When you enter a supermarket and pick up a watermelon you might not think about what happened thousands of years ago and how it became the wildly popular fruit it is today. By Veronika Photo by Kenta Kikuchi on Unsplash When you think of popular fruits, you might think of trendy avocados and everyday apples. However, while these fruits get all the glory, watermelons are actually one of the most produced fruit crops in the world; second to bananas according to some research. They are grown in almost all countries, despite their giant, inconvenient size. And this popularity is not a new trend. Watermelon seeds dating back 5000 years were found by archaeologists in Libya and in Ancient Egyptian tombs leaves of a white, fresh and bitter watermelon as well as paintings depicting the fruit have been discovered. But these early watermelons were genetically modified to change from being a very bitter fruit to becoming the juicy, sweet fruit we know today. It is a fruit that stays edible for a long time and so became a popular source of water, especially in hotter places. The video below highlights this fascinating history, from North Africa to the Americas via Europe and Asia. The history of watermelons is not only a practical one, however. The fruit also has symbolic value in different cultures. It has been written about in religious texts, such as the Bible, depicted as a fruit symbolizing love, life, abundance and fertility. In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad is described as eating watermelon. In today's world, it has been used by Palestinians to represent their political struggle. In terms of production, with many countries growing tons and tons of watermelon every year, pesticide and fertilizer levels have increased, which contaminates the food supply. However, watermelons also have many health benefits. We know that they contain "large amounts of lycopene, the pigment that makes the watermelon red inside, which also provides health benefits." Like the Ancient Egyptians, researchers are looking for ways to make watermelons even better. For example, Professor Zhangjun Fei of The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Rebecca Grumet of Michigan University are looking at disease resistance, producing different varieties of crops. BTI claims that "these experiments will make watermelon breeding faster and more efficient making sure that the species do not become endangered or die out." Hopefully, the watermelon will continue to share its benefits with us and help people balance their diets. Next time you cut through the rough outer layer of a watermelon, think of Mark Twain's words: "When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat."
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Personal projects provide an opportunity to really explore an interest and to dedicate time towards learning different skills. I took mine as a chance to get some insights into dentistry as a potential future career and to learn how to put together a short video documentary,
By Ayesha
.For my short documentary, I shadowed a dentist in Maputo, Dr. Nadia, helping me to learn that there really is nothing like experience. Being able to be see the day-to-day life of a dentist brought me first-hand insights and experiences into what it might be like for me if I choose this career path. It is easy for us to have fixed ideas about professions, without really understanding what they are like in practice.
I hope this documentary inspires more of our students to learn about their possible career paths and to make the most of the Personal Project. I would also like to once again than Dr Nadia for giving me such an amazing opportunity. Enjoy!
For me, the Personal Project has been an eye opening journey. I decided to learn sign language, specifically Mozambican Sign Language and it has opened up a whole new world for me.
By Khushi
I took this opportunity to move away from my comfort zone and learn more about the wider community that lives amongst us. The deaf school is just around the corner and yet can appear to be light years away when we aren't able to communicate with each other. This is why I found it important to learn sign language. During some of the first few weeks of the Personal Project, fear and excitement were some of the emotions I felt as before this moment I had never tried to reach out to the deaf community in any way. But the Personal Project proved to be just the beginning and this journey has yet to end.
Historically, those with hearing impairments have been faced with marginalization and oppression. They were deemed “dumb” as languages could only be learned by hearing and speaking and they were prohibited from using signs as a way of communicating. In the 16th century, a Spanish Benedictine monk named Pedro Ponce de León first developed the concept of sign language. He used signs as a way to communicate his messages during his period of silence. Over time his idea evolved into the creation of many different sign languages where each country or region has its own. It is very surprising to some that a universal sign language does not exist. A universal sign language is a concept that would require every country and every deaf community to know it and to use it. But this is unable to happen due to the differing signs and accents that each region might have, ensuring that these signs are used and understood differently. Instead,there is an International sign method also known as Gestuno. This sign method is used between two or more deaf communities as a way to communicate with each other and is also used during international meetings. Its sole purpose is to ensure that international institutions are able to be inclusive of all deaf communities around the world. Gestuno is similar to how English is considered the world's Lingua franca. Like English, it is commonly shared between communities with different sign languages. One of the reasons why I decided to learn sign language was because of the need for it. Our community has historically isolated ourselves from the deaf community because of our inability to communicate with them. This inability to communicate has caused us to create stereotypes, prejudice and social assumptions about the deaf community, which creates barriers between both communities. As a result, people with disabilities rarely have their voice heard and are forced to adapt to a world that is not accessible to them. This creates a challenge for all people with disabilities to experience “normal”, day-to-day activities. As a speaking individual, I took it as my responsibility to do what I could to try to break down this barrier and create change. Learning Mozambican Sign Language will help me solve this problem at a local level and allow me to connect with the deaf community. Through my experience, Mozambican Sign Language is one of the easiest languages that I have had to learn. Although I was faced with multiple challenges that I have had to overcome along the way, the process was quite simple. I took classes twice a week at the local deaf school for about an hour and half. Each class would introduce a new topic where we would learn different signs and use them in sentences as a way of applying what we learned. During some classes our sign language teacher would invite others to come to our class to help boost interactions using sign language with other deaf students and teachers. One of the biggest challenges that I faced at the beginning of this journey was finding online resources. All of the resources that I could find were about ASL (American Sign Language) or BSL (British Sign Language) as they are the most common and known sign languages. Due to the fact that Mozambican sign language is a language that is only used in Mozambique and by those who live here, not many sources online teach it. As a result, I had to resort to finding primary sources and using the deaf school as one of my biggest resources for this project. One of my proudest moments during the process was getting my sign name. A sign name is a name that is given to you by a deaf person as a way of referring to you in sign rather than spelling your name out. They use your physical characteristics along with your personality to choose a name that best fits you. This was a milestone for me as it means that now I am now a speaking person who is a part of the deaf community. "Learn sign language at the playground" by Valerie Everett is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .
Now that I am adequately able to sign, new opportunities and possible experiences have arisen for me. I am often referred to as a translator by my sign language teacher as multiple times I have had to translate things from Portuguese or English to Mozambican Sign Language. For the Personal Project presentation I was the Mozambican Sign Language interpreter. Although there weren't any deaf people in the crowd, doing this was still important and it served as an eye-opener as to how important simple gestures and actions are in helping to boost inclusivity. In addition, learning Mozambican Sign Language has allowed me to bring our school community closer to the deaf community by communicating what I have learned.
Hopefully, this is a sign of the changing times. From winning World Cups to losing qualifiers, the decline of West Indies cricket is a sad story in the Caribbean. By Ameet "Two views of Chris Gayle" by It's No Game is licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Sir Vivian Richards, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle. These are legendary names in cricket history and, apart from being brilliant players, they also have in common that they represented the West Indies (Windies) cricket team. The West Indies are a group of crescent-shaped islands situated in the Caribbean. They separate the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. And once this isolated location in the middle of the ocean was the centre of global cricket. West Indies was one of the first teams to be part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as they joined in 1928. They had a slow start, but after some time they eventually won two ODI world cups in a row and became a major force in the sport. One Day International (ODI) World Cups are held only once every four years and the Windies won two in a row in 1975 and 1979. And there was a time from the mid-late 1970s to the early 1990s when they were the best team in the world, leading the pack with an aggressive, vibrant style. The 2010 documentary Fire in Babylon explores their rise to the top of the game. Years later, the West Indies also won the T20 World Cup twice and the Champions Trophy once respectively, including a final over thriller in the 2016 T20 World Cup. After these T20 World Cup wins though, the West Indies have either finished at the bottom of the points table or not even qualified for World Cups. One main headline being that they didn’t qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup. The two main causes of this recent decline are: Poor management skills: The board for West Indies cricket does not seem to manage their team effectively. For example, the players didn’t play any ODIs before the 2023 ODI World Cup qualifier making them rusty, which meant that they could not perform to their fullest potential. A lack of stability: The board for West Indies cricket keeps on changing team selections, making the players and the staff frustrated as well as confused. This frustration causes players to experience a lack of concentration and form. This decline has really affected the quality of cricket that the Windies are playing as they don’t even win qualifiers anymore. However, they can turn their fortunes around as they are hosting the 2024 T20 World Cup on home soil along with the USA. This will be a great opportunity for them to get back to winning ways as they have home advantage. Let's see if they can bring back the heyday and light some more fires in the Carribean and worldwide. Works Cited: Indiagk.net. “West Indies Wins T20 World Cup 2016.” Indiagk.net, 4 Apr. 2016, www.indiagk.net/2016/04/west-indies-wins-t20-world-cup-2016.html. Accessed 2 May 2024. Sky Sports. “West Indies Fail to Qualify for World Cup for First Time after Scotland Humbling.” Sky Sports, 1 July 2023, www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12912862/west-indies-fail-to-qualify-for-world-cup-for-first-time-after-scotland-humbling. Accessed 2 May 2024. Sportica. “The Downfall of West Indies Cricket.” Www.youtube.com, 27 Feb. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVaEGUm2cks. Accessed 2 May 2024. Wikipedia Contributors. “West Indies.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indies. Accessed 2 May 2024. ZeTo49. “On This Day in 1975 - This Invincible West Indies Side Lifted the Inaugural ODI World Cup, Beating Australia in the Final by 19 Runs.” Reddit, 21 June 2017, www.reddit.com/r/Cricket/comments/6im6y6/on_this_day_in_1975_this_invincible_west_indies/?rdt=45291. Accessed 2 May 2024. Astrology has been around for thousands of years and some swear by its insights, while others dismiss it as a wacky pseudoscience. So can astrology and the scientific community co-exist? By Rujula Photo by Nastya Dulhiier on Unsplash Astrology refers to the observation of the movements of stars and celestial bodies and the use of these to interpret common human affairs and the natural world. The experts in this area are called astrologers. They observe and interpret star, planetary and constellation movements in order to foretell the future of each respective zodiac sign. Many of the instruments used by astrologers are astronomical and some methods more astrological, such as large sundials of zodiac signs. Such instruments exist and are in use in, for example, India. Astrology originated in Mesopotamia and traveled to India. At the time when there was no distracting light pollution, skies were clear and people began to see patterns and shapes among the stars and then to predict what those movements might mean. So astrology is thousands of years old, not just the latest internet fad. It developed its western form in Egypt and In India the skill was named Vedic Astrology. It might be seen as a middle point between mythology and astronomy. It was seen as kind of science, although when science developed more, many started to increasingly question astrology. The history of science is filled with many intense debates. For example, when Galileo Galilei, a famous Italian scientist, brought scientific concepts to the church, people were enraged. They thought he was advocating against the central role of God. Throughout history people have longed for something to hold on to, something to believe in. And science is definitely not that. It always changes with new evidence and is uncertain. Many people, especially in countries like India, believe in God and mythology along with science, so they can potentially experience the benefits of both. Whereas they feel that science can’t always explain all things and how they work, mythology has an explanation, a narrative, for everything. It gives humans a dream, a possibility to hold on to meaning. Scientists are often totally against astrology, arguing that it offers no logical explanations. They believe that astronomers can use reason to work through their misunderstandings but astrologers can’t. Another argument used it that astrologers claim to know the position of planets but historically failed to find the positions of Uranus and Neptune, which were later found by scientists. In the end, astrology gives no clear evidence that stars and planets actually affect our futures and behaviors. Instead, it uses mythology, stories and ideas which are hard to prove with science. Science doesn’t have any explanation for this. Another reason is false predictions. Jeane Dixon is an example of a famous astrologer who made many false predictions. She predicted that Richard Nixon would win the 1960 elections but he did not win. Now there are a lot of reasons for why astrological predictions are fake 90% of the time. This is because 90% of those astrologers are not actually astrologers. In ancient times only sages used to have and this knowledge. whereas nowadays people state they are astrologers just by watching YouTube videos. There are many apps and websites that claim to teach you astrology. For example:- The Pattern. Astrology is not an easy art but a very easy way to gain money. Many people pretend to be fortune tellers just to get money out of people. More causes of false prediction are:-
Now let’s see through the astrological point of view. Many astrologers don’t agree with the criticisms. They are not interested in defending astrology on the grounds of science. They say that they never said it was a science. The thing that makes astrology interesting is the way the story is told, the way the astrologer tells you your own data. Astrology is a mysterious kind of skill. It is supposed to be the pleasure of interpretation that counts. So trying to prove it with logic kind of misses the point of it. Also, the systems are thousands of years old and were developed by spiritual gurus and saints. It is pretty hard to cross-question a system that has been around for so long and prove it. It would mean that you are questioning the work of all those people who spiritual communities are devoted to. Plus, there have been many failures but also astrologers who have made accurate predictions. Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash In the end, having these perspectives really is an interesting facet of our lives. The debate between astrology and science has been here for a long time, but that’s the fun of it. It gives you a choice to make. They each have their own scope and space in our lives. Science is young, has achieved amazing things and can do wonders in the future. Astrology, meanwhile, speaks to our past and can keep us pushing for meanings in the future. Maybe in the future there will be a way of explaining astrology, especially considering the neuroscience research being carried out now on things like meditation to explore what power there is beyond our conscious minds. We have come a long way and will continue to search for more. Maybe in the future science and astrology will finally be at peace. In the meantime, let’s celebrate having these different perspectives and choices.
Works Cited An, et al. “Why Astrological Predictions Fail at Times? - Times of India.” The Times of India, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/horoscope/why-astrological-predictions-fail-at-times/articleshow/68205126.cms. “Astrology Fails the Test of Science (2).” Www.truthmagazine.com, www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume34/GOT034263.html. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024. “Development of Astrology from Ancient to Modern Times | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, www.britannica.com/summary/astrology#:~:text=It%20originated%20in%20Mesopotamia%20(c. Dufrin, Moriah. “Astrology & Christianity: What Does the Bible Say about the Zodiac and Horoscopes?” Journey Homeschool Academy, 8 Aug. 2022, journeyhomeschoolacademy.com/astrology-christianity-what-does-bible-say-zodiac-horoscopes/#:~:text=Believing%20in%20the%20power%20and. “Exploring Astrology: Is It Science?” The Times of India, 4 Mar. 2024, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/others/exploring-astrology-is-it-science/articleshow/108212192.cms. “How Astrology Evolved, from Mesopotamia to Instagram | the Backstory | the New Yorker.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpk5QFt8h2w. “How Does Astrology Work? Here’s Everything You Should Know!” AstroTalk Blog - Online Astrology Consultation with Astrologer, 23 July 2023, astrotalk.com/astrology-blog/how-does-astrology-work-insideastro-iakc7/. “Jantar Mantar Jaipur- Tourism, Facts, History, Jantar Mantar.” Www.indiaeasytrip.com, www.indiaeasytrip.com/jantar-mantar-jaipur.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024. “Why Is It That 90% of Astrological Predictions Are Inaccurate?” Quora, 2019, www.quora.com/Why-is-it-that-90-of-astrological-predictions-are-inaccurate. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024. Why aren't the Paralympics seen as being on a par with the "real" Olympics? By Ama Richard Gillin from St Albans, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons You’ve almost certainly watched the Olympic Games, but what about the Paralympic Games? The Paralympics is an international sports competition for athletes with disabilities. An interesting fact is the prefix “para” means “parallel” or side by side. But let’s be honest: the Paralympics are not side by side with what people might consider to the "real" Olympics. For example, in 2020 15.5 million people watched the Olympic Games every single night, while only 14 million watched the entire Paralympics Games. The Paralympics happen every four years and host many of the same events as the Olympics, such as alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and many more sports. The Games started in 1948 as a competition for injured service people in wheelchairs and now include athletes with many categories of disability, such as limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or vision impairment. This year the Games will be hosted in Paris, France and will see athletes in 22 different sports compete against each other in over 500 events, making it the biggest Paralympics ever. Sports like badminton and taekwondo only made their debut four years ago, so things are always changing in the exciting world of adaptive sports. There are many talented athletes that have competed in the Paralympics. For example, Joo Jennog-hun, who is missing his right hand, won a bronze medal in Taekwondo at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Also, Alia Issa, who contracted smallpox as a child and has a hard time balancing, was the first woman para athlete to compete in the 2020 Refugee Team in the women’s club throw event. Meanwhile, Abbas Karimi was born without arms and is a competitive swimmer after moving to the US from Afghanistan. While Hope Gordon was the first ever British female para nordic skier. She was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and had to have her left leg amputated above the knee. These amazing athletes are making sports history and are not the only ones by far. These Paralympians - more than any other athletes - embody the Olympic Spirit. This spirit is about fair play, resilience and kindness. As Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, put it, “the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." Who embodies these struggles better than Paralympic athletes? There are many reasons why people know less about the Paralympics than the Olympics, but the main reason may be a lack of media exposure. Multiple gold-medallist Lauren Woolstencroft is one of many people who have stated that there needs to be "proportional coverage". Some people even think combining the two events could help to raise the profile of the Paralympics even though it might have disadvantages too. And why are the Paralympics so important anyway? Well, watching the Paralympic Games sends the message that people's disabilities can become incredible abilities. This can bring about social change in terms of how disabled people are seen and respected. So go put it in your calendar: Aug 28 - Sept 8. Tune into the events in Paris. As the slogan says, "Games Wide Open". Let's help the Paralympics make society more open for all of us. How is Robert F Kennedy Jr. using the power of TikTok to snatch the youth vote from Trump and Biden? By Laia Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Election season is an intense and chaotic time for any country, and this is no exception in the United States of America. Although the 2024 referendum is still awaited, time is ticking, and the American people have already begun to set their minds on assessing the running candidates for this November. Trump and Biden are of course the two front runners, splitting people's loyalties in quite extreme ways at times along Republican and Democrat lines. Up and coming candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., however, has jumped straight into the race and has begun to make strong appearances across the media, advocating for his candidacy. And he is using controversial Chinese video service TikTok to do it. As the nephew of John F Kennedy, and more generally a member of one of America's most respected political families, Kennedy already has a path paved for success in his career, but in recent months he has found a new tactic to help him gain younger voters' interest and approval. Most TikTok users from the U.S. have likely seen one or more of his viral minute long videos, where he creates posts ranging from his campaign policies and beliefs, to interviews and podcast clips, and often even content of him interacting with citizens and working hands on projects. An influx of positive comments and replies have flooded social media applications, with younger audiences interacting heavily with the content. With the election still months away, we don't yet know what the outcomes will be, but what is sure is that Kennedy's campaign is making a statement- and one that has proven to be highly effective. A poll released showed that 34% of voters between the ages of 18-26 have shown favor for him, as opposed to Trump or Biden. The age demographic for TikTok users is mostly centered around the youth, with around two thirds being people between the ages of 18 and 34. It is often said that young people are one of the key foundations of society.'s progress. New generations have open minds that are both influential and easily influenced, and youth often brings in fresh perspectives and important insights that need to be conveyed to the wider society. Especially with the ever changing use of technology and social media, the needs and beliefs of young people have become increasingly prevalent across issues such as climate change, the justice system and the economy. This is why Kennedy's approach has been so successful, as it is empowering the youth by giving them sources, information and opportunities to share their thoughts on the very platform that has become such a central part of their everyday lives. TikTok, the sensation of an app that has gone viral around the world in recent years, has been a tool for information to be spread to each corner of the globe. Though social media has always posed a risk of misinformation and false news, it has also given voice and an opportunity for thousands to tell their stories. This can either be a threat to politicians or a gift. It simply depends on how they choose to use it. Humans have almost always associated experience and knowledge with age, giving the upper hand to older generations in political conversations and positions of authority, but this is beginning to change and Kennedy is proving it. By allowing younger audiences to feel engaged and acknowledged by his party, he is seemingly gaining rapid support for his candidacy and has quickly become a strong opponent to Trump and Biden, despite running as an independent party. This is not to suggest that he will win the 2024 election to become the President of the United States, but his efforts to connect with new and fresh minds is compelling and is most definitely changing the game, just as Obama's Yes We Can campaign inspired young voters in 2008. With billionaires creating more and more rockets every year, NASA’s ongoing Artemis programme and Perseverance as well as Curiosity and Tianwen-1 exploring the Martian surface - not to mention the impending threat of the deployment of a nuclear weapon to destroy millions of satellites and the International Space Station - the theme of space exploration is more prominent than ever before. So, with the rapid advancement of space technology and different big players involved in high stakes space politics, the inevitable question arises: is this the start of another space race? By Viktoriia When most people think about the space race, the images they largely conjure up are of the Apollo programme, the landing on the Moon, the launch of Sputnik and Yury Gagarin as the first person in space. Essentially defined by the rivalry between the United States and the U.S.S.R. However, it is little known that, aside from this 1960s seminal cosmic competition, there have been multiple other, lesser-known space races: the Mars Race, The Billionaire Space Race, the Google Lunar X Prize, the Ansari X Prize, and even the development of the Amerika Bomber, as specified by the contract signed by Nazi Germany during WWII to create a strategic bomber to pose threats to the United States of America. These space races have been swept aside by the glory and patriotic commissioning of the Space Race in the 1960s and lost in history. However, it may be time to reconsider our definition of a space race in the light of recent events in the development of space exploration. The definition of a space race, according to the Oxford Languages Dictionary is; “the competition between nations regarding achievements in the field of space exploration”. Are current events in space simply an extension of standard economic and political competition between nations and businesses, or could this be a prelude to a more seismic, era-defining rivalry for access to space's resources? The 1960s Space Race was the basis of the establishment of this definition, therefore, in order to establish the connection between the current events and the dynamics and features of a space race, it is critical to compare and contrast the two time periods. Involvement Perhaps the most notable difference between the Space Race in the 1960s and the advancement of current events is the number of countries and agencies involved. In the 1960s, the two major parties involved were the U.S.S.R and the United States of America, however, this space race was not only targeted at improving space technologies, but rather, it was a competition between two large political systems: Capitalism and Communism. This was another chapter of the Cold War - defined by a sense of hostility towards the other party involved, which was perpetuated through misinformation, propaganda and proxy wars. This period lasted from 1947 to 1991 and the events within this space race were fueled by the desire to demonstrate political and sociological superiority over the other system of governance. However, while the Space Race of the 1960s had only two major parties involved, the current events are based on the involvement of a variety of nations in addition to commercial organisations. Countries involved include the United States of America, India, China, Japan and various European countries. This does not account for the various other independent space organisations, such as SpaceX, which are involved within the establishment of new technologies and strategies to promote and further space exploration. Cooperation between various parties has also been established to achieve higher impacts on the advancement of space exploration such as the partnership of NASA with SpaceX and Boeing as part of the Commercial Crew Program to transport astronauts into space or the continuing cooperation on the ISS between various countries, including Japan, Canada, Europe and the US to conduct experiments and maintain a base for exploration outside Earth, although there are threats to the future of this due to the political conflict with Russia. Overall, the countries involved within space exploration and the political environment surrounding the development of technology are highly different, so does this mean that the current events cannot be labelled a space race in the same intense, high stakes way the Cold War one was? Technology Another critical aspect of any space race is the technologies being developed during the period and, while significantly more technology is available today than ever before, some of the new technologies generated are targeted at resolving similar issues as were previously targeted in the 1960s. The main objectives then were targeted at going beyond the Earth and gaining some dominance outside of the planet. At first, these were mainly a variety of satellites launched into Earth orbit. However, as the space programmes developed further, ambitions turned to the Moon, partly for its political symbolism. One of the first events credited to the Space Race was the launch of the first satellite - Sputnik 1- created by the U.S.S.R to test the possibility of launching satellites into space as well as obtaining basic information on the atmosphere. Following that, the United States launched Explorer 1, equipped with a ray detector to measure the effect of radiation on the atmosphere. The first aircraft capable of supporting a human was the Vostok 1, the aim of which was to eject the person with the aircraft into a parachuted seat after they were lifted 7 km above ground. Perhaps the most advanced technological developments during the Space Race of the 1960s was the Apollo programme with Apollo 8 becoming the first rocket to sustain a human flight around the Moon and Apollo 11 hosting the first human landing on the surface of the Moon. The purpose of the programme was to further scientific exploration outside of the Earth and to promote the development of human survival on the surface of the Moon. This was perhaps the main goal of all previous technologies developed throughout the Space Race in the 1960s. The technology developed recently has been vastly different, though some of the critical goals of space exploration remain similar despite the passage of time. Recently, there have been a variety of programmes announced to further space exploration and extend the opportunities of humanity including NASA’s Artemis programme, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and the collaboration between Japan and the United States to send Japanese astronauts into space. Recently, a Chinese programme, called Chang’e was established to verify the chemical composition of the lunar surface and, eventually, to soft-land on the side of the moon opposite to the one visible from Earth. The Artemis programme is another large space exploration programme established recently by NASA, and the principal purpose of this mission is to enable long-term exploration of the moon and Mars through elements such as the Orion spacecraft and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. In order to carry out this vision, other space companies have been involved, such as SpaceX, which generated various necessary elements such as Starship - a launch vehicle - and the Dragon, designed to transport astronauts into low orbit, and, possibly, to the moon and Mars as technologies advance. Boeing has also been involved within the Artemis programme through manufacture of parts of the booster rockets to launch the crew and Orion spacecraft into space.The Orion spacecraft itself is a complex combination of previously-designed elements such as the heat shield, the consumable storage system, and reaction control system thrusters, an accomplishment which was unimaginable in the 1960s. Despite the drastic differences in the technologies developed in the Space Race of the 1960s and the current advancements, some of the goals remain, such as the central role of the moon. Competition or development? Ultimately, to determine whether current events could be considered a space race, it is critical to understand whether they are tied to a certain quality and intensity of competition or whether they are simply part of general global development and advancements within science. In the 1960s, the space race was centred around warring systems of governance. However, recent developments have relied on some cooperation with various space programmes, and yet, is there more to the seemingly non-competitive arrangement of space missions? A potential illustration of this competition is the shift in India’s space exploration profile. Previously, the missions launched by India were targeted at boosting economic and social benefits for the country and society. However, in recent times, the interests have shifted to more visible programmes, with more high-profile exploration and prominence within the space efforts of other nations. One of the explanations for this sudden change in the Indian space programme is international pressure, which, in this case, was arguably mainly due to the advancement of the Chinese space programme. In recent years, China has established two independent space stations, promoted the launch of astronauts into space, facilitated the establishment of multiple probes and rovers on the moon and is planning to further assert the country’s presence in space. Furthermore, space exploration could be used to enhance national security, with China’s military presence being a threat to India, which is claimed to be another driver for the expansion of Indian space exploration. India has launched various satellites in order to enhance knowledge of areas surrounding the borders of the country after the Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008 to avoid reliance on navigation from other nations and to allow communication between various military units. China conducted a series of anti-satellite tests in 2007, leading to concerns over India’s existing satellites and to the establishment of the country’s own anti-satellite missions. If India’s goal lies in military protection, it would not be the first country to establish a space programme accordingly. In 2019, the United States military gained a new branch, the Space Force, a programme targeted at training personnel and ensuring collaboration with companies such as Boeing to provide additional national security. Israel has also attempted to get involved with the usage of intelligence satellites through the launch of Ofeq 3, and while this was not wholly successful, Israel has conducted further attempts to increase monitoring through satellites. The Japanese military also relies on satellites to establish accurate and independent communication and countries such as South Korea and Turkey both have satellites capable of providing accurate imaging. Recently, stress has been further laid on the necessity of space exploration as a form of defence. Could this be moving in the direction of a new militaristic space race? While the current progress with space exploration may seem unrelated to the events of the 1960s, some of the goals, such as the ones regarding lunar exploration remain and the urgency to generate an effective space programme has risen. The importance of space exploration has been emphasised through competition over having a dominant presence in space as well as the mining of potential resources, however, it is uncertain what will happen in the future. It is likely that, not long into the future, space tourism would expand vastly in popularity and efforts towards the colonisation and exploration of the Moon would be redoubled in strength, however, nobody could say in which direction our further efforts would bring humanity. Could humans set foot on Mars for the first time and could colonisation be possible? Would space exploration extend beyond the Milky Way and who will be the major players involved? Could we find extraterrestrial planets and even life, and if so, what would be the implications? Works cited “Amerikabomber.” Wikipedia, 13 Dec. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerikabomber. Britannica. “Cold War | Causes, Facts, & Summary.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Jan. 2024, www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War. Chang, Kenneth. “Jeff Bezos’ Big Rocket Moves into View and Closer to Launch.” The New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/02/21/science/bezos-blue-origin-rocket.html. Dooling, Dave. “Chang’e.” SpaceNext50 | Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 May 2019, www.britannica.com/explore/space/change/. “Gateway - NASA.” NASA, www.nasa.gov/mission/gateway/. Howell, Elizabeth. “The New Space Race.” SpaceNext50 | Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Aug. 2019, www.britannica.com/explore/space/the-new-space-race/#:~:text=Space%20exploration%20today%20is%20a. J. Broad, William . “Atom Bombs in Space Are back to Scare Us Again.” The New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/science/space-nuclear-bomb-putin.html. Accessed 7 Mar. 2024. “List of Space Races.” Wikipedia, 24 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_races. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024. Loff, Sarah. “Explorer 1 Overview - NASA.” NASA, 18 Mar. 2015, www.nasa.gov/history/explorer-1-overview/. NASA. “Artemis - NASA.” Nasa.gov, www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis/. “International Space Station - NASA.” NASA, 23 May 2023, www.nasa.gov/reference/international-space-station/. “NASA Commits to Future Artemis Moon Rocket Production - NASA.” Nasa.gov, 9 Dec. 2022, www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-commits-to-future-artemis-moon-rocket-production/#:~:text=NASA%20has%20finalized%20its%20contract. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024. “Sputnik 1 - NASA.” NASA, 4 Oct. 2011, www.nasa.gov/image-article/sputnik-1/. “The Apollo Program - NASA.” Nasa.gov, www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/#:~:text=Apollo. NASA’s Commercial Crew Partners Mission Profile. Peters, Erika. “Meet NASA’s Orion Spacecraft - NASA.” NASA, 7 July 2022, www.nasa.gov/missions/meet-nasas-orion-spacecraft/#section-1. Rajagopalan, Rajeswari Pillai. “India’s Space Priorities Are Shifting toward National Security.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1 Sept. 2022, carnegieendowment.org/2022/09/01/india-s-space-priorities-are-shifting-toward-national-security-pub-87809. Stroikos, Dimitrios. “Why Does India Want to Be a Space Power? | LSE Research.” Www.lse.ac.uk, 10 Oct. 2023, www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-for-the-world/politics/india-space-programme. It might be small in size, but the humble ukulele has a fascinating history and is becoming more popular every year By Maria Photo by Alexandra Tran on Unsplash It might be a sweet instrument, but is there another connection between the Hawaiian ukulele and sugar? Actually, there is and it’s a very significant one. Back in the 1800s, Hawaii was known for its sugar plantations and had not yet been annexed by the US (1898). Portuguese migrants would go to the island to work on the sugar plantations and it was they who originated the ukulele. Three immigrants from the Portuguese island of Madeira - Manuel Nunes, José de Espírito Santo and Augusto Dias - developed the ukulele in the 1880s based on the look and sound of certain Portuguese instruments, such as the cavaquinho, machete, timple, and rajão. Hawaiians were impressed by the Portuguese creation and days later the instrument was played for the Hawaiian royals, King Kalakaua and Queen Emma. The name of the ukulele in the Hawaiian language means “jumping fleas”, probably because of the player’s fingers jumping from string to string. Decades later, the ukulele was exported to America and became a kitsch instrument, for example in films set in Hawaii. It was not taken seriously like the piano or the guitar and was sometimes seen as a children's instrument. In recent times the Ukulele has experienced a boost in popularity thanks to its use by artists such as Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift and people have started to gain more respect for the instrument. Organizations like Rockschool in the UK have started to provide accredited training courses for the ukulele just like they do for the guitar and piano. It is no longer seen as the toy it once was. And phenomenal ukulele players like Jake Shimabukuro have highlighted what a versatile instrument it is, allowing players to play all genres of music. To learn about the fascinating history of the ukulele in more detail, listen to this BBC World Service The Forum podcast, which features ukulele experts discussing its past, present and future (39 minutes).
We have been talking about the history of the ukulele, but what about its future? Will the Ukulele continue to tell interesting stories? And maybe you can be one of them. After all, if it’s good enough for kings and queens, it’s worth trying out for yourself.
Bruised by ballet, writing a spoken word slam poem helped me to see a healthier way forward.
By Lucy
Photo by David Hofmann on Unsplash
My slam poem communicates the conflicted relationship I've had with my once-obsessive ballet routine and its constant physical exertions. The combination of visuals and words in my piece Stop and Think highlights the aspirations I had to become this prima ballerina, before I had to face reality and go through moments of deep reflection to understand how I could flow towards my limits, rather than beyond them.
Stop and Think is a personal example of a moment in life in when someone causes themselves severe harm both physically and mentally. This slam poem is designed to encourage others to take a moment of contemplation and to carefully consider their life choices and actions. In the end, the time it takes to stop and think is well worth it. As the poet Kahlil Gibran says, "rest in reason and move in passion". It's a confusing world when labels like "healthy", "organic" and "sugar-free" might provide more questions than answers. By Polly ParentingPatch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Last year in Mr. Rui's Grade 8 English class, we were asked to write an advocacy speech on any chosen social issue. I wrote a speech about the alarming effects of mislabeling. I didn't plan to write about this issue; in fact, I intended to write about how corrupt ocean fisheries are. After carrying out some research, however, I quickly became very interested in and shocked by the issues around food labelling and even had many real life situations to relate it to. Below is the speech I wrote and delivered, which I hope will be thought-provoking for you and help you make the choices you want to make when you next go food and drink shopping. Baby food. Any parent would buy it. It can be cheap and in any supermarket here the prices start at only around 60 meticais. According to the labels, products like children's yoghurts are made with tons of natural fruit and are covered with health approving stickers on the cute little plastic pots. How good will this make parents feel, providing such nutritious food for their children yet not spending large amounts of money? Doesn't that sound like such a great deal? 60 meticais for something so healthy. Too good to be true? Actually, yes. I looked into the small print on some of these products and it revealed unimaginable amounts of sugar and unhealthy ingredients that shouldn't be fed to babies. I bet you didn't expect that and I don't blame you. Who would do this? Unfortunately, thousands of companies mislabel their products just like this. The other day I was grocery shopping with my mom and when she saw a yoghurt with apparently real vanilla beans she thought she had to buy it and try it out. Fortunate.y, I stopped her in time and read the back of the item to really make sure the logo wasn't misleading her as I was learning that this happens often, where "sugar free" children's drinks, for example, might contain up to 50% of fruit sugars. An example aside from the baby food is one of the most commonly mislabeled products: seafood. One meta-study in 2021 revealed that 44% of seafood was mislabelled. Photo by Russell Miranda on Unsplash Another of the commonly mislabeled products that we know about are everyday eggs. Were you aware that "free-range" hens are not necessarily mean "cage-free"? In other words, that free-range hens can often spend much of their time locked up, though cage-free rates are increasing. This proves just how effective words can be; how much words matter. Consumers can be persuaded to buy a product just by using the right vocabulary, though often these words are really just words and not reality. Unfortunately, all of this isn't the only problem. False labeling isn't only incredibly unethical but can and will also negatively affect our health. In 2018, "companies spent $21 million dollars advertising dangerously unhealthy and sweetened drinks across all media in the U.S as healthy", even though decades of research "confirms that drinking too many sugary drinks can raise the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, numerous allergic reactions and on and on." This makes it a real struggle for us to learn the truth, when research and facts are so different to what we see on the product labels. Advertising these drinks appears to increase companies' profits, but it doesn't improve our health, our children's health or our future as a global society. This can't be what we, the consumers truly want, but only what companies want in order to take advantage of our ignorance and profit from it. Take Coke Zero as an example, a soda that all of us have surely at least heard of. Coke Zero is supposedly a “healthier” version of Coca-Cola, and therefore more popular amongst some customers. Truth be told, however, research tells us that yes, coke zero does have less sugar but at the cost of having so many more sweeteners, which makes the "healthier" version potentially just as bad or even worse. So is the difference in sugar really worth the extra chemicals entering our bodies? Well, that's often the health market for you; selling an item as healthy or healthier when most of the time it isn't. Photo by Marcus Dietachmair on Unsplash The name Coke Zero is perfect for the product but not because it contains zero sugar, but rather because it contains zero nutritional value and has zero positive health effects. Those Infrequent times when the health food market promotes actually healthy items, it markets them as trendy, exclusive foods like chia seeds, quinoa and many more. Labels overhype all of these organic products and in response they sell exceptionally well and at inflated prices. The important question here is why? Why do thousands of companies do this when they know what it's doing to us? The health food market has a value of 936.7 Billion USD. 936.7 Billion. No wonder profit-seeking companies do this, despite knowing that it's slowly killing us and our environment. Our home. It's hard to believe but after all of this comes another horrifying effect of mislabeling. As I said before, fish is commonly mislabeled; not just the types of fish and where they come from but how they are caught. Companies make million dollar profits from selling small barely noticeable badges quoting "dolphin safe". This takes me to our oceans. As you probably know, most tuna is caught with gigantic fishing nets catching fish but also large numbers of dolphins, turtles and even sharks. This issue has led many people to quit their consumption of fish, so companies have come up with the idea of selling their products as “bycatch free” fish. That sounds fair. Eat fish, but save the ocean.As the documentary Seaspiracy highlights, these labels cannot always be trusted and bycatch is an inevitable result of these fishing methods. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash So we have to stop. But what exactly can we do? What we can do is make a change. What we can do is educate ourselves. What we can do is inform others. Some countries have already started the process of change. The South African government, for example, has recently banned all food items with trendy labels such as “smart-food”, “wholesome” or “nutritious”. Instead of relying on slogans, approving stickers or simply the name of the product, we have to read the back of the label properly. I know this may sound annoying and time consuming and may be a lot to ask for, but reading each item carefully will make a huge difference to the quality of our diets, with only a small sacrifice.
Another easy way to avoid getting trapped by misleading labels is not relying on aesthetic and trendy designs. Aesthetically pleasing packaging is often a strategy companies use to attract consumers. So my message is: don't judge a product on its design; don't judge a product by its label; judge what you consume by researched facts, which will drastically improve not only your life, but the life of your children and the life of our planet. Hey, gamers. Picture this, it's a Saturday afternoon, and you're playing your favorite video game, battling monsters and exploring worlds, but have you ever stopped and thought about how your habits might be impacting other parts of your life? By Luqmaan Photo by Javier Martínez on Unsplash Let me share a story. Earlier in my school days, I was obsessed with gaming. I'd spend hours on my console, exploring worlds, getting wins. While I was enjoying it, I noticed that my grades and happiness were starting to drop. I was struggling to find the time to hang out with friends and I was more distanced from my family, which led me to think about it for a while. Are games really just made for entertainment, or do they impact our lives more than we realize? Is it possible to enjoy gaming and still develop our academic and social skills? Yes, gaming can affect school grades. Consider this: you find yourself spending long hours gaming and not spending enough time on assignments or studying, in which case the impact on academic performance can be high. I can relate to this from my own experience. My gaming obsession started to negatively affect my grades. The extra hours exploring worlds and completing challenges inevitably meant less time for doing assignments and studying. The unlimited nature of gaming makes it very easy to get sucked into it deeper and deeper. One study “involving 2,000 children aged nine to 18, who spent an average of seven hours and 38 minutes in front of screens, found that 27 percent reported less than excellent mental health, with 19 percent reporting poor mental health.” Perhaps surprisingly, these kids spent more time playing video games each week than some adults spend at their full-time jobs. The evidence is not clear cut, however. Another study found that Australian high school students who played games online almost daily “scored significantly higher in math, reading, and science – 15 percent in math and reading and 17 percent in science – compared to the average student.” Video games can have different effects on school grades, time management, and social interaction. Naturally, less time studying can have negative impacts on learning. However, some educational games can be potentially beneficial for learning, helping students reinforce things they have learned in class. In terms of social interaction, multiplayer games can improve teamwork and communication, though spending too much time on them can lead to isolation and a lack of face-to-face social activities, which is not ideal for social development. How games impact us depends on what types of games we play, how much time we spend on them, and the overall balance we achieve in our lives. What are the impacts of different types of games on academic performance? According to some studies, educational video games offer cognitive benefits by engaging players in problem-solving tasks. However, there is a risk of distraction because of the prolonged exposure to screen time. Board games are good for face-to-face interactions and improving social and cognitive development, though they lack the physical activity found in outdoor games. By having a balance of all of these and not overdoing them, we can learn to get the benefits from each of them. Binge playing is tempting, but it is not likely to lead to positive outcomes in the long run. The positive effects on learning of playing challenging games is evident in the research. These games speed up response times, enhance troubleshooting skills, and foster quick and creative thinking. Additionally, they encourage teamwork, as multiplayer games are shown to boost collaboration and problem-solving in group formats. These games can also improve strategy and leadership abilities because players are in command, and have to make decisions to lead their team to victory. According to research done at Helsinki University, “They also contribute to language learning, where on-screen instructions, player communication, and narrations aid in acquiring other languages.” Photo by OPPO Find X5 Pro on Unsplash Excessive gaming, however, can have significant impacts on academic performance. .Spending too much time on games can make it hard to prioritize and use time wisely for your academic tasks. Research shows that gameplaying can lead us to procrastinate and not give enough time to studying, finishing assignments, or preparing for tests. This can result in starting work too late, rushing it, and then feeling stressed because of the piled up work. Therefore, understanding how gaming impacts our time management is crucial to our mental health. There are multiple strategies that can help students manage their time. One strategy is to finish schoolwork before gaming. For example, setting up a routine where gaming is only allowed after completing your work. This can be a good idea as you get motivated to complete your work to get the reward of playing. The book Atomic Habits highlights how setting up small routines can have powerful benefits. Another tip is not to stay up late gaming. Many teens play games late into the night, which can lead to body clock issues such as feeling tired during the day and trouble falling asleep, which can in turn affect concentration and mood. Also, setting a time limit such as the Pomodoro technique can help students create more balanced habits. By using these strategies, students can enjoy gaming while still staying on top of their schoolwork. When it comes to social skills, playing video games can impact them in different ways. Some games encourage teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking, which can be helpful in real-life interactions. Online gaming communities also let people connect with other gamers from different places. However, spending too much time on these platforms and avoiding face-to-face interactions can lead to isolation. This can lead to students distancing themselves at school and not talking to their peers, which can affect their ability to contribute to group work. Gaming should not be seen as a replacement for real life social interactions. Certain video games such as “Halo and Rock Band promote teamwork and communication as players work together to achieve common goals. These games enhance team cohesion and performance”, while other games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends can also connect you with friends as they stay engaging for a long time. Games designed to improve social interaction, like “Codenames, The Resistance, and Pandemic, offer fun experiences that encourage collaboration, communication, and teamwork. Codenames involve deciphering words through communication, The Resistance requires trust in navigating secret roles, and Pandemic encourages cooperation to prevent global disease outbreaks.” These are just a few of the many games that exist.
Prioritizing the balance between gaming and academics is important for academic and life success, just as taking care of your physical and mental health is important for a long and happy life. It's not easy, but with grit and good choices, you can have a balanced life where you can have fun every day, whilst still succeeding. Maybe we should see this challenge as just another type of game. So, let’s get playing and go through the levels. Works cited page This year in Grade 9 English, Mr. Nick's students have been encouraged to explore any topic they feel worthy of condemnation and to transform pens into protest signs. Ranging from issues as global as war or economics to something as personal as struggles with friendship and mental health - these are the issues getting tackled by the upcoming generation. See all of our poems at the dedicated Grade 9 Protest Poetry Google Site. By Atharv Ever wondered why we value numbers so much? Or why do we get distracted so easily? These seemingly random and absurd ideas have been carefully considered by the 9th graders, shedding light onto issues we often overlook. Through refining and crafting their verses, they are challenging norms, questioning authorities and standing up for what they believe in. Meanings have been layered so that there are always deeper connotations beyond the literal words. The poems intertwined words, videos and music to elicit a response from the viewer, encouraging them to think deeper. However, this wasn’t the belief at the time, where poetry was considered “an outdated Shakespearean art from that has no meaning”, as an anonymous student (me) described it. Yet, when students discovered that poetry is present in all modern and popular songs, the perception started shifting. Recent titles such as “This is America” were comprehensively analyzed, portraying poetry not as a monotonous form of literature but rather as a medium through which individuals can articulate some of their innermost thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash From analyzing poems employing a rigid iambic pentameter structure to free verse, we soon started to realize poetry is not confined by rigidity or rules; instead, it has the flexibility to embody a wide range of emotions. The value of poetry extends beyond words on paper, lying also in its capacity to connect people across cultures, generations and backgrounds. The subjective nature of poetry allows each reader to interpret and engage with texts through a personal lens, creating a unique experience that transcends other forms of communication.
This unit encouraged students to broaden their vision, and delve into an issue that they believe is worth protesting against. This meant that they were always personally engaged with their poem, ensuring that every single one of the pieces is meaningful and relevant to their lives, experiences and beliefs. For instance, an excerpt from Dakshu’s poem Lost in a Trance: The screen was so bright, my world so confined, A universe in my palm, yet hopelessly defined Like a fading star, my worth dims every night There are many more like this on our dedicated Grade 9 Protest Poetry Google Site (read Echoes of the Trenches by me if you want to read the most profound piece 😉) The Grade 9 team sincerely hopes you enjoy reading and viewing our work. Why don't we see game designers as artists? We call musicians artists, movie directors artists, artists artists. Why not game designers? They usually stay hidden in the shadows, but is this because the games take centre stage or because gaming is not really respected as an art form? By Michael Games can take years to design and develop, just like a novel or a music album. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for example, took eight years to finally be released. Top level game designers are not only thinking of entertainment. They want players to have the best experience possible, socialize with others in an engaging way and maybe even learn something about life. As the developer of Metal Gear Solid Hideo Kojima states in a New York Times interview, “you will attempt to bridge the divides in society and in doing so create new bonds or ‘Strands’ with other players around the globe. Through your experience playing the game, I hope you’ll come to understand the true importance of forging connections with others.” Game designers who create games set in historical contexts also need to learn about history so that they can make their games as realistic as possible. For example, the Assassin's Creed games take place during events like the Peloponnesian War and The God of War series is based on the rivalry between Athens and the Spartans. Gaming has come a long way as an art. We can go all the way back to the first generation of games like Tennis for Two, a simple couch co-op game for two friends to play together, that was released in 1958. It was designed by William Higinbotham and Robert Dvorak and surely they should be seen as pioneer artists when we think about how gaming has developed since they showed the world what was possible. Photo by Ivan Mercado on Unsplash They had the vision and modern day developers have taken this to a whole other level, adding more and more complex layers and creative decisions about things like: the size of the game, the graphics, cross platform use, compelling narratives, realism and fantasy elements, and how they can make the player feel empathy for the characters. And it works. Players really feel sad when someone like Arthur Morgan dies in Red Dead Redemption.
Art forms take time to develop, but hasn't gaming arrived by now? Modern day games are on the same level as other kinds of art and why would people might argue with this? Is it because there is so much negative talk all the time about games being a bad influence on children or turning people into couch potatoes? But they are separate issues. Maybe it's time we challenged our misconceptions about gaming and game designers. Plastics are now as much part of the world as we are. They have permeated every aspect of our lives. We know how microplastic is found on the most remote mountain peaks, darkest caves, and the depths of the ocean floor, but only now is the truth about microplastics inside of us being unveiled. By Cora Photo by Sören Funk on Unsplash In the next 60 seconds, one million plastic bottles will be purchased world-wide and two million plastic bags will be produced. By the end of this year, we will have produced enough plastic wrap to go around the equator ten times according to the New York Times. The problem with this man-made creation is that plastics disappear and instead forever litter our world. The UN estimates that the 400 million metric tons produced annually will remain on Earth, often breaking down from plastics into microplastics. Scientists have recently discovered microplastics inside our food and even in the air we breathe this second. They are now in our lungs, our guts, our blood, and even our brains, as well in breast milk. Nienke Vresekoop, a microplastic researcher, claims that immune cells that come into contact with microplastics die three times faster than the ones that don’t. Microplastics are woven into our systems like a poison. It does not matter your religion, age, race or status; we cannot escape this new kind of pollution. A fascinating new documentary called Plastic Pollution came out on March 13th (and will soon be released on Netflix) about how microplastic gets inside of us and the health risks that stem from this. As one of the interviewees says, "It's everywhere." Some of the most remote places in the world have around 4% of microplastic in the dust. More than 1,000 metric tons of microplastic is also deposited in those remote places annually by wind and rain. So plastics are now even in the air we breathe, no matter the place, climate, or altitude. There is increasing evidence that microplastics contribute to and may even cause a wide range of diseases now found in the modern world. Inflammation, cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowl disease, rheumatoid arthritis, genotoxicity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and autoimmune diseases may all be worsened by microplastics inside of our bodies. Microplastics travel up the food chain, from one animal to the next and are also woven into our systems through plants, grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that need soil to grow. The soil is contaminated with these plastics and when the plants take in the moisture from the soil, many small microplastics enter the plant systems. Also when it rains, the chemicals in the microplastics seep out and poison the soil, which then gets into the roots of the plants and into our systems when we consume the plants. Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash Ziya Tong, the co-director of the Discovery Channel says, “It’s not like we need some remarkable new invention to address the problem. We just have to use less plastic.”
There is no escaping the grasp of microplastic pollution. It is in every corner of the world and every inch of land. We cannot bar our doors and look away any longer. We cannot pretend this is nothing when we are poisoning ourselves and our world. In making the earth our dumping ground, we are shattering any hope we have of a healthy future.
Rock climbing is an ever-evolving sport that has captured imaginations around the world, and become one of the most popular extreme sports over the last 100 years. But there is a less visible aspect of rock climbing that might be missed by observers of the sport: the culture that has been built up around it. A culture that has inspired and given a sense of belonging to people around the world for generations.
By Jaya
As an avid climber, I decided to explore this culture for my Personal Project. I wanted to consider more deeply what it is about climbing that people like myself find so compelling and empowering.
The short film I produced explores what it’s like to be a part of the rock climbing community, how rock climbers rely on a deep trust of each other, its overall social dimensions, and how a sport is able to transform the lives of thousands of people around the world. Numerous climbing experts are interviewed from places as far afield as South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all giving insights on how how climbing has influenced their lives in profound ways. Enjoy the documentary film below and if you want to try out rock climbing for yourself, the perfect opportunity awaits you at Roc n' Rope Adventures in Waterval Boven, South Africa, only an hour away from Nelspruit.
Coding languages like Python might seem impossible to learn, but I've decided to get behind the scenes and figure out how things we use every day are programmed to work.
By Sohini
Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash
You might have heard about a quite famous language called Python. But actually what is Python? According to Educative, it is "an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built-in data structures makes it quite attractive for application development, as well as for use as scripting language to connect existing applications." In other words, it is one of the giants of coding languages used in today's digital world.
Did you know that just by learning Python it can lead to enhancing problem solving skills, logical thinking and attention to detail? It can also develop creativity skills as users will need to imagine outcomes and come up with fixes. A recent study by Statista highlighted that Python is the third most popular coding language globally, after JavaScript and HTML/CSS. So it is well worth knowing and can be found behind the scenes at many of the computer programs we use in our lives. Here are some fun facts about python. Did you know that it was started as a hobby project so that some world famous programmers could pass the Christmas holidays in 1981? What about the name "Python"? Well, that came from a TV show as the creator of the language, Guido van Rossum, loved a UK comedy show called Monty Python's Flying Circus back in the 1970s. When I was 8 or 9, I was always intrigued by the fact that programmers of games and apps typed some random numbers into a random terminal and then things happened, like some kind of magic. I always wondered how they did it. So when my Grade 6 advisors asked me to choose something off curriculum that I wanted to learn for our class project on learning how we learn, I decided to give Python a go. Even great programmers like Guido van Rossum didn’t just wake up one day and crack Python. He had to work on it for decades to make it efficient and elegant before releasing it. As Tim Peters said in his The Zen of Python poem, “Beautiful is better than ugly. Explicit is better than implicit. Simple is better than complex.” If you are also interested in learning how to code in Python, you could go to the website w3schools as it provides free tutorials on how to code in this language. It also sometimes gives quizzes to tes your knowledge of Python as you go along. How lucky we are to have this awesome language to express ourselves in. And with coding, there is something for everyone. If Python is not your thing, you can learn a different language as there are plenty to choose from. You should try out Python. It’s time to crack the code. In high-stakes, high-profile space exploration, success can raise the profile of countries and companies. and lead to important scientific breakthroughs.. But when things go wrong, there's also nowhere to hide. By Ameet 5. The Euclid Spacecraft space doodles The European Space Agency spent over a decade working on its Euclid mission before it met the skies in July. 2023 The Euclid spacecraft is a space telescope that is capable of making fine measurements of the shapes of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away. Euclid searches for the gravitational influence of dark matter and dark energy on the shapes of galaxies and of space itself. However, while commissioning Euclid’s instruments, the ESA ran into a problem. The Fine Guidance Sensor - designed to hold Euclid’s Visible Instrument on target when viewing a star field - wasn’t working properly. This caused the instrument to wobble while recording an image. As a result of this, an image taken in October looked like one of a star field with a bright, looping, lasso-like trail. Also, the camera was moving and the sparkler was a sun. Fortunately, no stars or telescopes were harmed during this and a software update fixed the problem. 4. NASA unable to open the OSIRIS-REX asteroid sample container Imagine spending 1.16 billion dollars on a bottle of Coke and then not being able to open the cap. It’s an unbelievable scenario, but it is the best way to describe the frustration of NASA’s science team. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REX) was launched in 2016 to take a sample from an asteroid near Earth called Bennu and bring it back to the Earth. This was a highly complex mission that was somehow pulled off with extremely flawless precision. It entered the Earth’s atmosphere again on September 24th, 2023 and landed in the Utah desert. Unfortunately, once the sample was placed in the Johnson Space Center, they had a massive problem.. 2 of the 35 fasteners sealing the capsule couldn't be removed. *Update: the asteroid was finally opened by the team in January of this year after four months of embarrassment and frustration. 3. Two astronauts lose a tool bag in space Have you ever had a time when you were fixing a machine, put down the screwdriver, and then couldn’t find the screwdriver? Well, NASA astronauts didn’t just lose a screwdriver, they just lost a full tool bag. In space. On November 1, 2023, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara spent more than six hours on a spacewalk to fix the exterior of the International Space Station. After that, NASA posted an update that said, “During the activity, one tool bag was inadvertently lost.” Now, the tool bag is one of the 36,000 pieces of space debris that orbit the Earth at lightning speeds of 17,000 miles per hour. 2. Russia's moon dreams dashed Russia’s Roscosmos launched Luna-25 on August 10 2023 which was hoped to soft land near the lunar South Pole, but failed and crash landed near it. It was also hoped that it would reach the moon just a few days before India’s Chandrayaan-3 did. This was supposed to give Russia pride after the Ukraine war, but after the Luna-25 crash landed, this was further dented. India's successes hardly helped.... 1. Space X's Starship explodes again On November 18, 2023, SpaceX made a second attempt of their uncrewed test flight of Starship and the Super Heavy Booster. Shortly after its launch, the Super Heavy Booster ended in a massive explosion over the skies of Texas. The investigation suggested that SpaceX thinks that the Starship exploded thanks to a self-destruct mechanism in the flight’s termination system, which gets triggered if the rocket steers off course. This is not an ideal second attempt for the world’s largest and most powerful rocket; which Elon Musk is supposedly going to use to take humans to Mars. Works Cited Beard, Stephen. “Where Did I Put That? Astronauts Who Lost a Tool Bag Can’t Get It Back Because It’s in Orbit.” USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2023, www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/12/02/astronaut-lost-tool-bag/71719486007/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024. Kelvey, Jon. “The 8 Most Epic Space Fails of 2023.” Inverse, 25 Dec. 2023, www.inverse.com/science/best-epic-space-fails-of-2023. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024. Leapublished, Robert. “ESA Scientists Finally Resolve Glitch That Caused Euclid Spacecraft to “Doodle” through Space.” Livescience.com, 12 Oct. 2023, www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/dark-matter/esa-scientists-finally-resolve-glitch-that-caused-euclid-spacecraft-to-doodle-through-space. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024. NASASpaceNews. “How NASA Overcame the Challenge of Opening the Asteroid Sample.” Www.youtube.com, 20 Jan. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnhSs55fik4. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024. NDTV. “Russia’s Luna-25 Probe Left 10-Metre Wide Crater on Moon after Crash: NASA.” NDTV.com, 1 Sept. 2023, www.ndtv.com/world-news/russias-luna-25-probe-left-10-metre-wide-crater-on-moon-after-crash-nasa-4347946. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024. News, A. B. C. “What to Know about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission.” ABC News, 24 Sept. 2023, abcnews.go.com/US/nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-mission/story?id=103408191. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024. Pattison, Chris. “What’s Wrong with Euclid Space Telescope?!” Www.youtube.com, 1 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFjZP4F0IKM. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. Snider, Mike. “Test Flight for SpaceX’s Massive Starship Rocket Reaches Space, Explodes Again.” USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2023, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/18/spacex-rocket-test-flight/71634256007/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024. The Federal. “Astronauts Lose $100,000 Tool Bag in Space | the Federal.” Www.youtube.com, 13 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAFSaLcnHE. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. The Indian Express. “Luna 25 Crash: Russia’s Moon Mission Ends in Failure as Luna-25 Spacecraft Crashes on Lunar Surface.” Www.youtube.com, 20 Aug. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v7euhZ83Ew. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. The Launch Pad. “BREAKING! Russia Luna-25 Has Crashed into the Moon.” Www.youtube.com, 20 Aug. 2023, m.youtube.com/watch?v=MLJJECq6MrM. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. The Wall Street Journal. “Watch: SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Explosion on Second Try | WSJ.” Www.youtube.com, 18 Nov. 2023, m.youtube.com/watch?v=KCH0NH1tt5k. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024. Heading into this year's ISSEA Drama and Visual Arts Festival, the vibe was a mix of excitement and nerves. ISSEA Drama and Visual Arts is different from other ISSEA events in the sense that it is not a competition. We are there to contemplate each other's artistic and theatrical creativity and skills, before working together to unify them in one last piece. By Sharlen This year the festival was hosted by the International School of Kenya. The Lions are a very welcoming and beautiful community, providing us with unforgettable experiences. As a Drama student, the moment of stepping on to the stage and showcasing our piece was a real test of nerves. Yet we went there and performed to the best of our abilities, although we missed a couple of lines from our script. In that crunch moment, teamwork shone through. We improvised and turned a potential flop into a standout moment, and it felt...awesome. After the performances, we headed to our workshops to experiment with new forms and interactions. I got to "fly" in a drama workshop, experiencing a whole new level of artistic expression. It's something I'd never done before, and it was exhilarating. Plus, exchanging ideas with people from different cultures and artistic backgrounds in a setting outside of our normal school routines was a priceless experience. What stood out during the ISSEA fest were the performances and art from other participants. It was like a showcase of the best young talent around, each piece or performance more impressive than the last. It was inspiring to see what people can create when they're passionate about it. In one of the performances the students navigated through “parallel realms” by exploring different cultural dances and how they often alienated from each other, denying us access to new "realms" of thinking and feeling about life. It was fascinating to watch the artwork evolve throughout the festival. You could see the progress - the shifts in creativity and skill - right before your eyes. It was a testament to the power of learning and experimenting in a supportive environment. And let's not forget the food—it was incredible. Nothing bonds people quite like sharing good meals, and ISK provided it in spades. As the festival drew to a close, the final drama performance showcased everything we'd picked up over our time there, such as the "fly", storytelling modes and dance "realms" from the workshops. It was a powerful demonstration of skill, creativity, and learning, leaving everyone in awe of what had been accomplished in such a short time.
The ISSEA Drama and Visual Arts Festival was an incredible event to be a part of. Despite the initial uncertainties and the sleepless start, it was a whirlwind of creativity, learning, and amazing food, which proved to be a fantastic opportunity to meet other young artists, learn from them, and be inspired by their work. Like all my fellow participants, I can't wait for the next one! Our Grade 8 English Language and Literature class unit on advocacy speeches inspired us to write pieces about social issues that move us. It moves me that sometimes this doesn't move us: the rights of other animals. By Viktoriia Photo by Chuko Cribb on Unsplash Why do animal rights matter? What is the importance of the rules we shatter? The lives we destroy The pain we employ The medicine and cosmetics created By the weight of conscience weighted 110 Million deaths in a single country alone And many more injuries to atone For the animals Never given a voice Never presented with a choice Never allowed to escape the suffering Many innocent animals numbering Sentenced to death Unable to draw breath Trapped within the cogs of experiments Making the lives of humans less perilous Animals which share 98% of our genetic code Do not deserve conditions so cold The guinea pigs, hamsters, dogs and cats The non-human primates, the rabbits, the rats The animals which suffer from the same diseases as us Poked and prodded at with little fuss Yet the effect of this testing is small Stumbling against a concrete wall With modelling and cell cultures prevailing Clinical research Unfailing Making conditions for animals worse And worse, using brutality and force We ignore The necessities of sentient creatures With senseless and heartless procedures When the alternatives would cause less Pain Are ethically correct and bring economic Gain Photo by Bekky Bekks on Unsplash Animals who can feel Joy and emotion Ought to be treated With respect and devotion When laws and legislation fail to provide support When rules and regulations are unable to thwart The inhumane conditions facing birds, mice and rats Overlooked by government acts Organisations such as WWF and World Animal Protection Or Four Paws and Giraffe Conservation Foundation Powerless Against the surging wave of heartless Conditions Their thoughts and emotions disregarded How can we justify the brutal methods of exploitation The very basis of science, the human characterisation? How can we repeat the events of history? And continue the animals’ misery? When cattle and oxen were treated as labour With humans demonstrated as dictator And no force prevented human domination When laws were of humankind the creation And animals created solely for human benefit How can we still play the supremacist? When granting animals even the basic rights Would drastically reduce the plight We can do what's right And eliminate unnecessary torment and cruelty With harsher laws preventing the continuity Of caging, beating and senseless murder To profit someone else The system is ordered But out of order And while some might experience more Pain and sentiment and deplore it And may not support the same basic condition It is crucial to encourage the full abolition of some practices And impose New traditions Novel legislation Respect the true foundations Photo by Loren Biser on Unsplash Chickens, pigs, cows and hens Kept In deplorable pigsties, feedlots and pens Denied the basic right of liberty Kept From exercise and the outdoors In captivity Sufficient feeding given just To keep them alive Antibiotics added to boost their growth To let them survive Just that bit longer In unsanitary conditions where disease Leads many to decease Where living creatures are sold as lifeless flesh Like matter or tissue, incapable of distress Slaughtered in hundreds and thousands Yet no human conundrums We're safe in our houses All animals killed by methods of inhumane Torture Murder crossing the borders Slitting the throat, and bleeding to inevitable death While still conscious and experiencing a dread we are able to imagine We rely on ideas Of the animal’s insensibility And methods employed, Systematic The inability To see the tragic To decrease the pain felt by the innocent victims Within the vast Industrial farming systems 10 billion animals slaughtered in the U.S A number not visible in the news mainstream Farming with almost no regulation Take note of the crooked, twisted foundations Could be replaced by intercropping, Agroforestry, agro-ecology and cruelty-free farming To avoid the reliance on chemical antibiotics Large-scale murder and the technologies of robotics In the service of Increased animal wellbeing Employ AI to move from the artificial back To the natural So why, then, sustain industrial farming? It's alarming The data we hide Photo by Laura College on Unsplash We must alter
The brutal processes of murder And restore ourselves and animal rights to order. Any contribution can generate Vast improvement Give fuel to a new, positive movement Avoid products tested on animals Reduce the damages Support Organisations that aim to improve Conditions Violence dispel and disprove Small shifts can save Many Lives Abolish cruelty to save animals from the knives The time has arrived To create change From these cruel, heartless practices we must refrain Retrain our brains And our stomachs And other things Will follow We have all heard stories about the terrible things that today's celebrities have done, said, or been involved in, but can we ignore this because they are great artists? By Tendai "Kanye West - Kanye Omari West" by Peter Hutchins is licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Let's take Kanye West as a prime example. One of the most famous artists in history. With 24 Grammy awards and over 160 million records sold, he as an artist has a significant influence on global culture. People listen to what he has to say through his music every day, but is it ok to do so? In 2022 he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt to a public event. Later that year he posted a tweet saying “Death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE”, and a few years ago he publicly said “racism is a dated concept.” However, he recently released a new album, and in under a week, he surpassed Taylor Swift, becoming Spotify's No. 1 artist. It's not as if all of the things he has said and done outside of his lyrics are unknown. His ideologies are extremely well known as a result of hundreds of viral clips, tweets, and articles written about him. But we still choose to listen to his art. Michael Jackson, considered to be one of the most popular and groundbreaking musicians in history is another example of this. However, his situation is different considering that while Kanye is still making music today, he is not. He faced charges of child sexual abuse in 2007 and further proof was only released after his death in 2009. A documentary was released in 2019 called Leaving Neverland where Wade Robson and James Safechuck, accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children starting from ages seven and ten respectively. In fact, their lawsuit against Jackson has recently been revived in California courts. Despite the rumors and alleged evidence that Jackson was a child molester, however, his brand continued to thrive after his death. This issue comes down to personal opinion and morals. Some argue that if he were still alive today, they would not listen to his music due to the fact that he abused children. However, because he is dead, they technically aren't supporting him in any way but rather his “brand" as a seminal musical artist. If we circle back to active artists such as Kanye West, what does listening to his music actually do? For every individual time someone listens to one of his songs on Spotify alone he makes $0.00437. When we multiply this by the billions of streams he receives on this platform alone, he is making around $3,747,643 per year. Every time your fingertips tap on his play button on Spotify, you are actively making him richer. But why does this matter? Many may think Kanye is outrageous for having the confidence to say what he says, knowing that the whole world will see/hear it. However, considering that he has over forty billion streams on Spotify, his confidence must be through the roof. The more money he makes, the more compelled he presumably feels to continue his provocative behavior. Many people's immediate opinion on this debate is that if the artist isn't doing something that directly affects them, then why should they care what they say or do? What Kanye preaches cannot be ignored completely, though. The antisemitism, racism, and extreme ideas have to be recognized. As recently as a few years ago, he was seriously considering running for and becoming the next president of the U.S. But so what? Who cares what he says, thinks, and does? Well, we can all remember what happened when people didn't take another celebrity - DonaldTrump - seriously. Although we cannot fully compare the two, Kanye is an extremely powerful man, with extremely controversial and divisive ideologies. The name “Kanye” has almost become its own brand. It is so recognizable to the extent that we begin to feel an almost personal connection to him when we call him by his first name. Arguably, he has created this massive family of followers and fans who themselves don't notice what they truly stand for. Photo by Mathew Browne on Unsplash Kanye, and Jackson, although they are different people, can provoke similar arguments about them. But we can't just stay within the barriers of specific artists. Instead, we have to zoom out to the bigger picture: can we separate the artist from the art?
We can argue that we can never part the two because the more we listen, the more encouragement we give them for their behavior. However, we can also argue that if a person's music itself doesn't specifically encourage and show who they are outside of it, it's ok. Because music can have create a real connection with people; it can change people, and what an artist does outside of their music doesn’t matter. The question is, is there ever no connection between an artist and their art, or do we blindly get pulled into a feeling of connection with and come under the spell of someone who could be a human being with problematic morals? Can we really separate the two? We can yet again argue that in today's generation, people just don't care. I could take myself as an example. I listen to probably over 20 songs where I have no idea what they are saying. However, I love the way they sound. What if they are saying something horrific? I would never know, but it could slowly normalize whatever horrible idea is being spread. I could also say that I love to listen to Kanye, but at the same time I deeply hate anti-semitism, inequality, and racism. Does that make sense? Is it a paradox? If you are going to listen to Kanye, you must be self-aware and understand that you are part of the problem. We can't claim to support equality and still listen to Kanye, without understanding the impact we might be having. This doesn't just apply to Kanye, but all situations like these. Ultimately, it's not about separating the artist from the art but being self-aware of your actions and understanding who you support, indirectly or not.
This year AISM is trying out a brand new interest-based Week Without Walls program. One of the options is a once in a lifetime mini course to learn how to photo document wildlife.
By Danielle
To all of you photography lovers out there, don’t be afraid to join in the fun at Kruger National Park this May 20-24 for a WWW trip that will be about not only finding a group of people with a similar interest, but also capturing your memories together through high quality photography.
The video below is a promotional piece developed for my Personal Project to encourage students to sign up for this great opportunity. It is open to those looking to try out wildlife photography for the first time, as well as those looking to practice their existing skills. The relevant grade levels have been sent a Google Form for WWW sign ups and if you have any questions, be sure to ask Ms. Rose, Mr. Peter or me. Take a shot at this fun experience and capture this moment in your life when you are surrounded by the wonders of African nature. It was Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona that made millions fall in love with the beautiful game. It felt like what we watched transcended the game. A well-oiled system with each element meticulously designed to do its part. It felt like magic. Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager to win 4 European Cups and a league title in each of the 5 big leagues. Yet, he doesn’t have a distinct style of play or system. Welcome to the opposites who both attract millions of football fans worldwide. By Atharv Behind the supernatural talent pool in Barcelona, was one of the most logical, meticulously designed systems of football the world has ever seen. Each player needed to slot themselves in like a lego piece. They would simply have to fit in or not play. On the other hand, Ancelotti picks the best players he has and puts them in their favoured positions to make the whole team function. One seeks to bring order and eliminate any sort of unpredictability, while the other capitalizes on chaos. How is it possible to have such wildly contrasting football philosophies, yet both be so highly successful in the modern game? Guardiola is a visionary theorist who fundamentally changed the way the game is played, developing and refining his concept of “Juego de posición”. Known for his possession-based brand of football, Guardiola’s teams excel in commanding games through intricate passing movements. He meticulously drills down into the smallest of details and makes them matter. He decides the system to be played in each and every game and reduces the responsibility placed upon the players, essentially making their decisions for them. He plans in such a way that he can control the game as much as possible. For instance, at Barcelona, Guardiola started Thierry Henry at right wing. However, Henry, being Henry, shifted to the left side and started combining with Messi. Eventually, Henry scored. 1-0 to Barcelona vs Sporting Lisbon and everything seemed perfectly normal. They went in for the halftime break, all happy, and Pep took Henry off, essentially saying “when I have a plan, you respect my plan.” After Pep won all there was to win at Barcelona, he only went and did it again at City, taking the Barcelona blueprint and recreating it in the Premier League, highlighting to a great extent how his system can be employed in different contexts. As he describes his philosophy: “I don't like it when a player says, 'I like freedom; I want to play for myself.' Because the player has to understand he is part of a team with 10 other players. If everyone wants to be a jazz musician, it will be chaos. They will not be a team, and nothing will be possible.” On the other hand, what specifically makes Carlo Ancelotti unique is his desire to make life uncomfortable for the opponent through different modes of attack. His teams are perfectly capable of a controlled build up through the thirds. However, they are far from dogmatic in their playing approach and much more than other top teams, they are happy to find less controlled routes to goal. What makes his teams so special is their ability to adapt to the opposition and situation, meaning they are perfectly tailored to tackle that specific situation. As Ancelotti captures it “here is something I firmly believe in, and that is if you think and act as part of a team, individual recognitions will come on their own. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." He believes in a brand of football that benefits his players the most, and he, himself, has no primary guiding principle. He is acknowledged as one of the best man-managers in the game and has a special ability to connect with the players. He simply looks at his players and finds a structure that allows everyone to be in their best positions, placing the utmost responsibility upon the players and trusting them to deliver day in and day out. "I think that trust is a fundamental aspect of any relationship, and it's no different with players", he says. "If you trust your players, they will trust you back, and that's crucial for the success of the team." Despite both succeeding all across Europe, they have their faults and are often criticized for their approaches. Guardiola has been often criticized for overthinking tactics before crucial games, which has led to some disappointing results. Moreover, he has faced challenges in managing certain players’ egos, leading to significant conflicts throughout his managerial career. For instance, during his time at Barcelona, Zlatan Ibrahimovic grew frustrated with Pep Guardiola’s management style and tactics. Playing in the shadow of Lionel Messi, Ibrahimovic exposed his discontent and clashed with Guardiola, leading to a strained relationship between the two, eventually leading to Ibrahimovic leaving after only 2 seasons at the club. On the flip side of things, Ancelotti’s tactical flexibility has also been a weakness in his coaching career. While he is known for adapting his style based on the players at his disposal, there have been instances where his tactical decisions have been criticized. For example, in a match where Real Madrid faced Atletico Madrid, Ancelotti’s choice of a 4-3-2-1 formating, resembling a Christmas tree setup, was heavily scrutinized. The narrowness of the formation left Real Madrid highly exposed to Atletico’s wide threat, as they struggled to contain the opposing wing back’s and provide adequate defensive cover on the flanks. This incident effectively depicts how Ancelotti's system can come crashing down if not thought out properly. Photo by Connor Coyne on Unsplash The journeys of Guardiola and Ancelotti exemplify the beauty of football, showcasing how two completely contrasting approaches can lead to success in their own right. Their stories remind us that football is not just a game but a platform for creativity, innovation and teamwork. It is a celebration of individual and collective brilliance, where talent, skill, strategy and adaptability intertwine to create moments of magic.
As we reflect on the legacies of Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, we have to remind ourselves that football is much more than a sport; it is a canvas for endless possibilities. Their contrasting paths perfectly exemplify the boundless possibilities within the game and will continue to do so for years to come. Whenever you ask anyone which games use a racket, they might just say tennis, but it’s not the only sport with strings (or no strings like padel!) out there. By Sohini Photo by Muktasim Azlan on Unsplash Did you know that there are a wide range of racket sports other than tennis and that some of these are incredibly popular in different parts of the world? There are approximately 35 widely-played racket sports in the world, including badminton, table tennis, padel, squash and many more. Playing racket sports has many well-established physical benefits, such as being good for your upper and lower-body strength. Besides this, they are also highly beneficial as cardiovascular workouts and do not require too much in terms of equipment. Instead of the cardiovascular workout you do at the gym, you could do it all by just playing racket sports, which also enable people to socialize through healthy competition. A recent study conducted by Harvard revealed that from 80,306 people ranging from 20 to 98, those who regularly played racket sports were 47% less likely to die of any cause and 56% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. It is quite incredible that racket sports can be so good for us both mentally and physically. And they are already bigger hitters than we might think. Did you know, for example, that badminton is recognized as the world’s fastest sport as the shuttlecocks can reach speeds of 493 km/h, which is faster than any other object in sports? Or that badminton is the second most popular participation sport in the world after football/soccer? Or that Padel is already more popular than tennis in Spain? Photo by Tomasz Krawczyk on Unsplash When I was 6 or 7 years old I started playing badminton. It was hard at first as I kept on missing shots each and every time. But I kept on practicing with my parents for years and years until I got better at it. I can now shoot high and low with accuracy. Even the world famous Lin Dan who has won the World Championships 5 times had to practice for decades so that he could reach an advanced level. To play badminton, players require a balance of hand-eye coordination, speed, agility and endurance. Some basic skills needed to play it are stance, backhand, forehand, serving and an effective racket grip.
And If you would like to learn padel then you can visit Padel Maputo for further information. It is next to AISM, just behind the race track and not far from Baia mall. Padel is basically a racket sport which is played as a doubles game on an enclosed court. It is a cross of badminton and squash where the ball can bounce off the surfaces around the courts. How lucky we are that such a wide variety of racket sports were invented from the 18th century onwards. There is something for everyone; those who don't want to play tennis can play badminton or people who don't want to play badminton, tennis or padel can play table tennis. With all this choice and with so many benefits, it might be time for you to take a swing at racket sports. In our new Language and Literature unit we are thinking about people who have achieved great things despite facing often unimaginable setbacks. As a reader and writer, my mind turned to the late, great Maya Angelou. Here is my ode to Maya and what she means to me. By Lana Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash They hacked at her
They shattered her Broke her down She held her ground She sang of freedom in her anthem "You may shoot me with your words" Still she rose Never folded her cards Kept Harlem hopping when it got hard But still, like air, she rose She worshipped equality in her sanctum The very definition of "Phenomenal Woman" If she can do it, so can you "On the pulse of morning" She appears It's Maya Angelou |
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