Being a teenager is hard enough. Going through supposed “phases” and styles. Figuring out who the hell we are. Some of us develop talents in the arts; some take the role of Queen Bee. Some of us never fully know how to define ourselves and stay in the shadows. But one thing that is never talked about enough is sex. Yes, S-E-X. The word practically all teenagers are afraid of exploring. Some of us find it easy to delve into, while the rest of us think it’s all a bit awkward or have no interest in it at all. Is it shameful to be curious? Of course not. This Netflix series is the show that isn’t afraid to giggle at tampons, masturbation, penis size, vagina shapes, you name it and it’s in there! Sex Ed wasn’t great in the schools I went to. My single dad had the humorous job of buying books titled ‘What’s happening to my body’ and watching me hide my face in a cushion with embarrassment as he went through the pages. The words ‘pubic hair’ would make my insides cringe.
When I found the Netflix show Sex Education, I though it was fantastic. Why? Not only does it joke around topics we typically hide from or think of as crude, but it normalizes them. For example, the writers made a clear effort to include LGBTQ+ students and make their character journeys just as important as the main two, Otis and Maeve (even though we love them too). The show wasn’t afraid to expose topics like sexual harassment either, like Amy’s story of the bus. It sheds light on the realities of being a teenager. I was particularly touched by Adam’s story. People who act out of anger sometimes just want to be accepted. Similarly, is head-strong, independent Maeve. First appearing heartless until we learn of her drug-addicted mother and the money pressures she’s had. Otis’ best friend Eric is surrounded by a family that disapprove of his homosexuality and desire to express himself through fashion and makeup. The head teacher, Hope, puts a non-binary student down for wishing to wear baggy trousers. However, in Season 3 (without spoiling it for anyone), the students stand up for themselves. In this sense, the show is incredibly empowering to all young people of today. I am confident to say viewers can relate to more than one of the characters in the show.
With that being said, the show also touches on sad topics too. For example, when sexually awkward Otis starts dating popular Ruby. They agree to have casual sex after a house party but she starts to get deeper feelings for him. By the time she admits to loving him, Otis feels bad for not feeling the same way. In his head, it was only about the sex. The show perfectly balances comedy and tragedy. Every episode either made me laugh or cry. The show normalizes the issues we all feel ashamed about. Feeling like you don’t fit in; dealing with pressure; losing your virginity; coming out; being yourself; moving through friendships; heartbreak.
I think the writers of this show were so successful because every character that we meet has a back story and goes on a special journey. The parents, the kids, the teachers (who also have sex lives, believe it or not). Each one has a touching story that makes us realise we aren’t as alone in our problems as we think. In addition to this, every character is memorable. So, if you need a good laugh, a new fictional friend, or a relatable cry, I would recommend you watch Sex Education. Happy watching!
All of us experience growth – from the day we are born to the day we die, our lives are a constant evolution; but this past year, for many of us, that growth has been stunted. Stuck inside, unable to see friends of family; wearing a mask and avoiding human contact; unable to go to work, school; unable to go on holidays or nights out. Our day-to-day lives have changed drastically.
Despite this, maybe this past year has prompted us to grow in a different way. I’ve learnt to appreciate the small things; I’ve thought about where I am in my life and where I want to be. It’s given me time to think about my health – physical and mental, and what I can do to improve them both. To improve who I am as a person. So maybe I have grown – not in any way I could have predicted, but maybe that’s the best kind of growth? The unpredictable kind.
Although there are still many doubts and uncertainties, there now seems to be a glimmer of hope we can all reach for – a ‘return to normality’ – but is that really what it will be? Press the reset button and our lives will just start up again from where we left them a year ago? I don’t think so. No one is the same as they were a year ago – there is no reset button in life, and that’s not a bad thing.
Freedom, that was taken away last year. We were advised to stay inside in order to keep each other safe. I can say from experience, that by staying home, lives were destroyed, partners were abused, people became depressed, and this list could go on. It is still a challenge today to stay sane and carry on, knowing that one year has already gone and most of us did not make it any further than the living room.
If you feel chubby because you consumed half the content of your fridge each day and watched Netflix all day, please do not feel bad. We all did it or still do and that is okay, but it can change if you want it. I want you to know that the choice is always there, and it is yours. Personally, I am comfortable in the ‘’Netflix and chill’’ phase, so if you chose to be like that, I want you to know you are not alone. I am writing this piece with a slice of pizza in my left hand and a sip of beer every now and then. Bing eating is today’s activity or hobby if you like, and yes when I have time to go to shop to fill in my half empty fridge this is how I look like. My hands are full of snacks and if you struggle with the same thing, welcome in the club.
There is always time for change though, and that is now. With 2021 we determinate our future. This year we need to make big decisions. Whether we would like to get vaccinated or not, whether we believe the government’s plan and hope that by June there will not be any pandemic. It is still our choice to understand what is best for us. I would like to encourage every one of you to step up for yourselves this year. It will not get any better than this only if you want it.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a successful year full of hope and clean slates. Take your freedom back!
Enlightenment Torch: Learning and growing through being isolated in our homes, and still having the opportunity to go into shops and walks while wearing a face mask on. It has been the year of being in Tier 3 of lockdown that has taught us to reflect on our future and to what we can achieve during this time. Since 2020, people have become aware of the issues of equality since the Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd and what we can do to push society forward by educating ourselves on these matters.
As we go into 2021, we hope that there is a solution to the virus, the political system across the world. This we lead the people of the world to feel optimistic that change is happening in the action by the governments. A time will come when we can be relaxed and certain of what direction we are going in during the pandemic without going down a constant spiral of what we could have done as a society. It is important as going into this year that we think about the looking after our mental health. A new chapter of everyone reuniting back in society and yet the process will be slow.
The torch that sees through growing open walks, shops, and homes.
Mask that has been reused,
torch that sees through the Tier 3 lockdown, and
previous lockdowns,
To opened books, experiences, development
issues raised and not,
equality matters-
of the question of
Are we still having the same conversation?
People who do not see, the
torch surpasses rivers, streams, and waters.
In chaotically stranded isolations in this
filling reality.
In and Out, in a never-ending tape,
extends to streets, roads, boroughs, and districts.
Aspire: to look up and see a whole world of possibilities ahead. To look back and see your mistakes but to feel them carry you along in your journey – their teachings help you navigate which way to go and what to do next. To claw up the twisting road, the road many have traversed before, where dreams and hopes live short lives but have long deaths. Or to plunge into the valley of the unknown, the less travelled, where dreams and hopes can bloom into success but without any guarantees and with the strings of doubt attached.
Aspire: to abandon the worries that come with not knowing and never going. To chase the future you desire – let in the life that awaits.
Written by Cheyenne Holborough and edited by Cheyenne Holborough, Elizaveta Kolesova, Amy Barlow, Jamelia White-Akingbade and Reka Furton
Sparkling chandelier, hanging like a magnificent sculpture of stars,
twinkling to bless the night in crimson passion, close to each intimate touch.
A beautiful ball of butterfly attendees, where elegant colours capture the spotlight.
Fluttering in flamboyance, their wings dazzle in show and tell,
the romance of wearing the grace of lace, enchants a spark of loveliness,
in which the love refuses to hide under table cloth, but brighten under glass décor.
Flirting like fireflies near the floral lanterns, they leave the candle sticks
to marry their candle holders, under the sculpture of stars.
Keeping peace between butterflies and light, under dreamy darkness.
A ballroom dance crowns the night, the glimmering diamond of a ball ring.
Partnering to their lovers, they fly with each other, hearts together,
like violins expressing love behind a curtain of waterfall.
Some butterflies share magic, clutching onto the sidelines of the French rose silk.
Other butterflies make wishes under the chandelier, praying to protect the ballroom,
a sanctuary for romance with wings, to reach the night.
—————
Ballet Performances to Watch, Courtesy of the Royal Opera House:
Review of Romeo and Juliet Beyond Words:
I would highly recommend this ballet film to fans of the romantic genre and all things elegant. Starring William Bracewell as Romeo and Francesca Hayward as Juliet, this beautifully performed film captures my heart and fills my head with butterflies. There is no dialogue, which I found more engaging as the audience is left to feel for themselves, allowing their imaginations to flourish. The lack of dialogue also makes this performance much more accessible to those from different language backgrounds. The classical music in the background such as Dance of the Knights by Prokofiev, really brings the scenes to life. With no words, the vision becomes even more unique to watch, as the romance blossoms on screen.
The ballet creates a touching bridge between this classic love story and the power of pointed shoes. The acting, along with the imagery, brings you to the heart of the moment. I could feel myself wearing Juliet’s shoes and feeling all her emotions from my head to my toes. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off this film, and the enchanting atmosphere it created in my head, and in my room. The body language of the protagonists portray the sequence of events wonderfully – I could feel Romeo’s heart warming passion for Juliet through his actions. I so greatly admire the attention to detail in the making of this film, because it sewed the whole story together and transported me to their romantic world.
I first watched this ballet film on a chilly winter evening, and I think this made the experience a touch more magical. I would encourage others to try watching it just as I did. To this day, I still feel drawn to the beauty of the film: my attachment to it will stay forever. There have been many films on Romeo and Juliet, but this was my favourite, because it made me pay closer attention to the visual art of ballet and how classical music feeds life to a love story. The beautiful silence elevated the scenes of suspense. I hope you all take the time to watch this glorious work of art.
We all are familiar with the sour feeling of embarrassment that Valentine’s Day produces. Pretty much everyone has awful childhood memories of not being chosen and if you haven’t I’ll invite you to picture for a moment being single on this day of love and coupling before the self-love movement kicked off in full force. But what is the point of this kind of celebration, anyways?
What you’ve probably heard turns out to be true: Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday based on nauseating consumerism that exploits our desire to be romantically involved to sell, sell, sell. No event in history links February 14th to romance, whatsoever. It’s essentially a lie that corporations created to make money but even with this knowledge, it can be difficult to see all the pretty faces receiving Valentine’s Day flowers and cards and thoughtful gifts while waiting for one that never arrives. That said, this acknowledgment of the obvious downfalls of the holiday can act as a meaningless qualifier, that is until you look at the benefits of a surface level expression of desire and romance. Seeing people express love towards each other, or at least a symbolic form of love, on a visceral, human note reminds us that it is possible to get along with each other and to form (hopefully) meaningful relationships; which is extremely important when you are nodding out on today’s news and have a small panic attack every time a new article pops up. It’s valuable to have a holiday that is a celebration of love and thankfully now we’re accepting of various forms of it.
This is a heartfelt, gooey time when we allow ourselves to write shitty love poems for our crush and it isn’t going to be awkward to slip them the note or sent them a text. Okay, maybe that’s a lie, it could go wrong, but at least with the lens of Valentine’s Day on, we can accept the sentiment. I think that Valentine’s Day is flawed but the expression of affection, admiration, chocolate, love, and the damn cuteness of it all is worth something. So don’t be afraid to get vulnerable and show as much love as you can in these difficult times.
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