Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Transition Year students can learn first-hand about the workings of this newspaper if their submission is published in Media Scope's weekly Over to You column. Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic - if it's published, the placement is yours.
James McElvaney, St Macartan's College, Monaghan
As our island enters a historic new era in politics, I felt the nation's hope was portrayed by Peter Morrison's picture of a mural on the Shankill Road simply stating "New Life".
His fine use of photojournalism manages to paint a thousand words and reminds the people of Ireland what exciting times we are living in.
As a result of the politicians' hard work in recent weeks, we can now move forward with the implementation of key elements of the Belfast Agreement and seize the glorious opportunity it presents to the people of this island both North and South.
There are going to be many difficulties along the way of achieving a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, but in the events of the past few days one huge, giant step forward has been taken.
Let's hope that this "New Life" will result in better relations between the two parts of the island and the healing of wounds caused by 30 years of violence.
Kate Dillon, Scoil Mhuire, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
Most have the figures of cigarettes - straight up, straight down. Yet still, celebrities obsess over diet and exercise in a frantic attempt to look "beautiful" (i.e. the scrawniest), consummate and iconic. "This is in" is the mantra that seems to be chanted in the developed world today which hails the emaciated figure - especially across the star-status boundary. Look at Posh Spice - skinnier than a chip from McDonald's, she should be Scary Spice.
Through the media, the peerless influence on today's society - both impossible to escape and to resist - "Size 8 today in Hollywood is fat" was recently declared. After the infamous gaunt Heroin Chic being in vogue, "Corpse Chic" sounds like the piece de resistance. But a much underused phrase tells us: your health is your wealth - without it, you're really not going to look beautiful any more.
Celebrities are becoming thinner and impressionable young girls are being powerfully influenced. Today, our inept values are built on looks, not talent. But why? How come we can't see and diminish the cracks in the foundations on which they are based?
Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 679 2789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or you can use the Internet and e-mail us at mediapage@irishtimes.ie - but no file attachments, please.
media scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Group rates and a special worksheet service (see `faxback', right) are available: FREEPHONE 1800-798884.
media scope is edited by Harry Browne.
