The Princess In the Tower - by Feyishayo Shonde

THE PRINCESS IN THE TOWER


Once there lived a beautiful maiden named Saphiere. She had fair skin and gorgeous golden locks. Her entrancing eyes twinkled and sparkled in the dark of the night. She was humble, sweet, elegant and loved by all around her.

Saphiere lived in a gigantic, underwater palace made of gold and silver. It was decked with fine exotic jewels with marble pillars and a grand marble staircase leading to the royal quarters. Golden drapes hung from the ceiling as diamond chandeliers dangled from above. She wore fine lace and silk but remained humble and unselfish.

Her father (King Augustus) loved her most out of all her family. She was a diamond in disguise and had a heart of gold. However, her step-mother’s heart was stained with hate and jealousy. Despite her envy of Saphiere, she still loved her. Saphiere’s step-mother envied her too much. Even though she tried her hardest not to show her hatred little flashes of a deadly sin appeared often on her face.

One gloomy afternoon a wicked witch came flying through the palaces gates. The witch had crooked yellow teeth and a long brown broomstick. She was rather pretty, but the hairs on her nose did not do her any justice; along with the warts on her face that added to the effect. She wore a black hooded shawl and long pointy shoes, along with tights that were patched with multicolored spots. The witch, who was very cruel and rather ugly, also envied Saphiere because of her wealth and beauty and therefore decided to place a curse on her. She transformed her into a catastrophic creature! Saphiere now had a pointy nose and her face drooped down onto her shoulders! In addition to this her gnarled fingers were crippled like claws. She took the magnificent clothes and replaced them with torn, dirty old rags. Sadly she locked Saphiere into a tower; that was ugly on the inside but beautiful on the outside.

“Your mother is a very cruel and an evil woman. She has refused to change her ways, as a result you are to remain in this tower until you find someone who truly loves you. You will be allowed one visitor and if they see you for the loving, sensitive, adorable kind person that you are, I will set you free”, explained the wicked witch. With that she abruptly disappeared, as the night swallowed her slender silhouette.

Saphiere wept bitterly; the thought of not being with her father made her cry even harder. Each night she gazed thoughtlessly from the stained glass window hoping for that special person to come and save her. For three years she stayed locked in the tower and nobody dared to come near.

One fine day a handsome price came riding past the tower. Saphiere heard the galloping of a horse and stared out of her window. “I’ve got to trust in myself, I must stay strong”, Saphiere whispered to herself “I want him to be the one!” Suddenly three knocks on the door were heard. There before her amazed eyes was this handsome blond head prince. He wore silver armour and rode a white swift horse with a hairy mane.

With that the prince appeared in the room. Unexpectedly she heard a deep voice. “What am I doing here? And who on earth are you?” exclaimed the handsome stranger. His sapphire eyes dazzled beautifully making Saphiere spellbound.

“Well I’m locked in here and I was feeling lonely and wondering if you would like to join me for dinner?” “And by the way, what is your name?” The prince was taken aback. She was hideous! He was just about to reply no, as politely as he could, but something about her made him want to stay a while longer.
“Lancelot, and what might yours be?” asked the prince.
“My name is Saphiere” she stammered surprised that he had not run away yet!

They talked for hours hopelessly lost in each other’s eyes. For the magical time that they spent together her appearance didn’t seem to matter. He saw what she looked like before the curse. The sun had set cherry red in the sky illuminating the castle; for a second it left the ground and sparkled dangerously. They floated past the clouds driven forward only by their love for each other. The tower, (ugly on the outside yet beautiful on the inside) reflected the beauty Saphiere possessed. They gazed into each other’s eyes entranced, for what seemed like minutes but when they looked up from each other it was evening again.

“Promise me you’ll never leave and you’ll stay with me forever”, she said. He embraced her then slowly leaned towards her lips. He kissed her gently and the spell was broken!

Saphiere and her handsome prince found themselves back at the underwater palace at their wedding ceremony! They both lived happily ever after.



THE END


By Feyishayo Shonde 7MD

CHRISTMAS SHOUTOUTS!!

Merry Christmas Melissa & Beth from Diana Diaia

Merry Christmas to all the sexy bois out there, 2K8 XOXO

Merry Xmas to my girlies Jessica, Nyomie, Jasmine, Katerin, Kerrie and Stacey-Lee

Shout out to my Wiffy, you’re my number 1 babe, luff you forever (foreeffah)
Love you sesky!

We love you Toni Ross! We love ur blonde (gingerness) and ur left handed (special personness) Love Amber, Faye, Poppy and Mia

To Eva Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year love loads from Amber Poppy Toni and Chelsea.

Merry X-mas to Jessica Roberts Luv Uhss!

Merry Xmas peeps!

Merry Xmas OXO Luv X-U-X Jess and Josie and Nyomie and me!

Me Corquitt, Kepp smiling!

Merry Xmas to Josie, J23, Nyomie, N Katerin

Mr Amor – Live a long life.

Meryy Christmas Jeto

Merry Christmas to all the sexy bois out there XOXOX

To James Worster – you are the loudest most annoying science loving freak I’ve ever met. You should live a good life! From F Amor.

Merry Christmas to all the begs and the good people and buttrz bois and gals out there
XOX
1001 Jokes!

Merry Christmas to Josie, Jassica, Nyomi, Jasmine, Stacy-Lee

Merry Christmas to RAT, Stacy

Have a nice Christmas Lala!

Dear Sarah, Merry Christmas X you are the best present anyone could ask for. I love you lots, Love Daniel Maddock XXX

Crazy Sun and Cloud

COME AND SPONGE OPE AND MS BOHAN!

Near front entrance, 11am, Mufti Day

20p = 1 throw
£1.00 + 7 throws

Bacon's Choir sing Christmas Carols

WINNER OF THE GRAPHIC SHORT STORY COMPETITION!

Well done Lily Xutong Zhao! Lily's work has an original style, we particularly like the way the cloud is drawn, and the interesting way both the cloud and the sun speak. Would love to see more from you Lily - Don't forget to collect your prize after school on Monday from the library.

Style on the Tiles - Animation by Devante Dawodu

The Wife

By Harry Godfrey

One day, years ago, a man married a woman very dear to his heart. Her name was Veronica, and she was the most beautiful and kind lady the man had ever had the pleasure to meet.
They had no children, no pets and it was very quiet around the house.
Something seemed to upset his wife, shortly after the man lost his job, but he still loved her so, but she found it difficult to carry on supporting him.
One morning, the man woke up to find his wire hanging off one of the curtain poles from one of his old work ties. When he saw her he felt like he could not breathe. He sat under the kitchen table and spoke to himself.
‘Was it me?’ he asked himself, ‘Was it me?’ He sweated. ‘Was it the fridge? Dumb fridge! Always bloody getting too hot!’ he twitched. ‘Or was it the window? The table? OR THE FLOOR?’
He never slept in their bed again, always on the kitchen floor, he never changed his clothes or washed ever again, he never watched telly, he just lay there in the front room staring at her cold, still body.
Over time he lost all interest. He never really ate, only when he had to, when he had no energy to stand up. He then decided it would be best to meet her himself. He locked himself in the bathroom and avoided all water and food. He then slowly drifted away.
Yes one day, many years ago, a man married a woman very dear to his heart. Her name was Veronica, and she was the most beautiful and kind lady the man had ever had the pleasure to meet.

Vegan Recipies Of The Day - Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th

VEGAN LAYER SPONGE CAKE
I made this today. It migt be a little burnt, but it's still good...
I never said I could cook did I?

It was meant to look like this:

This Recipie was from the book 'Puddings'
Eggless Sponge

8oz self-raising wholemeal flour
6oz caster sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
6tbsp sunflour oil
9 floz water
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 tbsp jam (I used way more than this)
caster sugar, for dusting (I didn't bother)

Mix the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl

Pour in the oil, water and vanilla flavouring. Mix well witha wooden spoon for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth

Grease and line two 8" sandwich cake tins and spoon the mixture evenly between the two

Bake in a preheated oven, Gas Mark 4, for about 25-30 minutes (mine was only in for 20 but it still burnt, but that's just my oven).

Leave to cool and transfer to a wire rack. remove the baking paper and place one of the sponges on a plate.

Spread jam on the sponge which is on the plate and place the other one on top, then top it caster sugar to serve.

------------------------------------------------

Tuesday's 'Recipie':
Sandwiches.
Not really a recipie, but to be honest everyone eats sandwiches, and without vegan sandwich fillings, lunches would be a bit more complicated. So here's some vegan sandwich ideas for you.


Houmous
Houmous and salad
'Veggie Slices' (basically liike flavoured tofu slices. surprisingly nice)
Vegan 'Egg Mayo' (Vegan mayonayse, available from health food shops, with mashed tofu)
Marmite (with or without sliced cucumber)
Cucumber
Vegetable Pate
Any type of vegan dip
Miso
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter and Banana
Peanut Butter and Jam
Jam
Tofu (any kind, prepared any way)
Vegan cream chese
Falafel's, houmous and lettuce
Salad
Mashed Kidney or Butter beans (with/ without salad)
Roasted Vegetables
Vegan Chocolate Spread (from health food shop)

There are more..but I could never list ALL the possibilities
Anything goes as long as theres no animals involved.

How To Get All Your Nutrients on a Vegan Diet

A healthy diet must include:
Protien, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, water
Everything here can be found in a vegan diet, and here's how...

PROTIEN
There are 10 types of protien requited from the diet, these are:
Arginine (not needed for adults)
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Llysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine


Arginine: Alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green vegetables, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, parsnips, nutritional yeast.

Histidine: Apple, pomogranates, alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dandelion, endive, garlic, radish, spinach, turnip greens.

Isoleucine: Avocados, papayas, olives, coconut, sunflower seeds.

Leucine: Avocados, papayas, olives, coconut, sunflower seeds.

Lysine: Apples, apricots, grapes, papayas, pears, alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dandelion greens, parsley, spinach, turnip greens.

Methionine: Apples, pineapples, Brazil nuts, filberts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, dock (sorrel), garlic, horseradish, kale, watercress.

Phenylalanine: Apples, pineapples, beets, carrots, parsley, spinach, tomatoes, nutritional yeast.

Threnoine: Papayas, alfalfa sprouts, carrots, green leafy vegetables such as celery, collards, kale, and lettuce (especially iceberg), lima beans, laver (Nori -- a sea vegetable).

Tryptophan: Alfalfa, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, chives, dandelion greens, endive, fennel, snap beans, spinach, turnips, nutritional yeast.

Valine: Apples, almonds, pomegranates, beets, carrots, celery, dandelion greens, lettuce, okra, parsley, parsnips, squash, tomatoes, turnips, nutritional yeast.

CARBOHYDRATE
This is not at all hard to get in a vegan diet.
Try bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, nuts and more..

FAT
Vegetable oil, nuts, seeds and more

VITAMINS
Vitamin A: carrots, broccoli leaves (more than florets), sweet potatoes, spinach, leafy vegetables, pumpkin, apricots, papaya, mango, peas

Vitamin B: potatoes, bananas, lentils, chilli peppers, tempeh, nutritional yeast (or brewer's yeast), molasses

VItamin B12: Marmite and vegemite (claim to be the best), nutritional yeast, B12 fortified cereal, B12 fortified soy milk, or suppliments (but I would not reccomend suppliments, they are unneeded and weird. plus a vegan diet is perfectly healthy so there is no need to suppliment)

Vitamin C: broccoli, capsicum, kale, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, mustard and turnip greens, brussels sprouts, papaya, chard, cabbage, spinach, kiwifruit, snow peas, cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, limes, tomatoes, zucchini, raspberries, asparagus, celery, pineapples, lettuce, watermelon, fennel, peppermint and parsley

Vitamin D: the sun (that's right!)

Vitamin E: vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals

Vitamin K: leafy green vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts avocado and kiwifruit

MINERALS
Iron: soy, dried beans, dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, spinach, potatoes and more

Calcium: tofu (if prepared using calcium sulphate contains more than four times the calcium of whole cow's milk), green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts. (The calcium in green vegetables is absorbed better than the calcium from cow's milk!)

Phosphorus: see calcium.

Sodium: salt

Potassium: bananas, citrus fruit, grains, vegetables

Iodine: seaweed, iodised salt

Magnesium: tofu, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, Brazil nuts, soybean flour, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin, squash seeds, pine nuts, and black walnuts, peanuts, whole wheat flour, oat flour, beet greens, spinach, pistachio nuts, shredded wheat, bran cereals, oatmeal, bananas, and baked potatoes (with skin), agar seaweed, coriander, dill weed, celery seed, sage, dried mustard, basil, cocoa powder, fennel seed, savory, cumin seed, tarragon, marjoram, poppy seed

Zinc: beans, lentils, yeast, nuts, seeds and wholegrain cereals

Copper: whole grains, nuts, raisins, legumes (beans and lentils), cereals, potatoes, peas, mushrooms, some dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach or kale), some fruits (such as coconuts, papaya, and apples), tea and rice

WATER
Water

Free writers' festival in Peckham!

http://www.peckhamliteraryfestival.co.uk

Ike by Derek Bampoh

A well timed reminder to enter the GRAPHIC SHORT STORY COMPETITION!

Vegan Recipie Of The Day - Thursday 13th & Friday 14th

Sugar Cookies
From 'The Garden Of Vegan' by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer. The recipie is measured in cups as the people who wrote it are canadian. You can buy measuring cups from homeware stores or supermarkets. One cup is approximatly equal to 130g.

3/4 cup dry sweetner (a.k.a. sugar)
1 cup margarine*
Egg replacer** equal to one egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda

*dairy free margarine is available in normal shops and as far as I'm aware it doesn't cost any extra. It's just margarine made from vegetable fat instead of butter.
**egg replacer powder is available in health food shops and mayebe some supermarkets, you could also use 1/2 mashed banana per egg to be raplaced OR 1/4 cup mashed tofu OR 1 tbsp soyflour / cornstarch + 2tbsp water.

In a large bowl, stir together the margarine, sweetner, egg replacer and vanilla. Stir in the salt, flour and baking soda and mix well. Roll out and shape. Baker for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges.

Vegan Quiche
This recipie uses tofu instead of eggs to create that quiche-y texture. You can vary this recipie by adding any vegetables you want.

For the Pastry:
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
50g margarine
2-3 tbsp olive oil

To make the pastry:
sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and margarine. Rub/ process the margarine into the flour until the mixture forms breadcrumbs.

Mix the oil with 3tbsp water and add to the bowl. Mix or process briefly until a dough forms. Wrap it in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Grease a 8-9" tin and preheat the oven to gas mark 6/ 200C. Roll the pastry out thinly and place into the tin. Pierce the base with a fork. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until the pastry is browned.

For the filling:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 packet tofu
1 tbsp chopped herbs of your choice
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt & pepper
nutmeg

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 1180C

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for 10 minutes. Put half the oinion in a liquidiser and blend with the garlic and tofu. Add the rest of the onions with the fresh herbs, soy sauce, salt, peper and nutmeg to taste.

Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and set.

GRAPHIC SHORT STORY COMPETITION

Recipie Of The Day - Wednesday 12th

Vegan Stir Fry
Not amazingly interesting, but quick and easy to make and it a great staple food. You can add anything you like to it and as it doesn't contain dairy or eggs, as long as there's no meat added (and you don't have egg noodles with it) it's completly vegan.

Vegetables of your choice, chopped.
Tofu (optional)
'Straight to wok' noodles. (just because it's really easy)

Basically, heat some oil in a pan (wok's are best but you can use any old frying pan). Then add the veg and tofu, stirring constantly. Add the noodles a bit later as they don't need that long to cook. Once everything is heated through and the vegetables are cooked, it's done.

Vegan Recipie Of The Day - Tuesday 11th

Couscous with stir-fried lettuce and marinated tofu, green beans and roasted pumpkin and red onion.

Put the tofu in a bowl with some sweet chilli sauce for about 10 minutes to flavour it a bit, then fry it in some oil with chopped iceburg lettuce.

The green beans you can buy frozen, add them to some boiling water and cook for a while, and then add to the pan with the tofu and lettuce.

Chop up the pumpkin and put it in a baking tray with the onion (also chopped). Season to taste and add olive oil. Bake for about half an hour.

To make the couscous, you just put it in a bowl and add boiling water.

That's it!
serve everything together and add whatever you like to put on your food (soy sauce is good =) ).
This recipie is a bit random and made up but it was quite nice, hope you enjoy it!

Vegan Recipie Of The Day - Monday 10th.

Usually I would also include a picture of what I had for dinner today, but I forgot to take a picture of it. I had Spinach and Chickpea Curry. I don't know the recipe, my mum made it, but the recipe of the day for today is:

Aubergine and Vegimince Lasagne.
I made this on friday (I think). I'd never made vegan lasagne before but it turned out alright. Vegans can eat lasagne.

2 Aubergines
Lasagne pasta
Soya mince (or vegimince or whatever. you can buy it in Tescos.)
Salt
Soya Sauce
Water
Vegan Cheese (if you like. I didn't put any on because I don't like it.)

Sauce:
Cooking Oil
Plain Flour
Soya milk
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg

To Make the Sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add 2tbsp flour, cook for a moment of two. Add soya milk slowly to reach the desired consistancy, while stirring. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

To Make the Actual Thing:
Cook the 'mince' according to the packet. Usually you cook it in a pan with an equal amount of water until it's all absorbed. Add salt and soya sauce if you like.

Cut the aubergine into circles (slice it that is) and fry it in some oil until cooked (Softer and sligtly browned).

In a large dish, layer the aubergines, vegemince and lasagne pasta however you want, and add the sauce (and vegan cheese if you like) to the top layer.

Bake on a fairly low heat until the pasta is soft.

Done!
I will be doing this every day until the end of the month now so come back and check tomorrow!

Please don't add meat/ cheese / milk etc. This would defeat the point of it being vegan. It won't be THAT bad, promise.

Short Horror Story Winner is Harry Godfrey!

We had lots of excellent stories to choose from, but this was the scariest. Well done Harry, pick up a prize from the library after school on Monday.

The Shadows

One day, many years ago, a girl called Katie moved house and she got the attic room of the new house. They had old-fashioned wooden floors, and chandeliers. Her bed was soft and the room was warm.
So there was nothing wrong with the room, in fact, it was perfect, so she snuggled up, and tried to get to sleep.
Then, all of a sudden she heard very strange murmurs and faint laughing, she bolted up, and there were tens of dark, blotchy shadows in front of her, they had no faces, just the shape of a head, and the rest went straight down, she was very frightened.
“Who are you? Can you play with us?” the shadows asked happily, as if nothing was happening.
“My name is Katie Shaw, w…w…w what games do you play? Hide and Seek?”
“We play with axes and guns and knives!” the shadows voices went higher pitched. “Do, you play with axes?”
“No, not at all”
The shadows closed in and they all had inky guns and knives and swords. Katie feared for her life, and she hugged her teddy, she started to cry.
Then, all of the shadows laughed and fluttered around, throwing knives and shooting each other, loads of thick purple blood fell all over her face, she screamed, the shadows made weird noises.
“Would you like to know of our daddy?” the shadows said. “He was an axe murderer, he snatched us from our mummies, and then took us to this house, there were lots of us to start with, but then every night, he would chop us up and eat us in stew, he pretended our blood was raspberry juice, and sold our blood. Our daddy liked us though, he HUNG himself for us so he could meet us again. When he found us in hell, he tied us up in boxes, and threw us here, we needed a host, YOU FIT THE BILL!”
Then in a shock of black and red ink and blood the shadows flew in through her mouth, ears and nose her eyes widened and black ink fell from the inside of her eyes, as if she was drowning in the gooey black liquid.
“We are only PLAYING” the shadows said through gritted teeth, they made her cheeks go black and her veins were so visible as they had sucked up her skin.
Her eyes shone a bright red, then the same night, she found a rusty axe, chopped up her parents and ate the pieces. The police found her dead the next day, hung by a chain, just like her daddy…

The best of the rest in the short horror story competition

Belle
by Lotte Laing

Great Aunt Mary had always had an obsession with dolls. Every birthday she would send me a porcelain doll. I loved them, but after 13 years, they had begun to lose their magic, and now were hidden away inside my wardrobe.
But Belle was different.
“It’s from Aunt Mary.” said mum handing me the package.
I opened it and read the card.

Happy Birthday!
Her name is Belle,
just like you
Aunt Mary.

I picked up the large doll that lay on my lap. She was heavier than most, perhaps it was her large elaborate dress which was silver satin. She had beautiful golden curls that tumbled down round her rosy cheeked face. Her eyes were big and deep, deep blue. They looked so real, staring through mine...
“She’s nice! Come on...SCHOOL!” said mum.
I took Belle under my arm and carried her to my room. I carefully placed her on top of my shelf and looked at her. Was it just me or were her lips, slightly upturned, as though she was smiling to herself? No, it couldn’t be, I was imagining it. I closed my door and went off to school.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get the feeling of someone watching me out of my mind. I lay there, staring up at the blank ceiling, listening to the tick of the clock. Closing my eyes to try and help me relax. I cleared my mind and felt myself getting sleepier.
My heart skipped a beat. I had heard something in my ear ...like breathing, then a tiny, little girl’s giggle. I slowly turned my head to the side and saw something that took the breath from me. There, beside my bed, was Belle. All I could see was her pale face glowing eerily in the dark room. Her mouth was slightly upturned, like she was smiling. Her face was slowly getting closer and closer...
My eyelids were heavy but I forced them open. I tried to move my arms but it was impossible, and I realised what I could see. I was in my room, high up, as though I was on a shelf. I couldn’t even move my eyes; they were fixed, staring straight ahead. The door opened and a girl came in. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was me. The girl looked at me, reached up and took hold of me. She smiled ...an evil smile.
“A nice body you’ve got here!” she said turning and admiring herself in the mirror. “100 years Belle... it’s finally been 100 years... now it’s your turn,” she snarled as she walked over to my wardrobe. What was she saying? I couldn’t understand what she was going on about. She opened the large wooden door and threw me in, I was surrounded by the faces of all the other dolls. I looked at the girl; myself...
“100 years” she said once again and taking one last look at the daylight, she closed the door.

A Halloween Poem
by Amanda Boach

As a vampire came out at night

The dull orange pumpkins glow alight

The Vampire’s assistant came out to play

For a long long time, all night not day

So if you hear him children listen clear

He’s right outside your window, yes he’s near



He’s digging a spot just for you

Marking the place he’s going to push you through

He’s going to suck your blood and steal your soul

That is always a vampires goal.

So if you hear me children listen now

Fall to your knees and start to bow.

Vegan Month

By Sophia Raffety


As you may or may not know, the month of November is ‘Vegan Month’. Organised by the animal rights charity Animal Aid, the aim of the month is to raise awareness of reasons to go vegan, and the benefits of a vegan diet. Being a vegan myself, I can personally recommend veganism.

What is a Vegan?
A vegan is someone who chooses to eliminate all animal-based products from their diet and lifestyle. A vegan does not eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, honey and other animal slaughter by-products such as gelatine (made from melted bones and hooves, usually from cows – generally found in mousse, jelly or chewy sweets ) or rennet (a liquid found in the stomach of a calf – used in hardening products such as cheese).

In addition to this, a true vegan also refuses to wear animal-based fabrics such as leather, suede or wool and avoids purchasing cosmetics or other products which have been tested on animals.

There are many reasons why someone would chose the vegan lifestyle, these include:

Animal Rights: Perhaps the most obvious reason for choosing veganism is the belief that factory farming, animal testing and cruelty to animals is morally wrong, and is unnecessary.

Health: When people find out that you are a vegan, they often worry that you are going to end up unhealthy and weak, so it may come as something of a surprise that many people choose a vegan diet for health reasons. Meat and other animal products are packed full of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to various health problems including heart attacks and blood clots, in addition, animal-based products often contain additives and hormones, which can have negative effects on the body for example the common use of the female hormone oestrogen in meat production can cause men to grow female breasts. A vegan diet can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer, to name a few.

Environment: Animal farming is also bad for the environment. The methane produced by flatulence of the billions of farmed cows is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. Humans have intensively farmed cows in cramped conditions to get as many of them as possible into a smaller space, because of this, there are now many times more cows on earth than would exist naturally, and so there is an increase in greenhouse gas production. Over-grazing and chopping-down of trees to create space for animal farming also ruins natural landscapes and can spoil land.

World Hunger: Feeding a cow on grain to produce meat uses five times as much food as is produced by that cow. Half the crops harvested on the earth are used to feed animals in meat or dairy production, so if we stopped farming animals and used all this food to feed humans, we would have 2.5 times the amount of food with which to feed the world’s population of humans.

Vegan Month is the perfect time to try out veganism, or even just vegetarianism. Reducing the amount of meat or animal products you eat makes a huge difference. Visit www.veganmonth.com for more information on vegan month.

For vegan recipes check out www.vegcooking.com, www.veganrecipies.org.uk or http://vegetarian.about.com/

To Diana, Hello Happy Halloween from Melissa




Shout-outs from Catia-Em of yr 13 and Tayme of Yr 13

Gangs - Year 8 give us their views...

Edited by Lily Xutong Zhao

To the crazy 6th formers out there!
Amal Caddaff, Amber Holdforth and Nguyen of yr 13.
I don't know what else to say.
Jest watch your backs at Halloween because I'm coming to get you!
Ha ha ha!!!

Happy Halloween every1
By Lee Wade 8CP

Happy Halloween everybody


Beth Hi!
Happy Halloween!
Melissa!

Why did the witch cross the road?
I DUNOE!


To Ava Sharma
HAPPY INDIAN HALLOWEEN!
YOU ELECTRO MAGNETISM!!
Love Amber, Toni & Poppy

Hi Miss Simmons!
Love Arnob

Elizabeth McLaren

Special message to Eva Sharma
We miss you v.much
xxx

I want to send a shout out to Dracula even though you haven't grown i'm sure your fangs will soon! From the lovely VB and PP xxx



I want to send a shout out to Mike the Dyke (your diva performing name), good luck in your future career as a tranny! From the lovely VB and PP xxx

Waiting

By Joe Doherty

I’m waiting at night outside my mum’s house all alone, waiting for her to arrive. I can hear the rustling of trees, the echo of hooting from owls. I can see movement and hear strange noises coming from the near by forest. The trees seems to be talking. Leaves are swaying from side to side and something touches my shoulder. It’s only a falling leaf from the tree. I take a deep breath still waiting fro my mum to come back. I can still hear the leaves, I take steps toward the forest but there’s nothing to see but darkness. The only light I have is the light from my phone, and the little light reflected off the house from the moon. I look up and see the beautiful sky full of stars with a full moon, when I hear the howl of a wolf.
In the distance I can see the flashing of car lights but not my mum’s car, maybe some neighbours. The engine stops, there’s no noise, just silence and darkness. I’ve been waiting over an hour now, and there’s no signal on my phone. I stand in there cold and worried. The wind gets stronger as there is a loud rustling sound in the dark trees. There’s a sudden bite on my neck and I swing around but all it is is a little fly. I can smell the cooking of a barbeque and my belly starts to rumble and there’s the sweet smell of a storm coming. I look up to the sky as the stars are disappearing and the moon goes behind a dark cloud. Minutes later I feel a dribble of rain and hear a roar of thunder as a beam of light soars from the sky. I have had enough, so I go into the forest to look for her.

Girlfriend Trouble

I have got a girlfriend from college but I have recently met a really fit girl through a friend of mine. I've heard that she fancies me. I don’t know what to do, help me!

From Smoothie

Film Review: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

By Louis Longley

It is easy to like Morgan Spurlock’s latest film, “Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?”, it is very aesthetically appealing and charmingly funny. However it also boasts brows lower than a Neanderthal.

In his latest film we discover Spurlock’s wife is pregnant and in a quest to make the world safer for his child Spurlock goes on a hunt for the most wanted man in the world, Osama Bin Laden. What follows takes Spurlock on a tour of the Middle East from Saudi-Arabia to Israel, all on the pretence of a relentless hunt for one man. Around 90 minutes of Docudrama later Spurlock reaches his conclusion and manages to arrive home to the USA in time for a closing shot of his wife’s pregnancy.

As I have already said Spurlock’s film has the charm and character of a loveable rogue, which you hate to love, Spurlock’s Borat-esque play on the clichés of several genres, from action to rom-com, this makes the documentary flow and very entertaining to watch. As well as deliberate plays on genre, however, Spurlock seemingly accidentally plays with the genre he based his movie on, Documentary, warping it out of all visible recognition, with his video game style transitions his overly staged camera shots, his additions of sound affects/make up, and his annoyingly over-rehearsed phone conversations with his girlfriend, (think “Shaun of the Dead” on LSD).

Furthermore the pretence for his tour round the Middle East makes the conflict in “Alien vs. Predator” look like the lead up to the first world war. It is an amazingly ludicrous pretence that truly insults the intelligence of the viewer. Although this pretence or ‘hook’ is a deliberate satire on the mainstream American action hero (one man against impossible odds, think Josie Wales in the ‘Outlaw Josie Wales’) and while I do think that the presence of satire is important in documentary, if it is the film’s main feature it (the film) is in danger of being ruined buy its own plot.

In conclusion, while I think that ‘Where in the world is Osama bin Laden’ is an entertaining way of spending around an hour and a half of your life, it does not particularly bear close examination or provoke serious thought. My personal view is that Spurlock should use his quirky style to comment on narrower areas of discussion rather than epic issues.

Work by David Adedipe

It is a dark night and it is cold. I don’t know where I am going. I don’t know how I am going to get home. I don’t even know how I go there. the only thing I am following is the light that leads to a metal wire fence. I am stuck – I don’t know whether to jump the fence of just to crawl into a ball and cry.

Work by Charlie Clinton

Back in the mysterious and haunting 1960s there was an old worn out town called Beckingstoke. This tattered area held a myth about a haunted house on the corner, just off of Riley Road. According to locals, whoever entered never returned, or if they did return they would be possessed with a second personality, of the creature which had overpowered them.
Then it came to the year 1969, just before the end of the decade, and one man was sure to end the myth of the 60s. His name was Henry Mackenroe. He lived in the village and always boasted about how he wasn’t phased by the house and would enter it at least once before he became old and wrinkly.
Just by the look of the house, people could tell this wasn’t a very good idea. People had already started arranging his funeral and ordering flowers to mourn him with, but Henry was sure they were soon to find out the answer to their questions. As he stepped up to the front door, climbing up the rusted, moulded steps, he paused and looked around behind him to get a last glimpse of outside life.
He hesitantly pushed open the door which produced a loud creek, before swinging forth and smashing into the unpainted and bloodstained wall. By now Henry had a tingling feeling in his belly which was telling him something was about to go terribly wrong. As he bravely moved forward down the corridor, he heard a quiet voice coming from his right. He turned his head slowly to the right to discover a slightly opened door. He stuttered forwarded and pushed the cold door knob and there it was, the misty figure as white as snow. It made the room cold and icy. As he stood there staring into his eyes which seemed ocean deep, the myth became real, the blood shed began, the locals were right, how would the myth ever end?

Work by Sam Digby-Baker

I am there in the middle of a corn field. I can smell fresh corn, I can feel it brushing up against my legs. I like the look of the bright yellow corn.

Work by Tolulope Adedayo

Walking down the stairs, the smell of urine shot through my nose. The click click of my heels hitting the hard concrete as I tried not to fall. The three year old paint peeling off the wall, trying to cover up the graffiti underneath. Just like covering up the truth. I accidentally touch the wall, then clean my hand in disgust. I reach the bottom of the stairs and stare at the fountain, decayed and stained. Just like a smoker’s teeth full of dirt and impurities, too late to clean.

Work by Sean Johansen

As I walked up the rocky path towards what I’m told is a large castle, I wondered what the point was in dehydrating myself to see something which you could see in nearly every country in the world. The sun was beating down on my face with great penetration making me feel like I could just jump into that nearby river will all my clothes on, without a care in the world. The hill was gradually getting steeper and I could only hope this meant I was getting closer, and that this suicide walk would soon be over. I could feel my legs sinking into the hot dry ground. I had been walking for almost three hours in the sweltering heat, now I just had to sit down. After sitting down for a couple of minutes I had seen what I was looking for.

Work by Carlton Lieu

I
I was stuck in the corn field and the only thing I could see was more corn. It went on for miles and miles and the only thing I felt was prickly stems and leaves brushing my legs. As I walked further I could hear different animals and insects. Firstly there was the chirruping of the crickets and as I progressed, the rustling of the corn where rodents ran though it.
The clouds filled the sky like an ocean that never ended and I felt like just giving up. the finish line was not in sight. I was tired and hungry but I wasn’t desperate enough to eat a rat or the raw corn.

II
It had been a bad month for me. I was demoted from my job and I didn’t have a penny to spare. News came to me that my granddad had passed away. I ran though a whole box of tissues and even though my tears were now dry, I still missed him. I remembered as a kid I would chill with him, even spend the whole summer with him. I still couldn’t believe it. He was like my dad. My dad used to go to work and I had to chill with gramps.
I lay on my bed thinking about him. I took time off work to visit his house, knowing I was likely to get fired, but that was the last thing on my mind at that moment. I arrived at his castle and made sure that I spent time with the thing he spent his last days with. As I sat in his ‘throne’ the chair I was not allowed to sit on as a kid because he said I wasn’t big enough, I felt his spirit in the air. A cold breeze brushed my legs bit I wasn’t scared I was happy to feel his presence. The world had come back to colour and I felt better.

Secret

By Maxine Lartey

Monique changed back into her pyjamas. She was glad that her dark complexion meant that no one could see her face burning with embarrassment.
She found her mum making breakfast into the kitchen
“Mum, can I talk to you?”
“Always, love,” she answered, smiling.
“Well, I’ve been sick.”
“Oh dear,” said Monique’s mother turning to look at her.
“And then…well, let’s just say my bladder had a mind of its own…”
“Oh, you poor thing!” said Monique’s mum, putting a hand on Monique’s forehead.
“Mum! I’m not a baby,” she replied defiantly.
“You probably have a bug. You can miss school today.”
“Thanks mum.”
Monique turned and started to walk away.
“Darling, if you ever get pregnant, you would tell me wouldn’t you, Monique?”
“Of course, mum” Said Monique, shocked.
“When I had Kamal your grandfather wouldn’t talk to me for months. I just don’t want you making the same mistakes I did.”
Monique trudged up the stairs to her bedroom. Her mum’s words kept playing over and over again in her mind. Could she be pregnant?
At Lauren’s party, a few weeks ago there’d been lots of people and fun and beer. She felt a little reckless and knew her mum would not approve but she wouldn’t get in to any trouble. And then later on Ben, Kate’s boyfriend had showed up. They talked and danced and drank. They’d kissed, something Monique wasn’t proud of, but it had been nice to feel wanted, and as long Ben didn’t say anything, what was the harm?
But then Ben had led Monique to Lauren’s bedroom, and past that the night was a blank.

Monique put her coat on over her pyjamas and snuck out the back door, so that her mum didn’t see her. At the chemist she bought a pregnancy test. It is really hard to buy a pregnancy test because she did not want anyone to know she might be pregnant and then tell her mum. It was ten pounds which seemed stupid because you can only use it once. The look the chemist gave her almost turned her to stone.
Back home she locked herself in the loo and read the instructions carefully. Taking the test was no problem; it was waiting for it to be ready to read that was difficult. After ten minutes Monique finally made herself look. Two blue lines. The instructions on the packet told her she was pregnant.
“No. I can’t be. It’s not true,” she whispered to herself. It’s okay, she thought. I’ll do another test, and this one has to be wrong. But turning out her pockets she didn’t have even half the money to buy a new one.

The next day at school was very hard. The events of the previous day were still fresh in her mind. She didn’t know what to do. All day the only thing on her mind was whether or not she should keep it. What will Kate think of me? She wondered, what will my mum do? I’ve gone and made the same mistake she did.

Kate could tell that something was on her mind.
“What’s up? You’ve been down all day.”
“It’s nothing much, don’t worry,” replied Monique.
“Come on babe, we tell each other everything. You look like you’ve eaten cold porridge,” moaned Kate.
“Look,” Monique didn’t mean to snap, “it’s just I’ve got stuff on my mind, that’s all.”
“Well, we all have stuff on our mind. Ben’s been acting all funny, but I suppose that doesn’t matter because Monique has problems so big that no one else matters.” Kate snapped back.
The hurt and coldness in Kate’s voice made Monique burst in to tears.
“”Hey babe, I’m sorry. I have all this negative energy I need to get out, that’s all,” she said giving Monique a hug.
“It’s not that, It’s just…Oh, Kate I’m so sorry,” sobbed Monique
“What about? You haven’t done anything,” said Kate
“I have…Oh Kate. You remember Lauren’s party?”
“Yeah.”
“Ben and I sort of kissed…but it was a mistake, I mean we were so drunk.”
“You did what?” Kate yelled, so that people stopped and looked at them both. “Wait, with my boyfriend?”
Her face looked like she had been slapped a thousand times and now she wanted revenge.
“It was an accident, I’m so sorry. I just had to tell you, because…”
“Because what?” Shouted Kate.
“Because I’m pregnant,” she sobbed. She hadn’t meant to tell her that bit but it came out like word vomit.
The bell for afternoon lessons rang.
Kate walked away, without looking at her and Monique had never felt so alone.

That evening, she went home and worried about how she would tell her mum. She didn’t have to worry for long as soon Kate was at her door.
“Hey Kate come in. Monique is upstairs”
“Actually I wanted to talk to you”
“Really well come in and grab a seat. So what’s on your mind kiddo?”
Monique’s heart was thumping in her chest like an animal trying to get out of a cage as she sat on the stairs listening to their conversation .
“If my boyfriend cheated on me and took advantage of my friend should I dump him or give him another chance ?”
“That’s a hard decision to make. Do you like him enough to give him another chance. Can you trust him? Is your friendship worth it?”
“I do like him but my friendship is not worth it. I don’t think I can trust him. Thanks for the advice”
“No probs kiddo.”
Monique was stunned Kate had not told her mum she was happy but still surprised.
Kate climbed the stairs and saw Monique.
“I am not going to tell your mum,” she whispered. “I’ll let you do that I realised our friendship is more important then a stupid boy who takes advantage of you, and I will stick by you and the baby.”
“Thanks and I promise never to do anything with your boyfriends no matter how drunk I am.”
“You better not or I will slap you!” and suddenly they both laughed.
“Would you come down with me while I tell my mum I’m pregnant?”
“What are friends for?”
Kate and Monique hugged and held hands as they descended down the stairs to tell her mum.

Gifted and Talented French Club

Joseph Ewing, Kit Wolverson, Maxine Lartey, Lindsay Pain, Anastasia Saunders and Elizabeth Oloyede. Headed up by Jean Pascal, the French club of 6 this year was a great success and, over a stretch of five varying projects, a proud follow-up to last years group.
French club is aimed at giving us the chance to improve and enjoy our skills with the French language. And we have. The year started with our first project of French Comics and although we had just three people at the time, we had a great time creating our own comics and acting them out in front of the other language groups. For the second project we gained another member and our French Christmas was a big success. The next module of French Stereotypes was slightly more subdued but our next hit was most probably the best we’ve had. We did Tecktonik. In short this is a brand of clothes in France that was turned, by the youth, into a new and innovative dance which is all the rage! We just couldn’t resist and had both of the other language clubs and the language teachers up and dancing with us ☺ Finally, we ended the year with our last project of French Who Wants To Be A Millionaire which was, again, great fun.
Looking back together, we’ve had some real good fun and the only thing left to say is MERCI JEAN PASCAL!!! ☺
Au Revoir!

Gifted and Talented German Club

G+T club German group

Guten Tag!
We are the German club and for the past year we have been focusing on aspects of German culture and language. We have been helped by Michel Bakker, the German language assistant, who has helped us very much. We have focused on many different topics all of which we have enjoyed extremely.

These included: a Blind dating show called Herzblatt (heart beat), a German soap opera called Glückliche Tage, involving rambunctious school girls and their rebellious boyfriends, “Weihnachten” (Christmas), Famous German bands such as “Die Ärzte” and “Nena” as well as famous German stereotypes such as sausages and Lederhosen.

We certainly have had fun during the last year, and would like to thank Michel for all his help but especially for all his patience.

Tschüs

Der Deutsche Klub

Georgia, Louis, Eva, Tashi, Emma, Miranda

Gifted and Talented Spanish Club

Spanish G+T club

Over the last year a group of three year 9s and five year 8s met every Thursday afternoon with Domingo (the Spanish language assistant) to improve and stretch our Spanish speaking skills.
We are: Lotte Blackwell-Green
Sean Lawless
Lucy O’Brien
Fiona Canniffe
Lilia Aryan
Lanah Rashid
Francina Escudero
Jodi Kiang

At the beginning of the year we were chosen by our Spanish teachers to take part in this club because we were seen as gifted and talented. Each module we chose a project to work on and when we had finished we would present it to the teachers and the French and German club. It was great fun and we learnt a lot, not just about the language but also more about Spanish culture and Spanish people.

We did a mixture of projects ranging from Spanish music, where we sang our own rendition of Shakira’s ‘Estoy aquí’ to cooking Spanish food, where we burnt the flan. It was yucky!

We all had a fantastic time getting to know each other and Domingo, and learning more about the Spanish culture. It has been an experience we’ll never forget.

Lotte: ‘This year has been great. Doing different projects on Spain has been really fun. Domingo was really nice.’

Sean: ‘The club gave us a good opportunity to learn Spanish outside the classroom doing different activities.’

Lucy: ‘My best bit of Spanish club was doing all the presentations with my friends and having a laugh making the flan, even if it did go slightly wrong.’

Fiona: ‘I liked playing the Spanish games and making the presentation for Spanish sayings because we had such a laugh!’

Lilia: ‘I enjoyed it a lot because we explored different areas of the Spanish culture that you wouldn’t normally do in lesson. The cooking presentation was the best.’

Lanah: ‘I loved the whole of Spanish club, but one of my main memories was getting messy crushing tomatoes with Jodi using a garlic press.’

Francina: ‘I enjoyed when we went to food tech and we made pan con tomate and flan, which went wrong!!!’

Jodi: ‘This year has been full of memories. I’ve loved it all, but some things that have been really great are making new friends and having a laugh together, doing some crazy things, like singing (hey, all in the name of education). Getting to know Domingo has been really great too. He is such a star! I’ve learnt so much about Spanish culture and it has really helped to improve my Spanish!’

All that is left to say is ‘MUCHAS GRACIAS’

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

Several young film reviewers give us their take on the documentary.


Courtnie Ashman says:

Most people in the world know who Osama bin Laden is, but what do they think about his actions?
Where in the world is Osama bin Laden is a documentary by the director and star of Super Size Me. This Documentary sees Morgan Spurlock looking for Osama bin Laden, in a variety of countries in the Middle East. On his adventures he comes across angry Jews, a French-speaking activist and the U.S. Army.
Morgan was spurred on to do this because of his worries about bringing his unborn child into the world. By making this film he came across many people who had different thoughts on Bin Laden. In this docu-film we see Spurlock speak to relatives of some of the terrorists and people’s view on America. Morgan tries to show us the different side of this terrorist by showing us the humour and how it effects on people.
On the surface this seems like a light-hearted comedy with Bin Laden dancing to Can’t Touch This. As the movie goes on you start to understand what is really going on in the world, and the troubles the people face every day.
This is an enjoyable movie at times and the humour appeals to a wide audience, the political opinions come across very easily but are dragged out over a long period of time. This film isn’t that great if you have a short attention span.
This is a film is best for people who want to know more about politics but don’t understand it as well as they could. Overall this film to me is worth 3 stars as there are some aspects that make it amusing but its political views are stretched over a long part of the film.


Eve Klein says:

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? A question which has had people puzzled for years now, and which is most definitely not answered by this film. What it does do, however, is give you a much more close and personal view on how Muslim civilians really feel about the terrorist attacks which have taken place due to this man.

Spurlock, driven by the thought of bringing his unborn child into a World filled with terrorists and violence, travels to various countries including Israel and Egypt to try and track down Osama bin Laden. Although he does not find him, what he does find are Muslims all over the World who do not seem to agree with what Osama is doing, and has already done, and who blame the American government for all the misfortune that has fallen upon their countries on the past few years. Which makes you think – if people of the same religion for which he says he is fighting for don’t agree with him, then what is the point?

In all I found this film thoroughly enjoyable, often finding my self laughing and feeling intrigued by what both Morgan Spurlock and the Muslim civilians had to say. In my view, it’s a film definitely worth seeing.


Joseph Ewing says:

Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden? That’s one hell of a title! What do you think when you hear that? Is it a joke? Well that’s a good question.
After his last big success Super Size Me, everyone expected big things from Morgan Spurlock’s latest project, and I have to say that I was again impressed by his work. This daring but informative docu-film is not just about one guy searching the world for the most wanted terrorist ever and is certainly not a joke, but a story of how he meets other regular citizens, terrorists' siblings, and Islamist extremists on his way and explores the world of Osama bin Laden and the bigger picture of it all.
Sounds a bit heavy huh? But actually it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, Spurlock gets himself into some of the most dangerous places in the world but he keeps up a stream of good humour throughout. He really does reflect on some big issues and there are some challenging moments, but while Morgan manages to hold up the seriousness and reality of the situation, he is able to, every now and then, put a light spin on the events.
If I say too much more about the actual film I’ll give it away, but I can tell you that the camera shots are well worked, the quality of production is top notch, and the special effects, soundtrack and personal voice overs create a truly brilliant piece of work.
Overall I have to say that, although I was sceptical at first, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Where In The World Is Osama bin Laden? for both its humour and its insight to the world of terrorism and I highly recommend it.


Max Ngo says:

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden is a new documentary made by Morgan Spurlock, who is also the man who made the documentary Super Size Me.

His new documentary sees him go in search of the most wanted man in the world. He embarks on a journey around the Middle East while his wife is at home carrying their unborn child.

The film uses high-tech computer graphics and animation for an opening scene of Spurlock fighting Osama in a mortal combat style and has Osama bin Laden dancing to Can’t Touch This, which gave the documentary a touch of comedy.

Morgan Spurlock, while looking for one of the most wanted criminals on the earth, makes many jokes , giving the audience something to laugh about. While he makes many jokes at the start, with the help of computer graphics, the film gets more serious towards the end as he meets a range of people from civilians to soldiers and gets their view on the America, the war on terror and Osama, making the film regain the seriousness it was supposed to have at the start.

In conclusion, although this documentary makes more effort in making jokes than finding Osama bin Laden, this documentary would be one to watch.


Sebastian Fuller St Arroman says:

How much do you know about the war on terror? Does the media brand your mind? More importantly – Do you know where I can find Osama bin Laden?

Morgan Spurlock’s latest film, Where in the world is Osama bin Laden? is a risky comedy documentary film that’s easy to like. Its edgy jokes and thrilling dangers excite the viewer and draw them in.

Its cheerful attitude towards dangerous and upsetting events helps the viewer to feel comfortable while Morgan ventures into the Media’s no-go areas. The suspense of the film and the way it's put together could irritate some viewers, not me though. Personally I find the approach a very well chosen one.

Like his last film, Super Size Me in which he lived on only fast food to challenge the healthy claims, he has targeted it at the American public. I think Morgan has created this film to fit the audience. At the start of the film, a selection of montage scenes and comedy clips, firmly clasps the viewer’s attention and does not let go. This extreme hold it takes allows Morgan to subject the public to a serious documentary that they may normally turn away from. I think in this film, Morgan has proved himself as a master of being able to trick people into thinking of serious issues.

When I use the word trick I do not mean the film is not entertaining. The serious issue is just cleverly disguised. In fact, all the catches he uses to draw you in allow him to present almost anything and you will give it your full attention. On the other hand, there are a number of people who would have mixed emotions about this.

People who watch documentaries regularly may feel talked down to, may feel disappointed that he didn’t have the courage to make a sensible documentary. These people might ridicule the film and call it offensive. If you are protective about the boundaries between genres or prefer a documentary to be blunt facts then this is not the film for you.

Again, if you happen to be one of those people who are offended by people making jokes about terrorism or Osama bin Laden then this is not your film. His approach I have already described as risky and I stand by this. Having said that, personally I think the jokes he makes, although some people will see them in ill humour, are a good way of gently easing people to discuss untouched subjects. The things no one wants to say. This silence we have needs to be broken to allow society to progress and I think we need more risk-taking people around today.

One thing that particularly irritated me was the long phone calls with his wife, as well as her child’s birth at the end. I think it could ruin the film for some and I think these were unnecessary in such large amounts and although some would argue they were essential for the storyline I would disagree. I think he needed to explain that he was doing what he did for his son but the long dreary calls to his wife dragged the film on and on.

All in all I think it was rather enjoyable and thought provoking, although unorthodox.

8.5/10


Tashi Hanlon says:

Where in the world is Osama bin Laden? Well the star of Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock, thinks he knows. I was mildly surprised at how he managed to turn such a touchy controversial subject into a light-hearted comedy. The film shares the same tone as Super Size Me, a style that works well for Spurlock. His ability to take very important issues and make them entertaining makes this film a masterpiece. Inspired by his wife's pregnancy, Spurlock sets out to make the world a safer place for his child by finding its most wanted and dangerous occupant, Osama bin Laden.

Thankfully the film is much more than just a manhunt, it gives you an insight into the troubles in the Middle East. Spurlock has taken real life stories. Using information from locals he finds himself in Pakistan and makes the important decision about whether to cross into dangerous surroundings or not.

In general, the film is well structured, it successfully uses animation and the uses of a computer game style makes a controversial problem quite lighthearted. Although to my disappointment the film ends in a corny song running the end of the film.
On the whole however, Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden is a documentary with an important message about the war of terror. Spurlock is without question a talented filmmaker.

Wahong Giet says:

Ever wondered why Osama bin Laden is the most wanted man in the planet? Or maybe you’ve been pondering on why this destructive nuisance has yet to be found? Perhaps you are simply curious and want to find out the inner truth to Osama’s life. Whatever you may wonder, this documentary does a whole lot more than answering these fascinating questions.

At times the documentary can be comical. Watching funny moments of animated Osama bin Laden dancing to a cheesy song provides hilarious moments for any viewer. On the other hand, the documentary is very informative and contains many interesting views and comments from local villagers in the Middle East. Listening to random citizens commenting on a whole variety of different views is fascinating for us to watch.

The subtle mix of serious information with a side of humour creates a perfect balance, which suits this specific documentary. The director, Morgan Spurlock, always keeps it entertaining and fascinating by doing things like firing huge rocket launchers or simply because of his witty personality. All in all, the documentary never loses its value for entertainment.

The documentary also uses clever devices to engage their viewer. We see a fight between Osama bin Laden and Morgan Spurlock animated like a computer game, which implies some sort of mystery and suspense which all adds up to build a well structured documentary. Although Morgan Spurlock does not actually discover where Osama is currently residing, the huge amount of information that Morgan has gained means he realises that finding the most wanted man does not necessarily mean all the problems in the Middle East will just vanish in thin air.

In conclusion, Morgan Spurlock makes this documentary worthwhile and as interesting as possible but it won’t exactly be a classic either. It’s the type of documentary that will be pretty interesting and great the first time, but watching this again will not provide the same effects and surprise.

Who was to blame for the English Civil War?

By Ayoola Shekoni


I think King Charles was most to blame because, when it came to religious choices King Charles made very big mistakes. First of all King Charles made changes to the church without consulting parliament (and as we know in those days parliament had the public’s best interest in mind, because they represented the people). Charles brought back stained glass windows, Charles gave more power to the priests and he also brought back the decorated robe for priests without the consent of Parliament.
But on the other hand Parliament may have annoyed King Charles so much he had to do things to get them back. Parliament annoyed Charles (religious wise) by allowing fellow Members of Parliament (who happen to be puritan’s) to write pamphlets attacking King Charles. Which is also wrong because in the 16th century it was like a dictatorship, whatever the king said went and that was that. Parliament also insisted on approving who the King chose as Ministers. This was also wrong as Parliament made the king look incompetent in front of the members of the public.

When it came to money I also think King Charles was also the most to blame. Because first of all Charles raised ship money even though their was no war. This is wrong because taxing the people who live on the coast more money for no reason, is not helping them in any way, and when it comes time for them to actually give the money for the war, they all become reluctant to give (it is like the boy who cried wolf, when the wolf actually came no one believed him). But on the other hand Parliament refused Charles money that he had a right to have. And of course if you do not have any money you will look for any means to get money (but I know this does not justify the fact that King Charles took money from the people who live on the coast for his personal gain). King Charles spent money unwisely and extravagantly on his court. Charles trusted his advises more than he trusted the members of Parliament. This, in my opinion, made Parliament reluctant to give Charles the money whenever he asked for it.

When it came to power I still think King Charles was most to blame, because he sent Parliament home for eleven years and ruled without them. Charles had Prynne’s ears cut off for writing pamphlets attacking him. Charles tried to arrest five members of Parliament. Charles’ advisers followed unpopular policies. Charles gave more power to Bishops. But meanwhile Parliament seized control of the army. Parliament refused Charles money that was by his right. Parliament interfered in Charles’ family life-they asked to decide on his children’s education. This should explain why King Charles must have sent Parliament home for eleven years. So he could have ultimate power of the kingdom of England.

This brings me to my conclusion in the quoted words of Parliament “Charles acted like a Catholic”. He was most to blame for the English civil war. For the fact that he was completely determined to make it hard for Parliament to do what they were all there to do. Parliament refused Charles money that was by his right. Parliament interfered in Charles’ family life-they asked to decide on his children’s education.

Message from the Editors

Welcome to the brand new Blue Blazer!
This blog is a way for you to voice your concerns about the things that matter to you, and to highlight your interests. A fun place to read about the college and to enter competitions, and express your creativity and opinions through writing, and all other art forms.

In this blog, read, and comment on, wide-ranging articles from college events to personal concerns, and advice about work experience and relationships. Above all it is a place where we all can come together and get involved in whatever weird and wacky way we want to!

Enjoy your blog and don’t forget to submit your ideas, stories and articles - this is a space for all students of Bacon's College, so use it!

Signed, the editors

What are you worried about!?

Have you got anything you need to get off your chest?
Need an unbiased opinion?
Email your problem or question baconsblueblazer@yahoo.com and we'll post your question anonymously so you can get comments and feedback from the whole school!

Explore Fitzgerald’s narrative structure of the passage

By Anna Nguyen

Despite that the narrative voice of ‘The Great Gatsby’ is the observant Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald often deviates from him to show different perspectives of characters or situations which Nick, himself, is not privy to. The earliest example of this is when he lets Jordan Baker explain Daisy’s enviable upbringing and her meeting with Gatsby when he was a soldier, he dedicates a whole chapter to her own perceptions of Daisy and the change of perspective is distinct, swift and sharp contrasting with this passage where the change of narrative voice is subtle, highlighted by the pair of suspension points, rather than a long break in the narrative or a new clean chapter.

The suspension points indicate a change in time but I also think it suggests a subtle slip into a different mindset and a dreamlike world – an unreality where the stars are hit by a tuning fork, or house lights are humming. This deliberate structural device fits very well with Gatsby’s distorted allusions of greatness and re-creation (of the past), and this sense of slipping in and out of reality. And although Nick isn’t a part of this moment, it is still filtered through Nick’s hand, through his memory, and it seems as if he was sitting there watching them as they turned towards each other and the use of the word ‘now’ and ‘here’ really emphasis this, suggesting that it is happening right now, just as Nick describes it. However there is still a sense of detachment and isolation (despite that Nick is everywhere), and this, to me at least, very much implies the idea of watching a film – the outcome of imagination, and a camera – which is referred to subtly in the passage where he juxtaposes the ‘no trees’ and ‘autumn’, reminding me a lot of the beginning of the book where he compares the falling leaves to a moving picture.

There are also many reoccurring motifs in this passage that were always present in the book, but they were never used so frequently in one section. The reoccurring use of white to describe the moonlight and Daisy’s face is very significant in this passage because not only does it refer to that glossiness that is her elitist upbringing or her own home, it also refers to the white flannels that Gatsby wears when he meets her after five years and to the opulence that was associated with money. Fitzgerald is very faithful to his colour scheme, and it emphasises how the scene should be read and should be imagined by the reader and the constant use of colours like white and gold, or yellow does not only create a defined situation and a defined definition for things – such as gold would evoke Gatsby’s glamourous parties, or a robin’s blue egg would evoke images of the messenger’s flannels – it inevitably does the same job as describing things as black and white and not grey. There is a set order for things and Gatsby’s moment with ‘The Grail’ is defined by the white moonlight, and because it is irrespective of other colours other than white (like Daisy’s face is just white) there is an unreality – nothing is as set out or defined like black and white, or indeed, gold or white.

Another motif used by Fitzgerald is the stars and already the mention of the stars bustling and stirring evoke the ideas of the sense of imagination and a perfected memory – memory that has been recalled over and over by Gatsby. The fact that it’s been hit by a tuning fork implies it can be reached (otherwise it can’t be hit), and if it makes a sound, it can be heard by Gatsby – this suggests the whole idea of God and creation. Though there are subtle religious (eyes of Dr. J. Eckleburg as the eyes of God) references throughout the book, it is purposefully woven into the passage by Fitzgerald. The ladder that is formed by Gatsby so that he could ‘suck on the pap of life’ strengthens the idea that idea of being a superior being like when he tells Nick that he can recreate the past, and to be able to climb a ladder alone to a secret place, then he would be considered above the very people that he, or James Gatz, once was – a farmer’s son, and a janitor – and the idea that he reaches this place alone, shows how Daisy, ‘this girl’ (which is deliberately used to connote a certain type of girl, and if she’s a girl, then Gatsby must still be a boy) , is an object that represents money, and in many ways the American dream.

In the paragraph ‘his heart beat faster…’ the use of the pronoun ‘he’ and not Gatsby, juxtaposed with the ‘mind of God’ really suggests how Nick perceives Gatsby, and how Gatsby perceives himself with the disillusions of the extent of his powers to recreate the past. Fitzgerald also uses the pronoun ‘he’ more often (and obliterates ‘Gatsby’) as the passage moves from setting the scene to when he kisses her, and I think that it represents a transition to a omnipotent being that Gatsby believes he is. ‘…Wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath’ is very similar to the metaphor of the rock found on the foundations of a fairy wing, and Fitzgerald doesn’t explicitly say that James Gatz’s dreams are attainable through Daisy, but this metaphor does. Gatsby is not Gatsby – the idea – unless he has Daisy (and therefore it brings up the question of whether he loves her or not). She is the epitome of the reality that is his imagination or his platonic conception of himself.

When the narrative voice shifts back to Nick (without the suspension points) he becomes judgmental, no longer just an observer, when he describes Gatsby’s sentimentality as appalling, which is very reminiscent of the ‘unaffected scorn’ Nick claims to feel for him, but this shifting as a device is very important to the passage, Fitzgerald does this not only to present to the reader Nick’s own evaluative thoughts but also to delve into an emotion, that is still eating at Gatsby, still haunting in his shadows, that was once present in Nick, probably as a boy – ‘I was reminded of something’. When Nick tries to remember this feeling he fails to get it out, and it was ‘incommunicable’ forever. Gatsby’s own experience evokes Nick’s own memories, and whereas before they were two polarised beings in the world of the Buchannans’, the Wilsons’, and the uninvited party goers, here they become very similar. That sense of losing a dream is probably what Nick has ‘broken’ remnants of, he became a bonds man, but did he want to be a bonds man? Or it is because he just did what was accessible or sensible to him? For Gatsby he achieved the glamour that he had dreamt of as a seventeen-year-old boy and he is still pursuing that dream of attainting the ‘Grail’ literally to his death. Rather than boyish dreams, I think that it can also be extended to the American dream and its superficiality. Nick describes it as a broken rhythm, probably a song that was once glorious and one he heard a long time ago. The American dream promised freedom and in its pursuit, like Gatsby, you became the new rich with money and whilst Nick saw the reality of it, Gatsby didn’t.

Fish by Leeann Richards

Rugby and its Enjoyment

by Eric Jay

Rugby is a very enjoyable sport. You can play all sorts of things with the ball!
Our rugby team get to play different games; for example, you could test your strength by lifting your partner up on your back and try to run to a certain spot on the pitch!
Rugby isn’t about rigorous training every Thursday. Rugby is more likely to be about FUN!
The best thing about rugby is (if you know how to play it by the rules) CONTACT RUGBY. If you can play this, and you have confidence in yourself, you could be playing in lots of rugby games! Also, if you are playing another team, you have the pleasure of knocking them down without any remorse. This will make you feel good, especially if it’s a person you know and hate! You don’t have to look tough and act tough, you just need to know how to play the game properly. We have some players that are very fast and strong, despite their size! I think we have a good balance of team members, who will commit themselves to getting tackled to the floor and getting muddy.
We don’t just play rugby for fun. We play it for our enjoyment too.

Working at a Veterinary Surgery

by Sophia Rafferty.

I did my year 10 work experience last year at a veterinary surgery. I am hoping to become a vet myself so it was a great experience and I learnt a lot about the job. My main duties were cleaning out the recovery cages and the cattery, observing consultations which are just the everyday visits including booster injections, bladder problems and any minor injuries. Observing operations, which was probably the most interesting part. I saw a dog have his kidney stone removed; it was huge, probably about 8 centimetres in length! I saw a lot of castrating and spaying which are general procedures. Others included dental procedures, blood tests and two x-rays. I also did some reception work, which must have been the dullest bit, and rearranging the pet shop which they have attached to the surgery. I even got to use a dentistry machine on a dog give an injection to a cat!

It was only a week long but it was a really enjoyable experience, the vet and the nurses were really friendly and still say hello to me when I come in with my cats. I came back during the Christmas holidays for another full week and again in the next half term for a few days. I would be willing to give the details to anyone who wants them, so if you are interested in becoming a vet and would like to work there then feel free to ask.

Creative Writing Club

This year we’ve been writing about secrets - everything from teenage pregnancy to sibling rivalry, a hidden murder and someone’s mum hiding out in the basement.
Come and add to the scandal! Write poetry and short stories and get advice from a published author.
Fun exercises and challenging subjects will help you express yourself, and strengthen your vocabulary.
Come along, Mondays at 3.30 in the library, or for more information email Miss Wyld at wyld@baconsctc.co.uk

Freakonomics by Stephen D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

by Miss Semmens

What connects sumo wrestlers and teachers? Why did violent assault rates fall in the 90s despite all the experts predicting exactly the opposite? What makes a perfect parent? These questions have quite different answers to what you might expect. Two economists looks at the world from a different angle and come up with some different answers in an absolutely fascinating book.

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

by Miss Semmens

Imagine a future where people can live forever. Amazing, you'd think, but what about over-population?
This is the world we come across in The Declaration. This future world has solved the problem by not letting people have children, but like all rules this one was made to be broken. Anna Covey is one of the 'surplus' who has grown up in an orphanage where she's been programmed to think she is the one who's wrong, that her parents were selfish and that she is the result of their selfishness. Anna is keen to be the best surplus she can be, which means life as a servant serving one of the non-agers. But all of a sudden Anna's world is rocked by a new arrival to the grange, a boy who claims it's the rule that's wrong, not them and completely blows apart Anna's world. Will she have the courage to abandon all her beliefs?

Interview with Frank Nouble

Sophia Rafferty interviews Frank Nouble, year 11, about playing for Chelsea.

You have been picked to play professionally for Chelsea, is that right?
Yes it is

How and when did you get spotted?
I was playing for Milwall and I was scouted from that club to Chelsea in year seven.

Were you a Chelsea fan before you joined the team?
No. I was, and always will be, a Manchester United fan.

Have you always waned to play professional football?
Always. It’s in my blood.

What would you be doing otherwise?
Accountancy. I would start my own business.

When how often do you train, and for how long?
I train four times a week; the training has progressively gotten more intense since year seven.

What is the best part about playing for Chelsea?
The facilities and meeting the players.

And the worst part?
Disappointed that it’s not Manchester United!

Any advice for readers who want to get into professional football?
Keep your head down, keep working. As I say, to be number one, you’ve got to train like you’re number two.

Northern Lights vs. The Golden Compass

by Sophia Rafferty
As a warning, if you have neither read the book nor watched the film, some of this article may not make a lot of sense to you.

We have recently seen the release of The Golden Compass, the feature-film of the book Northern Lights, which is the first in the very popular His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman. But is it true to the film? Are the computer effects as good as they should be? And which is better?

There are several differences between the book and the film. Quite obviously, they have different titles. The title The Golden Compass comes from Pullman’s original naming of the trilogy, which was named The Golden Compass as opposed to the current title of His Dark Materials. However the name referred to the type of circle-drawing compasses (the ones you use in maths), rather than the common misconception that the name refers to the alethiometer, which resembles a navigational compass (the ones which tell you which way is north). Another difference is that in the book, the king of the armoured bears was named Iofur Raknison, but in the film this was changed to Ragnar Sturlusson, to prevent confusion between him and Iorek Byrnison.

In the books, the Magesterium is a representation of the Catholic Church, although this is not mentioned, rather vaguely representing authority in general. This was because the directors wished to make it less controversial so that it would not offend people, although the plot loses some of its political message. The decision has been criticised by Pullman fans, one of who claims that ‘they are taking the heart out of it, losing the point of it, castrating it’, a similar point was made by someone else, who said ‘With $180 million at stake, the studio opted to kidnap the book’s body and leave behind its soul.’ As you can see, some readers were clearly not impressed. As with all big Hollywood companies, we know that at the heart of them, despite wanting to entertain people, maybe even to get a message across, there is just the desire to make money, and sometimes this results in the watering-down of bold statements made by books such as Northern Lights, and they lose a lot of meaning.

Some were opposed to the film for very different reasons. In October the Catholic Society called for a boycott of the film. The president of the society says that, although the religious content has been filtered out, the release of the film will encourage children to read the novels which, he says, promote ‘atheism for kids’. This has been responded to by the leader of ‘American Atheists’, who claims that ‘Rather than promote atheism, that it would encourage kids to question authority, which would not at all be a bad thing’. The idea of questioning authority is frequently mentioned in the film, as the main character Lyra Belacqua does so herself, and states throughout the film that she hates being told what to do, perhaps this would encourage children to do the same, and question what they are told.

The appearance of the film is impressive and as computerised graphics are always improving, they are quite convincing. The Armoured bears and Dæmons are almost real looking. The film is a good fantasy film and the acting is very good particularly Dakota Blue Richards who plays the part of Lyra Belacqua.

The film starts, ‘There are many universes, and many earths parallel to each other. Worlds like yours, where people’s souls live inside their bodies, and worlds like mine, where they walk beside us as animal spirits we call Dæmons, so many worlds, but connecting them all is Dust, Dust was here before the witches of the air, the Gyptians of the water and the bears of the ice. In my world, scholars invented an alethiometer, the golden compass, and it showed them all that was hidden, and the ruling power, fearing any truth but their own, destroyed these devices, and for betrayed the very mention of Dust. One compass remains, however. And only one who can read it.’ This, in a way spoils the plot a bit, as in the book the reader learns these things as Lyra does, rather than having them all explained at the beginning and it is more exciting that way, especially as during the first book Lyra does not understand Dust so it makes it a bit confusing. Although it is probably easier for the children to understand that way, as it is primarily a children’s film.

As with all book-to-film adaptations, they have to be condensed, as a film that was completely true to the book would be too long to show in cinemas. Because of this the film, at 114 minutes, seems quite rushed at times and there are things missing (watch out – potential plot spoiler) such as the time spent with the Gyptians while on the run from Mrs Coulter and the time at Bouvangar before she sets the children free, which is portrayed in the film as lasting only one day, whereas in the book it was a lot longer, and of course, they have omitted Rodger’s death at the end of the novel.

My opinion on the film is that is quite a good film, mainly because I am a fan of the books, but it is realistic and good to watch. Although, to get a real idea of the story it its best to read the books. They have the whole story in them whereas the film has bits missing, and it has the deeper meaning which has been removed by the film producers. Plus, the book will take longer to read so you get more involved in the story, you can also read the details and picture the characters and events yourself, and with more understanding you will learn more about the storyline and it will make more sense.