The St. Michael’s School Magazine

Winter Edition 2012

DUX

Editor’s note

Florianne Humphrey

DUX MAGAZINE EDITOR

As the year draws to a close, so does our stint as this year’s Magazine Committee, and this final issue is packed full of articles including an exclusive interview with St Michael’s amazing caretakers, reviews, makeup and fashion tips, recipes to keep you warm this winter…and lots more! Good luck to the new Magazine Committee, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! A big thank you to everyone who contributed articles, to Emilia Jarosz and Lucy Revere for the photographs, and again to Laura-May Nardella for designing the magazine.

The Team

Yeme Anjeli Olivia

Ali Ndi

Laura-May

If Winter comes

can Spring

be far

behind?

Back in Black by AC/DC Yellow Submarine by The Beatles Golden Brown by The Stranglers

Violet by Hole Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix

Gold rush by Ed Sheeran Black and Gold by Sam Sparro

Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones Yellow by Coldplay

Back to Black by Amy Winehouse Black Horse& the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall

All In White by The Vaccines Red Cat/ Yellow Cat by Say Anything

Blue Blood by The Foals The Violet Hour by Sea Wolf

Gold Digger by Kanye West ft Jamie Foxx Black Heart by Stooshe Purple Rain by Prince

When there’s snow to clear, chairs to stack, or gates to lock, St Michael’s caretakers are always there to get the job done. I joined two of them

Loriano (pictured on the right) and Roy (pictured on left) to find out their childhood dreams, loathes and views on our school.

If you were a superhero what would your superpower be? R: I’d like to be able to be in two places at one time. L: I would love to help people in more ways. Are there any secret tunnels? R: Yes they are all underneath the grange

What did you want to be as a child? L: A restaurant manager since I have worked in catering all my life. R: As I’m from Wolverhampton, when I was growing up it was a very industrial place and I know this isn’t very aspirational but I wanted to work in a steel factory like my dad.

By Ndi Iwumene

What is the most common thing you are asked to do? It has to be the chairs. We dream about chairs (laughs), get them out, put them away, get them out again! Ever come across a ghost on site? R: Yes in the junior staff room. When I first started here it was my job to lock up at the end of the day. Every time I went in there I would hear someone talking to me but I couldn’t understand their words or see them. Funnily enough that room used to be the entrance into the chapel for the nuns. The voices stopped once I told the others but I still feel nervous in that area till this day. How many school keys do you carry around? R: There are four main keys but all together 12. Finally what do you consider is the worst job to do around the school? R: Cleaning up children’s vomit. The smell and consistency of it just drives me insane! L: Cleaning the fish pond.

How long have you been at St Michael’s? R: Nearly 8 years L: Over 9 years What’s the biggest change you have noticed over the past 8 years or so? R: Well we have to do so many more mass and assembly tasks! What do you think makes St Michael’s special? R: Without a doubt the pupils. We have such a great friendly relationship. Students are respectful, quite good and well behaved. We are treated equally and not given a hard time.

On Friday 26th October a large number of sixth formers gathered together to celebrate Black History Month through food and music.

The event took place in the common room. The normal drone of the microwaves and screech of metal tables and chairs was muffled by the overpowering voice of Dbanj ‘I LIKE BEYONCE!’ and Psquare ‘CHOP MY MONEY!”. An assortment of drinks, snacks and African foods were scattered across several tables. Within ten minutes of the organisers opening the event, the jellof rice, fried rice, chicken and an entire cake had found themselves a new home in the stomachs of the ever growing crowd.

Once all the food supplies were exhausted people instantly turned to dance. Almost automatically a dance floor appeared as students formed a circle. It wasn’t long before someone dashed into the centre and began to Azonto. Everyone chanted along to the music ‘fine girl I’m showing you the ting, I’m teaching you the ting!’ the strong African beats pounded against the walls and warded off any teachers, except for the curious few. As the music played on it seemed like lunch time would last forever. But it had to end. When the music eventually came to a halt everyone shuffled back to their form rooms with the tunes still playing in their heads. It was a great way to end the term.

Black History Month By Ndi Iwumene

Behind all the celebratory music, food and fun is a very important subject. Less than a century ago black people and other ethnic minorities were hugely discriminated against and denied basic rights. In the US several black activists fought against segregation and lynching, Martin Luther King is one of the most widely known.

It is celebrated annually in the UK in October. At present racism still lurks in our modern society and can sometimes lead to horrific incidents such as the murder of Steven Lawrence in 1993. On the other hand racial tensions are dying down; this is evident in the fact that the most powerful man on earth is currently a black man. Barack Obama was recently elected for a second term in the white house. Amazingly our generation is witnessing black history in the making.

If it hadn’t been for their actions things would still be as bad today. Black History Month is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African Diaspora.

Winter in London

Borough Market opens every day from the 13th of December, so warm yourself up with hot spiced apple drinks and gourmet burgers. http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk Ice skating at The Natural History Museum, Somerset House and Tower of London for both beginners and aspiring Torvill and Deans! “Bah! Humbug!” becomes more melodious with Scrooge the Musical at London Palladium. http://www.londonpalladium.org/scrooge/ Slava’s Snowshow, back by popular demand http://www.slavasnowshow.co.uk “A Pantomime? Oh no it isn’t!” Oh yes it is! The famous Hackney Empire is showing Dick Whittington and his cat or, more locally, there’s Cinderella at the Wyllyotts Theatre. Do you have a head for heights? Take a trip on the London Eye at dusk or, for fellow Scrooges, the Emirates Air Line cable cars are only £1.60 for oyster card holders.

Five years in the making, the V&A’s new Hollywood Costume exhibition includes outfits from Avatar, My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, James Bond, Batman, Superman, Atonement, Star Wars…and Dorothy’s ruby slippers even make an appearance! Film buffs, book now! http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-hollywood-costume/

The North Pole comes to Hyde Park with Winter Wonderland, perfect for a day out with friends to get you in the Christmas mood. http://www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

London during winter is by far one of the best times to go out and to make the most of our beautiful city. With Christmas lights adorning every street and festive cheer in the air, it’s the perfect setting for a day or evening out.

By Florianne Humphrey

Dreaming of becoming a

journalist?

By Florianne Humphrey

However, after submitting an article and a CV and then having an interview with the organisers, I was surprised to get a phone call to say that I had passed

both stages and was now on the Young Journalists’ Academy course. The course was at the end of the summer and on the first day we met outside Canary Wharf station. As with situations where you don’t know anyone, I was petrified but, again with these situations, upon introduction (“Are you…are you, erm, are you here, for the…for the journalist thing?”) I discovered everyone was lovely and it was only a matter of time before we were discussing journalism and daring each other to try the new Percy Pig drinks at lunch.

As a keen writer, I’ve always been interested in journalism. There’s a type of journalism for everyone and it’s an effective way of voicing your opinion on a local, national or even an international level. I’ve contributed small articles to local papers and had a review published in TV Times whilst on work experience, but I was itching to do something bigger, and that’s where the Young Journalists’ Academy comes in, guns blazing, to a rapid drumroll. Every summer there’s a course for young, aspiring

journalists at Canary Wharf, sponsored by none other

than The Times and Google, so I thought I’d give it a shot, not expecting to get in because of my negligible knowledge of current affairs.

drumroll.

The course ended with prizes for the

blogging competition and other

submitted articles that included work experience at The Times, Spiked and Lloyd’s List (and a jam doughnut). We all left with pages of contacts from various top journalists and a promise from the YJA organisers that they’d stay in contact and update us on any exciting new journalistic opportunities

Cliché though it sounds, this is a once in a life time opportunity that was not only one of the best and most interesting weeks of my life, but it also has an impact outside of the course. I put it, of course, on my personal statement for university, and I’m sure in the future it would be easier for me to get a job in journalism. For example, on the back of this course, one girl has published multiple articles in The Guardian young reporter section and another boy got two weeks work experience at The Sun, working alongside Gordon Smart. So, if you feel like getting into journalism, and you’re

going to be 16-18 years old next summer, try for a place on The Young Journalist’s Academy, because you never know where it might lead!

http://www.yja.org.uk https://twitter.com/young_journos http://www.spiked-online.com/site/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZUorEmbS2c&feature=player_embedded

Over the course of the week, I experienced every aspect of journalism. There were talks on how to write a good news article (ABC: Accuracy, Brevity, Clarity), the future of journalism, opinion writing, data journalism, TV reviews from Ally Ross at The Sun, celebrity reporting, science writing, pop culture…we even got to record a radio package and design our own magazine cover. The best part of the course was the tours of The Times and The Sun offices, where we grilled The Sun journalists about the recent phone hacking scandal and spent an hour in the office of its celebrity reporter Gordon Smart, who has been to Noel Gallagher’s wedding, was playing football with Coldplay the next day, and is good friends with David Beckham. His office was full of paraphernalia, from a signed copy of Kasabian’s Processed Beats to an Olympic athlete jacket after he met Tom Daley and ran with the Olympic torch. I’ve never heard so many fascinating anecdotes, and we all left his office convinced that, merely for the perks, celebrity journalism was the one for us.

5 Facts About Tea

Until the 19th century, tea was used as currency in Siberia. That’s right folks, you could pay for things with solid blocks of tea leaves!

Have you ever had a health freak drone on about the amazing health benefits of green tea? Well next time they do, you can retaliate with the fact that white tea has higher levels of anti-oxidants. Na na na na naaaa.

Surprisingly, all tea comes from the same plant –

Camellia Sinensis

A cup of tea may keep the dentist away, yes I said 'dentist'. This is because tea helps fight cavities.

The Irish (unsurprisingly) consume more tea per capita per year than any other group in the world!

Despite also being a coffee drinker, I must say that nothing quite compares to that warm cup of rosy lee on a cold wintery day to make you feel better. But how much do you know about our trademark drink?

By Laura-May Nardella

The Noisettes

Concert Review

By Olivia Nwabali

On Tuesday the 13th of November I had the amazing experience of seeing the Noisettes, one of my favourite bands, live at KoKo in Camden. The Noisettes are probably best known for their commercial success with the catchy song “Don’t Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)”, which was featured on a car advert a couple of years ago. But for the most part they are relatively unknown by pop/soul/indie rock/blues (their music spans quite a few genres...) fanatics and I find this a great shame, as they are such a talented duo.

KoKo in Camden has a great atmosphere and is just big enough to give you the adrenaline rush of being surrounded by jostling bodies and exultant voices all dancing and singing away with you. But the intimacy is not lost as it is in somewhere like the O2 arena (leaving the acts as matchstick people on the stage, unless you’re at the front of the pit) as the venue is that much smaller. Of course the sticky floor, quota of smelly people and Mr Why Are You SO Tall I Can’t See ANYTHING were all present, but that’s to be expected and is all part of the concert/gig experience.

The set ended with Shingai disappearing from the stage and suddenly appearing on one of the balconies (where some people were unsuspectingly watching from) and proceeding to sing the slow burner ‘Atticus’ while hanging off the edge backwards, holding on only by her legs. After everyone stamped their feet and hollered for an encore, we were informed that we only had 3 minutes until the 11 o’clock noise curfew. Naturally, that meant that the final song whipped everyone into a last ditch dance frenzy, and it’s hard to explain how brilliant those last few minutes were! So the moral of this gushy fangirl music review is: go listen to some Noisettes! Their music will honestly brighten even the most miserable day.

The Noisettes came on at just after half nine, and so they had two opening acts performing in the couple of hours prior. They were Josephine Oniyama and Marques Toliver- unknowns, with follower counts hitting around the 2,000 mark on Twitter, but nonetheless very talented people. When the first half of the Noisettes, Dan Smith, came on stage with his guitar the crowd went crazy, but the sound notched up another level when front woman and vocalist Shingai Shoniwa sashayed on stage. The band played an hour and a half set, primarily with songs from their third album ‘Contact’ but interspersed with tracks from their second, ‘Wild Young Hearts’. Dan delivered some amazing guitar solos that really amped up the already excited crowd and Shingai was literally bouncing all over the stage, nonchalantly throwing in a few cartwheels at the end of a track. In my opinion the sign of a really good music act is when they don’t just deliver the same sound quality of the album, but perform the songs that much better live. Shingai’s soulful vocals were somehow even more powerful and beautiful and she really knew how to interact with us and drum up excitement in the audience.

The Beauty Page

By Laura-May Nardella

It’s that time of the year again - time for chapped lips, dry skin and runny noses that force you to wipe off any attempts at hiding the blocked nose redness. *Sighs* Winter is not a great time in terms of beauty but I have some tips to help you protect your skin, hair and lips during these cold months.

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Yes you

heard me- moisturise! Though you may

think summer is the worst time for dry skin, it’s actually the central heating that you’re exposed to in winter which causes your skin to flake more than usual. Keep

your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water and using day creams (oil-free

if you have acne). And if you’re worried that your skin will be too oily, don’t- your skin produces sebum when it’s dry so see moisturising as you getting there first.

As with your skin being affected by artificial heating, so too can your hair be! You will probably start to notice a lot more dandruff in your hair and to avoid this you need to get your hands on some anti dandruff shampoo

such as ‘Head and Shoulders’ or ‘T-Gel’. But if you usually have quite oily hair, go for the cheap, basic brand shampoos because they have less harsh products in them.

To combat the ever present, ever unattractive chapped lips which winter so kindly brings, make sure to slather on petroleum based lip balms (wax based ones don’t give enough protection). Use scent-free lip products because the cinnamates which allow products to smell nice irritate your lips. Also, avoid exfoliating your lips or using lip scrubs as removing the dry skin will actually break down the barriers that retain moisture in your lips.

The Nails Page

By Catriona Gallagher

Drips

-Paint your nails with a base colour. I’ve used a clear matte base coat but any polish will work. (This is also a great way to hide that two-day-old-chipped nail polish) -Paint a wavy French tip using just the brush. It’s perfect if you haven’t got such a steady hand as mistakes can look like part of the design. -Using the rubber end of a bobby pin, make dots on the edge of the French tip and a bit away from the tip. Join the separated dots using a small paintbrush or a toothpick. -Add more dots under the drips further down the nail.

Christmas Present -Paint nails a base colour and let them dry completely. -To make the ‘ribbon’, put two small pieces of tape on the top and bottom of your nail, leaving a horizontal strip of the base colour visible. -Paint your ribbon colour over this and gently peel off the tape leaving a neat stripe. Do this for all your nails – try to keep them a similar width and in line with each other. - On your middle nail, use the tape method again to create a vertical stripe. -Make the ‘bow’ by painting oval shapes in the top squares of the nail - use the side of the brush with most of the polish wiped off. Using a toothpick dipped in your base colour, paint a fat line inside the oval to create loops. -Using a toothpick or a small paintbrush, paint small flicked lines in the bottom squares of the nail. You can do this on your thumb as well.

Holly Berries - Paint your nails a solid pale Christmassy colour like silver or white. -Using the rubber end of a bobby pin, make 2-3 red dots close together to form the ‘berries’. -Take the green and wipe most of the polish off on the sides of the bottle. You’re only going to use the very end of the brush and need very little polish. -Make two leaf shapes either side of the red dots by gently dabbing the end of the brush onto your nail. Use just the flat tip of the brush and move it directly up and down rather than along your nail. -Go over the red dots if the green polish has covered them. - You can add some detail in silver to the leaves with a toothpick or tiny paintbrush.

Moustaches -Paint your nails a translucent pink or white. -Make two large dots in black polish in the centre of your nail using a bobby pin. I’ve done it about a third of the way from the tip of my nail but anywhere will work. -Use a toothpick and make two tiny dots in black polish at either side of the nail. Try to line them up with the middle of the large dots. -Use a toothpick to fill in the moustache. Dip it in the black polish and dot it on the nail - first, from the top of the large dots to the tiny one, and then back from the tiny dots to in between the two large dots. -Fill in any space with black polish using the toothpick. -You can add a face and monocle to make him look fancy or brown hair to resemble Mr. Hunter-Gordon. Either will work this Movember!. -Add a topcoat to smooth things over.

Watermelon - Paint nails bright pink/coral colour. -Add a thick French tip to the base in white polish and leave to dry. Do the tip by keeping the brush still and turning your nail. -Do the same thing with a green polish, leaving a line of white visible under the green. -Using the rubber end of a bobby pin, make a few dots on the pink in black polish. If you want it to look more realistic, pull one side of the dot out with a toothpick to create the ‘seed’ shapes.

The Page

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... So it’s cold. It’s very, very cold. Time to stop wearing just a little cardigan or denim jacket, and reach to the back of the closet to get out your winter coat. Or, like me, if you’re fed up with the same old duffle coat, to invest in a new one. Cue operation coat search. But where to start? With stores like Topshop listing a total of 114 coats online, and River Island having 173, there’s

definitely not a shortage of choice. The only question is- what style of coat do you want? There are about five styles you cannot miss this Autumn/Winter: Military, Boyfriend,

Puffa, Cape and Duffle.

Let’s start with Military:

Structured, strong, bold, normally lapelled, but sometimes belted. Alexander McQueen was just one of the labels sending military coats down the catwalk for A/W 12, but if you want the look, without the price tag, it’s easy to find this style in high street shops, such as New Look, Dorothy Perkins and Topshop.

Boyfriend: Ah, the coat which makes you

look like you’re having a Bridget Jones ‘Bridget-that’s-not- your-coat’ moment. But nevertheless, if you get the coat just right, it will go with any outfit, at any time, in any place. The characteristics of this coat are simple, normally knee length, if longer, but don’t be put off by that St Michael’s girls, you may be the type of person it suits! (That’s a compliment - when I have this style of coat on, I look like I’ve borrowed my dad’s...not a good look.) River Island and Topshop are the big guys for this trend.

By Verity Rowan

Puffa. I don’t feel the need to introduce

this as such. I think we all know what a Puffa coat is. The marmite of coats, you either love them, or you hate them. If you, like me, were pushed into wearing one of them as a child by your mum, and from that day swore to never wear one again, then that’s OK, I understand. But they are huge this season, and they’re everywhere you look! So, we should embrace it! I was eight years old when I wore my first Puffa; well, someone has to set the trend... Burberry Prorsum was just one of the labels introducing this look for this season, and if it’s good enough for them!

Capes! Along with Superman and

Batman - I LOVE Capes. Not only do they look good on anyone, they also make you feel like you’re a superhero when a gust of wind goes past. What’s not to love?! Plus, they would look beautiful simply with a pair of jeans and ballet pumps. I think my favourite thing about capes though is the fact they can be worn throughout the year, cold winter mornings, windy autumn afternoons and cool spring evenings. Take your pick!

BLACK FUR COLLAR CAPE Dorothy Perkins, £69

Let me start by saying that being a teenager is tough. Nobody really warns you about the

changes you’re going to go through. Sure, your brief sex-ed lesson in primary school might

give you a little hint; one morning you wake up, look down and your hips have suddenly

popped out of nowhere, you’re curled up on the sofa cursing mother nature and A B C are no

longer just letters of the alphabet- they’re a new measurement unit you have to get to grips with.

But that’s only the airbag hitting your face when hormone express hits you; it’s those

other things that growing up throws at you like kids chucking snowballs in winter. It’s the day

you wake up and you suddenly care that there’s a massive spot on your forehead. It’s the

day when your fringe becomes a shield rather than a hairstyle. It’s the day you look in the

mirror and you start pinching at your wobbly bits and calorie counting everything

you eat. It’s the day that you start worrying about what the cute boy on the 125 bus thinks of

you. It’s the day you start crying for absolutely no reason and you start slamming doors as an act of rebellion. Mostly, it’s the day when you start feeling like you’re completely alone and no one understands what you’re going through. Unfortunately, insecurity rears its ugly head just as much as acne but there’s no foundation

thick enough to hide that particular symptom of Teenager. It’s just a fact of life that you’re

going to get stressed and you’re going to hate your body most days or feel like

everyone else’s life is better than yours.

Well I’ll let you in to a little secret: not one of your friends isn’t feeling the exact same feelings

as you, not one. Miss Popularity may look like she’s sailing through Adolescence Ocean (ok…I’ll stop with the cheese) but I promise you she is waking up to the same battle

with the mirror and the same critical inner monologue as you are. All teenagers have

insecurities, they just come in all different shapes and sizes, much like you and I. No article

in Cosmo or post on Tumblr can really give you a solution to insecurity. No one can give

you the exact date of when your hormones are going to balance out and stop bothering you so much. Not even I will attempt to give you tips on how to deal with all the problems that are coming your way.

But what I will do is leave you with the knowledge that everyone is insecure and that

you are not alone because as my teenage years draw to a close, I find myself wishing

someone had told me that a lot earlier.

By Laura-May Nardella

The ever present question in art, in my opinion, is “how do we define the value in art?” In modern society we have broken numerous boundaries in what is considered “good art” and “bad art”, and of the current art prizes, the Turner Prize is definitely one of the more conceptual and controversial, which perhaps mirrors the eccentricity of Turner himself. An art prize named after a man who would voluntarily tie himself to the masts of ships to inform his seascapes has to be out of the ordinary. In regards to technical ability, I believe that Paul Noble’s work is the forerunner of the nominees. His painfully intricate attention to detail is mesmerising and his hidden words and images add an extra dimension to his work. The fact that he has spent over fifteen years drawing “Nobson Newton”, an entire three dimensional city, using nothing but pencil and paper seems absolutely insane, however I’m not sure it’ll be enough to secure his winning place. The idea of a dystopian society has been popular in art (and literature) for a long time now so I query the originality of the piece.

The Turner Prize

By Ali MacFarlane

At the completely opposite end of the scale is Spartacus Chetwynd’s “Odd Man Out”. Performance art is a controversial form of work in itself, and as far away from traditional art as you can go really, but exploring the topic of voting and religion makes it all the more intense. Or so I thought. I was extremely disappointed by the 10 minute performance of some weird sort of tree dance and even less impressed when, after the performance, we saw the actors watching TV in only half of their costume. Not only was it short and boring, but it didn’t seem to have the pizzazz that the press had hyped.

In my opinion, the most exciting pieces were the films by Elizabeth Price and Luke Fowler. Price’s film, “CHOIR” was a fast paced, immaculately edited documentary about original church choirs but then the focus shifted to the Shangri-Las dance moves and finally the Manchester Woolworth’s fire in the space of twenty minutes.

Fowler’s documentary style film about Scottish psychiatrist, RD Laing, is astounding. The jump cuts and soundtrack of noise, voices and music made me feel like I was actually going mad and the film progressed and developed so fast; one minute we were listening to Laing himself talking about his hometown and the next thing we knew, we were witnessing a patient being interviewed about her imaginary baby. The cinematography was stunning, as Fowler cuts in footage of nature and light to contrast the harsh hospital environments. All in all, it’s a beautiful film aesthetically and on a deeper, more personal level.

[The Turner Prize is still open until 6th January and the results are declared live on Channel 4 on 3rd

December.]

The backing track of clicks and “Out in the Streets” by the Shangri-Las create a spooky atmosphere and the repeated phrase “a twist of the right wrist” haunted me long after the film ended. However powerful Price’s work is, the winner in my eyes has to be Luke Fowler.

From the big screen…

The Woman in Black It takes a while to actually get scary but

when it does get scary it really gets scary. When I went to see it, the

cinema was pretty packed and there was literally always someone who was screaming during the ‘scary night’ part of the film. There were some points during

the film when I was having little mini heart attacks because it was just too

terrifying. Daniel Radcliffe’s performance was great unsurprisingly. Although I worried that it

was such a drastic change from the

Harry Potter films that it wouldn’t suit him, I can definitely see more thriller movies in his future. It wasn’t the scariest film that I have ever watched, but for Daniel Radcliffe’s first major film

after Harry Potter, it was

undeniably good.

It is now out on DVD, and I would

recommend everyone, including Harry Potter fans, to give it a try! Even if you’re not as scared as me, you will most assuredly be freaked!

Chronicle

Chronicle is about three high school students, who form a close bond after

receiving telekinetic abilities from an

unknown object they find while exploring in an underground hole. They use the powers for mischief and general personal gain to begin

with. But then Andrew, an awkward and

slightly disturbed boy, turns out to be the most powerful and begins to use his power for

darker purposes.

This is a science fiction film but it was also a little scary to see how far Andrew took his gift. Dane DeHann performed Andrew

amazingly. He is in a lot of pain due to his

mother’s illness and his father’s abuse and neglect, and his isolation at school, and in a way he takes it out through his powers. The whole film is filmed through the eyes of

Andrew’s camcorder which he uses to film

the events of his life and I thought this

original take on the film really added to its

quality.

It was a really enjoyable film with a

satisfying ending. I would recommend it to people who like sci-fi type films. Although there was a lot of action and so I believe it could really grip a wider range of audience.

By Yeme Onoabhagbe

What’s on the

Homeland is a drama/thriller which stars

Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. The series follows Carrie Mathison, a CIA operations officer, who, when working in Iraq, was told by an asset that an American prisoner of war had been turned by al-Qaeda. When US Marine Sergeant, Nicholas Brody (previously thought to be dead) is rescued during a raid on a compound belonging to terrorist Abu Nazir and brought back to the US, Carrie is immediately suspicious – believing he is the American who has been turned. However, her superiors and the whole of America consider Brody to be a war hero. But Carrie is determined and her naturally obsessive nature takes over and the first series follows her forceful attempts at exposing him. The second series has aired in Britain in the last few weeks, and to some extent continues this story line – but I won’t give too much away! If that little synopsis hasn’t interested you enough then, I will tell you why it’s such a good programme and for two reasons. Firstly - the actors. Claire Danes portrays the determined, zealous and slightly crazy Carrie in a remarkably accurate way, making her scarily real to the viewer. Damian Lewis (who is British – though you won’t believe it from his faultless American accent!) is even better at acting Brody – a tormented soul trying to act normal even though he is anguished by his years of torture from Abu Nazir. Although as the series progresses the viewer wonders how innocent he really is, whether Carrie is in fact correct – is he a hero or a traitor? This constant question ‘is he or isn’t he?’ keeps you going through the whole series – because through every episode more and more is revealed as things became more dangerous and exciting until the final episode which is just… a complete shock.

Thus the writers (Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa), are also worthy of praise because of their ability to make Homeland always seem exciting, being able to keep the story for such a long time without ever losing my interest, and keeping me satisfyingly mystified even in the last few episodes when it really should have been clear what was going on! Even though the second series has begun, I would seriously suggest catching up with the previous series. It isn’t impossible to start from here but series one was simply so good that it seems wrong to miss out on it. If you’re the sort of person who is discouraged by a ‘typical’ American series, then don’t jump to conclusions. Give it a chance! Ask for the box set for Christmas! Barack Obama says that it’s his favourite show – doesn’t that say it all?

By Yeme Onoabhagbe

Good Reads By Yeme Onoabhagbe

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾ By Sue Townsend Townsend was one of Britain’s bestselling authors in the 1980s. Her ‘Adrian Mole’ series has been treasured by many and because it is the 30th Anniversary of the first book in the series, I thought it would be a great time to review and encourage you all to read it! The book is in the form of a diary written by a ‘normal’ teenage boy from Leicester – Adrian Mole, aged 13 ¾. Adrian has to deal with all the normal problems for teens of his age: being hopelessly in love with Pandora – a feminist, radical girl from his school; his parents smoking, drinking, their unstable marriage and curious lack of interest in their only child; the loneliness of being the only ‘intellectual’ in his area; looking after crazy old pensioner Bert; getting kind rejection letters from the BBC; and dealing with spots. I previously never believed that you could read a ‘funny’ story; I have read books within the ‘comedy genre’ which are never actually laugh-out-loud funny and so I assumed it was impossible for a writer to write real comedy. I just hadn’t realised that you needed a special kind of writer, one who is able to write in such a way that can effortlessly make you chuckle, one who can impart so many laughs that at times I would have to stop reading because I was laughing so hard.

It was a relatively quick read, chiefly because it’s so difficult to stop reading it. I think what I liked especially about the book was Adrian’s parents whose relationship is one fraught with hilarious unrest – watch out for them! I would recommend this to people from Year 7 and above as it’s easily relatable to young people even if it was written a few decades ago.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War By Max Brooks World War Z is a post-apocalyptic novel that accounts what would happen if zombies infested the entire world, on the way giving you essential tips on how survive a Zombie War. Brooks writes it as a collection of different people, who survived the Zombie War, telling Brooks about what they had to do in order to survive. I must warn now that it is definitely not for the faint-hearted, it’s a zombie invasion in the most gruesome and realistic manner. Of course, if you’re someone who enjoys a hearty amount of horror then I would definitely urge you to read this book.

It was recommended to me by a friend, and I assumed it would just be about people being attacked by zombies – thrilling, but slightly unoriginal. But, the book doesn’t start with the full scale attack. It begins with hints of isolated attacks, and then the amount of zombies steadily increases until it becomes a pandemic – so that we can see actually see realistically what would happen if zombies invaded the world. I would maybe recommend this to some of our slightly older readers because it does get quite graphic at times, but anyone with an appreciation for horror/thriller can read this thorough, unique and refreshing new thriller.

Harry Potter Quiz

Potterhead or mere Muggle? Find out with this magical quiz!

Who says the following? o“We did it, we bashed them, wee Potter’s the one, and Voldy’s gone moldy, so now let’s have fun!” o“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” o"Longbottom, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something.” o"Oh, very good. Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. 'Ghosts are transparent.'” o"Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do.” o"You're a prefect? Oh Ronnie! That's everyone in the family!” o"Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled.” o"Harry Potter, sir!” o"Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher. There was just that minor drawback him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head".

Name a side effect of Pepper-Up potion, which cures common colds? What final ingredient is needed for Polyjuice Potion? What is the breed of giant spider that Harry and Ron find in the Forbidden Forest? Which potion makes you tell the truth? What is the strongest love potion in the world? What is an Animagus and can you name five Animagi? What’s your only defence against the Imperius Curse? Can you name the Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers in order and the reason they came to a sticky end? Why is the position cursed?

Who has the following Patronus? Goat Fox Phoenix Otter Hare Stag Doe Lynx Werewolf Jack Russell Terrier Cat Weasel

What do these spells do? Accio Colloportus Avada Kedavra Dissendium Engorgio Expecto Patronum Expelliarmus Morsmorde Obliviate Petrificius Totalus Riddikulus Sonorus

Keeping Warm Wear more layers inside to keep the heat down. Turning the heat down just a few degrees can make a big difference in your energy consumption. Make use of sweaters, slippers and throw blankets to stay warm.

Enjoy an eco-friendly Winter

Electronics During the winter, every little thing counts when trying to save money and be more eco-friendly. So, it's a good idea to unplug appliances that you aren't using every day or at least, unplug them when they're not in use and only plug them in when they're needed.

De-icing Use non-toxic de-icers on your driveway and other areas. Chemical de-icers can also be harmful to pets and wild animals. Instead, throw plain sand down on your driveway for the traction that you need.

Christmas Shopping For Christmas shopping, it's easy to get caught up in the season and spend every spare moment at the shops. However, to be greener during the winter, consider grouping all of your shopping together in a single day (or at least, a single weekend).

Here are some quick and easy tips to have a more eco friendly winter and Christmas

Wrapping Paper Apparently in the UK alone we use around 85km2 of wrapping paper at Christmas time, so the more we can get this figure to be made up of recycled paper the better, especially as there is so much choice out there now in terms of recycled wrapping paper.

by ECO - Committee

By the Environmental Committee

Everyone was aware of the huge impact of Hurricane Sandy (later dubbed ‘Superstorm Sandy’) on a number of countries and it seemed to be on a never ending trail of destruction; taking lives, ruining property and infrastructure and plunging areas into total darkness. Areas of impact included the USA, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, Bermuda and Jamaica, fatalities totalled 253 people (with 15 still missing in Haiti) and the damages incurred are an estimated $52.4 billion across the board. Tropical storm and hurricane warnings were issued in the Caribbean countries, and show how wide the impact of the storm was anticipated while the U.S.A took every possible precaution. The pictures that surfaced (predominantly of the United States) showed scenes of total destruction and in some cases almost apocalyptic surges of water.

Swimming in San Marco

and swept away by Sandy

By Olivia Nwabali Personally, I am not someone who is overly environmentally conscious. I hate littering and I think recycling is a good thing, but I sort of tune out when I hear the words global warming. However, it was kind of hard to ignore the implications of this when our newspapers (and Twitter feeds) were filled with pictures that showcased a very real problem with our environment, particularly in relation to rising sea levels.

The rising of sea levels is linked to three primary factors:

thermal expansion

melting of glaciers and polar ice caps and

ice loss from Greenland and West Africa.

However, the same cannot be said for the surrounding regions of Italy where the floods killed several and destroyed infrastructure. My initial thoughts were that such disasters, admittedly at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of destruction, could be laid at the doorstep of the infamous global warming, and those I asked felt the same way. But apparently it is a lot more complicated than that and experts agree that climate change caused by global warming was not the direct cause of either event. It is only a ‘systematic cause’. For example, smoking is a systematic cause of lung cancer. So although all weather is affected and often enhanced by a change in our climate, these natural disasters were caused, basically put, by an unfortunate alignment of storms and the coinciding of heavy rainfall and strong winds. So, if you’re still with me, I guess what I’m trying to say is that we can’t blame everything on global warming. Although it can be held responsible for exacerbating environmental problems we should not immediately assume that all natural disasters or extreme cases of weather activity are the sole fault of global warming. It is more complex (and confusing) than that but by the look of it we are going to be seeing a lot more climate change in the future. To those saying, “I don’t see how we’re experiencing global warming when it’s so cold!”- simply be thankful that we’re not waist deep in water. And in the mean time, keep recycling!

I have visited Venice and it is truly one of the most magical places I have ever seen- ‘The Floating City’ is unlike anywhere else, but what makes it unique is also one of its greatest inconveniences. Every winter, Venice experiences a period of ‘acqua alta’ where the city, which is situated in a lagoon, expects an influx of water and so ensures that there are always preventative measures in place to limit damage. The city will arrange for elevated walkways to be put in place and shop and home owners take matters into their own hands by doing things such as buying water-proof furniture. But this November, Venice has suffered its worst floods in 22 years, with water rising to over 1.5m and spreading to cover over three quarters of the city. However when I saw the pictures of a flooded Venice, my first reaction was to smile. The pictures were not those of devastation, as with Sandy: they showed some adventurous people casually swimming in Piazza San Marco, or laughing in groups while reclining in floating chairs - it actually looked pretty fun. While the Venetians were exceptionally annoyed at the weather miscalculation they are essentially used to their city’s unpredictable relationship with water.

When I was younger, my dad told me to turn off the Spice Girls, my friend and I air guitar to the Foo Fighters and I dressed up as a Justin Bieber fan for Halloween. In one sentence, you should now have a good idea of my music tastes. What I used to find, however, was that there weren’t

any radio stations that catered for my needs. I used to listen to Capital Radio because, admittedly, it plays good songs (this summer I went to Capital’s Summer Time Ball where Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and Coldplay were amazing) and it is the one station that is constantly

promoted. Then, I twiddled the dial to 105.8 and became addicted to the radio.

Why everyone should

absolutely switch to

By Florianne Humphrey

Initially, Absolute Radio seems like a stereotypically masculine station, with its Rock and Roll Football and a whole afternoon dedicated to match commentary, but don’t let that put you off (or, if you’re a football fan, that might be attractive) because the music is mind blowing. There’s not just the well-

known rock of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Queen, The Who, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, The Clash, and Oasis but

also glam rock Bowie, 2 tone The Specials,

Camden ska band Madness, reggae god

Bob Marley, New Wave stars The Police,

anarchist punk rockers The Sex Pistols,

progressive and psychedelic Pink Floyd, grungy Nirvana…the list is as endless as a Led Zeppelin record.

But don’t despair – if you don’t want to be stuck listening to your parent’s music (and there’s

nothing wrong with that), they also play contemporary singers, including Adele, The Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons, The Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club, Ed Sheeran,

Kasabian, Foster the People, Fun. and new artists such as Alabama Shakes, Of Monsters and Men and Jake Bugg.

Not only do they have a play list so suited to me that I suspect they’ve stolen my iPod, but Absolute Radio also have funny

and witty DJs such as Geoff Lloyd, Christian O’Connell and Andy Bush, and comedians Dave Gorman, Frank Skinner and Alun Cochrane, who interview bands and discuss topics from weird things the English do to shops that have ‘punny’ names. Plus, if you go on iTunes, there are podcasts so you can catch up on missed shows for free. I’m not sure I can fully describe how funny the DJs are without transcribing an entire show into this article, but trust me when I say it’s as good as watching Mock The Week.

And the best thing? There’s a No Repeat Guarantee, their promise that, unlike Capital

Radio, you won’t hear the same song twice in a day, which means more music variety. And there really is variety – the previous list of singers is only a tiny percentage of the music played. I listen to this station before school, after school and on the weekend and I hardly ever hear a song repeated.

Even if you’re not a hard-core rocker who heads straight for the mosh pit at gigs, if even two of the bands I mentioned feature on your iPod then run to the nearest radio, tune up your air guitar, whip our your invisible drum sticks and sing along to Absolute. www.absoluteradio.co.uk

Tomato and Chilli Jam

This tomato jam is like a grown up version of tomato ketchup, but so much better! Great for using up a tomato glut and a lovely homemade present too,

with some cheese and biscuits.

Preparation Method Sterilise the jars. Wash in very hot water or on the hot cycle of a dishwasher. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Place the jars upside down on a baking tray and dry in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Heat the red onion and chopped tomatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the chillies, ginger, star anise, vinegar and sugar. Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until very thick and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan so that it leaves a channel behind it that does not immediately fill with liquid. Add the fish sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes, then spoon into sterilised jars.

Less than 30 mins preparation time 1 to 2 hours cooking time Makes 4 x 250g/9oz jars

Recipes

Jasmine Wisdish

Ingredients 2 red onions, finely chopped 400g/14oz ripe cherry tomatoes, halved 400g/14oz ripe plum tomatoes, quartered 3 large mild red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, grated 1 star anise 250ml/9fl oz white wine vinegar 300g/10½oz soft light brown sugar 2 tsp fish sauce (substitute soy sauce for vegetarians)

Preparation Method Pre heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix to form a soft dough. Roll out onto a well-floured work surface and cut into rounds. Place on greased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. When completely cool decorate. Roll out the white fondant icing and cut out circles the same size as the biscuits, brush the backs of the circles with a little cooled boiled water and stick them to the biscuits, smoothing down the icing as you stick it on.

Snowman Biscuits (Christmas Cookies)

Ingredients •200g/7oz self raising flour •100g/3½oz caster sugar •100g/3½oz butter, plus extra for greasing •1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten •1 tsp vanilla extract

For the decorations

•white and blue fondant icing •white and black writing icing •sprinkles •48 small chocolate balls

Roll out the blue icing and cut out more circles, then cut these in half and using a little more water and stick on top of the white icing for the hats. Brush the hats with water in places where you want the sprinkles to stick and then sprinkle! Pipe decorations on the hat with the white writing icing, then pipe a small blob for the hat bobble and another for the nose – stick on the chocolate balls. Pipe black eyes and mouth then leave to set.

Horoscopes

Star sign: Aries Star date: 21 March - 19 April Did you fall from heaven? Because you’ve been complaining a helluvalot recently. Give yourself a break, and everyone else!

Star sign: Taurus Star date: 20 April - 20 May That thing which you lost (or didn’t) will be found soon (or later) where you thought it might be (or not).

Star sign: Gemini Star date: 21 May - 21 June Frostbite is looking likely in the foreseeable future. Cover those toes.

Star sign: Cancer Star date: 22 June - 22 July Winter is just not your season. If you’re going away, expect your flight to be cancelled. Even airlines have it in for you this year.

Star sign: Leo Star date: 23 July - 22 August You may have two winter boyfriends this year- one called Ben, the other called Jerry.

Star sign: Virgo Star date: 23 August - 22 September It’s looking good for you Virgo. Just kidding, Christmas lights, live wire and severe burns. That’s all I’m saying.

Star sign: Libra Star date: 23 September - 23 October

It is advisable that you listen to your mother and clean the kitchen more thoroughly. Why?

Who knows. But mum is always right.

Star sign: Scorpio Star date: 24 October - 21 November

Christmas is going to be tough on the pocket but even tougher on your face. I think it’s

time to invest in some spot cream because hormones are never in your favour.

Star sign: Sagittarius Star date: 22 November - 21 December

It’s birthday season woo! Try not to get too carried away with the cake though, muffin

top is not the nicest fashion accessory.

Star sign: Capricorn Star date: 22 December - 19 January

As ever, you will be annoyed about getting only one set of presents. My advice is deal

with it darling.

Star sign: Aquarius Star date: 20 January - 18 February

The crystal ball has fogged up from the cold. Sorry.

Star sign: Pisces Star date: 19 February - 20 March

New Year celebrations could be wild but beware of the food. I feel a nasty food

poisoning stint coming your way.

Laura-May Nardella

By Mystic May

Quotations

“To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best.” ~ William Makepeace Thackery “Unless you’re willing to have a go, fail miserably, and have another go, success won’t happen.” ~Phillip Adams “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.” ~Confucius “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” ~Woody Allen “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” ~Helen Keller “Learn from your dreams what you lack.” ~ W. H. Auden “The happiness of society is the end of government.” ~John Adams “A positive attitude can really make dreams come true- it did for me.” ~David Bailey “A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.” ~Jane Austen

“Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.” ~Muhammad Ali “Even God cannot change the past.” ~Agathon “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” ~Albert Einstein “The most useless are those who never change through the years.” ~James M. Barrie “I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.” ~Muhammad Ali “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” ~Jack London “You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.” ~Richard Bach “Always forgive your enemies- nothing annoys them so much.” ~Oscar Wilde

By JJ Wilson and the Magazine Committee

Harry Potter Quiz Answers

Who says the following?

Peeves, Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Snape, Hagrid, Molly Weasley, Hermione, Dobby, Harry

Patronus

Aberforth, Seamus, Dumbledore, Hermione, Luna, Harry/James, Snape/Lily, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, Ron, Umbridge, Arthur Weasley

Spells

Summons object, locks doors, murders opponent, opens “one eyed witch” hump, enlarges objects, produces Patronus to ward off Dementors, disarms opponent, creates Dark Mark, erases memory, body binding spell – petrifies opponent, defeats Boggart, amplifies voice

Animagus: witch or wizard who can turn into an animal at will.

1. Minerva McGonagall 2. James Potter

3. Sirius Black

4. Peter Pettigrew

5. Rita Skeeter

Smoking ears

Hair

Acromantula

Veritaserum, Amortentia

Your own will

• Quirinus Quirrell – killed after attacking Harry because he was supporting the fragmented soul of Lord Voldemort

• Gilderoy Lockhart – lost memory after Memory Charm backfired in the Chamber of Secrets

• Remus Lupin – retired after school found out he was a werewolf

• Alaster Moody - impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr - received Dementor’s kiss after true identity revealed

• Dolores Umbridge – attacked by centaurs and then removed from Hogwarts after Ministry announced Voldemort’s return

• Severus Snape - fled after Dumbledore’s death in Astronomy Tower

• Amycus Carrow – Presumably arrested after Voldemort’s death, by which time curse lifted

Mischief Managed!