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Publication created and edited as directed by JCG Students
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JULY 2013
Written and edited by JCG Students
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
The TeamEDITOR-IN-CHIEFCharlotte Terry
EDITORSRowan PilleyHannah GardenerCharlotte SmithSteff SpencerEmily Crichard
STAFF EDITORSMr MilnerMiss Douglas
CONTRIBUTORS Elise GallichanVictoria ChylinskaNikki HammonVirginia HalfordAlex EmmersonGrace BraveryJyothi NayarBethan KingKatie Brett Emily DoyleVicky YoungsEloise Smith
SPECIAL THANKSGeorge MaoSimon Lewis
twitter.com/jcg_live
Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Any
form of reproduction of this magazine,
in part or whole is strictly prohibited
without the written consent of the
publisher. While every effort is made to
achieve accuracy,
JCG cannot be held responsible
for any errors or omissions.
Notes from theEditor
The time has finally come for this
year’s latest edition of the Gazette
to be released and it’s bigger and
better than ever before! After much
consideration, we decided that our
new theme would be fashion, a
theme you can’t really go wrong with
in an all-girls-school! As usual, we
got creative and managed to come
up with many different (but equally
Gazette-worthy) articles linked to
fashion - from baking to the Queen
– but, rest assured, we have a few
other surprises in store for you which
you will soon have the pleasure of
reading.
Behind each article is a daunting
but rewarding series of stages: the
initial idea for the article, creative
briefing, writing the actual article,
proof reading, editing, proof reading
again and making sure it fits into the
magazine. In order for this process
to run smoothly, you have to have
a dedicated, hardworking team;
thankfully, this is exactly what we
had. This year’s Editors have been an
amazing group: Rowan Pilley,
Charlotte Smith, Emily Crichard,
Hannah Gardener and
Steff Spencer.
It has been easy to work with you girls
and your new ideas and enthusiasm
to make the Gazette better than ever
have been tremendous. One person
aI would like to thank in particular
for being brilliant beyond brilliant is
Steff Spencer. You took on every job
thrown at you and the Gazette would
not have survived without you and
your impeccable organisation skills, so
thank you Steff !
But Editors only exist to ‘edit’
articles and would have no job to
do without the girls who imagined,
wrote and illustrated their articles. So,
to everyone involved, I cannot even
begin to praise your fantastic use of
imagination enough; it baffles me and
I can only hope that our readers will
feel the same way.
Charlotte Terry
Editor-in-chief
THE EDITOR’S
1
StaffFrom
the
EditorsThis year’s spring term saw the inter-House debating teams tackle the question of whether or not school uniform should be abolished with eloquence and passion. However you feel about uniform, it is clear that what we wear matters a great deal to us. When it comes to clothes, the choices we make – and those we are not allowed to make – shape the ways in which we present ourselves to the world and, for better and for worse, the way in which others perceive and judge us. This is a roundabout way of saying that fashion is important. It has its trivial side of course, even its callously materialistic and exploitative side; however, it is also an important aspect of human creativity and self-expression. There is room for all of these different perspectives on fashion in this issue. So, whether you are a passionate opponent of wearing fur, a budding fashion designer or just someone who really hopes nobody else wears the same outfit as you to the next prom, we hope that you enjoy what follows.
Once again, we are happy to present the Gazette to you in an attractive (and highly portable!) electronic format. This issue has benefited from the expert attentions of AEA Design and we would like to record our gratitude for the hard work done by David and the team in transforming our words and images into this beautiful creation. Most excitingly, working with the AEA team allowed JCG girls to become involved in the real-life process of preparing creative briefs and liaising with a professional design team.
These opportunities – as well as opportunities to be creative with words and images and to take on a leadership role as part of the editorial team – will continue to be open to you as the Gazette enters the next phase of its evolution. This is the final issue of the Gazette in its current form. From next September, the annual College Magazine will shift its focus so as to be a themed publication, a publication about big ideas and, most importantly, a student-led and
student-authored publication. September’s Magazine will focus on theme of communication; if you want to get involved, please come and speak to Mr Milner: as ever, we will need writers, illustrators and photographers just to name a few.
Thank you to everyone who has read the Gazette over the last five issues – we hope that you will continue to read about what JCG girls are inspired by and feel passionate about in the College Magazine.
Mr Milner and Miss DouglasStaff Editors
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
StaffFrom
the
EditorsThis year’s spring term saw the inter-House debating teams tackle the question of whether or not school uniform should be abolished with eloquence and passion. However you feel about uniform, it is clear that what we wear matters a great deal to us. When it comes to clothes, the choices we make – and those we are not allowed to make – shape the ways in which we present ourselves to the world and, for better and for worse, the way in which others perceive and judge us. This is a roundabout way of saying that fashion is important. It has its trivial side of course, even its callously materialistic and exploitative side; however, it is also an important aspect of human creativity and self-expression. There is room for all of these different perspectives on fashion in this issue. So, whether you are a passionate opponent of wearing fur, a budding fashion designer or just someone who really hopes nobody else wears the same outfit as you to the next prom, we hope that you enjoy what follows.
Once again, we are happy to present the Gazette to you in an attractive (and highly portable!) electronic format. This issue has benefited from the expert attentions of AEA Design and we would like to record our gratitude for the hard work done by David and the team in transforming our words and images into this beautiful creation. Most excitingly, working with the AEA team allowed JCG girls to become involved in the real-life process of preparing creative briefs and liaising with a professional design team.
These opportunities – as well as opportunities to be creative with words and images and to take on a leadership role as part of the editorial team – will continue to be open to you as the Gazette enters the next phase of its evolution. This is the final issue of the Gazette in its current form. From next September, the annual College Magazine will shift its focus so as to be a themed publication, a publication about big ideas and, most importantly, a student-led and
student-authored publication. September’s Magazine will focus on theme of communication; if you want to get involved, please come and speak to Mr Milner: as ever, we will need writers, illustrators and photographers just to name a few.
Thank you to everyone who has read the Gazette over the last five issues – we hope that you will continue to read about what JCG girls are inspired by and feel passionate about in the College Magazine.
Mr Milner and Miss DouglasStaff Editors
2
THE EDITOR’S
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
What’s Inside
P7Our reporters delve into the school archives and unearth a brief history of JCG fashion through time.
The
JCG Girl
THE EDITORS
Letter from the Editor..............1
Letter from the Staff Editors...2
FASHION
Fashion Ethics..........................5
Royal Fashion...........................6
The JCG Girl...........................7
Fashion vs Individuality............9
Behind the Seams..................11
Stereotypical Fashion.............13
INTERVIEWS
Principal’s Question Time....15
Mr Mao..................................17
An Englishman Abroad.........19
TITLE
World News....................................21
Cyber-Bullying..............................23
REVIEWS
We Need to Talk about Kevin........25
Local Jerrias Band, ‘Badlabecques’..26
The Debate.....................................27
TITLE
Creative Writing.............................29
Dark Poem.....................................30
Rowan’s Rant.................................31
Highlights
P6Royal Fashion
P11
Behind the Seams...Discussion on Sweatshops
P21
World News: Top stories
of 2012
P26
Music Review: Local Jerrias Band: Badlabecques,
CONTENTS
3
FASHION
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Normally, when we talk about ‘the cut’ in fashion we are not referring to the cut of meat. However, in 2010 eccentric pop star Lady Gaga made her appearance in her internationally infamous meat dress. Made of raw beef and designed by Franc Fernandez, many were equally repulsed and enthralled by this bold fashion statement. A question arose from such outrageous style: is it ethical to manipulate animals in order to look good or even to convey a message?
Gaga was accused of ‘butchery’ by publicizing the almost grotesque creation and by advertising the slaughter of innocent animals and implying that it is ethical to use animals not only for food but to enhance and fulfill a modern obsession with beauty. This is not only relevant to such bold statements but also resonates with the use of animal testing in common beauty brands such as Maybelline [See PETA’s animal testing lists: http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/search.aspx?Testing=1&PageIndex=8 (retrieved 6 Jan 2013)].
Some people defended her outfit with the argument that it is art - with no underlying ethical issues - and that freedom to express yourself through fashion is essential to maintain the culture which we live it without creating a uniform society - both literally and figuratively.
The star, however, disagreed with her supporters by suggesting that she was
emphasizing the need to stand up for rights: “We are going to have as many rights as the meat on our bones”. More specifically, she was protesting against the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy and the US governmental restrictions on gay and lesbian soldiers at the time at which President Obama ended during his first term in office. The issue of gay rights could be said to be even more relevant to America in the lead up to the presidential election in which Mitt Romney (the opposing candidate) holds a strong position against gay marriage. Gaga stressed that, “Dead meat is dead meat. And anyone that’s willing to take their life and die for their country is the same. You’re not gay and dead, straight and dead. You are dead.”
It could suggest the state of modern society that people have to resort to wearing dead animal flesh in order to make a political statement. Despite the right to free speech and the endless structures in place for the public to contribute to politics, has this overcomplicated the way in which we convey our messages? It is a case of who can shout the loudest to make their opinion heard and so it could be seen as necessary to resort to such drastic measures.
The Vegetarian Society argued that, “No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal. Enough animals die for food and they should not be killed for stunts like this.” It has
also been suggested it is only due to the now automatic separation of meat from the cute and fluffy animals it is torn from, that most of us are not disgusted by covering our own flesh with that of other animals.
Although Gaga’s idea was perceived by many as ‘original’, this was not the first meat dress. The artist and extreme feminist Linda Sterling wore a meat dress in 1982 to protest against the objectification of women by men. It was created from discarded strips of chicken and was one of many radical statements supporting the feminist movement. More recently, in 2008, America’s Next Top Model ran a meat fashion shoot and the internet is full of various butchered garments.
However complacent with any form of fashion we as a society become, it should not prevent us questioning the ethical issues surrounding clothes and whether it is ethical to manipulate animalsfor our own purpose.
Article written by Rowan Pilley
fashionETHICS
FASHION
5
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Normally, when we talk about ‘the cut’ in fashion we are not referring to the cut of meat. However, in 2010 eccentric pop star Lady Gaga made her appearance in her internationally infamous meat dress. Made of raw beef and designed by Franc Fernandez, many were equally repulsed and enthralled by this bold fashion statement. A question arose from such outrageous style: is it ethical to manipulate animals in order to look good or even to convey a message?
Gaga was accused of ‘butchery’ by publicizing the almost grotesque creation and by advertising the slaughter of innocent animals and implying that it is ethical to use animals not only for food but to enhance and fulfill a modern obsession with beauty. This is not only relevant to such bold statements but also resonates with the use of animal testing in common beauty brands such as Maybelline [See PETA’s animal testing lists: http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/search.aspx?Testing=1&PageIndex=8 (retrieved 6 Jan 2013)].
Some people defended her outfit with the argument that it is art - with no underlying ethical issues - and that freedom to express yourself through fashion is essential to maintain the culture which we live it without creating a uniform society - both literally and figuratively.
The star, however, disagreed with her supporters by suggesting that she was
emphasizing the need to stand up for rights: “We are going to have as many rights as the meat on our bones”. More specifically, she was protesting against the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy and the US governmental restrictions on gay and lesbian soldiers at the time at which President Obama ended during his first term in office. The issue of gay rights could be said to be even more relevant to America in the lead up to the presidential election in which Mitt Romney (the opposing candidate) holds a strong position against gay marriage. Gaga stressed that, “Dead meat is dead meat. And anyone that’s willing to take their life and die for their country is the same. You’re not gay and dead, straight and dead. You are dead.”
It could suggest the state of modern society that people have to resort to wearing dead animal flesh in order to make a political statement. Despite the right to free speech and the endless structures in place for the public to contribute to politics, has this overcomplicated the way in which we convey our messages? It is a case of who can shout the loudest to make their opinion heard and so it could be seen as necessary to resort to such drastic measures.
The Vegetarian Society argued that, “No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal. Enough animals die for food and they should not be killed for stunts like this.” It has
also been suggested it is only due to the now automatic separation of meat from the cute and fluffy animals it is torn from, that most of us are not disgusted by covering our own flesh with that of other animals.
Although Gaga’s idea was perceived by many as ‘original’, this was not the first meat dress. The artist and extreme feminist Linda Sterling wore a meat dress in 1982 to protest against the objectification of women by men. It was created from discarded strips of chicken and was one of many radical statements supporting the feminist movement. More recently, in 2008, America’s Next Top Model ran a meat fashion shoot and the internet is full of various butchered garments.
However complacent with any form of fashion we as a society become, it should not prevent us questioning the ethical issues surrounding clothes and whether it is ethical to manipulate animalsfor our own purpose.
Article written by Rowan Pilley
fashionETHICS
Current and HistoricalWhat do the Royals wear? From calm and casual to posh and elegant, we all want to know the details!
Article written by Virginia Halford and Nikki Hamon
ROYALFASHION
Prince William and Kate’s Royal Wedding
Sarah Burton - a famous fashion designer - was chosen to create the most unbelievable wedding dress for Kate Middleton. After six months, the dress was made with ivory lace, long sleeves and satin for the gown. Burton says she “enjoyed every moment” of creating the dress for Miss. Middleton.
Individual flowers had been hand cut from lace and hand engineered onto the ivory
silk tulle to create a unique and organic design. French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Irish Carrickmacross needlework tradition. The veil was made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers and held in place with a tiara which the Queen lent the bride.
The earrings were diamond-set stylized oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. Inspiration for the design comes from the Middleton family’s new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves.
The Queen’s Fashion
A ngela Kelly is Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to The Queen. Her role includes designing dresss for The Queen, which she has done since 2002. Angela and her team try and use both new and old fabrics when designing. Some of the material they incorporate has been given to Her Majesty many years ago, some dates to before the coronation.
Stewart Parvin, the youngest of Her Majesty’s designers, trained at the Edinburgh College for Art. He also began to design for The Queen in 2000. The Queen has stayed in fashion all these years thanks to her designers (including Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin) and the design team.
Top 10 hats of the Royal Wedding:
1: The toilet seat hat - Princess Beatrix
2: The blue feathered bowl cut - Queen Margrethe of Denmark
3: The purple flower helmet - Princess Anne
4: The yellow top hat - The Queen
5: The black boat hat - Zara Philips
6: The black blood cell - Victoria Beckman
7: The pink mesh hat - Princess Letizia
8: The upturned white hat - Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall
9: The white bow hat - Carole Middleton
10: The Plain Pink hat - Crown princess Victoria of Sweden
6
FASHION
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
The
Everyone has their own opinion on
the uniform: old summer dresses
or new ones? Black socks or grey?
Controversial? I think so. Not to forget
the poor Year 7s, who come to school
on non-uniform day, dressed smartly
in their usual attire - I think it’s safe
to say JCG is very much affected by
our uniforms. As I have just escaped
the much loved uniform, I think I can
now have a clear perspective; it was
never as bad as I thought at the time!
Now, with the pressure to not confuse
burgundy and red, and remember
that cream is NOT the same as white,
I have come to see that all you lot
wearing uniform have it easy!
In preparation for this article, I went
to the JCG archives; yes these
do exist as Hogwarts-esque as it
sounds. In the huge cupboard on the
second floor of Roberts, we dug out
some boxes of old girls uniform, not
to mention some Greek and Latin
textbooks and many, many photos.
The uniform we found included
some hilarious ‘Gym Rompers’, for
romping in the gym in case you were
wondering; old prefect girdles(?!);
and many badges for various
achievements. It was crazy to see
how much things had changed. The
old summer dress went far below the
knee and - compared to the lengths of
our skirts now - was ridiculous!
Past, Present and Future
Article written by Emily Crichard
Girl
1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900
The Jersey Ladies’ College, as the school was first called,
opened on 20.09.1880
1928 the College was taken over by the Church of
England Schools’ Trust
L ove it or hate it, the JCG niform is a major part of life at College. Rolled-up skirts are
a common talking point for the lower school, whilst, “GET THAT PIECE OF METAL OUT OF YOUR FACE!” is a common sound in the Sixth Form Centre (referring to nose
studs by the way, Sixth Formers don’t actually walk around with metal in their face).
7
FASHION
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
In 1935 the College, changed its name to
Jersey College for Girls
1999 JCG moved to its present site on
Mont Millais
We looked through the photos and
found some dating back all the way
to the early 1800s: the best ones
are shown here. The uniform of
JCG has undoubtedly changed a lot
since it was introduced. Some of
the highlights must be the what the
Sixth Form wore in the 60’s - think
floor length skirts with tie dye t-shirts
and blazers with the typical massive
shoulder pads - and the old hockey
and netball kits: up until the early
1900s, the girls had to wear long
skirts, blouses and tights to play in!
Again, we complain but now it really
isn’t so bad!
So in conclusion, no matter how
many times your skirt is rolled up, or
you wear black socks with a summer
dress, remember that being in a
uniform always makes students a part
of JCG and its history, creating some
link between us and the girls who
wore it back in the 1850s. Or if you’d
rather, just be glad they got rid of
boaters and berets before we started!
8
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Article written by Grace Bravery
Over time, I have come to the
conclusion that fashion is a con.
Fashion doesn’t mean anything - isn’t
real - not only in terms of shopping on
the high street, or keeping up to date
with current culture, films, books, TV,
the latest technological fad, baking
craze or sporting phenomenon. Fashion
and individuality are two mutually
contradictory terms. Why? One cannot
be fashionable and be an individual.
How come? One cannot be both
different and the same as everyone
else. Moreover, individuality has nothing
to do with any sub-culture of fashion!
Identity and individuality are
synonymous; the former refers
to the ‘essence’ of a person, the
latter is a descriptor for their role
in relation to society. Identity is
formed on the basis of our sense
of self. Individuality is threatened
by conformity, stereotype and
gender discrimination, all of
which are categories sheltering
under the umbrella-term: fashion. In my opinion, individuality is important
from the beginning – when we are born.
The question is: when does fashion
become the ruling dictator of our lives? I
can relate an anecdote about my cousin
and I when we were six years old, on
a family ski-holiday in a French resort.
One day, I was bought a singing marmot
from a toy shop that nodded its head
along to the Beatles’ song, ‘Lemon Tree’
on a loop. Naturally, my cousin saw
the marmot and wanted the same. The
crux of the matter was that I wouldn’t
let her and she was given a teddy in
a dress that sang ‘Frère Jacques’ and
she cried. This is an example of typical,
childish, different-for-the-sake-of-being-
different behaviour. However, I think it
demonstrates the concern that most
When I’m in town, whether in
Jersey, or a city in England, France
or abroad, I am aware of a two-
way observation: I am looking at
others and they see me. In
Feminist thinking, there is the
concept of the ‘gaze’ which
relates to the objectification of
women under public scrutiny.
A woman wearing high heels
struts down King Street and
feels the ‘gaze’ upon her, like
a model on a catwalk. One
self-conscious woman next to
another, comparing appearances
and judging in terms of size,
shape, dress, apparent wealth,
expression... There are many
external factors to take into
account. The question is, for any
man or woman, young or old, can
we presume to gain any insight
into the character of an individual
based upon exterior-evaluation?
of us have from an early age to assert
our individuality on a superficial level.
Mostly, sibling or peer rivalry triggers
pettiness, such as ‘she likes tuna and
I like ham’, simply sounding like a Dr
Zeus character. However, the first years
of our development are also the most
important as we form our sense of
identity. Psychologists say that a child’s
awareness of gender-identity is formed
partly through the selection of toys,
based on society’s perception of
masculine and feminine, say Power
Rangers versus Betty Spaghetti.
Choosing “gender-appropriate” toys
is supposedly a sign that a child is
successfully categorising them selves,
even before the child tends to opt for
same sex peer groups. Considering my
experience with the singing marmot,
I would probably say I had a more
“androgynous” taste in toys when I was
six, though I probably owned a hundred
Barbies as well.
9
Returning to Fashion, it strikes me that society imposes strict guidelines on our material choices. If you compare toys to clothes, music genres, or hairstyles, is it not true that we are judged for the correctness of our preference? Supposedly, such choices indicate whether our sense of identity is well established. The questions (they keep coming) arise: What is feminine or masculine? What is cool? What is polite?
I may sound anti-Fashion. I
hate the way society restricts
individuality and brain-washes
the population. But doesn’t
everyone is this generation
remember the past trends and
phases of a shared childhood? In
culture, Harry Potter, impossible
to avoid spoilers; Twilight, Cullen
vs. Jacob; The Simpsons, ‘d’oh!’;
Furbies; Barbies and - save us
from them - Bratz!
In my view, whilst fashion makes
us feel comfortable, trends pose
a problem for individuality. We
live in a capitalist society where
mass-production is the basis of
our economy; we’re all drawn
in by adverts and the need to
fund our materialist lifestyles.
Consumerism and Ideology are
the Marxist arch-enemies, in
other words, Vogue magazine
and Sky TV!
Fashion feeds upon consumerism.
Fashion lies. Fashion promotes an
image of ‘you’ being the best you
can be, standing out from the crowd,
getting the thumbs-up. Remember, if
you want to be different, you have to be
the first. Once, there was an individual
that started the ‘punk’ movement, then
suddenly, everyone started wearing
facial piercing and paper clips to repair
their recently-new ripped shirt. Perhaps
the first true Goth did have a penchant
for black and liked hanging around
graveyards. Punks, Goths, Emos, Elvis
Presley impersonators – they’re different
but all the same. As my eccentric,
wacky-thinking yoga teacher once said
to me, ‘People are always trying to be
something they’re not. You see that
seagull, there? That seagull isn’t
trying to be anything, it just does
what it does, is what it is.’
Identity, if there is such a thing, has nothing to do with what we think. Individuality cannot be expressed via fashion. Why do we walk through town wearing highly clashing prints when every teenage girl is now back-combing her hair and looking just as though she rolled out of bed, like, ten minutes ago? Perhaps we should give up the chase of fashion, or stop reading glossy magazines, as you are doing now. One individual has to start the new unfashionable trend. Will you?
FASHION
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Article written by Grace Bravery
Over time, I have come to the
conclusion that fashion is a con.
Fashion doesn’t mean anything - isn’t
real - not only in terms of shopping on
the high street, or keeping up to date
with current culture, films, books, TV,
the latest technological fad, baking
craze or sporting phenomenon. Fashion
and individuality are two mutually
contradictory terms. Why? One cannot
be fashionable and be an individual.
How come? One cannot be both
different and the same as everyone
else. Moreover, individuality has nothing
to do with any sub-culture of fashion!
Identity and individuality are
synonymous; the former refers
to the ‘essence’ of a person, the
latter is a descriptor for their role
in relation to society. Identity is
formed on the basis of our sense
of self. Individuality is threatened
by conformity, stereotype and
gender discrimination, all of
which are categories sheltering
under the umbrella-term: fashion. In my opinion, individuality is important
from the beginning – when we are born.
The question is: when does fashion
become the ruling dictator of our lives? I
can relate an anecdote about my cousin
and I when we were six years old, on
a family ski-holiday in a French resort.
One day, I was bought a singing marmot
from a toy shop that nodded its head
along to the Beatles’ song, ‘Lemon Tree’
on a loop. Naturally, my cousin saw
the marmot and wanted the same. The
crux of the matter was that I wouldn’t
let her and she was given a teddy in
a dress that sang ‘Frère Jacques’ and
she cried. This is an example of typical,
childish, different-for-the-sake-of-being-
different behaviour. However, I think it
demonstrates the concern that most
When I’m in town, whether in
Jersey, or a city in England, France
or abroad, I am aware of a two-
way observation: I am looking at
others and they see me. In
Feminist thinking, there is the
concept of the ‘gaze’ which
relates to the objectification of
women under public scrutiny.
A woman wearing high heels
struts down King Street and
feels the ‘gaze’ upon her, like
a model on a catwalk. One
self-conscious woman next to
another, comparing appearances
and judging in terms of size,
shape, dress, apparent wealth,
expression... There are many
external factors to take into
account. The question is, for any
man or woman, young or old, can
we presume to gain any insight
into the character of an individual
based upon exterior-evaluation?
of us have from an early age to assert
our individuality on a superficial level.
Mostly, sibling or peer rivalry triggers
pettiness, such as ‘she likes tuna and
I like ham’, simply sounding like a Dr
Zeus character. However, the first years
of our development are also the most
important as we form our sense of
identity. Psychologists say that a child’s
awareness of gender-identity is formed
partly through the selection of toys,
based on society’s perception of
masculine and feminine, say Power
Rangers versus Betty Spaghetti.
Choosing “gender-appropriate” toys
is supposedly a sign that a child is
successfully categorising them selves,
even before the child tends to opt for
same sex peer groups. Considering my
experience with the singing marmot,
I would probably say I had a more
“androgynous” taste in toys when I was
six, though I probably owned a hundred
Barbies as well.
Returning to Fashion, it strikes me that society imposes strict guidelines on our material choices. If you compare toys to clothes, music genres, or hairstyles, is it not true that we are judged for the correctness of our preference? Supposedly, such choices indicate whether our sense of identity is well established. The questions (they keep coming) arise: What is feminine or masculine? What is cool? What is polite?
I may sound anti-Fashion. I
hate the way society restricts
individuality and brain-washes
the population. But doesn’t
everyone is this generation
remember the past trends and
phases of a shared childhood? In
culture, Harry Potter, impossible
to avoid spoilers; Twilight, Cullen
vs. Jacob; The Simpsons, ‘d’oh!’;
Furbies; Barbies and - save us
from them - Bratz!
In my view, whilst fashion makes
us feel comfortable, trends pose
a problem for individuality. We
live in a capitalist society where
mass-production is the basis of
our economy; we’re all drawn
in by adverts and the need to
fund our materialist lifestyles.
Consumerism and Ideology are
the Marxist arch-enemies, in
other words, Vogue magazine
and Sky TV!
Fashion feeds upon consumerism.
Fashion lies. Fashion promotes an
image of ‘you’ being the best you
can be, standing out from the crowd,
getting the thumbs-up. Remember, if
you want to be different, you have to be
the first. Once, there was an individual
that started the ‘punk’ movement, then
suddenly, everyone started wearing
facial piercing and paper clips to repair
their recently-new ripped shirt. Perhaps
the first true Goth did have a penchant
for black and liked hanging around
graveyards. Punks, Goths, Emos, Elvis
Presley impersonators – they’re different
but all the same. As my eccentric,
wacky-thinking yoga teacher once said
to me, ‘People are always trying to be
something they’re not. You see that
seagull, there? That seagull isn’t
trying to be anything, it just does
what it does, is what it is.’
Identity, if there is such a thing, has nothing to do with what we think. Individuality cannot be expressed via fashion. Why do we walk through town wearing highly clashing prints when every teenage girl is now back-combing her hair and looking just as though she rolled out of bed, like, ten minutes ago? Perhaps we should give up the chase of fashion, or stop reading glossy magazines, as you are doing now. One individual has to start the new unfashionable trend. Will you?
10
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Behind the seamsArticle written by Jyothi Nayar Year 7
behind the
seams
What are sWeat shops? Sweatshops are factories that employ
people of all ages to work for a very
small wage in awful conditions.
Children from the age of five are
employed to work making carpets,
clothes and shoes. Just think,
something you are wearing right now
could have been made by a child
younger than you and they may have
only been paid a very small amount.
Not many people actually know about
sweatshops and child labour and
they continue to buy from the places
that use children and poor families to
make the clothes and shoes that they
supply.
What goes on at a sWeatshop factory?
In most factories like this, the people
employed will get paid on a certain
day. How much money they receive
will be down to how much good
quality work they have produced. One
week, someone might gain a very
little amount and their family will have
very little to eat and, the next week,
they might make just enough to buy
a simple meal. Some mothers that
have no one to look after their small
children will have to bring them into
the factory. This is not good for the
children, as it will be hot and sweaty
in the factory with people crammed
together and bad-smelling fumes. If
the children are over five however, the
owner may start them working there
if they do not go to school; if they do,
they will be expected to spend all of
their spare time at the factory, helping
their parents.
Sweatshops are found in various
parts of Asia and - perhaps
surprisingly - in the USA as well.
Lots of clothes are made in India and
China; most of your clothes have
probably travelled over half way
around the world before they arrived
at the shop you bought them in.
What can you do?It is hard to know how you can
help with an issue like this; lots of
clothes companies would close
down if sweatshops were stopped
and lots of the people who work in
sweatshops wouldn’t have jobs: they
might become homeless. There is no
well-known charity that helps these
workers by giving them a roof over
their head and education for their
children. Therefore, these people
need others to raise awareness. The
charities that do support sweatshop
workers also need to create more
publicity. If more people knew about
this type of work, they would be more
likely to buy their clothes online,
where finding Fairtrade clothes is
much easier. Hopefully, in the near
future, sweatshop workers will be
working for Fairtrade companies and
the amount of child labour in sweat
shops will be
significantly
reduced.
11
Which companies should i Buy from?There are many Fairtrade companies that
not many people know about. People Tree is
a good Fairtrade company which has many
clothes that are very similar to ones you might
buy on the high street. If you are interested
making your life more Fairtrade, try visiting
their website to find out more.
If you are interested in learning more about
sweatshop workers and how their life might
be, then I recommend reading these books:
Spilled Water and Girl in translation
behind the
seams
FASHION
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Which companies should i Buy from?There are many Fairtrade companies that
not many people know about. People Tree is
a good Fairtrade company which has many
clothes that are very similar to ones you might
buy on the high street. If you are interested
making your life more Fairtrade, try visiting
their website to find out more.
If you are interested in learning more about
sweatshop workers and how their life might
be, then I recommend reading these books:
Spilled Water and Girl in translation
behind the
seams
12
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
We can’t help it. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we all think of stereotypes; it’s in our nature. Whether it’s with certain activities that we take part in, or with what school we go to, we all think in stereotypes and are even apportioned them by other people. They’re not always a positive thing; sometimes times they can be used as a good inside joke but other times they can be damaging. Having said that, after watching a lot of American TV shows, it’s occurred to me that the Americans have an idea of what all British people act like. Usually we are pictured drinking a beloved cup of tea, while most likely watching the rain fall outside our windows and talking with Dick Van Dyke’s “Cockney” accent. Now, we know this is not all true - fair enough a cup of tea is a great relief from the constant down pour of rain - but it’s interesting to realise how the world sees us Britons. Therefore, I thought that I would see how we perceive other cultures.
So let’s take an imaginary trip just across the sea to France, the home of the language of love and the land where the Eiffel Tower proudly stands. Whenever I think of France, I can’t help but picture a man wearing a striped top, sporting a dodgy moustache while proudly cycling around a village from days yonder with a baguette in his bicycle’s wicker basket, a beret firmly on his head in place of a cycle helmet. I’m not entirely sure where I ever got this image from but for some reason this is firmly placed in my mind, along with the picture that all French people
sport garlic necklaces, as though they’re permanently trying to ward off vampires. Before I offend anyone, I know that this isn’t true (unless there is a tiny village of vampire slayers in the midst of the country side) and that the only difference between us British and the French is the language barrier. However, in spite of this, I’m pretty sure that I will still want to buy a souvenir beret when I visit Paris on the Rouen Trip.
The next stop on our trip of stereotypes is out in the Far East, in the land of new technology and a culture which we see as completely different from our own, Japan. I have never been to Japan - the closest I’ve ever been is having a wonder around Tokyo on Google Maps - and even though I know that Japan is a very forward Country and is a place where most of our modern technology comes from, I can’t help but think of an image of a gaggle of Geishas all tottering around on their ‘zori’ sandals with their hair in buns higher than Marge Simpson’s fro could ever achieve. Again, I know that the modern day Japanese person doesn’t dress like this, but I do have reason for my stereotype this time! Geishas are firmly set in the history of Japan, and there are still some Geisha schools in Japan who perform the traditional dances of the Geisha, even if it is just for the tourists who want to transport themselves into Ancient Japan.
For the final stop on our tour, let’s venture across the waters to the United States of America, to the
Southern States like Texas and Tennessee. The closest I’ve ever been to the Southern States is through watching the Hannah Montana Movie, so that’s why I think this stereotype is pretty true (but only if you count the Hannah Montana Movie as being factual). To help you see what I’m imagining, think Woody from Toy Story - to put it into simple terms, a cowboy; a lasso throwing, horse riding, stirrup-wearing cowboy. I have to admit that when I was younger, I loved (and still love) watching the Toy Story movies, and when number 2 came out and introduced the character of Jessie, that’s when I decided I wanted to be a cowgirl. That’s why, if I do ever take a trip to the Southern States, I’m hoping to be greeted by a pack of cowboys riding bareback waiting to whisk me away to a ranch and teach me how to be a true cowgirl. Seeing as the probability of that is extremely unlikely, I’ll settle for thinking that the entire population of Texans travel on horseback even for their weekly supermarket shop. But let me point out that I don’t want to be a cowgirl anymore, but only due to the upsetting fact that I discovered I’m allergic to horses!
So I hope you’ve enjoyed our little trip around the world, and that in the future you might venture to some of the countries to discover what the culture and the people are really like (and if you’d fancy taking me with you, I promise that I’ll share my toy Jessie with you, she yodels and everything!).
FASHIONWorldwide fashion stereotypes; focusing on England, France, Texas and Japan. Article written by Steff Spencer
STEREOTYPICAL
13
FASHION
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
INTERVIEWS
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Mr Howarth answers your questions about JCG
QuestionPrincipal’s
You have an important day ahead, what tie do you wear?I try to ensure it has always got some JCG red in it. However, occasionally it doesn’t, and I always try to coordinate it with at least my shirt.
Is it red for ‘the power tie’?No, it’s not. It’s red for JCG, the predominant colour of our College. The head girl and deputy head girl two years ago gave me some cufflinks that say ‘Aspire’ and ‘Inquire’ – I’m very proud of the College so that’s why I wear these things.
What was the first record you ever bought?I think it was probably something by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. And it was a record!
If you were offered a 2 year exchange to China, would you take it?If my family were in agreement, I think it would be an amazing adventure. I often reflect on how Mr Lewis and his family are getting on and how much we are learning from having Mr Mao here. Our two cultures are so different, incredibly different, and it’s hard to understand how different. But it would be wonderful for my family to have that adventure together.
If you could speak fluently in any language, which would you choose?I cannot speak any other language apart from English and I feel incredibly ignorant, especially because of the place we live. I’d love to speak French or Italian because of the usefulness of where we are geographically. When we go on holiday, I’d love to feel semi competent. My father-in-law speaks fluent Mandarin and I do envy that ability to speak and write it. If I was 14 now, I think I’d be looking to learn Mandarin.
When you were 10, what did
you want to be?A vet. But I realised wasn’t cut out for blood. I
wanted to be this because of
my love of animals but I just didn’t have
the stomach to operate. After that I became fascinated with rocks and wondered whether I’d go into Geology but then it shifted to Architecture. Then it went to perhaps Academia, but it wasn’t until I was about 18 that I thought about teaching. But even then I wasn’t sure, it was just a direction. It is amazing where life leads you.
What are the best books you’ve ever read? Why?‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by Salinger JD. It’s a very powerful book when growing up, understanding and commenting on the adult world. The main character in the novel is called Holden and he talks about everyone being phoney and I often reflect
TimeArticle written by Hannah Gardener
15
INTERVIEWS
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Mr Howarth answers your questions about JCG
QuestionPrincipal’s
You have an important day ahead, what tie do you wear?I try to ensure it has always got some JCG red in it. However, occasionally it doesn’t, and I always try to coordinate it with at least my shirt.
Is it red for ‘the power tie’?No, it’s not. It’s red for JCG, the predominant colour of our College. The head girl and deputy head girl two years ago gave me some cufflinks that say ‘Aspire’ and ‘Inquire’ – I’m very proud of the College so that’s why I wear these things.
What was the first record you ever bought?I think it was probably something by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. And it was a record!
If you were offered a 2 year exchange to China, would you take it?If my family were in agreement, I think it would be an amazing adventure. I often reflect on how Mr Lewis and his family are getting on and how much we are learning from having Mr Mao here. Our two cultures are so different, incredibly different, and it’s hard to understand how different. But it would be wonderful for my family to have that adventure together.
If you could speak fluently in any language, which would you choose?I cannot speak any other language apart from English and I feel incredibly ignorant, especially because of the place we live. I’d love to speak French or Italian because of the usefulness of where we are geographically. When we go on holiday, I’d love to feel semi competent. My father-in-law speaks fluent Mandarin and I do envy that ability to speak and write it. If I was 14 now, I think I’d be looking to learn Mandarin.
When you were 10, what did
you want to be?A vet. But I realised wasn’t cut out for blood. I
wanted to be this because of
my love of animals but I just didn’t have
the stomach to operate. After that I became fascinated with rocks and wondered whether I’d go into Geology but then it shifted to Architecture. Then it went to perhaps Academia, but it wasn’t until I was about 18 that I thought about teaching. But even then I wasn’t sure, it was just a direction. It is amazing where life leads you.
What are the best books you’ve ever read? Why?‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by Salinger JD. It’s a very powerful book when growing up, understanding and commenting on the adult world. The main character in the novel is called Holden and he talks about everyone being phoney and I often reflect
TimeArticle written by Hannah Gardener
on that; are people being true or are they being ‘phoney’? The second novel would be ‘The End of the Affair’ by Graham Green which is a stunningly beautiful novel. It’s set at the time of the second world war and captures the sense of loss and hope of that period. My third novel would be ‘The Satanic Verses’ by Salman Rushdie. When this novel was published, Rushdie encountered some strong criticism for his portrayal of Islam. Furthermore, a fatwa was placed upon him, putting his life at risk and he had to go into hiding. Yet the novel is beautifully written, technically brilliant with real inventiveness and imagination. I remember reading it and being aware of the power of what modern literature could do and the reactions it could illicit. The written word can be an incredibly forceful way of communicating.
Would you rather be face to face with a crocodile or great white shark?Neither. I doubt I’d ever find myself in either situation, I’m not very adventurous. Both would be equally terrifying. However, if I had to, I think probably the crocodile because I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the James Bond film ‘Live and Let Die’ when he jumps across the heads of the crocodiles – that’s what I could see myself doing.
Are you a dreamer or a realist?I’m probably a dreamer. I like to think we can always be better than we are. I do accept things when we can’t do it. But I am always looking for a better solution. We could always strive to be better, better today than we were yesterday and better still tomorrow.
Favourite place in the world you’ve ever been? Why?Sark. I love its beauty and peacefulness. It’s a great place to escape and get away from the noise of modern life. The landscape is breathtaking and the whole place is just so different from anywhere else.
You’re banished to a desert island. You’re only allowed to take one ‘item’ with you. What would it be?A photo of my family. If I could have that anyway, in my pocket, and take another item then it would be a piano. I remember my passion for playing when I was 15/16 and I’d like to go back to that time when I’d really lose myself and time would just disappear.
What is your favourite Christmas carol?‘Once in Royal David’s City’. I always get goose bumps at the Christmas carol service
when the soloist sings the first verse. Then the congregation joins in and the trumpets begin. Magical. It’s just a rousing and beautifully lyrical tune and, at that moment, I know it’s Christmas.
Favourite subject in secondary school?English. I had a very inspirational teacher, Mr Mann, and it’s always wonderful and a special privilege to have a teacher who inspires you to go beyond your learning to really love your subject. My degree was in English followed by a Masters degree. Mr Mann just had a wonderful way of speaking so naturally about texts and characters but also how literature enables us to question our own understanding of what being human is all about and about the meaning of our existence. Poetry and literature is all about trying to make sense of how and why we exist, how to use that gap between birth and death. I have seen this same kind of inspirational teaching here at JCG, the same quality that I received when I was at school.
16
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Where did you live in China?
I was born in central China, then in 2004 I moved to the Midland Province for University education; then I worked there and studied there for 8 years and now, in 2012, I have moved to Jersey.
Are there any traditional items of clothing in China?
I think there were maybe 20 years ago but in the last 10 years, it’s getting more and more like the UK and American people. It’s fading out now: there are not many traditional clothes now.
Do you think that there’s much of a cultural difference between Jersey and China?
I think the most different thing is how people do things: their manners. For example, here, when a woman is walking, and you come through the door, a man will open the door for a woman. But in China, it’s not that important. Also, working as a teacher in China, I cannot drink water in the classroom because I don’t allow my students to eat their food or to drink things in the classroom, so I have to do the same way, to set a good example. But here, the students are also not allowed to eat or drink in the classroom but teachers can and are always with a cup in hand in the classroom.
Is Jersey similar to what you expected?
Yes, but it is the first time I have come here and the first time I have been abroad out of China.
Had you heard of Jersey before you knew you were coming here?
In the last months before I came to Jersey, I researched a lot about it but before that I knew nothing about Jersey.
Is it strange going from a massive country to a tiny island?
Yes. The traffic here…Ms Harley told me, “Oh, it’s so crowded everyday!” but if you go to China, it’s even worse. At midnight or 2 o’clock in the morning, the cars are packed in the road.
Where you lived in China, did you live near the sea or the beach?
No.
Do you like being near to sea now?
I like it very much.
Hopefully the summer will be very good for you next year then, but is there anything that you dislike about the island?
Dislike? I don’t think so.
Do you think Jersey is too small compared to China, or do you like the size?
Because I come from such a big country, I prefer it here. The people are very polite: very nice. When I am in Jersey, when I was watching the traffic the other day, I see that people are so polite: you go up and they let you go, every time, you go first. In China, it is car first, and then people; sometimes, you will wait to cross the road for maybe 5 minutes or 10 minutes, just waiting for the cars to cross and then you can go.
Have you noticed that ‘everyone know everyone’ in Jersey? What do you think of that?
I didn’t notice that.
In Jersey, we can go into town and bump into an acquaintance. Is it like that with people you see in town in China?
I will never see those people again; they are strangers, all strangers.
Now that you have been living in Jersey for a while, what are the main things that you like and dislike about the island?
The most impressive thing are the people here, they are really nice and I have found that they really like reading. You read a lot of books; all the teachers in the Maths office read a lot. The first day that I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I found that many people, when they are waiting, have a book in hand and are reading.
Is that not normal in China then?
In China, you can never see people reading a book - when they are waiting for a bus, never. I think that is because China is a developing country, whereas the UK is a developed country. In China, people are just like students; if they do other things, it doesn’t help to get a high score. For Chinese people, they don’t like reading because if you read too much it doesn’t help you to get a better life and to improve your life quality.
Life in China
Moving to Jersey
Interviewers: Steff Spencer and Emily Crichard
17
INTERVIEWS
Education in China and Jersey At the school you worked in in China, did the students wear a uniform?
Most of the schools don’t wear uniform; they do have uniform, but they’re just not required to wear it everyday, so they can wear it when the want to and also on special occasions. For example, when Government Officers visit the school, then all students wear their uniform. Also, as a teacher, I never wore uniform, whereas here I am required to wear a tie and be very formal but in China, nobody cares what you wear.
Do you think wearing uniform helps, or that it doesn’t really make a difference?
I don’t like uniform and also I don’t want my students to wear uniform as it’s uncomfortable: I prefer when you can wear anything.
Mr Lewis sent us an e-mail saying that for A-Levels, the students have to study Maths, English and one other subject; does this mean they don’t really get much choice about what to study?
That’s for A-Level: that’s not for a typical Chinese student. Mr Lewis is working in China to teach a group of Chinese students who will also take A-Level tests and will come to the UK for University. They have to learn A-Level but, if you don’t want to go to the UK for University education, then why take A-Levels?
What do you think the main differences are, in terms of how students are here and how students are in China?
I think the biggest difference is the students in China are very serious about their school. In China, the classroom test results mean everything. Nobody cares whether they are really good at Drama, computers, Art, Geography: it’s mainly Maths.
Do you think Chinese students are more focused on their studies?
I’m comparing the students here in the UK and the students in China who don’t want to come to the UK. The vast majority of Chinese students - 99% of them - choose a Chinese University and for those students, they care very much about their school study. Also, you can never see a student in town: never, because they have too much work to do - 12 hours per day and here only 5. Here it is 4 hours in the morning and 1 in the afternoon; in China, it is 4 hours in the morning, 4 hours in the afternoon, 3 or 4 hours in the evening and then they go to bed.
So, are there no after school activities?
No, it’s a waste of time. There is no PE class - maybe there is an hour or half an hour per week but for the Year 13 students, we call them ‘Gao Sang’ students, they don’t have PE classes: it’s only for the lower classes.
Sixth Form students here at JCG don’t have PE but up until then we have had 2 or 3 hours a week. We also have PSE, does that happen in China?
No, never because that doesn’t help to improve their scores, the main thing is getting the top scores in the classroom and to get to the top University in China.
We also have cooking and sewing lessons, to prepare us for when we are living at University or by ourselves, do these not happen in China?
No, it’s really academic all the time and if you do sewing or cooking, that is considered a waste of time. So if you’re really good at cooking or really good at sewing, we don’t care: that doesn’t help you to find a better job.
Do you think it’s harder and more competitive to get into University in China than it is in the UK?
Yes, because, in a typical Chinese classroom, we have 65 students, here only 20 - maybe at the most 24 or 25 is the biggest class. And only 20% or 10% of them will go to the top 50 or 100 Universities in China; the rest of them will go to the Universities that are maybe not so very good.
In China, are there universities with reputations equivalent to Oxford or Cambridge?
Yes, like Tsinghua University or Peking University, which is in Beijing. Those two are the top two.
Is there anything about the schools in China that you’d like to bring over to the classrooms at JCG?
I think that the students here need to practise more Maths. It seems that when they have a test, for example when I tell them, “You have a test next week,” they seem very happy and don’t seem very nervous; they are not panicked. I think that is the difference between the cultures: in China, if you are really good at Maths you will get to the top universities where you can do many other things. You can play, you can sing and you can dance, you will learn loads of things that you can not do before you successfully go to university.
So that’s everything, thank you so much for your time: it’s been great!
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Where did you live in China?
I was born in central China, then in 2004 I moved to the Midland Province for University education; then I worked there and studied there for 8 years and now, in 2012, I have moved to Jersey.
Are there any traditional items of clothing in China?
I think there were maybe 20 years ago but in the last 10 years, it’s getting more and more like the UK and American people. It’s fading out now: there are not many traditional clothes now.
Do you think that there’s much of a cultural difference between Jersey and China?
I think the most different thing is how people do things: their manners. For example, here, when a woman is walking, and you come through the door, a man will open the door for a woman. But in China, it’s not that important. Also, working as a teacher in China, I cannot drink water in the classroom because I don’t allow my students to eat their food or to drink things in the classroom, so I have to do the same way, to set a good example. But here, the students are also not allowed to eat or drink in the classroom but teachers can and are always with a cup in hand in the classroom.
Is Jersey similar to what you expected?
Yes, but it is the first time I have come here and the first time I have been abroad out of China.
Had you heard of Jersey before you knew you were coming here?
In the last months before I came to Jersey, I researched a lot about it but before that I knew nothing about Jersey.
Is it strange going from a massive country to a tiny island?
Yes. The traffic here…Ms Harley told me, “Oh, it’s so crowded everyday!” but if you go to China, it’s even worse. At midnight or 2 o’clock in the morning, the cars are packed in the road.
Where you lived in China, did you live near the sea or the beach?
No.
Do you like being near to sea now?
I like it very much.
Hopefully the summer will be very good for you next year then, but is there anything that you dislike about the island?
Dislike? I don’t think so.
Do you think Jersey is too small compared to China, or do you like the size?
Because I come from such a big country, I prefer it here. The people are very polite: very nice. When I am in Jersey, when I was watching the traffic the other day, I see that people are so polite: you go up and they let you go, every time, you go first. In China, it is car first, and then people; sometimes, you will wait to cross the road for maybe 5 minutes or 10 minutes, just waiting for the cars to cross and then you can go.
Have you noticed that ‘everyone know everyone’ in Jersey? What do you think of that?
I didn’t notice that.
In Jersey, we can go into town and bump into an acquaintance. Is it like that with people you see in town in China?
I will never see those people again; they are strangers, all strangers.
Now that you have been living in Jersey for a while, what are the main things that you like and dislike about the island?
The most impressive thing are the people here, they are really nice and I have found that they really like reading. You read a lot of books; all the teachers in the Maths office read a lot. The first day that I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I found that many people, when they are waiting, have a book in hand and are reading.
Is that not normal in China then?
In China, you can never see people reading a book - when they are waiting for a bus, never. I think that is because China is a developing country, whereas the UK is a developed country. In China, people are just like students; if they do other things, it doesn’t help to get a high score. For Chinese people, they don’t like reading because if you read too much it doesn’t help you to get a better life and to improve your life quality.
Life in China
Moving to Jersey
Interviewers: Steff Spencer and Emily Crichard
Education in China and Jersey At the school you worked in in China, did the students wear a uniform?
Most of the schools don’t wear uniform; they do have uniform, but they’re just not required to wear it everyday, so they can wear it when the want to and also on special occasions. For example, when Government Officers visit the school, then all students wear their uniform. Also, as a teacher, I never wore uniform, whereas here I am required to wear a tie and be very formal but in China, nobody cares what you wear.
Do you think wearing uniform helps, or that it doesn’t really make a difference?
I don’t like uniform and also I don’t want my students to wear uniform as it’s uncomfortable: I prefer when you can wear anything.
Mr Lewis sent us an e-mail saying that for A-Levels, the students have to study Maths, English and one other subject; does this mean they don’t really get much choice about what to study?
That’s for A-Level: that’s not for a typical Chinese student. Mr Lewis is working in China to teach a group of Chinese students who will also take A-Level tests and will come to the UK for University. They have to learn A-Level but, if you don’t want to go to the UK for University education, then why take A-Levels?
What do you think the main differences are, in terms of how students are here and how students are in China?
I think the biggest difference is the students in China are very serious about their school. In China, the classroom test results mean everything. Nobody cares whether they are really good at Drama, computers, Art, Geography: it’s mainly Maths.
Do you think Chinese students are more focused on their studies?
I’m comparing the students here in the UK and the students in China who don’t want to come to the UK. The vast majority of Chinese students - 99% of them - choose a Chinese University and for those students, they care very much about their school study. Also, you can never see a student in town: never, because they have too much work to do - 12 hours per day and here only 5. Here it is 4 hours in the morning and 1 in the afternoon; in China, it is 4 hours in the morning, 4 hours in the afternoon, 3 or 4 hours in the evening and then they go to bed.
So, are there no after school activities?
No, it’s a waste of time. There is no PE class - maybe there is an hour or half an hour per week but for the Year 13 students, we call them ‘Gao Sang’ students, they don’t have PE classes: it’s only for the lower classes.
Sixth Form students here at JCG don’t have PE but up until then we have had 2 or 3 hours a week. We also have PSE, does that happen in China?
No, never because that doesn’t help to improve their scores, the main thing is getting the top scores in the classroom and to get to the top University in China.
We also have cooking and sewing lessons, to prepare us for when we are living at University or by ourselves, do these not happen in China?
No, it’s really academic all the time and if you do sewing or cooking, that is considered a waste of time. So if you’re really good at cooking or really good at sewing, we don’t care: that doesn’t help you to find a better job.
Do you think it’s harder and more competitive to get into University in China than it is in the UK?
Yes, because, in a typical Chinese classroom, we have 65 students, here only 20 - maybe at the most 24 or 25 is the biggest class. And only 20% or 10% of them will go to the top 50 or 100 Universities in China; the rest of them will go to the Universities that are maybe not so very good.
In China, are there universities with reputations equivalent to Oxford or Cambridge?
Yes, like Tsinghua University or Peking University, which is in Beijing. Those two are the top two.
Is there anything about the schools in China that you’d like to bring over to the classrooms at JCG?
I think that the students here need to practise more Maths. It seems that when they have a test, for example when I tell them, “You have a test next week,” they seem very happy and don’t seem very nervous; they are not panicked. I think that is the difference between the cultures: in China, if you are really good at Maths you will get to the top universities where you can do many other things. You can play, you can sing and you can dance, you will learn loads of things that you can not do before you successfully go to university.
So that’s everything, thank you so much for your time: it’s been great!
18
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Back in September, Mr Lewis recorded his first impressions of living
and teaching in China. We know that everyone is missing Mr Lewis –
particularly his Mathematics students and the members of the Amnesty
International group - and we are happy to present you with this update:
We have been in China for about 5 weeks. It was very strange at first. No-one speaks English, and even
words like “taxi” and “metro” which you would think would be international are not. Even when we try to
speak Chinese and know the right word to use, it is often met by a blank expression. It is quite a feeling of
elation to say something and be understood although we are getting better now. Usually, I speak slowly at
first and then get louder and louder until someone within earshot gets the hang of what I am trying to say
before I completely lose patience. A typical Englishman abroad I’m afraid.
Chinese people have been, almost without exception, very welcoming and friendly; always cheerful and
polite and, of course, fascinated by Esther. She will think life is very strange when we return to Jersey and
no-one stops to photograph her or stroke her arm. Last weekend, we were walking through a village when
a man diverted a wedding photographer (who was busy photographing a bride-to-be) in order to take a
picture of his toddler son with Esther. It has to be said the children did not take to each other at all and did
not respond to the occasion with any grace.
The city of Suzhou is a mixture of very expensive areas - shopping malls with Gucci and Hermes shops -
and very high-density poorer areas. There are some fascinating markets and very pretty canal-side streets,
and, of course, lots of restaurants. People get around on electric scooters and the photos you occasionally
see of bikes or scooters loaded with the most improbable loads are fairly standard. One man was carrying
10m scaffolding poles on his scooter, which looked to be about as dangerous on the crowded roads as it is
possible to be.
School is great. I am sure that JCG students would really enjoy it. The lessons are actually very like those
at JCG. The days are quite long (students arrive around 7:30am for registration at 7:50am and often leave
between 5:00pm and 6:00pm). They get a cooked school lunch in the canteen for 80p but it is not very
nice so many of them get a takeaway delivered from a nearby restaurant. A large portion of dan chow fan
(egg fried rice) costs between 50p and £1. Most students are very hard working, as you would expect. All
students get to school on buses or on e-bikes - or very occasionally in a taxi. On Monday mornings, there is
a compulsory flag raising ceremony where all the local school children on our block (about 1000
students) stand in rows in front of the Chinese flag in our school as the national anthem is played
through speakers. There is always a short speech by a teacher but, as it is in Chinese, I cannot tell
you what they say. The students are used to calling their teacher by the first name - but this year
that has stopped. The biggest difference is that Sixth Form students only study English, Maths,
Physics, Chemistry and Economics. This is because these are the subjects
they do best in and also because Chinese students on the whole seem to
be ambitious for a well paid job. Still, this will change in years to come
because our GCSE students are now studying Drama, Art, Geography,
ICT, and Biology as well; hopefully, many will take these for A Level.
abroadEnglishmanAn
Letter from Mr Lewis
19
INTERVIEWS
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Back in September, Mr Lewis recorded his first impressions of living
and teaching in China. We know that everyone is missing Mr Lewis –
particularly his Mathematics students and the members of the Amnesty
International group - and we are happy to present you with this update:
We have been in China for about 5 weeks. It was very strange at first. No-one speaks English, and even
words like “taxi” and “metro” which you would think would be international are not. Even when we try to
speak Chinese and know the right word to use, it is often met by a blank expression. It is quite a feeling of
elation to say something and be understood although we are getting better now. Usually, I speak slowly at
first and then get louder and louder until someone within earshot gets the hang of what I am trying to say
before I completely lose patience. A typical Englishman abroad I’m afraid.
Chinese people have been, almost without exception, very welcoming and friendly; always cheerful and
polite and, of course, fascinated by Esther. She will think life is very strange when we return to Jersey and
no-one stops to photograph her or stroke her arm. Last weekend, we were walking through a village when
a man diverted a wedding photographer (who was busy photographing a bride-to-be) in order to take a
picture of his toddler son with Esther. It has to be said the children did not take to each other at all and did
not respond to the occasion with any grace.
The city of Suzhou is a mixture of very expensive areas - shopping malls with Gucci and Hermes shops -
and very high-density poorer areas. There are some fascinating markets and very pretty canal-side streets,
and, of course, lots of restaurants. People get around on electric scooters and the photos you occasionally
see of bikes or scooters loaded with the most improbable loads are fairly standard. One man was carrying
10m scaffolding poles on his scooter, which looked to be about as dangerous on the crowded roads as it is
possible to be.
School is great. I am sure that JCG students would really enjoy it. The lessons are actually very like those
at JCG. The days are quite long (students arrive around 7:30am for registration at 7:50am and often leave
between 5:00pm and 6:00pm). They get a cooked school lunch in the canteen for 80p but it is not very
nice so many of them get a takeaway delivered from a nearby restaurant. A large portion of dan chow fan
(egg fried rice) costs between 50p and £1. Most students are very hard working, as you would expect. All
students get to school on buses or on e-bikes - or very occasionally in a taxi. On Monday mornings, there is
a compulsory flag raising ceremony where all the local school children on our block (about 1000
students) stand in rows in front of the Chinese flag in our school as the national anthem is played
through speakers. There is always a short speech by a teacher but, as it is in Chinese, I cannot tell
you what they say. The students are used to calling their teacher by the first name - but this year
that has stopped. The biggest difference is that Sixth Form students only study English, Maths,
Physics, Chemistry and Economics. This is because these are the subjects
they do best in and also because Chinese students on the whole seem to
be ambitious for a well paid job. Still, this will change in years to come
because our GCSE students are now studying Drama, Art, Geography,
ICT, and Biology as well; hopefully, many will take these for A Level.
abroadEnglishmanAn
Letter from Mr Lewis
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Batman Shooting - 20th July. At the midnight showing of
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in
Colorado, a man burst into the movie
theatre, armed with multiple guns, and
opened fire. The suspected culprit,
24-year-old James Holmes, killed 12
and injured 58 people that night. This
has highlighted issues around gun
licensing.
James Bond: Skyfall - 23rd October. The 23rd James
Bond was released, earning a record-
breaking $87.8 Million on opening
weekend in the US: the biggest Bond
ever! Figures show that Daniel Craig
is the highest ever paid Bond. It has
topped all opening weekends so far in
2012 – beating the much loved Marvel
Avengers and The Hunger Games.
2012Article written by Hannah Gardener
Hurricane Sandy - End of October. In the final days of
October, ‘the largest tropical storm
ever recorded in the Atlantic’ hit North
America hard. A rough estimation
of the damage caused is $10 billion,
costing double this to cover the cost of
rebuilding. However, these figures are
always underestimated.
Obama Wins Election Again - 6th November. Barack
Obama defeated Mitt Romney in the
battle to become President. Obama
begins his second term as the US
leader with 4 more years in Washington
DC. He made many promises calling on
both parties to work towards making
these wishes a reality.
21
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Children in Need 2012 - 16th November. Children
in Need raised a massive amount
of money, receiving £26,757,446
on the night – a record! There were
performances from Girls Aloud, One
Direction, Alan Sugar and many more.
Children in Need at JCG - 16th November. To celebrate
the great cause, BBC Radio Jersey’s
Kevin Pamplin broadcasted live from
JCG during an afternoon of many
exciting events and challenges. Of
course Pudsey bear himself made an
appearance and the whole school took
part in a group hug!
KONY 2012. In March the
Invisible Children campaign released
a video called ‘KONY 2012’ directed
by Jason Russell. The film was hit
that went viral all over the world
and the issues regarding Joseph
Kony and child soldiers were spread
internationally. On April 20th an event
called ‘Cover the Night’ took place.
However, the response to this was
very mixed due to the widespread
simplification of a very complex issue.
London Olympics 2012. In the summer of 2012, the whole
world was waiting for the Games to
begin. London took on the challenge
and made the 30th summer Olympics
a great success. With outstanding
performances from all the athletes,
Britain really made their mark. The US
came 1st, China 2nd and Great Britain
came in 3rd.
French Protest Against Gay Marriage -18th November. More than 100,000
protesters turned up in French Cities
to fight against same-sex marriage
and the right for gay people to adopt.
These protests were organised by
Catholic groups as the Government’s
plans are to legalise same sex
marriage mid-2013 in France.
British Monk Sets Himself on Fire In Protest - 15th November. British
Monk (38) born David Alain died
after setting himself on fire at a
Buddhist monastery in Southern
France. It is believed he was making a
‘political gesture’ against the Chinese
occupation of Tibet. Fire fighters were
unable to save his life after being
called to the scene.
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Batman Shooting - 20th July. At the midnight showing of
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in
Colorado, a man burst into the movie
theatre, armed with multiple guns, and
opened fire. The suspected culprit,
24-year-old James Holmes, killed 12
and injured 58 people that night. This
has highlighted issues around gun
licensing.
James Bond: Skyfall - 23rd October. The 23rd James
Bond was released, earning a record-
breaking $87.8 Million on opening
weekend in the US: the biggest Bond
ever! Figures show that Daniel Craig
is the highest ever paid Bond. It has
topped all opening weekends so far in
2012 – beating the much loved Marvel
Avengers and The Hunger Games.
2012Article written by Hannah Gardener
Hurricane Sandy - End of October. In the final days of
October, ‘the largest tropical storm
ever recorded in the Atlantic’ hit North
America hard. A rough estimation
of the damage caused is $10 billion,
costing double this to cover the cost of
rebuilding. However, these figures are
always underestimated.
Obama Wins Election Again - 6th November. Barack
Obama defeated Mitt Romney in the
battle to become President. Obama
begins his second term as the US
leader with 4 more years in Washington
DC. He made many promises calling on
both parties to work towards making
these wishes a reality.
Children in Need 2012 - 16th November. Children
in Need raised a massive amount
of money, receiving £26,757,446
on the night – a record! There were
performances from Girls Aloud, One
Direction, Alan Sugar and many more.
Children in Need at JCG - 16th November. To celebrate
the great cause, BBC Radio Jersey’s
Kevin Pamplin broadcasted live from
JCG during an afternoon of many
exciting events and challenges. Of
course Pudsey bear himself made an
appearance and the whole school took
part in a group hug!
KONY 2012. In March the
Invisible Children campaign released
a video called ‘KONY 2012’ directed
by Jason Russell. The film was hit
that went viral all over the world
and the issues regarding Joseph
Kony and child soldiers were spread
internationally. On April 20th an event
called ‘Cover the Night’ took place.
However, the response to this was
very mixed due to the widespread
simplification of a very complex issue.
London Olympics 2012. In the summer of 2012, the whole
world was waiting for the Games to
begin. London took on the challenge
and made the 30th summer Olympics
a great success. With outstanding
performances from all the athletes,
Britain really made their mark. The US
came 1st, China 2nd and Great Britain
came in 3rd.
French Protest Against Gay Marriage -18th November. More than 100,000
protesters turned up in French Cities
to fight against same-sex marriage
and the right for gay people to adopt.
These protests were organised by
Catholic groups as the Government’s
plans are to legalise same sex
marriage mid-2013 in France.
British Monk Sets Himself on Fire In Protest - 15th November. British
Monk (38) born David Alain died
after setting himself on fire at a
Buddhist monastery in Southern
France. It is believed he was making a
‘political gesture’ against the Chinese
occupation of Tibet. Fire fighters were
unable to save his life after being
called to the scene.
22
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Cybe
r-Bullying
Don’t add people you don’t know. If a
stranger sends a friend request on a website, block them and make
sure they can’t get to you.
Secondly, always tell someone if a person
is bullying you, whether it’s a parent, guardian or someone
you really trust: like a teacher. They
can always help.
Keep all personal things to yourself – passwords
etc. Don’t share these even someone you really trust,
like a friend, because anything could happen
on the internet.
If one person is being mean to you, block them
and de-friend them from the websites they are bullying
you on. That way they can’t do anything to you over
that certain site.
In an increasingly technological age,
cyber bulling is an increasingly
serious issue with people using
their computer screens as a
mask. As the internet becomes
more portable in the form of
phones and tablets, people are
constantly affected. Fortunately,
there are simple steps you can
take to stay safe and protect
yourself on the internet.
How can we prevent it?
First of all, neverbe mean to someone over
the internet (or anywhere) if it’s going to hurt their feelings.
Be considerate towards them, and always treat them the way you
would want to be treated.
Article written by Virginia Halford
If you need more information on
how to keep safe over the internet, then visit
www.thinkuknow.com or if you
need advice on how to deal with bullying visit
www.cybermentors.org.uk
23
CURRENT AFFAIRS
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Cybe
r-Bullying
Don’t add people you don’t know. If a
stranger sends a friend request on a website, block them and make
sure they can’t get to you.
Secondly, always tell someone if a person
is bullying you, whether it’s a parent, guardian or someone
you really trust: like a teacher. They
can always help.
Keep all personal things to yourself – passwords
etc. Don’t share these even someone you really trust,
like a friend, because anything could happen
on the internet.
If one person is being mean to you, block them
and de-friend them from the websites they are bullying
you on. That way they can’t do anything to you over
that certain site.
In an increasingly technological age,
cyber bulling is an increasingly
serious issue with people using
their computer screens as a
mask. As the internet becomes
more portable in the form of
phones and tablets, people are
constantly affected. Fortunately,
there are simple steps you can
take to stay safe and protect
yourself on the internet.
How can we prevent it?
First of all, neverbe mean to someone over
the internet (or anywhere) if it’s going to hurt their feelings.
Be considerate towards them, and always treat them the way you
would want to be treated.
Article written by Virginia Halford
If you need more information on
how to keep safe over the internet, then visit
www.thinkuknow.com or if you
need advice on how to deal with bullying visit
www.cybermentors.org.uk
REVIEWS
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Published in 2003, Lionel Shriver’s
book We Need to Talk about Kevin is
largely based on the school shootings
that occurred in America at the end of
the last millennium. Set out as what
could be described as a monologue,
with the maternal character of Eva
writing letter after letter to the silent,
estranged character of her husband
Franklin, the book is alien to those
tucked up safe in bed but strangely and
unnervingly close to the reader’s heart.
We Need to Talk about Kevin is truly
terrifying. Terrifying, appalling and yet
completely unputdownable. It follows
the relationship between mother and
child yet without divulging into the
concept of love - as is customary to do
when narrating a
parental bond.
What makes
the love that
Eva and
Kevin share
so
twisted and warped is
that Eva is an ordinary
mother burdened with this
manipulative child. Eva
and Franklin are not bad
parents. They are pretentious,
confirmative, and eager to
understand and relate to their
children; they are impatient
and bad tempered but, even
on the worst of days, there
is still good intention. The
universe and character Shriver
has created are completely
parallel with our own lives; we,
like Eva are self-absorbed, or
like Franklin, obsessed with an
overwhelming image of family
but this brings the horror that
is Kevin so close.
It seems callous to call even a fictional
child a horror, but from a young
age Kevin is flippant, calculating,
disinterested. Medically, physically
he is too normal: perfect. And that
is terrifying - the events of the book
are unpredictable, unpreventable,
unavoidable. We could be sitting
next to Kevin or pass him in
the street or he could take
our lives. In a way we
all have the ability
to be Kevin;
harbouring
a mad,
animalistic streak because we are
hardwired for survival regardless of
how violent that may lead us to be.
And we really do need to talk about
Kevin. We read and listen to media
which imprints ‘school shootings’ on
the brain met with the subconscious
reflex of smug socialites – ‘how
terrible’. This book demonstrates to us
we cannot blame the parents because
it is up to us as a society to prevent
sociopaths from using us as target
practice. It highlights a vulnerability
of modern culture – the way in which
we distance ourselves from issues
that are so important in an advancing
world.
Article written by Rowan Pilley
BOOK REVIEW
Truly terrifying, appalling and yet completely unputdownable
REVIEWS
25
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
In this issue of the Gazette, we
thought it would be good to review
a local band who we thought could
depict Jersey’s roots. Therefore, after
seeing them perform an acoustic
session outside White Label Records
in Colomberie, I discovered the
Jèrriais band ‘Badlabecques’.
Badlabecques is a Jersey-based pop
folk band who fuse the traditional
songs with pop and dance influences
from around the world, all while
singing in our indigenous language
of Jèrriais. They are made up of 9
people, playing instruments ranging
from the acoustic guitar to the
accordion.
To be honest, the last time I heard
Jersey’s native language of Jèrriais
was when I was in Year 4 and took
part in lessons on dreary Wednesday
mornings before school. However, with
their folk twist on traditional Jersey
tales, it was great to see Jèrriais in a
light which I had never experienced
before, one that was actually enjoyable
to watch and listen to!
Personally, the only thing I can
remember of my few years of learning
Jèrriais is the phrase ‘abitôt mon
vie’ and even though I didn’t really
understand what the songs were
about, it was great just to stand there
and listen to the catchy tunes that
were being played on the guitar and
the violin. My personal favourite song,
which I saw performed, is called ‘J’ai
pèrdu ma femme’, which is a song
about a husband losing his wife while
planting cabbages. When the live
session finished, I even found myself
humming the tunes after I returned
home, which I think shows that
you’ve had a good time. Also, it was
interesting learning some words from
Jersey’s native language, and at least
I know how to say, ‘Mon bieau p’tit
Jèrri, la reine des îles’ (My beautiful
little Jersey, Queen of the islands),
which I think could come in handy if I
take any trips to nearby Guernsey.
So if you are currently learning Jèrriais,
or want to own a CD which you can
proudly proclaim is 100% Genuine
Jersey Produce, then I strongly advise
that you buy their album, ‘Hèque’. Not
only would you be supporting a great
local band, but half of the proceeds
go back to local causes, supporting
local musicians and also the teaching
of Jèrriais throughout the island. So
what are you waiting for? Go and
buy the album now, and amaze your
friends at lunch with your astounding
new knowledge of Jèrriais, (and don’t
worry, the album comes with English a
translation!).
MUSIC REVIEW
BADLABECQUESLocal Jèrriais Band
Article written by Steff Spencer
26
REVIEWS
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Article written by Eloise Smith and Vicky Youngs
On Monday 26th November,
several Jersey College for Girls
students, parents, Hawksford
members and interested islanders
came together in the JCG hall to
take part in a debate hosted by the
chief executive of Hawksford, Peter
Murley. The topic was ‘Protesting is a sign of a healthy society.’ This,
what we thought was a controversial
topic, was not so very controversial
when the audience voted before
the debate commenced where only
seven members of the audience voted
against and the vast majority voted for
the argument. This widely held view
made it difficult for the team arguing
against the motion.
Firstly, a member of the team that
was against the motion stood and
presented their 10 minute long
speech which was captivating and
interesting and mentioned leaders like
Martin Luther King and Gandhi who
attempted to make major alterations
to society yet avoided violent protest
and managed to make a huge impact
on how others saw these issues. They
also talked about how in China, a new
leader was sworn in without any signs
of protest from the public and how
this shows a better-disciplined society
with less conflict and therefore a
healthier one. On the other hand,
next a member of the team that was
for the motion stood and also spoke
for 10 minutes about how in China
the government do not allow these
protests to happen and have serious
threats and punishments for signs
or revolt in place surely meaning an
unhealthy society lacking freedom
of speech. When the speeches were
done, it was question time where
the audience got to quiz the teams,
which uncovered that the teams
defined “protest” in different ways.
The “for” team defined a protest as
any non-violent portrayal of opinion
against a matter such as peace march
or a letter of complaint whereas the
“against” team argued that a protest
should be defined as any type of
disagreement with the government
including violent demonstrations.
However, at the end of the debate, the
audience was asked again to vote for
or against the argument after having
heard the argument from both sides.
Surprisingly, the outcome was the
complete opposite to before the
debate where the majority of the
audience voted against the argument,
whereas only a few members of the
audience voted for the argument. This
truly shows how well the “against”
team were at portraying their
argument. We also found out, once
the debate had come to a conclusion,
that the debaters were in fact
speaking for the opposite team that
they believed in - making it that much
harder for them.
Nevertheless, we both agreed that
the debate truly made us both start
‘thinking about tomorrow’, provoking our thoughts on the subject
and really gave us a feel of the political
world not only inspiring us about our
political philosophy, but also motivated
us to take part in the coming debates.
equally inappropriate phrase.
of a healthy society.’
The Debate
is a sign ‘Protesting
27
REVIEWS
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Article written by Eloise Smith and Vicky Youngs
On Monday 26th November,
several Jersey College for Girls
students, parents, Hawksford
members and interested islanders
came together in the JCG hall to
take part in a debate hosted by the
chief executive of Hawksford, Peter
Murley. The topic was ‘Protesting is a sign of a healthy society.’ This,
what we thought was a controversial
topic, was not so very controversial
when the audience voted before
the debate commenced where only
seven members of the audience voted
against and the vast majority voted for
the argument. This widely held view
made it difficult for the team arguing
against the motion.
Firstly, a member of the team that
was against the motion stood and
presented their 10 minute long
speech which was captivating and
interesting and mentioned leaders like
Martin Luther King and Gandhi who
attempted to make major alterations
to society yet avoided violent protest
and managed to make a huge impact
on how others saw these issues. They
also talked about how in China, a new
leader was sworn in without any signs
of protest from the public and how
this shows a better-disciplined society
with less conflict and therefore a
healthier one. On the other hand,
next a member of the team that was
for the motion stood and also spoke
for 10 minutes about how in China
the government do not allow these
protests to happen and have serious
threats and punishments for signs
or revolt in place surely meaning an
unhealthy society lacking freedom
of speech. When the speeches were
done, it was question time where
the audience got to quiz the teams,
which uncovered that the teams
defined “protest” in different ways.
The “for” team defined a protest as
any non-violent portrayal of opinion
against a matter such as peace march
or a letter of complaint whereas the
“against” team argued that a protest
should be defined as any type of
disagreement with the government
including violent demonstrations.
However, at the end of the debate, the
audience was asked again to vote for
or against the argument after having
heard the argument from both sides.
Surprisingly, the outcome was the
complete opposite to before the
debate where the majority of the
audience voted against the argument,
whereas only a few members of the
audience voted for the argument. This
truly shows how well the “against”
team were at portraying their
argument. We also found out, once
the debate had come to a conclusion,
that the debaters were in fact
speaking for the opposite team that
they believed in - making it that much
harder for them.
Nevertheless, we both agreed that
the debate truly made us both start
‘thinking about tomorrow’, provoking our thoughts on the subject
and really gave us a feel of the political
world not only inspiring us about our
political philosophy, but also motivated
us to take part in the coming debates.
equally inappropriate phrase.
of a healthy society.’
The Debate
is a sign ‘Protesting
WRITERS’ CORNER
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Creative writingTHE RUNPart One - The Finishing ExamArticle written by Virginia Halford and Nikki Hamon
The clock ticked violently every
second, sending chills up my spine
despite the weather. It read three
forty-five. I bent over my Finishing
Exam; my long, wavy, brown, thick
curls tumbling across my face, down
my shoulders. I tucked the escaping
locks behind my ears and continued
chewing the tip of my pencil. The
sun was beating down through the
window, making my face burn; blood
was rushing to my head anyway.
Fifteen more minutes and I’d be out
of this stuffy hall. I laughed to myself
silently, so as not to disturb the other
group of three hundred students in
the hall.
Everyone in the room was fourteen
or above. Not many above, just
the ones whi didn’t take it last year.
Every fourteen year old has to take
the Finishing Exam - to get a job,
of course. Bad scores equal bad
jobs. It’s as simple as that and I was
determined not to get a bad score.
Mama was - right this minute, second
even - at the Steam Plant. Bad scores
sort of run through our blood. Except
for Papa. He got one of the highest
scores on this small, deserted island.
Sadly, he died in a car accident and I
try not to think of him too much.
Mama would be proud if I came
home with high mark but I’m
pondering what I’ll get - good or
bad: I’m sure she won’t mind too
much. You see, our family needs
money, and a lot of it! Mama would
give anything (except for her ‘three
precious children’ as she likes to call
us) for even just a slice of turkey, or
a warm bed for just one night. So
would I, to be honest.
Mr. Hander’s timer went off
suddenly, sending a wave of relief
through every child, including me.
I just wanted to go home to my
family. The old, unfriendly man -
with a goatee, I must add - went
from desk to desk, collecting up the
results of everyone’s test, finished or
not. Thankfully, mine was finished.
Reluctantly - but in a desperate hurry
to get rid of it – I placed it in his grimy
hands, on top of the stack of what
looked like very heavy papers.
He smirked a menacing smile, then
continued to collect in the papers.
My palms were sweating, making my
hands sticky and moist. Grabbing my
old, faded leather jacket, I marched
out the door, following the crowd of
teens, but taking a left route to where
my house was - far away from most
of the normal kids. It took me a good
half an hour until I reached the rickety
gates of our house. I continued up
the stone path, and jammed open the
rusty, wooden door with great force.
Mama stood there, with burns
on her hands, slaving over a pot
of cabbage stew. I breathed in the
contents of the pot and found a seat
at the old, dying table.
Mama questioned me as she
bustled around our small kitchen.
“So, how do you think it went? Did
you do good? Will you get a good
job? Will we be able to eat properly
again?! Will we have enough money
to -” Mama saw my pained face and
sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, dear, but we
haven’t had anything nice for years!
Look at us!”
I gazed around our little shack of a
house, feeling lonely and small, even
with Mama’s kind words soothing
me. The walls were covered in moss,
29
WRITERS’ CORNER
twitter.com/jcg_live or visit the school website www.jcg.je June 2013The
Creative writingTHE RUNPart One - The Finishing ExamArticle written by Virginia Halford and Nikki Hamon
The clock ticked violently every
second, sending chills up my spine
despite the weather. It read three
forty-five. I bent over my Finishing
Exam; my long, wavy, brown, thick
curls tumbling across my face, down
my shoulders. I tucked the escaping
locks behind my ears and continued
chewing the tip of my pencil. The
sun was beating down through the
window, making my face burn; blood
was rushing to my head anyway.
Fifteen more minutes and I’d be out
of this stuffy hall. I laughed to myself
silently, so as not to disturb the other
group of three hundred students in
the hall.
Everyone in the room was fourteen
or above. Not many above, just
the ones whi didn’t take it last year.
Every fourteen year old has to take
the Finishing Exam - to get a job,
of course. Bad scores equal bad
jobs. It’s as simple as that and I was
determined not to get a bad score.
Mama was - right this minute, second
even - at the Steam Plant. Bad scores
sort of run through our blood. Except
for Papa. He got one of the highest
scores on this small, deserted island.
Sadly, he died in a car accident and I
try not to think of him too much.
Mama would be proud if I came
home with high mark but I’m
pondering what I’ll get - good or
bad: I’m sure she won’t mind too
much. You see, our family needs
money, and a lot of it! Mama would
give anything (except for her ‘three
precious children’ as she likes to call
us) for even just a slice of turkey, or
a warm bed for just one night. So
would I, to be honest.
Mr. Hander’s timer went off
suddenly, sending a wave of relief
through every child, including me.
I just wanted to go home to my
family. The old, unfriendly man -
with a goatee, I must add - went
from desk to desk, collecting up the
results of everyone’s test, finished or
not. Thankfully, mine was finished.
Reluctantly - but in a desperate hurry
to get rid of it – I placed it in his grimy
hands, on top of the stack of what
looked like very heavy papers.
He smirked a menacing smile, then
continued to collect in the papers.
My palms were sweating, making my
hands sticky and moist. Grabbing my
old, faded leather jacket, I marched
out the door, following the crowd of
teens, but taking a left route to where
my house was - far away from most
of the normal kids. It took me a good
half an hour until I reached the rickety
gates of our house. I continued up
the stone path, and jammed open the
rusty, wooden door with great force.
Mama stood there, with burns
on her hands, slaving over a pot
of cabbage stew. I breathed in the
contents of the pot and found a seat
at the old, dying table.
Mama questioned me as she
bustled around our small kitchen.
“So, how do you think it went? Did
you do good? Will you get a good
job? Will we be able to eat properly
again?! Will we have enough money
to -” Mama saw my pained face and
sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, dear, but we
haven’t had anything nice for years!
Look at us!”
I gazed around our little shack of a
house, feeling lonely and small, even
with Mama’s kind words soothing
me. The walls were covered in moss,
the roof was leaking in various spots,
to put into one simple sentence - this
house is beyond repairing. “I don’t
know...” I whispered, quietly. “I don’t
know...” I fiddled with my hands,
still wet with sweat, but they were
shaking too.
Mama twisted me into a tight hug,
smoothing down my hair, relaxing
me. I cried softly into her shoulders,
sniffing once in a while. Marco, my
younger brother, entered the room
and sighed - the ‘knowing’ look
plastered on his normally smirking
face.
“What are you doing?” Marco asked
cautiously, eyeing us carefully.
“Your sister just finished her
Finishing Exam!” Mama said. Tears
came to her eyes, but she wipes her
eyes with the back of her hand. She
smiled a watery smile, aimed at me
then at Marco, and went back to her
cabbage stew before it burnt.
Marco turned to me and hugged
me tight too. As he was only seven,
I hugged him back, but a normal
guy would have pushed him away
and eyed him wearily. But he was
my little, defenceless brother so
I clutched him tight. “Well done,
Skylar.” He murmured into my ear.
“Thank you, Marco,” we parted;
he went to ask Mama about her day,
while I went into the neighbourhood
to meet Kai. I twisted through the
winding roads to the village square,
where all the nice shops were.
Mama didn’t have any money, so
neither did we. One of my many
hobbies included gazing through
shop windows, gazing at the things
I simply couldn’t
have.
The square
was packed with
pigeons, little
children clinging
onto their mothers
and teenage
thugs, looking for
someone to bully,
steal from or hurt.
“Kai!” I called,
spotting a whirl of
frizzy black hair on
tanned skin. My
skin was pale, a
few freckles on my
face, wavy, brown
hair and pale blue
eyes, to match my
name.
Kai saw me heading towards him,
and turned from the stall he was
wistfully looking at. Like me, he was
too poor. “Hey!” he said, smiling
broadly. He wound me into a tight
hug and I giggled. “You’re looking a
beauty, as always! And how did the
Finishing Test go?” he added as a
second thought.
I pondered this for a second. “You
know... I don’t know! It was so hard
but I think I managed!” I laughed,
pecking his lips playfully. I held his
hand, tight in mine, as we fed the
pigeons pieces of stale bread, which
he had brought from his home. Every
now and then he would ask me, ‘How
did it go?’ or, ‘Do you think you did
well?’, but my answers would always
be the same. He didn’t mind my
answers and I didn’t mind him asking
either.
“So, I think it’s time for you and
me to get back,” he said, studying
the sky. The clouds had drifted in
from the corners of the sky, rays
of light gleaming through. The
sun had turned orange, and it was
turning dark earlier, now it was late
November. I nodded in agreement;
we kissed goodbye, and went our
separate ways.
I walked the hour’s walk home,
deep in thought. To be honest, I
wasn’t sure what I got, and I was
worried. More than worried but it
would be okay… I hoped.
DarkPoemBy Nikki Hamon
Life trickles,Sand fills.No one here to save me.
Can’t breathe,Feel drowsy.The hourglass filling up.
Clock ticks, Takes forever.My time is up.
30
Jersey College GazetteJune 2013The
Fundamentally, I agree with the
phrase ‘YOLO’ as far as life is short
- you should work hard and take
opportunities that are offered to you
in order to contribute to society and
make a positive impact on the world.
However, ‘YOLO’ is often regarded as
an excuse to do stupid things and it is
the level to which people take these
actions which can cause the problem.
For example, using ‘YOLO’ to justify
a buying a tortoise is not a particularly
important issue unless of course you
are allergic to tortoises in which case
it could be a fatal and tragic sequence
of events. It is when the internet
reveals the horrors of the ignorant
followers of ‘YOLO’ with examples
such as ‘I’m pregnant, YOLO’ that the
seriousness of an irritating slang word
is emphasized. The most shocking
case is that of Ervin McKinness, a
Californian who tweeted ‘Drunk going
120 drifting corners #YOLO’ minutes
before the car he was in flipped over
killing all five occupants all of whom
were in their early twenties.
‘YOLO’ is not a good excuse to justify
crime as lyrics from a rap by Drake are
not the strongest argument in your
defence. Also, it is in the very essence
of the phrase - you only live once -
so it is probably best not to spend
your life in prison. Tattoos justified
by ‘YOLO’ are almost certainly a
mistake that has been etched into
your skin with no real significance or
any thought. Tattoos brandishing the
term itself are most definitely stupid
- Zac Efron we’re looking at you - like
everything, the trend will end. No
matter how many times you say
‘YOLO’ you will still have to bear the
ink stained on your skin.
‘YOLO’ is also like any teenage craze
- irritatingly overused. It has even been
changed to mean ‘You Obviously Lack
Originality’ and although once the ‘in’
thing the phrase is now a source of
growing frustration. This is mainly due
to the use of the term for everyday
occurrences which is similar to the
use of Twitter and Facebook to update
the world on every action a person
performs. It is understandable why
‘just took my dog on a walk YOLO’
is beginning to become extremely
tiresome. It can even seem reasonable
that adults doubt the capability of
our generation who in the future face
huge issues such as climate change,
economic crisis, over population etc.
as when stereotyped as a teenage
group we justify all our mistakes with
a single slang term which is plastered
all over cyberspace.
Jack Black has also suggested
that ‘YOLO is just carpe diem for
stupid people’ and many anti YOLO
campaigners have suggested the
Latin (seize the day) as a more
valuable alternative although to no
avail. ‘YOLO’ is not an inspirational
phrase or a motto which we can use
to maximise the time between life
and death but part of the modern
phenomenon of the trend, the same
as the miniskirts of the sixties or the
flares of the seventies, but spread
faster and quicker than ever before.
Fiction and pop culture create are
incorporated so fully into our lives
but also mean ‘YOLO’ is rendered
inaccurate. If you are Jesus, Harry
Potter, the Doctor or a zombie ‘YOLO’
simply does not work. Jesus was
raised again through a miracle from
God - prompting a new phrase, the
creation of which seems to make the
whole idea even more crazy - ‘YOLT’
is the preferred slang term of some
Christians (or indeed dedicated Bond
fans).
Even if we detest ‘YOLO’ it is
becoming frustratingly incorporated
into our lives whether it slipped into
our vocabulary through using the
phrase sarcastically or if we have just
caught it from others like a disease!
Inevitably, ‘YOLO’ will soon be
forgotten only to be replaced by an
equally inappropriate phrase.
My problem with ‘YOLO’
31
WRITERS’ CORNER