4 minute read
Government & Politics
Getting to know... Mr Chwistek
1. Do you prefer History or Politics?
In terms of teaching, I like both. And, despite what the A levels might suggest, I don’t think you can really separate the two: how you think about politics will affect the way you look at history, and knowledge of history will change the way you think about politics.
2. What song do you know all the lyrics to?
I think probably any song from The Libertines’ first two albums. And, more embarrassingly, Macklemore’s ‘Can’t Hold Us’. It’s very catchy.
3. Who would play you in the film of your life?
Probably like a Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper heartthrob-type figure. That’s the impression I get.
4. What is your favourite thing about NHEHS so far?
Lunch. Especially pudding. Wait, I mean the students. Obviously the students.
5. What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?
I was once sat in a room with a lot of fancy-pants intellectual types who were discussing poetry (I know very little about poetry) and got Jacqueline Rose and Jacqueline Wilson confused. They didn’t appreciate my input about Tracy Beaker.
6. Do you have any hidden talents?
I used to race for the University of York go-karting team (and was pretty good…). I also have the first couple of belts in kickboxing although I’m less flexible these days and not sure I can kick very high.
7. What type of headphones do you use?
Sony. My over-ear ones are Sony, my inear ones are also Sony. They came free with my phone, which is a Sony phone.
Disclaimer: Interview not sponsored by Sony.
How to be Politically Active When You Can’t Vote
1) Find out who your local representative are. This includes your MP and local councillors.
2) Keep up with the news - politics can completely change in a day.
3) Get involved in elections. Whether it’s for the general or local council elections, research the candidates for your area and their parties and find out who you support.
4) If you want to, find out what you can do in your area and get campaigning!
Rupa Huq: NHEHS Alumna and MP
Rupa Huq became MP for Ealing Central and Acton in 2015. In the 2017 General Election she increased her majority from 232 votes to 13,807, a swing that prompted one person in the audience to shout ‘safe seat’ when it was announced.
But long before she was representing our area in Parliament, she was a student at NHEHS. I interviewed her at school to find out more about her experience.
Rupa Huq joined when Year 7 was still called ‘3 Upper’ and the uniform included white shirts with cross stitching on every collar. The main building showed its Victorian origins much more than it does now, with dark wood panelling and wooden desks instead of tables. But this was no Victorian school: the names of bands like Duran Duran scratched onto the wood dated Huq’s time at school to the 1980s. She says that Sixth Form was the best part of school, especially since they had a radio. Huq was shocked that we don’t even have a CD players now - a sign of the times, or perhaps fewer facilities for Sixth Formers?
Despite the increased contact with local boys, Huq went to Newnham College, Cambridge, which even now only admits women. However, it was never a given that she was going to go to Oxbridge in the first place, as the school selected those in the year they thought of as ‘Oxbridge material’ and gave them extra lessons; Huq wasn’t chosen for this programme. She also said that her GCSEs ‘weren’t great’ and she was never in Div 1 for any subject. But she was determined, and worked until she was accepted to Cambridge, despite some of her teachers’ lack of faith.
This seems to be a theme for her - Huq values hard work and says to ‘never get too comfortable or too complacent or take anything for granted.’ Of course, this is referring to her seat in Parliament, which she won in 2015 and held on to in the 2017 election, despite the predictions of a Conservative swing in the constituency with the second smallest Labour majority in 2015.
She was inspired to go into politics whilst doing Politics A Level, which was very different from the current syllabus, and included no debates. She was also known as ‘Red Rupa’ in school, but that was more as a result of the frequency with which she wore red socks than her political affiliations at the time! However, she did soon join Labour as a student at Cambridge, so perhaps the socks were a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Her best advice for Politics students is to keep informed: read the newspaper (online versions are acceptable) and watch the news regularly. Don’t worry too much if you find yourself getting bogged down in the never-ending nature of politics - as she said, ‘there’s a bit of Brenda from Bristol in all of us!’
