Course Work - Opinion Article

Has the influence of today’s celebrities changed the way of society?

Are the celebrities to blame for the way that some teenagers feel that they must change the way that they are in order to fit into society?

Beth Thorne

The Guardian, Thursday 24 October 2013

Living in an era full of technology, we have more access to the media than ever before. But is all of this unlimited access to social networking sites, television programmes, magazines and many other media forms, brainwashing us all into what we think is what society wants us to be?

We are attacked by magazine covers shoving celebrity news in our faces every second of the day about their love lives and their drug and alcohol abuse, and if I’m completely honest with you I’d rather focus on my life (which is, at times, disastrous), rather than read about how celebrities can’t cope with the fame and the fortune and how it’s ruined what used to be their “perfect life” – when you perfectly know that they are loving every single second of the publicity and attention.

Is it just me, or are celebrities now-a-days getting more obsessed with sex, swearing and smoking? If you ask me, it’s the music business setting them all up to star spiralling out of control after their 21^st Birthday’s just like those of the past, *cough* Lindsay, Britney, Amanda, Paris *cough*. C’mon, who’ll be next then, Miley Cyrus? Who knows? Maybe it will be someone who isn’t in the public eye this time. It could be someone who looks up to one of these celebrities or maybe all of them and thinks its “cool” to take drugs and pose naked in photos and upload them to Twitter or Facebook. This actually brings me to the question, what are the effects of how celebrities act on the youth of today? 

Course Work - Travel Writing

When In Rome

Rome is a treasure trove of monuments and architecture with so much to take in and so many phenomenal views to gaze at while wandering through the city. While roaming through the ancient ruins, it’s incredible to imagine that this city was once at the centre of an enormous and highly cultured empire. With some of the most well-known and beautiful building constructions in the world – not forgetting the art, food, history and most of all, the culture – there  is no doubt that Rome will highly impress.

In the centre of Rome and at the end of the Aqua Virgo is where you’ll find the Fontana de Trevi, or in English, the Trevi Fountain. As Rudolph Wittkower once said, the historical monument was “late baroque classicism”, starring the stunning sculpture taking the spotlight and standing proud at the centre in the fountains façade, is the almighty sea God, Neptune, being pulled in a shell shaped chariot by two sea horses representing the changing nature of the sea as one shows the calmness while the other is showing fury. As well as Neptune, there are statues symbolising Abundance (on the left) and Salubrity (on the right), there is also Agrippa, the general who built the astounding aqueduct. No trip to Rome would be complete without tossing a coin over your shoulder; it’s said that this will bring good luck and a return to Rome. Visiting the fascinating landmark may just bring that magic to your trip.

Not only does the Italian Capital have the Trevi Fountain to offer, but other astonishing buildings that are a must see when in Rome, such as the colosseum, Castel Sant’ and what I think is the most impressive of Rome’s surviving buildings, the Pantheon, dating back to over 2000 years ago and sits in Piazza della Rotonda. Taking a stroll around the inside, it’s difficult to take your eyes off of the beautiful interior and structure of the dome making it hard to believe how long ago it was actually built. Still lined with the original Roman bronze, it creates the main source of light for the whole building adding amazement to the whole building as the earth turns and the light flows around the whole of the interior giving awareness of the magnificence and splendour of the entire architecture.

Bibliography

http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/trevi.htm

http://www.hoteldesartistes.com/rome-travel-guide/2012/06/ten-reasons-why-visit-rome/

http://www.insidersabroad.com/italy/blogs/tourist-blog/posts/a-guide-to-the-trevi-fountain-rome

http://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0703/bcover.html

http://www.rome.info/pantheon/

Technology Blog Article Opening

thegardian


TECHNOLOGY BLOG

 
Twitter: is it worth the tweet?

 
How could a 140-character update lead to the anti-social world we live in today?

 
Beth Thorne

theguardian.com, Monday 13 October 2013

 

With over 100 million active users, Twitter has become one of the biggest social networking sites in the world. It enables people to post or “tweet” their thoughts and actions at that very moment, as well as following various celebrities to keep up to date with the latest in their life styles.

Accessibility to the site may be the cause of why Twitter is so popular. Signing up is an extremely easy process where anyone can sign up and start “tweeting” immediately, as well as following anyone who’s tweets catch your eye. Unlike Facebook, where you would have to wait for your friend to accept your friend request to contact them and access their page, you can just click follow and be updated by their tweets immediately. Twitter apps have also made it even easier to view your friend’s tweets by making the site accessible via mobile phone.

An article by S Johnson from TIME magazine has stated, “Why does the world need this?” and how he doesn’t understand how “alerting [people] about [their] choice of breakfast cereal” is amusing. Many people would agree with this as if “50% of these 100 million users log in everyday” and are writing about their choice of breakfast that morning, it could get quite boring in years to come.

Travel Writing

When In Rome

Rome is a treasure trove of monuments and architecture making my first time visiting Rome extraordinary! There was just so much to take in and the views were phenomenal. Wandering through the ancient ruins (which was the initial reason for why I so desperately wanted to go there); it's incredible to imagine that this city was once at the centre of an enormous and highly cultured empire.

My favourite part of the whole trip would have had to be visiting the Trevi Fountain. I had always wanted to see it after seeing it feature in the film ‘Roman Holiday’ so when I heard I was going to Rome; I almost hit the roof with excitement. The sculptures of Greek Gods and Goddess’ are situated all around the fountain and are truly breathtaking, there’s no question for why this beautiful aqueduct, dating back to 19 BC, is remarkably famous. However, no trip to the Trevi Fountain is complete without tossing a coin over your shoulder, it’s said that this will bring good luck and your return to Rome, which is unquestionably on my to-do list. The fascinating landmark undoubtedly brought some magic to the trip.

Not only does the Eternal City have the Trevi Fountain to offer, but other astonishing buildings that are a must see when in Rome, such as the colosseum, Castel Sant’ Angelo and probably the most impressive of Rome’s surviving buildings, the Pantheon, dating back to over 2000 years ago. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the beautiful interior and structure of the dome, making it hard to believe how long ago it was built.

I have no doubt that I will be returning to Rome as I think there is so much more to see and discover. Everything about my visit to the Italian Capital was delightful, even walking (or in my case, getting lost) in a maze of hidden back streets.

Article

Too Much Talking Not Enough Walking

I still find it difficult to understand why the middle of the corridor is the best place to start to converse

Beth Thorne

The Guardian, Monday 7 October 2013

 

Since when was the corridor used for an area for a group of people gawping at the latest gossip that had darted around the classroom the day before? Well, surprisingly, it’s not. I do not understand the urgency of needing to tell your peers right there and then the latest in current affairs while everyone around you have to weave and dodge their way around like a cat trying to escape the next door neighbour’s dog. It’s just unnecessary.

Have you ever needed to get to somewhere in such a hurry (well I don’t know who hasn’t), whether that was an important meeting, appointment, lesson, and it seems like everyone has decided to have a sit down with a cup of coffee and have a chat with their “bff” right in front of you? Well yes, this seems to happening on more than the odd one occasion. Even to the extent of being everyday and it’s really not applicable in my eyes.

Not to say that there is any problem with having a catch up or a gossip, but is it really the most appropriate place, in the middle of a narrow path, in the way of people, busy people (well, normally busy people)? Don’t get me wrong, I love to have a (normally mind numbing) conversation with someone, but I tend not to make life difficult by going somewhere out of people’s way. I’m sure many others should agree.

Moving on, another situation linking to this subject (and equally nauseating), would be the slow walker. Why, oh why do people walk infuriatingly slowly, again normally they’re found traipsing right in the middle of the corridor. If this was the Savannah, they’d be the Giselle getting their legs ripped off by a heard of lions.

Well, I’m pretty sure many of you are in agreement with me here but if you’re not, well, it may be time for me to put back on the lead.

My Monologue

The style model I used was a monologue from ‘The Fantasticks’ called ‘Don't Let Me Be Normal’.

http://www.stageagent.com/Shows/MonologuesView/1014

Set in the American West. Two neighbouring fathers trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud. The fathers hire travelling actors to stage a mock abduction, so that Matt can heroically seem to save Luisa, ending the supposed feud. When the children discover the deception, they reject the arranged love match and separate.

MATT: Oh god. Please, please, please don’t let this be happening. I had her. I had her so close and now everything’s gone. She’s gone. She was so special. But in a good way. A marvellous way. So much that it made me feel strange to the point where I didn’t even know where my mind wandered too. (Pause.) She spoke to animals sometimes, and it was really quite strange but then when I think about it (subtle smile), it was rather funny. There was always something quite…different about her. (Pause.) Everyday she would be different, interesting. I could never tell whether she was putting on an act or whether she was true and it still frustrates me because I think I really do like her. (Deep breath.) Still like her. Still want to be with her. Quite a lot actually. But my father. Her father. Our fathers. Why? It was all so stupid and pointless. I HATE how they tried to fix something that wasn’t already broken. Something that really could have gone somewhere, but no, not anymore, it’s ruined. I feel like such a fool. I trusted him, who wouldn’t trust their own father, your own flesh and blood? He said, ‘it wasn’t supposed to end that way, Matt, you were supposed to be happy’, ‘I hope you’re proud of yourself, Dad, you’ve taken the only thing I care about away from me’, I said – a bit dramatic I suppose but I wanted him to feel the same pain I did, losing someone you truly cared about. (Long pause.) Her hair had a shade of deep blue when the sun hit it. I remember when she asked me to brush her hair that one time because it made her more relaxed. She told me how she usually brushed it two hundred times exactly every morning to make sure there was absolutely no knots or tangles left. (Subtle smile.) I can’t remember how many times I had brushed through it though – to tell you the truth, I lost count. (Laughter.) She used to get in such states some nights where she would cry and cry…About the silliest things too, but I guess that was all part of how unusual she really was. She said she didn’t mind getting her makeup down her face either because she liked the taste of her tears, she’d always say ‘I cry till the tears come down and I can taste them. I love to taste my tears.’ It was the most peculiar thing. ‘Please god, please, don’t let me be normal!’ was what she'd say, pretty much every night. I miss that about her. Never wanted to fit in with everyone else around here, you know, us normal folk. (Pause.) I still wonder whether she still thinks of me from time to time. (Long pause. Deep breath.) Probably not.