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BAROMETER APRIL - MAY 2020
HALF TERM 5
FROM THE EDITORS CONTENTS:
Dear Readers, Welcome to this “remote” issue of The Barometer, which the team have painstakingly compiled from home owing to the unfortunate school closure. Despite that, there is still plenty to read about; we have academic news from the (virtual) classroom and many boys have written about what they have been doing in their additional spare time. We hope that reading this edition will keep you busy in these uncertain times. Printed copies are unlikely to be available until we return to school. However, you can catch up on all of our previous issues online by visiting the school’s website and clicking on News > Barometer.
The Royal Institution Maths Masterclass - Marcus M and Arjun D The Things We Can Learn From Coronavirus - Alessandro G Social Media During Lockdown Andreas M The Premier League and The Euros - What Next? - Agustin D Year 9 Surreal Photography Competition - Dan R Eggceptional Historical Characters - Mr Warner Virtual Field Day - Ramzi K, Stepan K, Ishaan B, Oscar F, Henry B, Oscar J What is 5G Technology? Sebastian L
Have a lovely half term!
A Brief History of British Airways - Henry B
Henry Bush Senior Editor
Online Theatre Reviews - Max P and Robert B
Bennett Dye Media & Communications Prefect
La Casa De Bernarda Alba - Luca L Would you enjoy being a Child Actor? - Thomas B and Mark M On Such a Walk, a short story Ramzi K The Hunt, a short story - Dan R Andy the Proud Tomato, a short story - Leo K
Cover photo: Oscar R, Year 12 Artworks (right) by: Sebastian A, Bertie B, Asad J and Nima K-A, Year 9
Film Reviews: What to watch in Lockdown - Tommaso S Book Review: Skyfaring by Mark Vanhoenaker - Henry B TV Review: Call the Midwife Henry B
THE ROYAL INSTITUTION MATHS MASTERCLASS Marcus M, Year 9 writes... I was one of the three Year 9 students who were lucky enough to attend The Royal Institution’s Maths Masterclasses. There were 39 students from different schools, with a different lecturer every week. The subjects we covered ranged from engineering and calculating longitude and latitude, to spy encryption and even to modelling epidemiology. What we found especially fascinating were all the ways in which maths is applied to everyday lives and jobs. Maths underpins a huge part of our culture. Just as the Covid-19 pandemic was starting to affect the UK we were taught how to calculate the R0 of a disease (how many people out of 20 will become ill once exposed to the disease.) Even better was what we got to explore in our sixth and final week: cryptography techniques, how to both scramble and un-scramble secret messages. We studied the Enigma machine and how computers both today and in the past use vast algorithms to encrypt and decrypt our information especially in the financial sector. At the end of the course we all received certificates in the lecture theatre where the BBC broadcasts the Royal Institution Christmas lectures. Infinite thanks to Mr AstburyPalmer for arranging this despite the painful early Saturday morning!
Arjun D, Year 9 writes...
basic engineering skills, such as pile drivers and how to calculate Imagine waking up at 7am every friction (F = μN for reference), Saturday morning and doing to more complex breaking and maths for three hours! That was cracking codes. My favourite thing the RI Masterclass in a nutshell – about the RI Masterclass is that I except it was even better. The class have learnt how to apply maths to was a blast and the main organiser, everyday situations, for example attendance committee and other knowing the R0 value of some students were all extremely diseases. I also like how they teach welcoming. Every week, we were different branches of the common introduced to different topics maths like polynomials. outside of the national curriculum and heard from various guest They even teach some physics, speakers including engineers, but most importantly the maths navigators, industry practitioners in everyday jobs. Overall, it was a and university professors. It was great experience for me and given very exciting as we got to learn the choice, I would do it all again! from experts in different fields. I learnt a range of things from
THE THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM CORONAVIRUS Alessandro G, Year 11 writes... In the space of a few months, our lives have completely changed. It seems like everything has been put on pause until further notice. It’s important that we are aware that we can only beat this together and that we as a country have to adapt to a different every day lifestyle to support the NHS and save lives. Every day we are flooded with negative news about the virus, so instead I am going to inform you about some of the positive aspects that the virus brings to our world seeing as listening to the same things on TV gets a bit boring after a while. Firstly, our climate is hugely benefiting from the current situation. Research shows that by closing the factories in China for the past two months, the sky is almost completely clear again. For example, there is currently no clothing production, which
means that less CO2-emissions are released and people can breathe again. Also the nitrogen dioxide concentration is 30% lower than normal. The canals in Venice are clearer than they have been for a long time, as dolphins appear in Italy’s waterways for the first time in 60 years. The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic on the canals, allowing sediment to stay at the bottom. Have a look for yourself. Of course, we are using fewer resources as we are all working from home and are travelling less, printing less etc. This is all beneficial to the environment. Therefore, does seeing our environment in a polluted way not make you want to put more effort into trying to protect it when things go back to normal? I would like to also say that I have learnt a lot about myself in the
last few months. The time spent at home to think about my life and trying to focus on school work at the same time has not been easy considering the cancellation of GCSEs. For a teenager who is always used to being out and busy, I would be lying if I said I was enjoying this lockdown. However, I have learnt to appreciate my recent experiences so much more, like going on runs and actually taking out the rubbish at night. It is important that we stay united in a time like this and all clap from our front doors at 8pm every Thursday to show our support. For us, this lockdown means staying at home and watching movies; for others it’s not being able to hug their parent who might be a key worker who is risking their life to save others - let that sink in. Together we will win this battle, and when life goes back to normal, we will learn to appreciate the small things in life that we took for granted.
Social MEdia During LockDown Andreas M, Year 9 writes… We’ve all been using social media recently, some more than others. The question I’ve been pondering these past few days is how did it become so crucial in our schedule. Many have started using Snapchat and Instagram substantially more than they did before quarantine; others have started using Houseparty and Zoom to stay in contact with their friends. I know some Wetherby mothers have
been organising meetings with each other to keep their sanity, but how important is social media to all of us really? Usage will fluctuate between people, but is it one of the essential apps in our life? Well, for some certainly rely on it as their income, with influencer commission drying up, these exhibitors are unsure what to do. During this lockdown, social media is essential to a lot of us, if used correctly. You can contact your friends, play games with
them and share your opinions on what’s going around the world. I know for many of my friends and myself, it’s quite intoxicating and you can find yourself lying on your bed scrolling through your feed for hours, being sucked into this online dimension. In all fairness, social media is quite important during these difficult times for correct reasons, not just liking every post you see.
The Premier League and The Euros - What next?
Football correspondant, Agustin D, Year 9 writes... Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2019/20 Premier League season was suspended. The football was fantastic and the European battles (top four and the battle to get into the Europa League) have been very entertaining and so has the relegation battle which involves the six bottom teams in the League. Lots of people are suggesting their ideas about how the season should be finished. This is my idea: Since the relegation battle has been very tight and nobody is seriously behind everyone else like Huddersfield were last season, nobody should be relegated. Liverpool should be handed the League title. I know I am a Chelsea fan, but I would feel seriously bad for Liverpool as they are 23 points ahead of Man City and have been unbeaten in every game but one! They’ve won 27 out of the 29 games they’ve played all season. The current top four (apart from Man City with their transfer ban) should all be given Champions League spots and so should Man United who are fifth. Tottenham are eighth and in my opinion, should be put in the Europa League play-offs. Seventh
place (Sheffield United) and sixth place (Wolves) should be given the automatic Europa League places. As we probably all know, the Championship is a very difficult league to get out of; I feel the top two (Leeds and West Brom) should be given an automatic promotion as they’re at least six points ahead of Fulham and the play-off contestants, but tough luck to the play-off contestants (Fulham, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Preston, Bristol City, Millwall and Cardiff.) They’ve been brilliant for the majority of the season and seeing them get eliminated from their dream of being promoted is tragic, but it’s all about the mental character. Leeds were brilliant last season but they missed out on promotion after losing the play-off semifinals to Derby County. They were heartbroken but they picked themselves up and pushed themselves right to the very top of the League. These clubs would just have to bear that in mind. To conclude, I would have a 22 team Premier League next season (because there were 20 originally plus the two in the ChampionshipLeeds and West Brom.) Five teams would have to be relegated at the end of next season. That’s how I believe the Premier League should deal with the League despite the coronavirus pandemic. What could happen in the Euros next summer? As we know, the European Championships have been postponed until next year, due to coronavirus. I will now highlight all the positives and negatives of this.
For England fans, there are some enormous benefits because it looked as if skipper Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford were going to be injured. Squads can change a lot in a year so it’s just up to people who were tipped for this summer’s selection such as Danny Ings to be as consistent as they were this season by May next year. More benefits involve time for teams preparing for the play-offs such as Northern Ireland to get a manager and change style, pattern of play and possibly squads. With squads, there’s always one player that comes from nowhere like Trent Alexander Arnold in 2018, Marcus Rashford in 2016 and Raheem Sterling in 2014. However, the negatives are obvious. The Euros which we’ve waited four years for have been postponed so it becomes a boring summer. Football is also very unpredictable, so players may not keep the same form as they did last season. Who knows, by the time it comes round the options for the squads could have broadly expanded.
Year 9 Surreal Photography CompetitiON This term, Year 9 Art and Design students focused on Surrealism for the annual photography competition. In preparation for this, they looked at artists such as Dali and Magritte before creating their own Surreal images through clever positioning of elements, perspective and photo editing. Mr and Mrs Burnett have chosen one winner and that is Dan R’s striking image of earth through a golden bowl. Well done, Dan! On this page: Andreas R, Dan R. Opposite page, clockwise from top-left: Oscar T, Ben R, Kwame D, Max D, Max K, Oscar T, Sam M, Rudy M.
Dan R, Year 9 writes... In this image, I wanted to represent our place in the universe and how our planet is going through another mass extinction. We, as a species, are creating the issues of climate change, deforestation, and the general destruction of the planet. I took quite a pessimistic view of our future, showing the earth ending up in an industrial trash bin. I combined the two images together using Microsoft PowerPoint. I titled it “2020” because it can be seen as where we are today in our current political and geographical situation.
Winner: Dan Ricotta, Walbrook Highly Commended: Max D, Fleet Sam M, Ravensbourne Andreas R, Ravensbourne Commended: Kwame D, Tyburn Max K, Effra Oscar T, Tyburn Rudy M, Tyburn Ben R, Ravensbourne
EGGCEPTIONAL HISTORICAL CHARACTERS Mr Warner writes... Over Easter, the History department invited the boys to acquire an egg and decorate it to resemble an eggceptional character from the past accompanied by an appropriate egg-related pun. The response has been fantastic and I have been really impressed by the creativity and quality of all the entries. Judging them was far harder than I anticipated, but after much consideration the results were as follows: Overall most eggceptional entry: Marcus Mills for combining both a wonderful design and great punning. General good eggs: Tom Staff (eggcellent costume design). Oscar Frederiksen (eggcellent historical narrative).
Alexander F: Queen Eggslizabeth I Oscar F: Eggsecutions (how to hang, draw and quarter an egg‌)
Albert S: Ivan the Eggcellent
Harry S V: Kublegg Khan
Oscar T: Eggolf Hitler (entry computer generated owing to artist’s allergy to eggs) Coby L: H-egg-ry VIII
Louis L: Winston Speggcer Churchill Gabriel B: George Washington “It is better to offer no egguse than a bad one.”
Tom S: The Three Muskeggteers
Lucas P: King Eggry the Eggth
VIRTUAL FIELD DAY Ramzi K, Year 9 writes... The Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall On our Virtual Field Day I visited the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall. The interior design was mesmerising. This concert hall has the unique ability to seem more alive than a festive caravan on Christmas Eve, even when it’s empty. Its lights beam golden arrows of adrenaline and stagefright while somehow retaining a poised and elegant ambiance. The audience get a 360° view of the stage and each platform has its own special height and level so that you can pick exactly how high up you want to be to the nearest centimetre. From the outside, this gathering of conjoined golden boxes appears smoother than alabaster; smoother than the flight of a dream; smoother than a road in Venice. This masterpiece is a prime example of fine German architecture. During my online excursion, I watched two interviews and one live concert. The first interview I watched was with one of my personal favourite conductors, Kirill Petrenko. He has conducted in this concert hall several times and continues to consistently impress the masses. In the interview, the interviewer asked Petrenko “What is the most important thing to do to be a successful conductor?” Petrenko responded by saying that the most important thing is your relationship with the other members of the orchestra. When one rehearses as a conductor, one is immediately put in a position of authority. Conductors literally
aggressively wave a baton at you and tell you what to do so it can get quite intimidating to say the least.It is important to create a friendly relationship with the other members of the orchestra whether you do so in rehearsals or outside rehearsals. You need to talk in a relaxed and friendly manner because if it ain’t baroque, don’t fix it! Maybe see them later and hang out. However, you must still show that you are in charge just not a dictator. Through this strong bond, they create a more powerful and cohesive performance. It then had me thinking: would this work in a classroom? I’m not saying that the teachers should go out for a beer with the students, but would it be more effective if teachers had casual conversations outside of the classroom with students every now and then? The second interview I watched was with Patricia Kopatchinskaja. In this interview, she is rehearsing an opera called “Pierrot Lunaire” which is a very complicated song. It’s the most beautiful flower in the craziest garden. Expressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, it is stuffed with insane story lines and events. There is no continuity; it is Pierrot and what happens to him. You
can’t really understand it, but you don’t have to. Kopatchinskaja relates to Pierrot on a personal level and believes that she has been Pierrot her whole life. She used to be a violinist for a very long time until she suffered from tenosynovitis and she wasn’t allowed to play anymore so she used her voice instead. Pierrot Lunaire is her most famous performance and people have said that no one else can perform that piece like she did. In her rehearsals she gets everyone to speak their part rather than play it and that gives the piece a new purpose. She says that it is important to simply leave the meaning open. If you walked into one of her rehearsals you would think “What kind of mental asylum is this?” You will see her lying on the floor, walking around the stage barefoot while screaming the words to the song, making weird faces. It’s how she taps into that crazy side of her that she can relate to any song, especially this one. I would love to visit the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall in real life and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves music.
Stepan K, Year 10 writes... My trip to NASA Control Center On May 1st 2020 I went to the NASA space command center located in Texas. It was a very interesting trip and the first thing about it that I will share with you is about the Hubble telescope. On the 24th April 1994 the Hubble telescope was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Since then, the telescope has captured thousands of images of deep space and sent them back to NASA for research purposes. The telescope itself is made like an ordinary backyard telescope and is presented in the video as having two lenses, one which is eight feet in diameter whilst the other is only one foot in diameter. The larger lens is positioned behind the smaller one in order to cause the light to reflect off the large lens, bounce off the smaller one and then get passed down into the red portion of the telescope fo processing. Since its launch in 1994, there have been several missions with crew to go out to the Hubble telescope to fix it. The next room I was taken to was the mission operations room. This is the room responsible for the control and the data-linking of the Hubble telescope, from which the people who work in NASA are able to download all the information from the telescope
and then process it for the benefit of research, as well as being able to monitor over 10,000 different and individual components on the telescope so that they are functioning properly. Interestingly, before 2011, the room was staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week because computers were not powerful enough to download the data all by themselves, whereas now the computers are powerful enough and the codes are good enough so that they’re able to link with the Hubble telescope a lot more frequently, thus the room is only staffed five days a week for eight hours and if something goes wrong the staff will get an alert on their smartphone. Aside from the main mission operations room I was brought to the support room which specialises in mechanics. This is why if anything goes wrong with the Hubble telescope the mechanics room will be able to monitor and look up the problem and hopefully fix it quickly. This is also the place where engineers test out new updates for Hubble telescope character before uploading them onto the telescope, in order to make sure that they don’t cause anything unexpected to happen. The last room I was brought into was the exhibits room or hallway where all of the previously used gadgets on the Hubble telescope
are displayed. In space, astronauts don’t actually use conventional screwdrivers instead they use specially made screwdrivers that perfectly fit the machinery that is on the Hubble telescope. Everything in space is incredibly organised and colour-coded, as well as being extremely light to save weight. On the other side of the exhibit, there were an extra three cases to look at which were also quite interesting. This section of the exhibit was a tribute to the mission which was sent out to fix one of the main Hubble telescope cameras when a broken board causes the camera to fail and putting the Hubble telescope out of action. If I had a choice to go visit in real life I would probably take the opportunity. I have always loved space even from a very young age and especially the fact that a telescope that is over 20 years old is still one of the main deep space telescopes we use today. To think that something created to hold decades ago even before I was born is still up and running and doing such incredible work today is on another level and that is why I would really love to visit in real life hopefully in the near future.
Ishaan B, Year 10 writes... Visiting The Anne Frank Museum I visited Anne Frank’s house online and watched the “video diary” clips on the website. The virtual tour was a chain of linking panoramic images of every room, so you could get a walkthrough of where Anne Frank lived and hid during World War II. Exploring further into the website, I found a video diary of Anne Frank’s life, which consisted of eight episodes each about five minutes in length, where a modern reconstruction showed in colour what being Anne Frank would have been like during World War II. Anne received the diary for which she became famous on 12th June 1942, just a few weeks before her family went into hiding. Her father had taken her to pick out the red, checked autograph book on 11th June and she began writing in it on 14th June. Anne’s father, Otto, was a German businessman who served in the German army during World War I. In the face of the Nazis’ rising anti-Semitism, Otto moved his family to Amsterdam in the autumn of 1933. There, he ran a company that sold spices and pectin for use in the manufacture of jam. The family went into hiding in 1942, in an annex inside an attic apartment behind Otto’s business, along with another family, the Pel family. Otto’s
workers in the factory would help him and the Pel family during hiding by supplying them with food, water and other essentials. The residents of the annex were arrested on 4 August 1944, after hiding there for 2 years. It has been thought that someone called the German Security Police to tell them that Jews were living on the Opekta premises. However, the identity of this caller has never been confirmed and a new idea suggests that the Nazis may in fact have discovered the annex by accident while investigating
video diary very interesting because of the contrasting moods at the beginning and end of the video, when Anne Frank is transitioning from her everyday life to her life in the annex with strangers. Anne seems overwhelmed and she starts crying by herself, whereas at the beginning of the video she was laughing with her friends, showing how dramatic her life has been, and how in a fraction of a second everything can change. To a certain extent we can relate to this, as our lives have changed
reports of ration-coupon fraud and illegal employment at Opekta. Following their arrest, the residents of the annex were first taken to Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands and then on to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. At this point, the men and women were separated. Anne Frank died at the concentration camp.
due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, but hopefully with less severe consequences.
I would like to visit the Anne Frank museum, as I enjoy learning about history, especially through a first-person account that gives a truthful and very engaging account about how Jewish people were treated by the Nazis in World War II. I found the first episode in the
I have found that in a few ways we can identify with Anne Frank even though she lived in the 1940s- her mood goes from angry, to nervous, to sad and to happy, all within the space of five minutes in episode four of the video diary. This is similar to the mood swings we as teenagers get even in 2020. As much as I would like to step into Anne Frank’s life, the house she lived in is inhabited by residents, and is therefore closed to the public, which is a shame as I’m sure many people, including myself, would have like to have visited the location of where much of Anne Frank’s life took place.
Oscar F, Year 8 writes... My trip to NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau The sun and its blazing gold and orange hues painted the one-daymore sedated London. At first, a meagre slither began to fill its canvas with its white, radiant nature. Gradually infesting every crevice of the city, and filling it with its dazzling white rays and what’s more signaling another day of work. Teams in. Teams out. The school day approaching. One more school day. One more... but... hold up... It’s Field Day – a day of entertainment, a day of enthusiasm, a day of absorption, a thrilling toss and turn of activities, information, and interest. A wonder lust, wacky, weekday where the best part is: we can go outside without really going outside! A day that was to become an exoplanet extravaganza. This field experience was novel, gripping, and delightful, and, for some unexplainable reason, I was determined to find a way to do it in space; thus, that led me to “NASA’s exoplanet travel bureau.” So what is that? What is an exoplanet? An exoplanet is merely a planet that is outside our solar system. The first evidence of exoplanets was in 1917; however, the only confirmation of a real exoplanet was in 1992 by two radio astronomers: Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail. They announced the discovery of two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12 – catchy name - on the 9th of January. NASA’s exoplanet travel bureau NASA’s exoplanet travel bureau is a site developed by NASA that
offers realistic, 360° visualisations of six exoplanets, stylish posters for all ten planets, and annotated displays to inform the public on these exalted planets. These planets have been “detected” and “discovered” however thus far there are no images of these planets meaning the visualizations are an informed artist’s impression which, to me, makes it more enticing and it makes its audience wonder about the world’s progress on imaging of exoplanets I sat down and entered the immersive planetary impressions. One by one, I absorbed the countless paragraphs of information and acquainted myself with these genuinely remarkable planets. I explored the ideas of ever-flowing lava, earthlike rocks, and extraterrestrial water. I built upon my space enthusiasm and added some technical terms to my dictionary. I learnt an abundant amount of stuff which I recommend you explore for yourself at NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau. 55 Cancri e This fascinating planet contains two sides, named the dayside and the nightside – super creative. The planet is a monstrous pit of lava with a star protruding out of the middle with the dayside congaing significantly hotter lava than the nightside. However, both are still too hot to cool down and form a crust and therefore flow continuously. Although the planet may seem like a dreary pit of gooey lava, but it does contain a novel, riveting form of cloud named Silicate clouds which form on planets where silicate rocks melt and their vapour, over time, forms clouds. A review from notorious critic –
Oscar F – me. 5 stars NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Brochure provides a unique, breathtaking experience engineered by incredible research and combined with a collection of stellar graphics that create a surreal experience for the user. The tool has been recognised by an array of news stations, particularly in the USA, for its novelty and ingenuity. The program was released in May 2018. According to The Express, NASA has given “UFO hunters, space boffins, and astronomy enthusiasts an unprecedented opportunity to set foot on alien worlds and planets discovered by the incredible Kepler Space Telescope, with the aid of virtual reality technology.” The technology is considerably new, and research on exoplanets is ever-changing. Nevertheless, this program provides a leisurely and thrilling experience for space enthusiasts. In my personal opinion, the outstanding graphics, modern technology, and easy-tounderstand information makes this a gratifying and unique experience. The program has
received incredibly high praise, and for good reason. Although NASA is highly praised for its educational capabilities and services, this is an educational and gratifying adventure like no other, which anyone can enjoy whether they are from a young child ora space enthusiast. A truly “out of this world” program!” Some quotes from notorious critic - Astrid F– My sister 3.5 stars “I love the atmosphere that the program gives off and the detail in all of the surfaces.” “It’s not 5 stars as it does not have as much information as I would have liked and only displays part of the planet but it’s still great!” All in all, the brilliant, enticing nature of the retro images, artist impressions, and education experience accounts for a thrilling time, which will leave you with some world-rocking knowledge. Overall, this out of this world tool should Sa-TURN that frown upside down about space. Henry B, Year 11 writes...
Virtual Trip to The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France Despite having visited the Eiffel Tower twice, I have never had the opportunity to admire the enchanting view from the uppermost level, owing to the unremitting swathes of people. Conveniently, an online tour showcasing the majestic beauty of the French capital is readily available for all to enjoy. The photos and video, which offer unique 360° views from each floor of the tower, allow one to relish the breathtaking city and to discover the Eiffel Tower itself like never before, marvelling at the delicate finesse of its puddled iron structure. The tower is an amazing feat of engineering that was very much ahead of its time. Hence, the tour provides an insightful glance into how the architects overcame structural challenges, as well as detailing how they were able to find a solution for the sophisticated lift mechanism. With its tip standing proudly at 324 metres, the Eiffel Tower was
the tallest human-made structure in the world until 1930, when it was superseded by the Chrysler Building in New York City. Having said that, aerials were added in 1957, rendering it 5.2 metres taller than the Chrysler Building. By means of high definition photographs and Google Earth technology, it is possible to admire the splendour and sprawl of Paris from the haven above – everything from the Louvre and Notre Dame to Sacre Coeur, with the Seine meandering between them. The tour is wonderful, although it simply cannot replicate the spectacular thrill of experiencing the Eiffel Tower in real life. I cherish the memories of my most recent ascent to the second floor, with Paris beneath my feet; the thrum of the boulevards couldn’t reach me, but the wind caught me and my heart began to race. I would love to go back and visit at some point. Oscar J, Year 7 writes...
Illuminating Northern Light Facts
Visiting the Aurora Borealis I selected to virtually tour the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, located in the northern hemisphere for my report. What Is The Aurora Borealis? This phenomenon is the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere, which are caused by solar winds. These disturbances are sometimes strong enough to alter the paths of charged particles in both solar wind and magnetospheric plasma. The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. Variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common auroral colour, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the Earth. Rare, allred auroras are produced by highaltitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling
curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow. Where Can They Be Found? This natural wonder can be seen from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada. In order to see the Northern Lights, you need a dark, clear night. They are visible from late August to early April any time during dark hours, commonly appearing between 5:00 pm and 2:00 am. They don’t usually exhibit for long – they may only show for a few minutes, then glide away before returning. A good display may last for no longer than 1530 minutes at a time, although if you’re really lucky, they could last for a few hours.
• The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. • “Aurora Borealis”, the lights of the northern hemisphere, means “dawn of the north”. “Aurora Australis” means “dawn of the south”. • In Roman myths, Aurora was the goddess of the dawn. • The lights are actually very far away – 100km or more than 60 miles above Earth. • Different ions make the different colours. • They are visible from space. • Other planets have been found to also have them. • They have been found in cave paintings from ancient times. • Green is always the most frequent colour seen. • Surprisingly, they can be noisy - a clapping, crackling sound can sometimes be heard as they swirl about the sky. Visiting I would love to take a trip to view this extraordinary natural phenomenon in my lifetime, a truly spectacular celestial spectacle. It is certainly on my bucket list of amazing sights to experience and well worth braving a cold night out when visiting the high northern (or southern) latitudes - the stuff of legends!
WHAT IS 5G TECHNOLOGY? Sebastian L, Year 11 writes... 5G is the fifth generation of mobile network. It will work by sending signals at a higher bandwidth, meaning there is a greater range of frequencies, providing very fast connection and high download speeds. These are estimated to reach around 2 gbps, which means a HD movie in about one and a half seconds! On top of this, they have extremely low latency meaning that the response time of a signal will be just 1 ms (in comparison to 4G which has a 100 ms delay). Finally, 5G will have the ability to deliver more connection in a densely populated area providing signal to ten times as many people who are in close proximity. How does it work? 5G, similarly to 4G, is composed of radio waves known as the sub six. This means that the signal is sent at a frequency 600MHz to 6GHz. But, unlike 4G,it will also use other waves, 24 GHz to 86 GHz, bringing much higher data rates. As a result of these high frequencies the distance the signal can travel will be greatly reduced. Therefore, a large amount of what is known as small cells will have to be built (smaller versions of the large cellular towers). Its uses 5G is often thought of as solely speeding up the connection of mobile phones, however, it has many more benefits.
Augmented reality 5G will be revolutionary for augmented reality. It allows more information to be processed in almost real time. This could be a very important breakthrough – for example, when applied to developments in biomedical engineering, it could one day allow surgeries to be done virtually and help doctors in training to experience what it is like carrying out the most complicated procedures. Autonomous vehicles The low latency of 5G has unlocked the possibility to have self-driving vehicles. This seemingly futuristic concept is being pioneered by the automotive giants: Tesla and Toyota. They have carried out large-scale experiments in the hope of bringing this concept into reality. They believe vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) is the way to achieve this. 5G connection will allow them to share data about their route and speed in almost real time. In the future, with the development of 5G, theoretically
there could even be no need for traffic lights. Problems Due to 5G’s high frequency, the waves have a very short distance in which they can travel. The signal is often stopped by things such as trees. Therefore, many small cells will have to be built in order to have a consistent 5G signal. The investment is considerable and most probably, people outside cities won’t see much 5G technology for a few years. There are many conspiracy theories that are discouraging people from supporting 5G. Many claim health issues arising as a result of the deployment of the small cells, with some believing it is even contributing to the Coronavirus crisis, and others thinking it may increase the likelihood of cancer. These theories, despite the lack of supporting evidence, have led to two cities in the USA banning 5G and in the UK, 5G masts have even been burnt down. The reality is that the radiation produced is far too low to be
ionising. 5G has a maximum frequency of 8.6x1010 whereas x-rays, that are slightly ionising, have a minimum frequency of 3Ă—1016 Hz. Putting that into perspective, each wave of radiation, from 5G is approximately the length of a car, whereas ionising radiation wavelength tends to start when the wavelength is approximately the size of an atom. I feel that further testing should be carried out to ensure the safety of 5G. However, the scientific facts known so far lead me to believe that most claims against 5G are simply unfounded and built upon lies and scaremongering spread through the media.
Overall, 5G is an amazing technology that will help carry us into the future. Unfortunately, it will be a while before we see its full potential, due to the largescale infrastructure needed, for it to be widely available. Substantial investments are needed as well as political commitment. References: https://www.zdnet.com/article/ why-5g-is-a-crucial-technologyfor-autonomous-vehicles/ https://www.techradar.com/uk/ news/how-5g-could-improveaugmented-reality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BRITISH AIRWAYS Henry B, Year 11 writes… There can be few world-class companies that boast the heritage and traditions inherent in the British Airways brand. Indeed, the company that became British Airways operated the world’s first commercial flight. From the early days of aviation, through to more recent times, BA’s reputation for professionalism and high standards of quality has been second to none. The British Airways name has remained constant since 1974 and has become a byword for the expression of quality travel in the UK, as well as a respected leader in air travel, worldwide. Evolution of the Brand, Logo and Corporate Identity The current logo, known as the Speedmarque, is an evolution of the former Speedbird, which was originally conceived in 1932 by British designer Theyre LeeElliott as the emblem for Imperial Airways, one of BA’s predecessors. The Speedbird was a consistent element of BOAC’s company identity for decades, and it formed a part of the British Airways Negus livery (designed by Negus & Negus) from 1974. In fact, “Speedbird” is British Airways’ air traffic control callsign to this day. In 1982, the Speedbird was re-imagined as the Speedwing by Landor Associates, but it wasn’t until 10th June 1997 that Newell & Sorrell came up with the sleek, progressive and contemporary version of the Speedmarque that we see today. As a matter of fact, the original brand re-design by N&S was
reformed in 2001 with the introduction of the Chatham Historic Dockyard tail livery, which was preceded by BA’s ethnic liveries, often referred to as “World Images” or “Utopia” tails. The ethnic liveries were subject to adverse public opinion, including that of the former prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. When presented with a model aircraft, she threw a handkerchief over the tailfin and exclaimed, “We fly the British flag not these awful things!” Since then, the tailfins of BA aircraft all bear the same red, white and blue interpretation of the Union Jack.
Airways (BEA) took over the services operated by the British European Airways division of BOAC, operating short-haul routes from Northolt on the 1st August.
A Timeline of Events
The 1950s and ‘60s saw the arrival of the jet era, with aircraft such as the De Havilland Comet, Boeing 707 and Vickers VC-10/Super VC-10 being brought into service by both BOAC and BEA. Another substantial advancement in aircraft technology was imminent; on the 2nd March and 9th April 1969, the supersonic Concorde had its first flights from Toulouse and Filton respectively.
The story of British Airways began just over 100 years ago on 25th August 1919, when AT&T (Aircraft Transport & Travel), a forerunner company of today’s British Airways, launched the world’s first daily international scheduled air service, between London and Paris. That first flight, which took off from Hounslow Heath, close to today’s Heathrow Airport, carried a single passenger, a consignment of leather, several brace of grouse and some jars of Devonshire cream. Over the years, other companies such as Imperial Airways and Daimler Airway came and went, but the crucial milestone was in 1940, when BOAC was founded. British Overseas Airways Corporation operated flights connecting Great Britain with the rest of the world. 1946 saw the opening of Heathrow Airport on the 31st May. Later that same year, British European
On 8th October 1951, HM Queen Elizabeth (who was Princess Elizabeth at the time) and the Duke of Edinburgh departed with BOAC for their Canadian tour, beginning in Montreal. Their boarding passes are still housed in the British Airways Speedbird Heritage Centre today, together with those of their other travels with BA and its predecessors.
On 1st September 1973, the British Airways Group was established, which would eventually result in BOAC and BEA being dissolved on 31st March 1974 upon the formation of British Airways. From this day forth, the company had the name British Airways. On 21st January 1976, the world’s first passenger supersonic services were inaugurated simultaneously by British Airways to Bahrain, on Concorde G-BOAA, and Air France to Rio de Janeiro via Dakar. A year and a half later, HM The Queen flew from Barbados to
Heathrow on Concorde G-BOAE at the end of her Caribbean tour. British Airways operated seven Concordes in total. 1st April 1984 saw the privatisation of the airline, which became British Airways Plc. British Airways acquired many subsidiaries and franchises, one of which was Dan-Air. In November 1992, British Airways bought their assets for a mere £1. The charter side of Dan-Air was closed down but its Gatwick scheduled service routes and fleet of Boeing 737300/400 aircraft were retained with a view to creating a lowcost BA operation at Gatwick, operating a much-enlarged network of European services. In 1999, the oneworld alliance became effective. Consisting of 13 airlines, it allows customers to fly to nearly 1,000 destinations in 158 countries. Customers can also enjoy an array of special privileges and rewards, which include earning and redeeming Avios. A year later, British Airways introduced the first flatbed seats in business class, a notable breakthrough in the evolution of aircraft seating, which set BA far apart from its competitors. At this point, its Club World product was the leader in luxury business class
air travel. Following the disastrous 9/11 attacks in 2001, quite possibly the single worst day in aviation history, armour-plated cockpit doors were fitted on all British Airways aircraft as an extra security measure. Onboard WiFi is thought to be a very new technology that has only existed for the last couple of years. Surprisingly, it has been around since 2003, when British Airways carried out a three-month internet trial on a Boeing 747436 aircraft, on services between London Heathrow and New York. Passengers were able to plug in their laptops from their seats and access emails, corporate intranets and the web. On 24th October 2003, British Airways withdrew Concorde, signalling the closure of the world’s only supersonic passenger services. In April 2004, British Airways unveiled its new uniform created by leading British fashion designer, Julien Macdonald. It was to be utilised by over 25,000 uniform-wearing staff, including pilots crew, cabin crew, dispatchers and check-in agents. On 27th March 2008, HM
The Queen officially opened Heathrow’s Terminal 5, referring to it as “a 21st Century gateway to the world.” This marked a significant occasion for British Airways, as it allowed BA to expand its operations on a global scale. British Airways now occupies 52% of slots at Heathrow Airport. In January 2011, the merger between British Airways and Iberia was completed, forming the Consolidated International Airlines Group (IAG). On 24th January, IAG shares started trading in both London and Madrid. Today, IAG consists of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Level, a lowcost Spanish carrier. Flying into the Future As of 2019, British Airways is investing £6.5 billion to enhance passenger experience. Read more about BA’s future investment in the next issue of The Barometer. To find out more about the history of British Airways, visit the Speedbird Centre in the British Airways headquarters at Waterside, or read the upcoming articles about Concorde and the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) in The Barometer.
ONLINE THEATRE REVIEW: FRANKENSTEIN Max P, Year 11 writes...
Frankenstein (2011) seen at https://nationaltheatre.org.uk/ntat-home This imagination of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein stars Benedict Cumberbatch and John Lee Miller, who alternate in portraying the characters of Victor Frankenstein and the creature. The production is darker than the original play, with events such as the rape of Elizabeth before her murder, as well as the more gruesome appearance of the monster and his murder of the De Lacey family. The story is also told from the perspective of the Creature rather than Victor, which heightens the tragic life of the Creature as the audience sees him being rejected by society more clearly. The performances of Miller and Cumberbatch have been highly praised. They are both able to convincingly convey the Creature and Frankenstein’s characters; their different approaches to them are fascinating to see on stage. For example, Cumberbatch as the Creature takes a long time to walk and move in a human-like manner and the first scene- his creation- is truly fascinating as Cumberbatch successfully depicts the mannerisms and clumsy manoeuvres of the creature. This all greatly immerses the audience and I liked how the play starts off this way instead of introducing the backstory like in the novel, as it thrusts the audience immediately into the Creature’s life which further indicates how the story will be focussed mainly on his journey. We feel his pain as he is abused, experiences the first
beauties of nature, goes through friendship, education, betrayal, and the beginnings of revenge. His quickly developing character is clearly showcased and completely believable. I particularly appreciated how they approached the bride scene. There is a lot more detail in how the Creature feels about himself, doubt about how his bride might work out, and his desperation for a companion. While the writing – dialogue, plot and characters – are very strong, as are the lead performances, the supporting characters left a bit to be desired. However, it is very clear the focus is purely on the two leads so the weaker performances by the rest of the cast do not have too much of a negative effect on the experience. Also, while saying that, I did enjoy Elizabeth’s portrayal, especially in her death
scene which deviated from the novel in a shocking yet effective way as it further communicates how horrified and mad Victor becomes, due to the trauma of losing his loved ones. The amazing sound and set design further immerses the audience into the play and it allows the atmosphere to be convincing and eerie at times: the mist at the final scene or the horrific birth scene of the Creature which comes out of this fleshy, gory globe that I believe heightens the tension and the ability to lose oneself in the story. Overall, the electrifying performances by the leads, directing and design of the production makes this the best adaptation I have seen on the stage so far and makes it truly stand out from the numerous lacklustre adaptations that have been made before.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Robert B, Year 11 writes...
Night of The Living Dead seen at http://www.imitatingthedog. co.uk/watch-living-dead/ for the spectacle alone Night of The Living Dead-Remix is a live stage show produced by “imitating the dog” and is a shot-for-shot retelling of the 1968 film. It was presented by Ten, Inc. The production was originally opened at Leeds Playhouse on 28th January 2020 and ended early on the 14th March 2020. The production takes place on a bare stage with people holding cameras up to the performers. Two screens are located in front of the stage, showing the original film and the recording done by the cameras; this allows viewers to make a comparison between the two and release the attention the company paid towards matching the camera work and acting of the original film. This element is the main reason to watch this play, along with the inventive ways the performers match the scene on a stage. For instance: in the opening scene they use a toy car to communicate Judy driving away from a ghoul. Whilst this is charming, I would advise not going into this performance to experience the classic horror-flick. The two screens at the top of the stage add some visual clutter and, as a result, the viewer’s eyes are constantly unfocussed and looking at both the stage and the film, breaking the immersion.
LA CASA DE BERNARDA ALBA How many Spanish words you can read in Luca’s article? 1-5: Maybe Spanish isn’t for you... 6-10: Try again! Vamos! 11-15: Fenomenal! 16-20: Olee! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! 20+: You will be the new Cervantes! Luca L, Year 13 writes... Hace un par de meses, durante la clase de Español de A Level, tuvimos la oportunidad de asistir a la representación de la obra La casa de Bernarda Alba, en el Teatro Cervantes de Londres, en Southwark. La casa de Bernarda Alba, basada en la obra dramática del famoso escritor Federico García Lorca, nos cuenta la historia de una familia compuesta por cinco hermanas y su madre, también la limpiadora y la “criada”, que están de luto en respeto de su padre difunto. La representación fue impresionante, ya que crearon escenarios con poca utilería. Además, estuvimos muy cerca de la escena y casi nos sentíamos parte de la obra. Por otro lado, esta representación fue adaptada a la arquitectura del teatro, por lo que los personajes aparecían de cada esquina de la sala. En cuanto a la obra, esta nos lleva a una época muy complicada en la historia de España, la dictadura franquista. Por eso, viendo la obra en vivo y la interpretación de los personajes en el Teatro Cervantes me ha ayudado a entender la obra y los personajes aún más. A few months ago, during our
Spanish A Level lesson, we had the chance to attend the play La casa de Bernarda Alba, at Teatro Cervantes in London, Southwark. La casa de Bernarda Alba, based on Federico García Lorca’s dramatic work, tells the story about a family composed of five sisters and their mum, as well as the cleaner and the house maid, who are mourning for their dead father. The play was amazing, as they created the scenarios with few props. In addition, we were very close to the scene and we could feel as though we were part of it. On the other hand, this play was adapted to the theatre architecture, consequently the characters showed up from every corner of the theatre hall. With regards the play, it brings us to a very difficult period in the Spanish history, Franco’s dictatorship. That is why watching the play has helped me to understand the work and the characters even more.
WOULD YOU ENJOY BEING A CHILD ACTOR? In response to a recent Votes for Schools topic, two boys present different outlooks on the topic. Thomas B, Year 11 writes… Celebrity child acting began with the birth of cinema when many films or television series required a child to play a specific role. A good example of this is Macaulay Culkin, who played Kevin McCallister in Home Alone. As a child, he was adored by fans, but as he grew older the charms of youth that he once had slowly disappeared as he outgrew the role and fans no longer cared as much as they used to. This is the fate
of most successful child actors, adored when they were young and cute but many have issues later in life. The benefits of being a successful child actor are that you acquire a large amount of wealth at a very young age and you gain massive popularity among people. On the other hand, the downsides of child acting are that it puts a great amount of stress on the actor from the fans and the production crew to do well and it causes many children to end up taking drugs or alcohol; other issues with child acting are that the parent or guardian of the child will most likely spend most of their child’s money before considering putting
Mark M, Year 8 writes... There are lots of parts to being a child actor - some good and some not as good. One of the good things is that you get to meet so many new people and get to make so many connections. This makes finding jobs and getting auditions a lot easier. The more auditions you go to the more chances you will have of getting better auditions. If you have already auditioned for one series of a TV show and didn’t get in, you may get offered a role in a second series without having to audition. Another benefit that comes out of child acting is lots of extra pocket money; I never got any pocket money so when I started getting payed for acting, it was a dream come true for me even though my first job only payed me £2.60! By the time I was leaving Year 6, I had saved up enough money to buy a PS4, which would have never been possible without me going into child acting.
The way I got into acting was quite lucky as I was in the right place at the right time; I was in Year 3 and a lady from the Lion King came to our school to run a workshop. At the time, I was very competitive with my friends and we tried to see who could do the best in the workshop. Funnily enough, we all got invited to audition, but I was the only one that made I through to the training to be in the show and the rest is history!
it in a bank or savings account and the child has to continue with their education during their career. Although there are some exceptions to this; for example the child stars of the Harry Potter films, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all transitioned from child actors to adult movie stars. I believe that child acting is a bad thing as it negatively affects the child by putting a lot of stress on the child from their school life and their work life.
On such a walk A short story by Ramzi K, Year 9 On such a walk, we might notice a flower. It is very rare to thoroughly enjoy a flower and to take in its vibrant hues and imperfections. There are a myriad of grander towering mountains of trouble to be concerned about than this delicate, petite and innocent aspect of nature. The stigma is wrapped in its loving arms and its petals emit the sheer feeling of joy, lifting our face muscles and clearing the mind with its soothing aroma. The flower is not a distraction from our fate, or an excuse to procrastinate but rather a deep pleasure among an ocean of doubts and fear. On such a walk, we could catch sight of a pond. Deceiving in their depth, a pit of mystery and life - so miniscule yet home to an entire functioning ecosystem. We can notice that surrounding the pond
is hard dirt. Should we live as the hard dirt - rigid, tough - and absorb the punches that the world throws at us? Or should we live as the water - cunning, agile - and evade the punches that life throws at us? On such a walk, we might come across a pigeon. Its life carries on, completely oblivious to our selfcentred and demanding existence. We could be staring at it with a smouldering intensity but it won’t feel the slightest urge to know about us. From a pigeon’s point of view, we are just like space, an abyss of the unknown, and we are only going to get more advanced and confusing. A pigeon would steal a piece of bread from anyone whether he or she was a billionaire or a thief because it simply cannot tell the difference, nor know about the consequences. On such a walk, we might
remember. We would remember themes we had lost contact with, a childhood dream that we could compare to our current occupations. Then, revisit old friends, a long forgotten task we said we would do could pass us by. During our leisurely stroll, we are barely walking any distance but are running marathons of mental ground. We will come back from such a walk and think about the ideas and theories that sprouted from some such irrelevant, yet vital parts of our outside world. When we do our regular commute to work or school, we tend to neglect the tiny details of our vicinity even though we might pass through it every day. However, these details can be truly fascinating when acknowledged. Even though no one noticed we were gone, we suddenly feel more well-rounded and complete as human beings.
THE HUNT A short story by Dan R, Year 9 The rhythmic thumping of the horses’ hooves trampling small plants lulled the hunter into a dreamlike state. The aromas in the jungle around the hunter only furthered his drowsiness. As he was about to slip away into nothingness he shot up and regained consciousness. He travelled on this trail for over 48 hours, his enhanced eyesight following the prints and environmental destruction the beast had left behind. He was close - very close. He could sense it. The air was laced with magic in this area. He heard a faint whisper in the distance. He dismounted his horse and crept, quiet as a mouse, towards the source. The hunter’s heavy, metal sword engraved with numerous ancient runes was pressing into his back. The runes were softly glowing with a pale, white light which softly pierced through the darkness surrounding him. He was hoping his sword would be enough, yet he had a suspicious feeling that this monster was different somehow - different
from the rest. He tried not to dwell on it for long. Suddenly, the hunter’s horse stopped in its tracks, its hooves pawing the floor in protest. The hunter slowly and methodically stepped down from his horse and glanced in front of him. In the middle of the trees, he saw a deep, yawning cavern beckoning him into the darkness. He unsheathed his sword, the cold silver feeling lightweight and sharp in his hands, eager to strike an opponent. The beast was in there. He was sure of it. Leaving his horse with a pat on its head, he crept snakily into the void. Eventually emerging from the slimy darkness, he walked into a huge, open underground space with carefully carved walls of pure, solid rock. He tightened his grip on his sword. In the middle of the expanse, he saw beams of light shining down from the sky-high ceiling, illuminating the entire area. His eyes slowly followed the light down, unsure if they wanted to see what lay on the bottom. They rested on a circular pool of crystal clear water, not a single ripple or break to add an imperfection. Laying down casually in the shallows was
a slender woman, staring directly at him. A light green silk covered her, gleaming in the sunlight. Was she human? He could not tell from this distance. Their eyes met, a slow, warm smile forming on her face. Her arm raised out of the water, not a single drop falling off it, and beckoned him forward. Tentatively, without thinking, he moved his feet forward, his grip on the blade relaxing. Reaching the end of the pool, he realised her immense beauty. As she stared at him, beaming, she quickly giggled and dived below the surface. She was gone - disappeared. She had left no trace; the pool was as still and quiet as ever. He froze. An illusion? What beast could manage that? He lifted his sword, his breathing slowed. He closed his eyes. He heard skittering - loud skittering. The beast was getting closer. He kept his eyes closed, the claw sounds getting closer by the second. The beast reached the water, leaving huge splashes in its wake. At the last second, he opened his eyes. He saw a flash of green - light green. He swung his sword.
ANDY THE PROUD TOMATO A short story by Leonid K, Year 12 Andy was a proud tomato. Growing up on fairytale-like, fertile and fruitful farm fields in a blissful, sun-blessed valley in Tennessee, Andy knew with unquestionable certainty that life had something truly special waiting for him. He wasn’t any greenhouse junk, bred, drugged and collected just to supply the food industry with the best nutrients, and do so as cheaply and quickly as possible - this individual was on a quest. If asked, he probably wouldn’t even be able to pin down what exactly makes him so special suddenly, maybe the unique way the sunlight kissed him good morning, or the unmatched way in which the godlike biochemical combination of nutrients and chemical additives shaped his character, personality, juiciness and ripeness levels. But all that destiny and higher power mumbo jumbo didn’t concern our protagonist one bit; he just knew that his life was going to
be significant and magnificent, that he will leave after himself a deeply touching legend that will inspire generations of vegetables to rise above the vanity of everyday life and aspire for greatness. You see, from a very young age - it’s widely speculated that perhaps it happened when he was green and immature, more a recently fertilised seed than a fruit - he rejected the idea of having to prove anything to anyone, except himself. After all, Andy was a proud tomato.
threat to his self-portrayal as the sole saviour of the Solanum Lycopersicum species. They were roughly the same size as his majesty, but, without a doubt, infinitely lacked in taste, texture and inner harmony compared to Andy. Nonetheless, he sometimes sank to such desperate lows that for mere instants he even began to hesitate about his divine origin and purpose. One of those moments of pure agony came about during an encounter with an actively moving collecting device that sometimes waters Andy, looks out for him, “Blessed are those building blocks protecting him from countless bound to build the best of folks,” insects and infections, but most of sang Andy to himself as the proud the time merely walking around and practical parent plant pulled on their massive, incredibly funny up those sanctified entities from stems without even a hint of a the fertiliser with its long and hairy purpose. There were two of them. roots, and then up its narrow, The tall one, whom Andy already veiny stems allocated to Andy for grew accustomed of, looked at his contentment. Even though him with a sense of loving pride Andy knew that it was foolish and exclaimed “That’s a hella to compare oneself to others, he juicey-looking tomeyto, I’ll tell couldn’t help but notice that his you that.” Nothing out of the usual, brothers and sisters, that grew on so far, but then one of his upper the same branch, posed a serious massive stems reached out towards
him and to Andy’s complete astonishment glided right past him and, instead of yours truly, gently and appreciatively squeezed Andy’s brother Christopher, two fruits down the branch as if there wasn’t a clearly defined object to sightsee in this God-forgotten hole. Andy despised Christopher and all the mediocrity he symbolised. Who is he to deserve any attention or recognition, when he objectively should be dwarfed and hidden in his majesty’s shadow? Why does it so happen in the world, that the divine manna of appreciation is spared for the talent that deserves it and that can flourish with it so this talent is wasted on trying to attain this appreciation, instead of the altruistic initial ideal of making this world that misallocates such valuable resources a better place? These were questions that Andy only dwelled upon during rather rare moments of introspection, self-reflection and doubt in a corrupting stream of rage and envy. In tomatoes, pride comes with a cost - one’s self-esteem ought to be protected by all means. Andy was a profoundly sexual tomato. He wanted love,;he desired
to feel something strongly; he wanted to see a piece of him give way to new life, which was impossible if he was to follow the rules like those other pesky, peaceful, obedient tomatoes. With great pain he accepted the bitter truth that he was a product of a heavily automatised, unauthentic and inorganic system that had a very well-established set of conventions about how one should live one’s life. In this system, tomatoes don’t reproduce like they used to in the olden times of the Aztecs, when a forest animal had to eat the tomato, digest it and then excrete the indigestible seeds in a warm fertiliser somewhere far away from the safe haven of the parent’s nest. Then the seed had to go through all the hardships of coming out of the comfort of its eggshell and developing into a beautiful, individual plant, disregarding all the muck that reality might throw at them after all they were born in muck. Nowadays, however, the galactic empire uses heavy machinery and pre-selected and pre-modified seeds to grow milliards of clones of soulless tomatoes for its own benefit. And Andy didn’t vibe with
that at all to say the least. His inspiring ambitions were tragically cut short, as was Andy. The passionate, but hopeless romantic caught up in his own dream, was slashed into tomato paste. With the addition of yet more preservatives and other chemicals of all sorts and functions, and after a supply chain of carefully calculated and regulated processes, Andy ended up in a plastic bottle with a large inscription “Ketchup.” That’s it. Institutionalised. Made to accept the system’s terms of life, more insincere and heartless than ever, the baggage of the past dreams was pressing on his consciousness with never ending guilt and sorrow. Andy the proud tomato (ketchup) was barbarically used up all at once on a sunny Saturday afternoon at 4pm by a group of full-tip bozos on a piece of fish. The fish wasn’t appreciated or finished nor thrown into an appropriate non-recycling container.
FILM REVIEWS: WHAT TO WATCH IN LOCKDOWN Tommaso S, Year 11 writes... The Shawshank Redemption If you haven’t seen The Shawshank Redemption or even, heard of it, then you are lucky that I am here. This is one of the classics, if not the classic of classics, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. The movie begins when a very successful banker, called Andy Dufresne, is accused of murdering his wife and lover. (unlucky, I know) despite him claiming that he’s been framed. The judge present at his trial sentences him to life imprisonment at Shawshank State Penitentiary. As he spends his life in the prison, he forms unlikely friendships with several inmates (especially an inmate called Red, played by Morgan Freeman) and makes some enemies. He also takes part in several projects to make the prison a better place for the inmates, like installing a new library. He becomes such an important asset to Shawshank that he is introduced to a money-laundering scheme by the warden himself. The movie itself is adapted from Stephen King’s novel, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It received more than 20 awards as well as more than 40 nominations. Morgan Freeman officially confirmed that this movie made his start to a legendary career as one of the most famous actors in Hollywood and earning him the nickname of “Mr Narration.” This led him to star in many other great movies like Invictus as Nelson
Mandela with Matt Damon, as Willie in “Going in Style” with Michael Caine. But despite all the fame and recognition it has received, it originally only made 58.3 million USD (which is apparently quite low in the movie business) in the box office. When asked for the main reason for this on the Graham Norton Show, Morgan Freeman said that it was because of the name. He said, “the only
real marketing movies get is word of mouth...when people went to see the Shawshank Redemption and they came back saying ‘Oh, I just saw this really terrific movie. It’s called the...erm... uhm... shank sham? Shim shock?’ So if you can’t get word across then it just doesn’t do well”. Apart from this hiccup, I still consider the Shawshank Redemption one of the best classics and Morgan Freeman made it a winner as soon as he started talking!
The Good Liar One of the best films that I’ve ever watched, legendary actors Ian McKellen (two-time Oscar nominee) and Helen Mirren (Academy Award winner for Best Actress in “The Queen”) star in a suspenseful thriller together for the first time ever.
gotta make a living! Anyway, after meeting the recently widowed Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) online, he starts to date the kind-hearted lady when he finds out that she has an excess of £2 million in her bank account, leading to him spending a lot of time with her and becoming very close. Ka-ching!
Ian McKellen stars as Roy Courtnay who is, in fact, a professional con artist. Hey, guy’s
Eventually, Roy sees that certain roadblocks start to emerge as their relationship deepens; Betty’s
grandson Steven arrives and already starts digging around in Roy’s past. Roy’s infinite trail of swindles slowly begins to catch up with him, but the most serious one is that he starts to believe that he has feelings for Betty. This causes him to become a little soft. What was supposed to be a direct con mutates into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, keeping anyone who watches it at the edge of their seat. It’s rated 15 and a thriller so do expect some “threat” but I won’t get too specific to prevent spoiling the film. Enough with the synopsis, now for a little history. Ian McKellen has already starred in several movies as the wise Gandalf in The Hobbit, the human-hating mutant Magneto in X-Men, the calculating and bee-enthusiast Sherlock Holmes in Mr Holmes as well as many others. Ian (excluding Magneto from X-Men) usually played a good character with no evil intentions so it was curious to see how he would take on the role as the main villain of the plot. In my opinion, he has made a fantastic job in doing so for The Good Liar. Helen Mirren has also starred in the famous film The Queen as Queen Elizabeth II and Red (both 1 and 2) with Bruce Willis and John Malkovich. Her articulate language and dramatic acting accompanied with Sir McKellen’s skill and duplicitous personality in the film (forgot to mention that they are both knighted, Ian in 1991 and Helen in 2003. Oops!) made this movie a rousing success in my book.
BOOK REVIEW: SKYFARING BY MARK VANHOENAKER Henry B, Year 11 writes…
pilot, having previously flown the Boeing 747, and he gives us Whether you are an avid aircraft a much-needed reminder that enthusiast, a transatlantic traveller the romance of flight has not or a hopeless romantic (or all three been lost in the modern age. His of those, like me), this book is an poetic skill as a writer renders the absolute must. I first came across magic of seeing the world from Mark Vanhoenacker’s writing in above tangible for any reader, the Financial Times, to which he irrespective of their interest in regularly contributes – you can flight or lack thereof. In the book, read his fascinating articles in the he details his most memorable View from the Cockpit column – experiences whilst also explaining but it wasn’t until a fellow fanatic some of the concepts of flight recommended this book that I which are often overlooked, given came to realise the great extent that global air travel is such a of his calibre and sensitivity as an commodity in today’s world. author. I found it to be an enthralling Skyfaring is an eloquently written recount of the marvellous beauty love letter to aviation, nature, and of flying; after reading it, you will the excitement of flying in an era find yourself requesting a window wherein commercial flight is taken seat every time you fly! almost entirely for granted. Those particularly interested Vanhoenacker is currently a in the technicalities of British Airways Boeing 787 commandeering an aircraft will
also enjoy Vanhoenacker’s latest book, How to Land a Plane. It’s a short read but detailed and indeed very useful should you ever endeavour to fly an aircraft.
TV REVIEW: CALL THE MIDWIFE Henry B, Year 11 writes… BBC’s Call The Midwife is a period drama set in 1950s-‘60s East London. It is based on the written memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a real midwife who worked in Poplar, and it explores the lives of poorer Londoners in the postwar period. Certain scenes are heart-warming and moving, showcasing the beauty of giving birth to new life. What’s more, we gain an insight into the routine of district nurses and midwives, and we are able to perceive the extent of the improvements that healthcare has seen over the past six or so decades. Equally, the series is very poignant as it documents many social issues
and crises from this era, including discrimination, depression and medical challenges such as the provision of contraception (or lack thereof) and the prescription of the drug, thalidomide, which resulted in foetal deformities during the former stages of pregnancy. I found the series to be rather eyeopening, highlighting the harsh reality of life at that time. It’s also very emotional; often, the gripping
storylines and their respective characters are relatable. Also, the passionate sense of community in Poplar is splendidly brought to life, as are the characters that we get to know as the series progresses. It’s a delightful nod to the past, all nine seasons of which can be watched on BBC iPlayer, with the first seven also available on Netflix.
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