Essays and Other Creative Works


	WHY DO TEENAGERS SMOKE? By Katie Whitehouse 9MW Cradley High School, UK Why is it that all teenagers have tried a cigarette or is smoking right now at this very moment. This is the question I am asking, and I am not getting very far with the answer. Here are five reasons that encourage smoking: Pressure from friends telling you that it’s cool. (Take it from me they need to get a life.) All the adverts and film stars that features smoking Curiosity to try it Because it’s something you shouldn’t do so you go and be naughty It’s something your parents do so you think it’s O.K Here are five reasons that you shouldn’t smoke: It isn’t as good as you think it is. Bad breath and yellow teeth. (not a good idea if you want to kiss someone.) Cost too much. (pocket money gone.) It kills you. (each one takes 3 minutes off your life.) Very bad cough. If you have seen this list, I hope you will think twice about smoking!!
	A Sporting Chance? By Jodie Sabin Cradley High School, UK In England we are brought up to believe that ‘it’s the taking part that counts, not the winning.’ This may be true and very important, but in America, Germany and other countries, they are brought up to believe that ‘winning is everything, coming second is nothing.’ Who tends to do better? Part of the reason why we don’t tend to do well, is because we don’t have enough willpower. Americans and Germans to out to win. OK so we do as well, but they believe that if you don’t win, even if you come second, you have failed. It is this willpower which wins them medals, not us. If a child has a special sporting talent in America, that child will be supported all the way with special training from an early age. The government backs them all the way with scholarships to universities where they can train and study without paying. That doesn’t happen over here. Some countries take not winning too seriously though. Look at the Pakistan cricket team, who were charged with disrepute and bringing the country’s name into shame because they lost the World Cup final. How about the Uruguayan football fans who killed one of their country’s international stars because he scored an own goal and they lost a World Cup match against the USA? Take the Ryder Cup when the Americans invaded the pitch before they knew for sure that they’d won. That might sot Europe the cup. In a way we are the winners. It is better to be good losers than bad winners. Men tend to do better in sport than women. Why? Perhaps it is because all the effort and limelight tends to be placed on the men, pushing the women into the background. This discourages women. A lot of sports tend to be professional just for men, yet the women play them just as well. Take football for instance. Some women play for their clubs, some even for their country. They do the same as some men with one difference – man get paid thousands and women get paid nothing. Yet in a way women do more, they have to have jobs or studies to cope with, some even have families to look after. It’s not just football, it’s most sports. All the limelight and fame tends to be focused on men. Take Wimbledon. When our men won their matches there were big headlines and articles on them. Yet when our women won (and they did win some), all there was, was a small box saying who beat who and what the score was. It’s more likely that you could name at least three British men for each sports event and struggle to name only one woman. If the Government wants to make this country good at sport in the future, they need to give us more support, more fairness and more willpower, but still keeping the good sportsmanship.
	My Valentines Day Gift By Carl Joseph St Martin's Secondary School, St Vincent & the Grenadines It was about two days before Valentines Day when I started thinking, who would I send my valentines gift chocolate to? It bugged my mind for the whole day until I reduced my list down to two persons. Then I thought, "which of the two would be most likely to send me the best gift?" It was Isheaka. So I decided to send my gift to her. Finally, February 14th arrived. With a contented heart, I headed off to school at about eight o'clock. During the break, I received my first Valentine's Day gift. It was a chocolate and a sweet from one of my good friends. Within the space of ten minutes I received four sweets, three chocolates and ten cards to be exact. During English class I received a card with words that struck my heart. To me this was better than all the sweets and chocolates I received put together. But it was not from Isheka. What am I to do now. For the rest of Valentine's day I just kept hoping that "affairs of the heart", could be more simple. The day I thought the world was going to end. By Jothan Davis St Martin's Secondary School, St Vincent & the Grenadines As many others, I thought the world was going to end, or at least an end to a world we have grown accustomed to. The fear of the most deadly bug the millenium bug or the y2k bug. It was foreseen that society would cease to enjoy some of the pleasure it enjoyed or maybe it would simply cease, yes cease to be. The world has become so dependent on computers, that if the problem of the roll over was not foreseen and taken care of, catastrophe would strike. Our digital watches, some stereo equipment, camcorders, cameras, personal computers, telecommunications, water and electrical supplies would be disrupted, if not for the foresight of some individuals. Could you imagine what would the world be like without water and electricity? The anxiety of the change of the millenium, the only one we would see in our lifetime, and its effects on the computer climaxed on December 31st 1999. From about 11:30 p.m. everyone waited anxiously with questions in mind, would the lights go out? Even the smallest flicker would cause panic. But as we all know there was no end to the world, as some people thought would happen. We made it through safely or did we? The panic has yet again arisen, because in programming the computers the programmers forgot to program the computers to recognize the 29th of February, so we are not out of the danger zone as yet. There is still a level of panic. Have we really not gotten out of the danger zone as yet? Is there still a chance that the world would end? I don't know, maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. All we can do is wait. I put my thrust in God because I know He is the only one in charge. He holds time and life in His hand. All I can do is thrust in His love, power and mercy and hope we make it through safely. But then again, I have a strong feeling that February 29th would be just as uneventful as December 31
	The Day I Thought The World Would End By Shavia Farrel St Martin's Secondary School, St Vincent & the Grenadines Whoooo! Whoooo! This was the sound of the gushing winds connecting with my windowpane, as though they were crying for help.Although windy, the day was bright and sunny and it was a school day. As I arose a horrid feeling flew through me, a feeling of danger. With an acrobat's agility, I greeted my parents downstairs at the breakfast table. My parents were discussing the odd weather, while my brother and I were throwing our string beans at each other. Everyday my brother an I would walk to school and today was by no means different. As usual we fought, played and cursed each other on the way. As we were about five minutes away from home, the road began to shake suddenly and then to my supprise it stopped. My brother and I had the same facial expressions but we went on the way. Just as we began to walk again, the shaking began almost suddenly. This time however, the road began to crack simultaneously with some houses on the same street. Then the first thing that came to mind was-EARTHQUAKE!!! Being the wise fool he was, my brother wanted to head for school, which was further away than than home. However, we headed for home with full speed with the ground shaking and cracking up beneath our feet. When we arrived home our parents had not left for work as yet, and so were very lucky. Suddenly thunder began booming down-BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! Followed by lightening and then heavy showers of rain. With the chaos that was going on in the streets I peered through my windowpane, I felt horrified. The gushing winds, earthquake, rain, thunder and lightening, people running up and down the street - there was nothing else to do than panic. Roofs were being blown off, houses fell to pieces and people being injured. This was "the day I thought the world was coming to an end". I then heard my parents and my brother scream. Our house had begun to crack and the roof began to give away. We all began to scream. Mom ran for the Bible and we all began to pray. While we were praying, thoughts began to run through my mind. Was the world really coming to an end? Would we all die so suddenly? Would I lose my family forever?

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