The Citizen - 9 December 2016

Citizen

The

G. Berry

T

ISSUE #12

09 December 2016

ISSUE #07

02 November 2016

Christmas Concert a Festive Hit

uesday 6th December saw the musicians of CLS giving their best performance yet at the annual Christmas Concert.

From Swing Band to Folk Group, every style of music you could wish to hear was in play. All the regular ensembles that meet and rehearse

week to week were playing selected pieces with a festive twist.The traditional ‘Smoking Bishop’ was served alongisde mulled wine, cheese and mince pies for what was a truly classy start to the festive season. The Great Hall was full to the brim with parents, staff, governors and

pupils who enjoyed the relaxed and convivial atmosphere. Congratulations to the Music Department for one of the highlights of the year.

For more pictures turn to page 3......

FRIENDS OF CLS Events

Editorial

The remaining date in our Friends’ Calendar is the Carol Service at Temple Church on Thursday 15th December (6.30-8.30pm). Whilst the Service itself is very much a school affair, the Friends will be on hand CBROOM VM R AJ M with mince pies and mulled cider and apple juice, to refresh both amateur and professional choristers.

Editorial Mr A J V McBroom On Tuesday of this week the annual Christmas Concert took place.

All parents Frie

Next term sees another full calendar of Secondhand Uniform Sales (sever! I am pleased It was lovely to see the Great Hall absolutely packed to the gunnels ovcoincide S is to CL at ar ye ic en in total), timed with Concerts and Parents’ Evenings. The em ad her ac Anot a success with parents, staff, governors and boys. The Music Department was k ee nW do on SL first sale of 2017 is on Tuesday 31st January (5th Form Parents’ Evening).

CL rt that # repoof toquality nary range of di or should be congratulated on both the variety and the tra ex an in g tin

k you ith boys participa y a very public than es. I would like to sa iti ous tiv m ac an enofor the investment of time, energy and expertise from the peripatetic vested See below for in a quick summary next term’s various upcoming social who f af st of rs be em m to the g the various nisin orgaand music teachers. What was also marvellous to see was the number of anevents, for both parents: in boys gy er en d e tim amount of ensembles which are pupil-led - further testimony to the refreshing es. trips and activiti Coffee Mornings independence so often displayed by boys from City. rsweet s bitte alwaySchool is Lower rm Te er Wed 18 Jan (OG-3rd Form) m m Su e th Tues of The end ct of pe os pr e th at t en m te ci ex is e er Thurs 26 Jan Upperth School (4th s that - of course th esForm-S6th) tinged with e sadn is is th What the evening also underlined is the incredible team of people t bu s, ay lid ar, the ho This yeForm) ues. (OG-3rd lleagSchool Wed 8 Mar Lower to co e by od go at the School who make hosting such events possible.

Converting ng yi sa comes with retiring embers of staff are m the Great Hall into a cabaret-style venue is no meanur featlo and the ng vi er -s ng and fo w, Jeff Easingwood la Donation id La r ai ist Keepers are tireless in their efforts to make sure everything is just Al f, ea Alison H Parents’ Suppersrent ways, have been ffe there is n so. I suspect few are aware that, when the audience departs, nes. All, in their di . h Jothey ed iss Hug m ly re so be ill & 3rd Form, 7:30 pm ‘Frien Jan d w2nd S an s to CL25 are often required to convert the space back againgr forea the following ntributorWed t co rm was of te morning. I am sure everyone would agree that the evening was eekForm, Thurs 23 Feb OG & 1st 7.30pm al w e highlight of the fin th e, m r e Fo tim enhanced by the famous ‘Smoking Bishop’, which warmed the , at the hich Row w4th re so Thurs d 2Mar & 5th Form, 7.30pmw on Sp r ou H K 48 a. the food, cockles on what was a cold night. This, and the delicious £7000 for Farm Afric er ov d ise ra s ha g, in writ ofthe d despite comes courtesy of our fantastic catering team, under expert In addit s, were amazing an ay w al as , ys bo e Thterm). achine going, m g in stewardship of Nicholas Salmon (who joined CLS this w Boys’ Joint Socials with CLSG ro e th tim pt ke tigue and blisters presents re l ria ito Others too deserve a mention - for example, guestsfa are greeted in ed is Th . ysFeb 1st Form/Yr 7 at CLS 4.45-6.45pm r 2 da28 Tue uninterrupted, fo parental Sunday 1 Reception by Prefects, who are on hand to take coats and direct y thank you to the sa to ty ni rtu po op r ei od a go S, for thpm Mon 6 Mar e FrOG/U2 CL4.30-6.30 iendsatofCLSG people to the right locations. Thanks should also go to the likes of th r, dy and, in particula bo of all the Kathy Rose (Senior Administrator) and Ladi Dariya (Events and -raising endeavours Satu nd fu e th of t or pp su with such a ol ho sc a Lettings Manager) for the work they invest in the planning stage. in k or w d to you so much for all of your support this term, and we look for- questio boys. I am prouThank I am always at pains to remind the boys of the extraordinary efforts c. e ettohioffering bl you something warm and mulled at the Carol Service. strong charita ward invested on their behalf by the support staff at CLS – they are, in to express my gratitude to e lik ld ou w I , many ways, the unsung heroes. lly Fina Contact uss efforts for The Citizen. eles Miss Jenks for her tir a high-quality that such her (Chair): to n w do y Fiona Farr fiona_farr@hotmail.com el rg la is well on It ch week. I wish her ea ed as le re is n io or friends@cityoflondonschool.org.uk publicat her maternity leave. . wonderful summer Have a wonderful, w appreciative of performances. I know Mr Harrison is particularly

How to contribute to The Citizen

h S t a n e z i t i C e h t Victory for

Any boy is welcome to send in an article of any length on any topic! Go to www.onedrive.com and sign in with the shared Citizen account details: User: citizen@clsb.org.uk Pass: TheC1t1zen ER KOTA-BALDWIN J6W ZAK LA Upload your article, remembering to include your name, form and the title. Upload by 4pm on Monday to guarantee considerano the helm, has been d an ts en ud st tion for that week’s issue.If you have technical difficulties please email your submission directly to of sa k y or h the tireless w once again proudl Throug en riv st s ay w citizen@cityoflondonschool.org.uk All are welcome to attend the editorial meeting: Fridays at 12.50 in Room 111 al s s against s e Citizen ha

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teachers alike, th , and est quality possible to achieve the high Mr r the leadership of for many years unde ised d our efforts recogn ha ve ha e w m ha Filling ds.

School Media Awar e prestigious Shine

great succes competition.

With nominations in l Best Overall Editoria

This Day in History – 9th December Jack Durand J6NB

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n 9th December, 1952, the sun reemerged over London as what has come to be referred to as “The Great Smog” lifted after four days of standstill in the capital.

As a result of the burning of coal both domestically, to heat one’s home, and industrially, in factories, levels of air pollution in London rose to staggering heights, with in excess of 12,000 deaths in London alone more than usual from December 1952 to March 1953. These fumes descended upon the capital due to a high-pressure anticyclone, with extremely low temperatures and wind speeds, which caused the smog to settle and linger for several days before the weather became more agreeable.

With the smog having descended, a shutdown of all public transport services, bar the London Underground, ensued due to dismally low visibility. It was reported that it areas of East London one could not even see one’s own feet in the smog. The reduced visibility and traffic led to a crime spree, with over 100 smash and grab robberies taking place in the four days and even a murder. However, this was not the only death that occurred as a result of the Great Smog; those predisposed to illness,

either being very young, very old or having a pre-existing respiratory problem, were greatly affected by the spike in levels of air pollution.

In the weeks following the lifting of the smog on this day in 1952, it was revealed that over 4,000 had died directly because of the adverse weather conditions.

The true significance of the Great Smog is its impact on the government’s stance to environmental issues and the growing politicisation of such concerns. In 1956, anti-pollution legislation in the form of the Clean Air Act was enacted into law shortly after the incident, restricting the domestic burning of coal in urban areas, creating the so-called “Smokeless Zones”, and forcing the country to explore alternative, less damaging sources of energy.

However, this was insufficient, with another, though less catastrophic, smog descending over London in 1963. This prompted the revision of the 1956 Act in 1968 to limit the impact of the industrial burning of coal, ensuring tall chimneys were used to prevent the fumes settling over densely populated urban areas, and the 1974 Control of Air Pollution Act to contain the environmental effects of vehicles. Due to

the growing prevalence of vehicles and growth of car ownership as the century advanced, the 1995 Environment Act was passed, placing restrictions on all known sources of air pollution in urban areas, following the re-emergence of smog as new car pollutants reacted chemically with sunlight.

While the immediate impact of the Great Smog, as the culmination of years of growing pollution was catastrophic, it established the need for the reform of environmental policy to curb the damaging impact of Britain’s rapid industrialisation in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Undoubtedly, this was a crucial event in both the British political and environment history of the century, with environmental measures attracting newfound discussion and debate in Parliament. One contemporary MP encapsulated gravity of the Act perfectly when addressing Harold Macmillan, then Minister of Housing: ‘Does the Minister not appreciate that last month, in Greater London alone, there were literally more people choked to death by air pollution than were killed on the roads in the whole country in 1952?’

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CSO Assembly Max Gordon 4A

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n Friday 25th November a group of Fourth Form boys, doing CSO volunteering for Transport for London, performed a road safety and awareness assembly to OG and First Form. Hoping to spread awareness of padestrian safety, we showed them numerous posters made by other

secondary school students and aimed to help them by giving them some ways to ensure the safety of their friends and themselves.

This assembly followed weeks of planning and surveying the younger years on transport and safety around London which provided us with valuable and interesting data to present

at the assembly. All the boys who spoke at the assembly did an excellent job and provided the younger years with valuable safety tips to help ensure their wellbeing when commuting in and around London.

Mrs MacDonagh’s Cooking Corner - La Bomba This is a great substitute for the traditional Christmas Cake or a tasty treat to use up the Panettones or Pandoros one receives during the holidays. I found that a mini-panettone will serve 2 people.

Syrup Ingredients:

Zest of 1 orange Juice of 2 oranges 3 tablespoons caster sugar 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Contreau

Cake Ingredients:

Small Pandoro or Panettone cake 800ml whipping cream Zest of 1 orange 2 tablespoons caster sugar 1 punnet raspberries 1 small pack Toasted flaked almonds

Method: 1.First make the syrup by mixing all the syrup ingredients together over a medium heat.

Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Simmer for 1 minute then leave to cool.

2.Remove any paper from the bottom of the cake. Thinly slice off the top. Cut the cake into 3 or 4 layers.

3.Generously brush each layer with the cooled syrup. You may want to pour a bit more syrup on each round and let it soak in.

4.Beat the cream, sugar and zest together until it forms stiff peaks.

5.Place a dab of cream on the serving dish.

Place the largest round on top. Cover with cream. Sprinkle with raspberries. Cover with more cream.

6.Repeat step 5 until you’ve used up all the cake rounds. Cover the top and sides with cream. Decorate with more raspberries and toasted almond flakes.

7.Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Yum!

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The Path Less Trodden: Montenegro Atom CLARK J6AJB

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ontenegro (the Black Mountain) is a mountainous Mediterranean jewel on the West Balkan coast lodged between Croatia and Albania. The country was a booming luxury holiday destination back in the ‘70s as part of Yugoslavia, uniting Western and Eastern tourists alike, however during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia interest in the region diminished and Montenegro’s treasures would remain a local secret. Nonetheless, following a narrowly-won independence referendum from Serbia in 2006, Montenegro quickly became a booming economy, built not just on business investments, but on tourism.

Whilst the country received a relatively average 7.3 million visitors in 2007, this figure is vast relative to the country’s tiny population, barely exceeding half a million.

This considerable and rising interest in the destination is not unsurprising once you discover the range of tourists Montenegro appeals to and the incredible number of stunning landscapes, architectural wonders and tucked-away beaches, all confined into such a small space.

Undeniably the country’s greatest claim to fame is the Bay of Kotor, a stunning and delightfully peaceful inlet surrounded on all sides by dizzying peaks and cosy Mediterranean towns, apart from a small strait where you can enter in dramatic fashion by cruise ship or along the winding cliff side road. The largest town on the bay, Kotor, will be your base of operations for the area. The old town is famous for its 15th century fortifications; it is surrounded on three sides by impenetrable stone walls which climb up the steep mountainside on the fourth side to connect 200m above the town at the ruined fortress. For a small fee, these fortifications are well worth the climb however I would also recommend continuing further up the massif up steep slopes and through highland woods to get a stunning view of the bay as a whole along with the surrounding peaks. If you’re a really ambitious hiker you could take the long hike up and along the Lovćen massif to the Njegoš Mausoleum, a shrine to Montenegro’s Shakespeare appropriately situated on a mountain top 1600m above sea level. Back at ground level now, right in the middle of the lake, where two artificial islands lie just off the pretty town of Perast. The first is home to ‘Our Lady of the Rocks’, a beautiful blue domed orthodox church, with its out-of-bounds monastery lying on the adjacent island. It’s well worth the short

boat trip to the island if not for the church then for the 360º panorama right in the middle of the lake.

The Bay of Kotor is considered the key site however to remain there would be a wasted opportunity. Continuing along the coast to Budva, who’s old town (old towns being a common theme throughout the region) is eerily reminiscent of colonial, pirate-ridden 18th century towns with its rusty cannons, narrow alleyways and tall palms.

Just a five minute drive away from Budva lies Montenegro’s most iconic site, the tombolo town of Sveti Stefan; connected to the mainland only by a sandbar, this old fishing village is now an island-wide luxury hotel, but it still retains its cosy Mediterranean feel. Further down the coast still lies Bar. Its old town, unlike the others, is one great hillside ruin where along cobbled paths you can marvel at long disused aqueducts, clocktowers and stone apartments.

Moving further inland now where the great Zeta river and its towering valley flow right across the middle of the country into Lake Skadar on the border with Albania. The area around the lake is where gastro-tourists should be heading, particularly if you have an appetite for sea food and wine. The river hamlet of Rijeka Crnojevia which has largely survived the recent onslaught of visitors, is the ideal place to get a taste of peaceful, Adriatic, riverside life and of sea food at the best fish restaurant in the country. Coupled with its iconic stony bridge, the cackle of frogs, and the meandering stream, the whole area makes for a very pleasant afternoon. Up the river valley past the largely uninteresting capital Podgorica, the Dinaric peaks start to rise again and lodged in one of their cliff sides, stands the white-washed Ostrog Monastery, a perfect recluse for monks, and a perfect architectural icon for visitors, guarding the north of the country, where the lazy life by the Med turns into an action-packed, hiker’s delight.

The entire north of the country is lined from one end to the other with high peaks, steep valleys and Europe’s only tropical rainforest, Biogradska Gora, where you can trek through one of the most remote corners of Europe and relax by glacial highland lakes. One of the best albeit quite challenging routes to the north of the country is the road through the Morača canyon where at times the roadside comprises of a vertical drop into the white-water river.

In many places the canyon is so narrow the road is simply dug into the side, however you do get to witness some of the best scenery the country has to offer. Whilst the Morača canyon is impressive, it is just a gateway to the north where you can find Europe’s deepest canyon and UNESCO world heritage site, the Tara Canyon, which is nearer to the border with Bosnia. Between the two canyons lie the Durmitor mountains. Snow-capped in places, these mighty mountains offer some of the best hikes on the continent, starting by tranquil lakes, ascending through lush forests and stone landscapes there are endless paths taking you around some of the highest and most beautiful peaks in the Balkans.

Overall I thoroughly recommend you put Montenegro on your top destinations list however it is one of many countries suffering from overcrowding, where peaceful, sparsely-populated scenery gets overrun by tourists during the summer. Therefore, I recommend visiting in the spring time, where you can appreciate the sunny beaches and good hiking weather whilst avoiding the crowds.

Happy travelling!

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Young Lord Mayor CONRAD O’CALLAGHAN, J6WER

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ver the course of this past week, you have seen posters around the school urging you to vote for the young lord mayor. Here is a quick profile of who the Young Lord Mayor, (YLM) is: WHO IS THE YOUNG LORD MAYOR? The young lord mayor of the City of London, or head of the youth forum, represents the youth to the City of London and its council. This position was originally created in 2014, and the YLM stands for one year. The YLM would talk to the City of London and key political figures in society including the Lord Mayor of the City of London himself. The YLM is supposed to be a neutral figure with no political bias.

WHAT DOES HE/SHE DO? The YLM’s main responsibility is to voice the concerns of young people to society and make their voices heard. After all, teenagers have virtually no say in society as they are unable to vote and so as a direct consequence of this, they feel let down. Therefore, the YLM is supposed to be politically bias and represent young people’s feelings regardless. They listen to youths in workshops and their respective queries which they can then appropriately

address to others. The YLM would typically go around their local area and find any other concerns or issues that people have. He would investigate matters and relay these matters to the City of London itself. By the sheer fact that this role is taken up by a school boy, he can relate to these issues himself making it easier to voice them to others. Problems facing young people have drastically changed over the past decade and their feelings have altered out of proportion.

WHY A YOUNG LORD MAYOR REALLY MATTERS? There are many advantages to be had of having a YLM. The very existence of such a position, gets young people across the UK to get involved and stand for a position. They can have a taste for the hard work that is required to stand for elections and in turn, this will give them their debut on the political stage. Voting in general elections amongst young adults is immensely poor. In the last general election, only 43% of people aged 18 – 25 bothered to vote for a political party.

In this year’s notorious EU referendum, teenagers were not given the vote and only 63% of people age 18 – 24 voted which is nearly

10% below that of the national average. This is because they thought that their vote did not matter and that society had given up on them.

The Young Lord Mayor is designed to change this and hopefully improve the turnout at the ballot box. The YLM can also provide pressure on the City of London for reforms and greater investment on the improvement of services across London. They can push for costs to be cut for these services as well. Young people can become involved in a democracy in which they would otherwise be isolated from. Their voices will not only be heard but acted upon through this prestigious position. For people standing for Young Lord Mayor, they have not only gained confidence in delivering speeches and etiquette in addressing and dining with politicians and other mayors across London, but they are given the chance to become connected with other youths in this age of social technology throughout the City of London and beyond by merely engaging in conversation with them.

VOTE ON DECEMBER 12 2016

Album Reviews - Angel Olsen ‘My Woman’ Mr Riggs

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was a big fan of Angel Olsen’s last album (Burn Your Fire For No Witness); at the time I’d pretty much gone off alt country/ folk music but there was something about the

sincerity of her voice and the quality of her song writing which drew me to that record.

However, after seeing her deliver a fairly dull show in Camden a couple of years ago, my expectations were lowered for the new album... and then raised again by the considerable amount of pre-release hype and positive reviews it has garnered. It seems that the media has recently woken up to her talents and her classic voice. But... I’m struggling with this album. There are some great moments - in particular, the 8 minute Neil Young-style guitar duelling of Sister is a real high point and amongst the best things she’s done, and she certainly sounds more confident and in control of her art than ever. So why do I feel quite bored when I listen to the whole thing...? In all honesty, I don’t think the song writing is

up to scratch - if you’re going to make fairly traditional folk/rock these days, it has to be exceptional to sustain people’s interest, and I don’t quite think she manages it. Having said that, it’s still worth checking Angel Olsen out - at her best she is one of the most emotive singers around.

YouTube it: Sister

To What Extent does Competition Benefit an Individual?

Alex Kitsberg J6CSM

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ast week, the world of Formula 1 suffered a huge shock as Nico Rosberg announced his retirement just five days after winning the Grand Prix title. Rosberg delivered the shocking statement with the claim that he had ‘climbed his mountain’ and ‘reached the peak’. However, it is believed that he had ulterior motives as he also conceded that he had considered retiring as a result of the intense pressure of the title battle with his Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton. The deterioration of their friendship has been widely reported.

The story is well known of the pair growing up together as best friends racing go-karts and as they moved into Formula 1, the increasing

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competition had a progressively negative impact upon their friendship. It is for this reason that many national newspapers published reports of Hamilton having played a deciding role in Rosberg’s decision to quit. In The Times, Kevin Eason declared, “Lewis Hamilton lost the battle but won the war. He dominated Nico Rosberg from karting to the ultimate in Formula 1 and when the German finally won his world championship, the strain was so great that he had to walk away from the sport.”

Whilst the extent to which Hamilton played a part in Rosberg’s retirement is questionable, it is quite obvious that he at least played a trifling role. This begs the question; to what extent

does competition benefit an individual?

I believe that it is important to highlight the presence of competition in everything in the world around us – life itself is a competitive sport. Charles Darwin recognised this idea and argued that man himself has a natural propensity to compete and triumph; “[Competition] stimulates people to obtain recognition or to win some kind of prize in society. People work hard to achieve their goals.” He went on to highlight that in order for one to achieve their goals, they require initiative “energy or (the) initiation of action”. In essence, Darwin is highlighting that without competition in our society, very little would get done. It is

man’s desire to surpass and eclipse his fellow man that causes him to put in work in order to try and achieve a better outcome than his competitor. A fitting, current example is that of university applications. Cambridge receives, on average, five applications per place. As a result, it only accepts the very best applicants, naturally. As a result, applicants spend considerable amounts of time revising for interviews and refining their personal statements. They also learn their subjects to the best of their ability in order to achieve their top possible grades in their A-levels. This is all due to competition. It is the fear that someone else will overshadow you with better results, statements or interview results. However, if there was no competition for places and application was an easy process, students would certainly not work as hard or go to such great lengths in order to acquire a place at a top university. Hence, their standard of work would decrease sufficiently as they lack the need to excel. This situation can be applied to several walks of life; a City worker aims to achieve the best results in order to get a promotion ahead of counterparts or back to the original subject of Nico Rosberg, completely devoting himself to training for his races in order to try and achieve an edge over his competitor.

Darwin went on to describe survival as being a natural selection process meaning that only the fittest survive. Whilst modern society is not so much a battle for survival, it is more fitting to apply Darwin’s ideas in the context that the best in our society are destined to be the most successful. Accordingly, in order to gain excellence and recognition in society an individual is required to possess an unquenchable desire to succeed and outperform competitors. In order to set themselves apart from competitors, individuals are driven to develop new ideas, technologies and concepts. This idea is mentioned in economics when comparing a free market economy (where resources are allocated based purely upon supply and demand and the price mechanism) and a command economy (where it is the government instead of markets which decides how resources should be allocated).

The two systems are the direct opposites of each other in the case of competition. A command economy completely lacks competition, as all firms are government-owned whilst in a free market economy, firms are not government-owned and therefore firms will produce similar products to one another, placing their goods and services provided in competitive

demand. As a result of this competition in a free market economy, entrepreneurship is encouraged and efficiency is demanded (as any product can be bought and sold, but only those of the best value will be in demand). In a command economy on the other hand, there is a complete lack of risk-taking and efficiency as government-owned firms have no incentive to incentive to increase efficiency, take risks or innovate as there is a lack of competition and they have no need to make a profit. Thus, competition can be highlighted to have healthy benefits as the drive to outdo others serves as an incentive to cause improvements in society and a higher level of success and achievement.

What happens if this competition becomes unhealthy however?

Rosberg finally won a Formula 1 championship and his drive to succeed was his excessive desire to beat his teammate and former friend Lewis Hamilton. One may argue that the competition between the two teammates was healthy for Rosberg as his fear of coming in second behind Hamilton was what drove him on to defeat his competitor through his increased training and focus during his race. However, at what cost did his success come? Rosberg stated that one of the main reasons why he was quitting was in order to adopt the paternal duties he has neglected over the past year. As a result his wife was left to tend to their one-year-old child whilst Rosberg stayed in separate accommodation in order that the baby would not interrupt his title chances. To me, this appears to be a clear example of what unhealthy competition is – an all-consuming lust to win and beat adversaries. Such a significant sacrifice is not a decision that the driver would have taken lightly but maybe his judgment was partially clouded by his desire and overbearing need to top the competition. The intensity of the Formula 1 competition has also proved costly in other social aspects of Rosberg’s life. The deterioration of his relationship with Hamilton is certainly the most obvious example. In 2001, the pair were on the same go-kart racing team and unlikely match (Hamilton from a council estate in Stevenage whilst Rosberg was the only child of wealthy parents, brought up in Monaco) but nevertheless, incredibly close friends. The pair remained friends up through Formula 3 and even when they began Formula 1 racing (Hamilton a year after Rosberg). However, it was in Formula 1, the most competitive of all racing competitions, that the intense friendship

became a thing of the past. Both Hamilton and Rosberg argued throughout racing seasons and were involved in crashes with one another, both hindering the other. Whilst the nature of the competition may have caused the two drivers to excel and improve to the top-flight racers they are today, the negative impacts of this transition are highly noteworthy – as a result of their aspirations for first place, they sacrificed their friendship.

The prize of success serves as an incentive for work but this incentive can also have a negative impact. The desire to succeed and do well both at school and in later life is among the documented causes and motivators for individuals to cheat. Increasing job, school and university competition has led to an increase in cheating as students attempt to gain an edge over their competitors by alternative means.

So, whilst competition (at face value) serves to increase the amount of work that students and employees put into their education and work, it may in fact have the incredibly negative effect of creating a society lacking in honesty. Sports are prime examples of where increased competition has led to increased amounts of doping in order to gain an advantage over competitors.

When asked why he used performance enhancing drugs, Pierre Garçon, a NFL wide receiver, answered, “It gives you an upper hand that regular guys like myself don’t have. (…) It is an advantage.” His reasoning that it gave him an advantage, is the defining reason why competition may not be healthy for an individual or a society as a whole if it spirals out of control.

The fact is that in our incredibly competitive society, certain individuals will excel at certain things, and others will not. However, the competitiveness of human nature means that one is unable to accept failure and therefore will attempt to achieve success through whatever means possible, whether this is cheating, sacrificing a friendship or neglecting those closest to us.

To conclude, as a society we need competition. It is what causes our success and great achievements to occur. Without it, we would lack incentive to challenge ourselves and push ourselves to greater lengths. However, the extent to which we push ourselves is an important factor and Nico Rosberg was driving along the borderline throughout the latest F1 season.

The fierce competitiveness between himself and Lewis Hamilton had adverse effects upon him socially and many believe that if he had continued, he would have suffered mentally as well. It is at this point that competition begins to become unhealthy and individuals begin to suffer as a result of their focus upon success.

Failure to outdo competitors can also prove to be detrimental as individuals may try to win by any necessary means. This is not what success is however. Nico Rosberg did not cheat in his quest to win Formula 1. He worked away at it for several years and suffered multiple defeats but didn’t let it affect him. That is the reason why Nico won the Championship finally.

Although the competition between him and the other drivers may have negatively affected him at times, overall he used it as an incentive to triumph. It is this behavior that answers the question surrounding this article of to what extent competition benefits an individual? The answer is summarized in the victorious end to Rosberg’s Formula 1 career; it will benefit you as much as you allow it to positively affect you, as Rosberg did to an extent.

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Why the Electoral College should be abolished Seth Weisz J6MJW

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o that’s it then, seemingly. The people have spoken and loudest voices were in favour of Mr Trump, so we should just accept that he has a mandate to rule and brace ourselves for what could become the most memorable four years of American history.

But were they? Hillary Clinton is projected to receive 64 million votes, a whopping 2 million more than President-Designate Trump. There must be some dark magic at play and in this case it comes in the form of 538 elitist individuals who alone have the sole responsibility of electing the next president of the United States – a system commonly known as the ‘Electoral College’.

In 1789, having drawn up most of the American Constitution, the Founding Fathers realised they needed a specific voting system for electing the USA’s Presidents. Democracy was considered to be a revolutionary principle at the time and as such some of the constitution’s architects expressed their reservations at a directly democratic form of voting (including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, who penned essay arguing against a directly democratic system in essays entitled ‘Federalist 10’ & ‘Federalist 68’ respectively).

So how does the system actually work? Each state is granted one elector for every (approx.)

550,000 inhabitants – the number often increases after a national census – and two additional electors regardless of population size.

This is meant to reflect the 538 politicians in Congress, 438 of whom reside in the House of Representatives and 100 in the Senate. On Election Day, every state counts their voting tally and (barring Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional systems) awards all of their electors to the candidate that receives the most votes from the state’s electorate. This winnertakes-all system means that in a close race a candidate could quite easily win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote – as happened to Clinton – if they win big states such as California or Texas by hefty margins but lose a number of swing states by small margins. After

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all, it doesn’t matter how many people vote for a different candidate, the nominee with the most votes receives ALL of the state’s electoral votes. Lastly, the individuals who were directly elected by the voters then get to vote for whichever Presidential candidate they please. The voting usually takes place mid-December, hence the title ‘President-Designate’ rather than ‘President-Elect’ when referring to Trump.

The most obvious cause for abolishing this outdated system is its repeated failure to adhere to the will of the people. Since 1992, the electorate has chosen the Democratic candidate over the Republican a resounding six out of seven times, yet there have only been four Democratic terms in the White House. The other two times, the Electoral College seemed to disagree with the will of the people and voted instead for the Republican.

It was George Bush in 2000 and now Donald Trump in 2016, both of which were and will be arguably disastrous for America and the welfare of the Middle East.

What’s more, the Electoral College in essence does away with the ‘one-man-one-vote’ system that is an essential cornerstone of modern democracy. Due to the two free electoral votes plus an additional mandatory minimum of one vote per state, some voters can end up with significantly larger electoral influence than others. In Wyoming, for example, there are three state electors, one for every 177,000 people, whereas the average is one elector per 565,00 and surpasses one for every 600,000 people in California, meaning that a Wyoming citizen’s vote matters four times as much as that of a Californian.

When talking about the undue influence of states, it is vital to mention the level of attention granted to swing states at the expense of safe states. Due to the winner-takes-all system favoured by the Electoral College, a presidential candidate needs to win only one more vote

than their closest contender to receive all the electoral votes of that state. In reality this means that candidates shun states that are unlikely to move from one party’s column to another and instead visit swing states almost exclusively – 273 out of the 299 total campaign stops by both Clinton and Trump were in states considered likely to swing from one candidate to another. As a result, America has ended up with a system which once caused Homer Simpson to remark: “I have to vote, I live in a swing state – my vote counts for more than a million Californians”.

Equally, voters living in safe states have little incentive to vote, as they know that their votes are much less likely to influence the outcome of the election, causing them to stay at home and often leaving the USA with voter turnouts as low as 50%.

So, if the electoral process is so obviously defective and is in such dire need of reform, how come the Founding Fathers devised it in the first place? The answer can be found quite easily in the aforementioned political musings of Madison and Hamilton, both of whom viewed the Electoral College as a way of blocking unfit, unqualified and potentially puppet candidates (sound like anyone familiar?) from becoming President by having elites vote for the Commander-in-Chief instead. If there was a nominee who was viewed as temperamentally unfit for office, the electors were as a result morally obliged to overturn the state’s results and vote for a different candidate. However, the Electoral College was designed for the 1700’s America, where he President had little power and was viewed largely as a ceremonial role, whilst at the same time elections were much more definitive and (before 1824) there was little likelihood of a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the Electoral College.

Nevertheless, throughout America’s 240-year history the College has failed to serve its desired function even once but has managed to elect the second most popular candidate on four separate occasions. In fact, the Electoral College in 2016 managed to somewhat disastrously enable the very action it was set up to protect against – the entry of a temperamentally unfit man into the Oval Office.

It appears to be the case then that the anachronism that is the Electoral College must make way for a 21st century system if American democracy is to thrive in a way that even the Founding Fathers themselves neither envisioned nor planned for. The potential benefits could be huge – Presidential candidates holding rallies in the largest states (e.g. Texas and California), significantly increased voter turnout, an end to the disillusionment that is endemic within the American electoral process and above all a President that was elected by the will of the people.

“Throughout America’s 240-year history the College has failed to serve its desired function”

In defence of the Electoral College Cai Banks J6JTC

I

n the month of November during a presidential election year, each state holds an open election in which all qualified citizens may participate. Citizens cast a vote for a particular ‘ticket’, which comprises of a candidate for President and Vice President. Many are familiar with this part of the voting process. What happens after this stage, though, is not as universally understood.

It is at this point in the election process that the Electoral College begins to take effect. In 48 states the Electoral College is utilized in the same way (Maine and Nebraska have a slight variation). After the votes in each of these 48 states are counted and tallied, the political party whose candidate received a majority in a particular state is allowed to choose a slate of electors who will cast the real votes for President.

In total there are 538 electors who comprise of the Electoral College. States are not allotted electoral votes solely based on population.

They are given electoral votes based on their representation in Congress. So each state is given a minimum of 3 electoral votes (each state has 2 Senators and at least 1 Representative) regardless of population.

Citizens vote for President in November, but all 538 electors meet at a designated location within their respective state in December to cast an official ballot. The candidate who receives a majority of the electoral votes (currently 270) wins the election.

Why the US should retain the electoral college Critics have long argued that the Electoral College was a relic of a bygone era, an unnecessary institution that undermines democracy by electing minority presidents.

The fact that Trump is poised to become president without a plurality of the vote contravenes neither the letter nor the spirit of the Constitution. The wording of American basic law is clear: The winner in the Electoral College takes office as president. So is the US not a democracy that honors the will of the people? The very question indicates a misunderstanding of

the Constitution.

James Madison’s famous Federalist No. 10 makes clear that the Founders fashioned a republic, not a pure democracy. To be sure, they knew that the consent of the governed was the ultimate basis of government, but the Founders denied that such consent could be reduced to simple majority or plurality rule. In fact, nothing could be more alien to the spirit of American constitutionalism than equating democracy with the direct, unrefined will of the people.

The constitution puts limits on any unchecked power, including the arbitrary will of the people. Power at the national level is divided among the three branches, each reflecting a different constituency. Power is divided yet again between the national government and the states. Madison noted that these twofold divisions — the separation of powers and federalism — provided a “double security” for the rights of the people. So why should it be any different for the people?

Others will ask about the democratic principle of one person, one vote? Isn’t that principle essential to the American form of government? The Founders’ handiwork says otherwise.

Neither the Senate, nor the president is elected on the basis of one person, one vote. That’s why a state like Montana, with 883,000 residents, gets the same number of Senators as California, with 33 million people. Consistency would require that if the Electoral College is abolished, the Senate would also have to be abolished. Is the US ready to do that?

Finally, the Electoral College makes sure that the states count in presidential elections. As such, it is an important part of the

“The Electoral College is a good antidote to the poison of regionalism because it forces presidential candidates to seek support throughout the nation”

1

Top ten strangest animals

3

By Alexander Holmes and Josh Markovitch 1R 1. Blobfish 2.

Aye Aye 3.

Venezuelan poodle moth 4. Lamprey 5.

Sea pig 6.

Indian purple frog 7.

Dumbo Octopus 8.

Panda ant 9.

Naked mole rat 10. Pacu fish

8

federalist system — a system worth preserving.

Historically, federalism is central to the grand constitutional effort to restrain power, but even in our own time we have found that devolving power to the states leads to important policy innovations.

What would a plurality system look like?

We would probably see elections dominated by the most populous regions of the country or by several large metropolitan areas. In the 2000 election, for example, Vice President Gore could have put together a plurality just in the Northeast, parts of the Midwest, and California.

The victims in such elections would be those regions too sparsely populated to merit the attention of presidential candidates. Pure democrats would hardly regret that diminished status, but I wonder if a large and diverse nation should write off whole parts of its territory. We should keep in mind the regional conflicts that have plagued large and diverse nations like India, China, and Russia. The Electoral College is a good antidote to the poison of regionalism because it forces presidential candidates to seek support throughout the nation. By making sure no state will be left behind, it provides a measure of coherence to the US. If the Founders had wished to create a pure democracy, they would have done so. Those who now wish to do away with the Electoral College (due to their disappointment at the recent result) are welcome to attempt to amend the Constitution, but if they succeed (and they probably wont), they will be taking America further away from its roots as a constitutional republic.

9

9

Mr Millard Interview Eli Meyer J6SKW Mr Millard grew up split between Hampshire and Devon, and went to school in Hampshire taking further maths, maths, history, Latin and physics A-levels. He later went off to York to study history, after which he studied law in Manchester and then undertook his Bar Finals in Nottingham. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple.

At university he spent much of his time sailing – a commitment ultimately recognised by the fact that he has a boat at The York University Sailing Club named after him.

Having practised law for five years, Mr Millard decided to pack it all in and enter teaching instead. At the beginning of the year, Mr Millard joined the school in order to teach history and politics.

which is 50% about debate and disagreement and provides good opportunities for discussion.

Politics has similar attractions and it’s nice to have a reason to keep up-to-date with affairs.

Q

How are you enjoying being involved in ccf?

A

sailing.

I do – it’s quite fun to do things outside of school with the boys, particularly when it involves

Q

What are your passions and hobbies?

A

What is your impression of city boys?

I’m a mildly obsessive climber – you’ll frequently find me at one of London’s many walls of an evening and at weekends (unless I’ve managed to persuade some friends to go to the Peak District with me for a weekend). As mentioned I enjoy sailing and absolutely love surfing – before I moved up to London I’d be in the almost water every day but the Thames isn’t quite so appealing. I play guitar too and did once write an album with some friends about travelling around America with a bunch of farmers.

A

Q

Q

You’ve been at this school for nearly a term now, how are you finding it?

A

Thoroughly enjoyable – it’s got a lovely atmosphere, both in terms of the staff and the boys.

Q

Generally pleasant, interested and polite, albeit on occasion slightly scruffy.

Q

Why did you want to become a teacher?

A

It’s rather nice to do something that has some intrinsic value in itself, not to mention the fact that it’s genuinely fun.

Q

Why did you want to teach history and politics?

A

I’m obviously biased – I think history is one of the most interesting and challenging subjects to teach and develops some of the most useful, most employable skills. It’s fun to teach a subject

What’s your favourite film/book?

A

Book: either Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguru – way better than the film – or (for the slight geek in me) The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Film: more difficult. I think Dead Poets Society is one of them – naturally, the basis for my teaching style.

Q

What do you enjoy most about teaching at City?

A

My junior sixth politics class, obviously. Although the views from the staff room aren’t bad either.

Q

How does City differ from your last school?

A

I can’t remember any lessons in my last school being interrupted by tourists taking photos through the windows of the classrooms.

Q

How does it feel to travel to and work in the heart of the city every day?

A

It’s great – having previously worked in the heart of the city it was something I missed whilst training at a school in Barking. It means that there’s always a buzz around the place, particularly on a Friday evening (and especially now it’s getting towards Christmas).

Q

Any funny stories so far?

Q

A

Nothing of note yet, but I daresay it’s just a matter of time.

In line with every other citizen interview, do you have a historical or politically themed joke?

A

Why are the Dark Ages called the Dark Ages?

Because there were so many knights! (One for the first form feudal system students…)

Andy Murray seals position as World No.1 after ATP Finals Tour win Mishael Kusi-Yeboah J6MEP

A

ndy Murray rounded of 2016 in spectacular fashion by defeating Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 in the highly anticipated season finale.

Going into the finals on the back of Paris Masters win, Murray had established himself as the first British singles player to become world number one since the computerised rankings began in 1973.

He knew that a win in London would certify his place at the pinnacle of the sport.

However, despite being 10

demoted to second fiddle for the first time in 122 weeks, Djokovic had every reason to feel confident as Murray is prone to falling into poor form around this time of year; his faults are often due to injuries picked in tournaments heading to the finals or how he has to juggle his priorities between the Davis Cup and the tour.

Murray settled comfortably into the game, looking calm on the serve and continuously forced the Serb behind the baseline. After endless pressure Djokovic was triggered to rid Murray of his two break point chances in order to endure the sixth game.

The Briton proved to be a perpetual force as

he contained his rival’s backhand in the eighth game. Having had more time to rest in the this half of the year, it was surprising that Djokovic was the more sluggish of the two. A series of unforced errors allowed Murray to break at the beginning of the second set and extend his lead to 4-1. Djokovic managed to reduce the deficit to 4-3 but his game plan was then unraveled; Murray spurred on to eventually win 6-4 in the last set after 3 match points.

Success in front of a home crowd summed up an eventful 12 months for Murray during which he: helped Great Britain to win the Davis Cup team event for the first time since 1936, became Wimbledon champion for the second time and retained his Olympic singles title in Rio de Janeiro.

Now that Murray has cemented his place in British sporting history it is only natural that he receives plaudits from a proud nation – even

now to the extent that he is being earmarked for a knighthood. Although some believe this call to be premature, many are of the opinion that he is worthy of such an accolade. The 29 year old is tipped to be named in Her Majesty’s New Year’s honours list – a list he was on when he received an OBE following his US Open win in 2012.

Chelsea F.C. – Flying High Rohan Desai J6 RE

A

fter Chelsea’s disastrous and painful title defence last season, Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, turned to Antonio Conte in order to try and restore Chelsea back at top of English football. After Conte’s exploits with Italy at Euro 2016, many expected great things from the so-called “Godfather”. His reign at Chelsea started in steady fashion – 3 wins to start the season meant that Chelsea were keeping pace with the two Manchester clubs.

However, these wins solely papered over the defence frailties that were soon to be exposed.

Chelsea’s defence unravelled in the next three games. A 2-2 draw at Swansea was followed by a poor showing as Liverpool outplayed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, recording a 2-1 victory. The real turning point in Chelsea’s season came after an uncharacteristic and wholly embarrassing loss at the hands of London rivals Arsenal. In the first 45 minutes, Chelsea were sliced open time after time – by a team that hadn’t beaten Chelsea in 9 previous Premier League meetings between the sides. Conte had seen enough and knew something had to change. The second half started but Chelsea had adopted a new formation, the 3-4-3. While the change in formation could not save Chelsea from a harrowing defeat, it had already shown more defensive stability and this change in formation would prove to be the catalyst for Chelsea’s superb rise to the top of the league.

Chelsea’s incredible run of results started at

the KCOM stadium with a solid 2-0 over Hull.

They had kept only their second clean sheet of the season but it was already clear how much tighter the backline had become. A 3-0 win at home vs champions Leicester, followed by the 4-0 trashing of Manchester United increased the confidence of the Chelsea players. They had really bought into Conte’s new system that was turning out to be a gem. Thibaut Courtois hardly had a save to make as the 3-man defence of Luiz, Cahill and Azpilicueta kept out any opposition attack. The trend of impressive performances and clean sheets continued as Chelsea went into the international break after racking up 2 more wins – 2-0 away at Southampton and a stunning 5-0 win at home against Everton.

There was renewed belief spreading around the fans and players at Stamford Bridge as they won five on the bounce. Conte must be given credit for getting the best out of all of his players. Victor Moses who was considered a Chelsea flop has been a revelation – playing in an unfamiliar right wing-back role has led to him becoming one of the best right backs in the league and transfer rumours linking him with Barcelona have meant talks have begun to offer him a

“That was the best performance in the Premier League that I have ever seen” – John Motson after Chelsea’s 5-0 win vs Everton

new contract. Hazard is back at the levels of the season in which he won PFA player of the year. He has already scored 8 goals, doubling his tally from the whole of his disappointing season last year. The infamous Diego Costa who is easy riled up and so volatile has been calmed down and just been concentrating on scoring goals for the Blues. In fact, Diego Costa has been one yellow card away from a suspension since the game against Leicester but he has refrained from any provocative actions. What I find is the most impressive is the transformation of David Luiz. When Chelsea re-signed the Brazilian defender on deadline day, everyone had their doubts and many even laughed at the decision. However, he has matured a lot since his Chelsea days and his defending has been superb. Many a time has he bailed Chelsea out with superb clearances at the back and has been a calming influence – a real leader. Chelsea came back from the international break with a tough run of fixtures awaiting them. They faced Middlesbrough away (Arsenal and Man City both failed to beat them) before coming up against Spurs and Manchester City themselves. A gritty 1-0 against Middlesbrough, courtesy of a Diego Costa winner, saw Chelsea move to the top of the league for the first time since they won it 2 seasons ago. They were back where they belong. Chelsea again had to dig in as they came from behind to beat Spurs 2-1. The win against Spurs did mean however, that Chelsea’s run of 6 clean sheets (just a minute over 10 hours of football) had come to an end. They were still leading the Premier League though. However, the following Saturday would be when Chelsea’s title credentials would really be tested as they came up against Manchester City. Chelsea were under pressure for the whole of the first half and should’ve been down 2-0 early in the second when Kevin de Bruyne missed an open goal.

However, three superb counter-attacking goals from Costa, Willian and Hazard meant that Chelsea took all 3 points in a feisty encounter that finished 3-1. Other results at the weekend meant that Chelsea were 3 points clear at the top. After the Arsenal defeat, Chelsea were 8 points behind leaders Man City. 8 games later, now Chelsea are leading Man City by 4 points. What a turnaround. When Conte came to England, the media were very excited about what he would bring and its fair to say he has revolutionized the league. Teams are now trying 3-4-3 to counter Chelsea but its just not working. Chelsea lead the chasing pack by 3 points and given current performances, come May, its going to take something very special for Chelsea not to be in the same position.

11

CitizenSPORT The Goal Post Matt Davies 2G and Dan Cohen 2S 2016/17: The Risen and the Fallen The Risen: •

• • •

RB Leipzig: 7 years and 7 months after they were founded, RB Leipzig are 3 points top of the Bundesliga, ahead of teams such as Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

Founders SSV Markranständt sold the team after only about 3 months to Red Bull for an undisclosed fee thought to be about 350,000. And with the back of the energy drink brand, they find themselves in the top German flight for the first time. After a 2-1 win against Schalke 04, they find themselves on 33 points nearly halfway through the season.

AS Monaco Sevilla Nice

The Fallen: • •

• • •

Leicester: Heroes, now zeros, Champions Leicester are 15th in the Premier League!

Wolfsburg: Oh dear, oh dear. Once a respected, competitive side, Wolfsburg have slumped to the depths of the Bundesliga table. This is confusing, as they have many good players.

Star man Julian Draxler, a target for PSG and Arsenal, has expressed his severe dissatisfaction at the club, and wants out.

Inter Milan Valencia West Ham

Sports Results (week 11) date

team

opposition

venue

result

Football 28/11

U13B

Highgate

Away

D 3-3

28/11

U13C

Highgate

Away

L 0-1

28/11

U13D

Highgate

Away

L 1-3

28/11

1st XI

Bacon’s College

Away

W 6-0

(London Schools Cup Last 16)

28/11

U13 AI

George Abbot School Away

L 0-4

30/11

1st XI

KCS

Home

D 1-1

30/11

2nd XI

KCS

Home

L 1-3

30/11

3rd XI

KCS

Home

D 1-1

30/11

4th XI

KCS

Home

W 5-2

30/11

5th XI

KCS

Home

W 2-1

Basketball 28/11

U15

Whitgift

Home

W 52-29

29/11

U18

Norwood School

Home

W 76-53

01/12

U15

St Pauls

Home

W 42-9

Home

L 4-9

(Cup Quarter-finals)

Waterpolo 22/11

U14

Dulwich