Issue 9 28/03/2018
Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Editors’ Note Black History Month Showcase Are Grammar schools really necessary? Profile: Dr Victoria Forster The Psychology of Attachment LQBTQ+: Who do we Love? Intersectional Feminism Social Sciences Summer Music Festival Guide Hillary Clinton: What Happened Review Year 8 Poetry Competition One Leaf First Light I am an Abstract Jack Petchey Perfect Pitch Year 12 Art Short Story
Cover and Contents images: Skye Trotman by Anika Hariram Sakiya Perera by Elikem Agbenyeke
Editors’ Note
Rhiannon – I’m a Year 12 and I thought that the Wally Street Journal is a really creative and interesting way for students to get involved in our school community and to share ideas. I hope you really enjoy this issue that Anya and I have worked on, and that if you weren’t involved this time, will send a submission in for us next term!
Anya – I’m in year 12, participating in the curation of the school newspaper has been an interesting opportunity to explore various areas of school life from a student perspective as well as collecting articles on a broad range of topics that can be explored better through student journalism. We hope you enjoy this edition.
We’d like to introduce WSJ’s brand new permanent writer, Rahmat Ottun (year 11), who’s written an engaging review of Wallington’s Black History Month showcase which was held at the beginning of the half term. Rahmat has shown a great interest and skill in her writing and we’re really excited to share more of her work with you in the terms ahead! As always, the WSJ team will be accepting entries in the shared area folder, or by email (details of how to enter your work on the student bulletin) from the start of the half term – anyone is welcome to put forward opinion pieces, book or event reviews, poetry, creative writing, etc; we’d love to hear what you have to say. This half term has been fairly short (and really busy!), but we’ve had some exceptional entries for this edition of the Wally Street Journal that we hope you’ll love. Enjoy!
Black History Month Showcase 17/18 By Rahmat Ottun 11 Athena
Full of culture, fun, talent, teamwork and more, one of the biggest events of the school year took place on the 14th March 2018- the Black History Month Showcase. Despite its new addition the school's wonderful list of events, the reception for the schools second BHM Showcase was fantastic. Students of WHSG, family and external friends of the performers came to watch and support creating the correct atmosphere needed for the show to be successful. The showcase is led by girls in sixth form, predominantly the lower sixth, and the main leaders and organisers for this year were Debbie Acheampong, Shenal Adjetey and Sinead Ntifo. They headed up a team of talented organisers from the sixth form who had the responsibility of directing other segments such as the various catwalks and education segments.
Upon being quite involved in the running up to the showcase, I can confidently say that all the girls taking part, whether their contribution was huge or bit smaller, showed passion for celebrating and displaying culture and worked hard to make sure the outcome was good. As stressful as rehearsals could get, they were still also almost as enjoyable as the night itself. The vibe required to get performers hyped on stage was embodied by fellow performers waiting for their turn to practice, encouraging people to give their all, while on stage. I myself am a witness to seeing girls break out of their shells and become a lot more confident in themselves, just through the enjoyment of sharing their culture. This confidence is key because it has allowed them to go for other opportunities that come around. Being a dancer, I know that BHM has helped me with this, as last year it gave me the confidence to perform outwardly on stage and with this year’s one I was able to further my dance ability by choreographing sections. I was also dancing with other girls this year who hadn’t danced on stage before but still looked great on the night, or girls who hadn’t got involved much in school events much, but were some of the most hyped up people at rehearsals, attending every single one. BHM is something that anyone is able to get involved in, it’s not something that requires some sort of talent from everyone, only the incentive to get involved, support, educate and have fun, because with this, hidden talents are eventually discovered.
Now for some of the acts that were featured in the show- memorable for their talent, energy and originality. There were: o
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The Finale of the West African Fashion Segment (Led by Juliet Benson), where the west African girls ended with a reenactment of the viral Black Panther Challenge The Caribbean Fashion Segment (Led by Tyler Jade Adams) where a traditional carnival vibe was recreated on stage, followed by a full energy Caribbean dance, containing popular songs that the audience could sing along to. The Evolution of African American Dance Catwalk (Led by Ebele Belonwu),starting from the beginning with the Jackson Five, going through the revelation of the Dougie, Whips, Nae-Naes and ending with the new favourite, New Freezer Challenge. A drama sketch led by myself, depicting the journey of a couple year 7s through their time at WHSG Various Dances: including a sassy one to Beyonce’s Upgrade You ( By Yimika Osilaja and Sarah Okusi), AfroBeat to Drill Dance by girls in year 9-11(Rahmat Ottun, Augustina Ofori- Kwarteng, Joy Attah, Ovea Vigneswaran, Kimberly Achebo-Awusu, Britney Shaw, Belinda Kapinga and Kabirah Koroma), No Limit Mix by girls in the sixth form (Ledshajini Segarajasingham, Maria Lenders, Shiann Payne, Dilakshana Payne, Vithuja Thurairajah and Nilani Sivachelvam), plus many more amazing dancers Our singers, Rhiannon Abrams and Ajitha Balakrishnan were able to serenade the audience emotionally, while WHSG also saw their own Destiny’s Child on stage (Feyi Oluwa, Sunmi Babalola, Tyler-Jade Adams, Farida Elgharably and Mei Mathews ). The night was beautifully ended with words of wisdom from Debbie Acheampong who performed a spoken word entitled ‘Not Black’ followed by a sensational rap by Nana Beadu titled ‘Black, Proud, Educated, Smart,’ where all the performers came out to support her on stage and close the show.
The night in all was wonderful, and I am very proud of everyone who took part and feel honoured to have also been involved. I am also excited for BHM 18/19, where even more talent can be discovered and more people can get involved. Hope to see you there!
Are Grammar schools really necessary? Shianne McDermott-Gordon,12NGN Starting at Wallington High School for Girls, a well-known school in Sutton and Croydon borough, I had many apprehensions and fears similar to those who were in the same predicament as me: coming from a regular state school. Fear that I would feel isolated, bombarded with tight-knit friendship groups as their steel-like bonds were stronger than ever. Fear that I would be singled out for being too stupid to be at a school where every single girl was extremely intelligent and knew everything. Fear that I would have no social life as I would have to work constantly if I was to even try and achieve the success that girls at Wallington do. In my English A level class alone, the vast majority of girls achieved level 9s, whereas in my old school that was a prestigious grade that hardly anyone got. However, I was considerably surprised by the warm welcome that I received. The atmosphere was relaxed; there were no undermining attitudes and there was no isolation, as Wallington has a wide range of societies and clubs welcome to anybody. For example, the renowned African and Caribbean Society is full of girls from all races who are there to appreciate a different culture, and fuses diversity with a sense of comfortability. Critics argue that wealthier children are more likely to receive a place at grammar schools because their parents can afford private tutoring if their child struggles. The former Head of Ofsted, from 2012 to 2016, labelled grammar schools as “stuffed full of middle class kids”. However, in the first week of my arrival the school sent letters of a bursary which many people took and there was no chilling atmosphere of shame for being “poor”. Grammar schools offer the best facilities, despite an individual’s background. At Wallington we are sent emails everyday offering interesting opportunities like medical society, Young doctors’ programme and a Cambridge shadowing scheme. In addition to all the amazing opportunities, the sports facilities are grand boasting 6 netball courts, a prodigious upper and lower field, a dance studio, performing arts studio and 3 sports halls. A girl who had also recently started Wallington described the school as “a refreshing change from my old school where I literally had to teach myself and we didn’t go on any school trips”. How could you not want more grammar schools with top facilities and the best opportunities? The people here are an attentive and hard-working group of girls who have fantastic grades and accomplishments, giving myself and others a positive working environment so that we can aim for greatness without disruption; starting sixth form at a prestigious exclusive grammar school has allowed me to come into a very positive and motivating work environment. A student with the same experience as mine called the environment of grammar school “motivated, competitive and friendly,” with students doing extra work as the “norm”. Ultimately, the 163 grammar schools compared to 3,000 state schools should increase because it offers an environment for learning like no other, because even in private schools there can still be students who aren’t not dedicated to achieving high grades, if they didn’t personally choose their own school - whereas grammar school students are filled with students passionate about their education, coming from a mixture of different economic and social backgrounds. It could be argued that it is using healthy social skills for boys and girls to mix from an early age to decrease awkwardness, feelings of intimidation and isolation from the other sex. However, from a
classroom filled to the brim with boisterous boys acting like feral animals locked tightly in a cage, ready to judge the opposite sex: to a group of focused intellectual girls that I can relate and identify who are at school ready to learn, learn, learn. Having boys in a classroom can be damaging to girls’ progress because they feel constantly pressured to look nice in fear of being picked on or being labelled as “ugly” whereas at grammar schools, which are typically one sex, allows focus and freedom because grammar girls do not need to deal with the pressures to look good. Notably, the separation of the sexes allows better results to be produced by students who have more freedom and comfortability to work to the best of their ability and achieve the best grades. Last year at one of London’s leading grammar schools, Henrietta Barnett School for Girls, every girl at achieved at least five A to C grades including English and Maths last year, while it also had a 100% pass rate for the English Baccalaureate. As well as that, Wilson’s School, for only boys, in Sutton produced an 100% pass rate, and more than half of these pupils achieved A*s. Undeniably, the most important that grammar schools are essential to the education system they produce the best grades that are unparalleled compared to inclusive state schools. Some may argue that grammar schools put too much pressure on their students, which can be in severe cases damaging psychologically, however without the push to perform the remarkable results would not be produced. In 2006 pupils in England’s 163 grammar schools produced more than half the total number of A Grade A-levels than those produced by students in comprehensive schools. This shows that grammar schools are fundamental for giving students a quality education because they are given better chances at producing top grades that will set them up to go to the top universities and then acquire the top jobs with marvellous pays. My very own grammar school, Wallington High School for Girls, accomplished some of the best A level results in the country in 2017, where 58.5% of all grades were either A* or A with 23.1% of all grades at A. According to The Times, Wallington High School for Girls was ranked 5th nationally for girls’ state schools and 20th overall for all state schools. Overall, this demonstrates that grammar schools offer the help of highly qualified teachers and great facilities that mould bright students, like myself in my previous school because I was only just surfacing the cusp of my academic abilities, flourishing into intellectual individuals who are using their full potential.
Dr Victoria Forster: One of My Favourite Inspirational Living Female Scientists Silby Jeyachandran 12 JML In light of the fantastic celebrations that took place during this half term; International Women’s Day and British Science Week, I wanted to take my time to introduce two of my favourite female scientists that are still living, making discoveries and inspiring many others to excel in the sciences. Before I start, I want you to name as many living female scientists that you can in your head. I believe it is safe to say that many of us would have thought of one or two or maybe even none. Even then, it is possible that we only blindly remember their acknowledged achievements and not the hardships that they have had to overcome to get to the position that they are currently in. So, here is an example of a scientist excelling in her chosen field and her stories. Victoria Forster (also known as Vicky), who was born in 1988, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at the age of 7 after taking a blood test following a period of illness. During her two years of treatment, she met Helen Sharman, who was her hero at the time, which I believe was another reason for her interest in the scientific field. This emphasises the importance of highlighting the achievements of positive female role models who are succeeding in fields that are stigmatically centred towards men. Despite her difficult situation at such a young age, Dr Forster decided to take home the positives from her experience of getting treated (induced chemotherapy) such as the nurses, doctors and staff, who she had spent her time with. Forster is now a postdoctoral fellow at The Hospital for Sick Children and is focusing her research on paediatric cancer and paediatric cancer predisposition syndromes. She is also a science communicator and a science writer, who has written for The Times, The Guardian and the Conversation. Her research is primarily based on the genetics of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and how genes play a part in causing Leukaemia. This includes looking at how a fusion gene in the DNA can lead to second DNA faults that end up being the cause. In addition to this, her work is interested in discovering why people get Leukaemia to be able to treat it better as well as potentially identifying people who might potentially get in the future to eventually take preventative methods. Furthermore, her other projects include discovering alternative treatment methods for people with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia who are unresponsive to current treatments. Personally, I find her to be a great model as she beat cancer at a young age and continued to live her life to the best of her abilities and now having worked her way through the academic requirements, is conducting research and devoting her working life into discovering solutions to the same ailment that affected her.
Attachment Anoushka Deshmukh, 12 NGN Attachment is an emotional tie or bond between two people, usually a primary care-giver and a child. This relationship is reciprocal which means that it is a two way relationship that endures over time. Interactions between the caregiver and the child are subject to psychological research, as it provides an insight into this nature of attachment. Reciprocity is when the infant responds to the actions of another individual. The action of one individual (i.e. the caregiver) elicits a response from another (i.e. the child). Brezelton et al. describes this reciprocity as a ‘dance’ because when a couple dance together they each respond to the movement and rhythm of it. Likewise, reciprocity as a caregiver-infant interaction is when the interaction of both individuals flows back and fourth. According to Feldman, at around 3 months, reciprocity increases in frequency as the care-giver pays increasingly more attention towards the infant’s behaviour (their verbal and facial communications). It is suggested that showing sensitive responsiveness will lay strong foundations as to how the attachment will develop later between the caregiver and the infant. Interactional synchrony takes place when the infant mirrors the actions or emotions of another person, for example, their facial expressions. This mirroring can also be referred to as an imitation - or simply copying the adult’s behaviours. In this caregiver-infant interaction the infant will move their body in order to carry out the same act as their caregiver simultaneously and the two are said to be synchronised. The interaction serves to sustain communication between the two. Meltzoff and Moore observed the beginnings of interactional synchrony in infants as young as two-three weeks old. Meltzoff and Moore aimed to examine interactional synchrony in infants. They used a controlled observation. An adult model displayed one of three facial expressions, or a hand gesture; to start with, the child had a dummy in their mouth to prevent a facial expression, but following the display from the adult model the dummy was removed and the child’s facial expression was filmed. During their investigation, Meltzoff and Moore found that there was a clear association between the infant’s behaviour and that of the adult model. They concluded that the ability to imitate is an important building block for how the infant develops and the attachment between the infant and the carer.
Development of attachment The Schaffer and Emerson investigation aimed to find out about the formation of early attachments, in particular at the age when they were developing. This was a naturalistic observation (so an everyday life observation). The participants were 60 children (29 female and 31 male) and were all from Glasgow and were from working class families. The babies and their mothers were visited by the researchers every month for about a year, from when they were 18 months. The researchers asked the mothers about the kind of protests their babies demonstrated, such as separation anxiety or stranger anxiety. Schaffer and Emerson found out that 50% of babies that were aged between 25-32 weeks demonstrated separation anxiety and stranger anxiety, indicating that they had formed a specific attachment. Attachments tended to be to the ones who responded to their needs and who were most sensitive to their signals and facial expressions; however this is not necessarily the person they spent the most time with. By 18 months of age, the vast majority (52/60) showed multiple attachments and 20 had attachments to 5 or more other people, such as their fathers, older brothers and sisters, grandparents, uncles and aunties. The researchers subsequently concluded that children tend to develop attachments to more than one person, although their first attachment is to one particular individual. Children appear to attach to those who are most responsive to their needs.
Who do we Love? Meg Riser 12 SET Considering Valentine’s day just passed during the month of February, the topic of ‘love’ always seems to float around this time of year. I decided to step away from the idea of ‘how’ to love, in regards to Valentine’s day, and have decided to look at the ‘who’ within the broad concept of love. I asked four girls that are part of the LGBTQ+ community questions in order to explore differences of sexualities right here in our school. The diverse range of sexualities in the school is one that is only magnified in the real world and it undoubtedly seems important to discuss. Thank you to Anna (year 10), Ria (year 12) and the girls that asked to remain anonymous (referred to as A and B). Q: How do you identify with LGBTQ+? ANNA: Lesbian A: Bisexual RIA: Pansexual B: Bisexual Are there any films/tv shows that you feel represent LGBTQ+ well? ANNA: PRIDE - shows different sides of LGBT+ people, those who are amazing and do activism and stuff and those who are just normal people. A: Sense 8 and Orange is The New Black on Netflix. Although not always 100% accurate with their representation they have made it into mainstream media and given the LGBTQ+ community a platform. I also love the short animated film “In a Heartbeat” I think it resonates with a lot of the community who feel like they have to hide but that their heart can’t choose to forget. It’s also just super cute! RIA: Honestly I can’t think of anything that’s pretty realistic. Maybe Brooklyn 99 because it’s comedic, and quite realistic in terms of it showing how people in the LGBT community should be treated like normal people.
Do you have any LGBTQ+ figures that inspire you? If so, how? ANNA: Andrew Rannells and Andrew Scott - they joke about their sexuality which I relate to but it's not a big part of them that they talk about it all the time it's just there and very normal. A: Tom Daley was a massive turning point for me because when I was younger I loved him and once he came out I loved him even more because it made me see how brave he is and seeing him truly happy over the last years showed me that it was ok to be who I am and be happy.
RIA: Alok Vaid-Menon – A lot of people probably won’t know them but they’re so resilient and have continued to be true to who they are regardless of being put down by so many people because of being gender non-conforming. Aria Fitz – She’s so open and has done so much for the LGBT community, especially on YouTube, but also on other platform as a ‘black queer androgynous woman’.
What’s the most common misconception/stereotype about your sexuality and how does this make you feel? ANNA: All lesbians have short hair and are vegan and butch. I'm all 3 of these things (only vegan for 40 days though) but I just find them annoying because it separates butch and fem lesbians which you shouldn't be doing given there's already enough separation between us and the straights. A: We can date a girl and a guy at the same time or we’re more likely to cheat. It makes me feel frustrated because my sexuality does not affect my views on monogamy and loyalty. RIA: “So, you’re bi?”. There’s more than two genders and that should be recognised more. “So, you’re attracted to everyone/everything?” I mean no one’s attracted to everyone and being pansexual isn’t being attracted to all things/objects. It’s more that I’m attracted to people of all genders. B: I think the biggest misconception about bisexuality is that we’re confused and can’t decide. A lot of people understand what it is to be heterosexual or homosexual but they don’t really understand that there can be an in between.
What’s your advice for people that are unsure about their sexuality? ANNA: I guess try and tell someone and talk it through with at least one person. A: Don’t feel pressured to put a label on yourself, it’s fine to just explore and work it all out late. RIA: Sexuality isn’t always black and white and sometimes can be pretty complicated, so it might take time. Maybe visit the Stonewall or Mermaids website for some guidance! B: Don’t rush into trying to label yourself. It is very easy to brand yourself as a certain sexuality at a young age but you need to take your time (even labelling yourself as straight needs consideration). Don’t feel as if you have to fit into a category or tell everyone about it until you are completely sure.
How do you define love? ANNA: Um good question. Love I guess is an attraction to someone whether it be romantically, platonically, as a relative. Romantic love I guess would probably be the sort of want to be with and around someone and being attracted to them. Although let's be honest I'm 15 and yes I know what
my sexuality is but who knows what love is. I feel like people should view love as a gift and they can take it or leave it but it's rude to trample on it. A: Love is subjective so can mean different things to different people. For me, love is feeling completely comfortable with someone and wanting to be there for them through everything. It’s having an affection for someone that goes beyond physical and emotional attraction. RIA: A deep connection with someone who you feel affectionate towards. I don’t know because that’s a very open question and love means different things to every individual. There’s not one general definition and I dint really think you can define love as its meaning is so vast, which is weird because love is everywhere and it’s an important part of life. B: Love is like music – everyone has a different music taste that doesn’t always appeal to other people but that shouldn’t make you like it any less. If we all liked the same music, the world would be really boring. You also can’t change what kind of music you like – you either like it or you don’t. Thanks, again, to the girls that answered these questions. Some girls were happy to let their names be mentioned and some decided to keep it anonymous. I think this really shows that even though the world is progressing with its acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, there’s still the feeling for people that they cannot be 100% open with their sexuality, which highlights that society still has so much more progress to make in the eradication of homophobia and truly allowing LGBTQ+ members to feel accepted for who they are. Love is love and hopefully these interviews show ,though only through using a small sample, the vast differences amongst people in regards to sexuality yet the one common factor that they share is that they are all equally valued human beings that have just as much of a right to love in their way as anyone else.
Intersectional Feminism THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNISING OPPRESSION IN A SOCIETY STRIVING FOR CHANGE By Dana Collins, 11 Sharman
Feminism, a movement rooted in tackling discrimination against gender, has developed over the years to tackle many more issues. Intersectional feminism, one branch of feminism gaining popularity and notoriety in recent years, does just that.
Although only really becoming relevant in the past few years, the term “intersectional feminism” was coined in 1987, by civil rights activist and university professor Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw. Crenshaw became aware of the nameless concept discussing how gender, race, and other forms of privilege or discrimination are not separate issues, but instead interwoven in the fabric of society. She gave it a name, to help garner awareness of the issue.
So, what is intersectional feminism? Why do we need it? Intersectionality is all about the different forms of prejudice women can face, and how they’re all interrelated. Crenshaw uses the analogy of a black woman on a crossroad: one road represents gender and the cars travelling down it represent the oppression people face because they are women. Another road represents race, with the cars travelling down that symbolising the oppression people face because they are black. A black woman stands in the intersection of those two roads, thus facing both the discrimination that women face and the discrimination that black people face. Due to her race and gender, she experiences more oppression than a black man or a white woman. These crossroads aren’t limited to just race and gender, but can instead signify the many forms of privilege or oppression that women can face: racism,
sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and so much more. For example, a white, straight woman is oppressed because of her gender, whereas a black, gay, disabled woman faces oppression because of her gender, race and physical disability. Both women are still oppressed, but the second woman faces oppression in more than one form.
Intersectional feminism combats white feminism, a branch of feminism which doesn’t take into account the different social barriers that different women face and instead focuses on the issues of white, middle classed, able-bodied, cisgender, and heterosexual women, under the guise of fighting discrimination against all women. White feminism can be seen as counter-intuitive in many ways. For one, many women struggle identifying with feminism due to its exclusionary roots (the Suffragettes’ relationship with racism is complicated, to say the least) and its current exclusionary language and fights. Ava Vidal, a British comedian who speaks out on social issues wrote, “When voices within a movement are marginalised to the point where they don’t even think that it is for them, the only result of this is that the movement is weakened.” White feminists ignoring the different forms of oppression that women face and how they’re interconnected actually inhibit the feminist movement from making greater impacts and putting an end to discrimination against women.
In a time where police brutality against black women is far too prominent (as shown by the 2015 #SayHerName movement), and fatal violence against trans people, particularly women of colour, is at a record high (according to the Huffington Post), intersectional feminism is more than just a concept, it’s blatantly necessary. It’s time for more feminists to recognise the multi-faceted discrimination faced by women everywhere. It’s time to prove that feminism has progressed from the white, middleclassed views it held in the 1940s. It’s time to prove that feminism can truly be a movement that fights for every single woman out there.
It’s Critical to Pay Attention to Social Sciences, Whether You Like It or Not. Opinion Piece - Charlotte Ball 12
Social sciences (which, for the purpose of this article, are subjects such as sociology, psychology, politics, and economics, though the scope of subjects may be considered broader) are the foundations of our society by their very nature. In studying them one learns the fundamentals of humans as a collective, which, unless you for some reason end up marooned on a desert island, is how you’re likely to live your entire existence. So why then, are social sciences often neglected as being less valuable to the school curriculum as, say, STEM subjects? According to ranking site ‘www.thetoptens.com’, social studies was voted the 10th most important subject with 2% of the public’s vote, compared to first placed maths with 24% of the vote. Now, in no way do I wish to devalue maths – okay, maybe I do just a little bit, as revenge for the hardships of maths GCSE - but to me, this is baffling. Perhaps my tendency to gravitate towards essay based subjects and my position as a politics prefect make me bias against the STEM subjects, but I know that as a society we don’t tend to use maths past about year 7 level in everybody’s day to day lives. However, I see first-hand the content of my sociology and politics textbooks echoed on the news, in homes, in TV shows and even as I walk down a high street or the G-corridor, yet I didn’t touch these subjects until this school year. Find me some quadratic equations in amongst the foundations of the school, your household or your workplace, and then we’ll talk about maths being the most valuable subject. (I’m sounding a little bitter, aren’t I? Oops.) All I mean is that, STEM fields are subjects you can choose to avoid in the future; you’ll never escape society, and that’s why I think everyone should learn more about it.
One of the things I regret most about the curriculum is the lack of availability for everybody to have some basic knowledge of the social sciences. Students have no option to study most of the social sciences until A Level or degree level, with the exception of psychology at GCSE, which could be argued to be a life science-social science hybrid. I myself was hesitant to choose two new subjects for A Level (sociology and politics), and actually landed in sociology by accident when I was denied another subject due to clashing. I hate to think that I, or any other student, wouldn’t have signed up for these fascinating subjects because of simple unawareness of the course content. In these lessons I have learned to look critically at the way society functions and challenge ideas and beliefs about what’s best for society in just a matter of months. Now, imagine if everybody understood in some level of detail why things are the way they are and how they could potentially be made better, if we could implement a scheme where we teach the basics of society’s mechanisms from year 7 onwards – I daresay society would be far better off. More knowledge about institutional discrimination and how to combat it. Heightened awareness about the various political parties and complex political system. Increased interest in taxation tactics and why they’re applied. A real understanding of psychological backgrounds to mental health issues. These are just a few of the benefits potentially gained from studying social science subjects. Now, I know that I’m not about to be the cause of the school implementing the teaching of these subjects lower down the school. Although that would be great, and I’m low-key hinting at the creation of a sociology GCSE option and a few more lessons on basic politics and economics in lower school as education for later life, the next best thing I could ask for is for whoever’s reading this – even if you have no interest in social sciences as subjects - to simply pay attention, however old you are. Read the news, criticise those in power, evaluate the system and look out for those around you. It’s a cruel, complex and corrupt world that favours some over others; read into it, challenge it, and work to change it for the better. We’re the future of society, after all, so we may as well pay attention to it.
Summer Music Festival Guide Emily Lewis 12 JML Summer’s right round the corner – with only 13 weeks of term time left, holidays are quickly approaching! There’s no better way to spend your six weeks of freedom than checking out at least one banging UK festival, so here’s my guide to 2018’s top musical getaways:
Wireless Festival London’s Finsbury Park event is now on it’s 13th year of running, and it’s line-up could be unrivalled in the urban scene. Featuring big names such as Migos, Post Malone, J. Cole and French Montana, this local event is said to be the weekend of the summer for London locals. All tickets are officially sold out but have a search around on twitter and I’m sure you could bag yourself a day ticket. – Wireless Festival runs from the 6th-8th July.
Truck Festival Celebrating it’s 21st anniversary this year, Truck stands as one of the UK’s longest running and most popular small festival. Uniquely offering an experience for all age groups, this year’s headliners include George Ezra, Jake Bugg, and the Courteeners, staying true to their rock/indie roots. This year also features their first ever Thursday ticket with an exclusive Peace performance – I wouldn’t want to miss out on that. – Truck Festival runs from the 20th-22nd July in Oxfordshire.
Y Not Festival If you’re up for travelling to see the bands you love, Y Not hides deep in the fields of Derbyshire boasting one of the arguably best line ups this year. From the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen to Kaiser Chiefs, Lady Leshurr to Wombats, there’s definitely something for everyone. They were also crowned with the “best festival toilets prize” at the Eighth Annual UK Festival Awards. The only question left is – Y not? Y Not runs from 26-29 July.
Bestival Bestival, the self-named ‘most colourful show on Earth’, holds the title of one of Britain’s most popular and diverse festivals and are famous for their embrace of creativity, theatre, circus and art. With the 2018 theme of ‘the sea’, fancy dress is definitely required – is there any better way to see acts like M.I.A, Jorja Smith and Mura Masa? I think not. With a teen ticket at a massively discounted £115, there’s no better time to grab your family and your camping gear. Bestival runs from the 2nd-5th August in East Lulworth.
Boomtown This ska and party festival promotes one of the most diverse line up of this season – alternative stages offer reggae, dub and folk music, along with a comedy stage and an anarchist theatre. Boomtown holds a massive emphasis on eco-friendly initiatives, and hosts over 100 workshops on talents like circus skills and yoga, making this excellent for the creative type. Their confirmed lineup includes Limp Bizkit, Enter Shikari and Gorillaz – the only UK show they’re playing this summer! Boomtown runs from the 9th-12th August in Hampshire.
Creamfields Named as the UK’s biggest dance festival, Creamfields has run annually since 1999, named multiple times as the Guardian’s ‘Event of the Year’. With headliners this year of Annie Mac, Giggs and Martin Garrix, this is a can’t-miss event for all electronic fans. Unfortunately, it has an 18+ restriction, but this still leaves it as the perfect way for our departing Year 13s to celebrate their end of exams! Creamfields runs from the 23rd-26th August in Daresbury, Cheshire.
Reading Festival Reading is named as the world’s oldest popular music festival still in existence, famed for hosting big names such as The Rolling Stones and Iron Maiden. With this year’s headliners Kings of Leon, Kendrick Lamar and Fall Out Boy, Reading holds an unmatchable energy of young people revelling in their last few weeks of summer freedom, leaving just enough time to recover before school starts again! Join the 90,000 goers last year and buy your ticket today. Reading Festival runs from the 24th-26th August.
An Ordinary Book Review About an Extraordinary Book Antara Singh, 10 Brontë
Extraordinary for not the right reasons, perhaps. Whether politics interest you or not, there is no doubt that you’ve heard of Hillary Rodham Clinton and her hard-fought presidential campaign against Donald Trump. After reading her not-so-new autobiography, “What Happened”, I’ve realised that it should really be renamed as “What Went Wrong”. Despite her good intentions and post-election promises, the main thing that critics have picked up on is that Clinton appears to blame everybody but herself for the defeat. Whether it be Comey for the email scandal, or Mr Trump himself, the blame never seems to settle on herself. However, I’d disagree. I found this autobiography poignant, in a manner that was quite unexpected, as Clinton offered me an insight into what really happened and why she lost an election that was always on her side. Despite detailing the complications with Russia and her emails, she provides us with information about her affinity for her staff, who were behind the election, behind every speech and behind every debate. Of course, Clinton has written this to bring us to her side, against what I would call an incompetent president, but that is open to interpretation. Even if the 2016 presidential election was not something that you were intrigued by, “What Happened” has many lessons to teach us, not just about how to run for president (but of course, that’s useful too), but about how to remain resilient even in the face of adversity, or in this case, a certain imprudent tangerine.
Year 8 Poetry Competition Winners One Leaf Nya Vyas 8 Johnson One leaf in particular caught my eye. One day in autumn, while walking on by It was just the one I was looking for Lying on the top of the Earth’s leafy floor. Crimson in a colour amongst golden brown Winds bowing lightly tumbling around Chasing after, I hurried with delight But the wind soon blew it quite out of sight Dear God I prayed as I walked to my home This leaf reminds me of one love, my own Just a sample of what I found so dear Now losing this leaf, I wiped off a tear There’s no other leaf like it I could see Many colours, none other suited me Sadly, I walked home, my head hung with grief There at my door lay that one crimson red leaf.
First Light Emily Cummins 8 Seacole The first I saw was the ombre sky In which no birds at all did fly. And then the glistening sun so bright The stars undone, when comes first light. I looked around; no-one was here! How could they all just disappear? So I ventured further, and then I found Mysterious white, all on the ground. As I stepped forward, I began to see That now my footprints followed me. A blanket of snow, laid overnight Seemed smooth and soft, when comes first light. Eerie silence filled the air Raging wind whistled through my hair Spindly branches waved in the breeze. Whilst great thick trunks stood plain at ease. I have no current words to say I could not be anything but gay At what is such a jolly sight And a moment of beauty, when comes first light.
I am an Abstract Aiswarya Senthoorselvan Abstract; I see things in a completely different perspective to everybody else. Perfection is not my intention, Only success with failures No-one is pure, you know. Others look at the night sky with glistening stars. I imagine drowning in diet coke, Bubbles fizzing endlessly When the wind rushes, I feel someone blowing through a straw towards me. School; see humans in the same green everyday, Depressed. They say no-one understands them but who says We’re all peas in a pod. Don’t wreck your education kids, don’t do drugs; Tea is fine.
Jack Petchey’s Perfect Pitch champions! Rachel Simmonds, 8 Curie
On the 17th March, Wallington Girls’ very own A Capella group, ‘Noteworthy’, took part in Jack Petchey’s Perfect Pitch Challenge, a competition between 10 A Capella groups to win a prize of £500 to spend on A Capella goodies for the team, as well as a splendid trophy displaying the hard-earned success! Leading up to the show, our group, led by the wonderful Mrs Yard, went through a programme consisting of an assessment and visit from a member of the Perfect Pitch team, a 3-hour workshop carried out by a specialised tutor and, for the showcase final, a performance of our pieces to the public, as well as a panel of professional judges. The pieces we performed were, firstly, a mashup of ‘1+1’, ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Perfect’, as well as a mashup of ‘Human’,’Beggin’’ and ‘You got the love’ as our second piece. Congratulations to the rest of the group for making these songs sound absolutely amazing! The day of the competition, which took place in The Broadway, Barking, we were all slightly nervous to perform as this was our first public performance of our songs in front of an audience of around 300 people. However, after settling into our dressing room and having some run-throughs of our songs, everyone was excited and full of energy to perform. As well as this, Mrs Yard was constantly and very enthusiastically wishing us luck before the show. When it came to the finale, every team was listening in closely to find out the runners up and overall winners of the competition. After the agonising suspense and after lively and congratulatory cheers for the runners up, City Academy, as ‘Noteworthy’ was declared as the winners, everyone in the team was so ecstatic, jumping with happiness; we were all screaming with joy as no one could believe it! Even as they handed us the trophy it felt unreal and we were all so shocked.
We couldn’t have experienced this or been able to win such a tough competition without the talent and skill of Mrs Yard, so on behalf of the group I would like to thank her so much for everything she has done. From putting the pieces together to helping us smuggle Nando’s into the theatre, we really into the theatre, we really couldn’t have done it without you. I would also like to personally thank Harriet, Rebecca, Eona and Rhiannon (y12), Yimika and Mani (y11) and Anna, Belinda and Julia (y10) for being so friendly and kind to me as it was quite nerve racking being the youngest in the group! ‘Noteworthy’ will also perform at the music concert on Tuesday and info for the night is on the student bulletin if you want to come and see us perform!
Year 12 Art
'This painting was an experimental piece that I wanted to use to further my skin tone and geometric shape studies. I focused a lot on the eyes, skin and colour palette in order to bring out the features in a striking manner. I was extremely pleased with how it turned out, and hope to make more pieces similar to this one in the future. Olivia Tarr
The theme was mechanical parts, which I chose to incorporate with portraiture. The mechanical hand was a concept sketch I did to develop my ideas. I focused on skin texture for the Anya painting to make it as hyper realistic as possible, with glowing features like the red on the arm and the brain. Leo Ioviero
Students worked hard on their Autumn term experimental project, exploring a wide variety of mediums. We are excited to see how their independent projects develop, starting this March. Mrs Moore, Head of Art
My piece aims to express the versatility of colouring pencils, a medium that is not as recognised as others such as oil paints or acrylics. Through both the colouring pencil and biro I explored the concept that that no matter what is found on the outside, the basic Mrs Moore, Head of Art anatomy of every person is almost identical. Lakshaajeni Thevapalan
This is an observational sketch of a sheep skull done using fine liners. Depth was added by crosshatching in darker areas of the skull and the teeth were kept white to give a contrast on the darker background. Zahra Miah
My piece is the fineliner portrait with colourful flowers. The medium used was fine liners for the portrait and watercolour for the flowers. My theme was the fragility of natural forms focusing on human beings and how fragile they are both physically and mentally. The flowers were a symbol of fragility due to their delicate nature. Silby Jeyachandran
The Twig Alisha Bissondoyal 11 Athena
The relentless sound of expletives and cruel name calling pounded in the little girl’s ears as she walked regretfully away from the torment; her eyes clouding with hot piercing tears. Something had snapped like a twig, her tolerance for the continuous ostracisation she endured. She wasn’t wearing inordinately priced clothing like the other girls, nor did she have straight chestnut hair that cascaded down the backs of the other girls like water down a waterfall. She hardly resembled a princess, she was more troglodytic and possessed a carefree attitude about the seemingly imperative attributes that a princess must have. The wind violently bit her lip as she walked towards a seemingly innocent bench which seemed to bare the same negligence which she encountered every day from the princesses who were now casting curious looks towards her. It bore scratches that were angrily etched into the side, and its wood beginning to discolour into faded, bleak brown. The opulent silver streaks of light emanating from the moon illuminated the unimpeded river, flowing as free as a bird. She sat defeated on the deserted bench and cast her eyes towards the riverbank which was scattered with disorderedly wand like twigs. One rather disjointed one caught her eye; it was ragged and had peculiar bumps along the body. She cautiously approached the twig as if it was going to bite her, and stood lingering over it – as if it were going to come to life. She decided against the paranoia that had been so deeply instilled in her and gingerly held the stick in her hand. The background screeching from the trio of witchy princesses momentarily faded, the wand seemed to impose a feeling of superiority. She closed her eyes. What would it be like to be in control for once? To not be the servant slaves for the princess, but to be the fairy queen dressed in elaborate clothing on a golden throne? The girl became immersed in her fantasy world – the trees were the peaks of the castle – the grass a meadow of daisies that a carriage of gold could stroll through. She was the
queen and could order anyone to be sent to gallows, or make them disappear as quick as a wave from a wand – speaking of which was held fondly by the little girl. Her parents, who were never concerned of her whereabouts, could be cast away. The little girl, soon enveloped in her make believe world of magic began prancing around the park following the path of the river, conjuring up and transforming the mundane landscape of a park into a land of eternal happiness. As the park grew increasingly empty and the sky became a more intense navy blue, she was riding on the smooth backs of horses and banishing witches into exile. The moon no longer shone with the same peaceful iridescence, as the clouds obstructed the rays which tried to pervade through the once brilliantly lit sky. The wind regained its former bitter state and harshly sucked the life of anything unlucky enough to be in its path. The familiar feeling of dry and quivering lips returned and the little girl regained a more attentive state of consciousness. The park had grown eerily silent and the moon bore a bitter countenance. Hands shaking in fear of the ominous atmosphere, the girl ran back to the neglected bench. However, unlike before there were no mean girls in the corner, or couples walking hand in hand along the bending path. She decided against allowing paranoia to consume her, and ran breathlessly back home along the dead, silent streets to a house which was plunged in darkness – yet usually lit by a fan light. As the door creaked and she walked with trepidation, she wasn’t met with the usually mundane drumming of the washing machine or the kettle screaming. The house was unusually silent with the absence of light. Her mind was cloudy and had distorted thoughts running through and she rushed outside. On the porch, lay the brown twig – a once seemingly innocuous object that instead now reminded her of the odd surreal feeling she felt as she wielded its unknown power. What had she done?
Thank you for reading, we hope it was as enjoyable to read as it was to make! Thanks to everyone who participated in this issue; if you’d like to get involved in the Wally Street Journal please send us your submissions or save them in the Newspaper Shared Area folder – we’re excited to hear what you have to say! We can’t to share more journalism and writing with you next half term – have a great break everyone ☺