n 009 Editio 2 r e b m e Dec
ed ... Job Vacancies ... Ne in n re ild Ch ... d ar Aw ar SQA St News ... Reviews ... Ask Us ... ... Nations Cup ... Quiz ... The College Life and Much, Much More...
HNC Media Special Edition… HNC Media Special Edition… HNC Media Special Edition…
Copy at www.ayrcoll.ac.uk... Follow us on Twitter @AyrCollege... Download Your Digital Copy at www.ayrcoll.ac.uk...
Team
he magazine
Editorial: Shelagh McLachlan If you would like to submit any articles for the magazine or would be interested in a work experience placement please e-mail s.mclachlan@ayrcoll.ac.uk
Student Editor: We are also delighted to welcome Shannon Black an NC Media student who joins our editorial team for a work placement experience.
Photographer: Colin Nixon If you have any images you would like us to consider for the magazine please e-mail them as a .jpeg or .tiff to c.nixon@ayrcoll.ac.uk Designer: Colin Nixon Editor for December is Shelagh McLachlan, Admissions & Marketing Manager at Ayr College.
Ayr College is a charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC 021177.
A BIG thank you to the HNC Media students who have been responsible for producing this edition of “What’s the Buzz” magazine. We have been inundated with articles for publishing – which is fantastic! If your news or photo does not appear this month then we will definitely use it in the January edition. We are also delighted to welcome Shannon Black an NC Media student who joins our editorial team for a work placement experience. Shannon’s first article sees her meeting up with the Acting and Performing students as they write and perform their own version of “A Christmas Carol.” There are two performances on 15th Dec and if you’ve not been before now is your chance to view the amazing talents of our drama students. Some of our media students have been scouting for Christmas present ideas for you on line so happy shopping! We are supporting our Charity of the year “Childline,” to fundraise by encouraging your to participate in the “Letter to Santa,” see brochures in the refectory/reception for details. Meanwhile we wish all our students a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 2
Contents Children in Need Personal Stories The College Life Just to Get a Rep Making a Difference Making a Difference - Student Voice Ask Us Gift Ideas News Scrooge Remixed Music Review Games Review DVD Review Bokk Review Film Review Jobs Board Fun Corner
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Personal Stories:
Andrew Carpenter
This is Andrew. At just 17 years old he decided to start his own video production company, whilst studying NQ Media and Broadcasting here at Ayr College. He is now only one year on from starting his business and has several business partners, earned more than enough to buy all his own equipment and juggles his career with the HNC Media. So is he living the dream? This is an interview with Andrew Carpenter…
hard when editing. The video was a success and I was asked to make DVDs for some of the people involved. Because of this people started to talk and I got more and more jobs from this market. And when my videos were put up online for people to see
How long did it take for your company to grow? Well, I’m not famous, but people only really take from people they trust and fortunately, because I already had a relationship with the people at Wossabama gym they trusted me and recommended me to others. Because of my first advert, trainers within the gym were interested too, and it grew from there. Did you find it hard to balance your coursework and your company work? Well, at the moment I have 3 hours of footage I need to edit down for the gym, and they’ve paid for that, so I can’t postpone it or I’ll lose their interest. Last year the college work was quite paced, but this year in the HNC I’ve felt the work load build. I do prioritise deadlines, because I don’t have the revenue of a huge team of staff, and I know that because I am young, it’s harder to earn the respect when working in a business like this.
Hello Andy, how are you? I’m very fine thank you. So you’re here to talk about your company, tell us a bit about it first. Ok, well, its called Cordless Productions, and it started because of my college course. At the same time I went to a weekly boxing class at a local gym, and they mentioned they wanted to make a video. I’ve always been interested in video making so I offered to make the video for them, and they liked it. So I thought ‘I could make a bit of money from this’ and I came up with “cordless productions” as my company name, as I thought it was catchy. I patented the name and copyrighted it, which cost quite a bit, but I got all the documents through and was established as a working company. After I did that I started to build a client base, and started just charging a small amount for videos. One of my first jobs as a company was to film an event called ‘Marshall Mayhem’, which included 50 or so boxers. I had two cameras with me and I captured everything I could, and worked really
ment but I’m glad I got to do things on my own, it’s helped me become more decisive.
I got a few different offers, including a wedding. I’ve worked with a lot of championship kick boxers, some rising stars of sport, personal trainers, and some Jujitsu artists, and because of my interest in these professions I found I really enjoyed the work. Wow, that’s impressive for a small company, did you have any help or were you on your own? Well my dad helped me form my company, but building relationships, dealing with clients and negotiating prices and things with clients were all done by me. I appreciated his encourage
Do you think your company has helped you with your college work? And vice versa. Yeah, we’re constantly working with the equipment, and you have to work with other people who are doing the same thing as you, or who want things from you. The biggest help was listening to and compromising with other peoples ideas, because as a one man company, big groups and clients can try to manipulate you. In one case with my company, a client was refusing to pay the sum we had agreed prior to me working with them. We eventually resolved the issue, but I learnt to stand my ground. by Ashely Dick 5
The College Life A
yr College has a massive population of 7,000 full time, part time and evening students. And the College offers a wide variety of courses to interest people of all ages and backgrounds. I went out to talk to some students about their college experience so far and what they might like to do with their future once they have qualified. On this interesting journey I first stopped at my local Visual Arts Department, headed by Ian Downie, pictured. He told us that, “Many people look at a career in Visual Arts as not a proper profession. There are 100,000 currently at work in the creative industries making an annual turnover of £5billion. Even in a recession we need creative industries”. College is a different experience for each individual and the students that I spoke to from HNC Art and Design certainly had some interesting insights into what their year had been like thus far. Twins Sandra and Linda are mature students. They have found their course enjoyable but intense. Sandra, pictured left, says that the
best aspects of being at college are “Being out of your comfort zone, meeting new people and learning stuff you never knew”. Sister Lynda has enjoyed learning new techniques in art and says that “I had always liked art and I wanted to improve any skills I had”. Her children growing up prompted Sandra’s return to education and she began to wonder what she could do. Now she faces new challenges, like not panicking over the unfamiliar “working a computer, which I don’t do at home”. Both sisters would like to continue with their artistic education and attend the HND in Art and Design if there is enough interest to run the course next year. Ayr College operates an international programme, which encourages students from all over the globe to continue their education right here. Another of the Art and Design students I spoke to, Justyna pictured right, said that she was really happy to be here “People are friendly and I have learned a lot. I really enjoy working with my teachers”. She loves her course and it’s not just about the theory. “I’ve also had a lot of practice”, she says. I asked Justyna what made her return to education and she was very enthusiastic about her course. “I just wanted to make myself better and the course is exactly what I was looking for because here I can realise my passion – art”. She is also hopeful for her future after she completes her HNC. “I would like to continue my education here next year. After that I want to go to University”. Now to one of our youngest students here at Ayr Col-
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tools and how they work”. When I asked Alex about what he wanted for the future he was quite definite “I want to make things with my hands and become an engineer”. Here’s to the future Alex! As you can see there are wide spectrums of students who attend classes at Ayr College. For many it is a chance to study subjects which were not on the curriculum ten years ago, some simply want to upgrade their skills to make them more employable. Whatever the reason for returning or starting, everyone I spoke to found the overall experience a life enhancing one. Next month we will look in more depth at the College’s international student recruitment and the students who have benefited from it. lege. Alex Kane, 14 and pictured left, studies here one afternoon a week with aspirations to become an engineer in the future. Alex is one of the many students who come to study specialized subjects from high schools around Ayrshire. Like many teenagers who come here, he is finding the experience a lot of fun and describes the best aspect of being at college as “Being able to learn how to be an engineer”. Comparing it to school was a breeze; left to Alex he’d come here all week “You can do more things with your hands, learn about different
By - Dennisoff Kane
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Just To Get A Rep I
f someone had stopped me this kind of role I found it slightly daunting and was not quite sure in the street this time last what to expect. Thankfully there are year and said “Campbell, monthly class rep meetings held by you are going to be a class reprethe Students Association which talk sentative for HNC Media Analysis & about various issues and explain Production at Ayr College” I would more about the role of the class rep. have wondered what on earth they Another useful were talking about thing is the SPAR(and how they QS training that knew my name). If class reps receive. this had happened SPARQS stands for though they would “Student Participahave been right, as tion in Quality ScotI was elected class land” and provide rep not long after information on how term started. It to succeed in the wasn’t something I role of class rep. had thought about I am really enjoying pursuing before I my course so far came to college Class Rep - Campbell Montgomery and as the year but making an efprogresses I hope to build my confifort to get the most out of my time dence and do the best I can as class here, I volunteered. rep. I see it as a great way to get to As the title suggests, the main role know my classmates better and also is to represent the class’s views and as a positive entry on my C.V. bring any concerns to the attention of the appropriate staff. Not By Campbell Montgomery having any previous experience in
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Get Involved!
Making A Difference T
his year the Students Association are supporting Scotland’s Childline Service as their Charity of the Year. If your class still has events or fundraising to organise please can you encourage them to support this worthy cause.
Key Figures
Message from Sarah Morley, Community Fundraising Manager for the NSPCC’s ChildLine service in Scotland “ “I am so pleased that ChildLine has been chosen by the students of Ayr College as their Charity of the Year. Last year, we launched an ambitious three-year fundraising appeal, the NSPCC Child’s Voice Appeal. Through this appeal we hope to raise £8.6 million for Scotland in order to develop the ChildLine service so that we can move towards our vision of being there for all children, whichever way they choose to contact us. Thanks to money raised so far for the Child’s Voice Appeal, we are now able to offer online counselling to children and young people through the www. childline.org.uk site, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So as well as still being able to call 0800 1111, young people can receive more information and support via the ChildLine website, be it through email, message boards or one to one chats with counsellors.
Over 4,000 children and young people called ChildLine in Scotland with a bullying concern last year.
By supporting us through your fundraising over the next year, you will help us get one step closer to answering the cry of every child and young person in Scotland who turns to us for help.”
About ChildLine ChildLine is the UK’s free, 24-hour helpline for children in danger or distress. Our trained volunteer counsellors comfort, advise and protect children and young people who may feel they have nowhere else to turn. For thousands of children across the UK, ChildLine can be a real lifeline. Children contact ChildLine about a wide range of issues including bullying, sexual and physical abuse, problems at home and the facts of life. Our volunteer counsellor’s listen to the child and offer advice and support that is relevant to them. They can help the child to talk through their problems and encourage them to talk to someone they can trust. Without our volunteer counsellors, ChildLine would not exist.
Over 27,000 children and young people spoke to a ChildLine volunteer counsellor in Scotland last year, however due to lack of funding and volunteers, many more were unable to get through.
A ChildLine volunteer counsellor will counsel, on average, 140 young people per year. Bullying was the main reason why children and young people called ChildLine in Scotland last year.
Costs could ensure that, when a child plucks up the courage to ask someone for help, we are there to answer their call.
£4
could pay for a child, who may have nowhere else to turn, to receive confidential one to one counselling about any issue that’s important to them.
£42
could pay a year’s freephone call costs for one volunteer counsellor so that children can continue to access ChildLine for free.
£420
could pay for the recruitment and training of a volunteer ChildLine counsellor, who in their first year will be able to help up to 200 children through their worries and distress.
£1600
Seasonal facts and figures Scottish volunteers will be giving up their Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day to be there for children who are worried or in distress. Over 900 children and young people spoke to a ChildLine volunteer counsellor in Scotland over the 12 days of Christmas in 2007/2008. Across the UK we expect that over 50 of the children we talk to over the Christmas period will be at such serious risk of abuse that their case will need to be referred to the police or social services. 9
Making a difference – the student voice We are here to make sure that you are equipped with the skills, aptitudes and confidence to take those next steps – whether into further education or training or employment. We provide you with a range of opportunities so you can tell us about your experiences and help us make positive and progressive change. Students attend focus group meetings, complete questionnaires, fill in comment cards or represent their colleagues at programme and cross college levels. It’s known as the student voice – you
telling us what you want and how together we can make things even better. Here is a list of things that have or will be changed as a direct result of you giving your views and opinions. The list is by no means exhaustive but hopefully will give a flavour of the importance of the student voice here at Ayr College. Do you recognise anything you or your group have initiated personally?
YOU SAID:
AND WE RESPONDED BY:
In the HNC Applied Science there was too little work in semester 1 and too little in semester 2.
Changing the unit delivery and assessment schedule to more evenly distribute work load across the year.
Life drawing skills would be better delivered during the first semester.
Moving the life skills unit from semester 1 to semester 2.
Our Buzz magazine was not meeting student needs.
Redesigning the magazine and increasing circulation amongst the student population.
Paste tables were not of an industry standard.
Buying 5 new paste tables.
Some lap tops were too slow to support the film and broadcast programme.
We bought and made available 5 new ones that semester and 4 more for the following year.
That rooms S209 and S211 as well as the hospitality changing rooms were becoming less fit for purpose.
Undertaking a major re-fit of rooms S209 and S211 and bought new lockers for the changing rooms.
That there was an inadequate range of early years books and materials available in the library.
Buying a wider range of dedicated books and DVDs.
That there were too few high quality synthetic brushes.
Buying 16 synthetic brush kits.
The BDA guide to successful brickwork was out dated.
Buying 16 updated versions of the BDA guide.
The brick workshop changing area was becoming unkempt
Arranging a weekly professional cleaning service.
The computers, tables and chairs in G87, 88 and 89 were unfit for purpose.
Replacing the computers, chairs and tables in these rooms.
The drill batteries were failing to keep their charge.
Buying 8 new high tech batteries.
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The life drawing room was too cold and poorly lit.
Installing more heaters and lighting to the life drawing room.
The NC log book needed revising to take more account of planned activities and to make it more user friendly.
Completely redesigning the log book.
The paint spray equipment occasionally failed to work properly.
Buying a new compressor and associated equipment.
The plumbing day release programme was too demanding. Changing the delivery pattern and more evenly distributing the work load over the life of the programme. The stricter rules applied to the football were making it less fun.
Relaxing the rules of the game.
There were too few library books for the portfolio programme.
Buying 30 more library books fort the portfolio programme.
There were too many different assessments.
Integrating more assessments and making some more based on practical experiences.
There weren’t enough early years focussed units in a few programmes.
Introducing more dedicated early years units and widened the range of learning activities.
You needed more cameras for your HNC Media programme.
Buying 10 more cameras the following year.
You needed more training on Macs.
Providing a summer school for Mac training.
You wanted hi-fi internet access from lap tops.
Timetabling students in a class that is hi-fi enabled.
You wanted more citizenship building activities.
Timetabling citizenship building classes and facilitating the student-led organisation of fund raising events.
You wanted more practical and aero specific classes in aeronautical and electrical engineering.
Introducing more aero specific and practical classes to the relevant programmes.
You wanted more practical experiences of flight dynamics. Buying flight simulation programmes and integrating these with the programme requirements. You wanted the HND in Art and Design to be offered by Ayr College.
Developing and delivering the HND in Art and Design the next year.
You wanted to progress to an Advanced Craft Brickwork programme.
Successfully applying for additional funding to develop and deliver this programme.
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Ask Us… Helen & Martin Bloomfield
Clifford
This is a chance for you to get your college problems out in the open for our advice.
Dear M artin
Dear Helen
Do you have any s I can do about my uggestions for what very disruptive, and class? They can be being at college wo I thought that would be more m uld mean people it difficult to cope ature. I’m finding . J
ms, I am having some finaencexetrpra joobbsle to I have had to get somsult of this I pay the rent. As a refficult to balance am finding it very dihat should I do? work and college. W K Having had this pro m blem myself, all I I would suggest askineng tadonvicewfro c an t ha s a y is m talk to them. They the finance depart help you out. might n o t ev en k n to o e w bl la ai h av o e w ar s nd d fu isruptive they are e b es e th i n t g ou . g n i T rt a l so k at t o od go y o ry u ve r e guidance lecturer an They ar a r s r an A e. g t e bi t ’ a on f w o c ey u th s d group meeting with d problems an en e, t iz ir t ri e the class. It really helpe for the workload, trye toduepriniofirst are d u s an w d now e get along great. Assign ments that ar portant. You obviously the most img to your guidshould also try talkin g your situation. elen H & n ti ar ance teacher, explaininp! M r ea D oblems They are there to hel I am having some personal pr lege and they are interfering with myitcol work. Who can I talk to about ? H Our advice is to talk to yourr lecgutuidrereven anothe or rer tu : lec e ce l an p o e P e c n hat your a w n em i th ell T F st. tru u yo t at n th a t r Impo you’re finding it e - or i at th n d an h is c em e obl pr K c M h a t cult. You could maybe also askllege NQ/NC:vaLneced Funding Coordina ffi di Non-Ad a m Wallace - or em to set you up with the co th HNC: Sd Funding Coordinat counsellor. e c Advan 12
Gift Ideas I
t’s that time of year again: Christmas is just around the corner and shop windows are stocked full of tacky decorations and overpriced presents. At this time when the credit crunch runs rampant, it can be difficult to find presents that are original and won’t break the bank. However, after much browsing of the interwebs I’ve tracked down a variety of said gifts. www.firebox.com “...we don’t stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing.” Hot Packs (2-pack) - £4.99: these consist of an outer plastic shell, containing a thick liquid and a small metal disc. Click the disc and, voila, a chemical reaction occurs which heats the liquid to 130F, lasting about 30 minutes before losing heat. They come in either a heart or circle shape, can be re-used as many times as you want, and are brilliant for keeping your hands warm in the cold Scottish weather. Insectilix Lolly - £4.99 - £12.95: Lollies might not seem to be the most exciting presents, so what’s so special about these ones? Well, they encase a genuine Chinese scorpion, a deceased worm and pepperminty little ants in vodka and tequila flavoured lollies. Really! The scorpion in the ‘Vodkalix’ is specially bred, has had its sting removed and is fully edible, as are the worm in the ‘Tequilalix’ and the ants in the ‘Antilix’ lollies. They look seriously freaky, but isn’t that the point? (note: the ‘Vodkalix’ & ‘Tequilalix’ lollies are flavoured and do not actually contain any alcohol.
www.iwantoneofthose.com “stuff you don’t need… but you really, really want” Frosty Beer Mugs (2-pack) - £9.99: everyone knows that there is nothing worse than a warm beer, so praise these wondrous Frosty Mugs that keep your beer (or any other beverage) ‘Frosty’ cold. The durable acrylic tankard is filled with a clear non-toxic gel that freezes solid when put in the freezer. It’s like drinking your pint out of a mug made of ice, minus the inconvenient drippy effect when it melts all over your trousers.
Ch ri
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by Katie Granger
as
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Instant Snow in a Can - £3.99: every year we endure the freezing winter hoping for the falling of crisp snow, but of course here in this temperamental country our hopes are rarely fulfilled. Take matters into your own hands with Instant Snow in a Can, which looks and feels just like real snow! Just add water and you’ll have your own winter wonderland in your living room. Once it dehydrates you can vacuum it up, or spray some more water on it to keep the Christmas spirit going. Holy Toast (2-pack) – £5.99: holy effigies seem to be rife nowadays, with Jesus even appearing in the widely disputed spread, Marmite. If you’ve been ‘passed over’ so far fear not, for you can now have a Virgin Mary appearing on your breakfast toast, everyday! Just press your bread into the mould, pop it in the toaster and (no miracles involved) your toast will become an icon. play.com this website offers free delivery on everything! Jelly Shots Mould - £3.49: Just the thing for Christmas/ New Year parties! For those of you who don’t know, Jelly (or ‘Jello’) Shots are jelly made with alcohol added in place of water. This handy kit includes a mould to make six shots and a mini recipe book. Strictly for the over 18s! Ice Shot Glasses (Pack Of 12) - £5.00: continuing the party shot glasses theme, why not try shot glasses made out of ice? Simply add water (or fruit juice) to this 12 glass mould, stick it in the freezer and soon you’ll be downing your shots from shot glasses made of solid ice. You can even chuck your Ice Shot Glasses in the fireplace and swear in Russian without having to buy replacement glassware. 13
NEWS Ayr College Students Win Gold, Silver and Bronze for Scotland! A team of Ayr College hospitality students and their curriculum leader have returned from the Nations Cup Student Culinary Competition final in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a host of medals. The world class team competed against some of the world’s best culinary students to claims three gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the coveted competition. The Nations Cup allows students to experience new culinary methods, cutting edge international plate presentation, in addition to cultural interaction with students from all over the world. The competition saw contestants create a variety of dishes from boxes containing ingredients which were revealed at the last minute. The Ayrshire students achieved gold for their appetiser, fish course and silver for the meat course. The Ayrshire team also achieved a gold medal for their poultry course, which was created for the main event, a lavish dinner with over 100 guests. Curriculum leader Norman Robertson stated; “I am absolutely delighted with what the students achieved at the Nations Cup. They worked incredibly hard and as the youngest team in the finals the results demonstrate the level of skill they have developed, in addition to their natural flair within the kitchen. I have no doubt they have a great future ahead of them!” The event, which took place from 20-25 October, hosted six teams from, America, Canada, Mexico, Barbados, Puerto Rico and Scotland. Principal of Ayr College, Diane Rawlinson states; “Ayr College has an enviable hospitality department and I am delighted with the team’s success in America. It is great to see their dedication recognised at a world-wide event and this tremendous success further demonstrates the talent of our staff and students at Ayr College” 14
Homecoming 2009
This year at the SQA Star Awards a special award was included for SQA’s creative competition ‘Scotland and Me’, part of the Homecoming Scotland activities. The competition, which has been running through the year, tasked students from schools, colleges and training organisations across Scotland to come up with a creative piece of work inspired by one of the five Homecoming themes. The competition attracted hundreds of paintings, poems, music compositions and projects. The winner of the SQA Scotland and Me Competition was Scott Mackay, a student from Stow College in Glasgow. Scott’s entry “I am Scottish” is an original poem and music set against a montage of images of Scotland and its heritage. It was inspired by his Scottish roots and Scotland’s unique and proud history. This piece shows what Scotland has to offer the world through its traditions, history, innovations, landscapes, pride and artistic culture. However this is only half the story because Scott worked on the project with his friend, Chris Belsey from Ayr College. Chris was studying the HND Sound Production course here last year and is passionate about writing music for film. Once Scott had completed his poem he approached Chris to compose the music for it. Chris said, “I listened to lots of Scottish music to get some ideas for chord progressions and how they flow. I sat at my piano and devised a melody for a flute and then scored it for a string orchestra. I recorded one of my friends playing the
flute and used midi samples for the strings. I then synched it up to the video images. The next task was to record the poem. I recruited my mum, dad and some friends to read a line each. I used the digital audio workstation package Logic to put speaking markers at the start and stop of each line of the poem. Then I mixed it with the music to create one audio file and put it on top of the film.“ Although Chris attended the Star Awards with Scott, because the award submission could only be entered from one college, it was Scott who received the Mac Book pro Laptop prize. You would think that Chris would be bitter, however he was most gracious and said, “It has been a great experience one where I could show my passion for writing music. To win out of hundreds of entries was a great achievement and I am now looking for more competitions and opportunities to show what I can do.” Dr Janet Brown Chief Executive of SQA, praised the winners by saying, “You represent the absolute best of Scotland and should take enormous pride in your achievements.” On the same day as the Star Awards, Chris also attended the Ayr College Graduation ceremony in Ayr Town Hall to receive his HND Sound Production award. He said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my course and one of the highlights was achieving an “A” in my Graded Unit. For this, I wrote a film score for Star Trek II and then I recorded the Ayrshire Symphony Orchestra playing it which was just a brilliant experience. Chris is now at Edinburgh Napier University studying for a BA in popular music and his principle study is Composition.
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NEWS Cumnock students take part in Link Romania Christmas appeal
Cumnock Community College’s supportive education students have taken part in this year’s Link Romania Christmas Shoebox Appeal through their Citizenship class. The appeal encourages anyone in the UK to pack up a shoebox with presents to send as a Christmas gift to desperately poor families in Eastern Europe. Throughout the years Link Romania have sent excess of 450,000 shoeboxes to over 80 different locations. Cumnock students wrote to all staff and students at the community college and invited them to donate items for the Christmas shoebox appeal. This is the second year that the students have been involved in the appeal and this year they have so far successfully filled and wrapped 37 boxes.
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Erine Lennox, Supportive Education Lecturer says, “The students have been very enthusiastic about this project. We first watched the video on You Tube about the appeal and then worked hard to promote it around the college. We were all very pleased with the generous donations which were made by staff and students. The project has taken us six weeks and we are already planning our next fundraiser, which is a Christmas fair, and the profits from this will be used to buy groceries for a local charity – the homeless unit in Cumnock” Elizabeth McGraw (23) from Cumnock who is a member of this class said, “Citizenship is my favourite class, I have really enjoyed filling the boxes and I have donated baby clothes and pens and pencils. It is nice to work together with the other people in my class to help those less fortunate.”
Scrooge Remixed Performance: Tuesday 15th December @ 2pm & 7pm — Tickets @ Reception
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doubt that there is a single person alive who hasn’t heard of the classic children’s tale ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens.
This is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge who, after being visited by the ghost of his dead friend, Jacob Marley, who tells him that if he does not change his ways, he will be bound in chains for all of eternity after his death. Scrooge learns to become a compassionate human being by travelling through time with the ghosts’ of Christmas past, present and future and seeing the effect his life has had or will have on others. The enthusiastic NC performing arts students of Ayr College will be performing this story in celebration of the upcoming Christmas season, but with their own unique flavor. This class of lively students, instead of performing the classic version, has derived a modern, ‘remixed’ version of the story in order to perform a fun-filled story that anyone, no matter how young or old, can enjoy. Photos by Albert Rae The play is going to be fresh and original and even a little bit of a gender bender, with the roles of some characters being played by the opposite sex with the character Ebenezer Scrooge being played by Debbie Singh as Eliza Scrooge as well as other characters’ genders being swapped. Kevin Marcellino, who will be playing the character Fezziwig, was happy to say that their rehearsals are perfectly on schedule and that he believes that the class will be fully prepared when the time comes to perform. When I asked him what he though of the story he told me, “it has a good moral and it’s a story that will never grow old”. Rebecca Griffin also mentioned that the preparations for the performance were running smoothly and that she will be ready when the time comes to show everyone her acting skills. “There’s a lot to learn from a story like this” was her response when asked about her opinion on ‘A Christmas Carol’. For just £3 you will be blown away by the sheer excitement of ‘Scrooge Remixed’ and the money will go towards a good cause, the Barnardos charity that involves a lot of different local projects that help people who need it. By coming to this play you will not only be helping people, but you will also have the time of your life. What’s there to lose?
By Shannon Black 17
MUSIC REVIEW Concert Review: U2 360° Tour, first leg Glasgow Hampden Park, August 18th 2009
enthusiastic, and in great voice as the new material took the stadium by storm.
U
2. They are one of, if not THE, biggest band in the world, and that night at Hampden with the crowd 55,000 strong, was truly the greatest show the city has ever seen. Dominating the stadium was the “Claw” - a 360° stage, weighing 390 tonnes, with a height of 164 ft, glowing blue and orange, wafting out dry ice and costing a whopping £90 million to build. From the offset it was obvious that this gig was going to have nothing to do with subtlety. It looked like a massive spaceship had landed. Looking quite lost on the massive stage, so different from their usual haunts, the opening acts ‘The Hours’ & Glasgow born band ‘Glasvegas’ did a decent job of warming the stage and entertaining a restless crowd. Then, Bowie’s ‘Space Odyssey’ boomed throughout the stadium as U2 took to the stage, and the incredible drum solo from ‘Breathe’ kicked off their set as they opened with a string of tracks from new album, ‘No Line On The Horizon’. The crowd were very
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Though the set was heavy with songs from their latest album, U2’s classic sound made up the backbone of the set, with Bono really getting the crowd fired up with ‘Flower of Scotland’ leading us into the eternal classic, ‘Beautiful Day’, closing with ‘Here Comes the Sun’, a jab at the damp Scottish weather which, thankfully, held out for a clear night at the stadium. Sound problems threatened during ‘MLK’ and the sound cut out all together for a spell whilst Bono sang his heart out in tribute to imprisoned Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi with ‘Walk On’, but the band played on and the crowd helped out, thousands of voices joined in solidarity while the stage was ringed with supporters holding up masks of Aung San Suu Kyi’s face. The problems could in no way detract from the euphoria up until that point. Problems fixed, the show picked up again with ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, and the goosebump inspiring ‘One’. The encore began with a stunning ‘Ultraviolet’ leading us into the slow closing songs. ‘With Or Without You’. The atmosphere and the crowd were the best of any gig I have ever been to, and the fact that the band were enjoying themselves almost as much as the crowd was put across in the fantastic show. by Katie Granger
GAMES REVIEW Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2 www
by Andrew Carpenter
We have been waiting for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 since, well Call of Duty 4 right? The best FPS of the year, It was the top-selling game worldwide for 2007, reaching over seven million copies by January 2008, and over 13 million by May 2009. The hype for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has been spreading like wild fire after Infinity Ward released a very subtle trailer. Well finally its here, yes I have it in my Xbox 360 tamed and ready to unleash the force of the COD. Well let ‘s review this because I want to finish this and get playing it, it’s that immense. Well I have completed the single player missions and have been experiencing the online multiplayer. My first impressions of this game is simply it’s out of this world; this game has clearly been developed by the best of the best. The effort in creating a story and world that is almost reality is quite scary but awesome. I wouldn’t spoil the story to the poor souls that haven’t got a copy yet, but it is gripping, tense, sad, scary and sweet! The graphics MW2 holds is super fine, for example when you are climbing up an ice wall you see the ice slowly cracking, mixed in with the blizzard of the snow and falling icy rocks the environments have a real feel. Game play has excelled from COD 4, use of many different styles of transport, from Snowmobiles to zip ropes. We also see that interaction with the environment has vastly improved: if there is a slippy hill you will fall down it, it’s sweet! What everyone is really happy about is the weapons! Yes there are so many more high tech killing machines. We get everything from thermal sniper rifles to riot shields. Most hardcore gamers out there however will mostly be interested in the online multiplayer, how does it rank up to its older brother? A h well guys, there’s nothing to worry about because this feature is amazing,. Not only have all the key elements that made COD 4 the best game ever! We now have kill streaks, use of vehicles in the sky that rack up loads of kills, weapon customisation, clan and emblem designs, kill rewards, throwing knifes, sticky semtex, riot shields, and yes a nuclear bomb that ends the game. Modern Warfare 2 has not only surprised me but is the best game I have played in my gaming years. I give it 10/10 due to the attention to detail, story and game play. Try beat my record 38Kills-0deaths
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DVD REVIEW Hitting the High Notes — The Soloist Director: Joe Wright | Screenplay: Susannah Grant | Starring Robert Downey Jr & Jamie Foxx
Fed up with day to day life and tedious stories, journalist Steve Lopez goes in search of his own story finding himself along the way. By chance he meets Nathaniel Ayers, an intriguing character, a homeless musician who plays the violin and cello. Lopez and Ayers friendship. From the outset The Soloist enthuses the audience’s imagination in the grasp of sound, music & silence. From Neil Diamond , Beethoven to Bach. This spellbinding true story based on the book The Soloist: A lost dream, an unlikely friendship and the redemptive power of music written by Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr) about the life of schizophrenic musician Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx).Steve Lopez, an award winning columnist for the new York Times, meets Ayers, a gifted homeless tramp upon chance. The director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) whose usual fare is period dramas brings us this modern day version. The story of two men whose lives are changed with a chance meeting and music. Ayers, once a gifted Julliard student whose mental disease disrupted his chance of fame has ended up pouring his soul into his music on the street, homeless. Ayers believes in his freedom to both play his music and live his own life, without being locked up 20
and drugged by societies rules. When Nathaniel plays, the world seems to stop and listen. The film was brought to life by the three columns that Lopez wrote about his interactions and insuring friendship with Ayers, which was later made into a book. The screenplay was written by Susannah Grant, who is not new to biography drama. We can see her work in films such as 28 Days starring Sandra Bullock (The Proposal), Viggo Mortenson (Lord Of The Rings) and Steve Buscemi (Con Air, Fargo) and another true life story Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts ( Pretty Women, My Best Friends Wedding). In parts the film almost feels like a documentary. The film is infused with a voiceover by Lopez reading aloud his thoughts and columns, sometimes sounding more like the voices in Ayer’s head, mixing with the flashbacks that we see into Ayer’s past. Both seek redemption for past mistakes: Lopez a broken marriage, a job that he no longer believes in, whereas Ayer’s seems to be trying to make up for the past in his own way, by trying to clean up LA. The scum, the dirt, society. Though the film is about Lopez’s and Ayers friendship, there is an underlying story about political, religious and environmental issues. The environment being in the forefront, with Ayers trying to clean up the streets literally with his wooden brush. At one point while Ayers is sweeping Lopez asks him if this is the area that he sleeps in. Ayer’s replies “I used to sleep on Wall Street but it’s
too dirty” bringing back the idea of the financial crisis and poverty that we are in today. The cinematic scenes of the hustle and bustle of traffic to the reports and interviews that Lopez’s boss and ex-wife wants him to do on the environment. Though this film highlight issues including the homeless, mental illnesses it does not address these issues in depth. The title of Lopez’s book summarizes the film in whole, its about the lost dreams of all the characters in the film, the unlikely friendships of Lopez and Ayers and the healing power that music can bring. Don’t forget to pencil in the 20th of November into your diary, Why? The next film Starring Robert Downey JR is coming to the cinema. Sherlock Holmes, with Downey playing the detective Holmes and Jude Law playing Dr Watson. Out on the 26th of December.
Released 25 September
by Heather McColgan
BOOK REVIEW New Moon - Stephanie Meyer
by Helen Bloomfield
N
ew Moon is the sequel to Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. Twilight soared to popularity when the book was adapted to film though, in my own personal opinion, the book is so much better. In order to completely understand this book, it is advisable to read Twilight so as to understand more about Bella and Edward’s relationship. It is written in a totally different style: it has a sort of dreamy, and not quite there quality to it. Minor characters from the first book come into the foreground and the reader is thrown into a whole new myth when Bella learns of the existence of werewolves. Again, this book is narrated by Bella Swan and is based around her emotional pain. It is incredibly well written and stirs pity up from the reader. Although it starts off slow, it becomes far more action packed and fast paced the further you get into it and has the reader begging for more. I stayed up for hours reading this book. Once I got caught up in the plot I just could not put it down. There are so many highs and so many lows, one of which includes Bella questioning her own sanity. Definitely worth a read. The next book in the is Eclipse, and I will definitely be picking up my copy.
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FILM REVIEW The Notebook & Chicago
by Helen Bloomfield & Heather McColgan
A Girls Night In Are you finding college and work getting in the way of your friendships? If so, then I have the perfect solution... A girly night in. This is proven to be a real bonding session and a perfect way to relax and forget your worries, for one night anyway. Just don’t forget the choccy... Here are two perfect films for a girly bonding session. The Notebook One of the saddest films I have ever seen, this will have you and your friends in tears. This story is about an old woman with severe dementia. She is lost and can’t remember her life, or even the previous day. She has a constant visitor, a man that likes to read her a moving love story, which as he reads plays out before our eyes. An uncomplicated, nicely shot tale that ticks all the right boxes for those after a good old-fashioned weepy. It is well acted and an immensely powerful tale of love, loss and family ties. Why it will help you bond: you’ll be crying so damn much that there is no way you won’t want a cuddle and feel closer afterwards. Girls that cry together, stay together. Definitely DON’T forget the tissues...
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Chicago This toe-tapping film will have you girls dancing round the room. Sexy murderesses Velma Kelly (Catharine ZetaJones) and Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) find themselves on death row together and have to fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows. Set in Chicago in the 1920’s, it depicts some pretty ruthless women who will do anything it takes to reach stardom. Within the film there are two different worlds, the musical part seems to not take place in reality but on a Jazz-Age stage. There are some amazing dance numbers, and who knew Catharine Zeta Jones could sing this well? Why it will help you bond: this will help you bond simply because you’ll be singing along. It is an enjoyable film, even my friend who didn’t like musicals thoroughly enjoyed this mismatched crime drama. We are giving you the chance to win a copy of Chicago and the Notebook and 3 bags of popcorn to go towards your very own girls night in. All you have to do is send your name to c.nixon@ayrcoll.ac.uk
Call:
0845 60
60 23 4
Position
Position
Position
Cleaners
Bar Staff
Casual Project Worker
Location
Location
Location
Ayr
Ayr, Ayrshire
Ayr, Ayrshire
Reference
Reference
Reference
AYY/15490
AYY/15072
AYY/15405
Hours
Hours
Hours
2-16 per week, over 5 days, between 9am-5pm
As and when to cover functions between 5.30pm – 1.30am
8 – 40 hours per week, as required to cover 24/7
Salary
Salary
Salary
£6 per hour
Meets National Minimum Wage
£8.59 - £9.46 per hour
Details
Details
Details
The ability to work to a high standard independently is essential. Previous experience preferred but not necessarily essential. Duties include all aspects of domestic cleaning and other related task as required. Access to transport is preferred for the Ayr position due to location. Positions available for Ayr, Prestwick, and Troon. Successful applicants will be subject to disclosure of Scotland.
This Local Employment Partnership employer shares information about new starters with Jobcentre Plus, for statistical purposes only. See www. dwp.gov.uk for more information. Must be aged 18+ as you will be serving alcohol. Previous experience is essential. Duties include customer service, serving drinks, clearing tables, cash handling, till operation and any other associated tasks. EXEMPTED VACANCY - EMPLOYMENT EQUALITY ACT (AGE) REGULATIONS 2006 Applicants to attend one of the Open evenings at Princess Royal Suite 5.00pm - 6.30pm on Wednesday 7th October, Tuesday 20th October, Wednesday 4th November, Tuesday 17th November. Completed company application form to be taken along to interview.
8 – 40 hours per week, as required to cover 24/7 HNC in Social Care, SVQ level 2/3 or other equivalent qualification is essential. Must be able to develop meaningful relationships in offering support to families and/or young people. This Local Employment Partnership employer shares information about new starters with Jobcentre Plus, for statistical purposes only. Refer to www. dwp.gov.uk for further info. Some of the projects are residential and other require to have 24/7 cover, evening, weekend and night cover may be required and work may be offered at short notice. Successful applicants are required to provide an enhanced disclosure. Disclosure expense will be met by employer.
Position Ladies or Gents Hairdresser Location Ayr, Ayrshire Reference AYY/14920 Hours 16-24 per week, 6 days form 7, between 9am – 5pm
Girvan
Care Assistant
Maidens
Exceeds National Minimum Wage
20-25 hrs
GIR 9253
Salary
Ayr
Sales Assistant
Ayr
Exceeds National Minimum Wage
39 hrs
AYY 15498
Ayr
Care Co-ordinator
Prestwick
Competitive Salary
5/7 days including weekends
AYY 15385
Ayr
Activities Organiser
Ayr
Meets National Minimum Wage
12 hrs
AYY 15400
Ayr
Bar Staff
Ayr
Meets National Minimum Wage
As and when, 5.30pm – 1.30am
AYY 15072
Ayr
Casual Project Worker
Ayr
£8.59 - £9.46 per hour
8 – 40 hrs
AYY 15405
Ayr
Cleaners
Ayr
£6 per hour
2-16 hrs
AYY 15490
Ayr
Work Base Assessor
Throughout Ayrshire
£21,306 - £23,335 per annum, pro rata
20-36 hrs
AYY 15411
Ayr
Team Leader (Nights)
Prestwick
£7.53 per hour
33 hrs
AYY 15352
Exceeds National Minimum Wage Details This Local Employment Partnership employer shares information about new starters with Jobcentre Plus, for statistical purposes only. Refer to www. dwp.gov.uk for further information. Must be fully experienced. Duties will include cutting of hair in a gent’s barbers. You may be expected to work additional hours to cover sickness and holidays.
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FUNCORNER
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