RVHS Exposed - Summer 2020

EXPOSED - lockdown edition-

In this Issue: 

Lockdown photography



Eco Friendly Crafts



Lockdown Films to Watch



Cooking during Covid 19

Editors Note: Hello everybody! I genuinely can’t believe that we are already at the summer holidays. It’s been a great year as editor of RVHS Exposed and I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed editing it.

One thing that has undoubtedly hit everyone in lockdown is boredom, so we’ve dedicated this RVHS Exposed to ways to stay busy during lockdown. Particularly over the summer holidays, there will be long stretches of boredom, and we hope that this edition will give you some ideas on how to fill that time. Whether you want to do cooking, arts and crafts, reading, watching films or photography, there is something in here that everyone can enjoy.

With the recent Black Lives Matter protests going on, I think that it is important to educate ourselves on the history of racism in the world. Some of the best films that show this that I would recommend that you can watch are ‘The Hate U Give’, ‘Malcolm X’ and ‘The Help’.

Everyone has worked hard this year, and everyone deserves to have a nice long rest before we go back in September. Hope you enjoy the magazine!

Joseph James, Editor

1. Southend 2. 21st June 3. 93 4. Travel 5. 38.7C 6. Go On Holiday 7. Winter 8. Spring 9. Sunflower 10. Bocce Ball Summer Quiz Answers:

Dystopian Novels to Read During Lockdown: Whilst it may seem like we are in a dystopian future of our own, I thought I’d recommend some actual dystopian future books that you can read through the summer.

1984 - George Orwell: ‘1984’ was one of the first and most influential modern dystopian novels, and it’s clear to see why. It takes place in a world where independent thinking is forbidden and the past is rewritten to benefit those in power. It has influenced countless books and films and created many phrases that we still use today.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins: ‘The Hunger Games’ takes place in the fictional world of Panem, where there are twelve districts that supply food and resources to the rich Capitol. Every year there is a Hunger Games competition where one boy and one girl from each district is sent to compete in a deadly competition where only one leaves the arena alive. It has influenced a big wave of 21st century dystopian novels, and has received worldwide acclaim as well as film adaptations for all three books.

The Maze Runner - James Dashner: ‘The Maze Runner’ follows a group of boys, or ‘Gladers’, who live in the centre of a maze that they try to escape from every night, until things take a dangerous turn. The series has been known for it’s cliff hangers and exciting action, and the series has been adapted into films.

Other Dystopian Novels I Would Recommend: 

‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley.

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‘Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding.

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‘Divergent’ by Veronica Roth

By Joseph James

Staying healthy during covid-19: Buttermilk and sultana scones: Ingredients: - 450g self-raising flour - 1 tbsp baking powder - 2tsp xanthan gum - 85g golden caster sugar - 100g butter, diced - 50g sultana - 284ml buttermilk - 100ml milk

Method: 1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and lightly flour a large baking sheet.

2. Top the flour into a large bowl and stir in the baking powder, xanthan gum, sugar and ½ tsp salt.

3. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until completely incorporated and then add sultanas.

4. Stir the buttermilk and milk together, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir in with a blade of a knife to make a soft dough.

5. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and pat out with your hand until 4cm thick. Stamp out the rounds using a cutter, then place the scones on a baking tray, spaced apart. Brush the tops of the scones with milk, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 10-12 mins until pale golden.

6. Serve with butter and jam

This picture is of the scones that I made earlier:

How to stay healthy during quarantine: 1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables 2. Limit foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt 3. Control portion sizes 4. Stay hydrated 5. Get enough vitamin D 6. Stay safe while food shopping 7. Eat a balanced diet 8. Establish a routine and practise mindful eating 9. Prepare more home-cooked meals 10. Limit salt intake 11. Reduce your alcohol consumption

Superberry smoothie: Ingredients: - 450g bag frozen berry - 450g fat-free strawberry yogurt - 100ml milk - 25g porridge oat - 2 tsp honey Method: 1. Wizz the berries, yogurt and milk together in a blender until smooth 2. Stir through porridge oats, then pour into 4 glasses and serve with a drizzle of honey.

Other healthy meal ideas:

By Amber Giddy

FILMS TO WATCH DURING LOCKDOWN: The Great Escape – 1963 Director = John Sturges This film captures one of the most daring escape attempts in history, and conveys the intensity, intellect and adventure of the entire plan masterfully. There is not a boring nor unimpressive moment throughout– a perfect afternoon movie!

The Truman Show – 1998 Director = Peter Weir Imagine if your entire life was just a television show, and you had completely no idea. This weird concept is explored in the Truman Show, with funny results, a great performance from Jim Carrey, and commentary on the extent people will go to be entertained.

Life of Pi – 2012 Director = Ang Lee Life of Pi is a dazzling masterpiece, that has some of the best use of CGI to date. This film follows the incredible journey of a young boy from India across the Pacific Ocean back to civilisation, all accompanied by a Bengal tiger and his undying faith.

2001: A Space Odyssey – 1968 Director = Stanley Kubrick Almost every sci-fi film after 1968 was influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film has a thought provoking story, iconic scenes, and staggering visual effects, that lead many to believe that the director, Stanley Kubrick, had faked the moon-landing!

Labyrinth – 1986 Director = Jim Henson This film is very weird… but it is also very good. A girl is transported to a strange labyrinth in search of her baby brother, which is filled with goblins, talking animals, hands with a mind of their own, and David Bowie! This is one of those films that you take a while to detach yourself from after watching, and get back into reality.

Rear Window – 1954 Director = Alfred Hitchcock What makes this film so exciting is the sense of helplessness you feel for the protagonist. Bedridden in his apartment the entire film due to a broken leg, a man decides to spy on his neighbours’ lives to pass the time. This leads to a big discovery, and one of the most intense sequences in film history, all in just one room!

Citizen Kane – 1941 Director = Orson Welles Cited by many as the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane is a landmark in cinema history. It follows a wealthy news publisher who revisits his life, told from multiple perspectives. With flashbacks, overlapping dialogue and fast edits, this movie changed the way all films are made today.

Groundhog Day – 1993 Director = Harold Ramis Groundhog Day is a hilarious yet meaningful film, following the life of a news reporter who wakes up to the same day over and over again during his stay in a small village. With intelligent humour, action and an overall warm feel, this is a very enjoyable movie that can appeal to all audiences.

Bicycle Thieves – 1948 Director = Vittorio De Sica Simple yet overwhelming, this film was made to show the extreme poverty in Italy after WW2. It is about a man who needs a bicycle to carry out his new job, but it is stolen on his first day. As he and his son search for it, we are revealed the true desperation and struggle felt by the people of Italy.

The King of Comedy– 1982 Director = Martin Scorsese This movie follows the darkly funny story of an over-zealous comedian determined to reach fame and fortune– no matter the cost! Acted superbly by Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, the King of Comedy is thoroughly entertaining, and its story has inspired many subsequent films.

By Zak Smith

Eco-Friendly crafts and DIYs to do at Home!

Since we are all stuck at home this summer, we should at least spend some time looking after our local environment, and what better way to do it than to make things yourself from things you can find in your homes and gardens.

How about making an Up-cycled Bee Hotel?

This is pretty simple to do: What you will need: -An empty tin or plastic bottle (big or small).

-A bamboo stick (you know the ones used to hold up growing plants?)

- you could also use wide plastic straws if you don’t have bamboo.

-PVA Glue that dries clear.

Step One: Peel off and stickers that might be on your can/ bottle.

Step Two: Rinse your bamboo

stick (if yours is like mine then you might want to get any dirt off of it that you can!).

Step Three: Use the needed tool to cut

your bamboo to the right size so that it just peaks out from the edge of the can/ bottle. Be careful though (and ask a parent’s permission!) Each of my sticks were about 15 cm.

Step Four: Once you have all of your bamboo cut then think about where you want to place them- they should be quite close together.

Step Five: Pour a layer of

PVA glue into the bottom of the can and place the sticks into it.

Step Six: Put glue into the crev-

ices to keep the sticks in place. I didn't have enough sticks to fill the whole can so I also used some tree bark, stones and small pebbles to fill the gaps- they act in the same way as the bamboo when it comes to bees living in them.

Step Seven: Let the glue dry and find a

spot to put it in, I put my Bee Hotel in a place that I knew attracted a lot of pollinators. (Basically somewhere where there is lots of light and/or flowers).

By Ava Towner

Photography in lockdown: Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and are staying safe in this difficult time.

My article is, as you saw from the title, about photography in lockdown tips and what I have been doing to keep up with photography.

I have been trying to take pictures of everything around the house, for example:

Lemons!

How I took this: Firstly, I stuck some yellow paper on a wall and on the floor.

Then, I cut a lemon in half and put some honey over it.

I put a plate underneath it so I wouldn’t make a mess.

I put my camera on the floor (I could have used my tripod, but I wanted it to come out in this format), waiting for a drop of honey to form and I just took the picture!

Strawberries!

How I took this: I got a box of strawberries and focused on one of the strawberries.

I went outside to get better lighting.

This was a bit simpler than the lemon ones, but still an example of at home photography.

I also dipped some of them in Nutella and held it above the other strawberries.

I also put some pink paper underneath the box.

Of course, I took pictures of my cat since he was the only “model� that was available to me because of social distancing!

This photo was taken next to the lavender patch in my garden.

I also took some pictures of the moon from my window with my 70-300mm lens!

Overall, I hope I gave you some ideas and that you would try them out, even though lockdown has been lifted. Continue to stay safe!

By Bianca Nedelcu

Summer Quiz: 1. At 1.34 miles, what is the longest pleasure pier in the UK? 2. What day in summer is the longest day?

3. How many days are there in summer?

4. What are we not allowed to do during summer this year?

5. What was the hottest temperature recorded in the UK? 6. What do most people do during summer?

7. While we are having summer, what season is it in Australia?

8. What season comes before summer?

9. What plant is always facing the sun?

10. What one of these sports in not an Olympic sport a. Gymnastics b. Basketball c. Bocce Ball Answers on Page 2