issue85

A HARINGEY YOUTH PUBLICATION

free feb 07

£0.00

issue 85

CCTV Are we the most watched young people in the world?

SKINNY THINGS Feeling inadequate?

You’re supposed to.

SUCKERS Smoking: it’s a drag.

Contributors

tahnee

kashel

Alina Lewis, Joey Leskin, Kashel Lee and Tahnee Grievson

joey

alina

Editorial Team

Aaron Bishop, Alina Lewis

alina

aaron

Features 14 - GALLERY

Benita Nantume, Cardine Martin, Gerard Mongo, Huw Macdonald

22 - AGONY

muna

27 - DIRECTORY

tahnee

nick

Nick May, Tahnee Grievson

kashel

26 - POETRY james

Imogen Massey, Kashel Lee, James L’Amable, Muna Saeed

huw

benita

18 - HOROSCOPE

Haringey Uncovered: Tottenham Wood

Exposure is free and open to anyone aged between13 and 19 living in Haringey.

• write, edit, illustrate & design this magazine • build your own website • make a video

www.exposure.org.uk To volunteer, or to arrange work experience or a work placement, call 020 8883 0260, email info@exposure.org.uk or just walk into the office.

The Bigger Shoe Box, Muswell Hill Centre Hillfield Park N10 3QJ Tel: 020 8883 0260, Fax: 020 8883 2906 Mob: 07947 884 282 Email: editor@exposure.org.uk

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sponsored by: social spider

Issue #85 February 2007 Editorial

Haringey has loads of great stuff to offer. Like Park Road Pools. Sure, sometimes people drown there, but it’s the biggest pool for miles around. And Tottenham! There’s a football club, and sometimes the number of muggings in a week doesn’t even reach double figures! And Bruce Castle! What other borough has a haunted castle? Only two max. So if you are going on stuff

that’s haunted, Haringey comes at least third. Wood Green is second only to Brent Cross in terms of shop quantity, and it’s a really friendly place when it’s not dark. And what other borough has a Town Hall where Queen played their first gig! That’s right, Queen loved Haringey. The song ‘It’s A Kind Of Magic’ was apparently written about it.

And of course, Exposure is here too.

Second worst borough in London?

More like first best!

Read Joey’s blog at www.joey.exposure.org.uk

joey

According to some survey, Haringey is the second worst borough in London, behind Tower Hamlets. There must be other boroughs worse than Haringey: London’s massive. What about Enfield?

That’s crap.

muna

Articles 08 - Paranoid Android

tony

Muna Saeed hides from CCTV and ID cards.

10 - Boardom

rohan

The essentials of skateboarding by Tony Randall.

12 - Cancer Sticks

16 - A Game of Two Halves

harry

Rohan Chummun on teenage tobacco addicts.

Why Harry Yeates gave up professional football.

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- Growing Pains When will you grow up?

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- Thin Skinned How skinny models can make you sick, by Alice Johns.

Regrettably our office is inaccessible to wheelchair users but we will nevertheless make every effort to include your contributions.

Tottenham Grammar School Foundation

Youth Support Service Voluntary Sector Team

03

things ‘ n’ stuff Bloodsong Melvin Burgess £5.99 Bloodsong is an amazing book. The unpredictable narrative, that mixes sorcery, mythology, everlasting love, unrealistic expectations of utopia, a crumbling society, and inhuman flaws, has more twists and turns than an A to Z (and it’s definitely the best thing I’ve read since that particular epic). The 15-year-old hero, Sigmund, is blessed by the God of War and destined to unite the people, save civilisation, fight dragons and get jiggy with the Princess of Death in Hell.

Bloodsong made me laugh, smirk like an idiot, cry like a baby and generally make an arse of myself on public transport. Melvin Burgess shows how to escape those authors that try so hard to appeal to a young audience, but end up making something that has no relevance and totally misrepresents us. So I’ll be sending a cheque for the Botox I’ll need after all that eyebrow-raising.

Muna Saeed

never miss an issue!

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If you are 13-19 and live in Haringey, get Exposure delivered FREE! Just call 020 8883 0260. Limited offer.

Ring now to avoid disappointment.

huw

muna

Rhyme4Respect www.rhyme4respect.com Last year, Rhyme4Respect launched a nationwide search for inspiring lyrics that encouraged respect for relationships and sex. It gave young people the chance to work with UK talent like Estelle, Akala, and Terri Walker, and the US sensation Rhymefest, who sing the winning entries in five fresh and edgy tracks: Click - Rhymefest You know right away you’ll be bopping your head to the catchy snare, kick and hi hat in no time. The lyrics bring out the best in Rhymefest, and his style will have you playing this song a long time.

Take Your Time - Lyracis With a hip-hop beat banging in the background, Lyracis promotes protection from STIs. What with his being on C4’s reality TV show Chancers, a lot of people should be tuning into this track.

Im Driven To It - Estelle this is one of those songs you hear on the radio while kicking back in the park with your mates. It has a very nice slow jam feel, and Estelle’s soothing voice will help you get lost in those warm bright days.

Know Yourself - Bigz, Scorcher, Bearman, Sincere, Ny Grime artists really come across strong when laying their lyrics down, and Grime4respect, as it was dubbed, with the sensational hooks provided by Ny, will definitely get the message across.

It’s Gotta Be More - Terri Walker With a laid-back lounge room feel, Terri Walker really gets the message of the song out clearly.

Respect Yourself - Akala Akala gets the job done by telling it straight. The tempo could have been more upbeat, but Respect Yourself makes up for it in musical composition.

All the tracks are available as free downloads from the Rhyme4Respect website, and on a free Rhyme4Respect CD. Huw Macdonald

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things ‘ n’ stuff Valentine’s Day www.boots.com www.singtones.com Boots are selling smoochy, lovey-dovey, I’m-sorry-I-cheated-on-you gifts to raise £1 million for the British Heart Foundation. Show your support by buying one of the exclusive gift sets for someone special, or if they’re not that special, for £1 you can get a little silver heart-shaped badge or funky love-heart shaped post-its: stick it to admit it!

Or create a personalised ring tone at Singtones so every time you phone your loved one, they will hear you singing a special song (don’t worry, Singtones’ uses advanced voice-enhancing technology). For £1.50, it’s a cheap way to call to say I luh-uh-uh-ve you.

Tahnee Gievson

24 Hour Famine www.24hourfamine.org.uk From 9 to11 February 2007 the annual 24 Hour Famine, the UK’s largest youth fundraising event, will try to raise money to change the lives of people living in poverty. This year they are trying to benefit the Keembe community, one of the poorest in Zambia. Ex Coronation Street star Nikki Sanderson will be this years official ambassador. So join in, and help give people a new life!

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Alina Lewis

kashel

alina

tahnee

Aaron Bishop’s Car Specs: Top Trackday Cars Mercedes 190 Cosworth In the late 1980s Mercedes Benz wanted to compete with the likes of the Audi Quatro and the BMW E30 M3. They coupled the awardwinning durability and build quality of their cheapest passenger car, the 190E, with the performance of British race-car tuning company Cosworth.

The 2.5 litre 4 cylinder, 16 valve, twin cam, produced 204 bhp, taking you from 0 to 60 in just under 7.5 seconds.

Carry on and you’d be at 146 mph in no time. With a price tag in excess of £35,000 when new, the Cosworthtuned Merc soon beat its competitors in refinement and driveability.

Honda Prelude 2.3 VTEC The ’91 Honda Prelude 2.3 VTEC is a Japanese engineering and technological masterpiece. A fully electronic four-wheel steer system and speed-sensitive power-assisted steering make it a class leader. The engine, a 2.3 litre VTEC producing 160bhp to the front wheels, will pull the car to 60 in a mere 8.2 seconds, and only stop accelerating at 130 mph. At £18,225 new, it was not cheap, but you got a car that was ahead of its time.

Caterham 7 Superligh The Caterham 7 Superlight, or Lotus 7 as it was known in the late fifties, is still going strong nearly half a century on. The small 1.8 litre engine produces just 140 bhp, but can propel the lightweight two-seater to 60 in just 4.7 seconds, allowing it to keep up with most £50K+ supercars. It’s easy to forget that the Caterham is essentially a 50 year old design, and a price of £22,450 gives real low budget performance.

Online Exam Results You can already talk to your friends, buy music, and do your shopping online; now you can find out your exam results too. This year anyone taking an Edexcel A Level or GCSE will get their summer results online. To find out more about this, or any other exam-related nightmare, visit www.examzone.co.uk.

Kashel Lee

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PA R A N O I D

08

muna

ANDROID

By Muna Saeed

recent car advert says we’re caught on camera 300 times a day. Ignoring the obvious ploy to entice us into buying their hunk of metal, Toyota touch on a serious problem: we’re facing an invasion of privacy, without permission or explanation. So should we really be giving them something to look at?

A

We’ve entered a millennium in which where we are followed, tagged and told to behave or else. Big Brother has come outside to play, and he’s in our bins, on our high street, and down our road, and we’ve probably had our very own friendly little micro-camera implanted into our necks.

At least nobody can put it all together...can they?

Introducing... the ID card. They’ve been marketed as our only weapons against terrorism and, well, maybe its just me, but how will a 2 x 3 inch plastic rectangular card fight off a crazed brainwashed sicko?

The ID card aims to boost national security and tackle identity fraud by holding each British citizen’s basic identification information: a photo of the cardholder, their name, address, gender and date of birth, and a microchip in the card that holds biometric information like a fingerprint, and iris scans. But it will also be the missing link between all the different sets of information about us.

Brother has come “Big out to play a plastic card fight ” “ Will off a crazed bearded turban-wearing fella? ” The UK is steadily becoming a nanny state. You might have heard of councils advising people not to call women ‘ladies’, or Geordies being told not to call customers ‘pet’, ‘hen’ or ‘chicken’ in case they cause offence. It’s psychological imprisonment. People don’t want to talk freely because they are scared of upsetting someone or of being politically incorrect.

Of course sometimes it’s called for, like stopping racist and discriminative attacks, but the nanny state is ridding us of all personal thoughts and beliefs. We are being brainwashed, and the government is giving us two fingers and a ‘What you gonna do about it?’ attitude. With adverts telling us that we’re caught on camera at least 300 times a day, even corporate Britain knows more then we do.

We have to write down our details every time we upload a webpage, or when we return something to a shop.

Our whole lives are stored on computer databases run by the government and big companies.

We’ll have our whole existence stored on a plastic card that links our Oyster journeys to our store cards to our internet surfing and our spending habits. Think about an obsessive stalker boyfriend or girlfriend who wants to know where you went, how you got there, what you bought, what you ate and drank, what you did, and who you did it with. Now imagine that what they know can be asked for at any time by the police, the council, the government, and government bodies like M15. To say you’d want to split up would be an understatement.

How can we say we’re living in a democracy? We are owned by the government, corporate Britain has our souls, the media feeds us and technology makes sure we don’t step out of line. So run, get a villa in Spain, or dig yourself a platinum and diamond-studded bunker (you might as well go down in style). But save yourself before we all turn into robots.

09

by Tony Randall ave you ever been interested in skateboarding? Well this will help you decide whether or not you want to take it on as a hobby.

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To be a skater you need four things: dedication, good balance, coordination and timing. The main thing is balance and timing, but you need dedication to learn new tricks.

You will need to try a trick about a hundred times before you even get close to landing it, but if you have a lot of dedication, you will never give up.

is like “ Skateboarding a drug ”

I started skating at the age of 13 with a cheap Bruce Lee deck. It took me so long just to learn to ollie, but I never gave up. I learnt to kickflip seven months later on my birthday, which was sweet. Ramp skating for the first time is really weird because you’re not used to the idea of riding up a curve, and dropping-in is one of the biggest parts of learning to skateboard, and probably one of the scariest: you have your skateboard over the edge of a ramp and all you have to do is put your front foot on and lean forward. It shouldn’t be that hard, but getting the guts to do it will be hard. What I say is don’t think, just do it, and see what happens.

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People think you are going to break something when you’re skateboarding. You will get some minor injuries but it is very rare for anything serious to happen. My worst injuries were when I went to ollie (jump) a set of stairs. The board somehow went vertical and I landed on it tail bone first with both feet off

the floor. Another injury that happens to me a lot is a swollen ankle, from always doing kickflips.

Skateboarding is like a drug in a way.

It can be addictive, especially when you get close to learning a new trick or drop into a ramp for the first time the feeling is amazing - and if you have been trying it for a long time, it’s worth the wait.

The skateboards I buy now have to be pro makes like Birdhouse, Element, or Blind. They’re about £150 - £200 but it’s worth the money because they’re lighter, the wood’s a lot stronger, and they last longer

Pally is a perfect “Ally place to learn new tricks ”

I like to skate parks cause I think they are safer than skating big handrails and smashing your body in when you bail. I normally skate at Waltham Cross skate park in Enfield or sometimes Alexandra Palace skate park. Ally Pally is a perfect place to learn new tricks because the ramps are small. If you have just started skating, I would recommend you go there to start off.

Skateboarding can end up as a career if you get good enough to get sponsored by a skate company. then you get a load of free stuff like boards, competition entry, and film making, and very good pay. Stars like Bam Margera of Jackass and Tony Hawk might make anything up to a million dollars a month.

So if you are interested, have a go at skateboarding.

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tony

12

rohan

Cancer Sticks Teenage Addicts

&

By Rohan Chummun

A

sk any teen smoker why they smoke and they’ll tell you ‘because it looks cool and my friends do it’. But is it worth risking your health over something that only looks trendy?

Although smoking seems to carry every health risk imaginable - heart attacks, stroke, cancer and bronchitis to name a few - smoking is still seen as the thing to do among many teenagers: 450 children in the UK take up smoking every day*.

That’s £37 a week “ up in smoke!”

Sammie, 15, admitted there were a number of reasons why she started smoking at 8 years old: “All my family smoke and so do my friends. It gives me something to do and I’ve met more people through smoking. I’d like to give up but it’s so addictive.”

Most smokers start smoking as teenagers, and smoking is seen as one of the very few ‘rites of passage’ into adulthood. Along with losing your virginity, it’s a sign of growing or being grown up. Of course tobacco companies know this and have been marketing to teens for years. In the 1950s, images of rebellious characters in films with a cigarette in hand reinforced the idea that smoking was fashionable. It was even believed that smoking had health benefits!

Even though it’s illegal to sell cigarettes to children under the age of 16, 25 per cent of all 15 year olds in London smoke. Shocking isn’t it?

What is worse is that nobody seems to be stopping these kids from feeding their habit: half of all smokers under the age of 16 who try to buy cigarettes from shops succeed. But young people don’t want to stop: the Haringey Stop Smoking service helps just six under-18s a year quit smoking.

And the financial strain that smoking can bring is almost as bad as its health risks. Sammie, who smoked 20 cigarettes a day, said she used to spend £37 a week on cigarettes. £37 a week!? Lets do the math: in one month she’d spend £148. In a year that’s £1776 up in smoke! Think about how many iPods she could have bought! The mind boggles.

450 children take up “ smoking every day” If you want bad breath, tonsillitis, wrinkles and greasy hair, go ahead take another draw. Half the people who take up smoking end up quitting or trying to quit anyway, so it’s clear that smoking ain’t all that in the first place.Don’t be a sucker and feed into the stereotype that smoking enhances your status. Be your own person, not a follower. So leave that cancer stick alone and find a hobby.

*All statistics from SmokeFree London, the Haringey Health Report 2005, and the Department of Health.

Want help quitting smoking?

Try www.givingupsmoking.co.uk

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GALLERY 14

by James L’Amable

Send your artwork to: The Bigger Shoe Box, Muswell Hill Centre, Hillfield Park N10 3 QJ Tel: 020 8883 0260, Fax: 020 8883 2906, Mob: 07947 884 282, Email: jon@exposure.org.uk

GALLERY

by Cardine Martin

Send your artwork to: The Bigger Shoe Box, Muswell Hill Centre, Hillfield Park N10 3 QJ Tel: 020 8883 0260, Fax: 020 8883 2906, Mob: 07947 884 282, Email: jon@exposure.org.uk

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A Game of

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harry

Two Halves

By Harry Yeates Illustration by Gerard Mongo

ife as a footballer sounds good and, for many young schoolboys, turning professional is a dream.

For most, that’s how it remains. There are 3,000,000 registered footballers in England but only 3,000 are professional.

L

The bell rings to signal us to make our way from the changing rooms to the pitch. The waiting is over. With a clatter of studs I emerge from the tunnel filled with pride as I wear the number six of Barnet Football Club, the team I support, to represent the under 18s. It’s my first game for Barnet, against rivals Stevenage.

not simply a case “ It’s of training hard and turning up ”

I remember the first ten minutes the clearest and certain fragments of the game: how nervous I was; how I struggled to adapt; assisting one of our goals; it being so bitterly cold, which seemed to make the air seem so fresh and every image so much clearer; and how I chose not to wear a vest underneath my top so I could feel the Barnet jersey against my skin.

We came out 4-2 winners, with us scoring two goals in the last five minutes.

This year I thought I would be at Protec Football Academy representing Barnet. The academy offers players a chance to be seen by other professional clubs, and work their way up from Barnet’s youth team into the reserves and first team. It also gives players the chance to carry on with their academic learning at Southgate College. But it’s not easy, and I left three months into the

adventure. I didn’t find myself fitting in to the laddish culture that seemed to accompany life at Protec.

Becoming a professional footballer is extremely difficult. It’s not simply a case of training very hard and turning up come three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. It’s a life choice. Training, of course, has a huge part to play but you must also consider diet, and what time you get to bed as well, which can mean leaving your friends while they are out having a good time.

suffered shin splints, “Iand a fractured wrist for the second time ”

For all the highs football provides there comes numerous set backs. It is through these that players learn more about themselves as both footballers and people. I was never the brightest star at Protec. Having put all the hard work in it was difficult to accept that I wasn’t going to feature in the starting line up every week. Injuries are another issue: last year I suffered from shin splints as a result of over-training and a fractured wrist for the second time in my relatively short footballing life.

Last year, three players broke through.

One has signed a professional twoyear contract with Barnet while the other two remain on trial with the club. This year, two players signed for Tottenham Hotspur. Five players coming up through the ranks in two years is a lot. Five out of around 60 in the academy, picked from thousands of hopefuls through open trials.

Although you dream of that lastminute 25-yard volley, remember there are two sides to that story.

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Horoscope

18

By Muna Saeed

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Mar. 21 - Apr. 20

Apr. 21 - May 21

May 22 - June 21

Fun-loving and uncomfortably honest, you hate having to think about what you say. Avoid picking up a sesame seed but losing sight of a water melon.

You are materialistic, glamorous and hate being told to hurry up - it takes time to look as good as you.

Remember: paper can’t wrap up fire, so take a chill pill.

Talkative, loud, and funny, you hate boring people. Such a waste of a voice box, don’t you think? But a smile will gain you ten more years of life.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Sept. 24 - Oct. 23

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Nov. 23 - Dec. 22

You are a helpless romantic in love with silver linings, somewhere over the rainbow. Don’t forget: flies never visit a egg that has no crack.

Popular, adventurous and freedom-loving, you hate being wrong and love to say I told you so.

Stop creating drama: no wind, no waves.

A bright life is easy for you; everything happens so quick. But go through life like a gust of wind and you’ll forget to experience it.

Slow down.

amos

huw

george

muna

Images by Amos Niamke, George Barrow, Huw Macdonald

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

June 22 - July 23

July 24 - Aug. 23

Aug. 24 - Sept. 23

You are a homebody with a really big softy’s insides. This year, life gets bumpy, so live by the motto ‘a fall into a ditch will make you wiser’.

You’d call it confidence, but you’re strongminded, opinionated and borderline arrogant. For the sake of world peace remember an ant may destroy a whole dam.

A generous clean freak who tells it how it is, nose-picking around you is suicidal. Don’t be a doormat this year: even a hare will bite when its cornered.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Dec. 23 - Jan. 20

Jan. 21 - Feb.20

Feb. 21 - Mar. 20

A lot of emotional baggage with be dropped on you, but beware - it might be someone’s dirty pants (and they may well be hysterical).

You are a dreamy, imaginative and telepathic sort who hates surprises and loves sleeping, but there are always ears on the other side of the wall.

You can be a handful with your fiery needs so remember fire can only burn for some of the time, not all of the time.

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G

WIN

GRO

PAINS e can all remember being children, and we know that one day we’ll be adults. But at what point do we swap toy cars, dolls and dressing-up, for coffee, jobs, and Real Life? According to the law, at 16 we’re old enough to consent to sex, buy cigarettes or ride a moped (however badly). At 17, we can learn to drive a car, and at 18, we can vote in elections and buy alcohol in shops.

An Exposure survey found that one in four young people think these age limits are too high, but twice as many think that 17 is too young to drive a car, and 16 is too young to have sex.

But none of the young people we spoke to thought that smoking, drinking, driving a car, or having sex made anyone an adult. So when exactly do we grow up?

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don’t think there is an “ Iage “ when someone becomes an adult: it happens at different times for different people. Being an adult means acting responsibly and being aware that what you do has consequences.

Jennifer, 15, Crouch End

“

”

Jason, 18, Seven Sisters

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”

Tony, 16, Bounds Green

age of consent should be “The raised. Too many people think oh, I’m 16 now, I can do it, and they end up doing it with the wrong person. If the age limit was 18 you’d have more time to think about it.

”

”

It’s impossible to know when you become an adult, but it’s about looking after yourself without the help of other people.

Driving puts a lot of stress and pressure on someone who’s just learning. It’s hard enough at seventeen, so the age should be raised.

Tahnee, 19, Wood Green

“

I don’t think the alcohol age limit is reasonable - I think it should be raised!

Young people are drinking too much and damaging to their health. Binge drinking has become some sort of statement younger people make to be cool and show off - like it makes them grown up.

”

Sanah, 17, Tottenham

“

I behaved like an adult back when I was 15: I looked old, so I could do what I wanted. Age limits don’t mean anything - we do what we want to. It’s not like I’m going to get arrested if I drink while I’m under 18.

Jeremy, 17, Tottenham

”

limits are what “ Age adults say they are.

They don’t really mean anything to me.

Jason, 18, Seven Sisters

“

”

Being an adult cannot be defined by age. What makes you an adult is making the right choices and learning from your mistakes.

”

Delroy, 19, Seven Sisters

of pressure to grow “ Iup.feelMya lotfriends take the mickey out of me because they want me to smoke and go to 18rated films but I don’t want to.

The age limits are set too low: young people don’t know what’s best for them.

Jennifer, 15, Crouch End

”

don’t think you can “ Iput an age to it - some people are never ‘adults’.

”

Sarah, 16, Crouch End This article was made by talking to young people on the Get On bus, a participation initiative helping young people volunteer and contribute in Haringey. For more information visit www.getonbus.co.uk

21

AGONY

By Benita Nantume, Alina Lewis, Rizwana Kausar Javed & Tahnee Grievson

Someone I know is being bullied because of her skin colour. The bullies call her racist names, hit her and make comments about her family. Her dad says she should punch the bullies, but the bullies are very popular and the whole school might end up hating her. What can she do?

At some point almost everyone gets bullied, and although they dream of learning kung fu and humiliating the bullies in front of everybody, most of us suffer in silence. But teachers can probably do more than you think, so talk to them, a friend, a family member or anyone else with a little bit of power (or nunchuk skills).

My friend lets herself down all the time because she sleeps with so many different boys, and because I hang around with her, I’m starting to get a bad name for it too. I’ve tried getting her to a sexual health clinic, but she’s too scared to go because now she thinks she might have crabs.

Please help.

Are you worried about your friend, or just your reputation? If you really are her friend, tell her straight up she is being a hoochie and needs to gain some self respect, and drag her to the clinic - pubic lice are a reason to go, not stay away. (And in the meantime, don’t share any towels).

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tahnee

rizwana

alina

benita

This boy who lives across my road always knocks for me and comes round my house to eat my food!

We’ve been friends for ages but he’s really poor. Sometimes he borrows money and never returns it. I feel really used! How can I let him know that I don’t want him round my house 24/7?

Although you think he needs you, it’s really the other way round: giving him money and feeding him helps you feel better about yourself by making you feel better than him. So wise up (or just open your well fed mouth and tell him you are not his mother or his bank account).

There’s this really hot guy at college who I’ve shared intense smoking hot, mind-blowing, crazy, loved-up, superextra-massive eye contact with for two years. He’s been watching me like a hawk. Is he into me or messing with me?

I think after two years of nothing more than looking at each other you should just admit that this is a relationship that’s not really going anywhere. Going on the rebound with some poor sup is bound to help you move on. Good luck.

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Th i n Skinned

By Alice Johns

ick up any teen magazine and on the cover will be the latest Hollywood clone: tall, slim, good teeth, good skin, great hair. Beautiful.

But realistic? Magazines are always going on about ‘inner beauty’ and ‘you look great how you are’, followed by pictures of super-slim models. Um, hello? Do they even know they just completely contradicted themselves?

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The unrealistic image of the ‘perfect’ body the media imprints into our minds is destructive. Even men are becoming obsessed with their bodies: Russell Brand, Preston and various indie singers all contribute to the current hysteria over skinny guys in skinny jeans.

These crazy trends not only attack your self-esteem, they can attack your health too. Now 1.5 million people in the UK have an eating disorder of

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some kind. According to the NHS, not eating can lead to a swollen stomach; constipation; diarrhoea; stomach cramps; fainting; dizzy spells; poor circulation; feeling cold; dry, rough and discoloured skin; insomnia; tiredness; and loss of periods and even your sex drive.

Phew! Is missing out on last night’s dinner really worth it?

missing out on last “ Isnight’s dinner really worth it? ”

Even when you’ve put yourself through that hell there’s no guarantee you’ll feel beautiful. Just imagine: you’ve starved yourself to go on a date with your boyfriend but you’ve got bad teeth, bad hair and you’re feeling incredibly tired. Added to that your sex drive is zero. Bit of mood killer isn’t it?

Th i Skinn You don’t have to look like Kate Moss to have a good body image, but if we’re told that we don’t measure up to model standards it affects how we see ourselves. And where do we get our ideas of what’s attractive and what’s not - even the magazines and celebrities got these ideas from somewhere?

Fashion. Designers promote this skinny silhouette. On the catwalk all the models are size four to six, and this image sells. But have they ever considered they might reach a wider audience by using normal men and women? Maybe these people, who

could boycott “ We Topshop but we wouldn’t last five minutes

”

are supposed to be cutting-edge and ahead of everyone else, are too scared to challenge the stereotype.

Designers are supposed to be pushing the limits and looking for ways to change the way people think about clothes. If they’re not, then they’re not being true to their craft.

It’s a disappointing and seemingly never-ending cycle, and there’s no clear way to change it. We could boycott Topshop but we wouldn’t last five minutes. We could make noise through letters to magazines and within our own peer groups. Or we could take on the challenge, and it is a challenge, not to be swayed by the media, to adopt a healthy attitude to our bodies, and to make the change within ourselves instead.

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Mallorca

By Imogen Massey

Sea kisses my yellow feet and seeps Underneath my hands.

Sand encrusts along my legs and leaves a Gritty trail.

I shall walk for memories to come Flooding back like crushing breaths that I freeze frame, And release to the box called ‘Holiday’.

When the camera is developed, And the tawny tan has turned cream, Amongst the back to school carrier bags And shopping for pencils, Snap goes my heart as it longs for July.

Rented guitar and fear of water and eclectic love Of music.

It takes the present and the future to know me, And the past to lose anyone.

The holiday box is brimming, With stupid pictures, funny letters, dirty postcards and so many great goodbyes.

Hold on to these moments when the January wind Cracks the whip against your brain And smile for next year, Where summer begins again.

Snap. Snap. Pictures out of reach, I can’t remember his face, or what the beach looks like.

Bite-size snippets of suncream-scented loungers And salty-tasting water bottles.

Trashy magazines litter the table, And thoughts litter my revision, That I try hard to avoid in January.

Cry hard in January. It all begins to seep back, And my mind begins to crack under the pressure.

The Holiday box is dusted down.

I cannot live in the past, which includes my

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