Our politics class, plus a few more stragglers, are now part of a Parliamentary Debating Club organised by the one and only Mr. Little.
Mr. Little plans to use our debating skills to take over the world by entering us in a competition, for which we have to record a video of our own PMQ's and another of a Parliamentary Debate.
Yesterday, Mr. Little (who is still suffering from man flu, and apparently "only being kept alive by lemsips") decided who would be who in our first attempt at a PMQ's. We have 6 Labour MPs (led by PM Sophia), 5 Tory MPs, and 3 LibDems. Due to my excessively long hair last week, I was given the job of backbencher LibDem, which I have no problems with, and its possibly the position that best suits my beliefs.
By next Friday I need to have thought up some questions that I can ask the PM, as well as decide upon the name of my constituency (I've thought up some great options!)
More updates on this later - with any luck, Labour will ask some pointless questions praising the PM, the Cons will batter the PM like anything, and we will ask some sensible questions that no one really cares about, and it will have been a realistic PMQ's!
Showing posts with label notre dame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notre dame. Show all posts
24 February, 2007
11 January, 2007
Exams (Kerching)
So I've now added labels to all my posts (after working out how to update my blog to the latest thingy with wotsits and so on) and so I just thought I'd mention that at the start of the post.
So we begin with Maths C1 - a module in which I had previously had varying success across the term. Some of my homeworks have been as low as Ungraded, while my top pieces have been B's, as well as several A's! I was predicted an A before the test, and I would be happy enough with a B, but after sitting in the exam for an hour and a half, I came out smiling inside. I think I done really well, and am pretty sure I done well enough to get the A I wanted. Just hoping that I done as well as I think I did! =D
Then onto my other Exams - Government and Politics GOV1 & GOV2. I done my best, and answered definition questions on: mandate, party splits, campaign strategies, and potential members, and essay questions on referendums & giving electorate a chance to influence the government, geographical factors & voting behavior, party conferences & less policy, and pressure groups & the democratic process.
I think I made the right choices (maybe I thought I hadn't got a chance with some of the other questions!) but although everyone else thinks they done badly and failed, i think I done relatively well in both =D
Got to wait for the results in march, but I expect to be happy when they arrive - hoping for at least 2 Bs, but an A would be fantastic if I could get one.
So we begin with Maths C1 - a module in which I had previously had varying success across the term. Some of my homeworks have been as low as Ungraded, while my top pieces have been B's, as well as several A's! I was predicted an A before the test, and I would be happy enough with a B, but after sitting in the exam for an hour and a half, I came out smiling inside. I think I done really well, and am pretty sure I done well enough to get the A I wanted. Just hoping that I done as well as I think I did! =D
Then onto my other Exams - Government and Politics GOV1 & GOV2. I done my best, and answered definition questions on: mandate, party splits, campaign strategies, and potential members, and essay questions on referendums & giving electorate a chance to influence the government, geographical factors & voting behavior, party conferences & less policy, and pressure groups & the democratic process.
I think I made the right choices (maybe I thought I hadn't got a chance with some of the other questions!) but although everyone else thinks they done badly and failed, i think I done relatively well in both =D
Got to wait for the results in march, but I expect to be happy when they arrive - hoping for at least 2 Bs, but an A would be fantastic if I could get one.
27 October, 2006
Drugs and Youth Culture
As everyone knows, "Drug use among young people has become a normal part of dance and youth culture... and research [in 1999] revealed that young people attending dance venues considered drug usage as commonplace, with 78% of the 222 respondents stating they had used drugs at some stage..." blah blah blah.
But how true is this really?
I can only speak from my own experiences, as statistics can be warped in any direction to make them say what you want them to.
At my high school, I was aware of heavy alcohol abuse as well as pupils as young as 12 smoking tobacco, and several pupils as young as 14 smoking cannabis and taking other drugs (you try not to enquire too much when it seems that serious), but in year 11, there were only probably 5 or 6 out of 120 who were regularly taking or smoking illegal drugs. I understand that it is likely that a higher proportion of pupils in inner city schools will take drugs then in my little rural school, but as much as 78% of "youths"?
In my current sixth form there appears to be no drug abuse - legal tobacco smoking and drinking, but nothing worse. Knowing a fraction of the year group I couldn't think of more than 2 or three out of 250 who I could imagine EVER taking drugs, let alone those actually taking them.
However, after the party I attended on Friday night I might be able to fully contradict myself. The fancy dress party, which was held at a scout hut for charity, resulted in the evening being cut short, the police being called, and an ambulance taking one girl to stay in hospital overnight. Rumors suggest she tried mixing alcohol and drugs, though I can't say for certain.
It makes me think, if this is what can happen at a charity disco full of 16/17 year olds all attending one of the best sixth forms in the county, then surely nightclubs and other parties of 18/19/20 year olds could potentially be far worse...
However, I myself am not worried. (I know that I don't drink and the only drugs I've ever taken have been Calpol, Paracetamol and other prescribed medication!) But is this cause for concern for the police and the government? Should certain drugs be legalised to cut down their use, and make sure that those using them use them properly and safely?
Who knows? There seems to be little debate going on among the political parties and the media at the present time.
But how true is this really?
I can only speak from my own experiences, as statistics can be warped in any direction to make them say what you want them to.
At my high school, I was aware of heavy alcohol abuse as well as pupils as young as 12 smoking tobacco, and several pupils as young as 14 smoking cannabis and taking other drugs (you try not to enquire too much when it seems that serious), but in year 11, there were only probably 5 or 6 out of 120 who were regularly taking or smoking illegal drugs. I understand that it is likely that a higher proportion of pupils in inner city schools will take drugs then in my little rural school, but as much as 78% of "youths"?
In my current sixth form there appears to be no drug abuse - legal tobacco smoking and drinking, but nothing worse. Knowing a fraction of the year group I couldn't think of more than 2 or three out of 250 who I could imagine EVER taking drugs, let alone those actually taking them.
However, after the party I attended on Friday night I might be able to fully contradict myself. The fancy dress party, which was held at a scout hut for charity, resulted in the evening being cut short, the police being called, and an ambulance taking one girl to stay in hospital overnight. Rumors suggest she tried mixing alcohol and drugs, though I can't say for certain.
It makes me think, if this is what can happen at a charity disco full of 16/17 year olds all attending one of the best sixth forms in the county, then surely nightclubs and other parties of 18/19/20 year olds could potentially be far worse...
However, I myself am not worried. (I know that I don't drink and the only drugs I've ever taken have been Calpol, Paracetamol and other prescribed medication!) But is this cause for concern for the police and the government? Should certain drugs be legalised to cut down their use, and make sure that those using them use them properly and safely?
Who knows? There seems to be little debate going on among the political parties and the media at the present time.
03 October, 2006
A Whole New Blog
Wow, my very own blog - always wanted one of those...
But sarcasm aside, blogs can be cool; it just depends on what you talk about.
Not much has happened to me recently except the most obvious big change of moving to a big new school: Notre Dame Sixth Form.
It has to be one of the best changes that's happened in my life, as I've got a good group of friends - some of whom I've carried over from High School, but most of whom I have only met in the last few weeks. This includes my new girlfriend Kate.
Lessons are good too - it makes a big difference when you are learning subjects that you want to do rather than ones that you have to do (except that the evil Cathaholics force us to do RE for an hour a week).
Maths (Mrs Hayes & Mr Eaton) - very tough, but I'm just about keeping up with the rest of the class...
Music (Mr Milne, Mr McKee & Dr Stoppard) - despite getting an A at GCSE with no help from my high school teacher whatsoever, I am finding this quite tough.
German (Miss Clerehugh & Mrs Beckford) - This is going well. I've struggled with my memory and some of the vocab tests we've had, but I'm doing well with my grammer and can make sense more rightly in German than what I do when I am speaking my English best.
Chemistry (Mr Morley and Mrs Alcocer) - Not a lesson I expected to be doing at A-Level, and I'm still considering the drop as 5 subjects is too much. Mr Morley couldn't make his lessons more enjoyable - with setting fire to anything that moves (or doesn't move, in the case of the deoderant can and gas tap!!)
Government & Politics (Mr Little) - Taught by the most important Tory in Norwich South, Politics in fun yet very fast moving. As I have the lessons after school I find it more enjoyable than the other subjects, and it currently looks as though it will only run as a year course. Mr Little is alright for a Conservative, and you can find his blog at http://www.antonylittle.blogspot.com/ - he likes three-legged lesbian dwarves and blueberry muffins, however his dislikes include Save The Badgers Appeal, Margaret Thatchers denial that she is really a man and bearded sandal-wearing LibDems *at this point I will say that at the last general election Mr Little (23%) failed to get as many votes as the LibDem candidate (Andrew Aalders-Dunthorpe (29%) - who only done better due to his hilarious name) so clearly Mr Little isn't up to scratch with his Propaganda.
Oh dear - I seem to have spent most of the blog going off the point and talking about Mr Little... never mind! At least my Oak tree isn't "more of a tree than an Oak tree" (David Cameron).
Thanks, Linden Parker.
Any comments welcome.
But sarcasm aside, blogs can be cool; it just depends on what you talk about.
Not much has happened to me recently except the most obvious big change of moving to a big new school: Notre Dame Sixth Form.
It has to be one of the best changes that's happened in my life, as I've got a good group of friends - some of whom I've carried over from High School, but most of whom I have only met in the last few weeks. This includes my new girlfriend Kate.
Lessons are good too - it makes a big difference when you are learning subjects that you want to do rather than ones that you have to do (except that the evil Cathaholics force us to do RE for an hour a week).
Maths (Mrs Hayes & Mr Eaton) - very tough, but I'm just about keeping up with the rest of the class...
Music (Mr Milne, Mr McKee & Dr Stoppard) - despite getting an A at GCSE with no help from my high school teacher whatsoever, I am finding this quite tough.
German (Miss Clerehugh & Mrs Beckford) - This is going well. I've struggled with my memory and some of the vocab tests we've had, but I'm doing well with my grammer and can make sense more rightly in German than what I do when I am speaking my English best.
Chemistry (Mr Morley and Mrs Alcocer) - Not a lesson I expected to be doing at A-Level, and I'm still considering the drop as 5 subjects is too much. Mr Morley couldn't make his lessons more enjoyable - with setting fire to anything that moves (or doesn't move, in the case of the deoderant can and gas tap!!)
Government & Politics (Mr Little) - Taught by the most important Tory in Norwich South, Politics in fun yet very fast moving. As I have the lessons after school I find it more enjoyable than the other subjects, and it currently looks as though it will only run as a year course. Mr Little is alright for a Conservative, and you can find his blog at http://www.antonylittle.blogspot.com/ - he likes three-legged lesbian dwarves and blueberry muffins, however his dislikes include Save The Badgers Appeal, Margaret Thatchers denial that she is really a man and bearded sandal-wearing LibDems *at this point I will say that at the last general election Mr Little (23%) failed to get as many votes as the LibDem candidate (Andrew Aalders-Dunthorpe (29%) - who only done better due to his hilarious name) so clearly Mr Little isn't up to scratch with his Propaganda.
Oh dear - I seem to have spent most of the blog going off the point and talking about Mr Little... never mind! At least my Oak tree isn't "more of a tree than an Oak tree" (David Cameron).
Thanks, Linden Parker.
Any comments welcome.
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