Maggie’s Mail
Edition 2 Friday, May 1, 2020
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Is Kim Jong-un Dead?
Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of North Korea has reportedly not been seen publicly since April 11. He did not attend celebrations on April 15 for the birthday of his grandfather and state founder, Kim II Sung. Consequently, rumours of Kim’s death have circled the media. Adding to the fire is the report that the leader was in critical condition following surgery.
27 April, North Korea released a letter from Kim appearing to be evidence he was in fact alive.
South Korea weighed in, insisting Kim is alive and well. Trump has added to the confusion surrounding this rumour saying Kim was unwell and in critical condition.
Kim’s health status aside, the question of succession is important. As Kim has created such a strong cult of personality, there is concern as to how a transition of leader would impact the stability of North Korea and the new leader’s effectiveness.
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Kim Yo-jong
Speculation into Kim’s successor has run wild. The most prevalent name suggested seems to be his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong.
Kim Yo-jong would be North Korea’s first female leader since it was founded in 1948.
But is North Korea ready for a female leader like New Zealand’s own Jacinda Ardern? If not, what changes would their country first need to see?
By Sophie Benson
Champion Profiles
Michelle Obama
Many people know Michelle Obama as the former First Lady, but she has so many accomplishments of her own. These include two Ivy League university degrees and being an amazing mother, which leads her to be such an inspirational woman. In 2010 Michelle launched Let's Move! This programme had a very ambitious goal: to solve child obesity within a generation. Let’s Move! is focused on giving parents the support they need to make healthier choices for their children. Since launching this programme, Obama has passed a school launch programme, offering healthy foods to children from low socioeconomic families. As part of the Let's Move!
programme, Obama also collaborated with Darden, the world's largest foodservice company, to reduce the calories in children’s meals by 20%.
Obama has not only helped campaign for healthier options for children but has been an influence for women all over the world. In March 2015, Obama started an initiative titled “Let Girls Learn,” to help the 62 million girls around the world who do not have access to quality education. The organisation promotes
programmes that reduce gender-based violence against children and educate young women on their rights. Alongside this, Obama hosted a dinner to support and fundraise for mentoring programs for young girls. During her speech, she encouraged girls to break the glass ceiling.
Obama has spoken all around the world to inspire women and girls including at the 'South African Young African Women Leaders Forum' and the 'Power of an Educated Girl' forum.
By Emily Blackmore Siouxsie Wiles
If you’ve been watching the news recently, you might recognise the “pink-haired science lady.”
Despite the nickname being a pretty accurate description, it somewhat diminishes Siouxsie Wiles’s incredible accomplishments. She attended the University of Edinburgh, studying medical microbiology, before continuing on to complete a PhD at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Oxford. A strong champion of women in science, Wiles is an expert in bioluminescence (essentially when organisms
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fireflies) and infectious diseases.
Wiles has managed to combine these two interests as she leads Auckland University’s Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab, the purpose of which is to investigate “how glowing bacteria can help scientists better prevent and fight microbial infections such as food poisoning, tuberculosis and hospital superbugs.” She has won a number of awards, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science Media Communication in 2013 and the Blake Medal in 2016.
With the advent of COVID-19 impacting everyday life globally, Wiles’s work has never been more pertinent. She has been a reliable source of accurate information surrounding the pandemic, while also disparaging false rumours and misinformation spread online. In a global crisis, it is of utmost importance that real science is communicated to the public as opposed to half- baked claims that prey on fear, like the graphic shared online showing that a “hot water and salt gargle kills the coronavirus”, or the majority of the current US President’s assertions…
To halt the propagation of coronavirus, the public needs to take action. That’s why methods like our current lockdown are so effective - they ensure public cooperation. But science communicators like Wiles are essential in ensuring that we, as the public, understand the meaning behind such measures. Education is the most effective weapon against misinformation, and Wiles, among others, is on the front lines of this fight.
By Hattie Compton-Moen
Staff Opinions Column
Ms May (English)
What is an interesting fact about yourself?
I love dressing up. I have a vast collection of costumes and own over twenty different wigs!
My favourite costume is my beautiful golden Belle ball gown. I dress up as her with the Disney Princesses in the Santa Parade every year!
What is one book you think everyone at SMC should read and why?
Middle School - “Things a Bright Girl Can Do” by Sally Nichols. It's the story of the Suffrage movement told through the voices of three very different young girls. It teaches you so much about history and was actually
recommended to me by Hattie Compton-Moen!
Senior School & Staff - “The Power” by Naomi Alderman, an alternate history of the world where women are the dominant gender. It's so thought- provoking and confronting.
Preschool - Harriet recommends “Dragons Love Tacos”. It's a pretty excellent read.
Would you rather teach a middle or senior class?
Argh! I'm going to cop out and say I love them both. I love the creative out-of-the-box
thinking and optimism of Middle Schoolers and I love the in-depth literary debates with seniors.
Great banter with both.
Bonus question for Ms May: What is your baby's name and are we allowed to see a photo?
Here is my daughter Harriet - 7 months old!
Miss Beaumont (English)
What is an interesting fact about yourself?
I'm a movie star! Not really, but I was an extra in Lord of the Rings when I was at school and if you freeze-frame the second film, you can see half my face for a second.
What is one book you think everyone at SMC should read and why?
A book you should all read is 'Gweilo' by Martin Booth. It's his childhood memoirs from Hong Kong in the 1950s and it's incredibly vibrant and fascinating!
Would you rather teach a middle or senior class?
I would rather teach Middle School because although I love the bonds I create with my seniors, teaching at middle level offers a lot of freedom!
Artwork by Jade Tiller (Y13IB)
Remember to send any artwork or creative writing you would like to see published in Maggie’s Mail to bensons@stmargarets.school.nz
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Maggie’s Advice Column
Dear Auntie Maggie,
I am starting to run out of things to do while stuck at home! Do you have any
recommendations after I’ve done every single BuzzFeed quiz available?
From Bored BuzzFeed Addict Dear Bored BuzzFeed Addict,
As the weeks go on, it can be difficult to find things to do especially after you’ve watched every available Netflix show! I have trawled the web and found a few things which you can have a go at if you are starting to hit the wall. If your brain needs a bit of stretching, maybe you could try some puzzles - sudoku, crosswords or word searches, all can be found online quite easily!
There are also loads of activities which have been sent out by Year 13 leaders - from Quarantine Questions, to the Dance Challenge, to the
activities from SMC News, there’s lots of stuff to keep you occupied for a while! Also make sure you do get some fresh air, it always helps me to feel a little more refreshed and less bored out of my mind.
If you want to make a difference while you’re stuck at home, Zooniverse is a really cool website - you can help with scientific projects from animal conservation to antibiotic resistance from the comfort of your own home! If you do the animal conservation projects, you also get to see cool giraffes and other cute animals which is always a bonus :)
Love,
Auntie Maggie xx
Language of the Week
Arabic is the official language of around 26 countries and is the sacred language of the religion of Islam, as the holy book (the Quran) is written in Arabic. This language was specifically chosen for this week as on the 25th of April, New Zealand Muslims observed the first day of
Ramadan, a month where they fast from sunrise to sunset (yes, this means no food or drinks, including water!). Let's get to it!
مﻼﺳ (Salam) - Hello!
ﻮھ ﻲﻤﺳإ… (Ismi hwa…) - My name is…
ﺔﻣﻼﺴﻟا ﻊﻣ (Ma’a Salama) - Goodbye!
؟ﻚﻟﺎﺣ ﻒﯿﻛ (Kayfa haluk?) - How are you?
كرﺎﺒﻣ نﺎﻀﻣر (Ramadan mobarak!) - Happy Ramadan!
Hannah Azharashid and the Global Relations Committee
Book Recommendations
Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson
This is one of my favourite books of all time and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It follows the story of Nellie Clark, a 16-year-old girl working in a custard powder factory in London in 1911. When Nellie gets involved in a strike for workers’ rights, she is forced to make tough choices between the welfare of her family and the cause she believes in. The story continues all the way through the First World War, detailing the hardships faced by the residents of South London, and Nellie’s own personal growth into a selfless young woman. The beautiful romances and tragedies faced by each of the characters will have you laughing and crying the whole way through, and it is very difficult to put down.
When you finish it, you’ll feel hungry for more, which is just as well because there are 3 more books in the series which tell the stories of those
close to Nellie throughout the 20th century.
The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos Another heart-rending historical novel, The Girl They Left Behind is loosely based on the story of the author’s mother in WWII in Romania. The historical details are truly fascinating, as Romania’s role in the Second World War is not often talked about. The story follows a young girl called Natalia, who is abandoned during the Bucharest Pogrom, in 1941. She is adopted by a wealthy childless couple, and has a wonderful childhood, albeit with the shadow of wartime hardships looming over her. When Romania becomes a part of the Soviet Union in 1948, times get tough for Natalia and her family, with the communist party requisitioning all of their belongings, and forcing her father out of work.
Natalia is eventually presented with the life- saving opportunity to escape from behind the Iron Curtain, and go to find her birth parents in the USA, but has to leave her family behind. The story is tragic and dramatic, and reminds us all to appreciate what we have while we have it. The book deals with some violent and mature themes, so I would only recommend it for year 11 and over.
By Grace McMahon
Film Recommendations
Looking for some entertainment to chase away the quarantine blues? Need some escapism for your isolation boredom? Here are some movies we’d recommend for this time of uncertainty to make you feel all fuzzy inside!
Now and Then (rated PG)
Released in 1995, this is a timeless classic to make you feel connected and supported. ‘Now and Then’ flicks back and forth in time, detailing the adventurous summer between four 12 year old friends as they try to solve a murder, and present day, as they reflect on the women they have become. This is especially recommended to middle schoolers!
Brooklyn (rated M)
‘Brooklyn’ stars Saoirse Ronan as a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. This movie is incredible in its ability to weave love and loss, safety and homesickness, the calm and passionate, in a way that always leaves me in a ‘feel good cry’. I could not recommend it enough.
Back to the Future (rated PG)
Another classic! You can never go wrong with incredible writing, cheesy 80s graphics and the hilarious double act of Micheal J Fox and
Christopher Llyod. If you’ve been living under a rock all your life and have never seen this film, it tells the story of Marty McFly who mistakenly goes back in time and has to figure out a way to make his parents fall in love with each other, so he can get back.
Mulan (rated G)
With the live action closely upon us, now is a wonderful time to watch (or rewatch for the 10th time) Mulan! Unwilling to let her father take the risk of going to war, Mulan disguises herself as a man to take his place in the army, and in doing so saves all of China. *girl gang plays in the
background*
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (rated M)
Despite the tongue twister of a name, ‘˜The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ is a film that simply makes you feel… good. Set in 1946, a writer by the name of Juliet Ashton travels to the island of Guernsey, which was occupied by the Germans during WWII. She begins to get a picture of what life was truly like, and documents it for a novel.
By Alexandra Lehmann
