9 November 2020 marks 30 years since the reunification of Germany. For many Germans after years as a divided nation, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent reunification was a great celebration. Isabelle (Year 10) explored this fascinating history.
Erstens, warum wurde die Berliner Mauer gebaut? Insgesamt schien die Westseite Deutschlands viel erfolgreicher zu sein, was die Ostseite nicht mochte. Zum Beispiel waren in den 1950er Jahren tausende Ostdeutsche durch Berlin in den Westen gegangen, um das harte kommunistische Leben zu verlassen. Viele von ihnen waren gut ausgebildete Arbeiter. Ostdeutschland hat wertvolle Leute verloren – das hat ihnen natürlich nicht gefallen! Ein weiterer Grund für den Mauerbau ist, dass in den 1950er Jahren das Reisen zwischen den beiden Sektoren Berlins relativ einfach war. Das bedeutete, dass die Menschen im östlichen Teil leicht den Westen besuchen und sehen konnten wie das Leben dort war. Im Westen war das Leben komfortabler und freier. Das wäre für die Menschen aus dem Osten attraktiv gewesen. Insgesamt flohen fast 2000 Flüchtlinge pro Tag in den Westen. Die Mauer wurde von der ostdeutschen Regierung gebaut um die Menschen davon abzuhalten, die Ostseite zu verlassen. Niemand würde ein Gebiet regieren wollen, in dem sich keine Menschen befinden! Deshalb haben sie die Mauer gebaut.
Zweitens – wie haben andere Länder reagiert? In einfachen Worten: Die USA mochten die Berliner Mauer nicht! Das hier ist der Checkpoint Charlie. Es ist der Hauptübergangspunkt an der Berliner Mauer und die USA haben ihre amerikanische Armee regelmäßig auf die Ostseite geschickt. Offiziell durften sie das tun, weil die Mauer nur für Deutsche war, nicht für Ausländer. Es gab aber immer noch viele Probleme, ob die Amerikaner untersucht werden sollten oder nicht, wenn sie nach Ostdeutschland gingen. Deswegen stellten die USA Panzer auf die Westseite der Mauer. Das erschreckte die Ostseite (weil sie wussten, dass die Panzer die Mauer brechen könnten), also stellten sie auch Panzer auf ihrer Seite der Mauer. Etwa einen Tag lang war hier zwischen Ost und West große Spannung. Dann einigten sie sich darauf, dass sich beide Seiten langsam zurückziehen würden. Die US Armee betrat fortan nicht mehr den Ostteil Berlins.
Am 26. Juni 1963 hielt Präsident John F. Kennedy seine berühmte Berliner Rede. Er sagte den Berliner Leuten, dass er auch ein „Berliner“ ist. Nur dass er einen kleinen Fehler gemacht hat! Er sagte “Ich bin ein Berliner”, nicht “Ich bin Berliner”. Auf Englisch bedeutet das “I am a donut”! Hier bot er auch ein bisschen Frieden an, weil er sagte, die Mauer sei besser als ein Krieg – ich finde das vernünftig!
1989 – also nach fast 30 Jahren – waren mehrere Revolutionen in Polen und Ungarn da das kommunistische Wirtschaftssystem es nicht schaffte den Menschen Wohlstand zu bescheren. In Deutschland gab es wochenlang Demonstrationen in denen die Menschen politische und wirtschaftliche Reformen forderten. Das besondere ist: Dies war eine friedliche Revolution! Die Demonstranten waren friedlich. Und: Der Führer der Sowjetunion, Mikhail Gorbachev, entschied die Demonstration nicht gewaltsam niederzuschlagen! Er erkannte dass das Sowjetsystem am Ende war und er war ein guter Mensch, der Menschenleben wertschätzte. Deswegen öffnete dann die Regierung Ost-Deutschlands die Mauer. Die USSR wurde schwächer und am 3. Oktober 1990 wurde Deutschland wiedervereinigt. Die Siegermächte ließen dies zu da die USSR erhebliche finanzielle Unterstützung von Deutschland bekam und da die USA die Chance sahen ihr demokratisches und kapitalistisches System weit nach Osten auszuweiten. Deutschland versprach sich weiter in der Europäischen Union zu integrieren.
Zu guter Letzt, was sind die Konsequenzen des Mauerfalls? Die Erste ist, dass Familien und Verwandte, die seit fast 30 Jahren getrennt waren, sich wieder treffen konnten! Zuvor konnten sie sich wegen der Mauer nicht sehen (und es war gefährlich, sie illegal zu überqueren), aber jetzt konnten sie frei überall hinreisen wo sie wollten. Die andere ist, dass der Fall der Berliner Mauer den Zusammenbruch des Kommunismus beschleunigte und viele weitere Länder seitdem freier und demokratischer wurden und es den Leuten in Osteuropa viel besser geht als vor 30 Jahren. Viele dieser Länder gehören heute zur Europäischen Union und zum Beispiel Polen und Ungarn erhalten erhebliche wirtschaftliche Hilfe von der Europäischen Union und haben heute einen viel höheren Lebensstandard als vor 30 Jahren..
Da haben wir es also! Ein kurzer Überblick über die Gründe und Konsequenzen der Berliner Mauer und dann auch über den Fall der Berliner Mauer. Das geschah erst vor 30 Jahren und war für Deutschland sehr wichtig.
Millie (Year 13) explores issues surrounding food production and climate change.
If we look at the UK today, there has never been a wider range of exotic foods in our supermarkets and restaurants. In Western society, we are now able to access an unprecedented choice of fruits and vegetables. Just a few decades ago, no one could ever have dreamed of picking up a pineapple that was grown thousands of miles away at their local shops. Globalization has given consumers huge choices. But what does this mean for our environment, given current consumer demand in the United Kingdom?
Food and carbon in the UK
The food industry makes up 20% of the UK’s carbon footprint (Carasso et al, 2015), with the fruit and vegetable industries accounting for 10-12.5% of total food-related emissions (Garnett, 2006). This sector emits a small but significant part of our overall carbon dioxide emissions. The average person in the United Kingdom emits 15 tonnes of carbon per year, and this needs to be reduced by at least a third to be on the way to reducing the UK’s carbon footprint (Berners-Lee, 2019).
Food could be one of the ways to do this, as something we consume every day. It is important to consider the whole fruit and vegetable supply chain and where the largest carbon savings can be made. It appears that consumer behaviour is the most important factor, followed by transport, waste, agriculture, technology, energy usage, resources, and finally, processing and packaging. A safe and extensive new food system is needed for the production and distribution of fruits and vegetables and there are so many changes which could be made in each stage of the food system. It will be difficult to achieve a universal solution but making changes in all the different areas in the industry will eventually benefit the environment greatly.
Consumer behaviour
Above: Supermarket by Pixabay
Consumer behaviour is the most important factor in reducing emissions, as it underpins all the other areas of the industry. Consumer demand influences what products are brought to the shelves and the supply chains and processes that are used, so we have the opportunity as citizens to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of this industry. Consumers being aware of the environmental credentials of different food products is key to reducing emissions, as they can then make informed decisions about what fruit and vegetable supply chains they will support. According to Berners-Lee (2010), asparagus contributes to 125g CO2e for a local and seasonal pack but that same pack, flown from Peru to the UK in January, creates a massive 3.5kg CO2e. In this way, by being educated further and choosing more sustainable products, we can change the carbon footprint of this sector. It is difficult to change consumer behaviour, but it links all the factors together, and changing what the customer demands will change what the supermarkets supply. If we all work together, a big reduction in carbon dioxide emissions could be made.
Transport
Transport is one of the key contributors to the overall carbon emissions of the fruit and vegetable industry, and the next most important factor in lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Imports are a huge industry in the UK due to our temperate climate that can only grow a limited variety of crops. As summarized by the EU Fruit and Vegetables Regime: Producer Organisations (2017, p.5.), ‘Fruit and vegetables are by far the greatest source of imports in the UK food system’, making up 25.5%, with 15% of vegetables being imported and 62% of the fruits we consume (Garnett, 2006).
The UK becoming more self-sufficient would reduce the volume of imports needed, reducing transport emissions, so growing more of our own crops would really benefit the environment in most cases. This may require a change in consumer demand, however, to be viable, with the UK’s temperate climate. Reducing plane travel through changes in demand to less perishable goods is also really important, as the most carbon-intensive mode of transport, releasing 4.59kg of carbon dioxide per pound of goods (Berners-Lee, 2010). Increasing shipping and driving from abroad would also be very effective in reducing carbon emissions, despite some exceptions. Retailers could also be encouraged to source their items from places where more environmentally friendly transport methods are used, and this would be another useful way to lower the sector’s carbon footprint. Therefore, transport is really important in this climate battle, and a lot of changes could be made here, although there are challenges.
Above: food waste by PickPik
Waste not, want not…
Waste is another really important area in emissions reduction, as currently, one third of the food we produce is wasted (Royte, 2014), creating needless carbon dioxide emissions, and a 50% reduction in food waste could be achieved by 2030 compared to what it was in 2010 (Rothamsted Research, 2016) through various methods. Increasing awareness of waste and how it could be reduced along every stage of the food supply chain is vital, such as the modification of consumer expectation and the sale of fruits and vegetables which would have been wasted, such as the wonky fruits scheme.
Restaurants could also introduce more takeaway boxes, portion size choices and self-service to lower the volume of wasted food. There are many innovative solutions to this waste crisis, such as a new technology based on dynamic pricing created by the organisation Wasteless. Artificial intelligence is used to help retailers sell food that is perishable at the best price when it is near its ‘use-by’ date (Glover et al., 2020). Most shoppers reach to the back of the shelf, getting longer expiration dates so that shorter ones go to waste, according to David Cut, an employee at the company. The shorter expiration date could be made to look more attractive by lowering their price at the right moment to incentivise customers to buy that product over one with a longer expiration date. Therefore, waste is a really important factor in reducing emissions.
Agriculture
Above: Agriculture by SnappyGoat
Agriculture is the next biggest area for emissions to be reduced in this sector. This could be done through better and more efficient land use, using clever planting methods which would allow more food to be grown in the same space. Soil carbon sequestration, taking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, is a very viable and useful way to take carbon out of the air, even though this technology is new and could foster our dependency on greenhouse gases. Methods like this have been cited as necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Amann et al., 2008).
Less deforestation is essential, as out of three and a half tonnes per person per year on average produced by the food we eat, deforestation accounts for two tonnes of it (Tolley, 2019). We need to increase the number of carbon sinks and reduce the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and less deforestation is needed to achieve this. I believe that building sustainable agriculture is key to achieving a reduction in emissions.
The use of technology
The use of technology in agriculture is the next most important way to reduce the carbon footprint of this sector, as it is critical in reducing the damage caused to the environment. Technology, globalization and marketing have changed recent attitudes towards food, as we need to start prioritizing the environment and safety over consumer demands and money. Genetic modification is a very controversial topic and, even though it could improve the environmental credentials of many foods, many people are opposed to it, seeing it as unnatural. According to Buller (2005), there is no long-term data concerning the safety of genetically modified foods, and it is not known how they affect health or the environment long term. However, it could be an incredible way to increase productivity of crops, make them more resistant to disease and different weather conditions, and reduce emissions in this way. Technology is really important in agriculture in the 21st century, as there have been so many scientific advancements in the last 40 years (Rothamsted Research, 2016) and it has many possibilities, but there are always limitations.
Driving efficiency
The energy consumption and efficiency of the food industry is the also really important in making changes to benefit the environment. So much energy is wasted in the production, storage and transport of foods. Protected horticulture requires a lot of energy, so fewer crops should be grown in this way, and instead in their suitable climate, but this may not be possible without food supply chains being changed drastically. For example, the environmental footprint for strawberry production in the UK is approximately 1.2 CO2 equivalent per kilogram whereas it is 0.35 in Spain (Gaillard et al, 2009). This shows that shorter transport distances don’t necessarily mean reduced carbon emissions, as foods could have been grown in hothouses, such as tomatoes in the UK, and actually those flown in from Spain have lower emissions as they grow well in the natural climate there without increased energy emissions.
Also, improvements in the crop growing efficiency of glasshouses would be beneficial, such as with better lighting, excess crops being used as fuel, and reducing machinery usage for less effect on the environment. This would ask a lot of farmers to change their whole lifestyle, but big changes are needed to create big reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing refrigeration efficiency would be very beneficial, with refrigeration used in all parts of the supply chain, but it could be hard to implement nationwide. Renewable energies are the future, and their usage is needed for a sustainable future across the food supply chain. According to Berners-Lee (2010), solar power is the best renewable source with a lot of potential, but it doesn’t currently contribute a lot to energy supplies. Fundamental societal change will be needed but changes in energy efficiency and consumption could reduce emissions greatly.
Use of pesticides and fertilizers
Above: Soil by PickPik
Resource usage in agriculture is another key factor contributing to the carbon dioxide emissions of this sector, including pesticides and fertilizers. If we use our resources wisely, we can live well and provide a life on this planet for future generations too. We need to use a smaller volume of resources but in a more efficient way to produce crops in a new production-consumption system, according to Rothamsted Research (2016). Fertilizers and pesticides are so useful to produce enough food for the planet, increasing crop yields and reducing the effect of pests so that more products can be sold. However, they are detrimental for the environment in their production and use, and their overuse can lead to pollution, worsening the effects on the environment. Fossil fuels are used to manufacture fertilizer, making up 12% of food’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (Berners-Lee, 2019) and pesticides can greatly harm the environment, impacting directly and indirectly on biodiversity as they kill many pests and other species as well (Murphy-Bokern et al, 2008). Therefore, their usage should be monitored and limited, in my opinion. They could be used with other more carbon-friendly methods, such as the use of manure and biological control, to increase productivity. The use of resources in agricultural production is therefore very important, and they need to be used in moderation.
Packaging
Improving the efficiency of the processing and packaging of fruits and vegetables could reduce emissions in this industry, although there are challenges. This is the method by which the least tonnes of emissions could be saved, but there still could be changes made. Processing food is a great way to greatly increase shelf life, reducing waste and its associated high emissions. Also, packaging provides valuable information and can help food to last longer, so less of it is wasted. Overall, not a lot of modifications could be made here to improve the environmental credentials. However, methods such as consumers bringing their own packaging like Tupperware could make a small difference in emissions for shops. Also, supermarkets could use more carbon friendly packaging. For example, one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, Waitrose, say that they started to reduce packaging in 2009. Karen Graley, who works in packaging at Waitrose said that ‘Within the next five years, we will make all our own brand-packaging widely recycled, reusable or home compostable’ (Duffy, 2019). Small but no substantial differences in emissions could be achieved by processing and packaging.
Above: Grapes in paper bag by PickPik
Final thoughts
If nothing is done, by the end of this century, post global warming, there will be environmental, social and economic degradation. We can avoid a looming food crisis by united actions. All factors need to be considered, especially consumer behaviour, and this can be changed through media and advertising in retailers across the UK. To feed a growing population with nutritious, delicious, low carbon food, there will be many challenges ahead but if everyone, including food policy makers, producers, farmers, retailers and consumers works to influence the others and changes their actions for a more sustainable world, we can restore our relationship with nature and live better than ever. Big differences will need to be made and although there will be many challenges and difficulties, I believe that the carbon dioxide emissions of the fruit and vegetable industry in the United Kingdom can be reduced significantly.
References
Amann, J., Bouallou, C., Gros-Bonnivard, R., Jaud, P., Kanniche, M., Valle-Marcos, J. (2008). Pre-combustion, post-combustion and oxy-combustion in thermal power plant for CO2 capture. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359431109001471. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Berners-Lee, M. (2010). How Bad are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything. www.profilebooks.com. Last accessed 14th April 2020.
Berners-Lee, M. (2019). There Is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years. Cambridge University Press. Last accessed 14th April 2020.
Buller, L. (2005). The Eyewitness Guide To Food. DK Eyewitness UK. Last accessed 30th March 2020.
Carasso, N. and Fondation Daniel. (2015). Chapter 3. Food systems and greenhouse gas emissions. Available: https://foodsource.org.uk/sites/default/files/chapters/pdfs/foodsource_chapter_3.pdf. Last accessed 24th June 2020.
Duffy, N. (2019). Action Stations. Waitrose and Partners’ Food Magazine. Last accessed 3rd June 2020.
EU Fruit and Vegetables Regime: Producer Organisations. (2017). United Kingdom’s National Strategy for Sustainable Operational Programmes. Available: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665637/National_Strategy_final_Dec_2017.pdf. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Gaillard, G, Dr., Mordini, M., Nemecek, T, Dr. (2009). Carbon and Water Footprint of Oranges and Strawberries A Literature Review. Available: https://saiplatform.org/uploads/Library/WG%20Fruit%20-%20ART%20Final%20Report.pdf. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Garnett, T. (2006). Fruit and Vegetables & UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Exploring The Relationship. Available: https://www.fcrn.org.uk/sites/default/files/Fruitnveg_paper_2006.pdf. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Glover, F., Milne, G., Smithern, A., Greenfield, R., Lemanski, B. (2020). Positive Thinking: Tackling Food Waste Podcast. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cqd6. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Murphy-Bokern, D. et al. (2008). Environmental impacts of the UK food economy with particular reference to WWF Priority Places and the North-east Atlantic. Available: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/environmentalimpacts_ukfoodconsumption.pdf. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Rothamsted Research. (2016). Agricultural Transformation Pathways Initiative. Available: https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep15873.6?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=agricultural&searchText=transformation&searchText=pathways&searchText=initiative&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSear. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Royte, E. (2014). One-Third of Food Is Lost or Wasted: What Can Be Done. Available: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141013-food-waste-national-security-environment-science-ngfood/. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Tolley, M. (2019). How to reduce your carbon footprint by 80% TEDxTelford Talk. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r06-dpRsEg. Last accessed 12th June 2020.
Lily in Year 13 looks at the importance of sovereign wealth funds, telling us more about this area of Economics.
Simply, a sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund meaning countries can invest in shares and assets internationally in the hope that these investments will then increase in value. These profits can then be extracted by a government when shares are sold and ideally then used to benefit the country’s economy and citizens.
The term sovereign wealth fund was initially created in 2005 by the economist Andrew Rozanov who stated that the funds in question “are neither traditional public-pension funds nor reserve assets…but a different type of entity altogether”. A new and exciting form of investment was emerging, now commonly called the sovereign wealth fund.
Sovereign wealth funds are important because of the economic benefits they can bring to a country. The largest fund in the world at the moment is the Government Pension fund of Norway which “owns on average 1.3% of all equities listed worldwide”, which means that Norway owns 1.3% of global stocks and shares, now worth over $1 trillion in assets. This shows the scale of these funds and the influence they can have on the world economy.
One key benefit of sovereign wealth funds is the diversification of countries incomes. This is because sovereign wealth funds almost always invest in foreign assets which is particularly helpful if a country relies on a single commodity for their income as they are more at risk if that particular industry experiences a downturn. This is why many oil reliant countries have sovereign wealth funds as oil markets are often volatile. This factor has become particularly important in 2020 through the corona virus epidemic, one specific example being in the oil industry since “US oil prices went negative for the first time in history” in April 2020, resulting in companies paying people to take oil off their hands because the demand for oil had fallen so rapidly.
This shows the oil industry is particularly vulnerable to large fluctuations in price and if a country relies on oil for their income they could be at risk of an economic downturn (recession). Sovereign wealth funds have been shown to limit this risk as some funds around the Gulf (largely oil reliant countries) are already “channelling some of their billions back to counter the recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.”, showing how important these funds have already been for the recovery and survival of oil reliant economies throughout the Covid-19 outbreak.
However, there are debates surrounding the benefits of sovereign wealth funds as there will always be an element of risk in making investments since they can never be one hundred percent safe as assets always have the possibility of decreasing in value. This includes the idea of black swan events – the idea that some events are unpredictable and therefore markets cannot prepare for the shocks they cause. This is one way of stating we can’t predict the future and therefore will never be able to completely rely on an investment bringing positive returns. Which poses the question ‘is it a good idea to be risking millions of public money on the stock market?’
Sovereign wealth funds can be very beneficial but there are always opportunities for investments to turn sour. This means that it is important for a country to analyse the rewards that can be generated before creating a sovereign wealth fund. These countries are still not immune to black swan events which can disrupt the global economy however, if profits from these funds are used well they can actually mitigate these risks and add huge value to their economies, such as through diversification. A well-managed and cleverly invested fund will always benefit the country at hand if it is used wisely. These benefits mean that sovereign wealth funds are likely to become more and more common, making them important as they a likely to become a huge factor of the global economy.
In this week’s edition of WimLearn, Jess, Vera and Lili discuss their aims for this year as our head girl team of the Student Leadership Team 2021.
Coming back in 2020 is already different to any other year. For us in the Head Girl Team, part of that entails the humble yet vital aim to keep our school full of safe and healthy students: taking measures against the spread of the pandemic, while also trying to support mental health by reconnecting students as well as possible. We also wish for a continued push for environmental change, both in and outside of school as we don’t want to give COVID the chance to side-track us from this important issue. Part of doing this will involve encouraging out-of-the-box thinking both in extracurriculars and in academics (and we hope this will be facilitated by our wonderful new STEAM tower!). The world needs bold, creative, and brave thinkers to tackle the problems we face today. We believe that those thinkers are at WHS.
This year there is no shying away from our need to partake in conversations surrounding race. We aim to diversify the academic curriculum and the pastoral system at WHS. This encapsulates areas of PSHE, the peer counselling program, and extracurricular life. We want discussion groups and committees to create a dialogue surrounding racial inequality since awareness and discussion are key to making a change. We aim to foster the courage ready to stand up for what is right and decent when injustice is in the way. Some of these conversations may be uncomfortable or unpleasant, but the consequences of not having these discussions are far worse. We hope the student body is on board with our mission to bring ourselves together – even when we are apart – to build the foundations for a better post-COVID world.
In this week’s edition of WimLearn, Anna, Charlotte, Millie, and Kate discuss their aims for this year as our house captains of the Student Leadership Team 2021.
Anna (Scott House Captain):
This year, more than ever, it is so important that everyone feels as though they are a part of a community outside academic lessons, or even co-curriculars. Houses are all about bringing a variety of people together who otherwise may not come across each other – whether that’s within one year or between the different academic years. Something that will be really important over the coming months is ensuring that out brilliant house communities continue, as well as the enthusiasm and fun that goes with it. We have been developing ideas for a new range of events and that will enable the house spirit and friendly competition to continue, whilst maintaining the zoning rules. So, although this year is and will be very different to previous years, I hope that everyone feels united and has a truly great year.
Above: WHS Sports Day 2019
Charlotte (Meredith House Captain):
Walking into school in my bright orange lanyard, I felt guilty not being able to approach and say hi to anyone in the years below. It feels impossible to feel connected to each other, to our friends, or to our school spirit, in a time when we are physically separated from one another. But I know that with the bright, fun, and caring minds of the students at Wimbledon High, we won’t let this time take away from our school experience, but rather accept it as a new challenge and format to our lives. My hopes for the houses this year is to continue nurturing that spirit. In the words of the Meredith song ‘like a spring flower, Meredith grows’, and I know that whether that is a seed of enthusiasm in Year 7, to (let’s be honest) a probably equally small seed of enthusiasm in Year 11, or a full flower of commitment in Year 13, we continue to involve ourselves in coming events, even if they don’t occur as they would have in past years.
Millie (Arnold House Captain):
This year, I aim to make sure that everyone feels like they are a part of a house community, together even if we are apart. In these unprecedented times, the house values of kindness, respect, grit and resilience are more important than ever. I hope that we continue to support each other as we always have, taking all of the opportunities we can get. Although this year may be different, we can still feel like part of a house family and always have someone to reach out to, whether in person or virtually. My main aim is that we all enjoy ourselves, relishing the chance to be back in school. Houses are all about bringing people together and having fun, and a little competitive spirit never goes amiss. We will be working hard this year to ensure that the house spirit is still felt strongly throughout the school. Arnold’s house animal is the wolf, strong, loyal and brave, qualities which everyone has shown throughout this time. I really hope everyone has a brilliant year and that we can all feel united even when we are not together.
Above: Arnold House Poster, 2019
Kate (Hastings House Captain):
It is fantastic to be back together again even if it is slightly apart physically. Our recent challenging experiences during lockdown have certainly been unprecedented, not only in terms of this school’s history but also on a global level. Thanks to the hard work of our teachers, we were able to continue our academic studies, our social and personal interaction inevitably suffered. The house community is the perfect forum to seek to compensate for this loss. My main aim this year is to embrace life. Through the creation of smaller communities within a larger community it allows students to create resilient bonds and connections with shared values. It is critical for us to embrace the plentiful opportunities that arise from the house community. It provides advice or encouragement and motivation and – of course – some healthy competition
In this week’s edition of WimLearn, Lizzie, Lucy, Annabel, Eleni, Robin and Eloise discuss their aims for the year in their roles on the 2020 Student Leadership Team.
Lizzie (Music Rep):
My biggest aim for music at WHS this year is simply to do as much music as possible, given the immense ongoing difficulties that coronavirus safety measures have created. Very excitingly, many music clubs are still running in small, socially distanced groups or within year group bubbles, so please get sign up to any music clubs that interest you as, from personal experience, they are very fun and rewarding!! However, music is so important to everybody in the school, not just those who are regularly involved in music clubs. The music department is working to make music made by students as widely available to enjoy as possible, for example by recording concerts to be viewed by staff and students online afterwards. My aim is for everyone to receive as much enjoyment from music this year as possible, whether it is through making music yourself in formal or informal settings, or through listening to others play.
Lucy (Environment Rep):
I have many aims for this year but one of the most important ones being leading the eco – committee in pursuit of our silver eco-schools award. At the end of last year, in spite of the virus and online learning, we managed to obtain our bronze award! In order to achieve this silver award, we now need to widen our environmental aims to the school community as well as this embedding environmental sustainability into the school curriculum. I also wish to raise more awareness around our schools’ environmental impact and get every single girl from Wimbledon High making changes to their everyday routine in order to make a difference.
All things environment is discussed and decided by the eco- committee which contains girls from all different years bringing their ideas together. The eco- committee contains 5 different teams; Biodiversity, Communications, Energy and Utilities, Healthy Living, Litter and Waste. Each of these teams has their own individual aims of what they want to improve in their own area. And these aims will often be updated on firefly. I am so excited for the coming year and making as much of a difference as I can in my role!
Annabel (Co-curricular Rep):
This year as Co-Curricular Rep I strive to emphasise the critical role that clubs play in school life. After the absence of any real presence of the co-curricular programme throughout our time during lockdown, I know that many keenly felt the impact of a lack of extensive socialisation that comes along with school life. This is something that clubs offer by virtue of their existence and our wide range of opportunities to get involved in at WHS prove there really is something for everyone regardless of your interests. I’m looking forward to making sure everyone feels their out of classroom time is spent enriching their passions and getting time to interact with other students, something that was certainly lacking during our time out of school. I encourage everyone to get as stuck in as possible with what we have to offer and the variety of virtual and in person clubs on offer means we are all spoilt for choice. I hope that this year will be one of the most diverse years for the co-curricular programme not only in location of our clubs but also in the opportunities they provide.
Eleni (Head of Senior Peer Counselling):
Above: Peer counselling training session with the Digi Sisters, 2019
After an isolating few months, the Senior Peer Counselling team will be putting a huge focus on communication this year. Having teamed up with the subject leaders, we want to encourage girls to ask difficult questions, discuss, debate and reach out. We hope to achieve this by encouraging girls to form stronger connections with their separate PC and SL teams so that, as a school, we can “own our space.”
Robin (Head of Junior Peer Counselling):
This year in the Junior school we will really be working on the presence of the Peer counsellors, with sessions focusing on topics relating to each year group to help them with any skills or queries about going through the Junior school such as; friendships, homework, and for Year 6 moving onto the secondary school. It’s such a great opportunity for the younger girls to gain a stronger connection with girls from the Senior school and means that the Juniors always have an older student that they can talk to should they have any problems.
Eloise (Academic Rep):
This year I am really excited for our newly introduced Peer Support Programme which combines both academic and pastoral support: instead of just a Peer Counsellor being responsible for a form, there will now be a Subject Leader too. I know all of the Peer Counsellors and Subject Leaders this year are briming with enthusiasm and will be willing to go above and beyond to support their forms so I can’t wait to watch this new program develop. I am also thrilled to be jointly responsible for WimLearn this year and have been so impressed by the calibre of articles I have already received. It would be great to see girls follow their passions and research topics that extend beyond the confines of the curriculum and I think WimLearn is a great vehicle through which they can do this.
In this week’s edition of WimLearn, Malin, Ariana, Alice and Hannah discuss their aims for the year in their roles on the 2020 Student Leadership Team.
Malin (Sports Captain):
As sports captain for this coming academic year, I am absolutely thrilled to be back as a sporting community. In terms of the aims that I (and the P.E department) have, we really want to place an emphasis on instilling a strong sense of camaraderie between everyone. Excitingly, despite the tightened rules and regulations, we will be back into teams and squads (e.g. netball, hockey, rowing, swimming etc…) which I’m sure will be very fun for everyone involved (albeit that no external fixtures will be taking place).
The only bad aspect of playing sports at school is- I’m sure you can agree- having to wear the smelly and unpleasant sports bibs. This will no longer be an issue! Not only will bibs we washed frequently, but equipment will also be thoroughly disinfected. I hope that everyone is as excited as I am to be back playing sports with friends, and if anyone has any questions feel free to reach out to either the PE department, me, or any of the new sport specific captains!
Ariana (Admissions Ambassador):
As Admissions Ambassador my aims for this year include: improving the buddy system by getting the new girls and the girls present in the school to write interests and pair the girls using similar interests, have more conversations with girls about to go into year 12 to help them prepare for the jump from GCSE to A Levels and set up a society for girls joining the school to help them feel more comfortable in their first few weeks at WHS.
Following on from this I want to improve the inter-year bond between Year 11s going into Year 12 and the year above them by having more meetings (either online or in person due to COVID-19) when they know which form they are going to be with in order to help them adjust quicker.
Lastly, I would like to try set up a virtual tour for Wimbledon High School so that we can accommodate the COVID-19 situation allowing new parents to tour the school online as well as hopefully encouraging more prospective international pupils.
Alice (Editor in Chief of Unconquered Peaks):
As Editor in Chief of Unconquered Peaks, it is my aim for this year to publish articles that both inform and challenge readers. In the age of the Instagram infographic, which has become particularly ubiquitous in the wake of the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, nuance is more important than ever. It is important to be up to date with current affairs, but equally vital to understand issues and question things instead of taking things at face value.
My wonderful team of writers and I will endeavour to inspire critical thinking and a desire to explore. As well as offering interesting perspectives on the issues of the day, we will also be writing about things that we’re passionate about, from exciting areas of academia to our favourite books and films. I hope that Unconquered Peaks will keep everyone inspired and amused during this strange time!
Hannah (Charities & Partnerships rep):
The world as we know it has been turned upside down, in unimaginable ways over the past 6 months. Major charitable events (including the London Marathon and Glastonbury!) were cancelled, causing thousands of charities around the country to lose millions of pounds.
However, despite this adversity there is always hope. This year we will continue to support our partner charities, particularly Faith in Action, following the catastrophic increase in homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an unimaginable situation not having a roof over your head, or not knowing where your next meal will come from, and our alliance with London homeless charities is something I am keen to strengthen.
My primary aim for the coming academic year is to achieve this ongoing support; by raising awareness of individual causes both within school and our wider communities, encouraging everyone to get involved and take time out of their week to help others, and increasing our fundraising output by working towards the new charity targets.
This year, more than ever following the global pandemic, there will be more and more people in need, and we will strive to make this the best year yet for both fundraising and strengthening our partnerships here at WHS.
Shreya (Year 10) explores how the understanding of true knowledge has evolved through history by picking examples ranging from ancient Greek philosophers to modern day British philosophers.
**It is important to note that the philosophical study of knowledge is called epistemology **
This may seem like a simple question at first, but when you think about it philosophically, this a multi-layered and intriguing topic requiring a deeper understanding.
What distinguishes a philosopher’s “true knowledge” from ours?
The most distinct quality of philosophers is that they don’t fall into a comfort zone with life, and don’t accept conventional wisdom; instead, they emphasize the lack of complete knowledge. We, on the other hand, get comfortable with our environment, and stop asking meaningful questions; and that’s why babies and philosophers are so alike. Babies too ask questions as they experience the world’s patterns and habits for the first time. For example, can crows be white? You would simply answer “no”! After all, you are used to black crows and have never seen white crows. This is experience. Philosophers will similarly ask questions as they distance themselves from the consistency of our natural world.
Ancient Philosophers
Let’s start with one of the world’s most well-known philosophers: Socrates(470 BCE – 399 BCE). Socrates was a beacon of the ancient Greek civilization. He said something crucial that reinforces my view on true knowledge: “The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing”. Socrates didn’t advocate or impose his own views on people including the nature of right or wrong; instead, he helped surface people’s individual thinking by asking probing questions. This is known as the ‘Socratic Method’. Another term you might have heard is ‘Socratic Irony’ – Socrates would feign ignorance and put on a show of ‘dumbness’, to better understand and expose other people’s weaknesses. Socrates eventually paid with his life for his unconventional methods and constant challenging of the status quo. However, he was a rare true philosopher, and his enigmatic ideas and methods are still referenced today.
Another famous philosopher, Plato(428 BCE – 347 BCE), and not coincidentally a disciple of Socrates, also wondered about the nature of “true knowledge”. He believed we can only attain true knowledge through a rational understanding of things. For example, we can say with confidence that a square will always have four sides. This is unlike the natural world which is in a constant state of change i.e. nothing lasts forever in the natural world; all living things will eventually decompose. Therefore, we can never have true knowledge of the natural world. This was a more rational approach and quasi-scientific thinking, and different from Socrates’ methods. One of his most controversial theories concerned innate ideas i.e. we are born with ideas instead of acquiring them through experience. Plato believed the “world of ideas” consisted of immutable patterns behind different occurrences within the natural world. For example, behind every particular cat will be something called the “idea cat” which is the original idea. Particular cats will come and go; however, the “concept” or “idea” cat will remain eternal. Therefore, our innate ideas help us carry a basic form of knowledge within us.
However, Plato’s disciple, Aristotle (385 BCE – 323 BCE) challenged Plato’s thinking by emphasizing acquisition of knowledge through experience i.e. there is no innate knowledge. He thought all of our ideas and knowledge have come into our head through what we have sensed and experienced (probably what many of us believe today).
It is interesting to see that Plato’s and Aristotle’s thoughts continue to be widely debated today – almost 2,500 years after their original exposition. Only, in our times, this is called the Nature vs Nurture argument!
Modern Day Philosophers
Next, Descartes (1596 AD – 1650 AD), an exceptional French philosopher, stated: “certain knowledge is only attainable through reason” (just like Socrates did). He agreed with Plato’s theory of “innate ideas” in a slightly different way; according to Descartes, metaphysical ideas, such as the idea of God, are innate. He doubted everything in life except the fact that “he doubted”. Descartes used this method to distinguish certain truths from probable truths. This is the foundation for Descartes’ thinking and his famous Latin statement “Cogito ergo sum” – “I think therefore I am.”
David Hume (1711 AD – 1776 AD), a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, was also very influential when it came to epistemology and built his foundation on the thinking of historical philosophers described above. He is placed in a group of other British philosophers known as the Empiricists. Empiricism is the theory that all knowledge is based solely on experience which is derived from our senses. He even expanded this empiricist theory to what he called “complex ideas”. This consisted of two unrelated experiences or pieces of knowledge whose juxtaposition only exists in a human being’s imagination. As an example, we have never experienced an angel. But we have seen a human and we have seen wings. In our imagination, we have joined two unrelated experiences up to form a “complex idea”.
There have been other philosophers throughout history who have left their deep imprint on our understanding of true knowledge, and the discipline of epistemology. These include Immanuel Kant, John Locke and George Berkeley among others. All of them bought their own flavour of independent thinking to give us our knowledge base today.
You can see how our knowledge and thinking process has evolved over thousands of years, as philosophers build their foundations on existing bodies of knowledge and spirit of the times. But can you and I think like a philosopher? Short answer: Yes of course! Long answer: Yes, if you can stop yourself getting too comfortable with your surroundings, are able to retain your natural curiosity about our world, and don’t stop asking ‘Why?’! After all, philosophers are no wiser or smarter than we are; they just know how to think, not what to think.
References and inspiration from Sophie’s World by Joestein Gaarder (a fascinating book about the history of philosophy)
Imogen (Year 9) looks at the connection between money, power and the monarchy in this short presentation arguing as to whether we can see money as the root of all evil.
As sports captain for this coming academic year, I am absolutely thrilled to be back as a sporting community. In terms of the aims that I (and the P.E department) have, we really want to place an emphasis on instilling a strong sense of camaraderie between everyone. Excitingly, despite the tightened rules and regulations, we will be back into teams and squads (e.g. netball, hockey, rowing, swimming etc…) which I’m sure will be very fun for everyone involved (albeit that no external fixtures will be taking place).
As Admissions Ambassador my aims for this year include: improving the buddy system by getting the new girls and the girls present in the school to write interests and pair the girls using similar interests, have more conversations with girls about to go into year 12 to help them prepare for the jump from GCSE to A Levels and set up a society for girls joining the school to help them feel more comfortable in their first few weeks at WHS.
The world as we know it has been turned upside down, in unimaginable ways over the past 6 months. Major charitable events (including the London Marathon and Glastonbury!) were cancelled, causing thousands of charities around the country to lose millions of pounds.
