Diversecity

Each year our school presents a unique and exciting variety show. During the summer term, pupils come forward and ask to perform in this annual show. This year we had many different acts, from a sign language group to Bollywood, to an all female tango.

This year’s show started on a sad note with the death of one of our teachers Mr Caddell. Mr Wallace delivered a touching and sensitive speech and dedicated the show to him. There was then a short ballet by one of our junior pupils who was raising money for the Support Japan fund. This was then followed by quotes by many famous leaders including Anug San Suu Kyi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. Then we moved on to our Scottish section consisting of an a’ cappella version of Burns song, ‘A Fond Kiss’ sung by Georgia Gage S5.
There was then a solo highland dance by Rebekah Searl S6 followed by River-dance and Highland dance by students from S3-6. Then Gina Burgess S6 sang ‘Feeling Good’ by Nina Simone.

Then African students who travelled from Durban to Edinburgh took to the stage. There were four students from Umlazi High School and four from Zwelibanzi High School, who are all from the Umlazi Township. They preformed a typical Africa song, sung in their native language and then they were joined by the James Gillespie’s High School choir.

A solo by Zoë King-Beck S6 followed. She sang ‘What a wonderful world’ by Louis Armstrong. This was then followed by a Bollywood dance, choreographed by a former student and preformed by S5-6 students. There was then a Hip-Hop dance preformed by Lisa He, Vayda Okap and Temeka Holmes, S3. They were then followed by S6 boys performing a Hakka. They ended by them running into the audience as the Junior Cheerleader came on. They were then followed by the Senior Cheerleaders and a video was played of them performing at Murryfeild stadium.

During the 20 minute interval there was a chance to buy Fairtrade chocolate, fruits and biscuits from a stall run by three S4 students. There was also a Fairtrade stall selling jewellery, pictures and clothing with profits going to a Stroke organisation in memory of Mr Caddell. There was also a chance to write a message book for Mr Caddell’s family.
The second half starts with a Sign language dance by S1 and S2 students. They danced to Signmarks, ‘Against the wall’ and they used UV lights to show their hands. Then there was another Hip-Hop dance choreographed by Mrs Halliday featuring students from S4 and S5. There was then an a cappella solo by Rosie Sparks singing ‘Ain’t no sunshine’ by Bill Withers. That was followed by another solo, sung by Louis Staples. He sang ‘Someone like you’ by Adele. There was then a performance by the break dancers from S6 which was followed by the Jazz band playing the South African national anthem sung by the African students. There was then a Tango preformed by four 6th year girls. They danced to ‘El Tango de Roxanne’ from the musical Moulin Rouge. Then the choir preformed a medley with a solo by Temeka Holmes and Ailis Ball S3. The choir was directed by Natasha Hughes S6. The final solo was by Megan Jones with three backing singers. Megan sung ‘In know where I’ve been’ from the musical Hairspray. The final performance was the S6 Salsa which features all the S6’s on stage, dancing at the same time. Finally the finale let all the acts take a bow before the final song. The ensemble all sang ‘Lean on Me’ by Bill Withers with a short solo from everyone who had already sang a solo.

‘Lean on Me’ is Mr Wallace’s favourite song and our school will never be the same without him. We all hope Diversecity will continue even with the school decant and the new school building. But it will never be the same without our amazing Head teacher or the wonderful Mrs Chetty, who every year runs Diversecity and puts on a great show. Without them, our school will not be the same.

Texting Hell by Vincent

A study from Ohio State University found that more than 1,000 emergency room visits during 2008 were caused by texting pedestrians, or distracted walkers. Several recent cases confirm the hazards associated with walking while texting, talking on cell phones, or listening to mobile devices. A teenage girl by the name of Alexa Longueria in New York City fell six feet through an open manhole while texting. She sustained minor injuries but was exposed to raw sewage. The Longeuria family said they plan to file a lawsuit but who can they sue on account of the daughter’s stupidity. Again in Florida another teen stepped into the path of oncoming cars as he crossed a busy city street while texting and died from the injuries he received. Also a university student stepped in front of a bus while jogging and listening to an iPod in North Carolina. It is also a fact that at least three people in the Washington D.C. area have died in accidents this past year while wearing headphones or texting while walking. As these few examples indicate, walking while using electronic devices has become a common hazard that needs to be addressed and soon.

A Kitten in a Pipe (A Story of Love, Life and Everything in between) by KittenLover

A four-week old kitten was rescued from the inside of a tiny pipe, a few days ago. A concerned Californian citizen dropped the kitten off at the fire-station in Redding, northern California. The fire-fighters said that: ‘the cat already seemed very traumatised. We could tell by the way it was crying’. They gently managed to cut the pipe in half with a mechanical pipe-cutter and the kitten was freed. They named the kitten Piper. After a bath and some food the kitten was ready for adoption, and a local television station has adopted the kitten. The fire-fighters which rescued the kitten have been given visiting rights towards the kitten. Though kittens are often stuck in pipes, this was reported to have been the worst case for years and it was said that Piper was very lucky to have survived at all…

Top 10 of Everything by ChiChi and RaButts

Annoying Celebrities

10. BRITNEY SPEARS
9. KATE MIDDLETON
8. LINDSAY LOHAN
7. LADY GAGA
6. GOKWAN
5. PETER ANDRE
4. CHERYL COLE
3. SARAH PALIN
2. PARIS HILTON
1. KATIE PRICE/JORDAN

Films 2010/11

10. NEVER LET ME GO
9. TOY STORY 3
8. EASY A
7. INCEPTION
6. KICK ASS
5. THE KING'S SPEECH
4. 127 HOURS
3. TRUE GRIT
2. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
1. BLACK SWAN


Animated films

10. SHREK
9. FINDING NEMO
8. RATATOUILLE
7. UP
6. THE INCREDIBLES
5. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
4. TOY STORY
3. CHICKEN RUN
2. SPIRITED AWAY
1. LION KING

Bars made of chocolate
10. TWIX

9. MILKY WAY

8. WISPA

7. SNICKERS

6. CRUNCHIE

5. WHIPPLE-SCRUMPTIOUS FUDGEMALLOW DELIGHT

4. FUDGE

3. BOUNTY

2. DOUBLE DECKER

1. MARS

Ratatouille - Review by TheAmazingCinephile

This film is my 2nd favorite animation of all time, coming in very closely behind Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece Spirited Away, and here's my review explaining exactly why that is.

Now, it takes a lot for an animation to have full impact on me. There is only four animations on the entire planet that I would give full marks: This, Spirited Away, Beauty and the Beast and Princess Mononoke. Others will only get 90s, 80s, and so on, and that is because they almost never have the same impact on me as live action films. Now, Pixar succeed in almost every adventure they take. I love most of their films, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo and Toy Story are all great, and I love them - but I simply don't find them even comparable to most live action films. However, one day, I set eyes on a film that didn't change my opinion on this, but made me realize that there is certainly exceptions to the rule. And that film was Ratatouille. Now, a lot of people call this the most overrated Pixar film out there - well, I call opposite. And in the coming paragraphs, I'm going to explain why I call opposite.

First of all, the beauty of the animation completely blows you away within the first few seconds - in most of Pixar's animations, the animation often moves fast, so we don't really get to stop and look at it. But in Ratatouille, it is slow paced, so we really get to admire Pixar's technical genius. The blend of Remy's narration and the opening scene of him hurtling out of a window was just bliss for me. "That's me, I'm a rat", Remy announces are we are introduced to the first character. "That's my brother, Emile, he's easily impressed.", he says as we are introduces to the charming yet stupid character of Remy's brother. "That's my dad, the leader of the clan. He's neeeeeeeeeeeever impressed." What's great about this film is that it establishes it's plot very early on in the film but doesn't dive too deeply into it at the start, so there is an open space for change of scenario. By Pixar trend, it's normally straight into the frontal plot and forward. But in Ratatouille, Remy is the "poison checker" for his clan. Then, suddenly, the rat clan are forced to evacuate after the roof they live in collapses. Remy is seperated from his family in the chaos, and then discovers he is actually in Paris. He is guided to Gusteau's resteraunt by the deceased Gusteau, who tells him "Anybody can cook". Remy is hesistant to this at first, but later on in the film, he meets Linguini, a young man who's mother has died who gets a job at Gusteau's under the new strict chef, due to a wish from his mother after her death. They unite to help Linguini become a recognised chef and become more popular.

The characters in this film are just as sweet and charming as any average Pixar character, but the have something extra added on, they're extremely interesting. Now, I'm not saying that Pixar characters are interesting, because I'd be very wrong in saying that, but these characters are especially interesting - in exactly the same way. Both leads (Remy and Linguini), are ultimately confused as to what they want in life. Remy is confused as to whether he wants to become a famous rat chef due to his love for food, or do his father and clan proud by continuing to help out with the plan. Linguini is confused as to whether he wants to keep pretending to be able to cook, or just give up and follow another path. Now, even though the two characters never actually speak throughout the entire film, the bond and understanding between them is obvious. Even in the humorous moments between them, you still see the connections between their wishes and aspirations, and this continues throughout the entire film, to create something unique - almost perfect character chemistry - without dialog.

The script is not one of the films strongest aspects, but it's still witty and fun enough to satisfy. Remy's narration is very captivating and interesting. Some of it is quite funny, like the dialog between Linguini and his kitchen colleagues, such as his soon to be girlfriend and his strict boss, who is convinced that a rat is helping him. The dialog deftly blends with the animation and the emotion of the characters, and you will never feel uninvolved with the film. Another peak of the script is the awkward speaking from Linguini, it always makes you feel sorry for him but it also always make you want to chuckle a bit. Another good aspect of the dialog is the lines Gusteau has, especially the famous "Anybody can cook" line. However, I particularly enjoyed the line, "Food will always come to those who love to cook." The script, animation and characters all blend together to create a great atmosphere around the film and also make the plot a lot more fun to follow.

I believe this is Pixar's best adventure. This is simply because it had the most emotional impact on me. I thought that even though Pixar always have a high level of quality within their motion pictures, this just blew all the other ones out of the water. This film is just something out of this world. Almost every aspect of this film is good in one way or another. It is great animation and entertaining for all ages. There is rarely a boring moment in the film and you always feel involved completely in the entire film. There is not one person I wouldn't recommend this to. Also, back to the point of people calling this the most overrated Pixar flick - I just do not understand how people can even think that. It has such involving characters, a satisfying script, nice animation and a great plot. My most overrated Pixar film is Monsters, Inc. (sorry), but I do not believe that that film has anywhere near as much quality as other Pixar films.

As a conclusion, I truly truly love this film (you probably gathered that already), but seriously, this is one of my favorite animations and films of all time. It is truly genius. I actually cannot find a speck of serious fault in this film. It is entertaining and mesmerising from the first frame to the very last. This film is great no matter what mood you are in, and if you are in a bad one, it will most certainly cheer you up, unless you're a heartless bastard of course. But really, this film has amazing social and cultural resonance and I truly love it. It, along with the other 3 animations that I listed earlier on in the review, are the only 4 animations to truly have a full emotional impact on me, and I hope that I have told you why in a detailed way. So, if you have not seen this film, please see it. Just give it a chance. If you are put off by people calling it overrated, then don't listen, they are idiots. This film is absolutely brilliant, and I will treasure it forever.

Drug Facts - by SS

Many people are affected in the UK of being addicted to illegal drugs. People can be addicted to many different substances, from alcohol and illegal drugs to prescription medicines, as well as to some types of behaviour. Addiction is one of the problems that many addicts have, its when you cant help yourself take drugs constantly. You get so addicted to it that you fall ill. People die of addiction.

There are varities of drugs that harm you. Some drugs are good for you. You need them when you are ill but some are far too bad for your health when you take them aimlessly.

These are some of the drugs people get addicted to:

Alcohol - where do you cross the line from social drinking to addiction?

Amphetamines - some of the most commonly used illegal drugs, these synthetic drugs used as stimulants.
Cannabis - there's evidence it can help with some conditions.
Cocaine - renowned for being one of the most dangerous drugs.
Ecstasy - immediate or short-term effects include an increased heart rate.
Heroin - renowned for being one of the most dangerous drugs.
There are many ways to take drugs:
• Injecting yourself
• Chewing tablets
• Drinking it
• Sniffing it
And many more…

The SLI Phenomenon by Vincent

SLI standing for Street Light Interference is a phenomenon in which certain individuals claim to have obtained the ability to cause the spontaneous extinguishing of street lamps at night. These individuals dubbed as SLIders invite a rather controversial reputation but if true the claims carry profound implications for science and for our knowledge of human abilities. However inconceivable this concept may be there are documented cases of the SLI phenomenon, such as Jeff F from Illinois claims to be a procurer of such an unusual gift and offered this account of his experiences;

The most recent event occurred just before Christmas, in a shopping mall near my home. There were a great many lights in the lot: it was snowing that evening. One went out as we got out of the car. My children and I exclaimed, “We got one” as we usually do. On our way out, the same light went out again. We started driving around the lot looking for another “victim”. We would pick out the ones that looked a little dimmer and drive under them. If it did not go out right away, we would wait or yell POW (just for effect, I think) until we were able to knock out around six, including the same one three times.

Another incident occurred in Indianapolis. I just happened to be discussing this phenomenon with a couple of business friends over a drink. One of them had witnessed this on a prior occasion. The other, of course, thought we were nuts. When we went to the parking lot to get to our car, I got one. We all laughed at the “coincidence”. As we were driving to a restaurant and waiting at a stop light, another went out. More laughter from us as we just converted another non-believer!

People experience the SLI phenomenon in many different ways. For some it is a frequent occurrence and in other cases it is a once in a blue moon dismissed coincidence but there is scientific evidence of this phenomenon existing in places other than people’s heads. But a question frequently asked is what science this ability comes under. The probable answer is several disciplines working together. The aspect of light involved is clearly a state accounted for by physics and any biological aspects are disputable. Other sciences involved are psychologist, anthropology and parapsychology. There is not a great amount of research put into proving this phenomenon because scientists fail to see the befit of this ability. So SLI still remains in the grey zone between theory and myth.