My Report on the Derek Chauvin Sentence-
Updates and News...

Since May 2020, we have all been haunted by the video of George Floyds arrest which led to his death at the age of 48. The officer's name was Derek Chauvin and since the death of Floyd, he has been on trial. In April, it was stated that he could face a sentence from up to 40 years imprisonment, but, on the 25^th of June, it was stated that he would face a sentence off 22 years and 6 months.

But Floyds family and the world agree that this is not enough. Chauvin's sentence is the longest a former police officer has ever received, and we HAVE received justice, but not enough.

My thoughts-
The death of George Floyd was personally something my family and I shared anger for. None of us could understand why a police officer who’s job was to protect the people of his country, had endangered someone. After many days of checking the news for more information on the story, we realized how much of an impact this had made. Protests were happening all around America and in the UK for George and all those innocent people who had been killed or arrested because of the color of their skin.

Which is why I feel that the 22-year sentence is not justice. 22 years in prison doesn’t make up for the fact that Floyds child, siblings, parents and partner have lost a father, a brother, a son and a friend.

Thoughts on the sentence-
On a report 11 hours ago on BBC news, a video is shown, it shows Derek Chauvin, Derek’s mother and Philonise Floyd, George’s brother speaking at the sentence and about George and Derek. Chauvin states that he hopes information in the future will give them (Floyds family) some “some peace of mind”.

A clip is also shown of Floyds daughter, Gianna saying that she misses her father, and that she loves him.

Lastly, was Chauvin's mother who says that it was difficult for her to hear and read what people say about Derek, this included that he was a heartless and aggressive person.

Though these remarks seem hard to believe, why would someone kind and caring decide to ignore someone saying “I can’t breathe” countless times and end up being the cause of his death.

My question for Derek Chauvin-

• Did you hear Floyd saying he couldn’t breathe?
• Do you feel your sentence is enough?
• Who was George Floyd to you? (Do you feel horrible for what happened)
• If you were to speak to George Floyd, what would you say?
• If you went back in time to when you arrested him, would you have reacted differently?

My interview with an MRC pupil

• Is 22.5 years enough? Answer: No, he should be given the full 40
• Do you hope racism will improve? Answer: Yes!
• Do you like learning about black history? Answer: Yes, but I think we should learn more in history about it.

It hurts to see that all these years later, in 2021, we still see racism and discrimination. It hurts to see that people still think they can treat others with no respect because of race, gender, age, religion and sexuality. But, it is good to see that finally, police brutality is finally being taken seriously.

By M.G.

Students went out interviewing around the College

Behind a Smile!

Why it’s important to know about Mental Health

Mental Health can affect people in many ways, from stress to disorders, and it’s important you know that if you have problems that are affecting your daily life, that you can talk to so many people.

Anxiety and Stress-

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, like a worry or a fear, maybe you’ll feel anxious because you’ve forgotten your homework, or maybe because you are about to do something you’re most afraid of. But either way, worrying about too much and keeping it bottled up inside can really affect your health and how you sleep.

Stress is kind of like anxiety, except it’s the bodies reaction, not the minds. Its what happens when you feel threatened or under pressure and can cause panic and trouble focusing or maybe feeling confident.

Depression-

Depression includes changes of emotions and how you act, you may feel tearful, upset, agitated and all this leaves you feeling worthless, empty and hopeless.

Depression is seen as one of the most common reasons for suicide because it is an illness that affects your mental health. It is also seen as a mood disorder and can be one of the causes in ruined friendships and family problems.

Eating Disorders-

While eating disorders are usually seen as an illness that most commonly affects teenage girls, it can also affect anyone, irrespective of there age, gender or race.

An eating disorder is when you have an unhealthy attitude to yourself and food. It involves problems with how much you eat, and becoming obsessed with how you look and how much you weigh.

It is important to remember that how much you weigh and how you look should NOT affect how much you eat or how you treat yourself.

Insomnia-

Insomnia is when you have the inability to fall or stay asleep.  Lack of sleep can take effect your mood and how you feel. It is usually caused by stress, irregular sleep schedules, bad sleep habits, anxiety, depression, physical illness or pain.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)-

OCD is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has obsessions, thoughts and/or compulsions that the feel an urge to repeat. It can be triggered from excessive fears that lead the person to want to resolve it as soon as possible.

E.g.- She or He may have the sudden fear of catching germs from doing something so then feels the need to wash she/he’s hands, sometimes a certain amount of times.

Addiction-

Addiction is a complex condition which causes the brain to need something specific, example: An addiction to food, drinking etc.

By Millie