Top Christmas Songs

Our Number One

1. "Fairytale of New York" - The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
2. "Step into Christmas" - Elton John
3. "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus" - Jackson 5
4. "All I want for Christmas is you" - Mariah Carey
5. "Rockin' around the Christmas tree" - Brenda Lee
6. "Do they know it's Christmas?" - Band Aid 1984
7. "Last Christmas" - Wham!
8. "Driving home for Christmas" - Chris Rea
9. "Merry Christmas Everybody" - Slade
10. "I wish it could be Christmas everyday" - Wizzard

Strictly Interview with Mr Reid

Last year, staff and pupils alike competed in the first ever Porty does Strictly. It’s back this year due to popular demand and in honor of this, we conducted an interview with one of the participants, Mr Reid from the English Department who is pairing up with Ms. Kirkwood. Even though we were pretty sure he was trying to avoid us since there just happened to be multiple delays and even an attempt to wriggle out of it on the agreed day, we eventually got him to sit down with us and answer our questions. We hope you enjoy.

 

What did you think of last year’s Strictly?

Eh, last year’s Strictly was excellent. I thought that the standout performance was definitely Mr McCulloch and yeah, it made me want to take part in it this year.

What made you decide to do Strictly this year?

Well, being inspired from the performances last year but also Mrs Williamson always gets you right at the end of term when you’re really tired and you don’t have any fight in you as well, that was another reason.

Do you have any previous experience?

Umm, I’m quite well known as an excellent dancer to be honest...so you could put that in.

Rumours say you’ve been teaching and advising other people, are they true?

What’s actually true is that a lot of people have been coming to me for advice but I’ve had to say that I can’t do it, I don’t have enough time.

What type of advice would you give them?

I can’t, I don’t have time to give it.
(Ms. Kirkwood) What? Advice about dancing?

Yeah, yeah.
Everyone’s been coming to ask you how to samba and how to waltz.

Yeah, I’ve had to lock my door.

What style are you dancing?

We’re doing the samba dance.

Started practising?

Yes, we have and it’s going extremely well. People should be extremely worried.

How is your dancing partner (Ms. Kirkwood)?

Ms. Kirkwood is struggling a little bit, I’m having to give her a lot of support. She’s, um, yeah. I’m trying to think of a simile I could use. She’s a bit like a…. I’m not going to finish that sentence actually. Nevermind.

Any thoughts on competition?

I think everybody looks pretty, pretty good this year. It would have been good to have a go at competing against Mr McNiven and Ms Nesbitt again but there you go.

Have you seen anyone else’s dancing?

No, it’s been top secret. I’ve not seen anybody else’s yet.

And finally, what’s been your favourite thing since joining the school?

Favourite thing since joining the school? Why, um, this interview right now.

By Duaa Musa and Heather Notman

The Battle for Teenage Icon Supremacy has Begun!.....… And now it’s over.

Us teenagers have so many stereotypes to live up to. It is a struggle to be rebellious and moody, selfish and irratable, to be slamming doors and getting into screaming matches with other family members. Of course, we all basically go through the same phases so it’s understandable why we are expected to act this way. I think that the thing that defines being a teenager the most though is the search for our own identity. Trying to find out who we are, what we want do with our lives and perhaps most importantly, who we want to be. We all yearn for acceptance, to find people who understand us. Finding people in real life can be more than a little tricky.

A large majority turn to media to find these impossible to find symbols they can identify themselves with. Books to television, music to film and even the internet in this day and age, they all have their kings and queens of angst and relatability. They all deserve a place on the dark walls of our bedrooms, stuck with the unbreakable bonds of blu tac because they need nothing more. One character does come to the front of my mind when I’m asked to think about teen icons though and he is the narrator of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger. His name, is Holden Caulfield. You might have heard of him.

For years, Holden Caulfield was heralded as the definitive voice for the teenage generation to listen to, to hear loud and clear. The now infamous protagonist of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, which oddly enough isn’t about a baseball player practising in a field in case you thought that, ruled over the land of teenage icons for decades upon decades. Disillusionment, rebellion, angst, alienation, constantly whining and not doing anything to fix the things he’s moaning about. Although he probably could have now become aspects of the stereotypical grumpy 12 year-olds to 19 year-olds since its first edition came out in 1951. However, in recent years, critics have attempted to pull the once unmovable king from his throne.

The only novel the ‘great’ J.D Salinger ever wrote ‘lacks any relevance in this technology driven time we call the 21st century’ other writers would cry out. There has always been criticism surrounding the book, that is to be expected especially with one that is as famous as this one. Nevertheless the excessive amount of whining our main character coupled with the erratic thought process he speaks in have deterred many from enjoying it. Nowadays, people have begun complaining that it is out of date. It’s once praised used of “current slang”  is being presented as evidence for showing how it has aged. For a classic, many would argue that it is starting to show how much time has passed during its lifetime. To them,  it is now nothing more than the self-obsessed ideals of growing up in the baby-booming era of post World War Two.

If Holden can no longer live up to his billing as the no.1 rebellious symbol, then who do we get to the fill the void left by Salinger’s most well-known creation? This question has been answered recently by another author who has made his case for being the voice of the modern teenage generation. John Green, a man whose books are now some of the most famous young adult novels ever written.

He’s been praised for his portrayal of the teenager state of mind, of the intensity that we possess that other adults seem to forget. One of the most famous authors to do this before hand was, unsurprisingly, Salinger.

Green himself has admitted that Salinger hugely influenced him as a writer. Despite this, I wouldn’t say that Green is the next Salinger which is something many have mentioned. It’s not to discredit Green, there is just a very simple reason why I can’t agree with this statement.

There is a fundamental difference between Salinger and Green. It’s one that means they really can’t be compared when it comes to vying for space on the poster-covered walls. There is a fundamental difference between them because there is a fundamental difference between their main characters. The difference between Holden and Miles ‘Pudge’ Halters from ‘Looking From Alaska’, and Quentin from ‘Paper Towns’, and Hazel Grace Lancaster from ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ is a simple one; it’s simply that despite what actions Green’s protagonists do or what they might say or think, you are supposed to like them. The thing is, you are not supposed to like Holden.

As a character, Holden is unbelievably interesting to study and write about. As a person, he is whiny, immature, lacks any trace of growth by the end of his story, he says thing that leave you staring at the page going “Why did you just say that, you actual idiot.”. He isn’t looking for your sympathy, he is the embodiment of the worst teenage traits and he knows it.

You can’t compare these two authors. I read an article trying to compare ‘Looking For Alaska’ and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, more specifically comparing the two main characters. There are a lot of the same ideas being covered by Miles and Holden, loss, rebellion, isolation to name a few. Miles however doesn’t go to the same extremes that Holden does. That’s because the authors are trying to achieve two things which are on two opposite sides of the spectrum. It relates back to this quote I heard somewhere, “If I can’t be a perfect example, then let me be a horrible warning.”. Green  writes examples. Salinger writes warnings.

Their different goals mean they both stand on their own merits. Comparing the two of them really doesn’t do them any justice so there is no point to it whatsoever. I guess if you did force me to chose one at threat of nuclear death strike from North Korea, I would pick Salinger. Holden’s erratic thought process and narration really appeal to me for some reason, I don’t really know why. I also like a good bit of controversy as well and The Catcher in the Rye certainly has that. I mean, I doubt the police will ever turn up to a crime scene and see the killer just standing there, a gun in one hand and a recently splattered copy of “The Fault in Our Stars’ in the other.

By Heather Notman

Halloween Reflections...

Bella looks back at this year’s Halloween
successes and disasters and argues her case for fancy dress.

Halloween. The word conjures up fear in most of us, although possibly not for the usual reasons, as the years of wearing those embarrassing and questionable parent-chosen costumes are over (I hope)! Now, we have to create unique costumes ourselves, but unfortunately ghosts of English essays will haunt you way past the 31^st, so minimal effort is definitely necessary. Halloween is the only time of the year you can legitimately dress up in something crazy, weird and scary, so what better excuse to go all out? 

Unfortunately, in today’s image obsessed society, looking ‘pretty’ or ‘cool’ takes absolute precedence, as Instagram and Facebook demand photogenic updates, and ‘likes’ are the only form of complement anyone wants. Mostly, girls are pressured to look like ‘hot’ witches, zombies or cats, and boys are criticised if they have ‘tried too hard’ with their costume; social media and society’s influence has effectively drained the fun out of Halloween. I know the nagging feeling that a more life-like skin-tone and less gruesome welts would extract a few more ‘likes’, but really, where is the fun in looking normal? I want to show you that a fantastic costume is perfectly possible, and re-inject some of that centuries-old excitement back into a celebration of the scary.  

 

Clichéd costumes are equally loved and hated, as they never fail to look great; dead schoolgirls or boys, mummies and vampires are all timelessly brilliant. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to rip up their school clothes and rebel? Of course, I have seen my fair share of M&S shirts and decidedly fake blood splatters, but you can’t help loving the feeling of rebellion it provokes. 

A mummy costume is often overlooked, but it is one of the most realistic- except obviously the becoming alive-after-death part, but we all know that Monday feeling. A few rolls of toilet roll (or masking tape) and embalming never got so easy! Unfortunately, the Egyptians weren’t so lucky, so spare a thought whilst   you procrastinate about your English homework, as a corpse is pretty hard to ignore. Black shadowy eyes inspired by that last-minute night-long homework session will create a costume…to die for!

A vampire never fails to look bloody brilliant, and going
super traditional will take a bite out of the opposition. Deathly pale skin, dressing in black, and slicking back your hair is a winning combination, and will turn a few necks. Adding some sparkly hairspray will catch the light, but isn’t so good if you are real because of the whole allergy thing. 

Many hate the idea of dressing up in a costume, as it makes them feel uncomfortable, but as an unshakeable advocate of fancy dress, I firmly believe that even making the smallest of efforts will turn out to be a lot of fun. Halloween costumes, or costumes in general are, and always should be an act of absolute fun and freedom, whether that be wearing a pair of cat ears and some face-paint or becoming a human bag of jelly beans.

For many, Halloween costumes are a chance to escape the usual uniform of jeans and a top, and become someone or something completely unlike your normal self. Vigorously smearing on the face paint or wildly flicking the fake blood around sparks the addictive confidence that comes with wearing a costume. You aren’t trying to look flawless; instead you are celebrating the dark, sunken eyes, gruesome cuts and messy hair which brings unfamiliar freedom to the self-conscious. After all, that bright eyed excitement everyone has when glimpsing each-other transformed into demons, ghouls or monsters is completely unique to one night of the year; All Hallow’s Eve.

By Bella Baillie

 

By Hannah Low

Local Band interview– ‘Lessons Learned’

I’m siting here on the train with 2/4^th of Edinburgh’s very own down-tempo hardcore band. We’re on our way back from Wraiths headlining show at shadow sound practise room (Glasgow). Lessons Learned played a fantastic show and really connected with their fans. My interview is going to be with Ryan Gray their vocalist and Martin Knox their bassist, who are both very tired out from their set. Lessons Learned are one of the few Hardcore bands the Edinburgh scene has to offer, however if you make the mistake of calling them beat down there’s every bit of a chance that Cameron their guitarist will drop kick you. Lessons learned have had the delightful opportunity to play with bands such as Backtrack, Breaking Point and Carcer City etc.

Members; Ryan Gray (19, vocals), Martin Knox (22, bass), Jack Valentine (15, drums) and Cameron Bell (20, guitar)

What was school like for each of you?

Ryan: *silence*

Martin: It was alright.

Ryan: Aye, it was better than working.

Martin: Aw aye if I could, I would go back and do it all again, but totally different.

Ryan: Banter.

Martin: It was always a hassle, with folk, aye just like being different; I got attacked all the time during school. It was actually a constant battle for me.

Ryan: Same man.

What subjects did you take in your 5th and 6th year?

Ryan: *laughing*

Martin: Music, Graph-com, English, Maths and Woodwork.

Ryan: Music, Chemistry, English, Maths and Art, I think!

How did you do in your exams?

Ryan: I passed one *everyone laughing*

Martin: I was a pretty average student; I could’ve done a lot better.

Ryan: I passed my Standard Grades and messed up my Highers.

Who started the band?

Ryan: I think it was Miko and Matthew.

Martin: Aye two old members of the band.

Ryan: Oh, Connor.

Martin: Yeh, three old members who are no longer in the band.

Who is each of your biggest inspirations in making music?

Ryan: Oooo, that’s a big question. SOUL SEARCH!

Martin: I'm not gonna lie, the bands that originally got me into the heavier side of music were the likes of Slipknot and Korn and stuff. Then it’s all just mutated from there into more of a hardcore genre.

Ryan: HATEBREED!

Martin: Desolated!

 

Have you always been interested in music, throughout school etc.?

Ryan: Yep. Through my mum and dad and stuff

Martin: Aw yeah, constantly. Massively.

Ryan: Every kind of music as well.

Martin: Aye like everything you constantly got through at school you’re like "Aw I just wanna sing alternative music” and they’re like “No! You’re going to sing swing!”

Ryan: I just want to hurt people

Martin: “I just want to hurt people with my voice” (Does impression of Ryan) Nope! You’re going to sing Frank Sinatra" *group laughing*

What’s the biggest show you have ever played?

Ryan: Backtrack I’d probably say.

Martin: Aye, when I was part of Bear Witness, we played a show with Demise and Dishonour at Studio24 and that’s probably the biggest show I've played to date.

Ryan: That was a free show as well.

Martin: Yeah that was a free show aye, so the turnout was ridiculous. But right now the band is quite small, we've all played with big names but they haven’t necessarily been big shows.

Ryan: Breaking Point was pretty cool, that was pretty packed.

What got you into the music you listen to now?

Ryan: My Mum, Dad and my Uncle as well. Listening to Slayer, Sound Garden and Cannibal Corpse.

Martin: I’m pretty much the same, my parents introduced me to Iron Maiden and things like that and then my cousin was introducing me to bands like Slipknot, Korn etc. My parents kind of just embraced and it said well "you’re going to be a little different from everybody else but enjoy it".

What’s coming next for the band?

Martin: Generally playing as many shows as possible and trying to build up a name.

Ryan: Merch!

Martin: An E.P, and aye merch, we want to write an E.P, write a complete new one to be honest. In regards to an E.P I’d d pretty much like to re-write everything, not re-write what we’ve got but just completely write a new thing as a complete unit.

Okay, back to school questions. Did any of you go to the same school?

Ryan: no

Martin: nope, we all went to different school

What school did you two go to?

Ryan: I went to Forries mate (Foresters).

Martin: I went to Holyrood.

Did school play a massive part in your musical career now?

Martin: Yeh I suppose.

Ryan: Kind of because listening to music throughout school, taking music, keeping an interest, playing an instrument and then obviously wanting to be in a band.

Martin: Through music I originally wanted to do vocals and the drums, but I got bumped and they made me do bass, so I wouldn’t be playing bass right now if the school hadn’t made me do it.

Ryan: I played guitar in school, this just sort of happened.

Were any teachers specifically supportive of your musical career path?

Martin: My music teacher (group laughing, genuinely), that’s pretty self-explanatory.

Ryan: My music teacher was like “that’s not music!” (mock Irish accent)

Martin: Aye I’d be walking into maths and then they’re like “get that **** off” I’m like “SOOOUUUNNNDDD; its in headphone beat it!”

What was the first gig you played?

Martin: I'm sure mines was a Verden show with Bear Witness, the guys and me put on a show in Verden with Victim of a Hero and Bury the Betrail, it was a pretty good turn out even though the scene at that time was completely dead and the out of nowhere, “awwh yeh there’s a show” then 150 people in a crammed practise room.

Ryan: My old band got asked to headline in Glasgow but we turned it down because all we did was covers *martin face palms.

What was the best gig you’ve played?

Ryan: I could easily hands down say tonight.

Martin: Either the Bear Witness show with Demise and Dishonour at Studio24 before Decade or tonight, tonight was really good!

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Martin: Download 2k12, when I saw Sound Garden and Sabbath one after the other, Sleeping in a Cesspool for 5 days.

Ryan: I’d say Terror two years ago, at Ivory Blacks, that show was perfect!

If you could meet anybody living or dead who would it be?

Martin: Corey Taylor!

Ryan: Scot Vogel, terror.

Martin: Have ye seen that neck! He’s got like a 33” neck, ridiculous.

What songs would you include on the soundtrack to your life?

Ryan’s girlfriend: I hate my life by Theory of a Down *laughing.

Ryan: Terror– Stick tight.

Gwar– Rag Na Rok

Twitching Tongues– Preacher Man

Johnny Cash– Hurt

Have Heart– Armed with a Mind

Martin: Letlive– Muther

Northlane– Singularity

Lower than Atlantis– Deadliest Catch

The Elijah- I loved

Turnstile– Heavy Hand

What do you miss most about being a kid?

Ryan’s girlfriend: CITV.

Ryan: CITV!

Martin: No responsibility, no bills, being carefree. I don’t really miss being attacked everyday though.

Ryan’s girlfriend: One thing I wouldn’t miss though would have to be your mother dressing you.

Ryan: You looked like an ice gem, I quite like ice gems.

Have you ever gone cow tipping?

Martin: Naw, I haven’t randomly gone over to a cow and went “BAMM”.

Ryan: No but I kind of want to now.

Martin: Do you know how much a cow weighs?

Ryan: Aye but what if we got the whole band *laughing.

Where’s Wally?

Martin: I don’t know, probably a desolated show with his beanie hat *laughing.

When will you learn your lessons?

Martin: HAA THE PUN!. All the time, everyday.

Ryan: Probably never.

By Calra Maley

Interview with Mr Mackenzie



Mr Mackenzie is now in his fourth year at Portobello and in the short time he has been here he has become quite a favourite. While he started on the second floor, he now lives on the eighth in his room full of wall art, strange handprints and Harry Potter references. Known as one of the friendliest teachers around, he is always up for a chat about anything from Scottish independence to that kid off Britain’s got talent last night. Here, we interview him about student life, what he gets up to in his spare time and personal experiences.

Adeel: So why did you become a teacher?

Mr. Mackenzie: Two reasons, firstly because I really enjoy history, secondly I enjoy working with teenagers as you can have a bit of banter while having an influence on them and helping them to achieve their goals.

Adeel: If you weren’t a teacher what would you be and why?

Mr. Mackenzie: Again two things, I was never good at Chemistry but I’d have liked to be a vet, either that or a very bad novelist.

Adeel: If you could teach another subject what would it be and why?

Mr. Mackenzie: Either Modern Studies as it’s similar to History and also about people, which I enjoy, or Biology, which I enjoyed and was good at.

Adeel: Which teacher at this school has a quality you would like?

Mr Mackenzie: I really like Miss Gallagher’s sense of humour; she cracks me up all the time. She’s tough talking yet manages to do it with a bit of humour.

Adeel: Which teachers here are your biggest friends and what do you get up to?

Mr. Mackenzie: Obviously Miss Nisbet and Miss Taylor, but also Mr McNiven and Mr Aitken. We generally just take the mick out of each other in school, end of term parties, or tend to go for noodles at the weekend

Adeel: What’s the strangest thing we could find in your classroom?

Mr. Mackenzie: Probably a set of real Nazi stamps from Nazi Germany that have actually been used, I got them off EBay.

Adeel: Moving on to education, what did you study and where?

Mr. Mackenzie: I studied English and History at St. Andrews, but focused on History in my final two years; In my first year I lived in the halls with Miss Bigg. After that I lived in several flats

Adeel: What kind of accommodation would you recommend for readers?

Mr. Mackenzie: I would recommend living in the halls for the first year as you make loads of friends. As well as that I would recommend moving away from home for the full student experience.

Adeel: Did you go through some tough times at uni regarding heating and food etc.?

Mr. Mackenzie: Yes, in second year I spent my entire student loan in the summer so I had to get a job in the aquarium. In third year my flat had no central heating and tiny electric heaters, I would wake up and be able to see my own breath, also the inside of the windows would have ice on them!

Adeel: So would you study with loads of clothes on?

Mr. Mackenzie: Blankets, electric heaters, gloves, I would write essays with a big woolly hat on. The gloves were fingerless so I could still type, plenty of hoodies and jackets too! I would spend a lot of time in the library to escape the cold.

Adeel: So coming back to school, what’s the strangest or funniest thing to have happened to you at Portobello?

Mr. Mackenzie: In my first year here, It was an afternoon double period and I had grey trousers on, I went to get something out the drawer and they split all the way up the back! Thankfully I had Mrs Philip, I told her I’d split my trousers and she put a big coat around me and I went home. Seriously though, they split all the way up the back, I think that’s both funny and strange!

Adeel: Any strange habits or superstitions?

Mr. Mackenzie: I like things to be organised so sometimes I fix a squint pen, I was worse when I was younger

Adeel: What sports have you trained for?

Mr. Mackenzie: I did used to go to the gym, when I was at uni I gave kickboxing a try. It was actually pretty good until we got to the fighting bit, which was when I quit.

Adeel: Out of sports what hobbies have you got?

Mr. Mackenzie: I like going for a run, reading, and the cinema, TV shows such as Game of Thrones and recently I’ve got into wall climbing at places such as Alien Rock.

Adeel: So you mentioned movies, what the last movie or TV programme that made you cry?

Mr. Mackenzie: I can have a good cry at a film, probably 12 Years A Slave, I shed a tear for that a couple of times throughout in the cinema.

 

Adeel: Anything else you’d like to add?

 

Mr. Mackenzie: That’s it, thanks for having me!



By Adeel Ali