Imagine that the world has been conquered by aliens….  The big, scary, aliens crawled out of the high-tech space ship. They asked could they conquer the world, but I said no. They did not listen. Within a day they had taken over the world. I started a rebellion…… Timmy O’Riordan     Imagine that you have been stranded on the moon for weeks… Only two days ago I landed on the moon and the rocket blew up I barely survived. I would not be here if it was not for my beautiful leather wallet that sacrificed itself for me. There is barely enough food and water to survive on… Cian Hourigan     Imagine that you live in the Middle Ages…..  I made a fire and ran around it for a while. I went to bed… Adam Laverty     Imagine that a real zombie apocalypse has suddenly happened… I would go to scatter Lego on the floor, grab bear traps, scatter them across the house, grab as much food as possible, grab the hammer at home, buy a second hammer, grab the two sharpest and longest knives in the kitchen, grab as much money as possible, sell anything that wouldn’t help, set a ladder up at my bedroom window and bring a friend for shared equipment, extra brains, for my sanity and a night shift. Billy     Describe a dangerous sea journey on a small, old ship… One night out at sea, a really foggy, a small oil liner was heading towards a few rocks that were just ahead. The coast guard reckoned they had about ten minutes to locate the small ship. So, as quickly as possible they sent out a big lifeboat, and the lifeboat was able to locate the...

Carpe Diem “Carpe Diem, Be Extraordinary,” says Robin Williams inspiring his students in the film “Dead Poet’s Society.” I was inspired by this yesterday while I was planning a careers class for my Transition Year group. Today, I am heartbroken – not by the quote itself – but by the image of toddler Aylan found washed up on the shore of Bodhrum, Turkey. I just can not get it out of my head. As a daughter, mother, sister, aunt, teacher – what more could I want for the next generation, whether it is my sons or Aylan. Aylan is my son, my son’s brother, my son’s friend. To be extraordinary no longer matters. It should never matter – as long as our sons and daughters are safe, healthy and happy, there is not one other thing that really matters. It now feels indulgent and over the top to be filling their heads with such quotes. To think we live in a society which festoons such sentiments disgusts me when every effort and energy should be put into helping those around us. Overall, I am angry with myself. I have been reading about our naval crews on the LE Eithne and LE Niamh over the past few months rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean. On finishing each article I have thought to myself, “Isn’t that great, that the Irish Navy is out there helping those poor people.” But I have not really thought about these poor people, who are not economic migrants but refugees. You see, sometimes it is just easier not to think about these things and not to care. In first year Geography class, twenty four years ago, we learned for the first time about the push and pull factors that force people to...