The Harrovian Hong Kong Issue 10

THE HARROVIAN

Student Newspaper

Issue 10

Leadership for a better world

January 2017

By Dickens, I Think They’ve Done It

character, from Scrooge to Mrs Dribbler, and the crowd favourite Tiny Tim, all playing equally important roles. From the moment when the actors took the stage and gripped the

by Calvin Kean (Y13, Peel) and Michael Reid (Y13, Peel) audience with the goosebump inducing Christmas is coming to the final number of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, each and every member delighted and entertained.

As in all children’s tales, an element of humour must be present to give relief after more stressful scenes and this play was no exception to this rule. Despite the overall theme of learning and serious reflection evident in the play, the crew of actors were able to bring joy to the evenings, assisted by the comical performances of Riaz Murray (Y11, Peel), who brought life to the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Eileen Maes (Y11, Keller), who was the Ghost of Christmas Past. Following on from the circus theme, both of them, as well as Maya Rao (Y11, Keller) learnt new skills for the show, including plate-spinning, walking on stilts, juggling and unicycling. The costume design was simple but effective and This year’s Senior School production of A Christmas Carol the clownish themes in the attire of the Ghosts of Christmas brought into beautiful animation the uplifting tale of Scrooge Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet To Come afforded in all its glory. Ed Cazzoli (Y13, Peel) starred as the lead role a duality that spanned from the sinister to light-heartedness. It and was supported by a dynamic cast of students from all year was an impressive play and the number of hours invested in groups. The energy and vibrancy of the acting showed true it could be seen in the skilful performances of every student. commitment by all the players and allowed fluid transitioning One of the best Harrow Hong Kong plays to date and one that between scenes in this bite-sized version of Charles Dickens’ definitely put everyone in a good mood in the lead up to the Christmas holidays. story.

After being ushered in merrily by the School Prefects, the audience was welcomed by an array of melodious Christmas anthems on the xylophone, which set the scene for by Andrew Crossan (Y12, Sun) and David Stevenson (Y13, Sun) the drama. Just as everyone was getting comfortable and heads began to bob contentedly with the jingly tunes, the room was silenced by the deafening roar of “Bah, Humbug.” Scrooge’s bent-over, crippled body had never been so fearsome; he was such a menacing figure.

The role was performed with true conviction and one could almost feel the air quiver when the dastardly Scrooge took centre stage. The scenes were complemented by the precision and gracefulness of the set piece moves, adding artistic panache to the performance, which has become a feature of Harrow Hong Kong theatre. The cast moved as a single organism and one of the most memorable scenes was when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come showed Scrooge his miserable fate – each cast member donned a mask and created an ominous graveyard with an eerie atmosphere that It is important to remember those that have gone before was accentuated by the harsh lighting. Similarly, the liveliness us, especially those who have fought for the freedoms and and enthusiasm of the cast in the background when Scrooge privileges we enjoy today. Around the world we celebrate learns to embrace life, did wonders in the portrayal of his Remembrance Day on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and at Harrow Hong Kong we held our own transformation, making it even more visually pleasing.

However, the mood wasn’t completely ruined by the service in honour of those brave men and women who fought nastiness of Scrooge. Throughout the evening, there were to ensure a better future for our world.

“No words can ever describe, nor can any imagination moments of happiness when watching the joy of the Cratchit Family, led by Harry De Witt (Y11, Peel) as Bob Cratchit. picture the full hideousness of the suffering endured by these There was an obvious sense of unity on the stage, with every unfortunate men.” These are the words with which the speech

We Will Remember Them

began at the service of remembrance in the School hall. They came from the diary of the great-grandfather of one of our very own teachers who had been a medic in the First World War. His writing really encapsulated what these soldiers went through and gave us an idea of what it might have been like in Europe at this time.

There were further speeches by Emma Bilney (Y12, Gellhorn), Ed Cazzoli (Y13, Peel) and Zoe Cheung (Y12, Gellhorn) about conflicts around the world, both recent and past. The role of Harrow Hong Kong students in these wars was also recognised, with special mention made of Alex Fitch, whose parents did not want his sacrifice to be forgotten and therefore created the Fitch room at Harrow School in London where parents could meet their sons; his memory would not be forgotten. There was also a performance by the choir of In Flanders Fields.

The service ended with a two minute silence in respect of the fallen, where we had a chance to reflect on the service as a whole and to remember and appreciate those who made our lives today possible. As tradition dictated The Last Post was played at the beginning and Reveille at the end of this silence. We are able to live safe, secure and free lives because of these people and it is for that reason that they shall never be forgotten.

On Remembrance Sunday, 13th November, twelve Prefects travelled to the Cenotaph in Central to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we do today. In full school uniform with Harrow hats, they lined up with other international schools in Hong Kong. Head Boy, David Stevenson (Y13, Sun) and the Head Girl, Kerry Lui (Y13, Gellhorn) laid a wreath on the steps of the Cenotaph on behalf of the School community.

After the two minutes silence, a multi-faith service followed as the diverse Hong Kong community remembered all those who have fallen in conflicts around the world.

Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday give us all time to reflect and recognise how fortunate we are that we can live in the world today. In addition, the poppy installation at School served to highlight the number of students from Harrow School in London who lost their lives in World War One.

The event also allowed the Prefects to meet a few of the old Harrovians currently living in Hong Kong and gain an insight into what life at Harrow School was like decades ago and how the traditions have continued.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal; as a school we collected over 15,400 dollars. Thank you also to Mrs Morris, Mrs Leung and Mr Putman for organising Harrow Hong Kong’s involvement.

Ensembles Concert

by Nicole Pullinger (Y11, Gellhorn) and Zeli Wang (Y12, Churchill)

The Autumn Term Ensembles Concert was held on 7th December, featuring a wide range of performances by Harrow musicians. The opening piece, Carmen Suite by Bizet included a broad, soothing flute solo and finished with the well-known Toreador Song, played by the Upper School Orchestra. Conductor Jack Tang and Concertmaster Katrina Tse (Y10, Keller) handled the challenging piece with expertise. Next, Sabrina Footitt (Y9, Wu) sang Sweet Dreams

by Lennox and Stewart in the Electronic Group’s debut. The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Victor Hui (Y12, Peel) then performed a selection of themes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, arranged by Mr Penfold. The well-executed lines certainly triggered flashbacks to magical moments in the famous film. The Pop Orchestra, led by Mr Tomlinson, paid tribute to David Bowie with a tuneful rendition of Life on Mars sung by Matthias Li (Y13, Churchill) and Finn Bartlett (Y12, Sun). The new and promising String Quartet played Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.

The group sounded cohesive and made technically advanced sections look smooth and effortless. Last but not least, the Orchestra finished the evening’s music with the Harrow Hong Kong Overture by Matthew Leslie, a former student.

The medley included New Harrow, May Fortune Reign and A Thousand Years. The premiere was an excellent showcase of the fruition of Matthew’s musical talent and passion, and the revisit of School songs was much appreciated by students and staff alike.

The Hong Kong 24 Hour Race

by Nicole Pullinger (Y11, Gellhorn)

The Hong Kong 24 Hour Race is a student-led event that aims to raise money to help end slavery. It involves teams of runners who take turns to run around a 3.6km track - a runner from each team must be running at all times during the 24 hours. Currently, the 24 Hour Race is supporting two charities: Right4Children and The Exodus Road. Right4Children focuses on prevention and the long-term aspect of the fight against human trafficking. They help trafficking victims reintegrate into society - they have most likely missed crucial years of education, and have to face social stigma. The Exodus Road endeavours to free trafficked individuals through legal means, usually with help from the local police and government.

This year, 48 Harrow students took part in this

exciting and inspiring event: we formed six teams, which were coordinated by Frans Otten (Y13, Sun). On the 19th November, we all had an early start and met at 6a.m. by the Peak Galleria. We were all tired initially, but the strong sense of camaraderie soon banished all thoughts of sleep and we made our way to the camp for a 9a.m. start.

The race began with a rush of adrenaline, with everyone tearing around the track at top speed for the initial few laps. We began to pace ourselves as the race wore on, and started to relax a little more - many of us had already begun to take naps between laps. As the light faded, our energy drained with it; by the time night had fallen, the camp was full of zombies. Nevertheless, we (more or less) kept up the team spirit, with some people cheering on the fatigued runners.

By the end of the race at 9a.m. the next day, everyone was physically drained. Regardless, the cheer and team spirit lasted until the very end of the event, where it was announced that we had won prizes: the Girls Team 3 won the award for the team with the most fundraising, and the Boys Team 1 won 4th place overall. A special congratulations goes to Milly Phipps (Y10, Wu) who completed the fastest lap of any girl. This year, the HK 24 Hour Race raised more than $1,400,000 HKD of which Harrow teams raised more than 10%. We hope that this success can be replicated in subsequent years, so that the victims of slavery can continue taking steps towards freedom.

care home to lead some arts and crafts activities, including bookmark making, designing greeting cards and decorating photo frames.

On the 21st November, 13 members of the care home from both groups visited Harrow Hong Kong, where we showed them various facilities and briefly described certain aspects of the school system as well as what being a Harrow Hong Kong student is like. After a tour around the Lower School, Art Department and Learning Lounge, we posed for a group photo on the astroturf before gathering in the dining hall for refreshments. It was a fantastic afternoon and a perfect opportunity to welcome the residents of the home to our school, showing them a part of our own lives.

Why Teenagers Need Tolstoy

by Emma Carter (Y13, Wu)

Charity Working Party

by Kalina Milenova (Y12, Gellhorn)

This school year, Harrow Hong Kong has been aiming to expand community service even further through additions to the Charity Working Party ECA programme. We have been building our relationships with the people at Maggie’s Centre for those currently going through cancer treatment and their families. Six students visit the centre each week to run simple activities such as cookie baking, photography sessions and board games, hoping to play a part in providing temporary solace for those struggling with such a difficult process. The students have got to know the members of the centre well, especially those who come in regularly. The group hopes to continue building on those relationships as the year goes on.

In addition, this term we have begun visits to Ka Wah Chi Lok Care Home, where we are running an iPad programme with mentally impaired adults. Students have been teaching residents of the home to use different apps, take pictures and adjust settings, aiming to help them explore their creativity and communication through technology. Another group of students has been visiting elderly residents at the

Often as teenagers we hear the names of Russian authors and it invokes fear and disdain. Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Vladimir Nabokov, Turgenev are all exotic names attached to ambiguity and mystery - it is intimidating. But it cannot be denied that adolescents need Russian authors.

Russian literature in itself is said to be distinct by the way in which many of the authors abandon the need for subtleties. Instead, they advance to an honest expression of human emotion. Though Russian authors could not communicate through cyberspace and its cryptic acronyms in the 19th century, they were able to encapsulate in literature the timeless concepts of societal expectations, love, pain, poverty, wealth, war, the struggle, and the need to fit in.

The Russians of the 19th century speak of the soul and human nature, and embark on eloquent philosophical tangents in attempts to grapple with concepts many consciously avoid.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the expanse of 19th century Russian literary greatness, so this article will focus on why teenagers in Harrow Hong Kong should read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

1. Female Liberation.

Anna Karenina, the protagonist of the book, is a Russian woman of the aristocracy who is languidly confident, amiable, and beautiful. Anna falls deeply in love with a younger man, an act of social and religious heresy that sparks an intricate weave of gossip and legal battles surrounding Karenina. She is subject to immense scrutiny due to the strict principles of Russian social spheres. Tolstoy, however, as a narrator, remains tender and kind. He does not villainize and humiliate Anna; instead, he remains logical and philosophical, questioning the society which deems her an outcast. Tolstoy talks about female strength, expression, and ridicules the unfair expectations of

both men and women.

2. Philosophical Insights.

Some teenagers may become overwhelmed at the thought of reading Anna Karenina, simply by the sheer 864 pages of it.

But at least it isn’t War and Peace, with a whopping 1,225 pages. Bear in mind that in reading this book, you will not need to search for a dynamic plot twist, for that comes without trying. The pages are laced with philosophical insights that surprise, challenge and engage the reader. Tolstoy is curious and analytical of situations. He does not overdo moments to express beauty in simplicity, and does not overlook moments of profound meaning which would otherwise have been unappreciated.

3. The Characters.

The distinct characters, along with their incredible names, are loveable and frustrating individuals who are all afflicted with personal flaws. Their internal monologues create a timeless piece of work addressing all aspects of the human condition.

The characters are a cocktail of progressive, orthodox, emotionally ill equipped but rationally capable, or rationally ill equipped but emotionally in tune people, giving life to the elaborate plot. The interesting cast presents qualities we desire and qualities we try to avoid.

4. History.

Anna Karenina in itself is a piece of historical evidence.

The text was published in 1877. Tolstoy breathed life into ‘the family novel’ during the 1870’s when it was out of style, reintroducing literary realism. The novel is written in a period of social conflict. Russia was stuck between trying to resist change, or submitting to the liberal thinkers who desired rights and democracy. Throughout the novel you are subjected to subtle notions of a paradigm shift within Russia: it is a depiction of the battles between the old and the new. For those interested in Russia, you are exposed to the effect of the contemporary political climate on individual characters. The exposure of Russian antics through the eyes of Tolstoy is an interpretation you cannot miss!

Anna Karenina is a snapshot of what readers can gain from exposing themselves to Russian Literature; it is a complete intellectual makeover, which will make 864 pages of literary goodness worth your precious time.

the three days of debate. The first day consisted of lobbying: draft resolutions (your nation’s stance on the matter) were passed between candidates and blocs were created when two or more countries found similar aims. The rest of the day was spent collaborating on drafting a resolution that would be debated upon in front of the whole assembly, which generally consisted of over 100 people, except in the cases of special committees such as the Security Council, which consisted of around 20.

The second and third days entailed explosive debate and fiery questions as delegates put forward their resolutions and argued the merits of their ideas. The last day combined all the committees into one great General Assembly, in which the best quality draft resolutions were debated. It was exciting to be a part of and one really learns the extensive efforts that go into every decision made by the UN.

In the free time they were given, our students were allowed to explore Singapore and go shopping and sightseeing. On the first night they were treated to a dinner at a top quality Italian restaurant and on the penultimate evening they enjoyed a civilised dinner with all the other delegates with live music and a dance floor.

MUN is a fantastic initiative and educates students in debate, current issues and international relations. Further to this, Harrow Hong Kong is proud to announce its first ever conference, HARMUN, which will be taking place in January and is a good reminder of this opportunity for students that want to broaden their skills beyond the curriculum.

The Future of the UN is US

by Calvin Kean (Y13, Peel)

The Hague International Model United Nations, more commonly known as THIMUN, is the largest conference in South East Asia for students. On 21st November 2016, Harrow Hong Kong was proud to send a delegation of 17 students to Singapore to attend this prestigious event. Having prepared at a smaller scale conference earlier in September, many of the students felt ready for the challenges that THIMUN posed, with a greater quality and quantity of delegates that would ensure tough debate. Harrow Hong Kong was allocated Bhutan, Uruguay and South Africa and each delegate would represent a country in one of the many committees.

Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations and teaches participants the true nature of diplomacy and educates everyone on the importance of global issues. Topics as controversial as nuclear disarmament and the legalisation of drugs were debated and tackled over

Balancing a Passion with an Intensive University Course

by Katrina Tse (Year 10, Keller)

Many of you out there may be struggling to strike a balance between working on your academic study and developing a passion outside your work. We invited Sophie Yau (2016 Leaver) to share her experiences with us on balancing a demanding university course, and at the same time, taking the time to develop her other passions.

Having gained 4 A*s at A-Level, Sophie currently studies Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, but also has a strong passion in photography. She recently participated in a photography competition, where she was awarded second place, as well as the People’s Choice Award.

Sophie on left, One of her photographs submitted to the competition on right

When asked why she was inspired to join this competition, she said, “This competition offered me an opportunity to explore the other side of Hong Kong whilst developing my passion of street photography, so I thought why not give it a shot?” She also thought that this competition was meaningful as it aims to raise the awareness of the sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations. At the same time, it focuses on the relevant social actions of Hong Kong which could be appreciated by more people.

The photographs she submitted were all about Ming Gor. He, along with his team, go around Sham Shui Po to hand out rice boxes to the homeless, and have already been doing that for eight years. The movement gained lots of media coverage a few years ago, which was when Sophie first paid attention to it. She immediately saw it as an inspiration. Sophie joined them on a Saturday afternoon to catch Ming Gor in action, and to gain first hand experience in such a meaningful act. When asked about the most memorable moment of that afternoon, she said, “Ming Gor was running with his trolley so quickly that the rest of his team couldn’t catch up with him.

The simple motivation behind it was to deliver the rice boxes before they cooled down.” Sophie really wanted more people to learn about Ming Gor’s project. He lives by the motto, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”, and through this experience, Sophie completely understood what he meant.

Sophie discovered her passion for photography from a very young age under the influence of her father. She started properly investigating it at a later date as she thought that this was worthwhile. She could see how it allowed people to document life memories, and that a simple photograph could tell a very sophisticated story. Sophie said, “It is special in the sense that there are no limits or restrictions to photography. It truly allows people to express themselves freely.” There are also only a limited number of exposures per snap, so you really have to put your heart in to appreciate every single snap. She also started her own photography website (soph-otography. com) to develop her passion.

In terms of her university course, Sophie really enjoys the tutorials and lectures. She finds it extremely stimulating.

Being able to learn the deeper science behind the human body is very intriguing for her. The Medicine course at CUHK is six years, and in the first year, they aim to provide students with the basic ideas across different aspects of medicine. As a CUHK student, they are also encouraged to explore other subject areas, which allows them to learn on a wider spectrum.

When applying for universities, Sophie believes it is important to understand the geographical location as there are

many different types, for example, campus and city. It is also useful to attend the open day of the university you’re interested in. If you can’t, some universities offer virtual tours online, and she recommends looking at those as well. Remember, university is not all about studying, it is also about activities.

Talk to students who you know study there. If you don’t know anyone there, read student forums - they are useful too!

As most university courses are relatively long, Sophie thinks it is especially important that you apply for something in which you are genuinely interested in. Even if the courses have the same title, different universities may cover different content. As university is a big part of one’s life, make sure you spend an adequate amount of time researching courses and universities so you choose the one that is the most suitable for you. When asked about tips for A-level, apart from knowing the actual knowledge, Sophie suggests that students go through more past papers to be exposed to as many types of questions as possible. For Year 13s, she suggests that all of you should enjoy your last year in secondary school as it will fly by very quickly. Finally, she would like to say “Good luck to all applicants and public exam candidates!”

Razia Jan: The Fight for Girls’ Education

by Ayuka Kitaura (Y10, Gellhorn) and Jarra Sisowath (Y9, Gellhorn)

The movement of Gender Equality is there to help save girls who are treated badly. Many girls are still treated as objects or people to be easily controlled and oppressed.

Nearly 70 million children in the world today do not have access to education. Globally, 65 million girls do not go to school. In 2012, there were 3600 documented attacks related to education, including violence, torture and intimidation resulting in serious injuries or deaths. This is a particular issue in Afghanistan, where an armed group of people are against girls’ education. Some groups are so offended by the idea of girls having an education that they throw acid in girls’ faces or poison their water.

Despite the risks and the hardships of opposing such a group, there is one woman who made a move for change, starting in a district just 30 miles outside of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul.

On a visit to her homeland in 2002, a US citizen, Razia Jan noticed that women and girls were struggling from years of Taliban control. “I saw that the girls had been the most oppressed,” she said. “The Taliban regime was very brutal, brutal in the way that the woman had no place in their book. The women had no rights. No say in anything.” (quote from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/02/world/meast/cnnheroes-jan-afghan-school/)

So in 2005, she began raising money through her non-profit organisation, Razia’s Ray of Hope, and in 2008, the Zabuli Education Centre was completed. On the day before it opened, however, four men threatened her to make it a boy’s school. The day after that, armed men threw hand grenades in a girl’s school in the other end of town, and 100 girls were killed. So why didn’t she stop, even if it meant serious trouble?

Jan’s life in America was fulfilling and rich, but her dream was, “to do something for Afghanistan and to educate

the girls.” She believes that the education her students receive will benefit future generations of Afghan women, and change the country as a whole.

Many girls in Afghanistan were saved by her school and the organisation. According to Razia Jan, most students could not even write their own names when she started running the school. Now, all of her students can read and write. It has been five years, and some men in the village have started to take pride in the girls, which is unbelievable and seemed almost impossible before the school was built. It might be a small difference, but it is obvious that the situation is changing for the better.

Year 5 Pui O Field Trip

A couple of minutes before lunchtime, we studied the beach that led to where we would eat our lunch. Although not a single crab was spotted at the beach, there were hundreds of soldier crab holes there, which indicated that the beach is their habitat. The waves washed ashore various coloured shells. We were very tempted to collect some treasures from the ocean, but since we wanted to preserve the beach for the ocean animals that rest on the shore, we made sure to keep our hands in our pockets!

When it was time to wrap up our trip and head back to school, we were very reluctant to leave. We have learned so much during this field trip and we can’t wait for our next experience to explore another new place.

by Anna Dedman (Y5, Ox)

Have you heard of Pui O? For me, it was the destination of the Year Five field trip that took place on November 9th, 2016.

The trip to Pui O took around an hour. We travelled on a bus with 5V and of course, as we arrived, everyone was excited! Pui O is a small beach village located on the south side of Lantau. This small village is a popular place for holiday camping and will often have visitors renting out houses for leisure due to its natural beauty.

Pui O is not a typical high-end Hong Kong neighbourhood where modern architecture dominates the landscape. Instead, it has a slow paced tranquillity and almost empty feeling, which makes Pui O unique. As soon as we had arrived at the local bus stop, three staff working at the buffalo reserve greeted us. They escorted us to the huge ranch that is home to 30-70 buffalo! Decades ago the buffalo were royal buffalo from Taiwan. They were shipped to Pui O for work, but now they have a life of leisure in the reserve.

As ‘city mice’ from Hong Kong, it was a great opportunity to observe as many as 30 buffaloes at a time.

During the trip, we learned a lot of facts about buffaloes and their symbiotic relationship with the birds living in the reserve. We even touched buffalo poo with our hands and actually felt honoured to do so.

The second part of our field trip took place in a more distant area of the reserve. Year 5 all took part in various activities like fishing, observing crabs and investigating plants. Near the mangrove forest, we found one of the ten most poisonous seeds in the world. It was a red, bead-sized seed. One drop of the poison could kill someone. According to our guide, people used to use the seeds to make necklaces!

Another plant that was called ‘The Blind Your Eye Tree’ which caught our eyes amongst many others. However, we made sure we kept a safe distance from it.

Sports News Rugby 7s

by Johnathan Ip (Y11, Sun)

On 1st December, the Harrow Hong Kong 1st VII played in a 7s tournament against KGV, CDNIS, Island School and Kellett School. The boys did well and comfortably beat KGV 19-0 and CDNIS 20-5; this was greatly satisfying for the players as earlier on in the season KGV narrowly beat the Harrow Hong Kong 1st XV Team. Later on in the evening the boys played Kellett in a thriller of a game with both teams going up and down the pitch multiple times. There was outstanding scramble defence from both teams which meant that line breaks were shut down very quickly. Harrow Hong Kong threatened the opposition line many times. However, due to the excellent work of the opposition sweeper, many opportunities were not finished. After a nail-biting 14 minutes, the game ended with a 7-7 draw. The last game of the evening was a little too close for comfort, but nevertheless, Harrow Hong Kong came out on top with a 7-5 win over Island School.

Try scorers: (2) Henry Luise (Y13, Peel), (3) Johnathan Ip (Y11, Sun), (1) Sam Hu (Y13, Sun), (2) Oliver Duffy (Y13, Sun), (1) Johnson Hui (Y11, Churchill) and (1) Calvin Kean (Y13, Peel) Swimming

by Jasmine Coleman-Allen (Y11. Keller)

In the Autumn term, I entered several swimming competitions. I am very proud to be a part of the Harrow Hong Kong competitive swimming team, helping to establish its reputation under the guidance of the iconic Mr Green’s 6am early morning and after school swim training throughout the week.

There were seven inter-school competitions but the one that stands out was the largest all day inter-school away event at Victoria Park on 10th November. Harrow Hong Kong entered teams for most events in the under 12s, under 14s, under 16s and under 20s divisions. Participation was in the 50m/100m/200m and individual 800m medley in all strokes as well as relay events. I had only just turned 16. It was a formidable prospect to be in the under 20s and one of the youngest competitors.

‘It is going to be a long day,’ I thought as we bussed to Victoria Park with our huge box of sandwiches, bananas, apples and cookies. I was still aching and exhausted from training the day before and I had an injury to my foot from a tumble turn.

I don’t think that any of us were fully psychologically prepared for what met our eyes. The newly renovated Victoria Park facility, open only a few years ago was vast beyond words, meeting all international standards. This was no regular inter-school competition. All the big schools were represented, well over 15 and no more mothers at the pool with their stop watches. Everything was state of the art, names and times flashing on the score boards to the milliseconds and electronic touch sensors at the pool ends. The side warm-up pool appeared bigger than our own at Harrow Hong Kong and it was full of teams practising their drills. Every seat was taken and that meant 2,500 spectators; not the usual 30 or so.

My stomach did a belly flop, the Olympic size pool was daunting, guilt set in; I should have trained more.

Suddenly I wished for a typhoon 8 so that we could retreat.

After the warm-up and rallying together, we concentrated on supporting and assisting the younger members lead by our team captain, Singha Chau (Y12, Sun). Helping them relax distracted us. A good team spirit embraced us as we encouraged and supported all our team mates.

I was entered into 50m in all four strokes and the relay as part of my Physical Education IGCSE competitive swimming course work along with two boys, Harry Ledger (Y11, Churchill) and Chinat Yu (Y11, Churchill) in my year.

That was additional pressure but once on that familiar starting block, all the background noise seemed to disappear. Body tensed, heart racing, adrenaline rushing, waiting for the whistle, everything seemed in slow motion. Numerous races were restarted as competitors constantly fell into the pool with the suspense of starting.

For me, the end of the pool seemed an eternity but I came second in my backstroke and beat all my previous times on all four strokes doing well overall. The satisfaction of competing and excelling is something we all know and never get bored of. I was even surprised at my disappointment when we could not compete in the relay due to one member not attending. I was elated later to find out that two overall inter-school age group medals were won by Harrow Hong Kong. We received the bronze for the under 20s girls (Jointly, me and two others!) and the silver medal for our under 20s boys team (comprising eight boys).

Swimming has come long way already since the School’s inception. Our facilities are getting better and we have this year invested in some truly awesome looking team swim wear giving us even more team pride. That, with our overall school placement and medals in the under 20s, will encourage us to push harder. Competitive swimming is

great but it can also be fun and a great way to unwind from the pressures of IGCSE exams, meet up with old friends at other schools or just simply being revered by the little ones, probably more for our size than ability.

So many universities have good facilities; it is a great workout and for me it helps my endurance for water polo games at school. It also looks like the interval training has paid off in particular for our U20s boys and girls teams who more than meet the top PE time criteria for our IGCSEs. Mr Green has now teamed up with a Tuen Muen local group so those qualifying, if we wish to, can progress to the HK Amateur Swimming Association championships.

Cross Country

by Emma Carter (Y13, Wu)

The first Cross Country competition of the season on 24th November at Sai Kung Country Park met with great success.

The Harrow Hong Kong team managed to secure places in all age groups. In the U20 Boys, Ravi Ray (Y11, Peel) finished in first place followed by Henry Luise (Y13, Peel) in second place. Similarly, in the U20s Girls, Emma Carter (Y13, Wu) finished in first place followed by Suki Cheung (Y12, Gellhorn) in second place and Sharon Tang (Y12, Keller) in third. The success of this age group meant all Harrow Hong Kong representatives running managed to place in the top three.

In the U16 Girls, Anika De Blank (Y10, Gellhorn) came in second with Claudia Yip (Y10, Keller) in third place and Vanessa Heung (Y11, Keller) in fourth place. In the U16’s boys, Jesse Swan (Y11, Sun) finished in 1st place followed by Tank Cong (Y10, Sun) in second place and Pierce Duffy (Y10, Sun) in third. Once again the places of the U16s age group are to be highly commended.

The U14s had an equally commendable performance.

In the U14 Girls, Ella Stranger (Y10, Gellhorn) secured first followed by Lily Haik (Y8, Fry) in second place and Harriet Green (Y8, Fry) in third place. In the boys, Sam Bradford (Y8, Darwin) placed second followed by Ben Swan (Y9, Churchill) in third place and Sandy Phillips (Y9, Sun) in fourth.

Finally in the U12 Girls, Eva Morley (Y6, Parks) finished in third place, Eve Grylewicz (Y6, Fry) came sixth and Margaux Luvisutto (Y6, Fry) in eighth place. In the boys Max Smith (Y7, Shackleton) secured first place and following Max, Luca Clowes (Y6, Shackleton) came in at fourth place with Cameron Fox (Y7, Shackleton) in fifth. The U12s evidently had a praiseworthy performance.

Hopefully throughout the rest of the season, the

Harrow Hong Kong team can maintain this high standard of results, which will definitely help the team secure similar places in the finals at the end of the year.

The Art of Problem Solving

by Zeli Wang (Year 12, Churchill) and Nicole Pullinger (Y11, Gellhorn)

none of us managed to solve.

Competitions aside, options for the more intellectuallyminded are endless. Academic societies in the School offer great chances for you to explore the fields you are interested in. If you are truly curious about something, learn about it and do your own projects. Sometimes, online forums and threads offer a wealth of expert knowledge, but care must be exercised to filter out worthless junk. Well-reputed YouTube channels and online course may give accurate information.

Otherwise, you can chat to like-minded friends or a Subject Teacher: they might lead you down routes you’ve never considered before. There are opportunities for everyone, but the months and years are counting down. Carpe diem.

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Have you ever come across a problem where you couldn’t put two and two together, when it took you ages to find a seemingly simple solution? Or have you coasted through worksheet after worksheet in class using the same old formula over and over, feeling bored and disengaged? Perhaps working through the night is simply routine, and being with geeky friends makes you feel perfectly comfortable.

The School is certainly full of resources to make people like us happy. Academic competitions like the Senior Mathematics Challenge are just one of the many ways you can show skill and gain confidence to pursue a subject further.

74 students took part in the SMC on 8th November.

The challenge featured 25 interesting multiple choice questions that wouldn’t normally appear in lessons and textbooks, and no additional tools such as calculators and rulers could be used (save for some rough paper).

Points were awarded for each correct answer, but don’t be too quick to resort to guessing: if you made a mistake, a point was deducted. According to basic probability, it would only be advantageous to guess if you had already eliminated two incorrect answers of the five possible options. These were the thoughts running through our minds as the challenge wore on. In the end, 19, 29 and 17 students won bronze, silver, and gold awards respectively.

Although the challenge is aimed at Sixth Formers, 25 students from Year 10 participated with great success, along with many students from Year 11. Questions such as “What is nine times 987654321?” and “Find the smallest square with 2016 as a factor” came up in this year’s challenge.

Six high-scorers, including Lok Yan Cheng (Y13, Gellhorn), Rose Wang (Y13, Wu) and Greg Chu (Y12, Peel), went on to tackle the British Mathematical Olympiad on 2nd December. The BMO involved six problems which required the use of simple maths ideas in unexpected ways.

Questions range from the freebie “How many odd digits are there in the numbers 1, 2, … , 2016?” to the devious “Find the least positive n in terms of all odd m such that m, m+2, m+4, m+6 divide n, n+1, n+2, n+3 respectively”, which

Humans of Harrow Hong Kong

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A photographic census of the Harrow community, one story at a time. Inspired by Humans of New York.

by Louisa Cho (Y11, Gellhorn)

“I want to be an actress. Not the ones in movies though. I want to be on stage, so I guess I want to be a performer! I love to perform and make people laugh.”

Edited by Nicole Pullinger (Y11, Gellhorn) If you would like to contact the newspaper team, write to us at harrovian@harrowschool.hk