MGS MAG by Jane Bonnar

SEP – DEC AROUND TEEN TOWN Cover Editorial EXCELLENCE Bandstand Marathon London 2012 Olympic Hiccups Mere Mortals vs. Super Humans

CLUBS Extra Curricular Sports Musselburgh Amnesty Group LITERATURE

COMEDY Yoofspeak Overheard Teacher Interviews – Mr Macdonald FILM Film Review What‟s On MUSIC Record Review – East Coast FM Star Interview TEEN TIME Top Ten – Competition Food Recipe – Wee Puzzle Page

http://edubuzz.org/blogs/mgsmag AUTHOR Mother Nature Courtney Tuckey

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Team MAG Jesse Daniel. Joanna Jenkins

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Ms Ramsay

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Team MAG Courtney Tuckey

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Brunton Theatre

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EDITORIAL

Once again thank you to everyone involved in creating this edition. Enjoy the MAG! Editor.

EXCELLENCE

Bandstand Marathon Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x;s Flagship Bandstand Marathon event took place in Lewisvale Park, Musselburgh to coincide with the final day of the Paralympics and officially mark the closing of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Festival. Bandstand Marathon will see hundreds of community concerts take place throughout the UK in a national musical celebration of the London 2012 Games and a fantastic summer of sport and culture.

The event was managed and co-ordinated by ELjam- East Lothian Youth Music Forum and East Lothian Council in partnership with Red Dog Music and funded by Creative Scotland. Never before have such a wide range of East Lothianâ&#x20AC;&#x;s young musicians gathered to take part in a single event and from 1-5pm the park was alive with music, presenting 13 up-and-coming acts from all corners of the county. MGS was represented by Luke Hunter in S1, S2/3 band North of Nowhere and Rebecca Traynor in S4.

Congratulations also to Louise Durham who was awarded Merit in Grade 3 Guitar and Cameron Dunlop who achieved Distinction in Grade 2

Excellence

2012 London Olympic Hiccups

The 2012 Olympics‟ had much money, anticipation and time put into, but even then in the most so called “organised “ events hiccups can occur, and so they were in the 2012 London Olympics. To kick of the role of fails, British Olympic travel team were informed that the Korean team was separated at the Korean airport where both male and female teams were flying from. An outraged report came in of the Korean ladies team been given tickets to economy class seats in the flight, while the men in first/business class seats. Questions arose of inequality and segregation. Both of which were not true, it was a matter of failed ticket booking by the travel delegates. Only to make matters worse at the arrival to Heathrow airport (central London), the Korean ladies team had to wait an extended one and a half hour as their bus had been delayed. But in the end the Korean team were given a well pleaded apology and the whole horrid business was forgotten about. The football was the first of the sports to start and also a political outrage. At fourth heat match in which north Korea were to play Columbia. When the Korean ladies team was welcomed on and pictures, number and player info was being shown on the screen of the stadium screen, it was noticed that the flag next to the North Korean one was actually the South Korean one. This outraged the players, and they stormed off the pitch in utter horror. Knowing the political history and ongoing dispute of the two countries, PM David Cameron quickly made an apology speech to the world. In which he stated “it was an accident, and nothing of the sort will be happening and all data will be checked twice”. Luckily with the PM‟s apology all matters were sorted and the mishaps were dusted away into the political abyss. Technology and material goods can let us down, and the worst time to let us down is during world record timing. The swimming pool had around 2 million pounds invested in making it a state of the art pool. And so it was, almost every swimmer, coach and umpire applauded the greatness of the success. But with every success a hiccup can soon follow. During the men‟s 200m free style. The record breakers time was not accurately recorded as the wall sensor which the swimmers touch at the end of the race was smaller and so the swimmers were missing it, resulting in lost timings. But luckily no one was penalised or treated with misjudgement. All in all it‟s safe to say that although the Olympics had many hiccups and fails and these were only a few, and the entire Olympics went to plan. And the management teams did a great job covering the problems. With the tremendous wins by the Britons, high hopes carry the Olympians to Rio 2016. Go Team GB 4

Excellence

Mere Mortals vs. Super Humans

No matter how much you hate sports, you cannot deny the spirit and support that has come from the nation during London 2012. The Olympics have captivated an audience of over 4 billion people, spotlighting some incredible sporting talent. Whether its teenaged girls – or boys – watching Tom Daley dive his way to an Olympic medal, or just sporting fans in general tuning in to watch Usain Bolt perform his athletic prowess on a worldwide stage, the Olympics have been the focal point of the summer. But the past few weeks haven‟t been about the „mere mortals‟ of the Olympics. Oh no, no. The past few weeks have been about the ‟super humans‟, the stars of the Paralympics. Nobody can deny the amazing feat accomplished by Oscar Pistorius, who ran not only the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay in the Paralympics, but also ran the 400m and 4x400m relay in the Olympics just a few weeks before – and he has no legs. Picture it now: a double amputee athlete, who uses carbon fibre blades to run and prosthetics to walk, warming up next to able bodied athletes. Fair enough, there has been a large amount of questioning whether or not these blades give a technical advantage – they don‟t by the way, I checked – but this man had the courage to stand up and say to the world; Don‟t confine me to a box just because you want me there. But let‟s not belittle our very own British athletes. Jonnie Peacock obliterated his competition in the 100m final – and he‟s only got one leg. David Weir – nicknamed the „weirwolf‟ – won a staggering 4 gold medals for team GB operating a specially 5

modified wheelchair made for racing. Ellie Simmonds won 3 golds and a silver in the pool, suffering from dwarfism. These Paralympic athletes – dubbed the „super humans‟ – have ignited national pride following the unbelievable performance of team GB at the Olympics. Can you imagine running even 10 metres with one leg? Can you picture yourself playing rugby in a wheelchair? Is it conceivable that you, yourself, could swim an entire length of a pool with no arms? I, myself, while a huge sports fan, did not see myself sitting gripped by the Paralympics. I certainly did not foresee myself crying at the medal ceremonies (yes, it happened more than once). And yet, watching Oscar Pistorius receive his gold 400m medal I found myself truly inspired. And with the tagline of London 2012 being “Inspire a generation” I‟d say that has been achieved. By Joanna Jenkins, 6M1

REVISION CLASSES

Excellence STANDARD GRADE

Geography Study Support, Mondays after school in D7 starting 24th September. History Thursdays after school in C7 starting 27th September. Maths - Tuesdays either during lunch with Ms McCloud or after school with Mrs Lyall

HIGHER Modern Studies Revision on Tuesdays 4pm to 5 pm in D1 from 23rd October. Art and Design Int 1 2 & Higher unit completion class S4 5 & 6 in D9 each Monday 3.55 - 4.55 with Mrs Main.

Excellence

ADDED EXTRAS Scripture Union in B1 every Thursday lunchtime.

Latin in B13 every Monday afterschool.

Musselburgh Amnesty Group in C8 every Tuesday lunchtime.

Books

Review

Nobody knew much about Miranda Vale. They knew her parents were dead……and that she‟d killed them. Olive is an outcast but she used to be Queen Bee. But when Miranda arrives things get weird. Miranda latches on to Olive‟s old best friend Katie and pretty soon Miranda and Katie, look and sound like the exact same person. When Katie dies in a tragic accident, Olive starts to wonder whether it actually was an accident. And what if Miranda really is a killer?

A thrilling story with surprising twists, a budding romance and a climax that will make your heart race.

Eilidh Henderson (S2)

Books

Six book(s)

DISCURSIVE WRITING

SHOOTING IN COLORADO

Where? Aurora, Colorado Movie Theatre When? 20th July 2012 On the 20th of July 2012, James Holmes took the lives of 12 people and wounded a further 59 at a late night screening of the new batman movie „The Dark Knight rises‟. Wearing a gas mask, he released a tear gas bomb after entering through a fire exit to the cinema, picking random people to shoot; he made his way through the room, leaving mass destruction in his wake. Police stated that there was no evidence of a 2nd gunman and that Holmes had got hold of the firearms and ammunition on his own. Reports show that the number of firearm applications increased by more than 40% after the tragedy took place. The shootings caused concern to many citizens of the US and prompted them to buy guns as a safety mechanism. This brings a number of questions to light. The cause of these deaths and injuries were to blame on the fact that guns are so readily available in the USA, so why fuel the fire by continuing to provide these weapons? Isn‟t this as good as an invitation for the insane to act on their ideas and cause further harm because they used a gun for the wrong reasons? Are there any right reasons? How many incidents like this will it take for guns to be banned? Gun crime is through the roof in the states, California had the highest number of gun murders last year, 1257 which is 69% of all murders that year. So why give them the right to continue instead of bucking the trend? Shannice Miller

DISCURSIVE WRITING

RAP MUSIC

Or, the mystifying popularity of rap music amongst youth explained for the benefit of balding music anoraks. I am white, middle class and 17 years old. Why then, to the despair of my father, do I continue to listen to black American rappers brag about how much money they have at any given opportunity? Even while I write this, Kanye West and Jay-Z are continuously shouting things at me through my headphones. The same things, over and over again. Things I don‟t even understand, what does „that s**t cray‟ actually mean? Google tells me it is a reference to the Kray brothers, the infamous criminal twins who remained uncaught for years in east London. The majority of people I have spoken to tell me Kanye West is plainly mispronouncing the word „crazy‟. I, on the other hand, simply don‟t care. It doesn‟t matter to me, for all I care he could be talking about fish. In fact, later on in the same track, he does. He actually raps about a women ordering fish fillets. This unashamed ridiculousness, which is basically the entire basis of the lyrics in their album „watch the throne‟, is what makes it so great. Whilst performing in France‟s capital, the duo decided to play the song from which this lyric was lifted, the aptly named “n*ggas in Paris”. (Their words, not mine!) Avoiding the conventionalities of a typical encore, they decided to play the song again. And again, and again. 11 times. They just don‟t care, if Kanye really wanted to get over the meaning of „cray‟ he would have correctly spelled it in either context mentioned. And if they really wanted to prove to the world that they were creative geniuses they probably would have played a variety of tracks rather than repeating the same one over and over for more than half an hour. This is just one of many examples that proves, despite popular belief, that rap music is not written in a cryptic language that only those with links to the underworld and undisclosed murder convictions can unlock. Often no one knows what they are talking about, not even themselves. There are no deeper meanings, when Jay-Z brags about being richer than you that‟s because he is. When Kanye raps that he owns several Mercedes-Benz‟s it‟s because he does. The lyrics are simple, obvious and often downright dumb. But this brashness and bragging is not meant to be analysed or poured over, you‟re supposed to enjoy it, pure and simple. It‟s written so you can dance, mosh and in general just go absolutely 11

mental. It doesn‟t matter whether you‟re black or whether you‟re named Reginald Wilberforce. It is, in essence, the modern equivalent to popular alternative music, aka Beatles, Dylan or Rolling Stones. It‟s written for young people by people who actually understand what young people want to hear. Statistically speaking, 70% of hip hop albums are sold to white males aged 17-25, so this idea that rap is only for gold-toothed, black Americans either addicted to or selling crack is not only exaggerated, its complete fantasy. This proves beyond all doubt that in today‟s world, hip hop and rap music is captivating, if not representing, the youth of the western world. This really isn‟t so hard to believe when the evolution of rap music is taken into context. Essentially it comes from the roots of jazz and blues. Since the 50‟s, this style of music, born and raised in the black communities of America, brought young white and black people together, albeit at separate sides of the same club. As times have changed, so has the music. Originally blues and jazz was sorrowful in its content, however, the likes of Wu Tang Clan and NWA brought an aggressive edge to this music, representing the aggressive side of a black culture faced with centuries of hardship that had not yet surfaced in their music. Samples were introduced, often lifted from classic jazz or blues tracks and re worked to give them a harder edge. This was continued, gradually becoming more commercial until it finally penetrated the mainstream, which is exactly where it is now. Rap music also gives artists a chance to express themselves lyrically. As mentioned previously, many a rapper uses basic lyrics to engage with a wider audience and sell more records. However this is not always the case, rap can be used as a platform for political and social commentary, as well as technically challenging wordplay and concepts. The majority of decent rap tracks are full to bursting with references to current events, whether it be in the world of politics or the world of Kim Kardashian. There is a definite intellectual side to rap, and although it is less popular, it does provide a sort of rugged, contemporary poetry. Rap has basically modernised poetry for a younger, media obsessed generation. There are many examples of this which, often laced with satire, provide an articulate view on anything and everything from drug addiction to “being the first rapper to adopt a tabby cat” and if your Lil B, a particularly madcap New York rapper, these often come in the same verse, never mind the same song. Take Earl Sweatshirt, a 17-year old rapper from LA, who has tracks that are often so complex a sheet of lyrics needs to be analysed to pick up the hidden meanings 12

that he incorporates into literally every track. He is the son of an African poet, and if you take away the music that provides his lyrical rhythm, Sweatshirt follows and even surpasses his father‟s footsteps in terms of ability. And, depressingly enough for me, he is still only a teenager. The list is close to endless and there are new acts emerging all the time; Childish Gambino, Das Racist, Tyler The Creator, MF Doom and Lupe Fiasco are just some of the bigger names to emerge recently. Obviously, as with all music genres, there are some terrible examples of rappers who are often extremely popular. For every track as good as C.R.E.A.M by Wu Tang Clan, which tackles poverty and addiction head on whilst also creating quite possibly the greatest chorus chant ever , there will always be a song so painfully terrible that it will literally knock the Genre back years of progress. One such duo are Insane Clown Posse, who have the unique and unenviable talent of continuously creating what is near to being the worst collection of music ever recorded. This is not an exaggeration; they have many times been voted the worst musicians in history. I have listened to bowel movements that are more creative than their lyrical content... “****ing magnets, how do they work? And I don't wanna talk to a scientist Y'all mother******s lying, and getting me p******” That is lifted from the song „Miracles‟ and no, incredibly, that is not supposed to be a joke. They are literally just that stupid. The official video has over 20m views, (presumably this is because it is so funny) however it is still a worrying indication of rap music going in the completely wrong direction. In no other genre would you be able to say something like that and get away with it. The lyrical freedom that rap provides artists with can, like everything else, be abused. Often with equally terrifying and hilarious consequences. Still, this does seem like a relatively minor issue when the quality of modern rap, free from the stereotyped vision of it being an „all black‟ movement, is as good as it is now. In general, rap simply continues to get better and, despite my father‟s darkest fears, there doesn‟t seem to be any limit to its rapidly broadening popularity. As a legend of Hip hop once, and still often does say, that s*** certainly is Cray.

Kieran Sim 13

RESEARCH

TATTOOS

Tattoos- Good or Bad? These days you can‟t walk down a main street without seeing at least two people with an obvious tattoo somewhere on their bodies and that‟s not even getting started on all those secret and hidden tattoos that are out there as well. The one small problem with tattoos is, do we actually know if they‟re completely safe or not? And if not why are so many people still hugely attracted to them? I surveyed 32 people on the topic. Eight under the age of 18, eight over the age of 18 and a final eight who are over 18 and have kids. Of the under 18 year olds, 5 people said they wouldn‟t get a tattoo and the other 3 that said they would were all ranging in ages between 12-14. Of the people over 18, 3 said they would get tattoos and 5 said they wouldn‟t. The numbers for people with kids were exactly the same as those who didn‟t have kids but out of eight, 7 of them said they would do everything they could to stop their kids from getting tattoos until they were legally allowed to make the decision themselves. What was interesting was that all the age groups had the same numbers of who would get a tattoo and who wouldn‟t. The reasons people had FOR NOT wanting tattoos were all very different ranging from; “Because it‟s permanent,” to “Because I‟ve got great skin which is in perfect condition for a man of my age”. Other reasons were; o I wouldn‟t have anything important enough to make permanent. o I‟d change my mind and regret it o It‟s unnatural and looks bad when you‟re older. The reasons people had FOR wanting to get tattoos ranged from “Depends on the tattoo”, to “So long as it‟s small and unobtrusive”. The other reasons were; o Good tattoos that are done well can look really cool and professional. o I like the idea of the decoration. o Only if it was a small one and could be hidden under clothing.

While I was doing the survey, Modern Studies teacher Mrs Anderson gave me some really good advice for if you were thinking about getting a tattoo and didn‟t want to make a mistake with it. “I‟ve always liked the idea of getting a tattoo ever since I was young. I used to come up with different tattoo designs and then I would put them in a drawer for a couple of months. If I took it out after the two 14

months and still liked it I would think about getting it when I was older but if I didn‟t I would know it was a bad idea, throw it away and come up with another design.” It‟s a really good idea for testing out tattoo ideas before settling for something permanent because if you can‟t stick to the same design for a few months then how would you manage with permanent ink on your skin for the rest of your life? People‟s personal opinions and feelings about whether or not to get tattoos are fine and should be respected but what about the other side of tattoos? There are still many unproved health issues around getting tattoos and they should be taken into consideration before making a big decision. So here‟s the other side to getting a tattoo. Reactions to tattoo colours: A major concern that must be taken into account before getting a tattoo done, is the way your body would respond to the ink used. The colour inks, or pigments used for tattooing can contain traces of metals which may lead to various health problems including cancer, infections, birth defects passed onto children from parents having tattoos. Injection of colour additives into the skin comes with its quota of health risks and is not all safe. Many of the pigments that are used in tattoo inks are not meant for skin contact at all, in fact some are industrial grade ones that are meant for printer‟s ink or automobile paint. Skin Pain: During the process of impressing a design on your skin, chances are that your skin will start bleeding accompanied by pain. Also in the long term, the colour inks used to design your skin can cause skin disorder, allergies, swelling and redness due to burning sensation. There may be allergic reactions to the pigments used on the skin, though rare, and the pigments are hard to remove. The reactions can even occur after you have had the tattoo on your skin for years at a stretch. Granulomas which are small nodules can be formed around the tattoo pigment as the body perceives it to be foreign. Infection: The significance of risk of infection can be gauged by the fact that the American Association of Blood Banks requires a one-year wait between getting a tattoo and donating blood. As the needle enters your skin to create a design, it cuts through it thereby creating a potential for infections to enter. Any form of cuts in the skin can be a source for a bacterial infection to develop which turn may be a cause for low immune system, etc.

HIV: There are chances that a particular needle used for your tattoo may not be sterilized, and if this needle has already been used on an infected person and has a small speck of blood on it, there are chances of you becoming infected with the HIV virus too. MRI complications: It has been found that while undergoing MRI scanning, people with tattoos or permanent makeup experience swelling or burning in the affected areas and the tattoo pigments interfere with the quality of the image as the pigments contain metallic components. However, my younger brother watches the programme „Myth Busters‟ and in one of their programmes they looked into the MRI scan myth. They did loads of tests to find out whether this was true including; tattooing a pig and giving it a scan, using one of their assistants with a tattoo as an experiment and checking out all the possible chemical reactions and at the end of it all they proved that unless it was a massive tattoo or very specific ink it wasn‟t true but in fact a myth. Of course if you research a tattoo parlour that is reputable and properly certified, the infection risks should be avoided. So we‟ve been through opinions and medical issues but what about the ones that are badly drawn or just plain tacky? Here‟s a few stories that will have you wondering what some people were thinking when they got tattoos. One person knew a boy at school who did a tattoo on his forehead himself in a mirror so that when he was finished the tattoo was done back to front so instead of saying „Made in Scotland‟ it said „dnaltcos ni edam‟. Another person saw someone walk into a tattoo parlour with a clean face and come out with a full cat face; whiskers and all. When I asked my aunty who‟s a doctor she proceeded to put her leg on the table and say “this horror” (she got a tattoo from her ankle to her knee a few years ago) but after more questioning revealed that while she was doing a csection on a woman she saw that she had a tattoo of a heart on her pubic area. This I found truly disgusting but I guess so long as the persons happy that‟s all that matters. While I was researching I found a post a girl put online and some of the advice an ex soldier had for her: Tattoo, good or bad idea? I'm 17 and my friend got a tattoo this past weekend of a black star on her thigh...I‟m almost positive it has no meaning, but it got me thinking if I wanted to put one on my body. If I were to get one I would want to it say love but I don‟t 16

know where I want it or what colour. I was thinking on my left arm to the left of the wrist bone (where I cut myself for the first time). This tattoo would remind me to love myself and others. What I'm worried about is if this would be considered a sin and would it be better to place it on a part of my body that isn't seen as much. Please give me whatever opinions you have on this, thanks. Additional Details The tattoo would be meaningful (that‟s the only reason I want to get it) and one of my parents would bring me to a sterile tattoo place, my biggest concern is if it's morally wrong or not? Best Answer - Chosen by Asker Having spent time in the military I can honestly say that I'm glad I did not get a tat when all my buddies were doing it. As a kid of about 18 or 19 or in your situation 17, you don't know who you really are yet and to get a permanent statement of who you are on yourself which is continuously changing makes no sense to me. Yeah, it might look "bad ***" at the moment but what about 5 or 10 years from now when you're older and wiser. Or what about when you get older and your skin starts getting wrinkles? I personally think there are better ways to be different or make a statement about your individuality than to permanently ink your body. How about doing something great for the world such as working on a cure for Aids which will leave a permanent mark on the world for generations vs. getting a tattoo that will fade with your body. Seems like an easy choice to me. Asker's Comment: After u said this I had a dream of my grandma with a tattoo...so not pretty. & thanks 4 the aids reference b/c I always was interested w/ science and medicine so it gives me something else to feel good about. I though this was a really positive and helpful bit of advice that guy gave to the girl and it actually made me smile to read what he wrote. In my opinion I think anyone should be allowed to do what they want with their body as long as they‟re legally allowed to because it‟s their body to do what they want with. I‟ve always loved the idea of getting a small butterfly at the base of my back after seeing a friend‟s mum with a butterfly on her shoulder. I‟d known her for all my life and never noticed until we went on holiday and I saw it because we went swimming and her shoulder wasn‟t covered up. I guess I saw her with a tattoo she got when she was younger and wanted to show off and then when she was older she could cover it up and not be embarrassed by it and thought “Actually so long as it could be hidden or covered up, it would actually be quite a cool thing to have. I‟ve always loved butterflies and the idea of marking my identity with something, and that seems like a good way of doing it. So why not?” There will always be that naturally „better‟ part of me telling 17

me “Don‟t do it”, but I think that if you think about it enough and take in the all the potential health risks and still think “This is a good idea”, then you should go for it. After all better to get something YOU WANT then something you don‟t remember getting or why you got it in the first place. Tattoos are things that can have their dangers and consequences and the amount of people that regret it and spend loads of money getting them removed can be a bit ridiculous looking but if it‟s something you feel strongly about, then go for it. They can be a fantastic way of showing devotion to a loved one (apart from in Mrs Cole‟s case) or defining who you are and sharing your beliefs. Tattoos can be good or bad, you‟ve just got to choose which side of the line you‟re on. By Eilidh Henderson , 2

Creative Writing

OH, LITTLE STAR

Oh, little star In the sky so high I want to touch you But I can’t, can I?

As it let off its wonderful light, It sends it off into the night. I wonder how it cannot stay, We’ll save that for another day.

Bethany Tindall, 1c1

ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE SEE MISS RAMSAY IN A45

MONDAY HOCKEY

Pinkie / Sports Centre 4.00-5.00

Girls Only Up until February holiday – Indoors at Sports Centre (meet in Transit) After February holiday – Outdoors at Pinkie Teams need to be selected for various tournaments / festivals / matches this term

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

Grass / Pinkie 4.00-5.00 Boys Only. All equipment provided (helmets/padding etc) Up until February holiday – Pinkie Astro After February holiday – School Grass

GYMNASTICS

Gym 1 4.00-5.00 All welcome. You can work in your own groups on different apparatus stations

TUESDAY DANCE

Dance Studio 4.00-5.00

S1 – S3 Girls Only You will have the opportunity to learn new dances and choreograph some moves yourself in groups. Modern / Hip Hop style. Leading to an optional performance.

RUGBY

Grass or Pinkie 4.00-5.00

Boys only Up until February holiday – Pinkie 3G Astro (meet in PE Dept) After February Holiday – School Grass You will play regular matches against other schools

WEDNESDAY TABLE TENNIS

Gym 3 4.00-5.00

All welcome and equipment is provided This is a recreational club where you can play games with your friends

BASKETBALL

Gym 2 4.00-5.00

All welcome You will be split into boys and girls year group teams where possible and train with your team You will play regular matches against other schools

THURSDAY PINK LADIES

Dance Studio 4.00-5.00

S1 Girls Only If you wish to join this club please see Miss Ramsay to sign up There will be rewards and trips based on participation / attendance level

BADMINTON

Sports Centre 4.00-5.00

All welcome and equipment provided You can attend this club recreationally to play with friends but we also have competitions against other schools for those who wish to compete

U13 FOOTBALL

Grass or Gym 2 4.00-5.30

S1 Boys only Up until February holiday – Indoors in Gym 2 After February holiday – Outdoors on the grass

TRAMPOLINING

Sports Centre 4.00-5.00

Starts 26 January for S1 – S3 Spaces are limited so you will need to sign up with Miss Ramsay There will be a small cost attached to this club U14 FOOTBALL – Mr Manson, GOLF - Mr Parker, U15 FOOTBALL – Mr Scott, SKI-ING – Mr Brown, U16 FOOTBALL – Mr Forrest, SENIOR F’BALL – Mr Fruish

Excellence

DALGUISE

On Friday morning, a group of sixth year pupils and teachers headed off to Dalguise for a residential bonding weekend. Before we‟d even left the school, we received our first challenge: each of the five groups had to look after two balloon „children‟ for the weekend, a boy and a girl. Our children were to be given names, to be taken on activities with us and looked after well enough so they didn‟t pop. Once we arrived, it was time to get started on the activities. Team 4 started with the Sequoia Scramble followed by the Giant Swing. Both the activities were very funny and challenging, and introduced us to the uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, harnesses. After all the groups returned from their activities, a massive shaving foam fight amongst the sixth years and Miss Watson took place. Everyone got completely covered in shaving foam and it was hard to tell who everyone was! Whilst the shaving foam fight was a lot of fun, the next part wasn‟t so great. We all had to get hosed down with freezing, filthy water before we could go into our rooms and shower. Friday night was „The Sixth Factor‟ night! Each team had to put on a presentation, answering four pre-set questions. Some of the presentations were funny and informative, while others were a little bit rubbish! Team 2 were the winners after our judges Miss Park, Mr Doak, Miss Taylor and Scott (one of the group leaders) decided their group did the most inventive presentation. Before going to bed, we played some games with our group leaders, Mike and Scott who introduced us to „funky funky seaweed‟! There‟s no staying in bed until 11am at Dalguise. We were all up and ready for breakfast at 8.15am. Everyone soon brightened up when we saw everyone else‟s costumes because Saturday was dress up day! We had pirates, superheroes, the military, doctors and cowboys which meant there were some incredible outfits! After breakfast, each team headed out on their morning activities. Team 4 started with a 75 foot Tree Climb, then the Vertical Challenge – not your typical Saturday morning! The break between the morning and afternoon activities meant the boys brought out their water guns, leaving everyone looking over their shoulder for fear of getting hit. The afternoon brought a little light relief with some problem solving, but then it was time for Jacob‟s ladder. While it did involve a lot of team work and was fun, it was personally my least favourite activity as it required a little bit too much upper body strength!! 23

Our entertainment for Saturday night was Celebrity Couples. All the couples did a great job and, despite some dodgy decisions from the judges Mr Duncan and Miss McKendrie, we had two worthy winners in Beth Sutherland and Rhys McGeary as Dolly Parton and Frankie Cocozza, again from Team 2. Saturday night was also disco night! Everyone danced all night courtesy of great music from our DJ, Mr Goodall. At the end of the night, we all did the conga back to our rooms and, reluctantly, headed to bed. Sunday morning meant another early start. We all dragged ourselves out of bed and into the courtyard looking very, very tired. After a quick breakfast, it was time for the last two activities. Team 4 went raft building, and after we all ended up in the cold, muddy water, we were feeling pretty awake! We got to end our trip flying down the zip wire and the whole team, including the teachers, got involved! Before leaving, Mike and Scott had to announce the overall winning team. After a tense wait, it was revealed that Team 4 were the winners (which basically means we were the best). There were also a number of individual prizes to announce, some of which were very funny! As we all piled on the bus, waving goodbye to Mike, Scott and the rest of the Dalguise staff, everyone wished we could stay for longer! There were a couple of grumbles about being tired and sore, but everyone left feeling closer and with a number of inside jokes (hash tagâ&#x20AC;Ś). Iâ&#x20AC;&#x;d definitely recommend to everyone who stays on for sixth year to go on this trip because you will have the best time with some lovely, funny people! DALGUISE 2012! Lisa Burnside

ART

ANIME DRAWING TIPS

Drawing tips If you have created a character that you intend to draw several times, then you need to lay down a basic character blueprint so that you can stay constant with their design. Step 1 Draw out the basic face shape first. Remember to adjust the shape of the jaw line/chin and cheeks to the appearance of your character e.g. girl, man, old man, feminine boy. Step 2 Pick out any defining features of your character and draw them onto the basic face map. Remember, this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x;t your final copy! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x;t worry if the features look spaced out or stand alone. Step 3 Now that you have created your face map, try drawing your character from different angles, using the guidance of the wonderful face map. Step 4 Now that you have experimented with different angles, try drawing different expressions on your character, or even with different hair styles. Keep this up until you are completely comfortable with the look of your character!

Carolyn Nisbet

COMEDY

YOOFSPEAK

OVERHEARD

COMEDY

TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Mr McDonald What is the craziest thing that has happened in your class? “ I was talking to this boy to take of his hoodie pointing out there is nothing worse than being improperly dressed in a class room and a member of the support staff told me my fly was open, I repeated there is nothing worse than being improperly dressed. When the staff stood up at the end of the period we discovered her skirt was tucked into her knickers” Do you enjoy working in Musselburgh Grammar School? “I couldn‟t enjoy it more, best job I ever had!” Do you have a tattoo? If yes what is it off and if no would you get one? And if yes what of? “I would not have one because there band in the bible” Why did you choose to come back to teaching? “My wife told me to get out of the house!” Why did you choose to be an rme Teacher? “I was always interested in religion” If you had a super power what would it be and what would you do to prevent crime? “To fly and I would prevent crime by leaving my droppings to hit the criminals and to leave the scene” If you had a million pounds would you do with it? “Pay of my bills for a start and gave a bit to people who need it” What is your favourite day of the week? “ Wednesday because it‟s my day off”

By Courtney Tuckey 28

COMEDY

TERRIBLE JOKES

What says „Oh! Oh! Oh!‟? Santa walking backwards.

A blonde walked into a bar. „OUCH!‟

Why did the motorbike stop moving? It was two-tired.

What is the difference between „Oooh‟ and „Aaah‟? About three inches.

How did the pig get to the hospital? By the Hambulance!

Did you hear about the kid napping? Yeah, he woke up!

What did the melted cheese say to the unlucky tortilla? Man, it‟s nacho day! (Man, it‟s not your day!)

When does a cart come before a horse? In the dictionary.

Why did Tommy throw the clock out the window? He wanted to see time fly. Patient: Doctor! Doctor! Everyone keeps on copying me! Doctor: Doctor! Doctor! Everyone keeps on copying me!

When is a car not a car? When it turns into a garage. What flower grows on your face? Tulips. Why did the little boy put lipstick on his head? He wanted to make up his mind.

Amy Ho 29

FILM

FILM REVIEW

FILM

WHAT‟S ON

The Hunger Games (12A) Wed 19th Sep Directed by Gary Ross. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harleson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister‟s place and must rely upon her sharp instincts when she‟s pitted against highly trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives. If she‟s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Prometheus (15) Tue 30th Oct Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, Michael Fassbender

Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Bladerunner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a groundbreaking mythology in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Book now! 0131 665 2240 or www.bruntontheatre.co.uk 2

Music

STAR INTERVIEW

, Exchange Student.

Q1 :

TOP TEN

Win a Fairtrade Hamper! To help promote Fairtrade in Musselburgh Grammar School and give someone a very yummy treat we are giving away a Fairtrade Chocolate Hamper! You can be sure that these choccy treats guarantees disadvantaged producers in the developing world a better deal. To win our amazing Fairtrade Hamper all you have to do is create a TOP TEN list for our next edition. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x;ve had Top 10 tips on surviving MGS, Top 10 Gadgets of 2012, etc. So make it original! Deadline for entries is 31st October 2012. Please send your answers to jbonnar@musselburghgrammar. elcschool.org,uk, or drop them in to MAG headquarters in C8.

Food Recipe

WEE PUZZLE PAGE

AUTUMN CROSSWORD