Why I’d wish people would stop obsessing over my but ...Not that kind of but: I don’t have a gluteus maximus like Nikki Minaj (I wish I did). No, I mean the ‘but’ that is the contrasting conjunction; ‘but’ as in I’m perfectly healthy but I have a 50% chance of inheriting Huntingdon’s disease… Announcing that your parent is gene positive is no easy feat; it’s a trek that’s consumed with thousands of questions. So, I’ll (briefly) answer the ‘FAQ’ before I go on my rant about my big but: “What’s Huntingdon’s disease?” A google search shows us the NHS’s description of how HD progresses after the initial symptoms become evident: “Huntington's disease is a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time. It's passed on (inherited) from a person's parents. It gets gradually worse over time and is usually fatal after a period of up to 20 years.” Allow me to translate: Huntingdon’s disease is a life-limiting illness; it removes all your decency before mercile...
A student supporting strikers Why we should show strikers compassion For years, the exploitation of public sector workers has been rising at an exponential rate. Having tolerated this maltreatment more than anyone should, many of these people have opted to take strike action, including our teachers… The National Education Union announced its intention to strike on the 16 th of January. Less than a month after, on the 1 st of February, we witnessed approximately 100,000 teachers striking across the UK and 85% of schools close either fully or partially. That day, I witnessed the extent to which my teachers have been forced into their position by the pay cuts. Due to our Year 13 mocks, my peers and I had to cross the picket line. Teachers who have taught most of us for almost 7 years were waving their sky-blue flags, honking their horns and blasting their noisemakers outside the school gates. As I approached, I noticed that a few of my teachers had thei...