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Movie Review

PG-13ransformers: Dark of The Moon is an action-adventure, sci-fi film from director Michael Bay and Paramount Studios

starring Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tyrese Gib-son, Josh Duhamel, John Malkovich and Patrick Dempsey.

From executive producer, Steven Spielberg, Transformers: Dark of The Moon captures the fun, adventure and humour that ig-nited the hit franchise, only this time in digital 3D. In the third installment of the action-packed series, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers’ final battle.

Transformers: Dark of The Moon earns itself full five stars. This film was the most comedic, tear jerking, adrenaline pumping film I had seen all year and I must congratulate Michael Bay and Ste-ven Spielberg on another job well done. Transformers: Dark of The Moon was by far the best in the hit trilogy. The Computer

Generated Imagery blends in perfectly with the real-life foot-age, so much so that you actually believe that it’s real and makes compelling action se-quences that leave your heart racing and you begging for more. However, I have to say that the 3D in this movie wasn’t as great as I had hoped. When a movie is shot in 3D you expect things to be coming at you and really keep you on the edge of your seat, but even with having the 3D team from James Cameron’s Avatar, this wasn’t the case. The 3D was barely there, if not non-existent, but none the less, this movie could have been shot in 2D and still would have been amazing, making this movie Oscar-worthy and an obvious must see.

BEyoncE-BEst thinG i nEvEr had

’ll admit I have a special fondness for Beyoncé. Quite pleasing on the eye and ear, it’s an unbeatable combo! From her new

album succinctly-titled ‘4’, she serves up some familiar kick-to-the-curb lyrics in the new single ‘Best Thing I Never Had’.

The Song Unlike the album’s first single, ‘Run the World (Girls)’, this Babyface-cowritten track is a midtempo ballad with a less repet-itive chorus and more conventional song structure. Needless to say, there’s also no Major Lazer. My ThoughtsThis song has the potential to be a midyear standout. Beyoncé’s vocals are stronger and throatier than previous similar offerings

like ‘Irreplaceable’, but the song still maintains that ‘sing-along-ability’. The lyrics aren’t rocket science but aren’t ridiculously simple. Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman, and heart-bro-ken girls should get a kick out of signing this! If you still haven’t heard this song, “I bet it sucks to be you right now!”

The Video The video opens with Beyoncé in white lingerie, slightly moder-ate by lingerie standards, but risqué nonetheless. Then the real plot of the video unfolds: her prom date stood her up on the dancefloor for another girl sometime in the past, and now she’s happily married to another man, while she reflects positively on her prom date who “turned out to be the Best Thing [she] Never Had”.

My ThoughtsThe video could take on a thicker plot, as at times it seems slightly insubstantial, but in the final analysis it gets the “simple but elegant” tag. It’s worth a watch!

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by Alana Gardner

by Justine Powell

transForMErs: darK oF thE Moon

Must See!

New Music Review

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by Nigel Wilmot

orn on the 11th day of the 7th month of the year 1990, Imani Wilmot immediately became an excep-tional addition to the Wilmot family – the first girl

to be welcomed to the world by the proud parents of three surf-loving boys.

Even though surfing was destined to be a part of her future, no one would have guessed then that this unique child would grow up to become Jamaica’s top female surfer. No one, perhaps, except her father – talented singer, actor and pro surfer of ex-traordinary measure, Anthony ‘Billy Mystic’ Wilmot.

Imani started surfing at the tender age of nine. She has followed closely in the footsteps of her three older brothers, Ishack, Inilek and Icah Wilmot –raking in numerous awards both lo-cally and representing Jamaica at international surf competitions worldwide.

No strangers to the sea, Imani and her family have never been intimidated by its swirling and snarling waves, often rising to phenomenal heights to attack the shoreline. In fact, they adore the water. It is where they feel most alive, and what makes them most appreciative of their cozy home, surrounded by warm wooden cabins on a beautiful stretch of 7-mile black sand beach in Bull Bay, St. Thomas.

The Wilmot family makes these cottages available temporarily to house surfers from many different walks of life who come to soak up the Jamaican surfing experience.

On this very seaside property, little Imani learned and honed her skills as a surfer – and as a poet. Imani’s creative skills off the surf board are still unknown to most. Only the privileged few have had the chance to be carried off into Imani’s land of deep soothing rhymes, or sometimes mischievous mind-boggling ar-ray of metaphors and similes.

Surfer by day and poet by night, Imani spends the rest of her time balancing her education and bonding with her tight-knit family. She is currently studying for a Bachelors degree in Envi-ronmental Studies, with a minor in Film.

In the summer, Imani’s greatest moments of pleasure come from sharing her surfing skills with young aspiring females in her “surf like a girl” summer camp. “To me, being a surfer is a privilege. It really doesn’t matter if you are male or female cause everyone has their own unique experiences with the sport. The only thing I wish, is that there were more girls participating in the sport,” she said.

Not many Jamaican girls have the opportunity to learn to surf unless they develop an interest in the sport, which is mainly through exposure and seeing a girl like Imani surf first-hand.

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cover storyRiding the waves with

Imani Wilmot





When Imani is in competition mode, she most looks forward to the annual Makka Pro event, held on the Makka Pro Surfing Beach in Southaven in St. Thomas – one of the best surf spots in Jamaica. This quiet seaside neighborhood has come to life on the 7th month of every year over the past four years, as host to the single largest surf competition in the Caribbean region.

The fifth and highly anticipated Makka Pro competition will be held on 29-31 July, 2011, with top-notch competitors from Trinidad, Barbados, the United States and Venezuela. The event welcomes spectators, not only from its immediate parish, but enthusiasts, vendors, by-passers, onlookers and just about anybody attracted by the large gathering, as the sound of music and excitement fills the salty air.

As President of the Jamaica Surfing Association, Billy Wilmot is responsible for ensuring that Makka Pro is not only a continuous success but also that the South-aven community is able to benefit from this international event held in their very backyard.

Imani is quite familiar with the waves, rocks, reef and unique characteristics of the Makka Beach. What she is less familiar with is the level of competition she will face each year, as not only improving regulars but newcomers anticipate and prepare for the competition. Yet Imani is always fully prepared – ready and eager to jump on her surf board and tackle her competitors on the waves.

“Makka Pro is an exciting event for me. It’s a great opportunity for Jamaica’s top surfers to compete against international and regional surfers on their own turf,” Imani said.

cover story

by Nigel Wilmot

Riding the waves with Imani Wilmot

Photos by Tiffany Lue-Yen

“I look forward to the friendly competition be-tween the surfers of the caribbean surfing community. I also feel proud to know that I can show Jamaican girls that they too can be a part of such events and represent their coun-try,” notes Imani.




amaica’s talented U-17 full-back Zhelano Barnes re-cently stamped his name in the history books by slot-ting home the country’s first ever goal at a FIFA U-17

World Cup tournament, during the team’s group stage match against Argentina in Mexico. The historic goal came only as a consolation in the 89th minute after Jamaica fell two goals down. Teen Spirit decided to get in touch with the young Excelsior High School student and national footballer to learn more about him and his experiences.

Teen Spirit (TS): What kind of activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?Zhelano: I enjoy listening music or to spend time around my friends.

TS: At what age did you start playing football and did your parents always encourage you to play the sport?Zhelano: I started playing football at age six. They encouraged me all the way and I’m from a football family. When I was a child a ball was in my crib.

TS: What other teams have you played for?Zhelano: I played for Mountain View F.C, Constant Spring F.C and Cavaliers S.C.

TS: Where did your passion for football develop?Zhelano: I developed the passion ever since I started playing the sport. Whenever I lost a game I would normally cry.

TS: What is your favorite football club and who is your favor-ite player?Zhelano: F.C Barcelona, Manchester United and Valencia C.F

are my favourite football clubs. My favourite player is Dimitar Berbatov.

TS: How did it feel when you were selected to represent your country at the under 17 world cup? And how did your family and friends react to this achievement?Zhelano: It was an ecstatic feeling to know that my hard work paid off and I made good use of the opportunity given unto me. I also got the chance to let myself be known worldwide. My family and friends weren’t surprised and were happy because they knew the potential, the hunger I have for the sport and the skill I possess.

TS: How did you feel after scoring Jamaica’s first ever goal in the FIFA under 17 world cup?Zhelano: Words could not describe how I felt; all I was think-ing about is to celebrate even though we were losing because I knew I created history for my country and I am the fourth person to score for my country behind Theodore Whitmore so I am now among the elites.

TS: How would you describe the team’s performance in Mex-ico? Zhelano: Due to the humid temperature, I think the team played valiantly and made the country proud and it was a plea-sure to be a part of the team and I would love to play with the boys again soon.

TS: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?Zhelano: Next five years, I see myself creating history again by being the first Jamaican playing in La Liga.

One on One with U-17 Footballer Zhelano Barnes by Najique Gayle

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sports

Photos by David Madden

Zhelano Barnes celebrating after scoring against Argentina Photos by Jeff Mitchell



e have seven national heroes, but there are new cham-pions arising everyday in our society; people just like you, who have dedicated their lives to helping others.

Eighteen year old Nicole Nation is one of those individuals com-mitted to making a contribution to society. She is the overall winner of the inaugural Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors competition, one of the main efforts of The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (MCADF), which seeks to heighten awareness about people living with Autism and other disabilities. When Nicole was faced with the possibility of being disabled some time ago, she made it her mission to bring awareness to those living with disabilities and the difficulties they face. With the drive to leave her mark on this world, Nicole has written many letters and poems that have been published in The Jamaica Observer and the The Sunday Gleaner. She has also organised an awareness display at her school and has planned fundraisers, which have raised hundreds of dollars.

“When I am dead and gone, who will remember me, or what I have done? Yet, we are all just travelers in this world, we all just have to do the time and leave, we don’t get to stay,” said the 18 year old graduate from the Montego Bay Community College and prospective student of the University of the West Indies. “Therefore, if it is that I will one day die, what will my legacy be like, what would I have done for Jamaica, for the human race in general?”

Nicole has aspirations to become an Ophthalmologist and has been an active volunteer at institutions that are dedicated to delivering excellent service to those who are disabled, including the Catherine Hall Primary School in the Special Education De-partment, Montego Bay Learning Centre as well as the MCADF, where she won the ambassadors competition.

Nicole says she was thrilled to have been selected winner of the competition. “I was elated to tell you the truth. For me, it was just another forum to advocate for those who otherwise cannot do so for themselves,” Nicole explains.

Her win with the MCADF isn’t the only achievement she’s gained. Recently at her valedictory service, Nicole received two awards; outstanding leadership award for her school’s Sign lan-guage Club, of which she is the public Relations Officer, and the Kiwanis Award for outstanding community service. This award acknowledged the work that she has done with organisations

such as the Cornwall Regional Hospital, Food for the Poor, Brenda Strafford Medical Center, among others.

Nicole is very active in community development, effectively bal-ancing school and volunteer work. She has made her work with charities a top priority, while still enjoying other interests such as listening to music and reading.

“I was the president of the Montego Bay Community College Book Club. I used this as an avenue to express my love for books and how they can allow you to go so many places, to find out so many things, without ever actually leaving where you are,” Nicole, who admits to being a former TV addict says.

Her experience with almost being blind has influenced her deci-sion to help those not as fortunate as her and encourages others to do the same.

“Young people are young, they are fresh, and they are just burst-ing with energy, so they have the power, they have time on their hands, and they must make use of this fact. They have to seize the moment; they have to be the catalysts for change,” Nicole advises teens. “What I want every Jamaican, every human being to do is just to do something. It makes no sense we become pre-occupied with our own selfish concerns and expect the world to become a better place; we have to be the change that we want to see.”

youth in serviceNicole Nation: A Champion for

Persons with Disabilities


by Alana Gardner

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Nicole Nation





on da Party sceneBeach Bums: The

Wet Republiche long awaited Summer Juicey & V.I.P. Beach Bums took place on Saturday, August 16, 2011. Fears

that the island, Maiden Cay, had shrunk drasti-cally didn’t last long; the island wasn’t at over capacity despite everyone coming out in their numbers. Everything was present - the sun, the vibes, the people & food were all there and of course, a lifeguard. The party started as soon as everyone reached the island. Patrons came equipped in their swimwear and some with their dry packs to prepare for the day’s mad-ness. This Beach Bums event was sponsored by Appleton Rum, who supplied the party with large mugs that patrons were able to fill with their drink of preference at the largely stocked bar. The party ended around sundown and left patrons ‘thirsty’ for the next Beach Bums.

by Ava Gardner

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Fashion


rends come and go and there’s nothing worse than wearing an outfit that suggests you don’t live

in the present. You’ve seen what’s in, now it’s time to see what’s out. Here is a list of summer must nots!

PlaidYes, the hunters have called back for their plaid. Print is in, but plaid doesn’t fall under that category. So, save the plaid shirts, shorts, dresses and scarves for times of strenuous la-bour and bad weather, but don’t think about wearing them this summer.

RosariesAs contradictory as it may seem, do not be caught dead wearing a rosary. Rosaries are so out of style! It wouldn’t be unorthodox to think about cutting the cross off this fashion jewellery, at least you’d get a new chain to wear this sum-mer.

LaceLace had its time and people don’t seem to notice that its time has gone. Gradually you will have to learn to wean yourself off the lace shirts and lace inset dresses, particu-larly black lace clothing. There should be a law against this in Summer. Lace of interesting bright colours and cropped lace tops are a little more tolerable this season.

Zebra PrintIt’s not as clear as black and white that zebra is out of style. It came, it saw and it conquered. Zebra is again a print, but zebra prints don’t fall under currently popular trendy prints. People should retire from wearing zebra print clothing this summer.

CardigansNot only are Cardigans out of style in summer, there is re-ally no physical need to wear one. That should be enough to sway you away from wearing this fraction of a sweater this summer.

Colourblock dressesColourblock dresses left the building long ago, but persons keep showing up in them. Certainly many know this pat-tern on a dress: white tank, pink waist band, black skirt. Colourblock dresses are an easy way to get dressed, but they’re almost as old as your mother’s antiques! Here’s an

idea: Mix and match clothes of contrasting colours, as well as clothes with print, you’ll feel even better knowing that you did it yourself.

by Ava Gardner

TSummer Must-Nots




by Francine Derby

s it possible that a social networking website can ruin your relationship? Some may say that if a relationship was strong enough in the first place, then nothing as petty as Facebook

or Twitter could even come close to tearing it apart. But the awful truth is that this is 100% possible, if you are not careful. In order to maintain a good relationship with someone, mutual respect needs to be present. This is true for both online and of-fline correspondence.

Here are some things to avoid if you don’t want social media to tear you and your partner apart.

• Do not argue with your significant other via social media. This is akin to screaming at each other in the middle of Half Way Tree square. If you and your boy/girlfriend are having an argument, your 2000 Facebook friends and 500 followers on Twitter don’t need to know about it. A couple’s argument is a personal thing and should ideally be done face to face, or else on the phone or via instant messaging where only the relevant parties will be able to see.

• Respect boundaries. If you see a cute guy/girl walking hand in hand with someone, this is a clue that they are already taken. You wouldn’t walk over to the couple, pull their hands apart and start chatting up the person of your interest. In the same way, if someone is already listed as “in a relationship”,

“married” or “engaged”, have enough respect to refrain from flirting or trying to start something with them.

• Similarly, if you are already in a relationship, don’t post flirty comments on people’s pictures or flirt with them where your significant other can clearly see it. This is the most common culprit in re-gards to social media ruining relationships. If your partner isn’t comfortable with you flirting with other people in real life, why do you think they would be alright with you doing it via Twitter?

• If after an argument you are still upset with your boy/girlfriend, don’t rant about it on your blog. As stated earlier, arguments between couples are no-body’s business. Publishing via social media that your boyfriend is a selfish jerk, or that your girlfriend is irrational and emotional will not solve your problems. It is disrespectful to say bad things about your partner where everyone can see and your issues should be worked out privately together, not on your friends’ newsfeeds.

The golden rule of social media is the same as the golden rule in real life. If you wouldn’t be comfortable with your partner doing a certain thing online, chances are they won’t be comfortable with you doing it either.

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relationshipIs Social Media Ruining

Your Relationship?



by Kandice Moncrieffe

ecently, increasingly more persons have discovered the new social network called Twitter, which has been on the increase in Jamaica. Twitter is a micro-blogging site that allows individuals to make updates

of 140 characters or less to their followers. It seems, every-day more persons are moving away from Facebook and have started tweeting. While this is fun and exciting, many teenag-ers have gotten in trouble with their parents for their tweets and persons have even lost their jobs. Used correctly and taken seriously, Twitter can be amazing. It’s perfect for online market-ing, promotions and networking. Here are the most common #shouldnthavebeentweeted tweets.

Thou shall noT TweeT: Your location This depends on whether you’re at a public place, say for in-stance you’re at an awards show, you can foursquare where you are but NEVER state that you’re home or home alone and put your exact address. That’s asking for trouble to knock on your door or let itself in through the window.

Bad things about your job, co-workers or boss Never ever ever tweet bad things about your job; you never know who is watching. You might have made your tweets pri-vate but you never know who within your circle who knows someone who knows someone who knows your boss. Be care-ful.

Intimate details of your relationship There is no need for the world to know the most intimate de-tails of your relationship. Never tell people your business if they can’t help you or do something about it. What benefit will you gain by telling your followers everything that your spouse does? It’s OK to keep some things private.

Your bodyThis is a pretty obvious #shouldnthavebeentweeted tweet. There’s no need to tweet photos of your breasts or any of your private parts. Those photos should be kept off your timeline. Also, nobody wants to know about your bowel movements, keep that between you and your throne. You might think its funny, but it’s totally digusting and I’m sure you’ll lose followers.

Your personal information Persons have a tendency to be too open on Twitter. Yes, it feels friendly and nice but telling us you’ve just drawn $20,000 from the bank or tweeting which ATM machine you’re at, isn’t exactly smart is it? Well, unless you wanted to be robbed, in that case you are certainly on the right track!

The next time you decide to post a tweet, think about if you’d really want your boss or your parents reading your posts. Think about if what you’re sharing with the public is safe. If you’re not looking about your safety, who will?


LifestyleWhat Not To Tweet

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