s.i.n-strodes independent newspaper issue 1
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First issue of the Strodes Newspaper. Sinning...but only once a monthTRANSCRIPT
Finds of the Month 5
Literature & Theatre 6 Explore the Gothic Horror Genre
Fashion 8 Re-use Your Summer Wardrobe
Politics & Economy 10 Bank Bonuses – The economy under spotlight
Film 12 Love Actually? Or Love Actually Not? – Our film buffs review the classic
Music 14 From Madonna to Johnny Flynn – Review of the month
Creative Writing 16 ―The Utmost Horror!‖ - Read our gothic horror inspired pieces
Sport 18 Strode‘s Sport – A run-down of the season so far…
Issues & Opinions 19 Is drinking ruining our ability to live?
News & Events 20 Get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Comic Strip 22
dddd
NEXT MONTH :
FREDDY CLAPSON IS THE….
AGONY UNCLE!
SEND YOUR PROBLEMS TO US NOW at:
www.strodesnewspaper.co.uk
Dear Readers,
Well, it’s been a long time coming, but, finally we’re here! After much nagging, rushing around and, as you’d guess, writing, we’ve finally bought you a college magazine: S.I.N – Strode’s Independent Newspaper! Now I know, if you’re anything like me, that you’ll currently be skipping through this page without much interest and going straight to far more entertaining stuff we have so I’ll try and be short - S.I.N is more than anything for students. All the contributors have spent lots of time head scratching to think of things that interest all of you so – forget having a student bulletin disguised behind pretty pictures and bright colours! The other day I got asked what I wanted this webzine to be. In a rather inarticulate way I said that after seeing so many doddery school magazines that serve no other purpose that to act as a newsletter with uninteresting articles on the recent success of the school Christmas fair I want to create something that gets rid of all that rubbish and treats students as what we are: intelligent, creative and dynamic individuals. I hope that it will less provide opportunities for the college but more for the students, personally, to develop their writing skills and for those reading it to really get involved in discussions and debates on topics from the serious ones to the obscure! So get involved….Join our forums online at www.strodesnewspaper.co.uk and get talking!
Ros Wilks Editor –in-Chief Xx
FRESHER’S PACK
Potentially the best deal you’ll
see from the AMAZING Lush,
these fab goody boxes were
made especially for Fresher’s
Week and are only £10! There’s
three different ones to choose
from – ‚The De-Stresser‛, ‚The
Big Night Out‛ and ‚The
Morning After the Night
Before‛ – and with an
estimated £30 worth of goods
it’s worth it. But be quick!
They’re only on sale till the end
of the month….
www.lush.co.uk
FINDS OF THE
MONTH
Decole Small Plastic Container
Trigger memories of your
childhood with this cute Red
Riding Hood patterned lunch
box -
£5.50 – www.artbbox.co.uk
Inflatable you, Mitsubishi Colt,
Canvas Bags.....
Aussie, song-writing, supremo
Tim Minchin’s witty music has
won over the hearts of the British
public – Go and see what all the
fuss is about and remember
tissues – you’ll be crying with
laughter....
He’s starring at the Hammersmith
Apollo from October 23rd –
October 25th
Tickets are still on sale for £20
www.timminchin.com/gigs/
For any of you interested
in textiles take a look at
Crafty Ribbons + Buttons
– From dinosaur
patterned ribbon to
dragonfly buttons there’s
a whole range of bits and
bobs to add sparkle to
any clothing…
www.craftyribbons.co.uk
"You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as
I once did; and I ardently hope that the
gratification of your wishes may not be a
serpent to sting you, as mine has been."
Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
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This Month: GOTHIC
For English courses, we students are told to read widely around our set texts. But where to begin? There is so much out there, even within a single genre – Wouldn‘t it be great to know not only what sort of thing to read, but what we might actually enjoy and won‘t take until next Christmas to finish? Wish to know more? Your SINful guardian angels are here to help – reviewing and guiding you to great reads (and away from those which may, well, waste your life) With the upcoming Gothic week, (don‘t miss your chance to dress up in your finest Gothic wear—anything from Victorian corsetry to black capes)lets sink our fangs into some juicy Gothic, with reviews of some of the shorter reads:
The Yellow Wallpaper
By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A tale that proves the power of Gothic writing;
a world of such instability, even Wallpaper can
be rendered absolutely bloody terrifying…
Usefulness: ****
Enjoyment: *****
Heavy-going: *
The female narrator, suppressed by her
husband is confined to a room, in which she
constantly studies the grotesque yellow
wallpaper. She notices that the 'two bulbous
eyes stare at you upside down' and believes that
the smell in the room is like 'the colour of the
paper'. She becomes convinced that imprisoned
behind bars in the wallpaper is a woman,
desperate to escape but her fear results in her
creeping and hiding wherever she moves. The
narrator begins into believe that she is in the
same position as this woman, causing her
growing obsession to rapidly increase her
descent to madness...
Christabel -By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
This incomplete (though still rather long)
masterpiece of a poem, by that most tortured
Romantic soul, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, tells the
tale of the curse on the beloved and pious lady,
Christabel.
Usefulness: ***
Enjoyment: ****
Heavy-going: ***
Wandering away a desolate, moonlit night, out of
compassion and wonder, she ‘rescues’ a mystical
damsel in distress, Geraldine, installing her in her
bedchamber. Yet all is not well. Behind this beautiful
façade, an evil lurks, making the dogs groan, the
flames fitful. Christabel, in presenting her new
companion to her father, Sir Leoline in the morning,
finds Geraldine to be the daughter of a long-
forgotten friend of her father’s and one he thus
accepts with affection. It is as she weaves her way to
the Sir Leoline heart that visions press upon
Christabel, where only she can see the horrifying
snakelike form of the maid. But only enraged to her
entreaties to remove the lady, her father is kept
enthral by the maid, and who knows what horror is
to before them? Coleridge it seems did not…
Pathos in the Gothic Genre
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HORROR
The Raven - By Edgar Allan Poe
Perhaps, his most well known poem, The
Raven, (indebted popularity-wise to a certain
Simpsons episode) is deliciously Gothic. The
incessant repetition and claustrophobic rhythm
dramatically build the underlying tension and
quicken the racing of the heart (the narrator
and the reader’s!). The word ‘Nevermore’
seems of more significance and fearful intensity
than any before under the poem’s spell,
shattering the security and sanity.
Usefulness: ****
Enjoyment: *****
Heavy-going: *
Enclosed by the storm raging outside, one man
sits alone in the dark of his room and mourns
his lost love, Lenore. Unsettled by a rapping at
his chamber door, and filled with fear, he
allows the entrance of a raven of lordly mien,
who endlessly taunts him with but one word
‘Nevermore’. His uneasy smiling dismissal soon
dissolves to shrieks and psychological torment
as the word gathers greater meaning. Yet, can
he escape such a demon? What even is this
mysterious Raven? ….
The Tell Tale Heart – Edgar Allan Poe
Poe here skilfully crafts a resounding voice of
insanity and evil.
Usefulness: ****
Enjoyment: *****
Heavy-going: *
Direct and accusing the narrator opens by
challenging the reader on his supposed judgement
of his sanity ‘why will you say that I am mad?’
Yet in his frantic and excitable attempts to seem
otherwise of course ironically presents himself to be.
Amongst this nervously stilted, hyphenated prose, he
boasts of his skill and highly unsound motivations for
murder, creeping in upon an old man every night and
watching, tormenting him (and the reader) with
fearful suspense. The victim’s pitiable attempts at
self-reassurance, that there is no need to fear, work
conversely to rather build our terrible expectation.
The old man is murdered, for the crime of having a
slightly creepy ‘Evil Eye’, poor fellow. The police
arrive, nearly fooled, before the sound of the corpse
begins to echo through the narrator’s disturbed mind
forcing a (naturally highly self-indulgent) confession.
The great Ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle argued
that the purpose of tragedy
was to generate pity and fear
in the audience. His reasoning
is that through feeling these
emotions, we purge them
through ‚catharsis‛. This then
should stop us repeating these
actions (being nervous, self-
destructive wrecks) in our own
lives. Yet the era of Greek
tragedy is long past, so one
may wonder how Aristotle’s
argument may be applied to
the more modern Gothic
genre? Terror should be a
fairly obvious emotion to
register in the Gothic genre. It
is the supernatural or exotic
that arouses fear, whether it is
Frankenstein’s wretched
creation, the sinister Count
Dracula or a loose orang-utan
on the rampage (Poe’s ‘The
Murders in the Rue Morgue‛).
It is these figures that pose the
greatest threat to the other
characters in the text, and
humanity in general.
On the other hand, who we
feel pity for in a Gothic text is
often far less obvious. In Mary
Shelley’s Frankenstein’, the
monster is an intelligent,
eloquent being, whose
speeches on his loneliness are
far more emotive than Victor
Frankenstein’s despair. The
latter is the neglectful parent
to the former, and there is
almost as much disgust at
Frankenstein’s irresponsibility
as at his creation’s barbarity.
‘The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner’ by Samuel Taylor
Coleridge poses another
problem in that the Ancient
Mariner clearly commits a
crime. One can wonder,
however, whether the
Mariner’s punishment is
suitable for his crime. It is
somewhat akin to having both
your hands chopped off for
stealing a chocolate bar from
Budgens – something that
would evoke pity in most of us.
Applying Aristotle’s
arguments to texts written
hundreds of years later is
really just self-indulgent fun,
but it is interesting to see how
we relate to characters who
experience the unbelievable,
just as a Greek tragic hero
suffers incredibly.
Chris Webb
We all know student life doesn’t leave much left in one’s wallet. And with the recession I’m certain the bank of mum and dad has officially closed shop for the foreseeable future and shipped what’s left of it to an offshore bank account. At the moment in the fashion world it’s all about reusing, where Roberto Cavalli can afford to send his models down the runway in sultry, swishing, summer dressed constructed from the finest vintage fabric, we haven’t all got these kinds of privileges, so my mission: take you’re Autumn clothes right trough to next spring/summer. That’s two seasons for the price of one; it’s almost as much value for money as Tesco value chocolate (the lunch for people who forget their wallets!) Rach Hale
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Re-use your
GRAPHIC T-SHIRTS – One of the most popular items of clothing these look great at any time of year – by teaming with a simple coat or jumper these can work perfectly in autumn or winter. Layering’s a big trend at the moment so get some thin grey and white t-shirts and long sleeve shirts to put underneath. Use chunky jewellery and scarves to add
spice to your outfit.
Thankfully, the new collection of ‘birthday’ pieces edging its way onto the High Street is far more reminiscent of sixties siren than those pink pyjamas you had when you were 6. (Oh the joys of the nineties…) Miss Selfridge has a Warhol-inspired print racerback vest that would look great teamed with pretty much any usual printed vest fare, particularly black or darker denim. For the slogan lovers there’s a bold ‘Looking For My Ken’ design too, with the option of another vest top or cropped
Apart from the usual sea of Coca Cola and Sid tees, some may have noticed on a recent trawl of the (less mainstream shelves of the) high street that Barbie mania seems ‘randomly’ to have to have hit us. If you find yourselves asking why the face of this antithesis of alternative has suddenly been stamped on your slogan shirts – the world’s most famous plastic doll has turned 50 this year (suspiciously looking about 5years younger than when she was first conceived.) Either way, despite those awful sickly pink connotations, at the ripe old age of 50 she does truly embrace Vintage – and looking back at some of the dolls and outfits of the 60’s, you may even be surprised to discover that she debuted some of the pieces in your wardrobe.
tee. Topshop is in on the trend too (though why it chose to reincarnate Barbie in the pyjama section, it is unclear). However, their oversize white ‘Dreaming of My Ken’ tee looks pretty out of place - and there is even a hint of nu-rave in a ‘Plastic Fantastic’ cropped shirt. The birthday girl’s even been lurking in Jane Norman and d2 Jeans – from the latter is the cheapest item of the collection, a versatile vintage print logo tee for £10. So why not make a statement and sprinkle some nostalgia into that pile of Stones tees. You probably won’t get away with it when her 60th rolls round…. Alex Slotwinski
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summer wardrobe
Are You A Barbie Girl?
DENIM SKIRT – Despite generally worn in the summer revamp yours for the winter with a wooly jumper, some thick tights and some high boots. For summer, it’s the perfect opportunity to show off your legs with some cute ballet pumps or sandals – wear a t-shirt covered by a shirt or cardigan in the spring months.
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A Multi-Ethnic BNP? The British National Party
is never one to shy away
from public confrontation
and yet again finds itself in
the midst of controversy. It
has presented itself as the
ambassador for the
indigenous British peoples
since its very founding,
however this may very well
be about to change.
The UK‘s equality
watchdog, ‗The
Commission for Equality
and Human Rights‘ has
argued its case in the
Central London County
Court for a multi-ethnic
BNP. The party has always
restricted membership to
indigenous British ethnic
groups, however the CEHR
has argued that this is in
breach of the Race
Relations Act and has
threatened to take further
legal action should the BNP
refuse to yield to their
demands.
The party chairman Nick
Griffin MEP, who was not
present at the hearing, has
agreed to suspend all new
membership applications
and to present a revised
constitution to a meeting of
his party members next
month. This may prove
problematic for Mr Griffin,
who will have to persuade
hard line party members
that this is in the best
interests of the BNP. If the
party refuses to adopt the
change in its constitution, it
will most certainly face
legal action from the CEHR
and with a general election
just around the corner in
2010, the party cannot
afford to fight a major legal
battle which could see it go
into bankruptcy.
Many may question what
the CEHR hopes to achieve,
it seems unlikely that many
people from ethnic
minorities would want to
join a party that is
inherently discriminatory
towards them. John
Wadham of the CEHR told
BBC News that this is
missing the point, ‗The law
is for everyone, this is not a
political issue for us, the
key issue for us is the
lawfulness of their
membership criteria.‘
The Race Relations Act has
been in force since 1976, so
the question must be
begged, why has no legal
action been taken until
now? The BNP believes
that the court case is an
attempt to bankrupt them
and in an article on its
website as brandished it as
an ‗hysterical attack‘ on the
party after its recent
electoral successes. BNP
spokesman Chris Roberts
told BBC News, ‗If we
want to be in the electoral
process, which we do, and
we are being forced by the
establishment to change our
rules then we are going to
have to change them.‘
However he stressed that
the core principles of the
party will not change.
A change in membership
policy is not likely to
transform the British
National Party into a
charismatic, agreeable and
electable force to be
reckoned with. However
what is certain is that the
change is coming and the
consequences it will bring
for the party and its
members will become
clearer after the hearing in
January of next year.
Hollie Wright-Selby
Why do these elections matter?
It is widely known that students or young people don’t really care for general elections and politics in general
and why should we? All we students seem to do is go out all night and make a disturbance and not care
about what politicians are saying, like whether inheritance tax should be increased or if the state pension age
should go up. Most students stick to the sentiment “How does it affect us?” However, there is a general
election coming up before we leave college this summer and it’s worth readjusting that mantra. Yeah, I know
politics hardly presents the most exciting face – most politicians are either old and wear tweed or have the
kind of demeanour that your dad going through a midlife crisis would have trying to “get down with the kids”
But the fact is that no matter what age or situation politics will somehow affect your life.
Do you have a part time job? The different parties have different policies on what the limit of the tax-free
income should be, with the Lib Dems once saying they wanted the tax-free allowance to be increased to
£10,000. Want to go to university? Some parties want to increase tuition fees, while others want to remove
them all together. Yeah, Politics may look boring but they make decisions that will affect you now and in the
future, so look at their policies and make sure you vote for what you want in this general election – Freddy
Clapson
gdsgds
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“Where have all the lefties gone?” It was once understood that the Tories didn’t like the students and the students didn’t like the Tories. The Conservatives have everything that students ought to despise: a phobia of spending on education and a leader with the sort of sleazy charisma that makes Peter Mandelson look like Mother Theresa. It seems, though, that times are changing – at Strodes at least. Everybody here is a Conservative. What’s going on? Admittedly the South East is home to the most rabidly Conservative populace in Britain; but there must be some more liberal people out there somewhere. Clearly this is a balance that needs to be redressed. Since the Labour Party are evidently too busy despairing over their leader and the Lib Dems are too busy trying to remember the name of theirs, I feel I ought to give it a go. If you’re a first year, you ought to worry about what the Tories might do to school funding when George Osborne is left alone with a pair of scissors and a draft of next year’s expenditure plans. If you’re a second year, you ought to worry about what the Tories will do to university places and unemployment figures. The Tory-biased Confederation of British Industry want to cut grants for students from poorer backgrounds, and the Conservatives look set to do just that. Meanwhile, if David Cameron is allowed to make the spending cuts he is gleefully eyeing, there is a real chance we could plunge back into recession, potentially destroying millions of jobs. So come on people! Let’s get some sense and Don’t Vote Tory! Tom Newham
A bit more than a year ago the
rug of economic prosperity
was unceremoniously tugged
from under our feet in a short
period that shook our financial
system to the core. When in
his first pre-budget report
Gordon Brown made the anti-
prophetic claim that he would
bring an end to ―the damaging
cycle of boom and bust‖ the
markets seemed to believe in
him. What followed was a time
of remarkable global economic
growth and prosperity.
You can then understand the
shock when our banks crawled
from their mighty marble
offices in the City and begged
our governments for aid. The
bubble had burst and the tax
payer picked up the bill.
Journalist for the Guardian,
Simon Jenkins says tax payers
have given the banks half a
trillion dollars over the past
year to keep them afloat. On
21st September 2008 one bank
alone, Goldman Sachs, cost the
American government $1
billion in emergency funds, in
what economist, Joseph
Stiglitz called ―Socialism for
the Rich‖. One year on
Goldman Sachs look set to pay
out the biggest set of bonuses
in the company‘s history.
According to the Guardian,
the Wall Street firm is making
£21.5 million of profit every
day. The company also
publishes a $3.19 billion
quarterly gain, a rise of 268%.
Barring a major economic
meltdown the 5,500 members
of staff in London‘s Fleet
Street can look forward to a
£430,000 end of year payment,
the highest figure in the firm‘s
history.
Liberal Democrat Treasurer
Vince Cable commented, ―It‘s
farcical that so soon after the
reckless greed of bankers
brought the world‘s economy
to its knees, we are seeing a
return to business as usual‖.
This twisted scenario seems to
be a case of taking from the
needy and giving to the greedy,
with the executives playing a
backwards and miserly parody
of Robin Hood & his Merry
Men.
Jason Ellar & Chris Webb
Gluttonous Banks Treat Themselves to Big
Bonus Bonanza
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What do you think Since its release in 2003, Love Actually has become a Christmas Classic. Whether you cried, laughed or gagged, the chances are you’ve seen it – So our film reviewers gave their opinion: Was it Love Actually? Or more Actually Not? [Jack] - So, Love Actually – One of Richard Curtis’ biggest blockbuster hits and a Christmas movie filled with love and comedy – I think it’s a film that appeals to both sexes even with its heavy love related topics – there’s enough romance yet, in typical Curtis Style, just when you’re about to throw up, you’ll find yourself roaring with laughter...
[Abi] - I think it’s funny. Yet I hated it at first cause it felt like it was trying to do too
much the whole proving love can exist everywhere.... Meh mushy... but as a Christmas film I
love it. [Mel] - It’s too British though. It couldn’t just have a guy and a girl that fall in love, it had to be all British and “clever” by making the relationships all complicated and bla bla blaaaa. I get what you're saying, about it being a Christmas film - But that’s all it is for me – The only time I want to watch it is a Christmas when I’m more tolerable of the lovey dovey stuff...In addition to that the actors aren’t even that brilliant
[A] - Well....It has lots of little okay actors...It didn’t go for the big Hollywood stars.... kind
of like its carrying itself on names that used to be big. [J] - Ok, excuse me are you actually telling me that Alan Rickman is a bad actor? Or Liam Neeson? Or Emma Thompson? [M] - Hugh grant is the only really well known actor, and he isn’t all that great. Let’s face it he can play one of two characters and his part was not that big part really... [A] I wouldn’t class Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson as big names - they’re
not huge household names – they’re supporting actors in most things they. [J] – But all have participated hugely in large scale films. Like Liam Neeson in ‘Schindler’s list’ [Spielberg, 1993] and ‘Taken’ [Morel, 2008] and Alan Rickman in ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ [Reynolds, 1991] and ‘Harry Potter’ [Columbus, Cauron, Newell, Yates, 2001-09]
[A] – But aside from all that for me, I think it takes itself too seriously at times it’s a
romantic comedy but with say ,the guy who cheats, that goes too deep for what they’re
doing
[J] - Ok I get your point. I agree with that, but they do touch on very hard subjects. I do think that for it to have the 'yes everything went right' feeling it needs to have all of the deep stuff to make the viewers empathise [M] - Mmmm I see what you mean but still, I feel like you have to concentrate too much on the plot otherwise you get lost. For a feel good Christmas film it’s heavy... [J] - That is a fair point, the fact that there is so many stories going on at once means its also a little too long for my liking, I stay interested but it just goes on a bit.
[A] - Yeah but despite that... it’s such a happy feel good film =) so it’s worth watching
right?
Not everything went perfectly but I think you can’t deny it’s one of those classic movies
that’s gonna be around for a long while.....
WHAT’S YOUR OPINION? CARRY ON THE DEBATE ONLINE…..
Jack Wierenga, Mel West, Abi Crowe
UP!
An overweight wilderness explorer, a dog with a thought translator and a
female bird named Kevin – sounds like Pixar’s latest family fun movie. Docter
is the man responsible for directing Pixar’s 10th full length feature; and
seeing as this is their final new film in production before going back to the
drawing board; the pressure’s on. With ‘Toy Story’ 1 and 2, ‘Monster’s Inc’ and
‘WALL-E’ already under his belt, Pete Docter takes on the job of directing his
own screenplay about 74 year old Carl Fredricksen, who decides that, in
memory to his wife, he will head off to the forgotten Paradise Falls. However,
instead of flying there on a plane, he follows their childhood dream of moving
their house there by attaching thousands of balloons to his roof. Along with
his, well, different new friends he sets off on his journey and learns to move
on and love life. I’m not going to lie; I cried. But for every tear, there are ten
laughs and even the occasional moral. This film really covers the whole
spectrum of emotions and it works. I laughed, my 3 year old brother laughed
and the 40 something year old guy sitting in front of us would not stop
laughing. This film really is captivating and the best that Pixar has created
since, ‘Toy Story’!
Les choristes
Pierre Morange [Jean - Baptiste Maunier] successful composer discovers a
diary kept by his old teacher Clement Mathieu [Gerard Jugnot] and reminisces
the events of his childhood…
The troubled and abandoned boys that attended ‚Fond Le Tang‛ boarding
school were quite literally by meaning, at ‚rock bottom‛
The fresh faced new supervisor at Fond Le Tang, Clement Mathieu, was
thought to be just like any other, just to teach them, or to be their next
mocking instrument. However, he used to be a music composer so once he met
the boys at Fond Le Tang he revived his composing and organised the boys into
a choir. Pierre Morange was the star of the choir as he had the most haunting
and beautiful soprano voice. This was where the young boy’s musical talent
was discovered so he was very thankful to Clement Mathieu.
Les Choristes, directed by Christophe Barratier, 95 minutes of sheer French
genius.
A delicately written film that conveys many emotions as you watch it. The
beautiful French classical music played throughout the film adds to the mood
so well and really reflects the main part of the story, the choir. There are
elements of romance and humour in the film as well which adds more depth
to the story. The only part that can be criticised about this film is the ending,
because you don’t want it to finish!
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of... Love Actually?
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From Madonna to Johnny
Oh Madonna, Madonna... the leotards, the strange lover called Jesus, the use of your daughter in one of your videos, in which you bump and grind all over the place... the list would be a mile long by the time I’d finished the things I can think of off the top of my head which make Madge, in some eyes ‘controversial’ and ‘fresh’ and in others, quite simply....what was that work Elton used? For me, the ‘best of’ Madge lies in her 80’s classics. You can’t really beat a hefty bass line and synth combo - especially ‘Into the Groove’, the soundtrack to Desperately,
Seeking Susan. Other classic ballads on the 2-disc compilation include Vogue, Like a Virgin, Material Girl, Holiday, Crazy For You, Borderline and Like a Prayer. If you have never danced to any of these songs, I don’t think you can say you’ve danced. Later tracks like Hollywood and Hung Up, although still much loved by our generation, somewhat lack the original groove of Madonna’s prime. Also included on Celebration are two new songs – one of which is a collaboration with Lil Wayne, called Revolver. It sounds a bit like a rubbish
Britney song and is kind of reminiscent of ‘If You Seek Amy’ yet it’s somehow sounds very radio-friendly and will be a definite hit if released. The other new song is ‘Celebration’, which we have all come to know and kind of love. Although it does sound like a really awful club record to begin with, it has a catchy chorus and is probably one of the best of Madonna’s new songs. All this said, at the lyric ‘feel my temperature rising’, I couldn’t help thinking ‘yes love, get used to it - It’s a common symptom of menopause.’
TRANSGRESSIVE RECORDS 5TH ANIVERSARY @ UNION CHAPEL
Madonna - Celebration By Claire Hubble
The night of the 26th
September 2009 marks
the 5th anniversary of the
formation of
Transgressive Records.
Having released
offerings from the likes
of Mystery Jets, The
Young Knives and Foals
to name but a few, you
would expect the line-up
of their birthday show to
be nothing short of
extraordinary. Although
most of the bands on
tonight‘s bill are
relatively unknown,
there is no doubt that
they still live up to the
expectation.
Dan Michaelson and
the Coastguards get
proceedings underway
with a set of beautiful,
low and raspy folk
songs. It‘s just a shame
they have to battle
against the sound of late
arrivals finding their
seats.
Mechanical Bride, AKA
22 year old Lauren Doss,
has the audience
spellbound with her
experimental take on
modern folk music.
Without a doubt, the
highlight of her set is the
haunting ‗See Worlds‘
with its light, whirlwind
vocals and glockenspiel
accompaniment.
Jeremy Warmsley‘s
well-balanced blend of
indie, electro and folk is
a treat for the ears.
Despite walking head-
first into a microphone
and having to deal with
various technical
problems, his set is a
thorough success.
they have to battle
against the sound of
late arrivals finding
their seats.
Mechanical Bride,
aka 22 year old Lauren
Doss, has the audience
spellbound with her
experimental take on
modern folk music.
Without a doubt, the
highlight of her set is
the haunting ‗See
Worlds‘ with its light,
whirlwind vocals and
glockenspiel
accompaniment.
Jeremy Warmsley‘s
well-balanced blend of
indie, electro and folk
is a treat for the ears.
Despite walking head-
first into a microphone
and having to deal
with various technical
problems, his set is a
thorough success.
thorough success.
Graham Coxon quickly
proves that ex (?) band-
mate Damon Albarn isn‘t
the only Blur member to
have forged a successful
career outside of cheese
farming - his endearing
stage demeanour and
unquestionable skill
providing an interesting
and versatile set, although
a few more distinguishable
melodies wouldn‘t go
amiss.
Despite the high quality
of all of tonight‘s acts, the
cheers and wolf whistles
that greet ‗the next poster
boy of the nu-folk scene‘
as he steps on stage
confirm that singer-
songwriter, multi-
instrumentalist and
thinking-girl‘s heartthrob
Johnny Flynn is the act
that most have come to see.
His set consists of a perfect
balance between the poetic
and heartfelt laments of debut
‗A Larum‘ and the harder
edged material from his as yet
untitled forthcoming album
(due this spring). Despite a
slightly forced but admittedly
charming style of on-stage
banter, Flynn always manages
to appear confident in his
musical performance, and,
with crowd favourite ‗Tickle
Me Pink‘ finalising a
triumphant set, the folk starlet
leaves his audience with the
feeling that whilst they may
have just witnessed some
truly great music, the best is
still yet to come.
By Lucy Alker and Bethany Edwards
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Flynn: We review them
Two Dancers, Wild Beast‘s
second album, leaves out the
edgy, juttering Franz-
Ferdinandisms of their debut for
the leagues of reverb and delay
that have recently dominated the
likes of Fleet Foxes‘ and Foals‘
debut albums. Yet Wild Beasts
offer something far more
eccentric and off-kilter in their
stunning arrangements.
Vocally and lyrically Wild
Beasts are fantastic - Tom
Fleming‘s sonorous tenor
perfectly counterpoints Hayden
Thorpe‘s melodramatic falsetto,
which has so defined their sound.
The latter‘s amazingly
alliterative and assonant lyricism
runs like poetry, and what poetry
best examples of this being the
album‘s two best songs. „Hooting
& Howling‟ sees Thorpe
conjuring up a scene similar to
one from West Side Story. Tom
Fleming‘s voice suits his
Casanova role in „All the King‟s
Men‟, a dizzying maypole dance
of lechery and libido.
Yet behind this chauvinism is a
delicate fragility found in the
tear-strained tale of desertion,
„Two Dancers (ii)‟. It is this
juxtaposition, this knowing irony
that makes lyrics like “a bovver
boot ballet”, not just bearable,
but even comical.
Two Dancers is a thoroughly
accomplished and cohesive
record. Everything feels
essential. While, on initial listen,
Thorpe‘s voice appears bold and
dangerous, he uses it far more
subtly in this more mature
record.
So crawl through the
runs like poetry, and what poetry
it is! The band tells stories of the
male „Underbelly‟, the two best
examples of this being the
album‘s two best songs. „Hooting
& Howling‟ sees Thorpe
conjuring up a scene similar to
one from West Side Story. Tom
Fleming‘s voice suits his
Casanova role in „All the King‟s
Men‟, a dizzying maypole dance
of lechery and libido.
Yet behind this chauvinism is a
delicate fragility found in the
tear-strained tale of desertion,
„Two Dancers (ii)‟. It is this
juxtaposition, this knowing irony
that makes lyrics like “a bovver
boot ballet”, not just bearable,
Two Dancers is a thoroughly
accomplished and cohesive
record. Everything feels
essential. While, on initial listen,
Thorpe‘s voice appears bold and
dangerous, he uses it far more
subtly in this more mature
record.
So crawl through the
undergrowth, smell the dark,
dank earth at your fingertips, the
billowing campfire underneath
the clear night sky, and join Wild
Beasts‘ deliciously lascivious
party.
For fans of: Foals, Patrick Wolf,
Born Ruffians
but even comical.
Two Dancers is a thoroughly
accomplished and cohesive
record. Everything feels
essential. While, on initial listen,
Thorpe‘s voice appears bold and
dangerous, he uses it far more
subtly in this more mature
record.
So crawl through the
undergrowth, smell the dark,
dank earth at your fingertips, the
billowing campfire underneath
the clear night sky, and join Wild
Beasts‘ deliciously lascivious
party.
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
By Chris Webb
Beep Beep! Coming through!
Move over! Yeah You! It’s
Dizzee Rascal in his Mini
Cooper, racing to the top with
his fourth studio album
‘Tongue N Cheek’ and he’s not
stopping for anybody. Just as
well, because in 2009 Dylan
Mills has gone from being the
cheeky Prince of Grime to
being the mischievous King of
the Number One without a
single blemish, let alone a
bump; and after a summer of
Dizzee madness which has been
literally Bonkers, the future is
screaming Go Go Go!
The album continues down the
exact same road as his
previous: full of energy, full of
powerful
production and full of witty
lyricism capturing the cheeky
persona of Dizzee perfectly.
And that’s definitely what
‘T&T’ is all about: cheekiness.
He doesn’t talk about the harsh
life or about making it in the
music business as he has in all
previous albums. Because he’s
made it. And he’s loving it.
‘Money, Money’ demonstrates
this perfectly as he sums up his
new life: ‘money money, girls
girls, cash cash” Nothing more
and nothing less is said on this
honest and fun track, but never
fear the shock factor is still
here, and you do not get more
shocking than ‘Freaky, Freaky’
which is so unbelievably crude
that even for Dizzee’s
standards, sends your mind
spinning. What makes this song
(which despite the content is
very catchy) so laughable is
that it is followed by ‘Cant Tek
No More’ where Dizzee
condemns the government and
the congestion charge. How on
earth are you expected to take
anything seriously after that!
But that jus sums up the
album: humorous, lighted-
hearted, crazy and egotistical.
In other words: Dizzee Rascal.
The man is flying on the fast
lane and I for one would not
want to get in his way. Now
that would be bonkers.
Dizzee Rascal – Tongue ‘N Cheek
By Alex Mason
In keeping with Gothic week the Creative C
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Time stops for no man.
Fortunately, time is gracious enough to stand still for me. When will I take you? Soon, I think. I am never wrong. I smell Life as she decays, and time her departure with divine accuracy. I am permitted to savor her scent; but never touch until she is ready. I stick to this rule like blood to a corpse. That's why I'm good. There is only one Death. For those who choose to look at me, I am not feared; merely accepted… Somewhat reluctantly. When the time is right, I gently tug Life away, in that blissful, unaware state between sleeping and wakefulness. I carry her like a baby in my arms. I kiss her goodnight. Some Lives are decayed long before I take them. They scream, like a human brat screaming for her mother. They make me sick. I wish I could rip out their throats myself, if it shut them up. They prefer to live in self-loathing; loving life and fearing death, but hating life and embracing death too much to crawl out of their piteous existence and do something about it. They offer me their Life as some kind of perverted gift. Their last words never reach their lips, but rather stick in their throats never to be spoken: What the hell took you so long? Yes. I can see you now. Your scent whistles through the wind in wisps so faint that only my nostrils detect them. I know you, beautiful soul. I sense your presence with every hollow, humid beat of my heart. The sky will be orange when I take you away. Kirsty Capes-Edwards
He stands there, high above the ground, pain and torment written across his
once innocent face. He feels the anger growing inside him, like an unwanted bastard child. He looks around, and sees images that remind him of a better place, a happier place. Now, the memories are tainted, as he realises that things were not quite what they seemed. A misplaced trust and now happiness is dead. Photographs, souvenirs, memories are strewn around the floor, ripped into a thousand separate pieces. They were of a time long ago. He doesn’t want to do it, but he sees no other way out of it. He cannot run, and he cannot hide. He knows that they will always be watching, waiting. Tears fall silently down his face as he adjusts. This isn’t a test, there are no second chances. He looks down at his naked body, bruised, battered and violated, and screams as loud as he can. He knows that no-one is coming to save him. This is it. He steps forward. Phillipe Bosher
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writing team present some horrific pieces!
Sickness in the marital bed – Hazel Edwards
Revolving loosely in its socket
Your roving eye on me did land
My picture shivers in your locket
The light it sinks as in quick sand
‘Oh silence that incessant moaning!’
Grandfather chime for me the hour
‘Weeping wind oh quit your groaning!’
The walls grow taller, I sit, I cower.
Sickness it wears an ugly mask
Contorts features beloved with feverish strain
Sucks away that ruby juice of life too fast
Till the final knell, beginning – no – end of pain
A Poem Because of a Life and a Lie (Temperatures and
Equivalents) – Jessica Goldsmith
Tick,
Tock,
Tick,
Tock.
Waxing and waning of the clock.
All of the apples in an uneven line,
A single thought to get to school on time.
Evanescent reflections,
Deep unsettling within, it is presumed.
An inability to progress,
A gift to digress.
But no shoes to climb it.
Gaze fixed on an unknown place
Between the eye and the cold floor.
The boiling kettle,
The blaring radio,
Crackle of wrappers.
Too loud; too chilling,
Too late for crying out.
A protruding nose, a silent mouth.
It’s all about the hoops as we hit a new season of Strodes Sports. The Basketball team is the star so far having cruised to the finish line in their first game winning 87-80 then followed it up with a crushing 69-32 score in their last game. They are currently the only unbeaten team in the college and with great efforts from senior players such as Theo Simms hopefully the lads can keep it up. In contrast the Rugby team has had a poor start to the season this term with two early defeats. With a new influx of first year players there is great potential in the squad this year, with new players such as Lewis Carmen, the Rose brothers and James Ball making big waves in the team already. The squad narrowly lost out to Tiffin’s in an epic encounter in the Daily Mail Cup which captivated a large crowd but unluckily resulted in the home team losing 22-19. The team has now been placed in the Daily Mail vase and recorded their first win, a staggering 79-0 against Isleworth and Syon recently. The rejuvenated Football team have experienced considerable success so far with some improved performances on last year. So far they have racked up 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses. Although the Stats do not add up, with healthy competition for places this year it has created a whole new atmosphere amongst the players and they are currently running three teams. Under new P.E teacher Mark Hughes the Girl’s Football team is probably the team creating the biggest buzz. With strong numbers and several new players of a high standard we hope to look forward to some exciting developments. In their first game of the season they narrowly lost out to TASIS 5-4 Finally we move on to our Netball team who struggled last season with not many recorded victories but their fortunes have been completely reversed this term. Although they recorded a home loss to Godalming, the team led by Deya Lidster and Rebecca Oldham have fought back, stealing two on the bounce victories. They eased past Bishop Wand winning 21-7 and won a hard earned 27-14 victory against Woking. Let’s hope the girls can put themselves in a good position for taking the league title later in the year. Strodes Sport has a growing reputation and a special mention needs to be given to all the new athletes who have outdone themselves in helping to create a new competitive streak amongst the teams. We hope to see continued success as the year goes on and get Strodes on the winning path. Phil Roser and Gareth O Brian
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‘What did you get up to this weekend?’ one of my friends asks another. ‘Oh, I got so smashed… Words cannot DESCRIBE how smashed I was.’ I stand by listening with the infinitesimal amount of interest that I can summon. What if they asked me? Oh, you know, I sat at home, read, went and bought some books, played with a girl and her disabled sister who my family were looking after. No. I didn’t go out and get drunk. This is the thing that I fail to comprehend. How can these people drink, every weekend, to the state of not remembering what they did for the majority of that time? How do they have the energy, and the money, to do this once a week? I can remember when I was one of these kinds of people, up to the end of summer; smoking whenever I could get the money to buy some Mayfair once I was sick of B&H Silver; Stealing drink from my parents stash. I thought I liked the way it made me feel. But throwing up outside your friend’s tent at half-three in the morning was going too far. What was I doing? What had I achieved all summer? Nothing. I’d smoked and drank a hell of a lot and ruined my relationship with my parents. I didn’t feel alive. Why can’t people have a good time without forcing alcohol into their systems every week? There’s so much that young people can do, but people seem committed to drinking themselves into oblivion. It’s not helping anyone. You what? Have to have a drink to loosen up and have a nice time? To be more interesting? Do you realise what that means about you as a person? Pretty boring. What does it do to your self-confidence? Are we going to be the generation that forgets to ‘feel alive’? Jessica Goldsmith
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Breast Cancer Month
October is breast cancer awareness month and as this is a
highly relevant issue for both females AND males, we at Strode’s Independent Newspaper thought this would be an opportune moment to remind all of you how you can get involved with this worthy cause. With someone being diagnosed with breast cancer every 11 minutes it is more imperative now more than ever to aid the research into this potentially fatal disease. Events run throughout the year to raise funds to aid research and save lives, some even closer than you might think: On Sunday 15th November a five kilometre walk is taking place starting at Runnymede Memorial Park in Egham itself! Fancy dress is welcome, with a prize being awarded to the person wearing the best fancy dress outfit, and also to the person who raises the most amount of sponsorship money. And as the saying goes, every little does help; over the past ten years breast cancer death rates have fallen by almost a fifth and almost two thirds of women diagnosed with breast cancer today are more likely to survive for at least twenty years due to public donations and fundraising. Ultimately, the goal is to beat breast cancer by 2020, but this cannot be achieved without our help, whether it is ten pence donated in a charity box or by taking part in the aforementioned walk in Runnymede Memorial Park. Whatever it is, we urge you to get involved to make the vision of beating breast cancer a reality! For more information on the Runnymede Autumn Walk visit www.cancerresearchuk.org/breastcancer and click on events. Katie Marshall and Chelsea Render
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Egham Airtrack The Airtack will offer huge benefits to a lot of Strode’s students. The plan is to build an extra station in Staines, as well as a train that connects from Staines to Windsor and a direct train to Heathrow airport. The problem Strode’s students have with its construction is the implication that barriers will be down 40 minutes out of every hour causing major traffic. “People like me who travel from outside of surrey are going to find it hard. At some point we have to either cross over the level crossings which are going to be affected to get into college or have to tackle a horrible roundabout. Either way, we're going to be stuck in traffic for a good period of our journey and as a consequence be late for college.” – Deya Lidster, Law student Letters of complaints were to be submitted to the Secretary of State by before 18 September 2009 which means plans are officially going ahead. Now our only hope is to find a resolution to the traffic the Airtrack will cause. The citizenship classes at Strode’s college have been taking a stand, signing petitions and writing letters to the council. One citizenship student, David Hunt, has set up a group on “Facebook” to raise awareness to the cause. “I wanted to try and get the knowledge out there to all of the students from Strodes, other people from around Egham and even over the world. We’ve had people from America who have joined the group. I want people to know about the track and its disadvantages as well as its advantages and unite people to put a reasonable solution to its problems in action.” – David Hunt, Citizenship student Because it is too late for the Airtrack to be stopped going forward, various organisations are demanding the council to build either a bridge or a tunnel as a solution to the problem. This could benefit our town and make it even more accessible than before. Sarah Hughes
By Alicia Britt