SFM Vol 2 No 6

Sixth Form Mercury  Wilson’s School’s newest student‐run publication  Volume 2, Issue 6, November 2011  Sutton Youth P...

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Sixth Form Mercury  Wilson’s School’s newest student‐run publication 

Volume 2, Issue 6, November 2011 

Sutton Youth Parliament battles Political Paradox At a time of perennial decline in political activism, particularly amongst the youth within the UK, the Sutton Youth Parliament has taken some steps towards reengaging them by offering a platform from which to make their voices heard. Such efforts to boost youth participation have been furthered by the recent introduction of the Democracy Award, gifted to schools with either particularly high turnouts or a candidate running for election.

have opinions and ideas to contribute, they just feel that there is no point in contributing them.” The view of Lillian Lovatt, the current MYP for Sutton, seems corroborative of this: she stated that,

In the absence of an active and young membership, parties are in serious danger of becoming old and almost decrepit. As a student of Government and Politics, I find it highly worrying that the issues which affect people of my age are likely to be decided upon without our involvement.

This is entirely the reason that the existence of such establishments as the Sutton Youth Parliament are so vital in modern day society. At a time However, the reasons when negative for this alarming detemedia coverage rioration in political tends to overparticipation should shadow much of be explored in greater the positive condepth. Although there tribution they is undoubtedly a demake, the SYP gree of apathy allows young amongst the youth for Current MYP for Sutton, Lillian Lovatt, and deputy, Mayan Alpeople to chalpolitics, it would be too Shakarchy, with MP Paul Burstow lenge this percepsimplistic to dismiss tion, and enables them to express although apathy is a factor, it is this as the sole reason for their curtheir unique perspective on the local “paramount to remember that there rent lack of involvement. or national issues which matter most are many young people who feel to them. alienated from politics”. In fact, there has been a fresh impetus in alternative modes of parMeasures such as the Democracy This highlights the key reason beticipation, with technological adAward- bronze, silver or gold for hind the decline in political particivances, such as the emergence of schools with a turnout of 60%, 70% pation amongst the youth within the social networking, making it easier or 90% respectively- ensure that this UK - politicians are seen as distant, than ever to support and join presvaluable contribution continues. their role obscure and their motives sure groups or campaigns. The fact primarily self-seeking. that youths are opting for less cenAlthough there is undeniably a great tral forms of participation can only This disconnection of the young deal of progress still to be made in demonstrate that even those who from the political process has be- youth participation, with a view to redo hold an interest in politics feel come something of a vicious cycle; integrating them into centralised that the political system does not a political paradox. As the extent of politics, the efforts being made, make their voices heard. youth engagement in the electoral through the Sutton Youth Parliament process lessens, politicians are less and the recent Democracy Award, Indeed, discussion of the issue with likely to cater to the issues of their go some way to combating the curAnna Mullaney, a candidate for the rent malaise with the political sysconcern as their vote has little imSYP November elections, sugpact, and hence the youth turnout tem. gested that the youth of today is drops further. anything but apathetic - she pointed out that “young people By Tom Bell

Sixth Form Mercury, November 2011 



 

To the fans, Welcome to the next instalment of the sixth form Mercury, recently voted third-best sixth form magazine in the Mollison Drive area - and it's a good’un. We’ve got a cheeky insight into the world of technology, we’re once again dipping our toes into the vast ocean of uncertainty that is university application and of course - there's a bit of footie from that man, Harley Riman! Hold tight. Will Roberts and Tim Hou

Article  SYP Battles Political Paradox 



A Message From the Editors 



The Hottest Smartphones 



Book vs. Film 



Notices 



Uni Fees: Daylight Robbery? 



Newcastle United: Entertainers Reborn? 



The Hottest Smartphones  Good-looking new smartphones shine through the shops yet the UK only has a fraction of the latest ones available. For those that are eager to know the latest tech, here’s a review to make your mouth water. The phones Each make has started the race to win the market’s heart - it’s a case of survival of the fittest. Apple came with its renewed iPhone 4S last week, a surprise to the world, but a shock to its fans, who expected a whole new iPhone 5. It’s quality, but came a bit late. Samsung’s Galaxy S2 is still fresh and has over 10 million sales worldwide with a device selling every 3 seconds in its first month it was a record breaker for Samsung. Yet it’s got plans for amazing feature releases, too. HTC is also well ahead with its Sensation and Evo 3D - remarkable features made public months before its official release. LG is also silently slipping its Optimus 3D through the shops, yet only a few know about its amazing 3D and processor features. Screen size Although many people expected a larger screen for the new iPhone, disappointingly it stayed at 3.5 inches. Quite frankly it’s still good due to its 960x640 resolution, known as the Retina Display. It gives crystal clear images and its screen is of the highest quality available in the UK. The Galaxy S2, EVO 3D, Sensation and Optimus 3D all offer a much lar-

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ger 4.3-inch display. But larger doesn’t necessarily mean better. The Galaxy S2 offers the lowest (800x400) resolution, but has a Super Amoled Plus screen. This allows very crisp images and very low power consumption. The Optimus 3D has a higher resolution of 800x480 and 3D ability (without glasses) - though that still doesn’t seem to be that amazing with an LCD screen eating your battery. Finally, the HTC phones both have a qHD screen with a 960x540 resolution and the Evo 3D also offers a 3D without-glasses ability. All the screens consume way too much compared to Samsung’s Amoled screens, which give the same image from every angle and no colour loss. Software With iOS 5 coming out soon the iPhone is easily up to date with the rest. iOS is generally known for its user friendliness and very steady updates that are always free of charge for all of its devices. With the largest AppStore and Music Store (iTunes) it definitely makes everything much easier and more fun. Its restrictions may lead to some ‘jailbreaking‘ their device - but many don’t realise that the restrictions make the system more stable and safe. Last but not least, all the others use the Android operating system (powered by Google) which also has very high standards. But because it’s one package that has to be adjusted for all phones it’s not always that compatible and is ‘buggy’. There are updates to make this better but as many say: “It’s more hacker-friendly than user-friendly”. Yet for those advanced in computer knowledge one of its advantages is that its web browser al-

By Sheko Asinger

lows Flash videos and games to be played - and it is very quick too. Cameras and the rest The iPhone is definitely a beast with its new camera giving the ability to take your first photo in less than two seconds and maintains other intervals of less than one second! Although its full HD quality came a bit late since all the others had that a long time ago, it still offers their quality of experience and perhaps even better. Nevertheless, the 3D devices have a double camera that takes 720p HD 3D video without glasses! Battery life varies over these phones and by far they all suck compared to the old traditional mobile phones. Phone memory is quite similar but is highest on the Galaxy S2 and possibly even better on the iPhone. Processors most of the time include Dual Core chips for double speeds although the Optimus 3D has a Dual Core-Dual Memory IMAP chip to be even faster. Upcoming With many devices being announced daily and 4G network speeds now available in countries such as the US it’s a complex race that is not easy to follow. For example, the latest phones have NFC for mobile shop payments in the future. Also, HTC’s newest devices include larger screens, Beats Audio and much more. Apple is always silent about the future; Samsung has announced devices with 5+ inch screens and almost computer-speed processors - which will be very good for business; whilst for LG it’s quite ambiguous at the moment.

Sixth Form Mercury, November 2011 



Book vs. Film: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy The book Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is, at the very least, a complicated read. A spy book, written by David John Moore Cornwell a spy - going by the alias John le Carre? Complicated…? Very Complicated. Although the fantastic insight into ‘The Circus’ (MI6 to you and me) is absolutely fascinating and extremely well written, the plot does leave a lot to be desired. There are pages and pages of background on various villains’ and heroes’ pasts, which you assume are essential but then seem to have little or no effect on the book’s overall progress, and have the unfortunate effect of simply being very confusing. The plot also doesn’t progress chronologically - seemingly spending more time in flashbacks or recounts than in the actual moment: leaving the reader even more confused, and wondering where and when the action is taking place. Unfortunately, the characters (with the exception of the protagonist, George Smiley) are also almost impossible to keep track of, resulting in the need to constantly flick backwards in the book to check who is who. The ending is also rather poorly done, as although it eventually reveals the titular ‘spy’s’ identity, it does have the rather unfortunate ability of seemingly framing every other possible suspect as well (tinker, tailor, soldier, beggar man and poor man are names used for each character, again adding to the feeling of being totally lost). However when it’s not being frustratingly hard to read, the plot is fast-paced and exciting. The love affair of agent Ricki Tarr and the running of MI6 are both

brilliantly written and make this read a (mostly) very enjoyable one.

The film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has a lot to live up to as a film: fans of le Carre’s novel will want to see something that evokes the same moody tension as the book, whilst newcomers will want to see a film that is easy to relate to and understand while also being completely different to other spy films. Fortunately, this difficult formula works well for most of the film, although at times it does grate. Tinker Tailor focuses on the protagonist George Smiley (Gary Oldman), who must hunt down a Soviet mole within the highest echelons of ‘the Circus’. What makes this film special is that Smiley and his sidekick Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) conduct their investigations by having conversations, instead of shooting up every bad guy they meet, the way James Bond might have done. Their most rebellious action is to sneak into an office. Sounds boring? Not so, since almost every scene has a tightly strung tension that keeps you guessing every action. And indeed, the lines between good guy and bad guy are blurred, such that they eventually become one and the same.

By Henry Stanley and Nikhil Vyas

All this, however, is outclassed by superb acting from Oldman, Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy and Mark Strong (the latter two respectively playing agents Ricki Tarr and Jim Prideaux). There are some problems with this otherwise polished film. The plot can be hard to follow at times, especially due to the amount of flashbacks. Some of the key revelations are either too brief or are not explained, which can lead to further confusion (be prepared for some long conversations/ Wikipedia plot-reading after the film to find out who the mole actually was). Overall, though, the film manages to stay compelling for most of its duration (be warned: it is pretty long). This is a film unlike most other spy thrillers, and is definitely worth a watch for its gripping story and brilliant acting.

Which is best? In almost all cases, we would personally recommend watching a film AFTER the book. But, in the case of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy we would suggest, against our own inhibitions, watching the film first. The excellent acting along with the simplified plot does help when reading the book - for example, in separating the characters - as well making the sequence of the book less confusingly jumbled and, thus, more enjoyable.

Tinker Tailor is one of the most atmospheric films of the year, and focuses as much on the office politics, water-cooler gossip and deadpan banter of the Circus as it does on the investigation itself. This means that the film feels a lot more realistic than most other spy films - along with some genuinely thrilling moments, which are complemented by a fantastic musical score.

Notices  Engineering Club Meetings are on Monday at lunch in the South Study.

High Society Tickets are now on sale for the Christmas production of High Society. A talented cast and great orchestra will combine song and dance, performing some of Cole Porter’s most famous Anyone who is inter- numbers. ested can turn up Performances are 7, 8 and 9 December at 7.30 and get involved. pm. Licensed bar. Tickets are priced at £7.50 (adults) and £5 (children) and can be ordered See you there! through the Wilson’s School Finance Office.

A Candlelit Soiree The Sixth Form Theatre Group presents an evening of theatre across the ages: A Candlelit Soiree, on December 13 in the Lecture Theatre. Admission is free. Bar and snacks available.

Sixth Form Mercury, November 2011 



Uni Fees: Daylight Robbery? We have all seen propaganda splattered across the internet and news, telling us that university fees are going to cripple us all from 2012 (unless we are rich.) I was scouring the internet when it struck me that there is very little out there to oppose this ... scaremongering. I'm here to give you the other side. There is one main reason why these misguidedly negative opinions exist and that is a lack of understanding. These are some of the key questions that people are worried about or have misunderstood.

1. How do I pay off £9,000 a year? This is simple. University fees are no longer paid upfront. What this means is that you don't lose any money going to university. In effect, it's free entry. The money (combined with any accommodation loans - see question 3) is paid off once you are earning £21,000 or more and it comes as 9% of your wage. This doesn’t make it harder for poor people to get in - if anything it makes it easier because your current wealth status is not related to future payments. 2. Won't that affect my adult life? The honest answer to this is no. That 9% is taken away like all other taxes: in

effect you will have never had the money. As the old saying goes, "you can’t miss what you’ve never had."

There is also funding which never needs to be paid back, which is available to the poorest graduates.

With regards to mortgages, all mortgage companies are aware of the new scheme and will not be prejudiced against you when it comes to giving mortgages. Plus the government has plans to monitor this carefully in case of bias.

Finally, universities and colleges offer bursaries which means they will fund your education. To see which of these you may entitled to see the websites listed below.

Finally, the degree you get will be worth more (as the less dedicated students will be put off from going) and that means that your degree will earn you lots more money. As a result, you are likely to be earning enough for that 9% not to matter. And even if you never pay it off, it gets wiped after 30 years, meaning that poor graduates won't have to pay the full amount.

3. How do I pay for living? Universities generally provide at least one year's accommodation - and more so now that funding is to increase. This means that living costs for many students will not be high. Alongside this, the government offers loans (paid back in the same way as fees) based on your financial standing.

To conclude, the scheme helps those students dedicated enough to pay for their education with loans and bursaries. Also, poorer students get more assistance with their living costs, and the lack of upfront payments makes it easier for them to get in. Is this class legislation? I think not!

Useful websites Check your loans: www.studentfinanceyourfuture.direct.gov.uk/ Check the facts www.studentfinance2012.com/files/ StudentGuide.pdf

Newcastle United: The Entertainers Reborn?  Every Saturday evening, millions all around the country tune in to the stalwart friend of Premier League football that is Match of The Day. Some may watch it to see pulsating wars between battling teams such as Stoke and Blackburn. However in general it is teams such as Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal that attract the masses. There was a time, though, a good time, when it was a proud contingent from the north-east clad in black and white that were the team to watch. That’s right readers: the mid- to late-90s was a period for flare, excitement, passion and the Geordie. Kevin Keegan brought champagne football to Tyneside with the simple mentality ‘we will score more goals than you’. This led to heart-stopping action every Saturday, combining tireless endeavour from the heroes of the north, with the cauldron like atmosphere of St. James’s Park, to make a hellish dungeon for visiting teams.

By Kane Walpole

Peter Beardsley marauding down the left, Shearer and Ferdinand destroying defences, David Ginola somehow making the ball speak stanzas of delicate poetry, and Philippe Albert’s moustache, led to the team being branded ‘The Entertainers’. Ah yes, it was a good time to bleed black and white. In recent years, NUFC has fallen somewhat into a limbo in which success has found no place. Relegation and internal conflict have plagued the club that once flew the flag of English football. However, this season has seen Alan Pardew (who was originally an unpopular appointment) breath life and vigour into the soul of the club. An unbeaten league run and a well deserved seat in third place position in the table (at the time of writing) have brought an unfamiliar feeling of joy to the Toon Army - but is it too early to compare this team to the great Entertainers?

By Harley Riman

First things first, The Entertainers have not been reborn. Although results have been outstanding, they have come by means of grit and graft rather than silk and style. However, this does not mean that a monster of equal power has not been conceived. In stark contrast to The Entertainers, the current Newcastle team has the best defensive record in the league and it is upon this sturdy foundation that the team is built. An unfaltering dedication to the cause and a brotherhood within the team is something that the club has not had in recent years, but the current batch of players seems to show all of this and more. This has convinced many that although the excitement of the 90s is a thing of the past, the success the club experienced in those days can be equalled and bettered in the future.