The Submarine January 2017
VOL 12 NO 1
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It was a couple of summers ago that Garry a step backwards (loss and demolition) before Bannister and I were seated on opposite sides taking several steps forward (substantial gain and new construction). But first a little more of a large table in the Library. As soon as he brought out his clipboard, I knew I was in history. trouble. Exactly how much I was not to find History, why history? Why develop out until a knowledge of the year later. history of a place Garry’s two and what makes it hours of special – except as benign a pastime? How interrogation will this better kicked off the equip those who ___________________ first of what care for and are was to responsible for its JOHN SOMERVILLE-LARGE become a future? The answer In his final article – much to his relief I am sure! – John makes a trilogy of is simple. History is fascinating case for redesigning the core of the College. I recommend a articles. After a continuum and it very close reading of his proposals. And quite apart from the merit of his the 1st and 2nd has a trajectory. suggestions, he shows us how an architect’s mind works through came the real Knowledge of drawing on existing historic structures and alignments, then using these trouble: the historical trajectory as a springboard for radically imagined solutions. third! “Please and accepting ___________________________________ include continuity into the sketches / future reduces watercolours of your proposed plans for the uncertainty and fear. central area in the College and for the westPlanning, informed by an understanding of end development…some of your architectural history’s trajectory, better enables far-reaching vision for the College… some nice decisions about the future to be made in watercolours, John.” confidence. And this trajectory can be A common predicament for an influenced. By continuing with the desirable, architect. Just because no one has asked does replacing the unsuccessful and adding the new not mean your antennae, constantly tuning in that enhance a desired trajectory, no apology to the particulars of location or ‘place’ and needs to be prepared in advance. your intuitive constructive and creative But, while this is valuable in differing thinking, are switched off. And carrying a degrees to all and helps build a sense of sense of professional responsibility for the community, this study of history can be hard resulting knowledge of a possible future, work. It’s generally inaccessible in out-ofmakes one vulnerable to just this type of favour books, dusty letters and documents, entreaty. And, of course, it’s true. I do have curled up plans and photographs. So my first ideas and, as requested, at the inevitable risk of idea (with no demolition or building required) seeming presumptuous, I’ll outline some of is that a project be launched to make it all them shortly. None are ‘one-off’ ideas. They accessible in a digital archive that is ongoing. are all interrelated. One idea provokes another In this way further history of the College can in a circle of cause and effect, as shall be seen. be researched and future history easily And they all recognise the necessity of taking documented as it unfolds. Continued on page 10
An Architect
At Work
C O N T E N T S An Architect at Work John Somerville-Large………..….1 Introduction…….................………..2 A Russian Christmas Anastasia Danilova..………..……3 Foundation: Review Nevin McCone…………………..4 Olive Mooney Visit Avi Johnston…………………….5 Fates and Furies: Review Catherine Butt…………………...6 Short Story Daisy McKeever………………..7 Shoot the Messenger: 9/11 Isabelle Townshend…………….8 An Architect at work cont’d…….10 What’s Reading Me...……………14 Three Editors Nyla Jamieson…………………16
Maria Herero
In this edition This edition of The Submarine devotes many pages to John Somerville-Large’s fascinating vision of how St. Columba’s might physically develop in the coming years—this physical development encompassing, at John’s insistence, the social and intellectual development of the school. How we quite got here—three extensive articles and a great deal of work from John—has a lot to do with the alchemy that surrounds Dr Bannister. We don’t need to look too far into this edition to see further evidence of it, from Tania Stokes’ cartoon strip, astute book reviews from Catherine Butt and Nevin McCone, Isabelle Townshend’s thought-provoking talk on 9/11, our What’s Reading Me contributors, and Nyla Jamieson’s interview with Patrick Ussher—all turned up in the editor’s inbox or were put in place almost as soon as the magic word ‘Submarine’ was uttered. So to Dr Bannister many, many thanks for the boundless energy and enthusiasm, and for continuing to conjure, out of the void as it were, such gold. To John Somerville-Large, a busy and highly successful London-based architect, thank you for taking the time to explain your vision, both in words and drawings. The Submarine, but a humble craft, is privileged to carry that ‘possible future’ to wider shores. Many thanks also to our as yet unmentioned contributors—Daisy McKeever for the impact of her emotionally resonant short story, Avi Johnston for her concise report on our visiting author, Olive Mooney, to all our artists for their work, and to our new editor, Nyla Jamieson, who dipped her toe in this edition’s waters as well as interviewing Patrick Ussher—Nyla will be fully in charge of our next edition. We wish her well! And finally, last but not least, our thanks to our ever-gracious publisher, Ms Bainton, who simply smiles and asks how many copies, whatever other pressures she might be under.
Tania Stokes 2
A Russian Christmas ANASTASIA DANILOVA
Для жителей Российской Федерации, Новый год является главным зимним праздником и справляется 1 января. Однако, есть и те, что не участвуют в этом торжестве. Для них важным, по сути, праздником является Рождество. А перед ним строгий пост,который длится 40 дней. Начинается он 28 ноября и заканчивается только 6 января, вечером, с восходом первой звезды. Для многих детей и подростков Новый год - это сплошная ассоциация с подарками, пихтовым запахом, сочными мандаринами, хаотично красующемися на праздничном столе, с ярко по-всюду сверкающими бенгальскими огнямидля каждого это событие олицетворяет семейный уют и изобилие заснеженных улиц. Взрослые, так же, очень внимательно, с трепетным ожиданием встречают Новый год. В это необычное время они становятся больше похожи на нас, ребятню, которая с нетерпением ждёт зимних каникул, вкусных пряностей и подарков. В это время происходят самые необычные вещи. За две недели до встречи торжества, во многих домах появляется ель, украшенная различными игрушками и сладостями. После ночи на 1 января, ты просто вскакиваешь с кровати и бежишь прямиком к абсолютнозаслуженному подарку, который делает тебя неимоверно счастливым...
For the Russian people, the New Year is the most important winter event. We celebrate it on 1st January. There are people who don't take part in this event however. For them the most important celebration is Christmas. Before Christmas they have a strict diet which lasts for 40 days. This diet begins on 28th November and only finishes on the Eve of 6th January when the first star appears. For many children and teenagers New Year is associated with gifts, the smell of pine, mandarins on a decorated table and candles everywhere. For everyone New Year means family and snow on the street. Adults stay up in wait of the celebration of the New Year. At this special time adults seem to be like children who can't wait for the winter holidays, sweets and, of course, gifts. At this time all the magic happens. In the two weeks leading up to the celebration, a Christmas tree is bought and decorated with toys and sweets which disappear within the first few days. On New Year's Day people jump out of bed and run to their presents, which makes them happy.
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REVIEW FOUNDATION by Isaac Asimov NEVIN McCONE Foundation is the first in a series of books by Isaac Asimov. The story tells of a future universe, where the human race has extended its life bearing arms across various planets throughout the galaxy. The Empire Empire of this universe is based on the metropolis planet of Trantor, where no grass or woods are to be seen bar those of metal. Everything is prosperous, a utopian paradise where the Empire grows continuously. However, a mathematical prodigy known as Hari Seldon predicts a catastrophic end to the empire and its seemingly endless prosperity, using ‘Psychohistory’, which is the mathematics of incredibly large numbers and statistics and can therefore predict the future. The Commission of Public Safety reluctantly reluctantly agrees to fund Seldon as his psychohistory is very precise and cannot be ignored. Therefore, two foundations are built at opposite ends of the galaxy. This book is centered around the first foundation, located on the far-off far planet of Terminus, a minerally ally scarce planet with no real use. Here, scientists record all information on all aspects of life for decades, anticipating the crises predicted by Hari Seldon, eager to minimize the recovery time to rebuild the fallen Empire…... The blurb of this book, that I just tried to quantify, doesn't really do the book justice. Isaac Asimov is a Sci-Fi Fi God, creating many classics of the genre including the book and now film, ‘I-Robot’. Robot’. ‘Foundation’, like ‘I-Robot’, ‘I Robot’, is a must read for those not only deeply in love with Science-Fiction, Fiction, but also politics. The book floats from various narrators over hundreds of years, but thanks to the sheer mass of Asimov’s universe, they are all well developed and each have a key role in Hari Seldon’s plans for the Empire and the Galaxy. G Never once has a mathematician seemed to be so like a superhero, for Hari Seldon, although dead for 95% of the book, manages to avert planet-sized planet sized (literally) crises from long beyond the grave, in the past, with merely a calculator. Trying to describe the best parts of this book is futile, for only reading it explains why Isaac Asimov is, in my opinion, the best sci-fi sci fi writer of all time. So give it a shot, it's not an endless book, only two hundred odd pages long, but its depth is endless, it being a black hole of possibilities and ideas. Whether you're an avid Sci-Fi Sci Fi reader, or a newbie like I was reading this book, ‘Foundation’ is nevertheless one heck of a galactic trip. Asimov, although born nearly a hundred years ago, still manages to stay relevant and is still one step ahead of the rest—just like Hari Seldon himself. 4
Olive Mooney Book Launch at St Columba’s College “The Curse of Helbizia” On Tuesday the 25th of October 2016, Olive Mooney, author of the book series The Chronicles of Cadaver College, came to St Columba’s College after the release of the second book in the series. Ms. Mooney came to present her new book and to sign copies purchased by students. The First Form and Primary students went to the Big School Room to meet Ms Mooney. She read to us the first two chapters of her first book entitled The Book of Ornis and a chapter of her second book, The Curse of Helbizia. The characters of these stories are all ghosts and the plot is full of mystery and tension. We got the opportunity to ask her some questions such as ‘Did she ever get writer's block? And if she did what
did she do? Ms Mooney was very forthcoming and honest with her answers. She explained how and when she writes. She told
us that she writes for eight to nine hours a day, and that when she lacks inspiration she does other activities like walking to wait for new ideas to arrive. When asked how did she find inspiration for writing, she explained she got inspiration for The Chronicles of Cadaver College during one of these walks. She saw a boy in front of some railings and this set off her train of thought, which led to this exciting series of books. It was an enjoyable and informative morning, and a perfect lead in to Halloween! Avi Johnston 5
REVIEW FATES AND FURIES by Lauren Groff CATHERINE BUTT ‘Fates and Furies’ by Lauren Groff is one of the most complex novels I have ever read. It is not only complex in its story but also in its writing style and dialogue. It is the story of a twenty-four-year marriage between a woman called Mathilde and a man called Lotto. Both of them have very contrasting personalities and completely different upbringings. This makes you think that there would be no way that this couple would fuse but this is in fact wrong, they do manage somehow to get along. ‘Fates and Furies’ has been compared to ‘Gone Girl’. The two books have some similarities but they also have a lot of differences. Overall I would say that ‘Fates and Furies’ has characters that are much more likable than of ‘Gone Girl’. It also has a different and much more complicated writing style. Although I do not believe that the plot is as good as in ‘Gone Girl’ I really liked the characters in ‘Fates and Furies’ as I found them very easy to relate to. Mathilde has had a hard life and as a result is extremely withdrawn. She is also very bitter and she is very independent. Lotto is selfish, generous and full of life. The characters are so believable as they all have flaws but they also have some good points as well. The author is, in addition, able to make you feel sorry for them. The author uses a lot of metaphors in her writing. Some of these are beautiful and lyrical, while others are just plain stupid. In my opinion, there is too many metaphors in this book. This means that you do not appreciate them as much as you would if there were less of them. For instance, Mathilde’s unshaved underarms are at one point given ten lines comparing them to a bird’s nest. This is just excessive in my opinion. The book is split into two parts, Mathilde’s and Lottos. I preferred Mathilde’s to Lotto’s as I felt at some points the plot moved very slowly in Lotto’s part. For instance, at one point the author just describes a set of parties that Mathilde and Lotto had over the years. This, I found very boring indeed. Overall I would recommend ‘Fates and Furies’ to someone who is looking for a literary challenge. The book is very heavy at times, but it has some interesting things to say about married life. Ciana Taylor 6
Short Story by Daisy McKeever ________________________________________________________ “They’re in my second drawer from the bottom, knotted up!” my Mum shouted up the stairs at me. Searching among hundreds of necklaces, tangled in a huge ball, I found an envelope sitting beneath a leather-bound jewellery box. I opened the box, fingering the small gold brooch between my thumb and index finger. The words, ‘Love is blind’ had been almost completely eroded off the tiny pin. I looked at the letter; it had never been sealed, the top only tucked inside the yellowing paper. It was a fat letter, which provoked my curiosity. Without realising what was in the envelope, I felt a chill run down my body, starting like ice in my brain. I felt my hands shiver. A child sitting in a high chair. A man holding a new born baby. The same man swimming in a lake with his two children. As I flicked through the bundle of photographs, I felt neither confusion nor disbelief. Somehow a part of me knew this man and this family and understood these family photographs. It wasn't my family or a family I had ever known, but it was my mum. It was my mother holding her child in the snow and it was my mother holding a baby in a white christening dress, surrounded by my grandparents, aunts and family friends, a baby that was neither me nor my brother. I turned the photos over in my palm, looking at the date printed in neon orange, 1992. A note written on plain printing paper fell to the ground. Paper, worn and softened through tears and despairing fingertips. The note read simply, ‘We have to go.’ What first came to my mind was out of the question. Were we just replacements for everything she had lost, second handed attempts of a family, receiving her second hand love and repeating old memories? I held the note with a weak, half-hearted grasp, staring unseeingly at the smudged ink, my eyes burnt and my head spun, time stood still. I was awoken from my dazed horror by the familiar sound of my mum’s voice, ‘I’m leaving now! Daisy, what’s keeping you!?’ I slipped the envelope back underneath the leather bound jewellery box and continued to sort through silver chains and stone talismans with numb fingers. Faltering downstairs with unstable legs and a knot in my stomach, I didn't know what to think or what to do. Sasha Konopleva
Maybe some things are better left unsaid. 7
Shoot the Messenger! I S A B E L L E
T O W N S H E N D
9/11
Good evening ladies and gentlemen! gentlemen! My name is Isabelle Townshend and I’m here this evening to talk to you about 9/11, the Twin Towers and in particular, how WTC7, thee third Trade Centre Building was brought down by controlled demolition… You are probably wondering why I have chosen to speak to you about this topic. Well, I was inspired by the one and only Dr Bannister, those of you who are in one of his Irish sets may be familiar with his profound disbelief in the official version of events. Firstly, I would like to point out that questioning the official version of 9/11 is not being a conspiracy theorist, this is an attempt at making a series of scientific and reasonable deductions from the observing the available facts. A conspiracy theory is is something that has no factual basis at all behind it. Well, in my opinion, there is a lot of clear evidence to suggest that 9/11 was an inside job and this evening I will briefly explain why I believe this to be the case. How, for example, did the BBC know that the WTC 7 skyscraper was going to collapse 20 minutes before it actually happened? The reporter Jane Stanley was in New York at the time and was talking about the building having already collapsed even though it could be seen to be still standing standin upright though the window behind her. Building WTC 7 shouldn't have collapsed at all. NIST (The National Institute of Standards and Technology) who were charged with discovering what happened on 9/11 declared in their final report that the building felll down due to widespread “office fires”. Well, this is simply impossible as the highest temperature that office furnishings can reach is approximately 800º C,, while the temperature it takes to melt a steel framework is around 2500 – 3,000º C - three times the amount of heat, so how did the WCT7 manage to fall at the speed of gravity straight down into its own footprint? This is simply scientifically impossible, unless the building had been prepared earlier by demolition experts, perhaps days, if not weeks weeks beforehand. Such a scenario makes a great deal more sense and would be a little more believable. Literally thousands of architects and engineers have studied the collapse of WTC 7 and none of them can believe that office fires alone could ever bring b down a modern high-rise rise building like WTC7. If such a thing were to happen then those who designed the building would be immediately prosecuted for their incompetence because this didn’t happen and there have been no other cases in the history of modern architecture where a building has fallen due to hydrocarbons burning, i.e. wood or paper or whatever else might be found in an office. In Chechnya, for example, one of its tallest buildings, a luxury hotel, caught fire and burned for 29 hours before finally being put out. The building was completely gutted, however it did not collapse. How then did WTC7 collapse in far less severe circumstances? 8
As regards the Twin Towers themselves, originally there were two pieces of footage of the second Tower being hit by a so-called called passenger jet airliner. One of these were played live on the early morning news and then again, later that evening. However, the second showing had quite clearly been edited. Both versions can be viewed and compared on YouTube. In In the live footage from the original video a mysterious object can be seen flying down towards the South Tower from, what looks like, a considerable height. But this may just be the angle of the shot itself. The object disappears behind the North Tower and a few seconds later there is a sudden explosion on the side of the South Tower. This object, a rocket or some other kind of projectile, was edited in the afternoon footage to look like a plane. When the two videos are played in sync, it is evident that they are the exact same footage only in afternoon version, the background had mysteriously been edited into a blue-grey grey haze. There are also many more discrepancies in the original live footage which are really well worth investigating yourselves on YouTube. YouT Go and look for yourselves and then come to your own conclusions. Osama Bin Laden was blamed for 9/11 even though he wasn't in Iraq at the time, there was no evidence or proof whatsoever that he was. In fact, he vehemently denied having anything to do with 9/11 and, let’s admit it, he was never a man to shy away from taking the “credit” for any of his terrorist activities. In this case, the authorities within half an hour had associated all the attacks with him. Without even giving him a fair hearing ing or trial, or a chance to defend himself in court, ten years later, Osama was killed out of hand in a black-ops ops attack on his home in Pakistan. There were so many ludicrous events that happened on that tragic day that I do not have the time to mention them all to you. Apparently, a paper passport fell from the burning aeroplane through hrough the inferno of the Vera Ratnikova buildings and managed to stay completely intact on the street below. How is that possible? Luckily an FBI agent just happened to be passing by and found a slightly singed terrorist’s passport on the ground. The whole idea is outrageously rageously ridiculous in the extreme. There is no way that a passport could stay completely intact after passing though such an inferno that had melted steel and turned concrete into dust. So why would the US government want to murder 3,000 of its own civilians civilians in such a horrific way? Well there are a few reasons. Firstly, because of this horrific terrorist attack, the Bush Administration was able to fast-track track new laws like the Patriot Act that gave more power to the state and deprived people of their innate nate civil liberties. Secondly, it gave an excuse to start more wars in a bid to subdue these “Islamic terrorists” but in fact, were really about expanding America’s influence in the region. And thirdly, it meant more access to oil and other natural resources resources that countries like Iraq had to offer. The so-called called “War on Terror” is still going on today and is fanning the very worst fanaticism in the middle East. All these wars are a terrible idea. Their cost is staggering; both financially and in human suffering. It is estimated that 4.4 trillion US dollars has been invested into the war in Iraq alone. This is an unthinkable amount of money and could have easily been spent in a so much more productive and humanitarian ways such as feeding the poor and healing the sick. It is time to have fresh investigation into 9/11 because there will be no improvement in American Politics or in the Middle East until the perpetrators behind these hideous terrorist attacks have been, once and for all, thoroughly unmasked and brought to justice. 9
(continued from front page) When I first returned to the College, almost 20 years after leaving it and after only ever percolating up and into the College from the Triangle, I came in through the front door of what was then the Warden’s House. I turned left and came into an historically unchanged staff room except for one significant fact: double the number of staff. It is likely that today there are three times that historical number. And if pupil numbers are planned to increase, so will staff numbers. So, time for even more history. Studying Holly Park, one discovers evidence that it was built in two phases. The building, seemingly a square box on plan of two storeys over a basement, reveals a building of three storeys over a basement at the rear. The northwest Corner (adjacent to the Kennedy Steps) displays the two storeys above the basement on one side of the corner and three on the Excavations on Montpelier Hill – also known as the Hellfire Club other. False windows over the ‘two’ storeys, common in Georgian buildings to create a sense of order, were required for this deceit. The north and south elevations exhibit a larger spacing between the two windows to the back of the house and the five to the front. Our outline survey of the building revealed a massively thick wall at all levels that would once have been the original back wall. It follows that the grand staircase which projects up to the newer back wall and the fine internal plaster work above must also have been a later addition. A big improvement in student accommodation took place under Warden Haslett. So my second idea is for a big improvement in the working accommodation for staff. Holly Park’s history encourages a re-thinking that can also lead to a significant enhancement of the interaction between staff and pupils, which is at the core of each pupil’s successful experience at St Columba’s. There is one tiny part of the school which all staff and all pupils share and where they come closely together. This is the highly charged few square metres of space at the border of the private staff domain of Whitehall, beside The Buttery. This is the unsung busiest place in the whole of the College. Extending Whitehall across the yard below and turning The Buttery into an open-plan hub of informal staff pupil interaction unlocks dramatic potential. In 1994 the revolution in digital information technology was beginning to transform the way school (and university) libraries function right at the time we were building The Library on a traditional model. Today, for all of school going age, it is hard to imagine this time before digital information technology infiltrated nearly all aspects of life. GK White’s preference for small and dispersed subject libraries was never really threatened by the central new library. Information technology resources have become similarly dispersed. However, I.T. requires a lot more equipment, training and specialised management than books, so this expertise also requires a focal point. So my third idea does not require much preparation by studying history or indeed any sketches. It is for an informal digital academic ‘Centre’, which can be created by a redefinition and extension of the library concept to include the two current dining halls. All coming together to form a Hybrid Library or Learning Resource Center, supported by the informal and busy Buttery Hub of staff pupil interaction, right in the historic core of the College. Broad access will be available to the wide variety of ways information can now be accessed, from the traditional book and journal, to software, audio/visual CDs & DVDs, electronic journals, databases, websites and other web based resources. I.T. knowledge and resources will be promoted to liberate individual or collective study in a variety of new ways. The ‘Centre’ will be fully equipped 10
and also include semi-private spaces for individual or group study, for online tutorials and for webbased seminars. The ‘Centre’ will be a loose-fit digital learning resource for both pupils and staff, both individually and together.
The heart of the College, between Whitehall and the stages of the Big School Room & the new outdoor stage of the Warden’s Garden, becomes home to the ‘word’ in text and performance; fostered by the quiet of the traditional Library, fuelled by the busy Buttery Hub & extensive digital resources surrounding it. The Dining Hall and Kitchens (both now displaced) are then looking for a modern new home they’ve been wanting for over fifty years. But surely they cannot be moved away from the Centre of the College? In around 1992 the Bursar, John Bailey, showed me a sketch by Robin Walker in the late 1960s bundle in his bottom drawer. It was of a modern box-like new dining hall (with kitchens below) on the site of ‘The Warden’s Garden’ and extending as far as the ‘Kennedy Steps.’ This did not win favour then and would not now for “The Warden’s Garden” is a valuable central place of daily peace and renewal for all. However, the view from the roof of ‘The Whispering House’, across the ‘The Warden’s Garden’ towards the Chapel beyond, provides a stunning panorama of the best of the College. Once seen, it is clear that this is a view that also wants to be part of everyone’s daily experience of the College. This suggests a more appropriate siting for a New Dining Hall with Kitchens in ‘The Yard’ below, would be behind the wall of the 1st Garden on the site of the existing Whispering House. The Dining Hall would bridge over the Yard and the kitchens would link directly to the Bursar’s office. This is an idea requiring a little more history and a lot more analysis of the situation on the ground. The western axis on the 140m contour, from Whitehall to the Garden Cottage and aligning with Montpelier Hill beyond, with the parallel axis of the old farmyards, have together provided an organising structure for the College buildings from the beginning. It is a robust framework that can comfortably continue to provide for future development without the need to extend the perimeter into the valuable landscape, some parts of which are very beautiful. This is not a new idea, but one from my first understanding of the history of the College and its trajectory of growth and change. The new 11
discovery of a 5,000 year old passage tomb, similar to Newgrange, currently being excavated below the Hell Fire Club on the summit of Montpelier Hill significantly adds to the framework’s value. There is now little remaining of the farm’s histories. The casual marking out of The Triangle by now historic movements of tractor-with-trailer, the near redundant access to the Upper Yard and the curious siting of the Bursar’s Office are all a legacy of an earlier time when this was at the front of the College. Today they all invite investigation to loosen up one’s thinking around the re-location of the Dining Hall and kitchens to this important, close-to-the-Centre, part of the campus. The odd siting of the Bursar’s Office is almost certainly derived from the easy principle of building exactly on the footprint of the old. In this case, an early C20th army surplus shed hastily erected directly beside the lorry that delivered it. The lingering dominance of the vehicular traffic through the Upper Yard devalues the buildings on either side. 12 Hornbeams have recently been planted in the Lower Yard. It is now time for the Upper Yard to be re-considered. From the Sports Hall, overlooking the new College entrance in the west, to a New Dining Hall in the east, is where much of the College’s future can now be cast. In between, the once tractor and car prioritised spaces can give way to a more deliberately pedestrian environment (with vehicular access for emergency vehicles only) around which the Art Centre can be expanded into a fully developed Art, Design & Technology Centre. Allowing the Sports Hall to be available to the wider community out of term time considerably enhanced its funding. In a similar way, funding for the Art, Design & Technology Centre and also for the new Kitchen and Dining Hall, (overlooking Dublin to the north and the historic core of the College to the south) can also be enhanced.
The New Dining Hall would be at the level of the First Garden and surrounding buildings. It would be directly accessible via the passage behind the old Rice building classroom (at the top of the Kennedy Steps), which would be opened up to and also directly overlook the Warden’s Garden. The Dining Hall would also be accessible from the yard below. The lower level would accommodate a café for pupil’s break-time and post-match refreshment overlooking the new south-facing courtyard outside the expanded Art, Design & Technology Centre. The adjoining kitchens would link directly to a slightly re-configured Triangle for deliveries and servicing and to the Bursar’s office for administration. The long bricked up ‘secret’ passage between the old Warden’s House and the Yard could be re-opened. The site of the old greenhouse in the Warden’s Garden and its naturally embanked garden make for a ready-made amphitheater. Linking the ‘stage’ discretely through the garden wall to the café and other facilities behind, all below the backdrop of the New Dining Hall, provides a perfect outdoor stage for summer concerts and plays. The idea for a so-called ‘western extension’ across The Hurley Lane was originally suggested by several factors: The importance of views out of the College into the landscape, the openness to the 12
west being hidden by a high wall, the realisation that the wall which had until recently been protecting the back of the College, was now redundantly over-protecting the front. Confidence in rethinking of the western boundary was reinforced by the historic facts on the ground (described earlier) demonstrating that The Hurley Lane had already been moved from its original alignment when the Third Garden was enclosed. This (probably) would have been to provide a larger kitchen garden when the College first established itself on the site. And this original alignment of The Hurley Lane is further supported by historic maps of Whitechurch Parish showing it exactly coinciding with the boundary between the old Townlands of Stackstown (east) and Kilmashogue (west).
The loose ‘plan’ at the time of the 150th Anniversary Development Plan was for two west facing open courtyards. One would terminate the garden’s axis; the other would form a welcoming courtyard entrance at the end of the yard axis. The recent staff houses on the west side of Hurley Lane and the New Grange dormitory building have both eaten into these possibilities for a new openness to the west. But they have not closed them down. The staff houses have created a new ‘softer’ boundary, the high western wall is now completely redundant, but a west facing open courtyard now looks less likely. Even so I would remove most of the western Third Garden Wall and lower the remaining corner and south-facing wall. No one is going to raid the long gone vegetable garden and this would enable, as yet unknown, new possibilities at the end of the Garden axis of the College. Perhaps its future is as a rather anarchic assembly of disjointed buildings. It may not be a bad thing for at least one corner of the College to escape ‘the man with the plan’. The New Grange building was, in part, designed to present a hard boundary corner of the private spaces of the college at the new (1994) front of the College. But there is no welcome. So here I propose a modest range of flexible accommodation, mindful of the contours and its effect upon the skyline, and integrated with the 1970’s Cotton Classroom Building. The building would replace the lean-tos on the yard side of the northern 3rd Garden wall. It would continue from and be in line with the Science Building. It would cross over the Hurley Lane by way of an ‘arch’ up to and replacing the former cottage of the College’s last farmer, David Pullman and his family. The Hurley Lane would continue through the ‘arch’ to give access to the upper part of the College and Brookside houses, while also maintaining access for emergency vehicles. The new accommodation so provided would include classrooms linking directly with the Cotton building at the upper level. It would include laundry, maintenance and workshop accommodation at the lower level. Across the Hurley Lane it would provide new domestic staff accommodation to replace that lost to the Holly Park improvements and the new Dining Hall and kitchens. There may also be scope for additional junior staff accommodation. This inhabited range of buildings would also provide oversight of the College entrance drive to the north across a welcoming new landscaped quadrangle between the Sports Hall and the hard corner of the New Grange building. The existing swimming pool, projecting out against the contours, was an improvement on the small concrete basin located high up in the Deer Park during the 1940s. Until recently, it was filled from the deep brown, turf stained Glen Stream. Now, although the water is now clear, swimming is still only a brief activity over maybe six weeks in every year. So the pool has disappointed many existing and 13
potential swimmers for generations. It has also disappointed others by not sliding down the hill onto the cricket pitch below. When the time comes to look at improving opportunities for swimming as both a sport and as a leisure activity, it would be a mistake to consider roofing over the existing pool. Instead, a new indoor pool (it would not have to be of diving pool depth) could be built along and into the contour, parallel to the Sportshall’s uphill side and on the line of the Western Axis. Ancillary accommodation would link with that of the Sportshall to provide the college with an enviable & efficient indoor sports facility. It might be noted that I gave up on the numbering of ideas. Except for the first idea, they are all really one Big Idea for the College’s future trajectory. This is likely to see both increased numbers of staff and pupils and also, Irish economy permitting, an increased percentage of day pupils. If this, I hope not too audacious, thinking assists and coincides in some way with the College’s own view of its future, implementation would require a broad consensus of support before cautious embarkation on what would be quite a large adventure. __________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT’S READING ME Isabelle Townshend: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon “I am enjoying this book because it puts me in the mindset of a 15 year old boy (same age as me) who has Aspergers and it shows how differently he thinks.” ________________________________________ Henri Münchow: “The Martian” by Andy Weir “The book is a very nice fantasy read with great structure and it intriguing how fantasy books like this can seem so real.” _________________________________________
Caspar Schulenburg: “Birdsong” by Sebastian Faulks “This book is very well written. It has a constant flow, it is easy to read and it is full of small details. The author with words creates pictures in your head – some are beautiful, while others are horrifying. That’s why I love this novel.” ___________________________________________
Anna Park: “Clockwork Prince” from the trilogy “The Infernal Devices” by Cassandra Clare “It is a very exciting book set in Victorian England where magical creatures exist: vampires, werewolves, warlocks and shadow hunters. If you want to lose yourself in a world of magic then read this book!” ____________________________________________________________ 14
Hanna Gülich: “The Boy In The Striped Pyjama” by John Boyne “This is a gripping tale of a boy inside a concentration camp compared to the life of a boy who lives outside the camp during the Second World War.” _____________________________________________ Emily Devereux: “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett “I like ‘The Help’ because it gives you an insight to how women in the United States lived in the 1960’s, in a time of social separation and trouble due to racism.” _______________________________________________________________ Grace Goulding: "Still You" by Claire Allan "I really like this book because it is very interesting and mind-opening." _______________________________________________
Leonard Lopez: "The Recruit" from the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore "I am really enjoying this book because the English is not complicated and it's on a theme that I really enjoy. It's about boys and girls who are all under 18 years of age. They have to spy on terrorists and hack documents... and nobody suspects them. In this book there is action, spying and fun..." ________________________________________________________________ James O'Connor: "Body & Soul" by Frank Conroy "Since its creation music has dazzled and intrigued everyone that comes in contact with it. Body & Soul is the story of a boy who doesn't need to struggle to create it because it is in him naturally. He is a prodigy and his journey through music, life and love will astound anyone who reads it." __________________________________________________
Ross Magill: "The Girl On The Train" by Paula Hawkins "This novel is in the thriller/mystery genre and is set just north of London. The book itself is a page-turner and keeps you in suspense for a very unexpected and surprising twist at the end. _______________________________________________________________ 15
Three Editors _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________
When Patrick Ussher OC recently visited St Columba’s we saw it as an opportunity to get the past, the present and the future together in o ne New Year edition. Patrick, along with Robert Murtagh and Con Redden, were the magazine’s first editors way back in 2005. The Librarian then took over, having been unfriended by a series of pupil editors. And now Nyla Jamieson has bravely volunteered for this highly demanding task. Here she interviews Patrick in the hope of capturing some vital advice—it seems a working knowledge of stoicism is essential... I recently had the pleasure of meeting Patrick Ussher, Old Columban, who, along with a group of friends, was one of the first editors of The Submarine. They founded the magazine in 2005 and it got its name from the nickname of the time for the Librarian’s office. Mr Ussher particularly liked the fact that The Submarine is a student-led magazine. He stressed that whilst the The Columban was a very good record of the year, The Submarine was something different in that it was student-led and gives its readers a flavour of what is going on in the school on a day to day basis. He saw an advantage in both students and teachers contributing to the magazine as it gives the opinions of both groups an equal importance. He enjoyed working with his friends when editing the magazine but admitted to having, as he put it, “taken the mick a lot”. He gave me one example where he wrote about one of his friends stating “Robert likes to read Harry Potter books ten times” – apparently his friend never fully forgave him for this disclosure. He feels that getting involved with The Submarine in school has helped him in later life as he has gone on to write two books. Both are based in his area of study, Stoicism, an area in which he is currently completing his Doctorate. His interest in this field of study also stemmed from his time in St Columba’s. He studied Latin in school and remembers being the only student taking the subject when he was in Form VI. This gave the added advantage of having one on one classes with Mr. Brett. His first area of study was a degree in Latin and Ancient Greek which led on to him doing a Masters in Classical Studies after which his books and Doctorate in Stoicism have been a natural progression. Stoicism is the study of philosophy as a way of life, as was practised by the Greeks and Romans in ancient times. He is now exploring the option of teaching Latin, upon completion of his PHD. To this end he has recently taken the opportunity of sitting in on some Latin classes at St. Columba’s. At this point our conversation was brought to an end as he remembered he had arranged to “go talk to Swifty” – it would seem that not a lot has changed!
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