The Woodpecker Autumn Term

Issue one The Woodpecker Autumn Term

Student Riots and Tuition Fees

Fashion Section Art Review

 Outfits  Clothes Brands  Basketball  What not to wear Team Training

Exclusive Interview

Movie Reviews:  Final Destination 5  Friends with benefits Book Reviews:  The girl with the dragon tattoo  Looking for Alaska

Article: Page contents News & Views 2-3 Interview 4 Art 5 Fashion 6-7

Agony Aunt 8-9 Reviews 10-11 Sport 12

The Tuition Fees Debate News & Views By Nadia Singh

The Protests

The increase in tuition fees sparked havoc on the streets of London and Man- chester, as protesters hoped to convince politicians that the increase was not to be tolerated. One of the protesters Emma Bates, aged 17, said ―We are not going to take all these government cuts lying down. The only way of doing that is by protesting." (quote taken from the Guardian Newspaper). Many of them believed that by having the rise it would widen the gap between the rich and poor which was big enough! The protests, organised first by the National Union of Students, was executed in a peaceful manner with students marching from Whitehall to Downing Street. However, it was when other students joined the protest that disaster struck. At least 50 protesters climbed onto the roof of a shop building and dropped a large metal fire extinguisher onto riot police, inciting more repeat violence London protester ruins glass of the con- from other protesters. Eventually 200 riot servative party headquarters officers arrived at the scene and kettled the Photo taken from bing.com images rowdy protesters, after a while the protesters fell silent. 2

News & Views The Tuition Fees Debate By Lidia Barbuti

The Background Tuition fees were first introduced by the Labour party government (led by Tony Blair) in 1998 due to a drastic rise in the amount of students ap- plying to university. Previously, the government had funded these students but in 1998 they could no longer afford it. As a result, tuition fees were introduced at a maximum of £1,000 per year and student mainte- nance grants were replaced with student loans (all of which were funded by the government). However in 2004, the university intake was still in- creasing and tuition fees eventually rose to £3,290.

In the 2010 general election a coalition government was formed between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. This was just before a review was due to be released which contained suggestions to remove the cap on tuition fees completely, which would allow universities to charge whatever they felt was necessary. In spite of this, the author of the review (Lord Browne) stated that he predicted few institutions would raise their fees to substantial levels.

On the 3rd November the government said they did not intend to remove the cap on tuition fees but that they did want to raise them to a maximum of £9,000 per year, as the government was in debt and needed to cut back on spending. Consequently, on the 9th November it was put to a vote in parliament, which voted in favour of tuition fees by 323 votes to 302 (a narrow majority of only 21). This sparked outrage from many MPs who actually opposed their own government, including former Liberal Democrat leaders Menzies Camp- bell and Charles Kennedy; both of whom criticised how the party had gone back on their pledge to vote against any raise in tuition fees.

MPs prepare to vote on the raise in tuition fees on 9th November.

“Never give up.... oh and learn how to edit” Interview Everyone was sitting in the classroom, waiting and chatting excitedly when a fairly tall and enthusi- astic woman entered huffing and puffing apologising many times for being late. Just as she sat down and introduced herself, a YouTube video set up for her talk unexpectedly played at full volume startling everyone, making her hurry and panic to take it off. An interesting start. Ex- Woodhouse student and publisher Gina Blaxill started writing when she was 7 years old and went on to writing short stories for her friends to read in her free periods at college. Ten years later and her dreams of becoming an author have come true having been signed to McMillan Publishing house. Gina lives in North London and studied English at Cambridge University, where she specialised in schoolgirl fiction and took part in a lot of musicals.

So how did you get to be published? What was process? Well, the first thing I did was look in the writers‘ and artists‘ year book. If you‘re an aspiring author that is the first place you should look because it has some really great tips and loads of references to agents and publishing houses. Then get an agent- I would also recommend you do this because it makes you more likely to get published. An agent will read over your manuscript and try and sell it to the publishing houses so you don‘t have to. Then it was mostly setting up meetings and editing my work over and over again. It‘s a very long process, but it‘s worth it. I went to six at first but only got singed to one.

What about the other five? (Looks a bit uncomfortable) Well, this is why you need to have a thick skin in this busi- ness. Three of them didn‘t like my manuscript, and then when I was supposed to meet with the other one, they cancelled for a reason still unknown. Out of the two remaining, one of them had really nice biscuits at the meeting and McMillan didn‘t. So if I was choosing in ranking of biscuits, McMillan wouldn‘t have gotten my vote. However, the other publisher didn‘t like my manuscript either, so I had to settle for McMillan. But I was content that I got signed.

What subjects did you take while you were studying at Woodhouse and who are your favourite authors? I took English literature and language, history, philosophy and economics. I then studied English further on at Cambridge University. I‘m a big fan of Agatha Christie books but I prefer teen fictions. Odd, I know, since I‘m an adult.

Finally, what advice can you give aspiring authors? Do your research, never give up...oh and learn how to edit. Don‘t just proofread for ty- pos. What helped me was to read my work out loud because then you can actually hear if the sentence sounds right. Also, develop a thick skin because not everyone is going to like your work, but you just have to accept it and move on. Never take any advice for granted even if you think it‘s stupid at the time. For example one of the publishers told me to change one of the characters age from 18 to 16 and at the time I thought ‗ what are you thinking?, you‘re so wrong‘ but now looking back it was one of the best changes I could have made. Interview by Amel Benhoura 4

Art Review Degas and the Ballet Exhibition Ambia Begum

Dance Lesson, c 1879 National Gallery of Art, Washington

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) began his visits to the ballet in the Paris Opera in his late 40s and it soon became a recurrent theme in his works; making hundreds of sketches of dancers in their classes together with paintings and pastels of the ballerinas performing on stage. The sharpness and subtlety shown in his technique soon acquired him many admirers. In the 1870’s he became a popular figure in the Impressionist group and shared an interest in modern life and inventing new striking techniques.

The Royal Academy’s captivating Degas and the Ballet reveals some of Edgar Degas’ 200 mesmer- ising ballet paintings, sketches and photographs. Known during his time as the ‘Painter of Dancers’, Degas believed that his ballet scenes were ‘a pretext for depicting movement’. The visitor is greeted by silhouettes of three ballerinas, cast upon a wall, each performing an arabesque in a dark room. It is a perfect opening to an exhibition dedicated to a subject that soon became an obsession for De- gas.

The exhibition starts and ends with the artist himself: watchful and weary at the door, walking the streets of Paris half-blind in a film in the finishing room. In between are 40 years of ballet inspired art works and centre stage, Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen: one of the best-known sculptures in art. When first shown in Paris at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition of 1881, some were shocked by the sculpture calling it repulsive while other called it daringly original. It is now considered one of Degas’ best pieces and one of the best-loved images in art.

Towards the end of his life, Degas withdrew from public life and stopped attending dance perform- ances. His poor health and deteriorating eyesight limited his works. In 1912, he moved into Boule- vard de Clichy, where sadly he was unable to regain the artistic prowess he had previously enjoyed and the making of art faded from his world. However his works remain among the most revered in the world and they are still delightful as ever and this exhibition manages to highlight Degas’ true greatness.

Ambia Begum

What is Woodhouse wearing? Fashion

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1.) Julia Kenny: Shoes -Shoe zone, Jeans - Topshop, Jumper - River island, Shirt & Bag - Topman Fashion Icon: Agyness Deyn 2.) Ele Ataguba: Shirt –Primark, Jacket –Barbour, Skirt –Topshop, Shoes –Doc Martins. Fashion Icon: VV Brown 3.) Emanuela: T-shirt & Leggings -River island, Cardi –Topshop, Boots –Rokit, Bag –Caprisa Fashion Icon: Vashtie Kola

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4.) Saphia: Top –H&M, Cardi –Topshop, Skirt –Canada, Boots –Barrats, Bag –Zara Fashion Icon: Chanel Iman 5.) Stefan Williams: Shirt –Thrifted, Hoodie -Stars &Stripes, Jeans –Carhartt, Shoes –Nike Blazers Fashion Icon: James Dean 6.) Joselyn Denington: Shirt –New Look, Jacket –CK, Leggings –Riverisland, Shoes –Converse, Bag H&M, Fashion Icon: MIA 6

Fashion

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7.) Cherece Jhonson: Hat –New Era, Shirt –Topman, Hoodie –American Apparel, Treggings –M & S, Shoes -Converse, Oreo Necklace –Cyberdog, Bag –Jack Wills, Fashion Icon: Janelle Monae

8.) Lorenzo Landicho: Boots –Clarks, Jeans –5/11 Levis, Cardigan –Uniqlo, Shirt –Topshop, Ray- ban style glasses –Super Ciccios. Fashion Icon’s: THE TERIYAKI BOYZ!!!

9.) Esme Robertson: Boots - Doc Martins, Jeans –Topshop, Top –Uniqlo. Fashion Icon: My Mum Ruth Martin: Plimsoles & Top–H&M, Leggings –Zara, Sleevless denim jacket –Rokit, Cardigan – Uniqlo. Fashion Icon: Ruth‘s Mum. Fashion Fashion advice MEN IN UGGS = “MUGGS” Men in Uggs. Well, where do we begin? The soft, chic, sheepskin of uggs has dominated the fashion trend for the past 3 years. However, the fact that men have stupidly decided to pay a ridiculous amount for them (£180) has turned this fashion trend into a complete catastrophe. What is worst is that they think they look cool or even attractive whilst wearing the fur-lined boots; this is the worst cringe-worthy factor of all. Sara SCANDALS I thought I‘d start off with the good points about socks and sandals, since there aren‘t very many of them. Firstly, the socks protect your eyes from the ghastly sight of somebody else‘s toes. Secondly, they are easy to slip into, and they are quite comfortable to wear (NOT talking from previous experi- ences... obviously). However, the only people that are allowed to even consider wearing this fashion disaster are dads, tourist and old people. For the simple reason that their fashion era has passed! Sara ESPADRILLES Denim socks aimed at those who deem themselves to be at the pinnacle of the arcane and artistic, now due to some sordid desire, they grace our pavements with their woven soles. Donned by those postulant artist types and my grandfather alike, these paper-thin slippers were first worn by peasant farmers in the medieval era – ―So tell me why you wear them in London, when you can afford real shoes?‖ They say fashion works in cycles, but exceptions can be made. Nnamdi Nwanokwu. 7

Agony aunt

I currently live with my older brother. He is always hitting me and I have tried to talk to him but he won’t listen. What can I do? From, Silent Sister Dear Silent Sister, I believe that you should call someone who can offer you the right help you need such as Child Line. Telling someone else about this can be very difficult but if you talk to someone with experience, they will understand more than you think.

I have been going out with my boyfriend for 4 months. Whenever we are alone, he always brings up the topic of sex. I am not ready yet but I think he is. What can I do about it? From, Frustrated Female Dear Frustrated Female, this situation can go both ways. However, I think that if he doesn’t understand the fact that you’re not ready then you should seriously think about your relationship. You need to talk to him about the situation and tell him how you really feel. If he agrees to wait for you then that’s fine but if he doesn’t and he can’t wait then move on and wait for the right person who won’t rush you into doing something you don’t want to do.

I currently have an ill parent. I have to look after my little sister as well as myself. It is becoming very difficult for me to concentrate on my studies as I am looking after them 24/7. What do you suggest? From, Trying To Cope Dear Trying To Cope, I recommend that you talk to a member of staff at your college like your form tutor and explain the situation. They can then advise you on how to deal with the pressure of being a young carer and what to do in order to concentrate a little more on your school work. Also, colleges have people you can talk to about this stuff who understand and want to help you.

Where to get advice from in College:  The Student Support Team—details of their location can be found on Woodle  The Student Support section of Woodle has lots of helpful advice and lists of local and national organisations that can assist you  The Health Base—located next to the Sports Hall and open Mondays and Fridays 1:00-2:00

Agony aunt

I am having a lot of trouble, as all of my closest friends at college smoke. They are always telling me I should try and I feel like I have to do it. From MizzSmoke-Free Dear MizzSmoke-Free, I understand that peer pressure can be worrying, especially if it’s coming from your closest friends. However, you should not have to do something that you do not want to do, and as we all know, smoking is extremely harmful to us, physi- cally and mentally. So, I suggest that you try to educate your friends about the effects of smoking: try to make them understand that you don’t want to smoke. As a friend they should then stop pressurising you. Remember; never do anything you feel is wrong.

My dad smokes weed and is always accusing me of things because he is so paranoid. I’m worried, as my little brother has started picking up slang terms for drugs: he is also constantly talking about sniffing coke etc. When he is older- I’m scared that he will become my dad’s image in future. From ScaredSibling Dear ScaredSibling, I can see why you’re worried about your younger brother as you don’t want him to pick up your father’s bad habits. I think that you should try to talk to your dad and explain to him that it’s fine for him to do what he wants but not to do it around his kids. After all, he is supposed to be your role-model! Also, as his older sibling it may be a good idea to teach your bother what’s right and wrong.

Recently I’ve been feeling low and depressed since my parents got a divorce and have got into a bad habit of cutting and burning myself to take away the pain and make me feel better. I know that I shouldn’t do it because it’s a quick fix rather than a long-term solution. It’s become an addiction, how can I stop?? From QuickFixin Dear QuickFixin, I know exactly how you feel: a divorce can be really hard to cope with and the kids often feel that it’s their fault, but you need to realise that it isn’t. When a couple decides to break up, it’s because they know that it will help the whole family- re- member they love you. If you feel comfortable, you should talk to a family member about self harming (it may be easier writing it down). If not, it’s a good idea to talk to your GP who can refer you to a councillor- it will confidential unless it’s absolutely necessary for your safety. Meanwhile, try to think positively and think of what will happen if you hurt yourself again e.g. scars, regret etc. This should stop any temptation. Good luck in future.

What to watch... by Zoe Chosen Reviews

Final Destination 5 3D

Anyone who loves Final Destination movies should watch this. If you are a horror fan and love a bit of gory blood splashing in your face, this is the one to watch especially in 3D. There is no point watching a film like this in 2D. The graphics are one of the best! Although, the plot is basically the same for the last 4 movies, there is a little twist in the middle of the story which keeps you awake to find out what happens. Me, personally am in love with these movies and I think they should keep on making them so I give it 4 W‘s.

Friends With Benefits

Hold on guys! This isn't like any other ―Rom- Com‖ that people always watch. This (thankfully) is kind of different. I would say if you are horny and looking for something fun to watch, this would be a good choice for you. Its starts off typical basically, two unbelievably attractive people thrown together, both have great jobs, are nice people and they are strug- gling to find love - no real reason as to why. They end up having sex with each other but agree to see other people. It does get a tiny bit boring in the middle but hugely funny and entertaining, that‘s why I gave it a 3 (and a half just because of Justin Timberlake‘s cuteness)

What to listen to... by Alex Nugent You Me At Six—Sinners Never Sleep 7/10 UK rockers You Me At Six return with their 3rd album, Sinners Never Sleep featuring the hit single, Loverboy. Proceeded by Hold Me Down, this album was promised to be a return to their old heavier selves after their pop-rock phase. Well with supports from Oli Sykes and Winston McCall and huge break downs it certainly is heavier. However, this hasn't stopped them from bringing the levels down for some slower songs with Josh Francesci singing stories of heartbreak. This mix really works and really puts You Me At Six back close to their best. Close but this album just doesn‘t quite beat their debut ‗Take Off Your Colours‘ as it still has hints of their pop style which lost them a fair few fans. But that shouldn‘t take away from this being a brilliant album and a sign that You Me At Six are back, bigger and better. 10

Reviews What to read...

Looking For Alaska John Green‘s first novel, ‗Looking for Alaska‘, follows Miles Halter, a typical teenager with a not so typical fascination of last words, on his journey to discover what one of his heroes, Francois Rabelais, calls a ‗great perhaps‘. The protagonist is tired of his mediocre life at home so decides to leave for Culver Creek Preparatory school in hope of new beginnings. At the school he befriends Chip and Takumi, known for pranking, and Alaska, an enigmatic girl who he falls in love with but is too wrapped up in her own self-destruction to return Miles‘ affections. These characters all seem average at the start, however our opinions of them change dramati- cally when we see them confronted with life-changing events. It is a coming of age story and in Miles‘ exploration of ways to escape ‗the labyrinth‘ (Simón Bolívar‘s last words) many philosophical issues are addressed such as the meaning of life and suffering, the significance of forgiveness and what happens upon death, as well as the standard issues of relationships, peer pressure and growing up. The novel provokes the reader in to questioning their per- spective of the world, thus leaving a legacy on their lives. Looking for Alaska is very well written and interestingly structured in two parts, before and after. A great anticipation is built up in the first part as the reader longs to know of the central event the chapters are counting down to, yet it is withheld until the final moment. The novel‘s excellence has been recognised, as it has won many awards including the 2006 Mi- chael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association. Also, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights the year of the book‘s release (2005), and it is scheduled to be in cine- mas by 2013. Green has a great talent for writing comically about hard-hitting material, making his novel an enjoyable read, so I would recommend it to any teenager/young adult.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ‗The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘ is the first of three books in the Millennium trilogy by Steig Larsson. Larsson was inspired by the inequality with women in a Swedish society as well as sexual violence against them (which is echoed in his books). Interestingly, the original title was called; ‗Men who Hate Women‘.

‗The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘ is a crime novel, with the recurring theme of injustice and violence for women in all three novels; ‗The Girl who Played with Fire‘ and ‗The Girl who Kicked the Hornets‘ Nest‘. Larsson successfully looks more into society as a sub plot rather than directly exploring the crime and mystery side. In addition; having an independent, unique and smart female heroin breaks all the rules and interventions of a crime novel. How- ever, Lisbeth Salander; an ultimate heroin is the perfect lead character to cause chaos in a book which targets women in a Swedish society with her extreme gothic eye makeup, several piercing and platform boots; no man can truly mess with her. With Mikael Blomkvist as the male lead, he juxtaposes many of the male characters in the novel by being a man who loves women but at the same time acting as a womaniser. However he does act as the voice for the very antisocial Lisbeth.

The major plot line is centred on a murder and disappearance of a girl, Harriet Vanger, forty years ago. The mystery behind the murder and the disappearance is that the body of Harriet Vanger was never found resulting in her uncle‘s obsession in finding out what happened to Har- riet. Lisbeth Salander, with her amazing hacking skills and Mikael Blomkvist, with his journalistic skills, essentially work as detectives to solve the crime. 11

Sports College basketball William Lim and Anastasia Velounias

The resounding squeak of rubber on wooden floor echoed around the gym to the roars of advice coming from the side- lines as the Woodhouse basket ball team practiced a complicated set of speed and passing drills in preparation for the upcoming season. The harsh commands bellowed from Mr James Campbell, the coach, (or Jimmy depending on who you ask), were concise and detailed, quick tactics and techniques shouted out to the players. Coach Campbell is a man who never lets them rest for a second.‖My expectations are for them to work hard, winning is the easy bit‖ he says before returning to punish the squad with press-ups. The newly formed squad consisting of upper and lower 6th students is not yet showing the smooth, polished efficiency of a veteran team but it is early days. With an annual change in the team, older more experienced members have to readjust and learn to work with younger players who may not be used to the style or training. In contrast to the noncon- tact rules of basketball during the session we attended, an argument broke out between a team member and a woodhouse student, and nearly resulted in physical violence. Only with the timely intervention of the coach did the tense atmosphere fizzle out. The team seems confident but with a few teething problems that are recognised, one player stated that ―We need improvements and work more as team rather than individually‖. Under the watchful eye of Coach Campbell the team will be crafted or beaten into shape.

Watching the team practise shows real promise for future winnings for the college in the upcoming tournaments such as the Barnet league and London Pioneers League. No easy competition with player ages in other teams ranging from 16 -21 years of age the team will be facing a variety of talent and size. Wood- house has come close to winning the leagues before but perhaps this year will be a more success- ful season and add another trophy to the collec- tion. Although basketball has never had the same appeal or support from the public as more tradi- tional British sports such as football or rugby it is steadily gaining support and if you wish to be a part of this team, practise is every Tuesday at 4:00pm-5:30pm.The coach is eager for new talent and all are welcome.