My name is Damien Simmons and my hobbies are Greyhound Racing, playing the PS2, and the following football teams Arsenal and Chelsea.
PROJECT
Formerly known as Children's Express, Headliners is a UK-wide news agency producing news, features and comment by young people for everyone.
Through a unique learning through journalism programme, young people aged 8 to 19 research and write stories on issues that are important to them for publication in national and local newspapers, magazines, television and radio.
The aim of this blog, created by Maëlle Guéroult and Connor Scullion, is to let every young person from Northern Ireland express their ideas and opinions, whatever their background.
The views contained in this blog are those of the individual writer and are not necessarily endorsed by Headliners, the host school or any other partner organisation.
If you want to join us, e-mail us!
Wednesday, April 30
Damien's on the right track
My name is Damien Simmons and my hobbies are Greyhound Racing, playing the PS2, and the following football teams Arsenal and Chelsea.
PlayStation games rock
Lisanally Special School
I like gaelic football and my favourite teams are Clare and Armagh. Oisin McConville is my favourite player for Armagh.
I also enjoy listening to rock music and I have Rock Star game on the PS2. I love playing this game because it allows me to play the guitar which is my favourite musical intrument. When I go home I like to go to out and play football.
At Easter I got four chocolate eggs and one was a Crème Egg.
I have a dog called Spot who I take out for a walk.
Aoife gets a kick out of football
Walt a wonderful place to visit
Lisanally Special School
My name is Stephen Loughran and I would like to write about some of my interests.
My favourite sports are gaelic football and golf. My favourite gaelic fotball team is Armagh and Manchester United is my favourite soccer team.
I have PS3 and Wii. My games on a Wii is Super Mario Galaxy and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. My Favourite Game on PS3 is The Simpsons Game.
I also love The Simpsons Movie and High School Musical 1 & 2.
Every Friday when I leave school I go to Armagh to go to supermarket called McAreney’s. Sometimes I was going to Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon.
My Sisters are working in chip shop called Ellen’s in Keady.
For my holidays this year in July my family are going to Florida. Florida is a state in USA. The are lots of things to see and doo there such as the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios and Also Wet n Wild.
Over the years Florida has been struck by Hurricanes and many building have been destroyed.
Walt Disney World Resort was opened in 1971, five years after Walt Disney Died in 1966 during the production of a film in 1967 called The Jungle Book.
My name is Kevin McEntaggart and I love to cook food.
As well as cooking I like to play pool and the PS2 and I am also interested in gaelic football.
My favourite team is Down.
When I get older I think I would like to be a firefighter because I think they are very brave.
When my school had an open day recently I showed the guests how to play football and basketball. We also played Turbodaily which I like.
Outside school I go to the cinema with my parents and I enjoy watching comedy movies and music shows on TV.
Elvis fan is all shook up
Lisanally Special School
My name is Nathan Andrews and I am a big fan of computers and games.
I love to play on my laptop at home and I like using Windows Vista. I think I would like to work with computers when I get older.
I also have a PS3 and love playing games on it.
My favourite films are Spiderman and Lord Of The Rings and my favourite music is Elvis and I would love to see his house in Graceland.
Recently our school had an Open Day and I took part in some PE.
My hobbies are farming, Armagh, boxing, rugby, cinema, looking after my snake, midsummer murders.
I like looking after cows, sheep and chickens in the farm main Moy road. My uncle Sean owns the farm. I help my uncle to clean the cattle houses. I also drive a Massey Ferguson 135.
My name is Alec Campbell and I like the Simpsons Hit & Run game for the PlayStation 2 because you can collect lots of money!!!!!!!!!. I save some money to buy chocolate.
I fight with Kim, my sis.
I love, love, love my doggie Jess who is white and brown and has a black nose.
I also like playing with my teddies London, Barney, Pickacku, Pongo, Dusty, David, Pooh, Purple, Blue Guy, Green, Peter, Rudolph, Gloria and Pinkie Rudolph.
I also have more than 100 Pokemon cards.
I really enjoy going out on my bike which is called Speedy.
Tuesday, April 29
Technology Torture
Headliners
We have to do Technology until the end of 3rd year and then we get a choice to keep studying it or not. Personally, I hate technology. I think we should do it in 1st year and THEN decide to keep it on or not.
In my opinion it’s really pointless learning how to make a toy buggy. What’s the point? I’m never going to have to make one in the future. My employer is NEVER going to ask me ‘Did you pass Technology?’
I told my technology teacher this and she told me I would need it in later life. Never in my later life do I plan on making a buggy, key-ring, or a moving hook.
If you’re hopeless at Technology, like me, why do you still have to do it? I get why you have to do Maths and stuff, because that makes sense, being able to add and subtract.
The Theory to the subject is even more pointless. I couldn’t care less if a lever was balanced, or how much resistance is in a resistor. Out of my whole class (20 people), there is ONE person going one to do it at GCSE. ONE. What’s the point in making a class of 20 sit for 70 minutes of pure boredom each week, when ONE person is continuing it next year???
Technology is torture. The only result that comes out of technology is that we can stand and talk, until the teacher notices and makes you wire up your pointless project again, because you did it wrong the first 20 times. Can she not get the picture? Most of the 3rd Year population at Wellington College hate it. We should use the time for something interesting, like Drama or P.E. Not something stupid like technology.
Time flies... relatively speaking
Hunterhouse College
Why is it that time only goes fast when you’re having fun?
The worst time for time to go fast is when you’re having fun and the best time should be when you’re sitting in the most dreaded class that does nothing for you and does benefit you at all i.e. right now.
It has taken me only one minute to write this.
Another thing, why does my sleep just consist of one blink?
Why does time have to fly when the best part of the day begins – bedtime?
I like to cherish my sleep time but because it’s a blink I don’t even know I’ve fallen asleep.
Right, so I’m sitting in class right now mulling over what I’ve written and time is still taking itself.
Only six minutes have went by and I’m still ranting on how time is such a melt.
Ever get when the news comes on and there’s a good show on after, but they news decides to broadcast really monotonous stories therefore it takes longer?
These tend to be on politics.
Who really cares like?
I don’t know about yourself like but I’d rather watch Ann Robinson grief people for being themselves.
Kay so it’s 6:30pm by the time the news is over and the TV show you’ve been waiting on comes on.
You have a few laughs, blink and it’s over.
You then go and waste your life away on MSN and then you look at the clock, it’s now 9:30pm. I’m now officially a computer creep.
I am now MSN and BEBOED out to the max.
I then do the daily things like attempt homework and shower.
It’s now 10:30pm.
I MSN it again and go to bed and blink.
It’s now a new day…
No ID is just the ticket
Like many other people under 18, I see this information on tickets, ticketmaster or any posters for a good gig, and get very disappointed.
I think it’s ridiculous that we aren’t allowed into a building that has a bar, it’s not like we’re planning on getting plastered.
Some tickets don’t even say that it is for over 18s only, so then many more people buy a ticket and are let down and you can’t even get a refund in most cases.
ID should be asked for at a bar, not to go into a big room to listen to music.
I can't Blink of anything to write
Hunterhouse College
I don’t know what to write about today.
There’s lots of things I could write about but I have read them all before and that would bore me.
I could write about my team Manchester United or my favourite band Blink 182 but I really don’t feel like doing that. I hate being in school and having to write about things and having to think of my own blog is hard.
So I’m just going to tell you about how I can’t think of anything that excites me and that I can write about today.
Musing about a long summer holiday
Hunterhouse College
My Summer is gonna be such banter, not only do I have 8 free weeks of NO SCHOOL, but I'm going to Muse…3 days of Tennents Vital, weeks of tennis and should be going to Edinburgh or somewhere…
After 30 weeks of school, I FINALLY HAVE 8 FREE WEEKS OF NO SCHOOL….and MUSE!...quite possibly, one of the most AMAZING bands alive.
Thursday night got a text through…
‘here dude, you like Muse?’
SO OBVIOUSLY I was like…
‘errrrm HELL YEA!...y’ So you know… ‘wanna go see em in Dublin?’
And this is the point, where I realised I AM GOING TO HAVE THE MOST IMMENSE SUMMER EVER.
When Muse did Wembley, a ROBOT brought your man his guitar out…A ROBOT!
3 days of Tennents Vital…even though the headliners aren’t up yet...I DON’T CARE…cause it’s 3 days instead of 2..and I only went to 1 day last year…I DON’T CARE CAUSE IT’S 3 DAYS NOW…and I’m going.
WEEKS AND WEEKS OF TENNIS, starting with the French Open where I can watch Rafael Nadal whip everyone’s asses…ooooh yes :D ..but, this is where school becomes a problem again, Wimbeldeon starts WHILE I'm still at school, what are they doing?
School CLEARLY ruins everything.
Burning issues
People are always telling us that we should recycle more and that we are ruining the planet, but is it true or is it just made up to scare us.
Which do we believe? Do we believe scientists telling us that this is happening or do we believe that it’s all just a big scam to get us to recycle more?
It's just not fare
Why is it that whenever I get on a bus, it’s the start of a very painful (and embarrassing) journey?
Gotta a love for life
Hunterhouse College
My sister left home when she was 16 to be with her boyfriend, I didn’t talk to her for a year because I hated how much she hurt my mum, but I love it now because that she’s wised up and is picking up the pieces that she left, I love that she texts me the odd time and comes up to the house to confide in me about things she never would of done before.
I love life.
Pumped up about footwear
By Rebecca Huston
Hunterhouse College
I hate the way we can’t wear pumps (flat shoes) to school, they are pretty cool I think.
They are better than my moon boots that I have now I am practically dragging my feet behind me. They also look really nice making our uniform look even nicer.
I’m really jealous when I see other girls from different schools wearing them and I’m like Nooo!
I can’t wear them in my school. They are comfy and they do not give you “feet disorders”.
So basically what I’m trying to say is break the rule just for me, well and others who want it because they don’t hurt me outside school so why would they hurt me inside school?
Want to answer that for me?
It's gymtastic to be a coach
By Emily Kate Herbert
Hunterhouse College
I was tired last night, because I was coaching, gymnastics, I have been doing gymnastics on and off for years, and recently my coaches asked me to help them out a few days a week, before or after training or just after school.
I have been coaching for about two and a half months now.
I enjoy coaching, its nice being able to pass on knowledge to other children about a sport that I really enjoy, I love interacting with the children, they make me laugh with the comments they come out with.
I do gymnastics 3 times a week for five hours
After gymnastics I went for a walk with my dad and dog, it’s the fourth or fifth day I have went for a walk, because the days are getting longer and the weather is getting better, after a tiring day of exercise, I relaxed and watched Desperate Housewives.
Pencil heels are a real sketch
Why is it when your at a gig, that people INSIST on wearing pencil heel shoes…not just normal people either, drunk, fat, tangoed, smelly wanna-be indie kids in PENCIL HEELS.
Saturday, April 26
Throwing my weight behind Nicole
Hunterhouse College
Comeback's going to take a Brit of time
By Danielle Farrell
Hunterhouse College
Britney Spears has been in the news a lot recently.
She has been stalked by the paparazzi since her career started when she was about fifteen years old and her mummy wanted too much from her at such a young age.
I think this is why she has gone from being an idol to many to being a complete mess.
I hope she gets the reputation that she used to have back but I can’t see it happening any time soon.
Stuck on the web
Hunterhouse College
So, most people have access to internet these days, and almost everyone who does is on some kind of social network.
It seems to appeal to everyone, no matter what age. But what is it that makes it so appealing?
You make a profile and it lets the world see you, people who you don’t know, seeing what age you are, where you live etc. And like you can add your friends and have a chat. But now its all about how many random strangers you can get on your profile to give you profile views. And bribe your friends to leave you luv.
Bebo seems to be the ‘in-thing’ at the moment. And to be honest it’s all a bit random. I’m pretty addicted to bebo, but why? I can’t really see anything particularly amazing about it...
So why is there like a million people from all over the world on it? And everyone says they hate it, so why don’t they delete they’re account? Why do we feel the need to have it? Does it fill up time cause we have nothing better to do than waste are time going through people’s profiles finding random people, and being a general ‘bebo stalker’, and going onto every bebo in sight, spending possibly hours at a time on it?
Maybe some people feel pressured because all the friends have it, they should have it too. But you aren’t actually missing out on anything if you don’t, cause like is it gonna be discussed at the lunch table who said what on bebo last night? Depends I guess but have you really nothing better to talk about? It’s a bit sad, and I’m talking on my own behalf, I’m on it every night at the moment, because I’m always on msn and when you get an email you automatically go on and see what its about. Which brings me to msn. I think it’s great, all you need to pay for is the internet bill and your away, add your mates email addresses and away you go. Talk your life away. So a conclusion? Does anyone actually meet up a talk like civilised people anymore? Or have a phone call? Nah. Go online, I’ll sit in front of my computer and act cool instead.
Something's not write today
I don’t know what to write about today.
How bebo has crept into my life
Hunterhouse College
Is this the future of socialising, sitting in your bedroom with the laptop to all hours creeping the same people over and over again?
I do admit I creep myself and I know of many more people who do, is this really that bad for us? BEBO stands for broadcasting everyone’s business online, so is the any need for private profiles, this is another sign of addiction, click on to that person bebo and it says sorry no can do, you find yourself screaming and in sheer frustration, EVEN if you know their bebo has always been private, we still try so does this prove just how sad our lives are?
That we feel we have to nosey into other peoples business? I will admit I LOVE bebo and personally now couldn’t live without it.
Why I won't stay silent about useless letters
None..Exactly!
Why use more letters spelling K-n-o-w when you can use N-o… and F-o-u-r is another one when it’s F-o-r.
Looking at a severe genetic condition
Hunterhouse College
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a genetic disease in your eyes and it gradually takes away your eyesight turning you blind.
It is caused by mutated genes when send out the wrong messages to other genes causing the genes to die impairing your vision.
It can be passed on from parent to child even if the parent doesn’t have symptoms and are unaffected by the mutated genes.
When you have it the first part of your sight to go is your night sight or your ability to see colour, although the most common part to go first is your night sight.
There is a cure for it but it works in some people and doesn’t in others. There is also a microchip to enhance vision is under development.
If a member of your family has or had it, it is a good idea to go to the hospital and get tested for it. A good local hospital is the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
When getting genetically tested there is a percent chance that they will find the gene responsible as some genes that cause it have not been discovered yet.
Why a sleepover is such a Grand idea
Hunterhouse College
Well, my Gran is so fussy and this is what makes her annoying. Like last night, she stayed at my house, and of course, it was my room she stayed in. Everybody voted against me! I wasn’t staying in the same room as her because the last time she stayed it was terrible!
Well, she talks non stop, all night and all day. I was bored out of my mind by the time night came, so I was in a bad mood already.
I mean, I don’t want to listen to some old woman rambling on about church, and recycling, the law and boring old waffle.
So anyway, I was a bit annoyed so I went to bed early. And as I slowly drifted off to sleep. You know that feeling when you’re halfway between sleep and being awake.
Then all of a sudden the light turned on and I heard, “Alex, are you asleep?” And she fully on screamed it into my room. And then she got into bed beside me. I turned around ready to go back to sleep.
And then she said “Alex dear, it’s too bright in this room do you mind if I close the curtain.” So I got up to close it and then apparently it was still too bright. (I actually couldn’t see two feet in front of me).
Then I had to get a blanket and blue tack it to the window. I know, I told you she was fussy.
The rest isn’t much better, she stole all the covers, so I was freezing and she kept getting up to either go to the toilet or get a ‘wee’ cup of tea.
And she took up the whole bed. How could one small woman take up so much space? It was awful!
The next day I woke up next day to find that I wasn’t in my room anymore, it was like a zoo, everything was everywhere, she’d threw my clothes all in the floor, and lying around where bit’s of paper with things like, ‘I need to post that letter to Maggie’ on them!
My room was a tip, and my camera was on the floor, my prized possession, just thrown away. I was so annoyed, and for once I couldn’t wait until I got to school.
But when I got downstairs, I went into the kitchen, I can’t find the words to write about what I saw, but it was good.
The kitchen was a mess but there was like a five course breakfast out for me.
Pancakes, and cereal, and French toast, tea and orange juice. I now know, my granny may be awful with her bad habit’s and really bad car.
Oh, don’t even get me started on the car; she drives it at likes two miles an hour. But she does all that stuff for my benefit and I don’t know what I would do without her!