Pistorius - freak accident or just cold blooded murder?

 A topic of huge controversy of late has been the Oscar Pistorius sentencing, which was finalised three days ago on the 21st October, over a year and a half after the crime was committed. I'm just going to come out and say it, personally, I think it was premeditated and that Pistorius was fully aware of who he was killing. There are a number of reasons why I have reached this conclusion, one of which being that he told the security guards for the housing estate that everything was "fine" when they rang to check after hearing gunshots. Now it could be argued in hearing this that perhaps Pistorius went into a panic mode, was freaking out after accidentally shooting his girlfriend, and didn't want to tell anybody in case they thought he had murdered her. However, there are so many more pieces to the puzzle which suggest that what he did was pre-planned and completely intentional.

 According to the Daily Mail (dodgy I know, but still believable) two witnesses heard SCREAMS between gunshots, which implies Pistorius was aware that he was not shooting an intruder, but Reeva Steenkamp instead. There is also evidence taken from his browsing history on his computer which suggests that a happy, romantic Valentine's evening was never on the cards.

 In the trial Pistorius's lawyer seemed to be frantically looking around for alibis, even resorting to mentioning his disability randomly at one point, a factor that should not have influenced the judge's verdict. However in my opinion I feel the evidence was not consulted properly, there was STACKS that pointed towards a man guilty of murder, and NOT culpable homicide. It's an atrocity that a man found guilty of killing his innocent girlfriend could be released from prison after serving just NINE MONTHS of his measly five year sentence depending on his behaviour. A disgusting and completely unfair verdict.

education at it's worst

Hey everyone,

 So the last thing I want to do is have a huge rant and get myself worked up about this issue, but I feel that in order to express my feelings I must use my literary skills to my advantage. After all, nothing makes a piece of writing shine like a flame of passion!

 To begin with,  I'll give you the facts; I attend a grammar school with approximately 120 (possibly more now) students in each year group. It's a selective school, meaning that you need to take an entrance exam at the age of 11. So clearly, there are a lot of people in the school striving to do their best, but also a lot of people with natural intelligence. 

 Now, every year, the school hosts a prize evening, commending the people with the most passion, or highest attainment in certain subjects. This is all well and good, until you sit there in your final and seventh year at the school and realise that not ONCE, have you received any sort of recognition, be it success in a particular subject, passion for something, or talent in a sport. Then you think back through the years to who else is in your position, and you see that it is pretty much the same people having to sit and hear how well others are doing, when they too are succeeding and progressing in their learning.

 As I said, I feel strongly about this, as I feel it a disgustingly unfair system, however my aim is not to take anything from the girls who do win prizes, as a majority do deserve them, however there are a few which I feel could have been more fairly allocated, or simply not at all. This is a topic which has been bugging me every year, and now I have finally plucked up courage to speak out about it.

 People will say I'm jealous and bitter, and I will completely agree with them, but it is not through my own doings. This system of prize giving has made me dislike my school, but more importantly dislike my classroom self for not being the best - not a feeling a teenage year old girl should have, what with all the other stresses we must endure.

 Giving praise is absolutely necessary in education, but why is that praise often in selective schools only allocated to those who achieve multiple As or A*s?

Many grammar schools and colleges wonder why the enthusiasm and thirst for learning is slowly dripping from their hierarchical education system, yet will they look in the mirror and see that they are the ones that need to make a change? Not a chance.

Charlie x

a stressful start...

A pleasant introduction is always essential, so, so as not to be rude, I would like to introduce myself. I'm Charlie, I'm 17 years old, and in my final year at school.  Final year can only mean one thing, and that is stress, and a lot of it at that! Since the first week of September my friends and I have been absolutely bombarded with sheets upon sheets of paperwork screaming "UCAS", "PERSONAL STATEMENT" and "URGENT: TIME IS RUNNING OUT" at us. Does anyone else feel like it's all come around a bit too  suddenly for their liking? Two of my best friends have turned 18, and are stepping up into the big wide world of adulthood. It isn't long until I'll be forced into their shoes and become a mature, sophisticated female too. But I can't help wistfully looking back at the 13-year-old me and feeling a little jealous, and frankly idiotic for simply wishing my teenage years away only to probably find out that being 18 isn't  all it's cracked up to be.
All the stress seems to be piling up around everyone at the moment, and we haven't even hit October half term yet! I tried for a week to get back into my gym routine that had long become dormant , but studying three A2 levels is much harder than what it says on the packaging! I'm trying to think positively at the moment, but it's so difficult on a Monday morning knowing I still have to sit through five days worth of teaching before the weekend sprints past again, leaving me to repeat the same sad cycle all over again.
Despite all this, Christmas is on it's way, a time for good cheer, so I'm keeping my smile for now!

Charlie x