The Acorn, Issue 6

The Acorn

The Discussion - By

Aditya Ravichandran

Tourist Submarine Implodes in the North Atlantic

Deep sea exploration firm

‘Ocean Gate Expeditions’ ‘s new submarine “Titan”, which ran expeditions down to the wreck of the Titanic, has been confirmed destroyed by implosion after a five day multinational search.

The 5 man submarine, carrying a father and son- Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, billionaire Hamish Harding, famous oceanographer Paul Henri Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, was reported missing after losing contact with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive. This sparked a massive multinationally coordinated search and rescue that ended in the tragic revelation: debris of parts of the sub’s carbon fibre hull and landing gear were found in a debris field 1600 ft from the bow of the Titanic. This begged the question: what exactly caused this disaster?

According to the United States Navy, a sound “consistent with a catastrophic implosion” was picked up by sonar soon after the time when the sub

last contacted its mothership. The US coast guard monitoring the search also indicated that the debris found was consistent with the implosion. Furthermore, analysis of the submarine’s design after the disaster found multiple faults that were repeatedly brushed under the carpet by OceanGate. The submarine’s hull was made of carbon fibre. This is an unusual and largely untested material to build a submarine with.

“There’s a rule you don’t do that.”, said the CEO Stockton Rush. OceanGate believed that using carbon fibre could allow them to cut costs.

The submarine’s shape was also unconventional. Most submarines are spherical in shape so all of the pressure exerted on all sides remains the same. The Titan, however, utilised an unconventional ‘cigar’ shape.

According to former employees, complaints about the submarine’s design were ignored and repeatedly brushed aside by senior management. Stockton Rush himself said that the regulations on sub-

See you in September!

As the year comes to a close, all of us at The Acorn want to thank everyone for their continued support and interest. We would love to see even more budding journalists join us in the new school year and

wish everyone a very relaxing summer break you deserve it!

To everyone leaving the school, we hope you enjoy whatever part of your journey comes next, and to all those returning

marine structure and design were “hampering innovation”. In light of these revelations, the preventability of this disaster has become embarrassingly evident. OceanGate knew their design was unconventional. They knew that carbon fibre is a rarely used material when it comes to constructing deep sea vehicles, and the cigar shape would lead to unequal pressure being exerted on the submarine. Yet, they decided to go through with their design for one motive: cutting costs and maximising revenue. This is yet another example of capitalism run amok. The company, motivated by monetary incentives, deliberately chose to cut corners with the design and exploited the fact that they were operating in international waters to forgo regulations- which ended in tragedy.

for the academic year 2023, see you soon! Enjoy some photo highlights from this year on p5!

‘Read as much as you can because it gives you a feel for the way stories are written. [...] Read history, read poetry, read graphic novels, read everything you can.’

House Happenings - By Bea Lowson House Highlights

We have come to the end of the first year of the new house system, which saw us all the way from September and cross country, to sports day on the date of printing. Everyone has embraced the new houses and here are some quotes from students when reflecting on the house journeys.

Y7 student: ”I like the colours.”

Y7 student :”Bentsi-Enchill is the best!”

Y8 student: “My favourite competition was house music - I loved the atmosphere!”

Y9 student: “House competitions have been able to blend both creativity and competitiveness in a great way!”

Y9 student: “I enjoy participating and watching the competitions.”

Celebrity Smash Hits - Livi Randall

Y10 student: “The spirits of the houses have really grown this year.”

Y10 student: ”I love the new house system because the names are from multicultural backgrounds and I feel that this is reflective of our multicultural inclusive school.”

We can’t wait to see the house competitions back in full force in the new school year.

Cressida Cowell: Let’s Talk Dragons

On Wednesday 10th May, nearly 400 students gathered to meet literary icon, Waterstones’ Children Book Laureate for three years running and author of over 20 novels and stories, Cressida Cowell.

The talk she gave, aimed at students ranging from Years 4 to 7, was a hilarious mixture of anecdotes about Cowell’s journey, the challenges of being both an author and an illustrator, and behind-the-scenes access to her latest novel ‘Which Way To Anywhere’. At the book signing that followed the talk, I was lucky enough to speak to Cressida about her life and experiences, an experience that was fascinating.

Having been writing short stories since the age of nine, Cowell’s first unpublished book was about two hippopotamuses that fall in love. Giggling, she recalled how the male hippopotamus’ chat up line was: ‘My name’s Hongo, what’s yours?’ Inspired by that initial story, Cressida continued to write into her teenage years and throughout her time at university studying English, and then whilst completing a second degree in Art. Despite what many may be-

lieve, Cowell was aged 30 before her first book was published, and even then, she recalls how she was not a success overnight.

“You have to keep going and be extremely hard working” she commented, reflecting on her journey as a published author. Cowell’s first five books were picture books and it wasn’t until her sixth book that she decided to write for an older audience - a decision that would change her life. Having sold over 11 million copies of the novel in 38 languages, ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ captured the hearts of millions, Cressida Cowell among them. When asked to choose, Cowell identified Kamikaze (from the series) as the character she feels closest to.

Providing children with heroes that they can relate to is something close to the author’s heart, and Cowell commented that she feels tied to the strength of a fierce female protagonist such as Kamikaze because they reflect something of her own character whilst also inspiring the reader.

It was this desire to inspire the next generation that

brought Cressida her proudest moment as a published author. She reflected that a Year 3 teacher approaching her in public to thank her was one of the most special moments for her because it was ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ that had got that teacher to love books. Without Cowell’s books, the teacher’s life may have been completely different, and seeing what a profound impact her stories could have touched the author.

As well as teaching people to love books, Cressida spoke about how stories have the power to inspire the next generation of authors and illustrators. When pondering what advice to give budding authors, Cressida said: “Read as much as you can because it gives you a feel for the way stories are written. [...] Read history, read poetry, read graphic novels, read everything you can.”

It was absolutely incredible to be able to meet such a renowned author, and who knows, one of you might just be the next Cressida Cowell! We wish Cressida Cowell the best of luck with all of her future literary endeavours and hope to meet her again.

THE ACORN

Bentsi-Enchill rocking it at House Music 2023

Trips and Travel - By Max Cartmill

Artsy Adventures

On the 18th of May, the Year 10 GCSE Art students went on a trip to London to visit two influential exhibitions: At the Barbican Centre, HotOffthe Griddleby Alice Neel; and at the Tate Modern, EveryTangleof ThreadandRopeby Magdelena Abakanowicz.

Alice Neel and The Barbican

The Barbican arts centre is in the heart of the residential area of the Barbican, located in the City of London and known for its brutalist architecture.

The estate is home to City professionals and business people, as opposed to social housing. The brutalist buildings showcase harsh lines and geometric shapes, which were perfect opportunities for photography.

Alice Neel’s exhibition HotOff theGriddlepresented her life’s work, mainly in paintings. The exhibition was designed clever-

Looking

ly to take you through the timeline of her life and how major historical events affected her artwork, which varied from dark and disturbing to colourful, bright and full of life.

The bulk of her work was made towards the end of her life, where she focused on her unique depictions of friends, family, lovers, celebrities and strangers in their most vulnerable and natural state. Sadly, this exhibition is now closed, but I highly recommend checking out her artwork.

Magdalena Abakanowicz and the Tate Modern

The Tate Modern, converted from a power station, is now a centre where contemporary art thrives. The building can be seen opposite St Paul’s Cathedral, across the London Millenium Bridge. EveryTangleofThread andRopewas the main reason we visited the Tate, however, we also had an opportunity to explore many of the free exhibitions on display.

Abakanowicz was a Polish weaver and sculptor famous for her large 3D fibre-weaved creations named ‘Abakans’. The exhibition displayed her transition from flat weavings to uniquely shaped sculptures taking up 3-dimensional space.

These ‘Abakans’ were interesting forms to draw, and we had a chance to observe and sketch with pens and oil pastels. This exhibition is also now closed, but Abakanowicz is definitely worth some research.

At the end of the day, we had a chance to explore the Southbank, an area which sits on the Thames, neighbouring the Tate. Known for its graffiti-filled skatepark, food market and arts venues, the Southbank is a large contributor to London’s cultural scene. This trip gave the Year 10 art students plenty of content to create work for their end-of-year exam, as well as contributing to their sketchbook coursework.

By Matthew Evason-Meece and Nathaniel Reed

Summer Watchlist: The Rundown

Titanic

Described in three words as: Ship Goes Down

Spiderman

Described in three words as: Edgy Teenage Spider

Beetlejuice

Described in three words as: Scary Ghost Dad

Ready Player One

Described in three words as: A VR Oasis

Transformers

Described in three words as: Robots In Disguise

Lord of the Rings

Described in three words as: Love and War

Pirates of the Caribbean

Described in three words as: Men On Ships

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Described in three words as: Boy Plays

Truant

Jaws

Described in three words as: Big Scary Shark

“...one of the most powerful and meaningful albums...”

Celebrity Smash Hits - By Bea Lowson, Thomas Battye and Maiya Singh

Taylor Swift: An Icon

There has been a lot going on with Taylor Swift recently and this is a round-up of her life so far this year.

Midnights

In late October 2022 Swift released her most recent album, ‘Midnights’, which contains 13 songs about midnights that she’s experienced through her life. She has also released a 3am version, which contains an extra 7 tracks ‘from the vault’.

Eras tour

On the 1st of November 2022 she announced that she would be going on a world tour called ‘The Eras Tour’. It's called this because each night she performs several songs from each of her albums. The setlist is 44 songs, which goes on for 3 hours and 15 minutes. However she also sings two bonus songs. Although so far she has only been performing in the USA, we hope to see her releasing

her international tour dates in the near future.

Love life

As well as all this going on, it has also been rumoured that she has broken up with her boyfriend of 6 years, Joe Alwyn. Joe Alwyn is a British actor and fans think that he cheated on Taylor and that is why they broke up. However this was in early April and neither of the two have confirmed the rumours. It has also been reported that she has a new boyfriend, Matty Healy, who is also in the music industry as a songwriter, musician and record producer.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

She has also recently announced that she will be releasing ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’. This is her 2010 album re-recorded. She has been re-recording all of her albums so that her old record company, Big Ma-

‘

chine Record Label, purchased by Scooter Braun recently (who Taylor has described as a 'incessant, manipulative bully') doesn't hold the recording rights to her old albums. ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ is being released on the 7th July. This track has all the original songs plus two new songs ‘from the vault’

Lover review

Lover’ is one of the most powerful and meaningful albums, because she is in love. ‘Lover’ is the most free spirited and meaningful album Taylor Swift has ever recorded. ‘Soon You'll Get Better’ is a song inspired by Taylor's mother's battle with cancer. ‘Lover’ is the flagship song of the album ‘Lover’ and has a calm, slow progression. Overall it is a relaxing song to cook to!

Taylor Swift performing live at one of her 213 concerts

THE ACORN

A summary of Taylor Swift’s music, as rated by the authors of this article. What do you think? How would you have ranked them? Get in touch at LPSchoolNewspaper@leightonpark.comto have your say!

Scholars Review - By Alex Bradshaw

Summer Holidays ~ Time for Reading

Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman

A biting YA social commentary. In Blackman’s bestselling novels she inverts the racial history of the world - instead of Western colonialism, the countries of the African continent colonised the rest of the world. The novel is set in a modern inverted Britain, where white Britons are the disadvantaged minority group subject to racial abuse. In a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque love story, a rich black girl, Sephy, falls in love with a poor white boy who works on her parent’s estate. Their love story shakes the foundations of the fictional British society.

Blackman’s novel demonstrates the hypocrisy of racist arguments, as well as outlining the continuing destitution, poverty, and police brutality that disproportionately affect black communities, by inverting such blights onto the white communities in her novel. The novel has been turned into a limited series by the BBC, and is available on BBC IPlayer.

Klara and the Sun KazuoIshiguro

Ishiguro’s most recent novel revolves around the relationship between an ‘Artificial Friend’ in the near future, her worship of the sun, and the human child that she takes care of. Ishiguro, in his patented manner, slowly unspools the eerie dystopian near-future world through assumptions and off-handed comments about the purpose of ‘Artificial Friends’. The novel is an exercise in Ishiguro’s craft as a Nobel-Prize winning author, demonstrating his skill in plot development and character construction - like all of his work, ‘Klara and the Sun’ explores the deepest philosophical questions we ask. Specifically, Klara and her relationship with Julie, the human child she befriends, allows Ishiguro to explore the essential human question; what does it mean to love?

What is Good?

A.C.Grayling

One of the most compelling questions which has enveloped Western philosophical and religious thought since Grecian classical antiquity is the question of

how to live the good life; what constitutes the good life, and the way in which to achieve it.

Led by Grayling's understanding hand, ‘What is Good?’ takes the inexperienced reader on a fascinating journey through Western philosophy. Starting in the Golden Age of classical thought he covers Plato, Socrates and Aristotle’s virtuous man, to the Hellenistic period that followed - Epicureanism, Stoicism and Cynicism. Grayling outlines the Christian contribution to the conversation on morality (a hegemony enforced by an iron fist) through the Middle Ages and particularly why the Christian hold on morality in Europe lessened during the Renaissance, Reformation and 3rd Enlightenment. Grayling takes the reader around and through philosophical, humanist and religious thought throughout the ages of Western history, opening the mind of the reader, providing a strong grounding of knowledge in the development of philosophical Western thought. Because of the comprehensive nature of Grayling’s work, he successfully articulates and explores the history of human thought about the key question in our life: how to live that life well.

Feel like testing your brain? Want to get your mind in a muddle? Welcome to Leighton Park’s very own…

Puzzles Corner

The Discussion - By Finn Walker

Worldwide Woes: Russo-Ukraine war a year later

On the 24th of February 2022, the world stood still as Russian forces entered the eastern region of Ukraine. However, this wasn’t the start of what we call the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Back in April of 2014, proRussia militants began their assault to claim Ukraine for Russia. Their invasion rocked the Donbas region with the terrorists seizing government buildings and declaring the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) as independent states which began the Donbas war. Ukrainian and militant forces fought over the claim

until February 2015 on which both sides signed an agreement to end the conflict yet the militants continued their actions into the Russian invasion.

This leads into the current conflict which has shaken the position of the western world in a way never seen before.

When war was declared, the Ukrainian president, Vlodmir Zelenzky, personally led soldiers to the front lines showing the world the stability of Ukraine. But this didn’t mean that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) would sit and watch.

Large nations like the US, UK and other European countries all offered to take in Ukrainian refugees until the war had finished.

Russia was also heavily sanctioned by these rich nations which continues to hurt the Russian military might. Over the

months, there have been several different claims made by the Kremlin to discredit Ukraine and justify an inhumane war, such as ‘Ukraine was always Russia and must be reclaimed’, ‘Ukraine has been brainwashed by the west and only they hold the key to salvation’ and ‘Ukraine invaded Russia first’. This has landed Putin and the Kremlin a court summons at the official UN Humanitarian Court on charges of war crimes. Though fighting still hasn’t ceased, there is a high level of optimism for Ukraine’s future as Russia appears to be losing resources at an unrecoverable rate. Also, these conflicts have done next to nothing to stop the charisma and resilience of the Ukrainians. For the past year, they have had victories in the south and some losses in the east, but still Ukraine stands