Melbourn Journalist Club

Welcome to the Melbourn Journalists’ page! The club held at Melbourn Village College began in September 2009 with students ranging from Year 7 to Year 11. It currently has ten members, writing articles covering subjects which include sport, school and creative stories.

The Death of Film … A Quidditch Journal

… or a new beginning?

With the increase of top specification digital SLR (D SLR) cameras on show in every High Street across United Kingdom for less than £300, old film technology looks outdated. Now, with digital technology progressing at breakneck speeds, the camera you buy today will be out dated by next month. The new range of D SLR cameras have improved noise reduction and higher megapixels. Even with the obvious advantages of the digital age there has been a recent rise in film sales and dark room equipment. So is this a new beginning for film technology? Many die hard film users, as well as amateurs who wish to learn the basics and principals of photography, still buy film regularly. 35mm film has an equivalent enlargement size of 30 megapixels. Although digital camera images show more noise than film, digital is quicker and easier to use. You can fit thousands of photos on one card and can see the results seconds later on the LCD screen. Both forms have their advantages and disadvantages. But why has the number of film sales risen in the past year? Well, the answer is a simple one! The number of people taking up non-digital photography is on the rise. This is mainly due to the costs involved with digital photography. More and more people are buying cameras on eBay and second hand shops as photography is a popular hobby. Professionals still use 120mm film due to the quality of colours and the fact that they can be enlarged to higher sizes with little or no distortion. Digital cameras are used by professionals also, mainly for weddings, sports events and journalism where speed is of the essence. So maybe there is still room in the digital age for the old film camera.

Written by William Broughton

First Day

So your first day of school didn’t go to plan. Well whose does? Some things are bound to go wrong. Basically, it’s strange not to get lost or forget your new friends’ names. But whatever has happened, I very much doubt it worse worse than my experience. Seriously! I managed to get locked in the changing rooms, and had to stand on the bench so that I could stick my head out of the window, only to have to plead with another student to go and get the keys! So whoever you are, and whatever happens just remember don’t worry – it’s not that bad!

Written by Evangeline Scott

Right… what is Quidditch? Quidditch is a sport for wizards. They play this sport at Hogwarts. You may think this is weird but this sport is played on brooms in the air. There are four balls in this game, a quaffel, two bludgers and a snitch. There are seven players on a Quidditch pitch and they are two beaters, three chasers, a goalie and a seeker. The chasers try and score through the hoops with the quaffel, the beaters have a bat each and try and whack the bludger and hit the other team, the goalie tries to stop the goals and the seeker… the seeker tries to catch the snitch. The snitch is a golden flying ball which is basically impossible to see. If the seeker catches it the team that caught it wins the game. (It’s worth 150 points.) There are three hoops in this game, three at each end. The two at the side are 20 metres, and the one in the middle is 30 metres. The Quidditch pitch is the two times the size of a football pitch and has seats high enough to see the players. But beware balls can come flying at you. So those are the rules of a Quidditch game and keep this in mind, if you want to watch a Quidditch match watch Harry Potter. (It’s great.) P.S. Don’t try this at home.

Written by Sam Bedlow

Melbourn Village College

Good school or bad school? Everyone has different answers. Personally, I think good but the proof is in the pudding. Am I right? Your GCSE grades of course. Everyone enjoys school but for what reason? Friends, learning, perfoming arts – you tell me? The only reason I go there is to get an education. That’s it. Why doesn’t everyone else?

Written by Megan Keeble

The Powers – prologue

On a bright day a lone boy was seen walking down an alley. This boy had chestnut brown hair and golden eyes. Thomas Prow lived on the edge, avoiding the police and ducking in rubbish bins for his next meal. Often late at night he would shelter in doorways, look up at the stars and wonder what had happened at his birth to make him wander the streets all alone.

Written by Alex Crockford