Blue Planet March Issue

TeamEditing Victoria Brook-Hill Joshua Gray Francesca LeGallWriting Bethany Ainsworth-Coles Sarover Aujla Sarah Austin Amanda Bradbury Nina Dhatt Jade Dockerill Sara Gregory Jack O’Connor Emily Poulton Josh Riley Phoebe Rome-Hall Catherine Webster

Design Joshua Gray

Marketing Francesca LeGall

Fashion Hannah Cox Danielly Noakes

Photography Kathryn Lloyd Amy Taylor Aimee Hollands

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Please note that the views and opinions that are expressed in this magazine are in no way reflective of the views and opinions of The Chalfonts Community College. Contents March 2013

Page One Editor’s Letter

Page TwoNetball NewsDistrict Trampolining Competition

Page ThreeHow to tell if your life is a sitcom.

Page FiveConversations

Page Six Oh, just grow up!

Page NineArt Competition

Page Eleven“Don’t even get me started on…”

Page ThirteenMusic

Page FourteenFashion

Page FifteenBest Beauty Buys

Page SixteenPlanet Bake

Accreditation Sergio Luiz Araujo Silvadeclarehope.orgpixabay.commisteraibo.deviantart.comfarm5.staticflickr.comrclijanesch.blogspot.co.ukTelegraphhistoryextra.comc479107.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.comlardlad.com

Front cover design by Francesca LeGall

Page TwelveAgony UncleJack O’Connor

Page SevenRaising the School Leaving AgeSara Gregory

Page Four

Celebrity CultureJosh Riley

1 Blue Planet | March 2012 March 2012 | Blue Planet 2

Editor’s letter Netball News On Wednesday 27th February, the Chalfonts netball squad took part in an exhilarating district tournament held at Wycombe Kingsmead Netball Club in which they played against a number of different schools. They managed to win two games out of the four they played with a staggering 14-4 against Chesham Grammar. Amy Hindmarch was asked to play for the team on the day of the tournament and was amazing considering she does not usually play netball. Although Chalfonts didn’t reach the final, the team played extremely well and put their all into each game they took part in. Some of the senior netball girls will be hugely missed as this was their last big tournament that they will be playing in before leaving Chalfonts and moving on in their lives.

Defend till the EndThe Year 11 boy’s Basketball team were recently defeated by Aylesbury Grammar School in the County Cup. At times Chalfonts definitely did dominate the possession but struggled to score from the opportunities that were created. They played very well as a team and their pace was on top form. There were particularly good displays and some great shots from Matt Ogden and Justin Mathis, while Alex Park who made his debut for the Chalfonts Basketball team played a very good

Welcome back to Blue Planet. This is our second edition and we hope you enjoy this one as much as the last. I think we can all agree that Francesca LeGall’s front cover design is beautiful and shows us what spring should look like when we can’t find it outside our windows.

This term the highly acclaimed ‘Agony Uncle’ column returns for all your school concerns along with the ‘Don’t get me started on…’ column, which addresses our pet peeves. Sara Gregory’s article about the decision to raise the school leaving age will be relevant for a lot of you and explores the pros and cons of this development. We are excited to introduce a new art competition with awards for art and PVA work as nominated by teachers. We also have a new baking column with recipes for you to try out as well as a ‘Conversations’ section, which presents people’s views on current affairs.

If you read our last issue, thank you very much for returning and if you are a new reader we hope that you enjoy this issue. Due to the number of people who are having to leave the magazine next year in order to go on to university, we are looking to our readers to take on the challenge of writing for, designing and editing the magazine in the future. If you are interested, please come to Media 1 at lunchtime on the first Wednesday back after the Easter break!

Enjoy the magazine and have a lovely Easter.

- Toria Brook-Hill

game. Although they did not win, this has not had any effect on their team spirit and they are determined to succeed and win their next games in the coming weeks and show their opponents what Chalfonts is made of. Best of luck boys!

District Trampolining CompetitionOn Monday 4th March, The Chalfonts Community College took seven girls to compete at the District Trampolining Competition at Chesham Grammar School. The competition was of an extremely high standard. The routines showcased the students’ impressive ability with skills including piked back somersaults and baranis.

Lucy Howman successfully achieved 1st place in the individual competition with Zara Smith following closely behind in 2nd place. Both girls said, “the experience was great and we are proud to represent Chalfonts.”

-Nina Dhatt


Cretin 1 : “Bah! Those gosh darn celebrities! How could anybody look up to them?!

Cretin 2 : Kids these days! What are they thinking? What went wrong?!

These are actual quotes.

It is often said by people such as these, that we live in a broken society. Teenagers are subjected to false idealisations of body image, they are ‘slaves’ to the perpetually moving freight train that is fashion, and more and more youths worldwide are succumbing to the mellifluous shriek of ‘celebrity’.

I should make it clear that this is not going to be a celebrity rant article, you can find plenty of those elsewhere. Indeed they are almost as abundant as the lifestyle they criticize. I should also state that I am by no means arguing for the likes of Kerry Katona, Peter André, or any other person who regularly plagues the covers of high quality reads such as ‘Heat’ or ‘Ok!’. These are not people who should, in my eyes, be looked up to but I’m not saying many people do. I think we, as a society, have figured out that solely searching for fame, and idolising those who are solely famous, is an unwise thing to do. I am arguing against the

people who believe the soporific argument hat they alone understand what makes a good idol, and who incessantly cast contempt over the teenage admirers of celebrity lifestyle. Theirs is a tedious yet aggravating outlook.

Firstly, the idea that our worship of celebrity, especially youth’s worship of celebrity, is something recent is infuriatingly wrong. The desire to idolise and worship our heroes and Gods is a very human disposition, and the ‘worshipping’ of celebrities can be seen in much early 20th century literature - the classic image of an air-headed young woman fantasizing about a dreamy actor comes to mind. Furthermore, considering we as humans have this natural urge to praise Gods and heroes and those with power, is it not perhaps a good thing that this impulse is instead satisfied in many ways through an adoration for vapid but harmless pop stars and soap actors? Consider who could be in Miley Cyrus’s place: A dogmatic zealot? An aggressive doctrinarian?

Are celebrities really as corrupt and mind numbing as is reported? No, I don’t think so. Much of celebrity lifestyle that is adored is silly, yes, but that just might be the extent of its influence. I think those who constantly bombard celebrity culture with apoplectic accusations of ‘corruptive!’, are seriously undermining the intelligence of those around them. To me it comes across as conceited.

Now, of course, one does not have to admire celebrities if one does not wish to, but an important thing to remember is that society can be varied, society should be varied. There is no reason why you should have to choose one lifestyle over another, Miley Cyrus over Mozart, you can have both. Build your pantheon.

- Josh Riley

Celebrity CultureHow to tell if your life is a sitcom.

Does your life seem to come free with a laughter track, a selection of cringe worthy falls and moments of sheer insanity? Congratulations your life could be a sitcom!

Now it’s still possible that it isn’t so lets go for the basics. • Do you seem to spend your life in a limited amount of locations/rooms in your house/work-place?

• Do you hang around with a group of people that seem to fit stereotypes or tropes eg. the bossy one, the needy one, the flirty one, the random and slightly ridiculous love interest? And finally,

• Do you have a family member who no-one ever sees and is only ever heard?If you answered yes to these questions congratulations you are a figment of a writer’s fevered imagination.

So now what? You have discovered the truth. Do you try to break the fourth wall or keep it a secret? Well I can’t answer that. Let’s just hope you’re not in one of those dark comedies which brutally kills the character that was least expecting at it (we are looking at you scrubs, looking at you) or one that just seems to pick on one character and run with it (you know who you are). Maybe just once you will get a really touching storyline but for now just rejoice in the fact that if you do fall over in sitcom land there are never many injuries!

- Bethany Ainsworth-Coles


ConversationsWhat should be done with exams?

All school examinations should remain the same they’re challenging yet achievable for everyone.

– Catherine Webster

The modular system needs to change because students have exam pressure throughout two years of study.

– Sarah Austin

There should be one exam board controlling the exam for one subject, therefore this controls the style and challenge of the examination.

– Josh Gray

Exams should be taken at the same times throughout the year and every school should take exams from the same boards.

– Nina Dhatt

I think that all subjects should have modular exams under one exam board to make it fairer for students

– Jack O’Connor

Arguably people are getting progressively more intelligent, so it makes sense that the exams should get harder.

– Kat Lloyd

Exams aren’t tailor made to each person’s learning style.

– Bethany Ainsworth-Coles

GCSEs should have greater depth and build key skills in order to prepare students for A Level.

– Toria Brook-Hill

There should be one exam board to ensure fairness. Modular exams should be used to reduce stress and retakes give students a chance to do their best.

– Sarover Aujla

Coursework and modules definitely cause more stress but they keep you on track throughout the year.

– Amanda Bradbury

Exams should only stifle those with no desire to learn, not those who have a different way of learning.

– Josh Riley

Exams should be abolished as a form of assessment as they only measure performance not learning. Moreover, the educational playing field is not level, making ‘one size fits all’ assessment an inaccurate measure of progress.

– James Michie (Teacher)

Oh, just grow up!

We spend year seven wanting to be year nine, year nine wanting to be year eleven, year eleven wanting to be sixth form and sixth form wanting to be at university. How can you wish your life away when you have no idea what will be thrown your way?

Everyone has times where they wish they could be old enough to drive, old enough to buy alcohol, old enough to know better but in doing this you miss out on the stage of life you’re currently in. Admittedly, there are certain stages of life that are better than others but this largely depends on an individual’s experience of these. Some people may have a traumatic and challenging school experience, whereas others enjoy strong friendships and academic success. Either way, this doesn’t mean that time at school is wasted. The lessons you learn and the people you meet and the support you’re given set you up for life, and I can guarantee will be greatly missed when venturing out into the big wide world.

Growing up is a natural and fast paced process which quickly turns into aging, so enjoy every last moment. Abraham Lincoln, an American president famous for leading his country through the civil war, once said: ‘And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.’ Unfortunately, we’ve all experienced or heard about the tragedy of a life lost too early and this should really open our eyes to the importance of making the most of the time we have. No matter how old you are, or how privileged, everyone has the capacity and the opportunity to be grateful for what they have. On a cliché level, I could suggest that the view from the window or your friends and family are enough to be grateful for. However I am certain that there is much, much more available for appreciation regardless of your age such as music and technology and possibility. And that’s really what it boils down

to: regardless of your age or your ability or your attractiveness you always have something to hope for, aspire to or look forward to and, in doing this, we forget about the here and now. As I’m typing this I could be looking forward to a holiday or indeed a new pair of shoes but actually I can enjoy my ability and freedom to write this article and the mug of hot chocolate on my desk.

So next time you’re about to open your mouth and utter the phrase ‘I wish I was old enough to…’ just think about everything you can do and you do have. Look forward to your life, don’t wish it away.

- Toria Brook-Hill


Raising the School Leaving Age

School - not everyone’s cup of tea, let’s be honest. So understandably, the decision to raise the school leaving age, from 16 – 18, caused a fairly big stir. From outraged parents to indignant teenagers (objecting for the sake of objecting, most likely!) it’s safe to say that this legislation had mixed reviews.

Not everyone pictures themselves going to university,

“we can’t all be Stephen Hawking,

can we?”

Surely it’s a waste of resources and more importantly, taxes. I know what you’re thinking: taxes, they’re for the parents to deal with, right? Wrong. One day, it’s going to be our responsibility. And do we really want to be paying for unnecessary schooling? I think not.

So what possessed the political masterminds, who are running the country, to force kids to stay in school, when they clearly don’t want to be there any longer than they have to?

Well, as it turns out, they actually thought this one through. Staying

in school doesn’t mean taking A-Levels (cue the jumping for joy) it just means students will have to remain in school full time. But this could be in the form of undergoing training for careers of a more vocational, rather than academic, type.

In fact, the more you research this topic, it seems that this idea

makes sense. At the moment,

“the current level of unemployment in

under 25s is 25%”. In the grand scheme of things that’s a fairly staggering statistic. Could this be due to the fact that they were not given the opportunity to learn the skills

that would make them a more appealing candidate for work opportunities? Maybe. And, in my opinion, its better to have them in school, kicking and screaming, than to have them on the streets.

Therefore, forgive me for misleading you at the start but, I believe that this legislation will help to raise the younger generations of this era, to strive for better lives for themselves.

- Sara Gregory


Art Competition - Art Art Competition - PVA

First placeCharlotte HazelYear 12

Second placeFrankie HorsfieldYear 13

First PlaceJosh Riley

Year 12

Second placeJodie Burridge

Year 13


Disability discriminationI have a disability. I suffer from Cerebral Palsy, the most common physical impairment. Yet disability is still a taboo, something that should not be mentioned or discussed.

I wear a purple glove on my right hand and arm to support where my disability is at its worst. I get all sorts of questions: “Why do you wear that?” “What did you do?” However, when I try to explain they go silent like it’s the plague or they’ve said a rude word. That’s when I start to get annoyed and then those words drop from their mouths “Oh, I’m sorry.” I honestly don’t know what to say to that dreadful sentence. Why are they ‘sorry’? Does it affect them? No. Does it make their lives that little bit harder? No. So why do people say it? I’m not sorry. There’s nothing I can do about it, so why should I be apologetic for something that I can’t change.

In all honesty, being disabled has actually given me opportunities that I would not have had otherwise. Not everybody has been to Downing Street to meet George Osborne and his wife to talk about the taboo of disability. Not everybody has been to the Department of Education to discuss services and ideas that could benefit disabled people in education with the Minster of Education. It’s not every day you get to write for a national newspaper about having a disability. Not everybody carried the Olympic Torch in Richmond.

So, in essence, people need to break the taboo on disability in order to learn about it. To stop discrimination. So please ask me a question. ‘You won’t be sorry!”

- Sarah Austin

London 2012Ah, the Olympics, those two weeks in the summer when the rain ceased and allowed a range of sports to be done at their highest level. But now that the Queen has finished leaping from helicopters and gingers are

no longer jumping the furthest, can we say definitely that the legacy has been achieved?

2012 is long gone, and the attention has turned to Brazil and how it will take up the torch, pardon the pun. Or has it? More often than not we will turn on the news and the word ‘Legacy’ will be thrown in your face, reminding you how badly you suck at sport. I no longer want to wake up to Bill and Susanna asking me about my opinion on the Olympics. The year is over, and it is time for Britain to close that chapter of its history, and look forward to its future great sporting events…

- Phoebe Rome-Hall

Public TransportFirstly, don’t get me started on the price of fares nowadays! From school to Uxbridge by taxi costs £15, by train from Gerrards Cross to Wycombe it can cost £7.80 and from school to Gerrards Cross by bus £2.50. With these prices I would expect a warm environment, nice seats and punctuality. One way to pay a better price for this standard of travel is using a student ‘Citizenship card’- every bus journey in Bucks is only £1.20! Being a teen any saving is a great saving!

Secondly, don’t get me started on choosing a seat! If you sit too close to the front, the ‘oldies’ will give you their disappointed stare until you have no choice but to move! Sit in the middle and you’re swarmed with others invading your personal space! Attempt to sit on the top deck and you’d probably make it half way up the stairs and fall back as the driver accelerates away. What is this? And I thought fighting for the front seat in the car with my siblings was hard enough!

Nevertheless, at least transport has developed over the years! I’d much rather take a bus to school than walk many miles or use a horse and cart!

- Sarover Aujla

“Don’t even get me started on…” Agony Uncle

I just don’t seem to have the motivation to get up in the morning for school, what should I do?

Well we can understand why you feel you need to write to us; if you go into Café 2000 in the morning it looks like a scene from Shaun of the Dead. We know it’s hard to get motivated when you have the prospect of maths (working out why X+12=the mass of the moon) or double English (where you will talk about the fifty different meanings of the word ‘the’). Just remember its five months to the summer holidays where you can spend six weeks thinking about anything but school, until you remember that mountain of work you have to do the last day…

I think I’m stalking the person I like, how can I tell?

It may be difficult for you to tell if you are what people call a ‘stalker’, but put it like this: if you find yourself looking into their house late at night with a pair of binoculars then I think its safe to say you are absolutely mental and definitely a stalker. However, if you have not yet reached this stage (emphasis on ‘yet’) we think it would be best to find yourself a hobby to take your mind off this person, so that they can sleep safe at night and you don’t end up doing anything that can put you in prison.

I have a fear of the birds at schools, what should I do?

A fear of birds? You need to get your priorities sorted. I know they can get a bit close sometimes and there have been a few cases of them… errr… relieving themselves on students but its not like they are a danger. Have you ever seen the film “The Birds”? Those birds smashed windows and killed loads of people; I’ve seen one at school fly straight into the MUGA fence. All we can recommend is that next time you’re at school and a bird gets a bit feisty remember they are seagulls that are 50 miles from the sea, they aren’t vicious killers, they’re idiots.

- Jack O’Connor*This column is a work of fiction.“


Music

Ben Howard - Every Kingdom

The album inspired by nature and everyday things was originally a big hit with the surfer community in Cornwall, where Howard grew up. Influenced by the 60’s and 70’s Ben Howard’s album has folky, bluesy roots. Based around acoustic guitar and piano, the album is very easy on the ears. Songs like “The Wolves” and “Keep your head up” are powerful with strong guitar backing. Whereas “Black Flies” and “Promise” are slower with his voice taking centre stage.

Although “Every Kingdom” was released in 2011, it wasn’t until 2012 that his work was recognised with the nomination for the Mercury Prize. 2013 promises to be a good year for Howard after receiving two BRITS for British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. This will open up his music to more people which is well deserved as the album is a joy to listen too.

Ellie Goulding - Halcyon Ellie Goulding is turning into a shape shifter when it comes to music. Her debut album “lights”, was sparky and energetic, Halcyon is definitely energetic but for totally different reasons. The album has dub-step style backing and rather than putting her vocals in the best light, Goulding sounds like she is in competition with her backing.

There are some memorable songs like “Anything Could Happen” and “JOY” but the booming base lines on “Figure Out ”seem to fall at the last hurdle. I enjoyed this album but it left me completely confused. It seems as though Goulding is yet to find her style as a performer. It’s a shame because you do see glimpses of what she could be in “I need your love” with Calvin Harris.

Jake Bugg - Jake BuggDiscovered through the BBC’s “introducing”, a programme that gives a helping hand to brilliant undiscovered or under the radar artists, he played Glastonbury at the age of 17. Jake Bugg’s self-titled debut has been a marvellous hit. At the young age of 19, Bugg is already headlining Reading Festival and was nominated for the BRIT Award for British Break-Through act.

The album is a collection of songs inspired by personal stories and his pure imagination. Simply based around his guitar and his voice, the album is a welcome alternative to the club style pop that has dominated the charts recently.

Songs like “Lighting Bolt” and “Two Fingers” give us a sense of what it was like for Bugg growing up in Clifton, Nottingham. Throughout his songs Bugg shows emotion as well as talent. This album will have you humming and foot tapping all the way through.

- Sarah Austin

Spring / Summer 2013At Misguided

Beeba Suede Strappy Platform Heels£34.99 Niska Triangle Hand Chain

In Antique Gold£5.99

Gaga Circle ‘Flip Up’ Black Sunglasses

£6.99

Hadane Shiny Metal Clutch Box In Black

£26.99


N.o.7 BB Cream£12.95Boots

Girls, you no longer have to worry about the caked look of foundation! This easy applicable BB cream feels light and is great for the hot, summer months.

Nina by Nina Ricci - 50ml

£36.99 theperfumeshop.

com Although it’s a little pricey the fruity, long lasting scent will win you over. The perfect gift for a special occasion!

Palmers Cocoa Butter

£3.75Superdrug

This gorgeous smelling butter reduces the appearance of marks and is just the thing after a bath or shower. However, it can feel a little too thick and greasy on the skin!

Tangle Teezer£10.20

tangleteezer.com

Seems too expensive for a hairbrush right? It’s definitely worth it. The brush easily glides through the hair and eases pain when detangling. Good for long hair which knots frequently.

Best Beauty Buys

This months recipe is Lemon Drizzle Cake. It has come from one of my favourite baking books, The Great British Book of Baking. “This is one of the simplest cakes to make, but also one of the most irresistible, for it is very lemony. All the ingredients for the cake mixture are mixed together at the same time- this is sometimes called an all in one cake method- and the lemon juice and sugar topping is spooned onto the cake straight after baking. Its important for a smooth mixture that the butter is very soft, but not runny, and that the eggs and milk are at room temperature. Look out for unwaxed lemons for the very best flavour.” Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. put the soft butter, sugar, eggs and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric food mixer. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bow, then pour the milk. Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric whisk or food mixer on medium speed, until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake in the heated oven until the cake is a good golden brown and firm and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean- 50 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, make the topping. Mix the sugar with the lemon juice and zest to make a runny glaze. As soon as the cake is cooked remove it from the oven and stand it on a wire cooling rack. Prick the top of the cake all over with a cocktail stick, then quickly spoon the lemon topping over so that it trickles down into the holes. Leave to cool complete before removing the cake from the tin and discarding the lining paper. Serve cut into thick slices.

FOR THE CAKE MIXTURE 200g unsalted butter, very soft but not

runny 250g caster sugar

3 medium eggs, at room temperature, beaten

Finely grated zest of 2 medium unwaxed lemons

250g self-raising flour ½ teaspoon baking powder

100ml milk, at room temperature

FOR THE TOPPING 100g caster sugar Juice of 2 medium unwaxed lemons Finely grated zest of 1 medium unwaxed lemon A 20cm springclip tine or deep round cake tin, greased with butter and lined with greaseproof paper

My tips 1. Before pouring the lemon topping over place the cooling rack

onto a large plate or bowl to catch the dripping juice so it can be collected and re poured onto the cake.

2. If you like experimenting why not try adding poppy seeds after you have added all the ingredients, simply place 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds into a small frying pan with nothing else and roast for around a minute on a low heat. Then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding them simply tip them in and mix in thoroughly.

Star rating for this recipe- Difficulty level- EASY

By Emily Poulton

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Blue Planet March Issue