February 2013
Issue #005
You’ve voted, but do you really know what it’s all about?
February 2013
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What is Youth Parliament?
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Beef burgers or horse burgers?
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Lance Armstrong: the cyclist, the star and the cheat
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The Foresight Report
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Technology @DHSB – the iPad pilot
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The Burj Khalifa
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If music be the food of love, play on!
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50 years of James Bond
12. Predictions for the RBS Nations
Will Nightingale 8E Greg Hill-Turner 8N Josh Pope 10S Finlay Kirkman 9C Alfie Carlisle 7W Vishal Aksaj Rajan Thirupathirajan 7S Tom Phillips Yr 13 Joe Weeks 9E James O’Connell 8W
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Hello and welcome to a new issue of the Devonport Spectator, which is now under the control of two new editors and features a new design. As editor, James Clarke was instrumental to the Spectator’s creation and subsequent success. As the new editors, we would like to thank James for his incredibly hard work and for his help with this edition. We hope that we will be able to continue the high standards he has set. In his last issue, James got the Spectator online; this edition complements that change with a new layout that is designed to make navigating and reading the Spectator easier. Opposite this editorial, you’ll find the contents, showing the four sections of this issue, which are colour coded to the heading of each page. We hope this will make your viewing experience much simpler. Finally, we would like to remind you that the Devonport Spectator needs your help! Without the valuable time and effort of our writers, each edition would not be possible. We are always looking for new members of the team, so if you’re interested, send us an email at spectator@dhsb.org or tweet us @DHSBSpectator.
Steven Rowe & Duncan Graham editors
Will Nightingale looks at how we should deal with the life choices that face us.
Will Nightingale 8E
e all have to make decisions. All the time. Some decisions vary depending on the person. For example, I might have to decide whether to sit down and make a start on my omnibus of Countryfile or whether to make some more damson jam and scones, whereas the average teenager might have to decide whether to go and practice the guitar or go and waste some valuable hours of their life on Facebook. But my point is, that there are some decisions we all have to make and I don’t mean simple things like ‘should I get up or snooze for another 5 minutes?’ No I mean BIG decisions, decisions that will (positively OR negatively) affect one’s life. I’m going to focus on GCSEs. These may not be the top qualification you will take, but they are the start of life’s challenges. This is made even more difficult by the fact that most 12/13 year olds have no idea what
they want to do with their lives. Well, I have some advice, pick the subjects that you enjoy and are good at, which I know seems pretty obvious but that’ll help you to decide what you may want to do in later life. And besides, if you choose subjects you hate and are really bad at, not only are you going to do awfully at them, you’re also going to feel awful. Another bit of advice I would give (if you’re unsure about what subjects you do like and are good at) would be to attempt to pick one subject from each block, then you have (technically speaking with a hint of poetic licence) a qualification for every job area! For example, you get to choose 4 subjects to take (along with Maths, triple Science, English and either English Literature or Media Studies) and the blocks are as follows: Humanities - Geography, History and Religious Studies; Technology - Engineering double GCSE, Graphic Products and Product Design; Business and Enterprise - Business Studies, Music (maybe...) and ICT. And finally;
Classics - Classical Civilizations, Ancient History, Greek and Latin. So there you go, four blocks and four subjects: pick one from each. Simple. It’s like buying a jigsaw that you don’t want to do and finding it’s been done in the box. You should now have a better idea of what you want to do for your GCSEs; you could almost jump up and sing you’re so happy! Although saying that, you do still need to choose which one from each block. If you’re certain about which one you should do then WOOHOO! If not, then go and see the subject teachers and ask them about the subject, they won’t mind and nor will they be offended if you don’t end up picking that subject (I hope...) so go and question them about it. You’re more likely to be annoyed that you didn’t ask, when you’re sitting in a bin with no money because you chose the wrong subjects, than you would be if you’re living in a luxury Carribean villa, as you’ll be too busy being a multibillionaire. Go forth and choose.
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February 2013
Members of the Youth Parliament debating in the House of Commons in 2007 By Greg Hill-Turner 8N
o lit ician s are pro v ing unreliable these days. One minute they want to cut taxes, the next they’re telling us that tax increases are needed to boost the economy. Many of your parents have probably lost faith in politics altogether. However, on the 23rd and 26th of January, many of you voted on who you wanted to represent Plymouth in Youth Parliament. I talked to one of the new MYPs, who also happens to be the School Captain at DHSB, Harry Samuels, to find out why you bothered to queue up to put a cross on that ballot paper. First off, can you tell me what Youth Parliament is? Youth Parliament is a group of over 300 representatives from different areas who are elected every one or two years. Their goal is to make things better for young people all over the country. In Plymouth, there are 2 members of Youth Parliament
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and 2 deputy members. Why should people care about who gets elected? Lots of people say that all politicians are the same and it doesn’t affect them. However, the fact of the matter is that Youth Parliament has done some great things over the last 10 years. For instance, they have helped make changes in the education department. In Plymouth, it has helped the NHS get the things they need for mental issues. So, there’s a real capacity to change things when you vote. Do you think that Youth Parliament will get more young people into politics? I absolutely do. I have seen people join Youth Cabinet, which is the o rganisat io n that helps new members, with no prior political knowledge at all. And in a year and a half, they’ve developed as political people. They have opinions and are not afraid to speak them. Also, I think that Youth Parliament is a
great way to engage with young people because none of the members represent a specific political party. Together, we try to support people on the subjects that they think are important. This means that young people will have a bigger say in the political system. After our conversation and further research, I do agree with Harry that Youth Parliament can change our country. As well as helping people right now, Youth Parliament will definitely produce some great politicians, one of whom may be a future Prime Minister that we can actually trust. As I’m sure you have found out, Harry has been elected as one of the two MYPs for Plymouth, along with Sir John Hunt pupil, Matt Currie. I personally would like to congratulate on their achievement and wish them success in their term. With both their inputs they will help change politics locally, in Plymouth, and maybe even on a national scale.
The cyclist, the star and the cheat. By Josh Pope 10S
ver since Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France in 1999, he has always protested his innocence against taking drugs; until now that is. The time is 02:00 GMT, the historical interview between Oprah Winfrey and Lance Armstrong is broadcast around the world. That key question we’ve all been waiting for; ‘Did you ever take banned substances to enhance your performance?’ The key answer; ‘Yes.’ But why wait until now to confess? For the best part of 15 years, Lance Armstrong has lived a lie, one so filthy and disgusting it has not just rocked cycling, but the entire
sporting world around it. How could so m eo n e, o nc e as s u m ed so incredible, come to this level, and whilst he may not have been the only one to ever take drugs, in terms of profiles, he is by far the biggest.
old enough to do so, and he repays me and many others like this. The way he spoke, the way he sat, the look on his face, it all genuinely seemed like he was just annoyed to finally be caught.
Only one thing strikes as much as the fact he decided to finally come clean, and that is the ‘only sorry I got caught attitude’ to the whole situation. Armstrong admitted to using EPO, blood doping, testosterone, cortisone and Human Growth Hormone, yet he refused to take all the blame himself. Admittedly, he has some defence, he wasn’t the only cyclist to dope and more and more cyclists are coming forward and admitting to taking banned substances, because they have the decency to stand up and try to put it all behind them.
Cycling has taken a big hit recently and the best thing for everyone involved now is to try and forget the whole situation, to put this tough sport’s tainted past behind us all. Yet the threat cycling could be taken out of the 2016 Rio Olympics was a shocking announcement, and really woke everyone up, an event that Britain has been so good in for so many years, potentially not in the greatest sporting competition ever known to Earth.
And now, the 41 year old, who created the Livestrong foundation charity, has been stripped of all his Tour de Frances, and shamed in front of the world. His attitude to the whole situation disgusted me: one of my idols in life, who I’ve supported ever since I was
So, with all this in mind, the sooner cycling can wipe Lance Armstrong from its memory, the better, and we can all look forward to a straightforward, honest and most of all clean future in it. It could take a while, perhaps even years, but one day cycling will do it, and it can one day become again the great sport that it once was. Impossible? Never say never.
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February 2013
Finlay Kirkman takes a look at what’s really in our food...
By Finlay Kirkman 9C
ecently a shocking report made by food standards regulators found that several leading supermarkets, including Tesco and Iceland, were selling 100% pure British beefburgers, despite some samples containing up to 29% horsemeat. The investigation was conducted originally in the Republic of Ireland after a number supermarket chains were found to have traces of horse and pig meat in their burgers. This prompted officials from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to run tests on value products in several supermarkets. In Tesco, 31 samples were taken from their value beefburgers: 7 tested positive for horse meat and 23 had traces of pig
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meat in them. The head of Tesco, Tim Smith, says "it won't happen again" and "We are working to find out what went wrong. Further investigation is being made into the quality and standard of the beef Tesco and Iceland receive, and the farms supplying the beef." However, this has not been enough to halt the waves of consumer complaints and letters of rage from the public. Many people feel that they have been betrayed by their supermarkets and that if the beefburgers have horsemeat in them, who knows what other products have unknown ingredients in them. This has led to a fall in sales across all stores, but especially in the prepacked meat eisles, as shoppers are cautious to purchase any meat
products in fear of contamination, and rightly so. A number of issues have been raised to the supermarkets by religious groups, concerning the ingredients in the burger. The majority of these complaints have been from Muslim families, who are outraged by the fact that they have been deceived into eating pig meat. This is seen in Islamic culture as a sin. I believe that every person making a complaint has the right to, as they have been mislead by two of the biggest supermarket chains in the country.It remains to be seen: was it a simple mistake that was made or is there is a darker side to Tesco 100% beefburgers?
The Foresight Report is a joint-collaborative project from Yasin Soliman and Tom Showell. Reactions and reception from various figures in the field and positions of hierarchy reflect years of change, development and adaptation. The report aims to summarise and potentially "spearhead" this developmental revolution in the 21st Century.
“We have reached a critical juncture in the sector of education and more specifically, the field of education technology. The turning point is now. The core topics of this 'always-on' development in the sector tie directly to the instigation and development of social media, digital literacies and the differentiation between methodical use: permissive and prescribed, in a working education scenario, and the leading of this development, emphasised on multiple viewpoints throughout the school hierarchy. How the true leaders and innovators take this forward, to an extent, can reflect a number of decisions and other factors of both positivity and negativity becoming increasingly apparent to date. We are not just living in a transparent world. The amount of modifications, updates and changes to solutions, systems and ideas can potentially reflect opacity, and might not always, initially, be clear. Opacity links to a metaphor of the shadows. Are 'the shadows' metaphorically describing a mass of rapid developments and changes in the 'online' world today?�
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February 2013
Alfie Carlisle takes a look at the school’s new iPad initiative
By Alfie Carlisle 7W
Above: Pupils working on their iPads
s many students know, our school is currently testing iPads. This 'Pilot' is being run by Mr Margetts, one of our Deputy Headteachers. The iPad Pilot is acceptive of BYOD (bring your own device), pupils are given the ability to bring in their own iPads which they can actively use in school. DHSB has a fleet of 60 student iPads. At the time of writing, 7P have the iPads as their own. They are allowed to take them home and use them in lessons (teacher permitting)! A trolley of 30 iPads are moving through all the Year 7 forms so that everyone has a chance to experience the use of them everyday. However, there are 30 other iPads which teachers can book for single lessons to use. For example, Mr Gomez has booked a trolley for 7W to use during their next MFL lesson - they will be recording their own 'Video Blogs' in German. So, how are all these iPads managed? Some readers may be familiar with iTunes - the software used to sync iPads, this software is developed by Apple and they also
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Above: iPads can be used in groups and offer a range of educational apps. have a piece of software, available for Macs only - Apple Configuration Utility. This was made with school environments in mind; an administrator makes one profile with all the apps and settings on it and applies it to all the iPads. This saves time and effort as well as making the iPads easier to be deployed. Of course, the new DHSB Wi-fi network means pupils can be connected to the Internet wherever they are! Many classrooms have now got Apple TVs connected to be teachers' projectors: this allows users to mirror their iPad screen to the pro j ect o r, t h is is g reat fo r presentations and also allows any
app to be 'sent' to the board for discussion and whole class use. As with any electronics, things can go wrong! We can't expect Mr Margetts to be 'on-call' all the time to sort out every problem. This will soon be combated with the addition of the new 'iOS Support Team' created by James Anderson, it will give the school its own 'Apple Genius Bar'. It will be run at lunchtimes for students to drop in with their problems/questions. You can look on James' blog for updates. Hopefully this has informed you of the use of iPads at Devonport High School for Boys.
The tallest building in the world By Vishal Aksaj Rajan Thirupathirajan 7S
urj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world with an astonishing height of 828 metres and amazing 163 storeys, is a record breaker. It took 6 years to complete the building on January 2010 at a co st of $1,500,000,000. Various building techniques used for many different skyscrapers have all come together to hold the Burj Khalifa in place. The architects of this building had to think about many factors that could cause this building to fail. In Dubai, there is very weak rock under the ground which will cause the Burj Khalifa to fall. To avoid this, a substance is released in the ground which stops the rock from collapsing. Instead of making the whole building out of stone, it was constructed with a steel skeleton then a thin layer of walls were built on the outside. The Burj Khalifa uses lots of steel to hold the building up but embeds the steel with concrete making it stronger. The next challenge was speed of construction. The solution was prefabrication, meaning parts were built elsewhere and shipped. In the world’s tallest building, this was taken a step further. Cranes lift Steel cages and place them into
slots. These cages are filled with concrete and when it’s dry, the cages slide up and filled again. This is repeated again and again. The major problem for buildings made from a glass exterior was heat. To overcome this problem in the Burj Khalifa, apart from using the air conditioner, another step was made. The outside layer of the glass was coated with a thin layer of metal to reflect the heat from the sun and the inner layer is coated with a thin layer of silver to keep the radiation from the hot dessert sand out. The most common problem with tall buildings is how do you go up? The answer to that is an elevator but, to improve efficiency, these elevators have to be fast. That’s why the elevators in the Burj Khalifa travel at speeds of 40mph and have powerful brakes to bring it to a halt in case of an emergency. Well, after all this effort what is actually inside this building? It houses offices, apartments, restaurants, clubs, pools, gyms and a hotel. 7 floors are occupied by Armani hotel. The Burj Khalifa has a viewing deck on the 124th floor at a height of 1450 ft which is open to public. Views are spectacular from there indeed.
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February 2013
Due to a dearth of non-death-related poetry, I have turned my gaze to the world of music. This is the first of a series of articles looking at some of the best songs and arias in the classical domain. Tom Phillips Yr 13
he opera ‘La bohème’ contains three of the most famous, and most beautiful, love songs in the classical repertoire. The work was written by Giacamo Puccini, an eminent Italian composer famous for his romantic style and his innovative approach to music. The story follows two characters, Rodolfo (the male lead: tenor) and Mimi (the female lead: soprano). In Act 1, Rodolfo is sitting in his flat writing an article when Mimi knocks on the door, asking for a light. When she returns because she left her key behind, they both fumble around until Rodolfo touches Mimi’s hand and the aria ‘Che Gelida Manina’ follows. ‘Che Gelida Manina’, meaning ‘what a frozen little hand’, is a beautiful song in which Rodolfo describes himself and his life. He talks of his poverty, his poetry and his dreams. The Italian libretto (lyrics) is very poetic and fits the music perfectly. The best moment, however, is when
Rodolfo soars up to the high C on the word ‘speranza’, meaning: hope! I believe the greatest singer of this aria to be José Carreras, whose warm lyrical voice and heartfelt performance perfectly suit the character and song. ‘Si, mi chiamano Mimi’ (‘Yes, they call me Mimi’) is her gentle response. Mimi describes her solitude, her devotion to God, and her love of flowers. The music is very delicate and tender. The pianissimo on ‘primavere’ is simply wonderful. Again, Mimi talks of dreams and hope, comparing them to the gentleness of her flowers. Montserrat Caballé, the Spanish soprano, sings this song very sensitively and with perfect technique. Two things which, I believe, award her the ownership of this aria. Finally, ‘O Soave Fanciulla’ is their glorious duet as they walk out together. They sing again of dreams and tenderness, and of their love this time much more confidently. The final line is magnificent as they triumphantly declare ‘Love! Love!
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Above: the composer, Giacomo Puccini
Love!’ It ends on a fantastic high note, musically and emotionally, to conclude Act One. For me, the only tenor who can sustain the final note (high C) is the famous Luciano Pavarotti, who recorded and performed an excellent duet with Mirella Freni. These are two of the greatest singers the world has ever seen, with impeccable technique and beautiful delivery. Listening to their rendition of this beautiful aria is an honour that every person should experience.
At the big half century, James Bond is still very much alive Joe Weeks 9E
o you expect me to talk? Well I'm going to anyway. Half a century has already passed since Sean Connery first uttered the immortal "Bond, James Bond" while sitting at a casino table, opposite the very first "Bond girl" in Dr. No. A lot has changed since then, with 23 Bond films having seen both 007 and six different actors through 50 years of social wear and tear. Much like its overarching protagonist, however, the Bond film franchise has survived the difficult test of time, and has evolved quite a bit along the way. The franchise has even ignited a vicious debate over one of the most divisive questions of film history: who was the best James Bond? While a purist will tell you that Sean Connery, the o ri g i n a l 00 7, m a d e an unbeatable character debut, the Tommy Cooper fans and Alan Partridge types amongst us will forever hold the slapstick comedy and permanently raised eyebrow of Roger Moore closest to their hearts. Those who prefer a darker, more menacing edge to Bond will tell you that Timothy Dalton or Daniel Craig were by far the best of them all. Many people prefer to forget Australian model George Lazenby's performance in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and while Pierce Brosnan's films were perfectly good action films in their own right, many people consider his films "not
Bond enough". In all but one of his films, Bond's main car is a BMW model,and in the one film in which Bond drove an Aston Martin, Die Another Day, the plot was just too ridiculous for anyone to pay attention to the action! But what really makes a Bond film? Goldfinger would not be Goldfinger without "the most famous car in the world", the Aston Martin DB5, Casino Royale wouldn't be Casino Royale without the truly amazing car roll, which just so happens to completely destroy an incredibly expensive DBS. I suppose Bond would just be another Jason Bourne without the famous Bond girls, the conveniently appropriate gadgetry and the almost obsessive afiliation with Aston Martin. Even the stunts differ from other action films! While you might see Shia LaBeouf fighting on top of a packed train in jeans and a tank top, it is almost guaranteed that Bond will do it in a tuxedo, and managing to keep his bow tie emmaculate throughout. Of course, how could I talk about Bond without mentioning the villains and their henchmen? Oddjob and his sharpened hat, Jaws with his metal teeth and, more recently Le Chiffre and his extreme anger problem have all secured a place in 007 history. Now, however, we wait for "Bond 24", filming for which is set to commence later this year, so it looks as though the franchise still has its licence to thrill!
Above: all bond actors– Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Morgan and Daniel Craig.
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February 2013
As the Six Nations Championship approaches, James O’Connell looks at each how each nations’ team may fare.
England
Scotland
England looked in great shape for these championships. They had topsy-turvy autumn internationals, although finished on a monumental note after that win against New Zealand. Decision making was a key factor in deciding why they didn’t have the most successful autumn period, especially against South Africa. Therefore, after beating the world champions convincingly, England has confidence for taking on anyone. They will have a successful campaign.
Scotland had a shocking autumn international series, climaxing with a defeat to Tonga. Since then Andy Robinson stepped down as head coach. They have replaced him and are now looking to the future. One thing they can gain from the autumn internationals was their attacking play, especially against New Zealand. Sorry to all you Scots fans out there, but this campaign is looking bleak.
France
In the last Six Nations Wales won the Grand Slam and were looking forward to the autumn internationals to cement their place as the Northern Hemisphere’s best team. However, they had the worst autumn internationals of all, no wins, four losses. Another thing not helping their cause is Warren Gatland away as head coach of the Lions tour in the summer. Wales have one of the most promising squads in the world, although I think it will take time for these young men to gain confidence.
France is another team looking good. However, to me they look more of a dark horse than ever before. I know we don’t hear from the media in France as much as our own nations, but we can’t write them off. England’s win over New Zealand was documented, but France also had unlikely wins over Australia, as well as Samoa and Argentina. I think France like the position of dark horses in these championships, although it won’t last long as soon teams will remember that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Ireland Ireland were quiet throughout the autumn internationals after South Africa grinded out a win in Dublin. Although, they have a lot of spirit that they can clutch onto after mixing youth with experience against Fiji and Argentina. While they won on both occasions convincingly, Ireland must remember these are the matches that they can try new ideas and tactics in; this is the time to make mistakes. If, like in the autumn internationals, they mix young and old, they will have a successful campaign.
Italy In the Six Nations, there is usually a dogfight between Italy and Scotland for who will claim the Wooden Spoon. I can’t see that changing! Italy were unlucky to lose against Australia in the autumn internationals. Italy just need to work on their forward play and they will make things tricky for teams to win against them. Personally, I think they will beat Scotland and finish fifth.
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Wales
Predictions 1st - France 2nd & 3rd - Ireland & England 4th - Wales 5th - Italy 6th- Scotland It won’t be a Grand Slam for France although I do think they will win the championship. Whoever wins England/ Ireland will come second and Wales will come fourth if they can’t pick up their form from last season. As usual, it will be a dogfight between Scotland and Italy for the Wooden Spoon.