You can’t help but notice that this edition of The Bug is not being sold to you by an eager committee member but instead, it is being seamlessly delivered to your device! Because of this, The Bug now has global reach so be sure to share the link with your family members around the world! We have not only made The Bug digital, but we have also changed the layout. We are no longer choosing themes for each edition, but rather using categories to divide the articles. Some categories include, Who What Wear, Healthy Moments and Fun and Games.
New look. New decade. 2020 started with fireworks and great expectations. And what happened in those first few days? The bushfires in Australia escalated, the Third World War was imminent (thank you President Trump), the coronavirus became a health emergency in China and of course, loadshedding returned. What a way to disappoint the world. Despite all the terribly frightening news that has plagued us, some heart-warming events have occurred. The oil company, Equinor, will no longer be drilling in the Great Australian Bight, SpaceX will ferry astronauts to the ISS later this year and the European Union has banned single-use plastics. For more news, flip to What in the World? The article I Came, I Saw, I Contoured in Who What Wear reveals some surprising facts about cosmetics, definite conversation starters here! Also be sure to test your knowledge in the Fun and Games section. I want to thank Ms Campbell and Ms Forbes for supporting and encouraging us in making this edition digital. Well done to the writers on The Bug Committee for writing fascinating and thought-provoking articles and thank you to the artists for contributing spectacular covers and art pieces. We are also starring a guest writer, Cindy Littlefield in Grade 11, so take a look at her poem in the Creative Corner.
The Committee : Erin - Editor Kayla - Sub - editor Jemma Kate Katie Megan Sarah Zahraa Chloe A Chloe P Amy
Clea
Hanan Emma
Saskia Manina
Jemma Cusens
The benefits of your crystals By Megan Cusens Or, how to harvest their energy to assist with daily nuisances and imbalance. Crystals are not only for that one caftan-donning woman with scraggly grey hair who corners you at the craft market and oozes patchouli scent, but for everyone! In fact, a bunch of your friends and their parents will be well aware of the little buggers. I’m sure your ancestors also used them - I know mine did! I recommend trying out a few other methods of natural/spiritual healing like yoga or meditation alongside sprinkling a few of these bad boys around your house and inside your pockets. This is self-care done easy. Also, check out the Scratch Patch at the Waterfront for affordable gemstones.
Before I commence, I should probably enlighten you on exactly how to use these stones or they’ll live a lugubrious life of being chucked somewhere in a drawer or mason jar. Crystals are like minute, well-constructed, silent children who need affection and nurturing. You absolutely must use them! This can be as easy as carrying a few in your blazer pockets (like I do) and wearing them as jewellery to ward off negative energy or grasping them in your hands during meditations of ten to thirty minutes. If you want to recharge your crystals (they do drain after tonnes of usage) keep an eye out for the next full moon and leave them outside or on your windowsill to bask in the ethereal moonlight where they will be restored to full capacity.
To kickstart your scintillating new hobby here are just a few of the most common stones you’ll encounter, what they’re used for and a few handy tidbits:
Rose Quartz: Love & Joy As the most common crystal, you will probably have spotted this beauty on necklaces and rings galore, but there’s a lot more to it than just decoration. Rose quartz is the stone of unconditional love (wonderful for the heart chakra) and can be used for calming, balance and emotional healing within oneself. Use this stone when you want to soothe heartache and amplify empathy and self-worth. Basically, this crystal wants you to love deeply and openly.
Amethyst: Insight & Protection Watch out! Amethyst is even more protective of you than your patriarchal dad who still thinks it's 1950! This dude is number one when it comes to healing/cleansing and even boosts your immune system to flush out those yucky toxins we get from bad diet, stress and well… Rustenburg! Amethyst invokes peace and stability while also being known to cure insomnia and nightmares so tuck some under your pillow at night. It is said to open your crown chakra and promote clear thinking and relieve anxiety. Consult your amethyst during manic times.
Aventurine: Luck & Relaxation I mean… I’m not telling you to gamble with this stone, but… Aventurine heightens creativity, soothes worry and stimulates those leadership juices so if you’re pushing for prefect you might want to hide some in your bra! Aventurine guards your heart chakra like no other and will make sure no one bashes your energy. If you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed and anxious, clasp this stone in your hands and practice some deep breathing to attempt to alleviate these feelings.
March Self-Care Checklist Let’s make March the month of self-care and show ourselves some love. It’s easy to forget to do something special for ourselves due to our fast-paced lifestyles and busy workloads. Nevertheless, self-care is super important, not only for our physical health, but our mental health as well. Here are a few things that you can implement into your routine daily or even once in a while in order to show yourself a little bit of care :) 1.
Meditate.
2.
Read a book!
3.
Go for a walk.
4.
Make yourself a snack.
5.
Watch a feel-good movie!
6.
Spend time with people you care about.
7.
Stick some positive mantras on your mirror or in your room.
8.
Take a few deep breaths!
9.
Tell yourself that you love yourself.
10. Take a nap.
11. Cuddle your pet. 12. Compliment yourself or give someone you appreciate a compliment as well!
13. Write a poem or a story. 14. Exercise in a way that you feel good! 15. Put down your phone and be present with yourself and your loved ones. 16. Treat yourself- go shopping or do something nice for yourself. 17. Relax in the sun or outside. 18. Go somewhere special with friends or family or even just by yourself.
19. Drink some water! 20. Reach out to someone who you haven’t seen in a while. 21. Get a full 8 hours of sleep.
22. Dance to your favourite song! 23. Try a face-mask. 24. Give yourself a non-appearance related compliment.
25. Start a gratitude journal and begin each day by writing down 5 things that you’re grateful for. 26. Try something new! 27. Have a mini declutter session and clean your room, desk or bag. 28. Stretch! 29. Do something creative like drawing or painting.
By Clea de Klerk
WHAT DOES A VEGAN DIET CONSIST OF?
Veganism in Athletes Realistic or Idealistic? As concerns for climate change and the welfare of our planet increase, many people are opting for a vegan lifestyle not only to stand up for animal rights but also to attempt to inspire the dire and drastic change needed to take place in society in terms of consumption of animal products and consumerism in order to clean up the planet. It is not unknown however that the option to switch over to a complete vegan lifestyle is one that comes with privilege. For many countries and communities, especially those in developing countries, a vegan diet and lifestyle is not attainable or affordable. Many people with health problems such as Celiac Disease (an autoimmune disease which causes damage to the small intestine when gluten is
consumed) or an Omega-3 deficiency would struggle on a vegan diet. Many cultural and religious beliefs can also prevent people from following a vegan diet. Many people instead take inspiration from veganism instead and attempt to instead limit their animal product consumption and cut down on unnecessary spending and consumerism as well as creating a more sustainable life. However, there is a growing concern over whether a vegan diet (which eliminates all animal protein, dairy and any food product which is produced from an animal) is sustainable for athletes taking part in vigorous sport and exercise programmes and training, particularly within student athletes in high school who are still going
through adolescence and puberty. Could our own fellow student athletes at Rustenburg, who have the necessary resources and financial ability available, be able to have a successful sporting career for our school and potentially long after high school?
YES! While it may come as a surprise to most people, it is very possible to follow a vegan diet while having a sustained amount of energy in order to compete.
The biggest concerns young athletes have when giving up animal products (namely meat and eggs) is that there will be a lack of energy available for their body to use when they compete as well as having vitamin deficiencies and not knowing how to eat healthily without the “staple foods” athletes incorporate into their diets. There are four things to consider when beginning a vegan diet: 1. ENERGY 2. PROTEIN 3. CARBOHYDRATES AND FAT 4. VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Note: To see more information of what a vegan diet should consist of, please see the attached pamphlet written by the Veganism Resource Group available at
https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm#also. A vegan diet has, ironically, the opposite effect on athletes to what you would expect. Truth be told, there is limited research available on the effects of veganism in athletes. However, multiple sport nutritionists and coaches as well as athletes themselves have nothing but praise for a vegan diet that is being done correctly and sustainably much like any athlete that follows an omnivorous, vegetarian or gluten free diet. The bottom line is, if you are making healthy choices and feeding your body the correct nutritional amount it needs and making informed choices when substituting foods to suit your needs, any diet you chose to follow as an athlete will benefit you. The real benefits of veganism however, lies in the long-term effects it has on your overall health. A proper vegan diet has a strong foundation in vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Vegetables and fruits are the world’s natural medication. They have strong immune boosting properties which can help athletes get sick less often as well as have faster recoveries if however they do. A diet high in vegetables also means your body has an increased number of antioxidants.
Athletes who participate in frequent and intense training and exercise are at risk of high oxidative stress. The process of oxidation is when we metabolise oxygen. This process produces a byproduct of free radicals. The free radicals are necessary to a degree as they repair damaged tissue which tears as one exercises. However, a person
who is doing high levels of exercise and sport can often be overwhelmed by the amount of free radicals due to the high amounts of oxygen one is metabolising. This excess and overwhelming amount of free radicals cause damage to cells, the mitochondria (POWERHOUSE OF THE CELL), and DNA. This is what we refer to as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress causes factors such as fatigue, headaches,
susceptibility to infection, decreased eyesight and long term effects such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, and in extreme cases cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. However, a diet that consists of high levels of antioxidants reduces your risk of oxidative stress. It is also reported that plant-based diets give more energy, faster recoveries and reduced cholesterol and blood pressure. An incredible documentary, available on Netflix, called The Game-Changers gives an insightful argument in favour of veganism in athletes as well as society’s perception of what builds masculinity in male athletes. A theory they propose about the increased amount of energy one receives when switching to a plant based diet is that a diet consisting of animal meat is merely a “transporter” of the energy you consume in food. The energy within the animal product came from the plants it originally ate. As one would recall from Natural Science classes, our primary and only energy giver is the Sun and the only way to capture this energy is through plants who do this through photosynthesis. Instead of your body having to now break down the animal product to attain the necessary energy, it immediately receives it upon consumption. While veganism may not be for everyone, one can say with absolute certainty that with the proper consolidation and food choices, one can not only safely follow a vegan diet as an athlete, but can also benefit in the long term from it. By Sarah Irwin
Chloe Ansell
I Came, I Saw, I Contoured! Makeup! Girls, what would we do without it? It has been around for centuries, used in various ways with various ingredients. Some effective, some… not as much… It all began in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians used a black paste called Kohl to protect their eyes from the sun as well as evil spirits. Eyeliner is said to be the first makeup product invented and for this I’m sure everyone is eternally grateful. Because come on, when your eyeliner’s on point, your life is on point. Eyeliner is not just for us ladies. Back in the day, men used to wear heavy graphic eyeliner to create an almond-shaped eye. Today you’re more likely to see some subtle guy-liner along the lash line to enhance the eye and BOOM, boys now look even more beautiful than before and us girls are left struggling to get our eyeliner even on both sides! Up until the 19th century, blush was made of toxic materials that would damage women’s skin. Queen Elizabeth was big on blush, but her methods had some downsides (to say the least). To achieve that coveted lightened complexion, women would apply something called cerise which was made up of mixing lead paint and vinegar. Then they added a dab of rouge, derived from mercury sulphide. This mixture of toxic products literally ate away at the skin! Non-deadly ingredients finally caught on in the 19th century where blush began to be made of red sandalwood, Brazil wood or blaster saffron. And soon after, the French invented the first powder blush and made the soon to be, perfected rosy complexion.
Blush wasn’t always used for good. In 17th century, Italy, Palermo-born Guilia Tofana made a so-called complexion aid, she called Aqua Tofana. This mix of arsenic, lead and belladonna (a poisonous plant) was marketed to women in unhappy marriages as a way of dispensing with their spouse. The mixture was disguised as powered makeup or hidden in a tiny vial. This flavorless poison could be mixed into any food or drink and left no trace in bloodstream. It was later claimed, Tofana roughly helped poison roughly 600 men between 1633 and 1651! Look at that, women were slaying before it was cool! The first man-made lipstick appeared around 4000-5000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. Women there used to grind precious gems and decorate their lips with dust. Wouldn’t that be nice! But we’re all broke, so no. When red lipstick was created, it was a symbol of female emancipation. This is because in 1912, Elizabeth Arden handed out red lipstick to women’s suffragette leaders and other women, marching for their right to vote. Wearing bright red lipstick became a sign of solidarity and soon became a part of their standard rally uniform. Well you know what they say! “You know a woman means business when she puts on red lipstick.”
A fun fact about lipstick is in the 1500s people in England believed that lipstick had magical powers, but do you blame them? 90% of women say lipstick makes them feel better! From being used as sunscreen, to female empowerment, makeup has and will always be used as a way to express yourself, whether it be in useful ways or just for fun and crazy looks! By Chloe Ansell
New York Fashion Week: the highlights By Megan Cusens In early February this year an effervescent event took place in Manhattan where hundreds of designers, models, makeup artists and seamstresses ran amok getting their shows ready for the public (read: rich and famous) to gaze upon their designs from the front row. I took it upon myself to scope out a few of your regular top notch designers to see whose collection I favoured most! Shall we commence, my fashionistas? (Disclaimer: these are only a small few of my favourites and are entirely subjective). Feel free to research your own beloved looks if I’ve, hopefully, inspired you!
MARC JACOBS SPRING 2020 READY-TO-WEAR Did someone say croquet at the country club and polo on the lawn? This collection is sooo British socialites sipping Pimm’s and clapping gracefully when the mallet thwacks a ball through the summer breeze. But, in a cool way. I am a sucker for tweed and florals, especially when they’re done in tailored women’s suits and dazzling maxi dresses. It all feels very 70s and whimsical and I cannot complain.
MOSCHINO FALL 2020 READY-TO-WEAR Hello, Marie Antoinette! The drama, the flair, the ruffles… *chef’s kiss* I simply cannot get over how sensational this collection is. Every look was borderline Paris Hilton with double denim and glitter meets Marie Antoinette meets the 1790s. I have picked out two of my favourite looks that I feel are intricate, thrilling and flawlessly constructed. Hats off to Jeremy Scott and his team - this one takes the cake!
VERA WANG FALL 2020 READY-TO-WEAR Lime green is in, everybody! If Vera Wang thinks so then it’s final. I think these looks are just beautiful, edgy and so well constructed. Catch me wearing this corset/ cape number to the club!
Arjé Launched by Oliver and Bessie Corral in 2018 with the goal of designing simple, desirable clothes they knew would sell. The clothes range from silk blouses and wide-leg trousers to their best-selling reversible shearlings. Each piece is a timeless seasonal statement that is not only elegant and comfortable but fitting for both men, woman and non-binary individuals. Retailers including MatchesFashion.com, Selfridges, and A’maree’s bought their collections right away ecstatic to add a taste of minimalistic luxury back into the daily fashion lives of consumers.
Spring 2018 proved to be the boldest and perhaps most playful of collections with a range of yellows, like honey, saffron and even a neon glow. The concept of an outlandishly bold yet muted set of simple designs is a modification on the original concept Corral had envisioned. “To design clothes that are simple, but say so much,” as Bessie Corral claims. However, Arjé brings more than the oversized comforting chic that is wide-legged trousers and blouses but also specializes in blurring the line between feminine and masculine aesthetic. The Corrals have incorporated several pieces in both guys’ and girls’ proportions so all spectrums can dress regardless of sizing. Retailers buy across both “sections,” and pay no mind to whatever is written on
Pre-Fall 2019 focused on a more subdued pieces focusing on pieces worn comfortably in the warmth of late summer. That candid ease and luxury are where Arjé’s Bessie and Oliver Corral really shine. With new linen suits, poplin shirtdresses, and georgette blouses the collection is one definitely widely sought after.
The collection itself however, is full of twists on Arjé classics. The flowy silk dresses are the most “conventionally” feminine pieces the couple have ever designed due to the fact that almost every piece is intended to be unisex. The pieces also showcase a splash of texture uncommon from the brand which steers clear of bold print. The rack of striped cotton and linen pieces are a surprise. The palette consists of warm tones such as beige, sand, blush, and brick red which lends a vaguely Mediterranean visual to all of the natural materials. Bessie confirmed their inspiration was taken from films set on the Italian coast, namely The Talented Mr. Ripley and Call Me By Your Name.
The designers are only at the beginning of their upward worldwide fame and will gradually pick up acknowledgment for their sustainable and spectrum friendly clothing. The pieces and aesthetics lend to the sincerity of the designers themselves and represent a range of emotion, purpose and vulnerability. The clothes are also extremely versatile and fit the needs of everyone. Definitely a brand to keep a lookout for!
By Zahraa Solomons
A SNEAKY SECRET What is something that the more of it we take, the more we leave behind?
Steps! Have you ever wondered about what shapes your footprint? It's not only the shoe that you wear, but the carbon footprint that that shoe produces in its manufacturing process. Shoes are such an essential part of our lives, yet we seldom think about the environmental impact of the production and disposal of these everyday items. More than 23 billion pairs of shoes are made every year; that is about three new pairs per person per year! For each pair of shoes manufactured, 13,6kg of carbon dioxide is produced which means that over 300 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide is produced per year. This large and rather frightening figure does not even take into account the amount of carbon dioxide that the shoes contribute to the atmosphere while they are breaking down in landfills. As well as the number of shoes produced per year, more than 300 million shoes are thrown
out. These discarded shoes are mostly non-recyclable, which means that they take about 30-40 years to decompose. While they are decomposing, they release toxic chemicals that pollute water, damage plant life and even cause diseases like cancer. The same chemicals can be found in adhesives, preservatives and leather tanning products.
These statistics are disheartening, especially as the garment industry seems to be, with regards to sustainability, leaps and bounds ahead of the shoe industry. However, with big sneaker designers such as Nike and Adidas becoming more eco-friendly, countless brands are catching on and ensuring that their materials are ethically sourced.
There seem to be many alternatives to cotton, canvas and rubber that big brands are making use of. Examples include eucalyptus tree pulp, wool, castor bean oil, sugar cane and recycled plastic. Not only are they using sustainable materials, but they are improving their manufacturing processes too.
Brands that are making a difference in the sneaker industry Allbirds, a New Zealand-American brand, has paved the way in terms of sustainable resources and production. They design shoes that are made of a combination of merino wool (from sheep that are properly cared for), eucalyptus pulp and the soles are made of sugar cane. Other materials they have to use to better the comfort and durability of the shoe, come from recycled
materials like cardboard, plastic bottles and nylon.
Nothing New is a completely sustainable shoe brand. It only makes products out of recycled materials, especially plastic, and it has been running for less than a year. Each
shoe is made of the equivalent of 5.6 plastic water bottles, but they don't just use water bottles to make their shoes. They use recycled fishing nets, cork, rubber and even recycled cotton. What's even better about this brand, is that if you return a pair of used Nothing New shoes, you can receive a discount on your next pair!
Tsonga, a South African leather shoe brand, has been around for twenty years and has strived to lower their impact on the environment from the beginning. All the materials to make the shoes are ethically sourced and each shoe is handmade. Their campaign “Be Better Everyday” conveys their efforts to be an ethical brand and it started when they decided to only employ people from South Africa to ensure that they are uplifting the community. I have been to one of their workrooms in KwaZulu-Natal and the environment that the employees work in is extremely friendly and very safe.
The US-Taliban Deal
Katie Worthington-Smith
On the 29 February 2020 in Qatar, the US and the Taliban signed an “agreement for bringing peace” after being at war for almost 19 years. The War in Afghanistan began when the US invaded Afghanistan on 7 October 2001. The invasion followed the 9/11 attacks in the US, the blame of which was assigned to Osama bin Laden. The alleged culprit along with al-Quaeda (bin Laden’s group of Islamic extremists) was taking refuge in Afghanistan at the time and when the Taliban, who were in power at the time, refused to hand bin Laden over to the US, the US along with the help from the United Kingdom went to war with Afghanistan. The two forces were later joined by the Northern Alliance, the Afghan opposition to the Taliban in their civil war. The war continued for several years after that, with power in Afghanistan being split between an Afghan official government and the Taliban. In October 2014 the British forces officially ended their operations in the war and handed over their bases to the Afghan military. The US announced that its major combat operations would end in December 2014, but they left a residual force in the country. At the beginning of US president Donald Trump’s presidency, still no formal plans had been made to end the war, with the Taliban still in power in parts of Afghanistan.
For the first time an agreement between the US and the Taliban has now been reached. The US will withdraw all their troops from Afghanistan if the Taliban withhold their part of the deal, which is to hold peace-talks with the Afghan government and to prevent alQaeda and all other extremist groups from operating in the areas they control.
"I really believe the Taliban wants to do something to show we're not all wasting time," US president Donald Trump stated. "If bad things happen, we'll go back with a force like no-one's ever seen." Also stated in the agreement, 5 000 Taliban would be released in exchange for up to 1 000 government detainees by 10 March. However, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has now come forward to say that the Afghan government has no intention of doing so. Any prisoner release, he said, was "not in the authority of the US" but "in the authority of the Afghan government". Having their prisoners released is a key goal for the Taliban. The Afghan government knows that and is reluctant to give them what they want without having any of their demands met too. An Afghan official came forward to say: "They want their prisoners; we want a ceasefire." The US-Taliban deal has not only been met with in foreboding by the Afghan government. Activist Zahra Husseini said she feared the deal could worsen the situation for women in Afghanistan.
"I don't trust the Taliban and remember how they suppressed women when they were ruling," Husseini said. "Today is a dark day, and as I was watching the deal being signed, I had this bad feeling that it would result in their return to power rather than in peace." What with all the impediments that must be faced, will the US-Taliban deal be able to stop the war? It is crucial for the war to end, as over a hundred thousand people have been killed because of it, including 31 000 civilians. Unfortunately for the civilians, even if the war between the US and the Taliban ends, there is no saying for how long the civil war in Afghanistan will continue. All in all, the agreement between the US and the Taliban does not mean that pain and suffering is over in Afghanistan. But it does instil a flicker of hope and could be a steppingstone for peace to finally be reached.
Sources: BBC News. (2020). US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year Afghan war. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/ news/world-asia-51689443?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c6n97z84601t/war-in-afghanistan2001-present&link_location=live-reporting-story [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
BBC News. (2020). What will Taliban do after signing US deal?. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/ world-asia-51691947 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020]. BBC News. (2020). Afghan president rejects Taliban prisoner release. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/ news/world-asia-51695370 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020]. Aljazeera.com. (2020). US war in Afghanistan: From 2001 invasion to 2020 agreement. [online] Available at: https:// www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2020/02/war-afghanistan-2001-invasion-2020-taliban-deal200229142658305.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020]. En.wikipedia.org. (2020). War in Afghanistan (2001–present). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)#2001_%E2%80%93_2017 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
Katherine Johnson Dies at 101 A Mathematician, An Inspiration, A Hero
In 2016, after the release of the book Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women who Helped Launch Our Nation Into Space and later the movie adaption Hidden Figures released a year later, the world was exposed to the crucial and critical contribution Katherine Johnson, an African-American woman in the Space Race between Russia and America in getting the first man on the moon, along with her female African-American co workers. Johnson faced segregation and racism while working for NASA in the 1950s and 1960s as well as sexism and constant discrimination . In a time of a segregated America, Johnson was not even permitted to work alongside her fellow white mathemati-
cians at the NASA incorporations. She was forced to retake college courses despite having the same education as her white colleagues. Despite her being the key to the 1962 trip John Glenn took around the globe., she was never given a promotion and for decades her contributions and vital equations and calculations used by NASA to send Apollo 11 to the moon in 1969 went widely unrecognised. Her work on the space mission included the calculations that synced the lunar lander craft and the orbiting command module.
Johnson and her fellow black female colleagues Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were known as “computers” who compiled complex equations by hand, which later made it possible for America to land the first men on the moon. Ironically, this team of “computers” was largely made up of women whose contributions went widely uncredited for decades. Johnson was also the one of the first women to be named as
a co-author on one of NASA’s reports as well as publishing 26 documents of research papers throughout her career at NASA until 1986. Her work is largely credited as irreplaceable research on aeronautics, the study and engineering of flight-capable machines such as airplanes and rockets. In 2015, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. In 2017, NASA dedicated a new facility in her honour after years of being virtually unknown by the public: the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.
Katherine Johnson is undoubtedly one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century. While her credit was long overdue to her work, the most inspiring and groundbreaking contribution she made to society was her refusal to back down during a time when white men dominated not only her area of expertise, but America in general. She refused to be put down by racist and sexist attitudes and instead created a legacy of which will always be remembered and honoured. By Sarah Irwin
REASONS FOR BY AMY BASSON Many of us have come into this year extremely concerned about our current climate crisis. However, I’m glad to tell you that there is hope. Here are a few fantastic initiatives from around the world that can give you reason to be hopeful in 2020!
ONE MILLION SEAGRASS SEEDS ARE BEING PLANTED Although seagrass only covers 0.2% of the ocean floor, it absorbs a tenth of the ocean’s carbon each year. It can capture carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, making it a fantastic weapon against climate change. With the help of Sky Ocean Rescue, 1 million seagrass seeds have been collected, and will
be planted in Dale Bay in Wales during their winter. This will grow into a 20 000 square meter seagrass meadow.
MORE TREES ARE BEING PLANTED Trees are vital in the fight against climate change. With the help of partners, WWF are aiming to protect and restore an insane 1 trillion trees worldwide. In 2019, Ethiopia planted a record-breaking 350 million
trees in just 12 hours. It is however extremely important to make sure that the right trees are being planted in the right places.
KENYAN RHINO POACHING HAS DECREASED In 2019, WWF and FLIR launched a project called “Kifaru Rising” to combat rhino poaching in Kenya.
“Kifaru” means “rhino” in Kiswahili The project uses thermal imaging technology to better wildlife range r safety and help reach their mission of stopping illegal wildlife poaching of rhinos across 10 game reserves or parks in Kenya. There was a 42% decrease in rhino poaching in Kenya between 2018 and 2019, and it will hopefully decrease even further due to the great work done by initiatives like this.
IMAGE SOURCES: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/planet-earth-globe-with-cute-face-smiling-for-vector18778770 https://www.scrappinalong.com/product-p/2033.htm https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/content_slide_image/public/2019-07/Seagrass_groud.jpg? h=82f92a78&itok=fzgOhtV0 https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/content_slide_image/public/2019-08/Trillion%20Trees.jpg? h=c3635fa2&itok=sQjj46uT https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20190108005384/en/699195/5/Kifaru_with_logo.jpg?download=1
School News Emma Irwin New Arrivals: Name: Megan Francis Bell Ms. Bell is one of the newest additions to the Rustenburg Girls’ High School staff. She previously attended high school at Parktown High in Joburg and continued her studies at Wits University, where she finished her BAC in Maths and Science and completed a post-grad in education. Ms. Bell has aspired to be a teacher for as long as she
can remember, since she was a young girl. She previously taught at the very high school she graduated from before coming to teach at Rustenburg.
Ms. Bell has incredible patience (a virtue for any teacher!) and is not easily angered. She is always happy to help her students work through their problems. However, Ms. Bell has a tendency to be hard on herself as she is constantly striving to improve. This attitude extends to her students as she attempts to assist them and help them do their best. Out of school, Ms. Bell is a fan of chocolate, Starbucks (a taste acquired in Joburg), tennis,
ballet, music and movies. She hates being late and is not a fan of mushrooms or sushi. In her free time, she enjoys watching various TV shows, including: Grey’s Anatomy, Friends and Bones. We encourage students to ensure that Ms. Bells first year at Rustenburg is a favourable one and to make her (and the other new teachers not yet included in this article) feel welcome. We wish her luck for her teaching endeavours ahead!
Erin Coull
POETRY Emma Irwin
The True Feminine: I am not sugar and spice and everything nice.
I am music, I am art. I am a story. I am a church bell, gonging out wrongs and rights and normal nights. I was baby. I am child. I will be mother. I don’t mind being considered beautiful, I do not allow that to be my definition. I am a rich pie strong with knowledge. I will not be eaten ~ Anonymous
Lost
- Cindy Littlefield
Lost in the sea where the waves keep crashing down hard down on you. You need to breathe but the weight of the water keeps pushing you down even further. Not knowing where to go. The light around you is black, you can barely see anything. You try to kick up for air, you try to push your way to the top when your head slowly emerges at the top of the surface. You breathe heavily, gathering all the air at once. You suddenly feel light headed as you start your day.
The Hate (please be aware that suicide is mentioned in this story.) Katie Worthington-Smith I sat on my bed, staring at the room around me. It was dim, as it was an overcast day and I hadn’t bothered to turn any lights on. I huddled myself in a little ball as close to the window as I could be. I rested my head against it. It’s cold and smooth surface soothed my burning forehead, muting the dull thuds overwhelming me. I felt nauseous. I saw a faint glinting in my peripheral vision, and looked over to my black dress hanging on my wardrobe door. Even from where I was I could see that it was still wet from this morning, a few droplets still clinging to the frilled cuffs. Those must be the culprits, I thought, reflecting the light coming from the neighbours’ windows on the opposite side of the street. I breathed in the smell of damp earth coming from my black pumps in the corner, where they had landed after I’d kicked them off, and my mind wandered – recalling the events of this morning. “Greta Marie MacColloch was found dead three nights ago, hanging in the closet of her bedroom. Authorities have confirmed it as a suicide” Pastor Robbins was addressing the funeral congregation standing in the gloomy graveyard. A slight drizzle had started, and I saw umbrellas starting to be raised, shielding the respective owners. I didn’t bother to open one and even appreciated the dampness my dress was taking on. The clinging cold was a suitable representation of how I was feeling.
“And as we stand here today, celebrating Greta Marie’s life and accepting our loss,” Pastor Robbins continued, “we must think of Greta Marie as an example as to why cyber bulling is fatal. The fact that someone could be driven to suicide because of actions of others over the internet is truly shocking. We must realise every action has a consequence, sometimes as extreme as this.” I stopped listening then, feeling the rage rise in my chest. As I glared at Pastor Robbins, the bald, pasty, man in front of me, with his cassock hanging off his frail body, I knew what he was saying was completely useless. How could he, or anyone else here for that matter, possibly understand what really happened to my sister? Or how she or anyone else felt? People started to move towards my parents and I. Pastor Robbins must have finished, bringing the service to an end. And as quickly as it had come, my anger faded away, and I felt nothing but numbness. I looked over at my parents standing next to me.
My mother was shaking – she could barely stand and had to be supported by my father, who looked as though he were close to tears. As the crowd gathered round us and it began to rain harder, snippets of what people said made their way through to me. “We are so sorry for your loss…must have been such a shock…I can’t believe she would do something like that…” I just nodded. I did not know how else to react. I shook my head hard. I didn’t want to think about my sisters funeral anymore, didn’t want to think about the meaningless things they said. None of them understood. They could never understand. I heard voices issuing from downstairs. I could hear my father’s voice, but did not recognise the second. It was low and gravelly – must be a man. I got up and crept out onto the landing so that I could hear better. “-just came over to give you an update on the case, Mr MacColloch,” said the second voice. Must be one of the detectives working on my sister’s case, I realised. “We had a look at your daughter’s Facebook account and managed to find the profiles of the most active cyber bullies. The main one went by the username, ‘ih8my.self’. We have sent out a request to Facebook to help us track down the owner of this profile and the others responsible for your daughter’s death.” My stomach twisted violently and I ran to the bathroom. After emptying the contents of my bowel, I retreated back into my bedroom. I didn’t want to hear any more. I sat down on my bed and took in a few deep breaths. I closed my eyes and listened to the pounding of my ears, felt the sweat trickle down my back. I stayed like that for a long time, just sitting there, contemplating what I had heard the detective say. Then I reached for my laptop sitting on my beside table, opened up Facebook and began to type. After I had finished, I stared at the screen, my breathing rising. I then clicked on settings, delete account.
I flung my laptop to the other side of the room. It hit the wall with a crack and fell to the floor, pieces of the keyboard flying everywhere. I buried my head in my knees and closed my eyes, trying to shut everything out. But I could still see what I had written on my screen, it was burnt against my eyelids: ih8my.self: Good riddance.
Poetry to lift the spirit BY: Zahraa Solomons
Sanctuary
And every shooting star Is proof.
You took me where cosmos bloom
Falling can be beautiful
With the euphoric spell of a lovesome kiss.
When you give it
Your arms held me like a dreamier moment,
all you’ve got
That you wished to engrave in your heart
-Alicia N. Green
And your skin. I want that burn the sky type of thing. We spoke of how the sun is never crescent-
That catching stars and cutting clouds
And how the moon, is not always full.
and sipping on sunsets type of love.
We spoke of how you are mine, completely.
Only that fast car, passport stamp, loud
And my soul- my body, belong only to you
music kind of thing.
-Claire Estevez
I just want that red cheeks, dark nights, Show-me-the-world
The universe took its time on you
Type of love.
Crafted you precisely
-Ariana Dancu
So, you could offer the world something distinct from everyone else
Sometimes,
so, when you doubt
We outgrow where we are
how you were created
Into the place
you doubt an energy greater than us both
We are meant to be
-Rupi Kaur
-Sonia Primerano
It is a blessing
I want to learn
to be the colour of earth
How to look my faults
do you know how often
straight in the eye
flowers confuse me for home
without blinking
-Rupi Kaur
-Kristen Costello
What life should be. To learn while still a child
To be a constant source of hope To my family and my friends.
What this life is meant to be. To know it goes beyond myself, It’s so much more than me.
To live a life of decency,
To share my heart and soul. To always say I’m sorry
To overcome the tragedies,
When I’ve harmed both friend and foe.
To survive the hardest times.
To face those moments filled with pain, And still manage to be kind.
To be proud of whom I’ve tried to be, And this life I chose to live. To make the most of every day
To fight for those who can’t themselves,
By giving all I have to give.
To always share my light. With those who wander in the dark, To love with all my might.
To me that’s what this life should be, To me that’s what it’s for. To take what God has given me
To still stand up with courage,
And make it so much more
Though standing on my own. To still get up and face each day, Even when I feel alone.
To live a life that matters, To be someone of great worth. To love and be loved in return
To try to understand the ones
And make my mark on Earth.
That no one cares to know. And make them feel some value When the world has let them go.
To be an anchor, strong and true, That person loyal to the end.
-Pat. A Flemming
General Knowledge Quiz Good luck everyone! By: Chloe Pentz
1. What is the currency of South Korea? a.) Yen b.) Won c.) Rupee d.) Yung 2.) How many dots are on one average six sided die? a.) 6 b.) 12 c.) 23 d.) 21 3.) When did the Berlin Wall fall? a.) 1946 b.) 1989 c.) 1967 d.) 1974
4.) Who invented Penicillin? a.) Alexander Graham Bell b.) Marie Curie c.) Alexander Fleming d.) Nikola Tesla 5.) Who painted this famous artwork?
6.) What is the collective noun of bears? a.) Sloth b.) Litter c.) Colony d.) Whoop 7.) What body part creates insulin? a.) Pancreas b.) Heart c.) Kidney d.) Lungs 8.) What is the capital of Canada? a.) Toronto b.) Ottawa c.) Ontario d.) Quebec 9.) How many holes are there in the standard golf course? a.) 8 b.) 12 c.) 22 d.) 18 10.) What is the best motion picture-drama of the 2020 Grammys? a.) Parasite b.) Rocketman c.) 1917 d.) The joker
Answer Key: 1.) b 2.) d 3.) b 4.) c 5.) b 6.) a 7.) a 8.) b 9.) d 10.) c
a.) Leonardo Da Vinci b.) Johannes Vermeer c.) Piet Mondrian d.) Pablo Picasso
What character from Netflix’s “Sex Education” are you? Question 1: What’s your favourite subject at school?
A)
Music
B)
English
C)
Drama
D)
None
Question 2: How would your friends describe you?
A)
Bubbly
B)
Confident
C)
Cool
D)
I don’t have any friends :(
Question 3: How would you describe your style?
A)
Colourful
B)
Edgy
C)
Sporty
D)
I don’t have a style, I wear whatever I feel like wearing.
Question 4: How do you handle pressure and/or problems that arise?
A)
I talk to those who are close to me about my problems
B)
I deal with them by myself
C)
I ignore them until they go away
D)
What problems?
Question 5: What is your favourite past-time?
A)
Dressing up and hanging out with my best friend
B)
Reading books
C)
Playing sports
D)
Spending time alone.
Question 6: Which school activity are you most involved in?
A)
Orchestra
B)
Debating
C)
Athletics
D)
Detention
Question 7: How well do you do in school?
I’m better at sports than academics
D)
We don’t talk about it...
Mostly…
C)
C’s: Jackson
I don’t even need to study to do well
A’s: Eric
B)
D’s: Adam
I prefer the social side of school
B’s: Maeve
A)
Overheards By Saskia Beattie
Mr VK: writes on board 7+3=21 Grade 11s: laugh Mr VK: don’t laugh at me, I’m halfway to pension age
If you have any overheards please tell a member of the Bug magazine or Saskia Beattie in D2 (Ms Steenekamp)
Someone’s friends talking about something they would do that’s naughty:
Grade 11s walking to English
Girl 1: yasis if I ever did that I’d be grounded for like 30 years.
Morie: I am the art
Sir: hurry up, time is art
Girl 2: dude, do you ever think someone’s parents have ever legit grounded them for 30 years? Like think of it there’s so many people it must have happened once. Girl 3: Yeah, Boo Radley
Sir: That’s the last one for today English student: I’m ahead of my time