THE DOVER CHRONICLE VOL 2

THE DOVER CHRONICLE - OCTOBER 2023 VOL. 2 

CLICK THE HEADING TO READ THE ARTICLE 

AN INTERVIEW WITH HANAKO 

SAWAYAMA (SPECIAL 

OLYMPICS SINGAPORE) 

CONSTRUING THE ELECTION: A 

BREAKDOWN OF CANDIDATES 

TO CAMPAIGNS 

MELTING ICE - THE PITFALL 

FOR PENGUINS? 

MEAT MANUFACTURED - WHAT 

THIS MEANS FOR THE PLANET 

HOT HO’OLEILANA 

ABLAZE! 

BEHIND THE SCENES: WHO 

IS MORE QUALIFIED TO 

WIN THE RUGBY WORLD 

CUP? 

AUTUMN BOOK RECS 

EXPRESS YOURSELF 

THROUGH CULTURE AND 

ART 

THE GROWTH OF WOMEN’S 

INVOLVEMENT IN 

POLITICS 

EDITOR: 

WRITERS: 

INES LUI SICILIANI DE OLIVEIRA 

LILLY BILLINGTON 

MAYA DONAU 

NINA DONAU 

ANNASOPHIA HAROLD 

JULIA JARDIM DE OLIVEIRA 

SE-AH LEE 

INES LUI SICILIANI DE OLIVEIRA 

NATHIFA PRABOWO 

DEV PAKSHOOTRA 

RUTH ZHAO

Ines Lui Siciliani de Oliveira 


AN INTERVIEW WITH HANAKO SAWAYAMA 

(SPECIAL OLYMPICS SINGAPORE) 

On Wednesday, 20th September, I had the 

pleasure of interviewing Hanako, who 

visited the school in order to talk to the 

students about Special Olympics Singapore 

(SOS) during the Drop-Down Day. She 

had previously attended Dover Court in the 

1990’s, and went on to join SOS as a 

swimmer, and is still part of the team 

today. I asked her a few questions about 

her experience and Dover Court and SOS. 

So, what is Special Olympics? It is a global 

organisation that works with athletes with 

intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968, 

the organisation has been growing ever 

since. At the local level, athletes get to 

meet the many volunteers at the 

organisation, helping to increase 

community involvement and integration, 

and even changing preconceived 

perceptions. Special Olympics provides 

sports training year-round, as well as 

competitions in a range of Olympic-type 

sports for both children and adults with 

intellectual disabilities. Not only do these 

activities help to develop physical fitness, 

but athletes can also grow as people 

through new experiences, joy, and the 

development of new friendships. 

Could you describe your experience when 

you were a student at Dover Court? 

Hanako first joined Dover Court in 1991, 

when she was 14 years old. The school was 

very different then: there were less 

buildings, the community was a lot smaller, 

and they still wore the old hand-made 

striped, green-and-white uniforms with the 

old shield logo. 

Visiting the school in the present day, 

what would you say has changed about 

the school? 

Hanako noted that the school has had an 

extremely big change for the better. Two 

students gave her a school tour during her 

recent visit, and she pointed out the 

development of many new buildings that 

have sprouted up around campus since her 

time here. There were many smaller 

changes that she noticed as well, such as 

the new location of the reception, the new 

chairs and interior design within the 

reception, and the new playgrounds that the 

school did not have when she was a 

student. 

Up next - the interview with Hanako:

Ines Lui Siciliani de Oliveira 


Could you describe what it was like being 

an athlete with Special Olympics 

Singapore when you first started out? 

Hanako joined Special Olympics Singapore 

while she attended Dover Court. The 

mother of another student asked her to join 

the SOS swimming programme, and 

through this programme she saw many 

other people with intellectual disabilities 

swimming. Although she was initially 

slightly surprised upon joining, she 

eventually got used to it. 

What kind of work do you do with Special 

Olympics Singapore nowadays? 

Today, Hanako is an administrative 

coordinator and part of the initiative team. 

She works with youth leaders, athlete 

leaders, and is also a Global Messenger for 

Special Olympics. 

What do you feel is the most rewarding or 

impactful part of your role? 

Hanako feels that the most rewarding part 

of her role at Special Olympics Singapore 

is being able to support council members. 

She has also been an inspirational example 

of how people with intellectual disabilities 

can integrate when given equal 

opportunities – such as when Hanako 

represented Singapore in Bowling during 

the Summer Games. 

Is there anything you would like to tell 

Dover Court Students about yourself or 

Special Olympics Singapore? 

To close out the interview, Hanako told me 

about her message for the students at 

Dover Court. She implores students to take 

action. It is now our turn. She also gave 

some suggestions for ways that the student 

body could integrate this within the school, 

emphasising the importance of holding 

events with people with intellectual 

disabilities. It is imperative that the 

community bands together and includes 

everyone. 

A few of Hanako’s suggestions for ways 

that we could implement this are: 

-A fun fare 

-Baking/other group activities 

-Playing sports together (unified sports) 

If there is a key message to take away from 

both Hanako’s experiences and message, as 

well as our own school values, it is to take 

action. Dover Court is an inclusive 

community – this is at the heart of the 

school, and it is our job to embody that in 

our own actions. Get involved with 

students from all three pathways, form 

friendships or even just say ‘hi’ to someone 

you might not know around the campus. 

Think of ways to spur inclusion and 

integration in our community. How can we 

involve everyone? Because, as made 

evident by the work done by Special 

Olympics, if given equal opportunities, 

anyone and everyone can achieve great 

things.

Maya Donau 


CONSTRUING THE ELECTION: A BREAKDOWN 

OF CANDIDATES TO CAMPAIGNS 

November 5, 2024 – the date of the next 

US presidential elections. Despite seeming 

miles away, election proceedings have 

already begun. A notable example of this 

would be the first 2024 Republican primary 

debate on Aug. 23. Currently, there are 

over 12 Republican candidates running for 

president. However, there are four major 

candidates: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, 

Nikki Haley and Entrepreneur Vivek 

Ramaswamy. 

The most popular Republican candidate 

dominating nationwide polls Donald 

Trump ,77, who received 59% in a Wall 

Street Journal poll. This is because of 

Trump being the former president of the 

USA. Trump aims to transform America 

to have the cheapest energy and electricity 

on Earth by utilising American natural gas 

and oil. Additionally, he claims that he will 

" begin to reverse the effects of the 

disastrous effects of Biden's inflation" and 

revitalize America's economy. He has also 

said he will end American birth right 

citizenship. During the height of Covid-19 

trump had made a racially insensitive 

description of Covid as the “Chinese virus” 

somewhat distantly associated with 

Democratic candidate Robert Kennedy 

claiming that Covid-19 was “ethnically 

targeted” and engineered to target certain 

ethnic group but avoid Ashkenazi Jews and 

Chinese people. Although, following 

Trump's indictment in which he was 

charged with working to overturn the 

results of the 2020 election his polling 

numbers will likely take a hit and suffer 

because of this. 

The second most favoured candidate is 

Governor of Florida Ron Desantis ,45, 

receiving 13% in the aforementioned poll. 

He has expressed and centred anti- 

"wokeness" and stated "We have made 

Florida the state where woke goes to die." 

He signed a bill to make abortion 6 weeks 

after conception illegal and the "Don't say 

Gay " bill which outlaws discussions on 

sexual orientation and gender identity in 

every grade. One of his missions if elected 

is to emphasise border security and prevent 

illegal immigration along with efforts to 

lower energy prices. Ron DeSantis' 

administration advised Floridians and 

others below the age of 65 against getting 

the Covid-19 booster which shockingly 

connects with Democratic candidates. 

However, considering the most updated 

recent polling number candidates such as 

Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy are 

ahead of him. 

The only female republican candidate is 

Former United States Ambassador to the 

United Nations and Governor South 

Carolina Nikki Haley, 51. She is the only 

female republican candidate. She aims to 

create an environment that ensures that 

Americans will thrive. She instils the belief 

that “we do need mental competency tests 

for anyone over the age of 75” which 

would impact politicians such as Joe Biden 

and Donald Trump. She says she is 

“Unapologetically pro-life, but no federal 

ban" and encourages the notion in which 

“Parents talk to their kids about gender-- 

not in schools".

Maya Donau 


Additionally, Haley has agreed with the 

notion that minimum wage should not be 

raised because it would detriment small 

businesses and end up hurting workers, 

contrasting the only female Democratic 

candidate, Marianne Williamson who is in 

support of a national minimum wage 

increase. A minimal number of people who 

are highly conservative have concerns on a 

woman being president in comparison to 

her male counterparts which may impact 

her polling numbers and subsequently the 

number of votes she will receive, 

nonetheless Haley presents her 

womanhood as an asset. 

IAt 38 years old, Entrepreneur Vivek 

Ramaswamy claims the position of the 

youngest and the fourth most candidate 

who is rising fast. He has become a popular 

candidate from previously being almost 

unknown in comparison to other 

candidates. Currently it can be argued that 

he is on par with candidate Nikki Haley. 

Vivek Ramaswamy had authored several 

books on the subject of “anti-woke”, 

presenting similar ideologies to candidate 

Ron Desantis. He also is in favour to 

increase the voting age from 18 to 25. He is 

also a firm believer that affirmative action 

is a “national cancer." This links to the 

recent removal of affirmative action in by 

the Supreme Court ruling that race can no 

longer be considered as a factor in 

university admissions. He also juxtaposes 

democratic candidate and current president 

Joe Biden whose Administration 

encourages universities to pursue racial 

diversity despite the affirmative action ban. 

Ramaswamy has also described climate 

change to be a “hoax” and in in support of 

investing in non-renewable energy sources. 

Overall, these candidates have many 

similar views on subjects such as being 

pro-life, anti–woke advocating for cheaper 

energy prices but have fundamentally 

differing directions they would want to 

take the United States. These current 

ratings may come to different conclusions 

during the election. For example, in recent 

news the support rating for Candidate Ron 

Desantis has decreased because candidates 

such as Nikki Haley and Vivek 

Ramaswamy are becoming Trumps 

primary rivals for the Republican 

party.Every election candidate has their 

own individual set of values and beliefs 

and therefore target a certain demographic 

in America. In general, older people are in 

favour of republican candidates because of 

traditional views that Republican 

candidates support and reflect and the 

younger population such as Gen Z lean 

towards democratic candidates because 

democratic candidates have more 

progressive views. In the end it is 

important for everyone to recognise the 

impact each candidate can have on 

America. Some question how the outcome 

of the American impacts the of the 

worldand why they should care. It can 

affect a multitude of global outcomes 

ranging from climate change to the global 

economy to international trade over the 

world, reiterating the phrase ““when 

America sneezes, the world catches a 

cold.”

Se-Ah Lee 


MELTING ICE – THE PITFALL FOR 

PENGUINS? 

About 10,000 young penguins are most 

likely to die before developing their 

waterproof feathers. It is dangerous for 

young penguins to survive due to the 

melting ice all around them. They are most 

likely to get drowned or freeze to their 

death in the freezing water. As the 

temperature of the Earth rises and the 

climate changes continues, more and more 

of the Arctic and Antarctic ice is likely to 

melt. Especially now, in 2023, ice melts 

and penguins are on the edge of extinction. 

It is getting worse and worse, every year, 

every minute, every second. 

Penguins’ breeding period is long and 

stabilized. But as the ice melts, it is most 

likely that chicks will not be able to 

become full-fledged adults. According to 

BBC, most of the ice melts during 

December, which is when the chicks 

fledge. However, it is at the start of 

December when ice starts to melt, that 

most penguin chicks cannot develop their 

new feathers and drown to death. 

More than 90% of the emperor penguins 

are likely to be extinct due to failing 

breeding plans and young deaths that are 

important for the survival of future 

generations of penguins. 

This is a life-threatening issue for 

penguinsbecause if young penguins cannot 

survive to adulthood to continue the 

survival and growth of the colony, 

penguins wouldn’t be able to breed and as 

the time passes on, numbers of penguins 

would decrease. 

As penguin species inch closer to 

extinction, it means that the food chain 

would break and there would be more and 

more fish in the area. This can cause the 

biodiversity to decrease, threatening the 

other animals in Antarctic.You might 

wonder, why is this important? It is 

important because if there were fewer 

penguins in the area, there would be more 

fish. This could cause plankton and other 

small beings in the ocean to become extinct 

(or endangered) because there are more 

surviving predators around them. 

This isn’t the only problem. Killer whales, 

that mostly survives eating and hunting 

penguins would be threatened by this 

extinction and the number of killer whales 

would slowly but dramatically decrease. 

This can be a serious problem, breaking the 

food web.

Se-Ah Lee 


The number of penguins is especially low 

this year compared to others. This means 

that penguins are endangered, and it is 

imperative that we all act. We need to act 

fast. We need to act now. 

To help penguins, we can try to reduce 

emission of carbon dioxide or fossil fuels. 

We can walk or bike instead of riding cars 

(that take up to 40% of the carbon dioxide 

emissions). This can really decrease the 

speed of extinction. We can also turn off 

any lights or electricity that they are not 

using. This saves energy, but also reduces 

the heat produced by the electricity and 

lights. 

Furthermore, there are also things that 

companies and governments can do. Such 

as producing new technology that might 

reduce carbon emissions. Governments can 

create more buildings that have solar 

panels on them. They can also raise taxes 

for ownership of extra vehicles such cars. 

This would deter people from the excessive 

consumerism of buying cars. 

We all can act in this world; it does not 

have to be the government that acts first. It 

can be you and me. Starting little by little, 

making the world better for penguins.


MEAT MANUFACTURED - WHAT THIS MEANS 

In a world grappling with challenges of a 

rapidly burgeoning population and resource 

depletion, the innovation of cultivated meat 

offers a potential solution. This promising 

approach enables production of a 

sustainable, yet nutritious protein source 

without the negative environmental effects 

of traditional livestock farming. 

FOR THE PLANET. 

Imagine. As the sun rises in a once lush 

and verdant forest, the melody of birdsong 

is drowned out by the deafening roar of 

machinery. The trees have been severed by 

chainsaws, and now lay on the ground, 

robbed of their majestic beauty. A major 

advantage of cultivated meat lies in the 

potential it holds to generate nutritious 

meat using less land, as space does not 

need to be cleared to make space for 

farming. Moreover, cattle farming 

contributes to methane emissions through 

the process of enteric fermentation which 

occurs in the rumen of cattle. Cultivated 

meat, therefore, can ameliorate issues such 

as deforestation and greenhouse gas 

emissions, both major contributors to 

climate change. In addition, increasing the 

level of agricultural output through 

cultivated meat has the potential to act as 

an effective solution to achieve 

‘Sustainable Development Goal 2 - zero 

hunger’. This is significant considering that 

the demand for meat is projected to double 

by 2050 (Food and Agriculture 

Organization of the United Nation (FAO), 

2019). In addition, ethically, cultivated 

meat is advantageous as harm is not 

inflicted upon animals. Consequently, 

vegetarians and vegans concerned about 

animal welfare may be open to eating labgrown 

meat. 

A new farm has recently surfaced in the 

culinary world, in which the boundaries of 

traditional meat production have been 

transgressed and rewritten. However, this 

farm is like no other, for it does not feature 

vast fields or grazing animals, but instead 

embraces a ground-breaking concept: 

cultivated meat. This farm is a laboratory. 

Its sterile rooms and gleaming equipment 

are the soil in which the seeds of 

innovation are planted. Here, scientists 

transform into pioneering cultivators, 

Despite the plethora of benefits on a global 

armed with the foresight to reshape the 

scale, there remain drawbacks to this 

future of food production. Like skilled 

approach. The production costs of 

farmers, they nurture and tend cells that 

cultivated meat are much greater than that 

hold the potential to grow into meat. In this 

of conventionally produced meat. This 

farm, the ‘seeds of innovation’ are animal 

makes it unaffordable for many customers, 

cells, the very building blocks of life. This 

which discourages them from purchasing. 

sample of cells is placed in a nutrient-rich 

In addition, there is uncertainty around 

‘soil’ which emulates the optimal 

consumer acceptance due to concerns 

environment needed for growth. The 

regarding safety, taste and idea of it being 

growth of the cells is constantly monitored 

‘unnatural’. Furthermore, whilst cultivated 

to ensure that they are sufficiently 

meat presents as a more sustainable 

nourished to replicate the complex 

approach to meat production, the full 

structure of animal tissues, enabling them 

environmental impact is currently being 

to multiply over time. The scientists ensure 

researched. 

that the cells undergo differentiation into Arguing that we must be for or against 

muscle cells, like how a farmer guides the cultivated meat is just setting up a false 

growth of the animals. As a result, the dichotomy: in reality, we must strike while 

cultivated meat blossoms into its final the iron is hot and utilise this food 

form, resembling conventional meat. technology to revolutionise global food 

Lastly, the final product is processed production whilst managing the challenges. 

further to enhance taste and texture. 

- Nina Donau


HOT HO’OLEILANA ABLAZE! 

And the galaxies come in over time as the 

stars form, eventually displaying the more 

familiar glittering sky of jewels. 

All this, from Jim Peebles, the 

US/Canadian astrophysicist, astronomer, 

and cosmologist, theorised in the 1970s. A 

round of applause for the groundbreaking 

discovery! Of course, he later received a 

physics Nobel prize in 2019. 

Ho’oleilana: “sent murmurs of awakening” 

is of an old Hawaiian creation chant. That’s 

the new name for the shocking and 

surprising, completely unexpected 

discovery of a new ‘bubble’ of galaxies. 

Spreading around a billion light years, it's 

100,000 times wider than the Milky Way. 

Despite that, it is still called the ‘nearby 

universe’, being roughly 820 million light 

years away. “We were not looking for it; it 

was so huge it spilled to the edge of the 

sector of the sky we were analyzing,” says 

astronomer Brent Tully from the 

University of Hawai’i. It is truly a 

spectacular science feat to achieve seeing 

Ho’oleilana, lying approx. 820 million 

light years away. 

Excitingly, Ho’oleilana comprises of 

previously discovered galaxies like the 

Harvard/Smithsonian Great Wall, 

encompassing the Coma Cluster, Hercules 

Cluster, and the Sloan Great Wall. The 

Boötes Cluster inhabits the centre, and the 

famous Boötes Void calls the Ho’oleilana 

home as well. 

So, how does a BAO (stands for Baryon 

Acoustic Oscillation, aka ‘bubble’) form? 

During the first 400,000 years after the Big 

Bang, the universe was that of a melting 

pot of plasma, much like the internal 

‘organs’ of the Sun (very hot). Within the 

plasma, electrons would be separated from 

their nucleus. Despite the harsh radiation 

attempting to push matter apart, higher 

density regions would collapse under 

gravity. This battle between gravitation and 

radiation made the plasma oscillate or 

ripple outwards. After the universe stopped 

being plasma (so, basically, cooler), the 

shapes fixed, creating enormous threedimensional 

ripples – what you see now. 

‘Ho’oleilana. As you can see, it 

encompasses many (famously) previously 

discovered galaxies.’ (Earthysky.org) 

What does this tell us about cosmotology 

now? 

The Ho’oleilana raises questions on the 

perceived expansion rate of the universe – 

currently, the estimations are between 67 to 

74 kilometres per second, but researchers 

have detected that Ho’oleilana have a faster 

expansion rate – around 74.7 to 76.9 

kilometres per second. This further tangles 

up the question of the actual expansion rate 

of the universe...we’re all curious, but 

scientists and researchers say that further 

research and careful observations are 

needed for us to truly understand and 

unlock the infinite mysteries the universe 

holds. 

Ruth Zhao

Annasophia Harold & Nathifa Prabowo 


BEHIND THE SCENES, WHO IS MORE QUALIFIED 

TO WIN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP? 

In the year 2023, 20 countries have 

assembled to take part in the fight to be 

crowned victor of the Rugby World Cup. 

The ongoing tournament will be dotted 

around 9 stadiums in France, each stadium 

filled with the cheers of thousands of fans. 

The world cup will contain 48 matches 

over a span of 51 days. The championship 

has made 2.6 million tickets for the many 

fans and supporters of the sport and 

countries. 

Training 

The All Blacks, the New Zealand Rugby 

team trains with a technique where they 

would do intense physical exercise, 

examples being dumbbell rows and incline 

dumbbell press, for a short period of time 

then take a long rest which can last 3 hours 

or more before doing more extreme 

exercise. 

This technique is often used to gain muscle 

quickly and efficiently which means that 

the All Blacks have strong physical 

strength and muscle mass. 

The Springboks, the team representing 

South Africa, have a fitness test which the 

players must achieve upon entering the 

team, this includes having a set vertical 

jump (how high you can jump) where the 

lowest height is 55cm. Their training 

includes doing drills and practice scenarios 

in a rugby match, which makes them more 

prepared for situations which may arise 

during the match. 

Les Bleus’, the French Rugby team, coach 

has adapted their training to be more rugby 

centralised, the coach’s aim was to try 

developing their skills purely for rugby 

gameplay and techniques. The aim is to 

develop their skills for the rugby matches 

and how to increase the efficiency of their 

skills rather than building their strength to 

get physically stronger.

Annasophia Harold & Nathifa Prabowo 


Who are the dominating countries? 

Evidently, South Africa and New Zealand 

are dominating in the tournament with their 

record holding, 3 rugby world cup wins, 

which already asserts their position as a 

dominating country in the sport. 

Another dominating country is Ireland due 

to their win in the Grand Slam this year, 

they had managed to defeat England, 

France, Italy, Scotland and Wales which 

are all competing in this year's rugby world 

cup. 

France had secured their first victory 

against New Zealand which thoroughly 

established their position in the rugby 

world cup. 

Currently, the top 4 rugby teams in the 

worldwide ranking have Ireland at number 

1, France at number 2, South Africa at 

number 3 and New Zealand making it in at 

number 4. New Zealand is known for its 

craze about rugby with the largest 

supporters for the sport compared to any 

other country. 

England is also a very well-known country 

for rugby, there are speculations that the 

country is the origin of football.They could 

be described as the longest-rugby-playing 

country in the world, which gives them a 

fair number of advantages with the sport. 

South Africa has a history of being 

colonised by the British Empire which is 

where some people theorise how rugby was 

introduced to them. 

who at the most disadvantages? 

Chile is one of the teams with the most 

disadvantages, along with Namibia and 

Romania. One of the reasons Chile could 

be at a disadvantage could be since this is 

their debut in the rugby world and the first 

time they are going to be face to face 

against the big 4 teams (New Zealand, 

France, South Africa, and Ireland). Los 

Condores, the rugby representing Chile in 

the Rugby World Cup has been ranked the 

lowest of all the 20 countries currently 

competing in the Rugby World Cup. Not 

only that but the country of Chile has a 

sport preference of football over rugby. 

Pool B has been widely regarded as the 

‘pool of death’ which puts Romania against 

two teams which are considered the 

world’s best (Ireland and South Africa), 

Tonga: consists of former All Blacks 

players and Scotland’s powerful players 

who won the Grand Slam in 2019. 

Romania has been ranked 19th in the 

whole world which puts it at a 

disadvantage in its pool which may cause 

Romania to quickly get kicked out of the 

Rugby World Cup competition. 

Namibia on the other hand, is also at a 

disadvantage but is ranked lower than 

Romania inferring that they will quickly 

get displaced out of the competition. 

Namibia is also known for having the 

shorter end of the stick for the largest score 

difference in rugby history where they 

were beaten by Australia 0 – 142. 

Adding to this list, Georgia is in a 

disadvantage due to the late introduction of 

the sport to the country. Georgia had the 

sport introduced in 1964, 93 years after the 

sport was supposedly made in England. 

Despite this disadvantage, they had a 

rugby-variant sport in Georgia therefore 

implying that they had an almost equal 

duration of time interacting with the sport. 

Overall, the 2023 world cup will have an 

intense battle between the countries, with 

new emerging players and strong teams 

hitting harder than ever. Many believe that 

the cup will be won by one of the big 4 

(South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, and 

France) but others think that a new country 

will take the trophy. For those Rugby fans 

and supporters can explore the official 

website surrounding the Rugby World Cup 

by clicking this link here: Official Rugby 

World Cup website. This website has all 

the scores, highlights of matches, players 

who deserve a shout-out and the progress 

of the Rugby World Cup.

Lilly Billington & Julia Jardim de Oliveira 


AUTUMN BOOK RECS 

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love’ written by British author Lex 

Croucher, is a YA romance book set a few hundred years after 

Arthur Pendragon’s reign. This book is a creative, and funny 

take on the fake dating trope; however, our protagonists Gwen 

and Arthur do not fall in love Nevertheless, they are betrothed, 

and find each other rather resentful. But when Gwen finds 

Arthur kissing a stable hand, and Arthur finds her boundless 

diary entries about the kingdom’s only female knight, they 

reluctantly decide they may as well pretend to not hate each 

other for the sake of keeping their secrets. 

This book shows the challenges of discovering who you are as a 

person and being able to accept yourself for it all. It deals with 

heavy themes, like homophobia, unacceptance, and war yet 

doesn’t fail to keep a reader from smiling. Croucher’s use of 

anachronism really helps to expand the humour in this story, also 

really emphasising how alike society is now and how it was 

before. The difference and similarity is almost surprising in the 

sense that as a society, we have progressed, though we still have 

masses amounts of work to do to make our society a place for 

everybody, no matter their race, sexuality, gender identity, or 

religion. 

Personally, I would rate this book at an 8/10, and I do think I 

would consider it to be in my top 5 books that I have read. The 

only reason I can’t give it a 10/10 is because the story only really 

progressed and started focussing more on the plotline rather than 

the romance in the last quarter of the book. It was still executed 

well; however, I feel as though the plotline could’ve been 

explored more if it was more of a main focus. All in all, I would 

highly recommend reading this book as I feel as though 

Croucher was effective in their aims for this novel. They 

portrayed the experience of accepting oneself in a beautiful and 

comedic way and I know that this novel will most likely resonate 

with me for a long time. 

~ Lilly Billington 

‘The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea’ follows Mina, who 

decides to sacrifice herself to the God of the Sea in place of her 

brother's girlfriend. Once in the Sea God's city, she discovers 

that the Sea God is not just ignoring them as she thought and that 

something else is going on. The book is very short at 336 pages 

and can easily be read on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The book is 

suitable for ages 13 and up because death is a central theme, with 

most of the book taking place in a land populated by spirits, 

violence and minor injuries. 

~ Julia Jardim de Oliveira


EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH CULTURE AND 

ART 

Before you read this article, I’d like you to 

think of 2 unique things you’ve never tried 

doing before that interest you. Maybe you 

think you could be a good salesman, a 

good photographer, a good comedian, or 

maybe even a good poet. Now imagine 

how rewarding it would be to showcase 

your skills to all your fellow students. How 

would you know if you haven’t tried it yet? 

Cultural and artistic expression has grown 

to be one of the core facets of education 

today. At our school, for instance, we have 

seen the development of so many new 

channels through which students can 

express their identities: the cultural 

celebrations, the music showcases and the 

school plays. Especially in the last few 

years, we’ve seen new faces performing on 

stage every term, and we’ve discovered the 

talents of many in our student body. That 

has always been what Dover Court is about 

– diversity in each student’s identity and 

abilities. 

With the foundation for expression in 

place, the second step is thinking; how can 

we take this even further? How can we 

help each and every student take pride in 

themselves and explore their various 

talents? 

Before we ask those questions, let us first 

address why it is important to express 

yourself in school. A student’s identity 

consists of multiple areas: their heritage, 

their passions, their personalities, and so on 

and so forth. A great example of this is in 

the “Who Am I” task that all students took 

part in during wellbeing this term. This was 

a reflection of each student’s individuality 

and uniqueness. Being able to share these 

things with the rest of your student body is 

extremely beneficial: 

It gives students more confidence in 

themselves and their personalities 

It ties the school community closer 

together, as we learn more about each 

other's talents and skills 

It motivates and promotes engagement 

as seeing your friends showcase their 

abilities and receive praise is a form of 

vicarious reinforcement. This 

encourages more people to get 

involved themselves. 

It turns students into truly all-rounded 

and complete individuals, who are 

confident, have a distinctive 

personality, and have the experience to 

back it up. 

These are just a fair few of the numerous 

reasons why it’s so important for students 

to express themselves on a bigger stage at 

school. It is a core facet of a holistic 

education and students will reap the 

benefits in the future. 

Now that we have established how 

important it is, we can talk about branching 

out and expanding our outlets for 

expression even further. Many members of 

our student body possess hidden talents 

that have not yet been tapped into. For 

example, Comedy is an art that we have 

never really explored in our school. 

However, I know countless individuals in 

our school with an incredible sense of 

humour and great audience awareness. 

In fact, as you’re reading this, think (yes, 

more thinking) of the 3 funniest people you 

know. Now think of them doing a stand-up 

comedy show at school, giving you their 

best material and receiving tremendous 

applause and laughter from the crowd. This 

is just one idea that has so much potential; 

it gives the performers validation and 

encouragement in their abilities and brings 

our school community even closer together 

Dev Jay Pakshootra

Dev Jay Pakshootra 


But why is this not appreciated? Why is 

comedy not celebrated as much as sports, 

music, or drama? This is something that 

needs to be changed – every opportunity 

and path should be equally accessible to 

our students. 

Another example could be dancing, 

something I believe has immense potential 

at our school. There are so many different 

styles of dance, and it is integrated into so 

many different cultures. This makes it such 

a great avenue for students to start 

exploring. Why are students limited to a 

smaller range of activities, when they could 

be finding their passions elsewhere? 

There could be so many more things for 

students to explore at school – including 

poetry, public speaking, extempore, 

photography, et cetera. In our new digital 

age, this gives way to an even more 

massive list – video editing, filmmaking, 

digital art, and so on. These are 

possibilities that our students should be 

engaging with, giving a larger section of 

the student body a unique talent that 

redefines their identity and gives them 

confidence. 

If you can’t think of anything you are good 

at or anything you would want to do, then 

that’s even more reason that we need to 

create an expressive environment at our 

school. Many students, including myself, 

are still searching for what their identity 

really is. The school is the perfect place to 

aid them with that process. Branching out 

to a wider selection of expressive arts gives 

students so many more opportunities to try 

something out, and in the process, to find 

out who they really are and what they like. 

As we look to the future, with the 

development of AI and the digital world, I 

believe that we must cling to the things that 

make us human and define us from 

computers. This identity is something that 

we humans have as a gift: the ability to 

make someone laugh or to move them 

through our personalities and skills is an 

ability that only we possess. In our world 

of ever-increasing diversity, we should not 

just be accepting and embracing it, but 

further developing the diversity of each 

student’s identity – so they have the chance 

to stand out from the crowd. 

So, ask yourself – Who am I, what is 

unique about me, and how do I show that 

to the world?

Anika Upadhya 


THE GROWTH IN WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN 

POLITICS 

Where Women Have Excelled in Politics 

Background Of Women in Politics 

It is crucial to reflect upon the roots of 

women's advancement which stems from 

the women’s suffrage movement that 

occurred from 1851-1920 granting women 

the right to vote. Victoria Wodhull, one of 

the leaders of this movement, foundan 

incongruity in the 14th and 15th 

amendments of the US constitution which 

was that these amendments were applicable 

to all citizens. As she gained more 

popularity, she announced her candidacy in 

1872 for elections. In her campaign, she 

highlighted the underrepresentation of 

women in politics and in the parliament. 

By the 20th century, many European 

countries and the US allowed women to 

vote and stand for candidacy. The first time 

a woman was elected for presidency was in 

1980. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the 

first woman president of Iceland and held 

that position for 16 years. 

However, women participating in politics 

does come with its fair share of obstacles. 

Societal normative influences and gender 

stereotypes heavily hinder the paths of 

multiple women politicians. Furthermore, 

some voting systems might not be designed 

to accommodate women’s participation in 

politics due to the dominance inflicted by 

men through violence or intimidation. 

Additionally, it is important to consider 

that women have to care for their family 

due to preexisting societal roles. This can 

be a constraint for their work as they have 

to manage multiple tasks at a particular 

time. 

- 

Even when presented with such 

hinderances, women in politics have 

ascended the political ladder garnering 

respect from fellow politicians. The women 

in Rwanda have effectively done this as 

Rwanda was the top country for the 

inclusion of women in politics. This is seen 

in the 2013 Rwandan Parliamentary 

election was a record-breaking one, as 64% 

of the seats were being accounted for by 

women. The reason for that record? A 

period of reconciliation after the 1994 

genocide which aimed of integrating 

women in politics. The first step they took 

was the establishment of an amendment in 

the 2003 Rwandan constitution which 

established a 30 percent quota for women 

inclusion. Furthermore, the Rwandan 

government provided education to their 

citizens, both men and women, about 

political involvement and the political 

system. These measures have improved 

Rwanda's political integration system 

substantially creating a conducive 

environment for the advancement of 

women. 

On the other hand, Thailand has an 

abysmal rate of women in parliament, 

accounting to only 4.6% overall. In the 

recent elections, there was an increase in 

women being elected. 96 women were 

elected from the coalition party formed 

Move Forward and the Pheu Thai party. 

This is a result of the measures being 

undertaken to improve the participation of 

women in politics, such as utilising social 

media to deconstruct gender bias and 

stereotypes. Furthermore, they have also 

focused on creating a safer space for 

women outside of politics so that women 

can discuss their ideas and as well as the 

ability to recognise their self-determination 

as members of society. Finally, Thailand 

has also introduced educational programs 

and training for women to advocate for 

their ideas and creations in the political 

system. Even though Thailand has a low 

rate of female politicians. it has recently 

been improving through the 

implementation of new policies.

Anika Upadhya 


Even with an increase of women’s participation in politics, dismantling gender bias and 

providing equality must be a priority as nations venture into promoting the inclusion of 

women in politics. Eradicating an imbalance of gender-based authority is equally crucial 

for this advancement. The future will certainly unveil the ideas of independent women, as 

their thoughts will be properly regarded through the mechanisms previously mentioned.

THE DOVER CHRONICLE VOL 2

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