School Uniform

School has recently announced a change in the school uniform, and this has sparked many different opinions within my friends.

Hannah Cottam, a Year 10 pupil, says “I have had the experience of attending schools with and without uniforms, personally I always felt more comfortable in my own clothes. The argument that people will judge people who cannot afford 'designer' clothes is silly; people will always find a way to judge others. The thing that bothers me the most about uniform is the shapeless designs that are made for both boys and girls; what were they thinking? They are horrible and oversized so much so that when I started school people thought I was massively overweight when I was not because of my appearance in the uniform and this did not do much for my confidence as you can imagine! Overall in my opinion I would always be happier in my own clothes.”

Jade Fancourt, another year 10 pupil thinks similarly: “The current uniform is great! It’s comfy and easy for everyone but the new changed one is rubbish; why should we all pay £33 to just wear a scabby blazer that makes girls look like lads? It's not needed and what if some families can't afford it, what are they going to do?”

I think this a common opinion within students; it’s a lot of money to spend on uniform if many  students do not have high opinions of the new uniform. However, there are students who think the new uniform is a good decision; Megan Hine says “I think that the new uniform is a good thing as the current uniform looks scruffy compared to other local schools, which have a smarter appearance.”

Arran Wylde thinks “the new uniform is alright, but it would be better with a black blazer.” I think this another problem among students; the colour scheme. With a somewhat rainbow tie, and a green theme running through most items of clothing, some students would like to see more black; black blazers and skirts. We know the blazers are green but no one seems to be able to conclude which colour the possible skirts will be; green or black.

My mum has her opinions too: “I think the new uniform will look smart, but I have some reservations. I wore a v-neck jumper with shirt and tie to school. The blazer was optional, partly due to its cost, and partly due to it's lack of practicality as a coat. We could wear blazers in the summer but had proper coats to wear in the winter. Is the proposal that students will have to acquire rain jackets large enough to wear over blazers, or will blazers be optional? I have been glad that my daughters have had a smart, practical, comfortable uniform to wear, and have often wished that I had had something similar. We would suffer in the summer, waiting to hear if we could take our ties off when it was hot. I note that a skirt is being considered. I hope this is not introduced. Another consideration is cost; I have two daughters at school, and I would not have expected to buy more than one more set of new uniform to see them through their school years. Now I have to buy two.”

This is another difficulty; parents will not be happy about the cost of the uniform, especially if they have to buy more than 1 set of it. It’s not compulsive for all students to buy the uniform in September, but even for the new Year 7’s, if they have older siblings in school, parents will have been hoping their uniform could be passed onto the new Year 7’s.

It will take a few years to filter through, but I think it’s going to be fairly controversial. I have seen many different opinions in these past few days, and I can imagine there are many more throughout the school.

In all honesty, I think the new uniform sounds good in theory, but like a lot of things, it won’t be as good as it sounds.

Brit Awards

After last year’s show, I wasn’t sure whether to bother watching the awards or not. I never really watch award shows like this, but I thought I would make an exception; it’s all everyone talks about for ages afterwards, and One Direction were up for an award too.

I wasn’t too keen on watching in the first place as last year everyone was ready to fall over they were so drunk. I got fed up with all the bumbling and mumbling, with the odd ridiculous outburst. I couldn’t believe how much alcohol was on each table; a huge bucket with ice in in the middle of each table, filled to the brim with all kinds of drinks.

This year was the same I suppose, but they covered up well. There was still the excessive amount of drink on the table, although the people who needed to be on stage at some point did seem to be sober enough.

I think the show itself was really good; there were plenty of excellent performances, including 1D’s first live performance of their Comic Relief single (which I was thoroughly impressed with, by the way). James Corden cracked a few jokes as he introduced each category, or performer, and I think the graphics on the background screen were pretty good. In Robbie William’s performance, everyone blended in to the optical illusion.

However, it did seem to be ‘Pick on Harry Styles Day’. The Brits would not be the Brits without some form of scandal the newspapers can write about. (I suppose I’m joining in there, then.) Every time Taylor Swift, Harry’s most recent ex-girlfriend, appeared on stage, the camera instantly switched to Harry, trying to televise his reaction. Harry is of course used to this kind of attention, and ignored the cameras, but it still annoyed me, and a lot of other fans.

But, scandal aside, I do think it was a good show. No one fell over (or on camera at least) and it was kept fairly clean. I think it’s good to have the awards for the bands and artists, just like the actors and directors do. Although there aren’t as many categories as there are at the Grammy’s and everything, every artist has a category to come under, giving everyone a chance.

Charity

I am a big fan of One Direction, and recently, they’ve been all about Comic Relief. They’ve recorded a cover of Blondie’s ‘One Way or Another’ as a charity single; the proceeds go towards Comic Relief and its help in third world countries.

The boys have been out to Ghana recently, to experience what the people on the receiving end of these charities are going through first hand. I watched a video of them all in one of the hospitals, where they were visiting the infants in a hospital, ill because they missed out on a lifesaving vaccine because of their disadvantages.  One member, Zayn, was really affected by what he had seen out in Ghana, and ended up in tears as he tried to tell the camera how much the £5 vaccine could do. He’s since donated £500,000, which is enough for 100,000 vaccines. 100,000 lives.

I’ve never really donated before, but I did today. I paid £5 for one vaccine via text, because someone else needs that £5 more than me. A lot more.

I know it may seem that I’m only donating because my favourite boy band is donating too, and I suppose that’s part of it; he gave money because he was effected, and I gave money because I was too. Seeing how hard the illness in Ghana struck the boys, and how devastated and frustrated they were, combined with of course, the tiny children, sick and dying, left me unable to not contribute to this cause.

Those children could easily have been running around, playing football, or toddling about all over the place, had they not missed out on that vaccination. And knowing that I, sat at my laptop, could help a child to do that was compelling me to donate. So I did. And I feel really good about it.

I’ve always been aware of Children in Need and Sport Relief and Comic Relief, but I’ve never been as affected by these charities as I have today. I don’t know whether it was because people who I care about were upset, or whether it’s because I’ve matured since last year’s Comic Relief. Or both. But it really hit home how lucky I am to have these vaccinations, along with so much more advanced medical care, should I need it, and how those month old babies have none of that.

I may seem naïve and obnoxious for donating because a band told me to, but it’s more than that. They were a spring board, I suppose, but I didn’t donate to please them or because they’ve told all their fans to.

 I donated my £5 because I saw, through that video, how much it can help, and how much it can mean to a little child, who’s really no different to me.

We just have different backgrounds, and that shouldn’t be a barrier to keep them from the healthcare everyone deserves.

(I wrote this quite late Sunday night so it probably doesn't make much sense)

Valentine's Day

Today is, of course, Valentine’s Day. I don’t really know where I stand on Valentine’s Day; do I carry on as normal, ignoring all the happy couples? Or do I spend the day being the Grinch of Valentine’s Day?

I decided I would have a ‘me’ day today; treat myself to a few things I wouldn’t normally indulge in, or don’t normally have the time for. So I suppose I’m carrying on with my average day, but spending a little more time on myself than usual.

But really, to be honest, I don’t see the point of Valentine’s. I’m not saying this because I have to go it alone each year. I really think Valentine’s Day is a pretty rubbish holiday; surely, you should show your love for your partner all year round, not just on a specific day in February? I know most people can’t afford to lavish their loved one every day, but gifting one another is not what Valentine’s day is about; it’s about spending time with them, taking a day out of your normal routine to enjoy the day with your loved one, not about buying flowers and chocolates and cards. Well, I think so anyway.

I mean, it’s nice to go that little further and buy lovely gifts for your other half, but I think a lot of people see Valentine’s Day as the designated day to express their love, and I think this is wrong. You should express your love every day, not just through gifts but something as simple as a hug or a smile.

This is why I feel Valentine’s Day is a little pointless… it’s a lovely idea and a lot of people enjoy spending their time with their loved ones, but the fact people only bother to express their feelings, their love, on this particular day worries me.

I know people can be very busy, and are unable to spend time with their partner, but surely they could quickly call them, or even just text them?

Maybe part of me is writing this out of spite, but also the logical part of me. If there is one.

Encouragement

For a lot of people, encouragement is rare and praise for achievements is also atypical. I wanted to write this as a sort of continuation from my piece on achievements; they don't happen without some form of encouragement. Olympians have their coaches, their friends, their families, their colleagues. But some people, youths especially, are deprived of this vital encouragement. I think a huge part of encouragement is help; it's not just getting people to do something, it's helping them do it.

This, I think, is a real shame; if we aren't supported now, how many of us are going to want to try new, different things, knowing there's no one behind us, to support and help us? I'm not saying I'm not encouraged, because I am, and I am very grateful for that. But I think there is such a thing as too much encouragement. I know this is rather contradictory to what I have just said, but it's true. It gets to the point where you're forcing someone to do something, rather than help them. Now this has happened to me. Although, not on illegal scales of course. 

As teenagers, we look to our parents to help us as we grow up. It is down to them to get it right; knowing when to back off, but also knowing when we need that support behind us to get us on our way. That's one of a parents key 'jobs', right? I really appreciate how my mum will help me with my homework, maths especially, and then let me do it in my own time once I'm comfortable with the task. My dad, on the other hand, is more pushy, I suppose. So I've learned not to ask him for help as much; for example, when he knows about any homework I have, he nags and nags at me for weeks, long after I've handed it in. And any advice he does have to offer is usually pretty rubbish. 

Anyway, my point is, my mum usually gets it right and dad doesn't. Mum helps me out, and then encourages me to do it when I back away from the dreaded maths. I think if more parents, or just adults in general, are willing to help support teenagers, rather than force them, or push them away, we might get more done, and quicker too.

I just feel as though some receive too little, and some receive too much.

Poetry Live

Like with many things, I didn’t really know what to expect as I was walking into the Bridgewater Hall. It could go two ways; be really dull and boring, I would be struggling to stay awake and people would be messing around, causing mayhem. Or, I would be engaged and interested, filling pages and pages with useful note as my classmates did the same, asking mind blowing questions. I think the day fell into a happy medium.

 

The trip down to Manchester was pretty good; the coach was fairly quiet and pretty comfortable, although as we neared the city I found myself being cooked on the spot by the radiator next to me. The venue itself  was fantastic, a modern reception, with clean carpets (always important) and the hall was amazing; a huge organ down at one end with rather a lot of pipes, with the stage set in front. Surrounding the stage were a few seats, but the majority of the seating was in front of the stage, with 3 or 4 tiers surrounding the floor seats. We were on the 3^rd tier, to the side. The view would have been better had there not been barriers directly blocking my line of sight. There wasn’t much leg room either. But what was more important was the acoustics, (which were pretty good), as the event was based around listening, and all you really needed to see was the leaflet, handed to us upon entry.

The stage from our point of view.

The first two poets on stage were Gillian Clarke and Carol Anne Duffy, both of whom read poems featured in our GCSE Anthology’s.

I have to say, when Carol Anne Duffy started with Hour, after giving a brief explanation of her ideas and inspiration, I was a little disappointed. Her voice was toneless and dull, making her sound bored and uninterested. It was definitely not how I expected her to read her own poem. She read Quickdraw too, and it was the same again; she was almost lifeless on the stage. I don’t know whether it was deliberate or due to nerves or what, but it didn’t sound great. The poems were fantastic, and as we have ‘exploded’ them in class, I understood them better than other people may have done. I would have thought this would give me an advantage over the other students who hadn’t studied the poems before, but the performances really didn’t deliver. I, unfortunately, found the same thing with Gillian Clarke, although she had better rhythm when reading her poems, and sounded at least a little interested in her poem.

Simon Armitage was on next, and I have to say I enjoyed him and his performance considerably more than the opening poets. He was rather sarcastic which, I think, drew me to him a little bit. His poems and the philosophies and inspiration behind them were rather sentimental and personal, I found. He used designs close, or personal to him, and made it obvious, which I liked. At the same time, he was also rather humorous and casual, like he was engaging in a conversation with his audience, rather than talking at them. When he was reading, he still sounded a little bored and dull, but overall, I rather liked him. Imtiaz Dharker, the fourth poet, carried on with the dull tone, although her voice was different too; she spoke slowly and steadily, patiently, and when she was reading, her voice was kind of haunting, subtly lingering on words, on sentences. I think she surprised us all with her final poem - she shared a semi-Indian poem (I think), which she described as a happy poem. She was much more animated when reading this poem, adding interest to her routine, and a little humour too, I suppose. Andrew Forster made an appearance too, although I haven’t made any notes on him; I didn’t really find anything noteworthy about him, if I’m brutally honest. He followed through with the leaden tones, and his performance was not particularly impressive.

Tony Childs, the examiner, had some useful input, however. He read the ‘Unseen poem’ through twice, and helped us understand it more by reading through the 3 responses in the leaflet too.  He was open and honest, and although it wasn’t a performance and more of an interlude, I enjoyed it and found it useful, something to remember when I’m sat in my future exams and controlled assessments. The final presentation of the occasion was by far my favourite. John Agard, ‘interesting, quirky, engaging, funny, loud, passionate and animated’ is the list of words I jotted down whilst watching this man. And he certainly was all of those; he moved away from the podium a little from time to time, and jumped up and down during one feature, something which none of the other poets did. Although he didn’t make complete sense 100% of the time, he was the most enjoyable to watch and to listen to, and he carried something about him that just livened the day up marginally. He finished with a small address on the use and importance of language, and one line stood out to me particularly: ‘you cannot escape language’. I don’t know why I found this so striking… perhaps it was the truth behind it?

Overall, the day was rather enjoyable, with the definite highlight of Mr Agard at the end of the day. He parted with the line ‘happy life to you’, which put a smile on my face. He was such a happy little man, and that made me happy.

Hannah and Chloe enjoying themselves.

Achievements

Sometimes in life, it’s the little things that matter. Different things mean different things to different people.

When we triumph in something, we feel good about ourselves, and encouraged to do it again, or try something even more challenging, or beat our own record. Even if it’s something small, like walking to school instead of getting a lift, it can make a whole world of difference to someone’s outlook on a particular thing; walking, in this scenario.

Today, I found a recipe for a ‘Mug Brownie’, which instructed you on how to bake a brownie in a mug. Rather self-explanatory, really. Upon showing said recipe to my mother, I was doubted and disbelieved. This spurred me on to prove my mother wrong (and partly to disband my own, secret doubts), and succeed in baking my mug brownie. I gathered the few ingredients required, and microwaved the mixture in my mug. The result wasn’t mind blowing, but considering the amount of time and effort it took to create (very little), it was rather nice; certainly something I shall try again in the future.

So sometimes it’s little, silly things like this, that don’t really mean anything in the real world, but can mean rather a lot to an individual. Another anecdote I might use would be my success in KKS Sports Night, from when I was in Years 7 and 9. In Year 7, I won the 1500m race, and Year 9, I won the 800m. I think the 800m meant more to me, as I had really prepared for this race as I really doubted my chances of winning; I was up against some great competitors, and I thought it to be highly unlikely that I would win. But I did. It was a really pleasant surprise, and has given me more confidence for the possible events of this year. Little confidence boosts like these can be real table-turners, inspiring all kinds of people to have a go at things they would previously never have thought about.

Some people might be enthused by good grades, and the good feelings that come with them. Others may be motivated by nerve-wracking situations going well, resulting in the confidence to glide through scary situations.

But for other people, it’s the big things; imagine how Usain Bolt felt, winning the 100m twice over? Or how Jessica Ennis felt, Britain’s gold medal heptathlete, winning her medal at the home Olympics. These are tasks ordinary people could never hope to achieve, but it’s something these people have been training for their whole lives. Day in, day out, striving to stand on that podium in front of the world, and being able to say they are and Olympic gold medallist. That, for them, is the achievement of a lifetime. Obviously, not everyone is expected to become a gold medallist, but perhaps we can be inspired by their success.

Sometimes it’s the combinations of self-doubt beforehand, and the surge of pride after that adds up to more than the achievement its self, whatever it is. Whether it’s making a mug brownie, or winning a gold medal, it matters for its own reasons. Today, people withhold a whole lot of self-doubt, with no real logic and justification behind it. But when this reservation, this scepticism is proved wrong, it suddenly seems a whole lot easier to keep it at bay.

Sportsnight 2012 - myself with Ricardo Blas Jr. and one of the Olympic Torches