Sam's English Journal

The Emirates Stadium. You can smell the trophies, the success, and the optimism. Just over 60,000 red leather seats and the finest grass in world football are present at the recently built North London stadium. When the stadium is empty, it’s just seats and a pitch. However, the expectation from everyone connected with the club still roams the air inside the stadium.

London is Red. London is Arsenal. Red like human blood. With the Emirates costing the owners in excess of 400 million pounds to manufacture; the board expects only the world’s finest footballers to wear the Arsenal crest.

22nd September 2014. 7:42pm.

Before, the game the fans rumble with animosity and excitement as the players ready themselves for battle in the tunnel. I take my seat and peer eagerly onto the remarkably cut pitch. The players prepare themselves with different mindsets. Some opt to approach the game with a no-nonsense attitude; Francis Coquelin looks out ahead onto the pitch. Similar to a Lion as it stares at its prey. He didn’t shed a smile towards his enemy; fully focused on the war he is about to fight. Intimidation fills the hearts off the opponents as they see the concentration and determination in the eyes of the french warrior. You will never see the soldier wounded; he does everything on the pitch for Arsenal Football Club.

The opponents Southampton are very tricky opposition. Arsenal had to be at the peak of their powers to progress to the next round of the League Cup. As both sets of players stride onto the surface, all fans rise in buoyancy. The crowd jeer the players on as they are only minutes away from starting this fierce encounter. The exuberant feeling that runs through my veins washes away the damp conditions on a chilly evening in Islington.

The excitement gradually simmers down as the game kicks off. Early in the game, Theo Walcott uses his electrical pace to gallop past Ryan Bertrand with the ball. The Southampton defender cynically trips Walcott. As Walcott tumbles under the contact the fans explode in anger. The referee races to the spot where the incident occurred and signals for a foul in favour of Arsenal. In addition, he brandishes a yellow card towards Bertrand. He expresses a cheeky grin but you could detect the guilt in his eyes. The fans angry faces quickly turn to delight as they realise justice has been served.

Alexis Sanchez; one of the world’s most unique attacking forces; proven by his form in the latest World Cup. His dazzling feet leave some of most highly rated defenders chasing his shadows. The hunger in his eyes throughout every game shows that he is not daunted by any player. Alexis stands directly behind the ball with Lukas Podolski on his right. He takes two controlled breaths. The Emirates is at silence. A screech from a rat would have been heard from all four corners of the stadium. He gallops towards the ball and takes a stab at the bottom of the ball. It swirls and dips around the 4-man Southampton barricade like a boomerang and nestled in the top left corner of the goal, leaving highly rated Fraser Forster flabbergasted to say the least. Sanchez runs towards the corner flag in delight while his team-mates chase after him. The fans erupt into delight as the Chilean puts Arsenal ahead. However there are fans that express nothing more than an audacious smirk as they have seen him produce magical moments like that  previously.

As the game wares on and reaches the final ten minutes, you can sense the anxiety within the stadium. Southampton have stamped their authority on the game. A two goal deposit will ease the blood pressure of the fans. Arsenal are fluffing their lines as they waste key chances to ensure progression to the next round. Couqelin goes through on goal but lashes the ball over the bar and the Southampton crowd gobble the ball up. He lies motionless on the floor in disbelief. Moans and groans leek from the mouths of supporters.

Arsene Wenger looks bemused on the touchline as the players begin to get frustrated. He wears his long turquoise coat on the touchline and it reaches down all the way to his lean French knees. Wenger brings on Arsenal legend Theirry Henry in a decision based more on hope compared to optimism. This is second spell in North London. He gets a standing ovation from every one enclosed in the stadium, even Southampton supporters. Almost instantly the forward receives the ball on the edge of the box. The fans behind the goal, edge up off their seats. Their mouths open in optimism. The Frenchman gently but with genuine accuracy uses his right boot to stroke the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The Emirates goes ballistic. The floor beneath me feels like it is near to shattering point. Fans grab each other in delight and jump for joy. Henry glides on his knees knocking the corner flag over in triumph.

Dear Katherine Birbalsingh,

I have only just started to reason and comprehend your articles. Many times in your works you mention the strain between the police and the community, specifically the black race. However the content included in your pieces indicates to your audience quite clearly that your beliefs are biased towards the police.

You feel that police are not the problem in this “mutual divide”. You portray that the police brutality, that has been brought up regularly by the community, is an over-exaggeration. Then how can you explain the 333 people that have been killed in police custody since 1998? Not one conviction or accusation has been made against a single officer, leading me to believe that there is some sort of corruption between the IPCC, the police and the courts. For you to support the police, even though harmless, innocent victims are being slaughtered by the so called “law enforcers”, gives the impression that you are deluded.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met Commissioner, has claimed that there are still sections of the police force that are institutionally racist. He believes that young black men are more likely to be stopped and searched compared to young white men. If someone of his stature is questioning his own police force, then I feel that it triggers a cause for concern. Racial animosity against the black race still lurks in the hearts of some officers. Also, I whole-heartedly deem you to be one of the contributors to this hatred against blacks. In your Guardian article you come across as if you believe that to be black is to be a gangster. I feel that I speak for the majority of black people that are law abiding citizens. Of course there are blacks that are criminals or gang affiliated, however the minority that decide to live the unlawful way should not be allowed to stereotype all the black race as being gangsters. For you, crime is a constant theme for blacks. You seem to constantly imply that there is a magnetic force bringing the blacks and criminal activity together. There is a number of black people that are lawyers, doctors, teachers and active in other advanced professions. The black race are not the only contributors to crimes in the U.K.

Moreover, there are many innocent black people that are being stopped and searched on the streets and being harassed because of the complexion of their skin. A 21 year old black male was stopped, removed from his car, arrested and bundled into a police vehicle. This incident occurred a day after the riots and tensions were running high. The man had taken the initiative to record the stop and search process on his phone. This epitomizes the tension between the police and the community: the man felt that he needed to take it upon himself to record the process as his protection in case he was attacked verbally by the police officer. The policeman during the one and a half minute recording said, “The problem with you is you will always be a nigger… You’ll always have black skin. Don’t hide behind your colour.” This is just one of many appalling racist incidents from a police officer towards a fellow citizen of the public. The officer was only given was only given a suspension with pay, which ignites my belief that there is a biased aroma between the IPCC and the police.

We only have to evaluate the murder of the Stephen Lawrence in 1993 to gain an insight into the institutional racism that is still ripe on the streets of London. The 18 year old of Jamaican decent was stabbed and killed by five white youths as he waited for a bus with friend Duwayne Brooks. Eltham was notorious for being a racist area. However the police failed to identify that the murder had a racist agenda. Eye-witnesses and the locals in Eltham pointed the police towards the direction of Gary Dobson, brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, Luke Knight and David Norris. All of the individuals had previously been involved in racist attacks. However, the police delayed the arrest of the suspects. The police’s inability to arrest the group meant that vital evidence could have been slipping away from the grasp of police, making it harder to find justice for Stephen Lawrence. There had been intense speculation that the reason the arrests were conducted at a lethargic pace was because Stephen was a black teenager and the police did not prioritize finding the culprits due to his race. It was only in 2012, 19 years after the murder, when two of the perpetrators, Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted of murder. The other three suspects are free to roam the streets of our country to this day…

Dear Editor,

I am writing to complain about the column you published in The Evening Standard about the Human Zoo.

I think it was highly offensive towards the black community and race. The exhibition is a disgrace not just to Black-Americans, but to all the people that were involved in the long painful years of the slave trade.

Even though the organizers have taken the mature decision to close down this show, you are suggesting that the exhibit should be kept open. In your column you say that you have never “seen a more potent example of Europe’s exploitation of Africa”. I believe being able to read about the slave trade and how many blacks were taken without their consent to America is necessary. On the other hand, opening an exhibition that so graphically depicts slaves being chained up portraying grotesque images of violence that happened many many years ago as a human freak show is very inappropriate.

Honestly, I don’t believe you have looked at this from the perspective of the black race. As you are a white woman, I don’t think you can understand how it feels to a black man or woman to visit a museum of this explicit nature. As a black person you are automatically associated to the devastating years of the slave trade. As a black man myself, when I hear about slave trade, it instantly triggers a gruesome, distressing image in my mind. In your column you say that, “you could read about the facts but you’d easily forget about it ,however visually seeing the art would be like an emotional harpoon. Great art changes you.” I disagree with this because of the extreme and titillating nature of what of the show offers to its paying customers. When you exaggerate and glamorize the slave trade in this type of setting, you portray to your audience that you despise and have no pity towards the black race.

You also say that, “The workers agreed to participate in this exhibit”. Yes, they probably did, but when the actors in the exhibition were interviewed, they felt strongly that your exhibition could be branded as racist. “How do you know we are not entertaining people the same way the human zoos did?” one said. Another asked “How can you be sure that it’s not just white people curious about seeing black people?”. As a member of the black community, I  disagree with the fact the exhibit is open and that it should be allowed to portray these types of images. I’ve seen a picture of a black women in one of the exhibition’s parts, where she is chained up to a leash that would, in our modern world today, be used to keep a dog or any other vicious animal of that kind under control of the owner. In my opinion the whole show can be viewed as racist due to the fact that the curator is of a white race. He is sensationalizing to show how the black race have been historically downgraded into a non-existent group of people in this world however in doing so he demoralizes the black race in the present.

Chris Nekongo from Namibia, who read this article, says that this exhibition has shocked many citizens living in the Namibia, where during the slave trade many slaves would have been deported out of their homeland and sent to work in countries like America and England. He says that the “historical facts should be kept in the past”. My own views are that the facts should not be hidden away but should be expressed in a way that does not sensationalize, objectify and victimize the black race.

In conclusion, I feel that shutting the exhibition has been right and most sensible, mature decision. It will benefit everyone for it to stay that way as well.

Yours sincerely,

Samuel Nwosu

The Emirates Stadium. You can smell the trophies, the success, and the optimism; created by the fans presence. Only the world’s finest players can grace the stage on the greenest grass in England. Just over 60,000 red leather seats and top class facilities at the recently built North London stadium. When the stadium is empty, they’re just seats and a pitch. However, expectation from everyone connected with the club roams the air inside the stadium. The groundsman deserve the greatest gratitude as the 115 by 74 yard pitch is regarded as the one of the world’s best cut surfaces. Daily, the groundsman conduct work on the pitch so that the fans can enjoy the Arsenal stroke the ball across the carpet during matches.

London is Red. London is Arsenal. The identity of the club is red. Red like human blood. With the Emirates costing the football club over 450 million pounds to build; the board expects only the world’s finest players to wear the Arsenal badge. The fans are considered as Arsenal’s 12th players. Before, every game they rumble with animosity and excitement as the players ready themselves for battle in the tunnel. Players prepare themselves with different mindsets. Some may opt to approach the game with a no-nonsense attitude. Players like Francis Coquelin tend to look ahead out onto the pitch. Similar to a Lion staring at its prey. He will never shed a smile towards his enemy; fully focused on the war he is about to fight. Intimidation fills the hearts off the opponents as they see the concentration in the eyes of the french warrior. Blessed with the art of tackling and man-handling opposition like a lion versus a mouse. Pace, Strength, but also the technical capabilities of playing the ball on the floor. Making ferocious tackles on the pitch, the fans regularly erupt with positive chants towards Coquelin. You will never see the soldier wounded; he does everything for the badge on his chest.

22nd September 2014. Alexis Sanchez; one of the world’s most unique attacking forces; proven by his form in the latest World Cup. His dazzling feet and electrical pace leave some of most highly rated defenders chasing his shadows. The hunger in his eyes throughout every game shows that he is not daunted by anyone. Alexis stands directly behind the ball with Lukas Podolski on his right. He takes two slow breaths. The Emirates is at silence. A screech from a rat would have been heard from all four corners of the stadium. He galloped towards the ball and took a stab at the bottom of the ball. It bent around the 4-man Southampton barricade like a boomerang and nestled in the net leaving highly rated Fraser Forster, flabbergasted to say the least. Sanchez runs towards the corner flag while his team-mates chase after him as if he were a stray 50 pound note. The fans erupt in delight as the Chilean puts Arsenal ahead. However there are fans that express nothing more than a cheeky grin as they have seen him produce magical moments like that many times before. Just one of the exuberating scenes at The Emirates.

Then there is the man who makes the Arsenal clock tick, the tactical mastermind. Mr Wenger. Arsene brings his class and experience to the Premier League. He always has his long turquoise  coat that he always wears on the touchline, which reaches down all the way to his lean French knees! Not one of the most vocal managers in football, but his 20 years of success at Arsenal motivates his players on the pitch to do the business.

25th March 2012. Arsenal are 1-0 up in the League Cup but need a 2-goal cushion to ease the blood pressure of the fans. The fans emotions fluctuate to and fro from anxiety to excitement. Arsenal are lacking the clinical, composed finisher. On comes Arsenal legend Theirry Henry in his second spell at The Emirates. Almost instantly the forward picks the ball in on the edge of the box. The fans behind the goal, edge up off their seats. Their mouths open in excitement. Then the Frenchman gently but with genuine accuracy strokes the ball into the net. The Emirates goes ballistic. The king runs off to celebrate with his fans.

I think that Orwell uses detailed sentences to describe his characters. Varied type of sentences, mean that the reader finds can find it interesting. Hes also direct when trying to deliver his message or sometimes he can make you figure it out. I like the way Orwell describes his characters it is very unique.

George Orwell Facts:

George real name is actually Eric Arthur Blair but is Orwell for his “writing name”.

He was born in India but moved back to England after a year of his birth.

His famous books were Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Animal Farm was published in 1946.

It has a book and a movie.

Time magazine nominated it in the top 100 English novels.

The book reflects the events of the Russian Revolution.

His first major work was Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)

Orwell was a very clever lad.

He fought in the Spanish Civil War for the Republicans.

He hated the British Empire

He was said to be a big hypocrite

He died on January 21st 1950 in London.

Living in a country where most people want you dead…

Lagos 2419

“Ade lets go” whispered David

Ade, David and Semi exit the hut and continue their journey, trying to keep minimal noise.

“Are we going back?” David says to Semi

“Only time and God will tell; we just have to focus on staying alive. Ok? Now lets keep moving.” Semi announces

Semi knows they wont be safe but at this point in time, that was all he could say to keep their hopes alive.

The young Africans are surrounded in No-Hope and more ultimately Death, calling their names, trying to intrigue them.

This is my idea for the Future dystopia I am planning to write..

3 young African brothers are on the run due to a civil war between two sides of Nigeria. The people are separated into two tribes and sides, however the brothers live in the opposite tribe and need to evacuate.

The country is separated because the country feel that there is going to be a shortage of resources so killing “the other half” will make it easier to survive…

After alot of discussion in class, I’ve thought about what makes a
normal person, a human being. After reproduction has been expanded and new ideas have been brought to the table, such as test tube babies and more; how do you know if someone is a “someone”.

Could we just go around thinking:
A man is a man, if man has a penis.
A woman is a woman, if woman has a vagina.

A human can and has the choice to reproduce. But so certain animals…

I think that the human being is a person who has has a human body. Ears, nsoe, mouth, two bumcheecks, upper and lower lips, Whether he is from natural reproduction or from un-natural, you are still a human. Whether you black or white or any other race, you are still human. Disabled? Still a human.

I think that we are unique and different from animals. We do stuff and have made stuff that maybe animals havent been able to. The way we act and behave can prove whether you are a human.

In Sophie’s case as a mutant it hard to say whether you are a human. You see today people with six toes or three nipples. Though they are still classified as humans.

But in Sophie’s generations they didn’t know about “supernatural” people. The Norms thought Sophie was a witch sent from the devil and with will they thought they could anyone who didn’t look normal.

25 YEAR OLD MAN SHOT DEAD IN BRIXTON. 25th February March 2013

Yesterday a 25 year old man was shot dead on one of the roughest estates in Brixton. Jermaine Johnson, a dustbin man, was shot by a group of thugs, believed to be linked with the GAS-Gang (Guns and Shanks), On his way to work. Evidence can confirm that the attack was in the early hours of Saturday, around 6 o’clock, on Eaverly Estate. Jermaine Johnson has no links to crime and gangs, meaning that the police are lead to think that it was a random attack. Two members believed to be linked with the gang, Adeyeni Odusina-Yakenyi, 23 of Peckham and Shakane Williams, 19 of Camberwell, have both admitted to murder, however the police believe that there were more people were involved with the killing of Johnson.

P.C Ashton, the leader of the case said, “We feel that the finding two of the thugs is successful however, the investigators feel that there were more people involved in this case and the two suspects, are not confessing or should we say “snaking” these days.”

Johnson had move to England from Jamaica 2 years ago for a better life with his girlfriend Sarah; she said, “I feel emotionally wrecked and Jermaine and I were planning for a family. Now i feel my life is ruined, forgiven by God. Those others who have not stepped forward will be haunted for the rest of their lives”

Odusina-Yakenyi and Williams have been held at Holloway Road Prison.