Category: Readers Articles of Interest

Up until this year, I primarily considered Welsh to be a nag from teachers, an unnecessary complaint to get me to listen. Of course, I always understood that there was an element of importance in my ability to speak Welsh. I’ve been learning Welsh words between English sentences from when I could first speak – but it wasn’t until I was about to embark on primary Welsh education that, at three, I began learning the language the way I would by the time I began school for real.

Of course, there were questions “Why do I have to learn this language? I get told off for speaking English! Isn’t that the language everyone speaks?” Over time the questions slowly stopped coming, and by age thirteen they stopped altogether. I began seeing the importance of the Welsh language and my pride in being able to speak it began to swell.

Yet, my GCSE years in the subject of Welsh were dire. To be honest, some of the things we did bored me, because they were either not in enough detail or because there was no discussion. It felt as though sometimes we were being taught things just as a way of passing an exam – and the work of Saunders Lewis (Blodeuwedd) went unnoticed, because there was no time to have a discussion on the matter. But because Welsh was a subject where the first language students had harder work, everything felt rushed, and eventually I stopped enjoying the subject.

We went on a trip to North Wales at the beginning of our second year of GCSEs with the Welsh department. At the time, it felt normal to be underwhelmed because that was just the way the rest of the previous year had been. We read and learned poems, but it never felt like we could delve into much more context than what we were given on the revision sheet. Looking back now, I would love to return to North Wales on the same trip, because my appreciation has greatly improved and I now understand the importance.

I’m not sure what possessed me to decide to study Welsh for A Level. As you can probably tell, my enjoyment in the subject at GCSE obviously hadn’t sparked a lot of enthusiasm. Yet within the first week of studying the subject it quickly became my favourite subject, and the best decision I would make this year.

As soon as I’d gotten used to the lessons, we began studying the poems. Similarly to GCSE, there are twelve poems on the A Level course. But by the time it came to the exam (the second half being grammar – a weakness of mine in Welsh) I enjoyed myself. You need context when you study any sort of poem for an exam (I’m also studying English Literature and Language – poems involved – and History) and unlike GCSE, the context used on these poems gave it a new light and thus it became more and more apparent that Welsh was a subject I valued. I’ve always enjoyed History, but this context felt more personal because for some poems, for instance ‘Gwenllian’ by Myrddin ap Dafydd, they speak of our Welsh past – a past forgotten mostly in South Wales and anglicised.

By studying Welsh in the way that I have done this year, it gives you so much more interest in your culture and makes you value being able to speak Welsh. I also studied the film ‘Hedd Wyn’ about the poet who’d died in the Passchendaele war (of which it recently commemorated 100 years) but had died before knowing he’d succeeded in his life-long dream of winning the Gadair at the National Eisteddfod. The film is available on YouTube for anyone who wishes to watch it (it has English subtitles). It shows the way Hedd Wyn’s work overcame the war, and is still just as beautiful even today; also, the film was nominated for a Foreign Language Oscar so… worth the watch.

My favourite part of this year was doing another of Saunders Lewis’ plays, Siwan. This time in such great detail. I had never realised how much our own Welsh history interested me until we studied the play. Surrounding the lives of Siwan (Princess of Wales) and her husband Llywelyn Fawr (the first of the Llywelyns and Prince of Wales) during the 1200s, in my everyday life I’d only vaguely remember studying such a period in Year 7. Yet, I knew so much and remembered things I never realised I even knew.

It’s weird, I know. For those who know me, you’d know that my Welsh GCSEs were riddled with complaints. But because of my decision to study it this year, it’s opened my eyes to so much more. This year I wrote my first Welsh language, full-length article for my coursework. And then I wrote a speech in Welsh for my coursework. And then I sent that speech to ‘Hacio’, and had it published. I Edited and produced two editions of my school’s newspaper this year, ‘Môr a Mynydd’.

And I’ve realised that if you have a passion for the language, no one will stop you from continuing to study it. Yes, I don’t believe that second-language Welsh speakers should be taught words like ‘popti-ping’ but you can’t change the whole world, right? I’ve realised that there are far more opportunities available for Welsh speakers getting involved in Journalism. It’s terribly hard to start out in Journalism, but if I do get the opportunity to study Welsh and Journalism at Cardiff University as I hope, by the time I move up the ranks, I’ll have more experience because there was more experience available to me.

If you teach Welsh effectively, you’ll get a good response. This year, we started our class with 5 members, but one person had moved from Biology to Welsh, having heard how good the course is. And so now, I’m doubtful that any of the six of us is willing to give up the subject next year – and even if we lose a member of the class, it’ll have been because there was no other choice. We’ve all enjoyed this year because of the passion and determination the teachers have. The interest they have in the subject sparks interest in their pupils because nothing is rushed. Thank you to them, I think above all else.

By Tirion Davies

What’s In The Headlines?

For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be like my brother. He is not older than me – in fact, he is a minute younger than I am. But because of his writing talent, and due to his impeccably hardworking nature, it always seemed as though he could do no wrong. His praise was (obviously, correctly) sung all over for his immense talent for creative writing. A talent it didn’t seem had also been passed on to his female counterpart. I tried my best, and yet it was ever more apparent every time I tried that I could not express such beauty and imagery through my words in quite the way he could always, and continues to be able to do. I thought I’d better move on to a different hobby and leave the writing to him – I tried everything; I was never exceptional at anything in the same way he was at conveying emotion through a story. That is, until I reached my final year of primary school and it seemed a door had opened to finally give me such opportunities as his natural talent had given my brother.

When you’re eleven, a shy child who doesn’t think they know enough about the world to question a teacher on such matters, you generally go unnoticed. Which – if you were anything like I was – was a great thing. I would get on with my dodgy story writing and hope I wasn’t laughed at for my ludicrous attempts at an enjoyable story.

I don’t remember how it came about, or how it was me who was chosen, but one day I was summoned into my teacher’s class, amongst a crowd of about seven others, and pitched an idea about the school newspaper. I hadn’t done much factual work, but what I can remember, this idea appealed to me. But then the strangest thing happened. I was recognised for once. For – believe it or not – my writing abilities, and was asked to be the sole Editor of the newspaper. Sgoop only ran for one edition, but it gave me a version of writing I somehow succeeded at. And by the time I’d made it to secondary school (after that same teacher had told my brother and I he wanted to be reading my brother’s tenth novel in front of the fire, with me reading the news on the television in the background) I had no idea for the first three years that eventually I’d be doing something like writing for the What’s On? and writing my first Welsh language article for Hacio.

Around Easter of 2016, I had launched my own blog. I read about Tavi Gevinson and the way she took the plunge and just wrote about anything and everything – it inspired me to do the same. I had gotten from being this shy girl who would never want to challenge the rules, to a (still quiet) girl who’d read enough to know she had an opinion. My blog was my first step to being where I am now.

As soon as I’d made my decision on my future career plan, it was go time. Once I’d finished my exams and I’d gone back to school, I was starting to work on a new project. Another school newspaper. But one that I this time, had so much more pride in. Because – although I had to make up an IT design (never really a strong point) – it was solely mine. Our next edition comes out at the end of term. If I didn’t think I would want this, I wouldn’t have put myself out to ask Hacio if they’d consider my work; I’ve never had enough self-confidence, and when I sent my article for the Welsh S4C-owned website, I had no hope that it would ever be published. Yet my first email back from the correspondent I’d been speaking to (after a few days, which felt like weeks, I might add) said that he’d liked the article and already uploaded it. A shock and a half for the person who continues to miss the mark on story-writing.

Journalism is a field which is probably stereotyped as being filled with cocky know-it-alls, and to be honest, I hope I don’t fit that mould. But I think it’s also about being different and having a talent for writing, and enjoying what you write. I’m not sure if you would call what I have talent, but I’m willing to work until it is.

I think I’ll probably always envy my brother. His work still continues to blow just about everyone away. But I think now, I have my own writing style. One which won’t be stepping on his toes (though, as he’s practically a genius at writing by this point, it might just be the one toe) and one which helps to define us even more defiantly as individuals.

I love my brother’s work. But I have stories of my own to write. And this time, I hope I’ve not missed the mark.

By Tirion Davies

When you’re barely 17 it’s like the world seems to pass by in a blink of an eye. What feels like a few weeks ago becomes a year in Sixth Form land – and what feels like a year is only a matter of eternally long weeks. GCSE to A-Level is one of the biggest jumps I’ve found. The work is pretty much the same – practically 16 exams worth of work at GCSE feels equivalent to three subjects’ worth of work at A Level. But do you want to know why it feels as though it’s the biggest jump? It’s not necessarily because of the work; you become accustomed to that with a month or two. It’s not the lessons – that what free lessons are for, additional revision times when it’s impossible to find time to finish everything at home, even if you spend around 5 hours a night revising or doing homework.

The biggest jump is that now, thanks to GCSEs, you have an expectation of yourself; at least now I do. If anything, I compare my GCSEs to everyone else and worry about doing even better at A Level. Because once you’ve received those A*s or As at GCSE – those Bs you get at A Level seem like underachieving somehow. But really, they’re essentially equivalent to maybe even an A* at GCSE.

Everything’s based on grades at A Level I’ve found. ‘I believe you’ll get an A at the end of the two years’… but what about the A*? It’s as if I feel I have even more to prove now. To prove that I’m better than those 3 Cs and 1 B at GCSE, because now I’m taking the two subjects I got an A* in, and one of the 5 I got an A in. Because, for some reason, I feel as though that’s always worth mentioning. Because everyone around me got a minimum of 4 A* it feels like, and I was just stuck with 2.

It’s all more competitive. It’s not so much about the course you’ll enjoy the most, but more about the one that’ll help you to receive those desired grades. To get to that Russell Group University. To get that job. To be the best. Sometimes it feels as though you have to be the best at your A Level course to be considered good at the subject – despite the fact you’ve managed to survive an entire year, mostly maintaining the same grade. Yet – somehow

unfortunately – your heart drops a little every time you see that B. Because it’s not just one letter higher in the alphabet.

You hear in teen films that you should ‘enjoy these moments; because these are the best years of your life’ – and yet, also some of the worst. I’m not saying they’re wrong; being my age I’ve had some of the best times – times that make me belly laugh thinking about them. It’s just, these are American films. Where, it’s unlikely (from my limited knowledge) that they have too many important exams in the same way Britain does.

But the one solace I’ll always take from this time in my life is the fact that almost everyone around you feels the same way. And so, as you walk in to take that first exam, you can be safe in the knowledge that almost seven other kids from your class feel exactly the same way that you do. I realise I’m not in my final year yet, so to some this panic could be slightly premature. But if you’ve made it this far through the year without dropping out of Sixth Form, be aware that maybe we’re stronger that we think?

By Tirion Davies

And so the looming anxiety of exams re-emerges with a vengeance. For those doing GCSEs, trust me on this – A Levels are not easier ‘because you’re only doing four subjects’. Four subjects, with just as much work as the sixteen or so I was taking last year. More ‘free time’ – actually, that goes to study periods. But I’ve learnt a few news skills over this past year alone:

Card games – at the beginning of Year 12, without what you consider to be ‘too much work’, you spend your free lessons playing cards. You’ll learn new games such as ‘speed’ and the old classic ‘go fish’ with re-appear. Learn these games early on – procrastination is hard to maintain when just about everyone is stressed in February

Take subjects you enjoy – I learnt (only through my partial failure at Science and Maths at GCSE) that I only really remember something if I enjoy it, my case in point being, I could tell you all about Mao Zedong’s reign of China or how Saunders Lewis’ ‘Blodeuwedd’ is still important today or how Sheila Birling could have been a Suffragette in ‘An Inspector Calls’ but ask me how carbon aging works or how to figure out Sin, Cos or Tan and you’ll earn a blank expression from me.

Contrary to popular belief, just because you don’t study the sciences, you’re not any less intelligent – I (somehow, by some miracle) made it into the Governments ‘Seren Network’ scheme, helping those who got certain grades at GCSEs earn a place at the highest-ranking universities. Funnily enough, despite you studying three Sciences and Further Maths, and myself studying English, History and Welsh, we’re both here. For different reasons. You can’t let someone assume that they’re better than you because of the subjects you excel at. Being able to explain human anatomy to impresses me – in the same way that my knowledge of American’s judicial system of the 1950s should impress you. You can still be of the same intelligence as someone and not study the same subjects because who knows, maybe the way you worried about your Maths exam was the same way they worried about their English exam.

Make an effort to speak up for yourself – I have a fear of speaking to people I don’t know, as if I somehow have to prepare what I say first, so that I don’t feel half as nervous stating things I’ve practiced. I continuously have this fear I may say something I’ll regret, so I tend to not say anything at all. Yet recently, I had the best week. Because I spoke to strangers without too much fear. I went to an event with my school (a Universities fair) and spoke to a representative of Cardiff University – alone -– and had an amazing conversation about the course I’m practically obsessed with by this point. The next day, another representative from Cardiff University came to my school to speak with us – on the very subject I’d love to study. And for once, I got the courage to stand up and introduce myself. And boy, did it pay off! I got some incredible advice, some sweet compliments on my current efforts to get to my end goal and a promise that I’d make a good impression that they would remember me. So, sometimes guys, talking to strangers actually works in your favour. It’s hard, I know trust me but try it,

because maybe it might help you.

I should probably go – I have A Levels to pass (hopefully, at least). Just one last thing: if you’re stressed that’s a good thing. Stupid, right? Nope – because stressing this much means that you actually care about doing well. Just know that you should never let anyone put too much pressure on you (and do NOT put too much on yourself), and just know that if you did the best you could and still end up disappointed, there’s nothing more you could have done, and it doesn’t make your grades any worse than anyone else’s. They did the best they could have done, too – you’re just better at some things than others, not everyone can be incredible at everything. Oh there’s the eighth (ninth?) point: you learn at A Level that literally no one is perfect – they’re all worried about the same things you’re worried about.

By Tirion Davies

Recently, it was International Women’s Day, which means we get to celebrate women. This day was originally ‘International Women’s Working Day’, a day used when it made its first appearance in 1909 in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies Garment’s Union. There was need for the women’s day because in Germany by 1914, women were finally given the right to vote.

International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate being a woman and to remember all those before us did so that we may be where we are today. Without those incredible women in history (lest we forget the Suffragettes) I wouldn’t be able to voice my opinions – nor be educated enough to do so. The first recorded celebration of the day in the UN was in the ‘International Women’s Year’ in 1975. Since then, it’s been held every year on March the 8th across the world in the countries where women’s right are as equal as possible to men’s.

To me the day means I get to learn more about the women who have shaped the world to become the way it is today. From women forgotten throughout history, to women who grace our screens day in and day out; those that make a different affect the teenage population of girls in sometimes the best way possible. A woman doesn’t have to be a ‘role model’ to normal standards to be inspiring. That’s what International Women’s Day means to me. Despite only really celebrating it these past two years (unfortunately I was unaware of it), this day means I get to be aware of the inspiring women who made it acceptable for me to express my views.

But the day isn’t only about the women in the media or in history. It’s about the women you don’t always consider – the mothers who make life. The women in your everyday whose names you remember – because you remember it for a reason.

I hope that more women look to Marie Curie or Katherine Johnson or Mae Jemison or Valentina Tereshkova or Rosalind Franklin for inspiration in the sciences. I hope that more women look to Sandra Bullock or Dorothy Dandridge or Katherine Bigelow or Frances Marion or Gina Rodriguez or Lucy Lui in film. For the aspiring Michelle Obamas and Theresa Mays. I hope that pop culture springs us more inspiring women. And I hope that they spring us more inspiring men too like Mahershala Ali.

International Women’s Day only confirms what I know. Being a woman has been tough but I’m thankful for those who have fought the battle for me, and can only hope that in my lifetime I can return the favour. I’m proud to be a woman, and hopefully International Women’s Day can make you proud, too.

Tirion Davies

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

Cinema – An Appreciation

Films are a form of escape – whether you have nothing to escape or everything, it’s a way for us all to stop thinking about our problems and become engrossed in a story. The cinema is a way for film makers to express themselves or make a statement – I suppose I relate to that as that’s essentially what I try to do myself with writing. You see stories being played out and you fall in love with characters – whether they’re real people or not – because if it’s played out properly, a character is someone relatable.

Last year, the Oscar managed to produce a number of incredible and intriguing films. Most notable for me were films such as ‘Room’ (which earned Brie Larson a well-deserved Academy Award, but failed to earn Jacob Tremblay any kind of award) and Spotlight (earning Best Picture at those same awards); my two personal favourites of the year. Room was so powerful and it’s hard to believe anyone could have been in such a situation; yet I was hooked from the first moment. It was fascinating and heart breaking, but made such a statement it was hard to ignore. Although the cast was small, each and every person held an important role; that’s an impressive feat that isn’t too often found in such Hollywood films of recent years.

Spotlight was a film that although I hadn’t ended up watching in 2016 (rather, in early 2017) I thought was so brilliant. Perhaps it’s my secret love for a powerful true story, or maybe it’s because the story depicts a bunch of journalist doing something good (as an aspiring journalist myself, I can argue they don’t often earn a friendly depiction). Stories like the one in Spotlight make it hard to believe I’d never heard of it before the film was made. It surprised me I suppose that such a story had the capacity to be created in film form; people aren’t always as happy to open their arms to a controversial topic.

This year, however the Oscars gain more diversity yet the incredible films continue! Recently I saw Hidden Figures and it shocked me and annoyed me that I had never been taught about these women (despite not being American, one of my History GCSE modules was on America between 1929 and 2000). The same could be argued for Hacksaw Ridge – clearly important people in America’s history forgotten for either the colour of their skin or for being a conscientious objector. History is a topic I’m so intrigued by so these films with such interesting contexts mean so much more to me I suppose (I can’t decide whether it’s weird that a big part of my favourite films include the context?).

La La Land came a surprise – a musical is never something I can walk away from and not remember the words for the next month – but it was just how good it was. A big gamble that managed to pay off. Lion is another I’d love to see honoured at this year’s award shows. Despite being so in love with the cinema, I don’t often cry; not too many stories touch me in such a way I guess. But this was different – so far all of the films of 2017 have had me on the brink of tears, yet Lion managed to push me over the edge to the point of only seeing a blurry screen through tear-filled eyes.

I’ll reiterate: the cinema is my escape. If you manage to make it into my room – unfortunately, I have a terrible lack of tidiness – you will see that I have almost a memorabilia wall. The wall is a pin-board filled to the brim with items I have accumulated over the years, including a bag from Bubba Gump and tickets to the Capital Building and Empire State building and even a booklet from the Smithsonian from my trip to America two years ago; numerous Taylor Swift polaroids; a couple of my numbers and certificates for various sports; a souvenir booklet from when I was in Les Misèrables; some Marvel cards and even tickets from trips to London. On a whole – these are (as the song says) ‘a few of my favourite things’. Yet, scattered amongst the memorabilia are cinema tickets, the tickets I’ve managed to save from being thrown away. Because these count as memories.

Films have been a part of my life since forever; the stories and characters manage to stay with me. I doubt that’ll change, but being in higher education it’s important to get the chance to escape every once in a while. In that case, I think I’ll stick with the cinema – a platform to express yourself is always incredible.

Tirion Davies