After School

She received me in her room which was bit untidy as she was feeling a little sick, but she was studying anyway. She graduated in 2007 and she is now in her second year of Medicine. She is María Fernanda Neme.

I asked her what she did right after finishing high school, and without thinking, she told me that she had started studying for the entrance examination for medicine school, which went well. She also told me that she was devoting all her time to studying, she added she would have a lot of time to work in the future.

I asked for an anecdote she remembers from her time in high school. She sat down and thought for a little time, and then smiling told me of a time, after reading the book Animal Farm with Charlie, they did a mock trial to decide if Napoleon the pig was guilty or not. Still grinning she said there were three, and she was one of them; there were the witnesses, the accused, the defense, and the jury. At the end they decided to sentence Napoleon the pig.

Remembering her time at high school, when she was not the best student, and now studying medicine, proves that Fernanda is a mature woman who thinks devoting time to studying can take you anywhere, without taking the fun times out.

Do you remember?

As I walked into his study I noticed the silent, calm climate in which he was reading Jorge Luis Borges’ ‘El Aleph’. Nicolas Meloni Class of ‘06 is currently studying Business Administration at the UNT, is in 2º year and has 20 years. He likes playing football with friends, listening to Bob Dylan, The Doors or Led Zeppelin and has recently come back from working for two months as an assistant in a company in the US. He has a small but united family: his parents and two younger brothers. By the way, and despite the difference of age, he speaks of his brothers like two very close friends of his.

He remembers his school days at CSP as a golden time, full of adventures and anecdotes that are worth hearing. One of them was when one of his friends hid a classmate’s pencil box behind the heater. The day after this, when the heater was turned on the pencil box melted and started a fire. The students were called by Diana de Pindar, the principal of the school, and after putting sanctions to culprit, she blamed a very famous TV show presenter that has a humor program: ‘This is all Tinelli’s Fault ‘’causing the laugh of everybody in the class. He thanked me kindly for making him remind those awesome times at high school and I also did because of the time he had spent during the interview. He is now a guide to me and his experiences are worth taking into account.

The best time of our lives

Who wouldn’t miss the most fun time in life after so much mischief with your friends! High school would probably be a curse for some people, but not for Maximo Alvarez ’07. Now two years after graduating he would like to go back in time and be at school again.

Currently majoring in Business Administration at UNSTA, Maximo Alvarez is really busy and says university is really hard. He is still organizing himself, but he is always remembering his life at school and everything that happened there, one of his great anecdotes was when they didn’t go to class and the preceptores had to act as detectives to find him and his friends.
Although his life has changed unbelievably he still goes out with his friends and plays rugby at Cardenales Rugby Club.Everyone calls him with different nicknames as Maso, Cheto and Machi. He also plays the guitar and likes to listen to some rock bands such as Pink Floyd and The Beatles very loud.

High school is a part of life that no one would ever forget because of the freedom, the friendly atmosphere, the little work you have and the less responsibility compared to university. Just be glad for what you have right now and don’t complain about it, because there is always something worse; as Maximo said:” enjoy this wonderful time at High School, you’ll never live something like that, i would love to go back in time to be there again”

By Julieta Muratore

WHAT A CHANGE!!

Now he feels a lot of pressure upon him. Thanks to university he doesn’t have much free time and he only sees his friends on weekends. So was High School really bad? Ask Nicolas Padros '07 and you’ll understand why it was definitely not!

Nowadays he’s a busy guy as an industrial engineering major at UNSTA who likes to hang out with his friends and listen to Blink 182. But Travis Barker and his band don’t help much in his daily life; apart from all the work and studies he has to do, in his mind, Nicolas keeps excellent memories of his life at school and he remembers them with a big nostalgic smile on his face.

According to Nicolas, life at Saint Patrick School was awesome! His favourite subject, “Formacion Moral”; his worst subject…English, ironic right? Having so many hours of English at school, he hated it, and he still does; but he remembers all his suffering during Charlie’s lessons, the lessons he went to, because until he got caught he used to sleep behind the farthest tree just to avoid English! When Ricky comes to his mind he can’t stop laughing, “He was my favourite teacher! We had so much fun in his classes” he says, and now he’s a little worried because Ricky is retiring soon. Nicolas thinks that he deserves a huuuuuuge party.

This boy’s life has drastically changed; university is not as simple as it is thought to be. So what he most misses of school is the chance to see his friends everyday, to have fun with them and the few responsibilities and work to do. He now believes that resenting high school would probably be the worst thing to do and he advises us to enjoy this stage in life because it’s unique; there’s no better time.

STUDENT DRIVER TURNED INTO ENTREPRENEUR.

Gonzalo Romero, Class of ’03, was happy and nostalgic to talk about his high school years. He remembers his Math classes with Ricardo Barcat, and some youthful mischief. But he has changed completely since then. Now he studies, works and makes the most of life.

Sitting at his desk, he left his pen on his book, to answer my questions. He told me about his family, which consists of two boys and three girls, and about his friends, too. In his free time he hangs out with them and they meet at “El Sauce”. He loves playing tennis and golf, but sometimes he goes biking or jogging in the mountains.

At school, Ricardo Barcat was his favourite teacher, and he enjoyed his classes. He was a mischievous student. Astonished, he recalls a specific one, and laugh: when he took his car from the parkinglot, and at great speed, he drove around the athletic track. ‘I am really surprised, I can’t believe I did that’

But nowadays he concentrates on his new job at Idea, a Real Estate Entrepreneurship, in which he is really happy and comfortable. He is also studying Economics at UNT. He left back the adventuruos child to become a man, who is hardworking, persevering and more mature.

By Candelaria Romero

CSP: High school memories...

As I entered her room, I found Alejandra Daziano studying hard for one of her last subjects at her UNT career: civil engineering. There, I started asking her some personal questions and about her most memorable moments at school. With no problem, she left her pen, and very relaxed she answered all of them…

Firstly, I asked her some questions about her childhood, and Alejandra told me she loved being with her group of friends, while playing with dolls. After that, she opened her wardrobe and took some of the dolls she used to play with; it was really a wonderful memory.

Alejandra has two brothers and a sister. Last month, she gave her family one of the most important news in her life: she is going to get married in March, next year. Of course she is very excited, and she thinks her life will change completely from that moment.

Of Saint Patrick’s School, Alejandra has many memories, but without a doubt she told me that the best of all of them was the last year, especially the school trip to Bariloche. “It was really wonderful” she said, and it was one of the last moments where all the class was together.

Nowadays, Alejandra is in her last year at her UNT career: civil engineering, majoring in hydraulics. But while she is studying, she has the possibility to do field work in “Hidroeléctrica de Tucuman”, where she feels really comfortable. Alejandra Daziano is a very mature and meritorious woman that knows how to manage her life, leaving behind the little girl that played with dolls.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

By Julieta Serrano

There are lots of marvellous movies in the world these days, but if you like movies you have to see this one. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie directed by David Fincher, produced by Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. In this movie the main characters are Brad Pitt, Clate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton and Jason Flemying. It tells the story of a person that was born as an old man (Brad Pitt) who starts to rejuvenate himself until he dies being a baby.
The story takes place in the twentieth century where the clothes and thoughts of the characters are different from now. But the most important characteristics are the advanced digital effects and the actor’s appearance that makes people doubt about make up or technology.
There is no doubt that technology has been growing for all over the world in the last years and this is shown in movies, especially in this one. There are some great effects that made the spectators jump from their seats because of the sounds, the pictures and the atmosphere represented in the movie.
What if I say that there are more than 200 digital effects in this film? Have you noticed every change of appearance or when a scene starts or finishes? That’s because digital effects can make everything possible, and this movie has excellent effects, but of course this is not all. The theme, the characters, the atmosphere and the story itself made this movie interesting in all senses.
To add, this film gives good lessons and teaches about our existence, the eternity of love, the importance of a friendship and happiness. When you finish watching this movie you feel like you have just woken up from an eternal dream, so it doesn’t seem like you were in the cinema with your friends.
I would recommend this movie to adults and adolescents, first of all because they will understand it better than children and it’s a movie that has to be seen by everybody. Secondly, it will make people understand the significance of discrimination and shows how was life in the past.

Destination: The Fantastic World of Disney

Every human being around the world has once dreamed visiting the fantastic world of Disney, especially if you are tired of work or school and want to have some rest and party on a cruise round the Bahamas or visiting all the amazing attractions that Disneyland has.
It is an incredible trip in which you can go with your family or as I did , with your friends; and in both cases you will have a lot of fun. Also you can go on your own and manage and organize your activities as you want, or you can go by a travel agency such us Levis Tours here in Tucuman, which is a very good idea because if it is your first time and you don’t know the place, they take care about everything; they organize the activities, the hotels you are going to stay in, the places you are going to visit and eat; in other words, you are sure that they will take you to the best places, so the only thing you have to do is pay and enjoy!.
In my personal experience, I went with my friends and it was incredible. We traveled for eighteen days, eight days in Orlando, five days on a cruise around the Caribbean Islands, and finally five days in Miami.
For the first eight days in Orlando we went to all the Disney’s theme parks such us Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios and Epcot. The theme parks are just unbelievable, they are so big that more than once you get lost. It is a world of dreams; all the creatures you see on TV are there; you are so excited that you think it is all real, and that you are just looking at the real Mickey Mouse. It is a trip full of pleasure and enjoyment and the only objective you have is to relax and not be scare about the next rollercoaster ride!!.
We spent all day walking round these fantastic themes parks, but incredibly we didn’t get tired because we were so interested in all the variety of rollercoasters, which were extremely fast and secure, and all the technology that surrounded us, that we didn’t care about how much time we had been walking without eating or drinking anything
After this fantastic world of dreams, we went to a world full of pleasure: to the cruise Royal Caribbean. This was the most luxurious cruise I have ever been in my whole life. There, we visited some of the Caribbean Islands such us Nassau, Key West and Coco Key. Here you enjoy the real pleasures of living the good life: food, sun and beach. What more could one ask for?.
To end this trip you can go for some days to Miami, where you continue getting relaxed, going to the beach, sunbathing and swimming. Also in Miami you can buy very good clothes, perfumes, electronics and make up at spectacular prices.
Apart from enjoying this fantastic world of dreams and pleasure, you have many other good points for doing this trip. First of all you learn a lot about another culture which is amazing and you can understand why the USA is the most powerful country in the world because you can see how they live, their style of lives, how respectful they were with you, and all the progress they have made over the years. It is very different from what we are accustomed to seeing here in Argentina. What’s more, you meet new people and make new friends, you improve your English; but the most important point of this trip is that you mature a lot, for example, as I went without my parents, I had to be in a place where I didn’t know almost anyone and I had to take care of myself, made my own decisions, managed my money and many other things that make you mature.

So there is no doubt that my next holiday destination will be Disney World, because it is like enjoying the pleasures of life!!.
Shall I get a ticket for you?

Magdalena Navarro Vitar

Review: An incredible true story

by Roberto Isasmendi

The SNOW SOCIETY is the definitive book about the survivors of the Andes. The most incredible story ever written. If it was fiction it would be unbelievable. But it’s true and it had happened. This book shows the courage, the strength and the decency of these boys to defeat the mountains, something that seemed to be impossible. But impossible is nothing.
It’s about a plane accident that left a group of young Uruguayan rugby players alone, up there in the Andes, without food or coats. They were not found so they had to spend 72 days on the mountains. Only sixteen of them survived. After those horrible days two of them walked across through the range of mountains and appeared in Chile.
Each survivor gives his testimony in first person and tells how the accident affected their lives and how they live today. In the middle of these chapters the author, Pablo Vierci, talks about the most important moments of this story: the departure from Montevideo; those who didn’t travel because they were late or sick; the accident; the wounded; the avalanche that killed 8 friends; the first expedition to look for help; the organization of the group; the death of their rugby team captain; their relative’s death and dead friends whose bodies they started to eat in order to survive; when they heard on by the radio that the air search was being called off; the finding of the tail (plane); the rescue; the last expedition: a week of walking through very high mountains and a very cold climate; when they found the Chilean farmer that helped them and when they came back home.
Life on the mountain was awful. They slept in the plane’s fuselage that was small, very cold and uncomfortable. They really didn’t sleep at all because they could have freeze, so they kept hugging and pinching themselves to keep the circulation of blood all night long. They also had very few clothes and they drank water by melting the snow with the few sunbeams.
Another big problem they faced was the food. They had only a few chocolates and sweeties that fed them for 4 or 5 days. After that they had nothing to eat, so I think they took the most important decision of their lives: to eat the dead bodies of their friends. First they only ate the muscles but then they realised that their body needed some other nutrients so they started to eat the organs, the bones and the brain also. Some passengers tried to view this as a variation on the rite of Communion as Jesus said: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them”. One passenger stated the simple reason behind his decision: "If I had died ... and someone else was sitting here telling you his story, I would be glad I had helped someone to live."
They were a society on the mountain. They had to be smart, to organize themselves, to work as a team and to solve their problems together. They felt they were all the same; they were very affectionate and fraternal and they brought illusion to each other. This worked in base of: TEAM, PERSISTANCE, LOVE, INTELLIGENCE, and the most important, HOPE.
This accident changed their lives completely. After this episode they began their life again. They think they had come back from death.
I really recommend this book to you. It is the best one I’ve ever read. It has changed my life because now I know how important life is. If I have food, clothes, a house and a family I am a rich person, I have the necessary things to live, and the rest depends on me. Because in any moment a plane crashes and you realize everything you had and what have you lost.
It is a book to reflect on, that breaks your heart and makes you see the real value of life.
There were 45 people on board. Only 16 survived and they are:

- Roberto Canessa
- Coche Inciarte
- Daniel Fernández
- Adolfo Strauch
- Moncho Sabella
- Alvaro Mangino
- Gustavo Zerbino
- Javier Methol
- Pedro Algorta
- Carlos Páez
- Roy Harley
- Bobby Francois
- Tintín Vizintín
- Pancho Delgado
- Eduardo Strauch
- Nando Parrado

Sources:
- “La sociedad de la nieve” by Pablo Vierci
- http://www.cinematical.com/
- http://www.borders.com/
- http://www.blogs.clarin.com/

Addictions in Tucumán: A real problem

People have a lot of different addictions here in Tucumán. The term addiction is used to describe a physiological problem that makes you be addictive to something such as: drugs, gambling, video games, smoking, alcohol, and even study, work and sports can be addictive.

In our city, the most common addictions are alcoholism, smoking, and drug addiction. The last one is very common all over the world. Drug addiction affects not only the addicted ones but all the society. A lot of people use them and it doesn’t matter if they have money or not. Drug addicted can do a lot of extreme things (stealing and even killing) in order to get the money to buy drugs and consume it. This addiction is one of the main causes of insecurity in Tucumán.
Tucumán is not an isolated place where drugs are sold and consumed. As per statistics, Argentina is a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe especially in the Tri-Border Area; a source for precursor chemicals, increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base. (Source: NATIONMASTER.com)

Other very common addiction is smoking. People generally start smoking at the teen age. Then they become addicted and they continue smoking until the day they die. Last studies show us that in Argentina there are 50 thousands deaths because of smoking. So be intelligent and don’t even try it!

Other consequence of addictions is that people have lost families, homes, cars, and all because gambling! These addictions make you start betting some money that you have and then you bet more and more and when you finish the game you don’t have more belongings to bet.

Alcoholism is a very common addiction too. Here in Tucumán people start drinking at the age between 13 and 16 years old. They get drunk at parties and they start doing wrong things, (such as fighting) all because they have drunk. But they are not only teens the ones that drink. There are a lot of old men and women that cannot leave the alcohol and they spend a lot of money in it. Some studies shows us that in our country the 69,5% of the teenagers drinks alcohol, but only the 14,9% at least once declared to have arrived at the ebriedad. They have also been asked where they drunk and the 53% said that they drunk at parties and celebrations.
(Source: med.unne.edu.ar)

Some other addictions are affecting our society nowadays; one example is video games addiction. Some young kids know how to play a game in the computer before knowing how to read or write. Some of them enter to the school without reading and writing but they know how to win the Play Station game. This addiction will affect societies all around the earth in a near future.

In summary, addictions are very dangerous. And with this article I hope to make a change in the society and make people realize about what is happening nowadays in our city and all over the world. And remember: all extremes are bad.

Are we all innocent?

Global warming has been a serious problem for several years because people are not aware of the consequences of the pollution we do every day. Some people say that factories are guilty because they produce a lot of dangerous chemicals that affects the air, the water and the earth, but we do not ralize that we also contaminate. The amount of pollution is rising every day so fast that in a few years the consequences will be unstoppable But it’s never too late to change...

Here in Argentina, there isn’t a law that say that we can’t throw garbage on the streets or a law of recycling, so people think that throw a paper on the street isn’t a big deal. But if all of us think the same way, our country will became a rubbish-dump. In the last few weeks the super markets began a “green campaign” to reduce the amount of plastic bags, but people still prefer the plastic bags. So I think that if we can’t make a little effort to change, we will have to suffer the consequences.

Last year, here in Yerba Buena, a graveyard (San Agustin) wanted to install a crematorie oven to burn dead bodies and make ashes of them. But some studies demonstrated that, in spite of the modern systems of multiple combustion these ovens emit toxic substances to the atmosphere. Also it is located in a recidential zone and the smoke and the garbage it produce could affect the water that these neigborhood use. So the law prohibits it construction.

Forms of pollution In Yerba Buena:

• Air pollution.
• Water pollution.
• Littering.
• Noise pollution.
• Light pollution.
• Visual pollution.

Effects:

-Human health

-Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion.

-Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries.

-Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes.

-Noise

pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance.

-Chemical can cause cancer and as well as birth defects.

-Ecosystems

• Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will affect other organisms in the food web.
• Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants to carry out photosynthesis.
• Global warming.
  

To summarize, we all have to contribute to the the global warming problem. Now we can see the problems it produce, and if we dont change, they will get worse and there is not another opportunity. So don’t stare waiting the other people to fix the problem, YOU have to give the example and try to spread the message. So think green!

-Philippe Delaporte

-Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/

http://www.yerbabuenavirtual.com.ar/

Music Revolution In the 20th Century

Mau by Mauro Meloni
Sources: wikipedia.org

Music Revolution In The 20^th Century.

When it all started 50 years ago , teenagers just didn’t have a music that represented them, young people were obliged to listen to listen music their parents listened, because at that time there wasn’t any musician band or singer that would do music for young people. That’s when rock ’n roll appeared and when they started feeling identified with a type of music.

Nowadays, music we can listen to in some way is related to the one that

started more than 50 years ago. This apparently long period of time can also show us how it has changed. Fifty Years seem to be a lot but if you compare it to the rest of history you’ll see it’s not that much. So, music had a very important change in its own history in a very short period of time. But why? I personally think that is because teenagers were given the chance to make music and to express their feelings.

The reason why I think teenagers didn’t have this opportunity of making music is that parents are very concerned about what their children listen

and see , and besides this in those times the education was very strict . It was a revolution from teenagers because it became popular, and had its consequences over a long period of time. At first it was rejected by older people but now that the rock n’ roll generation is older this type of music is much more accepted in the society.

Before this, teenagers just had to learn or listen to country or folklore. But now we have some universal types of music that are listened all around the world. That’s the case of rock,

for example. It has it origins in a mixture of blues, rhythm and blues and gospel. This capacity

to fusion music, I think should be attributed to young people because of the natural

creativity that they have, that generally adults don’t have. And also they gave a different point of view to analyze and feel reality; this made music much richer than it was before this

revolution.

Genres of music have evolved and, because of the influence of other genres, we now we have a

huge variety of them (pop rock, blues rock, folk rock, etc).Another cause of it is the radio which

gained popularity and gave musicians the possibility to be listened nationwide and sometimes

worldwide; and also listeners were able to listen to a wider range of music than before. So this

helped musicians a lot to be influenced by different types of music.

So, to sum up, what we can listen to nowadays is the result of a mixture of a fusion of different genres and technology, which made music to be known everywhere and by everyone, and what’s more important, to have a richer and larger variety of styles.

My Favourite Sitcoms

“A situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs. Most of the sitcoms consist on the same characters in a common place such as a home or workplace”. After a day of school or work, the best thing you can do is lay down on the couch and watch some sitcoms, it’ll cheer you up for sure. What I like most about them is that if you missed one episode you’ll still understand the next one, as the “problem” or situation is usually started and ended in the same episode. Two of my favorite’s sitcoms are “Two and a Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory”

“The Big Bang Theory” is the newest one. The plot is about two physicists (Leonard and Sheldon) who share the apartment. The sitcom stats when Penny their new neighbor moves next door. The difficulties this two have to relate with people out of their environment creates lots of funny situations. They have two friends: Howard Wolowitz who thinks he is like a “god” to women but he is actually very bad with them, and he lives with his mom (who treats him like a little child) and Rajesh Koothrappali who’s actually from India, which makes him feel discriminated by the others, and he feels so intimidated by women that he can’t speak with women unless he is under the effects of alcohol. Sheldon is and feels very superior to the others as he is very intelligent, and thinks he doesn’t need the approval of “inferior” minds. He has “Asperger’s syndrome” which makes him incapable of understanding any facial expressions, he understands everything literately and can’t even understand sarcasm.
“The series contains a lot of gags and references to real physical principles and theories, but clearly they are simplified to the maximum to be quickly understood by the audience that has no education in physics, mathematics or engineering”. The show also contains lots of things from “their” world such as Nintendo 64, Xbox, Nintendo WII, Facebook, Halo3, Apple, etc.

“Two and a Half Men” is about Charlie, a single man who lives in Malibu, has lots of money and works little. His life moves around sex, alcohol, gambling and smoking. His peaceful life gets interrupted when his brother Alan who is actually a very polite man moves in with him after getting kicked out of his house by his ex-wife Judith after 12 years of marriage. He moves in with his son, Jake, who is just thinking of food all time or watching TV. Along with them is Berta a very lazy and dominating maid who creates even more conflict to their lives. Besides being very different Alan and Charlie try to create a stable home for Jake and try to help him grow up little by little.

If you like sitcoms or just need a good laugh you should consider watching the series I’ve mentioned before. You can watch all of them in Warner Channel almost every day. They make my day lot better, maybe yours too.

Source of reference: www.wikipedia.com

Guillermo Neme

I’ve stopped waiting for a prince on a white horse…now I’m waiting for a vampire in a shiny Volvo!

Have you ever experienced the need of keep watching a movie? That you don’t want it to end? Or maybe you’re reading a book and you can’t stop because you have to know what comes next!! You’re so interested with the story that you feel whatever the characters are feeling? Don’t worry you’re not a freak!
Thousands of people, including myself, had lived this sort of experiences while watching Twilight and reading the series books. And do you know why?
This love story was written by Stephenie Meyer, an American housewife who once dreamed with a vampire and started writing the book. Not so sure of what to expect she decided to finally publish it in 2005.Fortunately, the story was a huge success! The following year with Twilight leading every list of best sellers, Stephenie wrote its sequel New Moon which is also followed by Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and Midnightsun.
Twilight is a modern love story between a normal teenager and a vampire. Bella Swan has always been different, never caring about fashion or the latest gossip around her Phoenix high school. When her mother remarries and sends Bella to live with her father, she doesn’t expect anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and gorgeous Edward Cullen, a boy unlike any she's ever met. When Bella discovers what “the pale faces” (Edward’s family) were; it was too late…she was already madly in love with Edward. “Soon they start a passionate and thrilling romance”.But the closer they get; the more difficult for Edward to resist the pull of her scent. But what will Bella and Edward do when the new clan of vampires threatens them to death?
This awesome story continues in New Moon, the second book of the series. After this one Eclipse follows with love problems and the appearance of not only vampires but also other creatures. But the best of all the books, from my point of view, is Breaking Dawn which is the longest of all, but believe me…it’s worth reading!
The movie was released in 2008 with an increasing number of fans all around the world. Apart from the story, what people really love is the movie’s crew. Kristen Stewart plays Bella and Robert Pattinson, Edward. This English guy is the real reason why so many girls love the movie or become interested in the story after watching him on the screen playing a sexy vampire. All the actors involved in the film are now living a sudden success, most of them weren’t known until this huge vampire phenomenon, but now they’re the constant object of looks, photos, cameras and paparazzi.
If I have to give an opinion, I definitely recommend this movie, and the whole Twilight’s series. It’s really incredible the way you laugh, cry, worry and have these sorts of feelings when you’re reading the story and also how Edward dazzles you in the movie. I hope you become interested and read the books or if you prefer watching the movie, with the disadvantage that you’ll have to wait until November when New Moon is released or maybe next year when it comes to our country!

The other face of our football

Over many years, Argentina’s football has suffered violence with dozens of deaths to cry for. However, the violence in sports events is not new and not exclusively from our country. Many countries solved this terrible phenomenon but others are still suffering it.

Violence has always been associated with football since the origin of the game, since 225 BC. Curiously, medieval football was like a battle field where young people of rival villages and towns solved arguments or disputes over their lands. At this time, the football matches involved hundreds of men and the game did not have enough rules.

As we all know, football was born in England and this traditional game was often accompanied by huge amounts of alcohol. In consequence, the matches always concluded with serious injuries and even death of some of the participants.

The sport was rapidly spread over other countries in Europe, principally in Germany and Italy. The huge popularity reached by the football all over Europe, led to a more regulated and restrained game. From this, modern football emerged, but unfortunately, the violence was still growing with the game.

In 1960, a new behavior called 'football hooliganism' appeared in England. This fact was related with social conflicts and the demand of the working classes to obtain the possibility to access to the matches. In fact, in the seventies, when England was suffering a hit of unemployment, the “hooligans” appeared. The English Parliament analyzed seriously the problem and elaborated hard laws to penalize the aggressive groups and in this way the problem was solved.

At present, in our country, the violence in football is out of control. The problem is supported by social factors like poverty, unemployment, the educational crisis etc. Every weekend there are real battles between fans of the different clubs. Moreover, sometimes leaders of different bands of the same club fight to win the control of the club. Unfortunately, this situation is not exclusive from the first division because in the least important division, this warring situation have also appeared.

Obviously there is no interest in solving this problem from the state or the political leaders. The reason is simple, everyone benefits from it. The clubs leaders do not see with evil eyes the so called “barras bravas” because they are maintained in their positions by these groups. In other words, the clubs leaders are afraid of these violent groups.

In my opinion we can finish with this serious problem if all society demands the authorities the elaboration and application of more appropriate laws. Another important thing that we can do as young people is persuade all our friends about the importance of returning to the Greek concept of the sport, which means that the final objective of all sport competition is not to win, but to increase the spirit of the competitors.

Traveling Abroad

The large majority of people are raised in one place and spend their lives there, comfortable with the routine they begin to grow unconsciously through the years. We become very attached to our home town and our friends. Because of this we become extremely reluctant to experience other places and prefer to live speculating about what lies beyond our home and our the boundaries of our culture which we’ve grown to know so well.

Studying abroad isn’t as hard as it seems. There are many organizations dedicated to helping kids travel like “Youth for Understanding” and “AFS”. Some countries have already started to promote kids going abroad because of the great results it has had. Financial problems can usually be solved with student loans and many countries offer part time jobs which you can do to pay off your debts while you’re there. These organizations are designed to help students from around the world interact and exchange cultures.

Changing the pattern of your life, even if only for a few months, might seem a very difficult obstacle to overcome. We do not want to leave the safety of our typical day for a new world in which we don’t know the easiest route, or don’t have our lifelong friends to fall back upon if we make a mistake. All this makes the first step harder.

Not necessarily everyone may be daunted by leaving their home to study abroad but

many also don’t think it might help very much. A few months in a different country with different rules might make us value what we don’t have and what we do. I’ve always believed that world peace could be attained if we all spent time in each others homes, instead of staying unattached to the consequences of our actions.

Studying abroad is known to give you a different perspective later. It can also influence on your career decisions and give you experiences which you would never think about at home. Another big advantage you acquire is learning or in some cases, perfecting a different language. Not to mention it could change your whole career. The very best part is that you make friends on the other side of the world! One case of this would be my very own dad. Due to the fact that he went as a foreign exchange student for 1 year to the states, he later acquired a job in Nike!

Other people and cultures usually come up in our jokes. The physical or cultural features that seem ridiculous or unnecessary to us because we do not understand their perspective. But what do we really know. Maybe a different outlook wouldn’t do us any harm. It’s a scary thought, going out alone. But if you think about it, your home isn’t really going to change that much in an year. A life changing experience might just be worth the sacrifice of a few months out of the loop.

Vladimir Predovic

Sources of reference:

http://www.vistawide.com/studyabroad/year_of_study_abroad2006.htm

http://www.afs.org.ar/arg_sp/home