TV Centenary poem Jeremy Clarkson

Magazine 4th Edition 2015
Spring Edition
Poetry
Section
TV
And The Drama
‘The Originals’
Twitter vs Facebook
Which one is better?
Any better social media?
Centenary poem
Jeremy Clarkson
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
War Memorial
Competitions &
Six Nations
Front Cover by Aqeel Suleman
Editor's Note
Welcome to another edition of ‘The Bolt’ magazine. This edition features the
ever popular Day In The Life alongside competitions, sport, music and much
more. Last edition, my Deputy Editor Aqeel took charge and I would like to
thank and congratulate him on editing such a high quality edition. As many of
you know, last half term Mr Martin-Matthews left us for North Wales and we
hope he enjoys his well-earned retirement from teaching and Miss Brearley
has agreed to take over on her own.
This half term is very significant. Many of you enjoyed House Day during this
Half Term but that date also marks a sombre occasion. One hundred years
ago on that date, the first of our number fell in the First World War. In this
edition I have written a commemorative article about the war and how it
affected our school, country and the world. I thought it appropriate to bring
this to your attention because if it were not for their sacrifices then we might
not be living in such a free world...
While it is important to remember the past, we must also think forward to the
future. I would like to briefly mention that the Bolt is now available on the
Bolton School Website for your friends and family to read. Check the News
section of the Senior Boys page on the website. Now looking to the future, for
the School, we are approaching exam season, for the country the general
elections are coming soon and for The Bolt we hope to continue reporting,
writing and entertaining.
Sam Warburton, Editor
Commemoration
Friday 13th March. What does that mean to you? To many it
was just House Day, but to one family, one school and one
community, this was the date that they lost a relative,
colleague and friend. On that date, the first member of the
Bolton School community fell fighting for his family, school
and community.
It is a sensitive topic to discuss; The Great War will, and
should, never be forgotten. Over 16 million people died in this
conflict but what was achieved? A mere few decades later,
war returned to devastate the planet once again: World War
Two. Over 60 million people died in this conflict, so do the 16
million not matter? Did they die in vain? The answer, in short,
is no. They died for what they believed in, whether that was
their country, their family, their religion; for whatever reason
these people died so that we could live in a world of peace.
To conclude House Day, Mr Britton led the school in its
commemorations; the assembly was both moving and
powerful, with readings and a performance from a Drama
group. The assembly reminded us how thankful we should be.
This quotation, I believe, summarises nicely the debt of
gratitude we owe these heroes: “Never was so much owed by
so many to so few”- Winston Churchill.
Eighty One. That is the number of Bolton School Boys,
teachers and alumni who laid down their lives for our
freedom. Yet eighty one is just a number. These people were
individuals; they had goals, ambitions, families and friends
and if you take only one thing away from this article I
encourage you to research the people, the individuals who
make up the eighty one and hopefully learn to mourn for
them as individuals. Not just as a number.
The aim of this article is not to go to great detail about the
War; you will hear those facts elsewhere. What I wish you
learn from this article is to respect the individual soldier. You
may also honour them by respecting the people you meet in
your daily life and learning from history by remembering
those who didn’t have the chances we have today. Fear,
commitment, faith, terror, anger, sorrow, remorse, guilt and
most importantly friendship. Through their darkest days joy,
hope and camaraderie kept these soldiers going and their
strength and commitment to the cause that they believed in is
something I believe we need more of today.
If you have stories you’d like to share with us, perhaps tales
of heroism in the war, then please send them to
[email protected] where they will be gratefully
received and (with your permission) published so that we
never will forget.
Sam Warburton, Editor
What’s Occurin’ at Bolton School?
A short selection of school news from this half term.
By Sam Warburton
#1 World Book Day 2015
On the 5th March this year we celebrated
World Book Day. The day was significant to
the school, and to you, because it offered us
a chance as a school to encourage both
creative writing and wider reading; and also I
hope it encouraged many of you to write for
pleasure, and maybe even write an article
for ‘The Bolt.’
If you are interested in pursuing your creative writing further
then speak to your English teacher or email
[email protected] for more information about joining
the Bolt team.
#2 House Day and Commemorations
On Friday 13th March this year we enjoyed our second House
Day of the year, with the usual range of activities including:
Debating, Rugby and Music as well as various quizzes. As we
all eagerly await the results we must also remember the
serious side to the day: our commemorations. I encourage you
to read my article on the commemorations and to pursue
some research into those who gave their today for our
tomorrow.
#3 The Bolt
I am glad to announce that ‘The Bolt’ is now available on the
Bolton School Website for your family and friends outside of
school to read. Many thanks to Mr Britton and Mr Newbould
for their efforts in opening this magazine to a wider audience.
See the back page for more details.
#4 SHINE
The SHINE program has taken place since January and
throughout the program, local children have greatly
benefitted from the opportunity to broaden their hinterland
assisted by various teachers and student mentors from both
divisions. Many thanks to Miss Wrathmell and Miss Gunshon for
organising the program and to all the mentors who generously
gave up their Saturday Morning lie-in for this great cause.
Well Done!
#5 Classics Antigone Trip
On Sunday 15th March a group of Classics students and
teachers embarked on a challenge of epic proportions:
navigate the city of London to watch a performance of
Antigone at the Barbican Theatre. Bravely facing the
challenges of the tube, traffic and navigation we managed to
arrive at our destination in time for a wonderful performance.
Many thanks to Miss Worth for organising such an enjoyable
day out.
#6 Simon Armitage event
Right back at the start of this term, a select group of pupils
were treated to readings and an inspiring talk from poet and
playwright Simon Armitage. The talk was both entertaining
and highly interesting with several humorous anecdotes from
Armitage in addition to powerful readings of his poetry. Many
thanks to Simon Armitage for giving up his time to entertain
and inspire us.
Do you have any school news that you’d like reporting;
then email Sam Warburton at [email protected]
Safety
A World War One commemmerative poem from the Editor.
John Doe was nineteen when he enrolled.
John Doe joined with pride.
John Doe thought he was prepared.
John Doe wasn’t.
John Doe became a number,
a pawn on the chess board.
John Doe was expendable,
a loss easy to afford.
John Doe followed orders,
obedient and polite.
But John Doe was fearful,
And didn’t want to fight.
John Doe always sat alone in the trenches.
John Doe never smiled nor laughed.
John Doe was young and scared.
But no whine from John Doe was ever heard.
John Doe was caught in the trenches,
during a gas attack.
John Doe choked and writhed,
he staggered and fell back.
John Doe collapsed in a heap,
he fell with a smack.
John Doe heard a final voice,
“Don’t worry son, in death you’re safe.”
Twitter vs. Facebook
We all love our social networks, whether it be the photo sharing one (Instagram) or the
messed up Google one (Google+); they are all great for different reasons. This is a
comparison between two of the main social networks: Twitter and Facebook.
A brief outline
Twitter is a simple social network that consists of composing 240 character ‘tweets’,
following people and direct messaging. Facebook is almost the complete opposite.
Facebook is for connecting with family and friends. On Facebook, there is the option to
choose what you want the public to see, such as your name, date of birth etc. but the
posts on Facebook can have anything in.
Comparison
Subject
Facebook
Twitter
Outcome
Posting
Facebook allows you
to post unlimited
character posts, video,
audio, links and more.
Twitter is 240 character Facebook wins this
one with more options.
‘tweets’ that you can
add links into, YouTube
videos and photos.
Messaging
Facebook has user to
user messaging.
Twitter’s messaging
requires you to be
following the user and
them following you
back.
Both are very similar.
It’s a draw.
Friends
Facebook is private,
unless you change
that, so you will get a
friend request when
someone wants to be
your friend.
At the beginning your
Twitter account is
public, so anyone can
follow you that is easily
changed with a simple
profile edit.
Both services are very
similar, and they both
allow you to block
people. Although
Facebook goes that
extra bit further to
make sure your
account/profile is
private.
Age Restriction
Facebook has an age
restriction of 13 years
of age.
Twitter doesn’t have an
age restriction so
anyone with
permission from a
parent can join.
In my opinion, Twitter
wins this one, having
Twitter earlier than
Facebook allows you
to get used to social
networks, since it has a
simple UI.
Mobile Apps
Facebook has released
an app for its network
on nearly all platforms.
It is useable on pretty
much any smartphone.
Twitter has done the
same and released an
app for mostly every
platform out there.
Both apps feature
noises, simple UI and
an easy to navigate
interface. Whether you
are still Nokia or
iPhone you’ll be able to
get both these
services. It’s a draw.
Facebook 2 - 1 Twitter
Conclusion
Facebook wins this battle, just beating Twitter in the ‘Friends’ section. Facebook is a very
secure social network. Twitter is good for looking at school notices or for children under
13. But if you are under 13, there is not long left until you can experience Facebook for
yourself.
Written by Oliver Leach
WARNING!! This review contains spoilers of the first 3 episodes. The Originals centres around the Mikaelson siblings, otherwise known as the world's
original vampires: Elijah (the eldest brother), Niklaus (the step-brother) and Rebekah (the
only daughter). Over 1000 years ago, before they became vampires, they all had a
younger brother who unfortunately died from a werewolf attack. The original family headed
off to New Orleans to face a threat made against the strongest brother Klaus. However,
when he arrives, he realises that a werewolf he slept with is pregnant with his miracle
baby. Normally vampires cannot procreate, but since Klaus was originally a werewolf unlike his other siblings - and is now a hybrid (part vampire/part werewolf), he is able to do
so.
Now Klaus must take down his protégé and
Rebekah's former love, Marcel (Marcellus originally names Charles Michael Davis from
birth), who is now in charge of New Orleans, in
order to reclaim his city since Klaus and his
siblings originally built New Orleans . Klaus
departed from the city just over 100 years ago
after being chased down by his tyrannical father
Mikael whilst it was being constructed and Marcel
took charge. As Klaus returned after many years,
his ego provoked him from becoming the King of
the city. "Every King needs an heir" he said,
accepting the unborn child even though his plan a
few days earlier was to kill the werewolf he slept with, Hayley Marshall, and in turn killing
the first baby to be born as a hybrid. Not only do the original vampires have to confront Marcel
but also the dangerous witch, Sophie Deveraux and the
harvest witch, Davina Claire with her plotted revenge against
them, as well as the New Orleans' Coven of witches that
swears vengeance on the Mikaelson family and will do
anything to kill the child. Also a bartender, Camille O'Connell
meets Klaus and Marcel and so in turn gets involved in the
dangerous crossfire of the French Quarter along with
Marcel, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Hayley, Davina and the
Coven of witches. There's struggle between the supernatural
factions including the witches, werewolves and vampires
where unlikely alliances are made, blood is shed, secrets
are revealed, close ones betray you and revenge becomes
best served cold as the fight for power over New Orleans not
only causes chaos in the French Quarter, but also causes
chaos in the Original family as the thirst for power is waiting
for the taking, which will tear them apart so hard that
"Always and forever" - the promise each sibling made to
each other over a millennium ago when their mother was
known to be murdered - will be threatened.
By Balkrishna Ramji
A daily dose of interesting facts
Current Affairs: Technology
Apple at the moment are developing a new system, similar to Netflix, which allows viewers to
watch movies on the go. They are also developing a TV system, similar to Sky, where you can
watch channels from your TV through their Satellites.
Nintendo will soon be developing games for iOS and Android users. They are working with app
developing companies to make the games. However, games such as Mario Kart are said not to
appear as an app, and so will have to be bought with a gaming system
Microsoft are competing with Apple as they are launching their own smart watch. It does exactly
the same things as the Apple watch but has a longer battery, it’s cheaper and has a few more
features like a UV detector.
Random Facts
A person walks about 3 times around the earth in the average lifetime.
A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
There are more living cells on the surface of the human skin than the population of humans.
There are 10 human body parts that are only 3 letters long (eye hip arm leg ear toe jaw rib lip
gum).
Every year about 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump.
In Ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked nose.
Children grow faster in the springtime.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
A few illusions
By Aqeel Suleman 10E
The details of The Six Nations so far…
Week 1
The Six Nations opened with one of the most important games of the tournament: Wales vs
England. It was expected to be almost neck and neck: England being considered the stronger team
but Wales having the advantage of playing at their home ground. It wasn't a great start for either
team with a Welsh try just five minutes and a try from Anthony Watson; the rest of the half was
dominated by the kicking game of both sides. Due to superior kicking, however, Wales were ahead
with 16-8. England came out better in the second half, though, scoring again with Jonathan Joseph
and what should have been a third, had James Haskell not crashed into the post pad. However,
calm kicking from George Ford kept England in ahead and Wales never got going in the second half
and weren’t able to score again. The final score was England 21 - Wales 16.
Ireland also recorded a predictable, but much needed, win against Italy in Rome. Ireland won 26-3
despite their star fly-half Jonny Sexton out due to concussion.
France also won winning a tight game against Scotland in their efforts not to get the wooden spoon.
The score of that game France 15 Scotland 8
Week 2
Week 2 was less dramatic with none of the expected contenders for the title competing against one
another. England won easily against Italy 47-17: a victory that was tainted by Mike Brown’s
concussion. He had been exceptional up to this point, and with the IRB’s new rules on concussion,
the England fans knew it would be at least two weeks till they saw him again.
Wales managed to just about to get the win over Scotland, thanks to the sublime kicking of Leigh
Halfpenny; a win that was vital if they wanted to be in with a change of winning the trophy.
Ireland finally took on France in the rematch of the decider from the former year. The match was a
great battle, which saw many big hits between Jonny Sexton and Mathieu Bastareaud, resulting in
them both going off with bleeding heads. Despite a valiant attempt by France to make a comeback,
Ireland pulled off the win 18-11.
Week 3
Given the title of the most important week in the competition, week three of the Six Nations
opened with Italy getting a last minute victory over Scotland, after Italy were awarded a penalty try
following Scotland collapsing a maul on the goal line. Italy won 22-19 and Scotland are still yet to
win a game.
France faced Wales. In another close game, Wales managed to win 20-13, putting France out of
reach of the leaders and giving Wales a shard of hope that they may still arise victorious.
The final game of the week was Ireland and England. It was dubbed as the ‘decider of the whole
tournament.’ It didn't start well for England: two kicks to winger Simon Zebo were ran back by
him, resulting in a penalty which Jonny Sexton easily slotted through the uprights. For the rest of
the half, England played poorly and continually gave away penalties at the breakdown. They were
also unable to deal with Ireland's aerial attack with Ireland winning all the 50/50 balls.
All this amounted to the teams going in at half-time with Ireland up by six. England came out with
much of the same play and attitude, but Ireland kept firing and all the precision kicking was
rewarded after Ireland were given advantage and Conner Murray decided to try a kick over the top.
Alex Goode bottled and Ireland's Robbie Henshaw caught (and brought down the ball) for the try.
Everything seemed to be going wrong for England after that, until Jonny Sexton went off with a
quad injury and Ireland had to bring on the talented, but fairly novice, Ian Madigan. England
looked like they might come back but wasn’t quite clinical enough. England did think they had a try
after time had expired, but after going to the video referee, it was revealed that the pass was
forward. Ireland had won 19-9 and had put themselves in a great position to win not only the
competition, but the Grand Slam.
Morgan Skeels-Caldwell
Do you have strong opinions on the Six Nations? Have your say on the Bolt Twitter feed:
@Bolton_TheBolt or email the editor at [email protected] to have your opinion heard and
even published!
The Jeremy Clarkson Saga
It is a scenario we have all witnessed before: Jeremy Clarkson
involved in a scandal. He has a habit of making ‘off the cuff’ comments
that cause offence and are often considered racist. In May 2014, he
was given a final warning by the BBC and was told that if he made,
"one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time" he would be
sacked. He has been a controversial figure ever since he joined the Top
Gear team in 1988 and this is arguably one of the reasons why the
show has achieved so much success.
Jeremy Clarkson
On 4th March, Clarkson allegedly punched Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon during a
row because no dinner had been laid on for the presenters after they finished filming in
the Yorkshire Dales for the show. However, the incident was not
reported to the BBC until the following Monday. The BBC acted
swiftly, and the following day on Tuesday 10th March, Jeremy
Clarkson was suspended from the Top Gear Show pending an
investigation into his actions. If the BBC conclude that Clarkson did
in fact punch Tymon, then they will have no option but to sack him
from the show.
Oisin Tymon
But what does this mean for the Top Gear show and for British television? Firstly,
the BBC had made the decision not to air the final three episodes of the current Top Gear
series and they have refused to discuss whether it will ever be aired again. The BBC is in a
bit of a dilemma because although they cannot condone Clarkson’s behaviour, he is hugely
valuable to the corporation and he is one of the main reasons why Top Gear is so
successful. The show is normally shown on a Sunday night and due to the fact that the last
three episodes are not going to be shown, the BBC decided to air a documentary on the
Red Arrows in replacement. In doing so, BBC 2 lost four million viewers that would have
normally watched their top-rating show. Furthermore, it has emerged that Clarkson, along
with his fellow presenters Richard Hammond and James May, may leave the show. Their
contracts expire at the end of this month and they have not yet signed new ones. They
were having days off signing new three year deals before Clarkson ‘fracas’. It is rumoured
that Sky want to employ them to make their own motoring show so with Clarkson facing
the very real possibility of being sacked, the three of them may decide to take Sky up on
their offer.
Most importantly, and most worryingly for the BBC, the public have generally
backed Clarkson to the hilt. Almost one million people have signed an online petition to
re-instate Clarkson. This puts the BBC under intense pressure over whether to sack him or
not as violence of any nature cannot be condoned. However, as with every debate, there
are two sides to this one, and I get the feeling that whatever decision the BBC makes, it
will be the wrong one! By Luke Cavanaugh.
Competition
Calling all budding writers!
In the aftermath of World Book Day, the Bolt is
running it’s own creative writing competition. Much
like the Radio Two competition you must write a
piece of creative writing about 450 to 500 words
long. Alternatively you can produce a short,
minimum 10 lined poem on a topic of your choosing.
You choose the topic and the format and do try to be
as creative as possible. Possible topics could be:
War, friendship, betrayal, comedy or anything else
you can think of! Pictures are allowed but please
make them small, relevant and also use a readable
font!
To score highly the judges will want to see:
Good characterisation,
A wide and exotic vocabulary,
Good structured writing,
An interesting plot,
Plenty of vivid description,
A possible moral or lesson
And crucially imagination.
Entries should be submitted to
[email protected] by the end of next half
term. They will be judged by the Bolt team. Winners
will be announced in the next edition, on Twitter
and will be personally emailed. Prizes are available
for the best three entries and your stories will also
be published.
Good Luck and get involved because:
Sam Warburton, Editor
How to contact us at
‘The Bolt’
Follow us on Twitter @Bolton_The Bolt where we will tweet regular
updates as well as winners of competitions and voting.
Like our Facebook page, ‘The Bolt Magazine’ for regular updates and to also cast votes.
Check our notice board on the English/Classics side of B corridor
Email the editor at:
[email protected]
Or the deputy editor at: [email protected]
Listen out for notices from your tutors or head of year