The Viking Voice | Winter 2020

The Viking Voice

Teenage Teachers

Take a step back in time to see your teachers as teenagers!

Viking Voice Covid-19 Edition The Female Leaders Defeating Covid Data suggests that female leaders around the world are combating the pandemic better than their male counterparts. How are they doing this and why is the pandemic still increasing the gap in gender inequality?

Loughe Down

Get down with Loughe down in our exclusive interview!

Not Sure? Ask Shaw

Exclusive Feature: Lou Reed’s Perfect Day Regular Feature: Shiplake Sports Report

Mrs Rapple Moore’s ruthless, riled yet radiant rant

Hear from our new agony aunt. If you are not sure, ask Shaw!

Win prizes in our quiz!

Be the rst generation to save an entire ecosystem.

QUIZZES & RANTS

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Check out some of the College’s weekly competition winners!

CONSERVATION CONVERSATION

PHOTOGRAPHY

WINTER 2020

Guest Columnist: Mrs Rapple-Moore

It's time for another rant. I’ll tell you something that really annoys me – why doesn’t anyone tell the truth any more? If there’s one phrase I hear more than any other in Careers lessons, it’s ‘Miss, can I lie in my CV? Can I lie in my Personal Statement? Can I lie about my GCSE results? Will anyone know if I say my work experience was a week when it was half a day?’.

For the record, the answer to all of these is no, even the last one, which brings me to my next point: people think it’s OK to lie as long as they don’t get found out. Does no-one have any personal honour these days? Have you been brought up to think it’s OK to tell lies all the time? ‘Oh but Miss, it’s only a little lie’. Where’s the line? When does a little lie become a big lie? If you are comfortable telling little lies you will soon get comfortable telling bigger and bigger lies until honesty and integrity are just distant memories.

And while I’m on the subject, ‘white’ lie is a terrible phrase, implying that white is somehow better than other colours. Lies don’t come in colours: stop using the term ‘white’ lie and while we’re about it, let’s just stop telling lies altogether!

Telling the truth is just so much easier and simpler in every single situation and I don’t understand why people tie themselves up in knots trying to keep track of all the lies they’re telling. Even if you get away with some lies, do you really feel like a good person knowing that you’ve lied and got away with it?

The only person you’re really harming is yourself. Life is so much more pleasant if you just tell the truth all the time, or, if the truth would be rude, just avoid the issue altogether. Lying does not make anyone happy.

Rapple-Moore’s Rant

Interviewer: Elizabeth Tang Shiplake College’s new agony aunt, Mr Shaw, answers your most personal and intimate questions exclusively for the Viking Voice.

What is the best way to groom my beard? (Anon, Yr7.)

Before worrying about grooming a beard you should worry about your ability to grow one. Of course, within current school restrictions you’re not allowed to grow a beard, you have to have kempt facial hair; I don’t believe that beards are part of the current dress code.

But for when you leave school, the important thing before making any decision about grooming your beard is to see how well it grows. So in a time where you don't see anyone, where you’re unlikely to see people (lockdown is a good occasion) leave it to grow for a few weeks just to see the sort of coverage you get. If you can’t get full coverage, don’t bother, just keep clean shaven because a weird sort of patchy, uffy beard is not what you want.

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If you’ve got good full growth, then I would recommend just keeping it clean, no need to go into shampoos. A beard balm tends to be better than a beard oil, as a beard oil can make it quite shiny and it's hard to know the right amount. A beard balm rubbed into the hands almost like a hair mousse - brushed through and combed back would be ideal. Remember that normally to get some good shaping you probably want it a little bit thinner higher up the cheeks and fuller towards the chin. But I don't think, looking at the boys in school, I wouldn’t feel that many of them have got that full manly bush just yet.

Not Sure? Ask Shaw!

I don’t think you need to spend loads and loads of money to get a good suit. I don’t think that’s true. Don’t spend a ridiculous amount of money. But if it comes to buying really cheap, if you can afford a little bit more, do but only if you can.

In terms of some details for buying a suit, try and buy something that's made of natural bres, so a wool suit will be a good place to start.

If you put your hands in your pockets, it mustn’t split the back open and show your derrière. You want it to cover your posterior; to be long enough to cover you backside.

“ “

Go to Marks & Spencers, get a full wool suit, traditional, and have it tailored to you with some alterations. That’ll make you look most formal.

If you’re looking to be as dashing as I am then I suggest investing in annels. Flannels are lovely, a good annel suit, nice and heavy, quite warm so you don’t always need a coat, holds its shape much better than a light worsted suit.

v A model trying to look as dashing as Mr Shaw

I've heard psychology is boring, should I choose it for A level? (Everyone in Y11.)

Some people have said that psychology is boring?! I don’t believe you, this is fake news! Nobody has said psychology is boring, surely?

Why would I suggest taking it? My number one reason, other than the fact that I think it’s fascinating and interesting, is because I think that you can pick any combination of subjects and psychology will t in there.

And most people are kind of sel sh and focus on themselves around A level age and you learn about

yourself. So do it because of that if nothing else.

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The average psychology student

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What is your best advice for buying a suit?

(Business student, Y12.)

The best cure is prevention. So if you don’t want the EPQ to be a pain, then you need to take preventative action early on. By preventative action, I mean get your Project Q stuff done in a great amount of detail. If you get Project Q done with loads and loads and loads of detail and you hit all of your deadlines early on, you’re most of the way through your EPQ. A stitch in time saves nine, if you get all of your stuff in then your EPQ won’t be a pain. It’s only a pain if you try and rush it in at the last minute.

Harry Kane after getting his Project Q stuff done in a great amount of detail.

I know you used to have long hair and played guitar. The same thing is happening to me, how do I stop this? (Anonymous long-haired guitarist, Y10.)

I suggest you don’t! Embrace it, let that happen because you’ve got maybe another ve years in which they can do that. So just embrace it, get all of the unusual things done now.

Get through uni, you’ll make some more bad decisions and then after uni you’ve got the time to get more sensible. Be stupid now, be sensible later. Not so stupid that you fail your exams or anything like that. Let the hair grow, let it grow!

That's what I say, providing you’re not breaking any uniform restrictions. And if

Mr Shaw in 2004

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What are the best painkillers to deal with EPQ? (Len Hallen, Y12)

anyone says you’ve got to cut your hair, argue that it’s sex discrimination.

The Female Leaders Beating COVID Feature Writer: Laura Pasmore

Are women the best weapon for ghting COVID-19?

The data seem to suggest so

Female leaders at the forefront of fighting the COVID pandemic An analysis of 194 countries by the Centre for Economic Policy Research and the World Economic Forum has suggested the difference in death toll between male-led and female-led countries “may be explained by the proactive and coordinated policy responses”.

Matching the similarity of COVID-relevant social and demographic variables such as population size and density and GDP per capita, a comparison of female and male-led countries show clearly the success of female leaders in combatting the pandemic.

New Zealand and Ireland were matched due to a similar population size and it is clear that Jacinda Arden's response was more effective, with New Zealand currently only seeing 25 total deaths compared to Ireland’s 1,917. This trend continues when we compare Germany and the UK with the Boris Johnson led UK seeing 46,853 deaths, more than quadrupling Angela Merkel’s Germany toll of 10,669 (as of 2nd Nov 2020).

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As one of the seven percent of female leaders in the world, Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen has been praised for her successes in introducing strict control measures and pouring resources into testing and tracing, allowing only seven coronavirus deaths since the pandemic started. Taiwanese authorities communicated the importance of wearing masks early and effectively, and the government took over distribution, rationing supplies to ensure all the population could access masks and to prevent panic buying. Taiwan now appears to have stopped domestic transmission, an outstanding achievement for one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

Avivah Wittenberg, CEO of leading gender consultancy, 20-First, believes there are “four common threads in women’s leadership during the pandemic: trust, decisiveness, tech, love.” These traits combined with honesty, inclusivity and authenticity seem to have aided their success against COVID-19.

From the first few confirmed cases in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has relied on facts and stats of the virus, making sure her lockdown efforts have been informed by data from epidemiological models and medical advice. She has always voiced the unsettling truths and has encouraged Germany to “continue to take it seriously.” It seems that truth builds trust as this policy of honesty helped guide Germany to a lower death rate than many other industrialised countries.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has been praised for her success in allowing only seven coronavirus deaths

Inclusivity has also been seen in female led countries such as in Norway where Prime Minister Erna Solberg has held coronavirus instructional events for children to help ease their fears. Wittenberg stresses that the most successful leaders “make it very explicit that they care for everybody; they don't leave anyone out.”

Finally authentic leadership has gained the support of citizens and got them onboard with national efforts to help reduce domestic transmission. This is certainly the case with New Zealand’s Jacinda Arden who, in the early days of the pandemic, hosted an informal Facebook Q&A to “check in with everyone”.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has seen a lower death rate in Germany than many other industrialised countries

Addressing the nation from her home, Arden asked the nation to “excuse her casual attire”, explaining “it can be a messy business putting toddlers to bed”. This openness and informal approach has helped the country's citizens listen and adhere to the lockdown measures put in place, meaning that in October New Zealand was announced to have zero new cases.

With Iceland's Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, kicking off the widespread track and trace system and Taiwan leading the way with tech innovations such as QR codes used as online reporting systems, it seems widespread testing and tactical use of technology have also been ways that have aided female leaders’ success. Early lockdowns and perhaps a willingness to take risks in the domain of the economy have further been ways that have lowered the death toll in female led countries.

Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’s New Zealand saw no new Covid-19 cases in October 2020

So with the evident successes of female leaders why are inequalities for women being exacerbated by the pandemic?

Domestic violence against women has increased by more than 25% in many places across the world. Meanwhile many US states such as Texas and Ohio announced that abortions were not considered essential medical procedures, restricting women’s access to reproductive healthcare. As women are over-represented in some of the most COVID-affected industries such as hospitality, retail, arts and tourism, women will also be disproportionately affected by job losses due to the pandemic.

Nahla Valji, the UN’s senior gender adviser, suggests that “the fact we do not have women in leadership roles decision-making on the response to this pandemic means that we are missing huge pieces of information and experience”. Perhaps with more female leaders, the word may have been able to anticipate and aid some of the gender inequality problems that have been amplified by the pandemic.

As we have seen by their success in keeping infection rates and death tolls low, female leaders have not just adopted strategic policies but also treat their country with respect, care and honesty, traits that have been reflected in their country’s response to their lockdown measures.

Surely such success in handling the COVID-19 outbreak shows the need for more equal representation of women in power. Perhaps women are the weapon for combatting not just a global pandemic but other issues in the world.

Could lives around the world have been saved with more female world leaders?

Iceland's Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir oversaw a successful track and trace system

In Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg held coronavirus instructional events for children

Avivah Wittenberg, CEO of 20-First believes there are four common threads in women’s leadership during the pandemic: trust, decisiveness, tech, love

Shiplake Photography Shiplake College has an amazing array of photography talent. The Viking Voice has the privilege of showcasing some of our finest photos.

Photographer: Toby Coles

Photographer: Antonia Tunnicliffe

Photographer: Elizabeth Tang

Photographer: HollieAnn Richards

Gilson Sports Interviewer: Katie Baxter

Miss Mordue gives the Viking Voice the lowdown on girls’ sports at Shiplake College.

Can you give an overview of girls’ sport at Shiplake?

Girls' Sport at Shiplake comprises of three major sports; rowing, hockey and netball. We play in the local super league against 9 other schools for hockey and netball and we do well considering we are playing much larger schools! Girls' Rowing is really excelling this year and there are a large number of girls opting to do rowing which is great!

What is your personal vision for girls’ sport going forward?

I would love to see all the girls get involved in team sports, and perhaps try new sports too. My main aim is for the girls to enjoy sport and look forward to it at the end of the school day.

What is your opinion on girls’ sport here at Shiplake?

It is great to have all the girls doing sport at least three times a week and getting them all involved in an activity, no matter their ability.

Have there been any recent improvements in girls’ sport?

I think that the main improvements have been 'perceptions'. Over the last few years, the girls have worked hard to improve the perception of Girls' Sport within the College. The girls do really well each year to compete within the local super leagues for hockey and netball and we are playing schools that are much larger and some opponents have had girls from Year 7, so confidence has been growing in our own ability!

We have also been changing and developing the girls' sport kit, listening to the girls every year on what does and does not work.

of being Head of Girls’ Sport?

The major impact is not having any sport matches

I love to help the girls come together

this term - it is a real shame as it brings the girls

at the end of a long day and play as

together and brings out the Shiplake spirit and

one team, forgetting the troubles

team effort. Fingers crossed for Netball matches

from the day.

next term.

In what ways has COVID affected girls’ sport?

What has been your favourite part

Reporter: Katie Baxter Top of the Pops Everything 80s. I've got a very eclectic taste in music.

I styled myself on Morten Harket of A-ha Hanging out with friends in the park, playing footy, going to town.

Don't take yourself so seriously.

Mr Olhausen Gladiators Oasis and Blur. Coldplay in my late teenage years I think the shorts, flip flops and t-shirt look is my signature style A relaxing evening at home watching Gladiators, Blind Date and Cilla Black Not to worry and have more confidence in my own ability!

Mr Crisford Top of the Pops / Monty Python Kate Bush was my go-to music. Also Queen, ELO and Supertramp

Not sophisticated!

Saturday lessons(!), sports fixtures in the afternoon. Home on Sunday Persist with things you enjoy and are quite good at. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't keep up piano

Mr Brown

 

Teenage Teachers

Cheesy American sitcoms: Hart to Hart /Charlie’s Angels New Romantic (Human League) through to Punk (Siouxie and the Banshees)

Heavy eye make-up, hairspray, kitten heels, tight jeans or a rah-rah skirt.

Loads of house parties then horse riding or cycling on a Sunday You are just fine as you are and everything will work out in the end

Mrs Krause

Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon

U2 without a doubt!

Hairstyle - shoulder length. Lionel Blairs, high waist bands and wide winged collars!

Sport, sport and more sport (rugby, football, cricket and tennis) Take every opportunity that life throws your way

Mr Curtis Big Brother was very popular as it was a new concept for tv Got into trance and house music, even trying my hand at DJ-ing!

Exposed midriff, chunky belts, bootleg jeans Hanging out at the shopping centre with friends, seeing films or down at the beach

Slow down and not be in such a rush to grow up

Dr Prata

Lost in Space Pink Floyd; Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Favourite: Cat Stevens.

Long hair. Wide lapelled, chequered jackets and bell-bottomed trousers - the wider the better.

Spending time with friends and going to parties. No time on screens!

Absolutely love yourself to bits. Don’t compare yourself with anyone. You are unique.

Who is this?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981) Prog rock, Rock, Hard rock- Thin Lizzy, Led Zep, Deep Purple Yes, Genesis No style .... just Levi jeans, sneakers, grandad shirt, tank top (Benetton!)

Chapel then an illegal pub visit. then snooze.

Stop chasing girls so much

Who is this?

Who is this?

Who is this?

More Guess the Teacher on the back page!

Who is this?

Guest Writer: Alex Taylor-McDowall

MATERIALISTIC LOVE VS HUMAN LOVE The Troubled Life Of Lou Reed The way we, as a society, talk about love is very strange. We really like to lose ourselves in grand stories about eternal love, epic romances, dramatic declarations and statements about love as a magical force. But. This is not what love looks like. If anything, these mediums set us up for feeling underwhelmed; setting our expectations too high. Just as after a high, everything looks and feels worse, the love that we experience on a daily basis is a much smaller, more intimate emotion. It's a personal experience of our vulnerability; opening yourself up to someone else and letting themselves open up to you. So when it comes to love songs, I always delve more deeply into those that inhabit these smaller, day-to-day moments. And this is why I love Lou Reed.

When Lou Reed writes love, it is not this mystical, powerful force, imposing itself on the universe.

No, Lou Reed’s love is simple, minimal, yet tinged with fear and sadness - connected to discussing one's vulnerability. His life was scary and sad. He was a complex figure with complex romantic relationships. These aspects play out across songs such as Satellite of Love, Walk on the Wildside, I love you Suzanne and many more. However, there is no song where this is more evident than in Perfect Day.

Lou Reed: Perfect Day

This was one of his many strengths. Look at his minimalist song Heroin, an epic ode to the drug that defined much of his life. The entire song only uses two alternating chords. Perfect Day does not have such a pared down chord design, but its lyrics are significantly minimalist. It consists of four verses, interspersed by the chorus and refrain (his repeated outro). Perfect Day says exactly what it needs to, and nothing more. Within these few words (59 exactly, the same as Dr Seus’ Green Eggs and Ham), Lou Reed is able to plait beauty, complexity and intimacy; all of which run parallel to the beautiful and complex loves of his life. But interestingly, it hints at something much more:

“Just a perfect day Drink Sangria in the park And then later When it gets dark, we go home Just a perfect day Feed animals in the zoo Then later A movie, too, and then home”

The first two verses of the song are straightforward: an idyllic description of a day with a lover. Betty Kronstand, Reed’s first wife, was his lover at the time. Whilst the description is particular to Reed and Kronstand, the emotion behind the words is universal; spending a calm, happy day with a partner, someone that you care deeply about. Furthermore, his delivery of the lines are so authentic and raw, conveying his sense of vulnerability, softness and genuineness.

As we progress to the chorus, the song transforms into something bigger. We start to understand what is behind the veil of contentment, accompanied by a super arrangement and production thanks to Mick Ronson and David Bowie.

The operative lines of the song are found within the chorus, “You just keep me hanging on”.

Lou Reed was a troubled man, his entire life was a struggle of addiction and mental illness. He had a complicated relationship with his sexuality, having spent time in a psychiatric hospital for homosexual tendencies. Reed even went through brutal shock therapy as a teen. Many believe it was because of his sexuality, though his sister claimed it was because of his endless struggle with depression and anxiety. Either way, the treatment did little to help, worsening his condition, hastening his descent into addiction.

“Oh, it's such a perfect day I'm glad I spent it with you Oh, such a perfect day You just keep me hanging on You just keep me hanging on”

Reed’s lover at the time of writing the song, Betty Kronstand, does a sublime job of describing the troubled life of Lou Reed, “It was incredibly sad and frustrating to watch him drink away all the beautiful, gorgeous stuff that was in him, insights that could have fed his creativity and flourish in his work”. Ultimately, she understood the tragedy that makes Perfect Day such a powerful song,

“Although it appears to be a simple love song, its brilliance lies in the suggestion that love between consenting adults is never simple, always complex”.

(Betty Kronstand)

The outro suggests that Lou Reed understood the complexities of his own relationship. It ends on the ominous lines, “You're going to reap just what you sow”.

Optimistically the meaning is that if you love someone, if you open up to them and allow yourself to be vulnerable, you’ll be rewarded. If you trust and care for someone, you will gain care and trust in return.

Perfect Day is a real, tragic depiction of love. Love can create pathways to escape the destructive cycles in our lives.

But. Love alone cannot save us. People need to be willing to take accountability for themselves and to (consequently) change for the better.

Lou Reed is one of my favourite musicians: his music has this rather raw, intimate humanity that is completely unmatched to today's contemporary music. As I am writing my conclusion, I don’t have a closing sentence. I think that Perfect Day is a beautiful song written by a troubled and deeply flawed individual. I think that Perfect Day is an honest, true depiction of what love can be like in the real world. Yet I also think that it opens numerous doors of difficult conversations. Reed was one of the first musicians in the pop world to actively celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, but his legacy is a complicated one - one that needs to be recognised and discussed.

“You're going to reap just what you sow You're going to reap just what you sow You're going to reap just what you sow You're going to reap just what you sow”

I urge you, next time you listen to Perfect Day, to try to revel in the beauty, try to learn from it; think about how you can improve as an individual, and most significantly, the value of having an open, honest relationship. As with all forms of literature, the song is open to interpretation, but what this song means is not as important as what you take from it.

Loughe’s Lockdown Interviewer: Anna May Knight

We know him as our French and Spanish teacher but what does Mr Loughe get up to in his own time? Recently I interviewed Mr Loughe on how he spent his time during lockdown and what he learnt from his experiences.

Surprisingly, it was a very busy time for Mr Loughe! He upholds how important it is to keep busy and active to retain your sanity and, throughout our interview, maintains how crucial it is to find the smallest of things to be grateful for. Being inspired to seize opportunities in a seemingly gloomy time of never ending lockdowns is what he hopes his readers will get out of him sharing his own experiences.

When the first lockdown was called in March, Mr Loughe decided to quarantine with his parents on the border of North Wales. Aside from sharing time with his family, he worked in the garden and did a fair share of cooking.

What he was especially proud of was making fresh pasta.

“It doesn’t take any special equipment nor a large amount of skill, I used coat hangers to dry the pasta!” He really recommends this to others if we find ourselves in another lockdown. “It’s strangely therapeutic and you end up with better tasting pasta, so...what’s not to like?” Why we definitely shall take you up on that one!

Having spent so much time on the border, Mr Loughe took the initiative to try to learn Welsh. Along with this, he participated in an online course about teaching English as a foreign language. “I think it’s important to have goals during uncertain times like these and to remain ambitious to constantly improve yourself.” In our interview, he expressed how much he really does enjoy challenging himself. He maintains it’s a privilege to be able to offer as much of his expertise to his students, furthering their education as a result.

Aside from these impressive achievements, Mr Loughe did admit to having initially struggled with the ‘new normal’. He generally found it very challenging as a teacher during lockdown. Usually, he relies on interaction and spontaneity during lessons which you can’t really recreate outside the classroom. He did however participate in a few webinars to learn how to engage pupils. Yet what continued to surprise him about online learning was fatigue! “Teaching through a screen is certainly more tiring than normal” he asserts.

However, that’s not to say that going digital did not have its advantages. He found that he organised his work better and all these changes allowed for some more creativity in his teaching.

Furthermore, some pupils said they enjoyed fewer distractions from others and found their lessons more productive. So online teaching wasn’t an entirely negative experience for Mr Loughe!

Other than academics, Mr Loughe appeared to have kept himself busy with other activities. “I was really grateful for all the extra time and opportunities lockdown gave me to exercise.” He certainly took full advantage of the new flexible schedule working from home provided. After having moved to quarantine with his parents, he and Ms Davies decided to embark on the ‘Couch To 5km’ challenge. Mr Loughe insisted on the advantage of having a friend to exercise with. Having fully completed the 9-week programme, running with Ms Davies virtually, Mr Loughe attributes much of his success to having all the extra motivation that Ms Davies provided him as a running partner albeit it running 200 miles apart.

The exercise was very important to him. “I found myself worrying greatly for my health and my family’s as well as for friends and colleagues.” He thanks his time spent outside either running or walking his dog, Silke, for helping him manage any anxieties or stress surrounding the pandemic.

More opportunities to exercise and becoming fitter wasn’t the only advantage of lockdown and the extra restrictions that Mr Loughe enjoyed. “Table service in every pub was a surprising advantage of all this social distancing!” Let’s hope you’re not making the most of that opportunity sir!

Furthermore, in the midst of all this uncertainty, ironically, life appeared to be more ordered for him.

He comments on how life is less fast-paced and, upon returning to school, really enjoys the extended lunches given. Mr Loughe remains a firm believer of allowing yourself a proper break since it allows you to be more productive. However, Silke seemed to enjoy the perks of lockdown even more than Sir did! “She loved all the attention and exercise she was getting now that I was staying at home.” Silke also seems to have grasped opportunities when they came by making many new friends in the local dog park. Despite all this, Mr Loughe maintains “she isn’t short of delighted to be back in Shiplake with all her adoring student fans.” So are we Sir!

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

But what you are looking at are fluorescent corals and coral bleaching.

These corals are dying.

Did you know that “in an attempt to protect themselves from ocean heatwaves, some corals produce brightly coloured chemicals in their flesh (like a sunscreen)”?

“Glowing corals are a highly visual sign of climate change — an attention-grabbing indicator that we’ve reached a tipping point for the planet.”

However, it’s not too late to reverse this. Your actions are the crucial part of this process.

https://www.glowing.org/

Did you know?

A team aboard a research vessel owned by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) used SuBastian, an underwater robot, who live-streamed the discovery of a coral higher than the Empire State Building! That’s 500m (1,640ft) high! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-54716546 „The Catlin Seaview SVII camera weighs 65 kg (143 lbs). It takes three photos every three seconds, which are then stitched into panoramas.”

You can virtually dive underwater using Google Street View.

Just type in “Google Earth/ Oceans” and immerse yourself in an incredible underwater world. https://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/oceans/

Goal 14 of the Global Sustainable Development Goals is dedicated to conserving our oceans and using their resources sustainably. Have a look at the Global Goals webpage to learn more.

Statistics from Mike Berners-Lee’s book ‘How Bad are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything’ show that a standard email produces 4 g CO2e, whereas an email with “long and tiresome attachments”— 50 g CO2e.

A simple solution is to link files or information online rather than adding an attachment.

Speaking of a carbon footprint, give the WWF Footprint calculator a go to see what else you can improve on in your day-to-day life to become a more environmentally-conscious citizen.

I am a thalassophile.

It’s a Greek word meaning ‘a lover of the seas and oceans’.

I am going to be talking about my love for the seas and oceans and my passion for preserving the marine world. Most importantly, I will be sharing my plan how we can all contribute to this conservation process. Let’s start with a simple conversation, as a school community.

Once I leave Shiplake, I want to study Marine Science at university. This involves the physical essence of the oceans but also the management policies and conservation aspect of marine life. When I was younger, I used to dream of being a mermaid and saving turtles from fishing nets. This has stuck with me and it’s the reason why I want to talk to you today.

"The less you know about something, the less value it has to you, and the easier it is to destroy" — Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo in her letter addressing the western world in the Guardian.

I find this message extremely relevant to the current climate issues. Particularly, the bleaching of corals. Why? Well because here at Shiplake, for example, we don’t live near any coral ecosystems which means we cannot see how our actions affect them both indirectly and directly.

Believe me when I say that everything we do in our day-to-day life has an impact on these crucial animal species for our planet.

What can you do?

1.

First of all, educate yourself on the subject. I recommend watching the Netflix documentaries ‘Chasing Coral’, ‘Mission Blue’, ‘Plastic Ocean’ and BBC’s Blue Planet I & II.

2.

Be mindful when you are consuming plastic. For the pupils getting takeaways, try and use the cutlery in house or bring your own. There are great travel size alternatives!

„A report by the Guardian found that 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. This number is set to increase by another 20% by 2021 if we don’t act.” We can’t let this happen.

3.

Another way you can help is to read about the Global Goals. Visit The Ocean Agency website and Glowing Glowing Gone. Take part in their interactive pledges for change (e.g. Ocean League).

4.

Use your voice. Spread the word using social media. If everybody contributes, we will be one step closer to saving our oceans. But we need to start now.

5.

Visit https://www.chasingcoral.com/takeaction/ to see how else you can help.

6.

Join the school Eco-Committee where we demand changes that need to happen here in school.

What we’re planning at the moment is a massive river clean-up for everybody to take part in.

7.

Email us other things you think can change for the better. Do you think we need more recycling and food bins? Do we need to reduce the paper used for print? Speak up, tell us what we can do about it. Even better — be an active part of it.

This is what our planet so desperately needs at the moment.

8.

Indeed, it is not only about an individual effort.

Change needs to come from the big companies and corporations.

What you can do, however, is sign petitions and campaign for your local municipality to change, e.g. improve recycling.

The pandemic might be the biggest world problem at the moment but climate change is still happening. We shouldn’t stop working towards a healthier planet.

It is located in the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California and it’s the largest ocean garbage site in the world. ‘This floating mass of plastic is twice the size of Texas, with plastic pieces outnumbering sea life six to one.’

Scientists say that by 2050, there would be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

Doesn’t this sound like a push for action?

It all starts with a conversation.

It all starts with a realisation to the extent of which we are responsible to save our oceans and marine life from disappearing. Because, as Dr Sylvia Earle says in the documentary ‘Mission Blue’, ‘No ocean, no life. No ocean, no us.’

The oceans’ time is running out. The time to act is now, so let’s make it count.

Talk to your parents, your friends, peers, grandparents, talk to your neighbour, tell them about our oceans and the threat they are facing. Educate yourself, educate others and thus education will lead to the change we’ve been trying to achieve for so long.

It’s high time we started acting together.

Have you heard of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-ocean-cleanupsuccessfully-catches-plastic-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/

Dad Jokes!

Thanks to all the “Dads” who shared their jokes with us below.

My friend just failed his Australian Music Degree.

How Didgeridoo it?” I asked him.

What do you call a woman who can balance a pint on her head whilst playing snooker?

Beatrix Potter What do you call a fish with no eyes?

A fsh!

What did the fish say when it hit a wall?

Dam! "Doctor, doctor I hurt in 2 places”...

"Well don't go there then!"

When I came into school today I found that my dictionary and thesaurus had both been stolen from my classroom. I can’t find the words to tell

you how upset I am.

Spot the Difference Can you beat Zach and Harry in their spot the difference quiz? It’s

a tough one! There is one difference between the two pictures below. Do this quiz as a tutor group and send your answers to Mr Read at sread@shiplake.org.uk to win some Jaffa cakes!

Many thanks to Mr Settle, quizmaster extraordinaire, for providing the questions for our Viking Voice mini quiz!

You can do this quiz as a tutor group and send your answers to Mr Read at sread@shiplake.org.uk to win some Jaffa cakes!

1. This year we missed the Henley Women’s regatta. What distance is it raced over?

1,500m, 1,750m or 1,900m?

2. What is the capital of Chile?

3. The first successful vaccine was introduced by Edward Jenner in 1796. Which disease did it guard against?

4. Who was the first female Prime Minister of Australia?

5. What does BBC stand for?

6. In tennis, what piece of fruit is found at the top of the men's Wimbledon trophy?

7. Which horse is the only three-time winner of the Grand National?

8. BBC Three series Normal People is based on a book, but who is the author?

9. Which Beatles song was banned from the BBC for its lyrics?

 

10.Tony Blackburn was the first winner of which UK reality TV series?

Viking Arms Mini Pub Quiz

The Viking Voice Team: Reporters: Katie Baxter, Harry Cucksey, Zachary Devine, Anna May Knight, Rada Pandeva, Laura Pasmore and Elizabeth Tang Joint Heads of Design: Aimee Smee and Elizabeth Tang

Next term, could it be you?

Guess Who?