The Stag, Michaelmas Term II 2022

CONTENTS PAGE

Politics

Interview with Caroline Ansell 1 Yet Another PM 3 Science Energy Crisis 4 The Future of Robotic Delivery Services 5

House Reports

Culture Paris Fashion Week 7 How your denim jeans are impacting the environment 9 Hot Chocolate Bombs 10 ‘On Poetry’ by Glynn Maxwell 11

School Life Brighton vs Eastbourne Rugby Controversy 13 Gold DofE Expedition 14 What even is ‘Nell Gwynn’? 16 EBC TV 17

Art Platinum Award 18 Pennell x Watt Dinner 20 Gonville House Concert 21 School House Concert 22 Wargrave House Concert 23

Blackwater 24 Craig 25 Gonville 26 Nugent 27 Pennell 28 Powell 29 Reeves 30 School 31 Wargrave 32 Watt 33

School Societies Being a Good Ally 34 Charity Report 35

Interactive Articles Christmas Quiz 36 Horoscopes 37

A note from your editors… After having edited two very exciting issues of The Stag magazine, Polly Symes and Lily Curtis will be stepping down as your senior editors.

If you are interested in taking on this role, do not hesitate to contact The Stag here: thestag@eastbourne-college.co.uk

INTERVIEW WITH ANSELL

Lily O'Brien, Kiri Marshall

CarolineAnsellhasbeentheMember ofParliamentforEastbournesincethe 2019generalelection.Whenshe recentlyvisitedEastbourneCollege, wetookadvantageoftheopportunity toasksomequestions.

WhatmadeyouwanttobecomeanMP? Lifeveryoftengate crashesallyourplansand oneofmysonshadashockdiagnosisofalife threateningbraintumour Inthatmoment, everythingIhadvisualisedforthefutureall stopped,soIsteppedbackfromwork I’m pleasedtosayitwasahappyendingandhe’s fitandstrongtodaybutitgavemethissense ofwantingtogivesomethingback Igot involvedinamaternityservicescampaign I reallyenjoyeditandwasaskedtogetinvolved inotherprojects IthoughtI’dgobacktoschool thefollowingSeptember.Thenitwasthenext September,thenthenext.Igotmoreinvolved inourcommunityandittookmeallthewayto Parliament.Sothewholepoliticallifewasborn outofacrisisandwasn’tplanned.IthoughtI’d beaneducatorbutinmanywaysthereare hugesimilaritiesbecauseit’sallaboutcreating thoseopportunitiesforthenextgeneration

RishiSunakcalledme‘relentless' Asabackbencher,whatinfluencedoyou haveongovernmentpolicyandhowdoyou ensureyourconstituents’voicesareheard? Thereisarangeofdifferentmechanismsin Parliamentwherebackbencherscanpose questions Iraisedayounggirl'sraregenetic conditioninPMQsunderthefullgazeofthe

media, picked up by the then Prime Minister who brokered a really important meeting But behind the camera there’s a whole world of opportunities because, being a government MP, you almost always go through the voting lobby I know when that bell rings I have eight minutes to get there and if I get there first I can see every minister coming I’m like a shark, I find and pursue them. Lots of good work is done behind the scenes like advocating for individuals. I grounded a plane once a man in Eastbourne was at risk of being deported but I tracked the immigration minister down and stopped the whole process Poor Rishi Sunak called me ‘relentless’; I said, ‘Thank you!’

Is it difficult being a woman in politics and working in Westminster, and what advice would you give to any girls thinking of a career in politics?

Absolutely do it! I believe there are many girls and women out there who would enter political life if they didn’t look at a toxic social media world A few years ago, I experienced a credible death threat; the man went to prison It was really chilling, not just for me but my children and my team ‘I know where you live, I’ve got a knife, I’m coming for you'. We recently lost Sir David Ames in that terror attack and too often team members are also being targeted or hurt. There’s something about the culture which is really difficult, particularly for women, but for men also We need to get better at disagreeing and looking beyond the presenting facts, that two second scroll, that big headline because if you unpick it a little it's really different. So I would really recommend it for girls and women democracy needs you.

Linking to this, given that 97% of young women are victims of sexual harassment and violence, what should be done to reduce this and encourage victims to go to the police?

The police recognise this is a real issue and I went out with them at night, with one of their patrols Essentially, it's around creating safer streets at night, ensuring young women are getting home safely and trying to change some of the behaviours and cultures in clubs and bars. In terms of working government, there has been new legislation The latest piece is specifically around changing the culture, about what’s acceptable, what’s respectful, what does consent look like All of these really important societal changes

Moving on to the big issues of the day, how do you feel about the market reaction to the Chancellor’s (Kwasi Kwarteng) recent budget announcements?

I think we ’ ve seen how how far reaching the perception is because it rocked the economy and that was around how the budget was received not the actual changes Some really important measures got lost in the media headlines only relating to a couple of points. Other elements, I less warmly welcomed We’re currently being recorded if we weren’t, I might be a bit more frank about it! What I’m concerned to see now is that benefits are kept in line with inflation so that’s something I will be quizzing the Chancellor on.

The war in Ukraine has been going on for ten months now with thousands killed, cities destroyed and Putin holding the West to ransom over gas supplies. Is it time to push for peace?

Force must be met with resistance and push back Putin is not interested in peace talks He is on a mission to re establish what he sees as the former glory of Russia. I long for peace, it’s devastating to see the loss We’ve worked closely with some of the families

in Eastbourne to help with visas and settlement The bravery and sacrifice of the Ukrainian people for their homeland is really something quite incredible.

Turning to your other interests: as a former teacher, do you think politics and understanding how laws are made in this country should be compulsory part of the National Curriculum?

100% I do! We had a bi election yesterday and one of the hardest things is persuading people to vote for anyone I like to think maybe people are just busy and trust the elected leaders of the day but there is a level of real disenfranchisement Australia actually mandate it and charge people for not voting, but I would hate to go there really

Finally, do you have any ambitions for the top job?

Wow! I feel like I’ve got the top job! I’ve set my ambition to do my very best for my hometown and of course winning the next election. You get your five year shot and then you have to prove yourself all over again. And actually, looking at the Prime Minister, can you think of a more difficult job in the country right now?

This was an insightful and fascinating interview to be a part of. Ansell's remarks about encouraging girls and women to get involved in politics really offered food for thought. We were incredibly grateful for this opportunity. What a way to finish our time at The Stag!

YET ANOTHER PM…

Kiri Marshall

In our last edition, I wrote about our new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and now I am writing once again about her successor, Rishi Sunak. So what happened and who is Rishi Sunak?

Over the summer, Rishi Sunak ran against Liz Truss in the Tory leadership election to replace Boris Johnson and lost to her in September But Liz Truss resigned just six weeks later, making her the shortest serving Prime Minister So a new leadership contest began. Sunak gained momentum and was the first to gain the 100 nominations needed He was up against Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson but both pulled out, making him leader of the Conservative Party on the 24th of October, after one of the shortest leadership elections, lasting just four days

During the Summer leadership contest, Sunak predicted the financial problems under Truss, claiming her plan to borrow money during an inflation crisis was a “fairy tale” that would plunge the economy into chaos. This was certainly true and it resulted in massive U turns on key sections of her disastrous mini budget She also sacked her Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, replacing him with Jeremy Hunt in a desperate attempt to restore her crumbling political authority To make matters worse, Home Secretary Suella Braverman then resigned Her resignation letter was incredibly targeted, emphasising that “resignation is the right thing to do“ when “ a mistake“ is made Liz Truss went from saying she is “ a fighter, not a quitter” in PMQs to resigning the next day

Rishi Sunak is the son of immigrants His parents came to the UK from East Africa and are of Indian origin He has become the UK’s first British Asian Prime Minister. He was first elected as an MP in 2015 and was made Chancellor in February 2020 under Boris Johnson He was in charge of financial Covid support, including the furlough scheme and ‘eat out to help out’.

The new Prime Minister enters No 10 with many problems facing him One challenge is to fix the economy. He will need to decide his plans on the Energy Price Guarantee with household energy bills rising from £2,500 to more than £4,000 by next spring. He has guaranteed benefits, tax credits and pensions to rise in line with the recent inflation rate of 101% As he was the previous Chancellor, the financial markets trust him which makes this job easier. Other challenges include where to make NHS savings, the numerous workers' strikes over pay, supporting Ukraine and the Northern Ireland Protocol. He also faces a divided party and nation, with the Labour Party calling for a General Election

ENERGY CRISIS AT EBC

With the ongoing war in Ukraine and inflation rising up to 8,7% in 2022 Q3, energy prices went through the roof in March 2022.

With over 800 people working at Eastbourne College, we are one of the big energy consumers in Eastbourne

With energy prices rising, the school´s expenses have also risen, having a negative impact on the overall finances of the school, which will in turn lead to us pupils having to pay more This is why we all should care about saving energy and therefore our parents' money!

Here are some tips for effectively saving energy:

Tom D. Müller Broich

Keep your showers short

Showering is very energy consuming since the water has to be heated in the boiler of your house.

Taking a bath is usually more energy intensive than showering

UK electricity price Mar Nov 2022

Make sure to turn the lights off

Report leaks and bad insulation

Leaking taps and badly insulated windows can waste a lot of energy and water.

If you are a boarder, talk to your matron or Hsm if there is a problem with school property that needs to be fixed.

THE FUTURE OF ROBOTIC DELIVERY SERVICES

Dory Lee-Potter

The Future of Drones

The home delivery service industry has grown rapidly in the last two years, particularly due to COVID-19.

Approximately 60% of consumers now order takeout food at least once a week and a recent study found that the number of users for grocery deliveries increased by 113% during the COVID pandemic. Staffing human delivery services is relatively costly for businesses, so some businesses are beginning to investigate the idea of using robot networks to deliver their products rather than humans One increasingly popular option is the use of drones to deliver products to each individual household.

According to a report by McKinsey, over the past three years there have been over 660,000 commercial drone deliveries to customers and, as of early 2022, more than 2,000 drone deliveries are occurring daily worldwide The drone delivery industry is becoming increasingly popular and it is predicted that there will be close to 1.5 million deliveries by drone in late 2022

One example of a business attempting to introduce drones into their services is Amazon Amazon’s drone delivery service, Prime Air, was initially announced in 2013 and planned to launch in 2019, but this goal was not achieved. However, according to a recent Business Insider report, in 2022 Amazon is aiming to recruit 1,300 test customers to place orders through Prime Air, operate 145 drone launchpads and eventually deliver 500 million packages by drone a year However, there are some safety concerns involved In June 2021, a drone flipped upside down and dropped 160 feet, causing a fire that stretched across 25 acres

The Future of Robots

Another company called 'Starship Sservices' provide robots which can deliver products to a consumer's doorstep. Scan the QR code to see their website.

Each robot is relatively efficient, costing around $2000 and running for 18 hours on a single charge

The process is relatively simple: customers will place an order at a local convenience store on the Starship app, the product will be loaded into small, refrigerated, self driving robots, and these will use the network of cycle and walkways around the town to bring the products to the customer's doorstep. The customer is able to track the progress of the robot and, when it reaches its destination, there is a one time passcode that allows you to open the robot before the robot returns to the store

In conclusion, while robot delivery services are making a slow entrance into the delivery industry, there is great potential in the future of robots and drones and, if businesses can ensure the safety of the technology, it would be a great way to help save the environment and reduce labour costs

A great way to help save the environment and reduce labour costs

PARIS FASHION WEEK

Maja Marten

Coperni Show

Cinematic Glamour and Immersive Arts

Just earlier this year in August 2022, the renowned Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake sadly passed away. In memory of his passing, a show titled ‘A Form That Breathes’ was put on with the focus of the collection being that it moved with life and a shape shifting nature It was beautifully opened with the melody of songbirds accompanied by a pianist with the display of fabric sculptures changing shape in accordance to artificial wind. The collection displayed minimalist works intertwined with others of an oceanic theme. For the closing of the show, another dedication to the late designer was made through the display of dancers

This brand fuses science, craft and fashion. It was acknowledged earlier this year when it grabbed headlines through Doja Cat wearing its handblown glass bag.

During Paris Fashion Week, the attention of many was grabbed by an intriguing demonstration where famous supermodel Bella Hadid was spray painted in white creating the silhouette of a dress. This, however, is not the first of its kind to be inspired by the iconic Alexander McQueen spring 1999 show where a model was spray painted by robots The idea behind the Coperni show was a ‘celebration of women ’ s silhouettes from centuries past’ Over time, the spray paint bonded to her body began to emerge as one solid piece forming a latex like dress

Blaneciaga Mudshow

This show really drew the public and social media’s attention as the models strutted down the mud-drenched runway.

Not only was it opened by famous rapper Kanye West, but this dystopian themed collection formed a great spectacle for the hundreds of viewers Not only was the runway drenched in mud but some of the looks incorporated this theme into the garments. The figurative meaning behind the show was that Demna wanted to reflect current warfare after living the current reality that has been unfolding in Eastern Ukraine

However, other crises have impacted the fashion industry post Covid such as the rising inflation and disruptions to supply chains. To combat this, a support fund has been extended for emerging designs to be able to gain access to resources needed to showcase their work in the French capital

Like all the other fantastic fashion weeks showcasing top designer brands, PFW 2023 Spring Collection was not an exception to this hosting high fashion labels such as Dior, Balenciaga, Valentino, Chanel and many more

The overall focus of this Paris Fashion Week was the organisers' goal in reducing the environmental impact of the Spring 2023 collections, featuring 64 shows and 42 presentations with around 106 brands showcasing their work.

Pictured above: Ester Manas

HOW YOUR DENIM JEANS ARE IMPACTING THE ENVIRONMENT

What we can do to help stop the impact of denim and fast fashion

Many people do not fully know about the harsh consequences of buying garments from 'fast fashion' companies. The fashion industry has blown up in the last 50 years whilst trying to keep up with consumer demands. 'Fast fashion’ is now destroying our planet due to mass production

Consumers often buy large amounts of cheap clothing and wear them only a few times before throwing them away and buying something new and trendier

The inexpensive materials used to make these garments include toxic chemicals which pollute the planet and are linked to cancer and other types of respiratory illnesses The fashion industry is responsible for 2 4% of man made CO2 emissions This is higher than the aviation industry.

2 billion pairs of jeans are made every year The process uses 2,630 litres of fresh water, 2 million tones of chemicals and 1.4 million tones of raw cotton. 99.9% of all denim is dyed with synthetic indigo which includes cyanide and formaldehyde. These chemicals are harmful to human health and are extremely toxic to aquatic life

Reports have shown that dye residue usually ends up in rivers or on workers' skin Every year millions of tons of toxic chemicals are secretly released into the world’s rivers

Liv Reade

by large fashion organisations. People across the world are becoming incredibly sick due to the toxins and chemicals released into rivers from large factories.

We can buy jeans that are dyed with natural indigo as well as liquid indigo However, although this process is far more sustainable, only 15% of companies do it as it is a lot more expensive

Most synthetic denim also contain micro plastics which take millions of years to biodegrade. An alternative is Kilotex, a new innovation made from recycling shrimp shells It uses 30% less energy, 50% less water and 70% less chemicals than conventional dying

HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS

Sophie Stevens

What you will need :

Empty Kinder Joy packaging

Chocolate chips

Marshmallows

Cocoa power

Milk of choice

Recipe :

Take 5 Chocolate chips and place them in the Kinder ‘mold’ do this twice

Microwave the chocolate for 30 45 seconds to ensure it is fully melted

Once all the chips are melted, use it to coat the inside of the mold then place it in the fridge/freezer

Once the chocolate is solid, remove it from the freezer and gently push the chocolate out of the mold, making sure not to crack it

Fill one side of the bomb with cocoa powder or chocolate and marshmallows and melt some more chocolate to help stick the other side to it.

Top it off with some melted white chocolate and then place it in a mug and pour hot milk over the top Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this festive winter recipe as the weather starts to get colder!

’ON POETRY’ BY GLYNN MAXWELL

May Fogarty Stevens

supported in their quest to learn more about poetry, although the repeated use of imperative verbs does begin to feel wearing.

“This is a book for anyone” reads the first line of Glyn Maxwell’s collection of essays entitled ‘On Poetry.’

A strong start, with a simple declarative sentence making a short paragraph: friendly, welcoming, and straightforward The first essay is called ‘White’ and seems to cover the idea of enjoying a poem and its content on a page. Maxwell uses direct address and a formal conversational tone, to make the reader feel at ease and show that poetry is for all, as well as an extended metaphor of a jungle to represent both life and poetry. This use of natural imagery entices the reader by turning the prose into poetry: ‘You see an open space with trees whose branches spread out near the ground and bear fruit’ The use of visual imagery, such as the line ‘imagine whiteness, a blank sheet of paper, the white screen ’ makes the reader feel

In his next essay, ‘Black’, Maxwell focuses on the words themselves, personifying them, instructing the reader to ‘calm the excitable metaphor down: it’s our servant after all’ Maxwell analyses the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a well known poem, with language that often appears daunting However, Maxwell creates a character for the reader to appeal to guide them through the poem: he describes the mariner himself, giving him ‘ a seafarer’s voice, Cornish.’ Unfortunately, Maxwell then decided to divide poems and rank them by four (highly subjective) characteristics: visual, musical, lunar and solar Whilst an argument could be made that, given that interpreting words on a page is highly subjective, the criteria for examining them should be too, I would argue that this only strengthens the need to have a quantifiable, physical manner of examining poetry.

My favourite essay by far was ‘Form’ (which investigated the importance of form in poetry) Maxwell discusses the idea that if ‘You master form you master time.’ We all want to be remembered, but our ideas, once published, are out of our control. However, the use of form at least allows us to ensure that the order we kept our ideas in remains constant We cannot control time itself, but

can control the rate at which people read our words and perceive our message The use of enjambment, for example, forces the reader to take a breath, whilst also disorienting them slightly

Enjambment is one of the methods WH Auden, one of Maxwell’s most prominent influences, uses in his poem ‘Doggerel by a Senior Citizen’ A wry analysis of the dissatisfaction and loneliness suffered by many elderly people, in which a rigid form and structure mimic the monotonous repetitiveness of life in a care home, whilst rhyming couplets provide a cynical tone, which juxtaposes the poem ’ s meaning. ‘My Eden landscapes and their climes/construct from Edwardian times.’ This draws the reader closer to the poet, and, by association, those forgotten care home residents, as we realise that we ’ re all being haunted by ‘family ghosts’, whose stories are intertwined with our own

This discordant structure plays into Auden’s reputation as an ‘anti romantic’, and I presume falls under the category of musically gifted in Maxwell’s eyes. From this, parallels can be drawn with Maxwell’s own poetry In his

poem ‘Anything but the Case’, he shows his frustration at the fluidity of time, ‘Time the clerk/ Goes panting in horror from gremlin to error to glitch/And his screen is stripes and he knows he saved his work/In one of a billion files but f*** knows which.’ This anger at our own human weakness makes the reader feel Maxwell’s pain, as they remember the times they spent with loved ones, not remembering that it could be their last, and so letting those precious moments slip away Similarly, Emily Dickinson (another poet Maxwell credits as an inspiration), also used paradoxes and structure to provide the reader with a morosely comedic tone in her poem ‘I felt a Funeral in my Brain’ Here, she scrutinizes the pain caused by mental illness through the use of an extended metaphor about funerals. Like any good poet, this is still relevant today Where Maxwell uses an extended metaphor of a jungle and the life buzzing within it, Dickinson uses death and mourning

To conclude, renaming this collection ‘GCSE English: an unhelpful crash course in poetry’ would be more appropriate Whilst I do not regret reading this, as it provided me with an opportunity to learn more about poetry, reading Shelley next to Hopkins and Auden next to Dickenson, it would have been easier to randomly select a poem on the ‘Poetry Foundation' website, than to plough through reams of self congratulatory material, in which Maxwell belittles ‘beginner’ poetry readers, almost bragging about the fact that ‘I don’t teach prosody’ as for a ‘ young writer’ it is ‘like putting a rock in their way ’ Nevertheless, it was interesting to explore the impact of different poets’ use of the same technique

BRIGHTON RUGBY CONTROVERSY

Aditya Kumar

These previous performances, coupled with the team's drive to succeed, would’ve manufactured a clear headspace, clear enough for them to go on and win the game with a Jack Greig penalty in front of the posts in the dying seconds of the game to send Eastbourne 20 19 up Unfortunately though, the fairy tale ending was not to be

A few weeks previously, as you may be aware, Eastbourne College’s 1XV played Brighton College’s 1XV in a thriller of a rugby match.

This comes after losing to Brighton’s 2XV the previous year and so to get a game against their 1XV was satisfying enough However, the boys were more motivated than ever to disprove the general feeling of Brighton’s chances of winning, which you can assume were initially very high. However, it should be said our 1XV’s confidence was running high especially after their 75 12 win against Sevenoaks school and their 57 22 win vs Lords Wandsworth College, who like making the trip down to college field whatever the season, whatever the sport, for a thrashing

Brighton College, who played a close to if not full strength 1XV side, proceeded to claim it was the 2XV who were the team to lose to our boys So yes, Brighton College tried to claim they had 3 U18 Harlequins players in their 2XV: I wonder how strong their 1XV must be! Upon speaking to our 1XV skipper, Wilf Batham Read, he produced these words: “I think it just shows how far Eastbourne rugby has come that a few years ago we would have been nowhere near even competing against Brighton and now that we not only can compete but beat them has shocked them so much to be embarrassed and have to deflect in whatever way they can by saying it was their twos But it doesn’t reflect badly on us that they’ve said it’s their seconds; everyone knows it was the strongest side they could have put out If I were to take anything from this, it would be to not allow the controversy regarding Brighton’s attempt to hide their embarrassment to diminish the boys’ efforts! Congrats on a historic win, chaps!

GOLD DOFE EXPEDITION

It was 6:45am. I woke up on the morning of my 18th birthday, finding myself wrapped up in a sleeping bag inside a small green tent, shivering in the cold. It was the second day of our Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition.

Lisa Shi

That did not even take into consideration that we had to carry a 20KG backpack with our tent and food with us for every kilometre that we walked It was undoubtably a challenge for our mental and physical strength, as well as team work and navigation skills.

I reluctantly climbed out of my cozy sleeping bag and searched for my head torch in darkness Frustratingly, I could not find it so I had to wake up my tent mates Jasmine and Charlotte Then we packed up our stuff, ate our breakfast, filled up our water bottles and packed up the tent It was 8am: time to go hiking. What a great start to my birthday!

I wondered “How have I found myself here?”The expedition is perhaps the most daunting part of the Duke of Edinburgh award To complete it, you need to trek four days and camp three nights in the wilderness of Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. The location made it even more challenging because of the undulating hills and unpredictable weather

It was a mild day with scattered clouds and gentle breeze We powered through our hike in the morning due to our desire to get to the next campsite sooner and rest our tired bodies It was not a particularly challenging route, easy to follow and not too hilly We found ourselves over half way before midday. We set up the stove and got ready for lunch I had freeze dried burrito rice, which tasted questionable but I was too hungry to care about taste! After lunch, we came across our team leader who greeted us with a big grin. Contrasting to her positive attitude, she then had to tell us the devastating news that our route had been extended since we we’d been going too fast what a great birthday present!

In the afternoon, the air turned clammy and we walked through boggy grounds, which was not fun at all I almost lost my boot in a bog and almost fell into a stream.

We marched like defeated soldiers, still resentful about the fact that our route had been extended

“If we hadn’t met our team leader, if we’d spent longer eating lunch, we would’t have needed to walk this unpleasant 5km,” I grumbled My teammate replied

Once we got up, the scenery was stunning and we stared at the majestic Pen Y Fan the highest peak of Brecon Beacons. If weather situation allowed it, we’d be going up there the next day. I was hoping to go but was also apprehensive about the gruelling 800m of ascending

We finally reached our campsite beside a farm and a rubbish dump There was only one toilet which was beside the chicken farm and had no light I missed our lovely campsite from the first night so much but had to face harsh reality. “Well, we ’ re only here for one night and we will be home in 48 hours It isn’t too bad”, I told myself. In the evening, we chatted while having dinner and went to bed at 8pm I got a rocky road for my birthday cake. What a special birthday!

Fortunately for my body but unfortunately for my soul, our hike up Pen Y Fan was cancelled due to high wind.

The next morning we repeated our ritual. It was a gorgeous morning but we had to contend with a brutal climb of about 400 meters high

Instead, we hiked on shaded forest paths back to the mini bus. To avoid our previous ‘mistake’, we purposefully took long breaks so we were not ‘too fast’. We promptly arrived at the side of the mini bus at 11:55 am. We were told we can only return after 12 am otherwise we would have to do a 5km detour We impatiently waited. Victory was so close.

Once we got on that minibus, we would get everything we’ve been dreaming of: Wi-Fi, McDonalds, a hot shower, a warm bed and a proper toilet!

“Well, it’s meant to be hard, isn’t it?”

WHAT EVEN IS 'NELL GWYNN'?

Visiting Big School just a few weeks before the curtain rises on this year’s school play, the tension and excitement in the air is tangible.

A full cast sits around Mr Russell, who is in the middle of giving a speech on the importance of learning lines when I walk into the theatre One cast member (he who shall not be named) arrives 15 minutes late, and a slightly exasperated Mr Russell says “Great, you ’ ve just missed everything important” A chuckle resounds around the space.

Polly Symes

Given the the of explaining the play in a sentence, Herbie Sleep (playing Charles II) said that “Nel Gwyn creates anarchy in Britain” From what I have garnered online, Nell, or Eleanor, was a mistress of Charles II and an actress herself, renowned for her recklessness and her generosity Discussing the role, Leticia Nare said “Playing someone that’s nothing like you is so much fun” and that when rehearsing the more sexual lines she sometimes thinks “Oh my god, my mum and dad are going to be watching this!”

I spent an hour watching line runs, interviewing the four principle cast members (including Amelia Baldock and Leticia Nare, both pictured above), and soaking in the unmistakable energy of the drama department

Interestingly, and in a feat unknown to the college in recent years, each of the two main parts will be played by two different actors. Ben Young (also playing Charles II) said that “We’re learning from each other” and as a result I think some of us are going to watch the play twice! Nell Gwynn will be running from 7th to 10th December, and Amelia Baldock told me that “It’s just a case of putting everything together now ” See you all in the audience!

Surviving School is a TV drama series (written by Polly Symes) which covers the range of relatable experiences and challenges you go through during your time at school.

Year 9 pupil Piper’s first day (Sophia Marshall) at school doesn’t go quite as planned due to fellow Year 9 student Taylor (Oguz Karaca) Piper then looks for advice from her popular older brother Leo (Jack Evans) and his best friend Daniel (Zizie Ndlovu). Meanwhile, Year 13 pupil Carla (Katie Hilyer) is Head of House, which creates conflict between her and her best friend Rosie (Verity Terry), leaving their best friend Ollie (Herbie Sleep) stuck in the middle, not wanting to choose a side between the two girls You’ll have to watch the programme to find out how everything gets resolved

We began filming at the start of Michaelmas Term and, so far, after filming just two scenes I have learnt so much. Through the camera work (operated by Leander Walters and Tom Müller Broich), I’ve discovered the importance of the span of different camera frames and the number of takes needed for just one scene. To get the best possible quality of sound, a boom is used, which causes a lot of aching arms as you hold it out over the actors out of shot However, this also means every background sound is also picked up

Imogen Symonds is the costume designer

She tells each cast member her vision for their outfit and then we make sure whenever we ’ re on set that we are wearing the same costume each time (as all of episode 1 happens on one day)

Audrey Hang, as artistic director, has created the great marketing video as well as making sure each detail of the set correctly fits the narrative

Our director is the talented Mr Fathers who is well established in the industry, ranging from being in Disney Channel’s Camp Rock to one of his most recent, The Witcher Mr Fathers has given us all great advice, tips for learning lines as well as showing examples of different ways we can act in a scene. He’s taught us exactly what professional filming will be like in the outside world, enabling us all to gain a greater insight into the TV and film industry I think the results will speak for themselves.

Sophia Marshall

THE PLATINUM ARTSMARK AWARD

Another great achievement for the school! Winning the Platinum Arts Mark award has been a huge success, made possible by all departments that involve the arts.

Recently, Eastbourne College has had the privilege of being awarded the Platinum Arts Mark Award a prestigious prize given to schools by Arts Council England for a highly impressive inclusion of "the arts" as a whole in the school curriculum The award itself revolves around creativity and wellbeing across the school, and as of now only 74 secondary schools in the country have been able to reach this level Eastbourne College is currently the only school in the whole of Sussex to hold the award.

Ella Stevenson

effective collaboration of departments across the school was a key reason for the achievement being made possible

When interviewing Miss Salway (Head of the Arts Award), she emphasised that the

In terms of the lengthy application process, the various departments had to make a formal proposal to the board of governors and senior management team, detailing why Eastbourne College was a worthy candidate and providing case studies to evidence this.

Despite never having applied before, the school’s aim was to achieve the award at gold level Impressively however, the school gained the platinum achievement (above gold) on the first try. What pushed our application straight to the top was the outstanding work done within the community, specifically the many external projects that the school has continuously organised and run

Even when interviewing Ms Salway for this article, we were sitting in on a drama workshop involving schools from the local area, making it apparent that these projects greatly benefited from the application to this award

It is also an inspiring way of broadening individuals’ experiences.

heavily to the photography department This type of project alongside those which involve the community and external schools can be used as evidence when re applying to keep the award in two years ’ time

Beyond simply gaining this award, it has brought to light the importance of the arts within the curriculum They provide a vital form of expression as well as the opportunity to gain a well rounded experience of college life This includes all forms of creativity namely photography, textiles, art, creative writing, literary festivals, drama and dance

Rightly so, the Arts Mark award proves that the arts are vital not only as creative outlets, but also as a way to usefully link the arts to other subject areas such as STEM.

For example, the school has recently launched a marine biology project that links

A design from the Textiles Department

A QR code to the Arts page of our school website

PENNELL X WATT DINNER

Polly Symes

On Saturday 12th December, Watt and Pennell gathered in the dining room for what was to be my last house dinner… ever!

Looking back on all the house dinners I‘ve attended, I have to say that this dinner’s food (fajitas and waffles were involved), entertainment (two live musical performances and even a general knowledge quiz), outfits (the photos speak for themselves) and company was the best of any house dinner I’ve been to! Many thanks to Sophia Marshall, Leticia Nare, Sophie Stevens, Mishel Fooks and Zain Radwan for all their hard work organising it. Entering the dining room, we were greeted with a red carpet, rope barriers, and paparazzi members flashing photos of us.

Although I’m still gutted that my team didn’t win the quiz, credit must go to Mr Kyle’s team who managed to put every member of the Kardashian/Jenner family in order of age… supposedly without cheating?!

The

two musical legends performing were Tiger Ge (pictured above), with a fun original and a cover, and Leticia Nare who sang a jazzy rendition of ‘Valerie’

GONVILLE HOUSE CONCERT

SCHOOL HOUSE CONCERT

On October 8th, School House gave an incredible performance at their house concert.

After the introduction by the Year 13s, the Year 10s started off with a Harry Potter themed sketch, followed by the Year 9s' dance.

After this, School House showed off some of its greatest solo and duo performers with Emma Zhu playing the piano and Hanhan Zhu playing the violin, followed by a flute duo by Lisa Shi and Shelly Jiang

The concert continued with Abi Perry singing, followed by Annabell McKenna playing the piano, accompanied by Ella Banks and Varvara Kriuchkova dancing. The last solo singing performance was by Tess Garrett, followed by the final performance, the Year 12 dance

Tom D. Müller-Broich

WARGRAVE HOUSE CONCERT

by Tom D. Müller-Broich

Photos

BLACKWATER HOUSE REPORT

As the days start to draw in and the murky winter falls upon the Blackwater girls, they have shown courage and resilience. The sun has started to shine through in spirit as the girls have excelled in every field.

Scarlett Fraser

I must mention that the Blackwater House Concert was a spectacle for all With a fun mixture of Britney Spears on the big screen and dances galore, it was a night to remember! The concert required drive and determination but the Blackwater girls, as always, had great energy which definitely paid off! A special thanks to our compères and the girls who decided to do solo acts a brave achievement that enhanced the house’s talents and exhibited courage of all kinds

Further to this, despite the rainy and dreary weather, house hockey will always be a salient event, especially as this year the girls were crowned 2022 winners! With the 1st team hockey captain, Orla Boulter, conducting a fierce group of girls to fight against the competitors, the drive clearly was worth it.

These achievements will especially make housemistress Mrs Price pleased, as her sporting competitiveness will be satisfied!

Not only do these events show talent and enthusiasm but how fun Blackwater can be! As the house is gearing up for Christmas, I can only imagine that Christmas tunes will be blasting throughout the whole house as the girls prepare for endless amounts of fun, Secret Santas, Christmas dinners and the like. The Christmas mood will be at the forefront of all of the girls' mind without a doubt!

CRAIG HOUSE REPORT

Oliver Shouksmith

It’s been another busy term in Craig House with House Steeplechase, House Singing, Year 9 Drama, the Craig House Table Tennis competition and finally the Christmas Decoration competition, hopefully the last of which will be making its return after a few years absence!

In the Steeplechase, the top performers were Harry Jordan (4th in Year 9) and Alfie Hunter (4th in Seniors) While there were no podium finishes, the important thing is that Cronkite spirit was shown by all and everyone who took part did the house proud

The house singing was a great success, resulting in a 2nd place finish Deep down everyone knows that we were the peoples’ champion It was great to lead the song from the front and see the passion and enjoyment on everyone ’ s faces as we really pulled it out of the bag on the night House pizza was truly deserved and suitably enjoyed

It’s also been a successful term for Cronkites in terms of rugby, with Marcus Skyrme making his 1st XV debut against Sevenoaks alongside the four Cronkites mentioned in the last edition Hector Summers has also made his first performance and scored his first try for Sweden U18 against Gibraltar Jamie Gregory (Yr 11) and Charlie Hewitt (Yr 9) have also been selected for premiership academies, Northampton Saints and Harlequins respectively.

At the time of writing we are awaiting the results of the Year 9 drama, but as defending champions we all have high hopes for the Year Nines to defend the title.

With Christmas approaching, there’s plenty to look forward to, including the hotly anticipated House Table Tennis competition where Deputy Head of House, Josh Ansell, will be looking to defend his crown from last year, as well as the house dinner with School House with an interesting theme of Musicians

Overall, it has been a great first few weeks after half term. The atmosphere in Craig is really good and I’m sure that will only improve as festive cheer hits the house.

GONVILLE HOUSE REPORT

With success in the end of the first half of the term with the victory in the boys' house singing, Gonville spirits are at a high with ideas for next year already stewing

On the 13th of November, the boys executed a brilliant performance in the Gonville House Concert. With some slick hips and cracking jokes, the house did itself proud and got a few laughs in the process. Special mentions go to the solo acts of Arsene, Atom and the house band containing Fr Daniel, Harry H

Upper

have been playing in the XI football side, with Luke Burnham being captain for their aggregate victory over Tonbridge School.

In sports news the house was very successful in steeplechase, with Lucas Gorrill winning the Year 10 race, and Matt Geddes and Tom Hutton coming 1st and second in the Senior race, with the rest of the house following up the rear

In rugby news, three Gonvillians assisted the 1XV to a phenomenal victory against the Brighton 1XV, the first win against Brighton College in seven years.

Moving aside from Gonville achievements, the house looks forward to its yearly Christmas dinner, and the upcoming Sunday night tinsel mania, with personal room decorations to be judged within house too

Half a term has already passed in the college and much has happened in Gonville.

Three

Sixth Gonvillians Luke Clifford, Finn McKeown and Luke Burnham

Edward Rowell

NUGENT HOUSE REPORT

Looking forward to this term’s Christmas festivities, Nugent has been as busy and fun as ever...

Imogen Symonds

Coming back from the half term break, we were joined by a new and very energetic member of Nugent, Ace the Medleycott's new puppy! When he's not chewing slippers, he's putting smiles on faces on drowsy Monday mornings and late evenings.

Talking of evenings, a mid week quiz night in house got everyone together, eager to have a chance at taking away a prize hamper containing a great selection of tuck foods!

For sport, Nugent battled the elements during a very wet and rainy House Hockey. Nevertheless, with red banners and beanies, we all got behind with supporting and cheering as Nugent placed a strong 3rd overall but, as always, winning in spirit!

Hockey news doesn't end there: Kristina Duckett, Evie Clayson, Anne Spranger and Izzie Steed are our proud Nugent members of the 1st XI hockey. Kristina and Anne are also completing in the indoor hockey team, recently beating Bedes 2 1 and drew against Ardingly 2 2 and qualifying for the next round of the competition All are very excited and playing brilliantly. Well done!

Most recently, our talented musicians Ella Parker, Selena Brathwaite, Willow McNulty and Alice Lock performed during this year's Live Lounge Concert, keeping up Nugent's great musical legacy

Excited for House A Cappella later in the term, Nugent will again take to the stage for this competition, stronger than ever

PENNELL HOUSE REPORT

Prior to term break, Pennell Boys finished the half-term with an (according to our boys) mind-blowing performance at the house singing.

Pennell boys have had a relaxing half term break, starting fresh and potent with performances by Tiger Ge and Max Ge, whom both did incredibly at this year ´ s Live Lounge concert!

Another big success was the Watt x Pennell House dinner, where all year groups had great fun We had a Caesar Salad, followed by delicious fajitas with wedges, and ended the evening with waffles for dessert. We also had, once again, an incredible solo performance from Tiger Ge We all had a lovely time together and many of us, especially the new boys, could introduce ourselves to the girls. Thanks to Watt who were organising the event!

The Year 9s also did well in the recent house drama, where they played Harry Potter. The audience was amazed and our housemaster, Mr Jordain, as well as our Year 12 directors Zain and Duke, were very happy with our boys' performance Great job!

Moreover, Pennell boys also enjoyed a trip to the cinema, where we had a great time watching "Black Panther"

Tom D. Müller-Broich

POWELL HOUSE REPORT

Powell House has seen a busy start to the second half of term. We've seen preparations for the incredible Powell House concert on the first Saturday after half term, house singing just before half term and recently Year 9 Drama.

Elliot Wilson

The Powell House Concert went very well, and included the Year 9s' drama sketch of Harry Potter, the Year 10s with their take on adverts, the Year 11s’ gameshow, the Year 12s' dance and the Year 13s’ rendition of Strictly Come Dancing (Strictly Powell Dancing) hosted by Oli Wigman. A special mention must go to the soloists: Ben Young, Harry Evans, Daniel Guldemond, Matthew Wakefield, Dimitri Bykov and Fred Jensen

House singing was surprisingly successful. However, many believed we were completely robbed of being placed in the top 3. Anyway, the boys performed extremely well and we clearly showed the most spirit, despite us having some slightly questionable vocals at times

Year 12 pupil Oliver Edmead has recently been awarded the Prestigious Ward and Buke Arkwright Engineering scholarship, which is a huge achievement

A number of boys have also had great successes with their performances in the Live Lounge Concert which was an amazing event.

REEVES HOUSE REPORT

Cass Stallion

It has been another very busy and successful period for the boys in Reeves since our last issue. We have enjoyed Steeplechase, House Singing, Year 9 Drama and have many upcoming house events to look forward to.

Starting with the success stories of recent weeks, just last week our Year 9 boys competed in and won the Year 9 House Drama Competition giving a wonderful rendition of a Harry Potter scene. The boys performed fantastically in front of a crowd in the Le Broq Theatre on Thursday night. The brilliant acting as well as the excellent directing of Charlie and Zizie in Year 12 helped us secure the title Well done, boys !

In other news, the whole house took part brilliantly in the Inter House Singing Competition just before half term. Singing 'History' by One Direction, we somehow did not manage to place in the top three much to everyone's shock. However, the result didn't take away from the hours of practice and preparation that went into our performance and despite not getting our hands on any silverware this time, everyone did the house proud

Looking ahead to the coming weeks, Reeves boys have a busy schedule. By the time the magazine comes out, we’ll have had our house concert in the JWA I hope many of you attended, as it is perhaps the most anticipated event in our house calendar Boys across the house have been busy preparing dance moves, practising musical instruments or filming videos.

With acts ranging from live musical performances to re makes of famous music videos, it will be well worth a watch

In sport, three of our Year 13 boys continue to represent the school in the 1st XV rugby side and have their regional final upcoming this week

SCHOOL HOUSE REPORT

School House have seen another busy start to this half term, with Year 9 Drama, movie nights and UCAS applications.... (Year 13!!!)

Megan Moffat

Back in house we had 'Halloween Night', an evening filled with cake, costumes and dance moves!

Prior to half term break, we had inter house Steeplechase. This was very successful well done to all who competed! Special mention goes to Tess Garrett for winning the senior girls race!

On November 13th, School House girls were also given the opportunity to go watch the new Black Panther film ,Wakanda Forever A fun evening out with (at least in my case) lots of popcorn and pick n mix!

Continuing the sport content, School House girls took part in House Hockey on November 5th, with both junior and senior teams giving 100%. Our house spirit was certainly there, but I can't say the same about the sun

Coming up for School House is the School x Craig House Dinner on November 26th. The theme is musicians so I look forward to seeing our costumes! We also have the annual Brighton Christmas Shopping trip on December 11th, where we all get to spend our money on exciting Christmas goodies!

WARGRAVE HOUSE REPORT

A lot has happened since our last edition of The Stag at the College. Recently, the Year 13s have been busy sending their university applications. With three Oxbridge applicants in-house, we hope to hear of an interview opportunity soon.

We have also had another successful house concert, involving: the house band; the Year 9 fishing sketch; the Year 10s 'what evening prep looks like' sketch; the year 11 golf video; and the year 13 'Hunted' compére video. Not only that, but we had the house song Candy by Robbie Williams to top it all off and, a personal favourite, the Year 12 dance.

To my surprise, House Singing was a great success: despite the fierce competition that we were up against, the 'Grave still managed third place Admittedly, this wasn't what we aimed for but we were happy nonetheless

We have also had the annual school Steeplechase with a strong performance overall from the house Mr Spiers was the fastest teacher and Will P, Finn H and Will J were in the top 10

Currently, the results of the Year 9 Drama haven't been disclosed I, however, am very confident in the lads; since Jack and Zach are the directors, I think we are in safe hands It'll be great to secure a first place position this year after falling short with second last year

Will James

WATT HOUSE REPORT

Hannah Sewell

In the Live Lounge Concert we had great performances from Ruby, Polly and Jasmine

Year Nine practised for their house drama performances. This year ’ s theme: Harry Potter. A big thank you is deserved for the hard work of the Year 12 helpers At the time of writing, we have yet to find out the winning house (good luck Watt!)

The Inter House Singing Competition was a big success for Watt House as we managed to win first place with our medley of Queen songs We harmonised our way through “Another One Bites The Dust” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and finally “We Are The Champions” which took on a whole new meaning following our victory! A special well done to Alice who managed to hit the high note in Bohemian Rhapsody at every practice without fail All the houses sounded amazing and it was definitely a night to remember

Everyone in Watt performed well in the steeplechase as they zoomed up the hills and along the seafront. Poppy Thomas and Callie Gent received 1st and 2nd place for the Year 12 girls, and Poppy also got a medal, along with a few other Watt girls!

Yuki and Alice played beautifully in the first informal concert of the term Alice Younger went on to astound everyone with her deeply moving violin playing in the Remembrance Chapel Service.

The new table tennis/pool/air hockey table, along with the karaoke machine have been a great source of enjoyment for all the Watt girls in perfect time for winter!

The Watt Pennell dinner was a great success, with both houses looking very glamorous as they rose to the “Red Carpet” theme. The Year 12 organisers worked really hard to ensure that everything went smoothly.

What an eventful few weeks this has been for Watt House!

Perhaps one of the most popular changes to Watt House has been the new prize awarded for Star of the Week: a jar of lotus biscoff spread!

BEING AN LGBTQ+ ALLY

Your friend came out. What do you say?

*This guide was created by the Be You LGBTQ+ group*

Definition: ‘coming out’ is the self disclosure of a person in relation to their gender identity or sexual orientation

When a person comes out to you, it will likely be a big deal to them. They may have thought about doing it for a long time, and they may feel worried they may be rejected.

This guide has been informed by our own experiences of coming out at school, although you don’t have to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to be in the group. We hope you will take just a couple of minutes to read it so that Eastbourne College can become a more welcoming community

Do:

Be curious and ask: “Is there anything more that you’d like to share with me?” whilst respecting their boundaries Be supportive, open and caring Recognise that the person coming out trusts you Understand that it can be worrying to come out Reassure them Continue to be a good friend; them coming out shouldn’t change your friendship

Be You Group

Don’t:

Don’t tell anyone else it is not your news to tell Don’t assume that this changes anything about the person telling you Don’t ask “Are you attracted to me?” Don’t ask “Is it just a phase?”

Don’t tell them that “You don’t look trans/gay/lesbian/bi” Don’t say “okay” and then never talk about the subject again Don’t tell them to “pick a side”

Don’t interrogate them they might not be ready to share anything more

Some responses that we would have liked to hear ourselves:

“Thank you for telling me ” “Thank you for trusting me ” “I’m proud of you ” “You’re brave”

“Is there anything else you want to share with me about it?”

Scan this QR code to find Stonewall’s guide on how to become a better ally

To join Be You, contact Mr Ahmed aahmed@eastbournecollege.co.uk You do not have to be a member of the community to be in the group.

CHARITY REPORT

Revd. Merceron

The annual Harvest Appeal for Eastbourne Foodbank was very successful this year, collecting enough produce for over 2,300 quality meals Of course, at this time even in a town like Eastbourne, this is greatly needed.

Wargrave House began raising money for their charity, the Sam West Foundation The latter promotes awareness, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues affecting children, young adults and their families. At their House Revue they raised £529 a healthy start to the year

At the first Whole School Service of the year the Chapel Charities for the school were launched by the Charity Society These two charities are Crisis, which is a well established UK charity which seeks to support homeless people (so needed at this present time) and Bushbells, a charity based partly in the UK (and created by an OE, Jacqui Comyns née Batcup, Nugent ’79 ’81) but providing equipment, buildings and even teachers for a school project in Kenya.

Gonville House continued their support of Matthew 25 Mission, which is an Eastbourne charity assisting people in need and offering practical help and support to anyone, regardless of race, religion or gender They began their year by raising a respectable £424 from their House Revue More to follow

After a wonderful Remembrance Sunday, a collection was taken for the Poppy Appeal, which raised £258, which was added to the giving from the sale of poppies in Houses and at Reception.

Following a splendid Confirmation Service, led by The Right Revd Dr Martin Warner (Bishop of Chichester) over £235 was raised for his Discretionary Fund, which is used for people in need in the local Diocese

For the first time we collected quality items for a Community Christmas Chest, to make up Christmas boxes for those who need cheering up at this time of year This was done together with the Turing School.

Watt House held one of their excellent cake sales to raise funds for their chosen charity, Children with Cancer. There was a U6 Charity Quiz in Tim’s Café, which raised £182 for the Chapel Charities, and Maya Toor collected used backpacks, which she had taken to schools in Mozambique (one of the poorest countries in the world).

Sophie Stevens

HOROSCOPES

By Ella Stevenson

(Jan 20th - Feb 18th) Pisces Feb 19th - Mar 20th

Aquarius

Ensure to spend time with friends and family over the holidays

The break from school could be a great time to try out some baking

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

Look out for a Christmas romance

This is your sign to treat yourself to a festive shopping trip

Gemini (May 21st - June 20th) Cancer (June 21st - July 22nd) Leo (July 23rd - Aug 22nd) Virgo (Aug 23rd - Sep 22nd)

You should start thinking of some New Year's resolutions

Libra

(Sep 23rd - Oct 22nd)

You deserve a good rest over the Christmas holidays

It's never too early to start drafting your wish list

Stop leaving your prep until the last minute!

Try to help others this Christmas: small gestures can go a long way!

Scorpio (Oct 23rd - Nov 21st)

Treat yourself to an overpriced Starbucks Christmas drink

Sagittarius

(Nov 22nd - Dec 21st)

Take charge and organise a secret Santa

Capricorn (Dec 22nd - Jan 19th You should really stop spending money in the school cafe