COLLEGE NEWS Spring 2016
Prefects’ 12-Hour Challenge College fundraises for Meningitis Now
Lessons for Success OC and biotech pioneer returns to College
Tales of Iceland Geography students embark on an expedition
Gallipoli. Afghanistan. Somme. Pupils perform in a specially commissioned play
Remembering the Fallen College continues programme of centenary events
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Be the best that you can be With our focus on wellbeing working in tandem with academic success, it is with great pleasure that I can report our highest ever number of Oxbridge interviews and my thanks to all our staff who provide such excellent support to all our students who have applied to an admirable range of top universities both in the UK and overseas.
Dr Alex Peterken Headmaster
I started the new academic year with an assembly that asked all College students to be the best they can be, to be secure in themselves and to be open to opportunities. It has been a pleasure to witness Cheltonians in action this term wholeheartedly embracing these values. The launch of our wellbeing programme, Floreat, to Third Form and Lower Sixth has given us dedicated time to develop skills for self-reflection, resilience and developing positive relationships as core attributes that contribute to each and every one of us becoming fulfilled individuals.
Prefects, pupils and staff raised over £9,000 for Meningitis Now, a sterling accomplishment for a cause close to the hearts of the College community. The majority of this donation was raised during the Prefects’ 12-hour Challenge in October, an exceptional amount in such a short space of time, and one that has set the bar high. College has continued the commemoration of the First World War through a programme of events, including a specially commissioned play: G.A.S. (Gallipoli. Afghanistan. Somme) and a trip to the battlefields of Gallipoli by Fifth and Sixth Form historians. The annual exhibition of pupils and staff who fought in the war is growing each year as our archivists uncover more information about the OCs who fought and most poignant of all, the whole school Armistice Day service, this year held in the sun on Chapel Lawn. Members of The Cheltonian Association & Society joined Prep and College pupils to remember those who served.
Dr Alex Peterken, Headmaster
Fifth Form Essay Prize Winners Last year, Fifth Formers were given the task of writing an essay on a subject of their choice to be in with a chance of winning £100! Pupils could choose their essay title from a range of chosen topics and the standard of essays submitted was incredibly high across the year.
being using this technique AND discuss the ethical implications of this process’. Will’s topic was economics: ‘Considering only the effects on the UK economy or on a particular UK business, evaluate the case for the UK leaving the European Union’. There were also a number of runners-up and highly commended essays, congratulations to all!
Two winners were selected, Alena Gorb (L6, A) and Will Hardy (L6, S). Alena’s chosen topic was medicine: ‘In an effort to decrease the incidence of mitochondrial disease, England has become the first country in the world to legalise the creation of a human being using DNA from three parents. We anticipate that the first baby created in this way will be born next year. Write an essay on the processes involved in the creation of a human
Headmaster’s Distinctions
Varvara Konyaeva (4th, W) ’Dachau Concentration Camp’ (multi-media History presentation) Kamila Sarkeeva, Louisa Schmid, Birdie Cheng (4th, W) ‘Forever Summer’ (collaborative website for EAL) Jemima Cooper (5th, Q) ‘Human Influences on the Environment’ Dougal Rees (5th, Xt) ‘How does Ovid convince his audience to follow his advice on love?’ (Classics essay)
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College News Spring 2016
Lower Sixth Independent Projects The Independent Project is now in its fifth year and continues to give every Lower Sixth student the experience of truly independent academic work, requiring their own decision-making, evaluation and justification. College is dedicated to helping Sixth Form students to effectively prepare for the future. Whatever our students go on to do when they finish A2, greater independence will be required, both personally and in their approach to further education. For this reason, all Lower Sixth students undertake an independent research project. The top 16 essays have been published in a bound book (featured), which provides a wonderful record of extremely fine work, showcasing unique personal interests and intellectual curiosity. The independent projects are an excellent vehicle for developing self-motivation and proactivity in a student-mentor relationship that mirrors the university model. The academic rigour of the project prepares students for the skills they will require: thinking logically about arguments and counterarguments; presenting information in a balanced and persuasive fashion; and adopting a critical stance towards sources. Essential practical skills include researching, citation and referencing, essay planning and handling language and data in a precise way.
Dr Mary Plint, Director of Learning
Lower Sixth Independent Projects 2015
Full Academic Colours
Half Academic Colours
Benjamin Adams (L6, BH), Bethany Adams (L6, A), Charlotte Ball ( L6, Ch), Fernando Capelastegui (U6, BH), Harry Ferris (U6, NH), Aiko Fukuda (L6, Ch), Alena Gorb (L6, A), Jacqueline Nussbaum-Lapping (U6, A), Georgina Rigg L6, Q), Isobel Salmond Smith (L6, A), Yvie Seville (U6, Ch), Alexander Thorpe (L6, BH) and Jeffrey Kwong (U6, BH).
James Battishill (U6, NH), Guy Beynon (U6, Xt), Jack Burns (L6, NH), Oliver Cook (L6, S) James Drysdale (5th, BH), Martha Elliott (5th, W), Frederick Foster (L6, NH), Theresa Grafin Pachta (L6, W), Georgina Hacker (U6, Ch), Darren Hague (L6, BH), Edward Johnston (L6, L), Eleanor Jones-Perrott (L6, A), Shazad Karim (L6, S), Lucy Kirkpatrick (L6, A), Arabella Knowles (U6, A), Luke Knudsen (L6, NH), Clarence Koo (U6, L) and Zhangir Marabayev (L6, H).
Congratulations to the following students who have gained Full Academic Colours.
Congratulations to the following pupils who CHELTENHAM COLLEGE have gained Half Academic Colours.
Oldest IV Rugby Tournament The last weekend of October saw St Paul's, Sherborne, Durham and Cheltenham College join together to play a round robin festival over two days. The tournament, originally set up and hosted by Durham School in 2011, sees four of the oldest rugby playing schools in the world (dating back to the 1800s) celebrate their history and tradition through a challenging and competitive number of matches. With the weather on our side, the marquee and bar in full swing and a hog roast to feed the hundreds, the setting and atmosphere was spectacular. The first round saw College come up against a strong St Paul’s team. With College fielding 12 out of the 15 from the Fifth Form it was a great experience and learning curve to play against other 1st XVs from around the country. Although extremely competitive, the physicality of St Paul’s and Durham saw College lose both opening rounds. St Paul’s finished the day in first place with one more round to go on Sunday. The following day saw a winner takes all match in
Prefects' 12-Hour Challenge At 7:45am on the morning of Sunday 4 October, as the rest of Cheltenham enjoyed a Sunday lie-in, 25 College prefects were beginning a day of intense running and cycling in aid of the charity Meningitis Now. As Yvie Seville (U6, Ch) and Max Hickman (U6, H) completed their first lap of College Field, the 1,200 kilometre target felt a long way away. Little did we imagine, by midday that figure would be history; as the kilometres steadily accumulated, we were
Durham and St Paul’s and a third versus fourth in Sherborne and Cheltenham. Again the weather delivered on all fronts, which allowed for some fantastic ‘end to end’ rugby on display. World Cup referee Chris White was just about able to keep up with the pace! Although close in both games, St Paul’s and Sherborne came out victorious with St Paul’s receiving the silverware for 'try of the tournament', 'player of the tournament' and 'overall winners'.
opportunity for some of the first schools in the world to play rugby to come together for an exciting and challenging tournament. A huge thank you must go to our sponsors England Rugby travel, Proview performance for the analysis and BLK for supplying kit to the referees and winning team. We look forward to the next festival in two years time.”
Gloucester and England Rugby player, Jonny May, presented a trophy to the winning team marking the end of a fantastic two days of rugby. Jonny had time to meet with all the players as well as parents, even signing a few autographs for fans! Director of Rugby and former England Rugby player, Olly Morgan, commented, “This is a great
soon aiming for 3,000. Although all of the prefects were invaluable, special mention must go to Max Hickman, for his strong running performance, and Katie Stanton (U6, A), for scheduling the entire event. During the course of the day, there was also a fair on College Field with each house running a stall. From face-painting to egg throwing, each and every stall raised a significant sum for Meningitis Now, and thanks must go to those who supervised the stalls throughout the afternoon.
Many thanks to all those who donated, supported and organised. We have collected over £9000 for Meningitis Now and it was a privilege to raise money for such a worthy cause.
Izzi Winstanley (U6, Q)
By 7:45pm, thanks to the live music, encouragement from our fellow Upper Sixth, cheers from the Headmaster, and high-fives from each other, we had clocked up 3,215 kilometres. Tired, but happy, and carrying a huge sense of achievement, we ran into chapel, where we were greeted by applause from the rest of College.
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Battlefields Trip & OC Project 2015 First World 55 pupils, 6 staff, 5 countries… and 346 of War Panel our 675 fallen now visited and honoured. Back in January 2014, keen History researchers, now in the Fifth Form, worked every Monday after school to locate the graves of all our 675 old boys who lost their lives in what was called, at the time, the ‘Great War for Civilisation’. The current Fourth Form continued the project into October 2014, putting faces and personal details to the names and rolling the project out across Flanders, covering both Belgium and northern France, that Half Term break. The project has now continued into 2015 with another phase of independent research having been completed by the current Third Form. At least 41 OCs lost their lives serving in Gallipoli, or died on their way home of wounds: 20 intrepid current Cheltonians (Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth) and staff spent this October honouring their memory on the peninsula.
where notable batting by Noni and Georgie was met by some spectacular thorn bush fielding from James, crowning an utterly memorable day. This was us re-enacting the cricket match held by the 7th Light Horse Regiment on 17 December 1915, with shells whizzing overhead, as the Allies attempted to conceal preparations for the evacuation of the remaining 20,000 troops the very next day. That they were to face the Somme the following year rendered it all the more poignant.
Miss Jo Doidge-Harrison, Head of History
The First World War Centenary Project Steering Committee thought that, besides events that come and go, it would be good to have a lasting memorial. It was decided to have an interpretive panel, similar to the one near the Accounts Lodge, which commemorates Edward Wilson’s life at College and his expeditions to the Antarctic.
During our visit the pupils fell in love with Turkish food, took great joy in our guide Erdem’s desire to orientate us at all times (“Where are the Dardenelles?” being the cry of the trip) and began, to Erdem’s equal delight, a fascination with Turkish fauna, precipitated by the bats in the tunnels alongside V Beach.
The same designer, Martin Surgey of Lifechart, was commissioned and he spent a day at College taking photographs of buildings and archives to fit the text prepared by Mr Dom Faulkner and the College Archivist. It tells of College’s contribution to the war, its military links, grant of Colours and VC winners. With minor changes suggested by the Committee, the end result was transformed into the panel by the pavement on Bath Road on the lawn in front of Thirlestaine House. Sadly, a delay getting planning permission meant it could not be in place for Remembrance Week but it is there now for all to see, reflect and remember.
We found and thanked every single OC at Gallipoli, and we finished the trip, in the setting sun, with the glorious views from Shell Green Cemetery,
Mrs Christine Leighton, College Archivist
The National Memorial Arboretum Service On Sunday 4 October, the Third Form joined the CCF detachment on the annual visit to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Cheltenham College is the only school to have
a memorial there, in recognition of the 6000 Cheltonians who have served in the armed forces. The historic military association has created a strong tradition of servant leadership, which
remains relevant to the 270 cadets today. A guided tour of the memorials was an excellent opportunity to explore the beautiful arboretum and gain an appreciation of the terrible conditions that many soldiers experienced. The arboretum is special as it enables servicemen and women who have died in combat to be remembered in a peaceful environment. Subsequently, there was a short ceremony parading the Colours. A minute’s silence was held to commemorate the 675 Old Cheltonians who were killed in World War One and 363 in World War Two. Knowing that such brave men were educated in the same classrooms as us, sang the same hymns and ate in the same dining room is truly inspirational. The memorial service was a reminder of our ties to the past and a commitment to maintaining traditional values in the College community. We cannot forget that for our tomorrow, they gave their today.
Jana Bourhill (U6, Q), Head of Army 4
College News Spring 2016
WW1 Exhibition An exhibition at Cheltenham College to mark the First World War Centenary was held in the Chatfeild-Roberts Library from Monday 9 November to Saturday 14 November. Awarded funds through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War: Then and Now grant programme, the exhibition focused on events
from 12 November 1914 to 11 November 1915. The project enabled pupils and local people to come together to research and preserve the memories and heritage of the people involved in the First World War. College’s archive team and volunteers thoroughly researched each of the 219 pupils and one staff member who served and died during that period. The Archivist was very grateful to the many individuals and organizations that lent or gave photographs, documents and artefacts to complement items held by College Archives. Consequently, a fascinating display of medals, keepsakes, photographs, letters and war
diaries helped to build a clearer picture of what life was really like for those who served and those left behind. Commenting on the award, College Archivist, Mrs Christine Leighton, said: “We are thrilled to have received the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has enabled us to put on this exhibition. We are also delighted that so many pupils, and volunteers of all ages from the community, have provided material for the exhibition and helped us research those former pupils who served.“
Armistice Day Service
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Beth Adams (L6, A)
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The sound and lighting crew did a great job portraying the sights and sounds of war. I also liked the fact that the audience sat so close to the stage; this really helped them to engage with the cast and gave a sense of the dramatic immediacy of conflict and the intensity of having to make a lifesaving decision in a moment. One member from the audience added, “The play was amazing, it is so clever with all the intertwined stories and it really felt like we were in the middle of all the action with the setting.” Teamwork was of central importance; the cast did a great job to knit this fast-moving and complex narrative together. What is more, the fact that the cast came from across the year groups made this achievement all the more impressive. Thought provoking, punchy and poignant, it was an important and memorable evening for College.
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It was not only a great portrayal of the horrors of war but also, and more subtly, an exploration of the hard decisions that soldiers have to make in conflict. The storyline, which captures the experiences of two soldiers from two wars, was very thought provoking and gave a strong message about the nature of courage. The setting of the play in Lower Gym helped to highlight College’s strong connections with the Armed Forces and the Old Cheltonians who have served and who have paid a terrible price.
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G.A.S was commissioned by College and written by Katherine MacInnes as a way to commemorate the centenary of the First World War and to remember the Old Cheltonians who fought and fell for their country. Set in the Lower Gym, it tells the story of two OCs; George Raymond Dallas Moor is seeking absolution for shooting some men in the First World War to stem a retreat that would have meant certain death for a whole battalion. He was successful and, for the action as a whole, he was awarded a VC. Victoria Cross, a female soldier from the next century, is similarly unsure about whether her award for courageous restraint in Afghanistan is justified. Both help the other out of a cycle of uncertainty by moving through time to witness the events in question in their old school.
Cinderella
At the end of term, Chandos and Boyne House performed our own version of a Budget Cinderella. Written by Lucy Hall (L6, Ch), the pantomime reinvented the well-known story of Cinderella to reflect College life. Instead of a Ball, Cinderella went to a College social to win the heart of the Head Boy (aka Prince Charming). The response to the show has been absolutely overwhelming. It was a highly entertaining experience for everyone involved, for both staff and students. The cast was amazing, committed and attended rehearsals in high spirits and everyone was willing to step outside of their comfort zone. Special mentions must go to Monty Chapman (U6, BH) and Henry Morshead (U6, BH) who took on the role of the ugly step-sisters and brought them to life in a special performance of Beyonce’s Single Ladies with the assistance of Max Taylor-Baggs (5th, BH). The sight of these three dressed up has hopefully added to making the show quite unforgettable for all!
Yas Ellis (U6, Ch), Panto Director
I can and I am The Fibonacci Series After hearing James Shone at a staff INSET, Mr and Mme Bates invited him to speak to Queen’s on Friday 18 September. He addressed the girls for an hour about his charity called I can & I am. The concept is that we are all intelligent in different ways and need to recognise our own potential.
I really enjoyed his metaphor about ‘keeping our balloon inflated’ and learning from failure. A few tears were shed as he really struck a chord but we all walked out with a big smile on our faces, feeling confident and ambitious. He then talked to Queen’s parents for an hour about promoting resilience and fostering self-esteem in teenage girls, at a time when mental health issues are on the rise. Parents particularly enjoyed the idea of playing gratitude tennis with their daughters and developing key characteristics in their personality. James Shone emphasised the importance of teamwork and pastoral care that is key to Cheltenham College, reminding parents that they should be “between their children at a young age, beside their teenagers to let them learn and behind them as a safety net to allow young adults to grow”.
Antonia Stuckey (U6, Q) Head of Queen’s
The Upper College Society on Thursday 3 December witnessed a fascinating series of cross-curricular talks, themed The Fibonacci Series. Upper College speakers seamlessly academically windsurfed between Mathematics, Art History, Architecture, Science and Music, in exploring this fascinating mathematical theorem, and how it relates to aspects of nature, beauty and aesthetics.
prize for the best question from the floor, related to the possibility of DNA patterns and genetic configuration in animals, plants and humans in relation to the 1:1.618 ratio. It proved to be a hugely interesting and enlightening evening of intellectual entertainment. Thank you to Harry Ferris (U6, NH) and Antonia Stuckey (U6, Q) for hosting, and to Dr Samuel for chairing and collaborating on the evening as a whole.
Mr Nick Nelson, Head of History of Art
Staff and pupils were most impressed by the calibre of the talks, which did not necessarily bamboozle the listener, but explained how the Fibonacci Series and the Golden Ratio simply related to their chosen fields of enquiry. Within a matter of minutes, we went from excerpts of Bartok’s music to the formation of sunflower seeds, and on to measuring Patch Payne’s bodily proportions! It was a veritable feast of intellectual stimulus, which fuelled the gathered throng’s thirst for intellectual rigour, in marrying up a mathematical formula of a simple beauty. I am a real advocate of the polymath principal, which proliferated during ancient Greece and was revived during the cultural dawn of the Renaissance in the 15th century. For our Sixth Form students to be able to forge links between ‘like’ subjects at A Level is truly enlightening, and instrumental in fostering growing independence of learning. As a judge of the presentations, appointed by Dr Samuel, I felt that Chuen Leik Low's (L6, Xt) Mathematical presentation deserved a prize, in that it was fully audible, easy to follow and fascinating to boot! He didn’t waver under the spotlight when grilled mathematically by his peers, and in general, he spoke with confidence and authority. Similarly Taya Sellers (U6, W) spoke with clarity and passion about the musical parallels, and this warranted a prize from myself. Finally, Jacqueline Nussbaum-Lapping (U6, A) won a
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Pupil Exchange to America Rob Caesar (4th, S) and I spent four weeks on an exchange trip in Groton, an American school of 300 just outside Boston. With boarding houses of only around 20, all the classrooms in one building and half the number of pupils that Cheltenham has, Groton was extremely different.
was so small, we were able to get to know and talk to people from all years and everyone was welcoming and friendly. A highlight of the trip was when we were left to make our way around Boston with two Beadles exchange students, going to the Science Museum, eating Subway and going on the actual subway, before spending hours in the aquarium. Overall I thought it was fascinating and exciting to see the different cultures in America as well as different surroundings and style of learning.
Abigail Aitken (4th, Ch)
Lessons are much more independent and closer to lectures. The subjects were extremely varied as there are no standardised exams to work towards I took part in Environmental Studies (which was a mix of Ecology, Biology, Physics, Geology and Geography amongst others). As the school
Opportunities to Study in America
On Monday 14 September, College welcomed two visitors to our Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) to give an informative talk on applying for American university scholarships. Ben Smith brought expertise from Sporting Elite, a company that helps British students connect with universities that could offer them a scholarship. Elisha Hande is a recent graduate from North Carolina State University who was awarded a full tennis scholarship, and recently graduated with a degree in Economics and German with GPA of 4.0. Both gave a presentation and answered questions that the potential scholars had. Ben explained how important academics are, and the subjects that need to be taken for eligibility to a scholarship program, as well as describing how GPA is calculated and how to get noticed by coaches. Elisha talked through the application process, the differences between accommodation and the standard of living in the US and UK, routines and training, managing finances and career plans beyond the four years in America.
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College News Spring 2016
The Path to Oxbridge College students aspiring to Oxbridge got the chance to meet OC, AJ Gilbert, who went on from College in 2012 to study Philosophy and Mathematics at Oxford University and now in his fourth year, is completing his M.Phil. AJ came to College to inspire others to follow in his footsteps to Oxford or Cambridge. We got a chance to ask AJ questions about the rigorous application process, the infamous interview, how important it is to make the right college choice and, of course, what life is like at Oxford . AJ concluded by saying that for successful applications, no matter what: “you have to prove that you are passionate about what you wish to
study.” This was a great opportunity to meet a current Oxford student and OC and we thank AJ for the great inspiration and insight he has given us all.
Ankita Mediratta (L6, W)
#SaySomething Monday 16 - Friday 20 November saw the UK observe National AntiBullying Week, and Cheltenham College certainly played its part in raising awareness for anti-bullying and the #SaySomething campaign. To begin the week, Anti-Bullying and Peer Mentoring Prefect Harry Steel (U6, Xt), Anna Birkett (U6, A) and Deputy Head Boy Freddie Lyle (U6, S) gave talks in Chapel. Harry covered the new Level 1 Anti-Bullying Policy in school: if a problem is mentioned early, Housemasters and Housemistresses can mediate between pupils to find out what the issues are and if the pupils can settle any differences to improve their relationship in a relaxed and safe environment. Freddie spoke to the school on the importance of sharing ones issues and struggles with peer mentors or staff in Houses, and how it is crucial to say something should you see any form of bullying. Anna spoke on the issue of how banter or crude comments can have a really detrimental affect on someone’s day, even if the perpetrator thinks it is a joke. She
excellently captivated Chapel with a story of her own experiences and now personal resilience. The Dining Hall was a great place to raise awareness and remind people of the campaign this week. The catering department created a delicious and colourful display of cupcakes with the #SaySomething slogan spelt out on each cake. The Anti-Bullying Committee, with a representative in each House, then visited the Third and Fourth Form in their respective common rooms with drinks and snacks to talk about bullying. They mainly wanted to explain the new Level 1 policy and the importance of saying something; the evening also provided a great chance for the committee members to reiterate who the peer
mentors are and their role. Bullying, in any form is not acceptable anywhere, especially not in such a close knit community as College.
Harry Steel (U6, Xt)
Trip to the Bath Fashion Museum On Wednesday 7 October the Fashion and Textiles department took all Lower and Upper Sixth Form students to the Bath Fashion Museum. The students were able to see iconic garments created by some of the most famous designers from the early 20th century to the present day. Students were able to develop their knowledge of functional, aesthetic, technical and economic considerations in the design and manufacture of products as well as studying how products have evolved throughout history.
Students were given two hours to explore Bath from top to bottom to find inspiration for their coursework projects by looking at current trends. At the end of the trip all students were inspired and we look forward to seeing their design ideas flourish over the coming weeks!
Miss Kirstie Naish, Head of Textiles
The Sixth Form were given the opportunity to dress up in replica corsets and crinolines from the Victorian era and have their picture taken against a Victorian street scene backdrop; this was a highlight of the day for all! The sketches of their favourite garments will provide excellent primary research for their coursework folders.
College hosts an annual Dragons’ Den competition with the winners taking part in GCHQ’s Intelligent Innovators competition. On Wednesday 14 October the Third Form were helped by local businessmen and women with the development and planning of a product that would help busy people while travelling. The teams had to develop a presentation that considered the design, the market for the product and the financial planning. In the afternoon, all groups had to stand up in front of their peers and deliver their concepts. External judges chose four teams for the finals and after some impressive pitches, Mia Naylor (3rd, Ch), Min Pantisoontorn (3rd, Ch), Gus Milton (3rd, Xt), Piers Morgan (3rd, Xt) and Duncan Pinchen (3rd, Xt) came second with a futuristic cycling hat that includes a sat nav and radio. Anna Kuptsova (3rd A), Velvet Morgan (3rd, A), Games Buri (3rd, NH) and Edward Ferris (3rd, NH) won with their modern travel system based on a Segway that could also travel off-road.
As designers it is important to research existing products to see the decorative and constructive techniques currently being used that influence the fabric and component choices they make.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award On 13 and 14 October, 49 Lower College pupils embarked on their Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award qualifying expedition in the Cotswolds. The boys and girls were whisked away from College to eight different starting points between the M5 and the Duntisbournes and walked approximately 15 km across country to Cranham following routes planned in the Summer Term. The overnight camp was held at the Gloucestershire Scout Centre and the pupils departed again on Wednesday morning, looking a little less fresh, for a similar second day. Despite a cold camp all completed their journeys by the end of Wednesday afternoon with aching shoulders but having enjoyed the blessing of blue skies and dry weather. It is hoped that this first experience of the Award will lead to greater achievement in the Gold Award in Sixth Form.
Mr John Jones 9
Barcelona Trip We were granted the Calvert Memorial Award, given to Sixth Form linguists for travel to Europe to improve their language skills, and in the October Half Term, we ventured off to Barcelona for a week of lessons at Don Quijote, a Spanish school for international students. Upon arrival, we were assessed and allocated into classes based on our abilities. Throughout the week, we had two hours of intensive speaking lessons everyday, interacting in Spanish with other students of different ages and backgrounds. We discussed a broad range of topics, from Spanish politics to our favourite food from our own countries.
mastered the metro, we were able to visit several works of Antoni Gaudí that are dotted around the city. We even managed to take a bus tour that showed us the main attractions of Barcelona, including La Sagrada Família and Camp Nou, home to FC Barcelona. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Barcelona and since our experience, it is evident that we have improved both our knowledge of Spanish culture and our ability to speak the language with confidence. We would definitely recommend applying for the Calvert Memorial to anyone who has a passion for language or aims to pursue languages further.
Pippy Kohler (U6, Q) and Jess Ottley-Woodd (U6, Q)
We also stayed with a Spanish host family, who provided us with authentic Spanish cuisine and speaking practice outside of the classroom. Whilst we weren’t at school or at home, we had time to go and explore Barcelona. Once we finally
MFL Murder Mystery Thirlestaine Long Gallery became the scene of a Mansion House Murder Mystery on the evening of Monday 23 November as Sixth Form linguists and members of the languages department became suspects in the international versions of Cluedo. Introductory drinks and tapas were followed by a run
through of the rules and then some strategic game play, all conducted in Spanish, French and German. C’était Monsieur Moutarde, dans la salle de bains, avec le chandelier? No, era Señor Prado, en la cocina, con la pistola! Students got well and truly into the spirit of the game and some of them adopted their allocated roles extremely convincingly! Mr Byrne triumphed in the French game and Alena Gorb (L6, A) was the chief Spanish sleuth. The MFL Society will be arranging further events as the year progresses and we would be interested to hear from any parents or OCs who use languages in their day-to-day work who might be interested in attending the Languages in Careers Speed Dating event in February. Please contact Mrs Ester Leach if you would like to be involved.
The Freedom Rides
beatings, their bus was burnt twice, and were all arrested when they reached Montgomery, AL. Our route went to all of the stations, as well as visiting museums, and we completed the ride by visiting New Orleans.
When students reach the Lower Sixth, they can apply to The Cheltonian Association and Society for Travel Awards for educational trips.
A video of our trip is available to view at www.cheltenhamcollege.org/Freedom-Rides
Thierry Gasser (U6, L) and I were granted an award to the USA to retrace the Freedom Rides of 1961. Back in the 1960s, the USA was extremely segregated, thus, the Freedom Rides were taken forward by a group of black and white activists in 1961 to testify the newly established interstate law for desegregation in bus stations in the USA. We chose the route where Riders took the Greyhound bus and travelled from Washington, DC to New Orleans. On their way, they experienced serious 10
College News Spring 2016
Kristy Chan (U6, W)
Tales of Iceland During October Half Term, 24 Cheltenham College students embarked on an expedition to Iceland, a country that never ceases to amaze! During the five day trip we clambered up the side of volcanoes, bathed in hot springs, witnessed the eruption of geysers, hiked on top of glaciers, gazed at mesmerizing waterfalls, used volcanic vents to create toasted cheese sandwiches, explored a lava tube and stood in awe at the impressive rift valley created by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Although the weather was a little on the wet side the students remained enthusiastic throughout, always keen to get out of the bus to explore the next feature on our tour. They certainly made the most of our guides and instructors whilst we were there, asking inquisitive questions about the features we explored and the, sometimes, bizarre traditions of the Icelandic people! Both Miss Emily Hartley and Mr Andrew Gasson accompanied me on this trip and we were all incredibly proud of the level of enthusiasm every student brought to each day of our trip. We could not have asked for a better group of individuals. I think the American author Stephen Markley captured best what everyone felt and experienced on our trip, “The problem with driving around Iceland is that you’re basically confronted by a new soul-enriching, breathtaking, life-affirming natural sight every five minutes. It’s totally exhausting.”
Mr Fraser Dobney
Red Savannah Last term, the Red Savannah travel agency held its second annual photography competition and the winner was announced at the official opening on Tuesday 24 November. As last year, there were many outstanding photographs with over 40 submitted by pupils from Third to Sixth Form. Ten finalists were voted for by the public on the Red Savannah Facebook page. Izzy Kemp (4th, A), won the competition, with her stunning photograph entitled ‘Bank-ruptcy’.
Her prize was a voucher for a camera shop with which she plans to buy her own camera, as she had to borrow her Dad’s for the competition! Izzy commented: “I feel extremely happy to even be shortlisted as there was a range of incredible photographs; I was overwhelmed when I heard that I’d won!” From now on Izzy plans to take more photographs on a regular basis and, if she has the opportunity in the future, she would be delighted to enter another competition. The night as a whole was a fantastic event with The White Gallery filled with pupils, parents and teachers to make it a really enjoyable atmosphere.
Amy Small (L6, W)
Faces and Landscapes of Nepal Mr Dominic Faulkner held an exhibition in Thirlestaine Long Gallery that ran alongside the Red Savannah exhibition, showing his photographs from various journeys to Nepal. These photos are on sale, with the majority of the proceeds supporting The Shamrock School in Pokhara, Nepal, a school College has supported for a few years. To see more photos and to order prints, please visit www.domfaulkner.com/gallery.
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GB Hockey Players Visit College Hockey: West After the success of the Malaysia tour, a continued “buzz” surrounded the girls as they arrived to pre-season training at the new pitches and were met by GB and England Olympian Georgie Twigg, who was still on a high after securing Gold at the recent European Championships with England. The girls were put through their paces throughout the day in a variety of intensive drills and in addition Georgie shared her experiences as an international hockey player, giving insightful advice on belief in a team in a Q & A session.
and Chris have shared and will use these visits to inspire them as they prepare for this coming term. The girls have had a real insight into the demands of performance sport and what is needed to gain success, and can then relate this to what they will now experience in their fixtures.”
A few weeks later England and Great Britain hockey forward, Chris Griffiths, also visited College to give the girls 1st XI and Junior A teams a master class in attacking play and goal scoring. Chris recently played for England in the European Championships where they finished fourth. For GB, he has scored six goals in 15 appearances.
Finals
The U14 and U16 girls XI both made it to the West Finals held at Clifton College in November. The U16 girls were unbeaten in their three preliminary matches and did not concede a single goal, beating Kingswood 2-0, Whitecross 5-0 with Maddie Moorsom (5th, Ch) claiming a hat-trick and Goldophin 7-0. This was a fantastic achievement from the girls who showed their depth in strength after the late withdrawal of two key players. Both groups were unfortunately knocked out at this stage but did fantastically well to get to this level.
Mr Gwyn Williams, Cheltenham College’s Head of Hockey commented, “To have the calibre of these players at College is a tremendous experience for the girls. I hope they have taken on-board what Georgie
Emily Sumaria Memorial Match In December 2012 at the age of 19, Emily Sumaria, a former pupil of Cheltenham Prep and Cheltenham Ladies’ College passed away from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). She was at Leeds University. As Emily was an avid and keen hockey player it was felt that an annual memorial match in her name between College and CLC would be a fitting way to remember Emily and raise awareness of this form of Epilepsy. On Tuesday 1 December, the girls 1st team retained the Emily Sumaria Memorial Cup after a hard fought 2-1 victory over CLC. It was not the best start for College, with CLC scoring the first goal, but the girls demonstrated their resilience and passion to find a way to get back into the game. A wellworked flowing move resulted in Emily Campbell deflecting the ball for College to draw level. The second half saw College put the CLC back four under immense pressure but could not find a way through for that all important second goal. The game became extremely tight with both sides putting in considerable intensity into their play, Charlotte Ball (L6, Ch) managed to pull off what proved to be a critical save when faced with a CLC forward. In the next few minutes, College managed to move the ball into the CLC D area and from the penalty corner India Blake (L6, Q) struck a fearsome shot and gave College the lead. College saw out a tense final minute and a well-deserved win was achieved. Head of Hockey, Mr Gwyn Williams commented, “This game was played with great intensity and was a fitting tribute to the memory of Emily. At College we are immensely proud and honoured to be part of this and ensure that the memory of Emily lives on through one of her passions in life.”
Rugby House Pots The cold, gloomy weather provided the backdrop for the Senior House Pots final, Newick House versus Leconfield. With both sides featuring dominant 1st XV players, the game promised to be an exciting one and it did not disappoint. From the kick off, the wet and muddy conditions caused numerous problems for both sides. Newick House crossed the line first with Jack Burns (L6, NH) after the forwards built phases close to the Leconfield line. Leconfield found themselves a man down, after Matt Ward (U6, L) picked up a yellow card in a dangerous tackle on his own brother Dan Ward (5, NH). Soon after, Newick House scored again after Freddie Foster (L6, NH) finished a try in the corner following some clever link up play in broken play from the Newick House backs. This meant that Newick House were leading 10-0 at the break. In the second half, Newick House scored again as James Battishill (U6, NH) charged down a kick and had the stamina to go all the way to the line. The game finished 15-0 and Newick House retained the cup for the third year running.
Dan Ali (U6, NH) 12
College News Spring 2016
U14 Netball County Champions On Monday 9 November, the U14 Netball squad travelled to Cheltenham Ladies’ College to play in the Gloucestershire County tournament where 19 schools were hosted. The team was in a group of 5 schools and beat Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School 10-1, The Cotswold School 8-0, Bournside 11-2 and the High School for Girls 10-2. The girls went through as group winners and played a strong Stroud High team in the quarterfinals where they won 7-4. They progressed to the semi-finals and played Dean Close, winning 6-3 in a tight game. The final hurdle to the trophy was Wycliffe, who the girls beat 8-3.
The Inter Schools One Day Event On a beautiful day on Sunday 27 September, five riders from College competed in dressage, show jumping and cross-country at the Inter Schools One Day Event held at Stonar School in Wiltshire.
Head of Netball, Miss Poppy Hoskins commented, “The team played outstandingly and I cannot fault them all for their attitude and enthusiasm. Abbie Whybrow (3rd, Ch) and India Turner (3rd, W) in particularly stepped into defence; their energetic, albeit slightly unorthodox, style of netball was incredibly effective at breaking down the opposition’s attacking play. Meg Knight (3rd, Q) was a strong force in the middle with Beth Jenkins (3rd, Q) and Katya Jennings (3rd, Ch) working well in the shooting circle together. A true squad effort and a sign of excellent and exciting netballers moving through College right now.”
all of our riders were on ponies or small horses, which made it very difficult to beat the bogey time. Annabel Slatter (4th, A) did well on Comet to come home with a great clear within the time. Ellie Jones-Perrott (L6, A) also took all in her stride on her borrowed pony. In the final reckoning, the College team came 9th out of 19 schools, with Belle the best individual
coming 8th in her section. Whilst there were some wistful cries of “if only”, that is the nature of eventing; it is really difficult to perfect three disciplines on the same day. Tavie Slatter (4th, W) was out for the first time representing College on her new horse: an exciting combination to look out for in the future!
Tom O’Bryan (3rd, S) started the day well on his pony, Tyger, posting the third best dressage score. Show jumping was tough with many poles falling but Belle Channing (4th, W) on Mystic Merlin pulled out a fine clear. Storming rounds in cross-country followed, but the time was tight and
Tennis Success The girls’ 1st IV tennis side was crowned the Gloucestershire and South East Wales champions on Tuesday 17 November in the Lawn Tennis Association Senior Students competition. Playing against Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls, the team was tied 2-2 after the singles. Annabel Mundy (U6, A) and Charlotte Ball (L6, Ch) won convincingly at #2 and #3 seeds. The match outcome, and that of the group, hinged on the two doubles matches. Charlotte Ball (L6, Ch) and
Georgia Taylor (U6, Ch) played fantastic tennis and easily won 6-1. Annabel Mundy (U6, A) and Sophie Mathews (U6, A) were not to be outdone, winning 6-2 and securing an overall match result of 4-2. Tabitha Burt (5th, A) was unable to play in the final group match but has been a hugely valuable member of the squad. The girls now play the winners of the South Wales group in February for a place in the national finals, and therefore the top eight schools in the country! Head of Tennis, Mr Steve McQuitty commented, “The girls are understandably delighted by their performance and the opposition coach commented on how sporting and fair our girls were.”
U19 England Cricket Development College student, Josh Dell (U6, H) has been selected for the England Cricket U19 Development Programme Squad – a fantastic achievement! Josh is one of very few selected that are under 18. David Graveney, Chairman of Selectors commented, “He has the opportunity to be part of an outstanding 18-man EDP squad coming through the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) development pathway”. Training camps and challenging tours await Josh, giving him valuable experiences of playing in contrasting conditions and environments. Congratulations Josh!
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IEA Conference On Monday 5 October the Economics Department hosted the A Level conference of the Institute of Economics Affairs (IEA). Pupils from Sir Thomas Rich’s; the Cathedral School, Cardiff; Christ College, Brecon; and The Kings School, Gloucester, joined economics students at College for what was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative day. They heard lectures about the current state of the UK economy, the Eurozone crisis and the development of the sharing economy by Dr Steve Davies (IEA) and Dr Juan Castaneda (University of Buckingham).
Head of Economics, Dr Graham Mallard commented, “Students of A Level Economics always benefit from being exposed to universitylevel debates and from hearing academics talk about their fields of research. It is also exciting for the Economics Department to be establishing a partnership with the IEA - the UK’s leading free markets think tank, which offers a wide range of educational opportunities from which I hope students at College will benefit in the future.”
US Attaché Visits the Morley Society On Tuesday 3 November, the Morley Society was lucky enough to be visited by Hunter Treseder Esq., Political-Military Affairs Officer at the Embassy of the United States. Mr Treseder has served for the United States Government in a number of different roles, in foreign postings from Finland to Iraq. He delivered a fluent contextual precis of US foreign policy and the multiple domestic and foreign forces guiding it from 1945, via Suez, Cuba, Vietnam and Afghanistan, through to the early 1990s, before opening the discussion up to the floor on matters of more recent import.
utmost and leaving Mr Treseder sprinting for his train! Issues of morality, political pragmatism, the economic self-interest of states, geopolitics, the ‘war on terror’ and the emotion surrounding race and immigration all begged a torrent of questions. Mr Treseder was undeterred by all angles taken (even those posed by the Swiss) and in addition made a heartfelt plea that the students perhaps consider the rewards of a life of public service over high finance, with the attendant adventure and personal satisfaction to be gained from such a calling.
A hard core of Upper Sixth historians and politicians remained well beyond the allotted hour, using this unique opportunity to the
Recommended Reads - The Humans by Matt Haig - Age range 15+ Professor Andrew Martin is no longer the person he once was. In fact, he is no longer truly a person. His body remains but only as a shell to an alien being who has been placed on Earth to complete a murderous task. Faced with learning about body language, sarcasm and human emotion, Andrew is trying to rebuild his former ‘self’ and fit in as a member of society. Can his newfound understanding of this Earth-bound species stop him from hurting the ones he’s grown to love? This is a brilliantly funny insight in to what it means to be a human: to look for acceptance, to love and to be loved. The reader is guided through a series of emotions to take a refreshing look at human life from an outside, or alien, perspective.
Miss Danielle Joyce
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College News Spring 2016
Lessons for Success from a Biotech Pioneer OC Philip Astley-Sparke (Xt, 1989) is not your typical ‘Local Boy Makes Good’, unless your definition of good starts with ‘world-first’ and ends with ‘modest’. Philip visited College on Thursday 24 September and after he gave a motivating talk to several science classes I had the privilege to follow up with an interview. I was particularly interested in how those of us interested in a career in biotechnology could benefit from lessons he had learnt during his meteoric rise through the competitive and complex biotech landscape. Expanding on his lecture, he confided, “If you want to run biotech companies, it is beneficial to have broad early experiences, not just in science related areas, but to have financial training as well”. He emphasised that although one can enter the research side of a biotech company, once at the top of your institution, raising capital inevitably becomes a key management requirement, which makes financial understanding crucial in overall success. When asked, when was the breakthrough moment? Philip related the story of a 74-year-old lady, who had severe cancer in the liver and lung, and had little hope of survival. She was given T-VEC and within two years the tumours had disappeared completely. “The doctor ran out with tremendous excitement, and we didn’t even know if we should believe him. That was the key tipping point, and that’s when I knew we had to stick with this, however hard it is, until it succeeds!” Philip Astley-Sparke is an incredibly smart and driven Old Cheltonian, of whom the College can be very proud. The lessons he shared with us go far beyond the life sciences, and are a true motivation to succeed.
Dylan Adlard (L6, S)
Autumn Concert College’s Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Band, Big Band, Jazz Band, JIG, Percussion Ensemble and Chamber Ensembles all came together on Monday 16 November for a concert of classics and new music. From Mozart to Eric Clapton and music from How to Train Your Dragon, there was something for every music lover!
House Music Competition This year’s House Music Competition saw the addition of two new categories – Partsong and Instrumental. These took place on the Monday prior to the traditional House Singing Competition, and brought new diversity and an exceptionally high standard for small groups from each of the Houses. The Partsong competition invited each House to present a three part (or more) unaccompanied partsong of their own choice. Arguably the most difficult of the categories, there was a wide variety of repertoire, ranging from 16th century polyphony to 21st century a cappella arrangements of pop songs.
and Charlie Holloway (L6, L) on the saxophone for Leconfield’s entry, as well as Freddie White’s (5th, BH) bagpipe playing for Boyne House. The format for House Singing remained unchanged, other than the inclusion of performances of each of the winning Partsong and Instrumental competitions. The whole House is required to participate in this part of the competition, and as ever, the competition was fiercely fought, and the top three places passionately discussed both before and after the event. 1st – Ashmead – Beach Boys Medley 2nd – Westal – ‘Cups’ When I’m Gone 3rd – Chandos – The Way You Are/Just a Dream
The most impressive thing about this year’s competition was the superb leadership demonstrated by pupils independently putting the various performances together. Particular mention must go to Taya Sellers (U6, W), as Westal was the only House to place in all three categories; George Cook (U6, Xt); Arabella Knowles (U6, A); Freddie White (5th, BH) and Rhodri Hande (U6, S). Next year is already being discussed and planned in some areas, and promises the same intensity and passion. I hope it can also achieve the same superb standard, easily the highest I have seen in school competitions.
Mr David McKee, Director of Music
Placed Houses were as follows: 1st – Westal – Danny Boy 2nd – Ashmead – Titanium 3rd – Christowe – Only You The instrumental competition operated on a similar basis, with a requirement for three independent instrumental parts, with the option of adding a fourth vocal line. Equally diverse with their responses, the first three placed Houses were: 1st – Leconfield – Tequila 2nd – Boyne House – Highland Cathedral 3rd – Westal – Like I Can Particular mention must go to the superb improvisation skills of Rafal Dovgialo (4th, L) 15
Update from the Development Office OC Makes the The Cheltonian Association & Society’s annual publication, Floreat Cheltonia Loughborough 2016, will be delivered to you this month. Anyone with a link to College, MCCU Squad including current and past parents, OCs and staff, is automatically a member of the Association and we hope you will enjoy reading the various feature articles, event reviews and take a note of dates for your diary. PROOF
FLOREAT
16 T H E C H E LTO N I AN AS S O CI AT I ON & S OC IE T Y MAG A ZI N E J A N UA RY 20 16 – I S SU E NU M BE R N INE
2016 is College’s 175th anniversary and we have a number of events coming up to celebrate, notably our very popular Cheltenham at The Races on 17 March, the Pink & Black Ball on 1 July and Tower Bridge drinks on 16 June.
All the latest news and updates from The Chelonian Association & Society, along with member news can also be found online and we were delighted to see the huge increase in members joining our social media groups in 2015. You can find us on both LinkedIn and Facebook by searching for The Cheltonian Association & Society. If you haven’t yet, please do join us. I hope you will enjoy reading Floreat Cheltonia. We are always on the look out for interesting feature articles especially from our current parent members. Please do get in touch with me on r.creed@cheltenhamcollege.org if you would like to pen an article for next year’s edition, have suggestions for future events or if you haven’t received your 2016 copy. Best Wishes & Happy New Year
Rebecca Creed - The Cheltonian Association Manager & Floreat Cheltonia Editor
CHELTONIA
Old Cheltonian Retains Rackets World Championship Title Jamie Stout (1997-2002, H) beat challenger Will Hopton in two legs of the Rackets Singles World Championship to retain his title. Stout (pictured left) beat Hopton (pictured right) 15/7 15/9 15/3 15/5 in the first leg on Saturday 21 November before a highly enthusiastic Philadelphia gallery. Hopton’s game was brilliant, but this wasn’t to be his day as Stout kept raising his game to new heights.
finishes by the champion. It is testament to both players’ sportsmanship that they visited College in between the first and second legs of the World Championship to put on an exhibition match and play with College's top rackets players. Congratulations to Jamie Stout on this wonderful achievement!
We are thrilled to hear that Oliver Soames (BH, 2014 – pictured right) has been selected for the Loughborough Marylebone Cricket Club Universities squad! Oliver set himself the goal of being selected for the MCCU squad when he arrived at university in 2014. Unfortunately, he did not make the squad in the first year, but did play for the university 1st XI team (one level under the MCCU). After a very good season, Oliver went through three rounds of trials for the MCCU squad. Oliver commented, “Leading up to the last session I was extremely nervous because I had never got this far and I wanted it so much. After a brief chat with Mr Mark Briers, I went in to the session feeling confident in my ability and I had his wise words ringing in my head: ‘Take the pressure off yourself and bat with freedom’. I guess his positive words worked - I should have probably listened to him more at College - as I was selected for this year’s MCCU squad. I feel delighted and finally on the road to where I want to be. It is a very full on timetable of training, conditioning and fitness sessions - beginning most mornings at 7am. I would especially like to thank Mark for all the hard work he put in whilst I was at College, as this gave me a solid grounding and I believe without this I would not be where I am today.” Congratulations Oliver!
The second leg took place on Saturday 28 November at The Queen’s Club where Stout beat Hopton 15/6. Hopton was fighting for every point but couldn’t reach several world‑class
Dates of Spring Term 2015 Half Term: 11.00 Friday 12 February – 18.00 Sunday 21 February
End of Term: 11.00 Friday 18 March Cheltenham College, Bath Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 7LD @cheltcollege
Note from the Editor KEEP UP-TO-DATE, VISIT COLLEGE TWITTER AND FACEBOOK PAGES
I would like to to thank all members of the Common Room and the College pupils who contributed to this publication, in particular, Andy Banks for most of the photography and the Young Journalist group, led by Jane Brodigan.
Claudia Parry, Editor T: 01242 265 600 E: c.parry@cheltenhamcollege.org www.cheltenhamcollege.org