City of London Freemen's School - Perspectives (Scholars' Journal)

Contents

Perspectives

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Past

Chapter 3: Present

Chapter 4: Future

Introduction to Perspectives and

Scholars’ perspectives

Scholars’ perspectives

Scholars’ perspectives

Freemen’s: Past, Present, Future.

on historical topics.

on current issues.

on the future.

Page 1 - 2

Page 3 - 24

Page 25 - 52

Page 53 - 76

Scholars' Journal: an introduction Sarah Parkin, Head of Scholarship

Roland Martin, Headmaster

As part of the programme, Scholars are invited to undertake an Academic Specialism. This is an independent project on a subject of personal choice, supported by Freemen’s academic departments; this journal is a collection of the completed works.

When embarking on the creation of this journal in October 2019, the Scholars’ editorial team made it clear they wanted to present their readers with the Scholars’ voices and perspectives of the world; they wanted this journal to provide an insight into what they think of the past, present and future.

It seems very odd to be writing this introduction at a time of global crisis although in many ways, lockdown has provided an opportunity to enjoy scholastic pursuits.

I know many people – including several of our young people at Freemen’s – who have taken the prospect of more time and less routine to try new things: to learn a language (our former Chairman is enjoying an Arabic refresher); to read the weighty novel that has hitherto been a bridge too far; or to start writing one; to pick up a new creative skill; to engage with on-line courses; to think… I hope that our scholars have been using the opportunity to stretch and challenge themselves.

It has been a privilege to work with the Scholars, especially when they have excitedly discussed their ideas and progress with me. Sharing their learning journeys, and guiding them as necessary was wonderful. I am grateful for being challenged and taught by my pupils; it has been an honour to share their range of interests and depth of knowledge.

Amid all the noise, there has been the pain caused by disconnection which has impacted so many, but in particular the more elderly and those living on their own.

I am very grateful to Mrs Parkin and to Mrs Agarwal for engaging Scholars with former pupils with the ‘Pen Pals’ initiative and hope that some interesting exchanges have been enjoyed as a result.

I wish to extend my thanks to the Scholars’ editorial team: Tom Ade-Parsons, Isabel Webb, Abby Dopson, Kaan Suphi, Zoe Dahse, Nevidu Jay and Joel Allison.

To work with such a dedicated group, who appropriate the task with collegiate enthusiasm, has been a joy.

Wishing you well at this difficult time and looking forward to seeing you in person, soonest…

I hope that you find the articles produced by the Scholars thought provoking and stimulating.

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Protogeometric and Geometric pottery Fran Flynn, U6 Exhibit LR.830 (Fig.1), found in Melos, Greece, is dated to about 900 B.C. and as a result shows both Protogeometric and Geometric features. The Protogeometric period lasted from around 1000 B.C. to 900, before turning into the Geometric style which lasted until 700 B.C. The Protogeometric style focuses on concentric circles, painted with the aid of compasses, with arcs and triangles also appearing whereas the Geometric period focuses on rectilinear patterns such as the battlement and the meander instead. This specific pot was made between the end of the dark ages, which came about due to the decline of the Mycenaean civilizations, and the start of the Geometric period, from which the polis or city state would start to emerge. The cup has features which span the two styles such as the use of wavy lines on the handle, and while its shape and placement of decoration is more Geometric, the motifs used and date made is more Protogeometric.

Exhibit LR.830’s shape is more typical of the Geometric period due to its sculptural shape and certain similarities to the skyphos, which started to be made in the Geometric period. Figures, especially in narrative forms, were much more prevalent in the Geometric style compared to the Protogeometric. The early Geometric style originated in Athens, and there are two distinct stages which correspond approximately to the first Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

Fig. 1 Exhibit LR.830

two quarters of the ninth century B.C. These similarities in shape can be seen when compared to 74.51.589 (Fig.2) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and although it uses more protogeometric styling, this Terracotta Skyphos, was made in the 1st half of 8th century B.C., so is firmly in the Geometric period. These similarities in shape is seen mainly in the base as well as the bulging shoulder before a slightly flared neck.

The key Geometric feature on LR.830 is the placement of the decoration, which is not only focused on the shoulder, as the handle which is painted with two, waving black lines. The wavy line is a motif more commonly associated with the early Geometric period than Protogeometric, as the concentric circles was the

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Protogeometric and Geometric pottery key motif, and further helps place this cup into the Geometric style, although not a fully rectilinear motif either. The continuous bands on the cup, rather than all decoration being focused on the shoulder helps to place the cup into the geometric period as well as it creates a ‘visual effect… of undulating rhythm’ (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018) which is more associated with the Geometric period than the Protogeometric style. The transition between the styles came at a time when the art of writing was starting to be re-introduced, and ‘potters, arguably not the most sophisticated element of society, [were] early adepts’ (Hesiod and Stallings, 2018). The Geometric period coincides with the re-establishment of trade, and so perhaps that is why, pottery decoration starts to grow more complex as the Phoenicians’ expand overseas and prosperity, and new styles start to overtake the concentric circles. There was also movement within Greece, as after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilisations, there was much ‘chaotic tribal wandering’ (Boardman, Griffin and Murray, 2002) with the settlements of the Dorians, Ionians and Aeolians being fairly established, and some small-scale expansion beyond the original settlements in 1000 B.C. This again could help explain the changes, and also why L.R.830 does not shows characteristics from both styles.

Although this krater AN1887.3408 (Fig.3) from the Ashmolean is from the middle geometric period, and a different shape, the use of bands in the cup has similarities to LR.830 and so further suggests of its more 5

Fig. 2 Exhibit 74.51.589

Fig. 3 Exhibit AN1887.3408

Geometric leanings. However, LR.830 shows more Protogeometric leanings in terms of its lack of any key Geometric patterns such as the meander, and that it has no rectilinear motifs at all. It is also simpler than the other Geometric examples, such on AN1887.3408 from the

Ashmolean where there is a complex and eye-striking meander. In comparison, LR.830 appears much plainer, and although this can be partly explained by the different uses of the two artefacts, with LR.830 being a cup while AN1887.3408, being a krater, which was typically used to water-down wine, and so perhaps took a more decorative purpose than more practical purposes of the drinking cup form of LR.830. The pottery from the Protogeometric period seems to have first been used in Athens and Cyprus, almost simultaneously, then to neighbouring regions in an erratic manner, and its key distinguishing motif is circular or semi-circular shapes.

These are direct descendants of Mycenaean pottery, but this newer style of pottery also shows a progression in the fabrication and design over sub-Mycenaean, with ‘the differences are apparent in the fact that in one case the decoration is executed by means of compass and ruler and in the other free-hand’ (Matz and Keep, 1963). The Protogeometric period saw gradual change between the Mycenaean and Archaic periods, and in Athens around 1050 BC, the regular use of iron for ornaments and weapons and cremation for the dead, as well as crucially Protogeometric pottery, emerged.

Naturally this shift to the iron age, did not immediately affect all regions of Greece, but rather dissipated over a period of time, hence why it is hard to date LR.830’s style, as it is difficult to judge whether the geometric style had transferred to the Island of Melos in the South Aegean by the time the pot was manufactured, as despite evidence at Lefkandi from a similar period to Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

LR.830, the location of Lefkandi in Euboea makes it much more geographically convenient for Geometric design from Athens to have reached than at Melos, which is about 180km over sea from Athens, and so perhaps the new development would not have arrived by the design of the exhibit, and even if it had, this new design influence may not have been embedded into Melos, hence why this pot might be more easily considered a Protogeometric pot than a Geometric pot.

In conclusion, although exhibit LR.830 shows features from both styles, such as the placement of motifs and its shape, the pot is more Protogeometric than Geometric as it does not show any of the key motifs associated with the Geometric period, and furthermore Melos’ relative distance away from Athens, as well as the close historical proximity between the establishment of the Geometric style in Athens, which is dated around 900 B.C. and the creation of the pot which is also dated around 900 B.C. makes it improbable that the Geometric style had reached and become part of the style of Melos. Furthermore, although the exhibit’s decoration may be limited as a result of its practical use, the overall simplicity of the exhibit means that it does not fit comfortably into the more complex decoration that tends to remain of the Geometric period, although that might be due to gaps in the surviving evidence.

However, on balance, LR.830 is more a typical Protogeometric than Geometric object.

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Satan is the most intriguing character in ‘Paradise Lost’ Priya Navamani, U6 Milton’s depiction of Satan in Paradise Lost is one of great intrigue and complication, as Satan’s destructive relationship with God compels him to take action against mankind. Fuelled by his desire to avenge God for forbidding him to return to Heaven, he constructs a plan that acknowledges his feelings of jealousy and hatred. His manipulation and temptation of Eve paints Satan as a villainous character in the epic poem. However, as Milton begins to hint at his pain and suffering, the reader can start to empathise and appreciate Satan’s character and motives. Thus, he can arguably be considered as one of the most intriguing characters in Paradise Lost.

The initial impression that Milton creates of the character of Satan in Book IX is one vital to introducing his villainous qualities, and forming the reader’s understanding of his story. Milton’s first description is built around the setting of ‘twilight upon the earth’ the sun symbolising the hope given from God and the darkness mirroring the rising of Satan. From the beginning of the book, he is considered to be ‘in mediated fraud and malice’, highlighting his obsession with the destruction of mankind and his deceitful qualities. The alliteration portrays Satan’s perfectly formed envy towards mankind, suggesting that he feels 7

unfairly treated by God. Milton further portrays Satan as ‘thence full of anguish driven’, conveying his mental pain and suffering that he has endured thus far and almost establishing some sympathy from the reader.

The contradiction between Satan’s portrayal as the villain, but also the pitied, creates an interesting dynamic between the character and the reader; therefore demonstrating his qualities of intrigue.

Satan’s sinister qualities are introduced as ‘he rode /With darkness’, effectively illustrating his determination and unreliability to the reader. This is continued his entrance into the Garden of Eden, which is described as being accomplished ‘by stealth’. Here, Milton plays into Satan’s more cunning and determined aspects, suggesting that he has the power to overcome God’s Angels and implying perhaps that his intelligence is overlooked. His slyness is further explored as he decided to take the form of ‘the serpent subtlest beast of all the field’, foreshadowing his manipulation of Eve and thus the destruction of mankind. The sibilance here symbolises the hissing of the snake, connoting Satan’s slyness and resembling the act of him taking the form of the serpent. The intricacy and complexity of the character enables Milton to display Satan as the most intriguing character in the book, forming a doubtful and hesitant response from the reader.

Additionally, the complicated relationship between Satan and God further plays into the intriguing character of Satan. As Satan believes that he was ‘freed/From servitude inglorious’, Milton suggests that he is now liberated from the powers of God, and in the process of searching for more power himself. His envy of the relationship between God and man produces Satan’s spiteful reaction: attacking mankind as ‘a creature formed of earth’ and implying that heavenly creations are of a higher status. The noun ‘creature’ likens mankind to animals, creating a natural Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

desire for hierarchy and social competition.

His previous attempts ‘that to the height of deity aspired' convey Satan’s not only malicious but vindictive qualities, contradicting the following description of the graceful Garden of Eden. The reader can also find indications of Satan’s character from others in the book, such as Adam, who explains that Satan ‘watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find/His wish and best advantage, us asunder’. Satan’s ‘greedy hope’ to separate Adam and Eve suggests a vulnerability of mankind, further hinting at Satan’s strength and power. Adam is directly challenged in Satan’s subsequent dialogue, at which he accuses Adam of doubting his strength. This arrogance shown in Satan’s character here is not purposeful however, but instead is owing to a naivety and ignorance of God’s powers, again creating an intriguing character filled with determination and ambition.

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The Battle of the Somme James Clegg, U4 The Battle of the Somme began on1st July, 1916 at 7am.

On that day approximately 100,000 men lost their lives at the beginning of a battle that would earn Britain and France just 10 miles of ground in 5 months, and would cost the lives of over 300,000 men on both sides, with casualties reaching up to 1 million people. Though the death toll was large, it was a necessary battle in the war.

In my history lessons, we spent many weeks looking at various aspects of the First World War, where much of that time was spent studying the Battle of the Somme ahead of an Upper 4 visit to the Vimy Memorial in France on 18th October, 2019. The Vimy Memorial commemorates the thousands of lives lost, in particular those of Canadian soldiers, during this 141 day battle.

There I could see the huge craters made by the shells, and the trenches that the British, French and Canadian soldiers would have had to fight in; I could only imagine how horrible the conditions must have been.

I have a relative who fought in the First World War Frank Clegg of the 21st Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, who died at Passchendale on 26th October, 1917 at the age of 19. However, to my surprise, I found three more soldiers recorded on the Vimy Memorial with my surname: L. Clegg, H. Clegg and S.A. Clegg.

Although they are not direct relatives of mine, I felt 9

compelled to find out more about them. My internet search revealed limited information about L. Clegg and H. Clegg, however I found that S.A. Clegg referred to Sydney Arthur Clegg registered to the Vimy Memorial.

Sydney Clegg was born in London on 25th February, 1897 but subsequently moved to Canada. Upon the outbreak of war, he joined the Canadian army and became part of Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Private in the Canadian Mounted Rifles 5th Battalion.

The Canadian forces spent the summer of 1916 on the Western front in Belgium before Sydney’s battalion was moved to the Somme where they took part in the attack

at Courcelette on 15th September, 1916, which saw the defeat of the German’s defensive position known as the Sugar Factory.

This was followed by many weeks of defence against unrelenting counter-attacks by the Germans. The Canadians’ next objective was to capture the trench known as Regina Trench, and it was at this point that Sydney Arthur Clegg was killed in action on 2nd October, 1916. He was only 19 years old at the time he was killed, (the same age as Frank Clegg), and now lies buried at Vimy Memorial Cemetery.

My research into my relative, Frank Clegg, and then Sydney Arthur Clegg has made me realise how dreadful the war years must have been for them, being so young, only five years older than me, and having to fight in such awful conditions. It struck me how short their lives were and how brave and strong they must have been to endure such hardships in the fight for our lasting freedom.

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How realistic is ‘The Death of Stalin’?

Adam Cook, L5 The Death of Stalin is a satirical black-comedy that depicts the power struggle following the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1953 and it is based on the French graphic novel La Mort de Staline. In the trailer, it claims that it is 'loosely based on the true story'. I intend to look at some of the scenes from the film and compare them to what actually happened.

The first scene I looked at is at the start of the film.

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 is being broadcast live on Radio Moscow and a phone call from Stalin requests a copy of the recording when the broadcast has finished. The only problem is, the broadcast hasn’t been recorded and chaos ensues as the producer locks the doors from the auditorium before the orchestra or more of the audience can leave. Also, the conductor faints and knocks himself out on a fire bucket so another conductor has to be dragged out of bed and more audience members are dragged of the street, many of whom have never even listened to classical music before.

This did actually happen but in reality, everyone had already gone home when Stalin’s request came through. Pianist Maria Yudina was woken up and taken to a studio where a small orchestra and conductor had been put together. The conductor was not knocked unconscious, but he was so nervous he was unable to 11

lead the orchestra, as was his replacement. It wasn’t until the third conductor that they found someone able to do the job and a special recording was pressed for Stalin personally. This happened nine years before Stalin’s death, not on the same night.

Another key scene in the film is after Stalin collapses, the guards hear it but do not investigate because they fear they will do the wrong thing and be punished. After watching a western movie with four of the Politburo that evening, Stalin suffers a stroke whilst alone in his country dacha. The guards outside his room are afraid to investigate in the fear they will be killed. This means the stroke is only discovered in the morning, after Stalin’s maid brings him his breakfast. As soon as the news comes out, the Politburo members rush to the dacha showing concern, but in reality are only trying to fill the power vacuum that will be created when he dies. The best doctors have already been sent to gulags after the supposed 'doctors’ plot' so eventually, a team of very young and old doctors are assembled and announce that Stalin has had a cerebral haemorrhage, is paralyzed on his right side, and will not recover.

However, the dictator unnerves everyone by briefly waking up from his coma before finally dying three days later.

In reality, Stalin did have the nine doctors on his

existing medical team arrested as part of an officially announced 'doctors’ plot' in 1952, when they were charged with the deaths of leading military and political figures. As a result, at the time of his haemorrhage, he was in the hands of new and unfamiliar doctors. In his memoirs, Khrushchev writes that the four (Khrushchev, Malenkov, Beria and Molotov) were summoned back to Stalin’s dacha by his guards around 1am, when they were told the leader was unconscious. They went back home and then returned early Monday morning, at which point they called in the doctors. It is thought that the delay was the result of the Soviet need that required every decision to be made by committee, with no one wanting to stick their neck out by suggesting a course of action that could go wrong and attract blame.

The final scene I considered is when Molotov denounces his wife. Stalin arrested Molotov’s wife, Polina, before he died but Molotov is so devoted to the party that he doesn’t resent Stalin for it, instead arguing that she must have done something to deserve it. Khrushchev tries to use this arrest to make Molotov turn on Beria and win his support. Beria, having anticipated this, arrives at Molotov’s apartment with Polina hoping this will make Molotov support him.

In reality, when Polina was arrested for treason (having been framed) in 1949, the entire Politburo voted for her Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

How realistic is ‘The Death of Stalin’? are going to do after Stalin’s death. Half the Politburo vote the ‘correct’ way resulting in the others reluctantly raising their hands in ‘agreement’ so they obey the ‘party discipline’ Molotov mentioned.

arrest. Molotov abstained, but didn’t defend her.

An Israeli Communist Party official recalled asking Molotov about this, writing, “I went up to him and asked, ‘Why did you let them arrest Polina?’ Without moving a muscle in his steely face, he replied, ‘Because I am a member of the Politburo and I must obey party discipline.’” This links to a scene later in the film when the Politburo are voting on what they 13

Overall, The Death of Stalin portrays the madness of what was happening in Russia well but there are a few big historical errors. Molotov was not foreign minister when Stalin died. He had been sacked in 1949, but became foreign minister again in the post-Stalin reshuffle. Also, Marshal Zhukov was a local field commander when Stalin died, he only became deputy minister of defence in the post-Stalin government but was not the commander of the Soviet Army in March 1953; Khrushchev, not Malenkov, chaired the meeting to reorganise the government. Also, Beria was arrested three months after Stalin died, not almost simultaneously, and that was caused by the 1953 East German Uprising, not a massacre of mourners in Moscow.

Furthermore, Beria was not head of the security forces, a job he gave up in 1946. These errors were probably made to make the film funnier and therefore it can stand up to its claim of being ‘loosely based on the true story’.

Japanese historical figure Pip Bimson, U3 Himiko’s reign Himiko was born in 170AD and became ruler in189AD. In Japan, there were lots of wars. Himiko stopped these wars and created one state: Yamatai. Over 100 clans accepted her as their leader.

What does it mean?

Himiko means ‘Sun-Child’ or ‘Sun-Daughter’.

It could also mean, ‘Princess’.

Himiko and the Chinese During her reign, Himiko dispatched at least four diplomatic missions. In recognition, the Chinese bestowed upon her the title, ‘Queen of Wa, Friendly to Wei.’ They gave her over 100 bronze mirrors and a seal (a stamp which is your signature).

Recognition About 99% of people in Japan know who Himiko was. She is on lots of posters and features in numerous adverts.

Before Himiko What we now know as Japan used to be hundreds of clan-nations. Japan (the land of Wa) was in in political turmoil due to the lack of a capable leader.

Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

The death of Himiko Himiko died in 248AD. There was an attempt to succeed the throne, but his reign was heavily resisted and short. But, according to Chinese sources, order was restored when 13-year-old Queen Lyo took the throne.

Apparently, Himiko is buried in a large mound about 100 meters long.

UK political parties in 2019 Gezana Rai, L6 Conservatives Under the leadership of current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the Conservatives’ beliefs currently value a strong economy, investing in schools, safer streets and strengthening the NHS. Presently, it could be argued that the Conservative Party’s views are more rightward then they have been in recent years under Theresa May and David Cameron; Johnson is a New Right Conservative (or a Thatcherite, as called in the UK), simply meaning that he is a part of the more right-wing branch of the party. This means that key policies include: deregulation of business, a dismantling of the welfare state, privatisation of state-owned industries, restructuring of the national workforce in order to increase industrial and economic flexibility in an increasingly global market and, of course, get Brexit done.

Labour Led by Jeremy Corbyn, this party is arguably more rooted in its traditional, strong, socialist values. Whilst the last Labour Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was the creator of ‘New Labour’ – a move towards liberalism and striking the balance between far-left socialism and conservatism – the Labour Party now is influenced by the Old Labour beliefs, as Corbyn is dedicated to those beliefs himself. This means that the party emphasises greater state intervention, social justice 15

and the strengthening workers' rights. The move leftward of the Labour party has also led to a claim to abolish private schools all together. Very simply put, the Labour party generally stand for financial equality, an end to austerity and equality of opportunity. It is argued that Corbyn is unsure of his own stance on Brexit, however the party is clearly advocating a second referendum above all else.

Liberal Democrats The Lib Dems currently have their first female and youngest leader of the party, Jo Swinson. Heading into the 2019 General Election, it is fair to say that the Lib Dems’ leading campaign point is to 'Stop Brexit'.

Swinson is a modern liberalist, meaning her core values include: equality of opportunity, reform, an enabling state, support of the welfare state and a focus on making the economy work to benefit society.

It is easy to see the Lib Dem party as a balance struck between the Conservatives and Labour, as politically, they are said to lie as one of the most central parties in the UK. They are very much in favour of changing the UK’s voting system from 'First Past the Post' to 'Alternative Vote' to allow for fairer majorities in general elections.

The Lib Dems are the largest UK political party currently aiming to stop Brexit outright, without even consulting the public.

The Brexit Party The Brexit Party is a very newly active, far-right, Eurosceptic party and the keenest party to leave the European Union. The party is clearly a reaction to the Brexit crisis, and was only an active party in January 2019, under the leadership of Nigel Farage – an ex-leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). The party’s main focus is, obviously, to leave the EU as quickly and cleanly as possible and to regain power and sovereignty in the UK. It aims to represent the frustration of people who voted to leave in the EU Referendum in 2016. Most of its members derived from UKIP, the Conservatives, or from Brexit-endorsing ex-Labour members. In essence, The Brexit Party can be represented entirely as Eurosceptic, suspicious of foreigners, and nationalist.

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My musical journey Sophie Bull, L6 My interest in music began when I was five, taking up the violin. Getting started on the violin took a lot of patience, both from me and my parents; there was a lot of screeching. But I very quickly started to love playing, and I took up piano the following year. I started to learn about music itself and the different techniques involved in different instruments. In Year 6, I decided I wanted to play a less classical instrument as well, and I took up the saxophone. I took various grades on each instrument, and loved every bit of playing music. When I joined Freemen’s in U4, I took up the trumpet, giving me the ability to play in various groups as I could then play a woodwind, string and brass instrument, as well as piano. This allowed me to be involved in many different groups, all of which I enjoy thoroughly.

As the years progressed, on violin I learned techniques such as vibrato, which involves slightly wavering the pitch of the note as you play it, creating a richer sound.

I also learned more interesting techniques such as ‘sul ponticello’, which involves playing on top of the bridge of the violin, creating a slightly ethereal sound. I started to learn phrasing on the piano, how to shape the music to make it more interesting and connected. I developed musicality, allowing me to become much more expressive in my playing. I developed strength and muscle memory in my fingers helping me to learn more intricate pieces, and I started to become better at sight 17

reading, and I hope one day to be able to accompany anyone, without needing months to learn the accompaniment.

On trumpet, I learned how to change the pitch of the note, just by using faster and slower air, and I developed stamina to help me play higher for longer periods of time.

When I joined Freemen’s, I started to become more academic in the way I played the saxophone. I was taught how to improvise, allowing me to really expand my ability to play Jazz. I started to read chords and be able to play from the top of my head something which fitted (although I am still trying to improve it). It became interesting to me how different chords could have completely different feels altogether, and so I began to read chords, and more often be able to see the triads (tonic, mediant, dominant) of each quicker and quicker.

This led me to realise that I also very much enjoyed the academic side to music. I began to learn terms such as homophonic and contrapuntal, and how they helped shape music and decide the way it feels. I learnt about individual pieces, and techniques the composers used to create the effect their pieces had. For example, a piece may have verses with simple harmony, possibly diatonic (notes only related to the mode or scale), with very gradual dynamics; then use much more interesting

harmony, possibly added note harmony or suspensions, with very terraced (sudden) dynamics, creating a shift in mood, giving a different feel to the chorus to make it stand out. I also learnt the use of timbre (tone/colour), structure and texture, for example how a composer may use a much thicker texture with many different rhythms happening at once (contrapuntal) such as in Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’, to create a chaotic atmosphere, where as they may use a much thinner texture, possibly homophonic (one line), to create a calm, still feeling.

I learnt how timbre can affect the character of a piece, for example, Sarriaho mixed classical instruments (such as the cello) with electronics, creating a completely different sound to what is normally heard and thought of when someone says music. I also learnt how the structure of a piece of music can completely change the way it presents itself. A piece of music could follow traditional structures such as tertiary or rondo. It could be based off of the style of writing, for example a Sarabande always follows a strict three beat rhythmic structure, with the stress on the second beat, whereas a piece could just as easily be through composed, meaning that no section repeats itself, creating a fluid feel, but possibly lacking the complete feel of a tertiary structure returning to the first section.

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UK political party stance on Brexit: 2019 Abi Bower, U5 Labour The Labour Party accepted the results of the 2016 Referendum, but in their 2017 manifesto, Labour committed to oppose a 'No Deal Brexit' and the Conservative’s plans, which they felt threatened jobs, living conditions/standards and Britain’s multi-cultural society. Labour at this time also expressed the view that they would be in favour of a second referendum and should a general election be called, they would pledge to hold that second referendum.

During the Conservative Leadership contest in July 2019, Labour’s stance was that whoever became the new Prime Minister, they should put any deal with the EU to the British public, and that the Government would then implement whatever decision the public make. In recent weeks, Labour’s stance position has started to change.

Mr Corbyn has said that Labour would do everything in its power to stop a No Deal Brexit. Mr Corbyn has also stated that he feels a Labour Government would secure a sensible deal, which would be put to a public vote alongside remain.

The Labour Party have committed to guarantee existing rights for all EU Nationals living in Britain, work with the EU on issues such as climate change, refugees and counter-terrorism and ensure all EU laws that benefit the UK are fully protected.

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Conservatives The Conservative Party took the decision to accept the results of the 2016 Referendum to leave the EU. They declared they were a Leave Party.

Brexit has resulted in a divided Conservative Party, with 21 Members of Parliament expelled from the Party for failing to back the Government’s line on Brexit.

The Conservative Party believe that Britain should leave the EU. They want to end freedom of movement and take back control of our borders. They want to restore the supremacy of British courts by ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK. The Conservative Party also want Brexit to include independent foreign and defence polices. They have also committed to no hard borders between Northern Ireland and Ireland or between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats Party are the biggest anti-Brexit party. They believe that Britain would be better off remaining in the EU. They do not believe that Brexit is right for Britain’s future.

The Liberal Democrats Party maintain that EU citizens in the UK have the right to stay in Britain. They have built

their homes here, brought up their families and made the UK their home. They feel these EU citizens deserve security and certainty about their future. Their priorities on Brexit include protection of rights for EU and UK citizens, Membership of the Single Market and Customs Union, Freedom of movement and respect for the interests of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With the upcoming General Election, the Liberal Democrats Party hope that a Liberal Democrat majority would enable them to revoke Article 50 to stop Brexit.

They have an undemocratic view of cancelling Brexit.

Green Party The Green Party has campaigned for a second Referendum and they believe the UK should remain in the EU. Its Manifesto says: “While our public services were dismantled by privatisation, our communities hollowed out by corporations and our wallets emptied by bankers, Europe was wrongly presented as the cause of these problems by the Leave campaign.”

The Green Party’s stance on Brexit is that they feel that some of Britain’s environmental protections came from European legislation and they want to make sure that these are not only protected, but also extended into the Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

future. The Green Party argue that we need international solutions to face the challenges of climate and environmental changes.

The Green Party believe Britain’s lives are enriched because they share them with people from other countries. Their Brexit priority is to protect Freedom of Movement and they pledge to stand with migrants in the face of increasing racism and xenophobia.

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UK political party stance on Brexit: 2019 Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party is a Scottish social democratic party, which supports an independent Scotland that is a full member of the European Union.

The Scottish National Party have stated that if the UK end up leaving the EU, then they would seek a second referendum on Scottish independence by 2021.

The Party opposes Brexit.

Brexit Party The Brexit Party is a Eurosceptic political party that only became active in April 2019. The party was launched to ensure that the UK leaves the EU. They stand for a clean-break Brexit, ensuring Britain gains control of their laws, borders and money.

The Brexit Party focuses on the restoration of Britain’s sovereignty. Its main policy is for the UK to leave the EU and to trade on World Trade Organisation terms until formal trade agreements are made.

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With regards to their stance on Brexit, they are committed to working with other parties to ensure the UK government gets the best deal possible and arguing to remain within the European Single Market and Customs Union. The Scottish National Party argue that remaining in the Single Market would protect jobs, living standards, the economy and public services.

They also have expressed their commitment to a Norway-style deal for Scotland after Brexit, whereby they are not a member of the European Union but it is in the European Economic Area, which means that it is also part of the single market. The Scottish National Party also want the UK government to confirm the rights of EU nationals to remain, with the rights of UK nationals living in the EU to be guaranteed in the same way.

German scholarship experience Eve Flynn, U6 Thanks to the money I received from the Guild of Freemen, this summer I participated in the German Pupil Course organised by the UK-German Connection.

As part of this course I spent two weeks living with a German family with the aim of improving my German but increasing cultural awareness and to promote international co-operation at school level.

My absolute favourite memory is not actually one single moment but instead, all of the new people I met to on the course. I am the only student in my German lessons so meeting and talking with other 17 year olds who also loved German felt like a novelty to me, but one that I enjoyed immensely. The German students were also extremely welcoming and I am thrilled to now have people I can send a message to when in dire need of assistance with a particularly hard piece of German homework.

My host family made me feel at ease straightaway even if it took me a couple of days to fully understand the Berliner German flying around me. There are a couple of contenders for my favourite memory with them, however watching the musical Cabaret in German on the second night has to be it. Every aspect of the performance was in German, including the songs, which was in places difficult to understand but nonetheless I enjoyed the show hugely. The stage took Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

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German scholarship experience place in a large tipi in the middle of the Tiergarten and up on the balconies you could see the Spree and the German Treasury.

My favourite food of the trip is Döner. The Döner served in the UK are a sad replica of those served in Berlin. Fresh and filled with flavour I am certain that the next time I go to Germany I will definitely fit another one (or maybe more) in my trip. However, I must also mention the KaDeWe Torte I ate in the magical food hall on the 7th floor of KaDeWe. I do not think I had ever eaten a piece of cake that compared to that slice of heaven before.

My favourite excursion was to Potsdam and Sanssouci because of the incredible beauty I saw there. Although I must admit that Sanssouci was a little bit smaller than I expected the interior of the palace soon removed any disappointment I felt about the size of the palace. Every aspect of the room had been decorated lavishly with no thought about expense. My favourite room in the palace was one of the bedrooms nicknamed the Italian Room because of the number of beautiful landscapes of Italy hanging on the walls. The colours in each of the paintings were so vivid that they could almost be photos. Potsdam itself matched the beauty of Sanssouci and I was very happy to find buildings that had not been damaged during the Second World War, which 23

is almost impossible in Berlin. My favourite museum in Berlin is another hard category to judge, however Topography of Terror was the most thought-provoking out of those that I visited. I had never visited it before this trip however I think that everyone should go there if they travel to Berlin. This museum informs visitors about the terror created by the Nazi security services. What I think this museum does very well, is that through the numerous use of photos it gives a face to these unimaginable acts reminding the visitor that these men were not as different as we would like to believe.

I am extremely thankful that I had these two weeks in Germany and I would highly recommend the trip to anyone studying German.

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‘Stuff Matters’: science book review Sam Shorrocks, U5 Stuff Matters: the strange stories of the marvelous materials that shape our man-made world, by Mark Miodownik.

Stuff Matters is a Science book wrapped in sometimes humorous, sometimes remarkable and sometimes personal stories. It is a book which made me look and think differently about the physical world around me and reconsider the materials and objects we are surrounded by every day. For this reason, I would recommend it to any curious person.

Miodownik introduces the book by relating what first drew him to a fascination with materials. As a boy he was stabbed by a man with a razor on a London tube.

How, he wondered, could an item so small and thin cause so much damage and pain? “This tiny piece of steel, not much bigger than a postage stamp, had cut through five layers of my clothes, and then through the epidermis and dermis of my skin, in one slash…”.

When he later saw the razor in the police station, “…its steel edge was still perfect, unaffected by its afternoon’s work”.

Miodownik then sets the scene for his exploration of materials by presenting the reader with a single photograph of himself sitting in an urban garden, against a backdrop of buildings. It is a seemingly Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

boring and mundane photograph of the everyday.

Nothing stands out or captures interest or imagination.

Each subsequent chapter in his book, however, relates back to a man-made material in this single photo, showing the reader much that is remarkable and a feat of human ingenuity and engineering, which we take for granted, in our everyday lives.

From steel to paper to concrete, from foam to plastic to silicon chips, we are presented with stories which tell us of the properties, impact and human history of materials we never think twice about.

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‘Stuff Matters’: science book review To take one example, Miodownik explores the composition of concrete, and the necessity to combine the right amounts of water with the right amounts of concrete powder, or risk critically compromising the strength of the concrete. Errors in this process can create ‘concrete time bombs’ and escalate disasters as large as the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, where 250,000 buildings collapsed largely due to the poor quality concrete foundations. He tells how well-meaning actions by uniformed construction workers who may, for example, continue to dilute concrete in hot weather to ‘stop it drying out’, can create these time bombs all around us. Miodownik also lightens the tone of his book thorough fascinating stories, such as his personal experiences of the building of the Shard using the crucial material of concrete, just a few hundred meters from his flat.

Miodownik often starts chapters by discussing a basic form of a material as it appears in his original photo, then goes on to present extraordinary developments and uses for this same seemingly ‘basic’ material. For example, he moves from a discussion of the foam in his shoes in the original photo, to its development by NASA into a more advanced material called aerogel. This gel was developed and used by NASA to catch comet dust travelling at speeds faster than bullets and to stop the dust in its tracks, all while not harming or altering 27

the dust itself so that it could be analysed by scientists.

This advanced aerogel was able perform this function owing to its incredibly low density and the millions of foam sheets in the material that absorb the energy of these dust particles.

In another chapter Miodownik presents, in an unusual and entertaining ‘screenplay script’ debate format, the incredible multitude of forms of plastic. He shows how plastics, despite their increasingly bad reputation, have been pivotal in the modern life we know. For instance, projection of a moving image was made possible only by the invention of the roll of film, a flexible transparent material called celluloid. “Without plastics... movies would have never existed; nor would cinema itself, and our visual culture would be very different indeed”.

In conclusion, Stuff Matters is a captivating book that challenges the reader to see below the surface of everyday materials we all take for granted. Mark Miodownik is a storyteller as well as a scientist, which made for a very enjoyable as well as informative read.

Online safety Zac Muthu, L4 For my Scholars' challenge, I chose the computing challenge. This was because I really enjoy computing at school, and I also think that it is extremely important to stay safe online. My PowerPoint shows the reader how to do so.

It begins with an introduction, talking about how brilliant technology is, but then also showing the risks, and showing what could go wrong.

to also close or cancel any pop-up messages because they could mean you could be being monitored! It tells you which search engines are safest for users, but the fact that none can protect you from all the dangers.

The penultimate slide is a conclusion. It sums up the presentation by saying that these are only some ways to stay safe, and that the rest is up to you. Remember, you will always have the final decision.

My next slide talks about safe passwords. It tells you about what a safe password is and what isn’t, and why you need safe ones. I got my information on a website on Google, which I then checked with many other websites. They all generally showed the same results, about how long a password should be and what it should include. It also talks about not sharing your passwords with anyone, except your parents.

The next slide is about Social Media. The first paragraph talks about your profile picture and making sure it reveals nothing private about yourself. It also talks about not trusting people, especially those who you have met online. It also tells you that you should never talk to people who you do not know in person.

My next slide is about websites and whether they are safe or not. It tells you not to click on random links, and Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

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Absurdism Will Hart, L6 Absurdism is a philosophical perspective that is related to existentialism and nihilism. It was first written about by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, and later expanded upon by the French philosopher Albert Camus. The latter developed his ideas extensively in his 120 page essay, The Myth of Sisyphus.

This worldview focuses heavily on the concept of the ‘Absurd’. The Absurd refers to the contradiction arising from humans’ inherent desire for meaning and purpose, and the lack of any such (humanly comprehensible) thing in a cold and chaotic universe. Absurdists assert that the realisation of the nature of the Absurd leaves the individual with three possible choices: suicide, a leap of faith, or acceptance.

Absurdists reject suicide as a response to the Absurd; Camus described it as a ‘confession’ that life is simply not worth living. He argued that if life itself is without meaning, then the ending of life is also without meaning: therefore an argument for suicide cannot be made on the basis of life’s meaninglessness.

Absurdists also reject the ‘leap of faith’. Where the choice of suicide could be described as venturing too far towards the ‘cold, empty universe’, more nihilistic position, this option represents a move too far in the direction of humans’ desire for meaning. It is the refusal 29

to accept the meaninglessness of the universe, instead attempting to impose one’s own (arbitrary) meaning on the world. For this reason, Camus described the Leap of Faith as ‘philosophical suicide’; the suspension of intellectually honest thought.

Instead, Absurdists propose ‘acceptance’. This is the acknowledgement of the Absurd, combined with the continuation of one’s life. Camus proposed that in order to live a ‘full’ life, it is useful to base your actions on a consistent moral code, while maintaining the recognition that the code is ‘meaningless’; this satisfies one’s inherent desire for meaning and purpose, without sacrificing intellectual honesty.

Nuclear power Oliver Muthu, L5 Introduction Nuclear fission splits atoms (usually Uranium-235) to gain a huge amount of electrical energy. It is greenhouse emission-free, but there are some major public concerns about the safety of fission plants.

Reactor leaks like Chernobyl and Fukushima have been devastating, although many more safety measures have been devised.

How does fission work?

Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction or a radioactive decay process in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei. Neutrons are fired at incredibly high speeds at the Uranium-235, briefly turning it into Uranium-236. The kinetic energy of the neutron causes the nucleus of the Uranium to split, becoming lighter fission product nuclei, like Krypton and Barium. More neutrons are released, causing a chain reaction, splitting more Uranium-235 atoms. The heat released during this reaction is used to boil water.

The steam drives a turbine generator.

What are the main advantages of nuclear power?

One advantage of nuclear power is that nuclear fission is entirely greenhouse emission-free, meaning that it does not contribute to global warming. This is a clear advantage over fossil fuels as nuclear power is sustainable until we run out of fuel.

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No hazardous mining is required to extract Uranium like it is for coal (see “Why these public perceptions are wrong”). Another advantage is that fuels will last a long time. The current supply of Uranium-235 will last 200 years but there are alternative elements for fission like Thorium and Plutonium that could last for longer into the foreseeable future.

But by far, the main advantage of nuclear power is that it releases a huge amount of energy.

• Around 0.1% of the mass of the Uranium nucleus is converted into energy.

• The amount of energy released is governed by the equation e = mc² (Energy = Mass x Speed of Light squared).

• We can establish how much energy can be gained from a kilogram of pure Uranium-235 like this: 0.1% of the mass is converted to energy.

• Therefore m in e = mc² = 0.001kg (1 gram).

• C2 = 8.98755179 × 1016m/s.

• Therefore e = 0.001 x 8.98755179 × 1016 = 8.9875518x1013 joules.

• The combustion of 1 kilogram of coal, by comparison, gives only 29,307,600 joules, 3,070,875 times less than uranium.

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Nuclear power To get a perspective of just how much energy 9 x 1013 joules is, imagine a 40 watt filament bulb. 1 watt is 1 joule/second. 40 watts is 40 joules per second.

9 x 1013 divided by 40 = 2.25x1012. This shows us that 1kg of Uranium can power your lightbulb for 7,500 years. 1kg of coal, however, will power your light for just 21 hours, 30 minutes.

Why don’t countries just use nuclear power then?

This can be broken down into two main reasons: Economic and Public Perceptions.

Economic: • Building a nuclear power station represents a huge capital investment: on average, a nuclear power station can cost $9 billion.

• By comparison, a coal-fired station costs $3 - $4 billion, a significant amount less.

• The running costs are also expensive. Although they are high, they are very similar to those of coal, but they are distributed differently in nuclear and coal power.

• Nuclear waste must also be disposed of.

The fission products are radioactive, so must be disposed of. This is a cost-intensive process.

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Public perceptions (these do not necessarily represent facts): • Nuclear power is dangerous! The world has seen devastating meltdowns and many people have died or got cancer due to the radioactive fallout.

• Nuclear waste is hazardous! If it leaks into the water or food supply, we are all in danger.

• These public ideas put huge pressure on governments not to use nuclear power.

Why these public perceptions are wrong (or at least very overstated) Nuclear power is less dangerous than coal, oil or gas power. This is a fact. There have only been 76 confirmed deaths due to nuclear meltdowns directly.

57,000 people have got cancer due to nuclear accidents and up to 28,000 of them may have died.

This may seem like a lot, but 15,500 people die due to coal mining every week. And more still die from air pollution. In fact, the world health organisation estimates that 88,500 people die every week due to air pollution, and the main cause of this is the burning of fossil fuels.

A rough calculation will tell you that, since the start of nuclear power (approx. 1950) around one quarter of a billion people have died due to coal and fossil fuels, over 10,000 times more than have died in that time due to nuclear power. The deaths of nuclear power also include those from the contamination of nuclear waste.

Furthermore, coal, oil and gas power has also contributed to deaths due to climate disasters, like floods and heatwaves.

How nuclear power can shape our future if we rid ourselves of these concerns Nuclear power is a green, efficient alternative to fossil fuels. Currently, fossil fuels and nuclear power combined account for about 77% of the total energy that is generated worldwide. If all of the current fossil fuel power (66%) was replaced by nuclear power, and the remaining 34% was renewable (only 11% more than renewable sources’ shares in the current energy generation budget), then the world’s energy supply would be carbon-neutral for a long enough time to prepare the infrastructure for an entirely renewable energy system worldwide. This would halt the climate emergency.

Other alternatives for the future My previous paragraph assumes that no new innovations in the energy systems will be made.

Of course, they will, and the potential for developments in nuclear energy is enormous. Firstly, some ideas that are feasible in the short-term. Developments in nuclear power include building fission plants offshore, in order to reduce the impact of a building site on the natural environment, and to make the plant safer, should a Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

catastrophe occur. Another interesting innovation is PRISM, (Power Reactor Innovative Small Module).

PRISM uses dangerous nuclear waste and disposes of it, generating electricity in the process. A longer-term development is perhaps the most exciting of them all: nuclear fusion. This uses the same processes as our sun, joining hydrogen-2 and hydrogen-3 (deuterium and tritium) atoms in huge donut-shaped reactors called tokamaks. This would generate far more energy than any other source so far discovered. Nuclear fusion releases four times more energy than nuclear fission and, more importantly, uses hydrogen as fuel.

Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, so fusion power will be available long after humanity has died out. Nuclear fusion would be the ultimate green energy source.

Conclusion Clearly, the old, fossil fuel-dominated system of energy generation is coming to an end, whether we like it or not. Even assuming none of the future innovations mentioned in my above paragraph come to bear fruit, which I doubt, nuclear power could easily fill the interim period between our current system and an entirely renewable and sustainable system. Nuclear power is one of the most necessary developments in history, and we must use it to our advantage.

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Why learn Spanish?

Ola Namasivayam Hashemi, L4 Although learning a new language may be difficult, they can do may things. Language skills can be a great competitive advantage against your peers, give you improved memory and critical thinking skills and help to connect with others. But why learn Spanish?

• Spanish is very similar to English, making it one of the easiest languages to learn!

• Many exotic countries have Spanish as their native language therefore learning the language will be extremely useful for communication purposes.

• If Spanish is your second language, you will be bilingual - this opens many doors while choosing a career path.

• Research suggests that choosing to learn Spanish will reduce the chances of you developing medical issues in the future. Those who speak two languages are less likely to get Dementia or Alzheimer’s.

• Learning Spanish will automatically increase your critical thinking skills because your brain will naturally interpret English words to Spanish words which creates stronger thinking skills.

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• Learning Spanish will enhance your resume and give you an advantage against your peers.

• Deciding to learn Spanish could also open your circle of friends. The more languages you know, the more people your will be able to communicate with!

• Learning Spanish gives you access to world class film and literature that you may not have been able to understand without knowing Spanish. It also enhances your knowledge of the culture.

• Spanish is everywhere! Over 35 million people speak Spanish and it is the second most spoken language in the whole of Europe.

• Spanish is quickly becoming a business necessity. It is becoming more and more important with regards to business and finance.

Online safety Andre Ugalde, L4 What is online safety?

Online safety is keeping your personal information and data safe and to yourself throughout all communication with the internet. You can stay safe online with different ways that we will cover in this article.

Search engines Keeping your data safe is vital online to make sure you are not providing your information for companies to track and sell.

Using Google is actually more dangerous than you think as they save your data and change your ads and other aspects depending to you. That’s not it though; they sell your information to governments if you pose even the smallest security threat or any other reason.

For example; looking up ‘rifle’ on the internet will flag you as a threat and you could be tracked for a long period of time on all your devices by the police regardless of the reason you looked it up. Google may sell your history if the buyer is willing to pay. This may sound scary, but it is very easy to prevent. Using a search engine that doesn’t track you will stop this. The best search engines are DuckDuckGo and Ecosia as they do not track your data and do not sell your data.

VPN’s If you are in an internet café or an airport with public Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

WiFi than you could get easily hacked by any willing person on the same network. To encrypt your device, use a VPN to stop people accessing your data.

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network.

Being online, you have an IP address to show your location and device. This can be used by hackers or companies to find out data. VPN’s change your IP address to a desired location to block your local IP, keeping you safe.

General security To avoid any security issues do not: • Share any of your passwords with anyone.

• Connect to untrusted webpages.

• Connect to public networks without a VPN. • Use a tracking search engine.

• Share any personal data with unknown people.

• Violate any guidelines presented by your school or workplace – they are trying to keep you safe!

Conclusion Staying safe online is more important and easier than you think however it is vital to live a protected life.

Make sure you take into account the issues and problems this presentation has shown and hopefully use them in your day-to-day life.

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Should badger culling be permitted in the UK? Sophie Youngman, L6 Why are badgers culled?

Across the UK badgers are culled to reduce the spread of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. Badgers are the main cause of the disease being spread in a herd of cattle. The disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis and is found in the saliva of infected animals. This bacterium is spread through airborne particles from the respiratory tract with 80% - 90% of all infections occurring through inhalation.

Another common cause of the spread of the disease is through infected organisms using the same feeding and watering sites as non-infected organisms. Bovine Tuberculosis is such a problematic disease given that it is very difficult to diagnose with clinical signs alone, and it is not until later stages of the disease that the symptoms such as, emaciation, lethargy, pneumonia and low-grade fever become noticeable. The disease can take months or years to kill an infected animal; therefore, an animal can spread the disease to many other herds before it begins to manifest clinical signs.

This then results in a detrimental effect on farmers and the government as the farmers lose their cattle and therefore their income, and the government have to pay the farmers compensation.

How are badgers culled?

Badgers are either culled by cage trapping followed by shooting or by controlled shooting of free ranging 35

badgers. Only those that have a license are allowed to participate in the badger cull in a restricted area and must cull at least 70% of badgers in that area in the first year and must continue the cull for at least 4 years.

The culls are closely monitored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). As of 2019 there are 43 badger cull zones in England.

Arguments for badger culling Badger culling is needed in order to control bovine Tuberculosis as if a badger infects one cow in a herd, unless frequent testing occurs, the whole herd can easily and quickly become infected. This creates a major problem both socially and economically, as the cost of

bTB is very expensive. If a cow is tested positive for bTB then it must be slaughtered together with any other cows it has already infected, in order to stop the disease spreading to the rest of the herd and other neighbouring herds, which results in the farmer being paid compensation. In 2009/2010 controlling the disease by slaughtering of cattle cost taxpayers £63 million in England with an additional £8.9 million spent on research. The following year nearly 25,000 cattle were slaughtered in England alone, with the resultant cost to the taxpayer of £91 million. It is predicted that in 10 years this cost is going to increase to over £1 billion.

Badger culling can solve this issue as it prevents the disease from entering a herd in the first place.

Arguments against badger culling Other people argue that badger culling has lots of negative effects which do not outweigh the positives, including the impacts that badger culling has on other wildlife, as it disrupts the ecosystem. Badgers prey on smaller mammals, birds and insects, so badger culling would affect the population of these species, for example an increase in the populations of earthworms and hedgehogs. Furthermore, there is also the ethical side of the argument to be considered which poses the question as to why should one animal be killed to save another. This is especially important when you consider the fact that there are other animals besides badgers Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

that can spread bovine TB so culling badgers alone will not eradicate the disease. 94% of bTB cases are caused by transmission within and between herds so it could be more effective to focus on cattle to cattle transmission instead of culling badgers. There are many other ways to control bovine TB which do not result in slaughtering a species. Farmers could regularly test their cattle for bTB through the Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (SICCT) skin test or the gamma interferon test (g-IFN). Frequent testing of cattle is cheaper than what the government spends on badger culling each year. Another way to control bTB is vaccinating the badgers against the disease. In a clinical trial, the vaccine reduced the risk of vaccinated badgers testing positive for progressed infection by 76%.

Conclusion Although there are several positives to badger culling including the economic benefit and the decrease of cattle susceptible to the disease, there are many more ethical ways of reducing the spread of bTB such as frequent testing, vaccinations and monitoring. Therefore in conclusion, I believe that badger culling should not be permitted in the UK.

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The changes in warfare since World War II Josh Muthu, L6 Warfare has changed in two main ways since WWII. Firstly, the actors have changed: violent conflicts between states (interstate wars) have all but disappeared, whilst violent civil conflicts (intrastate wars) have increased in prevalence. Secondly, the methods employed in conflict have changed, especially between states; from direct, open, violent action, to more indirect, often bloodless methods.

The changing actors in warfare: Interstate wars have declined since WWII. The most recent was the Iraq War of 2003-2011, and since then, there have been no interstate wars anywhere. Some of the reasons for this decline are: the development of nuclear weapons, the expansion of democracy, globalisation, international law and mass media. Nuclear weapons have raised the stakes of open war between states, even those that are non-nuclear, for fear of escalation. Democracy has raised the political stakes for leaders who would spill the blood of their voters (it is worth noting that there were 15 democracies in the world in 1946; now there are 99). Globalisation has meant that nations can acquire resources and geopolitical advantage at lower cost and lower risk through trade than through war.

Remarkably, for the first time in human history, following the shocking violence of the World Wars, the international community has installed legislation to 37

try - in principle if not in practice - to outlaw war itself and sanction those who perpetrate it. Mass media has made it harder for transgressors of these laws to hide their crimes.

On the other hand, wars within states have increased.

The end of colonialism after WWII, and later, the collapse of communist dictatorships at the close of the Cold War, both suddenly removed strong governments that were previously capable of pacifying the populace by force. This renewed old ethno-religious tensions, as in Nigeria and the former Yugoslavia, sparking conflicts in the new states. Of the 8 wars currently ongoing around the world, all are civil wars, and 5 are in countries that were either under a communist government during the Cold War, or were western colonies in 1945. Intrastate warfare has not only been the preserve of factions within a state however. Foreign states have commonly intervened in civil conflicts, for example the US in the Vietnam War and in the ongoing Global War on Terrorism; the Soviet Union in the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989), and the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present). It is notable that these so-called proxy wars do not involve nation states coming to direct blows with each other.

The changing methods of warfare: During the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war required states to

Korea), and special operations (such as the recent US drone strike on Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani). These methods represent an expansion of the very definition of warfare in the post-1945 era.

A common feature of these methods is their reduction of the risk of escalation: they are either plausibly deniable, limiting direct interstate tensions; or very precise, avoiding collateral damage and its geopolitical consequences.

employ indirect methods to establish supremacy over each other. Formal, direct war, the norm before 1945, gave way to indirect methods such as proxy warfare.

Similarly, in the multipolar post-Cold War world, state powers avoid igniting direct war with each other but assert their dominance by other means. These methods include economic warfare (legally embodied in the US, for example, by the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act 2017); cyberwarfare (e.g. the 2010 Stuxnet attack on Iranian nuclear facilities), the threat of nuclear weapons (as used recently by North

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The result of these changes - in both the actors and the methods of warfare - has been that battle related deaths have declined steeply since 1945. War has declined whilst warfare itself has expanded in scope.

Paroxysmal, violent, open, total war has given way to limited civil wars and continuous, clandestine, proxy or non-violent conflicts. On one hand, the world is more peaceful than it ever has been. On the other, violent conflict remains a scourge around the world, and if there is a state of peace between nations, it belies a state of continuous, indirect warfare. That peace is fragile.

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Dark universe Nevidu Jay, L4 Our universe is immense! Alas, our solar system accounts for less than 1% of our known cosmos; however, what constitutes the other proportion of our macrocosm...?

Our universe The enormity of our universe is extremely great, that every action we experience on a daily basis, is a minor fraction of the ultimate reality. Normal matter (the substance that establishes planets, ourselves, trees, rocks, atoms etc.) forms a diminutive 5% of our universe.

The remaining 27% is dark matter and 68% is dark energy.

What are these two dark substances?

In the 1930s, scientists calibrated the motion of a group of galaxies; they weighed the mass of matter each galaxy contained. The scientists were indubitably astounded to unveil that there was a paucity of normal matter to hold the galaxies together. Surely this would mean the bonds between each galaxy would be disproportionately weak, hence the galaxies would disperse. However, they remain close together.

Something is holding them together, something that does not emit or reflect light, something invisible.

We call this mysterious substance dark matter. We know it exists because high concentration areas of it bend nearby light rays passing by. Scientists have 39

tracked down all the afterglow from the big bang and analyzed them to construct a diagram known as the cosmic microwave background. At the time, the universe was a gas composed primarily of protons, electrons, neutrinos and dark matter. Furthermore, this discovery confirmed another fact; not only is the content of our universe is moving apart, but our universe is constantly expanding.

What causes this effect?

There is an undiscovered form of invisible energy that scientists refer to as dark energy. We cannot test it or measure it; however, we can detect its effects.

It permeates space and increases its growth.

Dark theories There are a number of theories suggested by scientists to explain the existence of the mysterious dark energy however, they are yet to be proven correct.

Cosmological constant One proposed theory about dark energy predicts that it is a property of space. The theory is similar to Einstein’s cosmological constant concept which suggests that “empty space” can possess its own energy. As this energy is a property of space, it will not be diluted as space expands but more energy would be formed instead. Thus, causing the universe to expand more rapidly.

We know this because evidence of Edwin Hubble’s studies of the growth of the universe prove the idea of dark energy. He discovered that the wavelengths of light emitted by far-away galaxies shifted to the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Distant galaxies showed more redshift than closer galaxies. This occurs due to the expansion of the universe; the redshift is a consequence of the elongation of the wavelengths.

Recently, on the 9th September 2019, NASA’s Hubble telescope took a picture of a group of galaxies (UGC 695) in the constellation Cetus and were able to record high amounts of dark matter.

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Virtual particles Another explanation is that “empty space” consists of “virtual” particles that form and disappear continuously. However, this theory was proven wrong, as when physicists calculated the amount of energy that would be produced, the result was 10120 times greater than expected.

Energy fluid - “Quintessence” In a theory labelled “Quintessence”, dark energy is a dynamic energy fluid that fills all of space but has an opposite effect to “normal matter” and “normal energy” when the universe expands. However, if “Quintessence” 40

Dark universe is correct, we still have insufficient evidence as to why it exists.

A new theory of gravity A controversial idea is that Einstein’s theory of gravity is incorrect; a concept which would alter our perspective on the expansion of the universe and the way in which we perceive “normal matter” in galaxies. Einstein’s general theory of relativity explains gravity as a distortion of space or spacetime caused by the presence of matter or energy. A large object generates a gravitational field by warping the geometry of the surrounding spacetime. If we disregard Einstein’s theory then potentially, we could provide an explanation for dark energy and dark matter. However, if Einstein’s theory is incorrect, then it begs the question: how would we explain gravity?

The dark race Of course, with a complex scientific phenomenon such as dark matter, yet to be unraveled, there is much competition amongst the scientific community. Dark matter has attracted crowds of attention; the reward for discovery, is the Nobel Prize for physics. There are currently many leading contenders competing in this cutting-edge race.

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Search on the ISS Launched in May 2011, the AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02) designed by Physicist Samuel Ting was attached to the ISS (International Space Station).

The AMS-02 detector should analyze cosmic rays from two particles of dark matter colliding. Currently, the machine has not gained any information regarding dark matter, but maybe in the future, it will...

Science lab in a tunnel: the LHC Dr Elena Aprile, who is extremely eager to claim the Nobel prize, has set up her research lab deep underneath the Italian Grand Sasso mountains as dark matter passes effortlessly through normal matter whilst reducing the number of other particles interfering with her experiment. She is using liquified Xenon in her sensors. It is hoped that the liquid will only allow dark matter particles to pass through and collide with the Xenon atoms. Her intention is to observe changes recorded by the detector.

What if we could create a reconstruction of the big bang, where microscopic particles of dark matter were scattered everywhere? Could we gain evidence about this peculiar substance? One way we could recreate this event is by colliding atoms travelling in opposite directions at high velocities. The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) is the world’s largest and powerful particle

accelerator. It is a 27km ring nestled 175m below the bustling city of Geneva. How does it work?

Two high-energy particle beams travel near to the speed of light before the atoms are forced to collide.

The beams travel in two opposite tubes housed in a vacuum and they are driven by powerful electromagnetic fields. When the atoms collide, hot clouds form full of exotic particles which could include dark matter. At present, 10,000 physicists, scientists, engineers and cosmologists are innovating, researching and improving the LHC, in the hope of making the invisible, visible.

In conclusion There is still much to be uncovered about these mysterious substances. The discovery of dark matter and dark energy will help us decode the Big Bang, solve the creation of the universe, and uncover how we came to exist. We may feel our beloved earth is a massive planet with a wide array of landscapes, but in reality, we are just humans on a miniscule dot amongst many others curiously gazing at the vast sky.

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Maths problems Hannah Stainbank and Indigo Robinson, L5 How Many Pennies

Painting Youcubed Task

Task instructions Consider a collection of pennies with the following constraints. When the pennies are put into groups of two, there is one penny left over. When they are put into groups of three, five and six, there is also one penny left over. But when they are put into groups of seven there are no pennies left over. How many pennies could there be?

1. How many have 2 blue faces?

Each edge has 4 cubes.

There are 12 edges.

2/4 of the cubes on the edge have 2 blue faces.

Only these cubes can have 2 blue faces.

So... 2 * 12 = 24 cubes.

• Divisible by 7 - must be a multiple of 7 • Not divisible by 7 - must be an odd number • Not divisible by 3 or 6 - digits must not add up to a multiple of 3 • Not divisible by 5 - last digit must be one more than 0 or 5 • 5 + 1 = 6 (even number) • 0 + 1 = 1 (odd number) • Number must end in 1 • 7 x 13 = 91 • 91 ÷ 2 = 1 left over • 91 ÷ 3 = 1 left over • 91 ÷ 5 = 1 left over • 91 ÷ 6 = 1 left over Answer 91 pennies 43

2. How many have 1 blue face?

There are 6 faces, each with 4 central cubes with one blue face.

So... 4 * 6 = 24 3. How many cubes have not been painted?

There are 8 internal cubes, therefore 8 have not been painted.

Why you should listen to Classical music Clara Harris, U5 A message to the reader: If you do not already listen to Classical music, I urge you to begin doing so immediately.

I was born in a family of musicians; both my parents play the piano, and my father sings frequently as well as having achieved grade eight in clarinet. I myself play three instruments: piano, voice and organ. One might be inclined to feel that “only people from musical backgrounds can achieve success in music”, but I disagree.

First and foremost, both of my parents came from non-musical families. My father was born in Windsor and displayed a talent for music at a young age, gaining a place at the Royal Academy of Music aged thirteen (an establishment which I now also attend). My mother grew up in Indonesia and started learning the piano around eight or nine years of age. The common ground between the two of them was their passion and desire to learn. That, I believe, is all that is necessary to obtain the goal of success in one’s musical career.

Of course, it is all good and well saying this, but the statement above is subject to one’s definition of ‘success’. From my perspective, success is not defined by how much money you earn through your Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

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Why you should listen to Classical music performances or how many people are sitting in an audience; rather, it is measured by how much you enjoy the performance - by what you get out of playing.

As Beethoven once said: “to play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”

I started playing the piano at seven; I entered the Royal Academy when I was 10. From there, my musical abilities sky-rocketed. Prior to my enrolment, I could barely sight-read and the pace at which I learnt pieces was - quite frankly - atrocious. I remember with stark clarity the first chamber lesson I attended. It was a piano duet with another girl. At the time, I had achieved grade five on the piano. The other girl was a year younger than me and had already taken her grade six piano exam.

The teacher taking the session placed a score onto the stand and stared at me expectantly. “Well? Do you think you can sight-read that for me?” I recall staring at her blankly. Wasn’t she going to give me a couple of weeks to learn it? Apparently not, as a couple of seconds later I (reluctantly) lifted my hands to the keyboard and stumbled through a few bars before being cut off by an impatient noise from my teacher.

She frowned a little before motioning for the other girl to play her part. I was utterly blown away. The way I saw it, she played the section flawlessly and musically, 45

her posture and arms graceful as she coaxed the notes out from the piano. However, the teacher still had a whole list of things to correct, which shocked me no end. Compared to me, that girl had done really well.

At that moment, I knew that I had to prove myself. I was in an environment where being ‘average’, or ‘okay’, or ‘good enough’ just wasn’t satisfactory. I didn’t know it at the time, but I would be competing against some of the best musicians in the world for first place medals, piano prizes and prestigious chamber awards judged by many of the most accomplished musicians from around the globe.

This brings me to something very important: always have faith in one’s musical abilities. I have lost count of the number of competitions that I have come back from feeling less than pleased. Whether it be memory failure, smudged notes or breaking the atmosphere created (this one is especially annoying), musicians have many pressures to face every time they step up onto a stage.

This is often made worse by the knowledge that friends or family members are in the audience, or critics (the worst kind of audience). However, one thing keeping every musician going is this: a longing to share music with the world. I know this is very true for me; it is the whole reason I started playing.

My advice to those learning an instrument is this: One; never forget why you started your instrument hopefully, because you love it.

Two; always do more than your teacher asks you to.

If they ask you to memorise one page, memorise two.

If they ask you to fix one bar, fix all the others that are similar. It will make both of your lives easier.

Three; when performing, remember that you’re there to perform, not to play. ‘Playing’ is something that anyone can do - as a musician, however experienced, your aim is to inject excitement, solemnity, despondency, magic into your music. Hear the first four bars of your piece in your head before you begin. Take a breath. No jerky movements. Then unleash the beauty, or the pain, or the anger. You command the instrument and the attention of the audience, not the other way round. Discipline is a key factor to improving yourself - and not just in music.

Discipline creates a routine of good habits. At some point, you will get better at what you do; it’s simple as that.

In conclusion, my musical journey has been anything but easy. However, this should not put of any would-be musicians, as the rewards reaped are worth the effort.

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Climate catastrophe Hannah Masood, L5 Greenhouse gases are intoxicating the Earth’s atmosphere resulting in a rise in the worldwide temperature. It is now widely accepted by scientists that human activity is the main contributor to this, and we are facing a climate emergency, which activists such as Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion fear is the start of a mass extinction.

It is predicted that the temperature will rise 3.4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, with an estimated sea level rise of 30cm by 2050. From the most recent United Nations Climate Summit in 2019, they have warned us that this ‘situation would escalate disastrous heatwaves, flooding, droughts and societal unrest. Major coral reefs and many other species face extinction. The Climate Action Summit have stated that the safe limit to global warming by the end of the century would be 1.5 degrees Celsius, and to achieve this, the world needs to aim to achieve a net zero emissions by 2050. However, there are severe concerns that the world is off course to meet this global target.

The Summit demonstrated that the political leadership of 70 countries are concerned about the rise in temperature and the meeting of 70 country leaders illustrates the provenance of the problem. The urgency is equally highlighted on the British political agenda.

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All the major political parties have been encouraged to discuss how to overcome this global issue. All four of the main political parties have a target of net zero emissions, but they each have differing timelines for reaching this. The most vehement of these is the Green party, led by Siân Berry and Jonathon Bartley, who aim to reach a net zero emissions by 2030. Closely following this target is the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, who also aims for this target within the 2030’s. Joe Swinson’s Liberal Democrats Party promises a deadline by 2045, and the least ambitious party, the Conservative Party lead by Boris Johnson, aims to reach this by 2050.

In order to solve this, a number of issues need to be addressed. Each of the parties have described different ways in how they will achieve this. These include: Renewable energy The burning of fossil fuels for energy results in a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which contributes to global warming. Renewable energy is a clean and inexhaustible source of energy. The use of renewable energy is widely recognised to lower energy consumption which will also lower prices and demand for natural gas and coal.

The UK is legally committed to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to the levels of 1990. Decarbonisation of electricity generation will form a major part of this reduction.

The Liberal Democrats aim to generate 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030. They plan to do this by doubling solar and wind capacity.

Boris Johnson plans to ban gas boilers for all newbuild homes from next year and pledges £1 billion in making sustainable electricity supplies with improved battery technology, and steel and cement industries to reduce emissions. The Conservatives have made small mentions of increasing offshore wind capacity but have made no mention of onshore wind or solar methods.

The Green party’s ‘Green New Deal’ will lead to 70% of the country’s electricity coming from wind alone.

Bartley and Berry claim that chemical and steel industries must trap their emissions. They also pitch that nuclear power, coal and incineration of waste will be phased out. Clean electricity will be substantially increased based mainly on renewable sources with offshore wind being a major source along with onshore wind, marine, solar, biofuels and hydropower.

Labour’s commitments are also extensive; as part of its ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ the party says it will obtain Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

90% of electricity and 50% of heat from renewable sources. The Labour party aim to create 7000 new offshore wind turbines and 2000 onshore wind turbines as another method of using renewable energy, as well as enough solar panels to cover 22,000 football pitches by 2030 in order to source 90% of the country’s power from renewable energy.

Jeremy Corbyn also advocates the creation of a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay to generate hydropower but this £1.3 billion scheme was dismissed by the Conservative party as they believe it was not good value for money.

Transport Currently, there is a high usage of private vehicles and flying methods of transport and therefore it is the highest emitting sector. These are largely dependent on petrol and diesel fuels yielded from fossil fuels; the burning of these is harmful to the environment as they produce greenhouse gases, resulting in global warming. While most of the parties have made claims in how they will tackle this problem, the Conservative party has failed to address this issue appropriately. Johnson’s only mention of cutting private transport methods is that he pledges £1 billion to encourage electric vehicles, and to end petrol and diesel car sales by 2040. The green party have made a much more enthusiastic claim in assuring 48

Climate catastrophe us that they will swap all diesel vehicles for electric by 2030. Additionally, they have allocated £2.5 billion on new cycle ways and footpaths. Similarly, the Liberal Democrats have dedicated 10% of their transport budget in encouraging walking and cycling however have made no claim towards the use of electric cars for the future. Finally, Corbyn’s stance shows that he looks to manufacture new electric vehicles to benefit the environment but also create new jobs.

He also looks to make new clean air zones around schools to prevent the 4000 premature deaths a year due to air pollution.

With respect to aviation, the Liberal Democrats look to ban the extension of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead airports as they are eager to limit the number of flights taken. Also, they have targeted ‘the 15% of individuals who take 70% of flights’ with a frequent flyer tax.

Lastly, they will ban the advertising of flights, similar to the Green party. Neither of the other parties have made any strong claims regarding change in aviation practice.

Greener environment All the major political parties have considered methods of creating a greener environment. They all correctly understand that bringing the carbon emissions down to net zero will need public investment in renewable 49

energy and environmentally friendly technology.

Corbyn’s plan includes planting two billion trees by 2040, allowing a natural resolution to reduce emissions and remove harmful gases from the atmosphere (carbon-dioxide). He will also create 10 new national parks which will increase the total number of the national parks in the UK by 50%. He believes this will allow wildlife to flourish. Boris Johnson was seen to ridicule Corbyn’s plans for an eco-friendly environment.

He has pledged a more modest 30 million trees to be planted within five years. Joe Swinson was more generous in her pledge for 60 million new trees to be planted per year. Bartley and Berry have promised £1 billion per year to protect the environment and have also advocated a new tax on meat and dairy to encourage lower emissions.

Housing Reports have stated that there are no serious plans for decarbonising the UK heating system. Tackling this issue must address both existing homes and new build homes to ensure that they are all energy efficient and ideally zero carbon.

Labour pledges to build hundreds of thousands of social houses with a ‘tough new zero carbon homes standard’.

They will also elevate most of the UK’s 27 million homes to the highest energy efficiency standards. Likewise, the

Liberal Democrats aim to insulate every home in the UK by 2030 which will cut emissions and fuel bills and end fuel poverty. They have a 10 year programme to reduce energy consumption of all buildings. The Green party has similar ambitions to ensure every home is effectively insulated and all gas boilers are to be phased out. The Conservative party promise to build at least a million more homes and have allocated £9.2 billion to improve energy efficiency of homes, schools and hospitals. However, there is no detailed mention of decarbonising heating or of zero carbon homes in their manifesto, aside from their plan to ban gas boilers for all newbuild homes from next year.

Waste The environmental impact of waste is another significant contributor to climate change. When organic waste is decomposed, carbon dioxide and methane is created, which contribute to global warming. Separately, we are a nation that is highly dependent on plastics; 35 million plastic bottles are bought every day which is having a devastating effect on our oceans and marine life.

reduce food waste. The Conservative’s plan is to introduce a new law to increase the number of recyclable plastics in packaging and develop a deposit return scheme for plastic and glass. Together with this, they vow to increase penalties for fly tipping.

The Green party state they will promote a culture of reusing and refilling through the introduction of a bottle deposit scheme, free public water dispensers and end to unnecessary single use plastics. Likewise, the Liberal Democrats have similar interests in a plastic bottle return scheme as well as plastic free isles in supermarkets and a network of drinking fountains.

The declaration of the climate emergency that is upon us has attracted more attention from the public and all political parties. Within British politics, all of the major political parties have made pledges and promises to try and change the current state, however they vary in their efforts with some parties vowing more radical pledges than others. It is positive that they have demonstrated the importance of this on their agendas, but it is crucial that they are held to account. In the words of Greta Thunberg, we must ‘fight for nature, everything counts’.

Corbyn vows to end the exports of plastic waste and invest in a ‘new plastics remanufacturing industry’, in order to lower the use of single use plastics. He wants to make ‘producers responsible for the waste they create’. He also aims to work with local authorities to Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

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Ketogenic diet Abbie Pendower, L6 Throughout my research for my extended project, I have gained an interest in nutrition and, more specifically, the uses of the ketogenic diet. Whilst many use this high-fat diet as an effective weight loss technique, it has several other benefits; namely it’s role in aiding control of blood sugar levels in diabetics, as well as it’s ability to decrease the effects of epileptic seizures. Although the focus of my EPQ will centre around the health benefits of the diet, within this piece I intend to discuss the way in which the diet biologically works.

The ketogenic diet works by reducing the individual's carbohydrate intake, whilst increasing their intake of fats. Within the human body, there are four primary fuels: glucose, protein, free fatty acids (FFA) and ketones. Given that the primary form of stored fuel is triglyceride, stored in adipose tissue, the secondary sources of glucose and proteins will make up the body's predominant source of readily available fuel. Factors affecting fuel utilisation include carbohydrate availability, the levels of certain enzymes and the status of liver glycogen. However, it is possible to shorten the body's fuel use into a crude equation stating that the Total Energy Requirements = Glucose plus FFA. Therefore, if the energy requirements remain constant, but the blood glucose levels decrease, the use of FFA for fuel will increase as a result.

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During periods of caloric deficiency, the body has three storage depots of fuel which can be utilized when needed. This comprises of proteins, which can be converted into glucose in the liver and used for energy; carbohydrates, which are stored primarily as glycogen in the liver and some in muscles; fats, which are stored predominantly as body fat; as well as ketones, which are available as a fourth potential fuel. Whilst under standard dietary conditions, ketones play a negligible role, within the keto diet they become increasingly essential in energy production. It’s also important to note the significant difference in calorific worth between Adipose Tissue Triglyceride (fat store) at around 135,000 kcal in a 150lb man and carbohydrate stores at roughly 840 kcal. Due to this extreme difference in values, the energy stored as body fat can last for weeks or months, whilst one can only be sustained by carbohydrate stores for a day, requiring constant replenishment.

Generally, tissues in the body will naturally use a given fuel in proportion to its concentration in the bloodstream and this mechanism works vice versa. Therefore, by decreasing carbohydrate availability, the ketogenic diet will shift the body to using fats as its primary fuel.

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UK housing shortage Grace Hickey, U4 What is a housing shortage?

• A House of Commons paper published in December 2018 about tackling the housing crisis defines it as, “the amount of housing required for all households to live in accommodation that meets a certain normative standard.”

• The Collins Dictionary defines it as,“a deficiency or lack in the number of houses needed to accommodate the population of an area.”

How much of a shortage is there?

• As of 2018, there are 1.1 million households on local authority housing waiting lists.

• Over one quarter of them have been there for five years or more.

• 100,000 households have been on waiting lists for over 10 years.

How many people live in unsuitable housing?

• As of September 2019, over eight million people live in unsuitable housing.

• 1.4 million of those live in poor or substandard conditions.

Less than 5 years 5 - 9 years 10+ years

The chart above shows local authority waiting lists

Overcrowed homes Cannot properly afford where they live Living with parents or relatives against their wishes Living in poor or substandard conditions

The chart above shows reasons behind unsuitable housing

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UK housing shortage What are the causes and effects?

• If there is a housing shortage, it creates a high demand for houses.

• Since there is high demand for houses, it pushes house prices up.

• Less people are able to buy houses (mainly first time buyers and low income households) so there is a high demand for rental properties.

• Therefore, the rental prices go up.

• This leads to many people being unable to buy or rent properties and are on social housing waiting lists or in unsuitable housing.

What are the effects on housing?

• Due to more people needing houses, house prices go up, house prices have gone up 35.37% in the last 10 years.

• There are also more people living in unsuitable housing or in social housing, this puts more strain on the government.

What are the solutions to this?

• Many experts agree that around 300,000 – 340,000 new homes are needed every year to tackle the housing crisis, and this is a widely agreed upon figure.

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• However, most experts argue that although new houses will help the crisis, other things need to be done. Such as: building more social houses, encouraging local councils and private businesses to build more houses, reform property taxes and raising landlord taxes.

Building more social housing • In an ideal world, there would be no need for social housing.

• Increasing the number of social housing and houses provided by housing associations would help people on lower incomes and help to get people off local authority waiting lists.

• However, it is very costly to build enough houses to get everyone off waiting lists.

Encouragement to build more houses • By giving local councils property grants in areas with a housing shortage, more houses will be built in areas that need them most.

• And by giving private companies financial incentives to build more affordable properties.

• On the other hand, this option is also very costly for the government.

English Escapades: a new board game Dean Araj, U3 A fast paced new game that combines English skills and luck of the die.

1. Each player rolls the die and moves around the board. The aim is to be the first player to reach the centre of the board.

2. If you land on a space with instructions you must roll the die and then do as the die decides.

You might get to move forward 4 spaces or have to move back 9.

Good luck!

3. When you reach a coloured square you need to pick up the corresponding colour card. You might have to provide an example of rhetorical device, for example, shout out a persuasive sentence or an example of a metaphor. If you can do this within 30 seconds then you get to continue playing. If you cannot, you miss a go. The player to the right of you decides whether you were right or not.

4. Play continues until the first player reaches the centre of the board.

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China’s bid to be the next superpower Ziyan Baloch, L6 It is already acknowledged that China is one of the most powerful countries in the world, and its only rival for the ultimate prize of being crowned the superpower of the world lies with the US. As China’s growth slows, as it is no longer able to sustain annual growth in the double digits of GDP figures, thereby switching from an industrializing economy to an industrialized one, it has come up with a collective Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to combat this, and extend its sphere of influence.

BRI involves China’s involvement in making loans and investing in infrastructure projects in developing nations in three different continents, affecting a population of 4.5 billion people (60% of the world’s population). It is the single largest infrastructure project in history, and has an estimated cost of $4 trillion - $8 trillion. The numbers are staggering, and so is the aim.

The initiative has been divided into two parts. There’s the Economic Belt, and the Maritime Silk Road.

In diplomatic meetings concerning BRI, Xi Jinping, President of China, makes reference to the Silk Road often, and references his new BRI plan as an innovating way of replenishing existing and creating new, strong trade routes with the wider world, mirroring the success the initial Silk Road had back in 200 BC, where culture and goods flowed between Asia, Mesopotamia, and Europe.

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The Economic Belt is made up of six land corridors which represent new trade routes. In the north, there’s a railroad connecting connecting China to London, making it the second longest freight rail express in the world, just after another route that departs from the same station (Yiwu) to Madrid. New gas pipelines have been built from the Caspian Sea to Xinjiang province, and China has also built a whole high speed train network in Southeast Asia to shuttle goods in and out quickly near countries that have EEZ zones on the South China Sea, an area of huge importance to China. The Maritime Silk Road includes the building of several seaports dotted around the South China Sea all

the way to the Persian Gulf, and through the Suez Canal into Africa and Europe.

From all the talk of transport mechanisms like rail and shipping, it’s clear China wants to make it easier for the world to trade with them, and BRI doesn’t just stop at making physical trade routes better, but boosting connectivity and productivity in BRI also comes under China building new power plants, oil refineries, industrial parks, and fibre-optic networks in those countries. China will be able to trade for cheaper and trade more quickly with the rest of the world, and it will politically be able to garner influence as its developments will impact the lives of billions. It’s being poised a win-win for all, and over 60 countries and counting have signed to official bilateral agreements in accordance to the BRI plan.

China’s flagship project is in Pakistan (CPAC), and the reason is simple. Pakistan’s geography means that it’s the bit where the Maritime Silk Road and the Economic Belt meet. Since Pakistan is far east of the South China Sea, it can get goods into and out of China in half the time, for cheaper via Pakistan. The corridor has received injections of $62 billion so far. China’s interest in Pakistan, a country riddled with corruption and suffering with a stagnant economy, has encouraged other countries to follow suit with investment, and the 58

China’s bid to be the next superpower country saw a record in GDP per capita growth.

Economically, the move also benefited China. In 2017, it saw revenues for its construction companies have the biggest real rise, despite demand for construction back home decreasing; going to show that the initiative is having profound success. China is able to grow through supplying itself with cheap labour and mass demand through LICs. Of course, this doesn’t come all for free. China is doing this by providing loans. So why are countries favouring China over institutions like the IMF and World Bank?

Well China’s loans are virtually interest free in the first place, and secondly, western financial institutions hold many strict prerequisites about a country’s future financial performance, social stability and structure, in order to grant a loan, but China doesn’t care if it’s lending money to authoritarian states with human rights records unlike others, and sometimes doesn’t even care too much if they country is able to pay back the loan.

For example, in 2012 China loaned $12 billion, and invested $3 billion into the whole continent of Africa alone, and for such a relatively meagre sum of money, they won the political influence over an entire continent (even if they didn’t get any of that money back), because almost all African countries now side with China in the UN General Assembly. African countries 59

have good reason too as well. If they don’t side with China, political bias experts and economists have empirical evidence to show that the respective nation will receive 2.7 fewer infrastructure projects per year, compared to 1.8 extra projects conversely.

China is conscious about this decision. It knows that by lending to developing countries, they’re likely not to get all the money back, but it’s achieving a lot of important strategic goals along the way. Whilst national populism is trending in the US, and President Trump’s approach of isolation sees the US losing potential investment and trade partners, China is using BRI to build up and strengthen networks, and it doesn’t look too far off achieving superpower status in the next decade or two.

Should 16 year olds get the vote?

Sam Clegg, L6 The following is an extract from a debate speech I used earlier in the term on “Should 16 year olds get the vote?”. I was opposed to the motion.

I think that the characteristics that we want in a voter boil down to three main qualities: we want voters to be independent, mature and rational. Sixteen year olds fail to meet every single one of these qualities.

In terms of independence, whilst it is legal for 16 and 17 year olds to live away from their parents, the vast, vast majority of them still live under the roof of their parents’ house. Your parents can heavily influence who you vote for if you are 16; they can raise you with certain values and principles that will shape how you vote. They may get you into a habit of voting exactly the same way as they do, in essence, giving parents with 16 and 17 year olds two votes.

Now, I am sure many adults will tell you that they voted differently to how their parents voted – but this parting of opinion is much more likely to take place when you are not spending as much time with your parents – such as at university which nearly 30% of 18 year olds attend – the majority of which do not live at home.

to really think for themselves - forging unique opinions moulded by discourse they themselves have entered into, rather than simply regurgitating and spitting out votes which have been previously chewed by a former generation.

Moving onto maturity. Now, 16 year olds can only work a maximum of 12 hours total in the week during a school term. Moreover, they are only entitled to earn a minimum of £4.35 an hour just over half the standard minimum wage. Most 16 year olds also remain in further education after Year 11 and only 9% of 16 year olds have a job. All of these factors combine to create an effect where you will be hard pressed to find a single 16 year old who pays income tax.

This means that should 16 year olds obtain the vote, they would be essentially voting on how to spend other people’s money, of which they have contributed nothing. Additionally, the fact that the majority of 16 year olds have never, and do not, pay tax, do not pay electricity bills don’t have a mortgage, don’t live on their own, don’t have to pay for their own food, their own clothes or their own transport. This leads me to think that maybe - just maybe - 16 year olds don’t know how the real world works and operates.

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Which is most pressing: terrorism or climate change?

Rebecca Dunstan, U6 Both terrorism and climate change create severe impacts on our social, environmental and economic welfare. Both are as a result of human behaviour, but which is a more pressing issue?

Climate change according to the Oxford Dictionary is defined as "changes in the earth’s weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns, and rainfall, especially the increase of the earth’s atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gases especially carbon dioxide". Human induced climate change has already caused a global temperature rise of 1oC, and many impacts of climate change set up a multiplier effect, meaning the negative impacts further cause more negative impacts, creating a perpetual cycle.

Terrorism according to the Oxford Dictionary is defined as "the use of a violent action in order to achieve political aims or to force a government to act".

It is found throughout the world, but with a key difference between rich and poor. In richer countries, such as the UK, terrorist attacks are the main problem, whereas in developing countries, such as Somalia, terrorist groups occupy parts of the countries, meaning conflict is widespread and the Government, which is usually unstable, has to fight them in order to be free of terrorism and create a free state.

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Climate change causes numerous and extremely damaging impacts throughout the world, no matter how rich or poor a country is. The world’s air temperature has already increased by 1oC, and if nothing changes, estimates suggest 1.5oC will be reached by between 2040 and 2050.

One widely talked about consequence of the 1.5oC temperature is the impact in polar regions, and predominantly sea ice. Within the Artic region air temperatures have already risen by 5oC and it is estimated within the next few decades there could be the complete elimination of summer sea ice cover. four trillion tonnes of sea ice have already been lost from Greenland. This is particularly significant due to the Albedo effect, in which the white ice reflects the sun’s heat. However, with the ever quickening destruction and melting of sea ice, this heat is absorbed by the dark ocean that is in place of the sea ice, which further adds to global heating and in turn worsens climate change. In Antarctica, sea ice is being lost at a rate three times higher than 25 years ago. This shows how significant climate change is, because the impacts continue to worsen. The longer we leave the problem, the harder it becomes to solve. If we do not act urgently, the crisis will soon become unsolvable.

Our oceans are also vital carbon sinks, meaning they absorb carbon dioxide and reduce the amount of gas within the earth’s atmosphere. As CO2 concentrations increase, oceans become more acidic by absorbing more CO2, which has devastating impacts on ocean ecosystems. Coral reefs are expected to decline a further 70-90% with a 1.5oC temperature rise. Although this is a predominantly environmental issue, impacts like these quickly have a huge impact on humankind. Half a billion people rely on fish from coral reefs as their main source of protein, demonstrating how large the impacts of Climate Change are, and how many people it will affect, and cause damage and harm to.

But how are the potential impacts of a future 1.5oC temperature rise a pressing issue now? If we don’t act now, climate change will soon become irreversible. The multiplier effect means the more we delay our actions, the worse the problem will get, and the less chance we have of stopping an event that will eventually cause human extinction. As James Lovelock warns in ‘The revenge of Gaia’, "If we fail to take care of the Earth, it will surely talk care of itself by making us no longer welcome". We are not essential to the survival of earth, looking after the earth is essential for our survival.

Furthermore, the impacts of climate change are already evident in day-to-day life. Whilst in 2018, Artic 62

Which is most pressing: terrorism or climate change? air caused widespread snow across the UK and Europe between the 24th of February to the 4th of March, the following year, in 2019, temperature records that had stood for 122 years were broken as the temperature in the UK topped 18oC on the 21st and 22nd of February. The warmest 20 years on record have all occurred within the last 22 years. The chance of the UK’s 2018 heatwave was increased by 30% due to climate change. This shows significant the impacts of climate change are. They are happening now, not some time in the future. The consequences are significant now and are only going to get worse.

it can be done, it will cause impact the economy. If a country has the money, climate change needs to be taken seriously and needs to be stopped. If a country does not have the money, climate change cannot be so much of a pressing issue, because in reality the country cannot do anything about it. The more pressing issues, and the ones that should be the focus, are the ones that can be solved.

Perhaps the starkest piece of evidence to suggest climate change is a pressing issue right now is the fact we are currently in the 6th mass extinction in which billions of regional or local populations have been lost, of which one cause is climate change. 8% of all species are at a threat of extinction solely due to climate change, which means ecosystem collapse is likely. Climate change is such a big issue because it does not only affect humans, but the survival of all species on earth.

In Somalia, and other countries within the region, the terrorist group Al-Shabab is the key form of terrorism.

Al-Shabab is an Islamic militant group currently battling against a UN backed government. It has between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters, and is banned in both the US and UK. The group has policies such as the stoning to death of women accused of adultery, and the amputation of the hand of thieves. Within Somalia, there has been two decades of non-stop fighting, which has horrific social, environmental and economic impacts on Somalia. Social impacts are found through the many attacks, deaths and fear. During the 2010 rugby world cup, Al-Shabab bombed a rugby club and restaurant in Uganda killing 74 people. In a shopping mall in Nairobi, 67 were killed in an attack in 2013. In the

Therefore, all the evidence shows that climate change is a hugely pressing issue. Measures need to be put in place now, otherwise it can not be stopped. However, money is needed to make these changes, and while 63

Terrorism is a key problem, because its impacts affect all of society, whether caught up in terrorism attacks or not, through the way it cultivates fear.

2015 massacre at Kenya’s Garissa University, 148 people died. This spreads fear into the population, increasing the power of Al-Shabab over people.

Furthermore, Al-Shabab creates huge social issues through the way it exacerbates drought into famine.

In 2011, a famine occurred throughout Somalia, that left 25% of Somalia’s population displaced, and 10.7 million needing humanitarian aid. Al-Shabab and the conflict it has created were a key, perhaps the biggest, cause of this famine. Al-Shabab refused it accept outside help, blocking aid and killing aid workers. This in turn made the US reluctant to provide aid to the area, meaning the people of Somalia were left to in the food shortage, which eventually turned to a famine, due to the lack of intervention. This demonstrates terrorism is one of the most pressing issues, due to the fact it causes mass death and displacement, from an event that could have been managed, and its impact significantly reduced.

Within Nigeria, terrorism is so significant because of its environmental effects, which in turn cause social and environmental effects. Boko Haram is an Islamic State terrorist group that occupies Nigeria and neighbouring countries, banning any political or social action related to Western Society, including elections, secular education and wearing trousers. It has widespread activities through Nigeria, with events such as Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

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Which is most pressing: terrorism or climate change? bombings, assassinations, abductions and suicide bombings. Suicide bombings alone caused 1/3 of all casualties in the first half of 2018. Terrorism causes economic problems as Boko Haram take taxes, and social problems as it has caused the near complete breakdown of an already weak public health system.

Furthermore, between June 2011 and June 2017, according to NST, it has caused 37,530 deaths.

However, perhaps the largest problem is its impact on Lake Chad. It is acknowledged that terrorism is a key cause of drastic change, since the 1960’s the lake has shrunk by 90%. Terrorism caused this environmental crisis by creating refugees, who put increasing pressure on an environment that has a fixed carrying capacity. The reduction in Lake Chad has had, and is continuing to have, (as well as worsen current problems) significant impacts throughout the area – 11 million rely on humanitarian aid in the area. The lake is the source of jobs, income, food, livelihoods. Boko Haram’s influence in the developing country of Nigeria demonstrates how much of a pressing problem terrorism is, because if affects both humans and the environment, and causes widespread damage. It destroys livelihoods and the natural earth.

However, terrorism also impacts richer countries as well. Deaths are caused, spreading fear, but the key impact is perhaps the economic cost in the security to 65

stop attacks. Groups cause terrorist attacks within a richer country such as the UK, rather than the main focus being occupation. A key impact of course is the deaths caused. In 2017, three ISIS inspired terrorism attacks in London and Manchester caused the deaths of 35 people. In the Manchester arena attack, nearly half of these people were under 20. This is a significant impact as it can spread fear amongst younger, more vulnerable members of society. However, the greatest impact to the government is the economic cost. In 2017, terrorism cost £3 billion to the UK’s economy, and between 2004 and 2016 it cost £38.3 billion. The total cost to the EU in this period was €180 billion. This is important in showing how pressing of an issue terrorism is, because of how high the costs can be. Part of these costs is managing and monitoring potential terrorists, and preventing attacks. Currently within the UK, 3000 people are under active investigation, with a further 20,000 on longer term watch lists. This shows the extent of potential terrorism in the UK, demonstrating how much of an issue it is.

Therefore, terrorism is a grave issue because it has such broad impacts, and can completely dictate someone’s life, if they are in an area which is occupied by a terrorist group. However, this is a pressing issue more so in occupied areas than richer ones, showing a divide in its significance.

Overall, I believe in richer nations, climate change is a more pressing issue, as they have the ability to do something about it, whereas in poorer countries occupied by a terrorist group, terrorism is the more significant problem. These occupied countries cannot do anything about climate change if they do not first defeat terrorism. In richer countries, while terrorism does Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

have many impacts, it does not take over a country.

There is a stable government, and the country can focus on terrorism as well as other things. In contrary, in countries occupied by extremist groups, the government is often unstable, and the country can only focus on terrorism, nothing else can be developed, infrastructure cannot be built. Terrorism must first be defeated. The difference in impact of terrorism is clear, terrorism caused 35 deaths in the UK in 2017, but in 2016 in Nigeria 20,000 were killed. Furthermore, in richer countries, funds can be spent on climate change and citizens have the freedom to want the government to focus on climate change. In countries occupied by terrorism, whilst the funds aren’t there, citizens do not want the government to focus on climate change. They have bigger personal issues, such as sustaining a reliable food supply, and avoiding famine. Also, it is the richer countries who emit the most greenhouse gases, and who can therefore have the biggest impact by reducing the combustion of fossil fuels. If richer nations halve their emissions, it will have a much larger impact than non-industrialised countries. Therefore, climate change is a more pressing issue in countries which are not occupied by terrorist groups. In these poorer countries, terrorism is the more pressing issue.

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The housing shortage in the UK Ethan Wood, L5 There is an overall housing shortage in the UK however it is more acute in some places than others. It is estimated that England alone needs to build four million new homes to deal with an escalating crisis. It is clear to see why this is such a significant issue by studying the ratio between average earnings and house prices.

We can track these ratios over time and from roughly 1995, there has been a drastic overall increase in this ratio. This is a result that can be explained by over time, supply not keeping up with demand. Therefore the price of housing increases, housing is then unaffordable leading to an increase in homelessness and people not owning their own property.

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The shortage of homes is causing prices for the 28 million homes in the UK to grow, with the average cost of a property increasing by 4.2 % in the UK to £224,144, according to the UK Housing Index. Empty or second homes also contribute to this problem with over 200,000 left dormant for over six months in the UK. This also hasn’t been helped by a significant fall in social housing. A report shows that three million new social homes must be built in England over 20 years to solve the housing crisis.

Economic effects Housing shortages occur where there are a higher number of people than the number of homes. This has an impact on the economy because key workers (nurses, teachers, builders) will not be able to afford to live in these areas, so there will be a shortage of workers in the tertiary sector. Another economic effect is congestion, as people are much more likely to live outside of major cities where they are working, leading to increased journeys. This has a major impact on congestion, which significantly decreases the economies overall productivity as well as having a negative impact on the environment. Additionally, private businesses are being held back because they are lacking the specialist and specific workforces they require as people can’t afford to move to the areas where jobs are locted.

Social impacts People are starting to purchase their first properties later in life, which socially means that people are insecure about their short-term housing solutions. The shortage has financial impacts on people as over time, rent is more expensive than a mortgage. Another result is that people must continuously move, leading to an impact on education when this is the case for families.

There are also community impacts as social cohesion reduces if it's residents aren’t invested in their area. There are also impacts on younger generations with a higher proportion of university graduates living with their parents, leading to their sense of responsibility and maturity being lost. Likewise, if buying housing is not an Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

achievable goal then graduates are less likely to work towards paying an initial deposit on a flat and currently one third of 18 to 24 year olds are living with their parents. Over time, mortgages are cheaper than rent which as well as having a financial impact on the buyer, also allows landlords to profit. Consequently, there can be a large income inequality and divided society, thus leading to more extremism on both sides of the political spectrum. Overall it can lead to a breakdown in society and some commentators have even argued that the housing shortage was a driving factor for some people voting to leave the EU. The short answer to what is being done to solve this problem is not enough and despite £1.2 billion a year being invested into homelessness the issue is not close to being resolved.

Even though there have been relentless cries from homelessness charities, this important topic has been absent in current election campaigns and a large proportion of parties are pretending as though this crisis isn’t happening. The government has also introduced Help to Buy schemes in attempt to help people onto the property ladder. However due to an inelastic supply curve the main effect of this is simply an increase in prices (artificially inflated prices). Furthermore, there has been a reasonable amount of council, social and affordable housing built by the government but despite this we are currently in a period with a historically low rate of house building.

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The housing shortage in the UK In the future there are plans to increase the effort put towards the crisis with plans to build at least 90,000 new affordable homes every year. And research suggests that 40 per cent of all new homes built every year must be affordable homes, however this prediction is only one third of the total sum of new houses and therefore not enough (with affordable homes not costing more than 80% of average rent in an area).

After researching this topic, I was able to come up with some radical solutions to this problem. There are two basic economic factors that contribute to the housing shortage - supply and demand.

The third major factor contributing to the crisis is that the three main housebuilders in the UK acting as oligopoly.

These three companies make it seem as though they are competing for land but carve up the land regionally between them. They have been making their money not from building houses, but by getting planning permission for their land and then hording this land and waiting for it to appreciate. One solution proposed has been to tax undeveloped land or even force builders to use land after a certain period, therefore increasing the number of houses built by the private sector in addition to the increases in social discussed above.

If you ignore the more obvious solution of building more houses of all kinds, at a range of prices, then there are 69

some radical and controversial ways in which it could solve the housing crisis but are not without significant social impacts.

Firstly, anybody living in a housing shortage area who doesn’t have a economic reason as to why they need to stay there could move to a different area with a higher supply of housing. This could apply to anybody retired, or unable to work as well as those who don’t require direct access to an office/workplace. You could also disincentivise or ban all single-person occupancy in high demand areas as this is an extremely inefficient use of the existing housing we already have.

Another way to expand the housing we have, would be to begin development in greenbelt areas which cover 13% of England’s land mass. This has been frowned a upon for a long time and there are government restrictions on the development of this land as it is perceived as “valuable farmland”, land for recreation or even beautiful woodlands and areas of “natural beauty”. However, this is often inaccurate as a high percentage of this land is urban scrubland or low-quality farmland, with reasonably good transport links. And on a larger scale only 1.1% of England’s land mass is covered with homes, and this includes gardens so there is no shortage of green spaces in the country.

Similarly, the regeneration of Brownfield sites would

quickly create new communities and opportunities, and this has been successful in the past (for example the regeneration of the Olympic park), but this could only be part of the solution given the number of homes needed. Another more radical solution in order to decrease population increase could be to implement a policy like that of the one-child policy in china.

Obviously, there were some very clear issues with this policy so it would have to be implemented in a less harsh manner with significant benefits to those with one child or less without forcefully preventing people to have families.

Again in attempt to reduce the amount of people living in urban areas who don’t need to, you could purchase housing in foreign countries (Spain and France are both valid options) and then give people incentives to live abroad. Local, foreign governments would be likely to back this idea as it would boost their local economies and boost tourism. As well as this around 800,000 British households currently own a second home abroad so if you simply encourage these people to emigrate from the UK then you could quickly decrease our housing shortage. Again, focussing on the retired population, you could introduce schemes that allow discounts for retired people to use cruise ships to travel the world and use this instead of a home or simply just encourage them to travel.

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Finally, there is a difference between homelessness and rough sleeping. Homelessness is the inability to find regular safe housing and may stay in hotels or with friends, whereas rough sleeping is sleeping in the open air on the streets and there has been an increase of 48% of this since 2010. I have discussed solutions to homelessness but have also come up with some solutions to rough sleeping. I believe an efficient way to improve the quality of people living on the streets would be to open different buildings to serve as a place to stay for these people. For example, churches would be a prime opportunity as they are not used overnight and could be argued to be an inefficient use of the land. As well as this, tube stations or schools could also be used as temporary sleeping solutions for those on the streets in harsh weather. And despite the huge number of houses that need to be built, there are still around 800,000 long term empty properties across the UK that could be used to solve the issue of rough sleeping.

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The changing face of employment Elaine Li, L5 Job opportunities are endlessly changing. By the time we are employed, many jobs will no longer exist, and many new jobs will be invented.

Over the last 50 years, employment in the UK has changed in many ways. Data collected by the Bank of England show the change in the sectoral distribution of employment in the UK. Industry is categorised into three main sectors: primary, secondary and tertiary.

The primary sector involves obtaining raw materials so includes agriculture and mining. The secondary sector involves converting raw materials into components hence these occupations are primarily manufacturing and construction. The tertiary sector involves offering a service to customers and is also known as the service sector. In 1970, the largest proportion of workers were employed in the tertiary sector, followed by the secondary sector and then the primary sector. From 1970-2016, the share of workers in the primary sector decreased consistently from 4% to 1% and the share of workers in the secondary sector decreased more rapidly from 38% to 15%. Over the same period, the tertiary sector share of employment increased from 58% to 84%. This highlights how the UK workforce has evolved to become predominantly in the tertiary sector.

Many factors have contributed to the change in employment in the UK. One key reason is globalisation.

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Due to globalisation, more goods are manufactured in foreign countries and are imported to the UK. This means a larger proportion of the UK economy can be dedicated to the service sector. Although the UK does not manufacture as many goods as it did during the industrial revolution, it compensates by concentrating in the tertiary sector. Another main factor behind the growth of the tertiary sector is improved technology.

New technology has increased productivity of manufactured goods and agriculture with less labour.

This has led to a decrease in employment in the secondary sector and an increase in proportion of people working in the tertiary sector. Innovative technology has also created new tertiary services which likewise has caused an increase in the service sector.

plenty of human interaction and jobs that involve creativity will be more difficult to automate. These include therapists, dentists and psychologists. Although these jobs have a low risk of becoming automated anytime soon, new technology may change the nature of these jobs. For example, dentists will not become fully automated but advancements in technology will change their tasks. For instance, dental milling machines are now used to mill teeth, but in the past that was done by hand.

85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. As jobs change, the skills we need will change. Although we don’t exactly know what jobs will be created in the future, technological skills, emotional skills and social skills will be vital for our careers.

Employment will continue to change in the future.

Due to new technology, many jobs are at risk of becoming automated. Although changes in technology will improve productivity and human safety as well as creating new job opportunities, it also means that jobs will be replaced. There are already examples of machines replacing human jobs: most manufactured products are now assembled by robotics and some cashiers in supermarkets have now been replaced by self-checkout machines. In the future, jobs that have repetitive routines, such as waiters and taxi drivers are more likely to become automated. Jobs that involve Freemen’s Scholars' Journal

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You are never too young to bring a new idea to life Josh Lando, L5 I’ve always loved animals and for several years now I’ve been interested in becoming a vet when I’m older as it would allow me to realize my passion of being around animals and having the opportunity to care for them. So I took the opportunity to look into becoming a vet and at the same time my family got a pet dog, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who we named Sammy. He became known by the nickname Wam. This nickname gave me the idea that would enable me to link my passion for animals to the name of a veterinary practice. While on the face of it, WAM Vets doesn’t sound anything special, it actually is a perfect acronym for demonstrating care for animals, as it can stand for “Where Animals Matter”. I then took the opportunity to share my idea with our local vets, who really liked it and encouraged me to develop the idea further. I did some research on available URL names and consequently bought my own URL for WAM Vets, and I designed a website outlining how WAM Vets would take care of animals.

Following on the topics outlined for the scholarship program, I asked if it was possible to create a presentation on how I could make WAM Vets a reality.

In my presentation I have divided it into six sections, starting with initial ideas, then first steps, creating my website, bringing my new concepts to life (including the launch of a mobile app), what needs to happen next 73

and finally how I would achieve my goal of setting up and running a successful veterinary practice.

At the beginning I wasn’t sure if this idea was worth exploring further, so having done my research and discussing it with Mrs Parkin, I realized that you are never too young to bring an idea to life. I’ve been amazed as part of my research to find out that over 10 billion pounds is spent annually in the UK on looking after pets! Animals are now considered more than ever to be an integral member of the family, providing companionship and emotional support. As a result, people are willing to spend large sums of money on both preventative care for their pets as well as resolving any ailments and injuries. There are almost 4,000 veterinary practices in the UK and approximately 12 million household pets, which equates to approximately 44% of UK households. This serves to highlight the ongoing need for high quality veterinary care which can be easily accessed by owners in the local communities. This is something in the future that WAM vets will strive to deliver.

Whilst I am passionate about becoming a vet, my passion is driven by caring for pets and as a result Where Animals Matter is a perfect fit for my professional ambitions in the future. And its all thanks to my pet dog Sammy Lando.

Either the future will be similar to the present, rendering history meaningless, or it will be different, rendering history irrelevant Abby Dopson, L6 History has been deemed interminable and timeless: throughout its course there have been countless similarities and yet also an array of differences.

Despite this, historians have continually noted how history is also untranslatable – no two situations are directly comparable. However, I am of the belief that history could not ever be deemed meaningless or irrelevant as a result of the experience and examples it can provide us with, to help us make decisions in the future even if the situation is either similar or different.

First, I would like to talk about the idea of history being ‘similar’ in the future. Throughout the past two millenniums and before, history has failed to directly repeat itself, and yet there have still been numerous examples of ‘similarities’ in historic events, events which are not exactly the same but have comparable features.

Take the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy, both took place on a Friday, both involved a fatal shot to the head. The similarities in these two events is shocking given that they occurred over 100 years apart, and yet should they be deemed meaningless? Historians have spent decades investigating the conspiracies related to the links between these two Presidents, and as a result of history,

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future precautions have been put in place to ensure that in a similar situation the chance of an assassination has been considerably reduced. Surely in the future, with threats of terrorism ever present, the similarities that can be drawn to today's society and events such as 9/11 can help reduce the chance of such events repeating themselves by putting measures in place to prevent them? Consequently, when faced with a future similar to the present, history of our experiences and the past will be invaluable. Additionally, it can be argued that the today's present will become the future's past, meaning that not only the history of the past but also the history of the present can be comparable to the future.

Additionally, the argument of history being ‘irrelevant’ when faced with a future different to the past has been largely criticised. Some may argue that when faced with an event in the present day similar to one from the past – take Hitler and the Cold War, with Hitler a tactic of appeasement was used and failed, which led to an ‘interventionalist’ approach with Stalin by the West and then the future Cold War. Here we tried to learn from our mistakes of the past and correct them, however they didn’t work as no two situations are translatable.

Despite this, I believe that as a result of history we can

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draw on moral values and the reasons that change has happened. The reasons for differences between the future and the present will be due to changes in society and therefore history will continue to remain relevant so that we can value the changes and ensure that history remains changed for the better. Take the differences between 18th Century American Culture and today, there are countless differences in society, particularly in equality. However, history remains ever relevant for multiple reasons, first due to the need to remember the huge injustice that millions of black slaves faced throughout the slave trade and also to ensure that future generations can understand the wrongs of slavery and the value of equality in today’s society. Moreover, even if the future is different from the present, history will remain important in order to reflect what a long way society has come to bring about change, as well as the need to avoid the horrors of war and inequality in society as a result of the stories of history.

Finally, I believe that another important attribute of history is not only its experience but also the interest and roots that it provides us with. An understanding of our history can help us to understand our roots and heritage, helping us to realise the impact that we can have on each other and the world. Furthermore, we do not need history to be able to compare it to the present, instead we need it to understand who we

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are and what it means to be human. Understanding the impact and legacy that influential individuals such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King leave to future generations through the study of history emphasises the opportunity we have as individuals to have an impact on the world, encouraging us to strive to live our lives to the fullest and have an impact on society.

In conclusion, history will remain ever prevalent and important in the future whether society is similar or different to that of today. This is because of the lessons we can learn from it, the moral values we can take and an understanding of the impact that we can have, all helping us to improve society in the future. Even though no two situations may be the same, history provides us with the ideas of ‘learning the lessons from the past’. In the modern world there is a huge emphasis on ‘learning from our mistakes’ even if the situation is similar or different – surely the same applies to history?