Week #19 Articles {March 22, '21}
- The Bulletin Buzz
- Mar 22, 2021
- 13 min read
Articles Written By Ananya Nayar and Misaki Tomiyama, Website edited by Misaki Tomiyama
World News-
Sarah Everard Case Continued
Atlanta Rampages and Hate Crimes against Asian Community
Grammy’s 2021
Updates on the AstraZeneca vaccine
Myanmar protests- Demonstrators killed
Mexico’s Border with the U.S.
Clash between US and Chinese diplomats
The US Sends Millions of Vaccines to Mexico and Canada
France to go into Third Lockdown
Other Articles-
This Week’s topic (1)- Why do we Procrastinate?
This Week’s Topic (2)- Who is Kamala Harris?
This Week in History
This Day Signifies
Book and Movie Reviews
Sarah Everard Case Continued
Article by Ananya Nayar
TW: Violence and Mentions of Abuse
Sarah Everard a 33-year-old woman’s murder ignited worldwide anger to stop violence against women. Last week, the police concluded that after the first examination they have to carry out a second post-mortem examination. On the 3rd of March, the young woman disappeared when walking home from a friend’s house. She had taken the safest and quickest route, one that was brightly lit and taken by many young women on their journeys home, yet she was abducted and merely a week later her body was found in a woodland area in Kent, UK.
On Thursday the Met investigated but did not disclose any details, however, they are still searching areas of London and Kent. A police officer, PC Wayne Couzens, who is 48 years old has been charged with the murder and kidnap of Ms Everard. After facing the accusations, he was arrested and will remain in custody until July 9th to face trial.
As the investigation continued, women were warned to be wary of their surroundings when venturing alone especially at night. However, the murder brought about a protest on social media as well as on the streets. Last Monday afternoon, a bill was read that was criticized as an “attack on some of the most fundamental rights of citizens.” The bill now allows police to control protests and give sentences for rule-breakers during the protests, which means that police fundamentally have mass power over protestors expressing dismay.
The Labour Party’s MPs including Natalie Whitell told the media and made a statement saying that “We’re here for two reasons. One is to stand against male violence, whether that’s the hand of the state, partners or institutions. We are here to honour the lives of women who have been murdered by men. And we are here to resist.” She continued to say that “I was here (at the protest grounds) yesterday and I’m here today because we have got to keep resisting this government’s descent into authoritarianism (meaning the advocacy of strict obedience which may confine freedom), today, tomorrow and the day after. If this bill passes this will be the biggest crackdown on the right to protest; it will criminalise ‘serious annoyance’ or ‘serious inconvenience’. The whole point of protest is that you don’t ask permission to protest.”
Meanwhile, people around the world were having their reforms on social media platforms. Women talked about how men can make them feel safer, people brought light to their own experiences with sexual abuse or assault from men, and the statistic ‘97% of women in the UK have been assaulted by men’ spoke outrage too.
Atlanta Rampages and Hate Crimes against Asian Community
Article By Ananya Nayar
TW: Violence and Mentions of Racism
Previously this week, on Tuesday, nationwide horror commenced after eight lives were taken, six of the people being Southeast Asian Americans. Officials in Georgia began to identify eight people who were killed on Tuesday night inside spas.
Robert Aaron Long has been charged with eight murders, the 21-year old gunman’s motive is still being discussed and investigated. He has a history of attacks in Atlanta-area spa areas, and the 3 attacks he proceeded to do at the spas. 6 of his 8 victims were Asian women, this also brought awareness towards the massive increase of hate crimes against the Asian community due to coronavirus. Although the gunman told the police that his attacks were not targeted towards Asians, witnesses reported that he said he was going to ‘kill all Asians.’
This year, there has been a 149% rise in hate crimes against the community and in America itself there have been 3,800 attacks recorded post lockdown, however, there will be many more that aren’t documented. The incidents of crude, racist remarks, often violent episodes and other horrible circumstances directed towards Asian communities are unacceptable, yet, offenders will be allowed to get away with blatant racism. Discrimination against Asians in America has been legalised since 1882 when Chinese immigrants were not allowed to enter the US, and anti-Asian racism has been looked at as something that was never a big part of the civil right’s amendment.
Here are some ways you can support Asian American’s during these tough times:
Call out Racism: intervene during hate crimes to disperse the offenders, this can change a lot. If you stand there and don’t do anything while witnessing a racist attack of any form, you’re technically supporting the offender and going along with it.
Spread awareness on social media platforms
Sign petitions and donate on our petitions + donations page.
Donate to end the bigotry and xenophobia by donating here
Support and buy from Asian businesses
Educate yourself and the people around you
Grammy’s 2021
Article By Ananya Nayar
The most prestigious music awards ceremony occurred last week on the 15th of March, as a virtual ceremony. Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Katrina, Megan Thee Stallion, Beyonce, Dua Lipa and more extremely talented artists won many of the awards.
Here are some of the best-dressed award receivers, whos looks we loved.
Billie Eilish in her flare leg suit and matching bucket hat.
BTS dressed in full Louis Vuitton.
Chika sporting pastel Versace and Nike.
Chloe and Halle Bailey in animal print Louis Vuitton.
In White Chanel, Da baby.
Dua Lipa rocked her pastel, glimmery butterfly inspired custom Atelier Versace.
Harry Styles proudly wore a faux feather boa and flare corduroy pants.
Updates on the AstraZeneca vaccine
Article By Misaki Tomiyama
There have been growing concerns about the side effects of the AstraZeneca Vaccine recently. Over the last few weeks, there have been complaints about the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine developed blood clots, which were related to potentially life-threatening conditions. Despite WHO’s urges on the use of AstraZeneca many countries in Europe, including France, Spain, Germany and Italy have suspended this vaccine. Denmark, Norway and The Netherlands are countries that also stopped the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
According to statistics by AstraZeneca, more than 17 million people in the United Kingdom and the EU received the AstraZeneca vaccine, but only 40 cases of blood clots were reported. The WHO still claims there is no evidence of the direct link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots.
Myanmar protests- Demonstrators killed
Article By Misaki Tomiyama
There have been several mass protests in Myanmar after the military coup on February 1. The military is back in charge in Myanmar, following a general election won by the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Suu Kyi, and has declared a year-long state of emergency. Many people are currently protesting against the military coup, but things started to aggravate soon enough.
According to activists, around 38 protesters were killed by the fires opened by security forces on large crowds in several cities. Many say it was the “bloodiest day” in Myanmar since the military coup. It is said that more than 50 people have died up till now since the coup started, while many wounded.
The military is still violently and actively going against the protests in Myanmar. According to protestors and activists, the security forces and police have also fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors. What’s more, it is said that more than 1200 protestors have been detained, while people do not know the whereabouts of their detained family members.
Mexico’s Border with the U.S.
Article By Misaki Tomiyama
Many Mexicans’ hopes were high after Biden declared he would call off Donald Trump’s previous National Emergency Order to build a wall between the US and Mexico. They even said that they will start with 25000 asylum seekers coming into the U.S. However, many Mexicans are still in desperation as they are being expelled back to Mexico, along with tens of thousands of others.
Currently, there are many Mexicans near the border, and especially many children unaccompanied by adults. The number of migrant children and teenagers is drastically increasing, and the U.S. government is finding it difficult to find space and shelter for these children near the border. The number of these minors have almost tripled since last year, and because of this, many children are forced to sleep on gym mats without taking showers etc.
The most likely reason Biden is not allowing many migrants to come into the U.S. is probab.ly because of Title 42, the United States Code dealing with public health, social welfare, and civil rights. Biden is focusing on maintaining public health, to prevent the spread of coronavirus and from another wave.
Clash between US and Chinese diplomat
Article By Misaki Tomiyama
Last Thursday, in Alaska there were clashes during the first face to face talks between the U.S. and Chinese administration after Biden took office.
Antony Blinken, US secretary of state first criticised China regarding Beijing's treatment of the Uighur Muslims (read more about Uighur Muslims on our Instagram Information post), Hongkong, China cyberattacks on the U.S., etc.
Yang Jiechi, a Chinese politician and diplomat, spoke back by addressing the issue of black Americans being “slaughtered.” He also accused the U.S. of using military and financial power to suppress other countries. Tensions increase between the two superpowers.
The US Sends Millions of Vaccines to Mexico and Canada
Article By Ananya Nayar
4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be sent respectively to the neighbours- Canada and Mexico. This marks the first time that the white house is sending vaccines over to other countries. The mutually agreed contract also states that any extra vaccines must be returned to the US. Along with this, the immunisation drive must move quickly under Mr Biden’s watch, and adolescents over the age of 16 are scheduled to receive their first drive by the first of May preferably.
France to go into Third Lockdown
Article By Ananya Nayar
On Friday, France went into a new month-long lockdown, after a larger surge in Covid cases. Nice and Paris will reportedly have much stricter confinement. So far France has recorded almost 4.5 million cases, and they must combat the new wave as soon as possible by imposing a hard, third lockdown. However, school’s, universities and essential services will remain open. People will have to have an approved certificate to exercise outdoors, but will not be able to exit a 10km radius from their homes. To be cautious with the new variants that are bound to come with this new, large wave in cases, the curfew will be 7 pm.
This Week’s Topics!
Why do we Procrastinate?
Article By Ananya Nayar
Procrastination is when you delay or postpone a certain activity or task intentionally or habitually. The things that we usually reschedule or dither are usually duties that are inevitable or that we should do. For example, during the pandemic and online learning- many of us procrastinate doing our assignments because we’ll just say ‘This task is going to take me ages!!’ ‘Oh, I’ll do it another day’ or ‘I’m not really in the mood to write the essay right now.’ Yes, procrastination is often appealing and it can boost our creativity and give us new ideas if we delay a chore, but it isn’t exactly good for us.
See, when we procrastinate we start to reduce our productivity, decrease our sense of autonomy, and from my own experience, we’ll naturally go and do something that isn’t always the better option. We’ll go watch tv, and do anything we can to avoid that piece of work because psychologically- when we have something we want to move away from- we will pretty much do anything to remove that from our mind to do, excluding actually doing it. I always have that quick rush of motivation that forces me to complete that assignment after I see the deadline and begin to feel guilty, but there have been many situations when I end up not achieving my goal because at the first instance of procrastination it wouldn’t engage or interest me.
After some research, I realised that I better get to work because I found out about some new things that are effects of procrastination I didn’t know of before. One fact was that people who procrastinate later experience greater levels of guilt, stress, anxiety and frustration, and these effects can impact high school students more than we think. This then leads us to think badly about ourselves or can even lead us towards depression!
Don’t mean to scare you, but did you know that procrastination can harm our heart health? Well, a recent study reported that procrastinating is related to hypertension and cardiovascular disease which is also caused by panic and anxiety. Putting off important tasks contributes to stress-related diseases or issues such as digestive problems, migraines, insomnia, colds and flu along with a toll on your mental health.
We don’t just procrastination over large burdens, but even the smallest ones. When I decide to not make my bed in the morning at that time it’s not a big deal, and I say to myself that I’ll do it later. However, over time I become encumbered with more things to do or it’s just at the back of my head and irritating me. I’ll then keep asking myself ‘if it takes me less than a minute- why shouldn’t I do it now?’ and those thoughts waste a lot of my time.
To motivate ourselves to do these tiny tasks that we dread so much, we should ask ourselves a few questions. Why don’t we want to do it in the long run? Can’t we do so much after the task? And maybe that’ll help you finish your work and give you that adrenaline rush and eagerness.
This Week’s Topic- Who is Kamala Harris?
Article By Misaki Tomiyama
You all have probably heard of Kamala Harris on the news or article as the 49th Vice President of the United States. Well, she also made history by becoming the first woman and the first African American to become the vice president of the U.S.
Former U.S. Senator and attorney of general of California Kamala Devi Harris became vice president of the United States in the January 2021 inauguration. The Vice President is the officer of the United States who is next in line to the president of the U.S. and is the person who succeeds to the presidency in case of the president’s death, resignation, removal or any other reason. A vice president has two main roles- one to cast the tie-breaking vote when the Senate is deadlocked, and two, to preside over and certify the electoral college’s official vote count.
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland California, on October 20, 1964, her dad being Jamaican, and her mom Indian. Her father taught at Stanford University, and her mother was a cancer researcher. She often addressed her mother and credits her as the source for her determination. Growing up with her younger sister Maya, she studied science and economics at Howard University. She later earned a law degree in 1989.
She worked as a deputy district attorney in Oakland. She became district attorney in 2004 and was then elected attorney general of California, making her the first female black woman to be elected district attorney of San Francisco, and the first woman to serve as attorney general of California. In August 2020, Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate.
In terms of her views on the coronavirus pandemic, Kamala Harris has expressed complete disapproval of Trump’s way of handling the Covid-19, and has encouraged, everyone, to "listen to the scientists and the experts." She has encouraged citizens to wear masks, and has called it a “national standard.”
She also participated in the George Floyd Black Lives Matter movement and protest in Washington DC. She also met with Jacob Blake’s family after his shooting and is a supporter of racial equality. Democrat Kamala Harris has done a lot for citizens, especially young girls and young black girls- she has become a great influence and role model, by showing them the power of women.
This Week in History
Article by Ananya Nayar
On the 14th of March 1879, Albert Einstein was born. If you don’t know who he is, Albert Einstein was a scientist. The son of the Jewish engineer had a brain that was 15% wider than ours that allowed him to make mathematical and logical reasoning. Einstein won many Nobel prizes, and he had many theories of special and general reasoning. He studied physics and mathematics in Switzerland and was awarded a PhD at the University of Zurich.
On the 16th of March 1802, the first US Military Academy was established and opened. Congress founded it to educate and train future soldiers that would serve in different parts of the US Army.
The yet ongoing war in Iraq began in 2003, in fact exactly on the 19th March.
On March 19, 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiated the war on Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised address, “At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.”
Did you know? March 22 is World Water Day!
Article By Misaki Tomiyama
Water is crucial for human beings, and we won’t be able to live without clean drinkable water. According to the United Nations, around 700 million people in 43 countries suffer today from water scarcity. We might be living in a society where we can drink water at any time, whenever we want, but that is not the case in many other poorer regions.
World Water Day celebrates water and is celebrated to spread awareness of the water crisis around the world. It aims to tackle the problem of water scarcity and crisis, and promotes the SDG goal or Clean Water and Sanitation.
2021’s World Water Day theme is “valuing water.” So how can we celebrate world water day? Check out the World Water Day Website! Visit their Website by clicking here! By doing so, you will be able to know more about the importance of water in our society, how different people have different water views, and will help you explore this year’s theme. Try to conserve water by not leaving the tap open, taking a shower instead of a bath, or simply taking a shorter shower etc. If every individual takes these small actions, the problem of water scarcity and the crisis will surely alleviate a little.
Book of the Week: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
By Ananya Nayar
This science fiction short story includes very different themes- like ignorance, intelligence, hope, morality and pride. The story follows the plan of a laboratory mouse called Algernon who had undergone surgery to increase his brain capacity. However, the novel is narrated by another human called Charlie Gordon, who was the first human to undergo the same surgery to increase intelligence. This book mostly focuses on the treatment of mentally ill patients. It has a very hard, sad ending. Throughout the novel, you can see Charlie’s mental health and intelligence decapitating, and you see he can no longer understand things he wrote merely weeks ago. It’s very emotional and compelling, and I recommend it.
Movie of the Week: A Whisker Away
By Misaki Tomiyama
A Whisker Away is a 2020 Japanese anime movie revolving around a Japanese high schooler, Miyo (known as Muge to her classmates). She has the power to turn into a cat whenever she wants to, using a Noh-mask, and she uses her power to come close to a boy she likes, Hinode. While Miyo is an outgoing character, Hinode is a more quiet boy, and even though he doesn't seem to be as close to Miyo, he surely loves Miyo's cat form, and names it Taro. The two high-schoolers struggle with troubles at home. The villain of this movie is a mask seller cat, who tries to make Miyo permanently turn into a cat. The movie's climax is when Miyo loses her human face and gets told that without it, she will have to remain a cat forever. Will Miyo be able to transform back into her human self? What will happen to her relationship with Hinode? This movie is a cute and light-hearted story, an amazing one to watch when you want to watch something to warm your heart, and is a great movie for cat lovers.
Comments