Wellingtonian
a student magazine
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JOURNALISTS Monet Stuckey (Ag) Harry Trunck (T) Zayn Rajan (M) Mr Kirkham Gabrielle Steg (Hn) Georgiana Nason (O) Colette Staardecker (Ag) Tom Symonds (Bn) Sven Bruening (Hg) Allegra Nayar (O) Jemma Ramsden (C) Freddie Gillmore(Hg) Kenshu Tanabe (Hg) Michael Schellekens (Hg) Front Cover Masha Yumasheva (O) Back Cover Millie Griffiths (Hn)
DESIGN Max Rickard (T)
EDITORS Clara Herfs (Hn) William Smith (S)
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Spotlight: Teacher of the Term Teacher of the Term: Robin Dyer It goes without saying that this edition of the Wellingtonian, being the last of this academic year, could, quite simply, not be published unless the great Robin Dyer was mentioned in some shape or form. However, the title ‘Teacher of the Term’ is rather peasantry for a dedicated man of 33 years at our school, who should really be entitled as ‘King of the Century’. And so, I have been given this rather daunting task to highlight why I think Mr Dyer, The Man, The Myth and The Legend himself, deserves this title. RIHBD decided to grace us with his presence at one Monday morning assembly, and I can assure you that his informative message of his own personal journey was truly interesting. I could almost say that it was one of the highlights of all assemblies this academic year, however, the recent performance of “Little Shop of Horrors” (9th and 10th of May in GWA – Josh Hogan wants you there…) is holding me back from doing so. Nonetheless, RIHBD’s message was interesting enough that I actually listened to it at 8:15am, which almost never happens. As Mr Dyer stated in his assembly, he too, was once a Wellingtonian. However, Wellington in the 1970s and 80s was extremely different to how it is now: it was a college rooted in unhappiness for many. But after a certain phone call offering a teaching position of Politics, Mr Dyer surprisingly returned to Wellington in 1986, much to our luck, and it’s only taken him 99 academic terms to leave again. The announcement of RIHBD’s departure from the college after these 99 academic terms has affected not only staff and parents, but particularly the student body. Mr Dyer was once a professional cricketer, representing WCCC and making three first-class 100s as well as eighteen 50s, amidst his total number of 2843 runs throughout his career. This impressive career proves that RIHBD had a passion for cricket, and there’s no doubt that this passion has spread throughout the College’s 1st XI teams over the years. Both on and off the pitch, he has had a significant impact on the players, offering tactical information, as well as being socially involved with the team; this has resulted in an outstanding team culture similar to that of the prestigious Rugby 1st XV! Consequently, it’s evident to see that Mr Dyer’s impact on the student body, over his 33 years at Wellington College, has been immense. It would come as a surprise to me if a student said they didn’t like him (except those who have been caught out-of-bounds at 9pm and have had to have a meeting with him!). Nonetheless, it has been this imminent impact that will cause Wellington to have a Dyer-shaped hole in it come September 2019, leaving it with a sense of emptiness. His legacy will not only come in the shape of the new indoor sports centre (‘The Robin Dyer Centre’), but will be the acts of kindness and the other values students now hold, as a result of his hard efforts. Mr Robin Dyer is a name of positive connotations in numerous ways, and its very likely that this article has done the character hardly any justice. However, if there’s one thing that needs to be understood, it’s that the name Robin Dyer will never be forgotten by Wellington College, and that the man deserves an abundance of thanks for his heart-felt 33 years at the college, and all that he has done for Wellington. All I can say now is, good luck to the next Second Master, you have big shoes to fill, both metaphorically and literally… PS: Give Dyer a follow on Twitter, you might find the occasional cricket meme – @rihbd Monet Stuckey (A) 4
OW Career Insight with Claudia Lambeth What would you say to your 18-year old self leaving Wellington? Don’t ever be discouraged by people telling you that you’re too young to achieve your dreams. Channel this energy into proving them wrong and you’ll go much further. Be someone who sees and doesn’t just look. Notice every tiny detail – every mannerism of a client, every little fold of satin silk underneath delicate stitching, every crease in the wrapping of tissue paper. Only then can you step back and look at the bigger picture. Founded in 2012, Luna Mae London empowers women by offering exquisite British lingerie and loungewear collections which are accompanied by an impeccable service, creating an unforgettable lingerie experience. After developing exceptionally high standards of quality and working with dedicated seamstresses in England, Luna Mae London was launched by appointment-only. Since its launch, the brand has been offering exclusive lingerie and loungewear to clients across the globe by private appointment, establishing a very strong reputation for superior attention to detail and true luxury. Fully bespoke fittings are conducted either in a client’s private home, or in a luxury hotel suite of their choice, with an emphasis on expert construction and fit. With over 40,000 followers across social media, the brand has sustained press in publications such as Vogue, W, ELLE, Playboy, GQ, and has recently been featured on a TV episode of CNBC’s “Secret Lives of the Super Rich”.
But how did Claudia become so successful? Whilst studying for a Law degree at King’s College London, Claudia undertook design courses at the London College of Fashion and Parsons in New York City and trained as a professional bra fitter. She also began working for a number of different luxury brands and gained experience in fashion PR and fashion publishing. At the age of just twenty-two, Claudia set about on her quest to push the boundaries of luxury and worked with highly skilled British seamstresses who began developing her vision. After spending nearly two years honing very high standards of quality and sourcing the world’s most prestigious fabrics, Luna Mae London was born. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Someone once told me that in order to stand out in a competitive market, you have to become an expert in your field. Find your niche and own it. Another hugely important piece of advice is to never underestimate the power of networking. You never know who you might meet and where that might lead you. Be gracious, be kind, and ask as many questions as possible. The Old Wellingtonian Network has been immensely supportive and helpful for my business – I’ve been fortunate enough to find mentors, employees and investors, and I could not be more grateful. Apsley CEO & Designer Luna Mae
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The Rwandan Massacre: 25 years later
The Rwandan genocide lasted a hundred days, April 7 to July 15 1994. Between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were killed, 70% of the Tutsi population in the country at the time. About 2,000,000 Rwandans were displaced or forced to emigrate. The genocide almost never happened. The Rwandan civil war had started in 1990, when the Tutsi minority formed a rebel group (the Rwandan Patriotic Front). They fought the Hutu majority until 1993, when a peace deal was agreed upon. Less than a year later, on the night of the 6th of April 1994, a plane was shot down, killing the President Juvenal Habyarimana, and his counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi - both Hutus – this started the genocide. It only stopped when the RPF defeated the Hutus and seized the capital on the 4th of June 1994. 25 years later, the country is doing better. President Kagame, who won a third term in 2017 with 98.63% of the vote, has been attributed with creating rapid economic growth and is trying to turn Rwanda into a “technical hub”. But the memory of the genocide is still very present. It’s currently illegal to mention ethnicity in the country, a very controversial measure. Thousands of the people who survived the genocide are still suffering from trauma, and the stigma around it means they aren’t getting the help they deserve. Government officials have admitted the lack of mental health support in Rwanda, but the country still has some way to go on the path to recovery. Gabrielle Steg
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Extinction Rebellion- Help or Hindrance?
During Easter time a mass protest for climate change took place in London causing massive disruption in the centre of the city. Thousands of people took part and managed to block off major roads such as Oxford Street for several days which caused an uproar. A controversial decision was that they disrupted public transport (London Buses and Docklands Light Railway) as public transport is, in fact, better for the environment. So, does this particular rebellion aid climate change or does the disruption caused overrule that? Although people may not be happy about the protest it has undoubtedly raised awareness. At last climate change is being spoken about after months of nonstop Brexit discussions taking over from much more major issues. Extinction Rebellion has reminded everyone that although Brexit seems like the end of the world there are much more prominent problems that are seriously affecting the world. Our world is deteriorating around us and we are running out of time, soon we will be helpless. In this vital period, we need our politicians to focus on what could change or even destroy our world forever. Extinction Rebellion has helped take us out of our Brexit bubble and back into reality. History shows us that this extreme tactic does work, look at the suffragettes they were controversial but, in the end, they did make a difference.
On the other hand, what is the use of all of this, as most people already know about climate change? The connotations of climate change have also been made worse as people have been irritated by the inconvenience and therefore may feel even more strongly against the cause. By creating all this chaos, the anti-climate change side has probably increased, opinions are being more polarised and those less enthusiastic become even more set in their views. The most outrageous issue is the fact that they were blocking public transport, don’t they realise public transport is much better for the environment than driving? Absolute mayhem has been caused by this group, with a thousand people arrested so it is certainly questionable whether it is worth it. Overall, the protest had good intentions and with things like these, views are always going to be split. Having said that, it clearly has done the job intended, otherwise we wouldn’t bother discussing it right now! On a more individual note- is Wellington doing enough? As a school we are expanding but are we taking into account our planet, are we missing out on opportunities to make our contribution? Who’s Wellington’s, Greta Thunberg? Georgiana Nason 7
Music with Work or Better Memory?
Context and state dependent memory are two notorious concepts in psychology and play pivotal roles in education; through revision and learning. Context-dependent memory is the improved recall of specific episodes or information when the context present at encoding and retrieval are the same. One common example is trying to locate a lost item. But it is equally relevant to remembering general information from school. In Wellington, many students will admit to revising or doing prep whilst listening to music. This might be the case for a multitude of reasons such as relaxation or concentration. In the moment, it can seem harmless and to certain students preferable to the absence of music. Yet there’s more to it. Psychologists have highlighted that sitting in an exam on the topics which were prepared for with background music will result in a reduction of memory recall by up to 32.8%. The size of the reduction will inevitably depend on the nature of the exam or test. It has a greater impact on exams which include memorization of information such as word lists or tables of information. Although music might help to get you in the ‘zone,’ it will prevent you or at least put you at a disadvantage from achieving the maximum potential everyone tells you that you have. This could mean dropping a grade at most if you become dependent on it. Trying to replicate the exam hall when working might seem less appealing but it will help your memory; making cramming easier. Zayn Rajan
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Song Review
By now all of you should have come across the hit single Old Town Road by rapper Lil Nas X, originally released in December of last year on Soundcloud, with a remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus released in April this year. Recently the song has shot up the charts, having spent 4 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (as of writing this article), and has destroyed Drake’s single week streaming record with 143 million streams, I think Deep End isn’t too far behind though… If you have a listen to the song you will be greeted by a creative mix of a Trap beat tied with sampled banjos and guitars paired with Lil Nas’ buttery southern fried vocals and some great country harmonies from Billy Ray Cyrus. The production of the track (by YoungKio) is a bold and clever mix of country and trap, almost as bold and genre-defining as the hit single Livin’ on a Prayer by Jack Chong. Lil Nas X himself stated in an interview “The song is Country Trap. It’s not one, it’s not the other. It’s both.” The song originally charted on both Billboard’s
Hot Hip-Hop/R&B songs and Hot Country Songs charts, but the song was later removed from the Country chart with Billboard stating that Old Town Road “[does] not [embrace] enough elements of today’s country music.” This rather controversial decision by Billboard raises the question; what makes music country? If you listen to any Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton or Willie Nelson, you’ll struggle to find a similar sounding song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, Country music has evolved and is known to have involved itself and mingle with other genres: Blues, Rock, and Soul to name a few, so a venture into trap seems simply to be a new direction for an offset of Country music. Nor do you need to look further than the Hot Country songs chart to find elements shared by both Country and Hip Hop, with drum machines, 808s and synths seen in, not confined to, country number ones like Body Like a Back Road or Country legend Keith Urbans’ latest few LPs including his number 2 hit the Fighter or one of
Nashville’s latest blue-eyed beefcake Brett Young’s discography. I can go on. You, unfortunately, can’t find 808s blasting through Johnny Cash’s or Dolly Parton’s later recordings nor do we see brushes on Keith Urban’s records. In returning to the argument, I find myself on the side that argues Country music revolves around the storytelling of the tracks, as I cite the old country mantra: “three chords and the truth”. There is always a strong narrative in every song by all these artists mentioned, and Old Town Road is no different, Lil Nas X paints the cowboy cliché throughout the track just in the manner of hundreds of country songs, while pushing the musical boundaries of the genre. That’s good enough for me, but if you find this song too mainstream, conformist and not edgy enough, have a listen to Om by John Coltrane or may I recommend the calming and relaxing Merzbow, hopefully, that is experimental enough for you. Tom Symonds 9
Inception: The Most Criminally Overrated Film of the 21st Century (?)
Christopher Nolan’s 2010 science fiction work, Inception, is a film centred about a thief who profits of his ‘dream-stealing’ technology and achieved success in both the box office and at the Academy Awards upon its release 9 years ago. It is, however, a film that since its release, has been subject to an immense amount of ‘overhype’ and has become the most overrated film of the 21st century Now before I talk about the “overrated” nature of this film I must make one thing clear. By labelling a film as overrated, it doesn’t automatically mean that it is a bad film, in fact, Inception is a good film maybe a 7.5/10 rating, however it’s a film that I often hear being called “one of the greatest” or “the best sci-fi film ever”, and coupled with its astronomical 8.8 rating on IMDB leave me outraged at these ludicrous claims as this film shouldn’t even be in the top bracket of sci-fi movies, let alone all films as a whole, this short article is just to clear a few things up about these opinions. To start, the positives. As with any good film, there are naturally more positives than negatives, but I only have 500 words for everything, only the outstanding, A* positive features of this film will be mentioned starting with Hans Zimmer’s score. Hans Zimmer is a legend of cinema and his score for this film reflects all of his talents, adding to the emotion of each scene, especially prevalent in the intense “dream is collapsing” sequence near the end of the film. Secondly, the use of CGI in tangent with practical effects. Inception takes practical effects to a new level, most notably in the hallway fight scene, where a rotating hallway was built to mimic the effects of a change in gravity. These two aspects are where the film is above many others, however, it doesn’t 10
offer much more qualities at this level. The main problem with this film is that it deliberately goes out of its way to confuse, and through this confusion, cause audiences to wonder about all of its possibilities. Especially shown through its cliff-hanger ending, only leaves a gripping story with an unsatisfying, incomplete final scene and a terrible ending. This is such a pivotal component to a film, an ending to an in-depth sci-fi film shouldn’t leave the audiences wondering what happens after the final scene and have to guess, but should instead leave the audiences with a definitive ending, but one that enables them to explore the meanings and significance of that last crucial scene, the most successful example of this is simply Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Another key problem with this film is the large group of high-quality actors, including Leonardo Di Caprio (arguably the best actor still working today), Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cottillard, and others, that on the whole deliver very mediocre performances, that lack depth in character. Although this is not a complete argument against the overrated nature of Inception, it serves to educate all those who blindly label this film as ‘ground-breaking’ or ‘one of the best’, as it lacks the quality in all aspects that films such as Apocalypse Now or Rear Window (just to mention 2) achieve. There is simply no way it can legitimately be one of the greatest, I mean, it’s not even Nolan’s best sci-fi film, let alone his best film or ‘one of the best’. This film is good but is unable to compete with those at the top. Harry Trunck
EXTRA-CURRICULARS
Sven Bruening: Economics Society Economics is the study of how we distribute scarce resources. What does that really mean? Economics happens constantly and all around you; it looks at the way in which producers and consumers interact to maximize the value of resources. While economics can often seem very mathematical, at its core it is a social science looking at human behavioral patterns. Understanding these patterns can help us all make better informed decisions. This is the reason why you should come to Wellington’s own Economics Society (EconSoc)! Every few weeks we meet to discuss current affairs in economics. We have taken a deep look at topics such as rising oil prices and their effect, changes in interest rates, the stock market, or even game theory. These are issues that affect us all. EconSoc is open to anyone and there is no prior knowledge of economics needed. It is great for current economics students seeking to balance classroom theory with real-world examples. At the same time, students normally studying in a different field can broaden their knowledge by attending. Students in the lower years can explore the subject in order to see if it might be something which they wish to pursue in the sixth form. Students keen on debate should also attend, as we regularly see great discussions developing out of the content we look at!
Allegra Nayar (O): Model United Nations The political background surrounding the Model United Nations typically puts people off because they feel as though it’s only a club for nerds. In fact, the truth is we do a lot more than sit in a room talking about Brexit, we choose to talk about controversial topics. We even tried to find a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which we sort of did. I’m sure you’re more interested in what we have done and what we plan to do. Recently, we went to Cambridge to attend a conference and thanks to our outstanding delegates we brought home three awards. This coming November, we have the opportunity to travel to Portugal and then in January to The Hague. We want you to take away from this article that MUN is a club that welcomes everyone and all people. We would love to see you there!
With all the crazy things happening in the world right now, Economics Society promises to be an interesting one! 11
Sports Section Joe Simpson: Clays
Elina Boudin : Netball
Clays at Wellington is a very small sport, with around 12 students (max) per term. There’s a real stigma attached to shooting at Wellington which is a massive shame. The lack of numbers means we can’t enter as many competitions as we’d like. However, the introduction of our new coach, Tony has shown a huge improvement across the club. At the annual Harrow School’s competition, we progressed from 27th (in 2018) to 14th (in 2019) out of the 36 schools involved. The club looks to be going in a positive direction, with students from every year group consistently getting involved. I’d encourage everyone to have a go at least once – you might really enjoy it.
Overall, the 1st VII netball team have had a near perfect season, starting from the win at counties in November, to a nearly undefeated season at the end of last term. The team worked hard in training sessions and had fun in matches, and we owe it to our incredible coaches, Mrs Pratt and Miss Candapa, who have helped us progress to where we are now and believed in us and our abilities throughout the entire season. All the girls are excited about the netball centre and having amazing indoor courts. So, on the 7th of June there’s a match for the opening of the new netball centre – Welly and Superleague stars, and both teams would love for as many people as possible to be there to watch. We’re looking forward to another brilliant season ahead.
Christian Bird: Basketball If Wellington Basketball could be condensed into one word, it would be family. This was seen on the Valencia tour during October half term, where some girls joined the boys in the U16 and U18 squads to compete against local Spanish teams. We also trained with Valencia Basketball Club, one of the best basketball teams in the Liga ACB. Overall, the tour provided invaluable in-game experience prior to the commencement of the regular season, and proved Stan Munro is still the greatest of all time.
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Sports Section Monet Stuckey: Hockey
Hockey at Wellington sees participants from both boys and girls, and every season, achievements seem to get better and better (most of the time). For the boys, it’s safe to say that hockey is not the priority, but the obligatory option for Lent term, if Rugby 7s isn’t really your thing. So, it’s all a bit of fun and games with Coach Carr and “Whitey”, and not a whole lot of hockey, as seen by last year’s season of 48 goals against and only 4 goals for the 1st XI. But, this year, things seem to have taken a turn with the 1st XI (Instagram: @barcabandits) winning a match 1-0 for the first time in two years. It can only go up from here. For the girls, hockey has always been quite successful. It goes without saying that the most talented year group are the current L6th, with a number of current, or previous, national and international players. Since joining in third form, these girls have won 4 national titles (I think) and I’m sure there are many more to come. This year’s National Finals saw the 1st XI (Instagram: @wellyhockey) achieving runners-up, a better result than the boys who didn’t even qualify… Over the summer, WCHC will be going on tour to the Netherlands. Both boys and girls will be attending, and a lot of hockey has been promised… If only it was in South Africa again.
Mimi Dennis: Lacrosse
Lacrosse has been an understated but an impeccably successful sport this season, with a team of players that have excelled in more ways than one. Not only winning the majority of the matches this season but scoring a total of 77 goals. The team’s greatest performance saw the win against Bradfield College (score 20-1) - a product of hard work and determination shown in every player as well as the dedication of Mr Young and Mrs Tyrell. A close-knit community has been created that cannot be found anywhere else - we don’t just want to win but we also want to have fun doing it. On the occasion of losing, the team’s excellent communication skills facilitate full reflections of our performance and targets on how to improve in order to defeat the team a second time around. Looking ahead, the team hopes to continue their winning streak through to next season.
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MAKING THE MOST OF WELLINGTON If you asked any student at Wellington if they felt they were always busy, the answer is more likely to be yes than no. However, the reality is that at Wellington, many of us have too much time on our hands to know what to do with. So why do people feel the need to argue that they do, in fact, make the most out of this school, when the most they do with their free time is sit in bed watching Netflix? One thing about Wellington that must be said, is that whilst it has so many undeniably brilliant opportunities that would certainly help us out in our future – the day to day grind is surprisingly tiring. This is especially true when it comes to 6 school days a week, plus the dreaded Sunday Chapel service with sermons that seem to last for hours The school week can go very fast, and often you get to Saturday evening and ask yourself – ‘What have I really accomplished this week?’. The point is: sometimes you feel the minimum is more than enough, and you struggle to push yourself to do more. Personally, I would argue I do more with my time than the majority, mainly through music. I am involved in Brass Band and Concert Band (both of which entail various concerts throughout the year), and as a result of my upcoming Grade 8 on the Euphonium, I have two music lessons a week alongside a (supposed) hour of practice a day. I also have a LAMDA lesson once a fortnight, with an upcoming Grade 7, and whilst CCF/Service is compulsory for a L6th; it could be argued that those grueling Wednesday afternoons in CCF feel like much more of an achievement than that of Service. But whilst this schedule may exhaust me by Saturday afternoon; comparing it to some of my ambitious peers, it seems rather pitiful. There are people I know who don’t understand the meaning of downtime: they fill each and every minute of their day with music, sport, interesting lectures or extension work. So whilst I’m sitting on my behind watching Fleabag (great show) at 8 pm because I’ve ‘done all my work’, my next door neighbour has done all her work, plus an extension, and is now off to the DLR to expand their mind. One incredible example of someone who makes the most of her time at Wellington is Amy Gadhia. Only entering in the L6th, she has already organised and put on a fashion show (alongside Lotte Hemke) for Mental Health, using Wellingtons new and somewhat incredible theatre (even if it can’t fit the entire school in it) The GWA. The Fashion Show raised just shy of £5000! It is a great example of how much we Wellingtonians can do if we really motivate ourselves. Sometimes, the things you feel you don’t want to do, are often the things you actually feel better for doing in the end. For example, I always feel much better having gone to the gym after P.6, than sit in my bed and finish season 2 of Fleabag, wondering what to watch next. Obviously, at the time I’d much rather watch Fleabag, but I would feel so much more motivated and accomplished if I just went to the gym. So go to the society you keep putting off, read Mr. Ewart’s emails and discover something new and stop watching Netflix! Because believe me, you’ll regret it if you don’t. Everyone does. Carpe Diem. Jemma Ramsden
MAKING THE MOST OF WELLINGTON I remember thinking at school that extra-curricular activities were basically things I did outside the classroom that made my CV look better. Nowadays, I think there’s more to life than how good your CV looks, and I wonder how many exciting opportunities might have slipped past. There’s no doubt we all need a bit of downtime on occasions, and so simply sitting in front of Netflix might do you good from time to time. The challenge is in making sure not to overdo it. The studies that have been made on co-curricular activities point towards all sorts of positive benefits (more in a moment), but they assume that the activity is structured and collaborative, in other words, there is a plan, and that you’re undertaking that plan with someone else. Playing video games or watching TV on your own doesn’t necessarily fit that category. Roald Dahl was adamant in his wonderful poem “Television” that “it rots the sense in the head!” Perhaps the problem with television, or in 2019, the internet and smartphones, is that they prevent us ever properly switching off or becoming bored, and the powerful thing about being bored is that eventually you force yourself to take the initiative and do something. As the children’s TV program “Why don’t you” encouraged us 80s kids, “Why don’t you turn off your television set and go out and do something less boring instead?” So what should you do and why? It really is your choice. Studies of the brain suggest that during adolescence, the more different experiences we have, the more connections are made, and the more times we repeat an activity, the stronger those connections become. So, does trying more activities make you smarter? Arguably. But you can certainly pick up new skills, learn to meet new people from different backgrounds, relieve stress, and fundamentally feel a bit happier from your co-curricular activities. It might even become the basis of who you are and what you do in the future; if there is one thing I learnt from 10 years in corporate world before teaching, it is that very few of us end up using one particular school subject as their professional focus. (Ironically, teachers are the obvious exception!) Many professions need a breadth of skills and motivations, amongst which are the ability to meet and work with new people, the willingness to take on a challenge, commitment, organisation and self-starting, before even starting to consider where entrepreneurs develop their ideas. These are all characteristics that can form without you even realising it while participating in your club or society. Apart from that, why wouldn’t you try out these opportunities? It really will never be as easy as it is at Wellington to try something new – even compared with university. At worst, you might decide that it’s not your thing. At best, you might give yourself a real lift and find something you love for the rest of your life. And yes, we are all busy at Wellington; but remember it is your life, and you are entitled to control at least a little bit of it! Sometimes indulging in a much-loved pass-time just gives us the perspective we need. Life is definitely for living. What you do outside the classroom certainly is not just about what you put down on the CV or the UCAS form, even though it can help. It’s about learning to make the most of what is around you. As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Stop. Look around – and don’t miss it. Simon Kirkham Head of Enrichment
SHOULD WE TELL PEOPLE TO QUIT? Feedback is something each of us receives and each of us digests. It’s something fundamental because essentially other people are more aware of your weaknesses than you are, therefore telling you where you stand is useful otherwise you won’t be able to improve as you are unaware. Equally, we all start from a point of inexperience and lack of knowledge so feedback in that sense is also crucial to help us acquire certain abilities. Also, if we have a paradigm to measure up to then we can also improve. For example, seeing model answers might influence our work to be better as we mimic that which has had success. However, each of these common types of feedback shares a central notion which is self-centeredness and the idea that my way is necessarily your way. Research has shown that the theories that I have described above have actually resulted in less learning and productivity. The central flaws to the feedback that we receive daily are that firstly, as humans, we each have our own biases towards perfection. We have our own sense of what is right or looks good for particular skills. This trait is called idiosyncratic rater effect and it is widespread. More often than not when people are rating your work they reflect their own characteristics towards the work not your own. Hence feedback becomes a distortion rather than a truth, and thus we, as receivers of criticism, have to navigate through this distortion to find ourselves. We all think that we are reliable raters of others but we project our own ideas onto others. We perceive ourselves to be a source of truth when we are, to others, a source of error. Neurologically we grow more in areas where we succeed. Our brains are constantly developing but each does so individually. Neuroscience reveals that more neurons and synaptic connections are grown where we have the most neutrons and synaptic connections, and so we grow where we are already strongest. Therefore, I believe that focusing people on their shortcomings does not enable learning; it impairs it. Also, when our strengths are noticed learning is catalyzed whereas focussing on weaknesses smothers our potential. There was an experiment conducted where scientists split a group of students up, one receiving positive coaching where they were told that they can achieve their dreams, and the others were told what they were doing was wrong and needed to be fixed. Scientists during this observed which parts of the brains were most active for the students. For the students that were being criticized the sympathetic nervous system lit up, also known as the ‘fight or flight’ system. This system shuts off all the other parts of the brain and forces it to focus only on what is needed to survive. Critical feedback is seen as a threat and therefore brain activity decreases and produces cognitive and emotional impairment. For the other group, the parasympathetic nervous system or the ‘rest and digest’ system lit up. This system stimulates the growth of neurons, wellbeing, better immune system, and general cognitive and emotional openness. Therefore, telling students that they are not good enough, that they shouldn’t bother trying or just pointing out their flaws consistently is detrimental to their performance. When we hear that we can’t do it many of us shut down due to fear of failure. Especially in the competitive environment in which we are in, failure is seen as something unacceptable. Thus, to prevent students from feeling hopeless we should encourage them to follow their dreams, even if they are hard to attain. Because why can’t you be that person that achieves whatever somebody said you couldn’t? Clara Herfs 16
A Response To ‘Meat Free Monday and the Impacts of Veganism’ I wanted to write a response to the article in the previous Wellingtonian, because I thought it didn’t really show much understanding of the ‘Meat Free Monday’ programme. Meat Free Monday (which is currently going on in many schools nationwide) is a project aimed to reduce the amount of meat we eat in the UK - for environmental and health benefits. This is not the same thing as Veganism. Becoming a Vegan is a personal choice that some people make for health, environmental or ethical reasons. It involves removing all animal products from your diet - not reducing the amount of meat you eat. Climate change is a very real issue, and whether you like it or not, excessive consumption of red meats is bad for the environment. The easiest (and the most effective) way of having a positive impact on climate change is through diet, and the best dietary change you can make is reducing the amount of red meat you eat. Meat is an extremely inefficient way of consuming protein and calories. For every 1kg of beef produced, it takes approximately 25kg of grain and 15,000L of fresh water. This is one of countless environmental arguments that describes the negative impacts of eating meat. Eating less meat also has huge health benefits. Research shows that people who eat excessive amounts of red meat are at an increased risk of death from heart disease, stroke or diabetes. This risk is doubled if the meat eaten is processed (which the vast majority in the UK is). I myself eat meat, and don’t have any plan in the future to stop eating meat. If government-enforced regulations are put upon the agricultural industries (in order to uphold high ethical standards), people should be able to eat red meat. However, we as a nation eat far too much, at an extremely unsustainable rate. Decreasing the amount we consume by taking a meat free day every week, makes a huge difference. It is a step in the right direction for tackling ethical, environmental, and health issues. Freddie Gilmore
Travels to Japan During the Easter holidays, a group of 7 Wellington students visited Japan as a part of a foreign study initiative. In an increasingly globalizing world, it is crucial to learn and develop skills to communicate, understand, and cooperate with people from all around the world. This trip enabled us to experience not only the tourism aspects of Japan but also the lifestyle of average citizens and high school students in Japan. Students stayed in Tokyo for the first 4 days, experiencing the large metropolitan city and its various functionalities within. One of the biggest surprises was the public transport, which was very extensive yet efficient and punctual. Seeing the iconic cherry blossoms in full bloom was also a special experience. We visited Tokyo University, one of the most prestigious and rigorous universities in Japan and discussed various topics with a professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Studies. Discussions included his experience studying at Munster and Stanford University and foreign exchange students studying in Japan. We also met with the CEO of Sanyo Foods, a market leader in instant noodles, to learn about Japanese working culture and global business strategies. After staying in Tokyo, we traveled to Hida Takayama, Gifu, a small countryside city in the mountainous area of central Japan. Surrounded by rich nature, we spent 6 days there learning various traditions and attending high school. We visited traditional sake breweries, wood craftsmen, and candlemakers. We also watched the Takayama Festival and Furukawa Festival (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) which have over 400 years of history and represent values of Shintoism. Students were fascinated with the lively atmosphere of the Festival created by the whole community’s involvement and commitment to protecting tradition. We also attended a local high school for a day and experienced the life of a typical high school student in Japan. We were warmly welcomed and enjoyed holding discussions, attending classes, and participating in various club activities. We were impressed by the extremely studious culture as well as the respect and curiosity they showed towards us, foreign students. Interacting with students of a similar age made their lifestyle more relatable and helped us understand the differences in educational approach but similarities in passion for sports and entertainment. This trip to Japan gave us an opportunity to experience a completely new culture and interact with people of that culture. We were able to gain insight into Japanese tradition and societal values and compare it with our own. Firsthand experience in Japan allowed us to obtain a deeper knowledge of diverse educational environments, gain awareness of our own culture, and become more respectful and understanding of differences in society. I believe that this trip made us more academically curious and helped us grow crucial skills of becoming an engaging, successful, independent, global citizen. 18
Kenshu Tenabe
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A Global Pandemic: The Indoctrination of the Youth Why are we subjected to education until the age of 18, in the UK? Why are education systems structured the way they are? Why are some individuals rejected by education systems, and ultimately society, before they’ve even reached adulthood? Governments around the world indoctrinate the young, instilling fundamental principles to build unity and patriotism, to brainwash the youth into supporting the government and to mold all students into obedient conformists, ready for a life of being told what to do in the workplace. Although I agree that unity and patriotism should be encouraged as much as possible, in this ever-polarising political environment, the way in which education systems achieve this encourages ignorance. Take History, for example, governments throughout the world cherry-pick the ugly history of other states, leaving students unaware to the ugly truths about the history of their own state: China’s national curriculum, for instance, does not teach students about the Tiananmen Square Uprisings, in fear of a similar uprising taking place in the future; the UK national curriculum does not cover the Boer War, Opium Wars or the colonial periods, as they wish to keep students ignorant to the fact that the UK created concentration camps, encouraged the free flow of opium (heroin) within China, and exploited many commonwealth countries for 300-400 years! In fact, to this day, the UK is the largest exporter of cannabis, yet it keeps this quiet, as possession is still illegal within the UK. We are taught from a very early age to respect authority, without questioning the underlying reasons behind given rules. The result of this? Although most people within the western world are told to believe that they are free from oppression and overbearing authority, freedom of thought is often held by an iron fist. Look to the college campuses within the United States where many speakers, such as Ben Shapiro and Steven Crowder, have been rejected from speaking with students. Why is this? My guess is that, due to the left-leaning nature of many universities, right-leaning speakers are silenced; this prevents dialogue and ultimately causes increasing polarity within many countries. From characteristics to fashion choices, schools across the world have control over EVERYTHING! Here at Wellington, we are trained and acclimatised to wearing uniforms and suits, so that we are able to conform to societies’ view of ‘professionalism’, schoolboys across the country who are seen as boisterous are labelled ‘hyperactive’ and wacked on Ritalin to suppress their nature, all in the name of conforming to an ideal set of behaviour. Take this a step further to more authoritarian states, China for instance, where students and members of society are literally rated on their contribution to society! London, over the last year, has seen a spike in knife crime among 14-to-15-year olds, as a result of disenfranchisement from the school system. This is due to the fact that the youth have rejected the ideal behaviours instilled into young people. However, to succeed, you must tread the fine between conforming to expectations while remaining true to your beliefs and character. William Smith
Why did pets.com fail? One reason why so many start-ups fail is due to problems within their chosen market. This could be due to a lack of market for their product or difficulty to competing with other big players within their market. A lot of great ideas fail because it isn’t necessary for people to use/have. Therefore, no matter how great your idea is, it is completely dependant on the buyer rather than the seller; and if your product can’t appeal enough to people that they feel an urge to buy it, then you will fail. An example of this would be pets.com who failed due to making a lot of big assumptions rather than carrying out market research before launching their website. One of these assumptions was that pet owners would want to purchase products online. This concept would work well today. However, in 1998 online shopping still hadn’t taken off and therefore pets.com didn’t have a huge market for their idea. As a result of not conducting market research, Pets.com had hugely overestimated the demand for online pet shopping. This had turned out to be a disaster! Following a hugely expensive, but effective marketing campaign (which included a Superbowl TV commercial with a price tag of $1.2 million) the company began gaining awareness and ‘everyone was talking about pets.com’. The site began gaining traffic quickly and raised over $80 million in its IPO a month later. Sadly, this bubble soon burst once sales began slowing down as demand was nowhere near as high as they had expected. Not many people were ordering things online at the time and if they did it was only in very small amounts. To sum things up, there was no demand for home delivered pet products/food in 1998 as people would rather go to their local pet shop to buy this. Sadly, in November 2000 Pets. com failed after burning through $300 million in less than two years. Michael Schellekens
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WELLY WITS “What’s the flu jab for?” - Michael O’Donogue “Would you like some halloumi?”… Lewis Evans - “No thanks, I don’t like sea-food”
“I wear Elvive hair oil!” - Tom Symonds Cameron MacLaine - “I’m gonna become vegan.... wait, canvegans eat non-refrigerated chicken meatballs?”
“Prostate is in your balls” - George Timberlake Ted Johnson - “you know like this whole brexit thing, does it mean we can’t play in the Euro’s?” “I either want foie gras or McNuggets” - Lucian Bennett
Harriet Cottrell - “Is Portugal in the EU?”
LOOK-A-LIKES Mr McGarey + Winnie the Pooh
George Sheperd + Lenny
Simon Williamson + Incredibles boss
SPEECH DAY ODDS Mia Chambers designs her own boater 3/1 Mia Selman comes back for all the prizes 5/2 5th form throws up at callover 3/2 Mr Thomas does a backflip on stage 300/1 Physical theatre to do roly-poly thing 7/4 Dr Seldon to come back and take over Mr Dahl’s speech 4/1 International Wellington’s to be announced more than 3 times 6/1 Being able to understand Ross Hanekom’s speech 500/1 ‘wellington community’ to be said within a minute of first speech 2/1 Mr Dyer to announce that he will stay for 1 more year 1/1 23
Millie Griffiths X