The Stag, Issue 20, Michaelmas Term 2 2023

THE

STAG

Issue 20, Michaelmas Term 2, 2023

The Stag

CONTENTS PAGE Feature:

Seasonal Feature:

Sweeney Todd: Behind the Scenes - pg 1

Rishi Sunak‘s Upcoming Smoking Laws pg 2 The Return of Cameron: Cunning or Catastrophic? - pg 3

Christmas Jumper - pg 24 Upcoming Cinema this Christmas and New Year - pg 25 Starbucks or Costa? The Christmas Drink Debate - pg 26 Stocking Filler Ideas - pg 27 Universal Christmas Gift Guide - pg 28

International News:

House Reports:

Claudia Goldin and the Gender Pay Gap - pg 4 What is going on in Gaza? - pg 5 COP28 - pg 7

Blackwater - pg 29 Craig - pg 30 Gonville - pg 31 Nugent - pg 32 Pennell - pg 33 Powell - pg 34 Reeves - pg 35 School - pg 36 Wargrave - pg 37 Watt - pg 38

National News:

Be You Celebrates: Cornel West - pg 8

Creative Arts: The Gaze Exhibition - pg 9 Is This Art? - pg 10 Christmas Eve at the Grave - Otto Hesselbom - pg 11 ‘The Power‘ by Naomi Alderman - pg 13

School News and Sport: The Greatest Comeback - pg 15 Blackwater House Revue - pg 16 Gonville House Revue - pg 17 Reeves House Revue - pg 18 Charity Report - pg 19 Girls’ 1st XI Hockey - pg 20 Swimming Success - pg 21

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Interactive: Did You Know? - pg 39 Gingerbread Men - pg 40 Hot Chocolate - pg 41 E-Safety poster - pg 42 Christmas Anagrams - pg 43 Horoscopes - pg 44 This magazine is written for pupils by the pupils of Eastbourne College. It is not an official College publication and is not meant to be an accurate reflection of every activity or event across the College, nor (obviously) is every pupil mentioned. The magazine is for the Eastbourne College community only, so please do not send it on to friends or family. We hope you enjoy reading our magazine!

FEATURE

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SWEENEY TODD: BEHIND THE SCENES

By Esteban Boruel-Lopez

As the deadline draws ever closer to the production of Sweeney Todd on the muchheralded Big School stage, behind the curtain Mr Russell and his team have been pulling the strings to assemble the final product.

Our resident prop and set maker, Phil, has been working determinedly, slaving away with all the tools at his disposal to create a stunning set and handcrafted props to match.

Furthermore, Mr Jordan has been fine tuning the cast’s vocals to perfection, enabling the cast to perfectly capture the emotions between each heartfelt ballad, each comedic song and each chaotically calculated number, with the full cast flooding the stage.

However, the final performance would not be possible without the mastermind behind the acting, Mr Russell. Mr Russell has enabled our actors to fully immerse themselves in their characters in order to bring the show to life, bringing in professional West End coaches and performers to fully heighten everyone’s acting to the maximum.

So, with all that in mind and the rehearsals coming to an end, we all look forward to seeing Sweeney Todd in all its glory at its debut on Tuesday 5th December.

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NATIONAL NEWS

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RISHI SUNAK’S UPCOMING SMOKING LAWS

By Dory Lee-Potter

The Prime Minister is intent on creating a ‘smoke free generation’ by stopping the sale of cigarettes to those born after 1st January 2009, in an attempt to protect future generations from the harms of smoking.

Smoking causes one in four cancer deaths and costs the economy approximately £17 billion per year. The government are also looking to restrict the use of disposable vapes, regulating flavours and packaging to reduce their appeal.

Sunak is effectively raising the smoking age by a year annually until it applies to the whole population, having the potential to phase out smoking completely by as early as 2040.

This law has come about due to the highly addictive nature of smoking, with four in five smokers starting before the age of twenty and remaining addicted for the rest of their lives. It is expected to result in up to 1.7 million fewer people smoking by 2075, saving the healthcare sector billions of pounds, avoiding up to 115,000 cases of strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other lung diseases.

This law intends to be more progressive than previous interventions like the introduction of packaging with harmful effects on tobacco products, raising the age of sale from 16 to 18, or banning smoking in public places. All of these have arguably had a significant impact on the rate of smoking, with the increase in the age of sale reducing the prevalence of smoking among 16/17-year-olds by 30%.

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NATIONAL NEWS

THE RETURN OF CAMERON: CUNNING OR CATASTROPHIC?

By Annabel McKenna

Occasionally, there will be a political event which comes as a surprise to all. This is one of those events.

Earlier this month, the former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, was under pressure owing to a controversial piece she wrote to the London Metropolitan Police Service about an upcoming pro-Palestine protest. Whilst it has been stated where the government and, in effect, our nation stands in the war, Braverman stepped too far over the line with her comments regarding the police service’s apparent ‘leniency’ surrounding Palestine support, forcing Sunak to sack her

WHY IS CAMERON BACK ON THE SCENE? David Cameron was the British Prime Minister from 2010-2016, seeing the first UK coalition government in nearly 70 years. He is most known for being the PM who called the in-out Brexit referendum of 2016. He was very much in the centre of the Conservative Party and led the campaign to Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

remain in the EU. The subsequent shock decision to leave the EU is what ultimately brought Cameron to the conclusion to resign as party and country leader. Perhaps Sunak is trying to branch away from his predecessors, Johnson and May (and Truss for her 49 days), and also to allow for a less overtly right-wing approach from the Foreign Minister. However, the question is still posed regarding how this decision will ultimately benefit the Conservative Party, and the country: is Sunak grasping at straws to return the Conservative Party to its former glory?

SCEPTICISM Many sceptics argue whether Cameron, a man who (arguably) resigned over foreign policy, should make his return to mainstream politics as the Foreign Minister.

Until the election many, many months from now, the public will not get their chance to express their own opinion on the publicly unelected Prime Minister and his cabinet.

SUPPORT? While the controversy and scepticism of this ‘strange’ decision seems to be dominating the most vocal public opinion, there is an argument to be made regarding Sunak’s ideas for the future. It could be put forward that this return to the previous appointments of the Conservative Party is not a step backward for the country, but the only step past the scandals of the last few years.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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CLAUDIA GOLDIN AND THE GENDER PAY GAP

By Emma Birch

Claudia Goldin has won the 2023 Nobel Prize in economics, becoming the third woman to win this prestigious prize.

Claudia Goldin, a 77-year-old professor at Harvard, has won the Nobel Economics Prize in October this year for her work which looks at the inequality of wages and employment between men and women. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded this, thanking Goldin “for having advanced our understanding of women‘s labour market outcome“.

The research carried out by Goldin uncovers the key causes of gender differences in the labour market, expressing that women are extremely underrepresented and earn less than men. By collecting over 200 years of data from the United States, Goldin‘s work revealed that female participation in the labour market formed a U-shaped curve. The data showed the participation of married women decreased as we shifted to an industrial society in the late 19th century, and then increased after the growth of the service sector in the early 20th century.

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The level of education women received over this time period increased with numbers even surpassing men in the majority of high-income countries. One cause of “accelerating this revolutionary change“ was the introduction of the contraceptive pill which brought new opportunities to women as they gained more bodily autonomy.

Although there was this positive impact with the employment of women rising, Goldin found that the expectation of young women to become mothers and look after children has caused development to be slow, with the reason for the pay gap between men and women in the same occupation largely arising from the impact of having a child.

In addition to being the third woman to receive the Nobel Economics Prize, she was the first woman to work in Harvard’s economics department. She says that students enter university believing “economics is a field more orientated to finance and management and women are less interested in those than are men”. To tackle this she explained that if economics was explained to be about “inequality, health, household behaviour, society, then there’d be a much greater balance”.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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WHAT IS GOING ON IN GAZA?

By Reuben Mace

DISCLAIMER: This article contains information that some readers may find upsetting.

It has been described as genocide, a violation of human rights, a conflict so littered with heinous atrocities from all sides that they can only be described as war crimes. Thousands have perished, thousands more injured and displaced, and countless others affected in some way. To say the least, it has gripped and polarised all nations of the world and created great divisions in opinion amongst all. But was this intended from the start? Why has the world become increasingly fixated on a single strip of land that is just 28 miles in length? But most importantly, how did it all begin?

First of all, it is important to clarify that this recent episode between Israeli and Palestinian authorities is nothing new. Many conflicts like this have occurred in the past, such as the Yom Kippur War of 1973, in which a Palestinian-backed coalition of Arab states launched a surprise invasion of Israel, which Israel successfully managed to repel.

Coincidentally, the current conflict began on the 7th of October 2023, just one day after the 50th anniversary of beginning of the Yom Kippur War, making this conflict even more significant and detrimental for Israelis. It is certainly true that one thing in common between these two conflicts is the fact that on both occasions there was a rare catastrophic failing from Mossad, Israel’s Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

renowned intelligence service that is widely considered to be one of the most effective in the world. As a result, the Knesset* considers this failure to be a national embarrassment and a sign of immense weakness.

While the Yom Kippur War may be an example of a time when Israel was attacked, it could be argued that they are not entirely innocent. In the Six Day War of 1967 for example, Israel invaded Egypt from the east and annexed Sinai, causing uproar in both the Arab world and the wider Middle East region as a whole. Israel's primary objective was to have control over the eastern side of the Suez Canal, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world, in order to maintain its maritime influence. However, following a complaint from Egypt to the United Nations, Israel eventually returned Sinai to them. Though this conflict may not have involved Palestine directly, it certainly strained the already fragile relationship between Israel and the Arab states, including Palestine, and was probably one of the primary catalysts that began the antiIsraeli sentiment that eventually resulted in outbreak of the Yom Kippur War six years later.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Though both the Six Day and the Yom Kippur wars may now seem like a distant memory, the fundamental root cause is essentially the same: one side provokes the other, the other responds with blind rage. In the case of this current conflict, it is no different. Fighters from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group governing Gaza, breached the heavily fortified border fence between Gaza and the rest of Israel and wreaked havoc upon nearby towns, villages, kibbutzes* and even an outdoor music festival, slaughtering people in their thousands. It is estimated that over 1400 civilians were killed in these spontaneous attacks and a further 240 taken hostage, though this may be an understatement in both cases. Recognised by both Israel and the western powers as a terrorist organisation, a response to Hamas was inevitable. Indeed, two weeks later, Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza City in order to take back the hostages and remove Hamas from power. Described by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as both 'Israel's second war of independence' and 'a war against the forces of barbarism', the retaliation was one of full military force.

Since the IDF's* siege of Gaza began, thousands of Palestinian men, women and children have perished in the crossfire, with official estimates surpassing 10,000. With such grave statistics as these, it is little wonder that so many debates and peace protests have been sparked worldwide.

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But how did the situation at hand end up being quite so dire? Perhaps Hamas, being funded by Iran, felt obliged to launch an attack in order to prevent Israel from normalising relations with Saudi Arabia, or perhaps it was also the fact that the response from the Israeli government, the most right-wing for 50 years, was too irrational and brutal and carried out with rage and impulsive actions rather than rationality and logic. These are simply theories that could potentially explain some things, but the issue as a whole is too dynamic and complicated to make any definitive judgments on. In fact, it is so dynamic that by the time this article is published, it will most likely be out of date in some way. Yet from all of this, one thing is clear: Hamas provoked Israel expecting a reaction, and they got it. *The Knesset - the Israeli national assembly *Kibbutz - an agricultural community in Israel where volunteers can work *IDF - Israeli Defence Force

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

COP28

By Anya Rai

What is COP28?

COP28 is the 28th annual United Nations climate meeting, with it being held this year between the 30th of November and the 12th of December in Dubai, UAE. COP stands for Conference of the Parties, which are the nations that have signed the United Nations original agreement in 1992. Over 190 countries will be represented, with a focus on the G20 countries.

After a year of many climate records being broken, COP28 is especially important and it will be the first assessment of how countries have implemented the Paris Agreement of 2015 and what progress has taken place since. One of the main goals from the Paris Agreement was to limit the long-term global temperature rise to 1.5°C from the pre-industrial average. However, the global temperatures have already increased to around a 1.2°C from pre-industrial times and this means that the window for limiting the temperature rise to 1.5°C is not only rapidly narrowing, but a recent report from the UN implied that it was nearly impossible as we are currently on track for a 3°C increase.

Who will be there?

Holding COP28 in Dubai has already been controversial, as the UAE is one of the world's top ten oil producing nations.

However, the UAE’s President-Designate may be even more so. Dr Sultan Al Jaber is the country’s special envoy for climate change, but this is seen as ironic by many as he is also the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. This is seen by many to be a conflict of interest as he will be leading the global response to combat this current climate crisis. There are also some other big names going to COP28, one of whom is the current Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, after he has recently rolled back the UK’s net zero targets in the September of this year. King Charles has also confirmed that he will be attending the COP and will be speaking to the delegates on the 1st of December with an opening address.

Clearly COP28 is a very important global meeting, so be sure to keep updated on any and all news that will be coming up over the next couple of weeks.

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BE YOU CELEBRATES

CORNEL WEST Born on the 2nd of June 1953, West is an African American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and a devout supporter of left-wing politics in America.

He declares himself to be a “non-Marxist socialist”, believing that Socialism and Christianity can intermix, holding strong religious morals which feed into his belief of democratic socialism. His primary philosophical focus is on race, gender, and class inequality, such as in his most famous book Race Matters (1993) which explores the underdevelopment and voluntary submission of the African American underclass, as well as in Democracy Matters (2004) which reflect these themes. West also highlights these issues in his regular speeches in colleges and universities, whilst further discussing liberal arts education and free speech with the Conservative intellectual Robert P. George. ‘Prospect’ magazine has declared him as the fourth greatest thinker in the COVID-19 era. In addition to this, in October 2023 West declared he was running as an independent candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

By Tian O’Leary influenced by the Black Panthers and their encouragement of political activism in the local area, introducing him to the works of Karl Marx.

West attended Harvard where he studied Middle Eastern Languages and Civilisations and graduated ‘magna cum laude’ in 1973, receiving his B.A, before then attending Princeton to study Philosophy, where he was introduced to the pragmatist philosopher Richard Rorty. He later returned to Harvard where he taught the practice of public philosophy.

He is now a regular guest on the Bill Maher Show, CNN, and Democracy Now, where he communicates his beliefs. West is an effective orator using accessible and engaging language to bring to light social issues. This means that many see him as an inspirational figure, as well as crucial to illuminating black figures within history to ensure their legacies continue.

As a teen, he participated in several civil rights demonstrations and, being the student body president, organised protests for black studies courses to be implemented at his high school.

West admired the “sincere black militancy of Malcolm X, the defiant rage of the Black Panthers” and the “livid black theology of James Cone.” Being a regular attender of his local Baptist Church meant that West was Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

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CREATIVE ARTS

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THE GAZE EXHIBITON

By Hannah Sewell For two weeks, Missy Richardson, Hannah Sewell and Liv Reade exhibited their gold arts show “The Gaze” in the Birley Centre. In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of the exhibition.

What did the notion of “The Gaze“ mean for each of us?

Missy: For me, the idea of The Gaze is linked strongly to the male gaze, beginning by wondering what the impact of men’s perception of women has on the female sense of identity. I decided to approach this theme from the perspective of my own personal narrative; my great-grandmother, Mary Richardson, was a suffragette who sought to free women from the male gaze

that confined them to the domestic sphere.

With her infamous slashing of The Rokeby Venus, she helped deconstruct oppressive beauty standards.

Liv: I was inspired by Fiona Benson’s poetry collection Vertigo & Ghost, which brings the violence of Greek myths into the #MeToo era, exploring female fear, desire and ferocity, whilst also rebranding the god Zeus as a serial rapist. Through the artwork, I wanted to create parallels between the events of Greek mythology and our own contemporary, political world.

A lot of my work features the motif of a mirror to demonstrate the struggle of basing your identity on physical appearance Hannah: The core conceit of my work is the Greek Pygmalion myth in which a sculptor falls in love with his own creation, representing the impact of the male gaze upon women. I literalised the concept of the gaze, and a lot of my work features the motif of a mirror to demonstrate the struggle of basing your identity on physical appearance. I also focused on the gaze of the artist and the way that the female muse has been depicted across the history of art.

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CREATIVE ARTS

IS THIS ART? Typically within our ‘Is This Art?’ column, we pick upcoming modern art forms and discuss their artistic values. However, in this article we chose to steer away from the debatable aspect of our articles and write a critical appreciation of the well-known artist Francisco Goya.

We collectively decided to write about Goya as he is considered as one of the most notorious Spanish painters of the late 18th century and the early 19th century. He is regarded as one of the last of the ‘Old Masters’ and one of the earliest ‘modern artists’. Goya’s works reflect the contemporary upheavals influencing important artists during his lifetime. What made him so popular was how he occupied a unique position within the history of western art, yet is often viewed as both an ‘Old Master’ and the first truly modern artist.

Many of his prints and private paintings embody the Romantics’ emphasis on subjectivity, imagination, and emotion.

By Missy Richardson and Hannah Sewell

Although he was mostly known for his prints, his painting of the elderly blind beggar called Tío Paquete drew lots of attention and became a contemporary figure in the early 19th century. The beggar was known to have sat on the steps of the church San Felipe el Real and beg, sing and play the guitar. Goya, who was passionate about the grotesqueness of everyday life, was inspired by the beggar and immortalised his distorted features in a portrait. The viewer's attention is focused on the round face of the beggar that emerges from the dark background and covers almost the entire canvas. What is most intriguing is how Goya portrays the character's disability with strict realism but manages to avoid caricature.

It was speculated that Goya suffered from Susac Syndrome, a disease that causes brain disease, as well as a loss of vision and hearing. Amongst all these symptoms, hallucination and delirium attacks were also frequent during his most critical period of illness, highlighting the power of an artist’s passion. Therefore, our critical appreciation of Goya’s artistic talent also aims to highlight that there is no limit to creativity even with severe health issues.

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CREATIVE ARTS

CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE GRAVE - OTTO HESSELBOM

By Tian O’Leary A myriad of glittering stars adorn the inky tapestry, dancing with cosmic luminosity.

Their flickering brilliance offer a small, hopeful shine among the silvery lantern suspended in the deep, black sea, bathing the wintery grounds in a haunting glow.

Snowflakes caught in the moonlight glisten delicately, landing tenderly on the monuments, dusting the weathered words.

They stand sentinel, stark against the pristine blanket of snow draping the arms of trees, whose arms are at unnatural angles like witches’ fingers. Shadows weave in and out, their slender bodies flittering across the white canvas, forging intricate patterns. If I listen hard enough, I can hear their cacophonies of child-like laughter, or the stars’ soft murmurings of the things they saw when watching us, the temporary travellers, or the deep hum emanating from the ground beneath my feet, waves flowing into my body. Instead, what I hear in the crisp, still air are the silent stories that once were, and the continuous passage of time.

The burial ground has been transformed: once a macabre presence, now an ethereal expanse of serene beauty paradoxically woven with solemnity. I marvel at nature’s majestic artistry; it is something I can only long to be.

Sharp sobs pierce the fabric of the air.

Shoulders of a kneeling, silhouetted figure shake violently.

A sombre, diminutive Christmas tree holding

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flames of self-destruction casts a flickering glow across a frosted headstone, the name obscured by the fallen snow. I don’t need to see it: I know what was reluctantly etched upon it. I watch from a distance I cannot close. It would defy the laws of nature. But I do mourn, sorrowfully, longingly, wretchedly.

Take me back! Take me back!

Charged, hungry, exhilarated: I was once the strawberry jam bursting on Summer’s tongue, the kaleidoscope displaying fireworks of colour; I was once the bubbling tingles on your spine, the invigorating freshness of mint penetrating your nose. I want it back, the thing you’ve melded into me, your irresolute clay. I lost it when crossing the realm of life to the one of death on the suspended bridge now crumbled, yet I still feel liminal. Selfishly, terribly, I want it back.

What I hear in the crisp, still air are the silent stories that once were, and the continuous passage of time The sandpaper throat and the dizzying, vibrant flashes, though, are not things I miss.

A cluster of clouds conceal the lone moon, shrouding her in a smoky cloak.

My figure disappears; the headstone remains.

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CREATIVE ARTS

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In the quietude of the engulfing darkness, I stand. I only have myself, now. When can I get away?

Yet, I still question, what is this space between me and myself? Just as how beauty and solemnity coexist, so do my contradictory thoughts.

Laughing at the pathetic death of this place, I read the name I know only too well over and over, etched by my own hand.

Christmas Eve at the Grave by Otto Hesselbom, 1896

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CREATIVE ARTS

‘THE POWER’ BY NAOMI ALDERMAN The Power by British author Naomi Alderman is a captivating, shocking combination of science fiction, fantasy fiction and dystopian fiction.

The novel follows the catastrophic effects of thousands of women developing the ability to release electrical jolts from their fingers: the ‘power’. This ability allows them to become formidably powerful and become the dominant sex in modern society. The novel examines the consequences of this complete inversion of the distribution of power on the dynamic of society and treatment of women within it.

By Suki Sheraton “One of those essential feminist works that terrifies and illuminates, enrages and encourages.” – The Washington Post Winner of the Bailey’s Women’s’ Prize for Fiction in June 2017 and named by former US president Barack Obama as one of his favourite books of the year.

In the framing narrative of the book, Neil Adam Armon (cleverly an anagram for Naomi Alderman), a “man writer” (reminiscent of how many female writers in our society are dubbed “woman writers” instead of writers, as if writing is an inherently male profession), presents a manuscript for this novel to his female editor, Naomi Alderman, along with a self deprecating note full of gushing praise for her. This is an example of the dry humour featured in the novel as the author inverts power dynamics. It is amusing and ironic as a woman to witness a man having to act as a woman to hopefully be taken seriously, and for him to be described as a “man” anything, as if this isn’t the norm.

There are five protagonists in The Power, each with their own chapters written in the first-person narrative. This immerses the reader and allows them to empathise with each character’s individual triumphs and struggles as a result of the emergence of this power. Readers are introduced to a diverse range of perspectives through

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CREATIVE ARTS

these main characters. Roxy, the first protagonist we are introduced to, is an English teenager who is attacked along with her mother, with her power manifesting itself to come to her defence. Then there is Allie, an American foster kid who uses her power to exact revenge on her abusive step-father, and Margot, a mayor in Wisconsin who discovers her daughter developing these powers and then discovers her own, using them to advance in her political career and silence her male opponent in a debate. The final female protagonist is the Moldovan president’s wife, Tatiana, who steps in to take over the country from her husband.

Ultimately, all of these women have been mistreated by men on some level, be it through the violence and abuse suffered by Roxy and Allie, the professional disrespect experienced by Margot, or the dismissal and underestimation of Tatiana. Through the empowerment of these characters, Alderman creates a sense of relatability and justice for all women who have undoubtedly endured similar struggles due to the misogyny still rife in today’s world.

The only male main character in the book is Tunde, an aspiring Nigerian journalist who chronicles the emerging power of women and publishes it online to further his career.

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imbalance of power, it is inevitable that this power will get abused.

In the novel, Alderman allows women the physical dominance that men enjoy and imagines a world where, for their own safety, men are the ones forced to be careful leaving the house by themselves or staying out late, and many of the women in the novel feel triumphant in asserting this control and power.

Alderman draws some disturbing parallels with the real world and explores how, in a world with an imbalance of power, it is inevitable that this power will get abused An argument can be made to justify this feeling, however through this inversion of the current situation in reality, Alderman highlights the dystopian, immoral nature of misogyny and sexism – it is so horrifyingly shocking when we read about the oppression and mistreatment of men, but we are all so desensitised to our own reality wherein the exact same thing happens to women.

Tunde’s point of view provides readers the opportunity to understand the male perception of the newfound power of women, and the fear and vulnerability men are ironically experiencing now that they are not the dominant sex.

As the novel progresses, Alderman draws some disturbing parallels with the real world and explores how, in a world with an Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

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SCHOOL NEWS

THE GREATEST COMEBACK

By Claudia Schroder-Smith

Nugent are back!

Nugent pulled off an astounding win this year with all around smiles that lasted for the rest of the night, and as the day came to an end, we knew we had done our best.

How did Nugent do it?

Minimum of thirty minute practices daily Constant encouragement from Mr Medlycott Mr Medlycott was overcome with emotion at the end of the night. We concluded our celebrations with a Hallowe’en party, lots of photos, and some tears.

Mr Medlycott says: “I am so proud of everyone in Nugent. 2023 was the first time in College history that we have won House Singing. We can’t wait for next year!”

With the burden of our failure last year, Nugent was only incentivised towards success, with tension being high and rehearsals becoming frequent. The unfortunate events of 2022 still haunted us when the Inter-House Song Competition of 2023 came around. The fear of “pulling a Nugent” tormented the girls but became a story of the past: the tragic mishap that crushed our chances of success that night was no more.

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SCHOOL NEWS

BLACKWATER HOUSE REVUE

By Anya Rai

Last half term Blackwater had their house revue on the 14th of October.

It was an evening full of music, dance and lots of pink!

The evening started off with a whole house video dancing to Jerusalem, which even included tutors. Then the whole house came onto the stage to give a live rendition. The Year 9s wowed the audience with their dance mash up of Sid the Sloth and Beyoncé, as well as loving the array of acrobatics. The onesies were also a great touch! The Year 10 sketch of I’m a Celebrity...

Get Me Out of Here! included characters ranging from all-star footballers, the royal family and, of course, multiple members of the Kardashian family - none of whom did too well in the bushtucker trials...

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The Year 11s produced a highly entertaining music video too, and the Year 12 dance was an excellent explosion of pink to Beyoncé’s Single Ladies, with backflips and many tutus! The Year 13 video was a great way to finish off the year group acts, with their music video to I’ll Always Remember You by Miley Cyrus.

The solo acts blew the audience away with Rosie Dale and Tilly Lancaster singing, Mary Keast-Butler performing a guitar solo for the third year in a row, and Lucia Ridley with a spectacular dance solo.

The concert finished off with Blackwater’s house song Take A Chance on Me by ABBA, which is safe to say was sung much better than in the actual house music competition a week later!

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GONVILLE HOUSE REVUE

By Rohan van de Ven

On Saturday 12th November, all the Gonvillians assembled in the JWA for what turned out to be a magical performance.

The superb house band, as pictured above, rocked the JWA with Sweet Little Child of Mine by Guns n Roses.

On Saturday 12th November, all the Gonvillians assembled in the JWA for what was to be a magical performance.

The House Revue started off with the Year 13 video followed by the Year 9 dance. The acts were all accompanied by the compères.

The Year 13 music video of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was certainly something that the audience wouldn’t forget with some entertaining outfits from the Gonville Year 13 cohort.

Nevertheless, it was an eventful evening.

The audience were lucky enough to be treated to Janson Lau on the piano playing Mozart followed by Atom Tian also playing on the piano. The Year 10s dazzled us with “Gonflix”, a Gonville dance based on film. To finish off the concert, the audience were treated with another rendition - our song from the Inter-House singing competition, Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder.

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SCHOOL NEWS

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REEVES HOUSE REVUE

By Ella Stevenson

On Saturday 18th November, Reeves House put on a spectacular show for their house concert.

The evening began with the Year 13 introduction video, in which the event’s two compères, Zizie Ndlovu and Charlie Jenden, dashed from the gym to the house concert in a hilarious skit. This was followed by three Year 9 dances, one even involving beach balls!

The Year 11 video certainly got the most laughs with their multiple mocks, such as The Great British Bake Off, Baywatch and Dragons’ Den. The Year 12 dance was another entertaining act, with three separate dances followed by a whole year group performance.

Other acts included a witty Strictly Come Dancing parody performed by the Year 10s, with a hilarious pair act to Michael Jackson, which involved Mexican-inspired costumes and even more amusing props.

There was a wonderful performance of Careless Whisper involving the piano, trumpet and drums, and the Year 13 video, in which the boys presented several comedic advertisements.

Reuben Mace shocked audiences with an act unlike any other in which he impressively named the capital cities of audience members’ choosing, which I am sure we can all agree is quite an impressive skill to have!

The evening ended on a high with a rendition of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit followed by a final performance of Reeves’ winning house song I’m Still Standing by Elton John.

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SCHOOL NEWS

CHARITY REPORT At the beginning of term we launched our School Chapel Charity, which this year is Mary’s Meals, a fantastic charity that provides over 2.5 million simple meals each day to keep children in school in some of the poorest countries in the world. A very successful charity lunch raised close to £1,000, and other events, including a marvellous advent readings and carols, raised a further £400.

In our Harvest Appeal for Eastbourne Foodbank there was a terrific response, and we donated an amazing 372.4kg of groceries - getting on for 300 meals! This was really appreciated by Eastbourne Foodbank who, owing to the ‘cost of living crisis’, have seen the number of meals they need to provide dramatically increase.

At Remembrancetide, donations to the Poppy Appeal of The Royal British Legion (through sale of poppies), together with the collection from our Remembrance Sunday service raised about £500 for this important cause.

Several houses started their charity initiatives early. Wargrave continued to raise money for St Peter & St James Hospice with a current total on JustGiving of well over £2000. In the same House, Brooke Haycock (with Monty Dean from Reeves) walked 100km in less than 24 hours to raise money for their local village charity, to provide meals for the elderly and housebound. Their

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

By Father Daniel

route took them from Folkestone to Birling Gap via Rye, Bexhill-On-Sea, Eastbourne and Beachy Head. They raised a hugely impressive £1,800!

Watt continued their relentless charity fundraising by beginning the year with a sponsored walk for You Raise Me Up, which offers emotional and mental health support to families that have lost a young adult between the ages of 16 and 25. The walk raised £4,025 for the charity, who were very grateful. Following this, the Watt Cake Sale, in which all the girls from Watt baked some delicious treats, produced over £650 for The Sanctuary Café, a charity which welcomes people looking for refuge.

House concerts contributed as well to the overall charitable giving during this term with Gonville raising over £720 for The Matthew 25 Mission, a local charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable and marginalised communities in Eastbourne, while Reeves raised £530 for the Brain Tumour Research Campaign.

Finally, at the end of term the Charity Society launched the Christmas Community Chest, which provides tasty edible goods to add to small hampers distributed to those who live locally but may find it a struggle this festive season.

Overall, we have had a very positive start to this academic year.

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SCHOOL SPORT

GIRLS’ 1ST XI HOCKEY

By Poppy Thomas

With the hockey term coming to a close, the girls have had a successful season with many wins, a few draws and very few losses.

They have played in the St George’s Sixes Tournament, the National Cup and the ISHC (Independent School’s Hockey Cup) whilst also playing other schools in competitive matches at the weekends.

Leicester Grammar School Trust: Won 7-0 Cheadle Hulme School: Won 4-1 Norwich School: Lost 2-3 Bradfield College: Draw 2-2 Culford School: Won 6-1 Kent College: Draw 3-3 Bede’s School: Won 5-3

Girls’ 1st XI Hockey Team Team Captain: Eliza Jones Vice Captain: Kirsty Williams Vice Captain: Ella Panayiotou Bertie Cooke Tiggy Tutt Izzy Steed Millie Bonnar Emilia Dixon Rosie Hill Sophie Fellows Daisy Dunkley Evie Ginbey Nelly Bathard-Smith Liv Reeves Eliza: “We actually haven’t had a proper match in a while, but we have a cup match tomorrow so hopefully we will win that!”

The girls ended up winning 4-0, so a big well done!

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

Cranbrook School: Draw 3-3 Roedean School: Won 2-0 Sutton Valence School: Won 5-3 Brighton College: Lost 0-2 Hurstpierpoint College: 2-1 Woldingham School: Won 1-0

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SCHOOL SPORT

SWIMMING SUCCESS

By Charlie Evans-Shephard

Building success in the pool at Eastbourne College The swimming programme has started with a bang this year, beginning with many of our swimmers performing in the school’s Aquathlon.

Our first gala against Bede’s School confirmed the talent across all age groups and we saw wins in each age group and wins overall. This supported our selection for the first round of the Schools Swimming Super League. There are sixteen schools taking part in a four round qualification process for a final that will take place midway through 2024. Please do follow www.swimming superleague.com to keep up to date on our success. We have hosted Round One and shall be hosting three other schools for Round Three after Christmas.

County and regional success Congratulations to the following swimmers who gained county times: Charlie EvansSheppard, Nate Cahill, Harry Prescott, Stanley Yeats, Hattie Stone, Lucca ThurleyNewton and Amelie Hunt.

Regional qualifiers in the open age group were Harry Prescott, Nate Cahill, Matt Clark, Charlie Evans-Sheppard and Amelie Hunt Developing links Eastbourne College is working closely with Dan Wright, the Director of Swimming at Eastbourne Swimming Club, to nurture young talent that is coming through, whilst also providing his expertise with our elite swimmers. The coaching team consists of Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

Mrs Simmonds, Dan Wright and Claire Bryant. Their joint aim is to increase the participation of swimming whilst enhancing stroke technique and opportunities at the top level.

An exciting opportunity for the elite swimmers The elite swimmers were given a two hour coaching session with Ed Baxter who was the Commonwealth Youth Games Champion, British Record Holder and multiple British National Champion in the 200m Breaststroke. The main focus of the pupils’ session was stroke technique. Ed provided his expertise and the swimmers found the session valuable and a really positive experience. They were then lucky enough to have a one hour strength and conditioning session with England’s swimming S&C specialist. Our swimmers are the first school in the country to have been given this wonderful opportunity of learning with this dynamic swimming duo. We are fortunate enough to be able to offer this several times throughout the year, to

Ed Baxter, Commonwealth Games Youth Champion, centre Page 21

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SCHOOL SPORT

monitor the success of these swimmers. This will be an exciting and wonderful experience for all involved.

The boys should be very proud of their achievements in a national competition ESSA National Swimming Relay Finals A huge congratulation to the intermediate boys: Tom Stoner, Mark Mckie, Stanley Yeats and Lucca Thurley-Newton. They have qualified for the Freestyle Relay and came 21st in the country.

Congratulations also to the senior boys who qualified for the Freestyle and the Medley Relay. The Medley Relay team was: Harry Prescott, Josh Yip, Matt Clark and Charlie

Evans-Sheppard (also 21st). The Freestyle Relay team was: Harry Prescott, Jamie Foks, Nate Cahill and Matt Clark who came 11th overall, missing out by 0.1 second to qualify for the final. This was a significant improvement on their rankings and the boys should be very proud of their achievements in a national competition.

Performing at the commonwealth pool at Sandwell Aquatic Centre was also a great experience.

The swimming team’s goals for 2024 are to gain further qualification for the ESSA finals and to be on the podium at the Bath Cup. Exciting times are ahead for this talented and hard-working group of swimmers.

Intermediate boys and Senior Boys at ESSA Finals

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SCHOOL SPORT

The ones to watch: Yr9 Stanley Yeats: He has achieved county times, regional times and is currently part of the National Pathway. He swam a 26.3sec 50m F/C at the ESSA National Relays.

Yr11 Nate Cahill: He is aiming to retain his Irish 200m title and will be competing in the Irish Nationals.

Yr11 Matt Clark: He has achieved already achieved two PB’S at the open regionals in October and gained three Winter National times in 50m fly, 100m fly and 200IM. His main target is to qualify for the British Championships in the summer.

Harry Prescott at the start of the 50m Backstroke at the ESSA Finals

Yr11 Amelie Hunt: Performed very well in the regionals and aiming for national qualifying times.

Yr12 Josh Yip: swimming in the Hong Kong Nationals in December.

Exciting times are ahead for this talented and hard-working group of swimmers

Charlie Evans-Sheppard showing his well-timed take over at ESSA Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

Tom Stoner at ESSA

Stanley Yeats at ESSA

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SEASONAL FEATURE

The Stag

CHRISTMAS JUMPERS This festive garment has quickly become an essential part of the holiday. It comes in different colours, usually red, green and white, featuring Christmas motifs.

However, it wasn't until the 1950s that the wool pullover was introduced to the public due to the holiday’s growing commercialisation. It had little impact on the market amongst its many competitors at first. The shift came in the 1980s with the fashion for bold patterns, which made the jumper an uncomely but endearing expression of cheer and holiday spirit. The jumper’s road to fame wasn’t all smooth, however: it was difficult to retain popularity while it was considered something only your unfashionable older relatives would wear in the 1990s.

By Mandy Luo

The early 2000s saw new life breathed into the Christmas jumper. We all remember the scene from Bridget Jones’ Diary when Colin Firth appeared wearing an unattractive Christmas jumper, which featured a giant red-nosed reindeer. It was one of the most notable examples of a Christmas jumper on screen, followed up by television hosts wearing it with pride. This definitely triggered a change in perspective to the “ugly” aspect of the jumper. When families with young to old members wore the jumper in a harmonious way, people started to see the joyful side of it, despite some who don’t think they are the most fashionable choice.

Ever since then, the controversial Christmas Jumper became “the new holiday tradition” and “this season’s must-have”. They also made their way into fashion shows and high-end retailers, who fill their shelves with spectacular new designs each season.

Concurrently, the knits have begun to feature more tinsel, bells and finer details, bringing them closer to some more preferred aesthetics.

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SEASONAL FEATURE

UPCOMING CINEMA THIS CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR NAPOLEON Released on the 22nd of November, the next blockbuster comes from filmmaker Ridley Scott, best known for box office hits such as ‘Alien’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Blade Runner’ and many more. This film is a biopic following the infamous military commander and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by the highly talented Joaquin Phoenix. In the movie, we follow how the commander rose to power, as well as his volatile relationship with his wife Josephine, played by Vanesa Kirby.

By Layla Clusky El Jishi THE COLOUR PURPLE On the 26th of January, we will see a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s striking novel about the life-long struggles of living as an AfricanAmerican woman in America’s deep south in the 1900s. Fantasia Barring is playing our lead character Nellie, and it will be interesting to see how her performance compares to that of Whoopi Goldberg in the original 1985 adaptation of the book.

PRISCILLA Sofia Coppola’s next movie is released on the 1st of January. Sofia Coppola is known for hit movies such as ‘The Virgin Suicides’ , ‘Lost in Translation’ and ‘Marie-Antoinette’ . In this movie, we follow 14 year old Beaulieu and her meeting 24 year old up-andcoming king of rock and roll Elvis Presley and how this drastically alters the trajectory of her life. This movie is based on Priscilla’s book “Elvis and Me”.

The film is already out in the US, with reviews of 3.5/5 on Letterboxd, 7.1/10 on IMBD and 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm excited to see how this will change with the European and Australian releases.

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

WONKA Releasing on 8th December, ‘Wonka’ is directed

by Paul King, best known for his film adaptation of children's classic ‘Paddington’. In ‘Wonka’, we follow Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka as he tells the magical story of how he became the whimsical chocolatier of many of our childhoods.

This star-studded cast also includes Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Matt Lucas and many more brilliant actors.

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SEASONAL FEATURE

STARBUCKS OR COSTA? The Christmas Drink Debate

By Grace King and Ella Stevenson Christmas drink specials

Christmas food specials Costa’s Christmas food specials have always been a hit across the UK. This year, the vegetarian brie and cranberry toastie, turkey feast sandwich and white chocolate trillionaire’s slice are just some of the festive food favourites returning alongside the new pigs in blankets toastie, Christmas tree shortbread and sticky toffee loaf cake.

In its famous bakery, Starbucks are welcoming back their gingerbread loaf and their sugar plum cheese Danish amongst other delicious delicacies. They too have a ‘Pigs Under Blanket Roll’, a ‘Festive Feast Panini’ and many other holiday-themed snacks!

Starbucks have introduced two new drinks to their Christmas menu this year, including a gingerbread oat milk chai and an Oleato gingerbread oat milk latte. They have an extensive selection of festive-flavoured lattes as well as their hot chocolates, ensuring that there will be something for everyone!

Costa have brought back their well-loved gingerbread and cream lattes and black forest hot chocolates this year, as well as adding new sticky toffee and roasted hazelnut flavours to their drinks. For the non-coffee drinkers, there’s also a new After Eight hot chocolate.

Our overall winner is...

Starbucks for their appealing drinks which contribute to the festive spirit. Although Costa provide a wider choice of food, their options are largely similar to Starbucks.

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SEASONAL FEATURE

STOCKING FILLER IDEAS

By Claudia Schroder-Smith

Struggling for stocking fillers and gift ideas? Here are some you may consider, whether for others of for yourself!

Merry Christmas from The Stag.

The Basics Lip balms Warm socks Candles Stationery Books Diaries Notepads

General gift guide: What’s popular this year?

Rhode products Ugg ultra minis Apple Pencils Candle lamps Jewellery organisers Stanley flasks Portable espresso machine Sunrise alarm clock Pickle ball set Prime

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SEASONAL FEATURE

UNIVERSAL CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

By Ella Stevenson

Candles

For the kitchen...

Books

Bath and body

Something personalised

Jellycats

Gift cards

Technology

Hoodies

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HOUSE REPORT

BLACKWATER HOUSE REPORT

By Layla Cluskey El Jishi

Blackwater has had an exciting start to this half term.

We have had a lot going on in house this half term and last! We continued from our House Hockey win with our thrilling House Fives, coming a close and surprising second to Watt!

Now we are preparing for the Christmas season, with decorations appearing around our house. Our room decoration competition is underway, and everyone has been given their secret santas! We also have a house Christmas dinner before the end of term.

We are looking forward to seeing some of our own in the imminent production of Sweeney Todd.

We had a wonderful steeplechase with Maisie Gregory coming 3rd in year 9, Rosie Hill 2nd, Emma valks 3rd in inter and our own Mrs Price coming 2nd!!

We had House Drama on November 23rd.

The Year 9s gave a wonderful performance from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, coached by Year 12 pupils Amelia Williams, Anya Rai and me! (Hopefully results should be out by the time you’re reading this!)

The amazing Rosie Dale and Mary KeastButler performed beautifully at the singer songwriter ‘Live Lounge’ concert, with songs completely written by them. These songs will be released on Spotify in the next coming months!

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

Blackwater have had a wonderful start to the year, with many exciting things to come!

Last half term, our Year 10s ,11s and Year 12 NCOs Emily Veitch and Martha Lillicrap took part in the College’s Remembrance Parade, and Mary Keast-Butler played trumpet in the Remembrance Band.

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HOUSE REPORT

CRAIG HOUSE REPORT

By Dan Clark

Craig did strongly in the steeplechase in the back end of last half term, coming second place in each category and second overall.

Special mention goes to Jasper Simpson who won the Year 12 race and Jack Jordan who won the Year 9 race. In this half of term, the seniors won House Fives, and House Table Tennis and Pool got underway against Powell. Craig also participated in House Rowing this half of term. Kyle Twayso once again participated in basketball fixtures, and was vice captain in a recent 60-51 win over Ardingly. Kyle was also vice captain in an earlier 64-56 win over Brighton College.

In other news, we congratulate Tommy Llewellyn who has been selected into Harlequins Academy, and Nate Cahill who came top 15 in the swimming nationals. First team rugby has been going well, with the team vice captained by Alex Bailey and in total 5 Cronkites have played for first team rugby this term.

The anticipation for the Year 9 House Drama is high after successes in the past few years.

Craig also had their house dinner this term, with the theme being to dress up as something beginning with a letter from Craig, from Year 9s taking C to Year 13s taking G. Although house singing last term went well, it wasn’t quite enough to cinch the top three places. Ben Clark lead the RAF CCF group on Remembrance Sunday, and he and Herbie Sleep also participated in the relaunch of the live lounge. Ben Clark was also recently promoted to Flight Sergeant in the RAF. Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

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HOUSE REPORT

GONVILLE HOUSE REPORT

By Rohan van de Ven

Michaelmas Term is in full swing for the Gonvillians.

Throughout the duration of this term they have been very busy, with everyone involved in rehearsals for the house revue in the first week of half term. Everyone’s hard work paid off immensely!

The Gonvillians have seen much success across the board, with Lucas Gorrill winning the Intermediate Steeplechase and Rufus McCourt coming an honourable third. The boys also finished third in the house singing competition which was a major feat. Archie Stephens and Ollie Bearcroft put in a brilliant performance in the recent House Fives Competition, coming second with a satisfying win over Wargrave.

We wish resident virtuoso Gachecheh Kenyua all the best in his rehearsing for Sweeney Todd, a production we are all looking forward to! .

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HOUSE REPORT

The Stag

NUGENT HOUSE REPORT

By Suki Sheraton

Inter-house sports The girls in Nugent have brought lots of house spirit and brilliant performances to the interhouse sport competitions we’ve had so far this half term, including inter-house rowing and fives. Izzie and Alice played fives for the house, bringing home an impressive third place. Well done to all the Nugent girls who have represented the house in inter-house sport this half term!

Nugent House has had a positive and exciting start to the half term, despite the less than stellar weather. Following on from our victory in the House Singing Competition with ABBA‘s ‘Super Trouper‘ at the end of last half term, this half term has been very promising for Nugent. Highlights for the house so far include great sporting achievements and participation, incredible performing arts as well as many more celebratory moments. As well as all of this, Nugent had a house dinner with Wargrave House this half term, providing everyone with the perfect opportunity to dress up and have fun!

Performing Arts in Nugent Nugent girls Selena, Winsome and Alice all performed beautifully at the College’s Live Lounge night this half term. There was an array of wonderful talent including singing, piano playing and even original songs written by students were performed at the event, and all performances were of an extremely impressive calibre.

Also, the Year 9s in house are working hard on their drama performance of scenes from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, with the help of our very generous Year 12 drama scholars.

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HOUSE REPORT

The Stag

PENNELL HOUSE REPORT

By Fergus Lawson Johnston Inter-house sports On November 9th, four members from each year took part in the House Rowing Competition in the school gym, with all Pennellian participants trying hard and finishing their 2000 meters with red faces and tired legs. A special mention to Mr Smit for stepping up and filling in on the rowing machine for an injured Pennellian, finishing the race for him in a complete suit and tie.

Pennellian Acheivement Pavel Panfilov in Year 9 has been the first Pennellian to reach the reward escalation for this term and Sam Huang in Year 13 won the Senior Maths Challenge as well as qualifying for the British Maths Olympiad.

William Wood in Year 9 and Harry Evans in Year 10 have both been chosen for the Sweeney Todd cast and are excited to be a part of the school play for the first time.

In the house, our matron has made a large display of all the country flags from within the Pennell community in a shape of a world map in our common room, giving students a chance to display and show off their nationalities.

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

On the 18th of November, the swim team (including two Pennelians) went to Birmingham for the Nationals Swimming Competition. The Senior Boys Relay unfortunately lost by 0.03 seconds, preventing them from going to the finals.

Congratulations to the team for coming 11th out of around 250 schools competing, which is an amazing achievement in itself.

We wish them the best for future competitions!

With the deadline for Year 9 drama closing in on the 24th of November, the Year 9s are making great progress and the show is taking shape with the addition of props and more complex stage lighting. We wish them well on the night of performance.

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HOUSE REPORT

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POWELL HOUSE REPORT

By Esteban Boruel-Lopez The second half of the Michaelmas Term has proved to be a very busy one for the Powellians, especially in and around sport.

Michael Abourous, Laurence Callow and Sam Hamilton have continued their impressive cup run representing 1XI rugby, with the rest of the house representing their respective teams, grabbing continuous wins all around.

Furthermore, the fantastic effort during the Inter-House Singing Competition must be mentioned with, our rendition of ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World,’ which we will sing one more time in our upcoming house concert on Saturday 2nd December.

In the swimming pool, Lucca ThurleyNewton, Stanley Yeats, Matt Clark and Charlie Evans-Shephard competed in the 65th ESSA Schools Team Championships on the 18th of November in Birmingham with some excellent performances, yet sadly missed out on finals placement by only 0.03 seconds.

Finally, over the half term break, Alex Davies, Oliver Edmead, Sam Hamilton, Frederik Jensen and Oliver May successfully completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the sunny Brecon Beacons, hiking up the 866-metre-high ridge of Pen y Fan over four consecutive days.

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HOUSE REPORT

The Stag

REEVES HOUSE REPORT As Christmas rapidly approaches, the entire Reeves community has banded together to embrace the festive spirit. The decoration of the house in its entirety has well and truly commenced, even despite the first lights going up in November (which some may argue is a little bit too early!) Alongside this, the Reevians have continued to show great endeavour and have reaped rewards for it, a deserved product of the tireless daily work put in by all.

A noteworthy highlight since the last issue was the house singing competition, in which Reeves managed a second place finish, winning the boys’ house category and overall falling just short of the eventual winners, Nugent. The house’s rendition of Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’ was clearly a hit among the judges and also gained huge approval from Mr Jordan along the way.

By Reuben Mace

The fortnight after half term was devoted to house concert preparations. During this time, all the Reeves boys worked hard towards preparing for the event, even if at times it may not have been plain sailing and Mr McVeigh was pulling his hair out.

However, in true Reeves style, everyone put in the hours at the very end and pulled off an amazing performance, with the total money raised amounting to an astounding £570! All money raised from the concert will be donated to our chosen charity, Brain Tumour Research Campaign, a wonderful cause that is close to our hearts and that supports an underfunded field of medicine.

Reeves also bagged another title recently, with the trio of Charlie Jenden, Barney Bathard-Smith and Will Travers winning the inaugural house E-Sports competition. A sterling effort in the final against Powell resulted in some early silverware for the house, hopefully a sign of things yet to come.

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SCHOOL HOUSE REPORT

By Tiggy Tutt It’s been great having all the girls back in School House for the second half of term, and I know I am definitely getting into the Christmas spirit as the weeks fly by!

Although I’m sure people have made an effort to put this out of their minds, we cannot forget two very important events that took place at the end of last term.

These were of course Steeplechase and House Singing!

In terms of Steeplechase, the School House girls made a great effort. We came 2nd overall, and 2nd in the seniors, with Ella Panayiotou achieving a fantastic 3rd place!

Of course, it was not all about the results, and as a house we are known for our great sportsmanship: we did not let ourselves down here.

The House Singing, however, wasn’t quite as successful in terms of the result!

However, everyone put so much time and effort into it and we were all very proud of how we did.

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

One thing which has certainly been at the forefront of my mind is the Year 9 drama, as we have been spending lots of time rehearsing and trying to motivate the Year 9s to embody their characters, or at least learn their lines! However, I do have to give them credit as the scene has really come to life due to their efforts.

Also, on the sportier side, House Fives took place for the senior girls, in which we had three people who had never played before playing against some very experienced fives players. Although these were tough matches, we managed to win some and it was a great effort from School House!

For some in-house news, our “Harry Potter Room”, which is used for prep and revision, has just been redone and it looks incredible!

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HOUSE REPORT

WARGRAVE HOUSE REPORT

By Sam Watson

As we head towards Christmas, Wargrave House is already buzzing with energy and excitement. Returning from a well-deserved half-term break, the pupils of Wargrave have hit the ground running so to speak and have kicked off the term with some huge successes.

Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is an important act of remembrance and respect which the College joins the entire nation in taking part in commemorating those who have given their lives in the name of defending their country and supporting peace. Wargrave is no different when it comes to the dedication put into Remembrance Day. The members of the CCF from Wargrave conducted themselves with honour and pride during the Remembrance Day parade on College Field, and one member attended the CCF march into town.

Wargrave House thanks both the catering staff and all organisers involved for their work in making possible the amazing dinner which everyone enjoyed.

Pool competition and Inter-House Pool Finally, in sports Wargrave House has started its annual in-house pool competition, with students fiercely competing for either the plate or cup award.

The pool competition is a long-standing tradition in Wargrave and will hopefully remain so for many years to come; not only this but Wargrave is also competing in the Inter-House Pool Competition. We’re both hosting matches and sending away teams to compete for the top spot. I’m sure everyone in Wargrave House wishes the best of luck to our players.

Wargrave-Nugent dinner In other news, Wargrave and Nugent shared a fancy-dress house dinner on the 18th of November, with the theme being iconic duos extending to groups of four. We had several brilliant costume ideas from Wargrave, ranging from the Power Rangers to Borat and Ali G. The house dinner itself was a fun and enjoyable occasion, with one of our Year 9s winning the coin toss competition and two of our Year 13s winning the best-dressed competition with their almost eerie resemblance to Mr Spiers and Mr Roberts.

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

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HOUSE REPORT

WATT HOUSE REPORT

By Emma Birch The Year 9s have been busy getting ready for Year 9 House Drama…

With the deadline approaching for the performance of scenes from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, rehearsals took place for Year 9 House Drama with our wonderful Year 12s and 13s helping along the way.

The rehearsals, although tough, were full of smiles and fun, especially with costumes and props being brought in...

A trip to Pomodoro e Mozzarella, and even more pizza!

Ms Murphy’s tutor group has been lucky enough to go to Pomodoro e Mozzarella for a lovely dinner after chapel on a Friday evening. The delicious Italian food was a great way to finish the week!

The Year 10s also had a pizza night in house getting to know Watt’s new deputy housemistress, Ms Wilman.

In the days leading up to this half of term, the girls have been baking for charity.

The house has done a few charitable events this year, with this half-term starting with our annual bake sale.

At the beginning of this year, the house chose charities to support this year, and this time the profits from the bake sale have gone to Sanctuary Café, which provides a warm and welcoming community for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

The girls provided an array of sweet treats, including brownies, cupcakes, cakes and cookies.

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

Academic Achievements Izzy D‘Abbraccio in Year 9 and Humreen Ellens in Year 11 recently took part in a prestigious secondary school chemistry competition. The girls did amazingly, coming second out of eleven schools! Well done to them both.

Inter-House Sporting Competitions After winning the Inter-House Steeplechase, Watt has been able to win even more sporting competitions with the Senior Inter-House Fives, with Sophie Fellows and Daisy Dunkley securing us a win with a difference of 30 points!

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INTERACTIVE

DID YOU KNOW? Did you know the Soviets banished Santa Claus?

In different parts of the world, Santa Claus has various forms, and Russia's ‘Ded Moroz’, for which the literal translation is ‘Grandfather Frost’, is distinctly different to the Western Santa Claus. Ded Moroz wears a heel-length fur coat, in red or blue, a semiround fur hat, and ‘valenki’ (Russian felt boots) on his feet. He is often depicted bringing presents to well-behaved children, delivering them secretly under the New Year Tree during the night on New Year’s Eve. He is assisted by his granddaughter Snegurochka and rides a sleigh pulled by three horses, which is called a troika. What sets Ded Moroz apart is his history, as he survived a turbulent 20th century in Russia.

By Polina Lipanova

The trouble for Ded Moroz and Snegurochka began with the Soviet Union's formation in 1922, which led to the banning of religion and religious holidays by a decree of the Stalinist regime in 1929. Christmas celebrations were erased, and festive traditions were forbidden.

However, in 1935, Ded Moroz was brought back as a symbol of stability and prosperity through associating him with New Year's celebrations. Ded Moroz was used as a tool for communist propaganda, portraying him as a symbol of the Soviet system's superiority.

As communism waned in Europe in 1989, Ded Moroz fell out of favor in some satellite states. However, in the 1990s, Ded Moroz adapted to Western cultural influence and became a popular figure in Russia, even partnering with commercial brands.

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INTERACTIVE

GINGERBREAD MEN Ingredients: 350g of plain flour 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp of ground ginger 1 tsp of ground cinnamon 125g of butter 175g of light soft brown sugar 1 egg 4 tbsp of golden syrup

To Decorate: Writing icing Cake decorations

By Sophie Stevens Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.

For decorations, use a skewer to make a small hole in the top of each biscuit.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

When cooled, decorate with the writing icing and cake decorations.

Method: Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour it into the bowl of a food processor.

Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add it to the food processor and pulse it until the mixture clumps together.

Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm or re-usable paper and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes Preheat the oven to 180C and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper Roll the dough out to a 0.5 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

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INTERACTIVE

HOT CHOCOLATE Ever wanted to spice up your hot chocolate but just not sure how?

Here are twelve ways you can to take your hot chocolate to the next level.

Add a touch of Nutella to your hot chocolate as it heats to give it a more nutty flavour Stir in a bit of leftover canned pumpkin into your mug along with pumpkin pie spice if you are still in the autumn spirit

By Sophie Stevens Whisk in Biscoff creamy cookie spread until smooth and pour into mugs. Top with sweetened whipped cream and a Biscoff cookie Try maple hot chocolate alongside your favourite Saturday morning pancakes and syrup Add more flavour by stirring in a teaspoon or two of baking cocoa or even a little chocolate syrup to give it a richer chocolatey taste

Try vanilla or almond extract for a taste that’s out-of-this-world good!

Add some of your favourite spices. A sprinkle of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg or even cayenne can all be welcome warming additions to a hot chocolate Steep a bag of chai tea in your hot chocolate for added spice and flavour Add a pinch of chilli powder, cayenne and orange zest to your favourite packaged hot chocolate Turn your hot chocolate into a mocha-like drink by adding coffee or espresso Stir in a spoonful of caramel, butterscotch or dulce de leche Stir in crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, mint chocolate chips, or a drop of mint peppermint extract for a refreshing kick Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

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INTERACTIVE

The Stag

CHRISTMAS ANAGRAMS

By Sophie Stevens 1 GEIELLBLSNJ 2. TNIVATYI 3. EEHASITCMRSTR 4. HPOURDL 5. ETSLNI 6. TKICONGS 7. GLSEIH 8. MIEMYSHRRRSTA 9. COLSAR 10. RPESETNS 11. ERTAWH 12. EIESTMLOT

14. RARCKSCE 15. OSMNNAW 16. AANSCTLUSA 17. OJLYL 18. HMEERWINTSEE 19. LGEAN 20. NKOFWLSEA Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

1.

Jingle Bells 2.

Nativity 3. Christmas Tree 4.

Rudolph 5.

Tinsel 6.

Stocking 7.

Sleigh 8. Merry Christmas 9.

Carols 10.

Presents 11.

Wreath 12.

Mistletoe 13.

Reindeer 14.

Crackers 15.

Snowman 16. Santa Claus 17.

Jolly 18. Three Wise Men 19.

Angel 20.

Snowflake

13. DEIENERR

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The Stag

HOROSCOPES

By Grace King

Pisces

Aquarius (Jan 20th - Feb 18th) Expect good news soon and say yes to new opportunities.

Aries

(Feb 19th- March20th) (March 21st-April 19th) Step outside your Work hard and believe comfort zone and in yourself! explore new interests.

Cancer

Gemini

Leo

(June 21st - July 22nd) (May 21st - June 20th) (July 23rd - Aug 22nd) Put yourself first and Change your mindset and Don’t push away those brace yourself for a make a wish. Take a bold close to you and set new second chance. move. goals.

Libra (Sep 23rd - Oct 22nd) Introduce a new habit into your routine and look out for good luck.

Scorpio (Oct 23rd - Nov 21st) Expect change and be ready to treat yourself over the coming month.

Michaelmas Term 2 Edition | 2023

Sagittarius

Taurus (April 20th-May 20th) Accept help when you need it and value your relationships.

Virgo (Aug 23rd-Sep 22nd) Move on from your selfdoubt and overthinking and focus on the present.

Capricorn

(Nov 22nd - Dec 21st) (Dec 22nd-Jan 19th Make time to relax and Trust that you are on the spend time with your right track and work favourite people. towards your goal.

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