JULY 2020
VOICE
TRINITY TRINITY
CONTRIBUTERS: ANNA SKEELS, ANTHEA ALLWN-JUBUN, AMELIA ENGLISH, DANIEL WESTWOOD, GHALIB BUTT, CASSIA TAYLOR AND AMELIA ANDREWS
EDITORIAL 2
T
here is no denying that the last term and a bit has been strange. The world of online school was thrust upon us practically overnight. Yet, here we all are four months later having survived the previously incomprehensible, looking forward to what will certainly be the worlds weirdest summer. For the most part, the days will continue to be taken up with staring blankly into screens, pages and the odd adventure outside but things are beginning to open up again and that certainly is exciting. However, it is important to remember to stay safe, just because you can do something again does not mean it is necessarily a good idea. The last two months especially have been a period of reflection. World events have made us question what it means to be human and how our actions affect others. That is the spirit of this issue. Each of our very talented writers has taken a question, that they truly care about, which may have no definitive
A
s we make our way through the unchartered waters of 2020, we turn to the media and news as a source of security and comfort, providing us with the knowledge that there is more to the world than meets the eye. COVID-19 has brought us a threemonth long quarantine, an abundance of picnics and park dates, and most significantly, a chance to revaluate our lives and what is important to us. This edition covers a variety of topics, from Pride and the Black Lives Matter Movement, to theatre and economics – no stone is left unturned. It’s difficult to not lose hope in our everchanging society, where injustices are talked about nearly every day, revealing facts and figures that many had no clue about and this newsletter hopes to put those into perspective. Whilst we struggle with our day-to-day lives, others are still fighting for equal opportunities and justices, jobs are being lost and entire masses of people are being wiped of
answer and tried to make sense of it, coming to their own conclusions. I hope that some of you will be inspired by one of these questions and use just a minute of your new free time to take it further because that is what student journalism should do. Not only should it aim to give students a voice but it should capture the imagination of others. For it is important to be able to form your own opinion in a world that is constantly throwing ones at you. I’d like to say thank you to our amazing contributors, as without you guys this wouldn’t have happened. Also to my brilliant Co-Editor Anjali. Thank you for putting up with my crazy ideas and sporadic rants. For those who would like to contribute next term, please get in touch. We’d love to be able to have as diverse a range of voices as possible.
JESS WESTLAND their existence – completely ignored by the mainstream media, which favours celebrities and stardom over the world’s bigger and more pressing issues. It is up to us to rise up and educate ourselves so that, as the future lawmakers, leaders and citizens, we can make serious change in the world, making it a more habitable place for all.
ANJALI PATEL-RAMCHARRAN
GENETICS AND SPORT
C
aster Semenya has been ridiculed all her life in the world of competitive sport, her ‘real gender’ been questioned by fellow competitors and the wider athletics community. Whilst her testosterone levels are much higher than the official threshold for women, she does not have the levels usually found in men. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) she is not a woman and cannot compete in the women’s race. The treatment she has faced is unacceptable, Semenya has been denied her career just because she is dominating her sport. The segregation of professional sports by gender becomes much trickier when we argue over who is male and female. Semenya is widely understood to have intersex traits, meaning that her unusually high levels of testosterone provide her with additional strength and speed not usually found in women. Some argue that this is an unfair advantage because if a woman took drugs to increase her testosterone levels to match Semenya’s this would be classed as doping. So why should Semenya be allowed to compete? In every single sport we can find an example of a champion who was head and shoulders above all the rest. We don’t seem to have a problem with Michael Phelps’s double-jointed ankles that let him kick faster or his abnormally low levels of lactic acid production resulting in him recovering much quicker than other swimmers. Matthew Pinsent competes in rowing despite his lung capacity being twice the average size. Both are examples of athletes with a natural edge on the average player and they use this advantage to excel. This is no different from Semenya, who has a natural advantage that helps her succeed, yet, when we realise that other athletes are unhappy with this we decide to discriminate against the minority because, after all, how many female athletes are in the same boat as her? In fact, Semenya isn’t even smashing records like one would expect. She could be the world record holder and beating even the best
runners from the past by a long way. However, this is simply not the case. Semenya is the 4th fastest female runner in her distances, she doesn’t even hold the world record for the 800m (0.97 seconds behind). Although she may dominate women’s middle-distance running now, this could just be due to a lack of competition at the same level as we have seen in the past. Surely she would have beaten the record by now if she had some super human strength. In other sports we can see issues arising from the debate of the eligibility of transgender athletes. Laurel Hubbard is a trans woman weightlifter from New Zealand who was a Tokyo 2020 hopeful. She transitioned in her thirties and has since then has competed in multiple competitions in the women’s category yet the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have come under a lot of media scrutiny recently for allowing her to compete. Many groups, including New Zealand based lobby group “Speak Up For Women”, have advocated that sport must be categorised by sex rather than gender identity to protect women’s sporting achievements. Although on the surface this may seem like the same fight as Semenya’s this is a completely different debate. Hubbard may or may not have an unfair advantage due to the lasting effects of her previous sex, which although cannot be proven to be there, it was a voluntary decision. On the other hand, Semenya hasn’t transitioned and therefore cannot be held accountable for a naturally occurring advantage. The IAAF’s ruling to ban her from competing unless she takes testosterone limiting drugs is discriminative against those with intersex traits. It seems that they are trying to remove her from the competition to give the other athletes a chance of winning. Yet there comes a point where we must decide one thing, the line where the importance of a level playing field in sports is superior to the fairness to an individual athlete.
ANNA SKEELS
3
PRID P
ride feels a little different this year. Gone is the opportunity to walk down Regent Street belting ABBA at the top of your lungs, instead, those who wish to celebrate will be resigned to a few extra hours in front of their computer, staring into the colourful void which is Amnesty’s Pride Inside. To say 2020 has felt slightly chaotic would be an understatement. A global pandemic, followed by what could only be described as a technological uprising and then the world was shaken up by the murder of George Floyd, and rightly so. As Black Lives Matter protests erupt across the
world, it is important to consider the members of the LGBTI+ community who carry a double burden. Their fight for justice and basic human rights has been and will be longer and harder. We must all seek to understand the need to support anyone who is standing up against any form of injustice.
Pride Inside is a collaboration between Amnesty International, UK Black Pride, Parapride and gendered intelligence. From the 27th June to the 10th July they’ll be running a series of online talks, masterclasses and entertainment available to stream live or
DE watch later from their website or Amnesty’s YouTube channel. Launch events took place on the 27th and 28th June, marking global pride as well as the fifty-first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a turning point in the gay rights movement. The city’s first Pride event took place a year later. Without Stonewall, there would be no Pride.
it is even more important than ever that people come together to celebrate and support the movement. While LGBTI+ Americans can no longer be fired for being LGBTI+ or transgender, single-sex relationships are still illegal in sixtyeight countries. This needs to change.
JESS WESTLAND
Millions of LGBTI+ people throughout the world will not have a safe space to freely Historically LGBTI+ people have been express themselves this year, making it even discriminated against in their access to more important to use the information that healthcare, housing and employment. This is available to educate yourself but more situation has allowed the pandemic to have a importantly celebrate. disproportionate effect on LBGTI+ people. So
ANTHEA ALLWN-JUBUN
BLACK LIVES MATTE
B
lack Lives Matter began as a response to a court case. The Killing of Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman’s killing of Trayvon Martin and the jury’s verdict in Zimmerman’s criminal trial sparked outrage among many and brought light to what was happening right in front of our eyes but being disguised. On February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman, a local resident and member of the neighbourhood watch shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a seventeen-year-old African American man who was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida. Before the shooting, Zimmerman called 911 to report a suspicious person. Despite the 911 operator instructing him to stay in his vehicle, Zimmerman confronted Martin. What then followed is not crystal clear because it was only the two men involved in the altercation. Recordings from the 911 call painted a vague, yet disturbing picture of the confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. A cry for help and the gunshot that followed, were the only evidence of what happened between the two. On March 19, 2012, the Justice Department and FBI announced the launch of an investigation into Martin’s death. A petition on Change.org calling for the arrest of Zimmerman surpassed 1.3 million signatures three days later. The next day, less than one month after Martin’s death, President Obama made a public statement regarding the shooting, saying that the incident required ‘soul-searching.’ On March 26, 2012, one month after Martin’s death, rallies were held across America. Then finally, on April 11, 2012, Zimmerman was formally charged with seconddegree murder. Despite it being it being strongly suggested the murder was about race, in December Zimmerman sued NBC Universal for allegedly editing the 911 recordings to make Zimmerman appear to be racist. In February of 2013, the Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation held a ‘Day of Remembrance Community Peace Walk and Forum’ in Miami. The trial finally began on June 24, 2013
and after a deliberation of sixteen hours by the jury they found Zimmerman not guilty. The verdict was not only the topic in newspapers, television programs, and tabloids; it was also the topic of intense social media discussion as the public expressed their deep discontent for this miscarriage of justice. After hearing the verdict an activist Kai M. Green commented that he felt the need to ‘use this moment to build a movement. . . . It’s about change, it’s about justice. . . . And it’s about black lives and black bodies, but it’s not just about black people. It’s about all people. Right? Because injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.’ This was then echoed by Alicia Garza, saw this as a defining moment for her generation. Garza recalled in an interview, ‘It was as if we had all been punched in the gut.’ In addition to Matthew Knight writing about it in the NewYorker. In response to the verdict, Garza began drafting a series of social media posts, which she called collectively ‘A Love Letter to Black People’. After this series Garza’s final post in July 13, 2013 message was concise, simple, and powerful: ‘black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.’ Garza’s close friend, Patrisse Cullors, saw the post and recognised the significance of its message. She then posted on her facebook – ‘Alicia Garza myself, and hopefully more black people than we can imagine are embarking on a project. we are calling it #BLACKLIVESMATTER. #blacklivesmatter is a movement attempting to visiblize what it means to be black in this country. Provide hope and inspiration for collective action to build collective power to achieve collective transformation. rooted in grief and rage but pointed towards vision and dreams.’ These Facebook messages would be the start of what would eventually grow into the BLM movement. The renewed attention to the Black
7
Lives Matter Movement is due to the inhumane, injust murder of George Floyd. George Floyd, 46, died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Footage of the arrest on the 25th May shows a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck while he was pinned to the floor. Chauvin, 44, has since been charged with second degree murder. The key events that led to Mr Floyd’s death happened within just 30 minutes. Based on accounts from witnesses, video footage and official statements, here’s what we know so far. It began with a report of a fake $20 (£16.20) bill. A report was made on the evening of 25 May, when Mr Floyd bought a pack of cigarettes from Cup Foods, a grocery store. Believing the $20 bill he used to be counterfeit, a store employee reported it to police. A funeral service for George Floyd was held in Houston, Mr Floyd’s home town. Just over two weeks after his death in Minneapolis and worldwide antiracism protests began. About 500 guests invited by the Floyd family were in attendance at the Fountain of Praise Church. Many more gathered outside to show their support. The four officers involved in the arrest of George Floyd were fired. Protests began when the video of the arrest was shared widely on social media. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Minneapolis and vandalised police cars and the police station with graffiti. Protests spread to
other cities including Memphis and Los Angeles. In some places, like Portland, Oregon, protesters lay in the road, chanting “I can’t breathe”. Demonstrators again gathered around the police station in Minneapolis where the officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest were based and set fire to it. The building was evacuated and police retreated. Violence spread across the US on the sixth night of protest. A total of at least five people were reported to have been killed in protests from Indianapolis to Chicago. Curfews were imposed across the US to try to stem the unrest. Tens of thousands of protesters again took to the streets. One of the biggest protests took place in George Floyd’s hometown of Houston, Texas. Many defied curfews in several cities, but the demonstrations were largely peaceful. More than 75 cities have seen protests and at least 4,400 people have been arrested. Black people make up 13% of the population in the US but they represent about 40% of the prison population. Once convicted, black people are 20% more likely to receive jail time and typically receive 20% longer sentences. Through carrying out these protests and raising awareness of these heartbreaking occurrences that should not still be happening in 2020, we hope to see less of these cases of injustice and hope to see equality and fairness.
‘IT’S ABOUT CHANGE,
IT’S ABOUT JUSTICE’ 9
THE FUTURE OF THEATRE
T
he world has been paused for several months now, yet with the crash of the economy likely, it makes us question what life will look like after lockdown. Theatre has defined London for hundreds of years, with Shakespeare creating the Globe in 1599, it has become part of our national identity. Yet the lockdown has meant that theatres have struggled to receive any revenue, hence has put their institutions at risk of being closed permanently. The Globe claims that it will not survive without a £5.7 million injection of cash, but what does this mean for the future? There is no clear answer, but we can only assume that Britain will lose many of its independent theatres, let alone our most popular such as The National Theatre, The Old Vic and The Globe. On May 13th Robert Jenkin discussed for the first time the government’s plan for theatres, ‘The culture secretary is working very closely with our main cultural institutions to see how we can guide them through undoubtedly a very difficult period of time and put in place the social distancing guidelines, so that they are ready to reopen when the science and medical opinion allows.’ It makes it very difficult for us to judge how theatres will recover as the virus still consumes our life with much uncertainty. Although we can no longer go and see productions, institutions like The National Theatre has introduced a new scheme of theirs called National Theatre at home. Every week they have streamed a different play, allowing the public to watch theatre in the comfort of their own home. These productions include, Jane Eyre, Streetcar Named Desire, Frankenstein along with many more. Hence this has given people the opportunity to discover new plays with very familiar actors such as James Corden and Benedict Cumberbatch. Within, the next
month a series of new plays will be released each Thursday, these include A Mid-Summer Nights Dream, Amadeus, Les Blancs along with many more. These plays are broadcasted every Thursday on YouTube at 7pm. The programme has proved very popular with the millions of people streaming the plays. Yet, despite this positive glance on the future of theatre, meaning more people have become aware of the joy and excitement plays can bring, there is still a great worry about how theatres will survive, as they are on the brink of collapse facing an existential crisis as they run out of funds. Along with theatre many of the musicals that embody British culture will not return any time soon. Cameron Mackintosh who owns several West End theatres and is responsible for London’s biggest and most beloved shows – Hamilton, Les Misérables, the Phantom of the Opera along with many more, he explained how his shows are unlikely to return until early next year. Until social distancing ends it is impossible for any form of theatre to give an exact date for when they will reopen. It appears that it is a consensus among other theatre owners that it will take around 4-5 months till they can fully re-open and be able to create a safe space for the public. Many new productions have been postponed, Andrew Lloyd Webber, known for creating musicals such as Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita along with many others, had a remastered version of Cinderella coming to the West End yet this had to be re-scheduled. He believes that theatres will not open till September, yet it is very likely that it will be even later than this. Regents Park Open Air Theatre announced its entire summer season will be postponed to 2021, this included the new musical version of 101 Dalmatians.
It is evident that a return to normality will not be soon, making it difficult to determine the return of theatre. The Coronavirus will not only impact large theatres but small independent ones too. The issue is that the audience will have to be spaced out to ensure their safety, but also problems arise with actors and the backstage team working together in close proximity. However, new forms of theatre are going to arise, for example The Great Gatsby is to reopen in October. They are able to make this possible by encorporating PPE into its immersive performance, for example they plan on having a masquerade ball with the masks doubling as PPE. Perhaps the lockdown will inspire theatre makers. This is evident as already the production of 1984 which is
planned to launch in April 2021 will adopt the same measures and creativity as the production of the Great Gatsby, they plan to use overalls and PPE to draw parallels with the dystopian society as the outfit identifies them as a member of the outer party. What we know to be theatre could all change as plays must adapt to ensure that the audience is appropriately distanced.
AMELIA ENGLISH
11
LOCKDOWN AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS
N
ationwide lockdown commenced on the 23rd of march, three and a half months later and lockdown measures are starting to be lifted. Whilst it has been a very different and often difficult period for all of us, there have been some positives that have come as a result.
energy sources. However, this is not the answer. These renewable energy sources are often location specific and expensive to set up. Whilst this is an easy problem to overcome, with some governments investing in green projects in order to reduce the long-term cost of energy, one of the main benefits to renewables. The root of the problem is the exponentially growing demand for energy. With the population growing by roughly 1.05% per year (that’s about 80 million extra people), combined with increasing global development, demand for energy is growing at an alarming rate. In the last ten years global demand has risen by 17% which is the equivalent of 2 billion tonnes of oil. Whilst the introduction of renewable energy sources is a positive, they are only satisfying the increasing demand for energy and slowing the rate of growth of carbon dioxide emissions. This is similar to what happened in the 1970s, where oil was supposed to replace coal (because oil is slightly cleaner, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions). However, the increased supply of energy only meant that demand for energy rose. This resulted in oil supplementing coal instead of replacing it. At our current levels of energy demand, we will ultimately have the same result with renewables. This means that renewables will not replace fossil fuels but supplement them.
One of the main positives is the reduction in carbon dioxide emission levels. During April Carbon Dioxide emissions fell by approximately 31% in the UK and 26% across the globe. This is welcoming news after the bleak outlook for the future of our environment with 2019 predictions from the United Nations suggesting that irreversible damage to the environment would be caused by 2030. The simple solution to this problem has always been to replace the Therefore, the only solution to preventing carbon emitting fossil fuels with clean, renewable irreversible environmental damage is to reduce the amount of energy we consume. We can either
12
DANIEL WESTWOOD
VICE UK
do this by improving the efficiency of what we use, for example replacing standard light bulbs with LEDs or reducing the amount of energy we use. This is where the lockdown period is significant, as we are all stuck at home, we have not been using cars, buses, trains or trams. This is significant as transport makes up about 40% of the UK’s energy usage. Additionally, with shops, gyms, pubs, bars and restaurants being closed their energy consumption has fallen dramatically (as they don’t have the lights, air conditioning or heating on). These reasons can be attributed to the dramatic fall in carbon dioxide emissions. However, this reduction will only be temporary. As we come out of lockdown the demand will rise again and keep on growing. Current estimates suggest that we will only see a 7% drop in global carbon emissions in 2020. This, however, shows that to solve the climate crisis we need to reduce our demand for energy and that it is possible to reduce our demand. Whilst it is a global issue and will require a global effort to solve, it will start on a small scale. Basic economics tells us that the demand for something will directly affect the supply of it. So, if we all do our part in order to reduce demand, we will start the process of cutting our carbon dioxide emissions.
‘WE WILL ONLY SEE A 7% DROP IN GLOBAL CARBON EMISSIONS IN 2020’
13
CHINA: FRIEND OR FOE?
S
atellite images of Subi Reef in 2000 show a submerged circular ridge, located in the Spratly Island archipelago in the South China Sea. As of 2014 a large harbor, a military base home to over 200 troops and an airstrip of around 3000m can all be found in the exact same location, a new island claimed as territory of the People’s Republic of China. This is not the only example. China has been expanding its military presence in the South China Sea over the past decade in an attempt to control one of the world’s most pivotal bodies of water. With its vast abundance of natural resources and 30% of all global shipping routes passing through the region (a percentage share set to increase given the projections of surrounding economies), whoever controls these waters will gain masses of influence in coming years. China appears to be looking to capitalize on this opportunity for increased regional and global dominance, even if it means going against international law. The 1973 United Nations Law of the Sea states a country’s sovereign territory lies within 200 miles of their coastline and that any waters outside of this boundary fall under UN Maritime Law – China seems to disagree. After Japan lost control of the South China Sea following World War Two, China laid claim to the region and to this day disregards the Law of the Sea. Through blockading islands claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam, China is slowly gaining control of contested territories and demonstrating its indifference towards international pressure. Although more must be done to contain such unlawful claiming of territory, challenging China’s policies is posing a difficult task – expressed in its most alarming form at the UN General Assembly in October of last year. A joint statement delivered on behalf of 23 member states by Britain’s UN Ambassador, challenged China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims. This Turkic minority group have been placed in
mass detention camps, being described at the UN Human Rights Council as, “one of the worst mass atrocities of this century.” Despite this, 54 of China’s newfound allies came to defend their actions as “effective anti-terror methods”. China’s ever-growing global dominance and forging of allies in regions where western nations have failed, gives them the freedom to exercise such totalitarian measures – whether it be within their own country or abroad. Those nations who do attempt to question China, however, are immediately faced with measures to silence their opposition. Australia for instance recently led an attempt to launch an investigation into China’s role in the origins and handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing retaliated swiftly – imposing tariffs of Australian goods (with some imports suspended) as well as choosing to no longer return phone calls from Australian ministers. Such stringent overseas measures, enforced to defend China’s national interests, have been dubbed “wolf-warrior diplomacy”. A term coined from a series of patriotic Chinese films titled “Wolf Warrior”, that carry the tagline “Even though a thousand miles away, anyone who affronts China will pay.” This more direct and somewhat aggressive form of foreign policy is a change from the traditional methods used by Chinese diplomats. Instead of publishing long and verbose statements that challenge international criticism, officials are taking to twitter and other social media platforms to openly “defend national honor and dignity” as put by China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi. From China’s perspective, its new approach to foreign policy is a direct response to its treatment and representation on the international stage. One thing is clear from China’s new stance, challenging their policies and questioning their intentions is becoming increasingly difficult, allowing them to more freely practice measures that threaten regional stabilities and international relations. GHALIB BUTT
14
THE MYCORRHIZAL NETWORK
F
or many, the immediate connotations that we have with fungi are almost all negative, they have been presented to us as infectious, ugly and parasitic. In reality fungi act as a fundamental building block to life. Through the examination and interpretation of the mycorrhizal network I hope that I am able to rectify the misjudgement of fungi, and instead show their kindness and necessity for a prosperous future. So, what is the mycorrhizal network? The network is formed from fungal hyphae which connect to the roots of at least two plants, but often this number is much larger, the network links plants together and can coordinate the exchange of resources. The collection of these hollow, tube-shaped hyphae extending from the mycorrhizal fungi is called a mycelium. When the fungi encounter a tip of a new root, they will surround or penetrate the root cell, forming a new connection to the mycelium network. At this point a symbiotic relationship between the mycorrhizal fungi and the plant occurs. The fungi is a poor producer of sugars, however, it has an excellent ability to absorb nutrients from the soil – so in its own barter system, the plant exchanges its rewards of sugars from photosynthesis for the nutrients mined from the soil by the fungi. This exchange may initially appear small and possibly boring, but if we step back and look at the network as a whole, there is a true beauty to it. The mycelium acts as a transport system between an estimated 95% of the worlds plant species, where one plant being faced with perils such as a drought or insect infestation can alert the surrounding plants through messengers across the mycorrhizal network, so that they can increase production of protective enzymes. Additionally, through this network plants are even able to recognise and communicate with members of the same species and their own relatives. We even see old trees on the brink of death passing on sugars and nutrients to younger, budding plants in a final act of self-sacrifice.
As interesting as I find this to be, you may be asking; well what does it matter? What could I possibly learn from fungi? The answer is anything you want. If you wish to be rich, let the fungal network lead you to the hills of Bologna, Italy where groups of truffle hunters search for the rarest members of the mycorrhizal fungi, for these truffles can sell for over £75,000 for less than a kilo. Or maybe you wish to be healthy instead, these fungi could provide you with a longer life expectancy, with just a few of the medicinal characteristics attributed to them include antiviral, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and antidiabetic properties. Perhaps a simple lesson from the fungal network is easiest to digest for now; the interconnectedness and concern for the prosperity of others is what has allowed the mycorrhizal network to become a global system, intrinsic to life on Earth – would it be so difficult to emulate ourselves, the simple compassion that is shown in one plant selflessly giving its last nutrients to another? More eloquently put in the words of my personal favourite mycologist, Merlin Sheldrake, “You look at the network, and then it starts to look back at you.”
CASSIA TAYLOR
HAS CORONA VIRUS DIGITISED OUR LIVES?
C
OVID-19 has had a huge impact on the way we are communicating with others, in particular our approach to digital experiences. Due to the current situation we have all had to social distance due to national lockdowns and now many aspects of our lives such as work conferences, socialising, shopping and even schooling have moved to digital environments. For many years the digital environment has become increasingly popular with more shops moving online and global conferences happening over a call. It is no shock that the pandemic has accelerated the transition to the digital environment. There’s lots of uncertainty around what will happen next, will sick days become a thing of the past as more lessons become streamed online? Will high street shops become extinct as having a parcel
16
delivered to your door is much more convenient than queuing outside the store. However, there is a positive amongst all this sadness. Thanks to technology we’ve been able to keep in touch with our loved ones as well as keep work and school running, even if it’s not what we’re used to. Thanks to technology we’ve been able to ‘go shopping’ remotely and still celebrate birthdays over zoom. Communities have come together to look out for one another, and hopefully that’s something that will continue into the future. The big question is will we ever go back? That is yet to be decided but we do know that new technology will allow us to integrate the digital world into our lives even more seamlessly. In the future, there is no doubt that a zoom call will become the norm. AMELIA ANDREWS