jcg gazette the locker

JULY 2013

Written and edited by JCG Students

Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The

The TeamEDITOR-IN-CHIEFCharlotte Terry

EDITORSRowan PilleyHannah GardenerCharlotte SmithSteff SpencerEmily Crichard

STAFF EDITORSMr MilnerMiss Douglas

CONTRIBUTORS Elise GallichanVictoria ChylinskaNikki HammonVirginia HalfordAlex EmmersonGrace BraveryJyothi NayarBethan KingKatie Brett Emily DoyleVicky YoungsEloise Smith

SPECIAL THANKSGeorge MaoSimon Lewis

twitter.com/jcg_live

Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Any

form of reproduction of this magazine,

in part or whole is strictly prohibited

without the written consent of the

publisher. While every effort is made to

achieve accuracy,

JCG cannot be held responsible

for any errors or omissions.

Notes from theEditor

The time has finally come for this

year’s latest edition of the Gazette

to be released and it’s bigger and

better than ever before! After much

consideration, we decided that our

new theme would be fashion, a

theme you can’t really go wrong with

in an all-girls-school! As usual, we

got creative and managed to come

up with many different (but equally

Gazette-worthy) articles linked to

fashion - from baking to the Queen

– but, rest assured, we have a few

other surprises in store for you which

you will soon have the pleasure of

reading.

Behind each article is a daunting

but rewarding series of stages: the

initial idea for the article, creative

briefing, writing the actual article,

proof reading, editing, proof reading

again and making sure it fits into the

magazine. In order for this process

to run smoothly, you have to have

a dedicated, hardworking team;

thankfully, this is exactly what we

had. This year’s Editors have been an

amazing group: Rowan Pilley,

Charlotte Smith, Emily Crichard,

Hannah Gardener and

Steff Spencer.

It has been easy to work with you girls

and your new ideas and enthusiasm

to make the Gazette better than ever

have been tremendous. One person

aI would like to thank in particular

for being brilliant beyond brilliant is

Steff Spencer. You took on every job

thrown at you and the Gazette would

not have survived without you and

your impeccable organisation skills, so

thank you Steff !

But Editors only exist to ‘edit’

articles and would have no job to

do without the girls who imagined,

wrote and illustrated their articles. So,

to everyone involved, I cannot even

begin to praise your fantastic use of

imagination enough; it baffles me and

I can only hope that our readers will

feel the same way.

Charlotte Terry

Editor-in-chief

THE EDITOR’S

1

StaffFrom

the

EditorsThis year’s spring term saw the inter-House debating teams tackle the question of whether or not school uniform should be abolished with eloquence and passion. However you feel about uniform, it is clear that what we wear matters a great deal to us. When it comes to clothes, the choices we make – and those we are not allowed to make – shape the ways in which we present ourselves to the world and, for better and for worse, the way in which others perceive and judge us. This is a roundabout way of saying that fashion is important. It has its trivial side of course, even its callously materialistic and exploitative side; however, it is also an important aspect of human creativity and self-expression. There is room for all of these different perspectives on fashion in this issue. So, whether you are a passionate opponent of wearing fur, a budding fashion designer or just someone who really hopes nobody else wears the same outfit as you to the next prom, we hope that you enjoy what follows.

Once again, we are happy to present the Gazette to you in an attractive (and highly portable!) electronic format. This issue has benefited from the expert attentions of AEA Design and we would like to record our gratitude for the hard work done by David and the team in transforming our words and images into this beautiful creation. Most excitingly, working with the AEA team allowed JCG girls to become involved in the real-life process of preparing creative briefs and liaising with a professional design team.

These opportunities – as well as opportunities to be creative with words and images and to take on a leadership role as part of the editorial team – will continue to be open to you as the Gazette enters the next phase of its evolution. This is the final issue of the Gazette in its current form. From next September, the annual College Magazine will shift its focus so as to be a themed publication, a publication about big ideas and, most importantly, a student-led and

student-authored publication. September’s Magazine will focus on theme of communication; if you want to get involved, please come and speak to Mr Milner: as ever, we will need writers, illustrators and photographers just to name a few.

Thank you to everyone who has read the Gazette over the last five issues – we hope that you will continue to read about what JCG girls are inspired by and feel passionate about in the College Magazine.

Mr Milner and Miss DouglasStaff Editors

twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The

StaffFrom

the

EditorsThis year’s spring term saw the inter-House debating teams tackle the question of whether or not school uniform should be abolished with eloquence and passion. However you feel about uniform, it is clear that what we wear matters a great deal to us. When it comes to clothes, the choices we make – and those we are not allowed to make – shape the ways in which we present ourselves to the world and, for better and for worse, the way in which others perceive and judge us. This is a roundabout way of saying that fashion is important. It has its trivial side of course, even its callously materialistic and exploitative side; however, it is also an important aspect of human creativity and self-expression. There is room for all of these different perspectives on fashion in this issue. So, whether you are a passionate opponent of wearing fur, a budding fashion designer or just someone who really hopes nobody else wears the same outfit as you to the next prom, we hope that you enjoy what follows.

Once again, we are happy to present the Gazette to you in an attractive (and highly portable!) electronic format. This issue has benefited from the expert attentions of AEA Design and we would like to record our gratitude for the hard work done by David and the team in transforming our words and images into this beautiful creation. Most excitingly, working with the AEA team allowed JCG girls to become involved in the real-life process of preparing creative briefs and liaising with a professional design team.

These opportunities – as well as opportunities to be creative with words and images and to take on a leadership role as part of the editorial team – will continue to be open to you as the Gazette enters the next phase of its evolution. This is the final issue of the Gazette in its current form. From next September, the annual College Magazine will shift its focus so as to be a themed publication, a publication about big ideas and, most importantly, a student-led and

student-authored publication. September’s Magazine will focus on theme of communication; if you want to get involved, please come and speak to Mr Milner: as ever, we will need writers, illustrators and photographers just to name a few.

Thank you to everyone who has read the Gazette over the last five issues – we hope that you will continue to read about what JCG girls are inspired by and feel passionate about in the College Magazine.

Mr Milner and Miss DouglasStaff Editors

2

THE EDITOR’S


What’s Inside

P7Our reporters delve into the school archives and unearth a brief history of JCG fashion through time.

The

JCG Girl

THE EDITORS

Letter from the Editor..............1

Letter from the Staff Editors...2

FASHION

Fashion Ethics..........................5

Royal Fashion...........................6

The JCG Girl...........................7

Fashion vs Individuality............9

Behind the Seams..................11

Stereotypical Fashion.............13

INTERVIEWS

Principal’s Question Time....15

Mr Mao..................................17

An Englishman Abroad.........19

TITLE

World News....................................21

Cyber-Bullying..............................23

REVIEWS

We Need to Talk about Kevin........25

Local Jerrias Band, ‘Badlabecques’..26

The Debate.....................................27

TITLE

Creative Writing.............................29

Dark Poem.....................................30

Rowan’s Rant.................................31

Highlights

P6Royal Fashion

P11

Behind the Seams...Discussion on Sweatshops

P21

World News: Top stories

of 2012

P26

Music Review: Local Jerrias Band: Badlabecques,

CONTENTS

3

FASHION


Normally, when we talk about ‘the cut’ in fashion we are not referring to the cut of meat. However, in 2010 eccentric pop star Lady Gaga made her appearance in her internationally infamous meat dress. Made of raw beef and designed by Franc Fernandez, many were equally repulsed and enthralled by this bold fashion statement. A question arose from such outrageous style: is it ethical to manipulate animals in order to look good or even to convey a message?

Gaga was accused of ‘butchery’ by publicizing the almost grotesque creation and by advertising the slaughter of innocent animals and implying that it is ethical to use animals not only for food but to enhance and fulfill a modern obsession with beauty. This is not only relevant to such bold statements but also resonates with the use of animal testing in common beauty brands such as Maybelline [See PETA’s animal testing lists: http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/search.aspx?Testing=1&PageIndex=8 (retrieved 6 Jan 2013)].

Some people defended her outfit with the argument that it is art - with no underlying ethical issues - and that freedom to express yourself through fashion is essential to maintain the culture which we live it without creating a uniform society - both literally and figuratively.

The star, however, disagreed with her supporters by suggesting that she was

emphasizing the need to stand up for rights: “We are going to have as many rights as the meat on our bones”. More specifically, she was protesting against the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy and the US governmental restrictions on gay and lesbian soldiers at the time at which President Obama ended during his first term in office. The issue of gay rights could be said to be even more relevant to America in the lead up to the presidential election in which Mitt Romney (the opposing candidate) holds a strong position against gay marriage. Gaga stressed that, “Dead meat is dead meat. And anyone that’s willing to take their life and die for their country is the same. You’re not gay and dead, straight and dead. You are dead.”

It could suggest the state of modern society that people have to resort to wearing dead animal flesh in order to make a political statement. Despite the right to free speech and the endless structures in place for the public to contribute to politics, has this overcomplicated the way in which we convey our messages? It is a case of who can shout the loudest to make their opinion heard and so it could be seen as necessary to resort to such drastic measures.

The Vegetarian Society argued that, “No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal. Enough animals die for food and they should not be killed for stunts like this.” It has

also been suggested it is only due to the now automatic separation of meat from the cute and fluffy animals it is torn from, that most of us are not disgusted by covering our own flesh with that of other animals.

Although Gaga’s idea was perceived by many as ‘original’, this was not the first meat dress. The artist and extreme feminist Linda Sterling wore a meat dress in 1982 to protest against the objectification of women by men. It was created from discarded strips of chicken and was one of many radical statements supporting the feminist movement. More recently, in 2008, America’s Next Top Model ran a meat fashion shoot and the internet is full of various butchered garments.

However complacent with any form of fashion we as a society become, it should not prevent us questioning the ethical issues surrounding clothes and whether it is ethical to manipulate animalsfor our own purpose.

Article written by Rowan Pilley

fashionETHICS

FASHION

5


Normally, when we talk about ‘the cut’ in fashion we are not referring to the cut of meat. However, in 2010 eccentric pop star Lady Gaga made her appearance in her internationally infamous meat dress. Made of raw beef and designed by Franc Fernandez, many were equally repulsed and enthralled by this bold fashion statement. A question arose from such outrageous style: is it ethical to manipulate animals in order to look good or even to convey a message?

Gaga was accused of ‘butchery’ by publicizing the almost grotesque creation and by advertising the slaughter of innocent animals and implying that it is ethical to use animals not only for food but to enhance and fulfill a modern obsession with beauty. This is not only relevant to such bold statements but also resonates with the use of animal testing in common beauty brands such as Maybelline [See PETA’s animal testing lists: http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/search.aspx?Testing=1&PageIndex=8 (retrieved 6 Jan 2013)].

Some people defended her outfit with the argument that it is art - with no underlying ethical issues - and that freedom to express yourself through fashion is essential to maintain the culture which we live it without creating a uniform society - both literally and figuratively.

The star, however, disagreed with her supporters by suggesting that she was

emphasizing the need to stand up for rights: “We are going to have as many rights as the meat on our bones”. More specifically, she was protesting against the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy and the US governmental restrictions on gay and lesbian soldiers at the time at which President Obama ended during his first term in office. The issue of gay rights could be said to be even more relevant to America in the lead up to the presidential election in which Mitt Romney (the opposing candidate) holds a strong position against gay marriage. Gaga stressed that, “Dead meat is dead meat. And anyone that’s willing to take their life and die for their country is the same. You’re not gay and dead, straight and dead. You are dead.”

It could suggest the state of modern society that people have to resort to wearing dead animal flesh in order to make a political statement. Despite the right to free speech and the endless structures in place for the public to contribute to politics, has this overcomplicated the way in which we convey our messages? It is a case of who can shout the loudest to make their opinion heard and so it could be seen as necessary to resort to such drastic measures.

The Vegetarian Society argued that, “No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal. Enough animals die for food and they should not be killed for stunts like this.” It has

also been suggested it is only due to the now automatic separation of meat from the cute and fluffy animals it is torn from, that most of us are not disgusted by covering our own flesh with that of other animals.

Although Gaga’s idea was perceived by many as ‘original’, this was not the first meat dress. The artist and extreme feminist Linda Sterling wore a meat dress in 1982 to protest against the objectification of women by men. It was created from discarded strips of chicken and was one of many radical statements supporting the feminist movement. More recently, in 2008, America’s Next Top Model ran a meat fashion shoot and the internet is full of various butchered garments.

However complacent with any form of fashion we as a society become, it should not prevent us questioning the ethical issues surrounding clothes and whether it is ethical to manipulate animalsfor our own purpose.


fashionETHICS

Current and HistoricalWhat do the Royals wear? From calm and casual to posh and elegant, we all want to know the details!

Article written by Virginia Halford and Nikki Hamon

ROYALFASHION

Prince William and Kate’s Royal Wedding

Sarah Burton - a famous fashion designer - was chosen to create the most unbelievable wedding dress for Kate Middleton. After six months, the dress was made with ivory lace, long sleeves and satin for the gown. Burton says she “enjoyed every moment” of creating the dress for Miss. Middleton.

Individual flowers had been hand cut from lace and hand engineered onto the ivory

silk tulle to create a unique and organic design. French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Irish Carrickmacross needlework tradition. The veil was made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers and held in place with a tiara which the Queen lent the bride.

The earrings were diamond-set stylized oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. Inspiration for the design comes from the Middleton family’s new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves.

The Queen’s Fashion

A ngela Kelly is Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to The Queen. Her role includes designing dresss for The Queen, which she has done since 2002. Angela and her team try and use both new and old fabrics when designing. Some of the material they incorporate has been given to Her Majesty many years ago, some dates to before the coronation.

Stewart Parvin, the youngest of Her Majesty’s designers, trained at the Edinburgh College for Art. He also began to design for The Queen in 2000. The Queen has stayed in fashion all these years thanks to her designers (including Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin) and the design team.

Top 10 hats of the Royal Wedding:

1: The toilet seat hat - Princess Beatrix

2: The blue feathered bowl cut - Queen Margrethe of Denmark

3: The purple flower helmet - Princess Anne

4: The yellow top hat - The Queen

5: The black boat hat - Zara Philips

6: The black blood cell - Victoria Beckman

7: The pink mesh hat - Princess Letizia

8: The upturned white hat - Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall

9: The white bow hat - Carole Middleton

10: The Plain Pink hat - Crown princess Victoria of Sweden

6

FASHION


The

Everyone has their own opinion on

the uniform: old summer dresses

or new ones? Black socks or grey?

Controversial? I think so. Not to forget

the poor Year 7s, who come to school

on non-uniform day, dressed smartly

in their usual attire - I think it’s safe

to say JCG is very much affected by

our uniforms. As I have just escaped

the much loved uniform, I think I can

now have a clear perspective; it was

never as bad as I thought at the time!

Now, with the pressure to not confuse

burgundy and red, and remember

that cream is NOT the same as white,

I have come to see that all you lot

wearing uniform have it easy!

In preparation for this article, I went

to the JCG archives; yes these

do exist as Hogwarts-esque as it

sounds. In the huge cupboard on the

second floor of Roberts, we dug out

some boxes of old girls uniform, not

to mention some Greek and Latin

textbooks and many, many photos.

The uniform we found included

some hilarious ‘Gym Rompers’, for

romping in the gym in case you were

wondering; old prefect girdles(?!);

and many badges for various

achievements. It was crazy to see

how much things had changed. The

old summer dress went far below the

knee and - compared to the lengths of

our skirts now - was ridiculous!

Past, Present and Future

Article written by Emily Crichard

Girl

1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900

The Jersey Ladies’ College, as the school was first called,

opened on 20.09.1880

1928 the College was taken over by the Church of

England Schools’ Trust

L ove it or hate it, the JCG niform is a major part of life at College. Rolled-up skirts are

a common talking point for the lower school, whilst, “GET THAT PIECE OF METAL OUT OF YOUR FACE!” is a common sound in the Sixth Form Centre (referring to nose

studs by the way, Sixth Formers don’t actually walk around with metal in their face).

7

FASHION


1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

In 1935 the College, changed its name to

Jersey College for Girls

1999 JCG moved to its present site on

Mont Millais

We looked through the photos and

found some dating back all the way

to the early 1800s: the best ones

are shown here. The uniform of

JCG has undoubtedly changed a lot

since it was introduced. Some of

the highlights must be the what the

Sixth Form wore in the 60’s - think

floor length skirts with tie dye t-shirts

and blazers with the typical massive

shoulder pads - and the old hockey

and netball kits: up until the early

1900s, the girls had to wear long

skirts, blouses and tights to play in!

Again, we complain but now it really

isn’t so bad!

So in conclusion, no matter how

many times your skirt is rolled up, or

you wear black socks with a summer

dress, remember that being in a

uniform always makes students a part

of JCG and its history, creating some

link between us and the girls who

wore it back in the 1850s. Or if you’d

rather, just be glad they got rid of

boaters and berets before we started!

8


Article written by Grace Bravery

Over time, I have come to the

conclusion that fashion is a con.

Fashion doesn’t mean anything - isn’t

real - not only in terms of shopping on

the high street, or keeping up to date

with current culture, films, books, TV,

the latest technological fad, baking

craze or sporting phenomenon. Fashion

and individuality are two mutually

contradictory terms. Why? One cannot

be fashionable and be an individual.

How come? One cannot be both

different and the same as everyone

else. Moreover, individuality has nothing

to do with any sub-culture of fashion!

Identity and individuality are

synonymous; the former refers

to the ‘essence’ of a person, the

latter is a descriptor for their role

in relation to society. Identity is

formed on the basis of our sense

of self. Individuality is threatened

by conformity, stereotype and

gender discrimination, all of

which are categories sheltering

under the umbrella-term: fashion. In my opinion, individuality is important

from the beginning – when we are born.

The question is: when does fashion

become the ruling dictator of our lives? I

can relate an anecdote about my cousin

and I when we were six years old, on

a family ski-holiday in a French resort.

One day, I was bought a singing marmot

from a toy shop that nodded its head

along to the Beatles’ song, ‘Lemon Tree’

on a loop. Naturally, my cousin saw

the marmot and wanted the same. The

crux of the matter was that I wouldn’t

let her and she was given a teddy in

a dress that sang ‘Frère Jacques’ and

she cried. This is an example of typical,

childish, different-for-the-sake-of-being-

different behaviour. However, I think it

demonstrates the concern that most

When I’m in town, whether in

Jersey, or a city in England, France

or abroad, I am aware of a two-

way observation: I am looking at

others and they see me. In

Feminist thinking, there is the

concept of the ‘gaze’ which

relates to the objectification of

women under public scrutiny.

A woman wearing high heels

struts down King Street and

feels the ‘gaze’ upon her, like

a model on a catwalk. One

self-conscious woman next to

another, comparing appearances

and judging in terms of size,

shape, dress, apparent wealth,

expression... There are many

external factors to take into

account. The question is, for any

man or woman, young or old, can

we presume to gain any insight

into the character of an individual

based upon exterior-evaluation?

of us have from an early age to assert

our individuality on a superficial level.

Mostly, sibling or peer rivalry triggers

pettiness, such as ‘she likes tuna and

I like ham’, simply sounding like a Dr

Zeus character. However, the first years

of our development are also the most

important as we form our sense of

identity. Psychologists say that a child’s

awareness of gender-identity is formed

partly through the selection of toys,

based on society’s perception of

masculine and feminine, say Power

Rangers versus Betty Spaghetti.

Choosing “gender-appropriate” toys

is supposedly a sign that a child is

successfully categorising them selves,

even before the child tends to opt for

same sex peer groups. Considering my

experience with the singing marmot,

I would probably say I had a more

“androgynous” taste in toys when I was

six, though I probably owned a hundred

Barbies as well.

9

Returning to Fashion, it strikes me that society imposes strict guidelines on our material choices. If you compare toys to clothes, music genres, or hairstyles, is it not true that we are judged for the correctness of our preference? Supposedly, such choices indicate whether our sense of identity is well established. The questions (they keep coming) arise: What is feminine or masculine? What is cool? What is polite?

I may sound anti-Fashion. I

hate the way society restricts

individuality and brain-washes

the population. But doesn’t

everyone is this generation

remember the past trends and

phases of a shared childhood? In

culture, Harry Potter, impossible

to avoid spoilers; Twilight, Cullen

vs. Jacob; The Simpsons, ‘d’oh!’;

Furbies; Barbies and - save us

from them - Bratz!

In my view, whilst fashion makes

us feel comfortable, trends pose

a problem for individuality. We

live in a capitalist society where

mass-production is the basis of

our economy; we’re all drawn

in by adverts and the need to

fund our materialist lifestyles.

Consumerism and Ideology are

the Marxist arch-enemies, in

other words, Vogue magazine

and Sky TV!

Fashion feeds upon consumerism.

Fashion lies. Fashion promotes an

image of ‘you’ being the best you

can be, standing out from the crowd,

getting the thumbs-up. Remember, if

you want to be different, you have to be

the first. Once, there was an individual

that started the ‘punk’ movement, then

suddenly, everyone started wearing

facial piercing and paper clips to repair

their recently-new ripped shirt. Perhaps

the first true Goth did have a penchant

for black and liked hanging around

graveyards. Punks, Goths, Emos, Elvis

Presley impersonators – they’re different

but all the same. As my eccentric,

wacky-thinking yoga teacher once said

to me, ‘People are always trying to be

something they’re not. You see that

seagull, there? That seagull isn’t

trying to be anything, it just does

what it does, is what it is.’

Identity, if there is such a thing, has nothing to do with what we think. Individuality cannot be expressed via fashion. Why do we walk through town wearing highly clashing prints when every teenage girl is now back-combing her hair and looking just as though she rolled out of bed, like, ten minutes ago? Perhaps we should give up the chase of fashion, or stop reading glossy magazines, as you are doing now. One individual has to start the new unfashionable trend. Will you?

FASHION


Article written by Grace Bravery

Over time, I have come to the

conclusion that fashion is a con.

Fashion doesn’t mean anything - isn’t

real - not only in terms of shopping on

the high street, or keeping up to date

with current culture, films, books, TV,

the latest technological fad, baking

craze or sporting phenomenon. Fashion

and individuality are two mutually

contradictory terms. Why? One cannot

be fashionable and be an individual.

How come? One cannot be both

different and the same as everyone

else. Moreover, individuality has nothing

to do with any sub-culture of fashion!

Identity and individuality are

synonymous; the former refers

to the ‘essence’ of a person, the

latter is a descriptor for their role

in relation to society. Identity is

formed on the basis of our sense

of self. Individuality is threatened

by conformity, stereotype and

gender discrimination, all of

which are categories sheltering

under the umbrella-term: fashion. In my opinion, individuality is important

from the beginning – when we are born.

The question is: when does fashion

become the ruling dictator of our lives? I

can relate an anecdote about my cousin

and I when we were six years old, on

a family ski-holiday in a French resort.

One day, I was bought a singing marmot

from a toy shop that nodded its head

along to the Beatles’ song, ‘Lemon Tree’

on a loop. Naturally, my cousin saw

the marmot and wanted the same. The

crux of the matter was that I wouldn’t

let her and she was given a teddy in

a dress that sang ‘Frère Jacques’ and

she cried. This is an example of typical,

childish, different-for-the-sake-of-being-

different behaviour. However, I think it

demonstrates the concern that most

When I’m in town, whether in

Jersey, or a city in England, France

or abroad, I am aware of a two-

way observation: I am looking at

others and they see me. In

Feminist thinking, there is the

concept of the ‘gaze’ which

relates to the objectification of

women under public scrutiny.

A woman wearing high heels

struts down King Street and

feels the ‘gaze’ upon her, like

a model on a catwalk. One

self-conscious woman next to

another, comparing appearances

and judging in terms of size,

shape, dress, apparent wealth,

expression... There are many

external factors to take into

account. The question is, for any

man or woman, young or old, can

we presume to gain any insight

into the character of an individual

based upon exterior-evaluation?

of us have from an early age to assert

our individuality on a superficial level.

Mostly, sibling or peer rivalry triggers

pettiness, such as ‘she likes tuna and

I like ham’, simply sounding like a Dr

Zeus character. However, the first years

of our development are also the most

important as we form our sense of

identity. Psychologists say that a child’s

awareness of gender-identity is formed

partly through the selection of toys,

based on society’s perception of

masculine and feminine, say Power

Rangers versus Betty Spaghetti.

Choosing “gender-appropriate” toys

is supposedly a sign that a child is

successfully categorising them selves,

even before the child tends to opt for

same sex peer groups. Considering my

experience with the singing marmot,

I would probably say I had a more

“androgynous” taste in toys when I was

six, though I probably owned a hundred

Barbies as well.

Returning to Fashion, it strikes me that society imposes strict guidelines on our material choices. If you compare toys to clothes, music genres, or hairstyles, is it not true that we are judged for the correctness of our preference? Supposedly, such choices indicate whether our sense of identity is well established. The questions (they keep coming) arise: What is feminine or masculine? What is cool? What is polite?

I may sound anti-Fashion. I

hate the way society restricts

individuality and brain-washes

the population. But doesn’t

everyone is this generation

remember the past trends and

phases of a shared childhood? In

culture, Harry Potter, impossible

to avoid spoilers; Twilight, Cullen

vs. Jacob; The Simpsons, ‘d’oh!’;

Furbies; Barbies and - save us

from them - Bratz!

In my view, whilst fashion makes

us feel comfortable, trends pose

a problem for individuality. We

live in a capitalist society where

mass-production is the basis of

our economy; we’re all drawn

in by adverts and the need to

fund our materialist lifestyles.

Consumerism and Ideology are

the Marxist arch-enemies, in

other words, Vogue magazine

and Sky TV!

Fashion feeds upon consumerism.

Fashion lies. Fashion promotes an

image of ‘you’ being the best you

can be, standing out from the crowd,

getting the thumbs-up. Remember, if

you want to be different, you have to be

the first. Once, there was an individual

that started the ‘punk’ movement, then

suddenly, everyone started wearing

facial piercing and paper clips to repair

their recently-new ripped shirt. Perhaps

the first true Goth did have a penchant

for black and liked hanging around

graveyards. Punks, Goths, Emos, Elvis

Presley impersonators – they’re different

but all the same. As my eccentric,

wacky-thinking yoga teacher once said

to me, ‘People are always trying to be

something they’re not. You see that

seagull, there? That seagull isn’t

trying to be anything, it just does

what it does, is what it is.’

Identity, if there is such a thing, has nothing to do with what we think. Individuality cannot be expressed via fashion. Why do we walk through town wearing highly clashing prints when every teenage girl is now back-combing her hair and looking just as though she rolled out of bed, like, ten minutes ago? Perhaps we should give up the chase of fashion, or stop reading glossy magazines, as you are doing now. One individual has to start the new unfashionable trend. Will you?

10


Behind the seamsArticle written by Jyothi Nayar Year 7

behind the

seams

What are sWeat shops? Sweatshops are factories that employ

people of all ages to work for a very

small wage in awful conditions.

Children from the age of five are

employed to work making carpets,

clothes and shoes. Just think,

something you are wearing right now

could have been made by a child

younger than you and they may have

only been paid a very small amount.

Not many people actually know about

sweatshops and child labour and

they continue to buy from the places

that use children and poor families to

make the clothes and shoes that they

supply.

What goes on at a sWeatshop factory?

In most factories like this, the people

employed will get paid on a certain

day. How much money they receive

will be down to how much good

quality work they have produced. One

week, someone might gain a very

little amount and their family will have

very little to eat and, the next week,

they might make just enough to buy

a simple meal. Some mothers that

have no one to look after their small

children will have to bring them into

the factory. This is not good for the

children, as it will be hot and sweaty

in the factory with people crammed

together and bad-smelling fumes. If

the children are over five however, the

owner may start them working there

if they do not go to school; if they do,

they will be expected to spend all of

their spare time at the factory, helping

their parents.

Sweatshops are found in various

parts of Asia and - perhaps

surprisingly - in the USA as well.

Lots of clothes are made in India and

China; most of your clothes have

probably travelled over half way

around the world before they arrived

at the shop you bought them in.

What can you do?It is hard to know how you can

help with an issue like this; lots of

clothes companies would close

down if sweatshops were stopped

and lots of the people who work in

sweatshops wouldn’t have jobs: they

might become homeless. There is no

well-known charity that helps these

workers by giving them a roof over

their head and education for their

children. Therefore, these people

need others to raise awareness. The

charities that do support sweatshop

workers also need to create more

publicity. If more people knew about

this type of work, they would be more

likely to buy their clothes online,

where finding Fairtrade clothes is

much easier. Hopefully, in the near

future, sweatshop workers will be

working for Fairtrade companies and

the amount of child labour in sweat

shops will be

significantly

reduced.

11

Which companies should i Buy from?There are many Fairtrade companies that

not many people know about. People Tree is

a good Fairtrade company which has many

clothes that are very similar to ones you might

buy on the high street. If you are interested

making your life more Fairtrade, try visiting

their website to find out more.

If you are interested in learning more about

sweatshop workers and how their life might

be, then I recommend reading these books:

Spilled Water and Girl in translation

behind the

seams

FASHION


Which companies should i Buy from?There are many Fairtrade companies that

not many people know about. People Tree is

a good Fairtrade company which has many

clothes that are very similar to ones you might

buy on the high street. If you are interested

making your life more Fairtrade, try visiting

their website to find out more.

If you are interested in learning more about

sweatshop workers and how their life might

be, then I recommend reading these books:

Spilled Water and Girl in translation

behind the

seams

12


We can’t help it. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we all think of stereotypes; it’s in our nature. Whether it’s with certain activities that we take part in, or with what school we go to, we all think in stereotypes and are even apportioned them by other people. They’re not always a positive thing; sometimes times they can be used as a good inside joke but other times they can be damaging. Having said that, after watching a lot of American TV shows, it’s occurred to me that the Americans have an idea of what all British people act like. Usually we are pictured drinking a beloved cup of tea, while most likely watching the rain fall outside our windows and talking with Dick Van Dyke’s “Cockney” accent. Now, we know this is not all true - fair enough a cup of tea is a great relief from the constant down pour of rain - but it’s interesting to realise how the world sees us Britons. Therefore, I thought that I would see how we perceive other cultures.

So let’s take an imaginary trip just across the sea to France, the home of the language of love and the land where the Eiffel Tower proudly stands. Whenever I think of France, I can’t help but picture a man wearing a striped top, sporting a dodgy moustache while proudly cycling around a village from days yonder with a baguette in his bicycle’s wicker basket, a beret firmly on his head in place of a cycle helmet. I’m not entirely sure where I ever got this image from but for some reason this is firmly placed in my mind, along with the picture that all French people

sport garlic necklaces, as though they’re permanently trying to ward off vampires. Before I offend anyone, I know that this isn’t true (unless there is a tiny village of vampire slayers in the midst of the country side) and that the only difference between us British and the French is the language barrier. However, in spite of this, I’m pretty sure that I will still want to buy a souvenir beret when I visit Paris on the Rouen Trip.

The next stop on our trip of stereotypes is out in the Far East, in the land of new technology and a culture which we see as completely different from our own, Japan. I have never been to Japan - the closest I’ve ever been is having a wonder around Tokyo on Google Maps - and even though I know that Japan is a very forward Country and is a place where most of our modern technology comes from, I can’t help but think of an image of a gaggle of Geishas all tottering around on their ‘zori’ sandals with their hair in buns higher than Marge Simpson’s fro could ever achieve. Again, I know that the modern day Japanese person doesn’t dress like this, but I do have reason for my stereotype this time! Geishas are firmly set in the history of Japan, and there are still some Geisha schools in Japan who perform the traditional dances of the Geisha, even if it is just for the tourists who want to transport themselves into Ancient Japan.

For the final stop on our tour, let’s venture across the waters to the United States of America, to the

Southern States like Texas and Tennessee. The closest I’ve ever been to the Southern States is through watching the Hannah Montana Movie, so that’s why I think this stereotype is pretty true (but only if you count the Hannah Montana Movie as being factual). To help you see what I’m imagining, think Woody from Toy Story - to put it into simple terms, a cowboy; a lasso throwing, horse riding, stirrup-wearing cowboy. I have to admit that when I was younger, I loved (and still love) watching the Toy Story movies, and when number 2 came out and introduced the character of Jessie, that’s when I decided I wanted to be a cowgirl. That’s why, if I do ever take a trip to the Southern States, I’m hoping to be greeted by a pack of cowboys riding bareback waiting to whisk me away to a ranch and teach me how to be a true cowgirl. Seeing as the probability of that is extremely unlikely, I’ll settle for thinking that the entire population of Texans travel on horseback even for their weekly supermarket shop. But let me point out that I don’t want to be a cowgirl anymore, but only due to the upsetting fact that I discovered I’m allergic to horses!

So I hope you’ve enjoyed our little trip around the world, and that in the future you might venture to some of the countries to discover what the culture and the people are really like (and if you’d fancy taking me with you, I promise that I’ll share my toy Jessie with you, she yodels and everything!).

FASHIONWorldwide fashion stereotypes; focusing on England, France, Texas and Japan. Article written by Steff Spencer

STEREOTYPICAL

13

FASHION


INTERVIEWS


Mr Howarth answers your questions about JCG

QuestionPrincipal’s

You have an important day ahead, what tie do you wear?I try to ensure it has always got some JCG red in it. However, occasionally it doesn’t, and I always try to coordinate it with at least my shirt.

Is it red for ‘the power tie’?No, it’s not. It’s red for JCG, the predominant colour of our College. The head girl and deputy head girl two years ago gave me some cufflinks that say ‘Aspire’ and ‘Inquire’ – I’m very proud of the College so that’s why I wear these things.

What was the first record you ever bought?I think it was probably something by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. And it was a record!

If you were offered a 2 year exchange to China, would you take it?If my family were in agreement, I think it would be an amazing adventure. I often reflect on how Mr Lewis and his family are getting on and how much we are learning from having Mr Mao here. Our two cultures are so different, incredibly different, and it’s hard to understand how different. But it would be wonderful for my family to have that adventure together.

If you could speak fluently in any language, which would you choose?I cannot speak any other language apart from English and I feel incredibly ignorant, especially because of the place we live. I’d love to speak French or Italian because of the usefulness of where we are geographically. When we go on holiday, I’d love to feel semi competent. My father-in-law speaks fluent Mandarin and I do envy that ability to speak and write it. If I was 14 now, I think I’d be looking to learn Mandarin.

When you were 10, what did

you want to be?A vet. But I realised wasn’t cut out for blood. I

wanted to be this because of

my love of animals but I just didn’t have

the stomach to operate. After that I became fascinated with rocks and wondered whether I’d go into Geology but then it shifted to Architecture. Then it went to perhaps Academia, but it wasn’t until I was about 18 that I thought about teaching. But even then I wasn’t sure, it was just a direction. It is amazing where life leads you.

What are the best books you’ve ever read? Why?‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by Salinger JD. It’s a very powerful book when growing up, understanding and commenting on the adult world. The main character in the novel is called Holden and he talks about everyone being phoney and I often reflect

TimeArticle written by Hannah Gardener

15

INTERVIEWS


Mr Howarth answers your questions about JCG

QuestionPrincipal’s

You have an important day ahead, what tie do you wear?I try to ensure it has always got some JCG red in it. However, occasionally it doesn’t, and I always try to coordinate it with at least my shirt.

Is it red for ‘the power tie’?No, it’s not. It’s red for JCG, the predominant colour of our College. The head girl and deputy head girl two years ago gave me some cufflinks that say ‘Aspire’ and ‘Inquire’ – I’m very proud of the College so that’s why I wear these things.

What was the first record you ever bought?I think it was probably something by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. And it was a record!

If you were offered a 2 year exchange to China, would you take it?If my family were in agreement, I think it would be an amazing adventure. I often reflect on how Mr Lewis and his family are getting on and how much we are learning from having Mr Mao here. Our two cultures are so different, incredibly different, and it’s hard to understand how different. But it would be wonderful for my family to have that adventure together.

If you could speak fluently in any language, which would you choose?I cannot speak any other language apart from English and I feel incredibly ignorant, especially because of the place we live. I’d love to speak French or Italian because of the usefulness of where we are geographically. When we go on holiday, I’d love to feel semi competent. My father-in-law speaks fluent Mandarin and I do envy that ability to speak and write it. If I was 14 now, I think I’d be looking to learn Mandarin.

When you were 10, what did

you want to be?A vet. But I realised wasn’t cut out for blood. I

wanted to be this because of

my love of animals but I just didn’t have

the stomach to operate. After that I became fascinated with rocks and wondered whether I’d go into Geology but then it shifted to Architecture. Then it went to perhaps Academia, but it wasn’t until I was about 18 that I thought about teaching. But even then I wasn’t sure, it was just a direction. It is amazing where life leads you.

What are the best books you’ve ever read? Why?‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by Salinger JD. It’s a very powerful book when growing up, understanding and commenting on the adult world. The main character in the novel is called Holden and he talks about everyone being phoney and I often reflect

TimeArticle written by Hannah Gardener

on that; are people being true or are they being ‘phoney’? The second novel would be ‘The End of the Affair’ by Graham Green which is a stunningly beautiful novel. It’s set at the time of the second world war and captures the sense of loss and hope of that period. My third novel would be ‘The Satanic Verses’ by Salman Rushdie. When this novel was published, Rushdie encountered some strong criticism for his portrayal of Islam. Furthermore, a fatwa was placed upon him, putting his life at risk and he had to go into hiding. Yet the novel is beautifully written, technically brilliant with real inventiveness and imagination. I remember reading it and being aware of the power of what modern literature could do and the reactions it could illicit. The written word can be an incredibly forceful way of communicating.

Would you rather be face to face with a crocodile or great white shark?Neither. I doubt I’d ever find myself in either situation, I’m not very adventurous. Both would be equally terrifying. However, if I had to, I think probably the crocodile because I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the James Bond film ‘Live and Let Die’ when he jumps across the heads of the crocodiles – that’s what I could see myself doing.

Are you a dreamer or a realist?I’m probably a dreamer. I like to think we can always be better than we are. I do accept things when we can’t do it. But I am always looking for a better solution. We could always strive to be better, better today than we were yesterday and better still tomorrow.

Favourite place in the world you’ve ever been? Why?Sark. I love its beauty and peacefulness. It’s a great place to escape and get away from the noise of modern life. The landscape is breathtaking and the whole place is just so different from anywhere else.

You’re banished to a desert island. You’re only allowed to take one ‘item’ with you. What would it be?A photo of my family. If I could have that anyway, in my pocket, and take another item then it would be a piano. I remember my passion for playing when I was 15/16 and I’d like to go back to that time when I’d really lose myself and time would just disappear.

What is your favourite Christmas carol?‘Once in Royal David’s City’. I always get goose bumps at the Christmas carol service

when the soloist sings the first verse. Then the congregation joins in and the trumpets begin. Magical. It’s just a rousing and beautifully lyrical tune and, at that moment, I know it’s Christmas.

Favourite subject in secondary school?English. I had a very inspirational teacher, Mr Mann, and it’s always wonderful and a special privilege to have a teacher who inspires you to go beyond your learning to really love your subject. My degree was in English followed by a Masters degree. Mr Mann just had a wonderful way of speaking so naturally about texts and characters but also how literature enables us to question our own understanding of what being human is all about and about the meaning of our existence. Poetry and literature is all about trying to make sense of how and why we exist, how to use that gap between birth and death. I have seen this same kind of inspirational teaching here at JCG, the same quality that I received when I was at school.

16


Where did you live in China?

I was born in central China, then in 2004 I moved to the Midland Province for University education; then I worked there and studied there for 8 years and now, in 2012, I have moved to Jersey.

Are there any traditional items of clothing in China?

I think there were maybe 20 years ago but in the last 10 years, it’s getting more and more like the UK and American people. It’s fading out now: there are not many traditional clothes now.

Do you think that there’s much of a cultural difference between Jersey and China?

I think the most different thing is how people do things: their manners. For example, here, when a woman is walking, and you come through the door, a man will open the door for a woman. But in China, it’s not that important. Also, working as a teacher in China, I cannot drink water in the classroom because I don’t allow my students to eat their food or to drink things in the classroom, so I have to do the same way, to set a good example. But here, the students are also not allowed to eat or drink in the classroom but teachers can and are always with a cup in hand in the classroom.

Is Jersey similar to what you expected?

Yes, but it is the first time I have come here and the first time I have been abroad out of China.

Had you heard of Jersey before you knew you were coming here?

In the last months before I came to Jersey, I researched a lot about it but before that I knew nothing about Jersey.

Is it strange going from a massive country to a tiny island?

Yes. The traffic here…Ms Harley told me, “Oh, it’s so crowded everyday!” but if you go to China, it’s even worse. At midnight or 2 o’clock in the morning, the cars are packed in the road.

Where you lived in China, did you live near the sea or the beach?

No.

Do you like being near to sea now?

I like it very much.

Hopefully the summer will be very good for you next year then, but is there anything that you dislike about the island?

Dislike? I don’t think so.

Do you think Jersey is too small compared to China, or do you like the size?

Because I come from such a big country, I prefer it here. The people are very polite: very nice. When I am in Jersey, when I was watching the traffic the other day, I see that people are so polite: you go up and they let you go, every time, you go first. In China, it is car first, and then people; sometimes, you will wait to cross the road for maybe 5 minutes or 10 minutes, just waiting for the cars to cross and then you can go.

Have you noticed that ‘everyone know everyone’ in Jersey? What do you think of that?

I didn’t notice that.

In Jersey, we can go into town and bump into an acquaintance. Is it like that with people you see in town in China?

I will never see those people again; they are strangers, all strangers.

Now that you have been living in Jersey for a while, what are the main things that you like and dislike about the island?

The most impressive thing are the people here, they are really nice and I have found that they really like reading. You read a lot of books; all the teachers in the Maths office read a lot. The first day that I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I found that many people, when they are waiting, have a book in hand and are reading.

Is that not normal in China then?

In China, you can never see people reading a book - when they are waiting for a bus, never. I think that is because China is a developing country, whereas the UK is a developed country. In China, people are just like students; if they do other things, it doesn’t help to get a high score. For Chinese people, they don’t like reading because if you read too much it doesn’t help you to get a better life and to improve your life quality.

Life in China

Moving to Jersey

Interviewers: Steff Spencer and Emily Crichard

17

INTERVIEWS

Education in China and Jersey At the school you worked in in China, did the students wear a uniform?

Most of the schools don’t wear uniform; they do have uniform, but they’re just not required to wear it everyday, so they can wear it when the want to and also on special occasions. For example, when Government Officers visit the school, then all students wear their uniform. Also, as a teacher, I never wore uniform, whereas here I am required to wear a tie and be very formal but in China, nobody cares what you wear.

Do you think wearing uniform helps, or that it doesn’t really make a difference?

I don’t like uniform and also I don’t want my students to wear uniform as it’s uncomfortable: I prefer when you can wear anything.

Mr Lewis sent us an e-mail saying that for A-Levels, the students have to study Maths, English and one other subject; does this mean they don’t really get much choice about what to study?

That’s for A-Level: that’s not for a typical Chinese student. Mr Lewis is working in China to teach a group of Chinese students who will also take A-Level tests and will come to the UK for University. They have to learn A-Level but, if you don’t want to go to the UK for University education, then why take A-Levels?

What do you think the main differences are, in terms of how students are here and how students are in China?

I think the biggest difference is the students in China are very serious about their school. In China, the classroom test results mean everything. Nobody cares whether they are really good at Drama, computers, Art, Geography: it’s mainly Maths.

Do you think Chinese students are more focused on their studies?

I’m comparing the students here in the UK and the students in China who don’t want to come to the UK. The vast majority of Chinese students - 99% of them - choose a Chinese University and for those students, they care very much about their school study. Also, you can never see a student in town: never, because they have too much work to do - 12 hours per day and here only 5. Here it is 4 hours in the morning and 1 in the afternoon; in China, it is 4 hours in the morning, 4 hours in the afternoon, 3 or 4 hours in the evening and then they go to bed.

So, are there no after school activities?

No, it’s a waste of time. There is no PE class - maybe there is an hour or half an hour per week but for the Year 13 students, we call them ‘Gao Sang’ students, they don’t have PE classes: it’s only for the lower classes.

Sixth Form students here at JCG don’t have PE but up until then we have had 2 or 3 hours a week. We also have PSE, does that happen in China?

No, never because that doesn’t help to improve their scores, the main thing is getting the top scores in the classroom and to get to the top University in China.

We also have cooking and sewing lessons, to prepare us for when we are living at University or by ourselves, do these not happen in China?

No, it’s really academic all the time and if you do sewing or cooking, that is considered a waste of time. So if you’re really good at cooking or really good at sewing, we don’t care: that doesn’t help you to find a better job.

Do you think it’s harder and more competitive to get into University in China than it is in the UK?

Yes, because, in a typical Chinese classroom, we have 65 students, here only 20 - maybe at the most 24 or 25 is the biggest class. And only 20% or 10% of them will go to the top 50 or 100 Universities in China; the rest of them will go to the Universities that are maybe not so very good.

In China, are there universities with reputations equivalent to Oxford or Cambridge?

Yes, like Tsinghua University or Peking University, which is in Beijing. Those two are the top two.

Is there anything about the schools in China that you’d like to bring over to the classrooms at JCG?

I think that the students here need to practise more Maths. It seems that when they have a test, for example when I tell them, “You have a test next week,” they seem very happy and don’t seem very nervous; they are not panicked. I think that is the difference between the cultures: in China, if you are really good at Maths you will get to the top universities where you can do many other things. You can play, you can sing and you can dance, you will learn loads of things that you can not do before you successfully go to university.

So that’s everything, thank you so much for your time: it’s been great!


Where did you live in China?

I was born in central China, then in 2004 I moved to the Midland Province for University education; then I worked there and studied there for 8 years and now, in 2012, I have moved to Jersey.

Are there any traditional items of clothing in China?

I think there were maybe 20 years ago but in the last 10 years, it’s getting more and more like the UK and American people. It’s fading out now: there are not many traditional clothes now.

Do you think that there’s much of a cultural difference between Jersey and China?

I think the most different thing is how people do things: their manners. For example, here, when a woman is walking, and you come through the door, a man will open the door for a woman. But in China, it’s not that important. Also, working as a teacher in China, I cannot drink water in the classroom because I don’t allow my students to eat their food or to drink things in the classroom, so I have to do the same way, to set a good example. But here, the students are also not allowed to eat or drink in the classroom but teachers can and are always with a cup in hand in the classroom.

Is Jersey similar to what you expected?

Yes, but it is the first time I have come here and the first time I have been abroad out of China.

Had you heard of Jersey before you knew you were coming here?

In the last months before I came to Jersey, I researched a lot about it but before that I knew nothing about Jersey.

Is it strange going from a massive country to a tiny island?

Yes. The traffic here…Ms Harley told me, “Oh, it’s so crowded everyday!” but if you go to China, it’s even worse. At midnight or 2 o’clock in the morning, the cars are packed in the road.

Where you lived in China, did you live near the sea or the beach?

No.

Do you like being near to sea now?

I like it very much.

Hopefully the summer will be very good for you next year then, but is there anything that you dislike about the island?

Dislike? I don’t think so.

Do you think Jersey is too small compared to China, or do you like the size?

Because I come from such a big country, I prefer it here. The people are very polite: very nice. When I am in Jersey, when I was watching the traffic the other day, I see that people are so polite: you go up and they let you go, every time, you go first. In China, it is car first, and then people; sometimes, you will wait to cross the road for maybe 5 minutes or 10 minutes, just waiting for the cars to cross and then you can go.

Have you noticed that ‘everyone know everyone’ in Jersey? What do you think of that?

I didn’t notice that.

In Jersey, we can go into town and bump into an acquaintance. Is it like that with people you see in town in China?

I will never see those people again; they are strangers, all strangers.

Now that you have been living in Jersey for a while, what are the main things that you like and dislike about the island?

The most impressive thing are the people here, they are really nice and I have found that they really like reading. You read a lot of books; all the teachers in the Maths office read a lot. The first day that I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I found that many people, when they are waiting, have a book in hand and are reading.

Is that not normal in China then?

In China, you can never see people reading a book - when they are waiting for a bus, never. I think that is because China is a developing country, whereas the UK is a developed country. In China, people are just like students; if they do other things, it doesn’t help to get a high score. For Chinese people, they don’t like reading because if you read too much it doesn’t help you to get a better life and to improve your life quality.

Life in China

Moving to Jersey

Interviewers: Steff Spencer and Emily Crichard

Education in China and Jersey At the school you worked in in China, did the students wear a uniform?

Most of the schools don’t wear uniform; they do have uniform, but they’re just not required to wear it everyday, so they can wear it when the want to and also on special occasions. For example, when Government Officers visit the school, then all students wear their uniform. Also, as a teacher, I never wore uniform, whereas here I am required to wear a tie and be very formal but in China, nobody cares what you wear.

Do you think wearing uniform helps, or that it doesn’t really make a difference?

I don’t like uniform and also I don’t want my students to wear uniform as it’s uncomfortable: I prefer when you can wear anything.

Mr Lewis sent us an e-mail saying that for A-Levels, the students have to study Maths, English and one other subject; does this mean they don’t really get much choice about what to study?

That’s for A-Level: that’s not for a typical Chinese student. Mr Lewis is working in China to teach a group of Chinese students who will also take A-Level tests and will come to the UK for University. They have to learn A-Level but, if you don’t want to go to the UK for University education, then why take A-Levels?

What do you think the main differences are, in terms of how students are here and how students are in China?

I think the biggest difference is the students in China are very serious about their school. In China, the classroom test results mean everything. Nobody cares whether they are really good at Drama, computers, Art, Geography: it’s mainly Maths.

Do you think Chinese students are more focused on their studies?

I’m comparing the students here in the UK and the students in China who don’t want to come to the UK. The vast majority of Chinese students - 99% of them - choose a Chinese University and for those students, they care very much about their school study. Also, you can never see a student in town: never, because they have too much work to do - 12 hours per day and here only 5. Here it is 4 hours in the morning and 1 in the afternoon; in China, it is 4 hours in the morning, 4 hours in the afternoon, 3 or 4 hours in the evening and then they go to bed.

So, are there no after school activities?

No, it’s a waste of time. There is no PE class - maybe there is an hour or half an hour per week but for the Year 13 students, we call them ‘Gao Sang’ students, they don’t have PE classes: it’s only for the lower classes.

Sixth Form students here at JCG don’t have PE but up until then we have had 2 or 3 hours a week. We also have PSE, does that happen in China?

No, never because that doesn’t help to improve their scores, the main thing is getting the top scores in the classroom and to get to the top University in China.

We also have cooking and sewing lessons, to prepare us for when we are living at University or by ourselves, do these not happen in China?

No, it’s really academic all the time and if you do sewing or cooking, that is considered a waste of time. So if you’re really good at cooking or really good at sewing, we don’t care: that doesn’t help you to find a better job.

Do you think it’s harder and more competitive to get into University in China than it is in the UK?

Yes, because, in a typical Chinese classroom, we have 65 students, here only 20 - maybe at the most 24 or 25 is the biggest class. And only 20% or 10% of them will go to the top 50 or 100 Universities in China; the rest of them will go to the Universities that are maybe not so very good.

In China, are there universities with reputations equivalent to Oxford or Cambridge?

Yes, like Tsinghua University or Peking University, which is in Beijing. Those two are the top two.

Is there anything about the schools in China that you’d like to bring over to the classrooms at JCG?

I think that the students here need to practise more Maths. It seems that when they have a test, for example when I tell them, “You have a test next week,” they seem very happy and don’t seem very nervous; they are not panicked. I think that is the difference between the cultures: in China, if you are really good at Maths you will get to the top universities where you can do many other things. You can play, you can sing and you can dance, you will learn loads of things that you can not do before you successfully go to university.

So that’s everything, thank you so much for your time: it’s been great!

18


Back in September, Mr Lewis recorded his first impressions of living

and teaching in China. We know that everyone is missing Mr Lewis –

particularly his Mathematics students and the members of the Amnesty

International group - and we are happy to present you with this update:

We have been in China for about 5 weeks. It was very strange at first. No-one speaks English, and even

words like “taxi” and “metro” which you would think would be international are not. Even when we try to

speak Chinese and know the right word to use, it is often met by a blank expression. It is quite a feeling of

elation to say something and be understood although we are getting better now. Usually, I speak slowly at

first and then get louder and louder until someone within earshot gets the hang of what I am trying to say

before I completely lose patience. A typical Englishman abroad I’m afraid.

Chinese people have been, almost without exception, very welcoming and friendly; always cheerful and

polite and, of course, fascinated by Esther. She will think life is very strange when we return to Jersey and

no-one stops to photograph her or stroke her arm. Last weekend, we were walking through a village when

a man diverted a wedding photographer (who was busy photographing a bride-to-be) in order to take a

picture of his toddler son with Esther. It has to be said the children did not take to each other at all and did

not respond to the occasion with any grace.

The city of Suzhou is a mixture of very expensive areas - shopping malls with Gucci and Hermes shops -

and very high-density poorer areas. There are some fascinating markets and very pretty canal-side streets,

and, of course, lots of restaurants. People get around on electric scooters and the photos you occasionally

see of bikes or scooters loaded with the most improbable loads are fairly standard. One man was carrying

10m scaffolding poles on his scooter, which looked to be about as dangerous on the crowded roads as it is

possible to be.

School is great. I am sure that JCG students would really enjoy it. The lessons are actually very like those

at JCG. The days are quite long (students arrive around 7:30am for registration at 7:50am and often leave

between 5:00pm and 6:00pm). They get a cooked school lunch in the canteen for 80p but it is not very

nice so many of them get a takeaway delivered from a nearby restaurant. A large portion of dan chow fan

(egg fried rice) costs between 50p and £1. Most students are very hard working, as you would expect. All

students get to school on buses or on e-bikes - or very occasionally in a taxi. On Monday mornings, there is

a compulsory flag raising ceremony where all the local school children on our block (about 1000

students) stand in rows in front of the Chinese flag in our school as the national anthem is played

through speakers. There is always a short speech by a teacher but, as it is in Chinese, I cannot tell

you what they say. The students are used to calling their teacher by the first name - but this year

that has stopped. The biggest difference is that Sixth Form students only study English, Maths,

Physics, Chemistry and Economics. This is because these are the subjects

they do best in and also because Chinese students on the whole seem to

be ambitious for a well paid job. Still, this will change in years to come

because our GCSE students are now studying Drama, Art, Geography,

ICT, and Biology as well; hopefully, many will take these for A Level.

abroadEnglishmanAn

Letter from Mr Lewis

19

INTERVIEWS


Back in September, Mr Lewis recorded his first impressions of living

and teaching in China. We know that everyone is missing Mr Lewis –

particularly his Mathematics students and the members of the Amnesty

International group - and we are happy to present you with this update:

We have been in China for about 5 weeks. It was very strange at first. No-one speaks English, and even

words like “taxi” and “metro” which you would think would be international are not. Even when we try to

speak Chinese and know the right word to use, it is often met by a blank expression. It is quite a feeling of

elation to say something and be understood although we are getting better now. Usually, I speak slowly at

first and then get louder and louder until someone within earshot gets the hang of what I am trying to say

before I completely lose patience. A typical Englishman abroad I’m afraid.

Chinese people have been, almost without exception, very welcoming and friendly; always cheerful and

polite and, of course, fascinated by Esther. She will think life is very strange when we return to Jersey and

no-one stops to photograph her or stroke her arm. Last weekend, we were walking through a village when

a man diverted a wedding photographer (who was busy photographing a bride-to-be) in order to take a

picture of his toddler son with Esther. It has to be said the children did not take to each other at all and did

not respond to the occasion with any grace.

The city of Suzhou is a mixture of very expensive areas - shopping malls with Gucci and Hermes shops -

and very high-density poorer areas. There are some fascinating markets and very pretty canal-side streets,

and, of course, lots of restaurants. People get around on electric scooters and the photos you occasionally

see of bikes or scooters loaded with the most improbable loads are fairly standard. One man was carrying

10m scaffolding poles on his scooter, which looked to be about as dangerous on the crowded roads as it is

possible to be.

School is great. I am sure that JCG students would really enjoy it. The lessons are actually very like those

at JCG. The days are quite long (students arrive around 7:30am for registration at 7:50am and often leave

between 5:00pm and 6:00pm). They get a cooked school lunch in the canteen for 80p but it is not very

nice so many of them get a takeaway delivered from a nearby restaurant. A large portion of dan chow fan

(egg fried rice) costs between 50p and £1. Most students are very hard working, as you would expect. All

students get to school on buses or on e-bikes - or very occasionally in a taxi. On Monday mornings, there is

a compulsory flag raising ceremony where all the local school children on our block (about 1000

students) stand in rows in front of the Chinese flag in our school as the national anthem is played

through speakers. There is always a short speech by a teacher but, as it is in Chinese, I cannot tell

you what they say. The students are used to calling their teacher by the first name - but this year

that has stopped. The biggest difference is that Sixth Form students only study English, Maths,

Physics, Chemistry and Economics. This is because these are the subjects

they do best in and also because Chinese students on the whole seem to

be ambitious for a well paid job. Still, this will change in years to come

because our GCSE students are now studying Drama, Art, Geography,

ICT, and Biology as well; hopefully, many will take these for A Level.

abroadEnglishmanAn

Letter from Mr Lewis

CURRENT AFFAIRS


Batman Shooting - 20th July. At the midnight showing of

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in

Colorado, a man burst into the movie

theatre, armed with multiple guns, and

opened fire. The suspected culprit,

24-year-old James Holmes, killed 12

and injured 58 people that night. This

has highlighted issues around gun

licensing.

James Bond: Skyfall - 23rd October. The 23rd James

Bond was released, earning a record-

breaking $87.8 Million on opening

weekend in the US: the biggest Bond

ever! Figures show that Daniel Craig

is the highest ever paid Bond. It has

topped all opening weekends so far in

2012 – beating the much loved Marvel

Avengers and The Hunger Games.

2012Article written by Hannah Gardener

Hurricane Sandy - End of October. In the final days of

October, ‘the largest tropical storm

ever recorded in the Atlantic’ hit North

America hard. A rough estimation

of the damage caused is $10 billion,

costing double this to cover the cost of

rebuilding. However, these figures are

always underestimated.

Obama Wins Election Again - 6th November. Barack

Obama defeated Mitt Romney in the

battle to become President. Obama

begins his second term as the US

leader with 4 more years in Washington

DC. He made many promises calling on

both parties to work towards making

these wishes a reality.

21

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Children in Need 2012 - 16th November. Children

in Need raised a massive amount

of money, receiving £26,757,446

on the night – a record! There were

performances from Girls Aloud, One

Direction, Alan Sugar and many more.

Children in Need at JCG - 16th November. To celebrate

the great cause, BBC Radio Jersey’s

Kevin Pamplin broadcasted live from

JCG during an afternoon of many

exciting events and challenges. Of

course Pudsey bear himself made an

appearance and the whole school took

part in a group hug!

KONY 2012. In March the

Invisible Children campaign released

a video called ‘KONY 2012’ directed

by Jason Russell. The film was hit

that went viral all over the world

and the issues regarding Joseph

Kony and child soldiers were spread

internationally. On April 20th an event

called ‘Cover the Night’ took place.

However, the response to this was

very mixed due to the widespread

simplification of a very complex issue.

London Olympics 2012. In the summer of 2012, the whole

world was waiting for the Games to

begin. London took on the challenge

and made the 30th summer Olympics

a great success. With outstanding

performances from all the athletes,

Britain really made their mark. The US

came 1st, China 2nd and Great Britain

came in 3rd.

French Protest Against Gay Marriage -18th November. More than 100,000

protesters turned up in French Cities

to fight against same-sex marriage

and the right for gay people to adopt.

These protests were organised by

Catholic groups as the Government’s

plans are to legalise same sex

marriage mid-2013 in France.

British Monk Sets Himself on Fire In Protest - 15th November. British

Monk (38) born David Alain died

after setting himself on fire at a

Buddhist monastery in Southern

France. It is believed he was making a

‘political gesture’ against the Chinese

occupation of Tibet. Fire fighters were

unable to save his life after being

called to the scene.


Batman Shooting - 20th July. At the midnight showing of

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in

Colorado, a man burst into the movie

theatre, armed with multiple guns, and

opened fire. The suspected culprit,

24-year-old James Holmes, killed 12

and injured 58 people that night. This

has highlighted issues around gun

licensing.

James Bond: Skyfall - 23rd October. The 23rd James

Bond was released, earning a record-

breaking $87.8 Million on opening

weekend in the US: the biggest Bond

ever! Figures show that Daniel Craig

is the highest ever paid Bond. It has

topped all opening weekends so far in

2012 – beating the much loved Marvel

Avengers and The Hunger Games.

2012Article written by Hannah Gardener

Hurricane Sandy - End of October. In the final days of

October, ‘the largest tropical storm

ever recorded in the Atlantic’ hit North

America hard. A rough estimation

of the damage caused is $10 billion,

costing double this to cover the cost of

rebuilding. However, these figures are

always underestimated.

Obama Wins Election Again - 6th November. Barack

Obama defeated Mitt Romney in the

battle to become President. Obama

begins his second term as the US

leader with 4 more years in Washington

DC. He made many promises calling on

both parties to work towards making

these wishes a reality.

Children in Need 2012 - 16th November. Children

in Need raised a massive amount

of money, receiving £26,757,446

on the night – a record! There were

performances from Girls Aloud, One

Direction, Alan Sugar and many more.

Children in Need at JCG - 16th November. To celebrate

the great cause, BBC Radio Jersey’s

Kevin Pamplin broadcasted live from

JCG during an afternoon of many

exciting events and challenges. Of

course Pudsey bear himself made an

appearance and the whole school took

part in a group hug!

KONY 2012. In March the

Invisible Children campaign released

a video called ‘KONY 2012’ directed

by Jason Russell. The film was hit

that went viral all over the world

and the issues regarding Joseph

Kony and child soldiers were spread

internationally. On April 20th an event

called ‘Cover the Night’ took place.

However, the response to this was

very mixed due to the widespread

simplification of a very complex issue.

London Olympics 2012. In the summer of 2012, the whole

world was waiting for the Games to

begin. London took on the challenge

and made the 30th summer Olympics

a great success. With outstanding

performances from all the athletes,

Britain really made their mark. The US

came 1st, China 2nd and Great Britain

came in 3rd.

French Protest Against Gay Marriage -18th November. More than 100,000

protesters turned up in French Cities

to fight against same-sex marriage

and the right for gay people to adopt.

These protests were organised by

Catholic groups as the Government’s

plans are to legalise same sex

marriage mid-2013 in France.

British Monk Sets Himself on Fire In Protest - 15th November. British

Monk (38) born David Alain died

after setting himself on fire at a

Buddhist monastery in Southern

France. It is believed he was making a

‘political gesture’ against the Chinese

occupation of Tibet. Fire fighters were

unable to save his life after being

called to the scene.

22


Cybe

r-Bullying

Don’t add people you don’t know. If a

stranger sends a friend request on a website, block them and make

sure they can’t get to you.

Secondly, always tell someone if a person

is bullying you, whether it’s a parent, guardian or someone

you really trust: like a teacher. They

can always help.

Keep all personal things to yourself – passwords

etc. Don’t share these even someone you really trust,

like a friend, because anything could happen

on the internet.

If one person is being mean to you, block them

and de-friend them from the websites they are bullying

you on. That way they can’t do anything to you over

that certain site.

In an increasingly technological age,

cyber bulling is an increasingly

serious issue with people using

their computer screens as a

mask. As the internet becomes

more portable in the form of

phones and tablets, people are

constantly affected. Fortunately,

there are simple steps you can

take to stay safe and protect

yourself on the internet.

How can we prevent it?

First of all, neverbe mean to someone over

the internet (or anywhere) if it’s going to hurt their feelings.

Be considerate towards them, and always treat them the way you

would want to be treated.

Article written by Virginia Halford

If you need more information on

how to keep safe over the internet, then visit

www.thinkuknow.com or if you

need advice on how to deal with bullying visit

www.cybermentors.org.uk

23

CURRENT AFFAIRS


Cybe

r-Bullying

Don’t add people you don’t know. If a

stranger sends a friend request on a website, block them and make

sure they can’t get to you.

Secondly, always tell someone if a person

is bullying you, whether it’s a parent, guardian or someone

you really trust: like a teacher. They

can always help.

Keep all personal things to yourself – passwords

etc. Don’t share these even someone you really trust,

like a friend, because anything could happen

on the internet.

If one person is being mean to you, block them

and de-friend them from the websites they are bullying

you on. That way they can’t do anything to you over

that certain site.

In an increasingly technological age,

cyber bulling is an increasingly

serious issue with people using

their computer screens as a

mask. As the internet becomes

more portable in the form of

phones and tablets, people are

constantly affected. Fortunately,

there are simple steps you can

take to stay safe and protect

yourself on the internet.

How can we prevent it?

First of all, neverbe mean to someone over

the internet (or anywhere) if it’s going to hurt their feelings.

Be considerate towards them, and always treat them the way you

would want to be treated.

Article written by Virginia Halford

If you need more information on

how to keep safe over the internet, then visit

www.thinkuknow.com or if you

need advice on how to deal with bullying visit

www.cybermentors.org.uk

REVIEWS


Published in 2003, Lionel Shriver’s

book We Need to Talk about Kevin is

largely based on the school shootings

that occurred in America at the end of

the last millennium. Set out as what

could be described as a monologue,

with the maternal character of Eva

writing letter after letter to the silent,

estranged character of her husband

Franklin, the book is alien to those

tucked up safe in bed but strangely and

unnervingly close to the reader’s heart.

We Need to Talk about Kevin is truly

terrifying. Terrifying, appalling and yet

completely unputdownable. It follows

the relationship between mother and

child yet without divulging into the

concept of love - as is customary to do

when narrating a

parental bond.

What makes

the love that

Eva and

Kevin share

so

twisted and warped is

that Eva is an ordinary

mother burdened with this

manipulative child. Eva

and Franklin are not bad

parents. They are pretentious,

confirmative, and eager to

understand and relate to their

children; they are impatient

and bad tempered but, even

on the worst of days, there

is still good intention. The

universe and character Shriver

has created are completely

parallel with our own lives; we,

like Eva are self-absorbed, or

like Franklin, obsessed with an

overwhelming image of family

but this brings the horror that

is Kevin so close.

It seems callous to call even a fictional

child a horror, but from a young

age Kevin is flippant, calculating,

disinterested. Medically, physically

he is too normal: perfect. And that

is terrifying - the events of the book

are unpredictable, unpreventable,

unavoidable. We could be sitting

next to Kevin or pass him in

the street or he could take

our lives. In a way we

all have the ability

to be Kevin;

harbouring

a mad,

animalistic streak because we are

hardwired for survival regardless of

how violent that may lead us to be.

And we really do need to talk about

Kevin. We read and listen to media

which imprints ‘school shootings’ on

the brain met with the subconscious

reflex of smug socialites – ‘how

terrible’. This book demonstrates to us

we cannot blame the parents because

it is up to us as a society to prevent

sociopaths from using us as target

practice. It highlights a vulnerability

of modern culture – the way in which

we distance ourselves from issues

that are so important in an advancing

world.


BOOK REVIEW

Truly terrifying, appalling and yet completely unputdownable

REVIEWS

25


In this issue of the Gazette, we

thought it would be good to review

a local band who we thought could

depict Jersey’s roots. Therefore, after

seeing them perform an acoustic

session outside White Label Records

in Colomberie, I discovered the

Jèrriais band ‘Badlabecques’.

Badlabecques is a Jersey-based pop

folk band who fuse the traditional

songs with pop and dance influences

from around the world, all while

singing in our indigenous language

of Jèrriais. They are made up of 9

people, playing instruments ranging

from the acoustic guitar to the

accordion.

To be honest, the last time I heard

Jersey’s native language of Jèrriais

was when I was in Year 4 and took

part in lessons on dreary Wednesday

mornings before school. However, with

their folk twist on traditional Jersey

tales, it was great to see Jèrriais in a

light which I had never experienced

before, one that was actually enjoyable

to watch and listen to!

Personally, the only thing I can

remember of my few years of learning

Jèrriais is the phrase ‘abitôt mon

vie’ and even though I didn’t really

understand what the songs were

about, it was great just to stand there

and listen to the catchy tunes that

were being played on the guitar and

the violin. My personal favourite song,

which I saw performed, is called ‘J’ai

pèrdu ma femme’, which is a song

about a husband losing his wife while

planting cabbages. When the live

session finished, I even found myself

humming the tunes after I returned

home, which I think shows that

you’ve had a good time. Also, it was

interesting learning some words from

Jersey’s native language, and at least

I know how to say, ‘Mon bieau p’tit

Jèrri, la reine des îles’ (My beautiful

little Jersey, Queen of the islands),

which I think could come in handy if I

take any trips to nearby Guernsey.

So if you are currently learning Jèrriais,

or want to own a CD which you can

proudly proclaim is 100% Genuine

Jersey Produce, then I strongly advise

that you buy their album, ‘Hèque’. Not

only would you be supporting a great

local band, but half of the proceeds

go back to local causes, supporting

local musicians and also the teaching

of Jèrriais throughout the island. So

what are you waiting for? Go and

buy the album now, and amaze your

friends at lunch with your astounding

new knowledge of Jèrriais, (and don’t

worry, the album comes with English a

translation!).

MUSIC REVIEW

BADLABECQUESLocal Jèrriais Band

Article written by Steff Spencer

26

REVIEWS


Article written by Eloise Smith and Vicky Youngs

On Monday 26th November,

several Jersey College for Girls

students, parents, Hawksford

members and interested islanders

came together in the JCG hall to

take part in a debate hosted by the

chief executive of Hawksford, Peter

Murley. The topic was ‘Protesting is a sign of a healthy society.’ This,

what we thought was a controversial

topic, was not so very controversial

when the audience voted before

the debate commenced where only

seven members of the audience voted

against and the vast majority voted for

the argument. This widely held view

made it difficult for the team arguing

against the motion.

Firstly, a member of the team that

was against the motion stood and

presented their 10 minute long

speech which was captivating and

interesting and mentioned leaders like

Martin Luther King and Gandhi who

attempted to make major alterations

to society yet avoided violent protest

and managed to make a huge impact

on how others saw these issues. They

also talked about how in China, a new

leader was sworn in without any signs

of protest from the public and how

this shows a better-disciplined society

with less conflict and therefore a

healthier one. On the other hand,

next a member of the team that was

for the motion stood and also spoke

for 10 minutes about how in China

the government do not allow these

protests to happen and have serious

threats and punishments for signs

or revolt in place surely meaning an

unhealthy society lacking freedom

of speech. When the speeches were

done, it was question time where

the audience got to quiz the teams,

which uncovered that the teams

defined “protest” in different ways.

The “for” team defined a protest as

any non-violent portrayal of opinion

against a matter such as peace march

or a letter of complaint whereas the

“against” team argued that a protest

should be defined as any type of

disagreement with the government

including violent demonstrations.

However, at the end of the debate, the

audience was asked again to vote for

or against the argument after having

heard the argument from both sides.

Surprisingly, the outcome was the

complete opposite to before the

debate where the majority of the

audience voted against the argument,

whereas only a few members of the

audience voted for the argument. This

truly shows how well the “against”

team were at portraying their

argument. We also found out, once

the debate had come to a conclusion,

that the debaters were in fact

speaking for the opposite team that

they believed in - making it that much

harder for them.

Nevertheless, we both agreed that

the debate truly made us both start

‘thinking about tomorrow’, provoking our thoughts on the subject

and really gave us a feel of the political

world not only inspiring us about our

political philosophy, but also motivated

us to take part in the coming debates.

equally inappropriate phrase.

of a healthy society.’

The Debate

is a sign ‘Protesting

27

REVIEWS


Article written by Eloise Smith and Vicky Youngs

On Monday 26th November,

several Jersey College for Girls

students, parents, Hawksford

members and interested islanders

came together in the JCG hall to

take part in a debate hosted by the

chief executive of Hawksford, Peter

Murley. The topic was ‘Protesting is a sign of a healthy society.’ This,

what we thought was a controversial

topic, was not so very controversial

when the audience voted before

the debate commenced where only

seven members of the audience voted

against and the vast majority voted for

the argument. This widely held view

made it difficult for the team arguing

against the motion.

Firstly, a member of the team that

was against the motion stood and

presented their 10 minute long

speech which was captivating and

interesting and mentioned leaders like

Martin Luther King and Gandhi who

attempted to make major alterations

to society yet avoided violent protest

and managed to make a huge impact

on how others saw these issues. They

also talked about how in China, a new

leader was sworn in without any signs

of protest from the public and how

this shows a better-disciplined society

with less conflict and therefore a

healthier one. On the other hand,

next a member of the team that was

for the motion stood and also spoke

for 10 minutes about how in China

the government do not allow these

protests to happen and have serious

threats and punishments for signs

or revolt in place surely meaning an

unhealthy society lacking freedom

of speech. When the speeches were

done, it was question time where

the audience got to quiz the teams,

which uncovered that the teams

defined “protest” in different ways.

The “for” team defined a protest as

any non-violent portrayal of opinion

against a matter such as peace march

or a letter of complaint whereas the

“against” team argued that a protest

should be defined as any type of

disagreement with the government

including violent demonstrations.

However, at the end of the debate, the

audience was asked again to vote for

or against the argument after having

heard the argument from both sides.

Surprisingly, the outcome was the

complete opposite to before the

debate where the majority of the

audience voted against the argument,

whereas only a few members of the

audience voted for the argument. This

truly shows how well the “against”

team were at portraying their

argument. We also found out, once

the debate had come to a conclusion,

that the debaters were in fact

speaking for the opposite team that

they believed in - making it that much

harder for them.

Nevertheless, we both agreed that

the debate truly made us both start

‘thinking about tomorrow’, provoking our thoughts on the subject

and really gave us a feel of the political

world not only inspiring us about our

political philosophy, but also motivated

us to take part in the coming debates.


of a healthy society.’

The Debate

is a sign ‘Protesting

WRITERS’ CORNER


Creative writingTHE RUNPart One - The Finishing ExamArticle written by Virginia Halford and Nikki Hamon

The clock ticked violently every

second, sending chills up my spine

despite the weather. It read three

forty-five. I bent over my Finishing

Exam; my long, wavy, brown, thick

curls tumbling across my face, down

my shoulders. I tucked the escaping

locks behind my ears and continued

chewing the tip of my pencil. The

sun was beating down through the

window, making my face burn; blood

was rushing to my head anyway.

Fifteen more minutes and I’d be out

of this stuffy hall. I laughed to myself

silently, so as not to disturb the other

group of three hundred students in

the hall.

Everyone in the room was fourteen

or above. Not many above, just

the ones whi didn’t take it last year.

Every fourteen year old has to take

the Finishing Exam - to get a job,

of course. Bad scores equal bad

jobs. It’s as simple as that and I was

determined not to get a bad score.

Mama was - right this minute, second

even - at the Steam Plant. Bad scores

sort of run through our blood. Except

for Papa. He got one of the highest

scores on this small, deserted island.

Sadly, he died in a car accident and I

try not to think of him too much.

Mama would be proud if I came

home with high mark but I’m

pondering what I’ll get - good or

bad: I’m sure she won’t mind too

much. You see, our family needs

money, and a lot of it! Mama would

give anything (except for her ‘three

precious children’ as she likes to call

us) for even just a slice of turkey, or

a warm bed for just one night. So

would I, to be honest.

Mr. Hander’s timer went off

suddenly, sending a wave of relief

through every child, including me.

I just wanted to go home to my

family. The old, unfriendly man -

with a goatee, I must add - went

from desk to desk, collecting up the

results of everyone’s test, finished or

not. Thankfully, mine was finished.

Reluctantly - but in a desperate hurry

to get rid of it – I placed it in his grimy

hands, on top of the stack of what

looked like very heavy papers.

He smirked a menacing smile, then

continued to collect in the papers.

My palms were sweating, making my

hands sticky and moist. Grabbing my

old, faded leather jacket, I marched

out the door, following the crowd of

teens, but taking a left route to where

my house was - far away from most

of the normal kids. It took me a good

half an hour until I reached the rickety

gates of our house. I continued up

the stone path, and jammed open the

rusty, wooden door with great force.

Mama stood there, with burns

on her hands, slaving over a pot

of cabbage stew. I breathed in the

contents of the pot and found a seat

at the old, dying table.

Mama questioned me as she

bustled around our small kitchen.

“So, how do you think it went? Did

you do good? Will you get a good

job? Will we be able to eat properly

again?! Will we have enough money

to -” Mama saw my pained face and

sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, dear, but we

haven’t had anything nice for years!

Look at us!”

I gazed around our little shack of a

house, feeling lonely and small, even

with Mama’s kind words soothing

me. The walls were covered in moss,

29

WRITERS’ CORNER


Creative writingTHE RUNPart One - The Finishing ExamArticle written by Virginia Halford and Nikki Hamon

The clock ticked violently every

second, sending chills up my spine

despite the weather. It read three

forty-five. I bent over my Finishing

Exam; my long, wavy, brown, thick

curls tumbling across my face, down

my shoulders. I tucked the escaping

locks behind my ears and continued

chewing the tip of my pencil. The

sun was beating down through the

window, making my face burn; blood

was rushing to my head anyway.

Fifteen more minutes and I’d be out

of this stuffy hall. I laughed to myself

silently, so as not to disturb the other

group of three hundred students in

the hall.

Everyone in the room was fourteen

or above. Not many above, just

the ones whi didn’t take it last year.

Every fourteen year old has to take

the Finishing Exam - to get a job,

of course. Bad scores equal bad

jobs. It’s as simple as that and I was

determined not to get a bad score.

Mama was - right this minute, second

even - at the Steam Plant. Bad scores

sort of run through our blood. Except

for Papa. He got one of the highest

scores on this small, deserted island.

Sadly, he died in a car accident and I

try not to think of him too much.

Mama would be proud if I came

home with high mark but I’m

pondering what I’ll get - good or

bad: I’m sure she won’t mind too

much. You see, our family needs

money, and a lot of it! Mama would

give anything (except for her ‘three

precious children’ as she likes to call

us) for even just a slice of turkey, or

a warm bed for just one night. So

would I, to be honest.

Mr. Hander’s timer went off

suddenly, sending a wave of relief

through every child, including me.

I just wanted to go home to my

family. The old, unfriendly man -

with a goatee, I must add - went

from desk to desk, collecting up the

results of everyone’s test, finished or

not. Thankfully, mine was finished.

Reluctantly - but in a desperate hurry

to get rid of it – I placed it in his grimy

hands, on top of the stack of what

looked like very heavy papers.

He smirked a menacing smile, then

continued to collect in the papers.

My palms were sweating, making my

hands sticky and moist. Grabbing my

old, faded leather jacket, I marched

out the door, following the crowd of

teens, but taking a left route to where

my house was - far away from most

of the normal kids. It took me a good

half an hour until I reached the rickety

gates of our house. I continued up

the stone path, and jammed open the

rusty, wooden door with great force.

Mama stood there, with burns

on her hands, slaving over a pot

of cabbage stew. I breathed in the

contents of the pot and found a seat

at the old, dying table.

Mama questioned me as she

bustled around our small kitchen.

“So, how do you think it went? Did

you do good? Will you get a good

job? Will we be able to eat properly

again?! Will we have enough money

to -” Mama saw my pained face and

sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, dear, but we

haven’t had anything nice for years!

Look at us!”

I gazed around our little shack of a

house, feeling lonely and small, even

with Mama’s kind words soothing

me. The walls were covered in moss,

the roof was leaking in various spots,

to put into one simple sentence - this

house is beyond repairing. “I don’t

know...” I whispered, quietly. “I don’t

know...” I fiddled with my hands,

still wet with sweat, but they were

shaking too.

Mama twisted me into a tight hug,

smoothing down my hair, relaxing

me. I cried softly into her shoulders,

sniffing once in a while. Marco, my

younger brother, entered the room

and sighed - the ‘knowing’ look

plastered on his normally smirking

face.

“What are you doing?” Marco asked

cautiously, eyeing us carefully.

“Your sister just finished her

Finishing Exam!” Mama said. Tears

came to her eyes, but she wipes her

eyes with the back of her hand. She

smiled a watery smile, aimed at me

then at Marco, and went back to her

cabbage stew before it burnt.

Marco turned to me and hugged

me tight too. As he was only seven,

I hugged him back, but a normal

guy would have pushed him away

and eyed him wearily. But he was

my little, defenceless brother so

I clutched him tight. “Well done,

Skylar.” He murmured into my ear.

“Thank you, Marco,” we parted;

he went to ask Mama about her day,

while I went into the neighbourhood

to meet Kai. I twisted through the

winding roads to the village square,

where all the nice shops were.

Mama didn’t have any money, so

neither did we. One of my many

hobbies included gazing through

shop windows, gazing at the things

I simply couldn’t

have.

The square

was packed with

pigeons, little

children clinging

onto their mothers

and teenage

thugs, looking for

someone to bully,

steal from or hurt.

“Kai!” I called,

spotting a whirl of

frizzy black hair on

tanned skin. My

skin was pale, a

few freckles on my

face, wavy, brown

hair and pale blue

eyes, to match my

name.

Kai saw me heading towards him,

and turned from the stall he was

wistfully looking at. Like me, he was

too poor. “Hey!” he said, smiling

broadly. He wound me into a tight

hug and I giggled. “You’re looking a

beauty, as always! And how did the

Finishing Test go?” he added as a

second thought.

I pondered this for a second. “You

know... I don’t know! It was so hard

but I think I managed!” I laughed,

pecking his lips playfully. I held his

hand, tight in mine, as we fed the

pigeons pieces of stale bread, which

he had brought from his home. Every

now and then he would ask me, ‘How

did it go?’ or, ‘Do you think you did

well?’, but my answers would always

be the same. He didn’t mind my

answers and I didn’t mind him asking

either.

“So, I think it’s time for you and

me to get back,” he said, studying

the sky. The clouds had drifted in

from the corners of the sky, rays

of light gleaming through. The

sun had turned orange, and it was

turning dark earlier, now it was late

November. I nodded in agreement;

we kissed goodbye, and went our

separate ways.

I walked the hour’s walk home,

deep in thought. To be honest, I

wasn’t sure what I got, and I was

worried. More than worried but it

would be okay… I hoped.

DarkPoemBy Nikki Hamon

Life trickles,Sand fills.No one here to save me.

Can’t breathe,Feel drowsy.The hourglass filling up.

Clock ticks, Takes forever.My time is up.

30


Fundamentally, I agree with the

phrase ‘YOLO’ as far as life is short

- you should work hard and take

opportunities that are offered to you

in order to contribute to society and

make a positive impact on the world.

However, ‘YOLO’ is often regarded as

an excuse to do stupid things and it is

the level to which people take these

actions which can cause the problem.

For example, using ‘YOLO’ to justify

a buying a tortoise is not a particularly

important issue unless of course you

are allergic to tortoises in which case

it could be a fatal and tragic sequence

of events. It is when the internet

reveals the horrors of the ignorant

followers of ‘YOLO’ with examples

such as ‘I’m pregnant, YOLO’ that the

seriousness of an irritating slang word

is emphasized. The most shocking

case is that of Ervin McKinness, a

Californian who tweeted ‘Drunk going

120 drifting corners #YOLO’ minutes

before the car he was in flipped over

killing all five occupants all of whom

were in their early twenties.

‘YOLO’ is not a good excuse to justify

crime as lyrics from a rap by Drake are

not the strongest argument in your

defence. Also, it is in the very essence

of the phrase - you only live once -

so it is probably best not to spend

your life in prison. Tattoos justified

by ‘YOLO’ are almost certainly a

mistake that has been etched into

your skin with no real significance or

any thought. Tattoos brandishing the

term itself are most definitely stupid

- Zac Efron we’re looking at you - like

everything, the trend will end. No

matter how many times you say

‘YOLO’ you will still have to bear the

ink stained on your skin.

‘YOLO’ is also like any teenage craze

- irritatingly overused. It has even been

changed to mean ‘You Obviously Lack

Originality’ and although once the ‘in’

thing the phrase is now a source of

growing frustration. This is mainly due

to the use of the term for everyday

occurrences which is similar to the

use of Twitter and Facebook to update

the world on every action a person

performs. It is understandable why

‘just took my dog on a walk YOLO’

is beginning to become extremely

tiresome. It can even seem reasonable

that adults doubt the capability of

our generation who in the future face

huge issues such as climate change,

economic crisis, over population etc.

as when stereotyped as a teenage

group we justify all our mistakes with

a single slang term which is plastered

all over cyberspace.

Jack Black has also suggested

that ‘YOLO is just carpe diem for

stupid people’ and many anti YOLO

campaigners have suggested the

Latin (seize the day) as a more

valuable alternative although to no

avail. ‘YOLO’ is not an inspirational

phrase or a motto which we can use

to maximise the time between life

and death but part of the modern

phenomenon of the trend, the same

as the miniskirts of the sixties or the

flares of the seventies, but spread

faster and quicker than ever before.

Fiction and pop culture create are

incorporated so fully into our lives

but also mean ‘YOLO’ is rendered

inaccurate. If you are Jesus, Harry

Potter, the Doctor or a zombie ‘YOLO’

simply does not work. Jesus was

raised again through a miracle from

God - prompting a new phrase, the

creation of which seems to make the

whole idea even more crazy - ‘YOLT’

is the preferred slang term of some

Christians (or indeed dedicated Bond

fans).

Even if we detest ‘YOLO’ it is

becoming frustratingly incorporated

into our lives whether it slipped into

our vocabulary through using the

phrase sarcastically or if we have just

caught it from others like a disease!

Inevitably, ‘YOLO’ will soon be

forgotten only to be replaced by an


My problem with ‘YOLO’

31

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