The Beacon Winter Edition 4 2019

The Beacon EDITION 4 WINTER 2019

MYSTICMAYA AND SPIRITUAL SCOTT SUSTAINABLE F A S H I O N

SPORTS FILM REVIEWS CHRISTMAS

P L U S • R e v i e w s • N e w s • F a s h i o n • F u n

Editor Hi, I would like to start off with wishing everyone a very fufilling and fun holiday.

For those of you who have mock exams in January, have a very productive three and a half weeks, and good luck.

Don’t forget to have fun and celebrate the holidays!

Hester Carpenter.

(Editor)

Contents THE BEACON TEAM Read all about this term’s Beacon Team.

A CLAREMONT CHRISTMAS Find out what Claremont students do at Christmas across the continents.

COOKING WITH LORENZO Lorna’s Spanish cousin tells us how to make a traditionally

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festive dish in Spain.

MYSTIC MAYA AND SPIRITUAL SCOTT Our favourite dynamic duo solve your everyday problems.

FASHION The best sustainable fashion you can buy.

REVIEWS What films are worth your time this holiday season?

SPORTS Find out more about the different sports at Claremont.

MUSIC Top ten stocking fillers for musicians and music fans

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alike!

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST Who started the traditions we celebrate in 2019?

CHRISTMAS COMIC A pre-historic version of a favourite christmas story.

We value your contributions. Email any feedback and ideas to: thebeaconmagazine2019@ gmail.com 2

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The Beacon Team The Beacon Team has grown this term. and we’ve loved having our new additions to the magazine from the younger half of the school. We are all super excited for the Christmas holidays, and here are a few things we are looking forward to: Harry Bridger is going to be all Christmassy Hester Carpenter can’t wait to watch all of the best Christmas films Ms Edwards is excited to see her grown up sons up in London, but will obviously make it home in time to see Santa...

Guthrie Fullager can’t wait for ‘freedom’ Mrs Hemsley just can’t wait to hang fairy lights up all over the place!

Marcus Kent is excited to not wake up early every morning Sissy Lyu can’t wait to see her cousin that she hasn’t seen in five years Maya Ostle is excited to watch Gremlins at least five times, and for the food, obviously.

Joseph Patel is seeing his family from France Poppy Payne is really looking forward to eating some mince pies...

Scott Pope is counting down the days until he goes to Canada!

Daisy Underdown is just looking forward to Christmas in general

We hope you have a great holiday!

Front Cover This term’s front cover is a photo by Oliver McInnes.

Oliver’s photo shoot is inspired by Karl Blossfeldt’s magnified flora and fauna. The digital edit is inspired by PJ Horst’s repeat Patterns from Nature.

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Christmas Across Claremont Christmas is coming; that time where people across England enjoy festive family togetherness. We wanted to learn about what other cultures in and around the school enjoy and celebrate at this time of year.

Oleksii Tokariev (Ukraine) Christmas is celebrated in the Ukraine, it is on the 7th of January because, like many countries where the main Church is the Orthodox Church, they use the old Julian calendar for church festivals.

On our Christmas Day, you can’t start eating the meal until the first star is seen in the sky. So people (especially the hungry ones!) go outside as soon as it starts getting dark in the afternoon to try and spot the first star. The star represents the journey of the wise men to find Jesus when he was born, so Christmas can start!

Didukh (pictured below) is a Christian detail of traditional Ukrainian Christmas decorations.

The Didukh is made from a sheaf of wheat and it symbolizes the large wheat field in Ukraine. It literally means ‘grandfather spirit’ and can represent people’s ancestors being with them in their memories.

In Ukraine, these traditions have almost been forgotten, but in the West people still do this. I think that Christmas now is just a chance for people to see their family.

Yanyan Xu (China) In China we don’t celebrate Christmas, but we do have Chinese New Year (also called Spring Festival).

Like Christmas in England, the Spring Festival is the most important day in a year and also the time for all the members of the family to get together.

Shou Sui means ‘after the New Year’s Eve dinner’, which is when family members normally stay awake during the night. Right after 12:00PM on New Year’s Eve, fireworks are launched to celebrate the coming of the New Year as well as to drive away the evil.

According to tales and legends, there was a mythical beast named the ‘Year’. On the night of New Year, the ‘Year’ will come out to harm people, animals, and propeties. Later, people found that the ‘Year’ is afraid of the colour red, fire, and loud sounds. Therefore, on New Year’s Eve, people will launch fireworks, light fires, and stay awake the whole night to fend off the ‘Year’. It is believed that the person

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who launched the first firework of the New Year will obtain good luck.

Santiago (Spain) In Spain, Christmas starts the evening of 24th December and finishes on 6th January. In Spanish Merry Christmas is ‘Feliz Navidad’. On 24th December we have dinner with our family to celebrate Jesus being born, in Spanish it’s called ‘Noche Buena’. Depending on the region we eat different main courses, but we have typical desserts like marzipan, turron, almendras, garrapiñadas, polvorones, mantecados, trufas, and lots more.

During Christmas, people create and visit ‘Belenes’, which is a model of the birth of Jesus, there are also human ones. We also sing Christmas songs (villancicos), which are sung with your family and friends with instruments like the tambourine, cajon, bells and ‘zambomba’. The streets are decorated and there are Christmas markets. On New Year’s Eve at midnight, we eat 12 grapes. We do this for luck in the next year, and after we go to the streets and light up fireworks.

On 5th January we go to a ‘Cabalgata de Reyes Magos’ (pictured), a vehicle with decorations and people throwing sweets. Before going to sleep, we leave a shoe from each member of the family, as well as milk and food for the Three Wise Men and their camels. The next morning in front of your shoe there will be your presents. After opening your presents, we have ‘Roscon de Reyes’, which is a cake with a porcelain figure of a Wise Man and a bean inside. If your piece has the bean you have to pay for the cake.

By Joseph Patel

By Joseph Patel

Cooking with Lorenzo

Hola amigos! It’s Lorna’s Spanish cousin Lorenzo here - I’m taking over this term from your favourite cooking sensation (Lorna’s off on an adventure holiday in Wales; she’s hiking, swimming, climbing, and learning the martial arts!) to tell you how to cook the traditional Spanish Christmas dessert ‘Rosca de Reyes’, as mentioned in my good friend Joseph’s article ‘A Claremont Christmas’. Now, I’m not as much of a whizz in the kitchen as my wonderful cousin Lorna, so don’t blame me if anything goes wrong! Haha!

INGREDIENTS 450g strong wheat flour + 50g to reserve 16g of fast acting yeast 10g granulated sugar 80g caster sugar 100g icing sugar 70g melted butter zest of 1 lemon zest of 1 orange 20ml orange juice 3 free range eggs 70ml of milk (room temperature) 200ml whipping cream 100g dried cranberries 50g cream cheese 30g flaked almonds olive oil (for greasing) OTHER THINGS Round cake tin with a hole in the middle Wise Man figurine Dried kidney bean INSTRUCTIONS Ok, let’s go! To get started add your granulated sugar and yeast, just 50g of your flour and 30ml of milk

into a bowl. Now, you MUST use a wooden spoon to mix this very well, then cover the bowl with a tea towel (make sure it’s clean!). Leave this for an hour.

FUN TIP: If you have spare time whilst waiting, go for a walk, watch a Christmas film, or even talk to you family!?

While you’re waiting for the sponge to prepare itself, you need to make some dough! Beat your eggs (make sure you do it lightly - there’s no need to prove how strong you are), afterwards adding the rest of you milk, orange juice and zest, lemon zest too, and the melted butter.

Estupendo!

When the sponge has had enough time. add it to the dough mixture, along with the caster sugar and 400g of flour. If you REALLY want to prove how strong you are, you can knead, but I just like to use a food processor for 15 minutes or until the dough is elastic, smooth and shiny as well as a bit sticky.

FUN TIP: Use your spare flour at this point if the dough is just not cooperating.

Form your dough into a ball after you’ve greased a large bowl with the olive oil, and cover the bowl again.

Leave it to rest in a warm place for a couple of hours, or in the fridge

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overnight (if you do this leave it for two hours before continuing with the recipe) so it doubles in size.

Then you want to ‘knock it back’ (vigorous kneading to expel air) and place it on a floured area (a chopping board, or a clean work surface would suffice). Cut the dough into 12 to 16 pieces, rolling each piece into a ball. Put the balls in your (greased!) cake tin, hiding the Wise Man figurine and the dried kidney bean in with them.You need to leave some space between the balls to allow them to rise. Cover this up again, allowing the dough to again double in size for about two hours.

Heat the oven to 180°C, and put the cake in the oven for around 20 minutes, allowing it to cool once done.

Next, you need to make the filling.

Beat the cream until it holds its shape, then add 50g of icing sugar and chopped cranberries. Cut the cake in half (make sure you do this horizontally), and spread the filling evenly onto one of them.

Mix the cream cheese with the remaining icing sugar and pour it on top of the assembled cake. To finish, sprinkle with the rest of the cranberries and flaked almonds.

Terminado!

Mystic Maya and Spiritual Scott

By Maya Ostle and Scott Pope

Season’s Screechings Dear Mystic Maya and Spiritual Scott,

Dearest Belinda,

I hate having to bother you kind people, especially during the holiday season, but I’ve come to realise this isn’t a problem I can solve alone.

I truly sympathise with your situation. You seem to embody the very British quality of not wanting to bother others. It is very commendable of you to take such an isolationist policy, but even more commendable that you have managed to recognise that this isn’t a problem you can handle without professional help. And might I say, you have made an excellent choice in coming to I, Spiritual Scott, for professional help with such an occult matter.

I would describe myself as a quiet person. I detest having to talk to people, which is why self-ser vice checkouts are a godsend. My record was six glorious months of silence. That silent streak was broken by the source of my troubles that I come to you with now.

Now, sudden screaming at random that causes ear aches to all nearby? I can think of at least one ‘colleague’ with a similar effect on people. Now you may think it might be better to recommend you to them as they seem to have personal experience with this, however I can assure you that they most certainly do not, and that their circumstance is not based in mysticism, but rather simple fraudulence.

I keep screaming.

One night without warning, while I was in the midst of a deep sleep, my piercing scream ripped me from slumber. I then had to awkwardly explain to neighbours that I was alright and apologized for waking them.

Now, some may say this is a mere psychological condition born from a lifetime of self-conscious solitude and silence, a subconscious urge to yell to the world and confirm your existence to others, a literal cry for help, if you will. You and I both recognise however, that that is complete and utter nonsense.

Since that night, I will screech at random several times a day. I wouldn’t go out of my way to bother people if it was simply screaming, however every time it happens it causes people to worry about me.

Please, if there’s anything you can do to stop me bothering people, please let me know.

I won’t beat around the bush any further. This sounds like a classic case of low-tier demonic possession. Most people regard this as a safer form of possession and often simply find ways to live with it than risk the process of exorcising it. In your case, it sounds as if this affliction is quite the hassle and a cause of a great deal of anguish. All that stress can be quite taxing for your soul, and will likely leave lasting damage that would count up greater than the strain of the demonic possession itself.

Yours apologetically, Belinda Banshee Belinda!

What’s all this about screaming, eh? I feel for you, I really do. If I was a ‘therapist’, I’d tell you that you’re probably harbouring unresolved fear, tension or sadness from a potentially traumatic experience and this is your subconscious way of dealing with it, then recommend getting professional help.

The best course of action you could take is to visit your local Holy Wholesaler and purchase the correct tools to perform a self-exorcism (I assume you wouldn’t want to bother someone else with the rite if you could perform it yourself). I have a detailed article giving a step-by-step process into how to perform an exorcism called ‘An Exercise in Exorcising, everything you need to know to rid yourself of little devils.’ which you can find online at: www.SpiritualScott.com/DemonicPossession/ Cures/Self-Exorcism

But that would be ridiculous. No help whatsoever!

And the true answer needs no spiritual consultation, either...

You, my friend, need that unruly mouth of yours taped shut. Either that, or remove your mouth completely. Medically, you’re beyond help, it would seem. I’m no doctor, but I have seen a fair share of heinously violent crimes committed throughout the years. Your best bet is to simply stifle the screams, or isolate yourself totally, I would think. Maybe it’ll wear off.

Alternatively, a more detailed version of the same article can be found in my book ‘An SS guide to the supernatural and spiritual side of life’ along with an explanation in avoiding future ‘incidents’ and soulcleansing.

Like I said, I’m not a doctor. I don’t really know why you’re asking me. Doesn’t seem too mystic, but hey-ho. Maybe Spiritless Scott will be able to help, although I doubt it with his level of expertise.

Happy Exorcising!

Spiritual Scott

Happy Taping!

Mystic Maya

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Bird Troubles Dear MM and SS, For want of a better phrase, I’m in a bit of a flap.

You see, I’m a diehard obsessor over bird-life.

The sound of their songs, their bird-habits, their bird habitats, all that sort of stuff. I can, without notes, reel off the names of every different type of bird that has ever lived.

I’m subscribed to all the bird loving, bird watching, bird taming magazines currently on the market. I can speak bird. I meet the birds in my village for drinks regularly. I may as well be a bird.

But... I’m not. I wasn’t, anyway, and from this factor a rather unpleasant situation has arisen.

You see, I was desperate to fit in with the gang.

My bird friends, that is; Kev, Vanessa, the lot.

Not forgetting, of course: Deborah. The most stunningly, breathtakingly, HAUNTINGLY beautiful blue-chested Horned Gadfarler you could imagine.

Dear Jimbo, Now, this is more like it. I quite like birds myself, as a matter of fact, so in a way I understand where you’re coming from.

I am, of course, tempted to throw this letter into the next world after seeing the words “I went to a gnome”. The word ‘idiot’ comes suddenly to mind in a font made out of crackling, burning, hellfire. You knew better, Jimbo, than to TRUST A GNOME. It’s rule ONE, for GOODNESS’ SAKE! But, characteristically, your letter has caused my notoriously enormous, omnibenevolent, naive heart to bleed so much that I will offer you my sagesse.

If you can manage to pick the phone up with those beaky hands of yours, you need to dial the number that I will put at the bottom of this letter and call Arnie G’s Fowl-Reversal Agency. He won’t be happy, mind you, his schedule is normally rather busy, ESPECIALLY at this time of year, but tell him that if he sees you I’ll pick up his dry cleaning and drop it round, and he should be able to slot you in somewhere. That should get you back to normal in time for Christmas, at least, although those arms of yours may retain that beaky orange glow until January.

And as for Deborah - just ask her out, for God’s sake.

If she doesn’t love you in your natural-born state then she just doesn’t deserve you, as far as I’m concerned.

Let me know how it goes, Mystic Maya [Arnie G: 786-432-NOBEAK-872]

But she is utterly enamoured of Duke! The mallard. Need I say any more?

I haven’t slept for weeks. My days, my nights, every waking hour was consumed by Deborah.

I had to do something. I had to have her!

So what did I do? That’s right. Shoot me, I went against all my beliefs and went to a gnome. Asked him to bewitch me, or, *ahem*, ‘birdwitch’ me as it were.

And, as I probably should have foreseen, it was thoroughly unsuccessful. I currently write to you in a state of total panic, sitting here with wings instead of legs and beaks instead of arms!!!!!!!!! Not to mention the fact that I’ve been shrunk to the size of a gosling (a baby goose, for the philistines among you), rendering me some kind of horrendous UglyDuckling-Human-Hybird!

Well, it simply won’t do! My beautiful Deb is falling further into the clutches of that dastardly mallard, and I’m sitting here, unable to do anything about it - how can I be romantic with BEAKS where my arms used to be??? They don’t even open. It’s so embarrassing. How can I brave the nest looking like THIS? I beg of you, transform me. Whether it be ostrich, robin, or penguin, I couldn’t care less.

I just need to be with Deborah!

Utterly Yours,

Dearest Jimbo, Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Gotten yourself into a bit of a bind have you? I can’t say I’m surprised after hearing of your reckless abandon in seeking out a gnome of all creatures for help. It’s basic common sense not to trust gnomes. I’d imagine even someone as ignorant as Miss-tic Maya would understand that.

Alas, I feel duty-bound in lending you some aid in your hour of need, despite my personal feelings on the matter.

My first suggestion is to adapt. After all, I find that most transformative incidents, whether conducted by a… gnome… or otherwise, turn out to be for the best. Therefore I believe your first port of call should always be adaptation. You might learn something from this whole experience.

Being an avid avian enthusiast, you must certainly be aware of natural selection. You must find your own method to survive, an ecological niche in which your specialisation is key. Have you considered upsidedown flying? Your beaky arms could allow you to spear prey as you swoop in low. I’m no specialist in this subject, for further consultation I recommend you to Poultry Pete, an old friend of mine from University.

Now in regards to the matter of love. If Deborah doesn’t love you for who you are, then rather than feeling down (or consulting gnomes...) you should instead aim higher. For what is superficial beauty when compared to the magic of reciprocated love and affection?

Jimbo Grestel Good luck and happy hunting!

Spiritual Scott

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Sustainable Styles

By Daisy Underdown and Sissy Lyu Illustrations by Abigail Juhola-Jones

Stella McCartney

People Tree

Stella McCartney is a designer that has been an advocate for ethical and sustainable fashion for quite a long time.

People Tree is said to be a pioneer of sustainable, environmentally-friendly minded fashion. Based in London, this brand first started off in 1991.

This designer has made it very clear that she aims on having a positive effect on the fashion industry and the world by reducing our environmental impact on social sustainability and the planet by creating a fair and respectful supply chain.

In the time where the fashion industry were moving towards mass-manufactured products and the use of synthetic materials, People Tree went in the other direction. Founder Safia Minney focused on traditional artisanal skills such as embroidery, knitting, block printing and hand weaving. Instead of using synthetics, this brand uses organic fabrics and natural dyes to create their designs.

Not only has McCartney successfully created a fashion house but she has also created a brand that is vegetarian. The brand doesn’t use any leather, fur, feathers, or animal skins. Initially, the industry didn’t think that a luxury fashion brand could be created without fur or leather, but Stella McCartney proved everyone wrong by creating innovative and inspiring fashion lines that could easily walk the catwalk season after season.

McCartney continues to work hard to combine fashion with environmental conservation.

Finisterre Finisterre is a UK brand based in Cornwall. Inspired by the beauty of the sea, reducing harm to the ecosystem became a large part of their mission.

Finisterre is probably most well known for their swimwear initiative, of which their costumes are made of discarded fishing nets and other recyclable material. This brand provides a percentage of their profits to the Surfers Against Sewage NPO. Their products are aimed to be both practical and fashionable, whilst also long-lasting and durable.

From waterproof jackets to water-calling swimwear, this brand aims to create a relaxed and calm vibe that’s ‘fit’ for anyone.

People Tree’s fashions use vibrant, contemporary and innovative pieces. And to make that better, they continue to follow this ethical, eco-friendly stance when it comes to their production and use of materials.

Similarly to a lot of the brands mentioned today, People Tree use organic cotton along with responsible wool and Tencel - a biodegradable, sustainable fabric much from wood pulp.

This brand is also partners with artisans, farmers, producers and other workers in developing countries to ensure they create a social impact that is positive through good working conditions, fair wages, and support.

These are website links to these companies and other sustainable brands’ websites so you can take a look at some more of their increbible products: https://www.peopletree.co.uk/ https://finisterre.com/pages/sustainability https://mattandnat.com/shop/ https://www.stellamccartney.com/gb

Matt & Nat Short for ‘Material & Nature’, Matt & Nat is a 100% vegan and cruelty-free fashion brand that uses all sustainable materials such as recycled nylon, corks & vegan leather. And if that isn’t enough, Matt & Nat also create high-quality bag linings out of plastic bottles!

Aside from eco-friendly clothing, this brand provides eco-friendly accessories to match.

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However, we recommend seeing what you can do with your old clothes, swapping unwanted clothes with your friends, and giving to/buying from your local charity shops - there’s lots we can all do to reduce our impact on fast fashion and the environment!

Stella McCartney

Jumper - £415

Jumper - £380

Trainers - £565

Trousers - £435

Trousers - £495

Trainers - £470

Dress - £725 Bag - £395 Shoes - £545

Bag - £725

Finisterre

Matt and Nat

Coat - £350

Coat - £245

Jeans - £150

Belt - £35 Bag - £175 Boots - £110

People Tree

Jumper - £97.30 Skirt - £45.50

Dress - £69.30

Earrings - £11.20

Jumper - £132.30

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Reviews

By Marcus Kent

Frozen 2 Director: Chris Buck Jennifer Lee

Producer: Peter Del Vecho

Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Animation Studios

Release Date: November 22, 2019

Age: U

Rating:

Following up 2014’s smash hit ‘Frozen’ was no easy task, so no wonder it took 5 years! ‘Frozen 2’ delivers a more developed story than its predecessor, with a surprising subplot on the treatment of native cultures (in this case the Sámi people of Northern Scandinavia), and also the environment. It’s no ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ with its message about climate change, but it’s still more than you would expect from a Disney movie.

‘Frozen 2’ is miles above the first film as it uses the animation developments of the last half-decade to create almost realistic landscape shots and photorealistic detail up close. The voice acting continues the calibre expected from a Disney film, no matter the size of the part no one is phoning it in, as can be so easy to do with animation. Obviously the most important part of ‘Frozen 2’ is the music, and while the sound track doesn’t really contain a ‘Let It Go’ level track, it stays at a more consistent high level of quality; the song ‘Into The Unknown’ is most likely to make the largest impact and get pushed for all the awards.

It’s safe to say that with the release of ‘Frozen 2’, the curse of terrible Disney sequels is hopefully broken for good. ‘Frozen 2’ delivers on being a must-see film over the holiday period for all the family!

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Last Christmas

Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave me a mediocre film. While not bad, the film doesn’t live up to the expectations of its namesake. The first half of the film can feel like the same fifteen minutes repeating itself over and over again, however in the second half, once the story has figured out what it wants to be, the film begins to shine, becoming one of the best rom-coms in years, with a surprisingly apt twist.

Director:

The way the film is shot gives it a very homely feel and it’s appropriate for the scope of the movie, as it’s almost music-video-like in appearance. The story revolves almost entirely around the two main characters played by Amelia Clark and Henry Golding as it follows a love story from its beginning. The film also boasts an excellent supporting cast, although containing very little named talent, the array of acting skill is probably better than a film like this deserves - it’s the script in the first half of the movie that lets them down.

Emma Thompson

To summarise, Last Christmas is probably a movie enjoyed a lot closer to the festive period, although it’s story is not entirely Christmas based. Yet again, it’s another film that’s not vital to see, but is probably a very good time killer in the empty void that is the days between Christmas and the New Year.

The King

Paul Feig

Producers: Erik Baiers Jessie Henderson David Livingstone

Production Company: Perfect World Pictures Calamity Films Universal Pictures

Release Date: November 15, 2019

Age: 12A

Rating:

‘The King’ is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’, Director: which may sound unappetising to some, but it’s not in the David Michôd Shakespearean language - don’t worry! The film follows the rise of Henry ( Timothée Chalamet) from his father’s hated son to King of England and conqueror of France.

Producer(s): The film retains its 15th Century setting; this can cause David Michôd some parts of the film to come across as small in scale Joel Edgerton overall by comparison to other big budget Hollywood productions.

Dede Gardner Where the film does excel is in its smaller moments, Jeremy Kleiner notably in the strength of the supporting cast including: Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Lily-Rose Depp and Ben Brad Pitt Mendelsohn, but despite this some of the less important Liz Watts cast can become hard to distinguish.

‘The King’ also maintains a high standard of set design, keeping with the style of the period and not attempting Production Company: to modernise. On the other end of the spectrum, the Plan B Entertainment language of the film disregards its Shakesperian roots, which is really the only thing that stops it from becoming Netflix a total period piece.

The film never feels long, not an inherently bad thing, but is probably caused by the very linear story. The twist ending does leave more to be desired as it comes completely out of nowhere and has no bearing on any of the characters involved, in terms of past or future development.

Release Date: November 1, 2019

Age: 15

Don’t expect ‘The King’ to get much traction over awards season, the double whammy of being released on Netflix Rating: (which the awards industry never takes seriously for some reason) and being marketed more as a blockbuster than an awards flick both are large negatives for the film.

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Sports at Claremont

By Daisy Underdown and Sissy Liu

Claremont is an incredible school when it comes to sport. Many would say that the Football Academy is one of the star points of our school.

However, there is a wide array of competitive games available to our students. Swimming and basketball are just two of Claremont’s hidden treasures, and The Beacon wanted to find out more about what it’s like playing these sports at our school, and some of their best athletes.

The Swim Team

The swim team has made a successful start this year with Claremont hosting its first senior gala. The swim team is lead by the encouraging Mr Ireland, with Ethan as his assistant and Naomi as the Team Captain.

With their help, the team has learnt new skills, perfected tumble turns and improved on their times.

Charlie Saunders: Male Captain, Year 12

Naomi Sinclair: Female Captain, Year 12

What are your plans after the swim team?

Summarise the swim team in three words.

Perhaps do a lifeguarding qualification, but also venture into other water sports at university such as professional rowing (I assume swimming is involved).

Ambitious, Supportive and Motivational.

Does everyone get along in the swim team?

It’s an individual’s sports, so realistically there is no room for arguing. There is a diverse array of older and younger students in the team with both female and male swimmers.

Do you have to get selected to be in the swim team?

There are no trials for the team. If you can swim to a high level, you’re welcome!

Matt Constable: Year 13 Why did you join the swim team?

I joined the swim team because it was exciting to be given the opportunity to swim competitively again after the prep school.

What are your plans after the swim team?

After the swim team, I plan on applying the cardiovascular side of the training in swimming to cricket (my main sport) to hopefully improve my performance.

How would you say the swim team is different from normal sports teams?

How is the swim team different from a normal sports team?

The swim team is made up of a variety of talented yet also uncompetitive swimmers who chose to swim on the basis of either fitness, well being or because of previous interests in the sport. It is different from a normal swim team as we are all willing to be there and therefore support each other as well as not over-pressuring one and another. This enables us to create a healthy and supportive team promoting swimming in a friendly manner.

Do you have any advice for future students who are interested in joining the swim team?

Everyone is welcome if you are willing to work hard and have a positive and ambitious attitude.

Anything else to add?

The Swim Team ranges from Year 9 up to Year 13 and is made up of a variety of diverse students ranging from academics to key sportsmen and women. We’re accepting of everyone. Currently, the swim team aren’t aiming to compete regularly but we do have a few upcoming galas arranged! You don’t have to be an elite swimmer to join but be willing and participating in order to maintain the attitudes and aims of the Swim Team.

It’s different in the fact that swimming is an individual sport but everyone in the team still gets on and incorporates a healthy mix of banter into the dedication required to improve.

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Basketball This year the Senior Claremont basketball team has continued to build on the strong basketball culture that has developed in the school over previous years. Basketball is a fast paced, inclusive sport that encourages high fitness levels and good team communication. The start of the season has seen the players showing drive and determination to nail the success of the program. The quantity of ‘behind the scenes’ work towards improvement, and endless drive, along with our coach Mr Graham, is proving to be the key to our current success. We are constantly adjusting game play tactics and learning from each away match.

In our first game of the season we out-scored the opposing team (Battle Abbey) by almost double (31-15), We are tremendously excited for the remainder of the season and cannot wait to see how far we can go, and welcome all new players and will continue to watch and assist the Junior Team.

By Oliver Hill (Captain) and Shareef Fang (Vice Captain)

Below are questions asked to some of Claremont’s star basketballl players - senior and junior.

Oliver Hill: Senior Team & Captain, Year 12

Archie: Senior Team, Year 11

How is the basketball team different from other teams?

Does everyone get along in the basketball team?

Compared to other sports, in basketball, you have to be in tune with each other. Basketball is a very fastpaced sport and you need that connection.

What has changed for you since you joined the basketball team?

The sport and culture of basketball has grown exponentially since I first joined Claremont, allowing all years from all backgrounds to play. The improvements in areas such as coaching (running plays) and the players quality over the years allow us to successfully win the majority of our games. And the additional games scheduled provide even more excitement and growth as a team throughout the season.

Do you aim to be a famous Basketball Player in the future?

Hopefully. I am to play for either college or university at some point in the future but I’m not sure at the moment.

Shareef Fang: Senior Team & Vice Captain, Year 13 Summarize the basketball team in three words.

Passion, Team-work & Friendship.

Why did you join the basketball team?

Yeah! Everyone gets along really well. It’s quite good.

Do you have to get selected to be in the basketball team?

Not really. The team is very open to anyone who wants to join.

Have you found any benefits from joining the team?

Yeah, definitely. I’d say it’s definitely improved my fitness. It good for cardio and improving your stamina.

Jack Cutbush: Junior Team, Year 10 Are you inspired by the senior team at all?

I am quite good friends with some of the senior team., and they’re always happy to teach me a few things.

Do you have any advice for future students who are interested in joining the basketball team?

Whenever Mr Fitz-Graham is in the room, just try to impress him. It’s not really just in the basketball academy, it could apply to the school in general but I just suggest to avoid getting sanction and always work hard. Just be really good at school in general.

That’s what he really looks out for.

I first started playing basketball when I was 14. Then when I started Claremont, I joined the basketball team to keep it up. It’s been a lot of fun.

13

Top Ten Christmas Presents For Every Musician

By Guthrie Fullager

Number 10 on this list is something every musician should have, the jack to jack cable.

One of the most if not the most universal musical tool for any instrument from guitars to electric drums, this cable can be used to plug almost anything into amps and computers.

Pictured - Whirlwind LE188 Elite Jack to Jack Number 9 on the list is an audio interface it is going to be more pricey than others on this list but worth the investment. An audio interface can be plugged into your computer to record instruments or microphones. Depending on how much you spend depends on the quality of the product.

Pictured - Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen £340

Number 8 is a microphone. Microphones can be used live or in a recording set. Either way a ribbon mic is the way to go as they are very versatile. A ribbon microphone can be used for recording in a studio or live on a stage.

Pictured - SE Electronics X1 - R Ribbon Mic £150 Number 7 is a pocket recorder. The pocket recorder can be fitted in your pocket, hence the name, and taken around to quickly record something or can be used in a group setting with lots of other microphones, it is a good alternative to a microphone and audio interface setup although the pocket recorder will not record the same quality of sound.

Pictured - Tascam DR-05X Portable Recorder £95 Number 6 is a must for all music lovers. Headphones are probably one of the most used pieces of technology world wide. Almost everyone owns a pair of headphones but having a really good pair can make your audio experience a whole lot better.

Pictured - Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO Headphones £115 Number 5 is an audio software. It’s used to edit songs you record and can be paired with with an audio interface or a MIDI controller to input sounds and instruments. If there is one thing to get on this list, this one is definitely a contender.

Pictured - Ableton £70 - £550 Number 4 is music merch. Who doesn’t love a t shirt it is the most simple yet effective present.

Find out what your giftees favorite music brand is whether it’s fender for the guitarists; roland for the pianists; or zildjian for the drummers a piece of merchandise is always appreciated.

Pictured - Marshall baseball shirt £25 Number 3 on the list is a small pocket metronome. A metronome is very useful for any musician to practise scales, fills and chords. They are easy to use and small enough to fit in a bag or pocket.

Pictured - Roland DB - 30 Metronome £22 Number 2 is the synthesiser. This is certainly something you should do some research into as there are many types of synths and they all do different things. A synth can be a good addition to a music workspace, they also can be used as a MIDI if they have a keyboard.

Pictured - Novation Bass Station II £375

Number One Finally at number one it is as simple as a gift card. If you really can’t decide on a present, a gift card to a quality music shop is always appreciated. Some stores in the UK that are good are Andertons, Gear4Music and GAK. Pictured - Andertons gift card £10 - £500

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The Ghosts of Christmas Past

By Scott Pope

The time for Christmas is soon upon us, a tradition most of us should have at least heard of. This western tradition has changed a lot since it was first born into this world, and most of us only really care about it since it has made the more recent morph into something that better represents us: Consumerism.

There probably isn’t a need to describe in great detail today’s Christmas circumstances, so we might as well begin as Charles Dickens once did, visiting the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Now, I said we begin with Christmas Past, however that’s all I will be covering as I do not have the insight to accurately comment on modern society nor the foresight to glimpse into the future. The past is a safe place to be as everything has already occurred.

Our tale begins more than two-thousand years ago. Yep. You guessed it. Ancient Rome. The Ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia took place 17th through to the 23rd December of the Julian calendar. The festival, in honour of the God Saturn, involved banqueting, private gift-giving, a sacrifice and temporary legalised gambling. Now, ignoring the last few ‘aspects’ to the festival, does any of this sound familiar? Well it should. Saturnalia, as well as other winter festivals of different cultures or religious faiths were appropriated by Christianity to spread their influence.

A different festival you may have heard of is Yuletide or ‘Yule’. Yule Midwinter celebration historically observed by Germanic people was dedicated to Odin and rebirth (the days start to get longer). The details of the festival are unimportant, but can be summarised with sacrifice, feasting, ale and incinerating a log. If you are familiar with modern Christmas traditions, you may have heard of a Yule log dessert. Just an interesting remnant to note.

Now let’s skip forward a couple thousand years, when the Christians have long since dominated the winter festivities. The year is 1644 and the place?

The Great City of London. You see, in history the biggest condemners of Christmas haven’t been outsiders looking in or cranky fictional old men, but rather Christians themselves. During Oliver

Cromwell’s control of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, many changes in laws were made; however, the ones we’re interested in are the ones that pertain to the banning of Christmas (and general joy during the winter months). It was regarded by Puritans that Christmas was not only terribly un-Christian, but downright sinful.

So, to wrap this all up with a bow on top, I can summarise that Christmas is an appropriation of old traditions as a PR stunt by some Christians a very long time ago, and that many Christians found the idea of it revolting. No need to worry about any of that though, for we have our happy modern version where parents buy their children presents but pretend that they didn’t buy it, but rather a mysterious old man broke into their house and left it

15

A Christmas Story comic

16

By Harry Bridger