SPRING/SUMMER / / 2020 / / ISSUE 2 BENTON BUGLE WRITTEN BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS Letter from the Editors ABIGAIL KITWOOD AND ELOISE HAINSWORTH Welcome to the lockdown edition of The Benton Bugle! We know it has been a tough time for many people as the COVID-19 pandemic has struck and fundamentally altered everyone’s lives. Our school lives have been changed by the pandemic, with many of us working hard at home to ensure we stay on top of the work that we’ve been set. Over the past few weeks, Year 10 and Year 12 students have been returning to school and it has been great to see our school community back and stronger than ever. Although it’s been strange, the staff at school have been incredible in ensuring that we can all be safe and continue our learning, even in these Georgia was a previous student at Benton Park and now attends St. Andrews University circumstances. As the summer holidays begin, we hope that you enjoy yourself and take a well-deserved break from the challenging past few months. Although it may not be the summer that we were all hoping for, it’s important to take a break for yourself, away from Benton to St. Andrews school and homework. Now that lockdown restrictions are easing, we hope that you will be able to see your friends and family in a safe environment. GEORGIA FIELDING But getting to this point was scary, I have to Maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to enjoy some UK admit. I spent many hours debating where the sun. It’s important not to underestimate how difficult best University for me was or whether I should this has been for many people; we have included some I can’t bear the thought of change. It makes me advice on page 5 about looking after your mental feel ill, my stomach churn and my head spin, even go in the first place. It is a hard decision health, which you must do so that you come back like I’m on a rollercoaster looping round and for anyone, regardless of being Autistic, and feeling positive in September! round. It doesn’t even have to be a big or there is an insane amount of pressure to make This edition is a mixture of articles written both outrageous change; I’ll cry if one of my classes sure you make the right choice. Deciding on a before the lockdown in school, and written by students is cancelled, even if it’s my German lecture at university is supposed to be exciting, from home. It seems strange to think that we were 5:00pm on a Monday evening and I get to go motivating, an insight into a life beyond the planning to write articles explaining what home early. But that’s autism for you – its strict, walls of Benton where you sat exam after exam Coronavirus is and how it might affect us. We controlling and its biggest fear is change. about subjects that maybe you didn’t even care couldn’t imagine how much it would change our lives about. But I struggled to feel anything but terror. and how quickly. It is an issue that is about our That being said, I don’t even know how I managed the change from Benton Park School Why couldn’t I just stay within those safe walls interests: our team wanted to share with you our that I had been for the past eight years? Why thoughts about a range of topics that we feel affect or to St Andrews University. Of all the universities can be effected by young people. We’d like to thank in the United Kingdom, I chose one about 182 couldn’t I just keep all my current friends who I everybody for their hard work in writing the many miles away from my home in Leeds, nestled on loved being around? Why couldn’t I just stay at great articles included in this edition. From Year 7 to the east coast of Scotland between Dundee and home, in my own room and familiar bed and Year 13, as well as former students, so many people Edinburgh. Leeds is bustling, full of shops, my never have to move into a new one? Why were involved in creating this edition and it’s been job, home, friends and family… St. Andrews couldn’t I just be nineteen forever and never really nice to see this part of the school community couldn’t be more different; there’s a beach, grow old? Thankfully, I am now aware that my pull together. A massive thank you to Mrs Wearing, three streets and a bitterly cold climate. fear of change was just my autism thinking it Miss Monks, Mr Gaillet and Mrs Cooke for their help But here I am, lying on my bed in a building was protecting me and I am more than glad I in creating this issue. didn’t let it scare me out of making the greatest We hope you enjoy this edition of The Benton Bugle that looks like it was plucked straight from a Harry Potter movie, defying all the odds and decision I have made to this date. and have a great summer! We are really looking Confirming your first and second choices on forward to producing more editions of the school stereotypes associated with being Autistic and newspaper from September. Join us then to get your just about to finish my first semester located UCAS is a surreal experience. voice heard and make a contribution. Thanks very 182 miles away from home. More on page 2 much from the whole Bugle team! IN THIS ISSUE BLACK LIVES MATTER LOCKDOWN STORIES Y7 LETTERS TO Y6 PAGE 1 SPRING/SUMMER / / 2020 / / ISSUE 2 BENTON BUGLE CONTINUED BLM AND DANCE Benton to St. Andrews What is ‘Breaking’? Continued from the front page RUBY DRAKES In support of the Black Lives Matter GEORGIA FIELDING movement, I wanted to write about an aspect of Black history and origins of Breaking which I As you hover over the ‘submit’ button, you realise learned from a man called Damien Anyasi in a you could be making a decision that could either be BLM History of Dance broadcast. the start of something really spectacular or could just Breaking is a dance style under the ‘umbrella’ leave you hopping out of one educational institute of Hip Hop that originated in the South Bronx into another, stricter one. What a risk. All the in the late 1960s. The Bronx used to be a unknowns were petrifying. One of the things about successful business town until it was redlined. being Autistic is that I have to have everything This means it was split in half with one side planned out, right down to the last minute. I need to cared for and the other side neglected. For the know what I’m doing constantly, who with, when and You’ve got one already! neglected side, they had to do what they could where. I need to know silly little details like what I’m to live therefore drugs, crime, robbery and gang having for dinner in two days or, if you want to culture infiltrated the town. The town had also socialise with me, I need to know at least a week in had a ‘white flight’: 2/3 of the population in the advance, otherwise I most definitely will not turn up! town had been white however many Applying for University is anything but known. prejudicially moved out when black people Everything from friends, accommodation and subject started moving in, resulting in the population teachers to module choices, timetables and location of being 2/3 black. All of this tore the town apart buildings are unknown until the very moment that you therefore Breaking was born as a way for the arrive at your new home. And that was…horrendous. people living in this time to forget about the Nevertheless, on A-level results day 2019, I officially situation they were experiencing and to take accepted my place at the University of St. Andrews to ownership of their culture. study Spanish, Italian and German, starting only three Earlier, I mentioned Breaking coming under weeks later. Truthfully, I think the fact that I had such little time to think about it meant I couldn’t focus on the ‘umbrella’ of Hip Hop. Hip Hop literally how scared I was about the things I didn’t know. translates to ‘current energy’ which tells us how Instead, I acted practically, by going on numerous relaxed and natural the style was. The name IKEA trips, filling out an endless amount of forms Breaking was named after both the breaks in the that no one tells you about and shoving clothes into a Read our review of Star Wars: The Rise of music and how it takes you to your breaking million bin bags. It wasn’t until I was in the car on the Skywalker – on page 3 point when you can’t help but dance and let way there that the true scale of the change hit me. yourself go. The Hip Hop motto is ‘Peace, Benton felt safe, comfortable. I knew teachers, the Love, Unity and have fun.’ This is exactly what location of classrooms, there were familiar faces on people needed to get them through the current every corridor, the rules were simple, and second situation. Breaking is the dance part of Hip nature but now I was in a car, heading far North and Hop.