The Purpose Issue

Articles from The Wall 2026

Does Purpose Create Happiness?
Society

Does Purpose Create Happiness?

...or, is it ok to go with the flow? Chloe Dent, S10, contemplates whether the pursuit of purpose truly leads to happiness, or whether the pressure to define meaning in life too early can become a source of stress rather than fulfilment.

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Chloe Dent

Senior 10

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Artwork by Miya Hunt

UVI

Your Word, Your Worth
Lifestyle

Your Word, Your Worth

Victoria Leiman, S9, examines how reputation functions as an invisible social currency in the digital age.

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Victoria Leiman

Senior 9

Naomi Annetts

Artwork by Naomi Annetts

Art Editor, 2026

What Is Your Purpose?
Lifestyle

What Is Your Purpose?

Alessia Fantuzzi, S8, explores what purpose means and how personal goals and social expectations shape who we become.

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Alessia Fantuzzi

Senior 8

Naomi Annetts

Artwork by Naomi Annetts

Art Editor, 2026

Can Robots Care?

Can Robots Care?

Science & Technology Editor Anastazja Duda, LVI, explores the rise of robot nurses and therapists.

Anastazja Duda

Anastazja Duda

Science & Technology Editor, 2026

WC

Artwork by William Croft

Senior 9

Concrete Plans: Architecture's Sustainable Future
Sustainability

Concrete Plans: Architecture's Sustainable Future

Sustainability Editor Bea Jovele, LVI, examines how sustainable construction methods could help reduce environmental damage and reshape the future of the built environment.

Beatrice Jovele

Beatrice Jovele

Sustainability Editor, 2026

Ruby Hellier

Photography by Ruby Hellier

Art Director, 2026

Purpose
Fiction

Purpose

Lucy Lopez, S8, reflects on the tension between parental expectations and personal ambition, exploring how uncertainty over purpose can shape identity, pressure, and self-discovery.

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Lucy Lopez

Senior 8

Phoebe Wenlock

Artwork by Phoebe Wenlock

Sport & Health Editor, 2026

Roots
Fiction

Roots

Maryam Mustafayeva, UVI, reflects on cycles of growth, decay, and consequence and the lingering effects of what we nurture and destroy.

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Maryam Mustafayeva

UVI

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Artwork by Emma Shapiro

Senior 9

In Tune Together
Creative Arts

In Tune Together

Ana Valgañon-Archanco, S10, explores how genres such as reggae, folk, blues, Latin, and country music have shaped cultural identity, community, and emotional expression across the world.".

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Ana Valgañon-Archanco

Senior 10

Beatrice Jovele

Artwork by Beatrice Jovele

Sustainability Editor, 2026

The Price of a Quick Fix
Sport & Health

The Price of a Quick Fix

The Medic Society studies the risky rise of trendy treatments such as Accutane, Ozempic and vitamin Drips.

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The Medic Society

LVI

Ele Del Zompo

Artwork by Ele Del Zompo

Art Editor, 2026

Velvet Blue
Fiction

Velvet Blue

Marianne Pagano, S10, explores a solitary man’s coastal ritual, where a daily swim with a crocodile toy becomes a quiet act of escape and reflection.

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Marianne Pagano

Senior 10

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Photography by Marianne Pagano

Senior 10

Byte-ing the Planet
Sustainability

Byte-ing the Planet

Olga Kostiuk, S10, takes a look at the environmental impact of artificial intelligence to ask "is it worth it?"

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Olga Kostiuk

Senior 10

Ruby Hellier

Photography by Ruby Hellier

Art Director, 2026