Christmas issue

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The College Press ————-Thursday 22nd December 2016 Issue 2 Volume 12———

The Christmas Issue

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College Press Editorial Team Editors: Deryn Mooney & Eve Murphy Student Contributors: Caroline Kane Cormac Stopes Gemma Cox Ciara Taheny Special Thanks To:

Mr. Doyle

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Editorial Seasons Greetings college press readers. This terms article are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit! This article is filled with everything from the school musical, Les Miserable, to all your favourite Christmas songs and movies. We hope you enjoyed reading this terms article, and remember‌ You still have time to get back on Santa’s nice list!!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Soroptimist Competition This year I participated in the Soroptimist All-Girls Public Speaking competition. The topic I chose to give my speech on was the Empowerment of Women as this is something I would have particular interest in and I felt I could talk about most passionately. After many segments of my first draft being rewritten and improved (shoutout to Ms. Kelly) and I had practiced the speech so much I nearly knew it by heart, the day of the competition finally came. I left school early on Friday the 18th of November to go to Clane where the competition was held. The little hall was buzzing with the anxious excitement of girls hoping to please the judges with their powers of persuasion. After sitting down next to Ms. Kelly and my fellow competitor Rachel Thornton, a woman took to the podium to announce the beginning of the speeches. I was the 14th to speak out of 17 speakers, so I knew that whatever I did behind that podium, I had to make sure I stood out. Listening to all the other girls before me, I heard that many of them had some of the exact same points I had, and this was worrying to say the least, but I now knew how to I could deliver my points in a way that would keep my audience’s attention, but also make sure my point really hit home. After all the speeches were done there was some light refreshments and we all had a chance to congratulate each other on making some amazing points and arguments. Then we were all sat back down, eager to hear the announcement of the two winners who would be going on to the next round. When the head judge called my name as one of the winners, I was more than a little surprised. It was an amazing moment, I really felt proud of my hard work, and when Rachel was called out for being the reserve, I wasn’t just proud of myself, I was proud of us for representing the college in such a unique way. The trophy from the Soroptimist will come to the school after Easter and the next round of the competition will take place in January, for which I eagerly await to share my views on feminism all over again.

By Caroline Kane 4


Annual Christmas Carol Service Last Thursday our schools annual Christmas Carol service took place. It was a magical evening filled with beautiful hymns and delicious treats! To begin the choir gathered inside the church and sang to their hearts content. Inside, the church was beautifully lit with hundredths of candles everywhere you looked. Throughout the night many talented students took to the alter to perform individually. We had performances from Jack Kennedy, Larissa Sutton, four fifth year students Ciara Taheny, Caroline Kane, Caoimhe Hayden and Gemma Cox. Following them we also had Elliot Davis, Aine Fleming and Ellen Jordan, a beautiful violin piece from Louis Young and then finally a lovely bit of Irish music from Dervala Leahy, Roisin Sexton and James Sexton. Everyone made their way over to junior house after the service was over to enjoy some tea and cakes. Things got a bit livelier when the choir broke out the more fun upbeat carols. It was a fun and festive way to kick off Christmas and everyone involved had a wonderful time. The Christmas Carol is definitely an event worth going to in the coming years.

By Deryn Mooney

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Les Miserables Review Les Misérables is the first “serious” musical Newbridge College has ever done, according to most. There were a lot of doubters, who were convinced this musical could never be as good as musicals gone by; where typical productions such as The Wedding Singer, Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz were given an interesting and modern twist, with hilarious one-liners and the newest songs written into almost clichéd scripts. People thought the funny and silly plays would trump any of these “serious” productions any day. I was one of these doubters. I doubt no longer. Newbridge College presented Les Misérables on the 24th, 25th and 26th of November; a story set during the French Revolution. The main character, Jean Valjean, is a freed prisoner, who was convicted for stealing a loaf of bread. He has violated his parole conditions, and the prison guard Javert is on a mission to find Valjean and bring him to justice. Meanwhile Fantine, a local woman whose husband abandoned her, pays local innkeepers to take care of her illegitimate child Cosette, as she knows she will never be able to find work with an illegitimate child burdening her reputation. She then finds work in Jean’s factory. However, she is then fired and turns to prostitution. (lovely lady) Jean has masqueraded himself as Madeleine, a good and honest man, who is the mayor of the town and a successful businessman. However, Javert discovers Madeleine’s true identity, and arrests him while Fantine dies of illness. As the story goes on, Javert swears to bring Valjean to justice, a man named Marius falls in love with Cosette, and the innkeepers are found to be abusers of Cosette, whilst spoiling their own two daughters. The cry for revolution is led in the town by Marius, and the scene when the revolutionaries - which now included Valjean - are fighting from behind a barricade seemed like the longest from any play. Ever. This musical is one of love, heartbreak, accomplished and scattered dreams and revolution. As there is but one spoken line (delivered excellently by Aidan Bolger), it is even harder to remain in character.

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However, when the production needed great actors - as well as singers - they were in abundance. Elliot Davis played the part of Jean Valjean with the utmost confidence, and remained in character even while singing and acting in the background. His voice dominated any scene that he took part in, and his clear ability to portray emotion while he was singing was the reason he was given the lead role. Killian Corless was the surprise sensation of this year’s musical. The TY, who was a rookie to the stage, played Javert magnificently. Like Davis, he was able to accurately and expressly portray great emotion in his booming, maleficent voice. His line about killing his enemies in the song “One Day More” sent chills down the majority of spines. Caroline Kane displayed another standout performance. Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” was jaw-dropping and poignant, and she too was a brilliant actor. A shame, then, that her performance lasted no longer than the first Act. Other notable mentions included Zach O’Reilly, Rachel Thornton and Millie AhearneO’Donnell, who brought fun and laughter with their song “Master of the House” and their ability to provide a hint of comedy. Harry Younge, who played Marius, was exceptional in his role and Ciara Taheny played the heartbreaking role of Eponine to a tee. Credit, too, to the all of the chorus cast, the backstage crew and, of course, the teachers who made the whole thing possible. Mr. Doyle, Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Murphy were clearly exceptional producers/directors. They were lucky to be provided with such a talented and hardworking cast. Les Misérables is the best school production I have seen in my four years here, and it sets a very high standard for those involved with next year’s production of Grease. (#rumoured)

By Cormac Stopes

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Musical Interview Elliot Davis - Jean Valjean How many musicals have you done at Newbridge College? Les Mis was my fourth musical in the College. I played the Doormouse in Alice in Wonderland in 1st year, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast in TY, the Scarecrow in The Totally Wicked Wizard of Oz in 5th year, and finally Jean Valjean this year. What experience of musical theatre did you have prior to this year's musical? Apart from the four musicals in the College, I have been part of Newbridge Musical Society & Stage Door productions before, and have sung a lot of musical theatre within my classical training. How did this effect your attitude toward the show? I was a little overwhelmed during the first rehearsal haha! How did you feel initially when you heard this year's show was Les Mis? I was really excited, but also scared when Ms. O’Brien handed me the vocal book! It also meant that I’d have to be at rehearsals on-time for a change…! What were the challenges in relating to your character at first? Well, in my previous three musicals in the College, Ms. O’Brien/Mr. Doyle/Ms. Murphy/Ms. Lenehan seemed set on making sure that I didn’t play a human role (mouse, then candlestick, then scarecrow) so it took me a while to adjust to playing a human at last (joking haha)!!! Considering that Jean Valjean is an ex-convict who breaks parole, I couldn’t really apply my own life experiences to this part of the role haha but it all fell into place before long. This year's musical was very different other years. Did you notice a change in the group on and off stage? It says a lot about the commitment and the hard work put in by our wonderful musical director, director, producer, choreographer and our outstanding cast and chorus that we pulled off Les Mis with such success. It’s only when you’re involved in the production that you realise how much commitment is required for this musical, and everyone involved really did an incredible job.

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Can you think of a funny story that happened during the musical? Definitely the funniest story was when Greg and I pranked Ms. Murphy on the second last night! Right after the interval, I pretended to faint and Greg went running to Ms. Murphy, of course exaggerating the whole situation! Long story short, Ms. Murphy nearly fainted herself when she and half the cast gathered round an “unconscious” Valjean – we only gave it away when Greg couldn’t contain his laughter anymore and burst out laughing!! Would you recommend the musical to students who haven't tried it before? Why? I would strongly recommend auditioning for the musical! It’s such a brilliant experience that you will get so much out of – you make so many friends and get chatting with new people that you may not have known before the musical. Once you have been in the musical once, you’ll want to be in it again and again. It’s a really important part of life in Newbridge College, and is definitely one of the most memorable parts of my time in the College. Caroline Kane - Fantine What experience of musical theatre do you have prior to this year’s musical? Have quite a lot of experience in musical theatre as I've been part of various drama clubs since I was nine and I did a course in London over the summer. How did this affect your attitude towards your performance? Well overall I suppose it's made me a lot more confident and I feel really comfortable on stage. How did you feel when you heard this year’s show was Les Miserables? I was really surprised when I heard we were doing Les Miserables because it's such a difficult musical, but I'm also slightly obsessed with it so I was really excited at the same time! The teachers, cast and chorus did an amazing job pulling it off. What were the challenges in relation to your character at first? Fantine was a really emotional character to play as she has such a hard life other song "I dream to dream "was difficult to sing because you had to get the balance between singing and acting it. But overall I love playing her, quick custom changes, wigs

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This year’s musical was very different from other years. Did you notice a change in the group on and off stage? I think the only real difference was how small the cast was, everyone got along really well though somebody and we were just like one big family. That even though were all crying and dying on stage, it was all laughter and messing of stage. Would you recommend the musical to students who haven't tried it before? I would definitely recommend a musical to anyone because it is just such a fun experience. Even if you're not into singing and dancing, it's an amazing way to get to know people in the college that you might never have spoken to otherwise. Any funny stories? I'd say the funniest things are on the musical was whenever Rachel will go on stage (she played innkeeper wife) And watching Miss Murphy peeking through her fingers listening anxiously for one of her impromptu lines which never failed to have me doubled over with laughter. How many musicals have you done in the school? I've been a part of the school musicals except third year since I came into first year and you have no idea how sad it makes me that this is my last one. Thank you for interviewing me.

By Eve Murphy 10


Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them Genre: Fantasy Director: David Yates Producer/screenwriter: JK Rowling BIG, bold and teeming with imagination, JK Rowling storms back to the Wizarding world with a blast of glowing sparks as she sets off on a new adventure in “Fantastic beasts and where to find them”. David Yates is no stranger to directing movies in this universe, cutting his teeth in the last four Harry Potter films. His reason for returning for this project was none other than JK Rowling’s remarkable screenplay. The film takes place in New York City in the Roaring twenties where a British magizoologist, Newt Scamander, arrives on a boat with a rather peculiar leather suitcase. Inside there is a wide variety of magical creatures that come in all shapes and sizes. All hell breaks loose when Newt’s beasts escape from his suitcase, causing mayhem in the city. Newt and his new friends go on an adventure to recapture the beasts.However, this is not just an adventure story. There are dark elements hidden in the backstreets of the city. An anti-witch activist and her unloved son quietly enters the story as Percival Graves goes to search a dark magic. Eddie Redmayne plays Newt Scamander, who does the role justice with his openness, likability and his cheeky smile. His presence is known on the screen, even if Newt is a quiet chap. A quirk of fate allows the form of an unlikely friendship with a No-Maj called Jacob Kowalski, an ex-soldier factory worker who aspires to open a bakery. Dan Folger achieves a phenomenal performance, becoming a warm and lovable character.Newt encounters an ex-auror that goes by the name Tina Goldstein played by Katherine Waterston, Tina gives the Rowling universe a strong female lead with a tough streak. Tina introduces her sister Queenie Goldstein, played by Alison Sudol. Her Marilyn Monroe style personality is as dazzling as her curly bob hairstyle. I won’t forget to mention the beasts. The beasts are given their own personalities. My favourite beast is the niffler, who is continuously stealing coins and jewelry (anything shiny) and hiding it in his bottomless pouch. Although I was anxious about the first chapter of the prequel not meeting its high expectations. Luckily I was completely wrong. With surprising twists, references to our modern time, and a wholesome story, everything fits so perfectly in this film. So if you haven’t seen it yet, go on Thursday when our exams are over. Treat yourself with popcorn and a drink and plop yourself in a seat. I promise you, you wont regret it.

By Gemma Cox 11


Mini Company Fair 2016 This year’s TY Mini-Company Christmas fair is the ideal place to buy all of your Christmas presents this year. It will be held on Wednesday December 14th, and all students are welcome. Among this year’s products are the charity wristbands “Hook It”, who are donating 10% of all their earnings to Pieta House and raising awareness for suicide prevention. Also selling this year are “TeaHee”, a mini-company selling mugs with stylish designs on them. “Sacs de Café” are providing biodegradable coffee-bags, so you can have coffee without worrying about its strength (maybe a pairing of these two items would provide a perfect Christmas present?). “Infuse” is another drinks-related company, who are selling bottles with fruit juicers at the bottom, to add a fruity element to your drink without pips or seeds. “Waterboy” are a mini-company selling a hose extension to help you fill 6 water bottles at once. In other non-drinks-related news, “Nailed It” are selling fabulous, homemade fake nails; a great gift option. “Scrabbled” are producing customised crossword-style pictures made from Scrabble tiles, for a personalised gift. Other products include: beanie hats with inbuilt bluetooth earphones, hand-made Christmas cards, a gift voucher giving you 10% off in various retail outlets, “Bijoux Jewellery”, a solution to untying laces during matches, and many more. So make sure to bring money on Wednesday December 14th, and support the students in your school by buying your Christmas gifts at our school fair.

By Cormac Stopes

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Sensitive Sally Dear Sensitive Sally, I’ve noticed bullying within my friend group. I don’t want to get caught in the middle but I don’t like the way my friend is being treated. I am also close friends with the girl being mean. How can I help the situation without angering my friend who is doing the bullying and without getting caught up in drama? Hello honey, so this is quite a difficult situation to be in. Firstly I will say well done for reaching out to someone, you’ve taken a positive step in the right direction. You obviously care about both of your friends so let’s see how we can solve this. I think the first step you should take is encouraging your friend who is being picked on to speak to a parent or trusted adult. Bullying is a serious matter and she will feel a lot better knowing she has an older person to go to. Make sure she knows that you have noticed what is happening and you are going to be someone she can lean on for support, show her you understand and want to help. The second step is most likely going to be harder for you to deal with. Speaking to your friend who is doing the bullying is also important. Be gentle, she may have something difficult going on in her life which is causing her to take it out on your other friend. Don’t accuse her of anything; just ask is there anything she needs to talk about or anything you can help with. If not tell her that you’ve noticed some comments being made and ask her how she feels about the situation. Sometimes people may not realise what they’re saying is hurting others even if they don’t mean for it to be mean. Lastly it might be a good idea to sit down with both girls in a relaxed environment after you’ve spoken to each of them separately, this way you can act as a balance and make sure both side is heard and treated fairly. If you feel things getting out of hand or are affecting you, tell a parent or a teacher. You’re being a very good friend but make sure it doesn’t drag you down it the process. Best of luck sweetie. Sincerely, Sensitive Sally x

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Top ten Christmas movies you must watch this year:          

Elf The Grinch The Holiday Miracle on 34th street The Christmas shoes A Christmas Carol Santa Clause Love actually Home alone The nightmare before Christmas

And if you’re lucking for a good New Year’s movie  New Years Eve

Top ten Christmas songs to get you in the festive mood          

All I want for Christmas is you Have yourself a merry little Christmas Santa baby Rocking around the Christmas tree Fairytale of New York Its begging to look a lot like Christmas Last Christmas Do they know it’s Christmas time Santa tell me Silent night By Ciara Taheny 14


Christmas Puns!!!

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