Exams, Football, Ramadan, and much more. It's been a busy week.
11th June 18
It has been a busy week, not only in College but in the news too. Not only have we had IFP, GCSE and A-level exams all week, we have also had the historic meeting between President Trump and Kin Jong-Un, Brexit votes in Parliament, the start of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, the Professor Stephen Hawking Memorial service at Westminster Abbey, Ramadan and the one year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster. The meeting between the two leaders (Trump and Kim) is a historic one and could possibly lay the path down for peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula. Negotiating peace is tough but if these two manage to do so, it could be the blueprint for other countries to follow suit; only time will tell.
Talking of peace, the Brexit issue is still causing havoc and it was interesting to see how the voting panned out on whether Parliament will get a bigger say on any final Brexit deal. The issue will no doubt continue to be controversial and drawn out; it would be interesting to gauge the students attitude towards Brexit after their exams. Russia had a big exam yesterday, as the World Cup kicked off in Moscow for a month of football and the opening game saw Russia comprehensively beat Saudi Arabia 5-0; do they have the potential to win the World Cup on home soil? If Trump and Kim can meet, then anything is possible!
Our very own Physics teacher, Leonard Lewell, is at the Professor Stephen Hawking Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon, we look forward to hearing all about it next week. I am sure it will be a poignant occasion but one which celebrates the eminent scientist’s extraordinary achievements. If there was one thing that Professor Hawking taught us, it was that nothing is impossible, we can all strive to do that, including the Russian football team. Last night I was in Ladbroke Grove where I had the privilege of watching the Silent Walk to commemorate those who died in the Grenfell Tower disaster a year ago. The silence was deafening as some 5000 people took to the streets bathed in green. The scenes were powerful and moving. The College too paid its respects as it took part in the nationwide 72 second silence in memory of those who lost their lives on the night of 14 June 2017. The terrible tragedy of the Grenfell Tower remains very real, raw and painful. Our thoughts are with those who perished, their loved ones left behind and all those who survived. The tragic and unprecedented fire will never be forgotten. Grenfell Tower should not become a symbol of pain and loss, but a beacon of hope where we learn to love one another whatever our differences of ethnicity, faith or backgrounds. I hope our world leaders take note.
I wish you all a pleasant weekend and Eid Mubarak.
Best wishes,
Irfan Latif
Principal
