Standards

Standard; noun; 1 - level of quality; 2 - moral principle

The word ‘standard’ can mean different things to different people, which is why I put the two major definitions above.

I have noticed that people’s moral standards vary depending on their background and their upbringing. Both my parents are quite prudish, and the same goes with the rest of my family. I have previously addressed the fact that I have strong morals, most of which come from how I was raised. But, as I have progressed through school, I have witnessed many different types of behaviour. The majority of my friends are like me; usually polite and well behaved, following the rules. Personally, I think life is easier when you follow the rules and are a more pleasant human being; people will like you more and be more willing to help you if you get stuck.

But some people do, of course, set lower standards for themselves, enthused by their background and family. Making trouble for teachers (people who try to help them) and those around them, falling into bad habits and ignoring rules.

And I think this is a real shame; just because they haven’t been given the best start at life, doesn’t mean they can’t improve their standards, their quality of work, even quality of life. If they could up their moral standards and the quality of the work they produce in school, I am 100% sure they would notice a few differences in their life. Low moral standards often result in your peers having low respect for you and your actions. Girls who sleep around with anyone and are undoubtedly going to be looked down on, instead of being viewed as a role model.

If more people in my year would just buckle down and work, actually putting some effort into the set tasks, rather than messing the teachers about and disrupting lessons, they would like school more too. You get out what you put in, right? By working harder and not bugging the teachers, perhaps they’ll find the time they spend in school more enjoyable, or pleasant. Teachers will praise them, not shout at them.

I don’t understand how people don’t see this simple logic. We are incredibly privileged to have free education in the UK, and I often find myself wishing the troublemaker could be swapped with a child from a third world country, with no education but desperately hoping for one.

I know I am lucky coming from the background I do, but I don’t always feel it. However, sitting here, writing this article makes realise just how blessed I am to have the family I do, coupled with opportunities and options that so many people don’t have, while thousands of British school kids just throw it away.

This kind of went off topic but never mind.

Winter Food

I’m always told by my parents I should try to eat a more balanced and healthy diet and to do more exercise, accompanied by a lecture on how much I’ll appreciate it when I’m older.

It’s not as though I’m 25 stone and don’t do any exercise; I walk to school most mornings, and I always put a lot of effort into PE lessons. In the summer I often go to school’s after school athletics club, working at my 800m when I can. However, it is harder to do decent amounts of exercise in the winter though, choosing to stay home eating mince pies over going for a walk. But I’m definitely not the only one.

In the winter, it can be really hard to eat healthily and get your heart rate going for a lot of people. Because of Christmas and the holidays, it’s really easy, and much more preferable, to eat chocolate and snuggle up in bed, rather than going for early morning jogs and eating salad. That is not my idea of fun.

I know I eat too much rubbish, but at the moment, it doesn’t seem to be doing me any harm. I think it’s the combination of growing so much so quickly, having a seemingly high metabolic rate, doing enough exercise and eating enough of the good and healthy stuff.

I think so long as you are in control of your diet and how much you eat, you should be fine. It’s when you can’t control your chocolate cravings that you need to worry. 

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

Talents

In Year 5, I started to play the flute, going to school earlier than usual so I could have my lesson, within school, without missing out on class lessons. I carried on through Year 6, taking my Grade 2. In Year 7, when I moved to Kirkbie Kendal, I had a new teacher which was, at first, quite unsettling, especially as I had to leave my lessons in school to have my music lesson. In Year 8, I took my Grade 3, and stopped playing at the end of the school year.

Today, as I was feeling particular festive, I dug out some music books and my flute, hoping to play some Christmas songs and carols. I have played on occasion since Year 8, but only for short bursts, or one offs, nothing more. But today, I looked at the music and thought ‘how on earth do I play that?’ I was completely blank, and this worried me. I had played the tunes many a time before, and had no problem once I had learnt the tune and keys. But now, after 2 years, I had nothing.

Once I had checked which note was which, I was alright, and played through my favourite Christmas songs, testing them out. Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie is always fun to play on the flute.

But this made me think; how many people stop working at a talent or a hobby, and forget all their skills after a few years? I managed to remember the notes and ‘finger placing’, but not easily, and it was a while before I was once again comfortable with playing the tunes.

I can imagine a lot of people discontinue playing instruments, for any number of reasons, and when or if they come back to play it again, can’t remember how to do so. Will this encourage people to try at it, or put them off?

I think if people are put off by their memory loss, it could have recurring effects; they may not want to pick up another hobby or interest, for fear they’ll forget everything they learn after a period of time.

So, what I’m trying to say is, people should keep trying at things, even if they’ve completely forgotten everything they already learn; surely, relearning something is going to be easier than learning it the first time?

I will keep getting my flute out every now and then, to ensure I don’t forget absolutely everything. Knowing me, I’ll forget everything anyway. 

'Tis the Season To Be Jolly...

Everyone has a favourite part of the Christmas season; some like the presents, some enjoy the idea of giving to others. A lot of families see it as an opportunity to get together, happy to see relatives they perhaps haven’t seen for a while. Personally, I think the best part of the festive season it the excellent food; there’s always plenty of mince pies and Stollen in the Grove household, with the highlight on Christmas day itself; the wonderful roast dinner!

Lauren Hine, aged 15, thinks the best part of Christmas is “everyone getting together and the food!” I think this is why Christmas and the holidays are so popular; as I mentioned before, Christmas is an opportunity for families, big or small, to come together and celebrate for a short period of time, with a happy, cheerful atmosphere surrounding them.

Megan Hine, aged 15, says “Well, I think the best part of Christmas (apart from the food) is the time you get to spend with your family and not having to worry about anything and being able to have a really good time”. This is another good point; it’s like all your worries melt away like snow in the sunshine. I think this, for a lot of people, makes the festive period a lot more enjoyable and relaxing, as you have time to take it easy and eat chocolate.

“I like shopping for presents for my family and friends, and finding something that I know they'll really like and getting excited to give them it” says Arran Wylde. I think this is a sort of subconscious part; the present buying often gets people in the mood for Christmas, knowing it’s just around the corner.

I think it’s different for everyone; younger people will look forward to the presents while teenagers enjoy the chance to lie in over the holidays. Adults probably appreciate the time off work, and the chance to see family and friends, along with spending time with their immediate family too.

Everyone has a favourite part of Christmas; I think it’s impossible not to!

Kennels Update

I am keeping a small diary for my volunteering, so I can keep track of how often I go. In the back of my little book, however, I have written a short paragraph about each of the dogs I have walked. So far, I have worked with 11 dogs, all of them very different to the other. Many have gone home, I am glad to say, and while I miss them a lot, I am happy they have gone either back home, or to someone who will love and care for them, like they really deserve.

I really love the variety between the dogs; some are really energetic and whizz round everywhere, others are more laid back and relaxed, plodding along at their own pace. With one dog in particular, I have noticed a massive improvement; I cannot put into words how his behaviour has improved since he first arrived at the kennels. Whenever I go to put the lead round his neck, he sits very still, patiently waiting, his tail wagging excitedly. Then, he’ll stay by my side, always checking to make sure I’m okay. He’s very ‘self-aware’, and still gets quite nervous when something takes him by surprise. If I ever stop, or sit down on the bench, he always snuggles up to me, resting his head on my lap, his gorgeous brown eyes warm and happy. It’s so heart-warming to see this, especially after his behaviour when he came in; very shy, cowering all the time. It really broke my heart to see him like that, as it would with any dog, but the contrast now is insane. I really enjoy walking him; he’s so sweet and calm.

I have learnt a lot from volunteering for the RSPCA; some ‘lessons’ more unexpected than others. Going into it, I didn’t really know what to expect. But now, after 2 months on the job, I couldn’t imagine it any different. I don’t know the staff all that well, as they’re always busy looking after the many dogs in the boarding kennels, but the owners are really lovely and understanding, always explaining any changes in the dogs or warning us about new ones.

I wish I could go more often, but with the winter really setting in, it makes it hard to go whilst still be safe; the field is full of lumps and bumps, and is often very muddy, and going in the dark after school isn’t great.

Overall, I’m really enjoying working with the dogs, and I hope the dogs, and staff, appreciate the time and effort my mum, my sister, my dad and myself put into the dogs. I like to think I’m making a positive impact on the dog’s life in the kennels, along with the rest of my family.

:)

Ideas

1) Fear and Faith - are we afraid to believe in things? Explore (possible, not sure how well it will work)

2) Kennels Update – pictures included? How it has changed since I have arrived, experiences I have learned from.

3) Eating Healthy – it’s hard as a teenager, always told to but never really do, my opinion.

4) Leveson report - need to research – what do I think? Effects now and in the future, good and bad.

5) Perfection – why do we go to such lengths to look cool in front of friends? Link to Mike Garry? Girls feel pressure to meet standards; boys feel pressure to act ‘hard’?

6) Christmas Essay – must be done by 12th December.

7) Learning From Mistakes - inspired by my car incident :) Little things can make a big difference to people's perspectives on things, good and bad.

8) My Generation – drink, drugs, sex with only a few sticking to the rules. Repercussions discuss

(will add more when I think of them)

My Generation

Most teenagers these days go through a wild streak, some lasting longer than others. Some never get to that point, preferring to behave and study hard and get the grades they need and want. I think I fall into this category, although I think a lot of this comes from my parents; they make sure I’m getting the work done, and always there to help me when I get stuck. Because of my upbringing, I have a lot of strong morals that a lot of people my age wouldn’t even dream of. Unfortunately, there are a worryingly large portion of adolescents who run wild, both in and out of school.

When I encounter such people, I feel two things; pity and fear.

I feel sorry for them because quite often these teens are very misunderstood and usually have underlying problems causing them to be rude and reckless. Also, the decisions they make now may well be regretted in later life when it comes to getting a job. I would say university too, but I get the feeling they’re not particularly bothered about further education. 

Despite many fair laws, a lot of teenagers choose to ignore them, drinking underage, experimenting with drugs and of course, under age sex, which unfortunately often leads to unwanted pregnancy. Humans have been drinking alcohol for centuries, but now laws have been put in place after it has been discovered alcohol can be harmful, especially for younger people. Drugs are obviously dangerous for everyone, with all drugs and their respective laws in place for everyone, along with tobacco and household painkillers. Then with sex, it’s illegal if you’re under the age of 16.

So many people I know ignore all these laws, which I think are fair and just. They’re there for a reason, not just because the government wants to ruin the fun.

It wasn’t that long ago that most people saved themselves for marriage, waiting to be happily married before starting a family. Now, this is all but forgotten, with ‘casual sex’ on the up rise. TV shows like ‘Teen Mom’ and ’Underage and Pregnant’ highlight this, documenting teens who have fallen pregnant at a young age. It could be argued that alcohol and drugs are largely responsible, turning this whole issue into a big, crude circle; teens get drunk and high, and end up with an unwanted baby and lots of regrets.

It’s harsh, but it’s true. And this is why I think it’s such a big problem; older generations tend to overlook it, pretend it doesn’t happen and carry on as normal, not wanting to face the ‘ugly truth’. The government do try to lower the figures, with free contraception available to youths as young as 13, despite the age 16 limit. Why hand it out to 13 year olds? Because they know it happens, despite the rules and regulations.

All this could have serious effects on our future; if teenagers are more bothered about drink and drugs than getting a good education, are they going to be able to get jobs when it comes to it? Or are there going to be even more tax problems in order to give ‘benefits’ to those who can’t get a job? Are there going to be thousands of babies born that no one really wants? I think these are possibilities that need to be considered, especially if this behaviour we see in many of today’s teens continues to worsen, developing through many generations to come.

It’s not going to stop overnight, but there is definitely more people could be doing; teenagers could be more responsible with their actions, thinking about the repercussions and effects their choices could have later on. But adults, parents, teachers and MP’s could help as well; making sure teenagers are not consuming alcohol or drugs, and encouraging them to be responsible.

I am thankful my parents have drilled many morals into my mind, and I think other families should do the same thing.

Laws are in place for a reason, and too many people forget this.

Learning from Mistakes

Today, when walking home from school, a Range Rover reversed into me. In hindsight, there are things I could have done differently, or better, although I still believe the driver was more in the wrong than I was. Either way, it was an experience I have learned from; always be very careful when it comes to cars in close proximity.

As I continued my walk home, it made me think. I made a mistake, and I have learnt a little from it. It’s not much, but potentially lifesaving in a different situation. And everyone does this almost every day. We make a small mistake and take something out of it, something we can use later on in life, or that same day. Whether it’s dealing with a friend who’s causing a spot of bother, or getting the wrong answer in a maths question. These little things can be taken, improved on, learnt from, and used in a different situation or lesson.

I’ll use the car issue I had to deal with today as an example. Instead of stepping out into the road to cross it whilst the car was encountering another, I could have waited until the cars had gone their ways, and the road was clear. Now, I can take this experience and, if and when, I am faced with a similar situation, I now know what to do; be patient.

My German teacher always used to look out for what she called ‘nice big juicy mistakes’. At the time, I used to think she was just trying to get us excited about mistakes because she liked them. But now, looking back, she was teaching us a valuable lesson, even though she was rather patronising. I think what she was trying to say, is that mistakes are good, and they shouldn’t be ignored. Even the littlest things can become very useful later in life, and she was trying to drill that into us at a very early age.

Personally, I think the best thing about this ‘learning from mistakes’ is they can be any sort of mistake that you have experienced. Whether you were dealing with someone in a restaurant, having a fight with your friend or partner, going shopping, spilling a secret, in a lesson or crossing the road.

Some are more common than others, and some are more important than others, but basically what I’m trying to say is that, after my experience today, it is good to look back on things and think ‘what could I have done better?’ or ‘what did I do wrong that I won’t do ever again ever?’

It’s amazing how much impact the littlest things can have on day to day life. 

Perfection

“I have great fashion sense; I’m just too poor to prove it”

Last week, Year 10 was very lucky to have poet Mike Garry visit school. He really gave me a lot to think about, although in hindsight, the “subject of conversation” was probably unintentional on his side. He touched lightly on his poetry, handing out one of his works for us to look at, to study. But generally, his talk was based more on ‘why aren't you bothered?!’

This man, standing in fronts of us, was clearly very passionate about this. His frustration, almost anger was shining through as he tried to get a reaction out of us, his audience. He would ask us a question, starting off with English based questions; do we like reading? Do we enjoy poetry? That kind of thing. But then, once he realised no one was really bothered, and no one wanted to ask his questions, he tried a different tack; asking us why we weren’t answering. Were we too scared to look ‘nerdy’ or ‘geeky’ in front of our friends? Were we worried about looking stupid or silly before our peers?

So I put my hand up. Partly because I felt sorry for him, and partly because I couldn't come up with a decent reason why not to. He seemed pleased to have someone talking to him, someone with something to say.

After the talk, I kept thinking about Mike’s questions; why are we so fussed about our image? Why aren't we bothered about anything important?

And it’s not just us Year 10’s; I’m sure almost everyone at school is worried about how they appear to others, along with adults, working in all kind of professions. I think the clothes side of things is more exclusive to the younger generations, but some adults feel similar pressures to children and teenagers; adults often feel pressured to provide for their children, or maybe to go to the gym, keep fit or perhaps even feel as though they need to best their siblings.

But why?

Why do we feel this pressure? I always find myself thinking back to the cavemen; they wouldn't care what they looked like, what they wore, who they talked to. It may sound silly, but realistically, they wouldn't give one, would they? So why do we? Where has this pressure come from?

It’s as though you are required to be perfect; it’s not an option. If you don’t get it right, you’re out of it. Take to the trends, buy the brands, do the drink.

It really pisses me off when kids judge other kids based on what they’re wearing, what they say and what they do; what gives you the right to decide how you’re going to treat a person based on what they’re wearing?

No one’s perfect, and no one needs to be. It’s perfectly alright to be yourself.

If only more people saw that.

The Meaning of Christmas Has Changed

Christmas; noun; annual festival on December 25^th commemorating the birth of Christ.

Christmas was, originally, the celebration of Christ’s birth, the biggest event on the Christian calendar, Christmas day being the end of advent and the beginning of the 12 days of Christmas.

Gifts are given to represent God giving his only son as a gift to the world, but today, a lot of people forget this, or don’t even know this. Many of the decorations we use at Christmas time have meanings; sugar canes represent the shepherds crook, holly is to show the crown of thorns worn by Jesus and so on.

But today, many people, especially the younger generations look past this, the true meaning of Christmas, and see it as a time for presents and time off school. There is the unconscious thought that the holidays have a different meaning, a more religious one, but instead choose to celebrate the commercialized Christmas, with big brands hoping to ‘revitalize’ the economy, a large portion of the world’s population spending big on presents and food.

Already, Christmas lights and decorations are up, houses lit up for the short winter period. Why do we have lights and decorations? These days, they don’t represent anything, they’re just a tradition that has developed from other, more meaningful things that have been cheapened and lost their integrity as the years have passed. I can imagine a lot of small children don’t know what Christmas is about; they get lots of cool presents, it snows and all the houses look pretty, with Christmas trees everywhere. None of this relates to the real meaning of Christmas, developed thousands of years ago.

Even religions other than Christianity celebrate Christmas, although not as largely as your average Christian would.

So yes, I think the meaning of Christmas for a lot of people, has changed, and it will take a lot to restore the real reason we celebrate.

Apologies

I've noticed my articles are rather sarcastic at times, and I moan a lot, especially in my entry about growing pains.. Sorry. That's just the way I write haha! I find if I try and be really deadly serious about everything it gets very boring very quickly, so I think I'll continue to write in a more lighthearted tone, even if it is pretty sarky.

:)

The Leveson Inquiry

I don’t know all that much about the Leveson Inquiry, I’ll be honest, but I do know it’s pretty important in a lot of ways to lots of different people.

In History, we are studying World War 2, and from it I have learnt a lot about Communism and Capitalism; the UK is Capitalist, with a free vote and a range of poverty and wealth, and free press. But that could change, depending on the outcome of the Leveson Report; will we still have the free press? Or will it be regulated and controlled by the government?

I did try doing some research on the whole situation, but I really struggled finding what I wanted as there is so much to sift through; articles about celebrities who have been affected, victims who want justice, the media’s reaction and so on. But, based on the little knowledge I have, I think the Leveson Inquiry and its effects is generally a good thing.

Personally, I think the press being allowed to write anything and everything is wrong, but I also think it is a bad idea to largely confine the press, like with Communist countries. The fact that newspapers will be regulated and moderated in the UK will probably do a lot of good, raising the standards of journalism in Britain. Some newspapers need it more than others, however. The Sun and the Daily Mirror, tabloids that were criticised in the Report for releasing private and/or inaccurate information are an example of such papers; the new control should improve their ‘quality’ of journalism, with only correct, precise, and legal information published.

The Leveson Inquiry talks about how an independent regulatory body should be established, with the ability to sanction and investigate the newspapers and its sources. A ‘whistle blowing hotline’ may also be set up, for journalists to call who feel pressured to write about or do unethical things. This hotline is a great idea; journalists can report any wrong-doing easily, knowing the problem will be tackled.

Journalism will change for good, but hopefully with a positive outcome.

I found this article hard to write because I don’t know as much as I would like to, and I couldn’t find the information I needed/wanted to help me write it, so it probably doesn’t make much sense. I tried though.

Cross Country at Kirkbie Kendal

In Year 7 and 8, the cross country route at school was alright; going up the castle and back down again, heading back to school. I found it fairly challenging, but that’s the idea I suppose. However, due to health and safety reasons, this route was ‘discontinued’; someone important decided the course was too dangerous, as we had to cross a road, and staff couldn’t watch us all the way round.

So, they changed it when I was in Year 9. I prefer this new route, as its flatter and generally easier, but it’s not exactly cross country. We run round the school field, then round the football field, along the canal path to the leisure centre and repeat.  I always thought the idea of cross country was, especially in the lake district, to run up and down some hills on different types of terrain; grassy, flat, smooth, bumpy, hard, soft and all the rest of it. School’s new course is just squidgy all the way round, which is not enjoyable. In my opinion, it is not cross country at all; it is little more than a soggy jog that everyone thinks is a waste of time.

In the race today, there were 17 girls running, and about 80 boys. All boys were made to do it, but only girls from my half of the year had to run, and even then half of them didn’t do it. Last year, I placed 5^th out of the rest of the girls, and this year I won. I put this down to a number of things – lack of competition, lack of motivation in the small amount of competition and the pressure from my family to do well.

Basically, my point is, cross country within school needs to be changed, or scrapped altogether. No one enjoys it as the conditions are always pretty rubbish, and there’s nothing to look forward to at the finish line, apart from a nice sit down. If school got rid of cross country and maybe did something different in the summer, when the weather is better, students would be much more open minded.

Five Events

5 noteworthy things that have happened to me in the past 24 hours.

(Not necessarily in the right order!)

1)      I did my English homework – Today we were given our shiny new GCSE Anthology Booklets, with homework to write about what we thought a certain poem was about. I found this quite interesting and though provoking, as I viewed the poem differently to how I did in the lesson. I put this first because it was one of the more interesting parts of my day and I enjoyed doing it.

2)      I fell down the stairs this morning – I realized I was short on time as I got ready for school and thought it would be a fantastic idea to run down the stairs. You will be pleased to know that no injuries came out of my little incident, but it definitely woke me up. I remembered this because it was a shock, and I didn't enjoy it.

3)      I didn't mind Maths – now this is memorable. We've finally moved on from probability to percentage. Hooray! Normally when I find something easy in maths, or fun, I get every single question wrong. But today, I surprised myself, getting most of them right. And the best part it, I actually quite enjoyed it. What is the world coming to?!

4)      I laughed out loud at Tumblr – I remember this because it worried me. I caught myself laughing at something on Tumblr. Usually I just snort at stupid stuff, hardly ever actually laughing. But I did today, and it bothers me, for reasons I don’t even know.

5)      I got a tweet from Kleenex – I came home from school, sat down in front of the TV and pulled out my phone to check Twitter. It was then that I found Kleenex, the best tissue brand ever, had replied to me, with a smiley face and everything. I couldn't stop laughing at myself as I was so excited. I will remember this for the rest of my life.

I know this isn't a proper article but I was really stuck for something to write about, so I chose something that would get me thinking. 

The Power of Music

Music is a huge part of my life. Writing this article, I’m listening to Ed Sheeran. When I go to bed, I often listen to acoustic tracks through earphones, waking up to Little Things by 1D, my ‘sleepy’ playlist on repeat. When I get ready for school, I put Radio 1 on, and when I come from home, I do the same thing.

I think there are 2 main reasons I love music so much.

The first reason being it fills up the silence. I find doing homework whilst listening to the Greg James’s show helps. I feel more relaxed and comfortable with the background music. Doing homework to silence is boring, and I find myself drifting. It doesn’t make much sense; you’d think the radio would distract me, but usually, it has the opposite effect.

I think the other reason is there’s always something to suit my mood. Whether I want to jump around to One Direction, or relax to Mumford and Sons.  Sometimes I even find myself going all gangster style and rapping along to Jay-Z and Kanye or Wiley. This is probably the reason I have a fairly broad taste in music – I like different aspects of different music. 

Without the music on my phone, or the radio in my bedroom, my life style would probably be pretty different; without music, I would be very short on things to do with my spare time.

As I’ve become older, I’ve grown to see past the music, listening to the lyrics. When I was little, I wouldn’t bother about the meaning of the song; if I liked the sound, that’s all that mattered to me. But now, Ed Sheeran’s songs give me things to think about, One Direction’s lyrics relate to me, even though they’re not singing to me or about me, as much as I wish they were.

Unfortunately, different types of music are given different stereotypes, labelling the listeners as emos, Goths, moshers or stupid fan girls, that ‘don’t know what real music is’. I think this is such a shame, as those people who do only listen to certain kinds of music really don’t deserve these negative connotations. Music can save people’s lives, and that should not be ignored. I fail to see why someone should be discouraged from being supportive and passionate about something that has changed their lives.

The Pains of Being Tall

Being tall hurts quite a bit most of the time, be it growing pains or walking into things. 

Because I grew 20 centimeters in 2 years, I've had a lot of adjusting to do, and it hasn't worked as well as I hoped. Everyday, I drop things, walk into things, trip over things and hit my head on things simply because I can't control my limbs. It's great... and I get bruises to show for it!

I think I have stopped growing now, or I've at least slowed down hopefully. My bones grew a lot very quickly, and my muscles and ligaments, which don't grow as fast, couldn't keep up. It happened in my feet first, and then the rest of my body, my legs particularly. Due to my bones being longer than the muscles,  my muscles are pretty much at full stretch when another, more normal person is relaxing. This has a pretty painful effect on my joints when I do stretch, as the ligaments and muscles are pulling on the joints. This whole issue causes a kind of achy pain and I've noticed it the most in my hips, and my left one clicks a lot, rather loudly. My mother gets worried when I stand up and it sounds like I've dislocated something. I'm probably not that far off it actually.

More recently, my shoulders have been hurting, but I'm not convinced it's for the same reason. Perhaps they felt left out and wanted to be painful too? 

The growing has other effects too. Like I said before, I am pretty clumsy. I think I've always been pretty clumsy; I once landed myself in hospital after I got bouncing putty in my eye. This was when I was a lot smaller, you understand. Aside from the putty incident, fortunately I have managed to avoid hospital. I've never broken a bone, but it's probably only a matter of time.

I do get rather a lot of bruises, however, some of the more recent examples being a bruise on my ribs from dropping my phone on myself, and one on my collar bone after walking into a door. I also tend to have a bad habit of tripping over... well, nothing. I'll just start falling.

I realize this article is rather whiny, but it's true, and I think a lot of people don't see how annoying it is to be tall. Unless you like walking into walls.

Breaking Dawn Part 2 Review

On Saturday night, I witnessed the best film I have seen in a while; the long awaited, final Twilight film. Despite part 1 and 2 being filmed back to back, Part 2 was released on the 16th of November, keeping with the tradition of releasing a film mid-November. 

Going into the cinema, being a huge fan of the books, I didn't know what to expect; would the screenwriters stick close to the book, changing only a few minor details? Or would there be drastic, unforgettable changes that alter the plot entirely? I was pleasantly surprised, as the screenplay was, generally, the former.

Given the fact the Stephanie Meyer, the well-known author of the Twilight Saga had some input into the content, the plot was fairly similar, with one big twist at the climax of the film. 

On a whole, the film was fantastic; I definitely really enjoyed it, getting emotional at the end. I had my hands clamped so hard over my mouth, it hurt. A lot. 

Kristen Stewart played her part well, clearly enjoying her time as vampire, red eyes and everything. Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, was as good looking as ever, and, for once, not jealous of Jacob!

There was an appropriate amount of humor included, earning some laughs from the cinema, especially towards the beginning, when Bella finds out Jacob has become rather attached to her new born baby. There was, of course, some romance, and even some fighting towards the end. With werewolves and vampires galore, I think the series definitely went out with a bang!

*****

A well earned 5 stars

Duke of Edinburgh

As a Year 10, I have the opportunity to take part in the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh. This means camping for 1 night, with 2 practice weekends, along with three other sections; volunteering, physical and skills. 1 of these 3 sections must last for 6 months, the other 2 for 3. The requirements are for you to spend either 1 hour a week or 2 hours per fortnight on each activity, although you can spread them out, of course. You’d have to be a superhero to do all 3 simultaneously! 

At the start of the year, I didn't know much about what the Duke of Edinburgh entails. I didn't know there are 3 different awards, and I had no idea about the volunteering, physical or skills section. I'd only heard of the expedition, where typically in Cumbria, you get soaked. 

I will admit, I wasn't at all keen on doing Duke of Edinburgh, and I was forced by my mother to actually take part. Camping really isn’t my thing, and I thought that was all you did; camp in the rain. But, after going to the initial meeting, where the basics of the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh was explained, I realised there was a lot more to it. This made me want to do it even less. I didn’t want to learn a new skill, and I had no idea where I could volunteer, or how I could do my physical. 

But, thanks to my mum’s stubbornness and perseverance, I agreed to take part. And guess what? I’m really glad I did. We’ve barely even started, but I’m already enjoying it a million times more than I expected to! Why? It’s because I am really enjoying my volunteering and skill section. I haven’t started my physical yet though… 

For my volunteering, I am helping out at some local kennels. I have already done a post about the RSPCA and volunteering. It’s a brilliant experience and I get to walk some lovely dogs! It’s definitely worthwhile and I hope the dogs appreciate my mum, sister and I coming to see them for at least an hour a week! 

The idea of the skills section is for each participant to try a new skill, something they haven’t done before. Some of the examples were photography, learning a new instrument, or a fashion portfolio. I chose journalism, and it is the reason I have this blog; so I can post my ‘articles’ to be checked by a member of staff. I have decided to aim for 2 articles a week, spending half an hour on each. This way, I can live up to the 1 hour a week expectation in a way that works for me. As I am enjoying working on my articles, I find myself really eager to improve my work and see what works and what doesn’t. Plus I enjoy writing in general, especially the odd fictional story. English is my favourite subject alongside History and both of these subjects are very writing based. I hope that makes sense… 

So, to summarise, I am glad I am weak willed; If my mum hadn’t pushed me to join in, I wouldn’t have this wonderful experience to talk about whenever I’m short of conversation starters.

PE Department

This year, the PE department has really improved. Last year, the facilities were very limited; old, beaten hockey sticks, deflated footballs and badminton nets full of holes. Now, there are brand new hockey sticks, table tennis tables and nets and shuttlecocks, along with a range of brand new equipment – dumbbells, Pilate’s equipment, and lacrosse gear! I think this investment will make PE lessons a lot more interesting and fun, instead of the same equipment we had lesson after lesson last year. Many students will appreciate this ‘enrichment’, as there’s something for everyone. Whether they enjoy something they’re comfortable with, maybe hockey or netball, or want to try something new like lacrosse. 

I asked Megan Hine, aged 15 for her opinion on the new improvements. “I think the new equipment is great because it allows students to take part in a wider range of sports and keep them interested in sports encouraging them to keep active and healthy.” 

Surely this shows a positive impact already, after just few months working with the new equipment? Many girls were bored with PE and were reluctant to take part, fed up with the same old same old. But now, with the good quality equipment, many girls have been inspired to try something new. The Kirkbie Kendal PE department are also looking into gym memberships, so students can visit the gym whenever they want at, hopefully, a discount cost. This would be another bonus. If the students enjoy it, they are much more likely to go out of school, as well as in PE lessons. 

In my class, last year, I think many preferred to mess about and cause trouble than actually take part in the lesson. This year, however, these girls are much more involved, happy to give everything a go, albeit not very seriously. 

The equipment encourages the students to give different things a go, see what they like and what’s not for them. It also helps to get students fit and healthy; if they enjoy a particular activity, they’ll put more effort in. 

Molly Boothroyd, a GCSE PE student, thinks “It’s fun and so it helps us enjoy PE! It’s also good for the student’s health wise!”
Jade Fancourt, also a  GCSE PE student, says 'all the new equipment will really benefit students, as it encourages us to get involved!'

Overall, I think this a great opportunity for all the PE students, and should definitely take it. I think it’s also important not to take this equipment for granted, as many schools aren’t as lucky as Kirkbie Kendal is to have all this equipment. I am worried some people will abuse the equipment, and damage it. If this happens, it will be a real shame, so I hope students take care and have pride in the new apparatus. It may sound silly, but we definitely are lucky to have this new luxury!

Target Grades

Now that we have been back in school for half a term or so we have received our target grades, guidelines for what levels we should be achieving. Now, many people have a relaxed attitude to these targets; Kirkbie Kendal has a good history of students achieving grades higher than their target grades, so why worry? But not everyone feels this way. Some students, when given their target grades are either disappointed, or worry that they can’t achieve this particular grade. I think I fall under this category; I feel almost pressured by my target grades to attain these grades, or higher. Of course, there are those who were hoping for a higher target grade; they were presumably hoping for an A/A* but are given a B or possibly a C Grade. I think this could really knock self-esteem, leaving students doubting themselves because of this. 

Now, I’m not saying scrap all target grades and be done with it, but perhaps show students what they have to do to achieve certain grades. Although the grades aren’t chosen at random, as the system accurately ‘predicts’ a person’s GCSE grades, I think many students are still left in the dark about why they have been given these grades and what they can do to improve them or work up to a certain standard. I am aware school already helps us outline what we have to work at to get the desired result, but perhaps if we focus more on how to acquire good grades along with the target grades, student’s will feel less like they’ve been thrown in at the deep end. This works for both disappointed students and worried students, as well as those who aren’t bothered so much. 

I know target grades aren’t set in stone; they’re simply a target, a guideline, but I think if lessons make it more clear what it is we have to put the effort into to work at a certain standard, it would help many students, including myself. 

I think this could work in other schools too, as I'm sure the situation is the same; some people confident with their target grades, others not so much. If the grades were explained better, and we were given more advice and help on how to achieve our set grades, students all over the country would be, in general, much happier.

Twitter Anonymity

Twitter anonymity is a serious rising problem; people from all over the world are creating accounts simply to criticize other users, most commonly celebrities. 

Despite the creators of Twitter doing everything they can to suspend these troublesome accounts, the problem of 'twitter trolls' as they have been nicknamed, is still a very current issue.

Whether the trolls dislike a celebrity, or are set out to judge them after a scandal doesn't matter. However, the fact that some people are pushed to closing their accounts because of the anonymous users does matter – no one, no matter what they've done, should be bullied and ridiculed to the point of deleting their account, especially by people they have never met.

So, what do I mean by 'Twitter anonymity'?

I think the basic definition of Twitter anonymity is using the Internet to disguise yourself, giving out little information about your identity in order to abuse other users, without being caught, simply because no one knows who you are.

That’s the beauty of it; your true identity is, if you’re careful, never fully revealed. The victim doesn’t know who it is that’s sending the messages, and therefore can’t go about tracking down the anon, with no location or real name to assist. The effects of Twitter trolling can be minor, but can also be very serious; trolling can lead to the closing of accounts, upset amongst any fans of a particular celebrity, and depending on the type of message, offending a lot of people. Many Twitter anons are racist, aiming their rude comments at those of different races and religion. Others are judgmental of someone’s background, or critique their style choices.

This is another reason why Twitter trolling is so common; there is a huge range of things to pick on, and it really needs to be stopped. People are being affected by it every day, whether they’re plastered all over magazines or someone you might bump into on the street. My point is, anyone can pick on anyone, and it’s really unjust.

To become a Twitter user, you need to give in hardly any personal information, and the majority can be fake; name, age, location. This is what makes it so easy. People also use Twitter to spam others, advertising false websites that are potentially dangerous.

To solve this problem, I think Twitter, along with other websites, should increase the amount of correct information they require for a user to sign up, but keep it private so the personal information is not released to the public. They should also encourage existing users to report anyone they suspect to be fake or using false information, and investigate the reported accounts. It may take work and dedication, but if it can reduce Twitter anonymity, I think using Twitter will be much more pleasant for many people.

RSPCA Dogs

For the volunteering section of my Duke of Edinburgh, I am volunteering at a local kennels, who also take RSPCA dogs. Some of these are stray dogs, some are court case dogs.

I have noticed a substantial difference between rescue dogs and domestic dogs. Although the rescue dogs have lived in a house before, it doesn't always seem that way. It is not unusual to have a RSPCA dog with a lot of 'emotional baggage'. The reasons differ for each dog, but many struggle behaving appropriately around new people and other dogs. Sometimes, they don't like dogs or humans, no matter who they are, due to horrible treatment in their past. For this reason, with many rescue dogs, it's a good idea not to directly address the dog; no eye contact or talking to the dog. If a dog is treated well as a puppy, with friendly company and good food, the dog is much more likely to be more sociable with dogs and other people. If a dog is left alone for long periods of time with nothing to do, it will really suffer behavior wise. 

Dogs in RSPCA kennels are always well looked after; they get plenty of company, regular meals, substantial walks and plenty of love and attention from volunteers as well as staff, and medication if required as sometimes dogs come in underweight, or with cuts, bruises or other issues the require medical attention. All of this is in the hope that the dog will improve it's behavior and 'social skills' and hopefully begin to trust its companions and surroundings, after any possible upset in the past.

Many dogs, when re-homed, go to loving families who give the dog everything it needs, including cuddles!

The RSPCA doesn't just look after and help dogs; they also take in and re-home cats, rabbits, rodents and even snakes! There are of course many other domestic pets, some more exotic than others, that they take in, but cats and dogs are the most common in the UK, with an estimated 8 million dogs and 8 million cats in Britain as pets.

I think the work the RSPCA do all over Britain is amazing, and very worthwhile as without the volunteers putting in the effort, there would be many unhappy cats and dogs out there. I have really enjoyed my experience so far, and I'm super happy the RSPCA allowed me to help them! As part of my D of E, I have to volunteer for a minimum of 6 months, but I hope to continue for much longer than that!

Husky puppy in a RSPCA shelter

History of Journalism in Britain

Wikipedia Definition: The history of journalism spans the growth of technology and trade, marked by the advent of specialized techniques for gathering and disseminating information on a regular basis that has caused, as one history of journalism surmises, the steady increase of "the scope of news available to us and the speed with which it is transmitted."

What do I understand by this?

As technology has developed, so has journalism. In the beginning, journalism was simply just word of mouth, but as printing machines were invented and developed, news and information became more widely spread and more easily too. Also, the time in which an event occurred and it being reported to a large amount of people became smaller over time; decades a go, a road may have flooded and people would only know the day after when it appeared in the newspaper. Today, however, thanks to news broadcasts on the TV, radio and on the internet (Twitter, Facebook, news websites), we can know about a road flooding within a few hours, or even minutes of this specific event occurring.

The first British newspaper was the Oxford Gazette, now known as the London Gazette, and has been published regularly ever since 1665. It was originally first published in Oxford, where the government was placed to avoid the plague in London. When the court moved back to London, so did the paper. The name was changed, but was still published twice a week. The first daily newspaper, the Daily Courant, was first published in 1702 and carried on being printed for more than 30 years. Its first editor was also the first woman in journalism, but was replaced after only a few weeks at the job.

I think without journalism, the whole world would be completely different, for better and for worse. Journalism now comes in many forms, the traditional form of course being newspaper articles. But now, in a more modern world, we have gossip magazines, documentaries and radio shows, that all have some form of journalism linked in with them. Gossip magazines generally have a negative connotation, telling the world about the latest celebrity scandal. But without documentaries such as Channel 4's Unreported World, outlining some of the third world problems, a lot of people in richer, 'first world' countries would know next to nothing about these issues.

"By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community." 

Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900