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three days
in D.C.
social not-working
VYM launch party
ALSO INSIDE // local bands, photo competition, UKYP oxfordshire, the snow day...
[email protected] // issue 2 // spring 09 // free
2
welcome to issue II
youth cabinet
the VYM team
we want your work!
We are a group of young people
from the Vale of the White Horse
interested in getting the views of
young people heard. The Youth
Forum elected us and we usually
meet twice between forums.
The first generation of cabinet
members have sadly now
reached the end of their term so
a new membership was recently
elected at the Youth Forum. This
team will be working hard this
year to achieve as much as
possible on existing and new
campaigns.
We believe that there’s not
enough good communication
about stuff to do in the Vale and
we want to give young people
more to do in their local area and
make existing activities and
events more accessible.
Disclaimer….VYM was devised by a sub group of the
Youth Cabinet which is part of the Vale Youth Forum
and is supported and run by the Vale of White Horse
District Council. The views in VYM are those of the
young people and not the council. In case you hadn’t
realised already.
VYM is a non-profit zine based on contributions from all young people from the Vale.
This is basically a canvas to get your work out there, so go ahead and send your stuff to
[email protected]. We will take a look at everything sent in but we’re only 12 pages so
unfortunately not all work can be featured. You can also come join the VYM page on
Facebook for more info and updates.
Editor
Lucy Killoran
Contributors
The Vale Youth Cabinet,
Gemma Quayle, Chris
Tolley and Matt Ayres.
Welcome back to another triumphant issue of
VYM! Its been an insane time here at VYM HQ; what
with the new cabinet elections and getting the newbies
all settled in (they don’t know what they’ve let
themselves in for!). Anyway we’ve finally managed to
churn out another sterling copy of the Vale’s favourite
zine and we hope you have some fun reading it.
In this issue we’ve got a look at social networking
sites, you know, the ones that steal hours of our lives, a
review of the VYM launch party, political tales from
across the pond - a college trip to Washington D.C., stuff
about local bands, stuff about that crazy snow day and
lots more. It’s all gripping stuff so don’t let me keep you
a moment longer.
AND also a big thanks to all the people who
contributed to this issue :) It’s been great getting in
contact with you lot so remember to send in your own
stuff for the next issue!
you stay classy,
Lucy x
This initiative is funded
by the Department for
Education and Skills
through the Youth
Opportunity
Fund/Youth Capital
Fund.
VYM’s top rated community sites with a bit extra:
flickr.com - the ul�mate image sharing tool. check out userwilliam eleven’s photostream [featured on this page]last.fm - awesome music recomenda�on system!deviantart.com - upload, discuss and sell artworkravelry.com - a kni�ng and crochet community... W
ORT
H A
G
OO
GLE
...
facespaceare we in danger of selling our souls to social networking?Ever find yourself sat in front of a computer screen: pa�ently wai�ng for the internet to load, ready to start that all-important homework, when you are overwhelmed with a sudden urge to check your Facebook/Bebo/Myspace? Half an hour later you’ve dropped all mo�va�ons of work and are si�ing steadily through the masses of updates added by some classroom acquaintance, or subconsciously stalking the profile of that guy or gal you’ve got the hots for. Yes, it is definitely clear to me that the consensus among most young people is that social networking sites are wonderful crea�ons.
I do, however, feel that as I cast an envious eye over the jet-set lives of my friends and acquaintances, I cannot help but sink into a feeling of slight inadequacy – why have all my peers sauntered off to a bloody rave while I’m sat all on my lonesome supposedly “doing work”? Surely they’re having more fun than me?
Of course, I would have thought that people only reveal the glossy highlights of their lives (the trip to Thorpe Park, a holiday to New York) leaving all the boring stuff to an absolute minimum. Reels and reels of albums full to the brim of a�empts to look sexy and sophis�cated, and met suppor�vely by the best friend’s “you look lush babes, just like a model”, followed by “aww, thanks mate…but im not really lol”. Well, sorry to be blunt, but if you thought you looked so ugly, then why the hell did you broadcast it on the internet, huh? Ahh, modesty is such a beau�ful trait in a social networker.
But even the biggest of show-offs are somehow debatable. A friend told me not so long ago that she was walking past a group of young girls shopping in Oxford, when she heard them say, deadly serious, that if they didn’t take heaps of snaps of each other having fun and put them on Facebook, then the event might have just as well never existed.
3
by
Gemma Quayle
It’s an insane switch of reality to the virtual world and vice-versa. Social-networking does so much more than it says on the �n. For instance, on Facebook you can buy your beloved friends gi�s like teddy bears, and even drinks. Now, I don’t know about you, but when a mate offers me a coke, I’d generally like to be able to...uh...drink it?
And then there’s all those fascina�ng applica�ons, where at a couple of mouse clicks you can discover what Disney song describes your life, what kind of mum you’ll be, what fruit you are (apparently I’m a pomegranate?!). Literally anything you ever wanted to know about your personality is right there at your finger�ps.
But a�er several months of intense addic�on to these sites, it has become nothing more than a chore dele�ng all the invita�ons for pillow fights that have piled up in my inbox. And anyway, aren’t we the ones who should be the biggest experts on ourselves as people? Surely no-one can be that naive as to trust a website to tell them their deepest quali�es…can they?
So, do I think social-networking has gone off on a bizarre and highly addic�ve tangent? Yes. But over the past few months I have learnt to tweak the system to my advantage; by using it to keep in touch with my mates near and far and keeping acutely gorgeous photos of myself to a minimum, there is no harm done in keeping a li�le bit of myself accessible only by URL.
four bands. free crisps. the night history was m
4
by Lucy Killoran photography by Lo
October 3rd 2008 was the day that VYM was brought kicking and screaming into the world at the NET in Abingdon. Kids from all over the Vale came down to celebrate the official release of issue one, and also to bask in the lovely noise created by four local groups. The night went swimmingly, punctuated by regular VYM t-shirt giveaways and of course the cu�ng of the lovingly made VYM cake.
Joe & James opened the night with a set of melodic and memorable tunes inspired by tales from Abingdon life. Lots of fans were there and the set went down nicely with the crowd. They were followed by a frankly awesome set from up and coming Oxford DJ cigare�es&coffee. He played some wicked tracks and expertly mixed his way throughthe set. The crowd were ge�ng involvedand throwing some shapes which broughta really fun vibe to the show. EDWIN stormed the stage next with a blindingset of all their best tracks. They playeda �ght five song selec�on of poppy indie danceyniceness and kept the crowd moving. DJ Berend DB finished off the night with another drum and bass set which inspired some of the most interes�ng dance moves of the night.
The night was documented by local young photographers Louis Taylor and Will Elsom, both of whom I strongly recommend you hunt down on flickr.com!
Overall the event was a success andreally embodied the spirit of VYM; tohave a laugh and to make stuff happenwhile you’re at it. All the bands can befound on myspace, bebo or similar cyberspace loca�ons; give them a search and support your local music scene :)
made.
5
local indie heroes EDWIN
awesome drum and bass from cigare�es&coffee
Joe & James
cu�ng the VYM cake. jokes.
ouis Taylor and Will Elsom (william eleven): check them both out on flickr.com
6
three days in D This February the Government
and Politics class from Abingdon and
Witney College secured funding to take
a trip to America. This was no holiday
though, the destination was Washington D.C.:
the political capital of arguably the most
powerful nation in the world.
We set off at stupid o’ clock on the
morning of February 5th; the day when England
had decided to try and keep us at home by
snowing about half a metre. After epic early
morning efforts - I personally had to push the
car up my road through the snow - we all
arrived at college to board the minibus to the
airport.
The seven hour flight passed without
much hassle due to the phenomenal in-flight
entertainment system and before we knew it
we had arrived in D.C. We finally got to the hotel
in the early evening after brief negotiations
with customs. Yes, one of our team leaders had
forgotten he had a bunch of bananas in his bag
and was pulled away from the group for
questioning. We got some dinner and went to
bed, incredibly jetlagged but excited about the
next few days.
We spent our first day being hardcore
tourists. After figuring out the Metro system we
headed straight for the legislative centre of
America - Congress (pictured). This was an
absolutely immense sight, you can’t imagine
how colossal the building actually is, and if that
wasn’t enough they were also still clearing up
from Obama’s inaugauration! Now that’s
something to tell the grandkids.
We took a tour inside Congress and
after about a million security checks we visited
both the House of Representatives and the
Senate, where we saw John McCain give a
speech (he’s that old bloke who didn’t win the
election, remember?). When he walked into the
chamber we all freaked out a little bit being the
politics geeks that we are.
Next we made our way just across the
street to the Supreme Court which is a huge
Greek-temple style building, another example
of the Founding Father’s love for impressive
architecture. This houses the judicial branch of
government and was equally as insanely cool as
Congress. After checking this out we were all
exhausted so we took a stroll back to the Metro
station via the Washington Memorial, where we
got our first glimpses of the White House and
the Lincoln Memorial.
The Washington Memorial
The Supreme Court
7
D.C. After a Thai dinner that night in honour
of one our team’s birthday (gutted, turning 18 in
the country where it’s age 21 to drink. Not that
that stopped Bev, our tutor haha) we headed
back to the hotel to rest, or so we thought. One
of the drunken locals in the hotel bar took a
shine to Chris and his Steeler’s NFL jersey, and
proceeded to shout “IT‘S A GOOD THING, THIS
GUY IS A GOOD GUY MAAAAN” to the rest of
the hotel until we persuaded him that he had
an urgent appointment somewhere else. Check
out Chris’s NFL vs. Soccer article later in this
issue to begin to understand that guy’s passion
Bright and early the next morning we
set off for the final leg of our official sightseeing.
Today we were headed for the White House and
the Lincoln Memorial, and they did not
disappoint. We arrived at the back of the White
House due to bad planning and so strolled our
way round to the front via the visitors’ centre
where we took in a ridiculously epic
introductory video.
Casa Obama looked majestic, set
amongst some lovely trees and stuff, but it
appeared smaller than we were all expecting.
Maybe that‘s thanks to the secutiry fencing that
kept us about a mile off, I’m not sure. Anyway,
no matter how many times we shouted, Barack
wasn’t in, so we headed down the street to the
Lincoln Memorial. Which was awesome.
It was a beautiful clear day and you
could see for miles from the steps of the
memorial. It is another massive architectural
wonder, and like all the others it truly has to be
seen to be believed. Its even better than it looks
in Planet of the Apes.
We headed home through the
walkway of the Vietnam War memorial which
was a really thought provoking visit as we all
flicked through the book of the names of fallen
soldiers to try find our own surnames.
That night we headed to the Hard Rock
Cafe for a big dinner and to share thoughts on
the past two days By then we had seen all the
political hotspots D.C. had to offer us and I think
we were all incredibly impressed, as well as
basking in our collective genius for planning
this trip in the first place.
The next day we had free time to
explore the city so everyone went off in groups
to check out personal interests. People went to
all manner of museums, parks and black history
walks etc. Jess and I went to the aquarium for
some reason which was awesome, and then the
National Gallery which was even better. We then
got lost on the Metro on the way back to the
hotel and ended up in the ghetto which was a
learning experience for sure.
That night, our last night, we
celebrated our trip with an evening at the
basketball with the Washington Wizards.
Apparently they never win, so it must have been
our British spirit pushing them on when they
pummeled the Indiana Pacers in the last
second. A fitting ending to our tour of
Washington, and another triumph for the Youth
Opportunity Fund. We all learnt a lot on this trip
and it really helped immensely with our
American Politics module (seven out of ten of
the class got “A”s - cashback). Make school trips
the law!
by Lucy Killoran
The White House
The Lincoln Memorial
8
Matt Ayres on the oxford sound
Playing music for a living is
something that millions of people
dream about doing. In a musically
active city such as Oxford, this kind
of ambition doesn’t just have to be
wishful thinking. Oxford has
produced a variety of successful
and innovative bands and artists;
legendary local stars such as
Supergrass and Radiohead who
have proved that originality and
dedication can result in seemingly
unreachable goals becoming a
reality.
A thriving and constantly evolving
scene such as Oxford’s means that
more young people than ever are
playing music together, and with
new and exciting opportunities
springing up every day there’s
never been a more exciting time
to be a part of it. Adam Barnes,
also known as Motion in Colour,
has been playing in Oxford for
more than two years. We talked to
him, to understand what this
music thing is really all about…
What inspired you to start
Motion in Colour?
I’ve always wanted to know what it
would feel like to be able to connect
with an audience and change
people’s emotions with just notes
and melodies I come up with. I was
inspired to be a solo performer after
the end of my previous band
because of a gig we played with an
American artist called Chris Ayer. His
performance was one of the most
inspirational things I've seen - it
seemed to flick a switch in me that
just made me want to have the kind
of freedom he had connecting with
the audience in the room and the
music he was playing.
Is it more enjoyable and
rewarding playing music as a
solo artist than in a band?
I find it just as enjoyable and maybe
even more rewarding playing music
as a solo artist. All the pressure of
messing up and playing the wrong
notes sometimes gets to me but
that’s the fun of it I guess! Playing
solo has given me the chance to gig
in a lot of places I wouldn’t have
with a band, and given me the
freedom to write the material that
inspires me the most, but being in a
band does have its perks. You can’t
beat going to gigs with your mates
and just having a laugh playing
music. Nothing can beat that.
Do you think that there are
enough opportunities for bands
and artists in Oxfordshire?
There are plenty of opportunities
and I think that’s why we’re seeing
so many Oxford bands getting more
recognised, like The Young Knives
and Foals. But it is quite a jump from
playing the smaller venues around
Oxfordshire to establishing yourself
in the city, and I’m still struggling
with that. There’s a lot of
competition and I’m only just
breaking into the scene with some
performances at the Oxford Carling
Academy. There are a lot more
bands than solo artists coming from
Oxfordshire, and I hope that what
I’m doing is slightly different and
will inspire more people to become
singer/ songwriters. Sometimes
there’s no better feeling than
playing your last song of the night
and having people singing along, in
the knowledge that you've done all
of this yourself.
myspace.com/motionincolour
FIVE TOP TIPS FOR MUSICAL SUCCESS!
1) Be original. There’s nothing worse than
hearing something that has already been
done countless times before. It’s ok to be
inspired, but anyone can jump on the
bandwagon. It takes real talent and
self-respect to stay innovative.
2) Play gigs. A tight and well rehearsed
band with a full set of catchy songs doesn’t
mean anything if you don’t get your music
out there! Get in touch with promoters in
Oxford or local venues and see if they have
any vacant slots for support acts.
3) Make a MySpace profile. A webpage
with your music on it is an essential tool
that you’ll need if you want to be noticed.
MySpace is probably the best way to do
this: millions of users will have access to
your songs and gig dates.
4) Be persistent. Imagine if The Beatles
had taken one look at their guitars and
given up! Luck is only part of it; the best
bands and artists have worked their socks
off to get to where they are today.
5) Have fun! It sounds cheesy, but nobody
is going to enjoy watching your band if
you’re having a miserable time! Make sure
that you are doing what you love on your
own terms - then when success comes
knocking you’ll be comfortable enough to
deal with what comes next.
9
a picture paints a thousand words
COMPETITION TIME:Calling all photographers! Want to get no�ced? Want to have your images splashed over the pages of a very nice looking local zine? Well haven’t we got a treat for you? VYM is offering up a WHOLE PAGE in the next issue to the Vale’s best young photographer. Think you’re up to it? All you need to do is send in three of your favourite photos, your own work of course, along with your name, age and where you’re from to [email protected] and you could be featured in the next issue. Get snapping!
the day the snow came
On Thursday 5th February, 68,000 pupils in
Oxfordshire woke up to find the streets so
blanketed in snow that they, along with thousands of
people who could not make their way to work, were given
an eagerly awaited day off. The vast majority of schools in
the Vale were closed, bus services were halted and services
such as refuse collection remained affected for the
following week. Despite the fact that so many of us
received a day off or a “snow day” the news was rife with
issues and controversies created by the 10 or so inches of
snow. Even now local newspaper message boards show
the vast number of complaints about the disruption
caused – mainly regarding the salting of the roads,
particularly in the rural villages where icy conditions
left isolated residents vulnerable.
journalism, young people received
the majority of the bad press –
how many of us heard about the
van driver in London who pulled a
knife on a group of teenagers who
accidentally hit his van with a stray
snowball?
In comparison, a simple Google
search brings
up thousands
of hits
denouncing
young people’s
behaviour. A
criminal
solicitor
explained that
throwing a
snowball could
be interpreted
as a form of
“common
assault” and police in Hertfordshire
warned that snowballers would
face criminal charges if injury or
damage was caused.
One article even investigated the
“etiquette of snowball fights”
including advice to adults on
how to cope with the
threatening situation of young
people armed with snow balls.
It suggested that children and
young people can “smell fear”
and that we use snowball fights
to challenge adults’ authority and
announce our discontent with
an adult controlled society.
Is it just me who thinks this is
possibly a step too far? Do excuse
me if I’m wrong, but when I throw
a snowball, it is not
However, it was the focus of criticism
on the humble snowball fight that
shocked me the most. Whilst many
of us enjoyed harmless frolicking in
the snow, a few incidents
(admittedly disgraceful) of
snowballs being thrown at shop
windows or passing vehicles and
even a concealed brick thrown at an
innocent passer-by,
have caused a wave
of articles denouncing
all snowballers as
hooligans. As seems to
be a trend in current
a premeditated
attack against
the community
but merely a
way to enjoy
the snow. After
all, anything
that gives us a
day off school
should be appreciated. What
better way to do this than to
play with the snow with a
group of your mates?
We are constantly being
encouraged to get outside and
be active…and yet when we
do, we are made out to be
criminals based on the
disreputable example of a few
isolated incidents! I for one
hope that we get another snow
day next winter and this time,
let’s hope that we can all enjoy
it together and avoid such
unfounded controversy.
by Miriam Carter-Fraser
Was your snowman more
impressive than these? Send
in your photos to
10
11
In their home countries they’re
both referred to as football;
however British football and American
football share little else in
common. American
football is hard hitting
and exciting, while
soccer is
lackadaisical and
boring. American
football is fair and
noble, while
soccer is unjust
and evil.
American football epitomises the ideals of
the American dream, where hard work,
perseverance and commitment reap
prosperity. Soccer, on the other hand,
is a game dependent on greed and
oppression, where the only thing that
matters is money.
The Premiership and NFL, the showcase
leagues of their respective sport, have
starkly contrasting values. In the
Premiership money rules, with detriment
to competition, in the NFL fair play and
competition are paramount. Soccer has
become a saturated monopoly where “the
big four” nullify the point of even having a
league. The only way to compete is to
spend hundreds of millions buying
foreign players. In the NFL any team, any
year, has a fair shot at winning the league.
Due to the NFL’s salary cap one team can’t
simply destroy the spirit of fair game like
in the Premiership by hurling
unfathomable amounts of cash at any
player they please. No, in the NFL every
team has the same budget and there are
no bonuses for winning the Superbowl.
Unlike soccer, being crowned
champions and seeing all your blood
sweat and tears pay off is enough. The
results speak for themselves. In the NFL
in the last 15 seasons there have been 11
different champions. In the Premiership
there have been just four. You don’t have
to be a mathematician to work out
which league, and which sport, is more
interesting.
Another feature ensuring a level playing
field is the draft, where at the beginning
of every season the worst teams get to
choose the best young players from
college, making it truly feasible to go
from “worst to first”. The whole league
system is also far superior with an
extensive playoff system culminating in
the grand finale, the Superbowl, the
biggest sports event in the world and an
unofficial national holiday. This is so
much better than in the Premiership
where we know who has won the league
months in advance and the season
deflates to a finish. The NFL explodes in
an orchestral conclusion, a fitting
testament to every excellent season.
The NFL is also a much fairer game on
the pitch; with instant replays and
official reviews making sure that the
referee’s decision was correct. In soccer
injustice and often lunacy prevail. I
simply can’t get my head around
soccer’s refusal to
come into the 21st century and make
use of technology; I can only put it
down to stubbornness, ignorance and
pigheadedness by the people in charge
and the fans. Well, fans argue it would
slow the game down, which I suppose is
fair enough considering the type of
people who usually watch soccer tend
to have a very short attention span.
On the theme of fans, soccer for the
most part is a sport for thugs. Terraces
echo racism, vulgarity and intimidation.
Fans have to be separated like animals
because they can’t control their
primitive urges, and presumably so they
can’t hurl faeces at one another. Again
an Atlantic void separates this culture
from that of American football, which is
characterised by fans enjoying the
game side by side. Each game is turned
into an event and the national
institution of “tailgating” sees fans
enjoying barbeques together in the
stadium car parks.
Many soccer fans resent the “Yanks”
calling their beautiful game soccer and
stealing the name “football” for
themselves. But if “football” is the name
of the “beautiful game”, then it’s the
“Yanks” who deserve the title, because
when comparing American Football and
Soccer, it’s much like the Premiership;
no contest.
by Chris Tolley
Chris is obviously very committed
to his views but VYM is sure there
are some “soccer” fans out there
who think differently. The
challenge is on so please send us
your reasons why you think
British football is superior.
12
UKYP oxfordshire: Team 2009
In a nail bi�ng finale to the elec�ons, the new Member and Deputy Member of the UK Youth Parliament for South Oxfordshire was decided on the toss of a coin as the top two candidates each got a staggering 828 votes. Rachel Howe (14 yrs) won the toss and was elected Member and Helen Walker (14 yrs) was elected Deputy Member. For the next year they will be working on behalf of young people on issues that are important to them and helping to change things for the be�er. Launched at the House of Commons, UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) provides opportuni�es for 11-18-year-olds to get their voices heard and to bring about change.
We spoke to Rachel and Helen about some of the issues they feel strongly about:
What do you think are the most important issues for young people today?Rachel: “The biggest issue is simply feeling like there’s no one to stand up for us and take us seriously when we have opinions. I think that we, as young people, feel very frustrated that adults o�en make decisions on our behalf that we don’t all agree with.”
Helen: “I think travel prices, tui�on fees and a nega�ve image of young people, especially in the media, are the most important issues.”
How do you think we can change this nega�ve image of young people?Rachel: “The press needs to start seeing a more posi�ve side of young people. If we are heralded for our good work rather than just looked down upon for our bad then a far be�er image of young people will emerge.”
Helen: “I think a good way to change this is to start up a program where young people go to old people’s homes for about an hour and just talk or play games or something like that. And maybe to work with the press a bit.”
UKYP elec�ons take place each year, across the UK. Any young person aged 11-18 can stand or vote in UKYP elec�ons. Make sure you have your say!
To contact Rachel or Helen, or for more informa�on about UK Youth Parliament, or the council’s other work with young people please email: [email protected]@[email protected]
For informa�on about UKYP in Oxfordshire please contact: Emily.li�[email protected]
Dont forget to contribute! Issue 3 out in a couple of months - get on it. lots of love, the VYM team
12
Helen and Rachel