting more control over the bodies of young people aged 16-18 years old’. Another counter argument against raising the age of consent, is the criminalisation of healthy normal relationships between young people and restricting their access to healthcare. This has been opposed by the Criminal Crown Prosecution stating, ‘Children of the same age or similar age are highly unlikely to be prosecuted’. Similarly, The Guardian points out that access to contraceptive advice for minors is readily available by the NHS, making both these arguments nonissues. The more convincing argument accepts that young people will have sexual relationships earlier, but raising the age of consent will allow teens to mature at their own personal rate. The concept of the Romeo and Juliet laws, used in some US states, may provide a compromise to allow consensual sexual relationships between minors with a small age gap, reminiscent of Shakespeare’s young lovers. The Guardian reported that there is an unofficial ‘onset age of young people feeling pressured to become sexually active’. Raising the age of consent would allow an increased ‘lead up period’ where teenagers feel they should start having sex, thereby reducing pressure around losing their ‘virginity’ before its even legal to have sex consensually.

The Russell Brand allegations have provoked a vital reevaluation around the outdated age of consent laws. The complexity and confusion around teenage laws are absurd and have to trigger our society to begin thinking about changing the laws around sexual consent. The ‘maturity gap’ between 16 and 18 years olds is scientifically significant yet we allow 16-year-olds to consent to have sexual relationships with fully grown adults. However, any change should also acknowledge the normal development of young love, perhaps through the Romeo and Juliet laws, allowing a sliding scale of an acceptable age gap in teen relationships. The legal age of consent should be about protecting minors from predatory adults but allowing them to be ‘star-crossed lovers’ as well.

Death to Tyrants: Is Tyrannicide Morally Justifiable?

Lucy (V)

Murder is wrong. That is an accepted truth, or is it? In the caseoftyrannicide,thekillingofatyrant,thejuryisout.Not surprisingly, various philosophers and political theorists oppose tyrannicide, believing that violence is not the answer and may not bring any improvement to a country. They believethatpeaceful and lawful methodsof removing a rogue leader are far more effective and moral. Somewhat ironically, Abraham Lincoln supported tyrannicide. He believed that if citizens have tried all legal and nonviolent ways to oust a tyrant but failed, it would be justifiable to turn toassassination.

So had Abraham Lincoln been alive in 44 BC, he would have likely supported the murder of Julius Caesar. This violent act of patriotism has interesting parallels to Lincoln’s own assassination, with John Wilkes Booths famously shouting ‘sicsempertyrannis’ (‘thusalways to tyrants,’) after he killed Lincoln. These words, attributed to Brutus during Caesar’s assassination, are interpreted as meaning that a tyrannical leader will inevitably be overthrown. Perhaps Booths had been inspired by his time playing Shakespeare’s Marc Anthony just five months prior to his killing of Lincoln.

History has been somewhat forgiving to Brutus, with Plutarch writing in ‘The Life of Brutus’ that Marc Antony believed Brutus’s actions were ‘driven by the splendour and nobility of the deed’. This notion of nobility stems from the belief that assassination serves as a form of justice, particularly as tyrants often escape the consequences of theiractions. From a retributive justice stance, the killing of Caesar appears justifiable, given his erosion of democratic systems in Rome and his many violent military campaigns during the GallicWarand Caesar’s Civil War.

Now, whilst vigilante justice may appeal to some, critics argue that seeking justice through another criminal offence falls short of satisfying the principles of a moral society. While the idealistic pursuit of peaceful means to hold a tyrantaccountableremainscommendable, itis importantto acknowledge the complex real-world scenarios where such methods may be impossible.

Themainschoolof thoughtpeoplelooktowhilstadvocating for tyrannicide is utilitarianism. This is the belief that the action resulting in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people is the morally right action. So, following this logic, killing a tyrant who was inflicting great suffering on a vast number of people is morally right, provided that their suffering is expected to be alleviated after the tyrant’s death. In theory, this principle makes sense, as one must sometimes compromise their morals to achieve the greater good. Without sounding too Machiavellian, sometimes ‘the end justifies the means’.

However, the reality is not as clean cut as this, as there is a critical flaw in this reasoning; you can never predict the outcomes of your actions. In many instances, we see that greater suffering occurs when a tyrant is killed than when he isalive. This is because of thepowervacuum which is left when an all-powerful autocrat dies. This vacuum is often filled with civil unrest and violence as many power-hungry groupstrytoseizepower–rarelyresultinginafreedemocracy emerging. In the case of Caesar, the power vacuum left after he died was filled with a civil war as the assassins, led by

Marc Antony, and Caesar’s heir, Augustus Caesar, fought eachotherforpower.Aftermuchfightingandattemptsto share power through two triumvirates, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome in 27 BC. It’s safe to say that the death of Caesar did not bring democracy and peace to Rome but ratherviolence, civil unrest and anotherallpowerful autocrat. In more recent times, we saw great political instability in Iraq following the 2003 American invasion which ousted and executed president Saddam Hussein. The power vacuum after Hussein’s death led to theriseof Islamicextremistgroupssuch as al-Qaeda and ISIIwhoseized largepartsof thecountryandcausedeven greater instability.

Yet despite its unpredictable nature, political assassination has an undeniable emotional appeal. It presentsacomfortingsolutiontocomplexproblems– kill the‘bad guy’ and allyourproblemswill vanish (oratleast improve). This ‘bad guy’ narrative underpins the United States’ use of ‘targeted killings’, the rationale being that the demise of key figures in oppressive regimes will lead tohumanitarianimprovementswithinthecountrywhilst undermining the regime. The US, NATO and other organisations frequently use this strategy as part of their foreign policy, a recent case being the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani.

Acontemporaryexampleofa‘humanitarian’assassination is that of Muammar Gaddafi during the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions. While the details surrounding Gaddafi’s death remain murky, it is widely believed that hisconvoy was struck by a NATO missile resulting in his capture by Libyan militia fighters who beat him to death (although some sources say he was later killed by a gunshot wound). For 42 years, Gaddafi ruled Libya with an iron fist, suppressing human rights and funding terrorist organisations including the IRA. So understandably, NATO intervened under the Doctrine of Responsibility to Protect during the civil war, backing Libyan militias revolting against Gaddafi. So, was it morally right to kill Gaddafi? Well, the hope was that killing Gaddafi would stop the civil war, thus preventing deaths and creating an opportunity to establish democracy. The moral justification behind the intervention is utilitarianism –thesacrifice of one person tosave many.

Theproblemwiththe‘badguy’narrativeisthatoneperson is never solely responsible for a country’s problems. By focusing on one villain, it’s easy to overlook the bigger picture. Unfortunately, the problems within a country often persistordeteriorate afteran autocrat is killed,

as many groups aggressively try to seize power. In Libya, attemptstobuildademocraticstatefailed,andthecountry fell into another civil war between the UN-recognised Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army. The war continued into 2020, resulting in huge instability and humanitarian crises, further exacerbated by the increase in presence of Islamic extremist groups in theregion.

When you analyse examples of tyrannicide, one of two things usually happens. Either the autocrat is replaced by a simple individual and nothing changes, as in the case of Julius Caesar. Or, the country is plunged into huge instabilityand chaos, as in Libya.

So,cantyrannicideeverwork?Despiteitspoortrackrecord, supporters argue that when done effectively, tyrannicide has the potential to pave the way for democracy. After the death of a dictator, the main factor in successfully transitioning fromadictatorshiptoademocracyliesinthe establishment of an interim government who are capable of stabilising the nation and creating free elections. We saw this happen in Spain after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975. Franco’s successor, King Juan Carlos, gave the power back to the people through a carefully orchestrated plan over several years. With the help of international organizations, including the UN and EEC, he established a transition government, legalised political parties, graduallylifted censorship, and setupfreeand fair elections. Spain’s success story supports the view that the death of adictatorcan bring democracytoacountry.

Advocates for tyrannicide argue that instead of passively waiting for a dictator to die and hoping their successor wantstoestablishdemocracy,aproactiveapproachshould be taken. Supporters of tyrannicide like Thomas Aquinas, a medieval philosopher, believe that citizens should be allowedtokillatyrantforthecommongoodif itisbelieved that no greater harm would be caused by their actions. Aquinas wrote in his commentary of ‘The Sentences’ by Peter Lombard: ‘He who killsa tyrant to free his country is praisedandrewarded’(In2Sentences,44.2.2).Thisreflects the belief that killing a tyrant is a noble and selflessdeed.

Despite its history of failure, tyrannicide is still a widely discussed issue. This enduring debate is fuelled by the sad reality that brutal dictators stubbornly remain in power. In the face of oppression, assassination offers a tempting solution where you can liberate a country through a single actof violence. AsShakespearewrote, ‘Menatsometimeare masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.’ The people whohavesuffered underatyranthavethemoralrighttotake theirfate into theirown hands and liberate themselves from oppression.

Repeating History: The Media’s Influence on Islamophobia

Aadam (V)

“First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist…

Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew…” – Martin Niemöller.

Throughout history, religious and cultural groups have, to varying degrees, been subjected to hatred, isolation, and discrimination, often with significant consequences not just forsuch groups themselves but for humanity ingeneral. Humanity’s historical copy book is blotted with examples of bitter and unfairprejudice, bigoted injustice, and harrowing genocide. The extermination of six million Jews during Hitler’s bloody march across Europe is perhaps the biggest stain of all, but examples abound elsewhere within Europe aswell. As Prime MinisterWinston Churchill noted: “thosethatfailtolearnfromhistoryaredoomedtorepeatit.”

Today,myreader,anotherghostof hatredanddiscrimination againstareligiousgrouphauntsour“liberal”and “moderate” society. Today in Britain the tabloid media seem set on a crusade of hyperbolic propaganda aimed at searing the idea that Islam’s basis is terrorism and extremism. In short, for a branch of the British media, Islam is theenemy of western civilisation: a religion of violence, misogyny, and hatred. Whilst Muslims are not currently victims of genocide, nonetheless a different kind of killing is taking place. Even here in our liberal nation, Muslims are being marginalised and treated with suspicion and fear. And the same pattern is repeated in America, Europe, and throughout the world. The British tabloid media in particularseems to bask ina burning pool of lies and deceit, and onanygivendaythe British peopleare subjecttostories of Muslim activity full of hyperbole, loaded words and emotive language.

Evidently, Islam is associated with negative behaviour and negative connotations. Yet, with even just a little reading into the tenets of Islam, you would find that this is the very antithesisofwhatthereligionactuallyteaches.Thequagmire of tabloid media articles about Islam and Muslims shows a

strong anti-Muslim bias which instils fear and isolation in Muslims. Sensational headlines such as “Duchess’s Mosque linkedwith19terroristgroups,”and“BRAINWASHED: Mum of nine… converts to Islam so that she can marry…Gambian toyboy” leaveMuslimsfeeling thattheonlypathtoplough is one out of the limelight of mainstream society for fear that they find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Every time this occurs Muslims become more and more marginalised insociety.

Furthermore, right-wing newspapers such as the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, and The Sun are consistent providers of anti-Muslim propaganda. Sadly, it has become increasingly difficult to find any “good news” stories related to Muslims and Islam. One recent study has shown that a staggering 78% percent of the stories in the Mail on Sunday newspaper featuring Islam or UK Muslims were of a negative slant. This torrent of Islamophobia harmfully impacts both the everyday life of Muslims and their mental health. The National Libraryof Medicine has found thatthe practice of Islamophobia negatively impacts Muslims by disrupting several systems— - the individual system, in the form of stress reactivity and identity concealment; the interpersonal system which negatively impacts social relationships; and the socialisation processes and the structuralsystemwhichcoverthepublicareaof institutional policies and media coverage. Even just one of these systems would cause a major impact on an individual, but all three together is catastrophic. Identity concealment? Haven’t we been here in history before when ethnic groups seek to hide or even deny their religion for fear of reprisal against them? With the help of the media, our society has become fear-mongering, causing Muslims, living within our nation, to fearfortheir futures.

Notably, Islam is being accused of violence and terror. Yet our media is guilty of the very accusations it lays at the feet of Muslims. The British media, pushing small-minded policies of insulation, isolation, and discrimination seek to ghettoise Islam. Islam is not a religion of violence or terror, but a faith that teaches its followers kindness, modesty, and forgiveness. Yet like so many other religions throughout history, Islam is being scorched by smouldering hate and fear. For humanity’s sake, society must find a way to leave our fear behind and forge a path ahead for all faiths to live together peaceably. A path not just for the Muslim communities but forall communities.

Moreover, the British tabloid media has burned falsehoods

concerning Islam deep into society. A recentsurvey conducted in the UK showed that over 50% of Muslims said they had experienced unfair treatment by law enforcement. One in two people - you or your mother, father, sister, brother, friend. The media’s stereotyping of Islam and its followers has caused unfair treatmentand discrimination towards Muslims in all aspects of life fromemploymenttoeducationto housing - the mostbasic of human rights.

Again, one of the most common stereotypes of Islam and Muslims is that of terrorism. It has been 22 years since the harrowing incidents in New York of September 11th, 2001. Trulythatdaywasadayof darknessforhumanitythatmust never be repeated. Yet today, 22 years later, the flames of prejudice against all Muslims continue to burn, sparking anti-Muslim discrimination throughout the world. These atrocities were carried out by a small minority of Muslims. Wecannot,inaliberalsociety,holdallMuslimsresponsible for these acts of inhumanity in the same way that we could notholdsuccessivegenerationsof Germansresponsiblefor theactsof the Nazi Party.

The reality is that findings show that Muslims view such extremism as rarely or never justified, including in predominantly Muslim countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iraq. Wesimplycannot blamean entire religion and its followersdue to the acts of groups such as the Taliban or ISIS. To condemn every single Muslim to feelings of fear solely based on the biases gained through the staining of the media’s ideas of the “truth”, is absolute madness. If weallow ourselves to swallow thestereotypes the media has created in order to discriminate against Islam and Muslims, then we become no better than those who chose to swallow the propaganda of Nazi Germany.

The right-wing politicians that discriminate against Islam often refer to the term ‘Jihad’: a well-known phrase in the UK and the USA used by the media to claim that Islam is their enemy. Jihad means ‘holy war’ and is propagated by the media and right-wing politicians to show that Muslims are part of a ‘holy war’ against the West. ‘Jihad’ actually refers to the striving and struggle of all Muslims on the path to finding God. It is a path of peace, not of war, yet the media haschosena negative light, wilfully ignoring the truthwhichisthatatitsheart: Islam strivestoendwarsand conflicts between people, notstart them.

Evidently, the British tabloid media has becomea pool of prejudice and falsehoods which seeks to ghettoise Islam by isolating and discriminating against Muslims. Reader, you are being made to believe that Islam makes and breeds extremists and terrorists, but what Islam truly is, is a religion of compassion, modesty, forgiveness, and kindness. It is time for us to speak up for Muslims. Speak up fora societyof tolerance. Speak for the idea that wecan all practiseourdifferent faiths and creeds in harmonywith one another. We must seek to make change. Failure to speak out against hatred and discrimination against one is failure to speak against hatred and discrimination against all…

“...Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me.”

In Defence of Discernment: Promoting Quality in Free Speech

Naomi (IV)

Intoday’smodernage,Itrulybelievethatweunderestimate the value of challenging conversations. Being challenged allowsustogainanewperspectiveandquestionourbeliefs. However, increasing social media usage has brought the ability to substantiate the falsehood that we are correct in an extremely harmful way. When we are then challenged outside this bubble of validation, we often assume the other person is incorrect because we have come from a platform that creates the illusion that everyone holds the same opinionasourselves.

Discernment is the ability to distinguish between reliable information and questionable sources, between constructive criticism and hate speech. By encouraging discernment, we can ensure that freedom of speech remains a powerful tool for progress rather than a weapon for harm. Promoting quality in freespeech does not mean imposing restrictions or suppressing certain viewpoints but rather involves fostering critical thinking skills and media literacy among individuals. Promotional content often manipulates public opinion by distorting facts and spreading misinformation. This not only undermines the truth but also erodes trust in legitimate sources of information.Byexercisingdiscernment,societycanprotect itself from falling victim to these tactics. Education plays avital role inequipping peoplewith the meanstoevaluate information sources critically and foster a culture where peoplearemorelikelytoengageinmeaningfuldiscussions ratherthan blindlyacceptingeverything theyhearorread.

As social media becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, we have become moreconscious than everof howwe are being perceived. With the birth of cancel culture, it is easytoworryaboutourreputationsandhowourcomments online could ruin our personal lives. If we withhold our viewstoavoidconflictwiththosearound us, itdiscourages us from having quality conversations with one another. In doing so, we become trapped in an environment where our opinions are seemingly fact, satisfying our need for validation inan unhealthyand emptyway.

Social media can also encourage polarisation, as most platforms’ algorithms ‘enhance’ user experience by showing personalised content based on reactions, which creates echo chambers that hinder critical thinking. Eventually, the line between social media and reality becomes increasingly blurred for those who have been engulfed by this utopian environment. Therefore, it is crucial for social media platforms to reassess their algorithmsand prioritisediversityof thoughtandaccurate informationoverengagementmetricstocreatea healthier onlineenvironment forall users.

Living in this echo chamber can make individuals and even societiesincrediblyvulnerabletomisinformation.TheButler Report (released in 2004 after the Iraq War) exposed the consequences of not validating the sources of information that are convenient to believe. In this case, a trusted source gave information about chemical warfare with no expertise onthesubject.Thegovernmentdidnotchecktoseewhether the source could really have gotten this information as they wanted to believe that Iraq was in possession of chemical weapons.TheButlerReportservesasastarkreminderof how misinformation can shape public opinion and erase trust in institutions. It is imperative for governments and media organisations alike to prioritise accuracy and transparency to maintain credibilitywith theirconstituents.

Furthermore,statementsreleasedonXareshortpithysound bites intended to impress a wider audience. However, most ideasrequiremorecareful thoughtandexplanationthancan beexpressed in 250 charactersand theopportunityto likeor dislike a tweet on your first impulse discourages reflection whereyou maychangeyour mind fromyour initial reaction.

Whenconfronted byopposing viewscuriosityand tolerance is no longerourinitial reaction. With social media hascome the belief that we are entitled to punish others for having different opinions and this has, unfortunately, become our normality.

In conclusion, while freedom of speech is essential for a thriving democracy, promoting quality in public discourse through discernment is equally important. Encouraging critical thinking skillsthrougheducationand implementing fact-checking mechanisms on social media platforms are effective ways to promote qualitydiscoursewhile preserving individualliberties.Upholdingqualityinfreespeechensures that our society remains knowledgeable and capable of making informed decisions based on accurate information rather than falsehoods or prejudices. We must strive for a balance between freedom and quality by encouraging constructive dialogue while maintaining the awareness of theconsequencesourwords may have.

Reflections on my Experience in the Philippines

Paul (IV)

I watched a man sitting on a stump, shirtless, with a knife in one hand and the innards of a duck in the other. The ground around him was strewn with trash and feathers, cut by a dirty creek coughing up litter. Above him, garments hung drying in the sun, as did the memory of death, only 40 days fresh. ‘He’s preparing food for his family’s fortiethdayfeast,’ said my bosssoberly. Tonight, I learned, whenthe labourers return from the sugarcane fields, they will gather with friends and neighbours and, over this duck and under acorrugated tinroof,celebrate theirbeloved departed soul’s ascension to heaven.

We continued walking through the ‘barangay’ (the smallest unit of local government, typically consisting of 50-100 families),wendingourwaythroughitsnarrowpathsbetween modest dwellings, pausing to speak with the residents who dared to be out in the scorching midday sun. Many more, however, were notathome butintheaforementioned fields, agricultural workers on large sugar plantations. Most of them would retire at the age of 65 on meagre pensions, and until then, their families subsisted on their low daily wages. As a result, they had no defence against the ambush of a large expense, and as they also had no assets that could be considered by banks as collateral, they were easy prey for informal lenders charging up to 20% interest each day. At the end of every brief exchange with the residents we spoke with, we would hand them a flyer for our micro-lending corporation, one thatstructured sustainable loan terms and whose employees went out of their way to impart a level of financial literacy tocurrentand would-be borrowers.

man still sitting on the stump, now plucking feathers from more fowl and washing them under a manual water pump. To his right, I sawscrawnychickens roaming freely, children crying out gleefully as they chased their ‘dirty’ dairy delights, and a young man lying in the shade of an old mango tree, his legs stretched out on a pile of smooth bamboo poles. To his left beyond a final row of homes, the fields stretched a great distance and terminated at a lush treeline. I looked back to the barangay and imagined the place at dusk, lit with the laughter of families feasting togetheron thefortiethdayof bereavement. Weeks later, I find myself still captivated by the unfamiliar juxtaposition of material poverty and apparent contentment that I witnessed.

If one looks at the Philippines by the numbers, it is not a wealthy country. The World Bank categorises it as a ‘lower middle-income country’, and, while rich in natural resources, ithas been hobbled byahistoryof colonisation, corruption in politics, and an entrenched class system that prevents social mobility—all of which contributes to rampant economic inequality. A significant proportion, anywhere from 18% to 55% of the population, lives below the poverty line, according to World Bank statistics for 2024, and most of these financially precarious households live in barangays like the one I visited. And yet, (and I am trying to remain impartial given my Filipino heritage) I havenotbeentoaplacewherethepeoplearesouniversally ‘happy’—not merely friendly—but infectiouslycheerful.

As we neared the completion of our foray into this neighbourhood, the ringing of a ‘dirty ice cream’ wagon, a wheeledcarthitchedtoamotorcycle, marked theendof our business duties. My boss explained that the ice cream was hand-churned by individual vendors in their own homes rather than being produced in presumably more sanitary factories. Such knowledge only increased its appeal to me, and we happily traded 75 pesos (£1.05) for three cones of the young entrepreneur’s sorbet.Whenwe had made our way back to our starting point, I found the duck-

During my very short internship at the micro-finance company, I found this joyful spirit suffusing every interaction, be itaround pleasureorbusinessand whether I was among the urban well-to-do or the rural working people. In one instance, I met a seaman who had just arrived back after months away from home due to his work contractona commercial ship. When he heard I was originally from America, he asked me about the various parts of the country I had visited, and he jokingly recalled his own ports of call in the U.S. He bantered merrily with the staff and showed not a hint of the blues from being so long at sea, nor the financial circumstances requiring him to apply fora micro-loan. Itoccurred to me that itdid not matter whether he was in the middle of Manila or the Pacific Ocean…this man would make friends and bring laughter wherever he went. How can a man with such abilities fail to be happy?

Itthereforedidnotsurprisemetolearnfrommycolleagues at the micro-finance company that many customers come seeking loans to buy theirgrandchildren a birthday gift or host a party for their neighbourhood, or even that many clients will renew their loans simply to stay in touch with the faces they grow accustomed to seeing every month when paymentsaredue. Money, itseemed, wasnotanend in itself but a means by which one could enjoy arguably the best part of life: one’s companions and relationships. I observedthatwhiletheresidentsofthebarangaywerepoor in money, they were rich in community, to the point that death, ratherthan leaving a family forlorn and vulnerable, instead served to strengthen the bonds between relatives and neighbours; that even after a day spent in heavy toil under the tropical sun in return for only 274 pesos (less than four pounds), people would sacrifice their time and remaining energy to enjoy dinner together and make merry.

I do not at all wish to say that the condition of a Filipino living in an impoverished barangay is without its unique sufferings. That being made clear, I cannot deny that I witnessed aremarkablecapacityforcheerfulness, possibly springingfromtheexperienceofessential joysincreasingly rare in the affluent world, among which dense, rich, and close relational bonds were most noticeable. Some, however,wouldarguethatthisapparentcheerfulnessisonly some sort of coping mechanism, evolved over generations of povertyand its accompanying stresses; when the future is so uncertain and tomorrow may bring catastrophe, the soul may require, for its own sanity, the enjoyment of the simple pleasures each day brings. Conversely, when the seasonsarestableand tomorrowcan becounted on, man’s mind may turn to securing the future, even at the expense of appreciating the present.

Whatever the case may be, what belies the Philippines’ seeminglyentrenchedpovertyandinequalityisthatitnow boaststhe fastestgrowing economyin SoutheastAsia,and the dream of freeing one’s family from poverty appears to pervade much of the younger generation. Time will tell whether the country’s politics and institutions will enable theseambitionsorhinderthem,andwhethersuchgoalscan coexistwithaculturethatprioritisesspontaneousjoyswith one’sfriendsand family. Irecall meetingoneyoungwaiter, no older than 25, with a most admirable work ethic and a charming balance of professionalism and friendliness. He

dreamed of moving to Europe and climbing its hospitality industry, and yet, upon receiving a large tip from a generous diner, he spent the windfall by treating himself to the finest burger on the restaurant’s menu. Whether his capacity to enjoy ‘stops along the way’ in this particular instance is a virtue or a weakness, I am not here to judge. Nonetheless, I do believe there are practices I witnessed in the Philippines that reflect different ideas about what is necessary and truly important for the enjoyment of life. The fortieth day feast, in its proof of a steadfast commitment to community, is one such example; when neighbours gather for dinner at sundown, when grace is said over the chirps of crickets and the music of the night, and a man comes bearing the evening’spoultry,doesitmatterwhetherthatduck iscooked over a flame or pureed and spread on a cracker, whether it’s skewered with a pointystick orserved on a silverplatter?

The Pre-Workout Predicament

Paul (IV)

‘Slothful masses, chained to the computer chair and slaves to the comforts of the modern day, I present to you the paragons of self-mastery! Behold, the Palestratos!’ The curtain vanishes and, in an instant, the bodies on the stage are revealed. They are meant to be beautiful. They appear to be strong. They seem to be posing, or at least, to be attempting to pose. But their hands, gesturing towards the heavens, won’t stop twitching as if tickling the feet of Zeus astheyhangfromMtOlympus,andtheirlegsjitteruntilthe entire stage is filled with wiggling sacks of flesh instead of athletes whose graceful stances imitate the marble statues of antiquity. What could possibly be the culprit? By the quivering feetof each ‘paragonof self-mastery’ sitsa plastic tubof SourWatermelon Mike and Ike Pre-Workout.

For those unacquainted with the delicacies of gym cuisine, pre-workout is a stimulating concoction usually consumed 30 to 45 minutes before a workout to combat fatigue and increase one’s capacity for exertion. It’s sold in a variety of forms—gummies, capsules, ready-to-drink bottles—but is most commonly found as a powder. What gives preworkout its stirring effect? The simple answer is caffeine. An average scoop of pre-workout packs between 150 to 300 milligrams of the stuff. By comparison, a cup of coffee only contains about 100. I know, weak sauce. As if this weren’t invigorating enough, many gym rats have adopted the practice of dry-scooping their pre-workout, and regardless of whether this is driven by an earnest desire for an even greater stimulus or simply to be part of a wider trend, it’s a dangerous habit, with doctors warning that such high concentrations of caffeine can leave one’s heart slightly too ‘pumped’ and on the verge of a heart attack. But if preworkout were just extra-strength coffee, it wouldn’t be as popular with teenagers as it’s proven to be. What really makes pre-workout so appealing to young buyers are its flavors.

‘Feeling like some Mike and Ike?’

‘What? No! I’mgoing to thegym to enhance my fitness.’

‘Oh,I’msorry.ImeantMike-and-Ike-flavouredpre-workout. You want to get the best out of your workout, don’t you? You’rean athlete, afterall.’

‘Hmm…I suppose you’re right. Maybe I do need some Mike and Ike.

‘Well then, bottoms up!’

That’s right. Pre-workout, a supplement endorsed by the ‘fitness’ community, comes in flavours you’d expect out of a gumball machine: Strawberry, Sour Watermelon, Screamin’ SourCherryandCaribbeanPunchareallactualpre-workout flavours made in a collaboration between MyProtein, a supplementcompany, and Mikeand Ike, acandybrand, and just about every other company that sells pre-workout has formulated their own saccharine flavours. But members of the ‘fitness’ community are far too savvy to indulge in what wouldessentiallybesodaorjuice, justconsiderall thesugar. That’s why supplement producers use artificial sweeteners instead. Problem solved! Not so fast…Let’s examine one of the artificial sweeteners found in the Screamin’ Sour Cherry: sucralose, which is indeed a staple in many other pre-workout ingredient lists. Well, thiswonderful invention of British chemists has been found to negatively interfere withthegutmicrobiome,theintricateecosystemof bacteria and other microbes which plays a crucial role in almost every aspect of human health, from metabolism to brain chemistry. Its impact on the body is so pervasive that it’s often referred to as ‘the second brain’, so perhaps messing with this microbiome by drinking a candy-flavored energy drink isn’t the best idea.

Ironyandartificialsweetenersaside,isthisexactlyaproblem, though? I mean, if a tasty drink can help you make more muscle during your workouts, what’s not to love? But that question is precisely the problem. Working out, exercise, fitness–theseare not supposed to be free from sacrifice. The gymshould beaplacewhereonevoluntarilysubmitsoneself to pain for the sake of growth, not an anabolic playground with sweety-flavoured water fountains to wash away the fatigue from hard work. Yes, your gains will increase, but as someonewhohasconsistentlyengagedinresistancetraining forovertwoyears, I canconfidently say that as wonderful as bigger lats and juicier biceps are, muscle is not the greatest reward of the gym. Discipline is. What begins as the desire tosculptabetterphysiquecanquicklydevelopintoapursuit tostrengthen notjustthe body butthe mind and thesoul as

well.Asclicheasitsounds,thegymteachesyoutodisobey the frail voice inside your head, the voice that says today ought to be a rest day and dinner a cheat meal. If you get aroundthatvoiceonlybyappeasingitwithasugaryenergy potion, you’re cheating yourself out of the real gains, willpower and resolve. Even as I say this, many who have consistently lifted for months oryears without energizing aids must confess that the gym no longer requires much discipline from them. It’s become one of the best parts of their day, but that’s the beauty of it! What was once challenging is now pleasurable, and there nowstands one fewerobstacle in thewayof becoming a healthier human; what is easy and what is good for oneself are increasingly aligned. To use pre-workout is to rob oneself of this expansion in capability, to be marginally more muscular, sure, but take away the crutch, and one is left defenseless against the suggestionsof that indolentvoice.

If you’re going for the Mr Olympia, by all means, use what you have available to you. At that level, every gram of muscle counts (steroids are a conversation for another day), butif you’rejustanamateurgym-goer, tryaworkout withoutstimulatingyourself beforehand–nopre-workout, noexhilarating musicormotivationalvideos–justyou,the rack and the bar. See how much you really enjoy it, and if youloved it,great! Saveyourwalletandyourgutthehassle of pre-workout. And if you didn’t, well, here’syourchance toseta new personal best.

Paul’s writing ‘The Pre-Workout Predicament’ was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Scottish Schools Young Writerof the Year Competition, 2024

It feelsas though no time atall has passed since I was editing the lasteditionof The Galley, during another bleak and harsh Scottish winter. Yet here I am, almostsix months later, looking out my windowand seeing the swifts and swallows flyoverhead as the sky is painted a hazy pale blue for anothercoupleof hours. It seems summer is finally here; exams are over, and so too isschool coming toanend. For many, this just meansacoupleof months off toenjoy the summer holidays, although forsomeof us such as myself, this signifies theend of ourtimeasa pupil of DollarAcademy. This sense of time is something that all of us ponder, and it isa force that ties manyof us together, regardlessof ourexperiences. With summer fastapproaching, the longerdays and lighter nights have inspired manyof ourwriters in this newedition of The Galley

Here, ourwriters haveall explored the conceptof time invarying ways, perhapseven unknowingly. Some travelled to Auschwitz, where theygained an uncomfortable yet invaluable insight into the infamous concentrationcamp, and learned the namesof thosewho historyoften overlooks. Other writersreflecton times past, whether reminiscing of summers fondlyspent in the Czech Republic, or looking more introspectivelyat how they have learned to embrace ADHD.

Additionally, we haveour interview with Jen, asshe relays herexperiences during herown timeas a pupil at Dollar Academy, and how it shaped herto be the person she is today. However, changes in seasonsalso bring about personal change, and that includes goodbyes, where thisedition’s Desert Island Discs waves farewell to Mrs Morrison and hertime at theschool.

We cannotcontrol time and what has happened in the past, butwe canwelcomechange by adopting anopen-mind and new perspective, which is what thiseditionof Features allows the readers to explore.

Dollar Academy: Through Jen’s Lens

Paul (IV)

‘Punctuality and regularity of attendance, courtesy and consideration are essential to the smooth running of the school.’ These are words that Jen, now a cherished member of the assistant house staff in McNabb and Tait, became very familiar with on afternoons filled with the sound of chalk against a blackboard. Her crime? An activity known today as ‘break’ or ‘lunch’ to pretty much every fourth, fifth, and sixth year but to the teachers of Dollar Academy in the 1980s, was seriously indecorous behaviour:eating inthestreets. Butbyallaccounts, Jenwas a good pupil.

Duringthe1982-83schoolyear,inFormV,sherecallstaking Higher Maths, English, Biology, and, she thinks, French. ‘There’s so many different options now from when I was at school,’ she reflected. ‘We did all your basics: maths, English, PE, but there wasn’tthis much opportunity, I don’t think, when wewere atschool as there is foryou now.’

The classroom itself, like the curriculum, was also simpler. Theabsenceof computers meantthattheroomsof Playfair and Dewar were occupied by only the teacher, students, books, and not a whiteboard, but a black chalkboard. Also black were the gowns every teacher was required to wear. Even with this decidedly dark ambience, Jen is glad her schooling was free from glaring screens and the glow of pixels. ‘When I was young, everybody was taught how to communicate with each other, and I think that’s a lost art now because everything’s done on text, or it’s done on Snapchat or whatever else. To walk into a room and have the confidence to be pleasantand just to be polite, I think that’s a totally lost art now.’ Perhaps a more immediate concern for teachers today, however, is just getting their students’ eyes up from their smartphones, or, when computers are in use, off the games and onto the work. In Jen’s day, there was a very simple answer to misbehaving pupils.

‘You got the belt. It was “Oh my goodness, if I misbehave, I’m either going to get the belt or somebody’s going to throw the blackboard duster at me.”’ The sense of fear and respect for authority came from more than just punishment, though. The teachers themselves had an aura about them that served as a reminder that rules ought to be obeyed. ‘Our teachers were still here from the war. They wereoftenquiteoldandwereverydistinguished men.They had their gowns on, so they were quite formidable, so you just...you just didn’t!’ While some inevitably misbehaved and got the belt, Jen looks back decades later, relieved that ‘luckily, thank goodness(!), itdidn’t happen to me. I think I was too frightened.’

Following all the rules at Dollar Academy in the 1980s was no easy feat. Besides the aforementioned prohibition on eating in the streets, one’s uniform seemed to extend to their hair and face. ‘Boys had to have [their hair] two inchesabovethecollar. Itwasn’tallowedoveryourears, and it wasn’t allowed over your eyes. The girls weren’t allowed to wear makeup or jewellery.’ For girls in particular, the administration ensured compliance. ‘We had this woman

called a “lady superintendent”. Looking back, I think “What lovely ladies”, but at the time, I didn’t feel they wereso lovely’.

‘Every morning, we had assembly, and the girls had to go up one side of the stairs, and the boys had to go up the other. The lady superintendent used to stand at the top, and, goodness me, if you got caught with makeup on, you had the humiliation of standing at the top of those stairs taking your makeup off while everybody was coming up to go to assembly. Somebody from a different school might have thought, “What is all this about?” but we didn’t know any different. It was a rule, and you just followed the rule.’

When her dad moved abroad for work and Jen became a boarder, there were only more rules to come. All boarders attended church on Sunday morning and then returned totheirrespectivehousestowriteletterstotheir family. On two Saturdaysa term, theycould go to Stirling iftheywished,buttheDollaruniformaccompaniedthem. If, however, they stayed in Dollar, they were generously permitted to wear jeans and a single-coloured V-neck over a white shirt... that is until the rules changed, and it was back to school uniform on weekends. At the time, there was one girls’ house, Heyworth, and five boys’ houses: Dewar, Playfair, McNabb, Tait, and Argyll. But in 1980, to accommodate the increased demand for girls’ boarding, Jen was part of the first group of girls living in Argyll. ‘For me,’ Jen reviews her stay, ‘it was just like a massive, big sleepover with my friends. I just loved it.’ The dining as a boarder, however, wasn’t five-star. The horrors of scrambled-egg cubes at breakfast still bring a shudder to her shoulders. ‘It was not the best of food.’ Thatconsensus notwithstanding, thedining hall was still aspopularasitistoday,withthe lunch linestretchingout thedoorand round the corner.

Aftera long dayof 45-minuteclasseswith theodd double period, Jen and her friends would often head downtown, enjoying the freedom announced by the final ringing of the school bells. In the autumn and winter, the only activities available were hockey, rugby, CCF, and pipe band. Not involved in these, Jen and her entourage would make their way back to the wall in front of Argyll, chatting with their day pupil friends. Summer term, however, excited their inner athletes, where the tennis and squash courts became theirfavourite places to spend theafternoon during those months.

After prep, the fun continued as Argyll boarders all huddled around the television. ‘We could watch one TV program a night, so we’d all vote on it. It was “Top of the Pops” on a Thursday, and on Saturday we’d watch “Dallas”. There was no PlayStation back then; we didn’t have phones; we didn’t have social media... It sounds as if it was brutal, but it wasn’t. Everybody just did things together. We just made ourownentertainment, and I think that’s why I look back on itso fondly.’

Jen’s time at Dollar came to an end after Form V. She had completed her five Highers (Advanced Highers didn’t exist yet) and decided it was time for a change. Over the followingyears, Jenwould find herself in thevibrantstreets of San Francisco, Boston, and New York. ‘Coming from a small town, it just blew my mind.’ But eventually she traded the bold, American skylines back for the humble chimneys and stone facades of Bridge Street. After workingatGleneaglesandanursery,owningand managing the Castle Campbell Hotel, and raising a family, helping to run a house full of school-age boys hardly seems like the easy option, but Jen insists that it’s a ‘dawdle’ compared to whatshewasdoingbefore.‘Iwasjustlookingforsomething local, and I thought, “I’d like to check back in and see what the boarding house is like.”’

It was only once she took on the role of the austere house matrons of her day (women whom she certainly wouldn’t have knownonafirst-namebasis)andwas immersed inthe warmatmosphereof McNabbandTait,thatJenappreciated the severity of her boarding experience. ‘It wasn’t homely like it is now, but that’s because I see what it is now. If I hadn’t worked here, I wouldn’t have known that because I still loved it! I still really enjoyed it. But when I see what boarding is like now, actually, itwas reallystrict.’

Remarkably, evenwithall the restrictions, theattitudewith which Jen recalls her Dollar years is one of gratitude and fondness. Perhaps that’s because beneath the changing shell of rules and routines, the Dollar spirit has remained intact. ‘Everybody got along, whether it be a junior or a senior. Everybody looked out for each other, and I think that spirit is still here now. I see that all the time... I don’t think anyone can fully describe the Dollar spirt, but the proof inthepudding ishowmanyformerpupilsstill keepin touch. There’s something about this school that just keeps everybody safeand together. You all protecteach other.’

As much as the durability of the Dollar ethos is comfortingtoJen,seeingtheindividualboarderschangeand mature is the most rewarding part of her job. ‘I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege of watching these boys grow. A boymightcomeinabitquietoralittlebitnaughty, butthen everybody nurtures him. We try to give him a good path to follow, and as he follows that path and goes into the world, you justthink, “I helpedwith that.” We all helped makethis boy into thisyoung man.’

Despite being over 200 years old, the shock and interest with which one hears the stories of Jen’s school years at Dollar Academy, it shows that even institutions of stone are not immune to change. One can only imagine what aspects of our school experience will astonish and amuse our grandchildren or, indeed, what Jen as a pupil might have thought peering into a classroom from the 1880s, and in pondering that, the thought of our place in history arises. Will there come a day without uniforms and calling

teachers by their last names? Will the Dollar spirit always endure, regardless of how many times the school sheds it skin and adapts its policies? Do we stand near the end of a long march of reform and advancement, or have we only just begun to scale the steps of progress, to which, is there a top? On the other hand, perhaps we enjoy a golden age of lenience, and looming events will plunge subsequent generations into the days of the belt and school uniform on weekends, of teachers in black gowns and writing lines on the chalkboard for being caught, most shamefully, eating in the streets.

When asked how she remembered that single sentence from over fourdecades ago so well— ‘Oh, it’s because I had towrite it so many bloody times!’

My Life with ADHD

Rosie (FV)

Imagine living your life with constant anxiety, an anxiety that you can’t control; you don’t know what’s causing it and itwon’tgoaway. A doorclosing sounds like a gunshot, agustof wind likeachorusof screaming children. Imagine living your life unable to concentrate on things that matter, being distracted by the smallest sounds. Wondering why your friends are leaving you out, being told you can’t play the game because you’re too loud or you can’t come to the party because you may feel overwhelmed. This was me. ADHD has affected my life in manyways, including how I feel, actand see things.

I’ve shown clear symptoms of ADHD since I was two years old through my inability to follow simple instructions and impulsive actions, but all kids act up… right? Soon, it was time for me to go to school, which I loved. I easily made friends and was able to socialise particularly well, but there was always something different about me. I would make impulsive decisions and often needed much more supervision than my classmates. I enjoyed learning but I was never able to focus on a set task. My school reports became increasingly repetitive: “Rosie is a bubbly student. She’s great to have in the class but often struggles to focus and listen to instructions.” I found it difficult to regulate my emotions and keep calm, and sometimes I would be so hyperactive that my friends didn’t want to play with me. I

would cry, wondering what I had done wrong. Why didn’t they want to play with me? ADHD not only affected my schoollife,butmylifeathome,too.Iwouldthrowtantrums, demand everything mywayand would notdo as I was told. By the time I entered primary four, signs of ADHD became more visible to not just my parents, but to me. I knew something was different, as now everyone was beginning to mature and adapt to school life, but I wasn’t. I felt anxious and overwhelmed, trapped inside my mind as everything went on around me. It was only when I became extremely sensory and my reactions to trivial things became worryingly severe that I was finally tested for ADHD. I was eight years old, and I’d choked on a pineapple. Not a big deal, right? I didn’t eat my dinner that night. I stared at the pizza like a dog at the food that it wasn’t allowed to eat. Only, I was allowed to eat it, but I couldn’t. My throat forced itself shut, my mouth went dry and all I could do was cry. Some children would have gotten over something as insignificant as this, but I didn’t. The next day I didn’t eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner and this became a recurring habit. I was stuck in this pit of anxiety, and I couldn’t escape, which was difficultasIdidn’tknowhowIgotthereinthefirstplace. For hoursIwouldlieonthefloorclenching mystomachbecause of the cramps. I wanted to eat, and I needed to eat, but I couldn’t. Thisabnormal reaction made itclearthatI needed helpas I was underweightand unhealthy.

I finally got an ADHD diagnosis. Each week I would find myself in a different room being questioned. I would stand on the scales hoping the number would be greater than the last. I wasn’t allowed to do physical exercise. Instead, I had to watch. Do you know how hard it is to sit and watch whilst everyone is having fun? Wondering why you are putting yourself through this but not knowing how to end it? I hated it. I was different to everyone else. Teachers forced me to stay inside until I’d finished my lunch, childrenconstantlyasked why it took me so long. If I’m being honest, I didn’t quite know whyeither.

Soon enough, I was medicated and felt much better. As I began to eat more regularly, I gained more weight to the point where I was becoming healthier again. I was told that I could do PE again and for the first time I can remember, I cried of genuine happiness. My reports began to change as listening and focus were not a huge problem anymore. The anxiety surrounding my eating was on and off until I was around eleven, but everythingbecameeasier.ItfeltasthoughIwastakinganew tablet each month as they constantly tried to find the best medicine. I was so young, so it was rather complicated for me, and I had no option but to trust theadults around me.

Primary six and seven were the times where I noticed my ADHD-related struggles most. I would become hyper-focused on certain things and pay little attention to others. I was unable to effectively motivate myself to revise for tests and I would sometimes come across as distracting during class time. I wanted to tell everyone that I had ADHD and that makes me different to them, but I didn’t. I kept it all to myself because I thought nobodywould understand. Itwasclearthatmostof myclass werematuring fasterthanIwasanditmademeangry;angry

because I would try so hard to be like them, but I thought I never could be. I recall the sympathy in my mum’s face when I would ask her “Why can’t I just be like everyone else?” Shewouldtell methathaving ADHDwasastrength, but I knew itwasn’t. If so, whydid I need to be medicated? Why did I have to endure this constant struggle if it was supposed to be a strength? However, I found that when I became hyper-fixated on a conversation oran assignment, I could produce a great piece of work. Some noticed I was highly creative and particularly good at interpreting my peers’ emotions based on their body language and how they spoke, which I considered a strength. I slowly began to think that my mumwas rightafterall.

Now that I am sixteen and in FV, I feel confident in people knowing aboutmyADHD, although Ido knowthat lifewould be easier if I didn’t have it. I still feel differentas I know some peopledon’tunderstand me. There aredays I feellikeIhavenobodyandeventhoughIamsurroundedby friends and family, none of them have been through what I have. Nevertheless, these types of days are rare as I am constantly supported by understanding people who know my situation. I do still experience anxiety and struggle to focus when unmedicated, and emotional regulation can still be a problem, but the difference is I know how to deal with it. Despite the struggles I endured, having ADHD didn’t stop me from receiving exceptional results in my National 5s last year and it has not hindered me from working hard towards my Higher exams this year. I am grateful for the additional help I have received throughout this journey and the adaptations made for me to thrive both in class and during exams.

Having ADHD is hard, and I feel empathy for all of the young people dealing with it. However, what I’ve come to realise, is that society is becoming increasingly aware and more supportive of the condition, making ADHD less of a liability. Of course, lifemayhavebeenaloteasierif Ididn’t have it but if I didn’t, then I would not be who I am today.

Overall, having ADHD has influenced me as a person and, despite going through so much at such a young age, I realise now that I never gave up. I didn’t let ADHD stop me from doing the things I loved, instead I was able to get itundercontrol through medicationand helpfromothers. NowthatIammedicatedandaware, Icanlivemylifemore normally, leaving all the pain and suffering behind me. A door closing is no longer a gunshot, just a door. A gust of wind goes unnoticed. I am proud of who I was. I am proud of who I am. I am proud of who I am going to be.

Life in the Czech Republic

Beáta (VI)

The Czech Republic is a small country in the heart of Europe with a diverse culture, coming from the Slavic roots, beautiful nature and rich history. As someone who has lived in both Scotland and the Czech Republic, I mustadmit I find manysimilarities between the people of both, involving self-deprecating humour and strong tradition. Although Scottish tradition in my eyes is more about strength and toughness, the Czech is, in the words of my grandpa, about drinking and women. This is why I have decided to introduce some of the Czech traditionsas theydifferquitealotfrom the Scottish ones.

The first difference in culture is all the events surrounding Christmas. This Christian celebration has changed to quite an extent since the Czech Republic is themostatheistcountryintheworld,soitisnowmostly about spending time with your loved ones. The lack of money in the country throughout its history is shown in our Christmas dinner, which is fish soup, followed by a fried carp fillet with potato salad, and finished by receiving gifts from Baby Jesus while eating varied homemade biscuits (some households offer as much as twenty different kinds). This all happens on the evening of the 24th December and is repeated with different parts of the family throughout the holiday. Throughout the day, each family has different activities thattheydo; somego iceskating, somegoon walks,and my familyalways goes to the Zoo.

Perhaps one of the weirdest traditions in the Czech Republic is Easter and especially Easter Monday. Every day of the week before Easter Monday is linked to a certain colour and everyone’s favourite is the Green Thursday, where people usually go out for green beer. On EasterMondaythe boysgetup brightand earlytogo make a whip from willow branches and then they walk around housessingingsongsandwhippinggirls, sothey stayyoungand beautifuland inreturntheyreceiveeggs, chocolateorshotsof homemadeslivovice(plumliquor). In some places this is followed by a cold shower. But to make it more equal, on leap-years the roles switch, and girlscan whip and splash boys in return.

Summer months are dedicated to loads of travelling both inside and outside of the country. In Moravia, which is the south region of the Czech Republic,it is also time for ‘Hody’: a celebration where teenagers and university students get together and

organise an evening full of traditional music and dancing. For the organizers this means putting on the traditional costume and performing pre-learned dances throughout the day. In the evening this is usually followed by some sort of an afterparty with numerous rides and ‘interprets’ taking over the music, usually resulting in some sort of a police interaction, especially for the ones who end up drinking a bit too much.

A typical experience for every Czech child is summer camp. These go on throughout the whole summer and differ in typesandduration, butthetypical summercampconsistsof staying on a campsite either in tents or cabins for about 2-3 weeks. As there is usually no service and minimal number of plugs in at leasta 10-kilometre radiusof these camps, it is all about enjoying nature by playing games and sports and resting with your peers. This is one of my favourite parts of summerasIhavebeengoingtothesamesummercampsince I wassixyearsold. Andalthough somegamesand situations mightleaveyouslightlytraumatised,especiallyifyouarequite young, the connections and memories I have from all these years are priceless. All of my fellow friends would agree that summer camp ends up being your second home and family.

Another frequent activity in the summer, which is not very popular in Scotland, is rafting/kayaking on rivers and visiting public pools and waterparks. As of the typical visit to a waterpark, it mostly consists of mothers desperately trying to put sunscreen on their children and frying as many schnitzels as possible so that nobody is hungry, while the dads get to enjoy a freer routine, often consisting of drinking beer and going on all therides. However, rafting holidays are where thedads have totaketheinitiativeasmumsareusuallyleftbehindathome, finally enjoying some free time for themselves. You can probably imagine the complete chaos that goes down when yousend agroupof dadswithchildrentoacampwherethey go on rafts everyday foraweek. At the camping site you can always spot the stereotypes of Czech camping like socks in sandalsandthemainmealfortheweekbeing‘langoš’,which isa fried batterwith ketchup, garlicand cheese. Shockingly, the only drink for the dads would then be beer, as winning the highest beerconsumption percapita every day does not happen on its own. However, the kids do not have to follow manyruleswhichresultsinbeingbeneficialtotheircharacter development.

There are plenty of other day-to-day things that differ largely from Scotland, however this should give you an idea of how simultaneously chaotic and beautiful the Czech Republic is, especially growing up there. In my eyes it is the perfect mix of responsibility and fun which teaches you a lot from a young age. Although I love Scotland and all it comes with, I cannot wait to spend yet anothersummer back home.

Dollar’s Desert Island Discs

Freya (FV)

Welcome to The Galley’s fifth ‘Dollar’s Desert Island Discs’, aDollartwistontheiconicradioprogramme.Ourcastaway this edition is theAssistantRector, Mrs Morrison, whowill bedeparting the Dollarshipthissummer. So, beforewesay goodbye we look forward to hearing the eight tracks that Mrs Morrison would take to herdesert island.

Freya: Areyou a fan of Desert Island Discs?

Mrs Morrison: Yes, I definitely am a fan. I love listeningonSundaymorningsif I’mpotteringaroundinthe kitchen and then more recently catching up with the podcast in the car. It was also in the background in my childhood; my mother used to listen to it, so the theme tune (Sleepy Lagoon) has been a part of my life for a long time.

Was it difficult picking your eight tracks?

Very, very difficult, because there are so many different ways you could interpret this; I’ve looked at it as a sort of reviewof mylifesofar. Differentmusicmeansthingstoyou atdifferenttimes,andyou’reconstantlyhearingnewthings or being introduced to something. So you almost need to step back and see if a track stands the test of time as to whether it’s going to make it to the top eighttracks.

You have been partof the Mixed Voice Choiratschool. Would you say music is an important aspect of your life?

I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily as important as it is to some people, but it’s an aspect I really like. My father played the piano, but we didn’t really have music playing at home when I was growing up, more Radio Four and words. I did start piano lessons. I used to catch a bus to my piano lesson on my half day from school, and then walk a mile home for lunch on my own at age 9 or 10. Then, for one birthday, my present was to give up my piano lessons, which I regret now, because it is such a special thing to be able to play an instrument. However, I’m very fortunate,myhusband loveshismusic,soalotof mymusic education hascome from himand hissister, and thenfrom my two sons Courtenay and Fraser, and of course from Dollar Academy through singing with the Choir and the wonderful Musicals, Orchestras and the Pipe Band. Psalm 23 nearly made the cut and singing Zadok the Priest in St Giles Cathedral wasavery special moment.

Let’s hearyour first track!

My first track is ‘Sunny’ by Boney M. This was my firstever purchase of a vinyl record. I’m so pleased vinyl is making a comeback, but I think there’s a whole generation who will havea missed outand will continue to missoutonthis special experienceof goingoutand buyingyourfirstrecord and then listening to it. So this track takes me back to a very happychildhood.

At school, what shaped your interest to study Economicsat Cambridge?

Well, that’s a good question, because probably it’s the fact I never actually studied it at school. Economics wasn’t offered at the school I was at, and I think I thought it sounded quite interesting. I like Geography – the human side of Geography – and I was interested in currentevents, so I thought Economics might be interesting. It was also quite strategic too, because in applying for a subject I hadn’t studied I couldn’t be tested in it, so I didn’t have to do anentrance test in Economics.

How did you find Cambridge?

I loved Cambridge completely from start to end. It was a very uniquetime. I think I wasvery luckyto be thereat the time and to be in the college I was in. It was slightly out of thecentre of town, so all itsgrounds, a bit like Dollar, were onsite; wewere right next to the riverso I could row, and it was a veryspecial time.

What inspired you to make a career change and train to be a Primary School teacher?

It is absolutely Dollar Academy that inspired me. We moved to Scotland from Vancouver so that our sons could come to this school. My husband had really enjoyed visiting Dollar (and playing against them) when he was a child at school, so he thought it would be a great school for our children. I remember waiting to pick up the boys one summer’s evening, and just sitting on the wall outside the dining room, before the railings went back up, and thinking what a special place it was. I met lovely children, lovelyteachersandIthoughtIcouldmaybebeapartof this and do something here.

What

isyour second track?

My second track takes me straight back to Jesus College’s bar and it’s ‘Make Me Smile’ by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. It’s a song that we played a lot in that bar, and I spent many happy hours there. Whenever I am with my Jesus College friends today, we will put on that track and everyone will just look at each other, smile, and start to dance.

What brought you back to Scotland and Dollar after living in Canada?

After Cambridge, I lived in London for 15 years, the last 9 years with children. We had a lovely life there but London is for the young and rich I think, and we were ready for a

change. Although I’d been born in Scotland I’d neverlived there and I think my husband finally felt that after 18 odd years down south, he could face the weather back here, so we gave it a chance! In between actually coming from London to here, we got this chance to go to Vancouver, whichagainwas fantastic. We boughtourhouse, un-seen, while inVancouver, and havespent 20 years there now.

Let’s hearyour third track

MythirdtrackisbyEltonJohn,‘TinyDancer’.It’sinthefilm, ‘Almost Famous’, which I absolutely loved, about Rolling Stone magazine. One of our first and most treasured possessions is a Seeburg 1956 jukebox. Iain changes the recordsregularly, butthisone isalwaysthereand hasbeen there from the beginning. The track reminds me of many hours dancing at home in the kitchen with loved ones

What has been your happiest moment working at Dollar?

So many! It starts when you drive up the West Approach. I just love that view. I don’t teach that much anymore but when a lesson, or a Prep and Junior Assembly has really interested pupilsorcaught theirattention, that makes me feel very happy. Mainly it’s being involved in all the many events; from really big ones like the Christmas Concert at theUsherHall,cupfinalsatMurrayfieldorGlasgowGreen, Cross Country Championships, musicals, sports days, Christmas Dances, to the smaller things like the Form I Board Game Bonanza last term, the Egyptians and Pirates Days in the Prep School and all the lovelyevents that I see children enjoying in so manydifferentways.

What is your one highlight of all the school events each year?

Highlightof myyear…well Ithink the Sponsored Walk isa huge thing, but it’s only every two years. I just don’t think I could pick one, as it changes all the time and every time something fabulous comes along where I think ‘that was a moment!’ Honestly, I just really enjoy watching you all grow up from when you were little and seeing you doing all these lovely things through the years, like sports days, Christmas concerts and musicals, then seeing you all grown up.

What isyour fourth track?

I wanted some pipe music, as the Pipe Band have been a huge part of my life at Dollar. They practise right outside mywindow, so theyare my summersoundtrack. The Pipe Band was also such a big thing for my son Fraser. I nearly picked a tune he used to play back in the day, but I just checked and they don’t play it now and haven’t done for about 12 years: ‘Air Force One’. It’s a wonderful tune and I hopetheybring itback. Instead, Iwentfor‘DollarSunrise’.

Itwascommissioned forourBicentenary, and itreminds me of that fabulousyearand Sports Weekend in particular.

What have been your toughest moments working at Dollar?

I don’t likeconfrontation, so trickyconversationswhichyou have to have from time to time are always tough. I think when things don’t work out for a child here, no matter how hard we’ve tried. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it does, and those times are difficult. When we had to close for COVID, that was really hard, but thankfully it’s sort of in the past now and while it was tough we did learn some things from it and tried to create some good experiences too. Currently, it is seeing the damage that social media can cause. I find that really upsetting to see, as I think you’re growingupintoaworldthatcanbeveryunkindanddifficult to navigate.

What will you miss most about being at Dollar?

There are too many things that I will miss! I’ll miss the Pipe Band on summer mornings; the view of the hills from my window, seeing thechildren running into theplayground in the morning – that always makes me feel that we’re doing a good job, when they run in smiling and laughing. Honestly, the peace when you’re all in class; thereare some wonderful moments as I walk around the campus when it’s absolutely quiet! Ithinkthemainthing istherandomchatsI havewith so many people each day; a wave as I drive into school, a chat with the guys as they open or lock up for the day, the spinning crew, all my wonderful colleagues throughout the school, our beautiful grounds and the guys that keep them the way they are, popping in and out of classes and just the small chats with you all; even if it is, you know, ‘tuck your shirtin’and ‘takeoutyourearrings’. Thatsenseof belonging issomething I will really miss.

What isyour fifth track?

Ilovehymns.Forme,singinginAssemblyisreallyimportant and actually a kind of spiritual thing that we can do as a community. I knowall the hymns from myownschooldays, and Iwanttokeepupthistraditionforallof youtoo. Inearly picked ‘Amazing Grace’; but I’ve chosen ‘I Vow To Thee My Country’. Itprobablyremindsmeof livinginEngland,where Idid liveforalong time, butmostlyI havechosenitbecause of its connection to rugby. The World in Union, the World Cupanthem,isbasedonpartofthathymn.Rugbyhasplayed such a major part in my life, through different experiences watching rugby and the places I’ve visited because of rugby. This song reminds me of the joy of hymns and the great pleasure I’vegot from rugbyovertheyears.

What doyou do to relax outside of school?

I like to walk. As some of you will know, I have a lovely big dog; he was very much present during COVID and he appeared on the videos. So, I love walking the dog, that’s probably the principal thing I enjoy doing to relax outside school and in the holidays.

What isyour sixth track?

My sixth track is quite a cheesy pop song, it’s ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. I had to have it in because I just don’t think you can do anything but smile when this track comes on. We used it for our first ever Big Dance in the Prep and

JuniorSchoolonourfirstOlympicsDay,when wealllearned a dance routine to it and then performed it together. So, I think it will always remind me of just having fun together and puta smile on my face.

What are you looking forward to doing the most after leaving Dollar?

I’m looking forward tospendingallof August in Islay,where I love going. I’m looking forward to being able to visit my sons and my granddaughter in London whenever I want to. I’m mainly looking forward totravelling moreand definitely getting away somewhere in January or February. Then maybe seeing what happens next in my life; teaching being my fourth career, I’m wondering if there may bea fifth!

Let’s hearyour seventh track!

‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’, the Nicola Benedetti version. I mean she’s a beautiful musician and it’s very moving. It tells the story of the high road and the low road; the high road is the one you’re meant to take, and the low road is maybe the path less taken but the one that will always bring you back, in spirit, to Scotland, and that’s why I particularly like it. I played this at an assembly the day of the Scottish Referendum in 2014; it felt such a sort of momentousdayforeveryone.I’msoproudtobeScottishbut I’malsoveryproud to be British, to be Europeanand indeed justto be partof theworld as aglobal citizen. Loch Lomond isaveryspecialplaceformyfamilyandwhenIdrivealong it, I know I’m on myway to Islay.

You areabout to becastaway from the Dollarship; how will you survive on your own on the desert island?

I’m not sure if I’m being cast-off or I’m casting myself off, but yes it will be strange being away from Dollar. I will survive absolutely brilliantly without technology, so that’s going to be one of the big upisdes. I think I quite like my own company, so thatdoesn’treallyworry me too much and although my husband would dispute this, I think I could be quite practical and build some things if I had to, so I think I would be okay! I think I could survive and hopefully find a way back.

What isyour eighth and final tack?

My eighth and final track is ‘Moon River’ sung by Audrey Hepburn. This song was actually written for her although people have covered it since and it’s from possibly my favourite film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. I just like the idea that there is a big world out there waiting for us to explore. I mean, ithasgotawonderful line: ‘Twodrifters,off toseethe world / There’s such a lotof world to see’.

You will be given the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible, and in addition you will be delivered by carrier pigeon the latest copy of Fortunas and The Galley! You can take one book of yourchoice with you to the desert island, what are you going to pick?

I’m going really highbrow here and asking for the seven volumes of ‘In Search of Lost Time’ by Marcel Proust, translated of course into English. I wasn’t a reader as a child – one of my regrets – and I’ve been playing catch up with the classics ever since. One of the joys of being a teacheriswe’ve got long holidaysto reallyget intoaclassic novel so this one should keep me occupied while I wait to be rescued.

Whatluxuryitemwouldyoupickforthedesertisland?

Myluxuryitemisahotbathfilledwithlavenderbubblesto remind me of Provence, where the lavendergrows.

Finally, if your discs were swept away with the waves, which one would you save?

Nowthisisactuallyprobablythetrickiestpartof thiswhole procedure - I keep changing my mind. I thought I’d take the ‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’ because it will take my spirit back home but actually, I’ve picked ‘Happy’, the cheesyone, because although I think I’ll survive, I will missmy familyand probablydespairattimesof everbeing rescued. So, I think a track that can pick me up again, put a smile on my face and get me singing and dancing is the one I should take.

Thank you, Mrs Morrison, for sharing your choices with the readers of The Galley! Importantly, thank you forwhatyou havedone forthe school, and best of luck for the nextchapterof your life!

OurVisit to Auschwitz

Tyler (VI) & Saffron (VI)

We were offered the opportunity to visit Auschwitz, the infamous concentration camp, to learn more about the Holocaustwith the Lessons From Auschwitz organisation. We were unsure as to what to expect despite touching uponthetopicin historyclassesand seeing imagesonline, and even now it is difficult to fully comprehend what we saw. Learning about the barbaric conditions endured by prisoners, listening to the invaluable experience of a Holocaust survivor and more, this trip was immensely interesting but simultaneously harrowing.

Tyler: One topic that stood out to me was pre-war Jewish life. The comparison between the normality and happy families and individuals to the brutality the Jewish population endured with fear consuming their everyday existence filled me with despondency. A statistic that particularly caught my attention was that in 1933 the Jewish population was 520,000 (less than 1% of the German population), compared to the total amount of Jews massacred being 6 million, which is unfathomable and disturbing.

At Auschwitz I, one of the rooms had a projection of families and children playing with their siblings and friends, laughing, and having fun. This contrasts with the story of Czeslawa Kwoka, who arrived with her mother in Auschwitz on 13 December 1942, at the age of 14 years old. Shewasseparatedfromhermotherandunfortunatelydied 3 months later. In her prison photo, she had a bruise on her lip from being beaten by an officer (as Czeslawa didn’t understand German) and therefore didn’t understand what shewas being told.

This story highlighted to me how life had changed so drasticallyfortheJewishpopulationandhowtheirprejudice became almost routine in a war setting, and although this one storydoes not and cannot describe the stories of all the other millions who suffered under the Nazis. Furthermore, it shows the colossal change that the Jewish people had to endureunder Germanoppression.

Saffron: What struck me most when taking part in the LessonsFrom Auschwitzprojectwasthetotal lossof culture and communities of Jewish people from many places in the world; villages, towns and cities with a once vibrant Jewish community saw their people taken, and many would never return.TheOrientationSeminarrevealedthestoriesofmany Jewish people who had become victims of the Holocaust, rich and poor, and from various places including Poland, Germany and even countries such as Greece which would meanlongandtreacherousjourneystoAuschwitzBirkenau. Upon passing the town of Oświeçim, which we did not get the chance to visit but learned about, it became clear how theHolocaustwasnotonlyaneradicationof people, butthe completedestructionof communityand culture.

The town was once home to a large Jewish community who made up 58% of the population and, in 1939, The Great Synagogue seated around 1000 people. Integration was common in this town, as the Jewish community served on the local council alongside Christian inhabitants of the town. Yet this was all halted following the outbreak of war, and today, the Jewish community that was once flourishing in Oświeçim is gone; there is not a single Jew living in the town as the last, Kluger, a survivor of the Holocaust who laterreturned, died in the year 2000.

Form I Corner

Dollar Academy Through The Ages

Elliot and Jai (I)

Dollar Academy has been a place of learning for over 200 years, and has a rich history that most of us never think about, as we are all wrapped up in our daily lives. This is an opportunitytoshedsomelightonDollar’sextensivehistory.

Dollar Academy was built upon the land owned by John McNabb, who died in 1802. John McNabb specified that upon his death, half of his estate was to provide a charity or school for Dollar and beyond. Following legal delays, Rev. Andrew Milne was appointed ministerof Dollar Parish by local landowner Craufurd Tait. They created the idea of an academy to educate boys and girls from the parish and beyond. In 1818 Andrew Milne was appointed Rector of Dollar Academy and he commissioned Scottish architect WilliamPlayfairtodesignthebuilding.Playfairalsodesigned thehouses forboarders, which were lastrefurbished in 2011.

In 1961, a disastrous fire completely destroyed the interior of the Playfair building. All classrooms and the library were lost. Locals and staff were willing to help, and teaching continued in the Prep School, Harviestoun Castle, local halls and even in private homes. The inside of the Playfair building was reconstructed, refurbished and was fitted with 3 floors rather than the original 2. The building was eventually reopened in 1966.

In more recent years, new buildings were added, including the Games Hall, the Swimming Pool and Dining Hall, the Music Department and Auditorium, the Computing and Mathematics centre, the Home Economics building, the Maguire building and Westwater, named in honour of a formerpupil who died at Gallipoli in World War I.

In conclusion, Dollar has had a long and interesting history and it is surreal to see how Dollar Academy has evolved fromasinglebuilding toa thriving communityof buildings, pupils, parents and teachers.

WhyLearnLanguages? Ten Reasons

Elliot and Jai (I)

Learning a second language is a thing that many people start but never finish, but this is not wasted time. The act of learning a languageisgood foryourbrain, and learning asecond languageisnotjustgood forspeaking to millions of people from various countries around the world.

Here are ten more reasons whyyou should learn a second language:

1. Cognitive skills like problem solving and dealing with abstract concepts are improved when studying a foreign language.

2. Learning a language enhances opportunities in fields such as business, government, medicine, law and marketing.

3. The study of a second language can improve your vocabulary in yourown language.

4. Foreign languages expand your view of the world and makeyou more flexibleand tolerant.

5. Language study improves your prospects in business as you canwork in manycountries.

6. Learning a language and the culture of the people it is spoken by improves yourcultural awareness.

7.Thestudyof aforeignlanguageimproveslisteningskills and memory.

8. Learning language to travel can save you money as a tourist, and you feel accomplished when you speak the language to a local.

9. The studyof a second language boosts confidence.

10. The ability to speak a second language enhances your multitasking skills.

In conclusion, learning a second language is extremely important in this globalised world, improving not only your communication, but also your brain and job prospects too.

What’s With All The Apps?

Elliot, Forbes and Jai (I)

Recentlywith the boom inapps, itcan be difficult to decipherwhich appsareuseful, necessaryand fun rather thanscams thatareriddled with ads. These areourtop fiveapps to helpyou in everyday life.

Audible

Audible is an app which allows you to listen to many podcastsand books. Audible has manygenres all theway from Drama to Action and hasan incredible selection of authors. One of Audible’s many specialities is it contains countless podcasts. It has a range of free and paid books; however, if you stick with it long enough you can accumulate credits. Credits are alternatives to paying for books. One credit is equal to one book. With the wide variety of books you can explore the hidden world of creativity. Audible is the newway to read. This isthe new appwhichyoucanuseonthegowhiledoinganythingdue to its effortless design. Even though Audible sounds like a Jack of all trades, this app can become very expensive as, even with the subscription, you will need to purchase somebooks.Thisappcanfeel likeasetback forfastpaced readersastheaudiocan beslowhoweverthiscan besped up. Their massive library can recommended you books to read and there are up to 18 pre-made categories. The membership includes access to the plus category and 1 credit a month. The more you use the app the more you gain as you can unlock achievements which improves longevity. This can be downloaded on both the Apple AppStore and Google Play.

Pros:

- Listen to almostany book;

- Thespeech isaccurate;

- Easy reading with virtually no effort.

Cons:

- Expensive as the subscription costs £7.99 per month and you still have to pay for some books;

- Thefactthatyoucan’tread the booksand thatyou must listen to the bookscan be annoying.

Chat-GPT

Chat-GPTisacontroversialAItoolandisincrediblewhen used for the right reasons. Chat-GPT is cutting edge and is currently using GPT-4. The generative AI was recently textonly,butisnowabletogenerateimages.Ithasover50 million downloads and is free with no ads, but there is a paid version. Chat-GPT is fantasticforsummarising long textsandunderstandingcomplicatedmaterial.Chat-GPT is notto beused forwriting essaysasthe information is 2 years old, as its last update was in 2022. The information can be inaccurate and sometimes it makeserrors thatare unhuman like. The textcan sometimes sound robotic.

Theapp is good for inspiration and creative ideas. Chat GPT plus is incredibly expensive at £19 per month and the only way thatyou can access images is through the paid version.

Pros:

- Rememberwhat happened in the conversation;

- Summarise long texts;

- Creative ideas and good for inspiration.

Cons:

- Paid version is expensive;

- Last updatewasa whileago.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a well known language learning app with well over 500 million registered users and is editor’s choice on the Google Play store. You can learn over 40 languages and you can practise speaking, listening, reading and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills. Duolingo has fun and unique characters and game-like lessons that makeyou keep coming back for more. Duolingo is designed by language experts and science-based teaching helps you to achieve your language learning goals. The app has competitive leaderboards that help you stay motivated and a streak system to make practising a daily habit. Duolingo is proven to be effective. Duolingo is not ad-free with the free version, but you can pay for Super Duolingo, which has no ads and unlimited hearts. Hearts are the amount of mistakesthatyoucanmake.You startwith5 heartsand they regenerate every so often, but once you run out of hearts, you have to use gems (the in-game currency) or do a lesson togetmore. Theadsare notexcessiveand are fair, giventhat youcanaccesseverything forfree. Overall, Duolingo iswelldeveloped, fun and useful.

Pros:

- Large selection of languages;

- Intuitiveand easy to use;

- Well thought through and effective learning.

Cons:

- Canbeveryannoying,especiallystreaksandleaderboards; - Super Duolingo is expensive, costing £60 per year individuallyor £90 peryear forsix people.

Kinnu

Kinnu is a hidden gem that recently came out of beta and is now available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Kinnuisafunwaytolearnabroadarrayof topicsfrom the Art of Persuasion to quantum physics and dinosaurs. There are currently 112 ‘pathways’ (subjects) on Kinnu. Kinnu courses give a basic understanding of the selected courseand helpsyouexpandyourhorizonsand learnthings abouttopicsthatinterestyou. Kinnu usesa highlyadvanced learning engine with AI thatadapts to your learning style. It is gamified and highly addictive, and is a fun alternative to social media. Kinnu helpsyouretainknowledgeand reviews subjects every so often so that you don’t forget them. The rapidly expanding catalogue of pathways are not designed to give you advanced knowledge on the given subject but to pique your curiosity and encourage further reading. The lessonstake2-5minutestocompleteandtheapphasastreak system to encourage learning. Thisapp is underrated and

cutting edge. Kinnu gives everyone the power of learning. Kinnu is also completely free with no in-app purchases or ads.

Pros:

- Wide selectionof topics;

- Ad-free, funand easy to use; - Accurate, concise information.

Cons:

- Cracked pathwayscan be annoying; - Highly addictive (but still productive if used for the right reasons).

Wordle

Wordle is a word-based game which allows the player to guessafive-letterword (don’tbefooled - thiscansometimes be a real challenge). The game’s objective is to guess a 5-letterword; however,whileyouprogressthrough thegame you will be given hints so you can hopefully guess the word. Wordle explores a vast amount of vocabulary as it resets daily. You can access Wordle on any web browser and can be downloaded on both IOS and Android. The benefit of playing Wordle includes enhanced vocabulary, which you obtain by playing the game. That can be used in formats suchasessays, creativewriting and reading testsorordinary small talk. Wordlecanbeused asateambuildingexerciseas it can take multiple heads to crack the word. Unfortunately, Wordle resets daily and changes the word so you can only play it once per day. Wordle is just the tip of the iceberg if you want a real challenge then you could play Quordle, Octurdle and this could go up to 12 letters.

Pros:

- Fun and good to exerciseyour brain;

- Vocabulary improvement as some words are quite obscure

- Good to playwith others.

Cons:

- You canonlyplay itonceperday;

- You caneasily find answersonline.

ControversialQuestions

Aleena, Elliot, Jai and Phoebe (I)

We asked 30 Form I’s the following questions so thatyou can find out the publicopinion of the internet’s most controversial questions.

Question 1: Who is yourfavourite Spider-man?

Answer:

Tom Holland: 19 (63%)

Tobey Maguire: 9 (30%)

Andrew Garfield: 2 (7%)

Question 2: Taylor Swift orAC/DC?

Answer:

Taylor: 19 (63%)

AC/DC: 11 (37%)

Question 3: Elon Muskor Jeff Bezos?

Answer:

Elon Musk: 19 (63%)

Jeff Bezos: 11 (37%)

Question 4: Marvel or DC?

Answer:

Marvel: 24 (80%)

DC: 6 (20%)

Question 5: Cats ordogs?

Answer:

Cats: 8 (27%)

Dogs: 22 (73%)

Questions 6: Football or Rugby?

Answer:

Football: 16 (53%)

Rugby: 14 (47%)

Question 7: HockeyorTennis? Answer:

Hockey: 13 (43%)

Tennis: 17 (57%)

Question 8: Iscereal ortoast better for breakfast? Answer:

Cereal: 14 (47%)

Toast: 16 (53%)

Question 9: Are hotdogs sandwiches? Answer:

Yes: 4 (13%)

No: 26 (87%)

Question 10: YouTube shorts, Spotlight orTikTok? Answer:

YouTube shorts: 9 (30%)

Spotlight: 5 (17%)

TikTok: 16 (53%)

Question 11: Cokeor Pepsi? Answer:

Coke: 25 (83%)

Pepsi: 5 (17%)

Question 12: Dominosor Pizza Hut? Answer:

Dominos: 17 (57%)

Pizza Hut: 13 (43%)

Question 13: Sweetorsavoury? Answer:

Sweet: 20 (66%)

Savoury: 10 (34%)

Question 14: WhatsApp or messages? Answer:

WhatsApp: 28 (93%)

Messages: 2 (7%)

Question 15: Pancakesorwaffles? Answer:

Pancakes: 21 (70%)

Waffles: 9 (30%)

Affan Dziyaul Afdhal (V) SportEditor

In this edition, we present you with a diverse collection of stories highlighting the multifaceted nature of sports. From local triumphs and international leagues to the everlasting debate of snow sports, we aim to capture the essence of competition and the spirit of athletes.

Snowboarding vs. Skiing:

Everyone can enjoy a holiday in the snow, but how do you choose to spend yourtime there? The longstanding debate between skiing and snowboarding continues to spark discussionsamongsnowsportsenthusiasts.Sienadiscusses the difference between snowboarding, introduced as a ‘cool’ and ‘rebellious’ sport, which has brought a modern freestyle aspect to the slopes, contrasting with traditional, technique-focused skiing.

The Rapid Rise of the Indian Premier League: A Blessing ora Curse?

Sixteen years after its debut in 2008, the IPL has revolutionised cricket and how it is played. However, the IPL’s dominance is not without controversies. Within this edition, Nikhil explores where the future of cricket lies, raising questions about the sport’s direction and balance between commercial interestsand pure love forthe game.

FXI Hockey Success:

Earlier thisyear, DollarAcademy’sown FXI hockey battled in the Scottish Cup Semi-Finals, turning an ordinary lunchtime into an unforgettable celebration. The entire school gathered to witness the incredible victory, and no one was disappointed. The thrill of such a victory is a testamenttothehardworkanddedicationof theteamand their supporters, and the essence of the achievement has been perfectlyencapsulated by Sophie.

The Rapid Rise of the Indian Premier League:

A Blessing or a Curse?

Nikhil (V)

“If welookbackin10years’time, thisisgoingtobeamassive landmark in cricket, I think. It’s a bit like when the World Series started.” This was what Australian cricketing great Brett Lee had to say about the inception of this new and innovative league. I think everybody can agree that he was completelycorrectas,16yearsonfromthefirstIndianPremier League season in 2008, cricket has been revolutionised into a sport that would almost be unrecognisable to cricketers of the past due to the massive shifts in the way the game is played and the newvocabulary that we use.

I can confidently say that the IPL has changed the lives of many determined and hopeful cricketers. Ravichandran Ashwinwasonceayoung cricketerwith boundlesspotential and the IPL helped him toshow theworld howgood hewas. Fast forward to today, and he is arguably the most reliable allrounder India have ever had. Or look at Dinesh Karthik who’s stellar 2022 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru took him from being a part time commentator to having a vital role in the Indian squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup. If that does not capture your heart and soul, I don’t know what will. The IPL is clearlya stable base foraspiring Indian cricketers to build theircareers from.

On the other hand, no international matches with any major nations were played during the IPL season in 2021. This means that all the best players that India has to offer were competing freely in the IPL which is a treat for fans like me. However, during the BBL season Australia still play international matches meaning the top Australian players cannot play in the league. In addition, it is likely fans would rather watch the Australian national team over their domesticleague. Everyfanof anysportwantstoseethe best of the best battle it out against each other for silverware, which is why the IPL undoubtably gets full attention from fans, whereas other leagues are left to suffer while their flagship playersare off on international duty.

Furthermore, IPL takes the top players out of their home countries and makes them play as ‘mercenaries’ in their league. As of 29th May 2022 (the day of the IPL 2022 final), a whopping 8 of the top 10 non-Indian bowlers in T20 had played in the IPL before, and 4 out of the top 5 non-Indian allroundershadplayed intheIPL. Butwhydosomanyof the top international playersgotothe IPL? Theaveragesalaryof anIPLplayerasof the2022 mega-auction(wheretheplayers get assigned to their teams) was $492000. For comparison, the average salary of a BBL player is a measly $42000. It is without question that players from each country could play in their own domestic leagues but prefer the exorbitant salaryand luxury that the IPL provides.

Unsurprisingly, another one of the IPL’s fortes is that its viewership trumps those of other leagues. Asof 2017 the IPL was the6th mostpopulardomesticleague in theworld with an incredible 31,750 spectators per match on average. This massivetotal beatseventheLaLiga(thepinnacleof Spanish domestic football) which boasted the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo,whoaretwoof the mostwell-known sporting names ever. These astonishing numbers prove the world beating popularityof the IPL.

Onthecontrary, the BCCI’s(Boardof CricketControl India) poor handling of the powerhouse which is the IPL can be a put off for the fans. It is undeniable that some of the BCCI’s actions show intentions of pure greed and no love for the sport. For instance, a strategic timeout is now a CEAT Tyres Strategic Timeout. It is obvious that the BCCI’s sole interest is in thecommercialisationof cricket.

More than this, the way the game is now approached, has also changed drastically. In the past, the batter who had perfect techniqueand shot placement was always better; on the contrary, all that is required to be a top IPL batter is the ability to hitthe ball hard. Moreover, losing yourwicketwas a matterof lifeand death to the batterof that time meaning thatanybody who could score runs quickly, while staying in consistently, was unquestionably an exceptionally talented player. Yet today, batters play with their only thought being, ‘I must get it past the rope.’ Consequently, they play carelessshotsandgetoutearly,oftenwithoutconsequences. Patience and temperament are becoming rare commodities in moderncricket.

However, the IPL also improves the quality of international matches and competitions. Each team plays at least 14 games and even more if they get to the playoffs. These matches help the players to gain experience and learn how to play under pressure – which is particularly important at theinternational level. More thanthat, italso keeps player’s fitness levels and form up, and serves as a place for players to experiment with new playing styles and techniques. Any fan will know the feeling of excitement when your favourite player pulls off something incredible against all odds, whether it be taking that crucial game-changing wicket or hitting that incredible boundary, which immediately puts theenemyon the back-foot.

It is obvious to see that Brett Lee was right on the money with his statement. Anybody can clearly see how much the IPL has improved the quality of cricket in not just IPL matches, but also international matches (which is what everyone really cares about) and provided the steps for young talent to have successful and prosperous careers. These massive boosts to the sportdo comewith a few costs though,asanythinggooddoes.Alltheothercricketplaying countries seem to have to bow down to the greedy BCCI as all their players are constantly drained away from their homes and, with them, any more money these countries could be making is also taken away. The future of the sport liesinthelucrativehandsof theIPL. Sotherealquestionis: what’snextforthesecond mostpopularsportintheworld?

First XI Hockey Success

Sophie (I)

Earlier this year, Dollar’s very own FXI hockey team earned a place in the Scottish Cup Semi Finals. They played a home game at the Academy. Everyone at Dollar rushed outside to witness the incredible victory that lunchtime, and no one was disappointed.

The team fought hard and played second to none to the last second and by the end, Dollar had achieved a welldeserved place in the Scottish Cup Final! The cheers from everyone at Dollar rung out through the academy as the final goal was scored with drums banging, pupils cheering and staff celebrating.

When the Cup Final came on March 15th, everyone one who could see the match went to support. And what a match it was! Down to the very last second the team played a phenomenal game, making history as they became the Scottish Champions with an unforgettable victory. I can only imagine how thrilling it was to bring home a title like that to Dollar Academy: Scottish Champions.

Snow Boarding vs. Skiing

Siena (III)

Everyone can enjoy a holiday in the snow, whether you are sledging, battling it out in a snowball fight, skiing, snowboarding, or building a snowman. But the real question is howdo you choose to spend yourtime there?

Skiingversussnowboardinghasbeenalongstandingdebate between devoted holiday-goers. Throughout the seventies, snowboarderswouldbebarredaccessfrommanymountain ranges due to the increasing rivalry between the two snow sports. With the introduction of snowboarding came a ‘cool’ or ‘rebellious’ era, which innately modernised the most popular alternative - skiing. Snowboarding brought a new kind of culture tosociety: a modern, freestyle aspect where tricksand flipsoverruled the classyskiing style.

When it comes to the equipment required, snowboarders must buy their board, bindings and boots whereas skiers must purchase their skis, poles and boots- skiers’ bindings normally come with the skis. Snowboarding equipment tends to cost a lot more than ski equipment depending on the type of skis. There are many different types of skiing, all focusing mainly on technique and precision such as: ski-racing, which includes giant slalom; downhill and slalom; cross-country skiing; and heli-skiing. In contrast, snowboarding is based mainly around freestyle, off-piste, and a love of conquering the impossible.

Still, the fact remains that skiing is easy to learn but much more difficult to progress in, and snowboarding is hard to learn but easier to progress in. For skiing learners, it is mucheasiertorideski liftsasskiershavetheirlegsseparate for better balance whereas snowboarders are encouraged to undo one of their bindings while on the ski lift. This means inexperienced snowboarders may find it especially hard to go onski lifts as bothof their feetareon one board, resulting in poor balance. Snowboard learners are much more likely to injure their wrists and tailbones because of the way snowboarders are always attached to their boards. The way the boards are means limited movement for the snowboarder but is better for their knees. With their backs

to the piste at all times, snowboarders are also subject to restricted visibility, which adds to the danger for those who are less experienced.

Both snow sports have their hazards. Snowboarders receive 4-16 injuries for every 1,000 days on the slopes, whereas skiers receive three injuries for every 1,000 days spent skiing. Luckily for skiers, there is a safety mechanism on their skis. If you fall badly, or twist your leg on skis, your bindings automatically release your boots. Onceyourskisareoff, you are less likely to receive an injury. Snowboarders,ontheotherhand, lack a safety mechanism to relyonand thereforeare moresusceptible to minor injuries. Little comfort though this may be, snowboarders are likely to be going slower than skiers down the mountain due to their hindered visibility and don’t normallyobtain huge injuries because of this.

Finally, the fun factor. Skiing can be an intrepid way to explore your surroundings ora full on, GS (giant slalom) race. Thisdoes notmeanthatskierscan’tdotricks. Quite the contrary: skis are durable and bendy, allowing the skier to venture into high jumps, flips and tricks but, overall, they are best at downhill. Snowboards navigate better off-piste, specifically in powdered snow whereas skiers can ski on slightly packed, icy snow too. Many snowboarders have described the off-piste experience as “the feeling of gliding on a cloud”. It is also easier for snowboarders to do tricks such as Ollies, 50-50s or going backwards. Whetheryou ski orsnowboard, I think we can all agree that the rush of freedom as you hit the slopes is the best feeling.

“When you think about it, we’re strapping strange planks of wood to our feet and launching off of giant snow walls. It’s pretty intense.”

- Shaun White, American former professional snowboarder.

With exams almost finished and summer break just around the corner, it is time to shiftourfocus from stacks of paper to current events. While we may have hunkered down for exams in recent months, the world of science has seen remarkable things. From the first sighting of a wild orangutan treating a wound with medicinal plants to the recreation of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal face, science has not rested, and neither haveourwriters.

“When we gaze out at the immensities of space, we understand them because there are immensities within usas well.” - Raj (The Big Bang Theory)

The emptiness of space contradicts the vast amount of opportunities that it has to offer. In “Investing in Space,” we explore the unexpected benefits of space exploration. From financial success to scientific breakthroughs, the pitch-black sky is our infinitely huge playground with innumerable secrets to unfold. Additionally, as Raj says, we understand the mysteries of space because of the complexities within ourselves. In “Adler’s Individual Psychology,” we learn what motivates us to get up every dayand howour infantdays haveshaped us.

From physics to psychology, nothing canescape the grasp of maths. In “Gaussian Curvature,” Alex unveils how curves and spirals integrate into our lives.

In our busiest days, remember that science is a fervent pursuit of knowledge that stops for no one, so “the important thing is to never stop questioning” - Albert Einstein.

Adler - Individual Psychology

Evan (V)

As humans, we must take in nourishment, expel waste, and inhale enough oxygen to keep ourselves from dying - everything else is optional. But if that is the case, where does the root of our motivation stem from? Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, believed it was sex. Regardless of the advancements of humans, our inspirationtowakeupeverydayisnothing butaprimitive biological desire ingrained into our DNA. On the other hand, Adler’sindividualpsychologypositsthatoursource of motivation comes from social connectedness and a striving forsuperiorityorsuccess.

Evan Wang (FV) Science Editor

Alexandra Todorova (FV) Science Editor

Alfred Adler was a 20th-century pioneer in the field of psychology. His attention to the significance of birth order and feelings of belonging led to the development of his school of individual psychology, which was unlike anyotherof his time.

ThebasisofAdlerianpsychologyrestsonthefundamental idea that all infants are born with feelings of inferiority. From birth, babies have unconscious and fictive goals, such as the need to gain their parent’s attention. They combattheseemotionsof inadequacythroughnurturing andcaringforthechildandearlyinteractionswithfamily members and peers. If the child receives a substantial level of nurture and care, they learn that hard work (e.g. crying) can overcome their goals (e.g. the need for their parent’s attention). In this case, the child compensates for their feelings of inferiority and develops into an adult who can handle imperfection. This idea becomes embedded in the child and shapes how the individual will approach things inadulthood.

However, if thechilddoesnotreceivethelevelof nurture and care they seek, their feelings of inferiority are not compensated, which may accumulate and become too intense. Over time, this matures into overwhelmingness andaconstantsearchforcompensationuntilitisnolonger satisfactory. This results in overcompensation, when the child not only achieves theirgoals but exaggerates them by going above and beyond and becomes pathological. Adler uses the example of Demosthenes, an ancient Greek figure bornwith a terriblestutterwho became the “greatestorator in Greece.”

Even though overcompensation motivates a person to achievesomethingfarbeyondtheirabilities,itcanquickly develop into an inferiority complex. An individual with an inferiority complex lacks self-esteem because they cannot satisfy their negative feelings. In other words, it is when someone cannot accept their flaws. According to Adler, the hallmark of an inferiority complex is that “persons are always striving to find a situation in which theyexcel.”

Psychologists classify feelings of inferiority as primary or secondary. Primary inferiority is the feeling we possessas infants, which remains throughoutour lives. This feeling allows us to be productive and accomplish the tasks we set out to do. Meanwhile, secondary inferiority is the exaggerated feelings of inferiority a child can experience when theydonotreceiveadequate nurtureandcare. This type of inferiority comprises the inferiority complex and is not beneficial.

Another way a person with feelings of inferiority may use as a method of escape from his difficulties is through a superiority complex. Individuals with a superiority complex are often “impertinent, arrogant, and pugnacious.” A superiority complex is frequently expressed by trying to be unique, such as wearing expensiveclothing.Inthiscase,theycompensatefortheir lack of self-respect with the authority associated with high-value brands. However, these actions do not satisfy the individual’s personal goalsand lead them to livea life according to otherpeople’s values, devoid of meaning.

Individuals with a superiority complex can also use “easy superiority” or, more simply, revenge. Easy superiority happens when the individual’s striving for success fails, and they resort to making everyoneelse feel as miserable as they do. Finally, some people portray themselves as victims using real or imagined stories so that everyone caters to their every need. As Adler pointed out, humans have unconscious goals that they constantly seek to fulfil. With a superiority complex, the individual’s goal is revealed as attention to compensate for their lack of attention as a child. However, achieving the goal through these means does not reward the person with the satisfaction or meaning of Adler’s ideal life, where a person forms healthyrelationships and competence.

Adlerian psychology stresses the importance of nurture

in our formative years and “birth order,” which can significantly and predictably impact a child’s personality. As is the case with animals, firstborn children are commonly associated with being the larger and stronger ones of the family. Therefore, these children frequently have high levelsof personalpower. Furthermore, firstborn children’s achievements often overshadow their younger siblings’ achievements. Thus, the motivation for younger children to escape the shadow cast by their older siblings drives them tostrive forsuperiority. If the familysupports the second child along the way, they will succeed along with the firstborn.

The youngest children in a family usually live in a constant state of inferiority. Depending on how well they compensate for these feelings of inferiority, they either become themostsuccessful family memberorfail toexcel due to a lack of confidence. The latter invariably leads to the individual being distant from the rest of the family. The last type of child is the only child, who receives all their parent’s attention. As a result, Adler described them as “dependent to a high degree, constantly waits for someone to show him/her the way, and searches for supportatall times.”

Adler’s individual psychology, although correct at times, is frequently criticised for not being able to be proven empirically. Furthermore, Adlerian psychotherapy, which helpsapatientovercomefeelingsof inferiority, isattacked for its lack of a foundation for concepts not related to the individual’s birth order and early recollections. But however effective Adlerian psychotherapy may be, there is no doubt that we are all influenced, in one way or another, by the behaviours outlined in Adler’s individual psychology.

Gaussian Curvature - Mystery Behind Maps, Oranges, and Pizza

Alexandra (V)

I remember curiously gazing at the map on the wall in my primary school classroom and then at the globe, but something neverquitefeltright. Although Icouldn’tplace itthen, I laterlearned that the map I had beengawking at wasn’tasaccurateasI had beenled to believe. Inactuality, the mapwas completelydistorted.

I came to terms with this revelation because it is simply impossible to recreate the surface of a sphere (or any curved object) onto a flat plane (such as a piece of paper) withoutdistortion. Becauseof this,all mapsaredistorted.

But why is this? A surprising way to visualize this is through fruits;orangesareagood example. Undeniably,a sheetof paperis flat. The sheetof paper, therefore, has “0 Gaussiancurvature”asthereisnopointthathascurvature on it. However, itdoesn’ttakeagenius tounderstand that an orange isn’t flat. If we take an arbitrary point on an orange and trace two perpendicular lines going through this point, we create two lines with a positive Gaussian curvature.

If you’veevertried laying an orange peel on a flat table by bending and pushing it down, you know it always sticks up, if not just a little. This is because it is impossible to change the Gaussian curvature of a surface if it is bent unless the surface itself is stretched or distorted. This is presented through Gauss’s Theorema Egregium, which describes the Gaussian curvature of a surface as its intrinsic invariant.

In simple terms, this means that however we try to bend the orange peel, the point we have chosen will always have a positive Gaussian curvature value. But what about negative values?

Let’s take another fruit - this time, a banana. A point on the outer side of the fruit also curves positively in both directions. A banana, therefore, has a positive Gaussian curvature value on the outerside.

However, this is not the case on the inside, as one of the lines curves inwards, negatively. Previously, a positive valuemultipliedbyapositivevaluewouldresultinanother positive value. This time, a negative value multiplied by a positive value results in a negative Gaussian curvature value.

It’s fascinating that we all use these principles relating to curvature in our everyday lives without realizing it. A surprisingexampleishowweeatpizza.Pizza,naturally,is a flatsurface. Aspreviouslydiscussed, this means itholds

a0Gaussiancurvaturevalue.Sincethisvalueisalsosaidto be intrinsic, if we bend ormovethepizza, itwill retain its valueof 0. When theslice is lying on asurface, it’s simple to conclude that the two perpendiculars of a point at the base both hold a curvature value of 0. Alternately, when holding the pizza at its crust, the tip of the slice droops down - implying a negative value. However, our chosen point must retain its value of 0, so the perpendicular line through the crust must have 0 Gaussian curvature, as anything multiplied by 0 is zero.

Weallcombatthisinconveniencebyfoldingthepizzacrust intoa‘U’shape. Bycurving thecrust,weremovethecrust’s

0 Gaussian curvature to make it positive. However, as we already know, there must still be a line with 0 Gaussian curvature, as this is an intrinsic value. This line runs right down the pizza to its tip, making it flat, straight, and easy toeat.

Applying the same concept to world maps makes it easy to understand why map projections are inaccurate through thisanalogy. Forinstance, the Goode Homolosine Projection, also commonly called “The Orange Peel Projection”, operates on a similar principle as cutting up an orange peel and attempting to lay it flat. Although it gives us an idea of what the globe looks like, through its squishing and squashing, there are severe deformations in the shapes of countries on the map and the distance between them.

Othermapsusedifferentprinciples,butallinvolvewarping the globe to fit easily on a rectangular map. As a result, Africa is 14 times largerthan itappearsonaMercatormap!

This begs the question: Is there a way to optimally cut a spherical surface, such as the previously discussed orange, to reduce distortion completely?

Peoplecommonlypeel orangeswith their hands. However, somemayuseaknifetocreateaspiralfromthetop,assuch:

Supposethespiralling cutin theorange hasawidthof 1/N. As the value of N tends towards infinity, an Euler spiral is formed when the spiral is unfolded on a flat surface.

An Euler spiral is a brilliant mathematical curve whose curvature changes linearly with its curve length. In other words, as the amount of spirals and curves in the Euler spiral increases, less distortion is created when the resulting spiral is placed ona flatsurface.

A similar technique can be applied to a globe, where if we makeaspirallingcutthrough thetopand continue itdown, a surprisingly accurate map is created. As we increase the value of N (and therefore decrease the spiral width), the distortion of the map (defined as 1/N²) is reduced, and consequently, the accuracy is increased. This can be seen through multiple iterations of the Euler spiral map, where as the spiral width decreases, the distortion also decreases:

Although this map bodesdifficultiesof its own through its peculiar layout, italso presentsan ingenious mathematical simplicity. Although weshould likely refrain from integrating it into oureducationsystems, itcertainly induces mathematical interest. So, maybe it is reasonable toconclude thatwe canactually learn a thing ortwo from fruit, pizza, and thesophisticated wayorangepeels spiral outof control.

Investing in SpaceOur Past and Future

Evan (V)

Every year, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) spends approximately $23 billion on space exploration, money that could be spent on resolving or easing problems such as global poverty. So, what justifies investmentinspaceratherthanotherfieldsthatarearguably more significant? This article will examine the various factors that argue that the benefits stemming from space exploration are irreplaceable and paramount to our survival as aspecies.

To begin with, the most rudimentary judging process of an investment would be to investigate how effective the space industryisingenerating profit. Inthecaseof 2021, theworld spentacombinedtotalof $92.4billion,withtheUSspending $54.6 billion and the UK spending $1.46 billion. From our pointofview,itwouldseemludicrousthatgovernmentswere willinglypayingunimaginableamountsof moneywhenthey could improve the lifestyles of the public through a more reliable NHS or handle thepost-COVID economy. However,

itisvitaltounderstandthatthe$54.6billionandthe$1.46 billion account for only 0.23% and 0.045% of their GDP,

respectively, a mere fraction of what other fields spend. Moreover, in 2021, the $92.4 billion investment produced a revenue of $469.3 billion through satellite technology and broadband, evidence that space exploration is an extremely profitable endeavour that helps advance the global economy.

While space provides us with answers to our universe, it also provides opportunities for our people. In the 2021 fiscal year, NASA, the organisation that leads the frontier in space exploration, sustained an estimated 340 thousand jobs. And in 2020, the UK space agency, a growing organisation entering itssecond decade, created 3000 jobs across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island. Furthermore, billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson have invested in Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic, respectively, demonstrating they concur that space is the future for humanity. These private space corporations not only fuel generations of spaceexploration,buttheyalsohadatotalof145thousand employees in 2020. But more importantly, jobs in the UK space sector have a mean salary of £45k, miles ahead of the median of £31k in the general populace. Thus, space explorationisoffering people jobswithdecentwagesthat reflectthe expertise required.

Apart from monetary statistics, space allows us to answer questions about our universe. Four hundred and twenty kilometres above the surface of Earth is the International Space Station (ISS). It is representative of the achievements of decades of success and failures and Earth’s greatest laboratory. The conditions in space are almost impossible to replicate on Earth, yet most revolutionaryscientifictheoriescanonlybeconducted in such environments. Theories that have given us insights intogravity, theatmosphere, fluid dynamics,etc., haveall been confirmed through experiments conducted on the ISS. And although thesetheoriescanseemquiteabstract, they cannot be more relevant to our day-to-day lives. The understanding of the atmosphere has given rise to weather forecasts and warned us of impending climate change, offering us a chance to save our beloved planet

before it is too late. The knowledge of fluid dynamics has allowed thecreationof sportscarsand motorsportracing, which so many fans worldwide adore. Moreover, it has also beencrucial in the developmentof wind turbines, air conditioning systems, and oil pipelines, without which, lifewould be so much more inconvenient.

While discussing the benefits of space exploration, there canbenoomissionofthetechnologiesthathaveoriginated from it. One of the most notable of these creations is the water purification system. Initially designed for the lunar missions, NASA builta water purifier that was both small and efficient. The system was better than the original chlorine-based system it was commercialised and is now used in swimming pools, fountains, etc. And, more importantly, these purifiers were also used in the 1990s to supply clean water to rural areas of Vietnam for an estimated 50 to 70 million people.

America, when Armstrong stepped on the moon, whether youwereaRepublicanoraDemocrat, spaceresembled hope and the power of a nation whose unanimous support for the space program remained undeterred from the political landscape. Furthermore, space is an enigma we as humans seek to solve.

Spaceisourvastandendlessbackyard,andweareresponsible for using it to its fullest extent. It is an indisputably successful financial investmentand has inspired technology that has directly or indirectly improved our quality of life. The list of space’s advantages goes on. Finally, space is an acknowledgementof something greaterthanourselves, and perhaps the reason we explore space is because, like Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “The day we stop exploring is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world, devoid of curiosity, emptyof dreams.”

A common criticism of modern space exploration is that billions of dollars are being exchanged for a few photographs on Mars. And while these endeavours may have provided us with the indispensable items of today, they no longer have the same potential for us to exploit as before. However, exploring Mars allows scientists to understand howaplanet (thatused to bean incubatorfor life - like Earth) can undergo such pivotal changes in its climate that traces of life can no longer be found. It also allows scientists to learn about the planet to prepare for futurehumanexploration,withthefinalgoalof settingup a colonyas the ultimate backup plan forourspecies.

Stephen Hawking once said, “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist.” We, as humans, arecreaturesof curiosity. Weseek tounderstand our surroundings and explore the furthest reaches of the universe. Therefore, space exploration is not just a financial investment or technological advancement, it is also an expression of our nature. Space exploration also provides people with a sense of national identity. In 1969

Imogen Ireland (VI) Entertainment&Culture Editor

The Entertainment & Culture section providesa perspective into the happenings in our society and culture today. With art and culture’s origins often residing in politics, we can take a glimpse at modern society through the art that it produces.Asisprevalentthroughtime,themoststrikingand challenging art was produced in times of conflict, change or political upheaval.

This section features a variety of articles that give a perspective on today’s creative industries and society. This edition’s articles speak on: the reality of music festivals, French new wave cinema, Japanese female punk bands, female musiciansand book-to-movieadaptations. hopefully you can find some respiteorsimply joy from this section!

Female Punk Artists of Japan

by Safiyah (III)

The punk movement was popularised by The Clash, the Sex Pistols and other western bands that defined the genre for years to come. However, Japan has gone unnoticed in the scene despite theirsizeablecommunity, contributions to the genre and insane performancesarguablysomethemostaudaciousdisplaysof punkethos of all time. Japanese culture is often more conservative than its western counterparts, meaning the subculture is pushed further underground, resulting in a stronger rebellion from the punk community. Acts of violence, political messages and extreme stunts are looked down upon and thus gained no notoriety. Due to this, the commercialisationandwatering-downof thegenrenever happened. Though this means that many incredible bands haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve, the genre hasstayed true to its message since its inception.

Emerging in the early 1980’s and continuing their movement today, female punk bands in Japan have challenged stereotypes and found their space in what is a traditionallymale-dominatedgenre. Bands like Shonen Knife and OXZ paved the way for women in music to be accepted into the music industry in a time where that idea was being challenged. With few women in Japan’s underground music scene adopting the punk aesthetic, their looks came as an intentional shock. Venues would often deny these artists from playing shows, often resulting in messy underground live shows. However, continuing the movement itself was an act of rebellion, acting against the authority of society for the sake of art. Inessence,femalepunkinJapanismorethanjustamusic genre - it’s a cultural phenomenon that embodies ideals of justiceand authenticity.

As these bands continue to break the mould and inspire new generations of artists and fans, the legacy of the Mariko Gotō is my personal favourite artist of the genre. Her voice is vaguely childlike, which when combined with distorted guitar and frantic screaming makes for an uncanny juxtaposition. She first entered the public eye with the success of her work with Midori, a punkjazz fusion band formed with a member of her previous group, Usagi. They have the raw intensityof apunk band but play jazzy chords, bluesy chromatic melodies and swungrhythms,anunorthodoxstylisticmarriage. What’s moststriking about herartistry is herliveshows inwhich she often performed shows in seifuku, a Europeanstyle naval uniform often associated with youth and innocence. Gotō would then contradict this stereotype byperforming certainsongserratically, banging herhead against the microphone, throwing herguitararound and crowd surfing, a powerful display of rebelling against social expectations. Midori is an incredible band and I’d recommend them to listenersof eithergenre.

They released 3 albums, 3 EPs and two demos before their disbandment was publicly announced by Gotō on December 25, 2010, with their last show titled “Sayonara, Gotō-san” played on December 28. She then pursued her solo career and has gone under many aliases and genres since. Still, shestays trueto punkand isanexcellentartist overall.

BLEACH, better known as Bleach03 or Bleachmobile, is an all-female, hardcore noise-punk band from Okinawa. Formed in 1998 and quickly rising to fame in the underground music scene, they can be credited for opening up the way for the likes of Midori and Kokeshi doll. Strangely, all members would contribute to vocals, the product being incredible live shows. Their guitarist would yell their lyrics, such as in the song ‘The Head That Controls Both Rightand LeftSides….’, whereshesays “unable to cry, unable to laugh, I wanted to live peacefully but it’s too late”, followed by a raw, gritty scream by the bassist.

Miya, Bleach03’s bassist, continued to stand out for her sharper voice and incredibly technical and funky bass playing. While working with Bleach03, she created 385, a funky, jazz-punk group. Being inspired by other punk bandsatthetime, their2 EPsand fullalbumareveryclose in sound to Midori’s music, while still incorporating their own style.

Overall, the Japanese punk scene is due its credit for its incredibleartistsand culture, especiallyforfemaleartists. Their influence extends far beyond the confines of the alternative music scene, serving as a testament to the power of music as a tool for self-expression and social change. This movement remains aspowerful and relevant as ever.

A Brief Introduction to La Nouvelle Vague

by Imogen (VI)

La Nouvelle Vague (literally ‘the new wave’) was a film movement that appeared in late 1950s early 60s France, which fought the traditional filmmaking conventions and rules, prioritising instead unorthodox, innovative new experimental approaches of editing, visual, narrative and directing styles.

The term was first used by a group of French film critics and cinephiles associated with the magazine ‘Cahiers du Cinéma’. Founded in 1951 by André Bazin and Jacques DoniolValcroze, this influential publication provided a platform for young critics to express their ideas about cinema. Many of these critics, including François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard,wouldgoontobecomekeyfiguresintheNewWave movement. The films released in the New Wave movement explored manyof the same common themes. These themes included loneliness, a self-awareness of cinema, the nature of memory, the past, and the quick and sometimes violent natureof love.

What inspired it?

Fordecadesprior, there had been established normswithin the production of cinema (particularly in Hollywood). But towards the end of the 50s, a rising number of cinephiles began to critique this stale approach, claiming that films had lost their capacity to capture true emotion and real life and lacked sincerity. The ‘Cahiers du Cinéma’ had a disdain forfilmsproducedinFranceduringthe1940sand1950s– all which featured anapproach tocinéma thattheytermed the “cinéma de papa,” a derogatory term for the style that they considered formulaic, overlyglossy, and downrightdull. The 1950s saw developments in many different aspects of french culture which helped to accumulate to this movement’s emergence, such as: the decline in audiences for Hollywood and other mainstream cinemas due to the impact of television, the growing art cinema scene, the growth of youth culture and the development of new technologies.

Who were the big names in the movement?

The true creators of this movement is a disputed subjectandcanbeamatter of opinion. However, there are five ‘core’

directors that are indisputable- Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut,Jean-LucGodard,EricRohmerandJacquesRivette.

Someof the mostinfluentialground breaking filmsinclude: ‘Pierrot le fou’ and ‘Le mépris’ ( Jean Luc-Goddard), ‘les quatre cent coups’ and ‘Jules et Jim’ (François Truffaut), ‘Hiroshima mon amour’ ( Alain Resnais) And ‘Paris nous appartient’ ( Jaques Rivette)

The philosophy behind the movement “A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order”. This quote from Jean LucGodard encompasses the core of what the movement was about: to experiment, mix and take the unconventional route to telling a story. The directors often sought to create a sense of confusion and ambiguity in theirwork, a contrast against the previous ‘cinema de papa’, where there was one set mould of ‘straightforwardness’. This then allows for increasedindividualinterpretationof films Thismovement, led by a group of young, passionate yet inexperienced filmmakers, sought to create a new form of storytelling that reflected thechanging social andcultural landscapeof postwar France; they wanted to instead embrace authenticity and experimentation. This era encouraged the New Wave filmmakers to explore the extents/limitations of film as a medium, to discover their own filmic obsessions, and to define theirowndirectorial styles.

techniques. However, the films’ modest budgets often forced the directors to become technically, as well as ideologically, inventive. Due to shooting on low budgets, often with inexperienced crew members and even nonprofessional actors, New Wave directors were forced to experiment, think outside of the box and embrace the more understated approach when it came to telling a narrative.

With the invention of the small, lighter model of camera, the device could become an extension of the director. The camera could squeeze in small spaces with the actors, often filming them from the backseat of a car or from the passenger seat, in tight bathrooms and on narrow balconies,creatingasenseof intimacybetweenthecamera andthecharacters.Thisisthenheightenedbythefrequent shattering of the fourth wall, with characters staring into, oreven talking directly to the camera.

This movement led to the birth of many directing techniques that are the norm today, and that can be found in virtually every film; for example, the invention and use of the jump cut. The jump cut is when a scene is cut forward in time, whether by a split second or many seconds. An example is in Godard’s ‘A bout de Souffle’ ( Breathless) when a character shoots someone, but all the viewer sees is the gun being pointed then there is a jump cut to the other character falling over. Godard was no doubt the most prolific user of the jump cut. Additionally, New Wave cinema included a large use of close-ups and famously lacked establishing shots, as the filmmakers weren’t concerned about establishing spatial and contextual relationships as much as they were about the ‘mise-en-scene’ (staging).

It’s influence today

There were two major principles that the New Wave believed in. First was a rejection of classical filmmaking, which placed emphasis on building narrative from montage (the cutting together of shots to tell the story). Instead, the New Wave opted for wide, long takes that would allow theactiontotakeplacemuch morerealistically.Thesecond was the “auteur” (author) theory, which stressed that films were personal, artistic expressionsof thedirector, and thatthedirectorwas indeed the author of the film. Like literature, films should have the director’sstamp and adistinctvoice and style. This group of filmmakers believed that a film was to be ‘authored’ by the directorand nooneelse, and rejected theidea thatdirectors should simply be technicians serving the script.

The philosophy put into practice

These new revolutionary ideas of ‘what film should be’ manifested themselves in the invention of many new

By the late-60’s, the New Wave had hit American shores in the form of “new Hollywood.” Directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucaswereall beneficiariesof theNewWavemovement.Theeffectof the NewWaveon theirwork isunmissable uponexamination. In David Lynch’s, Quentin Tarantino’s, Martin Scorsese’s, Wes Anderson’s and Christopher Nolan’s works, hints of this ground-breaking art movementcan still be found.

The Nouvelle Vague did not have a precise end, instead it gradually faded through absorbtion into the culture and other movements over the coming decades. And by emphasizing the personal and artistic vision of film over itsworth asa commercial product, the Nouvelle Vague set an examplethat inspired countlessotherartists across the world. Ineverysense, French NewWavedirectorswerethe true founders of modern independentcinema.

The Day the Music Died

By Anna (VI)

to get yourself into. The slyness of strangers and a subtle exchangeof substancesformoney-vulnerableyoungpeople are often presented with their first opportunity to try one of manydifferentdrugs onoffer.

Perhaps drug taking is part of the music festival culture making up an aspect of the atmosphere, which helps music festivals feel likean escape. But is itworth the risk?

The growing social phenomenon of music festivals is a summer essential to many people in the 21st century. The escapism music brings to society is timeless with music having been appreciated throughout history. Since the 1960s, music festivals have spanned global popularity. Days of euphoric atmospheres, buzzing crowds of music die-hard fans, vibrant colours and a diverse range of people all coming together: what is there not to love? Only the risk of being spiked, the damage on the environment, fast fashion festival uniform. Are music festivals reallyabout the musicanymore?

Even if you go back to the age of peace signs, campfires, and guitar playing where music festivals first began there were problems. Aside from the hippie aesthetic most might think of when the Woodstock festival (New York 1969) comes to mind; the tragedy is famous as one of the worst music festivals in history. The notorious event juggled packed crowds a lack of available water and high temperatures. Amid the thousands of attendees many experimentedwithdrugsleading toaround 742overdoses.

Yet this festival remains known as ‘iconic’. In fact, Warner Brothers released a documentary about the three-day event. Joel Makowe author of ‘Woodstock: The Oral History’ thinksthat“alotof peoplereallylived Woodstock through the movie and so the movie influenced, I think, morepeoplethantheactualevent’.Whetheritwasbecause it was the late sixties, or the festival itself, undoubtably Woodstock has claimed its spotlight for being one of the greatest music festivalsof all time (if this is because itwas the bestorworse is debatable).

Since Woodstock was nearly 55 years ago, surely music festivals have improved. Surely this pattern of deaths due to drugs couldn’t have gotten worse. Surely we haven’t continuouslybeendestroying theenvironmentaswecarry outthefestivaltraditionbegunbyhippies.AtTransmitthe only peace signsare forposing forphotos.

Over theyears, the age of festival patrons is getting lowerand lower - meanwhile thevast types of drugs are ranging fromalcohol tocannabis toecstasyand even classA drugs likecocaine.

The well-known British newspaper The Guardian stated in one article that more than half festival attendees are taking drugs. The temptationdrugs bring toyoung people when they are in the playground of drug usage provides a dangerous sense of peer pressure to many. It has been scientificallyprovenanydrug usecanlead toaddiction. As insignificant as it may feel in the moment, frequent usage of drugs can lead to a lifetime battle with addiction. Due to bustling crowds, growing excitement, overwhelming summer heat, taking drugs is a surprisingly slippery slope

Whilst some people might have had a positive experience with taking drugs at music festival, drug testing is a muchneeded safety net. There are plenty of articles that provide evidence of people being spiked at festivals. One of whom is Loren Fowgatt, who went to Leeds festival in 2017. Loren shared her story of being spiked in the hope to prevent this atrocity from happening to others; she said “I just want to raise awareness out there about how dangerous drugs are and how careful you’ve got to be”. Not only have there been reports of spiking but also deaths as a result of drugs.

In 2018, eighteen-year-old Georgia Lee died from taking MDMA at the Mutiny festival. In more recent times, during the annual festival Reading and Leeds in 2022 David Celino died following taking MDMA. David was the age I am. Sixteen. It is not as simple to give one reason for the deaths of theseyoung people. However, if drug testing werepresent it would be a step in the right direction, as well as providing some justice to the loved ones who have suffered from these devastating deaths.

For many the experience lies with being in a sea of people screaming to the songs you’ve been waiting to hear (since forever); this is what allows people to feel that sense of escapism. It’s the music funnily enough at the musical festival – who would’ve thought.

Nowadaysalotof peoplearegoing tomusicfestivalstodrink or try drugs or simply catch the experience through the screen of their phone rather than giving the performer such a gift as their two eyes instead of a camera. Perhaps festivals have just simply adjusted from generation to generation. This poses the question, are festivals a reflection of how we areas a society?

As festival patrons rush from one act to another, their environmental footprint is presumably not on their mind. Intheswayingof audiencesistheenergyittakestopowerall the lighting and sound, the emissions from transport taking audiences to thefestivals, thousandsof plasticwaterbottles. By the end of the festival, it is common to see last night’s dancefloor looking like tomorrow’s landfill. Glitterand litter all round.

The effect of this on the environment has not gone under the government’s radar. In 2021 the parliament committee published a document called ‘the future of UK music festivals’; among the pages of this they stated that our festivals “generate 25,800 tonnes of waste, 22,876 tonnes of CO2”. They also mention that festivals in the UK use 185 million litres of water – annually. I’ll leave you to do the maths.

Due to the government acknowledging the destructive consequences of festivals on the environment there is hope that steps will be taken to improve this. After all no one wants to go to a music festival that deteriorates our planets state - even one insignificant individual can contribute to a change in how festivals are run. For example: car share or use of public transport to get to your location, use the bins

located instead of carelessly littering and don’t buy into fast fashion justto haveacuteoutfit foracoupleof days. Mostof theseareprobablysuggestionsyou haveheard. Still,wehave to think moreabout our impact.

Music festivals are a key part of summers across the world andtheywillcontinuetobewithorwithoutasaferapproach with drugs and awareness of the environment. Once upona timetherewasnotasmuchconcernasthereisnow.Tostrive towards that safe ‘atmosphere’ at music festivals which we all want, thereare manychanges weall could make.

Book to Movie Adaptations

by Sophie (V)

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of book-to-movie adaptations being released, with the number of book-to-series adaptions also growing significantly. However, this is certainly not a new trend, with the first known book-to-movie adaptation dating back to 1899, when Georges Méliès released 2 adaptations. Additionally, it is estimated that around 50% of Hollywood movies are adaptations. If such a large amount of film is made up of adaptations, what is their importance in media and society?

Firstly, book-to-movie adaptations have been proven to be very important in the development of young children. Having watched a movie which is based on a book encourages the child to pick up the book later on, which leadstoanexpandedvocabularyaswellas improved literacy and an increased imagination. It also allows the child to make links between the movie and the book, leading to improved analytic skills. Additionally, the sentiment: “read the book before watching the movie” encourages many children to read a book before diving into the movie. Both these situations lead to the child potentially developing a passion, which onlystimulates theirdevelopment.

Theviewofreadingthebookbeforewatchingthemoviedoes not just encourage children to read more. In an era where reading rates are down significantly and global literacy is declining, the ‘pressure’ to read a book before watching a movie only encourages people to get into reading. Even if this unspoken rule is ‘broken’ and the movie is watched before the book is read, people would still more often than not pick up the book to compare it to the movie, with many often agreeing that the book is indeed better.

Besides increasing literacy and reading rates across the globe, book-to-movieadaptationsalsobringaboutawaveof nostalgia among people who read the book long before the adaptation came out, with the most recent example of this being Percy Jackson, where the long-anticipated TV series was released by Disney in December of last year (although Percy Jackson had been adapted before into a movie series, rather unsuccessfully). The series proved to be Disney +’s mostsuccessfulTVseriespremieretodate,andthiswasmost certainly because of the high anticipation among readers of

the books. Besides this series being incredibly successful, it also led to an increase in the sale of the books, with the book rising in the bestsellers chart, proving how these adaptations are also incredibly helpful for authors of the original booksas theycan reach an increased audience.

Seeing a beloved book series come to life is (most of the time) a good thing, and readers often look forward to the release of an adaptation of their favourite books, with AmazonPrimeespeciallybeingverysuccessful inthisover the past years. However, as mentioned with the original PercyJacksonmovies,theseadaptationsdon’talwaysprove to be successful and can be a huge let-down to the readers of the books, which has been proven many times again. Take The Hobbit forexample. Although it is an incredibly successful movie trilogy, itdeviated a lot from the original novel whilst adding many additional characters and plotlines, which was incredibly disappointing for longterm fans of the novel. This not only proved true for The Hobbit but also for other seemingly successful series, like Twilight, which wasa huge disappointment for fansof the books.

Despitesomeof thesemoviesnotturningoutassuccessful as one might expect, there is no doubt about the positive impact they have on society and media, providing incredible content yearly with an increasing number of films being based on the oh-so-loved favourites of many people. Not only do these adaptations have a positive impact on literacy and reading rates in both children and adults, but they also often prove to be comforting and sentimental for the initial readers of the books. This only proves the incredible importance books have in our current society.

Female MusiciansPitted Against Each Other

By James (V)

Woman in the music industry have been facing an uphill battleforyears,whereasthe menaseverseemtobetaking a shortcut to success. When it comes to the instruments they play, how they express themselves as musicians, and how they can exhibit their gender and sexuality, women in the music industry are more constrained than men. Because of societal expectations and preconceived ideas, women in the music industry are devalued and mistreated. Apart from safeguarding themselves against financial exploitation by labels that induce artists to sign deal memos to put the label in a position of strength, women also need to look out for sexual exploitation. Our culture sends out a lot of contradictory messages regarding women’s identities and worth. While music serves as a release, it becomes something that prevents a lot of women in the field from being true to themselves and from growing as individualsand artists.

Women have been facing this issue for years upon years. Despite being influential in most, if not all musical genres, they are still seen as inferior to male musicians.

The mystique surrounding jazz, for instance, works against women, as author Peter Watrous explains in his piece “Jazz Views “Why Women Remain at the Back of the Bus.” It upholds a set of values predicated on the old-fashioned ideas of masculinity. When a woman performs a deep blues on tenor saxophone, she steps into traditionally male terrain, where women are expected to learn how to be male to carryoff anydisplays of passion. Even still, women who engage in this type of “transvestism” face criticism for it. Watrous notes that even Louis Armstrong’s lip disfigurement during a trumpet performance appeared appropriate for a male, but less so for a woman. Society is uncomfortable with seeing women perform typically masculine behaviours. As a result of this, women in the jazz world and in other genresof musicare forced to missopportunities.

The media also plays a significant role in the constant comparison of woman against each other. They love to create false rivalries between female artists because it sells. Tabloids and gossip columns thrive on the private lives of Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. The supposed ‘feuds’ become the focus instead of the incredible music. They are being reduced to their personal lives instead of being celebrated and known for their musical talent. Of course, there is also the gender stereotypes found within the industry. Societyoften portrays woman as emotional, dramatic, and prone to conflict. These stereotypes influence how female musicians are portrayed in the media and contribute to the perception that they are constantly at odds with each other. It is like they are constantly meant to be at war with each other for the number one album of the year, rather than supporting eachother. The lengthydebateof who isbetter– Beyonce or Taylor Swift - was put to rest when Beyonce attended the LA premiere of Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ concert film in October, and Swiftattended the premiere of Beyonce’s ‘Rennaissance Tour’ in November. They proved to the tabloids that despite what was said about their alleged rivalry, they supported each other’s record-smashing, Ticketmaster-breaking, bank account-shattering tours. The fact that the pair had to publicly put an end to the debate rooted in societal misogyny proves woman must fight harder to stay afloat in the music industry, despite how popularthey become.

There also remains the fact that there is limited representation of women in the music industry. When thereareonlyafewspotsavailable forwomentosucceed, asridiculousasthatsounds,itcreatesthissenseofscarcity and intensifies the competition that is itself forged from the media. Despite this, more women are breaking through the barriers held by men, creating a much more inclusive and supportive music industry. Clear examples of this include the breakthrough of artists such as Lizzo, representing full-figured, black women; Olivia Rodrigo, representing the Filipino American community; RAYE, representing not only independent artists, but also her Ghanaian-Swiss heritage; and artists such as Renne Rapp and Brandi Carlise who all represent the LGBTQIA+ community, respectively, and many more. Nowadays, it is beginning to feel like anyone can make music, but even a

decadeago, themusicindustrywasexclusivelypopulated by skinny, white, young girls, which put many aspiring artists off trying to break through, as they felt they would not fit in. Many fans feel that the introduction of these new artists is doing the music industry wonders. However, none of the artistshaveemergedasmassive, household namesthateven yourgrandparentswillknow.Thenextstepisforthesemusic companies to push these artists even further into stardom, propelling them to become the next Lady Gaga or Jennifer Lopez.

But throughout all the magic, madness, heaven and sin withinthefemalemusiccommunity,therearemanypositive aspects. Many female musicians are actively working to challenge these narratives. Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and TaylorSwifthaveall become billionairesrecentlyand, whilst Swift’s isfullyduetohermusic, Rihannaand Gomez’smusic played a part in their billionaire-ship. Swift also became the first woman to hold all 10 spots in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 following the release of her 6-time Grammy nominated album, Midnights. Swift also became the first woman to win Album of The Year at the Grammys 3 times, for Fearless in 2010, 1989 in 2015, and Folklore in 2021, and the first person to win 4 times, with her 4th win in 2024 for Midnights. Beyonce is now the most awarded musician in Grammyhistoryat32awardswonand 88 total nominations. Madonna is recognised as the best-selling female artist of all time with over 300 million sales. Rihanna was second at 250 million sales and Mariah Carey was third at 220 sales. Aretha Franklin becamethefirstwomen to be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, just 4 years after it was set up in 1983. Despite this, only 8.4 % of inductees are female, not a good look for an institution that exists in a world in which 50 percent of the people on the planet are women.And in2019, StevieNicksbecamethefirstwomanto be inducted into theRockand Roll Hallof Fametwice- once as agroup, and againasa soloartist.

Following on from all the major success female musicians have been rightly graced with throughout the years, the attitudestowardsfemalemusicians,regardlessofrace,sexual orientation, or political views, have begun to change for the better. Successfulartistsareconstantlylifting theirpeersup, with female musicians frequently taking time to promote their peer’s latest music or projects. They are collaborating, mentoring, and advocating for one another. Just in 2023, the number of US female musicians included in the year’s biggest hits reached a record high. However, we are still far fromparity, asthat highwas barely 35%. However, it isstill a step in the right direction. Furthermore, at the most recent Grammy Awards, the nominations were heavily dominated by female musicians, including artists such as SZA, Phoebe Bridgersand Victoria Monae.

Throughout history, the phenomenon of female musicians being pitted against each other in a genuine manner (in contrast to male musicians being pitted against each other ‘forabitoffun’andinasatiricalmanner)canbeattributedtoa combination of historical context, media influence, industry pressure, and, unfortunately, the sheer amountof sexism, racism, and homophobia still found throughout the industry, even in the 21st century.

With yet another edition of The Galley we welcome another set of superb creativepieces. Amongstthemarea multitudeof shortstories from arange of year groups, alongside some wonderful photography from Fraya (FV) to accompany it. Get comfortable, reader, you’re in fora treat.

Letyourimaginationbesetfree.Putyourselfintheshoesofmanycharacters: from imagining yourself among giants in the Highlandsto meeting strange creatures in the forest. Or emerge yourself in the everyday monologue of a woman in today’s society, or an individual seeking an archaeological analysis of writer’s block. In the Creative section, whether you are a big reader,aloverof photography,orsimplyinneedofsomethoughtful fiction, there issomething foreveryone.

So settle in, and takea break from the news, media and thought-provoking opinion pieces, forawind-down in the creative section.

Saffron Phillips (VI)

Creative

Editor

Here There Be Giants

Fraya (V)

Heenjoyed roaming the highlands fordaysonend, taking in the magnificentviews,exploring theuntouched wilds. He’d ventureintotherolling hillswithnothing morethanwhathecouldcarryonhisback,and he’ddoso, likeclockwork,every summer. He was enamoured by the outdoors. Out here all his worries about work and bills seemed so insignificant. Out here itwas just him, thewind, the rain, the sun, and the hills that had weathered the millennia in silentvigil.

As the sun began to set, painting the landscape in beautiful colours, covering them in bronze and gold, he crested the summitof the hill he’d beensteadilytrekking up. The mild warmthof anunusuallysunnydaywas being leeched away by thechilly breezeas night began to set in. He’d need to make camp forthe night.

Aflickeroforangelightcaughthiseye,andhezeroedinonit.There,amerehundredorsometresaway,nestledprotectively away from the wind byarock formation, wasa campfire. He could spot thesilhouetteof a person hunched over by it.

A person. Here, veryremote, up in the hills? As it’sgetting dark?

Well, hewasn’texactlyonetotalk— hewasoutherehimself afterall. Buthecouldn’tspotabagwiththem,oratentsetup.

He walked tentativelyover, curious.

A lion’s mane of greying ginger hair didn’t look up as he came to a stop opposite the campfire. The old man simply continued to work awaywith a knife atasmall wooden carving – of what, hecouldn’tquite tell yet.

“Here there be giants, lad,” thegravellyvoice warned ominously.

He faltered at that, wondering whatprompted thatcomment, and politelyquestioned what theelder had meant.

The man heaved a sigh, halting the repetitive scrape scrape scrapeof his knife on wood. When he finally looked up from hisprojectitwastorevealsharpblueeyesandcrinkledcrows-feetonaweathered face.Theoldmanlooked likethekindly sort, friendly, like the cheerful old folk one would find reminiscing at a round table in the pub. The man was the picture of a stereotypical Scotsman living in the highlands; wild ginger hairand untamed beard, weathered, but despite his frail frame, strong.

“Nae heard the stories, ey?”

He shook his head, no.

“Settle down then, traveller, and I’ll tell ye,” the old man gestured to a vacant spot by the fire, and so, with only a little hesitation, he shucked off his bag and dropped iton thedryground, settling next to it.

The old man began the story in a low voice, “Long ago, ‘tis said giants walked the land. Plenty folk tell tales o’ how the earthwouldshakefrom theirveryfootsteps. Plentygiantsweren’etallenough tetouch thesky, buttheysweretallenough

te ‘ave all the power o’ a rockslide and be as immovable as the very mountains from which they were born and te which theywould returnas theydied.”

It had grown dark now, and an odd look which he couldn’t quite identify grew on the old man’s face, making him look haunting as the shadowscast by the flickering campfirepainted contrastsacross his bony face.

“Theysay that these here hills are agraveyard,”

The reveal hung in the air, and he couldn’t help it as his eyes flickered from the old man’s face to look out over the sea of dark hills.

“Oh aye, lad. This is agraveyard. We sitatop thecorpseof a warriorfrom a battle that shook theveryearth itself! This hill is the tombstone, and the little letters on our maps her eulogy; Anne O’ Beinncridhe her name been. But that’s no why I tell ye thisstory, doye see the stonecircleon the hill yonder?”

Hiseyes followed theman’sbonyfingertowhereitpointed;acircleof aroundabouts fortytoweringstonesthatstoodatop a plateau, lit by the pale silver glow of the moon. He didn’t pull his eyes away from the site even as the old man began to speak.

“They say after the war ended, the survivors set about burying the dead, piling stone afta’ stone upon the bodies te form these hills. Then came the funeral dances, swinging around an’ around in circles. But they became lost to the sound o’ a fiddlethatbegan teplay,and theyneverstopped,evenasthesunroseand thefirstarrowso’ lighthitthem.Thegiantswere turned testone. Some people say it was a brownie playing the fiddle, using magic toentrance the giantsand turn them to stone, some people say it’s a metaphor for the holy wordsof a Saint, turning thegiants to stone for their sins. Some claim thatthe fiddlecan still be heard, and that thegiantscontinue te dance, when the moon rises.”

As the old man finished speaking, he turned to look at him, but old man was gone. The fire had gone out, looking as if it had long since burned outratherthancrackling away mere momentsago, but underthe lightof the moon hecould make out theold man’scrude wooden carving sitting where he had once sat.

The wooden figurine of a fiddle was the only evidence that the old man had been there at all, and as he tentatively set up campand tried to sleep, heswore hecould hearthe fiddlerplayas the breezecarried the tune.

Photography

Fraya (V)

Izzy (VI)

Inspired by Jamaica Kincaid’s 1978 poem, ‘Girl’:

Upon leaving the house it is of the uttermost importance that you look presentable; makeup is required to convince societyyourskin is naturally that smooth, youreyelashes naturally that long and yourcheeks naturally that pink; here is how toapplyconcealer tocoverup theeyebagsyou have from neverbeing able to sleepand here is how to latheryour lips in lip gloss to ensure no one notices your nasty habit of biting them when you’re nervous; buy the miracle foundation, it would be a miracle if it can cover the spots on your face; buy a silk pillowcase for your hair, pink preferably, and wash it at twenty degrees everyweek; wash your face morning and night; wash your hair every other day with Olaplex, it doesn’t matter it costs a quarter of your pay check; always keep ChapStick in your back pocket; here is how to make a spinach smoothie for breakfast thatdoesn’t taste like spinach and here is how to feel full afteronly eating a spinach smoothie for breakfast; letgo of grudges because theycause wrinkles; geteight to ten hours of sleep each nightand riseeach morning with the sun; never have bare nails; never spend too much time looking in the mirror, even though your appearance is whatyouwill be judged on; nevercompareyourself toothers, butknowyou will alwaysbecompared tothosearoundyou; nevertrydietingpillsorfads,nomatterhowmanytimesthevoiceinsideyourheadcallsyoufat; findyoursignaturescent; spend time at the gym but never work out too hard; never eat too much but never eat too little; you are a woman with a maninsidewatchingawoman;whydoyouwearsomuchmakeup?;whileinschool bequietlysmart;don’tgetinthewayof the boys; don’traiseyour hand toansweraquestionasyou’reprobablywrong and don’task forhelpwhenyou desperately need it- you need not be a nuisance; don’t be the dumb blonde; don’t be the obnoxious know it all; walk quietly through the halls; don’t drag your feet; always have gum on you; when the teacher asks fora strong boy to carry chairs don’t bring upthefactyouarejustasstrongastheyare; ondressdowndaynevershowyourshoulders;doyourhomework thedayyou receive it; don’t be mad thatyouarecalled hardworking and diligentwhenyourmalecounterpartsarecalled geniusesand intelligent and don’t be mad thatyouropinions aren’t listened to at the meeting; don’t be mad the man will always make moremoneythanyouanddon’tbe mad youwill alwayshavetorelyonthatman;youshouldsmile more baby; don’tjudge what theothergirl iswearing on thestreet; smilesoftlyatthosewhosmile first; moisturisesoyou don’tgetstretch marks; go running on Wednesdays and walks every other Thursday; here is how to angle the camera when posing for Instagram and here is how to use dry shampoo so your hair doesn’t look greasy; wash your sheets on Sunday and help your mother clean the disheson Monday; make yourcoffee at home to save money; always tryclotheson before buying them; eat Ben and Jerry’swhenthecrying won’tstop, butneverspend toomuchtimecrying overa boy; drink twogallonsof wateraday; forget about the man who told you to smile more and forget about how much your shoes make your feet hurt; call your friend whenyou need adviceand call yourmum whenyou need help; listen to musicto putyourself inagood mood; play sports only in which you look graceful; don’t sweat or pant or try too hard; be elegantly good and understand that your sportwillalwaysbesecondtotheonethatyourbrotherplays;whydoyoulooksofrustrated?besurenottoleavethehouse in anything too revealing for the need to not attract unwanted attention; rememberyou will always be blamed when you become thevictim; alwayscarryyourphonewhenout; send yourlocation toa family memberorfriend; alwayscoveryour glass; drink enough to make you forget but not enough to make you vulnerable; realise you are always vulnerable; never accept lifts home with strangers, but never go home by yourself; lift your friend’s hair when she’s being sick; don’t let a man take her home; always trust your gut; walk in the brightly lit street; take the long way home; here is how to forget about the constant news of the things that happen to girls like you; here is how to avoid eye contact with the person on the dark street; here is how to hold your car keys to use them as a weapon; here is how to put your head down and cross the road and quicken your pace; here is how to get home safe; why do you look so scared?; never take your phone out in conversation, you don’twant them to think you aloof; neveryawnwhile someone’s lecturing you, you don’twant them to think you impudent; never take too long to reply to a text, you don’t want them to think you bad-mannered; never talk of your self’s achievements, you don’t want them to think you conceited; nevercomplain of a person’s wrong doings, you don’t want them to think you ungracious; maybe neverdo anything atall, perhaps that’s forthe better.

Digging

Affan (V)

“Oh no. I must come up with something to write my English assignment. What should I write? Discursive or persuasive or creative? Hmm, so many options, and I don’t know what to write. Can it be a blend of all? Wait. Mrs. Mackie once told me to check the coursespecificationson the SQA website if I didn’t knowwhat towrite. I mustdo thatatonce.” I told mycomputer.

I dug into the highest band range forcreative and discursive content in the portfolio-writing marking instructions. “Selfawareness”, “Personality”, and “Understanding” were among the few artefacts I excavated. The words read like sacred revelationspreserved inoraclebonescripts, butatthisstageof writing -orratheruncovering - Iwasonlyanarchaeologist, notaphilologist. I was justas clueless as before, but my brows began pulling downwards, and my teeth clenched.

“ButI’magoodwriter! Iwrotefortheschool magazineafewtimes.WhycanI notcomeupwithanyideasthistime?Hmm. A-ha! A lightbulb now flashes above me! ChatGPT! I shall resort to Mrs. Mackie’s formidable arch-nemesis. Open me a new tab.” I requested Google.

“Why… do I… as a writer… struggle… to come up… with ideas?”. I typed into the most cursed. “You may be facing what’s knownasawriter’sblock.Itisaconditioninwhichawriterfindsitchallengingtoproducenewwrittenworkorexperiences asignificantdecrease in theircreativeoutput. Several factorscausing it includedistractions,perfectionism, and perceived lack of ideas,” the malevolentsaid, prophetically.

Likeanyexpedition, I musttrusttheuntrustedand unreliable. I thoughtthatwasn’tagoodself-justificationforusing A.I., but I continued. Methodically, I solved each factorand crossed itoutof my list to begin myquest.

Distractions? I banish my social media accounts. Perfectionism? I armour myself with coffee to shield myself from ruthless, self-inflicted attacks. Perceived lack of ideas? Well, my attempt to decipher that four-word enigma proved to be an endeavour mycaffeinated soul couldn’tendure.

“What do you mean ‘perceived’ lack of ideas? But I do know that I don’t know. I’ve run dry. I can’t have ideas if I’m idealess. I mean, at least I’m self-aware about that.” I ranted to my lamp. The lamp piercingly stared back at me. The sharp rays would shovel into my eyes if I continued looking at it. I concluded that my lamp must be telling me to look elsewhere.

Shone by the light, I left the dark dungeon of the ChatGPT tab. Like Indiana Jones, I must explore through sediments of dustyand layeredconsciousnesstounearthrelicsof ideas.If Iwanderedwithoutconcentration, Iwould bebooby-trapped and remain in the labyrinthof mythoughts forever, procrastinating. Butunlike Indiana Jones, I didn’t begin thesearch by strapping my boots. I opened YouTube.

“Higher… English… Assignment…” I typed into the more reliable and benevolent. I dragged the cursor to the search icon, which I didn’t click. “Ooo, what’s that? A TED Talk by Sarah Kurnick titled ‘Aliens Built the Pyramids’? This video will prove to be of great significance to my assignment, surely!” I dragged the cursor away from the search icon and clicked on the alluring TED video swaying in my recommendations page despite knowing my assignment wouldn’t be about extraterrestrial life. Itseems that I had fallen into the firstpitfall therewas.

I spent twelve minutes watching the video. Sarah Kurnick argued that the belief aliens aided ancient civilisations in constructing monumentswasharmfulas itimplied thatpeopleof thepastcouldn’tindependentlyachievegreatness. “But that would also mean I can develop great ideas independently, without the internet. So, I must not dig for inspiration. I mustdig for… me. Yes! This must be what ‘Personality’ meant!” I hypothesised. I closed the SQA, ChatGPT, and YouTube tabs with a heavy mouse tounearth myself.

Spinning and spinning and spinning in my swivel chair, perhaps if I passed out with dizziness, I could walk through the maze of memories within my human mind and uncover the thoughts that build up my individuality. Or perhaps I could cherry-pick the best idea to write myassignmentabout. Or I could end upvomiting. That thoughtseemed more likely, so I stopped spinning and avoided getting lost inthoughts. As I satstatically, twoeyeson myshelf glared at me: Piranesi and The Midnight Library. Although I had stopped relying on external sources for inspiration, if I skimmed through Clarke’s and Haig’s ideas that influenced me, I could betterunderstand my ideas. I reached forthe two novels.

“Pi-ra-ne-si. Imagine being trapped in ‘The House’. A world of infinite hallways, infinite vestibules, and infinite unique statues representing infinite ideas must be claustrophobic. You were trapped there, yet you maintained your whimsical curiosity as you recorded each room and each statue in journals. If I were you, I would be bored and have an infinite slumber. No-ra Banks. How were you not bored in ‘The Midnight Library’? A library consisting of infinite books containing infinite information on the consequences of the infinite choices you could’ve taken before you overdosed? I

couldn’t even bear the drowsinessof reading one book in my English class. Hmm. Whywould these characters remain in a world fossilised by nothing but ideas?” I asked this question not to my computer, lamp, ChatGPT or YouTube. I asked thequestion to myself.

Amid my musings, I felt a peculiar resonance with their respective journeys. Their unyielding fascination with these boundless, ethereal worlds, with realms of thoughts and possibilities, struck a chord deep within me. As I pondered the allureof ‘The House’ and ‘The Midnight Library,’ itbecameevidentthat, in theirchosenabodesof imagination, theywere unburdened by the mundane limitations of reality. These characters found refuge in the inexhaustible reserves of their own minds just as I was beginning to realise the value of traversing my own labyrinthine consciousness. Their tales were not merely fantastical narratives butare reflective of the inherent potential within any individual to embark ona journey of self-discovery, their unique identities through exploration and the unfettered wandering of thought.

And it occurred to me. ‘The House’ and ‘The Midnight Library’ were never natural settings. It symbolised the vast consciousness of Piranesi and Nora Banksandall thememorieswithinthem.Andwhywouldsomeonechoosenot to be lost in their own thoughts? Why had I avoided traversing through the twisted tombof myownthoughts?There haveneverbeenanyboobytraps; no spearsorsnakesorspikes,onlytheopposite.Theonlypitfall I had falleninwas notentering the mazeall thiswhile. Procrastination, itturnsout, isn’tentirely harmful; it’s a necessary part of the creative process because, within the minutes and hourssupposedlywasted, it is where the mostextraordinaryand g-reativeideasareburied.Thosewhowanderarenotlost,andthosewhoaren’t willing to be lostwill nevercomeupwith wonders. I dug, and I understood.

Unseelie or Seelie?

Affan (FV)

The Unseelie, shrouded inshadows,tramplewaxcapswithvehementmischief; theirnightlight hexesdispersethroughout the woodlands, recoiling hair follicles like an echelon of springtails leaping. But the Seelie swayed like iridescent silk, leaving the wind untouched when twirling, and would teach mottled beetles about the dangers of bramble prickles and gorse thorns with gentle whispers. The two courts spoke distinct languages; the Unseelie had a tongue for accented gibberish, and the Seelievocalised muskyand soft.

I was seven when I arrived in Scotland. My parents were here for postgraduate study, and I was here to imprison fairies. I hadabutterfly-catching nettwice largerthan mystature,aused pickle jarbiggerthan myhead,andajournal torecord my observations. Each day when the school bell rang, I would scurry away, hefting my equipment to the forest floor – where mossthrivesondampsoil protected from thesunbyaldertrees – tocarefullyinspecttheundersideof eachfern, twig,and pebble. The ferns whirled around Yellow Stainers as the crisp, brisk breeze blushed my damp knees. Based on my notes, the Unseelie often use Yellow Stainers as hats due to the fashionable discolouration on the cap when bruised. I plucked one. While examining it, thegills bedaubed with finewhitepowder made me sneeze.

“Blessh ywu!”

Mygoosebumps jumped. An Unseelie had castan ill spell onto me. I turned around.

“Hiya! Whervyshll yer plasykyll wivirth myee?”

“Huh?”

“Whervll yerplasywivit mye?”

“What?”

“Will you playwith me?”

“Oh, umm, okaycan.”

I spoke my mothertongueat home, and Englishwasunintelligibleto me. The harshconsonantsand strong accentsof the Scots were piercing to my delicate ear. And I felt like a being from the otherworld protruding the grace of the fairyland

when I falteringly communicated with my peers, often asking them to repeat themselves to puzzle their words together until I understood. For this reason, I would hunt ethereal beings by myself. Until today, a boy with auburn hair, which teased thepeeking spring sunbetterthana lake’sreflectioncanand frecklesorganicallyscattered across his face– prettier than Yellow Stainers amongst the grass, came up to me. I thought he was not an Unseelie; he must have approached me desiring the mushroom I had, so I locked my fingers.

“Whaads jhaad einyerfinkess?”

“Huh?”

“What’s that in yourfingers?”

“Oh, umm, fairy hat.”

“Meeye a seeyie?”

“What?”

“May I see?”

“Oh, umm, okayden.”

I revealed the mushroom sitting on my palm. His eyes were greener than jealousy, a complexion I had never seen before. I thought humans could not have green eyes; had I stolen the property of an Unseelie? He was not one, surely. But the Unseeliearewell-documentedtoshowaggressionandterritorialbehaviourwhenprovoked.Asaprecaution,Iimmediately returned his hat to him before he asked. He stood there staring at the mushroom I gave him, now in his pale palms. His pupils darkened before he bawled outto the alderand birch,

“Och!”

“Huh?”

“Jhissk issk a wee Yellow Stainerein ma hauns!”

“What?”

“Theesye arsk toksikk ammd poizomous!”

Before I could ask him to repeat himself again, he dropped the mushroom, stepped on it, and ran away from me. What madehimactinsuchway?Icould notunderstandwhathesaid. Iwashoping hewould huntfairieswithme. Hemusthave been an Unseelie; that mightexplain the evilness. I jotted in my journal, “Unseelie… have… red… hair…”

The ink was smudged by tearful, jittery fingers as I was upset over the now mushed fairy hat. From that day, I trusted no one; they were all Unseelie in disguise – like the boy I met. I would not talk with anyone in my classroom. I refused gifts from myneighbours. And when the fishmongerin Morrison’ssaid, “Hiyapal!”, I ignored herand lookedawayjustbecause under her hairnet, she had copperychestnut hair.

I amseventeenand havearrived in Scotland again. Myparentsareat homeworking, asthey havecompleted theirstudies, and I am here as a boarder, though I haveyet to abducta fairy. I have learntthe silver-tongued languageof the Scots from theinternet, though I stillchokeon mytonsilswhenpronouncing theconsonant “th”atthestartof aword and would still replace them entirelywith “d” like I did a decade ago. However, a month after myre-arrival, I realised therewere no more Scots who spoke abrasively and rugged in an incomprehensible dialect. A twang previously so ubiquitous now abruptly vanished like theextinctionof fairiesas I grew. Where did the accented gibberish go?

“Hey, you’re zoning out.”

I clicked back into where I was. A Seelie is smiling. I look at her.

“Huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me. I’ve reminded you it’s much polite to saypardon.”

“Sorry, de ‘huh’ isachildhood habit.”

“Alright, so nowyou knowoak, birch, hazel, rowan, aspen, holly, and hawthorn. What’s that?”

Shepointed to a tree which pricked mea bit.

“Oh, dat must be a holly.”

“No, you can tell by its leaves. A hollywould have spinyelliptical leaves with prickled edges.”

No, I could not havepossiblytold by its leaves; itwasautumn, and treeswereshedding. Theground ispulpywithoakand birch leaves slushed with mud, and the soggy cuffs of my jeans rub against my skin above where the socks end. Each step made the squelching sound like stepping on a toad as we sauntered. She has profound amber eyes with thin hazel lines flaring inheriris, much liketheveinsin leavesof autumnfoliage. Herhairwastohershoulders,wavyand chatoyanttitian incolour,which mingledgracefullywith thewind and light. I would havebeenscaredof hertenyearsago,yetshewashow I had imagined a Seelie.

Despite that, she has a stern demeanour and is dour when speaking, which only hides away when she rattles on about Scottishflora.And forthatreason,IwouldonlyaskhertotalkaboutScottishflora.Initially,Ionlycaredaboutmushrooms, notplantsortrees, butthesucculentardencyof herwordswithinherdaintydescriptionseventuallymademefamishedfor herpassion, too. I understood the soft and musky language she uses when speaking about trees.

I think I started liking trees as I gazed outside the windows at my guardian’s house during the winter break. I was not familiarwithtreesthen, butI likedseeing snowflurryingonto hardenedevergreentrees,which madethemlook likegiant dandelions, just less fluffy and more mysterious. My guardian had his mother living with us. His mother gleamed like a portrait, required astairlift, and onlyspoke French. Wecommunicated byexchanging smiles – I suppose two beings from the otherworld being together helped make us both feel less alienated. I am over sixteen now, which means I no longer need aguardian and will stayalone, renting spareroomsduring term breaks, sothe last breakwas my lastwith her. As the taxi arrived, I was aboutto heft my large duffel bagsdown the stairswhenshe said,

“Viens ici, viens ici. Essaie ça”

I don’t know what she said, but this time, I understood what she meant. Maybe the accented gibberish never went away; I just started understanding the Unseelie better, which made everyone Seelie to me. I sat on the stairlift, had my bags on my lap, and she pushed a button, sending me downwards. The stairlift moved gently, and it would have been faster had I walked down instead, though it made me smileas I left my home here.

“Isyourfingeralright? See, what’spricked you there isa blackthorn. It haselliptical leaves witha pointed tipand thorny –Oi, you’re zoning outagain!”

“Pardon?”

“Whatare you thinking of?”

“Nothing.LookatdoseYellowStainersgrowingonwhatseemslikeanaspen’sstump.Deygrowfromlatespringtoautumn. You know, I used to believe fairies wore dem as hats.”

“Haha, that’s silly. I wonderwhere they’ll gosoon inwinter.”

Shereached to the Yellow Stainers. Before shecould pick one, I nudged her hand away.

“Heydon’t, they’re toxic.”