Welcome to the second 2021 edition of The Harlington Chronicle. Our school newspaper is written, edited and designed fully by students that wish to share their experiences and interests with the Harlington community. In this edition, we have a wide range of content, including articles on ‘beauty’ and its impact on society, COVID’s impact on the environment and racism in football. In addition, we have a section focused on the Art Competition that we recently ran, as well as other entries for the recent Poet Laureate Competition. Also, do not miss our feature on Red Nose Day which includes some of our students’ experiences in undertaking a Sponsored Silence! Finally, our newspaper concludes with a poem based on returning to school by our new Poet Laureate—Richelle Bekoe. Especially for Red Nose Day, our designers have gone with a ‘red’ theme in which all pieces of work in this issue are decorated with red—or similar colours—in some way. Our team of writers, editors and designers meet weekly (online for the moment) to discuss the creation of the newspaper. If you are interested in finding out more about joining, please email: [email protected] Also, if you would ever like to occasionally send articles through, feel free to send your work to this email and we will happily feature your work in the upcoming edition! I hope you enjoy reading the second edition!

Francesca White—Leader of The Harlington Chronicle

Many thanks to all those that contributed to this issue: Matthew Drummond, Abigail Flower, Rebecca Gendi, Fiza Hasnain, Xavier Hendicott, Olivia Jephson, Meshah Kuevi, Grace Lovering, Harry McArthur, Amaad Mehmood, Zara Morris, Alero Omishore, Tyra Origbe, Libby Smith, Olivia Tough. A special thanks also to Mr Smeath for his continual help in organising the group!

Any ideas expressed within the following articles are representative of individuals’ opinions and are not representative of Harlington Upper School as a whole. Contents

Red Nose Day Art Competition She Was Walking Home by Grace Lovering How COVID-19 Has Impacted the Environment by Olivia Tough Hope Poem by Rebecca Gendi Beauty and Its Impact by Fiza Hasnain How English Lessons at Harlington Upper School Inspired Me to Write a Story by Xavier Hendicott Hope Poem by Alex Greaves Are World & Club Champions in Elite Team Sports Really Champions on Merit? By Abigail Flower An Overview of Languages by Francesca White Hope Poem by Nathan Muwowo Racism in Football by Matthew Drummond Poet Laureate Poem: The Fear of Going Back by Richelle Bekoe

Front cover by Jack Clayburn RED NOSE DAY

What is Red Nose Day?

Red Nose Day is a way of fundraising to tackle important issues like homelessness, hunger, domestic abuse and mental health. What has our school done?

Our school raised money for Red Nose Day through some different activities:

• Non–school uniform day

• Face mask decorating competition

• Sponsored Silence When I asked some of the students that participated in the Sponsored Silence how they found staying silent for charity, these were their responses:

As someone who is talking non-stop, doing a Sponsored Silence was quite a challenge. Being silent has never really been in my nature and so I’ve never really taken the time to appreciate what it feels like to be silent, but this opportunity immersed me into the reality of being unheard. There were times when I didn’t have my whiteboard with me and so I couldn’t communicate with my friends and it frustrated me – very slightly in comparison to those who long to communicate but can’t because those with the power to help them deem them too insignificant to listen to. I realised over these days of being silent that many disadvantaged, suffering children and adults must feel this way. It’s over for me now, but it will persist in their lives forever. Those who are innocent, ill and lacking the facilities to save them, or those desperate to protect themselves and their families from bombs and bullets while fighting their own battle to stay alive in their state of extreme poverty, those who are starving, un-educated, homeless. Even the people in your own home town, drowning quietly in a state of depression. Millions of people unseen, uncared for, unheard. Millions of people in a state of perpetual ‘silence’ not because they cannot talk, scream, cry but because no one wants to hear. It doesn’t have to be this way for these people. There are people that exist, like those working for Comic Relief, that are going to help but only if we can help them. Now is the time to choose what type of person you want to be - one that puts their fingers in their ears and turns away, or one that listens, helps and donates.

Rebecca Gendi

Last week, I think I proved to many of you that I do not necessarily need to talk to communicate with others. Obviously, this was a challenge, but all of you that know me personally truly know how much of a challenge it was for me. (I am aware many of you were delighted in my silence, however all “good things” must come to an end). I am proud to have participated in the sponsored silence with other students within the sixth form, it was a great way to raise money and awareness for Comic Relief. I think it was an outstanding way to maintain morale especially in these challenging times that we are facing.

Amaad Mehmood ART COMPETITION WE RECENTLY HELD AN ART COMPETITION AND ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS IN THIS EDITION. WE HAVE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE ENTRIES RECEIVED AND LOOK FORWARD TO DIVERSIFYING INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE ARTS FOR FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS.

WINNER

JACK CLAYBURN

RUNNERS UP ALEX MCLEAN ZAK ZAIDI She Was Walking Home

Trigger Warning (TW)// This article will cover rape, sexual harassment & abuse

A serving Met police officer has been charged with the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old who disappeared in South London as she walked home. The young woman’s body was found in woodland in Kent more than a week after she was last spotted on March 3rd. Wayne Couzens, 48, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court to be charged with her murder, receive his punishment and provide closure for Sarah’s family and friends.

This tragic event has understandably sparked an outburst of furious and frustrated women sharing their own personal experiences with sexual harassment in an attempt to educate mainly men on everyday dangers that we as females face. We speak about how many women are raped each year, not about how many men rape women. We speak about how many school girls are harassed each year; not about how many boys harassed them. The passive voice has an impactful and political effect on shifting the focus off males and onto females.

In Jackson Katz’s Ted Talk “violence against women: it’s a men’s issue,” he highlights the fact that female assault is a “bad thing that happens to women, but when you look at the term violence against women, nobody is doing it to them. It just happens. Men aren’t even a part of it!”. As soon as a situation occurs, such as Sarah Everard’s case, a plethora of questions are fired towards the victim. What was she wearing? Was she alone? What was the time? Where was she? Was she intoxicated? Did she have headphones in? None of the answers to these questions are an invitation for sexual harassment or abuse. Stop burdening women with the weight of other men’s actions. Stop blaming the victim rather than the abuser.

The phrase “not all men” has been thrown around recently in response to women calling out all men on social media for their behaviour. On the surface, it is possible to recognise why seemingly innocent men may become defensive and offended by the claim, however I believe it is down to lack of education. In attempts to explain this ideology, an analogy between humans and wasps can be used: if a singular wasp hovers near you, you’re aware that the chances of it stinging you are pretty slim. However, if you become surrounded by a swarm of wasps, your immediate reaction would be to run away out of fear of being stung. The same goes for women’s fear of men in certain situations, there is no chance to differentiate between the “good guys” and the “bad guys”. Women know it’s not all men. But we don’t know which men. So we have to remain wary of all men. You’re not being accused; you’re being asked to support.

According to the YouGov Survey of over 1,000 women in January 2021 by UN Women UK, 97% of women between the ages of 18-24 said they had been sexually harassed. Ninety seven percent. This statistic of virtually all women seems so extreme and absurd that many men have disputed the claims. It seems unfathomable to half of the population yet is a reality to the rest. Another metaphorical instance where we can compare the subject is that of being involved in a car accident. If you were to get hit by a car, sure, you’d probably not be scared of all cars. But, if 97% of the population were hit by cars, I can guarantee you’d be terrified of them. So, what do we do about it? This situation is in the hands of boys and men now. Women have proved their unity these past few weeks, especially by sharing their personal experiences, modified methods of self-protection and what men can do to make us feel safer. Women can take as many precautions as humanly possible yet the only thing that will prevent these issues is men not sexually harassing women. So, boys: call out your By Grace Lovering friends’ derogatory behaviour, cross the road when passing a woman alone, listen to women’s claims and support the women around you. Even if you feel too young for these things to apply to you now, they will one day and being educated is key. My thoughts are with Sarah Everard’s family and every other female who’s ever been afraid on our streets or in our own homes.

TEACHERS: Would you like to write articles about your subjects or interests in the Chronicle? If so, please email us with your article or any questions you may have! By OLIVIA TOUGH How COVID-19 Has Impacted The Environment What can we learn from the effects of early lockdown? The 23rd of March 2020: the day the UK went into lockdown for the first time. By then, much of the world was already experiencing a lockdown or restrictions- a state of existence that has become very familiar for us all over the last year. While we were all preparing ourselves for an indefinite amount of time at home, the effects it would have on the environment probably weren’t at the front of your mind. However, a year on and scientists and experts have highlighted some drastic ways in which early lockdown was beneficial for the environment.

Clear water and dolphins in Venetian canals, audible birdsong in cities, snow that was more reflective thanks to cleaner air: the sharp fall in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in the early stages of lockdown had many environmental benefits. April 2020 saw a 17% drop in global carbon emissions. As we worked from home, travel abroad stopped, and industries were shut down, the environment was allowed to slightly heal from all the damage we have caused. The rate at which things changed just goes to show how quickly the planet could begin to recover if only we let it.

However it already seems as though society will quickly return to the point we were pre-pandemic, and all of the healing the planet had undergone will be undone. This is already being seen in China, where it all began. Wuhan was the first place to go through a lockdown and, at the start, there was an unprecedented fall in emissions. Fossil fuel burning industries were closed and there was a 25% reduction in carbon emissions, as well as a 50% reduction in nitrogen oxide. Such an improvement in air quality is estimated to have saved at least 77,000 lives. But now China is on the other side of lockdown and are beginning their economic recovery. China’s large improvements in air quality seen this time last year have already vanished. Industries have reopened with a drive to rebuild the economy. More permits are being given to coal-powered factories which experts have warned will have negative impacts on people’s health and climate change. The rest of the world is set to follow China’s quick return to pre-pandemic emission and pollution levels. Experts predict that we will even surpass where we were before Covid in an attempt to rebuild economies. Oil fracking and other environmentally damaging industries in the USA are already receiving special compensation in tax laws in order to recover financially… and to further damage our planet.

While we were never going to live in a state of lockdown forever and pollution was always going to increase again, we should learn from what we saw in the early months of lockdown: that we are not too far past the point of turning the tide with climate change. There are already a few positive long-term changes - one being that companies are introducing flexitime which will decrease the number of commuters - but we should aim to do more. To return to the point we were at in 2019 and previous years would be another nail in the coffin, so to speak.

Poet Laureate Competition Entry ‘Hope’ by Rebecca Gendi

We swam onwards. Stroke, breathe, kick. Stroke, breathe, kick. No need to look up. We moved without a thought in our brain. I can’t remember when we started, no one knew when it would end; we just swam and swam until with the sea we began to blend. We journeyed on, along a path that was not paved, until to the void sea we became enslaved. Always hungry and with plenty of bait, all in her grasp and lying in wait she reeled in her victims and they plunged into their deep, cold and easier fate. Some drowned soon, too heavy to stay afloat, others swam and swam and became a one-way empty boat.

There I was, in the sea, to which I was confined with nothing but water filling up my mind, when a fish swam over to my right, its scales shimmering, reflecting light, I glanced over to see flames dancing on its fins, it moved closer; it touched me and that is where my life begins –

The fire twirled on my fingers, which I forgot were numb, until the heat of the flame brought a surge of power into them, now they were no longer tame. The flame burned but did not damage, rather it was reviving, in that moment I realised I wanted to live. I was sick of just surviving. I stopped swimming and the sea began to hide as it saw beams of light from my arms spread wide. Timidly around me it parted and the air quivered, sensing my overhead presence as I looked down on she from which I was delivered. Wings of doves burst from my spine– I was ready to soar. Nothing could hold me back or drag me down to the ocean floor.

And so I flew to the land of burning people and was warmly welcomed home, looking to start a life that I would finally call my own. I built villages, taught schools, assisted doctors in need of aid, the reward of giving love and life far greater than being paid. One day, planting a tree, a seed of a thought came into my mind: “We must return to the sea and rescue those that were left behind!”

Poet Laureate Competition Entry ‘Hope’ by Rebecca Gendi

And so together, we took off to head straight for the final war, everyone consumed with strength and drained of fear. No man left unsure. We dived down, spreading the flame to the innocent victims, drowning in shame. Gently we gathered them in our arms as we watched their dissolving, forgotten pain and rejoiced at the longed life entering them once again. Those that weren’t drowning but swimming in no direction saw the burning people and cried out, longing for affection. The innocence in one man’s lonely call penetrated my heart - I turned to see a man yearning for kindness from which he was kept apart. I swooped down towards him and forged a tender smile, to which he returned with: “Thank you, it really has been a while.”

No one was left in the sea anymore, we all returned, with glimmering eyes, cheerfully back to shore. Finally the old swimmers lives’ would begin around the fire where we all gathered to listen to it sing. The impact of ‘Beauty’

BY FIZA HASNAIN

Beauty is subjective. Throughout time it has been re-defined again and again, dependent on factors such as culture and media. In this age, beauty plays a large and essential role in our day to day lives as we are constantly targeted with expectations and criticised about our appearances by ourselves and those around us. Yet, it’s a word that is stereotyped to be about appearance and only amongst women, not men.

We judge a book by its cover. We judge a person by their appearance. The media seems to demand that appearances are “worthy” to be looked at. People have been seen to spend excessive amounts on beauty products and on average, women are seen to spend £482.51 on beauty products per year. Studies have shown that 16-24-year-olds are the highest spenders on beauty products. Media tends to prey on younger girls who view photoshopped pictures of women and decide upon the things they wish to change about themselves. Later on in life, they become focused upon body image and changing their natural image. For many that includes wearing makeup or dieting which, in many cases has led to eating or other mental disorders. A study has shown that 40% of girls from 15-19 who interact with media develop an eating disorder.

But also, media has an immense impact on the self-esteem and appearances of boys too. Today, the idea of muscular bodies for males portrayed by the media has caused 18% of boys to become highly concerned over their physique and start to follow unhealthy diets and take supplements. A 2014 study has seen that the market for men’s personal care products earned $4,100,000,000 in one year.

One of the biggest problems in media is the lack of diversity. Females are idealised to be tall, thin and white. Females of darker skin colours tend to feel that because of their skin colour, they are not pretty enough, and, in many countries, skin bleaching is a large business for those who are subject to this idea. One model, Khoudia Diop, was bullied as a child for the colour of her skin, and every day looked in the mirror to see if her skin had become any lighter. When accompanying her aunt to Paris, people would stop her on the streets to take photos and later on, she became a professional model under the name Melanin Goddess and now promotes the love of natural skin colour.

The pressure of conformity to the media’s image of beauty has set unrealistic expectations for body image and beauty standards. Most people subject to media are also subject to ideal beauty. But many aware of this who refuse to admit give reason to conforming to these expectations such as “building confidence.” Confidence should be built through love for your natural image as everyone is born different and beauty should be seen through individuality. Of course, makeup is an amazing way for people to express themselves and is also seen as an art form, and exercising and diets can be great for staying fit and healthy, but neither should be associated with the media's idea of true beauty. The company Unilever, which are behind brands such as Dove and Sure, has recently banned the use of photoshopping in advertisements for beauty products, and also the use of the word “normal” on their products. This change has come through Unilever trying to become an ethical brand and increasing their activist marketing which shows that things are gradually changing, even though this has taken many unnecessary years to change.

Now, after reading this, look in the mirror and don’t focus on a single thing that you, or anyone else, think is flawed. Instead, compliment yourself. Think about your eyes which have seen so many wonderful things, and your mouth that you have used to communicate with and eat so many different foods. Think about your hands which you use to write, type and draw with and your legs which you use to walk and stand with. Many people are not able to experience these things so appreciate them, for, without judgement, everything and everyone is beautiful.

Would you like to know more about your teachers? We are thinking about doing teacher interviews so get in contact with us if you are interested! How English Lessons at Harlington Upper School Inspired Me to Create a Story – Part 2

Hello readers of this article.

This is a continuation of my previous article by the same name. Previously, I wrote about the subject of English and how it inspired me to create my own story. The topics below were what I wrote about:

Dystopias – a community or society that is undesirable or frightening

Rhetoric – I learned about things such as pathos, ethos and logos

Macbeth – a Scottish general is told by three witches that he will become King of Scotland. Macbeth kills Duncan (the current king of the story at the time) and succeeds him as the new King. Macbeth also kills more people out of paranoia. A civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – a novella about the complexities of science and the duality of human nature

So that was a summary of the last article. In this article, I am going to write about the role all of these topics play in the story I am making. We will start from the top of our list and make our way down to the end.

Dystopias

The topic of dystopia plays as the setting in my story. When I chose this as the setting, I thought ofa dystopia set in an alternate future (most dystopias are set in the future) in a world that is mostly destroyed (post apocalypse).

Rhetoric

The topic of rhetoric plays as a part in my story. In this part of my story, two of the allies of the protagonist are murdered at night. The team gather and investigate who murdered the two. Now this is where the topic rhetoric comes in. There is a talk on who murdered the two allies and there is a lot of logos and ethos said and done. The protagonist uses logos and suggests again that they check the wounds and stabs on the body. They use logos again by suggesting to check their weapons (each character uses a weapon in the story). Finally, the protagonist uses ethos to see who murdered the two allies (I will not reveal it as the story could be changed in character names and plot).

Macbeth

Macbeth plays a role in the form of a character. My story follows a young girl (who will be an antagonist of the story) who is told by a psychic that she will become Queen. Around seventeen years after the event, the girl (now an adult) heads to the palace and kills the Queen. She also takes the disguise of the Queen. This is similar to when Macbeth kills Duncan and he becomes King. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde uses duality, which is what I used for the protagonist. Duality means two contrasting concepts or aspects. On one hand, the protagonist is shy and is not very confident. On the other hand, he is confident and is not afraid to show his true intentions.

So that is what I used from what I learned at school, but I am still writing it. I enjoyed learning about these subjects and how they inspired me to create my own story.

By Xavier Hendicott

What’s your favourite thing about studying Geography GCSE or French A-Level? If you would like to write about your experience studying a certain subject, let us know!

Poet Laureate Competition Entry ‘Hope’ by Alex Greaves

The streets are near empty, the people near muzzled, As all people alike face this near unsolvable puzzle. This puzzle that confines us not letting us free. This puzzle that holds just one simple key.

This one fabled key that has been told of before, This key that has freed us from famine, plague and war. The key that reminds us all is not lost. The key that glimmers brightest when smothered with frost.

The key that we all have, to open all doors. They that lets us push past our scars and our flaws. The key that will unlock the chain round the earth, The key that is hope, determination and mirth.

Are World & Club Champions in Elite Formula1 Budgets 2020:

Team Sports Really Champions on • Mercedes. £484 million Merit? • Ferrari. £463 million

• Red Bull Racing. £445 million ‘Luton Town Football Club wins the Premier League AGAIN!!!!! • Renault. £272 million Alfa Romero’s F1 sensation Antonio Giovinazzi wins 8th • McLaren. £269 million World title!’ • Racing Point. £188 million

• Alfa Romeo Racing. £128 million Is it beyond the realms of possibilities that such bold, dynamic statements could actually become reality? Well, • Toro Rosso. £125 million it’s hard to imagine, but definitely yes!

Whilst every fan of the ‘lesser known’ teams and clubs of world sport dare to fantasize what would seem the Formula 1 Driver Salaries 2020: ‘impossible dream’ of taking a club or world title, what does it REALLY take to be World or Club Champions in say No. Driver Salary Premier league Football, or Formula 1 racing for instance? 1 Lewis Hamilton £40m

2 Max Verstappen £14m Let’s have a quick perusal of the facts. 3 Fernando Alonso £15m

4 Sebastian Vettel £12.5m What is F1 aka Formula 1? It is the world-wide juggernaut of the racing world, Antonio Giovinazzi (Team Alfa Romeo) – £500,000: the with sexy supercars at breakneck speed, breath lowest-paid driver in 2020. taking acceleration and a reverberated sound like no other. The thrill of this type of racing is guaranteed So, what do these stats and figures really say? to make all the hairs on your body stand on end in Well, it begs the question, is it really a surprise that the tingling awe. teams and drivers on the podiums are actually there? Would Lewis Hamilton (who drives for Mercedes) have 7 The big names and winners of virtually all the races for World titles if he was racing for Alpha Romeo or Torro decades are non-surprisingly renowned Formula 1 teams: Rosso for example, who have minuscule budgets to deliver McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes. This quartet a car? Of course, there is no denying the amazing talent spend yearly upwards of £400 million each season, trying that Lewis and other drivers of the top four teams possess. to build and modify the absolute best performance cars. But wouldn’t it be a television spectacle to see the drivers They also have to pay a lot of money in salaries to the of the top 4 teams swap with the bottom 4 teams and race mechanics, staff members, engineers, and drivers. Yet, to see who really is the best Formula driver? Is other Formula 1 teams have, what would seem, one hand it REALLY ‘the driver’? Arguably, it will always be the fastest, best designed, most technologically advanced car and professional team which would win, regardless of the driver! This is because a car capable of lapping vast times faster each lap will be a mountain too hard to climb over 70-80 laps whoever the driver is!

Thankfully, this scenario has finally been addressed. The Formula 1 race teams voted in March to reduce the budget cap in 2021 to £145 million, then in 2022 to £140 million, with a further reduction to £135 million in 2023.

The teams most affected by the change will be the sport's big three teams: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. Finally, a Last year, Man Utd the 20-time champions Premier League Football: The home of the “Beautiful reported a wage bill of £332 million, the highest Game” the best league in the world, (well I am Eng- EVER for a Premier League team. lish!) Luton Town Total squad Value: £18.45 million “How possibly could LUTON win the Premier Luton Town total team yearly wage bill £6,584,032 league?” Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Luton Town) - £20,000 per week Simon Sluga (Luton Town) - £5,600 a week James Collins (Luton Town) - £4,100 a week

How much has Man City spent in the last 10 years? Manchester City's spending over the last decade is £1.421billion - the highest in the Premier League.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, How much is Man City’s squad worth? Arsenal, all cream of the crop. Pinnacle of our sport, elite squads New figures released by the Transfer market of immensely skilled footballers from around the world. Teams sees City ranked as the second-most valuable squad in of heritage and history to rival any country worldwide! the world with an overall valuation of £971.64 million! So why isn’t Luton among them? Although to keep it accurate, at one time many moons ago in what was called ‘Division 1’ they Premier League were briefly active members in 1986/87.

Club Owner(s) Estimated net worth Well consider these stats and figures: Man City Sheikh Mansour £30 Billion Man United Glazer Family £4.7 Billion Summary of the top paid players in the Premier League Newcastle Mike Ashley £2.5 Billion for 2020: Sheffield Utd Abdullah bin Musa’ed £200 Million

So, without boring you with too many figures, is it any • David De Gea – Manchester United; £375,000 per surprise Man City and Man United are currently 1st and week or £19,500,000 per season. 2nd in the Premier League and Sheffield United in 20th bottom spot? • Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City; £18,200,000 per season. The sheer buying power and wealth of these top 4 teams, would seem to guarantee success and of course • Mesut Ozil – Arsenal; £18,200,000 per season. demand it as many managers will testify. • Raheem Sterling – Manchester City; £15,600,000 per So, my point is, are World and Club Champions in elite season. team sports really champions on merit? Well give Nathan Jones (Luton Town Manager) a cheque for 1 • Paul Pogba – Manchester United; £15,080,000 per Billion pounds on the transfer market next season, and season. imagine what he could do. He has produced wonders on the smallest budget by a long, long way in the EFL Championship league. There is no reason why Luton could not be Premier League Champions numerous times if he was dealt with the same hand as the top 4 clubs in English football. I rest my case!

Abigail Flower

An Overview of Our World’s Languages By Francesca White

Depending on which website you visit, the number of languages spoken in the world today is different. No matter how many studies may be done, it is hard to pinpoint the exact amount: it is ever changing. However, due to some research, the number that has popped up the most is 7,117, but the correct amount could be either higher or lower than this.

Some of these languages are spoken by millions of people, whereas others are only spoken by thousands or hundreds. Whilst there are so many languages in this world, it is thought that 23 of the most widely spoken languages account for around half of the world’s population.

Some of these are: — Mandarin — English — Hindi — Spanish

However, all the other languages that make up the 7000 are mostly classified as minority languages and some are spoken by only a couple of hundred speakers. Languages like these are often labelled ‘endangered’ languages as there is the chance that speakers will slowly reduce and the language will die out. Due to recent studies, it is estimated that around 40% of languages are endangered and will soon die out unless more people begin to learn and speak them. For example, two endangered languages are Navajo and Hawaiian. However, Duolingo – one of the leading language learning apps - has courses for both. It is important that we learn some of these languages to prevent the dying of both languages and cultures.

So, which of these languages do I wish to learn? I plan on writing an article on this in more depth at a later date, but for now, here are the basics: I wish to learn as many languages as I can. Whether these are to a level of fluency or just the basics, I want to be able to have a grasp on as many languages as possible. Therefore, these are the languages that I would love to learn: — Spanish (already studying this at A level) — Mandarin — Russian — German — Ukrainian — Hawaiian As you can see, not all of these are on the top 10 list of most widely spoken languages. I plan to learn a mix of majority, minority and endangered languages because there are so many options to do so.

As I have demonstrated above, our world is so full of languages, so which will you choose to learn more about?

Poet Laureate Competition Entry ‘Hope’ by Nathan Muwowo

Times have been challenging. I mean, where do we begin? The pandemic. Racism. Wildfires. Climate Change. It’s all been a lot to take in.

All of our lives have changed Ever since we got a glimpse of what’s to come And although so many have been spared, It sadly was the end of the road for some.

But amidst our sadness, Many great heroes have been strong. Whether they’ve walked 100 lengths of their garden or worked extra hours to save someone’s life, They’ve helped move our lives along.

These people gave up their time to be kind In what may have seemed to be their miserable lives But through giving, they united humanity Because only together can we survive.

Never underestimate the power of a kind act Even in the times you feel you can’t cope Because kindness can do so many great things But most importantly, kindness gives people hope.

Racism in Football by Matthew Drummond

A very interesting but unfortunately relevant topic in football culture, racism and discrimination has sadly been an issue for years. During the 1970s and 80s, it would not have been uncommon for a black player to receive monkey chants from the crowd in the UK. Thankfully, it does not happen as often now, and normally only in a couple of countries in Europe. Obviously, this needs to be eradicated completely, but I know due to some sanctions e.g. lifetime bans, fines, playing future games behind closed doors, it does seem to be improving for the most part.

I actually think the most current issue with racism in football is through social media, e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. Black and Asian players at the moment are frequently receiving horrendous racial abuse, if anything it seems to be getting worse for a number of reasons.

Marcus Rashford said this on his Twitter after receiving racial abuse: ‘Humanity and social media at its worse. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different’.

Anton Ferdinand was a target for racism in zoll after a comment from John Terry changed his life.

Raheem Sterling was a target for racial abuse when a group of fans started chanting monkey noises at the player.

These footballers and their experiences demonstrate that racism is still prevalent in football at the moment, and in sport in general. This is a very serious issue that cannot continue and must be addressed immediately.

Poet Laureate: Richelle Bekoe The Fear of Going Back

On the night before, her nerves are inconsolable. They throw more tantrums than they should. There are shivers up her spine, a quaking in her bones.

On the night before, sleep fails to come. It is the only time she ever wishes for sleep. Instead her dreams entangle themselves in her thoughts and it feels like she’s back.

The scraping chairs, the incessant thump of footsteps down the hall. The slow and yet inevi- table ticking of time.

There is so much work to be done.

The excitement quells, silenced by the loud and exhausting fear of going back.

It shrouds her in a pall of grey, grey like a uniform, an unearthly grey like weeping clouds.

Before long, sleep makes it way back from its journey to somewhere far and she is taken.

On the morning of, there is a reluctance to leave the sheets.

There is a boxing match erupting in her stomach, fists forward, punches thrown. All swings, no misses. Fear and Excitement aren’t fighting each other.

They’re fightingher.

There is the lodging of cereal down her throat, her heart-an angry prisoner- relentlessly beats its cage. The short drive to school.

She wears her mask- a practiced smile and an ounce of confidence in each footstep.

After all, time only waits for No Man. For more information, click here

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