Sixth_Form_Journal_-_Spring_2014

Spring 2014
Issue 1
Hi.
With that in mind, you’ll excuse me for being
sceptical about the West’s condemnation of
Thanks for picking up or clicking on the Russia’s intervention in Crimea. Putin’s been
revamped, relaunched and redesigned Sixth Form accused, quite rightly, of putting his own interests
Journal. We’re a group of students who are before those of the citizens of Ukraine, and
interested in writing about interesting things, and Obama waded in with sanctions and embargoes
we hope that you’ll be interested in reading about that Westminster was initially reluctant to agree
them. If our front page didn’t make it clear to (remember the secret papers that got ‘papped’
enough, we’re certainly not a magazine about on the doorstep of No.10).
school news.
In my view, any intervention from the West
You’ve probably noticed that, in the last month, should be done through the UN and dealt with
the news outlets have once again become fixated through summits that include Russia, not through
with the idea of Western powers going to war. It shady strategy meetings that prove it’s a twosided
game.
would seem that the rules of international politics
over the last 20 years are created in line with the Russia holds an enormous amount of Ukrainian
2002 remake of Spiderman. Let me explain. currency, giving it practically the power of a
Countries who are militarily superior tend to central bank, and it takes the majority of
think that they have a remit to get involved in Ukrainian exports. Without Putin, Ukraine is
other nations’ disputes just because they have the stuck with no power, no money, and no trade
ability to. In essence: “great power comes with links. The EU has already ostracised Ukraine with
great responsibility”. But does this responsibility the introduction of a tariff that non-EU nations
actually exist Is it right for us to intervene must pay to trade with us - so Ukraine is not in a
You could argue, like Uncle Ben, that having position to burn any more bridges.
military force and significant global influence The question, then, is whether or not we can
means that if you’ve got the potential to stop allow this sort of manoeuvre in Putin’s ex-Soviet
something really awful, then you should. The real ‘sphere of influence’. If we can’t, then what can
issue, of course, is that Western nations are selfinterested
and hot-headed, and as a result, a clash of perceived responsibility has led to an
we do Russia and the West both have power, and
singular intervention is often unhelpful. international escalation. Uncle Ben would tell us
The UN, incidentally, should be the body which to intervene - but I suspect the moral high
regulates international conflict. There’s certainly ground (that Spiderman has the liberty of taking)
a case to be made for the right of the sovereignty was lost long ago.
of a nation to fight its own battles, but most
would concede that some form of international
unity is needed. It’s then frustrating when nations
on the Security Council ignore the veto and wade
in anyway.

Spring 2014
Issue 1
Why do we study science
if we don’t have a use for it
Molly Stacey asks:
Who’s afraid of Feminism
Raising awareness for ending discrimination
Memoirs of a school trip
or corporate art in the modern world
Rafel Spilman
FRONT COVER AND INTERNAL DESIGN - ANEESH MATHEW

Spring 2014 Issue 1
Jonny Wise asks why we invest huge amounts of
money in something which doesn’t always have a
real-world application.
T he Cosmic Microwave Background is the name
we give to remaining radiation from the universe in its
first few hundred thousand years. Radiation emitted at
that time is over thirteen billion years old, and has,
therefore, been stretched from wavelengths within the
visible light range to
longer wavelength
microwaves due to the
continuous expansion
of the space in which
they exist. The most
accurate map ever of
the CMB was published
last year by the ESA
and cosmologists
believe it will give us
an insight into early galaxy formation as well as giving
further credence to the Big Bang Theory itself. The
image was created by information gathered by the
Planck satellite over a period of 18 months, during
which it scanned the entire visible universe for
fluctuations in the characteristic background
radiation. The colour represents the varying
temperatures and hence energy levels of particular
areas of the universe, which allows scientists to
understand quantum fluctuations in the postulated
inflation phase of the universe. More recently, a
research team based at the South Pole observed
polarization patterns in the CMB that are compelling
evidence of this rapid inflation phase - and therefore
of the standard model of cosmology.
The imaging of the CMB is not the first breakthrough
regarding mapping to be made in science. It does, in
fact, follow a long list of endeavours to plot and make
sense of our surroundings. In the 16 th century Nicolaus
Copernicus proposed the model of a heliocentric
universe in which Earth and the planets orbited the
Sun – opposing the current model with Earth at the
centre of the universe. In 2001 the project to map the
entire human genome culminated in revolutionary
reports that may pave the way to eradicating
hereditary diseases. In the interim, humans have
mapped
star
constellations, the
human circulatory
system, Earth’s plate
tectonics, the global food
web and the atomic
nucleus. The map of the
surface of the Earth is
yet another example of
the human desire to plot
and collate the things we
know.
This poses the question: why do we seek to do this
The obvious answer is that many of these maps allow
us to live more effectively as a species. For example:
knowing where each country is in relation to each
other makes it far easier to travel between them; the
alternative is to simply move aimlessly checking
each country. However, whilst a map of the Earth has
obvious and direct uses, many of the more complex
and obscure maps seem to have far fewer practical
applications. One can quite justifiably look at much of
modern science and question its relatability to every
day life. You may know that the helium inside your
birthday balloons contains two protons, two neutrons
and two electrons and that each proton contains 3
quarks - two of which are ‘up’ and one of which is
‘down’. But does this knowledge actually improve
your birthday balloon experience Does there need to
be a foreseeable real-world benefit for trying to
understand something

Firstly, it is important to realise the parallel nature in
which science and society progress. At the time when
scientific discoveries are made, applications of that
particular bit of science don’t exist. This is either
because the application hasn’t been imagined yet or the
technology isn’t available to integrate the science into
consumer goods.
Science will, therefore, always be in front of
mainstream society, so although discoveries made now
may seem without purpose, the applications could
appear in the near future.
Secondly - more subtly - we can analyse the point of
understanding irrespective of application. As an
intelligent, developed and civil species, humanity no
longer has to expend its energy finding means to
survive, so we apply our brains to academia. When we
analyse the point of existence it is clear that what we
consider to be ‘useful’ society is only useful because we
have defined the word in such a way within our social
construct. To examine the usefulness of something only
against our current meaning of the word is shortsighted.
If, instead, our social construct is torn away,
then very few certainties are left, but one of them is
knowledge and understanding. If we accept that the
perceivable universe is, in fact, some sort of reality,
then analysis of it is surely one of the most profound
1946
George
Gamow
Estimated a
temperature of 50K
1941
Robert Dicke
Predicted a
microwave
background radiation
of 20K
and fundamentally useful things humans can do. I would argue that the measure of
a species’ development is intimately linked to its understanding of the environment in which it lives. The
process of working things out makes future humans smarter. Whether it is our ability to spot patterns,
manipulate mathematics in new and intricate ways, or simply hypothesise with greater imagination and zeal.
Since conquering the survival phase of development, abstract and seemingly absurd academia is what enhances
human beings.
If science were to degrade to a point where it only endured to serve the wants of money driven, pleasureseeking
society, its profundity dissipates, and our progression as a species decelerates. It follows that
understanding for the sake of understanding can be a cause for science; even when real life applications are a
welcome consequence.
The Sixth Form Journal is all about expressing opinions on big issues. If you agree or disagree with one
of our writers - let us know. We are looking to publish readers’ responses in next issue’s Letters To The
Editor page. Similarly, if you would like to write an article, draft it and send it.
You can email to thesixthformjournal@gmail.com and we’ll respond. You can include a name or take
this as an opportunity to have a go at us from behind a digital wall.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Spring 2014 Issue 1
L et’s go through the feminist checklist: Are you a
human Are you in possession of some form of
genitalia Would you prefer your life to not be
confined and constrained by the nature of said
genitalia If you said yes to all three:
congratulations, you’re a feminist! Please
feel free to revel in your freedom to vote,
have safe sex and dance to something
other than Robin Thicke on your way
out.
But, despite all these wonderful
perks (and I haven’t even started on
our crazy little concepts of equal
pay, right to divorce, not being
oppressed by the patriarchy, etc.),
many people still squirm and
frown and sigh when you
mention the dreaded F-word. If
you asked a group of students “Are
you against racism” you would hope
to be met with united agreement: “of course”.
Ditto if you questioned their views on homophobia.
However, ask a 16-year-old (or even a 60-year-old) if
they would proudly call themselves a feminist and,
more often than not, you will find yourself on the
receiving end of some very conservative silence.
"Feminist: a person who believes in the social,
political, and economic equality of the sexes," declares
“Flawless”, the latest track on Beyoncé’s self-titled
visual album. Unlike many stars, Queen Bey is not
afraid to out herself as an Independent Woman, as
her recent appearance in the #BanBossy campaign
demonstrates. Many female celebrities lack such
confidence – or at least the support of an agent who
isn’t worried that seeming anything other than
simpering might damage their client’s career. Famous
names that have recently backed out of the
“are you a feminist” question of terror include Taylor
Swift, Bjork, Katy Perry and Madonna; this is rather
disheartening, considering these women owe their
ability to even have a career to the original women’s
movement. Although what is arguably more
concerning is the rarity in which a male celebrity is
ever asked the same question. That’s right gentlemen
- thanks to the media’s portrayal of masculinity as
objectifiers devoid of any emotional
capacity (thus clearly unable even to
comprehend the idea of sexual equality),
you too are victims of the patriarchy.
Trust us, it gets worse.
So, what can we conclude here
Right now, it seems everyone
needs feminism – but no-one wants
to admit it. But what has caused the
hatred of such an important and
inclusive movement All liberal
thought is eventually attacked by the
elitist minority who know that mass
equality is restrictive to their power.
Eventually their insults become
mainstream myths, popularised,
ironically, by those who would
actually benefit from such progression. So now we
must tackle the falsehoods of feminism.
Firstly, being a feminist isn’t about ticking all the
boxes of “crap-‘70s-sitcom-lesbian-stereotype”,
complete with hairy legs, bra burning and an
inexplicable, uncharacterised hatred of men.
Feminism is about choice, and about being free from
outdated, unhelpful societal stereotypes.
Secondly, feminism is neither pro-women nor antimen.
It’s just sort of “Hey, I don’t like being
oppressed! Oh, you neither Fabulous” and then rides
off on a non-gender specific unicorn. Caitlin Moran
once said that girls could tell if something was an
issue of sexism by asking “are the boys putting up
with this too” However, although women are

oppressed in many ways that men are not (and lets
just stress, historically we have definitely had our
face share of oppressive bullshit), the system of
traditional gender roles that we live in harms all
people. Therefore, I feel her question can, and
should, be equally reversed. If you have ever been
belittled for not perfectly fulfilling what the media
would have you believe is the ‘perfect gender role’,
then feminism is for you. A patriarchal society
favours no-one: it confines men within a strait-jacket
of masculinity, reducing them to penis size and
muscle mass, portraying them as animalistic sexual
predators who are unable to feed themselves or
clothe themselves or look after their own children
without the help of a woman. For women, it is the
only belief arguably entirely responsible for every
liberty you have today. If you are a woman who still
feels disillusioned by feminism, I refer you back to
the origins of the movement and ask you this: what
part of female liberation is not for you Who thinks:
“actually yeah, I’d quite like to earn less money and
be denied power and generally face violence,
harassment and objectification on a daily basis!” I’ll
stick with my almost-there equality thanks.
hijab ALSO WRONG. Self-righteous snobs have
turned feminism into a maze of morals, so no wonder
young people feel disillusioned by it. As Gemma
Cairney said on her Radio 1 documentary, What The
F, “nothing can make feminism scarier than the idea
that you're not doing it right."
This is not feminism. Thankfully, our generation is
reclaiming the title, restoring it to its purest form
through the power of technology, twitter and ‘takeno-shit’
pop anthems. Feminism is never exclusive. It
is a multi-dimensional gathering of all genders and
races, fighting for a simple truth: your life should not
be lessened on account of having, or not having, a
vagina.
And, finally, feminism is not the dogma of bourgeois
white women, bickering on tumblr about what it
really means to be a feminist. The internet is a
breeding ground for hair-splitting, holier-than-thou
comment wars.
“A patriarchal society favours
Thus, what once
no-one: it confines men
was a debate on
within a strait-jacket of female
masculinity, reducing them to liberation is
penis size and muscle mass” starting to look
a lot like Mean
Girls. For some, a simple ideology has come to be a
hierarchal culture of one-upmanship and moral
superiority, and posting your feminist ideals online
will provoke more controversy than a Miley Cyrus
music video - and largely for the same reasons.
According to the faux-expert trolls, your
interpretation of feminism will never be ‘the right
one’. Think your mini skirt is empowering
WRONG. Want to break down gender binaries in a

Spring 2014 Issue 1
I f a student walked into a class with a broken arm or
leg - bandaged and visibly damaged - there would
undoubtedly be concern and comfort from their
classmates. Most people would offer support, enquire
how the limb was broken, maybe carry their
belongings or help them up the stairs. Most people
recognise that a broken arm or leg is something to be
recognised as a problem.
Imagine if that person was teased or victimised.
The effect of this sort
of treatment can
dramatically change attitudes towards
life as well as affecting everyday activities and lifestyle.
A person can become isolated, lose interest in their
favourite activities, and lack motivation towards their
lessons and schoolwork. Most importantly, the more
stigma an individual experiences, the more reluctant
they become to seek help. This makes their problems
or illness progressively worse – so much so that it could
affect their physical health.
Whilst one in four people will experience a mental
health problem at some point in their lives, its’
especially worrying that one in ten young people will
be affected. While it is a common mistake to label a
teenager’s ‘bad mood’ or struggles as simply going
through puberty, more and more young people are
suffering in silence - in constant fear of stigma or
discrimination.
Stigma and discrimination in school are worryingly
common. Because mental health is such a taboo
subject, when a young person starts to realise that
something may be wrong with them and decide to
speak up, comments such as ‘attention-seeking’,
‘different’, and ‘strange’ are thrown around. This sort of
response is hugely damaging to someone’s self esteem
and self worth, making their mental illness far worse.
Nine out of ten people with a mental health illness
have recorded experiencing discrimination towards
them because of their condition.
Having an open mind towards someone that could
have a mental illness is important when it comes to
avoiding this discrimination, however deliberate.

There are many young people who create a facade by attitude from others on a person’s mental health can
appearing happy and unhurt from comments - this also make a person feel as though they want to give
could be someone suffering with mental health up, be that ambitions of applying to further education,
problems who is affected by the smallest negative or in the extreme, giving up on life.
comment.
The subject of mental health no longer needs to be
This is just as important for teachers and parents. Not considered a taboo subject. People who think that
to treat anyone differently, but understanding when they may have a mental health illness and those who
something may be wrong (even when it’s not obvious) have been diagnosed shouldn’t feel shameful talking
is extremely important. Mental health problems affect about it. People shouldn’t be fearful of other people’s
three pupils in the average classroom, which you thoughts and reactions, but should feel proud about
might find surprising. For friends of those suffering being themselves. Talking about mental health can
with an illness, it is the small but potentially lifechanging
things that you can do to help. Simply may not ever want to talk about their illness, which
strengthen friendships and aid recovery. Some people
listening to them, keeping in touch and reminding should also be respected, but people should be able to
them that you care could make a big difference to feel comfortable and confident with themselves,
them. It can be incredibly hard to understand how a without discrimination targeted at them. Standing up
person is feeling and how to help, but even the small to stigma should be something people can do with
things can make big differences.
confidence.
Not only do stigma and discrimination affect a young
person’s school life, but many young people will be in
fear of applying for or attending a job because of the
worry of treatment by colleagues and members of the
public. The reaction from those who have been a
victim of this is the feeling of giving up. A negative

Spring 2014 Issue 1
Fresh from the Danish trip, Rafel Spilman describes the
Christiania Freetown and discusses:
I stand in Christiana, a Freetown
commune founded in a deserted military
barracks in the heart of Copenhagen.
Dogs wander about, seemingly ownerless.
The paving stones are cracked and
doorways are charred and mottled.
Strange odours waft from side streets and
weeds sprout from gaps in bricks. More
broken windows than you could count.
Sharpie scrawlings on every surface
conceivable as a canvas.
The clouds are low and there is a
distinct lack of any sunshine whatsoever,
creating a monochrome effect across the
neat and uniform Copenhagen streets. Our
tour guide pulls out her fourth cigarette
and rasps “Christiania was founded on a
universal set of values, the rules are
simple; you are free to do anything you
want, but you must always consider other
people and your environment.”
Making out what little I can of the faded
doodles on the park benches, it’s difficult
to understand how exactly the citizens of
Christiania “consider their environment”.
Our guide continues, “we are all very
proud of the artwork that has come out of
Christiania, it is full of visionaries, and
artists from all over the world are very
attracted here”. I find it hard to believe
that any art scene could flourish at all in
such an apparently unliveable space. The
only things that one could tenuously
attribute artistic qualities to were the
brightly coloured, vibrant murals that
covered the walls of most of the houses.
Though, if I were feeling bold, I would
have said that only few of them were
particularly attractive anyway.
This anarchy of colour and spray paint
lies in sharp contrast with the efficient,
reserved, methodical Scandinavian design
we were experiencing just 500 yards away,
outside Christiania.
It is at this point, I must say, I am
downright impressed. No, honestly,
properly impressed. The artificial waterway
through Christiania has been dotted
with some very interesting housing
projects: a cute little box constructed from
timber and glass, jutting out over the lake;
another hut, made from six individual
squares arranged to form an octagon; one
house with a roof completely covered
with grass, a quaint little chimney poking
out through a gap in the turf.
Our guide lights another cigarette and
informs us that Christiania has always
held a tradition that allowed anybody to
build anything they want, whenever and
wherever they want (as long as they didn’t
piss off their neighbours). One could stroll
down to the Christiania warehouse to buy
some timber and carry it to their garden
and build a great big jetty over the lake for
all anybody cared. It was up to them. It
was almost as if it was architecture
without an architect. Art without an
artist. Just people, building cool living
spaces. What’s more, they wouldn’t have
to pay housing taxes on the properties
they’d built, and they could modify these
buildings any time they wish without
having to fill out any paperwork or ask for
planning permission. Christiania was
founded on the idealistic vision that it is
not the place of state authorities to impede
creativity.
Needless to say, this riled the
Copenhagen councils, committees and
governments rather a lot, and various
attempts over the last couple of decades
have been made to try and assume control
over this territory. At the moment there is
a lot of trouble over these building
projects on the lake. The town planning
committees of Copenhagen have requested
that a third of these buildings be taken
down, and no more building can take
place, this along with many of the statues

which are dotted around the area.
artistic community. The fact of the matter is that artists have to
play by the rules these days - a starving artist isn’t making art.
Now, had I heard this information but 15 minutes earlier, I
You have to pay the rent. You have to find ways to fund your
would most probably have not batted a proverbial eye-lid.
artistic ventures, As the hungry Christianites would attest to.
However, now that I am standing on the edge of the water and
looking at all these honest little homes, poking out tentatively
over the water, something stirs in me.
The real question here is how far cynicism has corrupted
‘corporate’ art. Is modern art so ruined by contemptuous
millionaires that it has all become big business, an attempt to
It is a feeling hard to describe. It’s not really that I had fluffy
‘one-up’ other millionaires I am certain that many of the
and teenage idealistic conceptions on how the big wide world
disillusioned hippies in Christiania (that have been told to knock
works, and they were shattered into a thousand pieces before my
their houses down) would froth
eyes. It’s not that at all. My
at the mouth at the opportunity
world view more flopped over
to tell you exactly why it has.
and wheezed whilst I shrugged
and internally sighed: “ah well,
c’est la vie”.
With this perspective, I could
perhaps offer some insight into
the relation between the modern
Allow me to explain. For any
‘price’ of art and how I imagine a
lost student, wandering
young student would fit into it. I
hopelessly and aimlessly through
think it would be most beneficial
life, avoiding responsibility and
to an aspiring artist to do one’s
cringing at the thought of
best to take heed of both of these
growing up, the thought of one
art worlds: to try and integrate
day being able to run off
There is a street in Christiania called ‘Pusher Street’. This is them with each other as much as
somewhere is really quite
where drug dealers will sell their wares in the open daylight possible.
attractive. To make art, live in a
over the counter. They are quite aware of the illegality of their
wooden shack and just live off
There is a lot to be learnt from
actions and vehemently oppose people taking pictures of
organic celeriac you grow in
the free-living, hash-smoking,
Pusher Street (fig 3 - shhh, keep it a secret). Christianites all
your ethical back-garden
appear very proud of this fact: “it prevents dirty business
(seldom-washing) occupants of
vegetable patch. I mean, the
happening, and this way we can make sure that no ‘hard drugs’
Christiania; it essentially boils
world is a free place, right A are sold in Christiania”. So yes, all artists have to fund their down to that one holy
man should just be able to make
work, even Christianites.
catchphrase of American
art and sell it, the art world
Consumerism: “Just Do It!” (P).
should rely on self motivation. It’s about self-determination. The For the truth of the matter is that in art, as in everything, you
world is fair.
need to sweat and toil before anything you produce even begins
to be noticed. Yes, even Hirst spent years living on people’s
But no, apparently not. There’s always going to be a
living room floors and struggling, day by day, to make it.
government or authority that wants to tear your house down. It
looks as if there’s no choice but to play by the rules here. In fact, Second of all, it’s probably not sensible to enclose yourself in an
it is almost worrying how art has become corporate and marketdriven
idealistic vision of the art world and put yourself in a vulnerable
over the latter half of the 20th century, and the trend position. Always have an economic plan. You don’t want to
hasn’t levelled. It was only in 2007 that the emir of Qatar pulled work hard on your projects only to find either a) they aren’t
out £9m for a shelf of prescription medicine arranged by Damien going anywhere, b) you aren’t paying rent, or c) there is a fish in
Hirst. “Lullaby Spring”, he calls it, laughing all the way to the the pond bigger than you that wants to make your life difficult
bank [4] .
(i.e. knock your house down) because of your art.
The Buyer said: “[Hirst’s Artwork] showcases [the Qatar Ultimately though, I think it’s important to not allow yourself to
Museum Association’s] commitment to showcasing art from become disillusioned with art in itself. The world needs art, and
around the world and sharing it with the people of Qatar”. Art it is the artist’s duty to create it. It is up to our generation to right
has become a symbol of international relations, how comforting. the wrongs of the capital-driven, post-boomer art generation,
and to bring some dignity back to the modern gallery.
"Money is massive," says Hirst. And he’s right, in a sense.
There’s a popular stereotype of the struggling artist, plagued by
hunger and madness (think Van Gogh - who actually only sold
one painting in his lifetime — cutting his own ear off in a state
of manic depression) and it’s probably a damaging one to the