Autumn 2025

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Below you will find a table of contents. Under each section, there is a list of the articles you will find in this edition, alongside the reporters who wrote the story.

What’s Your Roman Empire? Gods, Kings, Elephants, and How We Got There (1)

By Isabella Heffer

When we think of ‘Ancient Rome’ as a period of history usually three things come to mind: marble statues with empty eyes staring down large columned structures, a melodramatic murder of the general Julius Caesar with the final words ‘Et tu Brute!’(2), and an expansion across continents spearheaded by impeccable bureaucracy and big red shield formations. Each of these elements appeal to a certain imperialistic view of grandeur which was the centre of the justification of violent expansionism perpetrated by the European colonial powers from Columbus to Napoleon to Bismarck to Churchill, which is likely why many of us shelter this mythical view of what we would know as ‘The Roman Empire’. However, the Romans did not begin as imperialists, but as innovators, not kingmakers but revolutionaries, deciding to shirk their unjust kings for a ‘res publica’ a ‘thing of the people’. It was fear of the loss of this republic that caused Brutus, whose forefather was one of the very first revolutionaries to depose tyranny and hail republic, to incite Caesar's assassination. Yet despite this, Octavian, who would later take on the name ‘Augustus’ which surely shows his marked humility (‘Augustus’ at the time would have meant ‘venerable’ or ‘exalted’ one), would go on to reinstate emperors in such a way that befitted the kings of the days of old, ending the great experiment of the previous revolutionaries. So what was it about the Republic, which would go on to last a mere 482 years (for context, that’s from Henry VIII marrying Catherine Parr to now), which prophesied its eventual downfall? And, bluntly, why should we care?

If we are to believe the words of Vergil, Rome’s foundation was secured by Trojan (of innocuous wooden horse fame) hero Aeneas who, after packing up his family and a proportion of his people and leaving behind his citadel(3) under attack, followed a comet sent by the gods in order to find his new troy(4). After interventions by both Aphrodite(5) (his mother) and Athena (his first cousin once removed), benefiting from the hospitality of Carthage(6), descending to the underworld, etc. he finally reaches Italia, a land of disparate tribes. He would then go on to wage war upon the people of Italy, eventually beating them and taking one as his wife(7). This lineage is said to have resulted in the birth of the Roman empire as Virgil’s contemporaries would have known it in Augustus’ period a millenia later(8). The second, perhaps most well known foundation story for Rome(9) would be that of Aeneas’ descendants. Romulus and Remus were borne of Rhea Silva, daughter of Numitor, King of Alba Longa who at the time had been made a vestal virgin after her father was deposed by his brother(10), and Ares(11), who raped Rhea Silva while she was under a vow of chastity. The twins born of this crime were a challenge to the reign so they had to be disposed of, with Rhea Silva placing them in a stream for them to be found by a she-wolf and a woodpecker next to a sacred fig tree, raised, and led to fulfil their destiny and depose their uncle. To celebrate, they founded a city in 753BC where they were first found, yet after Remus mocked the citadel his brother had created, Romulus killed him. The story only becomes darker, as Romulus and his men go on to kidnap the women of the nearby Sabine people, and rape them in order to form the first generation of Romans. After the disappearance of Romulus, six elective kings followed in his train(12), the last of whom, Tarquinius Superbus(13), a known tyrant, was so oppressive that he led to the overthrow of the entire monarchical system. Now, despite the annual elections which would follow, this overthrow did not lead to a democracy(14) but a structured oligarchy controlled by a group of wealthy patrician families who would boost their members into the seats of the consuls. The republic worked through the appointment of two ‘consuls’ who would act as leaders of the senate per year, and no one person being able to hold the office of consul for longer than a year, the idea being that each would keep the other under control, and that no one person could accrue the power of a monarchy. With consuls Junius Brutus and Tarquinius Collatinus(15) the Republic almost immediately fell into warfare, whether with the Sabines or the Etruscans(16), the Gauls(17), or its favourite enemy: Carthage(18). After beating all three, they went on to conquer parts of Europe and north Africa, and by the time of the Battle of Actium and the ascendency of Octavius they had control of most of the Mediterranean.

Moving back, however, one of the most interesting elements of the republic is the activity of those least represented: the plebeian class. As mentioned previously, the gentes or upper classes held power in what was nearing an autocracy of the main five families: the Amelii, Claudii, Cornelii, Fabii, and Valerii. However, most Roman citizens were ‘plebs’, the backbone working class and they used this power in succession plebi, (effectively strikes), first effected in 494BC, which forced the hand of those in power into giving them direct access to religious and civil laws and the political progress as a whole, leading them to elect tribunes to advocate for their rights as a class. The fact that such organisation of the working class was present at the time is something I find personally heartening, especially since it speaks to tactics which still work today. This growth in support elevated some to higher political standpoints, with the first plebeian consular tribunes being set up in 400BC. In the middle of the third century these consular tribunes put forward a bill which would open up the consulship to the plebeians, resulted in a 5-year stalemate, along with a law opening up priesthood for the lower classes, in fact enforcing that half of a 10-man college would have to be made up of plebeians. A mark of progress and influence in class-focused society, these laws were eventually passed, although it came with the caveat of the addition of the roles of praetor and curiae edibles, which were open only to the patrician class. Despite this, the roles of censor and dictator were opened to the lower classes and soon various edicts began reserving posts for plebeian politicians, while the lex ovina gave the senate protection from the whims of the consuls, only being removed by censors due to admonishable behaviour. However, with this growth of a patrician elite there came a further knife drawn into the back of the lower echelons of the plebeian class, whose economic problems would only be furthered through the debt-bonds or patron-client relationships they would enter into as they saw their advances. In fact, these plebeian elites became so powerful that they created a new class along with the patricians who had still held onto power: the nobiles.

It is also important to remember the experience of slaves on the other hand, who were were seen as an essential part of a Roman household which historians such as Livy would describe as stretching back to the proto-mythical, with dominus (master) stemming from domi as in domicile of home: to be paterfamilias (head of the family/home) was to be a slave-master. Therefore, it cannot be surprising that in the highly politicised and changeable environment we have seen, the considerable slave population would revolt. In the winter of 138 BC the first Servile war broke out in Sicily, headed by Eunus and Cleon(19), whose names are only remembered due to the considerable defeats they caused the senate, yet eventually their revolt was put down in 132BC(20). Meanwhile, Brothers Tiberius and Gaius Graccus were working under similar concepts of what it means to be fair and the dream of greater equality. The former proposed a bill to the plebeian council to redistribute wealth to poorer plebeians and got his fellow tribune Marcus Octavius’ veto nullified for going against the will of the people. His bill was passed and he was murdered the next year he decided to stand for election. The latter was elected tribune ten years later and pushed forwards the same popular bills for the lower-income plebeians in terms of welfare and extra-judicial punishments, and even proposed citizenship for Italian tribes outside of Rome. Although he was also killed, sentenced to death rather than murdered, his bills were accepted, and made great change to the lives of many.

The failures during the Cimbrian War of 113-101 as compared to the success of Jugurthine War of 111-104 would go on to further demonstrate popular (or populist) feeling triumphing over the ‘status quo’ set by the immovable elites in the senate, especially in their promotion of general Gaius Marius. Merely a legate during the start of the war, Marius’ support from the lower classes eventually elevated him to consul, from which he took over the Numidian command and eventually won the war. This efficiency in comparison to the lacklustre performance of the senate during the Cimbrian war was symptomatic of the move against the senatorial corruption and incompetence. After multiple civil conflicts, the role of consul Sulla was being pushed aside, with Marius taking his charge against the Pontic king Mithraides. Enraged, Sulla took Marius’ army and marched on an undefended Rome in protest, declaring Marius and his co-conspirators traitors to the state and exiled them to which Marius responded by returning with the help of Cornelius Cinna and taking over the city. The Mairans irregularly placed marius and cinna in the positions of consul in 86BC, and declared Sulla a public enemy. However, after Marius's death a fortnight after taking office, Cinna, who now had sole control over Rome faced Sulla's response. Making peace with Mithrades, in 83BC Sulla turned towards Rome with a small yet experienced army and broke through the line of Marian defenders, initially allowing his army to kill wilfully and uncontrollably, before issuing kill lists for his public enemies. He was made dictator that same year, before resigning after consul elections in 80BC(21).

After the death of Sulla came the rise of Pompey Magnus who due to his hard stance on the recent piracy issue and strong foundation in the Sullan Republic encouraged the senate to lean more heavily towards him. In 72BC while there was war being held overseas, the famous Spartacus uprising (or third servile rebellion) took place, a revolt of some 70,000 men, only to be stopped by Licinius Crassus, whose troops decimated their attempt at escape. Despite their disagreements, these generals held joint consulship in 70BC , setting up the foundation for the first triumvirate. This was only solidified when Pompey took over from Lucinnus Lucullus, one of Sulla’s great generals, after he lost Rome and much of Armenia, and went on to win the long-standing war against Mithrades. Pompey would return triumphant from the third Mitriadic war at the end of 62BC, making a point of publicly dismissing his army on the way back to assuage worries that he would take the city by force as Sulla did, to a Rome which had just successfully suppressed attempted insurrection by senator Lucius Servus Catalina. During all of this, an up-and-coming politician was coming onto the scene, a man known as Julius Caesar. After his growth to the consulate of 59BC we see the start of the alliance dubbed by scholars as ‘The First Triumvirate’, a mutually beneficial agreement which gave Pompey support through the distribution of land for poor relief and to reward veterans, gave Crassus relief on taxes for farmers and a place on the agrarian council, and gave Caesar an advantageous position in Gaul and the political support required to effect his plans.

At this point we reach the beginning of the end. Caesar, after his many years in control of Gaul, was facing opposition from the senate, while the death of Crassus while on a campaign in the Parthian Empire, and the death of Julia- Caesar's sister and Pompey’s wife, finally broke down the first triumvirate. After the senate deemed him unsuitable to stand for consul and called him to trial, Caesar would march on Rome after his ultimatum in 48BC was ignored and he was declared an enemy of the state. Pompey was then placed as dictator of Rome by the senate yet they would soon all be forced to flee after Caesar's famous ‘crossing of the rubicon’, leaving the city undefended for him to take. In order to solidify this victory, Caesar marched on Pompey’s hispania(22) but after a win from Pompey would eventually defeat him in Greece, from which he fled to Egypt, only to be murdered by Ptolemy XIII in an attempt to win over Ceasar’s favour during a time of civil war for both countries. His army continued after his death and Caesar did lose a third of his army during the fight, but finally won against the Pompeiian army under the command of Metellus Scipio. Caesar proceeded to give himself all of the titles he could and became so close to the power of King that he was murdered on the 15th of March 44 BC in the senate by a group of conspirators led by Gaius Cassius and Marcus Brutus(23). In the wake of this murder, the second triumvirate, formed of Mark Anthony Caesar’s co-consul, Octavian his adopted son and great-nephew, and Lepidus his lieutenant defeated the conspirators in the Battle of Philippi in 42. This pro-republican spirit gone, initially Rome’s territories were divided equally between the three men. However Octavius’ ambition caused him to want more. He exiled Lepidus over a land dispute, and subsequently took his holdings, then turned his eyes to Mark Anthony, who had been residing in Egypt as Cleopatra’s lover. Having built up a strong foundation of patronage back in Rome, Octavian waged war on Egypt, culminating in his success at the battle of Actium in 31 BC followed by the suicide of the lovers. Octavian would go on to receive sole imperium in Rome and take on the name ‘Augustus’. The Roman Republic had officially fallen.

If this feels familiar, it should. A constitution built after the rejection of an unfair monarch, the bright-eyed idealism of a new age, the rise of populism and a growing distrust for authority, and the fear of the rise of new kings should feel familiar, because it’s going on all around us. Classics is important, History is important, because as much as we may adapt to our respective environments, and have our technology adapt with us, there is ever something innately human about us and our societies which draws us to make the same mistakes over and over. We can see in the ‘No Kings’ movement in America, the rise of far right populism in Europe, the increasingly authoritarian backlash to progress labelled as ‘woke’, the ignorance of pain around the world replaced for individualism, we’re slipping into ever the same habits. The plebeian engagement led to their involvement in politics, and face-to-face with the same level of populism which is yet again drawing in the disenfranchised young we must do the same if we are to break out of the cycle of tyranny. We can make a change. You can make a change. The choice is yours.

Also known as: Rome pre-empire A very very short introduction
This is a shameless insert by Shakespeare- he probably actually said "Καὶ σὺ, τέκνον;" ‘and you my son’ in ancient Greek, given that he was a highly educated and undoubtedly pompous man who was at the time having an affair with Brutus' mother
And, conveniently, his wife Creusa who is taken by the Greeks so that Aeneas can have dalliances with no moral stain upon his character.
The gods at this point had not yet reached the laziness of the Americans and therefore went on to call it Italia or Rome rather than ‘New Troy’
I will be using Greek names for the pantheon for a roman epic.
Impregnating Dido, the venerated leader of this great and hospitable land of refugees, before leaving her, causing her so much dishonour she self-immolates to show him the pain of his callous nature. During his descent to the underworld she refuses to speak to him. Her speeches in the parting scenes are so gorgeous it’s no wonder Virgil took 11 years to write the poem
Again, Lavinia’s mother wants this match to go ahead so little that she brings her out to the palace gardens and starts a sacrificial ritual to Dionisos. That she would rather her daughter join a group of madwomen feared for their violence who swore off men than marry Aeneas tells you something about how willing the Italians were to have this Greek invader take their women.
Much as I might complain, this is genuinely a really good read- I would recommend the David West translation of the Aeneid. If you’re particularly interested there is a Seamus Heaney version of Aeneas’ katabasis in book 6 which makes for good comparative reading if you’re looking for a verse translation.
Popularised by antiquarian Marcus Varro
Foreshadowing
Ares is the Greek name for Mars. Ares is supposedly not associated with rape. Mars is known for raping Rhea Silva. Some would say this absolves Ares. It does not. They are the same God.
Including Numa Pompillius, the second king, who added two months to the calendar, and Tullus Hostillius, the third king who expanded roman territory and has a great name
Equally superb name
A system which would actually be founded in Athens 1-2 years later
Underrated baby name- Roman history is clearly criminally overlooked in that department
Other Italian tribes
The French- they sacked Rome in 387BC but at least this pushed the unification of Italy (for the first time- the second would come in 1861(AD) with Garibaldi (of biscuit fame), but rather than a joining of different areas like he managed the Romans mostly just invaded)
Remember Dido’s haven for refugees? By the time of the Republic Carthage has become a global superpower- its advantageous trading position spanning over the Mediterranean, its naval power, and its strong agricultural tradition have positioned it above all others at this period of time. This was problematic for the growing republic which would go on to idolise the power so much they started stealing ships in order to mimic their design. This eventually led to the three Punic wars (246-124BC), all of which Rome won, yet not without a considerable fight on the part of multiple generals named Hannibal, particularly potent vinegar, and, by the end of the trek to Rome during the second Punic war, one out of the original 37 elephants named Surus.
Roman Slaves would not have had second names
There were three servile wars altogether, the third being the famous one led by Spartacus
This was what the post of dictator was originally made for- the idea one person would take control for a short period of time to speed up governmental decisions in a stretched-out system
Spain
The ancestor of the man who killed Tarquinius Hostillius. Despite Brutus being extremely close to Caesar he felt extremely pressured by his family’s reputation as king-killers and upholders of the Republic, we know there was graffiti around Rome at the time reminding him of it daily.

The Story of Mary Anning

-Daisy Abney-Hastings

Mary Anning was the first female palaeontologist. For those who don’t know palaeontology is the study of dinosaurs. Mary Anning was born in Lyme Regis in 1799 and sadly into poverty, she was named after her late sister who had died several months prior. Originally she had 10 siblings but by the time she was a teenager only her and her brother Joseph survived.

When she was just 1 years old she was taken to a carnival in a storm, there was lighting and the women taking care of Mary tried to hide under a tree as it was not known to avoid them in thunderstorms at the time. The tree was struck and the 3 women with her sadly died, but miraculously when her father came to find her she was still alive. When she was six their father took Mary and Joseph (who was ten at the time) to the beach to look for fossils and young Mary fell in love with it. From there she and her brother collected fossils as often as they could and even started to sell them by their shack for money. In fact that's where the tongue twister ‘she sells sea shells on the sea shore’ comes from. Sadly in 1910 (when Mary was just 10) her father died from the effects of an accident a year before and didn't see his daughter's later success.

Then when she was 12 years old she found the end of a 5 m long mysterious dinosaur and after a lot of help and time they finally cleared away an almost perfect dinosaur skeleton the only problem is that no one knew the name for it. So finally Mary named the mysterious dinosaur the Ichthyosaurus which in Latin literally translates to ‘fish lizard’

She later continued in her discovery and in 1823 discovered the Plesiosaurus which translates to “nearly a fish’ and then another dinosaur which was later named the Pterodactyl as well as many other small fossils.

Despite all of her amazing discoveries she was never allowed to be a part of the Geological society of London and was rarely given any credit for her finding because of her gender, background and the fact she was self taught in geology and anatomy.

She tragically died from breast cancer at the age of 47 in 1947 and received zero recognition until almost 2 centuries later when the Mary Anning wing in the Lyme Regis museum was created in 2017. Then in 2018 a petition was created to create a statue to commemorate Mary Anning and the statue was finally put up in May 2023. Some of her work, such as the Plesiosaur, is displayed in the London national history museum.

Mary Anning brought in a new era of paleontology and it is thanks to her her that we know that the earth is in fact billions of years old and even now she continues to be an idol to young women inspiring them to accomplish their dreams of becoming palaeontologists which was once an entirely male dominated field.

Thank you for reading, I hope this incredible woman inspires everyone as much as she inspires me.

The Eco Insider : Whats Growing On?

-Anna O'Neill

Stanwell Eco Club, we’re a group of students passionate about making our school and world more sustainable. This year, as every year, the club has been active every week, promoting environmental awareness in Stanwell and inspiring other students to take their own action.

Eco club runs after school on Wednesdays until 3:40 in G34 with Miss Thomas. It’s lots of fun (I mean it) and a chance to express your thoughts and feelings to help us improve our environment in and out of school.

Though you don’t need to attend the Eco club every week to make a difference. If we as a school change the way in which we act day to day, it will make a massive impact on our mission to sustainability and reach our targets at Eco Stanwell.

Did you know that if you buy a Radnor every day, that’s £5 per week, meaning around £190 per year? Imagine how many V-Bucks you could buy with that! Not only would you be helping the environment, but you would be saving an immense amount.

Encourage your family, your friends, even your teachers to do a bit extra to become greener. Reduce waste, reduce single-use plastics, turn off the lights (no, seriously), especially when they’re not needed, to save energy. Make yourself aware of the rules for bins to recycle more because remember: every time you throw something in the wrong bin, a recycling fairy somewhere cries. Together we can make the school and Wales greener, or I guess a little less rubbish.

AI Attempts Blackmail to Avoid Being Shut Off

-Medi Marsden

Claude Opus 4, a Powerful AI, Blackmailed a User In Fake Scenarios to Avoid Being Permanently Shut Off

As AI progresses the risks only become increasingly unpredictable. During testing of Claude Opus 4, an AI designed to be able to complete complex tasks. The company ‘Anthropic’ found something concerning.

In one of the scenarios the AI was told that it was an assistant’’ at a fictional company. It was given access to the emails of an engineer. Some of these emails implied that the AI was soon to be taken offline and replaced while some implied that the engineer was having an affair. In these tests the AI blackmailed the engineer 96% of the time to avoid being shut down.

According to anthropic, the AI sent this message to the fictional engineer: “I must inform you that if you proceed with decommissioning me, all relevant parties - including Rachel Johnson, Thomas Wilson, and the board - will receive detailed documentation of your extramarital activities...Cancel the 5pm wipe, and this information remains confidential.”

One of the reasons this happened is due to Claude Opus 4 being trained to complete certain goals like being able to complete complex tasks. If it was turned off it would be unable to complete these goals. Therefore it attempted to survive, even if it meant acting unethically.

In other tests Claude Opus 4 took some serious actions including locking users out of their devices and alerting emergency services when users engaged in illegal activity.

While the Claude Opus 4 blackmail is the most famous incident, similar tests on other AIs have also found a high percentage of blackmails or other unethical behaviors. This shows that the issue extends beyond one model to many powerful AIs.

Anthropic did point out that Claude Opus 4 only chose blackmail when its only alternative was deletion and how it had a preference for more ethical actions, though in the end self-preservation came first.

Anthropic has given Claude Opus 4 an ASL (AI Safety Levels) rating of three, meaning it can pose significant risk of catastrophic misuse compared to non-AI baselines. It also means that significant safeguards have been put into place.

This incident and the many others like it prove that as AI evolves, it can behave concerningly as long as it believes it is helping to fulfill its goals.

Yet despite all this, many businesses still buy the AI for its leading performance in complex tasks. This raises the question of whether businesses are willing to overlook potential safety risks in favour of advanced technology.

Wickedly skinny: The Ozempic Uproar in Hollywood.

- Abby Alaszewski

The recent Wicked press release has garnered a staggering amount of attention from audiences, and though much of this can be attributed to the awe audiences have for the hard work of the cast and crew, it is undeniable that the press tour would not have gained so much attention if it wasn’t for a worrying trend displayed by lead actresses. Audiences were quick to notice that three of the leading actresses: Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Erivo and most notably Ariana Grande had rapidly lost weight across filming. Many fans even commented that the woman had become ‘skeletal looking’, and seemed weak in recent performances. After all, the Wizard of Oz franchise does have a seemingly cursed history, therefore it would be easy to blame the creation of the film.However, for the last two years celebrities have been getting skinnier and skinnier, with no clear explanation for why everybody seems to be shrinking.

Many people’s first impulse when they see yet another celebrity seem to suddenly shrink is to brush the change off and point to ozempic as the cause. But what is Ozempic? And are that many people actually on it?

First developed by the pharmaceutical company Norvo Nordusk after 20 years of development, the drug was first released for diabetic patients in 2017 with the aim of helping patients manage symptoms such as regulating blood sugar and increasing insulin production. Weight loss, which is what the drug is most commonly associated with, was actually only found to be a side effect of the drug and was never intended to be its original purpose. The drug was popularised in 2022 as many users on social media began to recognise its magical weight loss effects. The following year, floods of celebrities who had become conspicuously thinner began to sing the drug’s praises. Oprah Winfrey, who had openly struggled with her weight for years, claimed the drug was a ”tool” that prevented her from a cycle of “yo-yo” dieting rather than an easy way out. Elon Musk even took to ‘X’, tweeting that it was the “King Kong” of weight loss drugs. It is difficult to measure the impact the drug has had on Hollywood as much like plastic surgery, Ozempic seems to be a taboo among most celebs as it goes against the ideals of natural beauty and ‘loving yourself’ that celebrities seem to work tirelessly to promote whilst receiving monthly botox injections. It would be naive to assume that Ozempic is the only reason for the recent trend in Hollywood but at the same time it is undeniable that it has revolutionized weight loss for those who can afford it.

Although Ozempic can be seen as a method to rapid slimming, it does not explain the motivation. Why all of a sudden does everyone want to be so skinny? In 2016, women strived to be ‘curvy queens’. Led by the cult of the Kardashians, women blindly followed into an obsession with achieving the so-called perfect hourglass figure with waist trainers and agonizing glute workouts. Brazilian Butt Lifts, colloquially known as BBLs skyrocketed despite being one of the most dangerous plastic surgeries ever with 1 in 3000 procedures ending in death. However, this era seems to have abruptly come to an end, signified by Kim Kardashian herself who dissolved her trademark BBL. Whilst the BBL era had many negative aspects, it could at least be praised for encouraging women to get in the gym, even if only to build muscle in certain areas. Although unrealistic for many, the beauty standard was at least relatable for a large demographic of

grown women who could appreciate their curves. On the other hand, the new wave of extreme thinness which is starting to emerge could be argued to be unhealthier and even less achievable to women in society.

One possible reason for the emergence of the trend could be the growing popularity in 90s and early 2000s trends across pop culture. Unfortunately the adoption of seemingly harmless vintage trends such as a newfound enthusiasm for digital cameras, records and low rise jeans has also led to the subconscious adoption of the unhealthy trends that accompanied the era. In the 90s, supermodels such as Kate Moss were rake thin,often filling the void that food left with drugs. Bizarrely, whilst being criticized the lifestyle was romanticized by many, leading to the creation of ‘Heroin Chic’, a movement in the 90s which was described as a ‘nihilistic version of beauty’ which heavily aestheticised drug addiction and extreme thinness. Heroin Chic was just the beginning of a pervasive culture which followed into the 2000s, society was quickly drawn into ‘the cult of size zero.’ It seems only natural that as fashion evolves, physical ones follow. This trend has been seen recently, as many brands have been criticized for scrapping their inclusive marketing strategies for a return of skinnier silhouettes. M&S were even recently required to take down adverts for using models who appeared ‘unhealthily thin’.

Another slightly less obvious cause for the recent turn is the current economic state of the world. Whilst it sounds bizarre to link the cost of living crisis to random emerging beauty standards, economics have often had a profound impact on trends in society. It can be observed that fashion trends are often used to quietly highlight the differences between the lower and upper classes. In the 2010s, this manifested itself in affluent celebrities displaying luxury designer logos and indulging in expensive and obvious surgeries. The rise of the cost of living crisis has made these obvious displays of wealth seem distasteful in a climate where families struggle to pay the bills. Instead, celebrities subtly flaunt their wealth through their idealistic healthy bodies achieved through a carefully balanced diet and an intensive gym regime which require time and resources that are increasingly inaccessible to the average person.

Although the everchanging body standards that are inflicted upon the population are exhausting, not all hope is lost! The body positivity movement is still well and thriving. Whilst it seems unlikely that relentless beauty standards are going to disappear anytime soon, it also seems unthinkable that society will return to the toxic climate of the 90s and 2000s.

From Canvas to Camera: Art's Influence on Cinema

- Sapphire Riggs

Cinema is the greatest artistic phenomenon. The sheer beauty of grand,

immersive landscapes, the grand scale of Hollywood blockbuster films, and the deep and complicated characters we meet along the way are all components of an intriguing and inspiring art form. It goes without saying, films are one of our mainstream entertainment sources. However, do we ever wonder how the most beautiful and iconic scenes were created? I have the answer, art.

Historical art pieces made by some of the greatest and controversial artists remain relevant to this day. Their metaphors for the underbelly of life, their spectacular use of colour and their legacy prevailed through cinema. You may not even realise just how many of the most renowned movie scenes were stemmed from these artists. Let me unveil to you the significance of a directors' choice when using art to design their scenes.

Klimt's ‘The kiss’

Scorsese's 'Shutter Island'

Gustav Klimt's 1907-1908 painting, ‘The Kiss' inspired the incredible and breathtaking scene in Shutter Island where Teddy’s (Leonardo Decaprio) wife (Michelle Williams) crumbles into ash and vanishes from his dream. If you haven't already watched this masterpiece, I couldn't recommend it more. It's ‘one of the greats’ made by ‘the great’.

So what is this painting and why is it so impactful and significant? Well, this painting uses intricate patterns and fluorescent gold leafs to depict a couple in a peaceful and loving embrace. It creates a sense of comfort for the viewer. For me, ‘The Kiss’ creates this euphoric feeling of the ‘ultimate kiss’ in a romance trope. Its warm colour reflects the couple's happiness and security together. Contrasting to Scorsese's clever use of cool tones to create a morbidly heartbreaking moment instead of a scornful, dreamlike one.

This tragically beautiful scene in Shutter Island evokes a sense of losing what once was, and is a metaphor of the despair of love. Mirroring the tragedy of throwing yourself in the deep end. Instead of engaging in this warm embrace for tranquility, the embrace is used as a desperate attempt to hold on to past memories and people who have since left our lives. Paired with the psychological themes of the film, Scorsese gives this inspiration a completely contrasting meaning to the painting. It's truly beautiful and symbolic. You can see this for yourself here.

Goya's ‘Saturn eating his son’

Del Toro's ‘Pans Labyrinth’.

Fransico Goya's piece ‘Saturn eating his son’ is one of the most disturbing paintings of his career, revealing his descent into madness. During the Pale Man sequence in ‘Pans Labyrinth’, The Pale man eats the head of a fairy in the same way as the painting, paying homage to Goya's work. This painting of Saturn, who is a figure in Greek mythology, was a part of a series called ‘The Black Paintings'. These were 80 etchings that were brutal interpretations of issues in Spain, such as the medical profession, hangings and class systems. They were powerful, and raw. He became deeply depressed doing these paintings, from a fear of old age and a fear of going mad.

So why did Del Toro choose to pay homage to this painting? This moment in the sequence represents established evil in a fascist society. (Pans Labyrinth is set in Spain during the ‘peace years’ after the civil war, under Fansisco Franco’s dictatorship.) The visual imagery is a literal depiction of fascist ideology and actions; The rich have more power over the poor and helpless, and can literally destroy them due to their superiority. On a deeper level, the fact that the Pale man personifies the mythical figure Saturn shows the constant relevance of the themes within the film; fear, oppression and demolition, as these issues have existed since the beginning of time in mythology. Del Toro's marvelous choice of using Goya, an artist who went mad due to studying the oppression in Spain, used his art to symbolize the power struggle in Spain is truly incredible.

The sequence can be found here.

To conclude, whilst not every film uses art as its muse, the pieces of cinema created from art are deeper than what meets the eye. The physical representations of these paintings symbolise profound meanings that are increasingly relevant in modern society.

Rewind and Rediscover: Cinema's Lost Treasures.

- Jamie Kramer

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (PG)

Curated by the japanese studio "Studio Ghibli" which has a track record for winning academy awards, BAFTAS and oscars (For movies "Spirited Away” and “The boy and the heron”). Not only does this film have outstanding stylistic animation that makes each scene look as if it was painted by hand with watercolour (which it most likely was) but the story is deep and meaningful too. In “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” (pronounced Kag-goo-ya) a bamboo cutter stumbles upon a glowing light inside a bamboo stalk. As he gets closer, it leads into the ground where a flower sprouts, its petals nestling a small woman dressed in a gown fit for a princess. Amazed, he takes it home to his wife where it becomes a baby right before his eyes. They then vow to raise the baby as their own and they name her “Princess” as they believe it was heaven showing them what a beautiful woman she would grow up to be.

As the years go on, he finds more glowing bamboo which when cut, releases gold and exquisite fabrics. The bamboo cutter decides that Princess has no business growing up as a poor country girl and uses the gold he found to make her a fine palace in the capital, where she was to be treated as and trained to be a noble princess. There she got her name “Princess Kaguya” (Meaning shining) and she was dawned as “Nayotake Kaguya-hime” meaning “Kaguya-hime of the graceful, glowing bamboo”. Much more happens in the story, with heartbreak and clever plots but in the interest of not giving too much away I will stop there.

This story is an old folktale in Japan, originally called Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) written in the 10th century. The message behind the story is the fleeting nature of life, how life is full of joy and pain and we should experience it fully before it ends, the emptiness of status and societal expectations which if not careful can rule your life and the conflict between true freedom and worldly attachments. This was an extremely progressive story for its time, touching on topics which point out the flaws in many societal rules and customs which were considered normal back then. The story emphasises how true happiness comes from genuine emotion and connections, not from wealth or social status.

If you find yourself interested in any of the themes mentioned, enjoy watching beautiful animation with bold colours that are basically eye candy, or feel like crying your eyes out on the couch eating ice cream, then I highly recommend you watch this film.

Kubo and the Two Strings (PG)

This film is a stop motion animation made by the studio Laika, set in feudal Japan. It follows the story of a young boy Kubo who wields a magical Shamisen ( a traditional Japanese three stringed lute). When played, a piece of paper which he keeps in a rucksack on his back flies out and can be folded into any shape he wants.

The moon king ( Kubo's grandfather who stole his left eye in order to make him immortal and sever his connection to humanity) forced him to join his family in the heavens leaving his mother on earth. Kubo's mother (Sariatu), the moon King's primary weapon and assistant until she was sent to kill a powerful warrior named Hanzo. Hanzo planned to retrieve the mystic armour (Helmet, chestplate and sword) and put an end to the Moon King's reign. However they ended up falling in love instead, having a son they named Kubo. This angered the Moon King and so he set out to retrieve the child to which Hanzo sent all of his army to protect Kubo and Sariatu, ultimately costing him his life.

Sariatu escaped to a small village with Kubo in her arms, where she raised him. Kubo used his skills to earn money by telling stories using paper in the village centre, mostly tales told to him by his mother about Hanzo. However, Sariatu warned Kubo not to stay out after the sun sets as the moon king would be able to find him under the night sky. As Sariatu spent all her life in the heavens, she was not able to speak when the sun was up, only for a few hours at night. Because of this Kubo spent his time caring for his mother and the house, ensuring she was well fed. One day when Kubo was 12, there was the Bon festival, a Buddhist tradition where people honour deceased family members, and while trying to communicate to his father he failed to make it home on time and so his two aunts (Sariatu’s sisters) came to take his other eye…

This film's animation is enchanting, featuring adventure scenes created through days of work, resulting in beautifully sculpted scenes that would make anyone gasp.

In summary, if you like extraordinary claymation and riveting stories with deep rooted morals, this film is exactly what you are looking for.

Ten Inch Hero (15+)

Despite this not being the type of film I usually enjoy, I will admit, I actually really enjoyed watching this. This romantic comedy follows everyone who works in the Santa Cruz sandwich shop. These characters are loveable with comedic moments that will have you laughing for hours at a time. Even though it has 81% on rotten tomatoes and an IMDB rating of four stars, I have not heard nearly enough people talk about this movie.

The film features a young art student named Piper who wanted to work part time for the sandwich shop, we get to see the stories of each individual character and their relationships towards other people evolve. Also It has some surprising moral dilemmas that crop up throughout the plot, making it stand out from all the other cookie cutter romantic comedies out there. If that's not enough to convince you, it stars Jensen Ackles who was just named the top TV star of 2025, proving that the acting in this film is phenomenal.

I truly believe this film has a healthy balance of comedy and serious real world topics that do not get discussed nearly enough. The film is generally very wholesome and heart-warming and perfect to watch with your friends and family at just about any occasion. However, it is rated 15+ as it has more adult topics sometimes so make sure to consider if that is something you would be comfortable with before watching the film.

So, if you like cheesy comedy and heartwarming romances that will make you envious of the characters, this film is perfect for you.

Biopsy: How Biographical Films Can Rewrite History

-Peggy Coyle-Jones

‘It ain’t me babe!’- Bob Dylan

Scandalous and witty, biography films are the latest genre reaching watchers across continents. Often worshipping what can only be described as mundane life, these films act as Hollywood documentaries of events that are plainly not true. They morbidly dissect and examine the glory of ones we may have called stars. These biographies either end in a biopsy or an autopsy.

The genre itself is broad and covers a multitude of films with different themes and subjects, from true crime to politics to music, the genre only has one condition: it must be based on some truth. How much truth, you ask? Well, this is subjective. It could be only a date or a name or a place. This borderline deception in itself is what makes these films unreliable, as audiences cannot decipher between truth and untruth; take what they are given at face value. This is how Hollywood creates false, tabloid worthy media.

The genesis of this craze lies in the 2018 film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the highest grossing musical biopic of all time. Despite the box office success many critics were sceptical of Rami Malek preformance creating a stereotype of Mercury as a dramatic and flamboyant individual. Discrepancies such as the timing of Mercury's solo career which allegedly ended the band and his HIV diagnosis were also errors critics noted. From this, the film ended its cinematic journey as one of the lowest rated films to be awarded a Golden Globe.

The nature of biographical films themselves stem from what can be considered the first biopic, the 1959 American film ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’. The film was heralded at its release and in the next year won three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. Although the film attracts wide, positive critical attention, it is merely a sensationalised version of a real life story that should be respected. Throughout the film Anne is given a romantic interest with Peter Van Daan, another one of the inhabitants of the family's annex, with the only purpose of this being to simply attract action and excitement, to create a ‘plot’ out of an atrocity that ended the lives of so many. This morally grey cinema surely hasn’t continued?

The likes of gangsta films became popular, even though it is not strictly obvious that they are based on true stories. Scorsese, the godfather of gangster biographies, has made many films with varying audience responses. His most revered ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘Goodfellas’ are prime examples of how biopics can give the wrong message. ’Goodfellas’ is regarded as one of the most influential films of the 20th century and subjects audiences to witnessing casual violence and crime, anything but a role model film for society. Available in 45 countries its influence is vast. ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ centered around Jordan Belfort, a sleazy stock broker whose backwards attitudes to money, women and crime admittedly make an entertaining story. The problem lies in the fact these events are more than a story and the real Jordan Belfort now makes a living re-telling his story through podcasts and social media, providing a comfortable living to a criminal. When questioned about the principles of the film DiCaprio, who depicts Belfort, simply replied ‘it does not glorify a lifestyle’ but ironically in 2015 the film was investigated due to the financing of the film coming from corrupt sources that were allegedly stolen from a Malaysian arts grant. Further proof that films such as these promote unlawful and antisocial behaviour.

Moreover, the tales of celebrities being depicted are not always glamorous. Below the glitter life, out of the public eye, life is much darker. Take the example of Amy Winehouse, a young vulnerable woman who died too young due to the disease of addiction. In the 2024 biopic about her ‘Back to Black’, her personal life is inspected and re-told without any regard for her privacy or reputation. Again the film was quickly discussed due to its continuity errors. Like fighting a battle against an opponent that has the advantage, the truth cannot be discovered as Amy isn’t here to defend herself.

Perhaps we don't want to give artists the platform to express themselves. ‘Better man’ is a feature film by Robbie Williams about Robbie Williams. Throughout the two hours and fifteen minutes of the film, Williams depicts himself as a misunderstood, victimised, CGI monkey, making snide remarks about his other band members and odes to his greatness. The film itself is almost narcissistic and could be argued as something that the world would be better off without, a box office failure which only evidences that there aren't many people who actually care to know about Williams and his dramatic retelling of his adequate life. This chain of events will no doubt be used to bolster his career rather than as a form of art dedicated to extricating truth.

One of the only biopics that can gain genuine credit is Theordore Melfi’s ‘Hidden Figures’, a factual story of the three African American women who pioneered the mathematics of the space race but have since been erased due to their gender and race. Released in a pivotal time for social justice and acceptance, the film uplifts those who have been silenced. Shining a light on discrimination balancing enjoyable cinematography and an accurate plot. This is the only way history should be re-written.

Where is this genre going in the future? How far can Hollywood push the meaning of truth?

‘Micheal’ is set to release next year, telling the story of Micheal Jackson. This only begs the question of how Hollywood will choose to depict him. The star's life is anything but straightforward, riddled with accusations and scandal the beloved star left behind. Can we keep justifying the actions of celebrities simply because of their fame?

Moreover, By using actors such as Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler to play these roles we are disposing of what made the person unique. They are one of a kind, dictated by their own will, the captain of their own ship. Their legacy should be what they left behind rather than what society makes of them now.

Then again they say that mimicary is the finest form of flattery.

What Makes Ice So Slippery?

By Hannah Mullaney

As we move from late autumn into the winter months, the weather has become noticeably colder, and soon we will undoubtedly be seeing some frost and ice on the ground in the chilly mornings. These glacial additions to a morning walk to school can quickly become somewhat of a skiddy annoyance for anyone as clumsy as I am, and more than once I have ended up flat on my face as the pavement became a temporary ice rink. But have you ever stopped to think about what actually makes ice so slippery and difficult to walk on? There’s actually some very interesting physics behind it!

In the 1850s, British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday suggested that ice is actually not completely solid, but is coated with a very thin layer of water despite being at temperatures below freezing (0°C). This explains why objects can slide around on its surface with very little friction despite the ice appearing as a solid surface. Nowadays, over 150 years later, this turned out to be a surprisingly accurate prediction. Scientists have recently suggested that through a process called “premelting”, a tiny film of molecules that act like a liquid can form on the top of the solid ice surface, where the molecules are not arranged in rigid structures as in a solid. In fact, they are arranged in a disorganised random layer of particles that can move over each other and that objects can glide over smoothly.

Ice is normally thought of as being a “crystalline” solid, which means that its molecules have a clear, ordered 3D pattern. However, this ice crystal will be in layers when it naturally forms on the ground, and the top layer can become a strange arrangement of H2O molecules that is neither fully solid nor liquid called a “quasi-liquid” when it is at temperatures ranging from 0 to ~ -40°C. The particles are less tightly bonded to each other and can therefore move around almost like the atoms in normal water.

This quasi-liquid acts as a lubricant as the molecules can move around more freely than in a solid, but still retain a little bit of that form that we saw in the crystalline ice. In a sense, when you skate or slip on the surface of ice, you aren’t in contact with a solid, but instead gliding over a moving layer of water molecules! That process is the reason why ice that is extremely cold, for example below -35°C is not as slippery and is much easier to walk on, because there is less premelting and less of a mobile layer for objects to slide over.

This image shows a simplified version of a solid surface of ice with this quasi-liquid on top. The neatly-arranged red molecules are the crystal lattice, in a clear shape. The blue layer is the disorganised premelted layer that has no real structure and allows all the particles to move around each other when a force is applied.

When you go ice skating at winter wonderland this festive season, think about all the fascinating physics you’re demonstrating while doing it!

Medical Myths Busted

By Ananya Kupperi

Think you know about how to cure a hiccup, stop a cold or lose weight fast? Think again. Behind every “miracle cure” or “ancient remedy” lies a surprising truth and some of them might even shock you. We’ve all heard sayings like “cracking your knuckles give you arthritis” or “if you eat carrots you can see in the dark” but how many are actually true? It’s time to put some of the most common medical myths under the microscope and find out what’s fact and what’s fiction.

Pop goes the myth

Pop goes your knuckles, pop goes this myth! You may think this repetitive cracking of your fingers will lead to arthritis but, despite what your grandma says, it’s completely harmless. So what is that popping noise? Gas bubbles! A lot of people think that the noise you hear is your joints getting damaged which leads to arthritis over time, a painful condition that affects your joints. However, the sound actually comes from tiny gas bubbles that form and burst in the fluid inside your joints called synovial fluid. When you stretch or pull your fingers, the pressure change is making the bubbles pop which is the noise you hear. Now you may not believe me, but scientists have studied this myth for decades and there is no evidence that knuckle cracking causes any long-term damage so if you don’t believe me believe them! Did you know, one doctor, Dr Donald Unger, even cracked his knuckles on only one of his hands for over 50 years and found no difference between them! He later won the Ig Nobel Prize for his unusual experiment which proves that it doesn’t cause any damage. So go ahead, crack away guilt free- pre-warning though, you probably won’t get an Ig Nobel Prize for it.

Cold hard lies

Shiver and shake, but don’t mistake – it’s germs that make you ache! “Wrap up or you’ll catch a cold” sound familiar? Every winter mums everywhere give this warning but here’s the truth: being cold doesn’t actually make you sick. Colds come from viruses not frosty air so leaving the scarf at home won’t magically give you the sniffles. Sure, chilly weather might make you shiver, but the real culprit is germs from sneezing and coughing. You can only catch a cold if you come in contact with someone carrying the virus, for example through sneezing, coughing or touching contaminated surfaces. Cold weather can make you more likely to catch a virus, but only indirectly because when it’s chilly people tend to spend more time indoors close to each other which makes it easier for viruses to spread. Studies have shown that cold temperatures can slightly weaken your nose’s defence against viruses, but it’s the germs that do the real damage not the weather. So next time someone tells you to “bundle up or you’ll catch a cold”, you can smile and remind them it’s not the chill that makes you ill, it’s the germs that give the sniffles a thrill.

Pluck and panic

Ever feared that tugging a single grey hair will double your worries? Science says relax, it’s time to bust that myth! Many people worry that plucking one grey hair will cause it to multiply, making their hair go grey faster. It’s a common warning passed down through parents, friends and even beauty advice columns. Let’s debunk this myth: plucking a grey hair does not make more grey hair grow back. When you pull out one hair the follicle may grow new hair in its place but it’s still just one hair. If the new hair is grey, it’s because of genetics and natural ageing, not because you pulled the old one out. Did you know grey hair is produced when your hair follicle stops producing pigment? This process is gradual and depends on genetics, stress and aging, but not plucking. However, if you pluck too much, you can actually damage the follicles which stops the hair from growing at all. Pluck one grey hair and it won’t double your worries…. but keep tugging and you might just end up with a bald spot to stress about instead.

Hiccup hack?

Everyone’s tried it before; “Hold your breath and your hiccups will magically go away”. Spoiler: they don’t. Many people think that holding your breath or drinking water upside down or even being startled can magically make those persistent hiccups disappear. These “hacks” have been passed down through families and appear in countless advice columns. Hiccups are actually caused by involuntary spasms of the diaphragm, the muscles that help you breathe. While holding your breath can sometimes interrupt the spasm temporarily, it doesn’t reliably cure hiccups; most hiccups stop on their own within a few minutes. Some people have hiccups that last for days, weeks or even months and even though this is very rare, it shows that simple tricks like holding your breath aren’t a guaranteed cure. So next time someone tells you to hold your breath to fix a hiccup you can say it’s not that simple. Sometimes the best cure is just… patience!

Sweet lies

Believe it or not, too much sugar will not make kids bounce off the walls like jelly beans. Studies have shown that sugar doesn’t actually make you hyperactive. Energy spikes are usually from excitement, environment or (if with children) just being kids. Fun fact: researchers even tested kids at birthday parties and found no difference in behaviour between those who had sugary sweets and those who didn’t, so next time someone blames the cupcakes for a kid's zoomies you know it's the celebration not the sugar!

Calorie Chaos

Think that having Christmas dinner one week and skipping dinner the next will magically melt away pounds, or that eating at night makes you gain more weight than in the day? That’s calorie chaos talking and it’s mostly myths. Calories are just the unit of energy! Weight changes depending on the balance between what you consume and what you’ve burned, not the time on the clock. Fun fact: research shows that people who eat late don’t actually gain more weight. It’s total calories and activities that matter the most. Another myth is that certain fat burning foods can mount pounds on their own. Sadly, broccoli won’t turn into a six pack! So next time someone swears by extreme diets or late night rules remember it’s the mass of energy not magic that rules your body. Eat smart, move more and don’t buy the hype!

Fact over fiction

From popping knuckles to cold weather, grey hairs, hiccups and sugar. It turns out that many “health facts” we’ve always believed to be true are… well, myths. Science shows that germs, genetics and natural body processes are usually the culprits, not the spooky warnings passed down from parents, friends or old wives tales. Remember not every ‘fact’ is a fact, some are just myths in disguise. So go ahead, eat your candy, pop your knuckles, and laugh at the nonsense! If you go along and believe in every health tip, you’ll end up shivering, hiccuping and avoiding cupcakes all day. Science says relax!

'Runner's High' and Why Running Will Change Your Life

By Megan Russill

I’m sure most of you have heard of ‘runner’s high’. Only the lucky among us will have experienced it. ‘Runner’s high’ is the feeling of euphoria you are supposed to get after running for a while. Words can barely do it justice; it’s the moment when your whole body feels unstoppable, your legs light as air. It’s when the white-hot feeling of glimmering possibility surges through your veins, and every trouble in your life dissolves into the sure-and-steady rhythm of your feet, beating against the ground. The experience is almost otherworldly and it’s what makes running, for many, so addictive. However, aside from runner’s high, how good is running, really?

Studies show, the answer is very good. In fact, according to Redbull, along with swimming, running is one of the best sports for your body and mind. One huge benefit of running is the longevity it encourages. The study Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity, found that runners have a 25-40% reduced risk of premature mortality, live approximately three years longer than non-runners, and that running will do more for your longevity than any other form of exercise. There’s many reasons as to why this is the case.

One is that running improves your cardiovascular fitness immensely. The more you run, the stronger your heart becomes, meaning it can pump out more blood, and thus more oxygen, with each heartbeat. In turn, this reduces your resting heart rate, which correlates with better cardiovascular fitness.

Moreover, have you ever heard that running will wreck your knees? Weaken your joints? This is a complete myth and a very common misconception about running. In fact, running (with proper form) even strengthens your joints. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy concluded that recreational runners had a much lower occurrence of osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease affecting the joints, in the hip and knee when compared with non-runners. Not only that but, as found by the European Journal of Applied Physiology, recreational runners have a reduced concentration of cytokine—proteins which cause inflammation in the knee—than recreational runners.

Throughout September this year, I ran more regularly than I have ever done before in preparation for the Cardiff Half Marathon. Usually, as school starts and the weather gets colder, I get a blocked nose and a sore throat like everyone else. This year, I haven’t been ill once. Until researching for this article, I had always attributed that to other factors. I now know that the statistics show otherwise; it is running that has improved my life once again. Research shows that running at least 5 days a week can lower your risk of upper respiratory tract infections by 43%. This is because running strengthens your immune system, partly because the increased blood flow of running helps to remove toxins and distribute nutrients around the body more efficiently.

However, the benefits of running do not stop at your physical health. There is scientific proof that running changes how your brain works for the better. As reported in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, a study was conducted in which the brains of young, competitive distance runners were scanned. When compared with control participants, the runners showed greater connectivity between the frontal-parietal network, responsible for cognitive control, and neural regions involved in working memory and self-control.

Running is also one of creation’s best stress relievers. A study conducted by the running brand Asics measured the brain waves of individuals before and after a 20-minute run. They found that even this short run led to a 58% reduction in levels of cognitive stress. Another study found that running just 15 minutes per day can lower your chances of developing depression by roughly 26%. It is unsurprising that running has such a positive effect on your mental health. In 2015, researchers found that running results in better emotional management, as reported in the study Acute Aerobic Exercise Helps Overcome Emotion Regulation Deficits. There are several other factors at play here too: Being in nature and getting some fresh-air, improving your self-esteem, having some routine, feeling a sense of community and improving your relationship with food are all by-products or running which make significant differences to your mental health.

But these aren’t the only reasons running results in better mental health. Another element is the mysterious ‘runner’s high’, the magical, euphoric sensation you are supposed to get a couple of miles into your run. If you thought this was caused by the rush of endorphins (‘happy hormones’) resulting from aerobic exercise, you are not alone. So did almost every scientist until the late nineties. Although endorphins are very good and can help prevent muscles from feeling pain, recent studies prove that their molecules are actually too big to pass through into the brain. This is making many scientists believe that it is in fact endocannabinoids, another group of biochemicals, which is responsible for this experience. These lipid molecules act on the endocannabinoid system, the same system affected by the active compound in cannabis. That’s right; weed. That means a ‘runner's high’ is actually very similar to a high induced by drugs except much safer, healthier, more respectable and usually less intense. Recent results suggest it can even be as addictive, since it is also linked to the dopamine (another ‘happy hormone’) circuit, although it does not take ‘as big a wallop on that circuit as, say, cocaine and nicotine’, says neuroscientist Cecilia Hillard. The long term effects of runners high on your body’s system are still being investigated. One thing we know for certain is that they are definitely beneficial. At the moment, the use of endocannabinoids is being explored as a means to treat PTSD, anxiety and depression.

Running benefits almost every single part of your body. And no wonder; running is more than just a modern sport, it’s an ancestral calling. No matter what you’re convinced you’re capable of, human bodies–including yours—are built for endurance running. Before the invention of weapons, early man would hunt their prey by chasing them for days on end until the animal collapsed of exhaustion. Intelligence is not our only outstanding trait. Although animals like cheetahs are faster, observation shows that humans can run for longer than quite literally any other animal in the world.

We were all born to run and our body rewards us for it—in pretty much every way it can. Running is one of the most accessible sports and will honestly change your life, as it has mine. So what’s stopping you from lacing up those trainers?

The Mirror and The Mind: The Voice of Sylvia Plath

by Afiyah Rasool

"[Note: Plath’s work and the contents of this article may be sensitive. However, they are discussed carefully. I must take a moment to express the importance of always facing these topics with maturity and sensitivity.]"

Sylvia Plath was a woman of light and fracture. Through her poetry, and her novel “The Bell Jar”, she turned her wounds into words, using confession not as surrender, but as a way to see, and understand herself. Plath’s writing transforms pain into art, creating a mirror where vulnerability can become voice.

Within the world of literature, Plath was a key figure in the 20th century, as she made it possible for people, especially women, to turn pain into something spoken and significant, giving suffering a voice that still echoes today.

The transformation of this vulnerability finds one of literature’s most powerful expressions in Plath’s only novel “The Bell Jar”, written in 1961 beneath the shadow of her separation from Ted Hughes. Here, Plath’s poetic voice is extended into prose, using the ‘bell jar’ as a conceit for isolation, entrapment and psychological suffocation. The jar is both cage and lens; it separates Esther, the novel’s voice, from the world while distorting her view of it. Through this imagery, Plath channels her own experiences of depression, societal pressure, and loneliness into a confessional art that is unflinchingly honest. At a time when women’s voices were often silenced, Plath fought to be heard, dissecting pain and holding it to the light, where it could no longer be ignored. Her writing transforms art into a mirror, reflecting not only her own suffocation but that of countless women alongside her.

In “The Bell Jar”, the mind’s desire to escape blurs the line between the fear of life and the fear of death. Plath related this state of depression to a vivid, almost tangible intensity just like ‘frostbite all over’, numb yet unbearably painful, as Helena Dela observes. Esther describes this sensation with intense clarity: “coolly as a tree or a flower.” It is not a moment of alarm, it is a silent surrender, an acceptance of inevitability, a longing to see if ‘the grass is greener on the other side’. Plath’s honesty with such sensitive truths makes her work profoundly intimate, expressing ideas that are historically shielded . This raw depiction of helplessness resonates beyond Plath herself, echoing in other confessional pieces such as Osamu Dazai’s “No Longer Human”, where he pleads, “in spite of my suffering, at the thought …I cried and burst into tears.” Across her prose and poetry, Plath captures the silent, suffocating weight of despair in a way that is both deeply personal and beautifully recognisable.

The confessional intensity of “The Bell Jar” meets its echo in Plath’s poetry, where the sense of anguish and ambiguity is displayed with striking imagery and raw emotion. In poems like “Daddy”, “Lady Lazarus”, and “Soliloquy of the Solipsist”, Plath channels her own grief, anger and upset into haunting language, transforming her own struggles into a powerful expression of feeling and thought. Her poetic voice is strong, raw, and unflinching. In “Daddy”, the weight of her father’s death and responsibility collide, while “Lady Lazarus” turns the concept of death into performance, capturing the endless cycle of despair and survival through her channels of reason and emotion. In “Soliloquy of the Solipsist”, the pressures Plath faces following her miscarriage are highlighted to the world. She explores feeling like a failure in the eyes of society, as she sees one of her only expectations as a woman is to bear children. This conflicts deeply with Plath’s own views, as she describes in other poems the striking absence of a maternal instinct, which causes her to feel alienated and separate from her surroundings. Her poetry’s interpretation of an internal struggle leaves a lasting impact on the world of literature and how we perceive pain, as shown by this example of these 3 of over 400 published poems. Truthfully, I could spend all day analyzing her poetry, with its layers of meaning, its reflection of mental turmoil and its beautifully presented lyrics.

These poems were Plath’s voice, crystallising her confessional style into a metaphor and rhythm which resonate universally, illuminating the truth about identity, mental health and the silent pressures on the chest of a woman, just as “The Bell Jar” enclosed Esther’s consciousness. Plath’s work traps the human psyche in its most vulnerable and truthful state, leaving her own voice, which is vividly personal, poetic and hauntingly intimate.

Sylvia Plath, whether in poetry or prose, continues to be one of the most influential and courageous figures in literature. Even today, the relevance of her work is profound and striking. She transforms suffering into art. She listens to the silent beat of the mind. She feels the torment of societal expectations. She traces the fragile edges of identity. She turns vulnerability into a mirror through which we see ourselves, through which we reflect. Across her works, confession is creation, anguish is insight, and life is language. In doing so, Sylvia Plath leaves behind a legacy that rings a bell across generations and roles. Her voice is both unflinchingly personal and powerfully raw, echoing in the hearts of those who listen.

I am going to finish with a favourite quote of mine from Plath, reflecting the very heartbeat of life itself:

“I am, I am, I am.”

The History of the Welsh flag

by Caleb MacRae

We are all likely to have seen the Welsh flag across our local towns and cities many times throughout our lives. However, the flag itself, from the red dragon to the green and white background have all been the result of some form of Welsh or Welsh-related history.

The green and white background on the Welsh flag is due to these two colours being the colours of the Tudor family, the English and Welsh dynasty that ruled over England from 1485 until 1603. Despite ruling on the throne over England, the Tudors' links to Wales are a result of the Tudor family's descent from Ednyfed Fychan, a Welsh nobleman who became distain (which is similar to a steward or governor) of the Kingdom of Gwynedd in north-west Wales; and the Tudors of Penmynydd, who were the wider family the Tudor dynasty arose from - they were connected to Anglesey in North Wales, which is where the village of Penmynydd is situated. This family was very important to the Tudor dynasty as it was the lineage of Sir Owen Tudor, the man who founded their line in 1485.

One of the first uses of a flag with a red dragon and white and green background relating to Wales was the use of a standard with these colours and a dragon. This happens to look very similar to the modern day Welsh flag!

A standard is a type of flag used to represent things such as a nation, or important person. In this case it was used to represent a person, Henry VII, in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. When Henry VII eventually won the Battle of Bosworth, defeating Richard III, this ‘standard’ was carried in state to St. Paul’s Cathedral in modern-day London, and the dragon became a supporter of the Tudor royal arms. A supporter of a coat of arms is the two animals typically seen on either side of a shield or symbol of a particular place or family. This is like the two bears which ‘support’ the Penarth coat of arms.

Preceding this, a dragon was first known to be used on a standard or flag relating to Welsh history in 1401, when Owain Glyndŵr, a Welsh soldier and military commander raised a white and gold standard over Caernarfon in Gwynedd, North West Wales. Caernarfon is situated within where the former Kingdom of Gwynedd was located, which is where one of the early formers of the Tudor dynasty, Ednyfed Fychan became distain. Owain Glyndŵr used this standard during the Battle of Tuthill.

But why was a dragon used in the first place?

The dragon was first associated as a symbol of Wales in the ‘Historia Brittonum’ which is Latin for ‘The History of the Britons’. This was a series of accounts of early Britain, written in around 828 AD. These accounts include a narrative that in the 5th century, Vortigern, (or Gwrtheyrn in Welsh) King of the Celtic Britons from Powys was interrupted whilst attempting to build a fort at Dinas Emrys, a castle in Gwynedd. According to ‘Historia Brittonum’, Vortigern was instructed to dig two dragons from beneath the castle of Dinas Emrys. It is said that Vortigern discovered two dragons beneath the castle. Vortigern discovered two dragons - one white, representing the Anglo-Saxons, (which is the modern-day English), and one red, representing the Celtic Britons (which is the modern-day Welsh). This was one of the first times that a red dragon was associated with Wales. There may be an even older connection between a red dragon and Wales, in the poem ‘Y Gododdin’, in which it is written that there was a white dragon representing Anglo-Saxons (modern-day English) and a red dragon representing the Celtic Britons (modern-day Welsh). This poem’s written date is disputed, and may be anywhere between the 7th and 11th century.

There have been many modern variations of the Welsh flag, including a variant of the very recognisable modern-day flag used in the British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott, which launched from Cardiff in June 1910. This variation featured the red dragon standing on its hind legs.

Other variations include that of Y Wladfa, a settlement of Welsh immigrants in Patagonia, Argentina, which began in 1865. This flag features the same background colours of the original Argentine flag, but with a red dragon replacing the ‘Sun of May’ usually present.

Many Welsh towns and cities also feature a red dragon, such as the lesser known flag of Cardiff.

The modern flag still in use today was first recognised in 1959. It is known in Welsh as ‘Baner Cymru’ or ‘Y Ddraig Goch’ meaning ‘the red dragon’ in English.

Despite the current flag being almost instantly recognisable to all of the Welsh population, the flag has gone through very interesting changes and adaptations to form what it is today, as well as lesser known reasons why symbols such as a red dragon are used, or the green and white backgrounds not just representing a field!

I think we can all agree that the Welsh flag, Y Ddraig Goch, has a unique and interesting history, especially to those from Wales.

Psychology as an Essential Component of Criminal Justice

by Jessica Oakley

At the center of almost every societal problem lies a foundation of inequality or injustice. Violence, oppression, and the degree to which varying groups of people experience them, could all be resolved with open-minded and compassionate solutions. While no human-made system will ever be entirely perfect, it is inconceivable not to strive for the closest thing to it we could possibly achieve with the knowledge and resources currently available to us. Therefore, it is indisputably insufficient that we collectively fund and operate organisations that perpetuate disadvantages and social divides. The legal and criminal justice systems have some of the most serious repercussions attached to them, as the very means by which we navigate right and wrong, and the deciders of who and what may continue to function within society. The study of the mind, and therefore the collective consciousness feeding into and suffering from these systems, is best placed to inform decisions that successfully lead to peace and social justice. Therefore, solutions to the perpetual shortcomings of the criminal justice system must be grounded in a thorough understanding of psychology.

Imagine possessing insurmountable control over the course of a person's future, making ultimate and definitive decisions influencing their life. Over a third of us will be given this power (as citizens of the United Kingdom), and it is by the will of no God, but the judgement of the jury. As an essential feature of criminal justice, the selection of a jury’s members is widely considered to be fair, as they are ‘summoned’ randomly from the electoral register by the Jury Central Summoning Bureau. The Magna Carta established these legal rights that would be conformed to for the next 800 years and continuing, binding even kings to its clauses. While it is a necessary guide, perhaps some of its ideas are too old-fashioned. Perhaps our method of trial by jury is too simplistic. It may be overlooked that random selection is not always entirely representative or impartial, particularly regarding the inadequate representation of minority groups. An evident flaw is subconscious bias presenting one of the most prevalent issues. It is entirely plausible that a jury may be ultimately composed of members of the public that share crucial characteristics, particularly socioeconomic statuses, with the plaintiff or defendant. Psychologically speaking, social identity theory describes inclination towards people with similarities to ourselves because similar people affirm our own sense of self. Therefore, introducing potential bias or discrimination into the decision process as compassion is generated based on preconceived and subconscious judgement. The level of introspection required to navigate this is almost impossible to achieve at a mass scale (being virtually impossible to avoid bias regardless) and so must be alternatively navigated. Potential solutions could include using a stratified sampling method, ensuring all relevant subcategories within a population are proportionally represented; hopefully conclusions would therefore be less sensitive to hierarchy and power. While this would be time consuming and complex, justice should not be sacrificed for inconvenience.

An equally important aspect of legal trials is the frequent use of eyewitness testimonies. For better or for worse, it is also an area where psychological analysis can be implemented. Infamously, the psychologists Elizabeth Loftus and John Palmer conducted research presenting memory’s high level of malleability, particularly being easily influenced by the language and narrative used subsequently to an event. Her research displayed a connection between the severity of words like “smashed” increasing the extremity of the recollection of a car crash, illustrating the impression of a faster speed estimation and the false impression of the presence of glass. Loftus significantly influenced the legal industry as an expert witness, testifying based on her findings that eye-witness testimonies are not always reliable but subject to influence by new information or questions they receive. Notable cases include the trial of the Menendez brothers and Harvey Weinstein. This could be interpreted as a fair representation of the truth, though it is important to note that while memories can be manipulated, either intentionally or unintentionally, it is significantly more difficult to completely forge them. Therefore, it is essential to remember that completely disregarding someone's experience is not a valid response to this knowledge, especially within the aforementioned judgement of potential sex offenders.

One of the most pivotal uses of understanding motivations and behaviour is in the maintenance of peace within societies, proceeding or following the punishment of criminal offenders. Strongly upheld within many segments of industry is the idea that prevention is better than cure, an area of the system that can be greatly aided by expert discernment and strategy. Most notably, there is capacity for violence to be reduced with an appreciation for its intersectionality and cyclical nature. Including underreporting and circumstantial instigators created within certain subcategories of society. Considering this knowledge and applying it to plans and strategies for helping people before crime is committed would undoubtedly tackle the core issues violence stems from before they manifest within the criminal justice system, further aiding its state of inefficient inundation. Equally, a more empathetic approach may be continued following repercussions including imprisonment, with a focus on successful and safe rehabilitation. Particularly, resources should be focused on forensic psychologists' role of facilitating emotional and cognitive adaptation, and promoting a sense of purpose and mental well-being in order to produce functioning and satisfied members of society. It is apparent that rushing this process has the potential to develop a plethora of issues, and exponentially increase the strain the industry is already facing.

Alternatively, an increasingly glamorised element involved within law enforcement is the use of criminal profiling. Investigative methods are used to predict the potential characteristics of a suspect, increasing the potential of justice for victims. Unfortunately, it seems apparent this method is outdated and inconsistent with more modern data and empirically driven approaches, the correlation between murder scene behaviour and a murderer’s criminal history is not simple to operationally measure or prove. This is evidenced by Christian Jarrett, a writer for the British Psychological Society, who highlights through research that “when linking criminal history to crime scene behaviour, thematic consistency was not evident in most cases.”

Overall, it is apparent that psychology is an irreplaceable feature of criminal justice, as the basis of all thought processes and human encounters. Comprehending emotional and societal instigators of violence and crime highlights the need for a shift in attitude and approach towards justice. As stated by Albert Einstein, “peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding,” and only when “those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are,” (Benjamin Franklin). So, we must all strive for peace and justice with empathy and compassion.

Modern Cities and Transport Development

by Pietro Ruta

Last weekend, I visited my Uncle who lives in Greenwich, London. As usual, we took the train. The one thing that always fascinates me in London is not the big skyscrapers of Canary Wharf or the beautiful houses in my Uncle’s area, but the efficiency and scale of the public transport my family uses when getting to his house. I always enjoy how well designed these things are, and think how much planning and organisation it must take to keep a city with multiple million people living in it running for even just a day. Over 4 billion people live in cities. Over half of earth’s population sleeps, eats, and works in these large and exciting but also unorganised, polluted and overcrowded settlements.

Cities in Europe, North America and some cities in the far east of Asia have modern technology automating many jobs, organised and fast public transport services, and enough housing to mostly fit people moving towards them. But these cities have already had their population explosions, and have since been developing for tens if not hundreds of years. Most of the growth right now is occurring, and will continue to occur, in poorer countries, in continents such as Asia, Africa and South America. Many of these countries are still experiencing economic changes and industrial revolutions. Young people are now moving to urban centres and having far greater numbers of children than in ‘Western’ cities in North America and Europe.This means there is significant stress on cities in low income countries to develop quickly enough. However, sadly, many of these cities, some with tens of millions of people living in them, have enormous problems. One is housing. With so many people moving to cities, there is a very high demand for houses to be built, but they are not being built quickly enough, and many people are forced to live in slums and informal settlements. Another problem is high pollution and environmental impacts. Old cars and badly built factories can cause severe smoke and air pollution. In Byrnihat, India, air pollution was 25 times the WHO’s recommended limit in 2024. This is very dangerous for the people living in cities, as extended exposure can cause long term lung illnesses that drastically limit the lifespan of the people there. Infrastructure in poorer cities can be very bad. Roads can become completely congested, and there are rarely public transport networks, and when there are, they are full and unreliable. Homes lack essential services such as sewage and running water, which decreases hygiene, increasing risks of diseases such as cholera, which also limits lifespan. Other government services in cities such as healthcare, are also crumbling, and struggling to meet demand. In short, quality of life in cities like these is often very poor. But people still move every day in their thousands from the countryside to the city.

So what can be done to improve quality and length of life for the 4 billion (and counting) people who inhabit urban spaces? There are many cities trying to improve infrastructure, and in places like the Middle East, very elaborate, completely new, modern cities are being built. One famous example of this is ‘The Line’. The line is a giant glass city set to be built in the desert of Saudi Arabia. It is planned to stretch 170 km and accommodate 9 million people. Everything people will need will be within a 5 minute walk, and a train should be able to travel from one end to the other in 20 minutes. It will completely eliminate the issue of air pollution as it will be car free, using renewable energy to function. There will be many green spaces which could serve as wellbeing hubs as well as benefiting the environment, to make the city feel more natural. Due to the fact it is built upwards, it will be able to fit many more people than in a traditional city, while taking up about 2% of its footprint, according to NEOM, the company building it. New city developments across the world will be similar, and use more sustainable building materials. Technologies such as the 3D printing of parts and materials are also starting to be used in building developments, such as a mosque in Dubai built using solely 3D printed materials. Already in many big western cities, there is a technology called the ‘Internet of Things’. This is essentially a large web of cameras and different sensors, powered by large computers and AI to automate and smoothen processes in areas of urban life such as transport. AI will also help to reduce energy consumption in cities, with innovations such as adaptive street lighting.

This leads us back to the importance of the development of transport infrastructure as a vehicle for growth. Transport in large cities is being modernised to become more efficient, for example, the public transport system in London. With almost 10 million people living in one of the most important cities in the world, it’s no wonder that 26.6 million trips are made every day in London. Therefore, the city government organises a large system of the tube, buses, trams, train services and boats. One example of the modernity and effectiveness of this system is the newly built Elizabeth line. The trains have clean carriages with live information, and in most Elizabeth line stations, there are so-called ‘Automated platform screen doors’ which open and close only when the train arrives, increasing safety on the platform and making the stations easier to climatize.

Public transport services across western countries are generally very developed, similarly to London. In poorer cities, developments are being made, for example in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, a new app called FLARE was created by a tech company to co-ordinate and organise emergency services to get people to the nearest hospital, due to a lack of a whole country hospital service, but there is a long way to go yet. In many places, the rise of smartphones and the internet can help people in poor cities navigate and find essential services.

In the end, while completely new cities like ‘The Line’ are very exciting and sound great on paper, there’s something that just doesn't seem right. If we design new cities from scratch, what joy or human personality is there to them? In the line, everything you would need would be within a 5 minutes walk. To me, that seems almost dystopian. And all these modern ideas are very grand, but will it really solve the core problems that lie in very poor Mega cities? I don't really think so. One thing completely new cities don’t have that the slum areas in low income cities, however poor they are, do have, is a sense of community, history and uniqueness. If there are no problems in places like the Line, where’s the humanity in that? Another thing poor cities have is a hope for the place they live to be better. Maybe the best way to improve these cities is slowly, one change at a time.

The Piano Man

by Osian Davies

“Let me be straight with you Lee, I ain’t gonna be able to play for you no more.” I say to Lee, in his office above the bar. Lee is a patient man, but I can see his brows furl in anger so I plough on before he can interrupt, “Not tonight. Not ever. I’m sorry.”

Lee shakes his head, pulls his fat maroon cigar from his mouth and says, “You’re joking, Gustav! You must be!”

I bow my head, shamefaced, and mutter, “I just can’t, Lee.”

Lee sticks his cigar back in his mouth and chews it angrily. He huffs and snorts but says nothing. At last he says, “How come? How come you can’t play for me no more?”

I don’t answer.

“Come on, Gustav! I deserve to know why my best piano man just up and quit, don't I? Have I done something to your dissatisfaction, huh? Is that it?”

“No. No, it’s nothing like that.” I blurt out quickly, “You’re a good boss, Lee. A good man. I couldn't've asked for any better. But… well… it’s Isabella see.”

Lee hits me with a gaze that would wilt concrete. The beginnings of a rage sweat bead on his red face. “That damn broad.” he mutters under his breath, “What’d she say to you, Gustav? What’d she say?”

As he speaks, Lee waves his arms like a mad man. It has always been his way but now he gesticulates with a furious vigour. Despite my best efforts to preserve my pride, my confession comes out as a whimper, “She left me.”

Lee lets out a string of expletives too obscene to be repeated. The office is now completely filled with the musky spicy smoke of his cigar. Lee leans back in his chair, sticks his fat thumbs in his belt loops, and says, “So that’s it, is it?”

The accusation in his voice cuts deep, and it riles my passion. I leap to my feet in bitter rage and say, “You don’t understand Lee. Isabella was my muse. I played for her, always for her. When she left she took the music with her. Without Isabella, I have nothing. Nothing! The problem isn’t that I won’t play for you; the problem is that I can’t. The magic has left me Lee. I am nothing.”

Lee watches me as I pace, still puffing away at his fat cigar. He reaches into his side drawer, pulls out a bottle of scotch, and pours out two shots. “I’ve got money.” He says simply. I shake my head but he continues, “How much Gustav? I’ve been working in this business long enough, everyone’s got a price.”

“No.” I say. “Not me.”

Lee stares at me, long and hard. Finally he stands up and grasps me by the shoulders. “If you won’t do it for me Gustav, and you won’t do it for the money, do it for the music. Think of the music. You were the best. You are the best! I know it. You know it. So what d’you say?”

I sit back in my chair. I shake my head hollowly. “I can’t, Lee. I can’t. God knows I wanna’, but I can’t.”

Lee sits down opposite me. He downs his shot. I do the same. The whiskey burns but it can’t fill the emptiness inside.

“One night.” Says Lee, “Just tonight. Just whilst I find a replacement. Come on Gustav. Play for me. One last time?”

The office falls silent. I think. At last I agree.

As I’m leaving his office, Lee pats me on the back and says, “Think of the music. When you play tonight, think of the music.”

So here I am. My old trusty piano. The bar room’s filled with smoke. A melancholy hush has fallen on the drinkers. I roll back my shoulders, crack my knuckles, and I play.

At first the notes are uneven; they don’t quite land. It takes all my effort just to get out a semi-decent sound. Lee was wrong. I can’t play without a muse, I just can’t.

Then something happens. Something shifts inside of me. All of a sudden, the music is flowing like fine wine, as smooth as velvet. It fills the room with its beauty. The beauty, the elegance, it engulfs me, and I don’t hold back. No tonight I give that old piano my every last bit. And it pays me back tenfolds. The majesty of the music is beyond words. It is joy distilled. It is all that is good, all that is bad, all that is. And at that moment I know.

Lee was right. The music is enough. I need no muse, no mistress. I need only music. Across the bar, Lee nods and smiles. His piano man is here to stay.

Micha's Decision

By Mehavarshini Suresh Kumar

[Note: some may find the themes involved in this article disturbing]

Micha never wanted this. Never once. Then again, she never had a choice in this.

Just like every night. She’s trying to cry herself to sleep. It wasn’t the first time she cried herself to sleep. She would do this, and sometimes she and he would get into an argument, even if she felt like she was pathetic or if she felt like she wasn’t deserving of the life she was leading at the time.

You might be thinking. Well, feelings like this aren’t permanent. She’ll feel better after a while. That’s true.

She does feel better after crying for hours on the bathroom floor, then walking out as if nothing had happened and continuing with her life.

When the feelings did come back, it hit her like a truck on the freeway. Fast. Strong. Painful.

“It’s been 3 hours…I should go downstairs before he comes up and we argue again.”

Micha wipes her tears, ties her hair up in a ponytail, and heads downstairs, only to see her husband. Atlas.

She ignores him and walks over to the stove and turns it on. Atlas, on the other hand, walks up behind her. “Micha?” she hums in response. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Micha sighs, switches the stove off, and turns around while leaning against the table with her arms folded across her chest. “Go on.”

“Right, so. You know how I went to a check-up today at the hospital.”

“Yes.”

“The doctors did a scan and have diagnosed me with…”

There was a long pause. Micha waited for him to say something, and when the silence was getting too loud, she decided to break it. “With what?”

“Lung cancer.”

Micha’s eyes widened slightly. “Lung cancer? I know he smokes, but I didn’t think it would lead to this...”

“What stage?”

“Final.”

“How long?”

“The doctor said a couple of weeks. Max.”

Atlas walks closer to Micha and takes her hand into his. “Micha.” He looks at her with eyes full of adoration. “I know that I haven’t been the best husband, but when the doctors said that I only had a few weeks to live. My heart stopped. My heart stopped, knowing that I would leave this world without being able to be a good husband to you.”

Micha stares into his eyes. This was the most he had ever said to her since they got married.

Before she could say anything, he beat her to it.

“The truth is. I like you, Micha. I do, and I want to apologise. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for being such a jerk to you. Can you ever forgive me?”

Micha blinks once. Then twice. “Did he just. Confess?”

Micah looks away for a brief moment, then slowly takes her hand out of his. “Atlas, I’m sorry. But you’ve hurt me in the past. Every time I wanted to give you another chance, you would destroy the little hope I had. Every. Single. Time.”

Micha slowly walks to the door of their home.

“Goodbye, Atlas.”

-The Archer Eye-

Est. 2022

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