The Stag, Michaelmas Term 1, 2022

CONTENTS

FEATURES

The Queen and the power of the monarchy 2

POLITICS

A Week in Westminster 4

Liz Truss Fact File 5

Protests in Iran 6

CULTURE

The Politics in your ‘Breakfast’ 7

‘The Penelopiad’ book review 8

Venice Film Festival 9

SPORT

Rugby Update 10

SCHOOL LIFE

Year 12 Dinner 11

Sixth Form Must Haves 12

Boarding Essentials 13

Teacher’s Pet 14

HOUSE REPORTS

Blackwater 15 Craig 16 Gonville 17

Nugent 18

Pennell 19

Powell 20

Reeves 20 School 21 Wargrave 22 Watt 23

INTERACTIVE

Which teacher’s dog are you? 25

Horoscopes 26

Welcome to Issue 13 of The Stag magazine!

On behalf of all our writers, we are very excited to begin the school year with what we hope is a fun issue. We have changed the format a little, so do feel free to send any feedback to: thestag@eastbourne-college.co.uk

This issue was collated, for the first time in Stag history, by the two new pupil editors: Polly Symes and Lily Curtis.

Happy reading!

*If you would like to get involved in our next issue, do not hesitate to contact us*

Limits on the power of monarchy are much older than that, dating back to the Magna Carta of 1215 A constitutional monarchy means that while the sovereign is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with a democratically elected Parliament In light of this, many people would argue that there is little point in a royal family as they essentially have no power over legislation One of the main arguments is that the taxpayer is spending an unnecessary amount of money on events such as royal weddings, coronations and other state affairs There is also the question of the iniquity of a family having the wealth and power of the Windsors without actually having been elected into such a role, but from simply being born into it

By Lily Curtis

THE QUEEN AND THE POWER OF THE MONARCHY

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has both strengthened a sense of pride in our monarchy as a key part of British culture, as well as reigniting the age old question of why the monarchy matters in a modern society

Before 1688, the Monarchy played a much more crucial role in governing Britain and passing laws themselves. However, after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the monarchy became constitutional which meant that Kings and Queens have been restricted over the years by certain laws.

In my personal opinion, I see the monarchy as vital to Britain and the country's culture. While the sovereign no longer has an active political or executive role, they are still extremely important as the figurehead of our country The representational duties that the Queen and the royal family have undertaken over the past years have been a crucial part of foreign and domestic policy, and while the monarch may not have the power they once had, they still act as a focus for national identity, unity and pride

The Queen, over her seventy years on the throne, played a fundamental role of providing stability and continuity, and for many, if not the majority of people across the globe, she has been a constant and consistent figure.

In His Majesty's address to the nation and the Commonwealth, King Charles stated:

"Queen Elizabeth's was a life well lived, a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today."

While not actually being born to be Queen, as her uncle abdicated thus making her father King, Elizabeth II stepped into the role of monarch with grace and dexterity While taking on the huge responsibility of being sovereign aged just 25, she was also mourning the death of her dear father at the same time.

During her seventy year reign, the Queen had become patron to many charities and organisations: over 500! Her Majesty did not just lend her name to these organisations but spent most of her working life supporting her patronages both in the UK and overseas

Even throughout lockdown, she kept up with her many charities via video link which shows the incredible dedication which she kept up through her life It can be said for certain that Elizabeth II was an extremely hard worker; while most people in Britain retire at the age of 63, the Queen was working until even just the day before her death when she met the current Prime Minister, Liz Truss for the first time at Balmoral Castle

There is no doubt that Elizabeth II has left the throne in safe hands with her beloved son King Charles II who is a keen environmentalist and has worked tirelessly during his royal life to bring awareness to the problem of climate change. His advocacy for such things illustrates his acknowledgement for the need for the monarchy to evolve and modernise as the country does too While many might question the importance of a royal family with no real power, I believe that the significance of the monarchy and its traditions lie within its ability to connect Britain with our history The monarchy and the royal family itself is a visual representation of Britain's past and gives us a recognisable link to figures in the past such as William the Conqueror, Richard the Lion heart, Henry II and William III and Mary II While you may not agree with the concept of monarchy, there is no doubt that the royal family act as custodians to our history.

A WEEK IN WESTMINSTER

After being offered work experience when I interviewed Huw for The Stag late last year, I couldn’t wait for the chance to grab this opportunity and really explore what it means to be an MP and what it would be like to work for one. Despite expecting an ordinary week, this particular week included what became one of the most exciting and electric 48 hours in political history

The beginning of the week started fairly normally In the constituency office on Monday, I was introduced to the team and took some interesting tasks on to settle into the role including data organising and analysis as well as constructing a research brief for one of Huw’s meetings On Tuesday, I met the rest of the team in the Westminster office and they led me through drafting response emails and creating more briefs I found this really interesting and educational, especially being able to access research materials that I had never seen before

It was on Tuesday evening, on the train home, that everything started to go crazy! Westminster was ignited on Wednesday with shock spreading and rumours swirling as a flood of resignations rocked London’s political heart I then had the amazing opportunity to sit in the Liaison Committee meeting and watch Huw, along with the other Chairs of the Select Committees, interrogate the (then) Prime Minister The atmosphere was buzzing as everyone in the room clung onto every word (or indistinct mumble) that Johnson had to say It’s an experience I will never forget and my highlight of the week.

Despite being back in the constituency office on Thursday, the environment was just as energised as we watched the PM finally resign

By Lily O'Brien

and with one eye on the news at all times, normality returned to the office I got to learn about what a caseworker does as one of the team explained the intricacies of dealing with different issues brought to the office by the public I found this particularly informative and enlightening in terms of understanding how crucial this job is and how diverse working in this environment can be

Overall, this week was one of the most chaotic of my life, in the best way possible! It was an overwhelming but amazing experience, one that I will never forget I’m incredibly grateful to the team for including me in every way and giving me a true insight into what a political career could look like. It has definitely affirmed my love of politics and desire to work in this world in the future

WHO IS LIZ TRUSS?

After a two month contest, Conservative Party members have chosen Liz Truss as their new leader beating Rishi Sunak by 21,000 votes As leader of the party, she automatically became Prime Minister Truss has become the Conservatives’ fourth leader and Prime Minister in just over six years She is the third female Prime Minister and became Queen Elizabeth’s fifteenth Prime Minsiter

Truss was first elected into Parliament in 2010 and quickly joined Cameron’s cabinet four years later. As a new Prime Minister she faces a number of daunting challenges: inflation and the cost of living, and overseas challenges such as dealing with Putin's war on Ukraine and UK tensions with the European Union.

Kiri Marshall

Truss is seen as a libertarian and loves low taxes and small states. During the campaign process, Truss promised to slash taxes and scrap outdated EU laws still on the British statute book She also hopes to tackle “woke”culture in the UK civil service.

Truss has been criticised for her social skills and public speaking. This became particularly pertinent during the election process when Truss took part in debates. She has been referred to as a Margaret Thatcher clone which she denies, even when taking part in the tank photo!

PROTESTS IN IRAN

The suspicious death of a 22 year old woman, Mahsa Amini, has triggered a series of protests in Iran, resulting in the deaths of at least seventy six protesters, including four children Mahsa Amini was pronounced dead on September 16th while being detained in Tehran after being arrested for wearing her headscarf in an ‘improper’ manner and is said to have died as a result of suspected brain damage from her time in police custody.

In addition to the shockingly large number of deaths during these protests, hundreds of people have also been arrested, including twenty journalists. Women have been playing a leading role in these protests publicly setting fire to their headscarves and cutting their hair, while crowds call for the fall of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The news of the death of Mahsa Amini has deeply wounded and resonated with women throughout Iran, including the inmates of the women ’ s political ward in Evin Prison After this devastating news, Forty inmates gathered in the communal yard as a token of their support for, not only Mahsa Amini and her family, but also for all women in Iran fighting for their rights

By Dory Lee Potter

They lit candles, chanting together and mourning the death of yet another innocent woman. Iranian women have been fighting for their right for the past forty three years, suffering systemic harassment from the Islamic Republic of Iran on their right to choose what they wear.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, women ’ s rights have been limited and several laws were established In the first years of the revolution, women lost their rights to divorce, the custody of their children or to travel without their husband’s permission The government also introduced mandatory veiling and a public dress code for women regardless of their ideology Moreover, in 2016, only 6% of Iranian parliament members were women, the global average standing at around 23% The reasoning behind enforcing hijabs is to tackle ‘unsuitable’ dress and defying this rule is considered a criminal act and results in arrest and imprisonment. A 21 year old woman, Saba, was sentenced to twenty four years for encouraging women to lift their scarves and was put in prison alongside her mother Although this has been occurring for decades, the advance of social media and public surveillance has enabled the mistreatment to be recognised at a larger scale As a result of this, Iran shut down the internet in parts of the main cities and all forms of communications, including WhatsApp and Instagram, have been blocked to prevent the spread of information and video footage Iranian women have never stopped fighting for their rights, showing their utter determination and courage

Mahsa Amini has become a symbol of unity for others and is further encouraging Iranian women to push back against these restrictions

THE POLITICS IN YOUR ‘BREAKFAST’

By Polly Symes

Importantly, the video for ‘Breakfast’ also came out a month after the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade, a decision which now gives states the power to limit or ban access to abortion. Half of the fifty states are expected to do this, and many have already Her video is a response to this, and a plead with viewers to take action

Before the summer of 2022, I only had a vague awareness of Dove Cameron I knew she’d been on Disney Channel and had released the Queer anthem and social media sensation ‘Boyfriend’, but very little else

That all changed in June when she released ‘Breakfast’: a song that transcended pop norms through lyrics such as:

The video plays out in a world with reversed gender roles, a world in which a power suited Cameron struts to work whilst her terrified stay at home husband frantically prepares her breakfast. Male secretaries timidly type on keyboards whilst women in managerial positions lounge around on sofas or sprawl themselves in front of their desks It’s a shock to the system in parts, retro and camp in others.

Most powerful, perhaps, is the video’s last shot Four charitable organisations supporting women ’ s rights flash on the screen, and we as the viewer are starkly reminded of the realities behind the seemingly playful scenes

In an interview with Vogue, Cameron stated that ‘Breakfast’ was written “at a time when I was feeling incredibly disempowered as a young woman ” , and this sentiment feels electric in the accompanying music video released two months later

In an age in which so many celebrities are attracting media attention for the most vacuous of reasons, with her video to ‘Breakfast’ it is undeniable that Dove Cameron has firmly made her mark in the music scene.

“I eat boys like you for breakfast, one by one hung on my necklace”

THE PENELOPIAD

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet, and literary critic. She has published eighteen novels, eleven non fiction works, eight children’s books, two graphic novels and eighteen books of poetry Though born in the late 1930s, Atwood’s writing has a constant relevance and timelessness, making her works so enrapturing She has won many awards but most notably she has been awarded two Booker prizes She is an incredibly versatile author writing in genres spanning from historical to dystopic to ‘cli fi’ (climate fiction)While Atwood may be best known for her 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale, her more recent novel, The Penelopiad (2005), is just as remarkable and has a greater appeal to those less fond of the dystopian genre. The Penelopiad is a retelling of The Odyssey by Odysseus’ wife Penelope

However, it is not your average ‘Greek myth remix’. Penelope speaks in the first person to the audience from the underworld She recounts her tale in a reminiscent and whimsical tone, intimately clueing the reader in on what really ‘went down’. Atwood’s typical style of crisp and precise descriptions with liberal use of italics, punctuation inconsistencies and asides is present throughout The Penelopiad making it an extremely interesting read, both in content and style Penelope is followed around by a group of maids referred to as the “chorus line” who act just like a Greek chorus, making up songs and rhymes to goad Penelope or enforce her point. Though unorthodox, they add a chaotic and entertaining aspect to the story which enhances the plot In The Penelopiad, Penelope rejects the demure nature she has come to be known by and sheds the role of devoted wife to become the ultimate critic and self redeemer of her own story

By Maisie Spencer

We also see her rivalry with Helen throughout the novel, giving us a fun window into the lives of other dead legendary personas. I don’t really like calling The Penelopiad a ‘feminist retelling’ since that label is thrown around so often Any novel that has a female main character where it once was male is given that title which I think undervalues the term. That being said, it does give a keen view into what life was like for women at the time and though it is more poetic than factual in style the new interpretation is refreshing If you enjoyed The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy or any book by Madeline Miller, you would certainly appreciate The Penelopiad

Those who are not big fans of semi avant garde writing may want to give this a miss as it can be slightly overwhelming to those unused to Atwood’s style I would advise for The Penelopiad to be approached like a poem rather than a novel when reading it, as looking for too much plot muddies the experience. The book itself is just over 200 pages, so it is perfect for a quick afternoon read

Overall, I loved it I thought it was a witty and stimulating retelling without falling into any clichés. I give The Penelopiad 7.5/10.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

By Scarlett Fraser

Howling Fans, Anticipated Arrivals and an Artistic Return to “Normal”: Inside the 2022 Venice Film Festival

As screaming hooligans awaited the arrivals of the near and far celebrities on an early Monday afternoon, the festivities were back and better than ever With lavish and overstated designer outfits, the leading starlets made an animated crowd raucous!

As the new stylish psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling” starring Harry Styles, Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde graced the carpet, many could not help but identify the flaws within this infamous cast As a sea of tweens spread the unintentional ‘drama’ surrounding the actors online, some may have focused too heavily on the relationships rather than the substance of the film The film is about a 1950s housewife (Pugh) living with her husband (Styles) in a utopian experimental state She begins to worry that his glamorous company could be disclosing uncomfortable secrets Directed by Wilde following her critical success of her directorial debut of ‘Booksmart’ in 2019, she seems to be head smart in her casting intentions initially with famous actors such as Pugh, Styles and Shia LaBeouf However, she may have overdone herself; with endless amounts of controversy regarding circumstances between Wilde and Pugh, this film has been surrounded with many ongoing issues online that have had a deleterious effect on the movie’s departure to our screens at home

As Elvis Presley has been brought back to life, the genre of biopics has been the talk of the town Marilyn Monroe is back to being the centre of attention as the new drama ‘Blonde’ presents the darker side of the life of one of the most famous movie stars of all time Portrayed by Ana De Armas, we get to see Monroe’s mountain of success in Hollywood, becoming the heartthrob of her generation. During the movie, director Andrew Dominik explores the relationships in her life mixed with the dangerous substance of extreme stardom The release date was 28th September, now on Netflix! e

Friday night for the premier of the love story ‘Bones and All’ that’s correct (a squeamish film!) As Chalamet impressively pulled off a scarlet Haider Ackermann halter top matched with skinny jeans, hordes of teenagers filled the barricades

The 79th festival’s atmosphere was better than ever The magnified electric atmosphere ensured that Venice came to a standstill as the prominent stars arrived dolled up to their upmost. With champagne bottles galore and a mixture of blaring happy music, it was a night filled with gasped excitement and nerves

As the crowds had overtaken the streets, the beaches and more, phone cameras were high in the sky as many awaited the stars The waves of shrieks described the success that Venice gains every year: a reputation of brilliance

RUGBY UPDATES

The 1XV have enjoyed a fair margin of success in the first stint of the long rugby season ahead, with one loss in the four games having been played

The loss came against a physical Sutton Valence side who clearly had greater endurance in comparison to our side which showed as the first half ended with a very competitive 7 7 draw and the match ended 31 7 to Sutton Valence

However, the boys had enjoyed great success in the early rounds of The National NatWest Vase Competition The first round was played against an unorganised Worthing College side to say the least on which Eastbourne capitalised, enabled by a hattrick of tries from Wilf Batham Read. The match ended early due to an emphatic 53 0 whitewash by our team which is the best possible start to hopefully another lengthy cup run.

The 1XV’s confidence was running high before this game after a contestable game of rugby was played against a fairly well drilled Cardinal Newman team in the preceding week The game ended with Eastbourne coming out as 19 10 victors.

Lastly, in the few games played so far the boys played in the 2nd round of the cup versus Churcher’s College

By Aditya Kumar

A huge congratulations goes to Oliver Wigman and Wilf Batham Read for being appointed as co captains for the 2022 23 season

YEAR 12 DINNER

Everyone arrived at 7pm in the dining room, which had been transformed into a black, gold and white formal setting All the tables were decorated with black, gold and white balloons and there was a lit up photo wall! Everyone had a name place and half way through, the teachers switched tables so we all got a chance to talk with new people. We were served a three course meal before the entertainment began Throughout the dinner, there were several activities to complete, such as Dingbats, Guess the Logo and a quiz by Mr Kyle.

By Sophie Stevens

Once we had all finished our meal, Blackwater was put in charge of the music and there was a game of poker going on in the corner We all danced and chatted to each other while the music was playing and lots of pictures were taken. It was definitely a night to remember and I’m sure everyone is looking forward to the house dinners coming up!

SIXTH FORM MUST HAVES

by Megan Moffat

3. Planner

A Simple Guide to Sixth Form!

1. Suit and your uniform

Your suit has to be matching and of black, navy or dark grey colour Pinstripe pattern is allowed too. M&S, Next and SchoolBlazer offer these

I would recommend getting a planner or a diary to keep track of all your prep This could even be a to do list. This will ensure you never forget to turn in your assignments!

4. Folders

This is definitely a given, but make sure you get enough folders to store all your work

2 Jumpers

Jumpers can be plain coloured without any pattern Cable knit stitching is not allowed. Jumpers must also be v necked! The green jumper below, for example, is not allowed

5 Water bottle

Staying hydrated is super important and is sometimes forgotten at school It can actually make you less tired! Get a nice bottle that encourages you to drink water.

BOARDING ESSENTIALS

A list of recommended items!

Of course, these aren’t ‘essential’ to boarding, but these are some ideas if you need any!

1. Storage bins

This is simple: you always need more space Whether this is for your clothes or just for organisation, they help you locate your belongings with ease.

by Megan Moffat

4. Clothing Sharpie

This is probably one of the best things I’ve ever purchased This is a sharpie that can easily write on clothes and doesn’t fade in the wash so your clothes will always be clearly labelled with your name. It helps when you find random clothes that haven’t been named Go get yourself one!

5. Self adhesive command hooks

2. Slippers

Come on. Who doesn’t love some good slippers? Guaranteed you will need these for the winter time!

Also extremely useful, they act as another place to hang your blazer or coat.

3. Mattress topper

This one is definitely not an essential but if you find that your bed isn’t that comfy, a mattress topper makes this loads better!

6. Personal items

Anything that can make the space your own Some posters, pictures or even fairy lights are some good options.

TEACHER'S PET

Meet Poppy

An interview with Mrs Whiddett-Adams about her dog, Poppy

How old is Poppy?

She is seven years old

What breed is she? She is an English springer spaniel

Does she have a favourite toy? A tennis ball

Funniest moment?

When she was a puppy, she ran into a massive pile of horse manure which took at least four baths to get rid of the smell

Does she like chasing toys? Yes, she loves chasing stuff

Favourite place to walk? The beach as she loves swimming

Does she have a favourite food? Sausages. She even once stole Miss Gordon’s sausages from her barbeque

Mrs Whiddett Adams' fun fact about dogs

Most dogs don’t see much colour

Why did you choose Poppy?

I loved having springer spaniels whilst I was growing up

Favourite dog breed? Any kind of spaniels

By Lottie Thorley

Does Poppy have a favourite treat?

No, she’s a healthy dog but the School House girls treats her

What length of dog walk does she like? She likes short walks and is like a sprinter

Is she well trained?

Yes she’s a talented dog and can do lots of tricks

What was she like as a puppy ? Bonkers as she had loads of energy

Temperament?

She is very loving and loves people

How does she get on with girls in house? She adores them

BLACKWATER REPORT

Blackwater House begins yet another year with a positive start! At first, maybe some were a little worn out from the long and luxurious summer holidays, but I can safely now say that the storm has calmed, and the Blackwater girls have settled in perfectly.

As for the new pupils, they seemed to have overcome that colossal feeling of being new; that fear has left their mind and they have all been able to overcome the challenges of being placed in a new environment with the help of the girls in house

Starting a school can be frightening for anyone and looking back at my own Year Nine experience, I looked at the campus and suddenly became speechless I remember praying that I would not get lost! That is why it has been so brilliant that the girls in house have been able to lift the newbies and make them feel as at home as possible, which is easily achievable in Blackwater.

The girls have made the newbies feel as at home as possible

The Year 12’s enjoyed a lively and enjoyable dinner with the rest of their year group. This was the perfect opportunity for many to get to know new students with the luxury of a three course meal with many enjoyable activities kindly

By Scarlett Fraser

presented by Mr Kyle I can only imagine many of the Blackwater girls enjoying the music in particular and I have only heard good reviews from what a very successful night was.

Mrs Price has been a true leader and as a house we hope we have made her feel so super welcome

One big change within the Blackwater walls is the new and brilliant Housemistress, Mrs Price Her enthusiasm, determination and instant connection with the girls has created not only a safe space but a hub for every year group to have fun and socialise! Mrs Price has been a true leader and as a house we hope we have made her feel so super welcome.

Of course, how can anyone forget the infamous and highly anticipated 'House Singing Competition' where the girls yet again have shown endless amounts of determination and commitment, ready to take on our competitors with our masterpiece!

We are looking forward to seeing the rest...

CRAIG

A steady start to the term for all at Craig House with 15 new Year 9s being welcomed alongside the returning Josh Mayhew, the only new Year 12 All new pupils have settled into Craig life with seeming ease which can only bode well for the future.

The key house event so far has been the House Rugby Competition where, at the time of writing, the Year 11s are unbeaten and on track for the final The Sixth Form experienced mixed results with a win, a loss and a draw but most importantly high levels of participation with five members of the team not actually playing rugby as their sport this term.

Rehearsals are also well underway for the House Song, ably led by Josh Ansell (Deputy Head of House), where we are singing We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift. At the moment enthusiasm is perhaps triumphant over musicality but it’s getting better with every run through

Enthusiasm is perhaps triumphant over musicality

Elsewhere, the Year 9s are looking forward to performing their section of the second Harry Potter film for house drama, Thanks to Jamie Gordon and Herbie Sleep for being the Year 12 leaders of that project.

By Oliver Shouksmith

Hopefully, we can build on the momentum of our victory last year

The first half of term has been excellent for Craig

The Year 12s also enjoyed the dinner earlier on in the term and all enjoyed the opportunity to meet new pupils On the sports pitch, we have had five Cronkites representing the 1st XV, with four scoring tries, Alex Bailey scored the first try of the season, Oliver Shouksmith scored his first try for the 1st XV, Hector Summers finished off one of many tries and Gryff Watkins scored on debut at just 15 and in Year 11 this is a great achievement

Overall, the first half of term has been excellent for Craig and let’s hope it can only get better.

GONVILLE REPORT

By Edward Rowell

As a new year begins in the school, we say goodbye to some Gonvillians but welcome others, and are glad to see nineteen new faces In the house in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12. With a strong first weekend for Gonville, we saw new talents in an internal house basketball match. With close matches and fierce talent, the new Gonville house was brought together, and worked hand in hand with many younger years showing the older ones what genuine skill truly is compared to blind confidence. A house badminton contest was also held where a smaller amount of Gonvillians played against one another Afterwards, the first year group dinners, hosted by Mr and Mrs Wingfield Digby, Miss Osbourne Brown and Mr Gash, took place with the new Year 9s enjoying the classic Mrs Wingfield Digby lasagne.

Many younger years showed the older ones what genuine skill truly is compared to blind confidence

The first house matches also began with the first house rugby matches being held across all years. The house looks forward to the other half of the matches after the exeat Gonville is also home to many active sports members such as Lucas Gorrill, Year 10, who participated and won the Brighton Triathlon for his age group. The 1st XV also had their debut performance with three Gonvillians, Max Crowther, Emmanuel Bawa and Edward Rowell, all playing in the team Finally, Gonville is happy to welcome its new Matron, Miss Osborne Brown, and resident tutor, Mr Gash, and hope that they are settling into the house environment well

NUGENT REPORT

Nugent House has had a great first few weeks back after the summer and have already settled in nicely, alongside the arrival of our new housemaster, Mr Medlycott, whom I believe has brought a lot of enthusiasm and is determined to bring a lot of exciting plans for the future

While having a whole new Year 12 which may have seemed strange for everyone, it is nice to have a full house again All new pupils who have joined Nugent have already become familiar with the innerworkings of the house and are already enjoying it.

There has been bonding time for the families in Nugent, where we all took part in a quiz to find a little bit more about each other This helped new Year 9s in particular experience a bit more comfort.

By Willow McNulty

The Year 12s of Nugent enjoyed a dinner where they were joined by the whole year They all played games such as guessing the brand logo A Year 12 pupil who was interviewed said that “it gave students a chance to get to know any new people who had joined at the start of Year 12.” We are also very proud as a house to have two amazing 1st team hockey players who have so far been a part of a very successful season winning against Cranbrook, Wellington, and Mayfield Kristina Duckett (vice captain), Evie Clayson, Izzie Steed, and Anne Spranger are proudly representing Nugent in being an asset to this team

PENNELL REPORT

Pennell is back on track, welcoming twenty new pupils this year, which makes up one third of all Pennellians! Our housemaster, Mr Jordain, says that the new pupils have settled in quite nicely so far and existing pupils are welcoming them warmly. I can confirm this myself since I´m a new Sixth Former as well

On the other hand, old Pennellians also made some recent news with Henry Turnbull, who left in 2020, winning a Scottish varsity rugby match for Edinburgh University against St Andrews University in September this year, and Theo Bevacqua, currently succeeding in Pro14 side Cardiff Rugby

Aside from the Pennell pupils making friends in house, we also got the opportunity to meet pupils from other houses The Nugent House Barbeque, where we joined other Sixth Formers to spend a nice evening together, was a great experience and we all got to know many other lovely pupils Other year groups

By Tom D. MüllerBroich

reported similar enjoyable experiences while visiting the other houses.

Pennellians are also looking forward to spending an evening with Watt House in a mutual house dinner in November

Stay tuned for the sixth of October as Pennellians are keen on performing "Together In Electric Dreams" by The Human League at the House Singing taking place that evening!

POWELL REPORT

Powell has seen a great start to the new academic year, with the new Year 9s and new students in other years being quickly engaged and integrated in college life and part of Powell House New students Matt Woodall in the Lower Sixth and Teife Wolstenholme in Year 10 have quickly made friends and seem to have adapted well into house and college life. Everyone seems to be glad to be back at school and learning once again after a well deserved summer holiday

We have recently introduced the ‘bull of the week’ which is a toy bull that is awarded to a special individual who has shown true Powell House spirit In recent weeks, this has been awarded to Matt Clark for welcoming the new Year 9s into house and helping them to settle into house life This week, the bull has gone to Fin Cattermole for his recent achievements in basketball.

By Elliot Wilson

Interhouse Rugby has proved to be a great success for many of our Powell teams with many of the teams making it to the final stages of the tournament A special mention must go out to Wilf Batham Reed, Charlie Carpenter, Oliver Wigman, Sam Hamilton and Lawrence Callow who have represented the college in the 1XV rugby team this year, with Charlie Carpenter scoring his first try for the team against Churchers College in the second round of the national Vase competition

The Year 12s enjoyed their Year 12 dinner as well earlier this term which gave students a chance to meet new people that may have joined.

Rehearsals for the House Singing Competition are well under way, with Ben Young passionately leading our song ‘Maneater’ by Daryl Hall and John Oates. Great enthusiasm has been shown by the boys so far with this song choice, and now it’s time to bring the trophy home

We have recently introduced the ‘bull of the week’

SCHOOL REPORT

What a start to the year it has been! Although maybe not everyone was necessarily jumping for joy at the thought of coming back to school after a relaxing summer holiday (with plenty of partying mixed in as well, so I've heard!), the School House girls have soon settled back in to busy school life. As for the new pupils (and there are lots of them!), they seem to be doing extremely well in this new environment. I remember when I first started in Year 9, and all of the long corridors with thousands of staircases certainly took some getting used to, although I'm not sure that I'll ever be fit enough to go up the MFL staircase without having to recover for about five minutes afterwards!

Anyway, enough about me What has been happening in School House so far this term? Well, the year started off with year group barbeques, where all of the boarders in each year group went to a different house, who kindly hosted food and drinks. Year 9 went to Pennell, Year 10 came to School, Year 11 went to Gonville, Year 12 to Nugent, and Year 13 to Wargrave. On behalf of the Year 11s, I can safely say that Gonville were excellent hosts and everyone very much enjoyed themselves

In School House, we have had a couple of lovely parties as well as movie nights We had a fabulous costume party, where everyone went to some charity shops and found a (ridiculous) outfit for £10 or less! There were some amazing outfits and prizes won for different categories The night consisted of us splitting up into our mixed year group 'families' (named after dinosaurs of course), and then participating in games and competitions, with prizes going to the winning families.

By Tiggy Tutt

We have also had an in house barbeque, which ended up going on for a very long time as some of us spent hours playing volleyball in the garden (I was hopeless, but there were definitely some experienced players!)

Some of the Year 12s looking gorgeous for their dinner

Lots of House Concert preparation has been going on around the house, ranging from dancing, singing, and videos about mermaids. Come and watch us in Big School this Saturday!

REEVES REPORT

The boys in Reeves House have enjoyed a productive and successful first half of the Michaelmas Term of 2022 2023 Now, five weeks into the term, all new joiners in Year 9 seem to be settling in very well, with an almost even split between St. Andrews boys and other schools the sixteen joiners all seem to have gelled fantastically Year 10 and 12 joiners, Cameron Pert and Isaac Elwood, have both seemed to adapt to college life with great ease as well.

Already, this term has seen a variety of brilliant successes from individuals for Reeves. We congratulated Reuben Mace for passing his Grade Three exam on the bass, Eric Wood for passing his Grade Four exam on the trumpet and Nima Sorooshian for passing his Grade Six exam on the violin Rowan Bell and Hector Lawson have won prizes for picking up the most praise points. Billy Curtis was awarded Reeves House Hero of the Week for achieving a Grade 9 in his GCSE maths exam that he sat in Year 10 and Olly Beatton was the Reeves House Hero of the Week last week for his efforts over the summer as part of a team of four Year 11 pupils who walked 110Km over six days to raise money for SUDC UK (Sudden Unexplained Death in Children) To date, they have raised just over £4000! An incredible effort for a great cause

What is more, the unfortunate postponement of the annual Aquathlon was certainly a great miss for the house with over forty boys ready to compete However, interhouse rugby proved to be a fantastic opportunity for house camaraderie for all year groups. With varying levels of success but total enjoyment, the upcoming

By Cass Stallion

finals day will certainly help boost the already excellent house spirit on display

On the topic of rugby, we have had four Reeves boys representing the 1XV this term. Karam al Robaie, Dylan Pearson, Louis Fisher and Jack Pincus have all represented both the house and college fantastically as they have enjoyed a successful start to their national vase campaign, with Jack Pincus scoring a brilliant try in the opening match of the vase.

Attention now turns to the much anticipated house singing competition

The song of choice for this year is History by One Direction and, whilst the singing ability is questionable, the boys make up for it with brilliant enthusiasm. All in all, it has been a positive start to the year for Reeves with many congratulations in order Well done to all

WARGRAVE REPORT

This year started fast for Wargrave House All the boys have been getting stuck in with their contributions to the house revue coming up With big boots to fill from being the previous winners of house singing, we have chosen Candy by Robbie Williams, a fast upbeat tune attempting to play to our strengths: energy and enthusiasm; a great suggestion from Tobi Salami. We were all particularly excited to see Mr Chan's return to the Grave. Sadly, he had to leave the school and retire from being a maths teacher since his back was in need of a long recovery after carrying the teacher's band for three years However, it was good to get some constructive criticism from him with the concert looming.

We have chosen 'Candy' by Robbie Williams, a fast upbeat tune attempting to play to our strengths: energy and enthusiasm

The sixth form won Senior House Rugby which meant that Wargrave won the overall tournament

The Year 12s settled into the sixth form quickly. They had a great time dressing up for a black tie dinner where they played games and integrated with new people as an ice breaker Overall, it was a huge success.

By Will James

Not only that, but Wargrave, alongside Blackwater, will be the first house to do the 'adopt a beach campaign' next week on the seafront Another thing to look forward to!

Notable achievements include James Zhou, who represented the college as part of a team in which they won the Cambridge chemistry 'Davidson Inventors Challenge' Well done to him.

James Zhou was part of the team which won the Cambridge chemistry 'Davidson Inventors Challenge'.

More include Dan Hammond, Paddy Cooper and Ed Nolan who are through to the regional tennis finals on 14th October Good luck to them.

WATT

After finishing an intense summer, Watt House has started the year with a bang! Having expanded out into what used to be Arnold House, Watt are now considering what to name the new building (Get in touch if you have any suggestions)

Congratulations to all the students who achieved their GCSEs last summer.

The girls are enjoying participating in many different sports, as well as honing their skills Nellie Bathard Smith, Sophie Fellows and Daisy Dunkley (Year 11) are already playing for the first team Additionally, Daisy Barrow and Gabby Pachego Lagoda are playing tennis for the winning under 15 county team.

By May Fogarty Stevens

On the performing arts side, Watt girls are excelling, starting strong with Yuri Chase and Alice Younger performing in the first informal concert of the term Alice is the lead violinist in an external orchestra and has recently been accepted into the National Youth Orchestra a fantastic achievement. Additionally, Nellie Bathard Smith has achieved her Grade 8 trumpet exam, Cecilia Fields has been invited to sing with the Glyndebourne Christmas Choir, and Sophia Hawkins, an avid dancer, has been accepted onto a dance program at the Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden

Many Watt girls are also participating in Nell Gwynn, with Laticia Nare and Amelia Baldock Amelia has also recently performed in an episode of Casualty on BBC 1.

The Year 9 girls participated in the Jubilee Walk as part of the larger school community, remembering our former Queen.

Watt House are looking forward to the upcoming House Singing Competition (and having won last year, are looking forward to winning it again!)

WHICH TEACHER’S DOG ARE YOU?

What do you like to do in your spare time?

A) Sleep

B) Play sports

C) Prep

D) Watch TV

Who do you like to spend most of your time with?

A) Friends

B) Family

C) Siblings

D) Me, myself and I

Fancy a bite to eat?

A) Cookies

B) A salad

C) Anything quick

D) Something sweet

What is your favourite season?

A) Summer

B) Spring

C) Autumn D) Winter

What is your favourite activity?

A) To play a board game

B) To go for a walk

C) To go shopping

D) To relax at home

By Sophie Stevens

Answers:

If you mainly picked A, you are Mr Gent’s dog , Bertie! You love to spend most of your spare time with your friends and family or relaxing at home.

If you mainly picked B, you are Mrs Tutt’s dog, Callie! You are quite active and like to spend your spare time either outside or with your family.

If you mainly picked C, you are Mr Lawson’s dog, Roy! You like to stay at home and you put your work first.

If you mainly picked D, you are Mr Marlow’s dog, Alfie ! You like to stay at home and relax, with or without company

HOROSCOPES

By Ella Stevenson

Aquarius

(Jan 20th - Feb 18th)

Why not try out something new this term? Maybe a sport or something more creative like journalling

Pisces

Feb 19th - Mar 20th

Treat yourself!

You deserve it

Gemini

(May 21st - June 20th)

Watch out for Capricorns and Virgos this month

Cancer

(June 21st - July 22nd)

Someone close to you may be going through something.

Be sure to check up on everyone.

Libra

(Sep 23rd - Oct 22nd)

Stop procrastinating. It won't do you any good!

Scorpio

(Oct 23rd - Nov 21st)

Be open to making new friendships this term

(Mar 21st - Apr 19th) Taurus (Apr 20th - May 20th)

Aries

Why not switch up your style for the Autumn?

Don't let school take over your life Remember, balance is key!

Leo (July 23rd - Aug 22nd)

Remember to take time for yourself Why not try out yoga?

Virgo

(Aug 23rd - Sep 22nd)

Good news! You should expect luck to come your way soon in one form or another

Sagittarius

(Nov 22nd - Dec 21st)

Stop overthinking! Nothing in the past is ever as bad as you think.

Capricorn

(Dec 22nd - Jan 19th

It would by wise to rely on your Scorpio friends' advice