‘The Day That Changed My Life’ – By Kate Lewis
‘When I was at Secondary School, I found out that my best friend started a relationship with my Head of Year. They were both females! With a 31 year old age difference! I confronted the teacher about it and she made my life hell throughout school because I knew. Then one night I went out with a drink with my buddies and both my teacher and friend walked in together. I went mental and ended up having a fight with my teacher. I no longer speak to my best friend because of this relationship that had gone on- this has changed my life as we were best mates and no longer are.’
Interview with Kate Lewis:
Q: How long ago did these events occur?
A: ‘Four years ago, when we were fourteen’ – 2002
Q: Did you expect anything at the time?
A: ‘I did because she started spending suspicious amounts of time in the head of year’s office. She promised that nothing would ever happen and then it did.’
Q: How did you feel at the time?
A: ‘completely shocked and disgusted with my best friend’
Q: Did you try and tell any of the teachers?
A: ‘Yes I tried to tell my Math’s teacher who was also my form tutor about it. She didn’t believe me though; she thought it was just typical high school rumours’
Q: Did anyone do anything about it?
A: ‘People only found out after we’d finished school, the teachers knew then but no one did anything about it’
Q: what happened with the fight?
A: ‘I lost it, I had a go at them and the teacher threw a drink at me and I ended up throwing a drink over her. She threatened me to keep my mouth shut as well.’
Lead Article
For years, a secret affair was taking place in Llangley High School between a 14 year old student and her head of year teacher, aged 45.
Kate Lewis, a broadcast media student from U.W.I.C Cardiff, was best friends with the student and was ‘disgusted and concerned’ when she was informed of the forbidden lesbian relationship between them.
Worried for her best friend, Kate first tried to confide in her personal tutor to make her aware of the situation. However, the allegations were denied by the teacher as she claimed that the rumors were ‘childish’ and merely high school speculation in 2002. Their shocking affair resulted in the student severing her ties with her best friend Sarah and her family.
Kate Lewis, now 19, speaks of her last encounter with her best friend concerning the relationship, her friend attempted to reassure Kate and promise that ‘nothing will ever happen’ despite spending suspicious amounts of time in the head of years office.
The taboo relationship has been going on for over 5 years with a 31 year age difference. Sarah later saw the couple at a local bar in Birmingham, it then lead to confrontation with the teacher. The teacher caused a scene by threatening Sarah to keep silent about the relationship. If the teacher was to be charged, she could have served up to 10 years in prison and put on the sexual offenders list for abusing their power over impressionable minds. However, statistics prove that female teachers that engage in sexual misconduct are treated differently than male teachers and often get away with the charges or given lesser sentences.
Sarah says that since the students left the school, the relationship ‘became more public’. The other teachers were suddenly aware of the goings on yet all staff of Llangley High failed to report it to the authorities.
The sexual amendment Act that was issued in 2000 now states that it’s a criminal offence for pupil-teacher relationships to take place with a student under 18 years of age.
The amount of reported sexual misconduct on students approximates 10% of public school students. Whilst teachers feel that there is more of a chance of false allegations rather than actual abuse.
Helen Davies : ST05002082
Feature: Global Warming: ‘The day before the day after tomorrow’
The earth’s atmosphere has reached dangerous levels carbon monoxide and the catastrophic effects global warming is now upon us…
For decades, scientists have been telling us about global warming and the damaging effects it will have on future generations. Now, in 2006, we can no longer escape it. This is the harsh reality of the devastating problem humanity faces, a matter of weeks ago, scientists urged that the ‘future effects’ are already here and pollution has reached ‘dangerous levels’. In the next few years the earth will undergo immense changes, the glaciers will continue to melt, subsequently causing sea levels to rise. This will cause many coasts like New York and London to become flooded. It will be the end of agricultures as droughts will make it harder to grow crops everywhere and the increase in temperature could cause lakes and rivers to dry up. More animals will likely to become extinct in our lifetime and the earth will be subject to storms created by heat that leads to hurricanes and tornadoes.
It is almost certain that everyone has witnessed the strange change in the weather without needing to look at figures and statistics. In the past two months there have been many mild sunny days interrupted by freak snow showers and hail stones. January of this year was one of the hottest ever recorded. Its time the nations come together and try to resolve the process if it isn’t out of our control.
In February, The National Academy of Sciences had recorded a rise in the earth’s temperature over the past century by 1 degree Fahrenheit. And within the past two decades the temperature has continued to accelerate.
These findings alone contribute to the fact that the human race is mainly to blame for most of the global warming over the past 50 years.
The greenhouse effect has kept earth hospitable for thousands of years and is caused by the suns energy hitting the earth. The energy is then radiated back out to space whilst retaining heat through the greenhouse gases. This had maintained the earth’s temperature at a stable (and hospitable) 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, since the industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon monoxide has increased by 60% and methane has literally doubled. These factors had made it easier to trap more heat in the earth’s atmosphere whilst emitting sulfate aerosols. These figures are now rising faster than ever; dramatic climate change is now imminent.
The main factors of accelerated global warming are through the ‘combustion of fossil fuels and other various human activities.’ These activities are fossil fuels burned to run millions of cars and large industrial corporations.
The media relentlessly stresses what the public can do to be more environmentally friendly, the effect of which being that nearly all councils in Britain now have green policies to cut down on pollution. Politicians have raised the issue countless times in recent events but what exactly are they prepared to do about it?
The United Nations recently submitted a Press Release in March, 2006. It discussed the ‘framework convention on climate change’ and stressed the need for all the nations’ effort to comply with the Kyoto protocols attempts under the 1997 landmark environmental treaty. Otherwise the difference may not be enough. Richard Kinley, (head of the United Nations climate change Secretariat) stated that ‘a strong and effective compliance mechanism is the key to success’ for the treaty to be put into action.
There are a lot of countries that are still not willing to comply with Kyoto protocol compliance system, due to the world leaders perceiving the treaty as flawed (due to the dramatic impact it would have on their economy). President Bush is amongst the reluctant leaders, despite America emitting more carbon emissions than any other country. In 1997 the United States emitted one fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions and the U.S power factories make up 98% of carbon emissions in America. Tony Blair’s decision also seems to mirror these beliefs of the President at the present, but has not made a final decision.
There is speculation that, those who are not in favour of the treaty are contemplating nuclear energy. The news has outraged many Green campaigns over the leader’s ignorance in the matter and resorting to shortcuts. Such attitudes were illustrated by Thom Yorke who is one of the spokespersons for ‘Friends of the Earth’, refused to meet Tony Blair to discuss climate change two months ago. Thom Yorke, front man to the band ‘Radiohead’ argued that the discussion would be pointless because he feels Blair is not willing to actually listen to them.
Despite the current troubles with agreeing on the best solution to combat global warming, there is one huge factor that hasn’t be taken into account and that is the earth’s natural fluctuations made by the sun throughout time. By studying the earth’s history and geology, it’s clear that the earth has undergone dramatic changes before, without the aid of humanities contributions or antidote.
Such proof was found off the coast of the Bahamas, imprinted in limestone dating back to approximately 120,000 years ago. The limestone indicates that the sea level rose 20 feet above today’s sea levels, then plunged 30 feet below, very soon after. This was at a time where the average fluctuation in sea level averaged from 1-5 millimeters per year. After these findings were transferred to Texas A+M university they acknowledged there was a sudden melt and refreeze of the poles.
Also Jaques Cousteau, discovered a series of caves. The caves, remarkably had stalactites and stalagmites which proved that the caves were once above sea level, even though at present they lay hundreds of feet beneath the earths surface.
Other findings show that the earth’s climate and sea levels run parallel with solar radiation. Around 15,000 B.C there was a peak of solar radiation through which ran parallel with the sea level’s dramatic rise of 350 feet. Solar radiation is forever going through cycles of fluctuations, the final peak of fluctuations was in 4,000 B.C, and this uncannily coincides with the flood stories mentioned in Babylonian, Egyptian and Hebrew cultures. Within Genesis, the Noah flood stories described the depth as 15 cubits which matches scientist’s conclusions of 3o feet.
If that’s not shocking enough, in 1996 the Lamont-Doherty observatory in Palisades, New York carried out an experiment. They drilled into rocks in the Northern Atlantic sea floor and after analysis, they found that the earths climate abruptly changes every 1,000 to 3,000 years. If this proves true in our lifetime, then the climate change may be beyond our control.
Scientists are currently unable to give an accurate predication of when the effects of global warming will fully kick in. This is solely due to interchangeable factors: such as fluctuations in technological, institutional and economic developments. However they are confident that by 2100 carbon dioxide emissions will have raised 30-150% higher -If all these findings prove true in our lifetime, then it is beyond our control.
Recently, economists around the world have urged that something needs to be done immediately before it spirals out of control. They also stress that is not impossible and through existing technology we can slow down the global warming process. This will be achieved through: planting more trees to lower carbon dioxide levels, cutting energy waste through recycling and more use of renewable sources and reducing emissions from gas stations.
With the catastrophic events ahead, the authorities have never ruled out the events being caused by the suns radiation. Neither have they neglected the terrifying possibility of humanities lack of control over the situation.
Never the less, there is so much everyone can do to help through being resourceful with electricity, recycling and reusing items such as: bottles, plastics and paper, having showers instead of baths and giving old clothes to charity shops.
If one thing is certain, we are able to make a change, even if it’s merely small enough to slow this process down. This will only work if all societies are able to work together.
Reference:
- Quote from Dr. Rajendra Pachauri- chairman of the IPCC- taken from the website: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0206-01.htm - 10.04.06
- Figures and statistics taken from: United States Environmental Protection Agency – http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/climate.html.
- quote taken from spokes person from: United States Environmental Protection Agency – see above for website
- from the United Nations press release: framework convention on climate change in Bonn, Germany – March 3, 2006
- Story featured on BBC news – March 2006
- ‘Decipher’, Written by Stel Pavlou: page 64-65
- Information gathered from BBC NEWS website – http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4315968.stm - 15th march 2006
Bibliography:
-United Nations: framework convention on climate change- Press Release
Guardian Newspaper and Website
‘When I was at Secondary School, I found out that my best friend started a relationship with my Head of Year. They were both females! With a 31 year old age difference! I confronted the teacher about it and she made my life hell throughout school because I knew. Then one night I went out with a drink with my buddies and both my teacher and friend walked in together. I went mental and ended up having a fight with my teacher. I no longer speak to my best friend because of this relationship that had gone on- this has changed my life as we were best mates and no longer are.’
Interview with Kate Lewis:
Q: How long ago did these events occur?
A: ‘Four years ago, when we were fourteen’ – 2002
Q: Did you expect anything at the time?
A: ‘I did because she started spending suspicious amounts of time in the head of year’s office. She promised that nothing would ever happen and then it did.’
Q: How did you feel at the time?
A: ‘completely shocked and disgusted with my best friend’
Q: Did you try and tell any of the teachers?
A: ‘Yes I tried to tell my Math’s teacher who was also my form tutor about it. She didn’t believe me though; she thought it was just typical high school rumours’
Q: Did anyone do anything about it?
A: ‘People only found out after we’d finished school, the teachers knew then but no one did anything about it’
Q: what happened with the fight?
A: ‘I lost it, I had a go at them and the teacher threw a drink at me and I ended up throwing a drink over her. She threatened me to keep my mouth shut as well.’
Lead Article
For years, a secret affair was taking place in Llangley High School between a 14 year old student and her head of year teacher, aged 45.
Kate Lewis, a broadcast media student from U.W.I.C Cardiff, was best friends with the student and was ‘disgusted and concerned’ when she was informed of the forbidden lesbian relationship between them.
Worried for her best friend, Kate first tried to confide in her personal tutor to make her aware of the situation. However, the allegations were denied by the teacher as she claimed that the rumors were ‘childish’ and merely high school speculation in 2002. Their shocking affair resulted in the student severing her ties with her best friend Sarah and her family.
Kate Lewis, now 19, speaks of her last encounter with her best friend concerning the relationship, her friend attempted to reassure Kate and promise that ‘nothing will ever happen’ despite spending suspicious amounts of time in the head of years office.
The taboo relationship has been going on for over 5 years with a 31 year age difference. Sarah later saw the couple at a local bar in Birmingham, it then lead to confrontation with the teacher. The teacher caused a scene by threatening Sarah to keep silent about the relationship. If the teacher was to be charged, she could have served up to 10 years in prison and put on the sexual offenders list for abusing their power over impressionable minds. However, statistics prove that female teachers that engage in sexual misconduct are treated differently than male teachers and often get away with the charges or given lesser sentences.
Sarah says that since the students left the school, the relationship ‘became more public’. The other teachers were suddenly aware of the goings on yet all staff of Llangley High failed to report it to the authorities.
The sexual amendment Act that was issued in 2000 now states that it’s a criminal offence for pupil-teacher relationships to take place with a student under 18 years of age.
The amount of reported sexual misconduct on students approximates 10% of public school students. Whilst teachers feel that there is more of a chance of false allegations rather than actual abuse.
Helen Davies : ST05002082
Feature: Global Warming: ‘The day before the day after tomorrow’
The earth’s atmosphere has reached dangerous levels carbon monoxide and the catastrophic effects global warming is now upon us…
For decades, scientists have been telling us about global warming and the damaging effects it will have on future generations. Now, in 2006, we can no longer escape it. This is the harsh reality of the devastating problem humanity faces, a matter of weeks ago, scientists urged that the ‘future effects’ are already here and pollution has reached ‘dangerous levels’. In the next few years the earth will undergo immense changes, the glaciers will continue to melt, subsequently causing sea levels to rise. This will cause many coasts like New York and London to become flooded. It will be the end of agricultures as droughts will make it harder to grow crops everywhere and the increase in temperature could cause lakes and rivers to dry up. More animals will likely to become extinct in our lifetime and the earth will be subject to storms created by heat that leads to hurricanes and tornadoes.
It is almost certain that everyone has witnessed the strange change in the weather without needing to look at figures and statistics. In the past two months there have been many mild sunny days interrupted by freak snow showers and hail stones. January of this year was one of the hottest ever recorded. Its time the nations come together and try to resolve the process if it isn’t out of our control.
In February, The National Academy of Sciences had recorded a rise in the earth’s temperature over the past century by 1 degree Fahrenheit. And within the past two decades the temperature has continued to accelerate.
These findings alone contribute to the fact that the human race is mainly to blame for most of the global warming over the past 50 years.
The greenhouse effect has kept earth hospitable for thousands of years and is caused by the suns energy hitting the earth. The energy is then radiated back out to space whilst retaining heat through the greenhouse gases. This had maintained the earth’s temperature at a stable (and hospitable) 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, since the industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon monoxide has increased by 60% and methane has literally doubled. These factors had made it easier to trap more heat in the earth’s atmosphere whilst emitting sulfate aerosols. These figures are now rising faster than ever; dramatic climate change is now imminent.
The main factors of accelerated global warming are through the ‘combustion of fossil fuels and other various human activities.’ These activities are fossil fuels burned to run millions of cars and large industrial corporations.
The media relentlessly stresses what the public can do to be more environmentally friendly, the effect of which being that nearly all councils in Britain now have green policies to cut down on pollution. Politicians have raised the issue countless times in recent events but what exactly are they prepared to do about it?
The United Nations recently submitted a Press Release in March, 2006. It discussed the ‘framework convention on climate change’ and stressed the need for all the nations’ effort to comply with the Kyoto protocols attempts under the 1997 landmark environmental treaty. Otherwise the difference may not be enough. Richard Kinley, (head of the United Nations climate change Secretariat) stated that ‘a strong and effective compliance mechanism is the key to success’ for the treaty to be put into action.
There are a lot of countries that are still not willing to comply with Kyoto protocol compliance system, due to the world leaders perceiving the treaty as flawed (due to the dramatic impact it would have on their economy). President Bush is amongst the reluctant leaders, despite America emitting more carbon emissions than any other country. In 1997 the United States emitted one fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions and the U.S power factories make up 98% of carbon emissions in America. Tony Blair’s decision also seems to mirror these beliefs of the President at the present, but has not made a final decision.
There is speculation that, those who are not in favour of the treaty are contemplating nuclear energy. The news has outraged many Green campaigns over the leader’s ignorance in the matter and resorting to shortcuts. Such attitudes were illustrated by Thom Yorke who is one of the spokespersons for ‘Friends of the Earth’, refused to meet Tony Blair to discuss climate change two months ago. Thom Yorke, front man to the band ‘Radiohead’ argued that the discussion would be pointless because he feels Blair is not willing to actually listen to them.
Despite the current troubles with agreeing on the best solution to combat global warming, there is one huge factor that hasn’t be taken into account and that is the earth’s natural fluctuations made by the sun throughout time. By studying the earth’s history and geology, it’s clear that the earth has undergone dramatic changes before, without the aid of humanities contributions or antidote.
Such proof was found off the coast of the Bahamas, imprinted in limestone dating back to approximately 120,000 years ago. The limestone indicates that the sea level rose 20 feet above today’s sea levels, then plunged 30 feet below, very soon after. This was at a time where the average fluctuation in sea level averaged from 1-5 millimeters per year. After these findings were transferred to Texas A+M university they acknowledged there was a sudden melt and refreeze of the poles.
Also Jaques Cousteau, discovered a series of caves. The caves, remarkably had stalactites and stalagmites which proved that the caves were once above sea level, even though at present they lay hundreds of feet beneath the earths surface.
Other findings show that the earth’s climate and sea levels run parallel with solar radiation. Around 15,000 B.C there was a peak of solar radiation through which ran parallel with the sea level’s dramatic rise of 350 feet. Solar radiation is forever going through cycles of fluctuations, the final peak of fluctuations was in 4,000 B.C, and this uncannily coincides with the flood stories mentioned in Babylonian, Egyptian and Hebrew cultures. Within Genesis, the Noah flood stories described the depth as 15 cubits which matches scientist’s conclusions of 3o feet.
If that’s not shocking enough, in 1996 the Lamont-Doherty observatory in Palisades, New York carried out an experiment. They drilled into rocks in the Northern Atlantic sea floor and after analysis, they found that the earths climate abruptly changes every 1,000 to 3,000 years. If this proves true in our lifetime, then the climate change may be beyond our control.
Scientists are currently unable to give an accurate predication of when the effects of global warming will fully kick in. This is solely due to interchangeable factors: such as fluctuations in technological, institutional and economic developments. However they are confident that by 2100 carbon dioxide emissions will have raised 30-150% higher -If all these findings prove true in our lifetime, then it is beyond our control.
Recently, economists around the world have urged that something needs to be done immediately before it spirals out of control. They also stress that is not impossible and through existing technology we can slow down the global warming process. This will be achieved through: planting more trees to lower carbon dioxide levels, cutting energy waste through recycling and more use of renewable sources and reducing emissions from gas stations.
With the catastrophic events ahead, the authorities have never ruled out the events being caused by the suns radiation. Neither have they neglected the terrifying possibility of humanities lack of control over the situation.
Never the less, there is so much everyone can do to help through being resourceful with electricity, recycling and reusing items such as: bottles, plastics and paper, having showers instead of baths and giving old clothes to charity shops.
If one thing is certain, we are able to make a change, even if it’s merely small enough to slow this process down. This will only work if all societies are able to work together.
Reference:
- Quote from Dr. Rajendra Pachauri- chairman of the IPCC- taken from the website: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0206-01.htm - 10.04.06
- Figures and statistics taken from: United States Environmental Protection Agency – http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/climate.html.
- quote taken from spokes person from: United States Environmental Protection Agency – see above for website
- from the United Nations press release: framework convention on climate change in Bonn, Germany – March 3, 2006
- Story featured on BBC news – March 2006
- ‘Decipher’, Written by Stel Pavlou: page 64-65
- Information gathered from BBC NEWS website – http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4315968.stm - 15th march 2006
Bibliography:
-United Nations: framework convention on climate change- Press Release
Guardian Newspaper and Website
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