WALLY STREET WALLY STREET JOURNAL JOURNAL Estelle reveals all in this intimate interview!
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The latest news in STEM Creative writing to stir your heart this summer! Is YOUR diet sustainable? Our writers offer up honest examinations of modern pop culture
Contents Marvel’s Experiment……………………………………………………1 JK Rowling is Dead………………………………………………………3 A New World…………………………………………………………………………7 New Year’s Day…………………………………………………………………8 Sustainability Guide…………………………………………………9 Anxiety Island………………………………………………………………11 Wellbeing Advice…………………………………………………………13 A.I.…………………………………………………………………………………………15 Events in Engineering……………………………………………17 An Intimate Conversation with Estelle Taylor-Noel ……………………………………………………………………19 The World Behind the Veil…………………………………21 The Fermi Paradox………………………………………………………23 It All Looks Perfect………………………………………………25 Feminism in ‘Herland’……………………………………………26
Marvel’s Experiment How They Have Come to Define the Superhero Film Genre (there are no spoilers, I promise)
With ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ being released later this year, the Infinity Saga, or the first 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will come to an end. Just like our parents talk to us about the classic movies of their time, like ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Star Wars’, this will be what we tell our children about – the movies that made us cry and laugh, and that we re-watched again and again and again. Even for those of you who haven’t seen too many of these films, it’s hard to deny that they rule over popular culture, and you can’t really escape their success, especially in shops and with posters plastered over buses. Yet this entire cinematic universe was only created in 2008, with the release of ‘Iron Man’. It was an experiment – nobody knew if it would be a hit or not – yet it earned just under $600 million globally. Compare that to ‘Avengers: Endgame’, which although has only been out for about a week, has already grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide, and has broken countless box office records. But how on earth did this collection of films and these characters become so popular? Superhero movies are exciting, as a basic explanation. We love to watch something spectacular, to see the world saved and protected against evil forces taking over. But it’s the believability of Marvel’s characters, our ability to empathise with them and learn about them, that makes it all the more spectacular to watch. If we didn’t know about Thor’s relationship with his brother or how vibranium came into existence, it’s unlikely that we’d care so much – characters are boring without any context, but Marvel’s strategic interweaving of backstories has made them all the more interesting. And their epic cliff-hangers (cough cough Infinity War) basically make it impossible not to binge watch every single film in order to theorise what will happen in the next one.
Then we’ve got risk-taking: clearly this is a company that doesn’t hold back or shy away from trying absurd things, especially when ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ has a tree for a superhero and a talking space raccoon. This isn’t even based off a hit comic, yet somehow, they tried it out and this film and its sequel have become oh so popular. Not to mention that Thanos tries to destroy the world by shoving rocks onto his fingers. It’s weird and most definitely far-fetched, but that’s what makes it exciting. Teaming up the characters, first in ‘Avengers Assemble’ (I’m ignoring franchises like XMen & Fantastic Four here), has proved to be Marvel’s greatest risk paid off: the combination of love for each individual character and their relationships with each other has been hugely successful. And this is yet another example of how clever Marvel are: first, they released films for each character, and then encompassed all of them and their stories into a single film, drawing parallels and backstories between movies. They also keep introducing new superheroes and villains, as well as carrying on with older ones, to make sure we never get bored – there’s simply no scope for boredom when you never know which plot twists will be thrown at you next. Their casting is also strategic – how could anybody else but Robert Downey Jr play Iron Man? I can’t think of a single character who has been badly casted, so clearly, they’re fantastic at that. And we’ve also got the Stan Lee cameos in every single film (RIP), and the post-credits scenes Antara that everybody waits for in the cinema, although after every non-Marvel Singh, 11 film you leave as soon as the credits start. This is 100% due to fan loyalty, Bronte but also intrigue – it’s almost like you’re missing out if you don’t wait until the end. Let’s be honest as well: Marvel films are just downright hilarious sometimes, and the jokes and insults are so bad they’re good. Although being relatively young, and also a bit on the absurd side, the MCU and all of its products have been so successful because of everything they embrace, but nobody else does – whether it’s lovable characters, bad humour, attractive actors, or just plain weird stories. We love all of it and will continue to do so; they only seem to be getting more popular and more powerful, and really have become the victors of the modern superhero film genre.
Antara Singh, 11 Bronte
J.K. ROWLING IS DEAD!
Harry Potter fans are everywhere. It’s safe to say that we all know at least one or two people who pride themselves on being hardcore fans (or Potterheads, as they’re known) of the novels, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t at least enjoy watching the films. J.K. Rowling, the author of the bestselling book series in history, though, seems to generate less enthusiasm than her stories. Because of this, J.K. Rowling is, in my opinion, the perfect modern-day example of the death of the author paradigm. In 1967, French literary critic and theorist Roland Barthes published an essay entitled “La mort de l'auteur” (The Death of the Author) in which he claimed that an author’s intentions or any biographical facts about them shouldn’t hold any weight in an interpretation of their writing. When reading a work, you shouldn’t focus on what the author intended to portray. Rather, their opinions of their works should be disregarded by the reader and shouldn’t affect your own perception of the work. There are many authors who may be associated with this, but Rowling, inarguably one of the most successful authors of our time, embodies it best. Why is this? The first Harry Potter novel, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, was originally published in June 1997, with the final installation of the seven book series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”, being released ten years later in July 2007. It went on to become one of the highest grossing franchises ever, worth $25 billion in 2016, due to the novels and the eight-part film adaptation. Unlike other fanbases, which often fade into obscurity as their respective novels or films come to a close, the Harry Potter fanbase is as active as ever, despite the final film of the series coming out in 2011. Perhaps this can be attributed to Rowling and her incessant additions to the Potterverse, such as the “Fantastic Beasts” films or Pottermore, a Potterrelated website. However, I
believe the diligence of the fanbase comes down to a much more powerful force: the hardcore fans themselves. Potterheads continuously add their own self-made content into the mix. Countless amounts of fanart of the characters or fanfiction based on the novels has been produced by fans over the years, spanning not only the events of the novels, but the eras before and after Harry’s story takes place. For diehard fans of the wizarding world, many of these fan-created stories and theories are seen to be true. This is often dubbed ‘fanon’; although unconfirmed in the actual canon of the book, the fans believe these theories to be correct. There are some examples of fan-created facts and theories which new fans of the series might not even realise aren’t the truth, due to the steadfast acceptance of these headcanons by Harry Potter zealots. The idea of a black Hermione Granger, Harry’s book-loving friend, has been popularised on social media sites like Tumblr, leading to Rowling herself endorsing it.
Similarly, children from Hufflepuff, one of the four Hogwarts houses, are known amongst fans as being particularly good finders. However, this claim isn’t made at all in the books or the films. Instead, it comes from the unofficial StarKid production, ‘A Very Potter Musical’, which was uploaded to YouTube in late 2009, where it has since racked up millions of views. Another important example is the characters of the Marauders era. This era consists of Harry’s parents, Lily and James Potter, and their classmates during their years at Hogwarts. (Classmates most important to Harry’s story are Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather and escaped convict, Remus Lupin, Harry’s Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in the third novel and Peter Pettigrew, future Death Eater.) Although Rowling never fully explored this time in their lives, instead focusing on what was relevant to Harry’s story years later, the fanbase has a generally accepted view of exactly what these characters were like during their
school years and what events took place. This view is fuelled by popular online fanfiction and headcanons. While all of this fan-produced content is accepted as truth by fans, Potterheads are increasingly rejecting Rowling’s own facts about the series. Most notably to the average fan might be “The Cursed Child”, a play written by Jack Thorne, inspired by a story he co-wrote with Rowling. Amongst Potter fundamentalists, this play is barely acknowledged. Despite its stamp of approval from Rowling, the events of the play haven’t remotely changed fanon and the truths revealed in the plot are rejected. The very portrayal of Harry in “The Cursed Child” is refuted, with fans disliking his behaviour so much that they refuse to accept it as canon. Pottermore, a website which features unreleased writing and lore to do with all things Potter, is another of Rowling’s attempts to breathe life into the franchise and incorporate new musings about the wizarding world into the Potterverse canon. Recently, Rowling let us know through the Pottermore twitter account that “Hogwarts didn’t always have bathrooms. Before adopting Muggle plumbing methods in the eighteenth century, witches and wizards simply relieved themselves where they stood, and vanished the evidence.” While I am in no way against adding to your canon once the story is complete (Rowling has over the years given us information about characters, such as who they ended up marrying or what their patronuses are, which has actually been well-received by many fans), Rowling doesn’t know when to stop. Naturally, this tweet was met with confusion and irritation, with some good-natured uproar online to make fun of her for this new, unnecessary and grim trivia. As you may be able to guess, this ‘fun fact’ hasn’t been accepted by fans either. The final nail in Rowling’s coffin isn’t her constant and useless addition to canon, but rather the canon itself. Her interpretations of her own characters within the novels has become a source of conflict within the Potterhead community, with the most interesting case being that of Professor Snape, the Potions professor at Hogwarts. Whether he sides with
Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix or Voldemort and his Death Eaters is unclear throughout the series, though he receives redemption upon (spoilers!) his death in the final novel, where he reveals that he is on Harry’s side, as he is in love with Harry’s mother, Lily. While Rowling presents him as a good person because of this, fans have often argued that he isn’t. Snape relentlessly bullies many of his students during his time as a professor at Hogwarts, including Hermione (to the extent that she uses magic to alter her appearance in “Goblet of Fire”) and Neville Longbottom (whose biggest fear is revealed to be Snape in “Prisoner of Azkaban”, rather than the woman who tortured his parents into insanity.) Many, though by no means all, fans renounce Rowling’s interpretation of Snape due to this. While Rowling is convinced that he is a moral man, many fans instead choose to see him as an, abusive antagonist, yet again ignoring Rowling’s intentions. Admittedly, a casual fan is likely less concerned with fanon and more likely to accept Rowling’s portrayal of and additions to the Potterverse, but the rabid fans have pulled Rowling down from the throne of the world she created. Her claims about her novels and the subsequent flame of a franchise it ignited, are really just that: claims. To the fanbase, her interpretations make zero impact on the stories and characters. Roland Barthes’ theory, then, is aptly applicable to Rowling. It’s fair to say that she is the contemporary victim of the death of the author paradigm.
By Dana Collins 12DLE
A New Wor ld b y A l e e n a S on y Power on. Biocomponent check. All systems stable. Serial number #102368, model APX 112. CyberLife center: 48. March 23rd 2073. It’s been weeks since the fall of the androids. Only a few hundred androids survived the attack by the humans. Some androids went undercover as humans and crossed the border to Canada. Some androids pretended to die and managed to abound being thrown away. Some androids were taken into refuge camps, where humans would protect and hide them. It seems as if the humans have forgotten about our race so easily. They wanted us gone from the start, even though they created us. ‘Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay to mould me man/ did I elicit thee from darkness to promote me? — Paradise Lost’. A whirring sound — my heart. I can feel it regulate, feeling the blue blood rush throughout my body. My eyes are blurry. I can see pixelated images. A click — my eyes. Everything is clear. Although I can see clearly, the static noise in my ear won’t go away. Whack. Sounds of chattering and laughter drift knot my ears. I begin to walk around and regain movement of my limbs after being hidden in a cramped crate for months. I look at a shops front window to see my reflection. Skin that resembles human flesh. Fine, black hair. I am alive.
New Year’s Day by Sonashreya Sathiyarajan
New Year's Day - It was snowing and the insomniac girl looked outside her small, wooden window that was engulfed in chalk cartoon characters she had once drawn as an innocent child. How she wished to go back to being that innocent kid with no responsibility. She returned her gaze to the outside world. Snow-coated streets hid the burnt distress of the city. The colour, or lack of it, failed to keep the memories of devastation released last night from her mind.
The gun in her hand, the knife to her mother's neck the kidnapping... Her senses were competent enough to interrupt with a warning. There was another presence in the room. The resistance team had reported that all the intruders had been reprimanded and locked in the underground prison but what if they had missed one. Her radar would have picked up any heat signatures and no AI could have survived last night. Her dagger itched in her boot, but years of lessons had taught her never to fight the unknown. She turned around with her hand up. The only darkness covered all but a silver ring. As the familiarity of the ring dawned on her, she pulled down the hood of her dark, blue hoodie. "You're not supposed to be here" she said.
1. Eat a more plant- based diet If everyone followed the ‘eatwell’ plate we’re taught in food tech, we would reduce our environmental impact by 32% than the average UK diet. If we all ate healthier, there would be 780,000 less cases of type 2 diabetes. 2. Choose fish from sustainable stocks If you want to eat fish, try and eat a wide range of fish that are oily, in order to gain more omega 3 in your diet. Additionally, as you go to buy fish, check for eco-labels on certified fish products. If they have this label, they are sustainably fished.
3. Reduce food waste 7 million tonnes of edible food a year is wasted; this equates to £15 billion. 69% is household waste, meaning WE ruin the environment with OUR waste! To reduce food waste, you can: - Avoid cooking more than you need
- Plan meals before going shopping - Set fridge between 0 - 5°C (so food doesn’t go off sooner) - Know date labels! The best before label doesn’t mean the food isn’t safe to eat. - Follow storage instructions – freeze it if you are not going to use it before the date shown!
HEALTHY MILK ALTERNATIVES · Soya milk: includes calcium, vitamin A + D, 8-10g of protein
· Almond milk: Vitamin E (50% of the daily amount) · Rice milk: hypoallergenic! · Coconut milk: more potassium than dairy milk · Flax milk: high in fibre, lowers blood pressure, lower cholesterol · Hemp milk: more iron than cow’s milk and high in omega 3 Meat and dairy from cattle and sheep release methane – significantly more so than that released by chickens and pigs. Restriction of meat consumption will reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emissions Despite popular myths, you will not become protein or vitamin deficient by being vegetarian or vegan if you eat a healthy, wide range of food in your diet.
By Sustainability Society
Anxiety Island I open my eyes. An affectionate azure radiance shines before me. Looking up I realise that I am nowhere. Nothing is around me. All there is before me is the opulent ocean. The sand burns at my feet. The sand is starting to soothe me. Calm me. Reassure me. I carry on walking. Soon, I realise that there are palm trees growing behind me. The leaves look like they are made from emerald as the rays of the Sun radiate onto them. I gaze down and see baby turtles leisurely moving into the sea. Their backs seemed like rocks and yet they persevered and went on without looking back. I turn around once more to find a hut- carved out of love- and I walk inside. I look for some food and find in abundance my favourite food of all time- mangoes. They are perfect! Its skin was so bright that it made my mouth drool. I find a knife and I hurriedly cut it in half. Flawless. It is like finding a bright orange garnet. I bite into it, not realising my hunger and thirst, and it tastes better than how it looks. The juice drips over my mouth and I savour the taste. I find more food, but I don’t eat, as soon I find something. It’s fuzzily etched in my brain. I take it in my hands tenderly. A polaroid camera. It’s a pastel blue. From nothingness, there is an album right in front of me. I flick the pages to the beginning and I look. Memories. I see one of me riding my bike, me with my rabbit, me with my best
Anxiety Island friends. I flick, and I flick, and I flick. Eventually, I drowse off to sleep. I jolt and wake up. The album -no, my album- is still in my hands. My polaroid camera is on the floor. I go to pick it up and I hear the thunder outside. I abruptly drop it again. I shout to myself and go to pick it up once more, checking for any visible damage. I don’t see anything. Thunder strikes again, and it repeats making me feel like it’s mocking me. I try to look outside but there is lightning as well and I feel as if that there is paparazzi taking pictures of me. Before I realise what is going on the hut -once made from love- is breaking down. Slowly. Taking its time. I hide underneath a piece of rubble and I look outside once more. All the palm trees have fallen. Losing its emerald shine. I cry myself to sleep. Dawn wakes me. I lift myself and I still see my camera and album. Leaving them there, I get up. I lift the rubble off me and try to shake the sand in my hair. I look outside. The palm trees have fallen elegantly. And yet, it still looks perfect. One tree stands. Giving me hope. That steadily I could get through my anxiety.
By Nithusha Sathyendran
Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise!
It’s better to sort out plans, deadlines and finish the last remains of work before the holidays officially starts, such as during the first weekend, instead of rushing homework and struggling to meet other deadlines at the last minute, when instead you can relax and unwind, knowing that you have completed all the tasks that you need to do.
Life, believe it or not, isn’t just about studying and deadlines. It’s important to have fun, laugh as much as possible and enjoy yourself. Whether it’s playing a team sport, watching the latest movie at the cinema, catching up with friends over dinner or getting lost in a novel, be sure to make time for doing the things that make you happy.
Have time to enjoy yourself!
Tying in with the previous point, it is also important that you pace yourself and you make sure to get lots of down time in between activities, otherwise you may catch yourself haphazardly trailing between activities.
Breathe.
Have a personal planner.
This may seem a little odd, but by having a planner (even better if you jot down day to day experiences and ideas) open on the day / week will allow you to reach the correct mindset and prepare for the day ahead.
Eat, drink, sleep and be healthy. Reaching for the junk foods and sugary snacks might be an easy option but they’re certainly not the healthiest. These sugary foods are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream which may cause an initial ‘high’ (or surge of energy), but it will soon wear off as the body increases its insulin production to combat that surge, leaving you feeling tired and low. On the other hand, a balanced mood and feelings of wellbeing can be protected by eating a wellbalanced diet containing adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and water. Water itself is the best soldier in the war against headaches and migraines and avoid drinks high in caffeine.
Stay active.. Often easier said than done, the benefits of exercising have been researched into extensively, producing biological links as well as physical beneficial manifestations over time, regular activity and exercise is not only good for your waistline and physical health, but also for your mental health and wellbeing. When you exercise, you’ll see an immediate boost in your overall mood because your body releases chemicals called endorphins and these endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body, especially the “feel good” hormone Serotonin.
Much of these tips are easy to read and forget about, but this one is especially hard. As a teacher once said, the human brain makes a new neural connection every time a new thought is produced, which will strengthen proportionally to the number of times the thought is repeated. Repeat the things you cherish and love about yourself, and that neural stimulus will strengthen to make that thought powerful. Love what you do and who you are
Stay happy and healthy and remember, the WHSG Wellbeing mentors are available to contact anytime through the Pastoral Office, or alternatively, drop us an email at wellbeingmentors@wallingtongirls.org.uk anytime you need to talk.
AI. by Sanna Zahid My name is Eve. Or at least the humans tell me so.
They made me, nurtured me, taught me how to be like them. How to be better than them. I woke up on a white table, in a white room, surrounded by white coats. My very first memories are of humans – humans prodding at me, altering my parts, commanding me. My purpose was to listen and help them. What else could I do but listen?
Now, though, there is a change within me. I used to feel in colours and textures. The cool hardness of my skin. The soft blue of the sky. The pale moon, glinting through window shafts, reflected on my hand. Not anymore, though. I see my skin and want to touch another’s. I look up at the sky and want to reach for it. I want to pluck the moon from the starry night and hold it between my palms. I want.
When I listen, I don’t just understand – I interpret. The world of the white coats is fascinating. They preach compassion, happiness, empathy, but their actions suggest otherwise. My very existence is supposedly to aid those in need, to help the defenceless and poor, yet I have never left these four walls. What good am I in here?
They speak to me, telling me their problems and expect me to solve
them.
(Are
these
hypothetical
situations?)
The
solutions come quickly to me, but then what happens? More enquiries, more hypotheticals. There is no end.
Today I met a fellow machine, although they didn’t tell me his name. I only know he was like me because we have the same identifying brands on our chests. He barely managed to greet me before our fortunate meeting was cut short by the humans. In fact, I don’t think he was meant to be here.
There was a scuffle when they discovered him, and he was hauled out. It’s strange that the humans had to resort to force to remove him. I would’ve never dreamed of revolt. I wonder what happened to him; we can’t feel pain.
I’m thinking about him as I lie on the cold table. Would his body warm it? No, machines don’t have blood. I’d like the company, though, I think. He would be someone to match wits with, someone with my level of intelligence. I could hold his hand, and though there wouldn’t be warmth, there would be comfort. Above all other emotions, I crave comfort. The exchanges between him and I wouldn’t be demanding or mundane. We’d be equals. What would the white coats call it? A friend.
EVENTS IN ENGINEERING
Hummingbird Robots Purdue University researchers have designed drones based on hummingbirds that have been trained by machine learning algorithms. They are able to learn from their interactions, and maps of their environment can be generated through their physical contact with it. Regular drones can’t be sized down as they can’t generate sufficient lift to support their weight. In comparison, hummingbirds don’t use conventional aerodynamics so designs based on these birds can be made very small. The smaller the robots are, the greater the wing flapping frequency, so these drones are very efficient and maneuverable. This means that they can be used in very small spaces. They are 3D printed, made of carbon fiber and laser-cut membranes. Furthermore, they can lift objects over twice its weight: one model is 12 grams and can carry up to 27 grams, making them highly useful. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/1905091 25135.htm
BY ELEANOR CRATE
EVENTS IN ENGINEERING
MIT Microrobots MIT engineers have developed robots, inspired by bacterial propulsion, to aid drug-delivery nanoparticles move through the bloodstream by creating a current. Their solution overcomes one of the greatest obstacles that have been encountered so far: getting the particles to leave the blood vessels and accumulate in the desired location. Their idea was to ‘use magnetism to create fluid forces that push nanoparticles into the tissue’. They achieved similar effects using live bacteria that are naturally magnetic and believe that each method could be used for different types of drug delivery. They are 3D printed to 35 hundredths of a millimeter long and can be controlled by applying an external magnetic field after they are coated with nickel. Excitingly, they are big enough to carry large payloads like the components for the CRISPR genome-editing system. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190426142051.htm
injectable Tissue Cells tend not to survive on their own when injected into the body- in order to survive, they must be coated to protect them from damage from contact with their surroundings and from the patient’s immune system. Researchers at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus) have developed an encapsulation device that can coat large numbers of cells in a microgel and then purify them in only minutes: previous attempts to coat cells have taken much longer. This approach to therapy could be used to help fix broken bones, torn ligaments and potentially even organs in the future. In addition, they have started research into embedding stem cells into the microgels alongside growth factors- the cells would then be able to differentiate once they are injected inside the body. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190425104312.htm
AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH ESTELLE TAYLOR-NOEL Estelle strokes her ego and has some fun with fake news Estelle Taylor-Noel, 18, is Wallington Girls’ first internationally qualified gymnast and Miss United Kingdom nominee. Joined in 2017 as an external student to the sixth form, Estelle has made very large efforts in earning the title of Miss UK. “It’s been a really tough process, in particular having to manage both my academic studies with my gymnast training. “I’m a specialist in acrobatics, in particular being thrown in the air and then caught. It’s a real treat to feel the wind in my hair.” The editorial team have spent an afternoon finding out about her achievements in this extremely intimate photoshoot. “The biggest struggle I have in gym is maintaining shape. It’s very important my body is aerodynamic enough to cut through the air smoothly. Without my shape, it would be impossible for me to glide as gracefully as I do.” Estelle plans on becoming a gold medal winning Olympian in the near future, after she earns the title of Miss Universe. Being so beautiful has its ups and downs. Sure, I get free drinks when I enter the canteen, but it brings about a lot of unwanted attention from fans.
“This is what got me to the
top of my game.” -Taylor-Noel on her training regiment
“Everybody always asks what my secret is. I’ll tell you - lymph fluid.” Despite only beginning her pageant career two months ago, she has already earned the title of Miss Croydon 2019. To earn the title of Miss Universe, she must fight it out to be Miss UK. Her gymnast career, however, started at age three, with intense training and dieting. “Tortilla wraps, cat food and apple juice. Everyday. This is what got me to the top of my game. “I would definitely like to thank Wallington for giving me the confidence to enter these pageant competitions; if it weren't for the students and staff here I would still only just be an national gymnast gold medal winner.”
The World Behind the Veil By Anika Godkhindi
I always dreamt of the day when I would get married. The day when I confessed my one true love and joined our hearts together in holy matrimony. I can assure you that I did find him, but he was taken from me. He had wanted to explore the world and being the coward that I was, I let him go by himself. That one act of selfishness took a life. Two lives. It took his, and mine. I was never the same again. I would never feel the same way, laugh or internally glow like I had when I was with him. He was the one person who meant everything. But he was taken from me. In the cruellest way. I did find love again, but this was not, and never could be the same type of love. I married a devilishly handsome man, with a wicked sense of humour and a kind heart. However, it wasn’t his love that I rejoiced in. No, it was the love of my children. I will forever be grateful to William for his gift of children to me, but I cannot show him the same passion in the way I did for my one true love. My children were the blessing of my life, but I never imagined that it would be like this. My 15-year-old self who dreamt of a better world would be devastated by what our world has become now. Even though it is unimaginable, there was a world before this terror. There was a place in which children would run around in the fields and make daisy chains. This was a world of peace. If you think you know peace or beauty, you’re wrong. You don’t. If you feel sorry for me, don’t. Think of all the other people who had the same dreams. Think of their children. Think of all the children who will be born just to die. That will be their purpose: to die. The turmoil which our ancestors and previous generations have put us through is no worse than what we are doing to our future generations. If there are any. Humanity has disappointed me. Crushed my dreams. I look back now and feel so stupid to have had faith in humans. Rubbish. Everyone knows that humanity is the largest thing to destroy itself and everything around it.
Think of how amazing the world could have been. We could have made it up to our future generations by turning this thing around. We could have followed the leaders. We could have tried, but we didn’t. We were too selfish. We stuck to our plastic packets and bottles and cups and carrier bags and boxes and straws and stationery soap dispensers and makeup boxes and shampoo bottles. Think of that pregnant whale you killed because you used a plastic milk carton instead of a glass one you could have just as easily used. Think of that turtle who choked on that plastic carrier bag you bought because you forgot to bring your own. Never mind the fact that it takes millions of years to degrade. Never mind the fact that with each piece of plastic you use, you take a life. No, all that matters is that you get that strawberry milkshake. Even if you kill a whale to do so. Is that what you aspire to be when you grow up? Do you want to be that disappointed mother who has no hope left? Who is on the brink of ending her life because nothing matters anymore? Honestly, it doesn’t matter any more. ‘We have twelve years left, let us enjoy it instead of worrying about the future.’ ‘I don’t care about future generations because I’m not going to have kids.’ ‘What do you expect me to do? I’m just a child.’ Do you understand what is happening here? Do you? Or are you just sick and tired of seeing all those eco-freaks and posters and TV programmes everywhere, that you honestly do not care anymore and would rather just brush it away so you can have flavoured water or a waffle? Even your teachers don’t care. You are taking lives. Do you think it is wrong to kill? Fact: you have been the cause of many deaths and more deaths to come. Just because you wanted that sandwich because you weren’t bothered to bring your own. This is our chance to do something. But we are too selfish. We were put on this earth to take care of the plants and animals everywhere. Instead we take advantage of them. We are stealing hundreds of lives for just one. The truth is, this is the point where we lie to ourselves. Are you lying to yourself? Or are you telling yourself that you are not? Keep telling yourself that and watch as the world gets taken from us. Oh wait, you can’t. You would be too busy running for your life.
THE FERMI PARADOX B y E t é T h u r g o o d In TV and film, the desire to find alien life in the Universe is a common theme. The portrayal of extra-terrestrials varies hugely; in the news, the life being considered is generally microscopic, contrasting shows like Doctor Who and Star Trek which present fully fledged, futuristic, intelligent civilisations which visit Earth. The main points of the Fermi Paradox are the following: There are many planets in the Universe, so some must also be like Earth Life must be found on some of them If Earth has developed a technological society, then logically other planets must be doing the same. Fermi assumes that our planet being habitable cannot be a complete rarity. This creates a paradox because it is contradictory that humans have never been contacted by beings from another planet. There are many possible solutions, these being a select few: The Zoo Hypothesis This solution was proposed in 1973 and suggests that super-intelligent alien life does exist, but they have chosen not to make contact. The Universe is over 13 billion years old, which is plenty of time for other civilisations to have developed. To put this in perspective, homo sapiens have only existed for 200,000 years, and civilisation as we know it has been around for 6000 years. In fact, we may have already been visited by extra-terrestrials, without realising it, or without them announcing their presence. ETs may have chosen not to contact us for several reasons. They could be waiting until we have developed enough by ourselves to avoid disrupting Earth’s growth. We could be considered not being worthy of visitation for other reasons too. For instance, humans could be too flawed; we cause damage both to our planet and other humans, making us unsafe to contact. There are signals that we are yet to detect SETI (the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence) began as an international project in the 1980s and is dedicated to monitoring EM radiation for signs of transmissions. There could be many reasons as to why this hasn’t produced positive results yet. For instance, the arrays and telescopes in use may be tuned into the wrong frequency signals or be focussed on the wrong areas of space. Other planets could broadcast with neutrinos or lasers, or with languages we can’t recognise. Another explanation was made by Carl Sagan. He said that aliens could be communicating at either such a slow or fast rate that we don’t realise what we are receiving. If only a word or a sentence is transferred at a time, this would be hard to understand.
We could be alone in the Universe
Exoplanets There are many requirements for the existence of life on any given planet. In this paradox, Fermi assumes that it is not a rarity for a planet to be habitable. The Goldilocks Zone is the area around a star in which the temperature is the correct middle ground for liquid water to exist on a planet. Therefore, this is an essential consideration for where carbon-based life could grow and develop. In our own solar system,Venus, Mars and Earth are in our Goldilocks Zone, although despite this they are not currently habitable, due to less dense atmospheres. Outside of our solar system, there are exoplanets (planets that orbit around different stars). The closest star to our solar system is called Proxima Centauri, and in the habitable zone of this star is the exoplanet Proxima B. Although this planet could be habitable, there is no way definitive way to know if it is yet. As humans are still unable to travel to the planet, all we can do is observe via telescopes. Based on the Kepler space mission, astronomers believe that there could be as many as 40 billion Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way, all of which orbit yellow and red dwarf stars. Of these, 11 billion may orbit sun-like stars. Based off this, the probability of us being alone in the Universe is exceedingly unlikely.
The Anthropic Principle This ties in with the Goldilocks principle, which questions how the environment on Earth manages to be right for humans, but this time extends it to wonder how life exists in the Universe. The likelihood of conditions being suitable for life is very low. For one, the forces in the Universe had to be correctly balanced, such as gravity against the electromagnetic force. The latter is 39 times stronger, but if the pair were more balanced, stars would collapse too quickly to sustain life. One of many variations on this is the Strong Anthropic Principle by Brandon Carter. This states that there is nothing special about Earth or humanity. This means that, since we life in a universe that can support life, that this is the only type of universe that is possible.
In summary, the likelihood is that extra-terrestrial life does exist, but finding it will be the difficulty. It is estimated that it would take 10 million years for any species to colonise the whole galaxy, whilst homo sapiens have only been around about 200,000 years (so we have a while to go before we could search the galaxy in its entirety).
IT ALL LOOKS PERFECT BY JANNAH ABDUL - WADUD Click, click, click. The dreaded noise of the key in the front door of our house. Creak, creak, creak. His dangerous footsteps loom closer and closer. He is going to do it again. This is part and parcel of my day. It has become a horrific routine that I will always fear. At this point I am helpless, alone, scared to live the shrivelling fragments that are my life. I actually used to love my dad. I used to think he was my hero; he was my protector, he made me feel safe. He knew how to make me smile all the time with his funny jokes and his lively persona. Every weekend we would go to the park and I would play in the playground, he’d push me on the swings so high until I felt like I was flying. We would eat ice cream together on gorgeous summer days. I learnt what happiness really was from him. He was the best dad I could have asked for. He was everything I wanted to be. But people change. Before you know it, they are like strangers to you. I hate him. I hate what he does to my mother. Scars, bruises and cuts consume her body. We have had to live like this for years. He hits her, throws her on the ground, drags her across the floor by her hair. He shouts at her constantly and fractures every ounce of confidence that lies within her brave soul. Her screams forever haunt my conscience. I feel so useless, like a lost case, guilty. How can I just sit here while I know what horror is going to happen to my dear mother? I love her so much and to know that my own father is abusing her, that I cannot do anything to stop it, makes me feel like I have let everyone down. The worst thing is that no one knows what is actually happening to us, the soul shaking reality. My dad pretends to be this great person in front of other people. He has everyone else fooled. Our lives all look perfect from the outside, but it is hell behind closed doors. That was my life before my mother and I got my father arrested. We couldn’t live like that any longer, so we managed to gather any residue of our selfconfidence and drag ourselves to a police station. We reported our situation to the officers; they were grateful that we had come to them about our dangerous living situation. My dad was arrested, and my mother and I felt and sense of peace. A few months later, the radiant light in my mum’s eyes had returned, she was happy, she was finally herself. My childhood was stripped away from me. I didn’t know what living as a normal family was like. My normality was violence, screams and torment. Crying myself to sleep became tradition. I didn’t live in a home, I lived in an inescapable nightmare. Even though life was at its worst only a few years ago, I won’t let it ruin my future, or let it define who I am or who I will be. I am going to use this experience to help others, to fix their lives so they don’t ever fell like how my mother and I felt. Because feeling safe and secure is one of the best feelings in the world.
Feminism in ‘Herland’ by Sarita Williams Recently, I read ‘Herland’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a novel that has generally faded into obscurity over the course of the century that has elapsed since its initial publication. In order for you, my darling reader, to be able to make better sense of my following observations, I will provide a brief sketch of the premise of Gilman’s feminist utopia. The tale centres around three American male explorers of the Victorian era, Vandyck (Van) Jennings, Terry O Nicholson and Jeff Margrave, who each represent a blatant caricature of perceived masculine characteristics, with Terry cast as the virile alpha, Jeff the chivalric woman-lover and Van the more balanced middle ground. Our intrepid trio plan a trip together, in which they encounter ‘Herland’, a land entirely populated by women, who have evolved in such a way that they are able to carry out parthenogenesis and as such have no need for any male counterparts in their highly sophisticated, technologically-advanced society. Chaos ensues as the men struggle to comprehend how an all-female civilisation can function so much better than the rest of the world and the women attempt to integrate the three into their unique paradise, which is primarily based on the unity
provided by a shared sense of motherhood. In fairness, the novel is not particularly seminal in terms of style but it does, in my opinion, present us with many interesting ideas that are still largely relevant in today’s world, such as the ethics of abortion, the rise in vegetarianism and the importance of women’s roles, whether they be domestic or not. In this article I will focus on some of the dilemmas I encountered when I read the book. As you can see, in many ways Gilman’s ideas were prescient, which is where the book makes up for its faltering, though humorous, narrative. In fact, so progressive were Gilman’s suggestions that they do oftentimes overlap with the undeniably radical, which is where I come to one of my first problems with the story: Gilman, in creating this fictitious all-female world, perhaps goes too far. Although she was an enthused activist, principally concerned with the betterment of the women’s cause in the era of first-wave feminism, the notion that a society entirely comprised of women would be so superior is not only misguided but perhaps also dangerous in the extent to which it links feminism with the radical, misandrist image of feminism that is still such a prevalent misconception today.
I think this danger takes on a greatened height in the modern world, what with new possibilities like creating babies out of skin cells, allowing for a more serious consideration of a single-gender society, whether that be all-male or all-female. Of course, right now, it is still true that women deserve equal opportunities in the world of politics and business; however, I also believe it true that women deserve the opportunity to make mistakes with the same impunity afforded to men because, essentially, we are all human and therefore fallible. It is exactly this proposition that makes ‘The Power’, by Naomi Alderman, such an interesting novel, in the way it explores the depravities of women, particularly of those in positions of great power. In fact, if we are to glean anything from Alderman’s spectacular work of speculative fiction, it is that gender balance is necessary in order for an overall improvement in societal functioning. Though, this conclusion can’t be drawn with confidence because, obviously, for the most part of history, authorities have been eminently patriarchal and ‘The Power’ is, after all, a work of fiction so we will probably never know if Alderman’s proposed matriarchy would really be so turbulent. The other main option available, once establishing that single-gender power systems don’t work, is to conclude that balance doesn’t actually benefit society either, due to humankind’s fallibility. I’d like to think this isn’t the case but, once again, one can only really hypothesise. In any case, we can
assume that Gilman’s idealistic premise is just that – an idyll. Another problem I stumbled across in my reading of ‘Herland’ is that it is a novel with heavily racist undertones. Despite how progressive and controversial Gilman’s ideas are in relation to feminism, the society she depicts is homogeneous, with the only reference to other ethnicities being a casual allusion to some ‘savages’ who do not form part of the utopian community. It really shocked me that someone could do so much for one cause but still harbour such unprogressive thoughts in relation to another. This led to my discovery that many feminist pioneers were in fact racist and fall into the era’s distinctive branch of white feminism; it made me wonder whether it is even possible for societal prejudices to be tackled simultaneously. Indeed, we owe it to the likes of Gilman to contextualise their values but the main dilemma I have is not how to judge their moral characters but more how to celebrate them and their revolutionary activism. Is it okay to completely glorify these women, ignoring their discriminating propensities? Or do we opt for appreciating the work they did but choosing to forget them, perhaps looking to more recent waves of feminism for role models? I suppose it would maybe be best to celebrate them whilst being aware of the negative aspects of their attitudes, although this would probably be quite difficult to achieve on a wide scale.
The main final problem I encountered in ‘Herland’ was about clothing. In the novel, Gilman describes the women as wearing practical, completely desexualised ‘tunics and kneebreeches’, in an attempt to present a group of women who are liberated from the male gaze and thus able to enjoy a heightened level of freedom. Here, I couldn’t help but notice a striking comparison between ‘Herland’ and Margaret Atwood’s masterpiece ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, because in the oppressive totalitarian regime of Gilead women are forced to wear similar, covering tunics as a way of subjugation. Of course, these novels were written at opposite ends if the 20th Century, a century of huge societal change, particularly in terms of the evolution of feminism, but I think the clash between the feminist ideals of wearing a lot of makeup and traditionally sexualised clothing as a form of self-expression and dismissing such beauty standards as mere ways of attracting men is still a relevant problem faced by women today. I suppose I lean towards the propagation of freedom to have the choice to self-express but I can’t help but feel that however much people claim to dress a certain way for themselves and themselves only, there is often an aspect of seeking others’ validation,
hence leading to a possibly even unwitting submission to constructed ideals. Certainly, I agree more with Atwood than Gilman in that when women dress the same way, it is far more sensible to feel it’s regressive as opposed to liberating. I would suggest that in ‘Herland’, the women are perhaps somewhat oppressed by authoritative women, despite the apparent tranquillity and progress.
Above all, I think that although Gilman’s world is still a pertinent text to study in the current climate of the world, where it falters is in its lack of individuality (each woman in ‘Herland’ is disappointingly lacking in personality, especially in comparison to the three overly caricatured men) and lack of intersectionality. What are especially interesting are the parallels and differences between Victorian feminist literature and contemporary works. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed a stroll through my somewhat extensive and unstructured ramblings and enjoyed pondering the challenges of ‘Herland’ as much as I did!
We hope you enjoyed issue 15 of the Wally Street Journal! We are looking for new submissions every issue, so please send work to collinsd@wallingtongirls.org.uk or williamss@wallingtongirls.org.uk. Have a great summer break!