Getting an Education!

So at the moment I’m doing an assignment for my course on Sociology of News Production. The assignment requires that I attempt to be a citizen journalist. That is, write my own article and aim to get it published by some media outlet. I have submitted my article to the Roodepoort Record, but I thought I’d go the extra mile and post it on an online platform as well. Please feel free to comment below and let me know what you think of my article as well as any of your own views about the situation.

Thank You!

Danger: Ouklip Road

In recent months, Ouklip road has claimed more lives than it should. Or rather, has reckless and drunk driving claimed too many lives circumstantially in the same location? After reading of the first fatal accident on 30 June involving two young men in their 20s, I was left with a heavy heart. Why should anyone have to pass in such a way? However, tragedy struck again when another car ploughed into a tree not far from the first accident on 2 August.

Such incidents should bring road safety to anyone's mind and not only those who should be doing something about it, such as the JMPD or the Roads Agency. Despite countless attempts and campaigning against driving under the influence, many individuals continue to take chances. We go to great lengths to protect ourselves, but fail to think of protecting others. It would be careless and selfish of me to get behind the wheel with any alcohol in my system, never mind being under the legal limit. By doing such a thing I put my own life and my passenger's lives in danger, not to mention other individuals on the road. I choose to avoid driving late at night when such instances often occur for my own safety. Which relates directly to the point I'm trying to make. Why should the innocent individuals of society have to fear being on the roads because of other people's careless and reckless choices? We should be living in a society where we take responsibility for ourselves and show our neighbors the respect they deserve. We can do this by choosing not to drive under the influence, or exceed speed limits especially at night and on smaller roads.

The incidents of Ouklip road should be a wake-up call for society. It should be encouraging each individual to take responsibility for themselves and to respect others. Choosing to pay a taxi or designated driver service to take you home instead of driving drunk is one simple way anyone can make a difference. When it comes to the officials such as the JMPD, regular road blocks at night, especially on weekends near entertainment venues and on dangerous roads, like Ouklip should be a permanent fixture to curb the problem of drunk driving. The more consequences that action has, the greater change we will see in individual behaviour. Making our neighbourhoods and roads a safer place for everyone. 

Yours in Education and Journalism,

<3 Nicole_Kayley

"Fatal Change"

I understand that I have sort of fallen off the face of the earth since February, and as much as I have been desperate to blog about something... anything...  it has just not been possible. 

Despite that, I have had the idea of change on my mind since February, and I even started to write this post on 4 March (you gotta give me credit for that, even though this post has had 3 different dates on it).  I don't know if it may be because so many things have been changing around me lately, or what, but it has seemed to take over my thoughts. I started thinking about the idea of "fatal change" (I shall claim rights on the coinage of the term, thank you). The idea that any kind of change is fatal in anyone's life. There's a saying that says "the only constant is change". Therefore, in my eyes, change is fatal. 

Fatal can be defined as controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined. 

Change is defined as to make different; to cause change. (Definitions from Word Web).

Therefore, "fatal change" is a predetermined change, where factors have been influenced by fate. 

I feel like my whole life at the moment has been one "fatal change" after the next. Some have taught me a great deal and some have made clear some of my past mistakes. It's shown me some of the things I've taken for granted or not completely acknowledged. It's made me cry, it's made me smile, made me contemplate, consider, reflect, analyse. I won't lie; it has been tough to rethink things. I never really considered the idea of change, even though during my childhood I put myself through a few major (and possibly unnecessary) changes, moving around schools, and giving up things I enjoyed for a season. 

This is probably starting to sound a bit depressive, but I'm not one who actually enjoys change. I like things to stay the way they are, comfortable, the same, unchanged. And with all the change happening around me, I guess it just makes me a little bit uncomfortable, uneasy even. 

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that change is inevitable, no ,after how much we try to resist it. It will happen whether we like it or not. 

As I sit and type this up in a lecture theatre waiting for my psychology class, I can overhear Avril Lavigne's "Keep Holding On" playing through someone's earphones. Maybe it's a reassuring message from the fatal forces that be. 

"Keep holding on, cause you know we'll make it through."

All that is left to say is if change is getting you down the way it's getting me down, stay strong! It may only last a season, but in the end it may be for the best, even if you can't see that now. So embrace it!

Stay strong, and keep believing!

Much love,

<3 Nicole_ Kayley