#42 - In the Hot Seat
03 July 2020
Winners announced!
Thank you to all who took part this week. There were some very inspirational ideas for the BNC, which makes us think we should have you all working on our team! Coincidentally, our two winners come from Ormiston Academies Trust schools this week...
Our first winner is free_iceberg of Ormiston Sudbury Academy, who came up with several reasons why it is important we learn about the impact of protesting, especially at a time when it is playing such a role in world events.
Our second winner is insightful_orca of Ormiston Bushfield Academy, who gave an impassioned defence of the need for more awareness about mental health, and gave good reasons for its inclusion on within the BNC.
This week we have a very special competition. There's two short steps
To enter, all you need to do is first take the "End of Year Survey"...
...and then below, tell us what area of news you would cover if YOU were in charge of designing a BNC Issue.
The Issues already covered this year have been: Hong Kong, Space Exploration, Politicians and Power, The NHS, Extreme Weather, and the Arts. The last 3 have all had links to the impact of the coronavirus, too.
You might want to choose something you've seen on the news recently, or you might want to think of a future event that you know will make news, or maybe something that is always happening that you think children should learn about.
Remember to give your reasoning - this is what we'll judge entries on!
The competition closes on 3 July at 10.30am. Good luck! You must take the survey first in order to be in with a chance of winning - we'll be checking the form!
Comments (18)
I have decided to write about the Corona Virus because its all over the news . The corona Virus started in Wuhan, China, December 2019. There are a lot of Death Trolls. There are 340,000 confirmed cases of the Virus and more than 43,000 people have died in the UK. It is thought the Virus was originated from a animal market in Wuhan. We will never know . People who look Chinese are being bullied because of the Virus. Just because they are Chinese doesn't mean they have the virus. It doesn't matter about anyone's skin colour, not just Asian. Anyone could have the infectious disease . When I'm on my balcony, I can see many people on the streets without masks. Its very dangerous and it increases the higher percent of you getting the disease and others. If you would like to go on public transport, you MUST wear a mask to stay safe. If you have a car, I would advise you to use it and its a lot safer. But if you don't, you could go to your nearest super market or off licence to do a mini shopping. But if you are planning a holiday with your family , you should have second thoughts about it. But its safer not to go anywhere.
May you back your reason up? There is no evidence it started there.
Many experts believe it began in the Wuhan province of China, and this appears to have now been widely accepted within the scientific community.
If I were to design an issue in the BNC, I would choose the topic Black Lives Matter. I think that this is a relevant topic because it includes racism, something that isn't new, but still happens all over the world.
The cause of Black Lives Matter in July 2013, was when a young teenage boy by the name of Trayvon Martin got shot when he was walking home, wearing his headphones and talking to a friend. He got into a fight and while he was fighting, he got killed. Black people had had enough. Another (and more recent) example is the death of George Floyd. George Floyd died after being arrested in Minneapolis, and held down by police officers, one of whom has his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck. He pleaded that he couldn’t breathe and begged for help. Protests broke out in cities across the US, and there are demonstrations in other parts of the world. One officer was charged with second-degree murder, and three others face charges of murder. His death sparked up the Black Lives Matter Movement to what it is today. As word of his tragic death spread all over the world, protests were being held despite Covid-19 warnings. But what Black Lives Matter (BLM) is, is an organized movement for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutally affecting, hurting and generally against African-American people. The organisation was founded by three African-American women.
The symbol for BLM is a Black fist on a white background. But, what does the clenched fist mean? A brief explanation would be that is symbolises defiance, liberation and was historically used in the struggle for civil rights in the 1960s
This is what would do a BNC issue about as it is a worldwide know topic and it is important for young people to know the impact of racism.
- intrepid_hurricane.
I don’t really agree with the Black lives matter theory I know that it is wrong. All lives matter not just black. I know many don’t agree with me and are to naive to understand the truth but even if your not on my side I just want to say is that everyone matters and are unique and special in their own way. We weren’t made to start tragedies but to make the world a better place life itself is a gift. Even though if you had many downs in your life it is still a gift that you shouldn’t just throw away.
Thanks for reading,
From loved_wildcat 🤗
Thanks for your comment, loved_wildcat. It's important to remember that by saying 'Black Lives Matter', people are not saying other lives don't matter - this is a common misunderstanding of the BLM movement. Instead, it is trying to bring attention to unequal and unfair treatment that black people are still facing.
Social Inequalities researcher at Cambridge University, Dr Ali Meghji, said the following:
“By saying Black Lives Matter, you are not saying that other lives don’t matter. However, you are bringing attention to the way that Black people across the world are denied certain human rights by virtue of being Black.”
You might want to take a read of this to learn more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52813673
Thanks! I’ll try to look at that site!
In my opinion, the topic that I would like to discuss is as following:
Humans and their positive and negative impact on Earth.
The reason that I would like to discuss this is that it is very important for us to realise what good and bad deeds that we have done that are disadvantageous towards our planet. For many years, we have taken these things for granted, but now we have to act – and fast. Many people are trashing, throwing their waste into the ocean, and contaminating our planet with those bad deed. We weren’t made to wipe out and demolish the existence of other animals. Or, in fact ourselves! We are being the cause of our own extinction, and some of us are still trying to turn a ‘blind eye’ towards this fact. The positive effects of humans on this planet are displayed on the next line:
• Most of us are helping nature to move forward, and being friendly towards it, and are starting to realise the impact of about all the problems leading to one, single thing – our actions. For example, the problem of climate change is because some of us are using petrol, or smoking, resulting in the pollution of the air, and the rising heat.
• We are producing and investing in electric cars, and many other ways to save on the impact onto the world.
• Everyone is forming some kind of way to undo the actions that we have done. Some countries, like France, who are doing the most they can to resolve these problems to create solutions.
The following are the negative impacts that we have passed on to the world at large:
• People throughout the world are ignoring the continuous signs of what we are doing. People are still at this very moment chucking cans of soda and crisp packets into land and water alike. This has caused many sea and terrain creatures to be suffocated by the ongoing of millions of billions of plastic, now lying at the bottom of the sea bed, to continue their process of around a whole 200 years of decomposing. There is literally an island of plastic and garbage, plastic washing up its bays as you read. this is known as Plastic Island or, in other terms, The Great Pacific garbage patch.
• Some of us are still influencing the continuation of things like petrol cars, but for what reason? Money. People want it so much that they would go at any cost to get their hands on it. This prolongation is also being influenced by some of the government, who get money from these sort of things.
• We are hunting our own partners, such as animals, and using them for our own food, or cooping them up and keeping them as a pet, even if they don’t want to. Dodos have been hunted down by our own kind, and now they are extinct. Some of us may regret this, but some are still hunting other species, and who knows next what will be on the list of extinct.
In conclusion, I think that we should discuss this topic more often, as it is a key signature part to understand. We all have a good and bad side, we just have to choose between them. We all know that we can return this world from its new ‘normal’, we just have to figure out how. We have a choice: help nature and watch as the world flourishes, or disregard it and watch as the world’s balance collapses in front of your very eyes.
Thank you for reading,
appreciative_hurricane.
This was very interesting to read, and I would definitely discuss animal extinction too. Who knows WHEN and IF the human race will be next? This is very important to learn about and I think this topic would educate young people and encourage them to be more eco-friendly. (:
This is wonderful after reading the whole thing bravo!
I think people should know about the BLM situation so the future generation is free of racism. I want people to understand to not judge people by their looks.
I believe this because people can be poor and dishevelled, but have a really kind heart so you should never judge people. Some people still don't understand just like the officer.
I've just done the survey and..
I would cover things about equality and how people are disrespecting people of different ethnicity and beliefs. People are being treated differently because they are black, and Asian people are made a mockery of because "they have the Coronavirus". It's unfair and I feel like people need to be taught about these inequalities at a young age, so they don't develop the same feelings. Even if you don't necessarily agree with me, I think most people would agree that disrespecting people is wrong. Whether they are black, disabled, part of the LGBTQ+ community, or Asian, nobody should be treated like that! I feel like this topic is key to be discussed because of how common it is these days. I'm happy that things like the BLM movement exist, but we can do even more by educating young people on this.
Signed, fierce_raccoon.
i have decided to write about black lives matter. lots of people are furious over the death of George Floyd which caused people to go out during this massive pandemic and protest for the colour of their skin with the quote BLACK LIVES MATTER. There has been people burning the flag of the united states of America which to me isn't fare on the people who fight for America for them just to see there home flag being burnt. I know all people want equal rights between black people and white people and it has to happen but with a massive pandemic going around i would advise for people to still follow social distancing or maybe even wear a mask. Remember BLACK LIVES MATTER.
thank you for reading,
thoughtful-king
The people burning the USA flag don't necessarily dislike the USA, but rather the people in the country that don't support BLM. It's a very serious thing, but I understand what you mean. American soldiers probably WOULD be upset about that, but the people that are protesting have a passion for protecting people of colour.
If I was running BNC I would include things like not being cruel to people with different races and skin tones. Because there is sometimes news about these things. Children should know it isn't right to be mean. Or people from the LGBTQ groups. We shouldn't judge and be prejudice to people just because of that. I think it is VERY IMPORTANT for children to know and understand this so they DO NOT make fun of or be mean to people like this in the future.
Thank you. This is my personal opinion.
Very good, we have the same idea. I think everyone should be treated the same, no matter their colour, sexuality, race and beliefs :)
My topic is BLM because it is something in the world right now that tons of people are talking about . I am not just saying that black lives matter all lives matter so i think that what people are doing all over the world is brave and amazing , even some celebrities are taking part for example , Ariana Grande , Halsey , Maddison Beer and many others . I know maybe not everyone supports this movement but it is something that everyone is talking about and i would want to post news that people all over the world know and want to hear about .
thank you for reading
tough_jambul
Hello,
If I were to design a BNC issue, it would be about the Arts again. I would write some interesting facts about the Arts and then tell other people to research their own favourite ten facts about the Arts, and to explain why they have chosen these. I would also tell them to before posting theirs, look at other people's entries, especially their reasons, because it is always beneficial to know what other people think and why. This lesson would be focussed on showing your reasoning, so the skill for this issue would be Reasoning, because you need to show your thoughts on as to why you found those ten facts most interesting.
Thank you for reading,
Brave_otter
People have been arrested because of holding a flag. This will sound funny but it’s true! A man was holding a flag that read”Hong Kong independence” same with his shirt! He got arrested with other people and might be in prison fo a life time. It’s as though they did something really bad like steal from a store! Tent got arrested for holding a banner! If they said a word, they’d be in prison! This is unbelievable!
I would discuss black lives matter and how protesting affects the way people respond to the movement. For example in the UK masses of people protested for BLM during quarantine, what started as a peaceful socially distanced protest became in places violent and they vandalized statues such as Winston Churchill’s which went against the lock down rules meaning the governments original positive outlook on the movement turned sour as they were risking the lives of others as seen in America where the Covid 19 death toll is rising rapidly. This has also been seen in other movements such as the current Hong Kong protests and Black Trans lives matter.
If I was to cover a past topic in Burnet News Club, I would choose the issue 'Politicians and Power'. Not only did I find this very fun and interesting, I know a lot about it.
I remember spending a long time creating a short presentation with my friends - unfortunately, it was not posted. On a positive note, I enjoyed sharing my ideas using the four Burnet News Club skills and spending time with people I care about.
I have lots of knowledge on this topic as I am related to a Former MP Candidate, whom I helped publicise in the past.
I would rate 'Politicians and Power' a five star if I could. Therefore, if I had the opportunity to cover this issue, I would be greatly honoured. In the future, I would like to do something similar to this.
(I completed the survey a couple of days ago)
Hello, (I have completed the survey) I would like to cover the topic "Wasting Land" because so much land is "Wasted" on houses, for an example land is getting sold and I feel it is a waste of beautiful space.
If I was in charge designing a BNC Issue it would be about school and about the different bubbles you are in.
I would do this because most schools are reopening and it would be a new normal for schools to be opening now as Covid-19 is happening now and the issue may be great for what's happening now.
(If I was to design a BNC Issue I would call it the new normal as probably after corona it would be a new normal for people and would new but normal.)
I think that we should talk about Mental Health because this is a big subject that we need to be aware of. I know there is a mental health week but not everyone takes part, or even knows about it. I have seen adverts on the TV and the news that have touched on the topic but it isn’t a subject that everyone is aware about. Everyone has a mental health issue but some people have it worse and they don’t always know how to talk about it or people don’t know how to talk to a person who has a mental health problem. Some people don’t know how to notice if someone has a mental health issue. No one should have to go through a mental health problem alone, it is better to talk about it but it’s not that easy. In order to help people speak up, or make people more aware of mental health issues, such topics should be spoken about in schools in order to be more normalised.
A very important topic, insightful_orca. We must be careful with our words around it - saying that "everyone has a mental health issue" may be a little confusing for some. Perhaps, we have our mental health to look after, just like we do our physical health, is a more accurate way of putting it!
In my opinion, I would cover racism. It is a bit like the Hong Kong crisis, but it is more like a global topic. I would choose this topic because it does more or less cover ALL of the topics we have gone over during time. For example, in the Arts, only 5 black people have been nominated for awards where all the rest are white. This is quite unjust because let's say there were two blue tubes of paint and one got put black in it, making it black. Are they still the same, or does the colour of it differ the relationship from them? It is the same with other races. Racism covers Hong Kong crisis as it is related to human rights. Additionally, due to the coronavirus outbreak, people of the Chinese race are having racism slingshotted at them due to the pandemic coming from their country. Another issue racism covers is the NHS. For example, 4 out of 5 people from NHS staff are white, whereas others are from a different ethnic group. Bear in mind, racism is one of the long-lasting crises ever. It lengthens back from 400 YEARS. Racism relates to Politicians and power because it has Donald Trump. The president who motivated the police to harm innocent black people who are fighting for their rights. Space exploration does cover racism because it is only rich families who get to go up to space. Most of them are from white heritage as most other ethnic groups are not given the right amount of justice. Therefore, racism is a very critic topic because it is something we all live with, something we need to fight off. In conclusion, I would cover this topic because it would bring out the voices of innocent lives who are undergoing this and it will open the minds of others, so we can learn about one of the many issues that are going on in our world.
Thank you for reading.
Memorable_orchard.
I would really like to see a dedicated Coronavirus issue. I have chosen this because the coronavirus has had a huge impact on everyone's lives. In addition to this, we could explore how we have been able to connect during these times and how it has changed us forever. Another reason why I think their should be a dedicated coronavirus issue is because the coronavirus has completely changed our awareness of hygiene and our ability to keep going when times are tough, it will have a long term impact. This is good for an issue because it's effects will not go immediately meaning that that BNC has time to plan. Finally, in the coronavirus issue, we can explore how it has effected people in different places and we can talk about our experiences, we could also debate how different countries responded to the virus.
In conclusion, I think the coronavirus would be a very good issue. This is because it has had an impact on almost everything and it gives us lots to talk about on the Hub.