The Writeous ISSUE 6

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Writeous

2019 May Summer Edition Issue #6 Growth

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EDITOR'S LETTER

We are many people throughout our lives. Amalgamations of our experiences, environments and the people we meet. Each time we encounter an obstacle, we adapt, we change, we grow.

The term ‘growth’ can mean many things to many different people. It can also often be used synonymously with the word development. As human beings we strive to develop physically, mentally and spiritually. We look for meaning, and purpose. But growth is not, and should not, always be human-focused.

In this magazine we explore this theme from a number of different angles: from the growth of social media to the coming together of a community after tragedy, to the rapid progression of the Mars InSight mission. We have also written poetry and short stories on this theme. Just like each of us, The Writeous magazine itself is continually growing and changing with each issue. We hope you will join us on this journey.

- Stephanie Sekula

Contents Issue 6 - May 2019

6

Let’s Change the World

8

The Best Version We Can Be

10

Unconcious Bias

14

Female Leads in Marvel

16

Middle Ground

22

Growing

24

Impacts of Social Media

26

What Does Growth Mean to You

30

Popularisation of Self-Love

32

Street Art or Vandalism

36

This World is Nothing But Heartache

38

Freedom to Be

40

They Call Me Freedom

44

Black Hole

46

The Valencene Alteration

48

A Prelude to Peace

50

Is Horse Racing Morally Right

52

Blossom

54

Mars InSight Mission

58

In Memory of Jodie Chesney

64

Fangirl Review

66

The Knife of Never Letting Go Review

68

Overwatch League Season 2 Review

70

How to Develop a Character in Film

72

Is British Politics Broken

74

A Message from the Principal

Let’s Change the the Let’s change world! world! has sparked theingrowth in our to WhatWhat sparked the growth our decision decision to change the world? change the world?

As a generation, Gen Z, typically born in the theZ,mid-2000s, is not As a mid-1990s generation,toGen typically born in a stranger to being dubbed the ‘pivotal the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, is not generation’ or a stranger to (www.tcagenda.com), being dubbed the ‘pivotal the generation that will ‘change the generation’ (www.tcagenda.com), or world’ (www.time.com).

And‘change with 98%the of the generation that will us owning a smartphone and turning to world’ (www.time.com), and with 98% of social mediaa tosmartphone engage in hashtags such to as us owning and turning #blacklivesmatter and #marchforourlives, it social media to engage in hashtags such as is clear to see that our generation certainly #blacklivesmatter and #marchforourlives, it has a streak determination to make the is clear to seeofthat our generation certainly world a better place running through it. has a streak of determination to make the But why are we apparently so much more world a better place running through it. motivated than predecessors?

But why are weour apparently so much more motivated than our predecessors?

Having lived through pivotal events, some withholding negative connotations as Having lived through pivotal such events the recession and the 9/11 attacks, and including some more negative including, others that were moreattacks poignant time of the recession, thea 9/11 and more joy and relief, including the election of the positive ones such as, the election of the first first black black president, president, gen gen Z Z have have witnessed witnessed a dramatic scope of events that a dramatic scope of events that have have made made history, history, but but most most importantly importantly changed changed history. history. Being Being so so young young during during the the time time of of these events meant that, as a generation, these events meant that as a generation we we could could do do nothing nothing but but continue continue bouncing bouncing around as we had not a around as we had not a clue clue of of what what was was going on -- after children. going on after all, all, we we were were just just children.

However, However, as as years years continued continued and and those those bright-eyed, little kids have grown bright-eyed, little kids have grown up, up, we we hadmore the about opportunity to learn havehave learned what happened more whatyears happened in those in thoseabout bountiful of childhood, we bountiful years of childhood and about have learned more about the decisions how decisionshave of past generations are past the generations made and we have continuing to impact us today, leaving us learned more about how those decisions with a wider knowledge of the past we

were unable to act on. Perhaps, in a way, it isimpacting this bottled up, subconscious are us today.

Perhaps, in asense way, of powerlessness and restlessness, sense that it is this bottled up, subconscious we have carried since those events in our of powerlessness and restlessness, that childhood, that now gives us the label of we have carried since those events in our being the generation to change the world. childhood, that now gives us the label of We have up, woken up and up being the grown generation to change therisen world. to realise that enough is enough, and that We have grown up, woken up and risen up this time,that we enough are going to do things our to realise is enough, and that way. this time, we are going to do things our way.

Proof of this dominant drive to make a difference rectify drive past tomistakes, Proof of thisand dominant make a whether it be climate or difference and rectify pastchange mistakes, discrimination, is carried in the statistic whether it be climate change or that, accordingis carried to Opinium the discrimination, in the and statistic London School of Economics, young that, according to Opinium and the voters exceeded low expectations as an London School of Economics, young voters estimated 64% of generation Z took to exceeded low expectations as an estimated the polls for the EU referendum in 2016.

64% of generation Z took to the polls for Clearly, we are passionate about making the EU referendum in 2016. Clearly, we are the world a better place, and clearly other passionate about making the world a better generations are getting the message. place, and clearly other generations are There are waysThere that our generation getting the many message. are many ways is using their voices to be heard.

A strong that our generation is using their voices to case can A bestrong madecase for Emma be heard. can be Gonzalez, made for Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin andJaclyn their Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, classmates who launched and organised Corin and their classmates who launched the organised aforementioned March For OurMarch Lives and the aforementioned campaign, which was attended by an For Our Lives campaign, which was estimate of 200,000 people.

Meanwhile, attended by an estimate of 200,000 people. activist andactivist actressand Yara Shahidi continues Meanwhile, actress Yara Shahidi to raise awareness of girls’ rights to continues to raise awareness of girls’ rights education through her group ‘Yara’s Club’ to education through her group ‘Yara’s and her on Michelle Obama’s ‘Let Club’ andwork her work on Michelle Obama’s Girls Learn’ initiative. And the list doesn’t

stop there, more and more young people are stepping up to take action for a better world and society, whether it be through movements such as ‘Youth Strikes 4 Climate’ or smaller, individual actions such as writing to policy makers, taking the bus or participating in beach clean-ups. We are that this Earth - aAnd tinythe planet ‘Let aware Girls Learn’ initiative. list compared to there, our universe - ismore the young home doesn’t stop more and where following people we, are and stepping up togenerations, take action will for grow up. world So whyand wouldn’t wewhether want it to a better society, it be a safe, healthy and joyful place to be? through movements such as ‘Youth Strikes 4 Climate’ or smaller, individual actions We a vitalmakers, point intaking our lives, suchare as currently writing toatpolicy the but when the worldinaround us may seem bus or participating beach clean-ups.

We hectic and that chaotic, least know we are aware this at Earth - awe tiny planet have the power to universe change it -for compared to our is the thebetter. home So I leave with these words from gamewhere we,you and following generations, will changer Shahidi herself, ““What’s so grow up.Yara So why wouldn’t we want it to be cool about my and generation is that being a safe, healthy joyful place to be? socially is ingrained wepoint are.

All in all,aware we are currently in at who a vital It’s almost we world were born with in our lives,asasthough when the around us a debt to society to do our part, to bewe a may seem hectic and chaotic, at least part group to that understands knowof wethis havepeer the power change that for pretty immediately idea that whatever the better.

So I leavethe you with these words we has to benefitYara the Shahidi greater herself, good of fromdogame-changer humanity.” ““What’s so cool about my generation is that being socially aware is ingrained Now take breath.

Go.as Do. in who wea deep are. It’s almost though we were born with a debt to society to do our part, to be a part of this peer group that understands pretty immediately the idea that whatever we do has to benefit the greater good of humanity.”

Now take a deep breath. Go. Do. Written and designed by Isabella Pavitt

Written and designed by Isabella Pavitt

‘We all have it in us to make ourselves the best version that we can be’...

No one stays the same throughout our seemingly long but short existence on this planet, as we are always learning and changing, adapting to things we never thought we could. It’s what we were made to do and it’s been hardwired into our DNA from since day one.

Some of us often reflect on the growth we have made over time and this article is designed to allow those who wish to further their growth to take pleasure in life and their subconscious journeys. I’m not giving you a guide to make you completely different to how you are, but to make you more mindful of your choices and happiness, because we need to make the most of the time that we have in this life!

Step 1: Identify what you want to work on

Many of us have traits that we don’t like, whether that’s impatience, stubbornness etc.

But it’s important that we identify them in order to make a start at growing as a person. Once these are acknowledged its easier for them to be worked on. If it helps, speak to someone close to you and work with them on the traits you aren’t proud of.

Step 2: Rewarding yourself

In this society we are so conditioned to put most of our focus on work and education, and the older we are the more responsibilities we must balance to the point where stress doesn’t make anyone raise an eyebrow. Sometimes we forget to take time for ourselves after a long, challenging day, and we are met with further tasks to complete. I cannot stress how vital it is to reward yourself in life, after the beautiful moments such as getting that dream job or passing your driving test, and after the bad such as a break up. It may appear weird me suggesting that you reward yourself after a breakup but I mean it in the sense that you should reward yourself for being strong enough to go through what you have (everyone’s sense of rewards are different, as long as it doesn’t involve any harm to you or others, ztake pride in it) When you reward yourself for the strength you’ve had to even endure the terrible things that you’ve had to go through, it allows you to have a more positive self-image which I will talk about next.

Step 3: Positive self-image

In order to further our growth, we mustn't hinder it by having a negative self-image.

What we see in our mind affects our reality!

By going throughout our day and thinking negatively about ourselves and beating ourselves up about things, this leads to low self-esteem which is found to increase a risk of mental health problems. Instead, we need to be making sure that with everything we face, we face them with confidence and knowledge that we CAN make it through.

Instead of saying things such as “I’m rubbish at this”, “I’m not pretty enough” or “I’m not intelligent enough”, start affirming that you are doing well, that you are beautiful and intelligent and most of all, that you ARE enough.

Step 4: Meditation

Meditation is the key to spiritual and subconscious growth as it not only engages the mind and soul, but it also installs a calamity in someone that isn’t present in everyday life. It can help to deal with stress and anxiety and help anyone to face the day to day obstacles in this world with grace.

I hope these short steps help you in your journey to better yourself, thank you for taking your time to read this.

Written By Nya Chen Designed By Omair Malik

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS Written and designed by Nikki Onafuye

A

s a new member of staff, in any profession, it can be daunting to step into somewhere new. Your whole routine is changed from what you know and you have to make new work mates, get a new coffee mug (if you drink coffee that is) and you have to prove yourself all over again.

It can be exhausting. But when you have an institution/office that supports you and gives you an opportunity to be yourself in every way possible, regardless of race, sex and lifestyle – it becomes your safe place and you can finally relax.

When talking about equality and thinking about the connotations and definition of the word, you think about fairness, rights, balance and equal opportunities. These are the kind of words that you would want to hear when you are looking for a job or reading the ethos of the place you want to work out.

Diversity is often a term used to refer to

differences being made clear, a mixture of ethnicities, cultures and sexes, a range of different things and just seeing a variety of different people from different walks of life within an institution.

Havering Sixth Form prides itself in ensuring that every member of staff and student feel welcome, appreciated and represented. The ethos of the college is: “to encourage all staff and students to celebrate difference in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Students with learning difficulties, disabilities or medical conditions are supported at all times.” This sounds like a safe place, right? Somewhere you would feel accepted? Somewhere you would feel comfortable? This sounds like somewhere you would want to work right?

Below, two teachers at Havering Sixth Form talk to The Writeous magazine on their experiences with equality and diversity in their various workplaces and at HSFC.

ALEX BAINES Creative arts technician White British 1. How long have you been working in education?

This is my 10th year in education.

2. Do you think your sexual orientation has hindered your role as a teacher?

I don’t think it has hindered my job role but I know colleges are more open about it. I have voiced it to my line manager and nothing gets said. It’s fine. I have had students that are religious and they weren’t too good about it. But you just have to teach them and try and get them to understand. I had a student who had to play the role of the opposite sex in a drama performance and I had a parent write in that why is their child playing that role.

I used to run the LGBT enrichment course here and I had a student that was late to a coaching group, and that member of staff said to them “why are you late?” and the student explained where she was and then the teacher said well “maybe you should tell them to pray more.” Things like that affects you and even if it is just that one member of staff that feels like that – it makes you think that you’re not safe in the workplace.

With the college, there is not enough publicity for things like LGBT club and so forth.

3. Do you feel like you have to be careful/different when you are around students due to your sexual orientation?

I have to out myself every time to students and it does get tedious. Every time they ask something, it’s hard trying to use particular pronouns so it just comes out and I have to say ‘her’ in terms of my partner. I have a daughter and students say to me, it doesn’t look like you have had a baby and that’s because I haven’t but my wife has. So it gets complicated in that sense but it’s just about having that conversation and putting yourself in a safe place.

4. How have you overcome those negative situations?

Teaching them how to be respectful to other students and the only way you can be open about it is if you educate them. I don’t dwell on it too much because I know it’s not their fault.

5. How important is equality to you? And why?

Immensely important. There are 3/5 technicians now. This college has more females than males working but the senior roles are mainly men. We need to do better.

SILKA WARRICKAKERELE Business Teacher Black Carribean

1. How long have you been working in education?

From 2007 to this present day.

2. Has your ethnicity hindered you in your career? If so, why?

I haven’t had an experience where it has been a limitation.

3. Have you had any negative experiences in education because of your ethnicity? If so, how was it solved?

Not my ethnicity but there was one time I was the youngest in my team and I had just finished my PGCE at this point, and I was promoted to team leader to a team of older people. I was the subject leader and there was about 6/7 people in the team at the time. Age difference was 15-20 years older than me. It was challenging managing and I had a very challenging manager, who was a back female, but I overcame it with energy, having good ideas and good dynamic, and I had a good relationship with the students.

4. How important is equality to you? And why?

In education you need equality.

You want to see more women in senior roles. There should be equal opportunities for everyone. Equality is important to be reflected to show the school ethos. This college is diverse in ethnicity, but it is important that we get a diverse range of teachers in too.

5. How could education institutions increase their inclusivity and diversity?

I would like to see more celebration of diversity in our student bodies in terms of ethnicities and race and not just sexuality.

6. Are there any myths that you know of concerning ethnicity in the workplace?

Maybe people say my face doesn’t fit but there aren’t any that that I know of.

7. Do you think as a minority ethnic person, you have an automatic barrier in the workplace?

It can be but not automatic. It depends on where you work. If I want to move further up in the college then maybe.

“It gets complicated but it’s just about having that conversation and putting yourself in a safe place” - Alex Baines

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Middle Ground Where Are We as a Society?

Upon considering growth, I couldn’t find a topic profound enough to address it. And so, I decided to ask the people. On Monday 29th April, I held a debate titled ‘Middle Ground’ in a bid to try to decipher where we are as a society. United or conflicted? The debate ran as thus: I chose four statements to be discussed; for the sake of recording, a few participants were chosen from the audience, ones happy to have their views recorded in the magazine. After these speakers said their piece, the topics were opened to the rest of the room so that we could hear what they had to say too.

Here’s how it went.

Immigration is holding back the UK. Kieran: Brexiteers would say that. That’s what I’d say.

Hannah: Immigration ain’t holding the country back, it’s making the country (actually) better.

Kieran: Immigration built the country as well.

Sharufa: How’s it making it better? I don’t get it.

Hannah: It’s making the country more diverse.

Sharufa: Oh. Michael: Well, I think if you look at the effect of immigration you can see strain

on the NHS, you can see problems with housing, you can see problems, uh, with schools.

Kieran: The NHS is run by immigrants.

Michael: NHS- unless, an immigrant earns over £30,000 from the Office of National Statistics, they don’t contribute to the economy and that’s what you need to remember.

Manhal: You’re talking about NHS, but we have a doctor deficit where there’s not enough British people becoming doctors, so that’s when there’s uhh, like, an annual amount of immigrants they’re letting in, they actually require a certain amount of doctors to come in.

Michael: I never said to not have immigration at all. What I said is to have a sensible policy is what I believe, something like an Australian point-based system

Michael: It isn’t true!

Manhal: It is.

Michael: It is just not simply a fact.

Manhal stands his ground and insists.

Before we really delve into something deeper, I cut across the conversation to move onto the next topic at hand.

Thankfully the group laughs a bit and that alleviates the tension a little as I announce the next topic.

White privilege doesn’t exist.

The answer is unanimous – yes. A chorus rises in the group and in the room as they all state what seems to be obvious.

Group: It does! where we can choose who we want to come in, when we need them.

Kieran: Australia’s a racist country so I don’t think you should be taking quotes from them.

Hannah: No, I’m sorry but how can you choose? Are you literally going to start posting at the border and literally be like ‘sorry, there’s too much, don’t come back’?

Michael: No, you have a points-based system. You make sure people have permits to come over here and work, to make sure they have jobs secured, make sure they have properties secured when they want to come over and work, and we can control the amount of people who come into our country as and when we need them.

Manhal: You were talking about NHS and the strain, but it’s a fact that immigrants put more into the NHS than take less out, and -

Hannah: With that, we can all agree with that.

Michael: It’s the opposite these days.

Well, it was almost unanimous.

Faye: Elaborate, elaborate.

Michael: You have a box to tick and if you go and try to get a job, if you tick a certain boxes for example, if you’re a different sexuality, if you’re a different race, you’re more likely to get a job than a straight white male these days.

Kieran: Affirmative action is a combative strategy because of the lack of diversity.

Michael: It specifically said we have jobs for you if you are an ethnic minority. If you look at the police...

A murmur of dissent cuts him off as the group starts to protest.

Michael: If you look at the police, it specifically said we have jobs for you, if you are an ethnic minority.

Hannah: They say it, but do you know how you can barely see any ethnic minority in the police force?

Sharufa: And even if you do, all of ‘em are still trained to, umm, target a specific race anyway so.

Hannah: I mean, have you not seen the issue with knife crime?

Michael: No, they’re not. The statistics are saying that the majority of violent crime, not knife crime is done by young black males (…) who are proportionally more searched.

Sharufa: So, you’re saying white privilege don’t exist.

Michael: Huh? No, of course not. No. Kieran: You just don’t see it. You just don’t see it.

At this point, the teacher that runs the debate, Toby, pipes up from the back to remind us that we don’t have to agree with all views, but we do have to respect

all people and therefore, their views. The best way to remind us that at the end of this debate it should be no hard feelings, right? Or that’s what you hope for anyway.

There are more than 2 genders.

Faye, Kieran: Yes! Manhal: No. No. Faye: Alright. Elaborate, elaborate. I want to hear this. I really wanna hear this.

Manhal: Are you actually telling me that for, what, for the past two thousand years, they’ve got it wrong, where they’ve been saying that there’s two genders? But for the past nineteen years we’ve created non-binary, non-specific, ‘oh, I don’t have a gender’, parent one, parent two. You’re telling me that’s correct?

Kieran: I’m just gonna be really quick and say sex - there is only three sexes. There is male, female and intersex. Gender is... it depends, because different societies have different variations, and cultural norms and cultural behaviours, so therefore, how can gender be one objective thing when it’s different across different societies.

Gender is a social construct, I’m sorry, there are more than two genders.

Faye: Adding onto that, gender is your state of mind whereas sex is your biological body.

Michael: They’re synonyms!

Faye: That is the actual, scientific definition for it. Gender is a state of mind, that is what it is. It is what you feel like, either you’re completely masculine or you’re completely feminine, or you’re fluid. It is never anything set, just like with sexuality. Sexuality is a spectrum.

Michael: It’s not, though. It’s not. It’s either you’re a male or a female, or, you have a penis or you have a vagina.

Faye: That is your sex! That is your sex!

Kieran: Some people are born with both male and female characteristics, therefore there is intersex, so you are not born male or female.

Michael: And that’s in very rare circumstances. For example, if I believe I am a female, does that make me a female?

Just because I think I’m a female.

“Gender is a spectrum; it is constantly changing.”

trum; it is constantly changing. Your gender is constantly changing, you will never at one point in your life be like ‘right, I am 100% male, I’m never going to be anything feminine or anything like that’.

Michael: Well, I am.

Faye: Good for you! Do you want a medal?

Manhal: For the past ten years – for two thousand years it’s been male and female, and, I’m sorry, it’s worked in society. The population is risingKieran: That’s because of the patriarchy that has-

Sharufa: Yeah, I think there’s a difference between what you identify with and what you are born with biologically, which is what she was saying, there is a difference between gender and sex.

Manhal: Yeah, but for the past ten years, for the past ten years, they’ve come out with non-gender, binary and all of those.

If you’re telling me, I feel sorry for the kids who have parents who are non-gender specific, uhh, just made up words that they, uhh...

Kieran: On the inside, it does, but on the outside it doesn’t.

Again, for the sake of time, I decide to move onto the next topic here. Evidently, gender is still a subject that is glaringly divisive, but this is why we debate. To challenge each other’s opinions and to force ourselves to think differently. Who knows what would have come of this debate if we had more time?

Sharufa: No, it just doesn’t.

I trust the police to protect me.

Michael: So, if I think I’m a female, does that make me a female?

Sharufa: ...No.

Michael: So, I’m not. So, I can’t change my gender. Right?

Kieran: That’s why we have transgender surgery...

Faye: Here’s the thing. Gender is a spec-

Once again, a resounding no from the majority of the group.

Sharufa: Okay, I’m gonna say this. I’m gonna say this as a black person, right.

If something was to happen to my mum, someone stabbed my mum, what am I gonna first do? I would call the police,

you’re damn right. However, however in different circumstances, like I’m not doing anything - and I’ve seen many videos where the police just want to interrogate those who don’t need to be interrogated - in those circumstances, no. I don’t trust you. Don’t put your hands on me. Just go past, by your day and get paid. I really don’t care, do you understand?

Kieran: Theresa May said that black men are most likely to be targeted by police anyway.

Michael: Yeah, she also said we’d leave on the 29th of March.

Kieran: I don’t care ‘bout Brexit!

This causes a bit of an uproar. Each participant starts to talk over the other until we finally hear one voice clearly.

Kieran: This is the reality. He’s talking ‘bout Brexit, I’m talking ‘bout the police.

He doesn’t have to worry ‘bout police ‘cause he’s white.

Just to clarify, the person in reference was non-black but upon first glance, within the argument, ‘white’ was the description that was used.

Manhal: Yeah well, he’s not really. But I feel like, when you look, there’s so much checks and balances now. Police have to wear cameras, both in their... both in the car andKieran: They don’t turn them on all the time.

Manhal: Yeah, well, they do turn them on. And also, I feel like, with the knife crime epidemic, yeah, I don’t trust the police. Not because they’re the police, but because they’re not armed. I feel like when you have, like, people with ten-inch knives all around and police have a baton they can just wave around, that’s not gonna do anything!

I feel like police should at least have a pistol each andHannah: That is going to make it worse.

That is going to make it worse.

At those last words, the group really gets riled up about the police and knife crime and the suggestion of even more weapons, until we finally break up the conversation a little to hear each person talk.

Hannah: Look, I’m sorry, can I say something, yeah? Have you not seen America where the police are busy wearing around a gun, you see a black person, they think ‘oh’- they’re just walking around, shoot them dead with no reason, saying that ‘oh’Kieran: They might have a toy gun or just a toy and it might not look like a weapon.

Michael: Do you think PC Keith Palmer would have died if he had a handgun? He wouldn’t have.

Hannah: Who’s that?

Michael: He was the man who was stabbed in the Westminster attack.

Kieran: Maybe look up Stephen Lawrence, maybe look up Mark Duggan, maybe look up any other police brutality victims.

Sharufa: Exactly.

Michael: But they (would have) happened regardless if we had more police or not.

Sharufa: Okay, so then why are we talking about it then, if that’s the case. Do you believe in police brutality? Do you think police brutality exists?

Michael: Well, of course it exists, it happens on some occasions.

Sharufa: Okay, then how can you not believe in white privilege?

Michael: Well, no. It’s not all against black people or certain ethnic minorities.

Sharufa: No, but it’s against a certain minority.

Michael: Police brutality can exist, regardless of anyone. It’s not necessarily because of their race that the police are beingSharufa: Name me one case, name me at least two, at least two cases where the police have physically used... Where the police have physically harmed an unarmed, uhh, white person.

Michael: Well, I could say the same about the other side. I could say name me three or four, because I can just choose a number, can’t I? But it’s irrelevant. Isn’t it, really?

It’s nothing to do with race.

And then I cut it off there.

Preparing for the talk, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and now writing it up, I’m not sure how to conclude this. I can’t. There’s nothing that can pinpoint exactly where we are. One thing I can say though is that, despite differences, the participants were at least tolerant of each other’s views, and though defended their own opinions, still listened to others. That’s something I guess. I can say for certain though that, it’s in debates, where you fully comprehend

that each person really does come with a narrative of their own.

Once the debate topics were opened to the rest of the room, the differences deepen. On the topic of white privilege, someone shares their little brother’s experience with police brutality.

Thirteen years old with two friends.

One from a God fearing, white middleclass family, and the other, a typical troublemaker. Walking out of a store, the police sees a hint of a knife and shoots. No questions asked, no sudden warning, no word of usual protocol to let them know they’re in trouble. One bullet, and one boy’s gone. Guess who?

From the subject of immigration, we hear people’s experiences at airports.

The security checks that come with being a Syrian family despite being Christian. How carrying pliers and wires while going abroad will, understandably, lead to a high-risk situation in which you are treated as a suspected terrorist. Here, at least, we could all agree that’s never a good idea. And I do mean, all.

I couldn’t possibly write everything that was said in the debate. But there’s nothing stopping any reader from starting these conversations yourself. Opinions are ugly. There are uncomfortable lies, and even more uncomfortable truths we are going to encounter – but we need to. We need to face the awkward, address the elephant in the room and start talking.

If not, where are we going as a society?

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide where we are now.

Written by Gabrielle Prah.

Designed by Gabrielle Prah.

Written by Gabrielle Prah.

Designed by Gabrielle Prah.

Growing.

As I look down at you, I wonder what you will be like when you grow up, Closed eyes, pink lips, soft smooth skin, tiny fragile body, Soon your bones will grow and so will your body.

I wonder what your first words will be, I hope it’s “mama” so that I can show off to your dada.

Will you cry if you fall off your bike?

If you do, I promise I’ll be there to tell you that it’s okay, That you are still My special girl.

I promise to hug you every day before you go to school and kiss you on your forehead, To be there to make you laugh and smile, To braid your hair and call you beautiful, I promise to cherish these moments because soon you will be grown, You will get older, Then the disagreement, back chatting, door slapping, shouts and silent cries will happen.

I hope it doesn’t become like that, No, I promise our relationship will be different, Even as you grow, you will still be My special girl.

I wonder if you will tell me about your first crush, About the butterflies they give you, how they take your breath away, how much joy they Boy or girl it doesn’t matter to me, As long as you trust me enough to tell me about them, then it’s okay.

Will you go to prom?

Have a sweet 16?

Or will you try to avoid big social situations like me?

No, I hope that you are much braver, much stronger and much more confident than me, Even if you are not, you will still be My special girl.

.

bring you,

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t force the doctor or lawyer route like my parents, You can be whatever you want to be, I will always support you, Even as you grow and get older, Even as you make mistakes and have regrets and have breakdowns, I will always be there to guide you, I will always be there to support you, Though there will be shouts and screams and shrieks from me I hope that you never forget that you are still My special girl.

Will you get married?

Do you want kids?

Will you adopt?

What is your dream job?

How long will you wait till you retire?

Will you put me in a home when you get older?

I stop myself.

I have only had you for six months but already I am in love with My special girl.

I look down at you again and smile to myself, Closed eyes, pink lips, soft smooth skin, tiny fragile body, Soon your bones will grow and so will your body, I wonder what you will be like when you grow up, My special girl.

Written & Designed by : Jesutomisin Adeagbo.

Impacts of social media on the growth of mental illness Written & Designed by Bethany Smith

Over the last 20 years technology has developed like never before. From gaming to 3D cinematics to the over extensive social media range we now have to deal with. But is this a good thing?

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat... We are continuing to develop all of these new ways to communicate but in the process are ironically becoming more isolated than ever before. We feel the need and desire to share our lives with each other while continuously and unconsciously comparing ourselves to others. From our friends at school, where we secretly wish we had their trainers, car, lifestyle to celebrities, who we aspire to be and imitate, to influencers, whose primary job is to promote themselves and the projects they sponsor… how much of this is real?

As young adults growing up in this new modern world, we automatically assume that everything we see is accurate, as we have no other way of finding out if it’s not. I could go into a long list of the inaccuracies of social media, but I shall save time and just pinpoint one…

Photoshop. Scrolling through Instagram and seeing thousands of pictures of girls in particular with perfect complexion and stick thin legs. The damage it does to a person’s self esteem is immense. And the problem is that we don’t admit to this damage. We bottle it up inside, letting ourselves think and believe that those Photoshopped images are what we should look like. The perception of our body image is a key factor in determining our confidence, self-esteem and mental wellbeing. We can’t get rid of these images, and with the growing number on our screens it’s hard to ignore them. However, we can teach young people about the danger of this content and the fact that they aren’t real and are not to be aspired to.

In 2014 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and over showed signs of depression. Since then figures have only continued to rise. This is further proof of the dangers of social media and the long-lasting effect they are having. Furthermore, this percentage was higher among females than males. This could be contributed to the rising pressure

for girls to look and act a certain way determined by what they see online.

This rising depression rate is a real worry for health experts, and recently has highlighted the growing amount of suicides linked to social media. Instagram has recently been under fire for not censoring hashtags such as #suicide and #self-harm. Any teenager could look up or post this content, sharing these ideas with millions of other people online.

The tragic death of Mike Thalassitis (Love Island star) in March also raised concerns about the after care of reality TV stars who often fail to cope with fame and aren’t equipped to cope with the navigation of social media. Many of these platforms are easy ways to target these stars and troll them, with no repercussions or warnings. They go undetected, however can cause real damage to the celebrity’s self-esteem and confidence, even is this is not outwardly shown… Celebrities and influencers are still human beings with feelings!

More needs to be done to tackle these

problem. The growth of social media is an incredible thing that is used to create community, connections, share our ideas and create beautiful relationships. However, it can also be a really damaging thing that needs closer monitoring and identification of worrying or depressive content and trolling. We need to build a better understanding as a generation of what social media is and how to use it correctly. We need to use the information and knowledge we have gained to educate the younger generation of its dangers and arm them with ways of dealing with it. As we move into this new technologically advanced world, social media platforms are only going to grow, and we need to grow with them to ensure we don’t let them overtake us.

What does growth mean to you?

We often associate growth with our youth. But how do you grow as an adult?

For myself, growth is a conscious selfdevelopment of knowledge, character and skills. Striving for improvement and changing things which are not quite working for you, with the ultimate goal of being the best version of yourself.

To gain an alternative perspective on our theme of growth, I gathered a variety of responses from staff at Havering Sixth Form College. These are their thoughts.

By Stephanie Sekula

“ “Growth to me is continuous learning - growing holistically as a person a tiny bit every day. We continue to learn whatever we are doing, incidentally or consciously/ deliberately.”

Samantha Hennessey-Lowther CRM Officer - The CUBE

“To develop beyond what you feel you’re currently able to achieve.”

Stuart Phillips Faculty Leader - APM

“To me growth is an act of development due to our environment and the events that we witness and experience.

The good, the bad and the ugly all help to shape us, how we respond to these events and if/ how they define us is uncertain.

What is certain is that we have ownership for how we respond. So be kind people and let happiness grow rather than fear and hate.”

Anonymous

“Something that grows bigger, that needs to be cared for. If this is not nurtured, the growth could wither or become out of control.”

Jon Leigh Teacher of Graphics

“Becoming a better person and doing the things I enjoy doing.”

Emma Tunnicliff Teacher of Sport

“Using any new experience, however big or small, to fill in my “mental map” of life..... also helping others to do that for themselves. Always trying to see a positive aspect of any situation, however negative it may appear.

Sometimes, as shown in our College community since the tragic murder of Jodie Chesney, the growth of positive traits in others is really obvious, in terms of care and support for each other, and a huge growth in community spirit with a coming together of everyone united both in grief and in trying to raise awareness and ask for change.”

Pauline Morse Coach/DofE Co-Ordinator

“If the question relates to personal growth then it is best where there is the support and opportunity to develop, ‘Roots and Wings’.”

Steven Harrington Teacher of Art & Design

The Popularisation of Self-Love in Modern Society S

elf-love and self-growth are often speculated on in our modern society and in the current teen to mid-twenty-yearold generation, these ideas are wholeheartedly encouraged, especially on Instagram. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all seen those pictures of smiling people with a caption detailing the love they feel for themselves and the love they are promoting for you to have. As much as this may seem positive, it is, I feel, one of the ways that self-love has become a trend and an ideal. The negatives of this are that it leads to a disregard for the difficulty it takes to feel self-love and the fact that self-acceptance is a life long journey.

As with anything that makes its way into the mainstream, the depth of the topic is usually ignored while the more pleasant and approachable aspects are magnified, leaving relapses, failures and the true difficulties faced in the journey towards yourself in the dust.

While it is inspirational to see the shiny, happy selfies and posts online, it is also important to recognise what it takes to get there. Not every day is it mentally possible to complete a whole skin care routine or approach a situation damaging to your self-esteem with wholehearted confidence in yourself. Inevitably we all occasionally give in to the ease of self-deprecating behaviour and it is essential to remember that this is okay.

If we start to treat self-growth like a trend it defeats the idea itself. This will simply lead to people pretending and faking their self-care and love on social media as to replicate that of the bigger influencers online. Instead of being

something that is apart from social media and is honest and positive, it will become another expectation to reach and adhere to, even if is not truly felt.

Much like the posts of skinny, pretty women with long hair, tanned skin and white teeth, the effects are dramatic and lead to self-comparison and negative thoughts. People will begin presenting the illusion of self-love online and not feeling anyway similar in their non-virtual life. The way to avoid this is by taking the time to find out what self-love or self-care might mean to you.

What are the things that make you feel happy? What do you like about yourself and what do you want to work on? Taking the time to yourself away from Instagram and other peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideas of selflove is what will help you to grow and improve. Living to get better for further approval is never healthy and not going to encourage success or self-appreciation. Reliance on others is not a consistent enough fuel for your goals and that is why looking to yourself is the key to this journey. Succeeding only to post this success is not truly succeeding and your own validation should be enough. Before this illusion of self-love gets too far, I advise all people to truly spend time with themselves and take time to look after themselves when absolutely noone is watching whether face to face or online because these are the moments when true self-discovery can take place.

By Jessica Clark

Be aware, how often are you comparing yourself to others?

What do you want to work on within yourself?

When do you feel healthiest?

Try a day without social media!

Write a list of three small personal and three professional goals each night and try to complete them the nect day...

Take a break, you can not pour from an empty cup.

What makes you feel happy?

Start a new hobby or personal project such as drawing or cooking

What do you want to have achieved by the end of the year?

When do you feel most calm?

This world is nothing but heartache and only heartache Written by Fatima Akuji Designed by Nikki Onafuye This world is nothing but heartache and only heartache. The depths of your heart are never truly satisfied. The depths of your mind are always crawling with thoughts, the what if’s and wonders upon every encounter you’ve ever had, of how you could have handled the situation differently. It’s as if not only your heart is becoming as dark as coal, yet the world is too. Ever so cold, just like ice.

Every day, every minute and every second things change, they grow and adapt to the world’s likings, not yours.

Things you’d never imagined yourself once to do, you do. You turn and force yourself to confide with societies expectations, your emotions which once exploded with so many colours, ever so bright, as bright as a crystal have faded away, far, far away. As if you’re walking through a gorgeous, radiant and bright earthy forest where you once could get lost, and wonder and dream for hours on end. All of the simple things have faded away, they’re lost. It’s as if we’ve confided to a bleak existence, where our faces are fake

facades of emotions. Everything around us, everything which once was filled with magic, mystery and sparkle have all faded away just like dust, a subtle day dream fading away into the cool air.

Why have we come to such a conformist society, why are our needs only fulfilled once we’ve lived up to societies expectations? Why are we only contempt once we’ve archived one’s approval? Why does one lash out at another? Why do we go against our own happiness to keep someone else’s happiness alive? Why does one cause so much heartache to another, to the world? Why take away one’s life to fulfil your own satisfaction?

Imagine, a blessed and holy day where you conform to your own religious teachings which teaches you nothing but peace and love, to spread immense amounts of love and appreciation to those who share and do not share your own beliefs. Imagine, a wonderful day, a beautiful day where you wake up, you’re still alive, you still have your two eyes, your two arms and legs, something of which one would have adored to have, where you’re able to take a deep breath of fresh air, something of which one may have not been able to do. Where you still have the ability to continue on your dreams and plans that very day,

something of which you have planned out the night before, the day where you are not able to wake up and carry out those plans. Though, you still have the ability and control and empowerment of your own day.

Imagine yourself conforming to your daily rituals, a blessed and beloved day which is adored by thousands and millions all over the world of whom come together, and bow down to the one who gave them life. Those who pray for the blessings they have in their life, the ones who are able to thank the one who has still blessed them to be on this earth.

The one who is testing you, the one who has shown and guided you, the one who has directed your soul once it was lost, the one who gives this world a meaning.

A reason to live, to conform, to attribute your daily routine. Just remember, you never killed just people – you killed millions of other hearts whose pure and immense condolence goes out to those who were harmed, you harmed a nation, a world of people.

May we reflect light upon all of the shootings which have been taken place, tomorrow is never promised – keep your loved ones close and always remember, the one who created you should be the only one to take you back.

Freedom to Be (From the thing under the sea) Written by Eleanor Morgan.

Winner of the Library’s Creative Writing Competition.

This is a different tank.

I can tell because for the first time since arriving here, my eyes haven’t stung when they peel open. The water is less salty and the ceiling is much, much higher.

Dark blue shapes float about in front of my face and it takes me a moment to work out if it’s more kinds of aquatic plants or my own hair. I extend a webbed finger from where my hand is resting and touch them.

Thick, thready, like very fine anemone… it’s my hair.

This tank may be bigger but it’s also louder.

There’s more echo, more nothingness reflecting off the plastic walls. The hum of moving water, shifting in rhythm as I unfurl my arms and legs from the animal-like position I’ve woken up in. My movement causes a stir. I can hear more noise, faint and dull, coming from outside. It’s then I realize that the bigger tank is not only for my own comfort, but their entertainment.

On the floor, I’m parallel with the ground level. Sitting up puts my head opposite the second window. I stand to my full height, finally, and my collarbone is equal to the highest viewing platform.

The humans are tiny, hardly the length of a finger. And they make strange sounds when they open their mouths. On their

own, they are impossibly quiet and speak with deep, low tones that fade into the empty air so quickly I’ve concluded it must be impossible for them to see in the dark. They don’t seem capable of making high enough clicks. However, all together, I can hear them gasp and shriek through the clear barrier that separates me from them. Some of them put more distance between themselves and the tank, as if I’m going to punch a hole through the barrier and drown them all. I probably could, if I wanted to. But that wouldn’t help me in the slightest. Many of them just marvel.

Afterall, they came to see me. The world up here is smaller than I thought, if word can travel so fast.

Oh my… there are even smaller ones. If the average human is the length of a finger, then this thing comes just under the knuckle.

It bears the same features as the other ones but sits inside a vehicle of sorts, with wheels and handle-bars that the fully-sized human holds onto. It must be an infant. Its hair is much paler than mine, and thinner, and its frame seems so fragile. I’ll assume this is a she.

She doesn’t seem much surprised by me.

Just looks up at me with two, minuscule eyes that are so small they blur into the shape of her face. I can only tell they’re there because of the strange lights they’ve covered the platform in. They have a few

of those lights in the tank too, but that’s for their benefit, not mine. They need to see me. They learned quickly that anything brighter is like invisible knives to my eyes.

If I had a say, there would be no light at all.

language. Rescue orphaned creatures.

Then again, if I had a say they’d put me back in the ocean.

Humans are the only creatures who don’t live for survival. They live for being. This child has more than space for its legs to walk. It has the freedom of choice. Maybe she’ll choose to come back one day, when she’s older. Maybe she’ll choose to become a marine biologist because of me. Or an activist, on my behalf. Or maybe she’ll do none of that at all.

That’s what the true freedom is. Freedom to be.

The adult humans are talking to other adult humans, so the little one just stares at me.

All of a suddenly, she extends her limbs out and Wshakes them at me like she wants to wrap them around me. Very well, little human. I shall talk to you.

I know she can’t hear me. Besides she can hardly speak her own language, let alone mine. But what else do I have to do? Cross the few steps to the other side of the tank and blink at the other human onlookers?

Doesn’t seem to be much better.

What do you want? I ask her, in my imagination. Why did you come here?

I wanted to, she replies through a giddy laugh.

That must be nice. What else do you want to do?

Explore more of the oceans, maybe. When she’s more grown, perhaps. Find out why the moon shines. Learn to speak another

Designed by Gabrielle Prah.

She could do all of this. If she wanted to. That’s what makes the humans so fascinating, I find.

I guess that’s why I don’t protest too much, unlike some of the others. I could crack this barrier, if I wished, reject the food they give me. But then where would I go?

What would I do? The whale can choose to feed its young or neglect it. That is all.

The human can do that too. But it can also choose to seek more.

There is no need for researchers or dancers or speakers of different tongues in my world.

But in the human world there is. How lucky.

They They call me me call

Freedom But I had them by their brain; the funny strings in their minds dangled on my neat-cut, lacquered nail. If I did not have them so, then they would see that there was flaky bone instead of lacquer, and the unkempt trims accumulated so that the hardened protein above the tip of my finger had grown in yellow waves. Scratches, too. Nothing lacquer about that.

They yelled it when they still dangled with their eyes closed and their legs cut off. They yelled Freedom!

Freedom!

With my other broken hand, I stroked their little heads of hair.

Some blonde, some blond, some brunette, some brunet. They giggled and craned their necks and wriggle like worms. Their smiles were toothy and clean and induced with fake knowledge. They yelled Freedom!

Once more. We have looked for you everywhere! Everywhere! Freedom!

Everyone in unison. Freedom! We want you! They did not see, when I shook my head, and I gave them legs, and I gave them eyes. Their milky pupils turned to colour and their foot sizes relapse. Like babes under a chandelier, they screamed at the wrong light, which like my nails, was too yellow for them. They screamed as they hovered, even if they hovered for so long, they have

never hovered with sight. They begin, in unison, to flap their arms at my finger and punch it and spit it and bite in and kick it...and they all wriggle like worms again. But this time they have become, as one, a different type of worm, from a different mindset, when their funny strings do and undo.

I bellow You want me, you have me.

I set them down upon the glass floor, crooked finger with cracked skin. As they slid off my nail, turning viscously, I continued to shake my head, knowing well what the following events would consist of. One women with a blue and white bonnet covering the spikes of grey strands, turned into a fountain of hurl. Everything that exited her mouth were the expectations. Others followed, with some fainting and the rest dropping to their knees either for the overwhelmed or for their own indurablity. They cried at my face and at the nail which held them for so long.

They sob at my drooping, orange lip, the skin on the left-hand side of my face which sagged as if the breast of an old maid; my tumours hand, clumps of tied flesh as if wool.

A young lady, which stood in the centre of all sudden and true havoc, lifts her smooth chin and shakes the fringe hairs out her beady eyes with her thin, brunette fingers. She lipped her name over the noise, Morena. I, just as struck as the rest of the crazed cattle lot, lips in return, Come here. When she reached, her small hand stroked my torn leg, but she stroked deeper than the ripped flesh.

Freedom, I have looked for you.

Now you look at me.

Yes. She smiles weakly, not because she is afraid, disturbed, shy; her face is just as such, made to show true, not a sugar-coat of feelings. So she smiles the way she wants to.

The pink in her nails glow.

I ask the tiny women, What is freedom for you?

Standing very still, she says, Being water. We are ourselves, but we are also water. Formless, shapeless.

We come in everything, and affect many. If you put water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. In a channel?

We may grow to become the sea. Boil, freeze, water it stays. But water can also be poisoned. It can kill and ruin and destroy and terrify the circle of living. The women gracefully, taking her gentle time, ran her hand through the air towards the mess of people, still vomiting and crying and screeching for their unseeing escape. She smoothed her hand back down her thigh and a sad pair of eyes met mine, my right eyelid melted over my pupil. Freedom has its expense. Untamed water can be many things, it can even disappear in the soil and never be seen again, or it may drown itself, if it’s smart or stupid enough.

On my harsh, liver-spot, burned knees, I kneeled before the small lady, arms on thighs. But for you, what is it? What is freedom, just for you? I asked.

She stepped closer and stretched her neck.

It is… The women needed no moment of thought, like water, her words flowed from her, not like rehearsal, but bitter reality which her eyes long saw before many.

The ability to be able of nothing— to be able to lack any questiondemanding mindset, choice-making skill, judgement. Nothing which ‘expectedly’ should self-define us as us. Us; who is me and who is you?

Who are they? Freedom is being bad at everything and not knowing it because you have no opinion of it, which is what keeps the shackles off; perhaps ignorance, some may call it stupidity, I think it’s freedom because it’s such a rare element, and now-a-days we are seen as non-belongers if we outdo

them. So they call us stupid, or other things, because they have never felt freedom.

But they’ve heard of me.

Yes, they have, and they’ve seen you.

And now they’re traumatised.

The brunette-fingered woman fingered her straight ringlets and pulled on them until they gradually find themselves back to the regular strands.

But freedom is also being good at everything, too, it does not matter, so long as you know nothing of what you’re doing, just that you’re doing it because you can and you want to.

There’s more I want to say.

So say it, Freedom-Speaker. Still kneeling, my face fell in entrancement with her sense. She was one in a blue moon.

Why is that?

Can’t you see? I know too much! Haven’t you heard?! I know where everyone stands, apart for me! I know too much and it hurts! It all lies within me and I cannot even stand myself anymore because I know me too much! My eyes are too clear, my brain to large, the world too small and too big at the same time. I talk as if I’ve created the universe. You can never have any freedom if you’ve got to look after that many people! That many things, so many languages and signs and symbols.

But is it not beautiful, to see so deep?

I’m sure it’s worth the pain for such a gift as yours. What’s the point of knowing how colours look like if you can’t see them? Her voice was frail when she spoke those words.

It all lays in our head. The principal of freedom doesn’t even exist, were it not for us to inhabit the fruitful scapes. If I was to live with these people for the rest of my life, I would still be free, because despite my surroundings, they cannot enter my inner, even though they could. But with me, they cannot because I am free so I say they cannot.

I drew my palm to her feet and she hopped on, balancing herself with her arms. Patient and quiet, she peered down at the mass of convulsions, as if the people were transforming into their expectations. She laughed privately and slowly, her shoulder blades bouncing. I brought her in line with my horrid face and said in my husky, broken voice. They call me Freedom— But that is not what your Mama called you. She finished for me.

But the idea of freedom also means that it holds a different meaning for every individual, as for I. For me, freedom is a water well and a selfdestruction device, simultaneously.

Some prefer, unwontedly, to create new boundaries when they’ve touched their own freedom, a paradox for the insiders.

No other words were needed because she gave me answer enough, in fact, she gave me answer long time ago. So I blew out all the air from my lungs and pushed her off of my hand with my breath. She went flying, and I was sure she did not know where I had sent her, for her own freedom was waiting on the other side.

She finishes, retracting her neck to face down, at my bleeding toe nails.

Are you free? I ask.

No. She says. Her face an unsubtle and brisk shift into what might have belonged elsewhere inside her.

Written by Stefany Coca Designed by Harry Bruns

A Prelude to Peace Written by Kaiesha Melloy Designed by Liam O’Hanlon

Then you wake up. The ceiling is caving in and your shoes are missing. There is no milk in the fridge. That makes you laugh.

There is cereal on the floor. It’s in your pockets and it’s clogging the sink. Cleaning it means more work for you and you’re not sure you can do it. Not after last time. The cereal points you out the door, so you must decide. You can find your shoes or you can watch the ceiling cave in.

You wake up. You count the cracks that have appeared since yesterday. Your shoes are still missing. You can’t remember when you last wore them. Did you ever even have shoes? The cereal is still in the sink; the kitchen has flooded. You’re not sure you can drain all this water. The house groans, reminds you the ceiling is caving in. Your shoes are missing. You want your shoes but you do not want to find them. You decide you do not want your shoes.

You wake up. The ceiling is still caving in.

You wake up. You find patterns in the crumbling plaster, decide you like it this way. You do not need your shoes. You can stay here forever. Nobody visits you. Your brother couldn’t stand to see you like this.

You got angry at your dad for ignoring the

ceiling. Your best friend gave you a ladder and offered to help you fix it but you shouted that the ceiling was not broken so they stopped coming around. They gave you rainbow laces for your birthday last year. You think you might miss them.

You wake up. The ceiling is caving in. You’re angry that the ceiling is caving in so you unclog the sink. It drains. The kitchen is still flooded. The ceiling is still caving in. You want to tear it down yourself. The cereal still points you out the door but your shoes are missing. If you’re being completely honest, you’re scared of opening the door, but the kitchen is flooded and your socks are wet and there is still no milk in the fridge. You open the door. The kitchen is no longer flooded. You want to smile but the ceiling is caving in.

You wake up. Your best friend sits on the end of your bed. They’re holding the rainbow laces. They tell you they can help find your shoes. You look at the ceiling caving in. You wake up. You’re holding laces, hands bursting with more colours than you’ve seen in so long. For when you find your shoes, your best friend says with

a smile. You smile back. You don’t look at the ceiling caving in.

You wake up. You search the whole house for your shoes. You find them under your bed and you laugh so hard you forget that the ceiling is caving in.

You wake up. You are wearing yellow laces today. You call your brother, invite him around. The kitchen looks so much better now that it is not flooded. You remind yourself to buy milk so there will finally be milk in the fridge. The ceiling is still caving in.

You wake up. There is a knock on the door; your best friend is holding the ladder. This time, you let them in. You think you could get used to letting people in. You eat cereal together because there is finally milk in the fridge. You catch sight of their orange laces and you laugh. You think you could get used to laughing. You don’t notice that the ceiling has stopped caving in.

You wake up. There is a phone number on a piece of paper by your bed: for when the ceiling starts caving in again. You look at

your shoes, today’s green laces. The ladder is propped against the far wall, ready for you to start xing the ceiling. The voice at the end of the line tells you that your ceiling will always have cracks in it, that it may cave from time to time. When you ask what the point in fixing it is, if it will always cave in again, they tell you that as long as the ceiling stands, your house will remain your home. Inside it, they say, you can laugh and eat cereal and lace up your shoes. They know how you like your laces.

You smile, and the ceiling doesn’t cave in.

You wake up. You wake up. You wake up.

Blossom Written by Harry Bruns Designed by Liam O’Hanlon

It’s spring. The flower you gave me is yet to blossom to its full. Looking out my window, you can hardly see it. They say that plants need two things to grow - water and sunlight. That’s not the case with the plant you gave me. It needs care, attention and all that. I’ll give it just that seeing as its yours and mine. You should water it some time. When are you coming back? When will I see you next?

It’s summer. The sun hits the window.

Our plant has started its breakthrough.

Puncturing, pounding, pushing out of the surrendering earth. The beams of light dance around the garden and everywhere I go. I don’t go to a lot of places. Maybe to the shops I’ll pass by strangers whose faces dance and live for joy of the sun.

It’s as though the sun has blessed them with some happy spirit, a happiness filter for their faces. I see the kids playing in the street. Laughing, playing football, whatever normal kids do. They’re blissfully unaware that their futures will inevitably bring pain and that this summer might be their last being happy. But let them play.

Don’t concern them about the problems of an elder statesman such as myself. At the shops I buy for two (three if you include

the flower). Stupid really. You should come over from dinner sometime. When are you coming back? When will I see you next?

It’s autumn. The leaves are falling onto the ground. The streets look like they’re made of gold. That’s what you said last autumn.

Ah, now those were simpler times! The days growing darker and colder. A bit like myself but I’ll never admit it to anyone else. Anyway, I remember sitting down on the sofa and eating takeaway with you.

Unhealthy food yes. But I was happy. Now I just fixate on a damn flower. It’s grown considerably - I’m proud of it. I water it every day and the elements do the rest.

The vibrancy of it now is astounding and the colours burst from the stem. Green.

The colour of the Earth. It’s amazing how colours develop and spring from out of the ground. Gold and green at this time of year.

You should see it some time. When are you coming back? When will I see you next?

It’s winter. Cold and freezing as hell. It’s a shame because it should be snowing. English weather. Absolutely typical. I can’t get out of the house due to the bitter and crippling cold. It’s fine though I guess. It’s nothing compared to feeling alone. Still as I said

that’s fine. There’s no one that I’d rather see than your smiling face. Unfortunately, that’s not the case now. Even the Sun has hidden away, and its radiance and grace has not touched the Earth. I must take extra care of our plant of course. The flower had fledged and blossomed nicely now, but I can tell that it’s struggling due to the cold.

I mean I would make it a jacket but that would be overstepping the mark a bit. It’s just a plant, I guess. But the last thing you ever gave me. I keep expecting you to walk through the door and shut out the cold.

When are you coming back? When will I see you next?

It’s spring again. A year since I planted the flower. Still going strong against all the elements. I’ve started to get out more, but I know what time of year it is. A year since you were gone. But I must move on, I guess.

The flower has helped. One hundred and sixty-two percent. I’ve been getting back out into the world. Been playing football and doing a spot of gardening at the local centre. It’s the hope that kills. But hope is just about all I’ve got right now. Just like the plant, all I can do I grow independently and without you.

a few woRds AND JODIE’S PHOTOGRAPHY Jodie Chesney Last Friday, in College Jodie went to her Psychology and Sociology Lessons. As usual she worked hard to achieve her good grades; as usual she engaged in the classes in a positive way, with her lovely manner. As usual her teachers gave her some jib about punctuality. No doubt she then spent some time on our balcony, with her lovely friends. Our balcony group, some of the most amazing young people we have in this college and then, when she was ready, she went over to Arts and Media and charmed her way into the back of a class so she could catch up on some work and do some coursework. As always she spent the day as a wonderful student, doing Jodie things. Being extremely caring, with a smile on her face, probably eating the worst smelling crisps and marmite sandwiches, thinking about hair dye and making sure everyone was ok.

Students in her classes had banter with Jodie about her different hair colours, which made her laugh. Jodie would talk with teachers about her lovely family and how much she valued them. And we know that Jodie loved college, her courses, teachers and most importantly her friends, ……. and unicorns, dogs and all things purple!

Jodie would have liked this event, a sea of purple. Organised by her cherished friends. Jodie loved doing things with her friends at school, at college, in the scouts or on the National Citizen Service. She loved making people laugh with her snapchats and stealing your food. Jodie must know that she will be in her friend’s and families’ hearts forever.

To those that knew her Jodie was amazingly weird, the light of their lives and their group, smiling, passionate and never judging. She was a beautiful soul who loved dogs to bits, always cheering people up with her silly jokes and crazy personality. We are all going to miss her terribly.

My deepest sympathies are with her family, her Dad who I have spoken to and her sister who studied here a few years ago. As Principal of Havering Sixth Form College I am proud of the way that students and staff have responded and shown their love for Jodie. And to everyone, I say please do support the police and help them bring those responsible to justice. Do it for Jodie and her amazing heart.

Jodie’s friends say that Jodie would light up everyone’s face with her infectious personality and that her joy would never fail to spread to others. Let’s take a minute to remember and celebrate this wonderful person.

Thank you Paul Wakeling – Principal, Havering Sixth Form College 8th March 2019

Fangirl Book Review Written by Eleanor Morgan Designed by Zak Cronin

“Cath liked the idea of Wren here. Wren and her dad, all in one place, where Cath could take care of them. If only Cath could break off a piece of herself and leave it here to keep watch.”

This probably isn’t the first time you’ve seen this book. If you find yourself frequently in the shelves of a WHSmith or Waterstones, you’ve had already spotted Rainbow Rowell on the shelves with her bright, cute covers and contemporary-literature style. I think she’s one of the author’s that you look at and decide whether that sort of thing is for you or isn’t fairly quickly. I would agree. But, if you fall under any of the following categories, I would totally recommend Fangirl for you.

1) A hopeful young writer 2) A lover of fandom 3) A hopeless romantic On the surface, you might write this off as just another ‘quirky’ contemporary romance. Boy-meets-girl, boy likes her cute, introverted style and - despite what our leading lady initially thinks - they are perfect for each other after all. Sounds pretty common right? Bring the classic young love story right up to date in our modern society, sprinkle some fanfiction and gay fictional wizards in there and I think you’d find yourself looking at Cath and Levi’s love story. That being said, there is nothing wrong with it at all. I personally love Cath and Levi’s dynamic.

It’s that great combination of charming but still rooted in reality that I didn’t find myself

going “No guy/girl would ever do that really!”. I mean, we all love a little light-hearted romance from time to time. It was one of the reason’s I wanted to read it. I didn’t fancy a deep, thought-provoking novel - I wanted something that would keep me company when I was bored. So there you go - hopeless romantic box ticked.

So that’s why I don’t really want to recommend this book to you for its romance. Actually, I think it’s all the other parts that build Cath’s world that makes me enjoy this book a tad more than just any other young love story.

For one, as someone who loves to write myself, it was so amusing to see how ultiple people (mainly Cath) described writing and why they do it. “To be somewhere else.” “To make sense of ourselves.”.

At some points it made me want to go “Yes, exactly!”. Even if it wasn’t the main purpose of the story, it made me give an extra appreciation to the craft and reading about Cath’s Fiction-Writing class just made me want to study Creative Writing even more. Even if it was about a fanfiction written on a website about a fandom that I unfortunately couldn’t stop comparing to Harry Potter (Baz and Simon have great chemistry too by the way.

Total ship). If you’re a young lover of writing too, you might find an alignment with Cath that will make you want to look at why you write too. I might even tell you it’s a must-read.

And then there’s family. Family is at the core of Cath’s world. With a twin sister who is both so similar and so different from Cath, a mentally unstable father, and a mother that

is out of the picture and Cath wants nothing to do with, Cath’s love for her family sits at a lot of her anxieties. But what I love the most with how this book handles this situation is not by saying “Let’s explore this more frequently common dynamic and see if everything turns out better in the end (super smiley face)” but by just telling the story. There are ups and downs. Cath worries and hopes.

But I think the most comforting part was this underlying commentary of ‘life goes on’.

There’s no extra angst or romanticising (and if you’re no stranger to fanfiction and teenage angst, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about I hope). Life happens in whatever unique situation it is and that doesn’t have to be the centre of your whole life. Cath is Cath. Her home life has, I find, very little impact on her ‘normal teenager’ life. She might have those extra complications, but that doesn’t stop her from being Cath and having that light-hearted, charismatic romance as well.

And that to me, makes her far much more likeable a character. Real life, minus the angst.

Rainbow Rowell understands the flow of a book really well I think. She moves her characters about in a way that gives you just what you need when you need it. The best example of this for me was when things were starting to feel a little too solemn, Reagan managed to bring the whimsical tone right back again with a short-and-sweet phone call asking the question “Do we need a couch?”.

No matter what your first impression of Reagan, the cool and hard-edged roommate, is, I firmly believe that a little part of you will love her nonetheless. Sometimes you just need that someone in your life (and your story) to kick a door open like they just don’t care. Because, quite frankly, they don’t.

If I had to have a real criticism though, the ending felt a little loose for me. Once I reached the final few chapters, I wasn’t quite sure what the end goal was. It was like the main story was just fizzling out and I just needed something to conclude it all and tie it up in a nice neat little bow. And when I did reach that point, I found myself thinking “Oh. That’s the end. Okay.”. It didn’t really have that sense of conclusion for me, but maybe you’ll like that.

Yeah, it’s a little cliché at times. There’s romance, there’s writing, there’s a lot of fanfiction being read and there’s family. So if you’re looking for something a little familiar to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside or you just fancy a little light reading, at the very least, I think this book can make you smile.

Thanks for reading!

Say you were standing on a hilltop with someone who had no Noise. Would it be like you were alone there? How would you share it? Would you want to? I mean, here we are, the girl and I, heading outta danger and into the unknown and there’s no Noise overlapping us, nothing to tell us what the other’s thinking. Is that how it’s sposed to be?

themes that we can still apply to our society today – sexism, masculinity, power, violence, humanity, religion. It invites you to learn the truths with Todd as the brainwashing lifts. But don’t worry – this story doesn’t choke you with “deep, think-about-your-life-choices” feels. If all you’re looking for is an exciting life-on-therun that creates a thriving new world and keeps you waiting for the next surprise, this is still totally the book for you.

Book One in the Chaos Walking series, The Knife of Never Letting Go has so many things going for it. I read this book for my English Coursework and once I had finished it, there was no doubt in my mind that this should be the book I write about. I can’t think of many books I’ve read where not only the narrative but the style in which it is written is equally as iconic and interesting, making it a book that I think will stand out in my mind for a very long time.

And like I said, the writing style is reason enough to give it a go. Todd has one of the most distinct narrative voices I have encountered so far (but take that statement which a pinch of salt because I’ve clearly, in my seventeen years of living, encountered tonnes of complex narrative voices) and really helps build an interesting and unique character. As far as protagonists go, he’s stubborn, hot-headed, kind of mean to his dog at first and makes a least one very aggravating decision (I honestly had to put the book down for a moment and re-evaluate his life choices).

But he is still a good guy. And, let us not forget, a kid.

Todd is the youngest boy in Prentisstown, a settlement consisting of only men and who are infected by a germ that allows everybody to hear everybody else’s thoughts, called Noise.

Just as the name suggests, the atmosphere is crowed and violent and always swarming with thoughts and feelings and information, whether you wanted to know it or not. In a few days, Todd will finally become a man, as per Prentisstown’s social order, when he turns thirteen. However, an unexpected complication enters into Todd’s life when he and his dog (who also talks – that’s interesting enough on its own, don’t you think?) stumble across a girl in the swamp. The first girl Todd has ever seen. And unlike everything else around him, she is silent.

It isn’t long before the three of them are running for their lives, pursued by an army and a preacher hell-bent on a sacrifice.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is a must read for any lover of dystopian, science-fiction or talking dogs. The story is very vivid and every chapter offers something new. Another secret, another unseen character, another truth. It locks you into this out-of-this-world, gritty atmosphere that I think you can really picture. It highlights the best of parts of humanity and the very, very worst. Lying under the surface are countless

So if you do pick up this book and find yourself put off by the spelling mistakes, accent and inversions, I encourage you to stick with it. Trust me, after a while you won’t even take notice.

Patrick Ness is a great writer and I think knows how to tell a story to a young adult audience.

I would happily encourage you to give it a try.

Thanks for reading!

Written by Eleanor Morgan Designed by Kaiesha Melloy

The Overwatch League Season 2 Written by Zak Cronin

The Overwatch League is a esports league based on Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch. The OWL is back after a 6months break, in the previous season the London Spitfire defeated the Philadelphia Fusion in the first Grand Finals winning $1 million in front of a 11,000+ crowd with thousands watching online. Returning for 2019 the league now has more teams than ever featuring 3 new Chinese teams (Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou), 1 European team (Paris) and 4 North American teams (Toronto, Washington D.C, Atlanta, Vancouver) adding on to the pre existing teams to make the league have a total of 20 teams.

The teams are split into two divisions — Pacific and Atlantic — while also entering into an overall league table featuring all 20 teams. Each of the first three stages ends with a playoff tournament with knock-out rules where the top ranked teams face off for the title of stage champions.

Changes have been made after looking at what was positive/negative about last season with the teams playing 28 matches across multiple stages to broadcast more matches while also allowing teams to have breaks in order for them to not be burnt out while also providing time for gameplans and strategise. Once all four stages are complete, the winners of each division, the four top ranked teams overall, and two additional teams (decided by a mini-tournament between the 7th-12th ranked teams) go on to the grand finals where the Overwatch League Season 2 winner will be crowned. The overall prize pool for Overwatch League Season 2 is $5 million, up from $3.5 million in Season 1.

The winners are expected to take home just over $1 million.

The All-Star Weekend features matches just for fun like Arcade game modes and a Talent Takedown match starring the Over-

watch League production team between stage 2 and 3 to give teams an extra break.

All matches will be streamed on the Overwatch League’s official website, mobile app, and Twitch channel. For North American viewers, the ESPN app will feature all 2019 regular season matches, with select games airing on ABC and ESPN2. Three matches per week will also air on Disney XD: the final match of each Thursday, as well as the first two matches each Sunday.

Overwatch League Season 2 matches will be hosted live on stage at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles in Burbank, California. In a change from the inaugural season, three of the Overwatch League teams — Atlanta Reign, Dallas Fuel, and Los Angeles Valiant will host Homestand Weekends where games will be played in their home cities during seperate stages.

The ​Overwatch League All-Access Pass will return for Season 2 for $14.99, which is half of the Season 1 pass, players will have the ability to watch from the point of view of any player they choose during games. in addition to viewing games from the overhead map. Players will get 200 Overwatch League tokens for free with the pass, which will be enough to purchase two Overwatch League skins in-game. The purchase of a home skin will​also unlock the away skin, and vice versa. There will also be a one-time 20 percent discount on Overwatch League merchandise. Fans will also get special emotes, an ad-free Overwatch League experience on Twitch, join a passholders-only chat, and more. Twitch Prime users with the pass will also receive 500 bonus Bits to use.

Blizzard Entertainment announced recently that during the first week of the new seasons broadcast it reached 13 million people during its opening week, up 30 percent from last year’s first season.

Team logos of the teams competiting in Overwatch League Season 2

Scenes of the OWL S1 Grand Final between Spitfire and Fusion

How to develop a character in film Written by Harry Bruns Designed by Liam O’Hanlon Character development in Film is highly treasured and an important aspect in the success of the film. If you do not have developed characters, the film will most likely be weak and have no relatability to it. The trick to developing characters in to present their journey in the form of a narrative such as Todorov’s Narrative which has five stages it – equilibrium, disruption, recognition, resolution, new equilibrium.

You can choose to present development like this in a linear way but there are also other ways in which you can show character development.

One of the ways to develop characters is to show it in cinematography and the composition of a scene. This could be done, for example, by having a father and daughter in close proximity in a close up or a wide shot. What does this tell us about these two characters if we didn’t know that these characters were related? The close proximity of the two and the performance of the characters. One should be fatherly and protective if that is the case and the other should be admiring or loathing the father in equal measure. This could set up a future confrontation or resolution due to the use of cinematography.

Also, what most filmmakers and writers do, is to have dialogue which represents the personality of a character. This could be through colloquial language amongst most

things and, if they use informal language, the audience can assume that they aren’t the cleverest of people (even if it’s a bad assumption). In addition, dialogue is used to tell the audience how that character feels and what they say and what they talk about defines what that character is interested in and vice-versa.

Mise-en-scene, another key component of film, can be used to create character. This is by using the setting such as bedroom which could be full of posters that the protagonist is interested in. In most teen centred stories, this is the case, as stereotypically, teens are the more likely out of character to have posters on their walls. In terms of other places such as a big business building, the audience can tell what kind of a person they are by the clothes they wear (like a suit or formal dress) and the type of place that they are in. This tells the audience that they are a business person whom is important and has a sense of formality and order in his/her life.

a message

from the principal

Personal growth and learning comes in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. For me it can be a moment of reflection after my son or daughter calls me out, a thought entering me head on a cross country run or a never heard before expression in a meeting.

I try to build opportunities for growth into my life, a few days away in the Scottish highlands, time with my family working on something together or by inviting different people and their voices into meetings. But the honest truth is you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plan this stuff in, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choreograph your personal growth. But you can, I think, try and be ready, be open and become fertile ground for growth opportunities.

Students at HSFC are all about to undergo a growth opportunity, to progress to their second year here or to move onto Uni or work.

Be open, be ready to learn and make the most of the opportunity.

Staff have watched (and helped) your growth since you enrolled here and we know that you are now ready for your next step. We wish you well with this growth opportunity.

Personal growth and learning comes in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times

Paul Wakeling Principal of Havering Sixth Form College

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