19.12.2017 Views

The Inkling Volume 2

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

COntents<br />

Opening<br />

Culture<br />

Creative<br />

Society<br />

Food And Travel<br />

Politics<br />

Careers and post 16<br />

Sports<br />

Svc Events<br />

1


<strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong><br />

<strong>Volume</strong> 2<br />

Christmas EDition<br />

2


Opening<br />

Miss Fletcher<br />

Head of the <strong>Inkling</strong><br />

Within a blink of an eye, we<br />

are back round to the<br />

release of another volume<br />

of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>. It has been<br />

incredibly encouraging to<br />

receive such wonderful<br />

feedback from the first<br />

volume and this has<br />

undoubtedly spurred the<br />

team on to produce<br />

another cracking one just<br />

in time for Christmas.<br />

Time pressures, mock season<br />

and sixth form applications have weighed heavily on<br />

our editing team and I must offer sincere thanks for<br />

their continued dedication to the magazine. Our<br />

Monday sessions have continued to be a whirlwind of<br />

ideas and laughter, sometimes - mostly - hysterical, as<br />

we piece together the volume you’re currently<br />

perusing. An extended thank you to all staff members<br />

who have contributed and to students from across<br />

year groups who have submitted work yet again. <strong>The</strong><br />

success of the magazine really does rely on the<br />

interests and devotion of our students and I hope you<br />

enjoy our second offering as much, if not more, as our<br />

first.<br />

Merry Christmas and enjoy this early present from the<br />

team!


After the triumph of the first<br />

publication, I am delighted that the<br />

second volume of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> is<br />

ready for us to read over the<br />

Christmas holiday. <strong>The</strong> first<br />

volume was exceptionally well<br />

received and, like many bands, the<br />

students have had to dig deep to<br />

prepare their “difficult” second<br />

album.<br />

Mr Hampson<br />

Head of school<br />

<strong>The</strong> Christmas edition is released<br />

at the end of another busy term and while students, parents,<br />

carers, staff and friends of the school enjoy the festive<br />

season, the second volume of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> will be the perfect<br />

accompaniment to another mince pie or turkey sandwich.<br />

Congratulations again to the students who have contributed<br />

and to the <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> editorial team who have met their end of<br />

term deadline in such style.


Katie Kirkpatrick<br />

Xavier St John<br />

Editors - in - chief<br />

<strong>The</strong> days are getting shorter, the mornings are getting colder, the<br />

Christmas music is beginning to play… it must be time for the second issue<br />

of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>!<br />

Since the release of <strong>Volume</strong> One, our editors, journalists, designers<br />

and photographers have been hard at work to produce a magazine that’s<br />

bigger, better, and more festive than the first. This issue definitely does<br />

have a holiday season theme: you’ll find a recipe for mince pies, an opinion<br />

piece about the role of religion in Christmas and even an article about<br />

turkey farming! We hope that once you finish reading this issue you’ll be<br />

fully feeling the Christmas spirit.<br />

But, of course, not everything is holiday-themed. Our journalists have<br />

delved into topics ranging from 80s films to part time jobs, so there really is<br />

something to suit anyone and everyone. We’ve also enjoyed a lot of teacherinvolvement<br />

in this volume: don’t miss our ‘Would You Rather?’ quiz with Mr<br />

Heaney, or Miss Churchman’s article about the scary prospect of head<br />

transplants.<br />

In this volume you may also notice some serials from the previous<br />

edition. We have the second chapter of Katie’s story, as well as new<br />

instalments of the Top 10 and Mr and Ms PRIDE. <strong>The</strong> SVC Events section<br />

has also been particularly busy this month - with a huge array of musical<br />

and academic events, the lead-up to the Christmas holidays is always a<br />

busy time for us all.<br />

Don’t forget that <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> relies on student participation. If you<br />

have something to say, we want to hear it. <strong>The</strong> more the merrier here on the<br />

<strong>Inkling</strong> team!<br />

Thank you for opening our magazine: we hope you enjoy <strong>Volume</strong> Two!<br />

1


<strong>The</strong> Team<br />

To r i n Fahy -<br />

Editor of Sport<br />

David Makale na -<br />

Editor of culture<br />

Kerry jon es -<br />

Editor of food and travel<br />

Reec e t-p -<br />

Head of design


Cultur


e<br />

In<br />

December, everybody loves<br />

wrapping up nice and warm around the<br />

TV after a long and tiring day at school<br />

to enjoy some much deserved<br />

entertainment. Whether you’re<br />

streaming a brand new show on Netflix<br />

or sitting and watching a family<br />

favourite film, Christmas is a time to<br />

spend time with one another and what<br />

better way to do that then stare at a<br />

screen at not talk to each other.<br />

Christmas songs are some of the<br />

biggest music tracks out there and<br />

looking at our Top 10 Things to Do This<br />

Christmas, you can see that there are<br />

some great films, TV shows and books<br />

to watch and read as well. With the year<br />

wrapping up, it is also time for us to<br />

look back at the world of pop culture<br />

this year and determine what was the<br />

best film, our favourite music track or<br />

the most interesting TV show. Our ‘Best<br />

of Year’ lists are coming up now. This<br />

holiday season, enjoy yourself, take<br />

some time and spend as little time<br />

talking to your family as possible. Merry<br />

Christmas!


Picture this: the night of September 9th back in<br />

2016. I come upstairs to my room after watching<br />

some rubbish primetime Friday night TV (most<br />

likely repeats of Pointless or something). <strong>The</strong><br />

school year has just begun and I’m on a withdrawal<br />

on free time. I need some sort of escape, an<br />

opportunity to go away from my life and experience<br />

another. I load up Netflix and lo and behold, there<br />

sits a little TV show known as ‘Stranger Things’.<br />

I’ve been meaning to watch it all summer long - the<br />

reviews were fantastic and I wanted to join the<br />

fanfare. I decide to lay down and start the show,<br />

what could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot. I<br />

expected to only watch one episode. Having started<br />

at 10 at night, I didn’t finish till almost 1 in the<br />

morning.<br />

I couldn’t help myself, the loving characters, the<br />

gripping plot and, of course, Dustin’s luscious<br />

locks. Episode after episode rolled by; curse<br />

Netflix’s auto-play option combined with my<br />

inability to move when I’m comfortable.<br />

I had only watched three episodes out of the eight,<br />

however. Let’s just say the whole series was<br />

complete within 24 hours.<br />

It was magic. Pure magic.<br />

Never before had I seen a show I could relate to so<br />

heavily. <strong>The</strong> teenage boys who just a few years<br />

prior, I was identical to. <strong>The</strong> want for adventure that<br />

I so desperately needed having just started school.<br />

<strong>The</strong> nostalgia I felt, even though I was born nearly<br />

20 years after the events of the show.<br />

Like I said before: magic.<br />

Answer - Yes. It was fantastic. From the trailers and<br />

interviews, it was easy to see that the new season<br />

was gonna be bigger and more risky. Most of the<br />

time, sequels don’t reach the height of their<br />

originals. Grease 2, Back to the Future 2 and Jaws<br />

2. Classic film sequels that don’t reach the same<br />

level as their predecessors.<br />

This time however, this sequel is worthy. Funny,<br />

dramatic and just like they hoped, bigger. Dare I<br />

say it, ‘Stranger Things 2’ is even better than the<br />

first.<br />

<strong>The</strong> extra episode helped the show to go deeper<br />

into the characters, both new and old. Just as last<br />

season revolved around Eleven, season two puts<br />

Will in the driver's seat and even though he is a 13<br />

year old boy, he knows how to control a car.<br />

<strong>The</strong> other boys, Mike, Dustin and Lucas, return in<br />

all their adorable nerd glory - with Dustin cursing<br />

even more than last time. Now season one is<br />

available to the world and ‘Stranger Things’ is one<br />

of the biggest shows on TV, the show’s creators,<br />

the Duffer Brothers, were able to take the<br />

characters wherever they wanted and do almost<br />

anything.<br />

This allows for some fantastic moments throughout<br />

the season - of which we will not go into but for<br />

those of you who have seen the show ...Episode<br />

Eight.<br />

All the other Hawkins residents are back: Chief<br />

Hopper, still badass and cool, Joyce Byers, still<br />

crazy, and the infamous Hawkins High School Love<br />

Triangle, Nancy, Jonathan and Steve, still all<br />

adorable and socially awkward.<br />

When I heard there was a second season, you could<br />

assume that I would be excited: I was completely<br />

ecstatic. <strong>The</strong> countless teasers and rumours<br />

coming out all year long kept the hype train rolling,<br />

so when it pulled into the station on October 27th<br />

let’s just say that I was the first one off.<br />

<strong>The</strong> second season did not disappoint. After 15<br />

months, countless Emmy nominations and a SAG<br />

award to the cast’s name, ‘Stranger Things’ was<br />

back and better than ever.<br />

If you're worried about spoilers, you don't have to<br />

be. Although I've watched it all, members of <strong>The</strong><br />

<strong>Inkling</strong> have not so this will be a spoiler free zone.<br />

However, I absolutely recommend you to go and<br />

take some time to watch it. Trust me, you won’t be<br />

disappointed.<br />

So, was it really that good?<br />

Your newbies include Bob, Joyce’s dumb new<br />

boyfriend, (actor Sean Astin played by Samwise<br />

from Lord of the Rings of all people). Also joining<br />

the gang are Max and Billy, one a horrible bully and<br />

the other a kind and caring girl who cracks the<br />

relationship between the boys.<br />

All in all, the season was a great time: new<br />

characters, a new story and a bigger badder villain.<br />

I can't really speak about anything more without<br />

spurting spoilers out of my mouth, like Will with that<br />

slug at the end of season one….Spoiler alert for<br />

season one by the way.<br />

If you're not watching the show already then you<br />

should grab your eggos, get ready to fight some<br />

demogorgons and turn your volume up to eleven.<br />

‘Stranger Things 2’ has received a definite<br />

recommendation from <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>.


Best films of the year<br />

By David Makale na<br />

Starting off our ‘Best of Year’ lists is <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>’s top 10 favourite films of 2017.<br />

This year has been an interesting one for films, with significant flops from<br />

blockbuster giants - such as Transformers and <strong>The</strong> Mummy - whilst the smaller<br />

indie films have risen above expectations and garnered lots of profit - like Get Out<br />

or <strong>The</strong> Big Sick. Let’s see if these have affected any of our positions - probably<br />

not.<br />

1) ‘Beauty and the Beast’<br />

So Soham Village College’s favourite film of the year is ‘Beauty and the Beast’ - at<br />

least that’s what the members of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> voted for. I mean, back in March it<br />

was all everybody was talking about. Belle! Gaston! Lumiere! All of them were<br />

fantastic and it deserves the top spot on our list more than any other.<br />

Congratulations ‘Beauty and the Beast’ for this prestigious award; it’s worth more<br />

than the MTV Award it was awarded or the billion dollars it made at the box office.<br />

Well done!<br />

2) ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2’<br />

Our second place goes to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2’, the highly anticipated<br />

sequel to the worldwide blockbuster that was ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. This film<br />

brought our favourite characters back to the big screen for a second serving of<br />

intergalactic goodness. It was funny; it was awesome; it was a great time.<br />

Guardians was not the only Marvel movie to be released this year, but, according<br />

to our voters, it is the best. Judging by the comedy, action and magnificent<br />

spectacle, it is extremely deserving of the penultimate spot.<br />

3) ‘La La Land’<br />

<strong>The</strong> Hollywood musical that wowed audiences right back in January stayed strong<br />

all year and glided gracefully into third place on our list of winners. At the Oscars,<br />

Emma Stone won Best Actress, Damien Chazelle won for his directing and the film<br />

itself got Best Picture…. sort of. Despite the infamous mix-up, ‘La La Land’ still<br />

achieved great success in awards season and all of the hype followed through to<br />

the cinema where it amazed audiences all over the world.<br />

4) ‘Paddington 2’<br />

Our fourth favourite film of the year - just missing out on the top three - is family<br />

favourite ‘Paddington 2’. This feel-good picture is a great film to watch whenever<br />

because when you finish watching it, you will no doubt have a smile on your face<br />

and a warm heart. ‘Paddington 2’ is one of the best British films in years, and has<br />

been widely praised by critics and audiences alike.<br />

5) ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’<br />

After his successful debut in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ last year, Spider-Man’s<br />

first solo outing was a very different take on the fan-favourite superhero. Not only<br />

was it not an origin movie like the majority of the previous Spider-Man movies, but<br />

it also focused on Peter Parker’s teenage life and high school drama. It was a<br />

great time and fun to watch, so it deserves fifth place on our list.


6) ‘Wonder Woman’<br />

<strong>The</strong> only positively received DC film out of the five that have been released,<br />

‘Wonder Woman’ rose above its peers by telling a personal story of a strong<br />

female on the journey to prove her worth and defeat the big, bad Ares, God of<br />

War. This World War One superhero drama is fantastically directed and has some<br />

spectacular action sequences, not to mention that Gal Gadot is immensely<br />

charming in the title role.<br />

7) ‘Despicable Me 3’<br />

Gru and the Minions are back, this time taking down 80s-inspired supervillain<br />

Balthazar Bratt with Gru’s long lost brother... Dru. Margo, Edith and Agnes are<br />

adorable as ever, and with the addition of Trey Parker’s villain, Despicable Me 3<br />

offers a great ensemble of bold characters. Although it didn’t reach the heights of<br />

Despicable Me 2, it was vastly better than the spin-off film Minions (which was<br />

widely regarded as the worst film with Minions in). Luckily, this film puts the<br />

Minions back in the limelight and they are still entertaining.<br />

8) ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’<br />

This Oscar-standard film released in summer to critical acclaim, and rightfully so.<br />

Andy Serkis rounded off one of the best trilogies of modern times with magnificent<br />

CGI apes and a gut-punching story. It’s twists and turns offered the viewer a<br />

fantastic experience, but the long length and dramatic tone did not attract as<br />

many people as it should have done and so it has been reported as a failure.<br />

Despite the film being named a financial flop, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ was<br />

phenomenal.<br />

9) ‘Baby Driver’<br />

This summer saw the return of Edgar Wright, a great director with great vision.<br />

His love of music tailored perfectly to this film, following getaway driver Baby who<br />

spent the film always listening to music whilst outrunning and outsmarting the<br />

police. This clever heist movie has remained much-loved this past year and its<br />

soundtrack entertained people for hours as they listened to the almost-thirty hit<br />

songs on it.<br />

10) ‘Dunkirk’<br />

To end the list, we have a blockbuster war drama from the mind of genius director<br />

Christopher Nolan. This story of the British evacuation of ‘Dunkirk’ was epic: with<br />

incredible action sequences, superb visuals and gigantic set pieces of beach<br />

bombings and ship sinkings, it would have been hard to go wrong. Harry Styles<br />

(yes, Harry Styles of One Direction fame) gave a great performance as well in his<br />

acting debut and along with the rest of the fantastic cast; ‘Dunkirk’ gave<br />

audiences an interesting time and mind-blowing experience.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re we go then. <strong>The</strong> list has been rounded off and <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> has voted. Were<br />

you happy? After our long voting process, we are certain on our list - meaning that<br />

it is the list, nothing else is correct, ours is the definitive list of the best films of<br />

2017.


Best Tv Shows of the year<br />

By David Makale na<br />

Here is our list of the best TV shows of 2017. From a bulky 25<br />

suggested shows, we whittled it down to just 10 as the ‘best of the<br />

year’. All of the shows on here are great in different ways, whether<br />

it be great comedy, tense drama or puzzling mysteries, every TV<br />

show on our list deserves to be here just as much as the other. Let<br />

us have a look at the rankings:<br />

1) ‘Stranger Things 2’<br />

So the favourite TV show of Soham Village College for the year was<br />

the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s summer hit ‘Stranger<br />

Things’. This time round Will Byers takes centre stage and with a<br />

return of all the other major characters - this season deserves all<br />

of the awards hopefully coming their way. Congratulations!<br />

2) ‘Blue Planet 2’<br />

Our second place goes to the cinematic and mind blowing nature<br />

documentary ‘Blue Planet 2’ which enchanted audiences this<br />

Autumn with new discoveries and first time looks at the weird and<br />

wonderful aquamarine animals of the deep ocean. Wow!<br />

3) ‘Great British Bake Off’<br />

<strong>The</strong> controversial new season of Bake Off debut on Channel 4 for<br />

the first time this Summer. Despite the adverts and boots of Mary<br />

Berry that were impossible to fill, this new season had some great<br />

bakers that made the show a success. At least we didn’t reveal our<br />

winner beforehand!<br />

4) ‘Riverdale Season 1 and 2’<br />

This year people fell in love with Archie, Veronica, Betty and, of<br />

course, Jughead. <strong>The</strong> love stories, the mysteries and the drama.<br />

Riverdale had it all including two fantastic seasons in one year.<br />

Very well done Riverdale!<br />

5) Sherlock Season 4<br />

After the Victorian special the previous year, Sherlock returned for<br />

a mind-bending new season with great twists, phenomenal puzzles<br />

and spectacular acting. This season may be the last but if it is, it<br />

was a fantastic finale and deserves fifth place on our list.


6) Rick and Morty Season 3<br />

This hilarious third season of fan favourite Rick and Morty brought<br />

larger stories, more clever comedy and some great old-fashioned<br />

Rick Sanchez burping and Morty Smith whining. What else do you<br />

want?<br />

7) Pretty Little Liars Season 7<br />

<strong>The</strong> final season is here and Pretty Little Liars has finished after<br />

seven strong seasons. All the girls are back along with mysteries<br />

and drama. Wrapping up after 20 episodes, the story ended in<br />

spectacular fashion, amazing the loyal audience members.<br />

8) Teen Wolf Season 6<br />

Another finale to premier this year was Teen Wolf, ending after its<br />

six season run. Like its predecessors, this season was full of teen<br />

drama, emotional scenes and supernatural villains. <strong>The</strong> tale of<br />

Beacon Hills High is over.<br />

9) Love Island<br />

Gabby and Marcel! Chris and Olivia! Camilla and Jamie! Kem and<br />

Amber! So many couples! On an island! In love! Ahh!<br />

10) Jane the Virgin Season 3 and 4<br />

<strong>The</strong> final spot on our list goes to Netflix comedy Jane the Virgin.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Latina university student is back with her son and boss for<br />

more much-loved shenanigans. Congrats!<br />

Did your favourite show get onto the list? Have any<br />

disagreements? Well too bad. Actually, if you do feel that strongly<br />

about a certain show then make your voice heard. It’s not going to<br />

change anything but it’ll be exciting. With the new year dawning,<br />

it's safe to say that we are living in a golden age of television.


Editor’s Fa<br />

Films<br />

10) Detroit -<br />

This full on thriller about the Detroit riots of 1967 is a very difficult film to watch. When the movie<br />

has finished, you realise that it was very good and kind of enjoyable. However, during the tense<br />

scenes that Kathryn Bigelow orchestrated so brilliantly, all you really want to do is look away. Go<br />

watch it!<br />

9) <strong>The</strong> Death of Stalin -<br />

If you’re aware of American comedy Veep or political satire <strong>The</strong> Thick of It, hopefully you’ll like<br />

this. From the mind of Armando Lannucci, comes the Death of Stalin, an arthouse film with<br />

prestige actors and lots of comedy. I mean lots of comedy. It is very very funny.<br />

8) Paddington 2 -<br />

If you live in Britain and you are aware of recent cinema releases, the chance is you have heard<br />

of the great success that is Paddington 2. Having not watched the original, I went in with a blank<br />

canvas. By the end, that canvas was beautiful, thanks to a funny film which was a great time for<br />

the family.<br />

7) Get Out -<br />

Get Out was the indie film of the year. Dark comedy, dramatic tone and important discussion. All<br />

of it mixed up and presented by Jordan Peele of Key and Peele fame. This film, despite having<br />

come out a week after the 2017 Oscars, has the potential to win big at the next award season,<br />

being rumoured for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay nominations.<br />

6) Logan -<br />

Logan gave us all what we had wanted for so long: visceral action, bloody combat and so much<br />

profanity. Logan captured all of the essence of the past X-Men movies and turned it up to the<br />

extreme as Wolverine and Professor X bow out of this blockbuster franchise in magnificent style.<br />

5) <strong>The</strong> Big Sick -<br />

In my opinion, this is the funniest, heart-warming, feel good movie of the year. In this film, the true<br />

story of how lead actor Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon met is told in a funny up-todate<br />

way. <strong>The</strong> fact that this tale is true makes it all the more heart-warming. Definitely one to seek<br />

out.<br />

4) Moonlight -<br />

<strong>The</strong> actual Best Picture of the year was the depressing but massively important Moonlight, a film<br />

about a young homosexual boy growing up in the rough streets of Miami. With the help of awardwinning<br />

actor Mahershala Ali, Chiron’s journey is told in a beautiful way - a very deserving<br />

winner.<br />

3) Baby Driver -<br />

Baby Driver was the underdog summer hit of the year, wowing audiences with its clean action,<br />

great characters and phenomenal soundtrack. Edgar Wright, the director of the feature,<br />

achieved his first box office hit, almost tripling the budget that the film had and giving audiences<br />

a fantastic cinema experience.<br />

2) Blade Runner 2049 -<br />

<strong>The</strong> long awaited sequel to the sci-fi classic came out this October and although it under<br />

performed at the box office, the people who saw it were most likely blown out of their seats - very<br />

slowly though due to the film’s three hour runtime. I strongly recommend you watch this and the<br />

orginal. Fantastic cinema.<br />

1) La La Land -<br />

This fan favourite Best Picture winner (for about 5 minutes) did come out last year in the US, but<br />

when I saw the film in early January, when it’s UK release date was, I realised that I may had<br />

watched one of my favourite ever films. If you haven’t already seen it, seek it out and watch it.


vourites<br />

TV Shows<br />

10) <strong>The</strong> Great British Bake Off -<br />

<strong>The</strong> Great British Bake Off was back, this time with new hosts, a new judge and a whole new<br />

channel. Everything else though was the same old great Bake Off: great cakes, great contestants<br />

and a great time. New hosts Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding were great in a new way and Prue<br />

Leith could never quite reach the heights of Mary Berry’s superb judging skills. Apart from that,<br />

no soggy bottoms in sight.<br />

9) Legion -<br />

Legion was another great X-Men show and although it wasn’t as good as <strong>The</strong> Gifted (mentioned<br />

later in this list), it did start the new wave of cool X-Men shows with a second season already in<br />

development. It’s cool to watch, cool to look at and cool all round.<br />

8) Star Trek: Discovery -<br />

Star Trek: Discovery bought the Star Trek Universe back to TV after a 10 year hiatus and made<br />

something unique out of it. Although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is still a great new<br />

take on an old classic.<br />

7) <strong>The</strong> Gifted -<br />

Fox TV did what Fox Films could never truly do. Take the idea of the taboo around mutants in the<br />

X-Men universe and explore it in an interesting way. <strong>The</strong> family dynamic in the show is great to<br />

watch and even though it is on such a low budget, it is spectacular to look at.<br />

6) Mindhunter -<br />

From the mind of David Fincher, creator of Netflix’s flagship show House of Cards, comes FBI<br />

drama Mindhunter which depicts the journey the FBI took to discover more about psychopaths<br />

and serial killers and their reasoning for committing crimes. It is brilliantly acted and is very<br />

interesting indeed.<br />

5) <strong>The</strong> Handmaid’s Tale -<br />

Winner of the Best Drama Series at the Emmys, <strong>The</strong> Handmaid’s Tale is a fantastic dystopian<br />

show about the horrible world of high infertility rates. In a year when Game of Thrones was<br />

ineligible, <strong>The</strong> Handmaid’s Tale ruled award season and rightfully so.<br />

4) Twin Peaks: <strong>The</strong> Return -<br />

After 25 years, Twin Peaks returned to TV and this time it was bigger and weirder. David Lynch<br />

and Mark Frost bought their new vision over 23 mind blowing episodes which were nearly<br />

impossible to binge watch. It was crazy.<br />

3) Rick and Morty -<br />

After almost a two year wait, Rick and Morty was back for an explosive Season three. On April<br />

Fool’s Day, the world was given a great gift: the first episode of the new season with no warning<br />

at all. What followed that Summer were some great episodes, fantastic stories and, of course,<br />

Rick in pickle form. It’s Pickle Rick!<br />

2) Blue Planet II -<br />

Every year we have something on TV that wows us. Following on from last year’s Planet Earth II,<br />

David Attenborough offered us up Blue Planet II, an extensive look at the oceans of our world.<br />

Not only did it blow my mind, it introduced me to other worldly creatures which I could never<br />

imagine existing. Thank you Sir David.<br />

1) Stranger Things 2 -<br />

This Halloween, I locked my door, bought lots of sweets for myself and watched all of Stranger<br />

Things 2 in one sitting. If you can’t tell from the massive review praising the sequel, I enjoyed it<br />

very much. For a more in depth look at why, read the review over the page.


Best songs of the year<br />

By David Makale na f t.To r i n Fahy<br />

This list compiles the most popular songs released in 2017 as<br />

voted for by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>. Also, instead of writing myself, I gave<br />

these lists to our resident music guru, Torin Fahy. So here is Torin’s<br />

analysis of our voted for songs and later on, his favourite songs of<br />

the year. Enjoy!<br />

1) Havana - Camilla Cabello ft Young Thug<br />

Cabello’s calm yet cool delivery and the Latin production inspired<br />

by her roots culminates in a fun song that capitalises on the recent<br />

boom in Latin music by making a good song, rather than just<br />

having Spanish lyrics sung by a random American popstar.<br />

Although the Young Thug verse does drag the song a bit, by the<br />

chorus it recovers.<br />

2) Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran<br />

I really do not like this song. Others do. It’s a weird explosion of<br />

numerous elements: traditional Irish folk instruments, Sheeran’s<br />

rapping, descriptive lyrics about him meeting a girl, the acoustic<br />

guitar that is a staple of his music. So even if I really don’t like it, I<br />

can very easily see why it works so well for other people.<br />

3) Sun Comes Up - Rudimental ft James Arthur<br />

Rudimental are a band who consistently make good music, and this<br />

summer anthem is no different. James Arthur’s vocals work nicely<br />

here, and the catchy chorus is a perfect example of this.<br />

4) Something Just Like This - <strong>The</strong> Chainsmokers and Coldplay<br />

Chris Martin’s lyrics about not seeing himself as good enough but<br />

that being O.K for his partner are endearing, and despite the fact<br />

the drop bears striking resemblance to Roses, another<br />

Chainsmokers hit, it still works well here.<br />

5) Green Light - Lorde<br />

Green Light is a quintessentially perfect pop song in every way,<br />

from the lyrics to Lorde’s signature rough yet powerful vocals, to<br />

the brilliant piano and the amazing chorus. It’s a huge shame that<br />

this song wasn’t the smash hit it deserved to be, but from this list<br />

it’s clear it’s a very popular and well-respected song.


6) Most Girls - Hailee Steinfeld<br />

This female empowerment song works well due to the lyrics<br />

showing it’s OK to do whatever you want as long as it’s what you<br />

want to do, rather than another song just saying “ooo, you’re<br />

perfect” and that being it. Most Girls has lyrics depicting normal<br />

life instead of a general grand statement, allowing it to relate to<br />

many listeners.<br />

7) Another Day of Sun - La La Land Cast<br />

La La Land was one of the best musicals to be released in cinemas<br />

in years, and the opening song Another Day Of Sun is the perfect<br />

summary of the sheer joy the film brings.<br />

8) Passionfruit - Drake<br />

<strong>The</strong> mellow production sets the tone nicely for the song about<br />

Drake’s struggle to maintain a relationship. Although some of his<br />

other hits such as One Dance or Fake Love were either forgettable<br />

or just not very good, Passionfruit is both memorable and well put<br />

together.<br />

9) Feel It Still - Portugal <strong>The</strong> Man<br />

This song came out of nowhere before exploding into everyone’s<br />

playlists, and it’s easy to see why. An infectious bassline hooks you<br />

from the start, before the lead vocalist delivers a very catchy<br />

melody to leave this song stuck in your head all day.<br />

10) DNA - Kendrick Lamar<br />

HUMBLE may have been the smash hit; but DNA is Kendrick’s best<br />

song from his recent album DAMN, both lyrically and in terms of<br />

production. <strong>The</strong> song’s gradual build means every line gets better<br />

and better, with the climax being the awesome final verse.<br />

So what did you think of our rankings? Did you agree with every<br />

single one of them? Have you listened to everyone of them? I know<br />

I haven’t - David talking again. At least we got a good mixture of<br />

music on our list and hopefully everyone will find something they<br />

enjoy here. Let’s see Torin’s favourite songs of 2017...


Van Gogh: Behind the<br />

By Zosia Senska<br />

Starry Night<br />

Perhaps you know him by his expressive brushwork; perhaps you know<br />

him by his mysterious starry night; maybe, you know the famous tale of<br />

him cutting his left ear and dispatching it to a certain young woman.<br />

Although these legends are what have made Vincent Willem van Gogh<br />

famous today, he has been deemed to be ‘the greatest Dutch painter<br />

since Rembrandt’. In fact, as an individual his work had a remarkable<br />

effect on Expressionism and Fauvism. He may not have been famous<br />

during his lifetime, but today some of Gogh’s paintings rank among the<br />

most expensive ever sold at auction!<br />

During his childhood, Gogh struggled with his identity and longed for<br />

direction. This discontentment lead to problems with his mental health.<br />

Henri Gastaut published a book in 1956 where he investigated Gogh’s life<br />

and medical history; he discovered that Gogh had in fact suffered many<br />

seizures throughout his life. This was said, by two of his French Doctors,<br />

to be caused by temporal lobe epilepsy - a major illness that affected<br />

Gogh during the final two years of his life.<br />

Gogh’s ill health was precipitated by his prolonged consumption of<br />

Thujone, a toxic chemical found in absinthe (a popular Swiss, highly<br />

alcoholic beverage). Gogh drank absinthe in order to, quite ironically,<br />

counteract his epilepsy and anxiety. Sadly, all this alcohol did was<br />

aggravate his attacks and cause his depression to become even more<br />

manic than it initially was.<br />

Van Gogh drank in the presence of an early limbic lesion - an<br />

abscess in the limbic system that means he could have potentially been<br />

an amnesiac or retarded – which, quite obviously, worsened his health<br />

further still. Dr. Gachet, another one of Van Gogh's physicians, treated<br />

his epilepsy with digitalis, which is actually mainly used for heart failure.<br />

This prescription drug can cause one to see in yellow or see yellow spots<br />

and many believe this may have been one of the reasons as to why Van<br />

Gogh adored using this colour.


As well as struggling with hectic health, Gogh experienced a rather<br />

religious upbringing (his father was a pastor) and believed his true calling<br />

to life was preaching the gospel of God. However, after a few years,<br />

Gogh discovered his passion for art; although he dedicated most of his<br />

life towards painting, he never ceased to remember his roots and beliefs.<br />

Due to his extreme enthusiasm and dedication to first religion and then<br />

art, coupled with the feverish pace of his art production, many believe<br />

that mania was a prominent condition in Van Gogh's life.<br />

Surprisingly, Van Gogh managed to sell only one of his pieces throughout<br />

his life: ‘<strong>The</strong> Red Vineyard’. In this piece, Gogh makes use of deep<br />

colours such as, reds, browns and greens - these colours symbolised<br />

misery, which suits the general strenuous atmosphere of the image<br />

perfectly as the workers in the piece don’t seem to be having such a jolly<br />

time either.<br />

Contrastingly, Gogh utilised incredibly bright colours in order to<br />

create more vibrant pieces during his moments of mania and insanity:<br />

‘Sunflowers’ and ‘Starry Night’ are two perfect examples. However, these<br />

bright colours may not have been symbols of happiness. Gogh’s<br />

individualistic swirl of yellow, widely recognisable thanks to ‘Starry Night’ -<br />

a painting that was created whilst Gogh was in a mental asylum - was<br />

apparently influenced by lead poisoning. Van Gogh used lead-based<br />

paints, and some believe he suffered from lead poisoning from his habit<br />

of nibbling at paint chips. This is a popular theory because one of the<br />

symptoms of lead poisoning is a swelling of the retinas, which can cause<br />

one to see light as halo-like circles around objects. It was also noted by<br />

Dr. Peyron (one of the doctors who diagnosed his temporal lobe epilepsy)<br />

that during his attacks Van Gogh tried to poison himself by swallowing<br />

paint or drinking kerosene.<br />

Thus onto the subject of his death. Gogh initially tried committing suicide<br />

in a field by shooting himself in the chest. However, he missed his heart<br />

and, after being found, was aided at a hospital. <strong>The</strong> hospital wasn’t able<br />

to prevent him bleeding to death and he passed away.<br />

After the life he lived, one can only sympathise.


When the yea<br />

Hollywood’s m<br />

award shows<br />

about in the m<br />

the crowd. No<br />

<strong>Inkling</strong> we giv<br />

crazy isn’t it?<br />

Best Picture -<br />

THE SAFE BE<br />

Dunkirk: Chri<br />

Summer with<br />

direction. Fro<br />

nomination fo<br />

buzz around t<br />

invitation to th<br />

THE MAIN CO<br />

<strong>The</strong> Shape of<br />

festival goers<br />

Venice, the hi<br />

quality actor<br />

Shannon amo<br />

in England bu<br />

films for the re<br />

THE UNDERD<br />

Get Out: This<br />

89th Academy<br />

ever gone on<br />

all that could<br />

boasts a 99%<br />

making over $<br />

add.<br />

Best Director<br />

THE SAFE BE<br />

Christopher<br />

too? Chris No<br />

Dark Knight’<br />

Prestige’. Wit<br />

need for heap<br />

the visuals an<br />

THE MAIN CO<br />

Steven Spielb<br />

Spielberg. An<br />

you’ve seen<br />

Horse’, ‘Juras<br />

eighth directin<br />

sure on him g<br />

THE UNDERD<br />

Kathryn Bigel<br />

before; she is<br />

woman on our<br />

Hurt Locker’<br />

latest picture<br />

you need an e<br />

hoped for a be<br />

Best Actor -<br />

THE SAFE BE<br />

Gary Oldman<br />

Gordon in the<br />

and, of course<br />

actor is tackl<br />

I’m pleased t


An Oscars Prediction<br />

By David Makale na<br />

r comes to an end, and all the films are out, one thing is on<br />

ind - what about the Oscars? Obviously there are other film<br />

between December and February, but all that people care<br />

ovie industry is the Academy Awards. So here we are - ahead of<br />

minations are not announced till late January but here at <strong>The</strong><br />

e our predictions a whole four months earlier. I mean that’s<br />

T<br />

stopher Nolan’s war epic wowed cinema goers worldwide this<br />

it’s staggering visuals, masterclass acting and powerful<br />

m release day, people were predicting a long deserved Oscar<br />

r Chris Nolan and I think it’s safe to say that six months later, the<br />

he film is just as strong - hopefully meaning that it will have an<br />

e Academy Awards by the end of January.<br />

NTENDER<br />

Water: Guillermo Del Toro’s romantic fantasy captivated movie<br />

at both Venice and Toronto - winning the Gold Lion award at<br />

ghest award given to a film there. It has your typical cast of top<br />

s, including Octavia Spencer, Sally Hawkins and Michael<br />

ngst others. This fantastic original film hasn’t yet been released<br />

t is definitely shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated<br />

st of the year.<br />

OG<br />

psychological thriller was released in theatres days after the<br />

Awards last February - a release date with which no movie has<br />

to win Best Picture. With Jordan Peele’s debut picture however,<br />

change. Not only did this film connect with critics (it currently<br />

Rotten Tomatoes score), it also struck a chord with fans,<br />

250 million worldwide - on a $4.5 million budget as well, may I<br />

-<br />

T<br />

Nolan: We’ve discussed the film, so why not the director<br />

lan’s filmography is one of the greatest in modern cinema: ‘<strong>The</strong><br />

, ‘Inception’, ‘Interstellar’, and my personal favourite: ‘<strong>The</strong><br />

h ‘Dunkirk’, Nolan has hit the nail right on the head. Without the<br />

s of exposition (thanks to history), all Chris had to do is focus on<br />

d characters. Perfect.<br />

NTENDER<br />

erg: Nearly everyone has heard of the lord and master Steven<br />

d even if you haven’t, I can say with almost 100% certainty that<br />

a film he has directed. ‘Jaws’, ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘E.T.’, ‘War<br />

sic Park’...the list is almost endless. This would be Spielberg’s<br />

g nomination: few living directors can match that. You could be<br />

etting an Oscar nomination come February.<br />

OG<br />

ow: She is the only director on our list who has been nominated<br />

the only director on our list who’s won before; she’s the only<br />

list. Bigelow is definitely one to watch. Her previous films, ‘<strong>The</strong><br />

and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ both received critical acclaim and her<br />

, ‘Detroit’, has had the same treatment. With any excellent film,<br />

qually excellent director at the helm and ‘Detroit’ couldn’t have<br />

tter one.<br />

T<br />

(‘Darkest Hour’): Gary Oldman is just a great actor isn’t he? Jim<br />

‘Batman’ trilogy, George Smiley in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’<br />

, Sirius Black in the ‘Harry Potter’ films. This time, the veteran<br />

ing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - nothing big then!<br />

o say that Oldman wowed audiences with his portrayal of the<br />

grumpy wartime PM and will hopefully be rewarded with an Oscar nomination<br />

in late January.<br />

THE MAIN CONTENDER<br />

Tom Hanks (‘<strong>The</strong> Post’): Tom Hanks is the Meryl Streep of male actors - and<br />

he is acting against her in the film ‘<strong>The</strong> Post’. Tom Hanks has had five Oscar<br />

nominations and has won two of them: not only is he the world’s kindest actor<br />

but also one of the Academy’s favourite. <strong>The</strong> last time Hanks got an Oscar<br />

nomination (2001!) he was up against the likes of Russell Crowe and Javier<br />

Bardem. Luckily for Tom Hanks, none of those have been any Oscar calibre<br />

films this year. We might just see Hanks’ third Oscar win.<br />

THE UNDERDOG<br />

Andy Serkis (‘War for the Planet of the Apes’): Andy Serkis has been playing<br />

King Ape Caesar for three films now in the modern ‘Planet of the Apes’<br />

trilogy. In the latest instalment, Serkis really delivers a performance that will<br />

be remembered for years to come. Clearly Warner Bros. have latched onto<br />

this fact, as the film has been promoted well around Hollywood with ‘For your<br />

consideration’ DVDs already reaching voters’ doors. You may be thinking that<br />

Andy Serkis can’t possibly be a realistic ape...and that is true. Motion capture<br />

is used throughout the trilogy but in this film in particular, it looks second to<br />

none with the real animals. If Serkis were to take home the Oscar, it would<br />

mark a first for Motion Capture performances.<br />

Best Actress -<br />

THE SAFE BET<br />

Frances McDormand (‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’): Frances<br />

McDormand stars in this year’s Toronto Festival Best Picture winner and is<br />

absolutely superb. Her previous role in ‘Fargo’ (directed by the Coen<br />

Brothers, who also co-wrote this film) earned her a Best Actress win, and she<br />

has been nominated for three other Oscars over the course of her career. In<br />

this dark comedy about a worried mother (McDormand) creating three<br />

billboards to garner the attention of the local chief (Woody Harrelson),<br />

McDormand stands out like a block of gold - fingers crossed that she gets the<br />

nomination she deserves.<br />

THE MAIN CONTENDER<br />

Margot Robbie (‘I, Tonya’): In this dark comedy/drama, Margot Robbie plays<br />

sportswoman Tonya Harding, a ballerina who has to deal with a surprising<br />

number of challenges in the equally surprising brutal world of ballet dancing.<br />

I know, right? Robbie delivers a ground-breaking performance, with critics<br />

and audience members both wildly praising her portrayal. <strong>The</strong> nomination<br />

would give a long deserved reward to Robbie who up until now has been<br />

robbed of several nominations in past years.<br />

THE UNDERDOG<br />

Judi Dench (‘Victoria & Abdul’): Although Dame Judi Dench will most likely be<br />

nominated for the Baftas back home in England, for her to pierce the<br />

Academy and get herself a nomination would be remarkable. It would require<br />

a starring role in a critically acclaimed film… much like ‘Mrs Brown’, her first<br />

portrayal of Queen Victoria, for which she was nominated for an Oscar.<br />

Victoria & Abdul however, has received a mixed reception. Some critics<br />

praise the heart-warming tale of love between the Queen and her Indian<br />

partner but others point to the flaws such as the rest of the cast’s lacklustre<br />

performances and the overall lack of direction and vision. However, if anyone<br />

were to break through bad reviews and garner herself an Oscar nomination,<br />

it would be Dame Judi Dench. Good luck, ma’am.<br />

And there we are - three predictions for the top four categories of the<br />

Academy Awards. Tune in to the February issue of the paper to see if we<br />

were correct in our predictions. Let’s hope so!


Short Circuit (1986) Review<br />

Cast<br />

By Seb Howe<br />

No.5 - Tim Blaney<br />

Stephanie Speck- Allie Sheedy (Star of <strong>The</strong> Breakfast Club)<br />

Newton Crosby- Steve Guttenberg (Famous for Three Men and a Baby)<br />

Introduction<br />

Short Circuit is a goofy kids movie that your mum probably remembers<br />

having on VHS - that's how I discovered it anyway. Being aimed at<br />

children, I think this franchise is something of a hidden gem. <strong>The</strong> sequel<br />

deserves even more critical acclaim. I’m here to teach you the basics<br />

and encourage you to watch this wonderful film.<br />

<strong>The</strong> plot of the film is a simple one. A robotics company builds five<br />

military robots. One of them is struck by lightning. It gains human<br />

intelligence and goes exploring. Normal event then?<br />

My Review<br />

<strong>The</strong> plot of the film is somewhat basic, directed by John Badham of<br />

Saturday Night Fever (1977) and War Games (1983) fame. This film is<br />

very dear to my heart as I grew up watching this and its previously<br />

mentioned sequel; I have many memories of watching 80s films on VHS<br />

with my nan and enjoying constant re-runs on TV of the Short Circuit<br />

franchise and other films like Kindergarten Cop (1990) and <strong>The</strong> Burbs<br />

(1988). But this film holds a special place above all others in my heart.<br />

<strong>The</strong> film was a big success on cinema release, earning over $40 million in<br />

the US which back in ‘86 was phenomenal, but critics panned the film,<br />

mostly because of the robot’s robotic acting (pun intended) and Steve<br />

Guttenberg (one of the main actors in the film) being obnoxious… as<br />

usual. I disagree with the comments on the robot as the puppeteering<br />

was always a cool thing to me because of how small a budget the film<br />

had. Also, the dialogue done by Tim Blaney was hilarious and matched<br />

the quality of his normal comedic product.


This is a film that you will most likely pass over on a Sunday afternoon<br />

as you flick through the TV channels, but the people who have seen it<br />

most likely remember watching on VHS - just like me at my nan’s<br />

house. All in all, this is one of my personal favourites as it was an<br />

important part of my childhood and introduced me to a period of film<br />

history I love - the 80s.<br />

I give this movie 8/10 and my official recommendation. Short Circuit<br />

and it’s sequel are available on both DVD and blu-ray.<br />

Trivia<br />

1. <strong>The</strong>re are plans for a reboot of the film were No.5 will befriend a<br />

young boy and actor Fisher Stevens from the first two films will<br />

return.<br />

2. <strong>The</strong> puppet for No.5 weighed 250 pounds.<br />

3. <strong>The</strong> film was filmed in the same location as <strong>The</strong> Goonies (1985)<br />

and Kindergarten Cop (1990).


<strong>The</strong> Top 10 Things To Watch,<br />

Listen and Read At Chr istmas<br />

Film<br />

TV Shows<br />

‘Elf’<br />

Grab a bowl of spaghetti,<br />

M&Ms and golden syrup<br />

and settle down for the<br />

family favourite Christmas<br />

tale of Buddy (Will Ferrell),<br />

an elf who goes on an<br />

adventure to New York to<br />

reclaim his father’s<br />

compassion. Not only is<br />

the funniest film to watch<br />

at Christmas, it’s also one<br />

of the most heartwarming.<br />

‘Home Alone’<br />

Watch out, the wet bandits<br />

are out and ready to<br />

pounce. If you find yourself<br />

lonely at Christmas, then<br />

the perfect film to watch<br />

is...Home Alone. <strong>The</strong><br />

playful tone, hilarious traps<br />

and lovable performance<br />

of Macaulay Culkin makes<br />

this a definite must-watch<br />

at Christmas.<br />

‘<strong>The</strong> Snowman’<br />

Hop onto his back and<br />

enjoy a flight through the<br />

beautiful pencil-drawn<br />

world of the Snowman.<br />

This short film’s warmth<br />

and joyfulness brings a<br />

family together any<br />

Christmas and is the<br />

perfect thing to watch as<br />

the anticipation builds this<br />

Christmas Eve.<br />

‘A Charlie Brown<br />

Christmas’<br />

Almost fifty years old, this<br />

Christmas edition of<br />

Charlie Brown tells the<br />

story of the young boy<br />

trying to work out the true<br />

meaning of Christmas.<br />

Whilst walking through<br />

town and talking to friends,<br />

he realises it’s the people<br />

around him that make<br />

Christmas-time special -<br />

aww!


Music<br />

‘Do <strong>The</strong>y Know It’s Christmas?’<br />

by Band Aid (1984)<br />

A classic Christmas anthem.<br />

With four different versions to<br />

date, ‘Do <strong>The</strong>y Know It’s<br />

Christmas?’ is always on our<br />

Christmas playlist and people<br />

always enjoy it. With the variety<br />

of famous artists singing and the<br />

money raised it has raised for<br />

charity, this single brings joy and<br />

happiness the whole world over.<br />

‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ by<br />

Shakin’ Stevens<br />

Snow is falling, all around me.<br />

Children playing, having fun. It’s<br />

the season, of love and<br />

understanding. Merry Christmas<br />

everyone. ...You can’t get much<br />

better than that.<br />

<strong>The</strong>atre<br />

Pantomimes<br />

Who doesn’t want to go the<br />

theatre and see an entertaining<br />

and hilarious couple of hours of<br />

silly stories? Jack and the<br />

Beanstalk, Cinderella and<br />

Aladdin are some of the classics<br />

but all it takes is fun costumes<br />

and lots of silly antics to make a<br />

fantastic panto.<br />

‘<strong>The</strong> Nutcracker’<br />

This ballet not only makes you<br />

feel cultured and sophisticated,<br />

but also provides an opportunity<br />

to appreciate some wonderful<br />

choreography. Inspiring<br />

decades worth of pop culture,<br />

the Nutcracker has left it’s mark<br />

on the work and should be<br />

celebrated with a viewing of the<br />

classic version.<br />

Books<br />

‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens<br />

A must-read for a Christmas novel fan … and a Year 11 GCSE student. For<br />

some classes it’s compulsory for your exam. Nonetheless, this classic tells<br />

the heartwarming story of Scrooge finding the true meaning of Christmas<br />

through the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Also, it set the<br />

stage for the Muppets version, so well done, Dickens.<br />

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ by Dr. Seuss<br />

A fun, nostalgic story of all the Whos down in Whoville. <strong>The</strong> Grinch is a<br />

great story to read throughout the Christmas period with family, younger<br />

siblings or by yourself. Beautifully illustrated and entertaining to read, it<br />

really is a great time.


Creativ<br />

He felt the cold metal in his hands, turning it over once, twice, three times. Taking a deep breath,<br />

<strong>The</strong> streetlights seemed more yellow than normal, casting an artificial glow over the road he used<br />

“Hand it over now and I’ll never come back here.” A female whisper.<br />

He fumbled through the crumbs and scraps of paper in his pocket before finally grasping the-<br />

Intrigued? <strong>The</strong> Creative Writing section might be for you. But first, a question...<br />

Why do we read magazines? Well, in the case of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>, chances are you’re here to get a be<br />

perspective we have on the wider world. But in general, reading is a chance to escape the outside<br />

Creative writing isn’t just novels. Poems, scripts and short stories all give us the chance to leave<br />

who the killer is, not what grade you’ll be getting on your science exam. When you’re deep into an<br />

ship problems.<br />

So how does creative writing fit into the media scene of the twenty-first century? With the rise o<br />

about where all of your favourite films and TV shows come from. Behind every blockbuster is a wr<br />

It really is possible for digital media and creative writing to productively coexist. Reading poetry<br />

vourite show. Instead of passively engaging with familiar characters, your mind will be taken in a<br />

In this section of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong>, we’ll be publishing creative writing produced by SVC students. Con<br />

find an audience for your scribblings, not to mention a chance to spread your own message to a w<br />

chance to be read. <strong>The</strong> poem you’ve been working on for months but have never had the courage<br />

bility that could help you to progress as an author, poet or playwright.<br />

So pick up your pen (or, more likely, your laptop) and get writing! Don’t miss out on the chance t<br />

through our Creative Writing section.Take a break from the outside world, and you might just like<br />

...it was a wedding ring, by the way.<br />

Year 7 students, don’t forget to come along to Creative Writing Club, every Tuesday in B8.<br />

To find out more about Creative Writing submissions, please email KKirkpatrick7891@sohamcoll


e<br />

he hurriedly pushed the offending object into his pocket before slamming the front door. Finally.<br />

to know so well.<br />

tter understanding of life as a student at SVC: the events we put on, the lessons we learn and the<br />

world - for a bit - and there is one particular style of writing that really helps us to do this.<br />

our everyday stresses behind. When you’re reading about a murder mystery, you’ll be wondering<br />

abstract poem, you’ll be trying to solve the meaning of the words on the page, not your relationf<br />

Netflix and social media, reading and writing can begin to seem like dead art forms. But think<br />

iter - the entertainment industry wouldn’t exist without us.<br />

, for example, offers a completely different experience to watching the latest episode of your fanew<br />

direction: you might even gain a new perspective on an issue you were struggling with.<br />

tributions would be welcomed from anyone who is interested. This is the perfect opportunity to<br />

ide readership. That novel chapter you’ve been hiding under a stack of assessments? This is its<br />

to share? Now is the time to share it. Publishing with us will also give your work that extra credio<br />

explore an exciting new hobby. Or if you’re sure writing isn’t for you, remember to have a look<br />

what you find.<br />

ege.org.uk. or XStjohn8004@sohamcollege.org.uk.


<strong>The</strong> Dreaded Transition<br />

By Maxwel l Masters<br />

It was here. <strong>The</strong> very first day of secondary school with<br />

all the other students. I was petrified; this could be the<br />

last thing I ever did in my life. I said my farewells to my<br />

family, and embarked on the perilous journey to school.<br />

I had arrived. <strong>The</strong> tall back gates loomed above me,<br />

creaking open. Cautiously, I wandered down the gritty<br />

path towards that terrible building. Students huddled in<br />

groups that were dotted around the place, whispering<br />

secrets to one another. I found the bike park and locked<br />

my bike up firmly. Safe and sound. Turning round,<br />

however, I saw an unknown student coming straight for<br />

me. His eyes locked onto me like missiles ready to<br />

explode. My mind was in a flurry, trying desperately to<br />

figure out some sort of plan.<br />

“DO NOT ENGAGE! I REPEAT: DO NOT ENGAGE!”<br />

My mind was screaming at me like a million angered<br />

seagulls. I knew what I had to do: run.<br />

My legs carried me as fast as they could, out of the bike<br />

shed and on the run. I sped down the path and towards<br />

St. Andrews. <strong>The</strong> art block was near. My mind was<br />

running as fast as me, wild with panic. My heart beat out<br />

of my chest.<br />

“Come on. I can do this!” I was sprinting at top<br />

speed, urgently running from that unknown student. My<br />

form room was in sight. I had nearly made it, until<br />

“smack!” I face-planted onto the floor.<br />

“WARNING: Major embarrassment levels,” yelled my<br />

mind. Everyone laughed, even my best friends. I had<br />

failed the mission; I had failed school.


Salt to the sea book review<br />

By Lo rna Gil l i ngs<br />

Salt to the Sea is a historical fiction book written by Ruta<br />

Sepetys. It follows the journey of five young people who<br />

have grown up surrounded by war - caught between the<br />

Germans and the Russians. <strong>The</strong> horrors of war and the<br />

effects it had on younger generations are all covered in<br />

this book, along with the ill-fated voyage of the Wilhelm<br />

Gustloff (which was part of Operation Hannibal). <strong>The</strong><br />

sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff isn’t very well-known, but<br />

it is actually the biggest maritime disaster in history.<br />

Sepetys definitely succeeds in making people aware of<br />

what we have to learn from the past.<br />

<strong>The</strong> book is written almost like a diary: each chapter is<br />

from a different person’s perspective and focuses on the<br />

more personal struggles of each individual. When she is<br />

describing the sinking of the ship, the writer uses very<br />

simple words to create a terribly vivid picture of death<br />

and convey the pure horror of the scenes these very<br />

young children had to witness. You can’t help but cry as<br />

you read about these events that changed lives forever.<br />

However, the novel also focuses on a more positive<br />

aspect of life during the war, as it describes the hope<br />

that emerged when people worked together in their time<br />

of need, It shows how, even through all the death and<br />

destruction, there will always be new lives beginning and<br />

explains how we should strive to make a better world for<br />

the innocent children of generations to come.


Katie’s Poetry<br />

Nostalgia<br />

Dusty afternoons are sweating.<br />

In the precious shade, the sweltering corridors<br />

Are dark patches of innocence,<br />

Almost tangible -<br />

But we slip away, fingernails brushing the lockers.<br />

<strong>The</strong> heat is filled<br />

By the pretense of age.<br />

Footfalls collapse inwards.<br />

Heads held high, nodding in disaccord,<br />

Agree to reach for spring; reach for summer -<br />

We try, we do, to undo the click of a lock;<br />

<strong>The</strong> slam of the door from another morning.<br />

Is it almost the time?<br />

Progress.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re will be moments<br />

You will wish against.<br />

You will push<br />

(with all your might).<br />

Tell yourself fairy stories,<br />

Caress your own cheek,<br />

Hold your own hands<br />

(like fragile ornaments).<br />

<strong>The</strong>se moments will press down.<br />

Condense all those afterthoughts:<br />

Potency on its best behaviour.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y will pull the strings,<br />

Lift your eyelashes, and look in deep.<br />

You may try.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y may let you.


Beneath the music<br />

By Gemma Bridges<br />

I awoke from my slumber as the fairy lights were slowly coming into<br />

focus - almost out of battery due to the fact I’d put them up in the<br />

middle of November in a rush of festive excitement. A week to go, and<br />

I had already opened all the windows in my advent calendar;<br />

chocolate wrappers now lay scattered on the thick, fluffy rug that my<br />

dog liked to lie on, slightly matted head on his paws. Why couldn’t<br />

Christmas be all year round?<br />

Wafting up to entice me from my room was the smell of freshly baked<br />

Christmas cookies - Mum baked them every year, and no one ever got<br />

tired of them. Passing the big Christmas tree, the smell of pine tickling<br />

my nose, I crept into the kitchen, looking longingly at all the presents. I<br />

stuffed a cookie in my mouth...not carefully enough though, as it was<br />

still too hot.<br />

“Really?” I jumped, not realising my mum had been in the room - I<br />

hoped she hadn’t seen me eat it, but the crumbs around my mouth<br />

was a tell-tale sign. She sighed and shook her head, while I grabbed<br />

another cookie and scampered back up to my room, hoping she<br />

wouldn’t remember later.<br />

“Jingle bells, jingle bells…” I pressed play on my CD player<br />

(home to my full collection of Christmas music), brushing aside the<br />

glittery tinsel as I did so. Turning it up to full volume, I decided that<br />

maybe I shouldn’t have wrapped everyone’s presents in November:<br />

now there was nothing to do.<br />

“FOR THE LAST TIME, TURN THAT RACKET DOWN!” I heard<br />

the yell of my dad, for the tenth time that week. Honestly, what was<br />

wrong with my family? <strong>The</strong>y just needed to embrace the Christmas<br />

spirit - it wasn’t my fault that they complained when I coated the house<br />

in lights and tinsel!<br />

Sighing, I turned the music down.<br />

A few days later Christmas Eve arrived, bringing with it presents under<br />

the tree and a particularly ugly assortment of Christmas jumpers.


Hometown- Cha<br />

I’ve had glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling for as long as I can remember. <strong>The</strong>ir pale gr<br />

leading my imagination down a mountainous trail straight out of a fantasy novel. <strong>The</strong>y roo<br />

and I’m calm.<br />

At six a.m. my alarm goes off. <strong>The</strong> mellow tones of whatever vaguely indie album I’m into<br />

morning still feels like night. Rubbing my eyes, I heave myself into a sitting position and g<br />

sound of an air-raid siren would look like. I blink furiously, and then get up to face the winte<br />

Two hours later, I’m sat hunched over my knees in the kitchen. My fingers pick at the chipp<br />

dles in December. Slouched underneath my biggest jumper, I’m still cold. I stare emptily in<br />

eyes.<br />

“I’m sorry, babe, but this just isn’t working,” croons some fresh-faced teenage heartthrob<br />

doze off as some face-off starts on the screen. For a moment, I let my mind wander and im<br />

no idea what was going on- interns really do get told nothing. <strong>The</strong> London offices were so c<br />

ally. I let myself smile as I remember the early starts back then: the guitars that wake me no<br />

Four p.m brings a shrieking like nothing I’ve heard before. I hear the familiar click of a key<br />

shorter than anything I’ve ever owned. My housemate, Eva, stands in the centre of them all<br />

“It’s time for you to get out of this house for once!” she yells, voice cracking with laughter. A<br />

“I’d really rather -” I begin, but Eva is having none of it.<br />

“Addie,you live in the wildest city in Europe and you’re nearly nineteen. Isn’t it time you got<br />

I shake my head violently and get up to hide in my room only to be immediately pulled back<br />

Amsterdam is a city dealing with a nightly earthquake. <strong>The</strong> baritone hum of bass synthesiz<br />

Shivering, I pull the faux fur shawl Eva found for me over my shoulders and hobble after the<br />

their parties and concerts for all to see. My hair whips around my cheeks as I clench my fi<br />

ing; no crying.<br />

Every neon-painted wall of the room we enter is home to people of all ages, all genders…<br />

flashing bowtie. Next to them is a woman who looks to be at least fifty in a full velvet maxi d<br />

the room presents the same eclectic selection of dancers, all clutching brightly-coloured d<br />

can touch the pressing sounds of Dutch hip-hop, radiating out in waves from the DJ’s glow<br />

attempt at the wailing vocals of the lady on the track. Sighing, I let myself join in.<br />

When it feels like time no longer exists and I can’t feel my feet, we stumble to the exit, still y<br />

the faint noise of someone calling my name.<br />

“Yeah? What?” I shout across the room, unable to spot the source of the cry.<br />

Before I can find the speaker, a screen above the DJ’s table flashes up a number, but only l<br />

“Nineteen!” I yell to the girls, before tripping over my heels and crashing to the floor.<br />

By the time I’ve regained my balance, Eva and her friends are nowhere to be seen. I limp o<br />

barely remember). <strong>The</strong> cold, which earlier was just a mildly uncomfortable breeze, is now g<br />

ble.<br />

It’s then that I hear my name called again. This time, I know where it’s coming from. I follow<br />

of a figure fifty metres ahead. When I finally get closer to the figure, I follow them turn do<br />

Empty, that is, except for the figure, who now stand inches from my face.


pter two: White<br />

een glow casts unnerving shadows over every inch of the dated swirls of cracking paint,<br />

t me everywhere I go; all it takes is ten minutes of looking up at the plastic constellations<br />

that week chase away dreamtime stories until sleep is just a distant memory. Today, the<br />

rab my phone. <strong>The</strong> blaring brightness of the screen hits my eyes with what I imagine the<br />

r.<br />

ed corner of the table, pulling off tiny shards of oak that scatter to the floor like pine neeto<br />

my laptop screen as the faces of the model-like twenty-somethings blur before my tired<br />

. Only hearing snippets of the show, I begin to forget what it is I’m watching. I fight not to<br />

agine what it must be like to film shows like this. My two years of experience left me with<br />

old - this jumper was the only thing that stopped me from literally freezing...well, not literw<br />

replace an incessant beeping that strikes fear into my heart to this very day.<br />

in the front door and get up to let my housemate in, only to be greeted by six girls in skirts<br />

, mousy hair teased up into a huge bun on the top of her head.<br />

round her the girls cackle like a coven of witches.<br />

to know the nightlife?”<br />

by two members of the coven. This could be interesting.<br />

ers pulses beneath the cobbled pavement on which my pale ankles wobble in their heels.<br />

girls. <strong>The</strong> faint stars above me are struggling for dominance with the neon signs that flog<br />

sts under the shawl - I promised myself tonight there would be now scratching; no bleed-<br />

To my left I see a man of about thirty wearing antler horns, hand in hand with man in a<br />

ress, complete with fake eyelashes that stretch a mile out from her face. Every corner of<br />

rinks in tiny plastic glasses. Nervously, I step onto the club floor. Around me it feels like I<br />

ing desk. Eva pulls me into the centre, throwing her hands up and letting out an off-pitch<br />

elling the lyrics of whatever the DJ is blasting out. It’s only as we reach the exit that I hear<br />

ong enough for me to catch a glimpse.<br />

ut of the club, fighting against my hoarse throat to shout their names (most of which I can<br />

nawing away at my bare legs as I frantically wrap the shawl over as much of me as possithe<br />

sound down the quiet street, taking care not to trip on the cobbles, until I catch sight<br />

wn a narrow lane and squeeze through a tiny door.<strong>The</strong> room inside is completely empty.


By Mrs Carson<br />

EX Libris<br />

From the shelves of her own personal library, Mrs Carson details her most treasured<br />

reads.<br />

1. ‘<strong>The</strong> Knife of Never Letting Go’ – Patrick Ness<br />

Dystopian fiction is my favourite genre, so I was very keen to read this book when it<br />

first came out. It was brought to my attention because it was on the Carnegie Award<br />

shortlist – as an English teacher, this award is usually pretty good at picking some<br />

excellent young-adult texts. When I started reading it I was in awe of its bizarre,<br />

refreshing narration; Ness writes from the perspective of Todd, a young boy<br />

growing up in a world without women. However, due to a lack of education, Todd’s<br />

thought process is very ‘free flowing’, which is reflected in the phonetic<br />

pronunciation of many words throughout narrative. Throwing another spanner in<br />

the works is the fact that the thoughts of every living creature, both men and wildlife<br />

alike, are broadcast for all to hear (and in some cases, almost, see). However, one<br />

day Todd notices something different – a silence seems to have made itself present.<br />

<strong>The</strong> silence grates at him, calling him to investigate. So off he goes with his trusty<br />

dog, Manchee… and what he finds changes his life forever.<br />

2. ‘<strong>The</strong> Handmaid’s Tale’ – Margaret Atwood<br />

Another dystopian tale, although arguably one for a more mature reader, this book<br />

is a Canadian classic. Margaret Atwood is required reading growing up in Canada –<br />

she’s likely the greatest author we’ve ever produced, so we like to make sure all<br />

Canadians are well versed in her works. <strong>The</strong> book deals with issues around control,<br />

feminism, religion and politics (to name a few) as it follows the life of narrator<br />

Offred, a woman who is forced to breed with the rich, due to a worldwide decline in<br />

fertility rates. Obviously, this isn’t a great existence for Offred – the fact that her<br />

name literally means that she is the woman ‘of Fred’ hints at how controlled women<br />

are in the novel. So it’s no surprise that she tries to find a way to escape her terrible<br />

existence. <strong>The</strong> novel follows her struggle for freedom from oppression.<br />

3. ‘Great Expectations’ – Charles Dickens<br />

Not everyone likes reading Dickens; he tends to ramble on a bit, which some find<br />

tedious. Personally, I’ve always liked his style of writing. I find something whimsical<br />

and fun in it, especially when he’s poking fun at society (which he often is). <strong>The</strong>


4. ‘<strong>The</strong> Sky is Falling’ – Kit Pearson<br />

I first read this book when I was twelve years old. Believe it or not, I was a<br />

voracious reader as a child. My mum used to take me to the library every other<br />

Saturday and I would spend ages searching for the perfect book to take home<br />

and read. I was going through a phase of reading historical fiction when I<br />

happened to stumble upon this book; I was instantly hooked.<br />

<strong>The</strong> novel starts out in England during World War 2. Norah is a young English<br />

girl, fascinated by collecting war-souvenirs and watching the dazzling aerial<br />

attacks between England and Germany that take place in the sky above her<br />

each night. Her parents, however, are less enthused. After a particularly heavy<br />

night of bombing, they decide to send Norah and her younger brother, Gavin, to<br />

Canada. <strong>The</strong> rest of the novel sees Norah and Gavin arrive in Canada to live in a<br />

stately home in Toronto under the strict and watchful eye of a rich, elderly<br />

woman who ends up preferring (and doting on) Gavin… much to Norah’s horror.<br />

As time goes on, Norah longs for home and worries about the implications<br />

growing up away from England has on Gavin, who, due to his young age,<br />

assimilates much more easily into the Canadian way of life, forgetting his<br />

English roots.<br />

I don’t think I would have wanted to become a teacher of English or history<br />

(which is what I originally studied in University) if it wasn’t for this book. It<br />

brought the war to life for me, in a way that I could relate to as a young girl. It’s a<br />

must-read if you are interested in what living in England, and later Canada,<br />

would have been like during World War Two.


Society<br />

We’re all used to the voices in our heads. We know ourselves: how w<br />

ous issues. We know who we personally consider our enemies, crus<br />

other?<br />

Society looks at the way we behave as a global population: how<br />

everything to do with people. <strong>The</strong>re will be articles about everything<br />

ships to philosophy and mental health. Think of the Society section a<br />

combining factual reporting on how we all act as a species with opin<br />

21st century.<br />

Now is perhaps a more important time than ever to be thinking<br />

have revolutionised the way we communicate, and the ever-shifting<br />

ple hold dear. Who knows what kind of a world we’ll be living in in t<br />

society are evolving. We, as a generation, are growing up in unchart<br />

exist for previous teenagers, and so it’s up to us to find our own pat<br />

and form different opinions and views.<br />

As I said, society is all about people and how they interact. A bi<br />

want to hear what you’re passionate about! This could be anything, f<br />

is your chance to broadcast your opinion to a wide readership - don’<br />

your message.


e think, what we like and don’t like, where we stand on varihes,<br />

friends, acquaintances. But how well do we know each<br />

we, as humans, interact. In this section, we’ll be covering<br />

from social justice to education, from family and relations<br />

the intersection between Politics and Culture: we’ll be<br />

ions on the issues that affect us as young people in the<br />

about our society. Radical inventions such as the internet<br />

political climate has brought into question views many peoen,<br />

twenty, thirty years time? <strong>The</strong> very principles of human<br />

ered waters: many of the storms we face daily simply didn’t<br />

h. Inevitably, we’re all going to travel in different directions<br />

g part of any magazine’s society section is submissions: we<br />

rom racism in America to the value of learning to sew. This<br />

t miss the opportunity to share your opinions and spread


Do Teenage Fr iendships and<br />

Relationships Really Matter?<br />

By Katie Kirkpat-<br />

You will change. <strong>The</strong> person you are right now will be<br />

different to the person you are in a week, two months,<br />

five years time - in terms of your personal outlook on<br />

the world and of the choices you make. Change is<br />

inevitable for all of us. But do the people we surround<br />

ourselves with have an impact on the people we<br />

become? I, for one, think the people we choose to<br />

know as adolescents have more of an effect on our<br />

futures than people care to admit.<br />

Decisions play a huge part in life as a young person.<br />

From choosing who to sit with at lunch to choosing<br />

what to do with our lives, we spend a lot of time<br />

weighing up our options. <strong>The</strong> obvious thing to do when<br />

faced with a difficult situation is to consult someone<br />

else. Hearing the opinion of a trusted friend can be<br />

incredibly useful for every sort of dilemma, even if only<br />

to realise that we disagree with them. Surely it should<br />

go without saying that the advice we receive<br />

influences who we are? <strong>The</strong> words of wisdom gifted to<br />

us by our friends, be them insightful or terrible, shape<br />

our actions and thus our personalities.<br />

One argument as to why teenage relationships are<br />

irrelevant is that they are practice. Many claim school<br />

is a microcosm for real life - with cliques mirroring<br />

social groups, school councils and prefects<br />

representing politics and GCSEs echoing employment.<br />

To this, I say the following: why isn’t school treated as<br />

the real life it is? By calling the interactions we have as<br />

teenagers practice, we trivialise them. This then<br />

allows for people disregarding the emotions of others;<br />

being young is not an excuse to damage emotions.<br />

When emotions are trivialised, toxic friendships and<br />

relationships can emerge. While these are awful at any<br />

age, they can be particularly harmful to young people.<br />

Feelings of insecurity, misunderstanding and upset<br />

can have lifelong effects on trust and mental health all<br />

the way into adulthood. If anything, finding the right<br />

kind of friends as a teenager is more important than at<br />

any other stage of one’s life. Adolescent mental health<br />

is a growing concern at the moment and friendships<br />

and relationships are hugely influential to this: they<br />

really are an issue that needs to be widely discussed.<br />

I think it’s safe to say that our teenage friends and<br />

partners influence our future lives...but what if<br />

everyone’s life is influenced in the same way?<br />

Stereotypes can make it seem like everybody’s<br />

experience of adolescence is identical. According to<br />

most films, TV shows and books, we all know the same<br />

cast of quirky teens: the popular queen bee and her<br />

sidekicks, dressed to the nines, who speak only in<br />

gossip and cruel remarks; the nerdy outcast who sits<br />

in the corner of the canteen, hunched over his book;<br />

the sporty boys, yelling in the corridor; the geeks who<br />

always come top of the class; and the protagonist type<br />

- the everyman who doesn’t slide neatly into one<br />

clique. We all know that stereotypes can be incredibly<br />

harmful (especially when applied to race), but what if<br />

there’s some truth under the damage? <strong>The</strong><br />

stereotypes we now see so frequently definitely didn’t<br />

come out of nowhere; I’m sure everyone reading this<br />

knows which category they most fit into. To an extent,<br />

our experiences are shared.<br />

And this applies on a more specific level too.<br />

Beyond the superficial media perspective, in some<br />

ways we all know different versions of the same<br />

people. Have you ever found someone, perhaps on<br />

social media, who appears to have a life remarkably<br />

similar to your own? With over 7 million people on the<br />

planet, it’s inevitable that we all have doppelgangers<br />

in one form of another.<br />

However, as much as I believe there is some form of<br />

truth in stereotypes, those who claim we all have the<br />

same experience are missing the blindingly obvious:<br />

the people we grow up to be are far from clones. If the<br />

adult population is so diverse, they must have had<br />

different childhoods. Think of it as nature and nurture:<br />

genetically we are all physically different, but if we all<br />

experienced the same adolescence we would grow up<br />

to have identical worldviews. This is obviously not the<br />

case. And if you take to any adult, I’m sure they would<br />

be able to explain how something that happened to<br />

them as a teenager shaped their adult life - more often<br />

than not it will be something that involved a peer.<br />

When I started writing this article I knew the points I<br />

wanted to make - the things I wanted to put across.<br />

What I struggled with was working out my message:<br />

what did I want readers to take from this? Reading<br />

back through my draft, I found it.<br />

I want you to appreciate the people you know, and<br />

make sure they appreciate you. Don’t let anyone be<br />

taken for granted. And don’t be afraid of feeling<br />

things: what happens to you as a teenager will prepare<br />

you for the future, so embrace the arguments, the<br />

breakdowns, the stresses, the crushes and the happy<br />

moments. When it comes down to it, in twenty years<br />

you won’t remember the times you laughed or the<br />

times you cried...you’ll remember the people who<br />

made you feel those things.


"Undeni<br />

territo<br />

was Apo<br />

Professor S<br />

worked for<br />

transplant w<br />

surgically a<br />

and blood v<br />

fully connec<br />

Canavero to<br />

human brai<br />

brains into<br />

parabiosis;<br />

It has been a<br />

brain dead o<br />

British scien<br />

becoming w<br />

Frankenstei<br />

Catherina B<br />

developmen<br />

after a tran<br />

worries abo<br />

human to die<br />

Canavero s<br />

extension, b<br />

forever? Sc<br />

with young b<br />

closer.<br />

"For too lon<br />

millions of y<br />

mass scale.


Can We Live Forever?<br />

By Miss Churchman<br />

ably this is huge," he said. "We are wading into uncharted<br />

ry here. It's like going to the Moon. Apollo 11 was successful, so<br />

llo 12, but then look what happened with Apollo 13.<br />

g nature has dictated her rules to us. We're born, we grow, we age and we die. For<br />

ears humans have evolved and 100 billion humans have died. That's genocide on a<br />

”<br />

ergio Canavero seems to think we could become immortal. <strong>The</strong> professor has<br />

several years to enable humans to live forever and last week the first human head<br />

as completed. In an 18 hour operation in China, the head of one corpse was<br />

ttached to the body of another corpse. <strong>The</strong> operation connected the spine, nerves<br />

essels of the two donated corpses and electrical stimulation proved that they had<br />

ted. "Everyone said it was impossible, but the surgery was successful," Prof<br />

ld a press conference in Venice.” He also said that his ultimate goal is to transplant a<br />

n, and envisages a future where people could live forever by transplanting their<br />

younger bodies, possibly cloned from themselves. This is called heterochronic<br />

it has already been proven that injecting young blood into older people is beneficial.<br />

greed that the final step towards formal head transplants will be a full head swap on<br />

rgan donors.<br />

tists, however, are sceptical about how successful the operation really was and are<br />

orried about Professor Sergio’s motives! "<strong>The</strong>y called me crazy, a lunatic,<br />

n,” said Canavero, “But Frankenstein was a very ethical man by the way." Professor<br />

ecker, from the University of Edinburgh, said that although there have been exciting<br />

ts in regenerative medicine, spinal cord injuries cannot be repaired and that even<br />

splant, movement and function below the injury never returns. Dr James Fildes<br />

ut the professor’s desire for immortality, especially as the transplant will still need a<br />

e in order to provide the body for the head to be transplanted on.<br />

aid “<strong>The</strong> goal of China is to treat incurable medical conditions. My goal is life<br />

ecause I believe ageing is a disease which must be treated.” But could we really live<br />

ientifically, it’s possible. With a new, younger body, one’s brain would be washed<br />

lood, meaning it would be repeatedly rejuvenated. Immortality might just be edging


Turkey Farms<br />

Dedicated to lewis chapman<br />

This might seem like quite a random article: after all, who cares about turkey<br />

farming? Well, after a conversation with a friend about his favourite topic, I<br />

realised that the journey your turkey takes to get to your Thanksgiving plate or<br />

your Christmas dinner is pretty crazy considering we just ignore it - again, a<br />

special thanks to Lewis Chapman (with some help from Mrs Hardwick), as<br />

without him I would never have discovered the hidden world of farming.<br />

Disclaimer: Vegetarians may find some parts of this disturbing, sorry…<br />

Step 1: <strong>The</strong> Farms<br />

When I say ‘turkey farm’, you probably think of a field with some clucking birds<br />

in it. In the sad reality, most turkeys come from battery farms - rows of tightly<br />

packed cages in dirty conditions, where the sole purpose is to fatten up the<br />

poor birds to be sold for high prices at low costs. However, there is a better<br />

option, with cleaner conditions and, more importantly, with the turkeys able to<br />

wander freely - free range turkey farms. <strong>The</strong>se farms are fighting a price war<br />

against the battery farms, and gaining sales and popularity each year (after all,<br />

a happy turkey is definitely better than a cheap one from a battery farm). Once<br />

10 million of these turkeys (yes, 10 million - and that’s each year) are eventually<br />

killed, they are drained of blood, plucked and prepared, they are ready to move<br />

onto the next phase of their journey.<br />

Step 2: <strong>The</strong> Voyage<br />

I’m sure this might be shocking for some of you, but not all turkey farms are<br />

located in the UK; turkey farming is an international business, and in order for<br />

that lovely turkey to travel from Peru to your local Tescos, they need to be<br />

flown. Cargo planes provide transport for approximately 7 million turkeys each<br />

year, travelling across continents just to get to a shop near you. However, it's<br />

not like the planes go directly to the shops (my Sainsbury’s definitely doesn't<br />

have a runway). After spending an average of five hours travelling in these cold<br />

cargo planes, these turkey planes touch down at the airport, ready to move to<br />

their next location.


Step 3: <strong>The</strong> Fridge<br />

When frozen peas defrost, lots of water condensates around the bag. A similar<br />

thing happens to the turkeys when they are moved out of the plane - except<br />

because they were once living animals, the water forms inside the turkey,<br />

which is a problem; soggy turkey is pretty gross. Due to this, they have to be<br />

moved extremely fast into refrigerated vans or lorries, and then transferred<br />

into what are essentially massive fridges. <strong>The</strong>se gigantic warehouses are home<br />

to the turkeys until they are needed in supermarkets. Once the time comes,<br />

dozens of workers hastily move the turkeys back into ice-cold vans, and whisk<br />

them off to the supermarkets where they are subsequently sold to us.<br />

Step 4: <strong>The</strong> Dinner<br />

It is pretty self-explanatory what happens next - the turkeys are bought,<br />

cooked, and eaten - and the meal only lasts a couple of hours at most. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

turkeys may have spent a few weeks travelling just to get to your plate. So<br />

when you tuck into your Christmas dinner, remember what the turkey’s been<br />

through to reach you - a life of a few years on a farm, then a long trip to a<br />

warehouse, then another trip to a shop.<br />

Generally speaking, the entire process of producing these turkeys for your<br />

dinner takes about two years and nine months. <strong>The</strong>se turkeys are ultimately<br />

bred to be eaten by you - let's make all of those months of travel worth the wait,<br />

and eat a fantastically free range turkey this Christmas.


“ Four days that<br />

shook my world ”<br />

By Mr G Hean ey<br />

It was a cold March in 2005 when I arrived at Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg,<br />

Russia (the temperature was -15C!). As I approached passport control, I had a<br />

sense of stepping back into the past. I had studied Russian history at university in<br />

Ireland and knew all the places in this city as if I was a local. But now, the time<br />

had come to visit it for myself. <strong>The</strong> Russian security lady at border control took<br />

my passport, looked at it intensely, looked back at me, looked again at my<br />

passport, looked back at me and finally added a stamp without even a “Dobro<br />

pozhalovat' v Rossiyu” (welcome to Russia). My adventure had begun…<br />

This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the communist revolution in<br />

Russia. In actual fact, the year 1917 saw two revolutions (one in February and<br />

one in October) but it is often the communist seizure of power in October 1917 by<br />

Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks that draws the most attention. St Petersburg<br />

was the centre of this communist takeover and I had been waiting many years to<br />

actually make a visit (my wife thought I was joking when I suggested we visit for<br />

our honeymoon…). <strong>The</strong> character, architecture and vibrancy of this city in 1917<br />

had all the makings of a revolution. For some, St Petersburg was not even<br />

Russian at all - it was a city based on Amsterdam in the Netherlands that leaned<br />

more towards Europe than to Asia. But for the Bolsheviks, it was the perfect<br />

breeding ground in which to bring their revolutionary zeal and slogans to the<br />

fore.


Traditionally, it started on the night of 25 th October when an armed group of<br />

Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace whilst a navy ship, the Aurora, fired<br />

volley after volley of shells to cover their assault. <strong>The</strong> Winter Palace still<br />

stands today and is home to one of the world’s largest collections of art - it<br />

supposedly takes three days just to get round to see it all - while Russian<br />

guides dressed as Soviet Sailors will happily take you on a guide of the<br />

cruiser ship Aurora (with an extra cost for pictures!). This event was later<br />

made into a propaganda film by the Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, for<br />

the communists to show the spirit and struggle that they had supposedly<br />

gone through. However, the reality was much different. On the night of 25 th<br />

October, the palace itself was guarded by a force of around one hundred<br />

soldiers of the infamous Women’s Battalion: most of the regular soldiers<br />

were still fighting at the front in WW1. Although the Aurora did indeed fire on<br />

this evening, it was only one shot (and this was a blank!).<br />

Around the centre of the city, many places of former Russian nobility still<br />

stand as do many Orthodox cathedrals. One of these palaces that I visited<br />

was that of Prince Yusupov. This is the place where the monk Grigory<br />

Rasputin was murdered - an event that traumatic was (and still is)<br />

unbelievable. Rasputin was poisoned with cyanide and then shot when the<br />

poison failed to work. As the conspirators were lifting him into the palace<br />

yard he suddenly began moving. After beating him for several minutes with<br />

iron bars and shooting him again, his body was pushed under the ice of the<br />

River Neva.<br />

With stories like this, I still wonder… why would you consider anywhere else<br />

for your honeymoon?


Chr istmas: Religious or Co mmercial<br />

By Katie Kirkpat-<br />

A glowing star that guides three wise men across the<br />

desert. Angels singing the Hallelujah chorus, shining<br />

down from the heavens. Mary and Joseph welcoming<br />

shepherds to see the baby Jesus as he smiles from<br />

the manger.<br />

Mariah Carey and Wham! blaring at full volume on the<br />

car. <strong>The</strong> frantic rush to buy and wrap gifts for<br />

everyone you know. <strong>The</strong> week where every house in<br />

the village lights up. <strong>The</strong> tree, the snow, the jumpers<br />

and Father Christmas.<br />

Which of these sounds more like Christmas to you?<br />

As we edge further and further away from a world<br />

where everyone goes to church on Christmas<br />

morning, is religion still the ‘true’ meaning of<br />

Christmas? <strong>The</strong> rise of commercialism and the decline<br />

in Christianity has left many people wondering what<br />

role the holiday now plays in society. Christmas is by<br />

definition a Christian holiday - but is that still how we<br />

see it? What are you thinking about as you hang your<br />

baubles and open your advent calender?<br />

A recent survey by the Guardian found that less than<br />

10% of adults under twenty four identify as Christian.<br />

Although statistics for older generations are always<br />

higher, the UK has seen an unprecedented decline in<br />

religion for every demographic over the past decade.<br />

In an age of cynicism, the concepts of God, Heaven<br />

and miracles really do seem out of reach. Perhaps the<br />

catastrophes of recent years have also contributed to<br />

our lack of belief: many people find it difficult to<br />

believe a God that would allow racism, gun crime,<br />

hurricanes and wildfires. It has also become<br />

increasingly evident in the past few years that younger<br />

generations tend to be more politically left-leaning;<br />

with recent campaigns, such as those for LGBT+<br />

rights, the values of Christianity can become to seem<br />

more than a little outdated. It’s safe to say that the UK<br />

is no longer the overwhelmingly Christian country it<br />

once was.<br />

And yet Christmas seems to be as grandiose an<br />

occasion as ever. Families of all ages and faiths<br />

engage in both Christian and commercial traditions.<br />

It’s not unusual to see people who do not identify as<br />

Christian attending hymn services, celebrating advent<br />

and reading the Christmas story, while in the same<br />

way most Christians enjoy events such as Black<br />

Friday, as well as commercial Christmas music and<br />

festive parties. Christmas has become a clumsy, but<br />

cheerful, amalgamation of religious ideas and general<br />

celebration...and most of the time, people from both<br />

sides seem pretty happy about it.<br />

However, every now and then a controversy arises<br />

that calls into question the place of this Christian<br />

festival in the twenty-first century. Such a thing<br />

occurred in 2015, when coffee chain Starbucks came<br />

under fire for their holiday cups design. <strong>The</strong> company<br />

are known for festive designs that show Christmas in<br />

a more traditional, elaborate way, so when they came<br />

out with a cup that was plain red some people were<br />

not pleased. Many American Christians became<br />

enraged with the company, claiming that the chain<br />

‘wanted to take Christ and Christmas off their cups’.<br />

Starbucks had no obligation to celebrate the season in<br />

a Christian way, and yet people felt entitled to this nod<br />

to traditional festive values. It is a Christian festival,<br />

but do companies still have a duty to acknowledge<br />

this?<br />

I’ve been singing hymns since September in choirs. At<br />

my CofE primary school I was praised for drawing<br />

Mary and Joseph instead of a bauble or a reindeer. It<br />

seems that the religious aspects of Christmas are still<br />

widespread, but that doesn’t mean they’re being<br />

forced upon people. You don’t need to be religious to<br />

appreciate Christmas’ original meaning.<br />

<strong>The</strong> question many people are frightened to ask is<br />

this: will Christmas live on as religion declines? <strong>The</strong><br />

festival is inextricably rooted in the Christian faith, but<br />

I, for one, believe it has a future regardless of religion.<br />

Christmas is so entwined in our winter culture that<br />

December would seem empty without it - imagine the<br />

month passing with no shopping, no build-up, no<br />

traditions.<strong>The</strong> festivities have now surpassed their<br />

Christian roots and become a cultural phenomenon all<br />

over the world.<br />

So what is the ‘message’ of Christmas today? For<br />

some, it definitely is about the birth of Jesus, and<br />

that’s wonderful. We certainly shouldn’t forget where<br />

all the celebrations came from. But for many people,<br />

Christmas is just a time for family, friends and<br />

festivities...and food. We should all be able to<br />

celebrate Christmas together, regardless of our<br />

personal views. So this year take a moment. Pause<br />

the holiday music (be it Wizzard or the King’s College<br />

choir) and find out what your Christmas is all about.


travel<br />

Welcome to Food and Travel - the best part of the magazine!<br />

Now, I know what you’re thinking- ugh boring! You don’t want to<br />

read about dull, old food and get jealous of people’s travels. But<br />

here you can join us; join us on our journeys across the globe,<br />

indulge in our delicious recipes, and learn how to make them<br />

yourself at home! Not only that: wondering where to travel next?<br />

What to eat next? Why, just read and find out; learn about exciting<br />

new cafes, or discover the truth about those places that are<br />

hyped up but you’ve never dared to try. Wondering where to go<br />

next summer? Or what you could do there? Why, just keep reading<br />

to find out about new places you could visit and the endless<br />

possibilities of things you can do there.<br />

Come along on our adventures across the world; come and<br />

taste some of our favourite meals; come and try the new places<br />

we love. Enjoy!<br />

4


Christmas Mince Pie<br />

Recipe<br />

By Miss Warren<br />

For the pastry:<br />

100g plain flour<br />

50g hard margarine<br />

3-4 tablespoons cold water<br />

To finish:<br />

½ jar mincemeat<br />

Caster sugar or icing sugar for topping<br />

Process<br />

Turn on oven to 180oC.<br />

Rub the margarine into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.<br />

Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and mix to a soft but not sticky dough.<br />

Roll, cut out discs with the bigger pastry cutter and place in the cake tin.<br />

Place a tsp. of mixture into each one.<br />

Roll the remaining pastry, cut with a different cutter, place on top and bake<br />

for 20 mins until golden brown.<br />

To finish, sprinkle caster sugar or dust with icing sugar.


Kerry does<br />

York<br />

Who said you have to go abroad to go on holiday, when there are countless new and exciting<br />

destinations for you to discover just down the road! Well, a very long road in fact - the A1,<br />

which takes three to four hours to drive down. After a seemingly never-ending journey spent<br />

listening to 80s classics and getting stuck behind limitless amounts of lorries, we finally<br />

arrived in York.<br />

Our first day consisted of searching through all the delightful shops York had to offer, and<br />

discovering new fashions from all the designer brands. All we needed was a tea room and<br />

some cake - and that’s exactly where we went next. At the ‘Kitchen’ in Selby, we treated<br />

ourselves to a range of toasties, pancakes, salads, platters and much more, with the<br />

overwhelming variety of meals leaving our mouths watering. However, we were defeated - the<br />

monstrous meal sizes beating us all. After having to try our desserts of rich oreo cheesecake,<br />

irresistible rocky road, scrumptious scones and beautiful brownies, it didn’t take us long to<br />

get home. And just when you would think we’d be full enough, tea consisted of a quick trip<br />

down to the local pub to have a proper roast and a good old sing-song on the karaoke.<br />

Day Two - a trip to the coast! Down at Robin Hood’s Bay, after treating ourselves to another<br />

cup of tea, we took a morning stroll along the shore, shortly followed by a typical seaside<br />

picnic. Later, after stacking a few stones along the shore and strolling through the steep<br />

streets of the bay, it was time to jump back into the car and go to our next destination:<br />

Scarborough. By the time we got there, it was time for a classic ice cream on the beach,<br />

shortly followed by a chance to spend all our spare change (and then our notes) on the<br />

arcades. After an hour and a half of attempting the claw machine, spending our coppers on<br />

the slot machines, and, finally, gaining ourselves some wins, it was time to call it a day... and<br />

grab one more ice cream before our trip back.<br />

After another three hours of singing our hearts out and dancing in our seats, we were finally<br />

home; just goes to show that you don’t need to travel far to have a good holiday. Why not visit<br />

just the beautiful beaches of Britain or the captivating cities of our country and save yourself<br />

the hassle of airports and flight cancellations? Like I<br />

said: who needs to go abroad when there are so many<br />

diverse destinations right down the road!


By Owen Crisp


Politics


French voting ended<br />

nobody had won a m<br />

round of voting, whe<br />

fought for the role o<br />

these candidates w<br />

National Front (a p<br />

extremely right win<br />

Emmanuel Macron,<br />

candidate as he did n<br />

first time since<br />

implemented, an inde<br />

and Macron became t<br />

On the 8th of June,<br />

election, convinced<br />

Conservative majority<br />

safe to say that this b<br />

After failing to ev<br />

Conservatives were<br />

with the Democratic<br />

Northern Ireland. La<br />

Politi<br />

roundup<br />

Xavier St John<br />

A lot has happened t<br />

new ideas and people<br />

globally it has been a<br />

round-up of this year’<br />

American Elections<br />

On January 20th, Don<br />

as the 45th Preside<br />

America. His entire<br />

recognised as one<br />

possible, with a new<br />

every week. However,<br />

coping with their new<br />

economy is peaking,<br />

their president has se<br />

people. Only time wi<br />

Trump will be a strong<br />

his Twitter page me<br />

certainly a confident o<br />

French Elections<br />

British Elections


his year. Across the world,<br />

have become popular, and<br />

year of change. Here’s your<br />

s politics:<br />

ald Trump was inaugurated<br />

nt of the United States of<br />

election campaign was<br />

of the most controversial<br />

scandal popping up almost<br />

so far America seems to be<br />

president - the American<br />

and a feeling of respect for<br />

ttled amongst the American<br />

ll tell as to whether or not<br />

president for the US - but if<br />

ans anything, then he is<br />

ne..<br />

on the 23rd of April - but<br />

ajority. This led to a second<br />

re the top two candidates<br />

f French President. One of<br />

as Marine Le Pen of the<br />

arty similar to the BNP,<br />

g), and the other was<br />

who was an independent<br />

ot join any parties. For the<br />

this voting system was<br />

pendent party won the vote,<br />

he French Prime Minister.<br />

<strong>The</strong>resa May called a snap<br />

she could increase the<br />

in parliament - I think it’s<br />

ackfired on her MASSIVELY.<br />

en win a majority, the<br />

forced to form a coalition<br />

Unionist Party (DUP) of<br />

bour grew their share in<br />

parliament by a massive 32 seats, leaving May<br />

embarrassed and the government a lot weaker:<br />

not quite the result she was looking for.<br />

Brexit<br />

Last year, the UK voted to leave the EU. After<br />

failing to convince the public to vote remain,<br />

David Cameron resigned as prime minister, and<br />

<strong>The</strong>resa May stepped into the spotlight. This year,<br />

May has begun the long negotiations in Brussels,<br />

and it seems that she’s had a small amount of<br />

progress - emphasis on ‘small’. Juncker and the<br />

European Committee are proving to be tough, and<br />

May is arguing every single detail about Brexit.<br />

Slowly, the negotiations seem to be coming along<br />

- at least we’ve got until 2019 to figure out a deal<br />

with the rest of Europe.<br />

North Korea<br />

I think we all know who will be the focus for this<br />

section - Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un (I didn’t<br />

make that up, that’s his actual title in Korea). This<br />

year, North Korea have been testing their nuclear<br />

missiles, firing them over neighbouring countries<br />

like Japan and are also becoming increasingly<br />

aggressive to bordering South Korea, with whom<br />

they have been in a ceasefire since 1953. Are<br />

these signs of a new war brewing? Probably not.<br />

After all, North Korea has had nuclear weapons<br />

for about 11 years, and they haven’t used them -<br />

yet…<br />

Overall, it’s been a pretty crazy year. We live in a<br />

time of change: a time of new people with new<br />

agendas, and the world (and its leaders) has<br />

never been more diverse. Who knows what next<br />

year will be like?


<strong>The</strong> Big Debate<br />

By Katie Kirkpat-<br />

In November this year, I and seven other Year 11<br />

students took part in our school’s heats of local MP Lucy<br />

Frazer’s parliamentary debating competition. During the<br />

afternoon, we held two heated debates on the abolition of<br />

university tuition fees. ‘Points of interest’ (where you can<br />

interrupt another speaker to disagree with something<br />

they’ve said) flew as the English teachers watched and<br />

made cheers and gasps heard only at a football match.<br />

Eventually, Beth Buchan and I were announced as the<br />

winners. We were told that the final would be held in the<br />

House of Commons, and that we would be debating for<br />

the legalisation of all drugs.<br />

December 7th, the day of the final, came around<br />

alarmingly quickly. Soon enough, seven of us were piled<br />

into the school minibus with heavy bags full of chocolate,<br />

crisps, drinks… and notes of course. Arriving at the<br />

station, we met Miss Owen and Mr Nieuwoudt and<br />

purchased our tickets, breathing a sigh of relief - we<br />

were half an hour early. In the waiting room, we<br />

befriended a woman who told us stories of Soham<br />

teachers of days gone by: the school certainly has<br />

changed! <strong>The</strong> half-hour wait passed quickly, and we were<br />

soon on the train and ready to go.<br />

Just over two hours later, we pulled in to London King’s<br />

Cross. What followed was the most stressful part of the<br />

day - yes, even more stressful than the debate itself. I<br />

hate the tube so about six stops of it in rush hour<br />

sounded like hell to me. In reality, the tube itself wasn’t<br />

too bad; it was the jogging around the underground,<br />

desperately trying to keep the group together that was a<br />

little more difficult. Eventually, we saw the holy glow of<br />

daylight and stepped out into Westminster.<br />

As soon as we got above ground, the excitement was<br />

tangible. Buskers filled the London air with a cheerful<br />

buzz of Christmas carols, and festive lights were<br />

everywhere. Even the plane flying above us had flashing<br />

red and green lights to match the Christmas theme.<br />

Walking through the busy streets, it began to sink in that<br />

we were going to debate in the House of Commons.<br />

But before we could enter Parliament, there was<br />

security. Given the importance of the building itself and<br />

the people inside, we knew the security checks would be<br />

pretty intense, but it was still a little surreal. Just like at<br />

an airport, we had to take off anything metal and walk<br />

through a scanner. A jolt of fear ran through me as I<br />

beeped, but once the assistant had scanned my shoes<br />

(why shoes?) I was free to enter.<br />

Even just the walk to our committee room was an<br />

experience. <strong>The</strong> building was full of statues of political<br />

figures and enormous paintings, as well as the somehow<br />

both ominous and reassuring presence of police around<br />

every corner. It was particularly exciting to see our<br />

debate listed on huge screens that sit near to the<br />

Chamber.<br />

Adrenaline running, we were ready to start the debate.<br />

And yet we had to wait for an hour: some of the schools<br />

were running late; Beth and I were sat on the panel table<br />

for what felt like a day as we looked out at the stormy sea<br />

of faces before us. Eventually, everyone arrived and it<br />

was time to begin.<br />

Beth was the very first speaker of the event. She gave a<br />

fantastic argument, although sadly none of the opposition<br />

interjected; I enjoyed a lively debate with one of the<br />

Witchford students on peer pressure. Other points<br />

brought up included recovery, taxation and purity.<br />

Watching the second debate allowed us to engage with<br />

points that we hadn’t already considered. Some excellent<br />

arguments were given, and we particularly enjoyed when<br />

one student answered an interjection with “No. I Googled<br />

that, I’m definitely right.” Before the results were<br />

announced, Lucy Frazer opened the debate up to the<br />

floor, leading to a heated debate between King’s Ely and<br />

Impington over a battlefield metaphor… Luckily, Lucy<br />

told us it was time for the results before anything could<br />

get out of hand.<br />

First of all, the winning team of each debate was<br />

announced, and we were thrilled to find out we had won!<br />

<strong>The</strong> judge, BBC News correspondent Lucy Manning, then<br />

went on to declare the overall individual first, second,<br />

and third place. Impressed by some very well-planned<br />

speeches from the other schools, I was confident I hadn’t<br />

placed. You can imagine how shocked I was to be<br />

awarded joint first place! It was fantastic to sit back with<br />

the group and feel like I’d done the school proud.<br />

Once all the congratulations were over, we headed out of<br />

the committee room and towards the Chamber for a brief<br />

tour. It was really interesting to see a room where so<br />

many important decisions have been made.<br />

But once we left parliament and made our way back onto<br />

the tube, there was only one thing on everyone’s mind.<br />

Not success, not politics, but food.<br />

About half an hour later (at 9p.m., the time we were<br />

meant to be returning to Ely…) we walked into the<br />

fluorescent interior of McDonald’s. <strong>The</strong> scents of bland<br />

cheese and potent onion felt like a blessing, as many of<br />

us had not eaten since break or lunch. Four ice-creams,<br />

seven portions of fries, five cokes and one hundred<br />

chicken nuggets (yep, I did the maths) later, we finally<br />

boarded the train back to Ely.<br />

<strong>The</strong> following two hours were pure chaos. Between us,<br />

we consumed more food than I’ve probably eaten in the<br />

last year, while laughing at literally everything. <strong>The</strong> sugar<br />

high we gained from a super healthy combination of icecream,<br />

milkshakes, fizzy drinks, apple pie, Maoams and<br />

chocolate somehow managed to last the entire train<br />

journey - that, and the post-performance buzz from the<br />

debate. Climbing into my mum’s car afterwards felt like<br />

stepping back into the normal world after a day of<br />

London havoc.<br />

Overall, the debate was an incredible experience. <strong>The</strong><br />

event itself was very enriching, and gave everyone<br />

involved a sense of pride and accomplishment. It was<br />

also lovely to spend time with students in other classes<br />

and see the city for a day. Perhaps next time I go to<br />

London, though, I won’t buy quite as many chicken<br />

nuggets...


Political Poetry<br />

By David Makale na<br />

<strong>The</strong> last two weeks have been full of grief<br />

Labour vs Conservative; lots of beef<br />

Things have been said that insulted a few<br />

Hopefully they’ll join together and follow-through.<br />

Let’s start with Labour, down in Brighton<br />

Welcome Jeremy Corbyn: the Red Titan<br />

Back in May, Labour won a lot more<br />

Corbyn said that the Conservatives are done for.<br />

<strong>The</strong>resa May promised a ‘strong and stable’<br />

Britain<br />

<strong>The</strong> consequences look like that may have to be<br />

rewritten<br />

Coalition times have just begun now<br />

Labour has a good stance in Parliament. Wow!<br />

Jeremy presented the party as a place of unity<br />

‘Voting for us would be a great opportunity’<br />

<strong>The</strong> young are on board but the old not so much<br />

Discussions of Grenfell added a nice touch.<br />

<strong>The</strong> public supported the London disaster<br />

A Labour government would help out much faster<br />

If you're living in a house and paying rent<br />

Increasing prices is what Labour promises to<br />

prevent.<br />

Working will be improved too; soon you’ll have a<br />

bigger voice<br />

Under a Labour government, workers will have<br />

more choice<br />

Corbyn sent punches flying towards the Daily Mail<br />

Accusing them of making Labour seem frail.<br />

Now let’s turn to the elephant in the room; Brexit<br />

needs attention<br />

Labour vs Conservative; different methods, same<br />

tension<br />

Jeremy says that Labour are the only ones who<br />

can unite us<br />

Conservatives have no idea what they're doing,<br />

especially Liz Truss.<br />

Labour also promises to scrap the public sector<br />

pay cap<br />

Poor vs Rich; Labour pledges to reduce the gap<br />

University tuition fees are large and they terrify<br />

Corbyn wants to kick them away saying ‘Bye Bye!’<br />

All in all, Labour’s conference went okay although<br />

some would say excellent<br />

Corbyn made Conservatives look like they were<br />

covered in excrement<br />

But just a week later up in Manchester, <strong>The</strong>resa<br />

May fired back<br />

Trying to persuade Conservatives that she doesn’t<br />

deserve the sack.<br />

Tensions were high when May entered the room<br />

With a bad voice, negative thoughts continued to<br />

loom<br />

It was upsetting that from there, things just got<br />

worse<br />

Malfunctions and prankers; <strong>The</strong>resa was under a<br />

curse.<br />

Let's start with her policies, some quite important<br />

news<br />

Excuses for why back in May <strong>The</strong>resa did lose<br />

She said that her tagline was ‘too presidential’<br />

She did not realise that it would be so<br />

consequential.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Conservatives also promised to do a review of<br />

mental health<br />

To help absolutely everyone in the entire British<br />

Commonwealth<br />

<strong>The</strong>resa said she still has a desire to follow her<br />

policies through<br />

Thinking back to Cameron’s speech it sounds like<br />

déjà vu.<br />

May declared that more houses are going to be<br />

built<br />

To make sure that the British population does not<br />

begin to wilt<br />

Enticing them as well is a cap on expensive<br />

energy bills<br />

Giving people more money to spend on their<br />

thrills.<br />

Unlike Labour they are not going to cut tuition<br />

fees<br />

Later on in the speech <strong>The</strong>resa started to wheeze<br />

Her bad voice had broken her hard and things<br />

weren’t going well<br />

<strong>The</strong> collapsing background made sure that<br />

everyone else could tell.<br />

But then <strong>The</strong>resa May started to thrive<br />

Until a prankster handed her a P45<br />

Boris had been humiliated and <strong>The</strong>resa tried to<br />

recover<br />

<strong>The</strong>resa talked Brexit but there was nothing new<br />

to discover.<br />

<strong>The</strong> most important thing to take out of this<br />

speech was <strong>The</strong>resa’s active immunity<br />

Her main policies were forgotten; all she was<br />

trying to do was form unity<br />

Both parties had their problems; some of their<br />

speeches were like a dump<br />

But just be glad that our Prime Minister is not<br />

Donald J Trump.


Careers<br />

post 16<br />

As young people, we’re<br />

from what we’re eating<br />

teleportation will be inve<br />

We may not be able to<br />

<strong>Inkling</strong> we hope to shed<br />

We will be hearing from<br />

from a range of caree<br />

students about their adv<br />

No matter what pat<br />

next for you?


and<br />

always asking ‘what next?’. We want to know as much as we can,<br />

for supper to who will be the next American president, or when<br />

nted...<br />

predict major scientific breakthroughs, but in this section of <strong>The</strong><br />

a little light on the world that lies beyond Soham Village College.<br />

students at sixth-forms and university students, as well as adults<br />

r paths, in addition to as publishing articles from current SVC<br />

ice for and thoughts about the future.<br />

h you hope to take, we’ll be here to lend a helping hand. What’s


Part Time Jobs<br />

By Miss Boyle<br />

From supermarket shelves and Saturday sales to<br />

factory fun, I have had my fair share of part-time<br />

jobs. Now, for those of you who already are or will<br />

soon turn sixteen, it could be your turn.<br />

My employment history began at the ripe age of<br />

sixteen, working in Spar during the summer<br />

holidays and at weekends throughout the school<br />

year. In this job, I earned exactly £3.71/hr:<br />

practically slave labour! But, at that time, it felt<br />

great to receive a pay slip every week and know<br />

there was some money going into my bank<br />

account. <strong>The</strong> role I applied for was a Sales<br />

Assistant. This required me to be a jack of all<br />

trades… although, as it soon became clear, I was a<br />

master of none. Perhaps this was most obvious<br />

when the boss played a video of me serving a long<br />

queue of customers in a full staff meeting as an<br />

example of what not to do. Meanwhile, I sat redfaced<br />

in the middle of the room. For 10 months, I<br />

spent my weekends serving customers, re-filling<br />

the freezer, mopping floors and balancing as much<br />

bubble-gum ice-cream as possible on the top of<br />

wafer cones for excited eight year olds. By the end<br />

of the ten months the novelty of being a working<br />

girl, even if it was only a few hours each weekend,<br />

had worn off and I was relieved to escape to focus<br />

on A Levels.<br />

Fast forward one year and there I was, standing in<br />

an egg factory, pining for sunny Spar. I endured<br />

two long, joyless summer holidays packing eggs<br />

into boxes all day every day. Not the most eggciting<br />

job in the world! This is what happens when<br />

you let your mum find you a summer job and forget<br />

to make a back-up plan… two years in a row! <strong>The</strong><br />

best thing about working in an egg factory for two<br />

summers was that it made me determined to find a<br />

job which didn’t require me to wear a hairnet or<br />

egg-splashed white boots. Thankfully, working as a<br />

Sales Assistant in Jack Wills required neither. In<br />

fact, it was a holiday in comparison.<br />

<strong>The</strong> main perk of working in Jack Wills was free<br />

clothes and staff discounts. Every season I got to<br />

choose a brand new outfit to wear as uniform. On<br />

top of that, I could buy other clothes at 60% off. It’s<br />

safe to say my wardrobe (and the wardrobes of<br />

most of my friends and family) is to this day bulging<br />

with Jack Wills’ clothes. A typical day in Jack Wills<br />

could involve serving customers on the till, helping<br />

customers choose new outfits, manning the fitting<br />

rooms and, always, folding clothes. Every item of<br />

clothing had a specific way to folded so plastic<br />

folding boards became my new best friends. In<br />

retail, theft can be a big issue and, one day, I even<br />

managed to catch a thief who was trying to steal<br />

some sweatpants. I was the hero of the day. This<br />

was the only job I’ve ever been sad to leave.<br />

Having experienced a few, very different, part time<br />

jobs, I thought I could share some useful advice to<br />

ensure you make the most of your job.<br />

1. GET ON WITH IT<br />

Whether you’re surrounded by cracked eggs or<br />

some cracking staff discounts, embrace it.<br />

Chances are you won’t be working there forever<br />

so work hard – it makes time go faster! It will all<br />

be worth it when your bank balance begins to<br />

rise.<br />

2. EVERYONE FINDS IT TOUGH AT THE<br />

BEGINNING<br />

Starting a new job can be scary and strange.<br />

You probably won’t know many people, won’t<br />

know what you’re supposed to be doing and<br />

won’t be used to working long hours. Don’t<br />

worry - this is what everyone feels like when<br />

starting a new job. But it will get better. Soon<br />

you’ll be one of the team and find you could do<br />

your job with your eyes closed.<br />

3. BE ON TIME<br />

Punctuality is really important in a job. This is<br />

what school has been training you for all these<br />

years, so make sure you are on time and ready<br />

to work as soon as your shift begins. It looks<br />

good to employers and will keep you in their<br />

good books. <strong>The</strong> boss’ good books are a great<br />

place to be when you need a favour.<br />

4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE NICE<br />

You’re probably going to be spending a lot of<br />

time with your fellow employees. Make some<br />

friends, be nice to everyone and smile. As Bert<br />

Healey once said, ‘You’re never fully dressed<br />

without a smile.’ <strong>The</strong>se are the people you might<br />

need to cover or swap shifts with, so it’s in your<br />

best interest to be on good terms with them.


<strong>The</strong> Man, <strong>The</strong> Myth, <strong>The</strong> Legend:<br />

By Xavier St John<br />

Mr Burton is one of the Physics teachers at Soham -<br />

but he hasn’t always been a teacher. Here’s the<br />

biography that we’ve all been waiting for - the<br />

biography of Burton.<br />

Burton began his life surrounded by incredible<br />

people. His parents were well known to the scientific<br />

community, and Burton met his first Nobel Prize<br />

Winner at just 6 months old. As he grew up, he kept in<br />

contact with some of the smartest brains in Britain,<br />

occasionally even asking Nobel Prize winners for help<br />

with his homework - he was brought up surrounded<br />

by geniuses. At school, Burton was top of his class in<br />

science, and he went on to do a degree in Planetary<br />

and Space Physics.<br />

Due to his links to some of the smartest and most well<br />

-known people in science, when Burton was younger<br />

he had a summer job at the Laboratory of Molecular<br />

Biology in Cambridge. This was the start of Burton’s<br />

career in science, but even he probably couldn’t have<br />

guessed where it would take him. At the laboratory,<br />

Burton was introduced to John Sulston, who was<br />

setting up a place called the Sanger Institute (named<br />

after Frederick Sanger). Frederick Sanger was a<br />

smart guy - one of the only double Nobel Prize<br />

winners in history - and was very interested in<br />

sequencing DNA genomes. This basically means<br />

figuring out what makes you yourself - the specific<br />

chemicals that make up the genes to create you. <strong>The</strong><br />

Sanger Institute aimed to eventually sequence the<br />

first human genome, and Sulston was interested in<br />

working with Burton.<br />

Burton started working at the Sanger Institute when it<br />

officially opened in 1993. At this point, the Institute<br />

employed about fifty people. Burton began work as a<br />

Research Assistant, making things called ‘Terminator<br />

Bases’ (not like the killer robot). By 1998, the Sanger<br />

Institute had successfully sequenced a Nematode<br />

Worm, which became one of the first examples of a<br />

fully sequenced animal.<br />

Shortly after Burton’s success with the Nematode<br />

Worm, the Sanger Institute started working on<br />

sequencing humans - something nobody had ever<br />

successfully done before. By this time, the Sanger<br />

Institute had grown, and Burton now managed twenty<br />

members of staff. However, they weren’t the only<br />

people working to sequence humans. A second<br />

organisation, Celera Genomics, were also trying to be<br />

the first people to ever sequence a human genome:<br />

the race between Celera and Sanger had begun.<br />

Burton<br />

Celera Genomics was run by a man called Craig<br />

Venter, who was a biochemist but, more importantly, a<br />

businessman. Venter wanted to sequence the genome<br />

first so he could patent it. For those who don’t know<br />

what a patent means, it basically means that if<br />

anybody wanted to sequence a human genome in the<br />

future, they would - by law - have to pay Venter to do it.<br />

Burton was instead racing to make the scientific<br />

discovery, not to force people to pay for it. But once<br />

the Sanger Institute heard about Venter’s plan, they<br />

made it their goal to publish the genome worldwide so<br />

that it was impossible for Venter to patent it.<br />

In 1999, the first human chromosome was published.<br />

<strong>The</strong> chromosome was the first step to sequencing the<br />

whole genome, and guess who managed to publish it<br />

first? Burton! His team at the Sanger Institute had<br />

beaten Celera Genomics to the first hurdle, but still<br />

had a long way to go until they could finish the<br />

genome...two years, in fact. Venter had been working<br />

furiously, desperately trying to sprint past Burton’s<br />

team in the final stretch. He poured millions into the<br />

project - but Burton won. In 2001, the first ever human<br />

genome was released worldwide, preventing Venter<br />

from patenting it and effectively making the genome<br />

free to all. <strong>The</strong> race was over.<br />

Burton continued working at the Sanger Institute after<br />

this but after the genome race, the competitiveness<br />

had disappeared. He worked on sequencing more<br />

animals, but as his staff grew he was forced to sack<br />

some of his colleagues. This was never a position<br />

Burton wanted to be in, and a combination of losing<br />

friends at the Institute and the quieter, less<br />

competitive environment made Burton realise he<br />

didn’t enjoy it anymore, so moved onto his current<br />

career - teaching.<br />

Burton started working at Soham in 2014, and after<br />

many years of working in the fields of Biology and<br />

Chemistry he could finally use his degree in Planetary<br />

and Space physics to teach us about the wonders of<br />

the universe. As probably one of the nicest and<br />

quietest teachers I personally know, it’s almost<br />

unbelievable to think that he has accomplished so<br />

much in his life - who knows where it will take him<br />

next?<br />

Note from Mr Burton: some of this might be a bit<br />

exaggerated, but most of it is true!


Interview in Industry<br />

Katie Empett, Content Producer<br />

What attracted you to the profession?<br />

I used to really enjoy art, writing and performing. I never knew exactly what<br />

role I would end up in - I just wanted to be creative. <strong>The</strong> nature of the job<br />

itself is action packed, diverse, high-pressured, and a lot of hours - but also<br />

a lot of fun.<br />

How did you get into it? What did you need to do?<br />

I needed to go to college/sixth-form, where I studied History, Business<br />

Studies, English Literature and Drama. I used to really dislike writing<br />

essays and written exams and much preferred practical exams and<br />

performance. Regardless of this, my written communication skills and a<br />

can-do attitude were instrumental to getting into my profession. I had to<br />

fight for a place at university to study English and Drama (as I was slightly<br />

below the grades needed). Once there, I worked harder than I’d ever<br />

worked before and pushed myself to the max! All my work paid off and I<br />

obtained a first class qualification. <strong>The</strong> person that had been holding me<br />

back for so long was myself.<br />

How’s your average working day look?<br />

I get to work with various brands on a day to day basis. Whether this is<br />

Coca-Cola, Sony, Fanta, Dell, British Gas, PlayStation, or Tesco (to name a<br />

few), I produce all forms of advertising. My average day involves<br />

responding to briefs, constructing presentations, organising shoots,<br />

writing scripts, liaising with actors/talent and travelling all over the place.<br />

What is the best thing about your profession?<br />

Every day is different and no project is the same. Whether I’m creating<br />

videos for Facebook or producing print ads for a magazine, the work that I<br />

produce can sometimes go out to millions of people. It’s also a lot of fun<br />

bringing a production together. Shoots can be long and stressful, but I get<br />

to work with a lot of creative people and feel extremely rewarded at the end<br />

of every project.


Are there any drawbacks and, if so, how do you navigate them?<br />

Work is often thrown on me last minute and it can be extremely<br />

stressful and overwhelming at times. <strong>The</strong>re’s also a lot of pressure to<br />

not make a mistake. One slip-up could jeopardise a whole project.<br />

Also - while traveling can be fun - you miss out on fun things with<br />

family and friends.<br />

What advice could you give to someone who is interested in your field<br />

of work? How could they get ahead already?<br />

I was never the top in my class during school… but working hard,<br />

being confident and taking on challenges was what helped me to get<br />

ahead. Take on some work experience; build contacts; talk to people;<br />

set yourself a goal and don’t be shy of reaching it. Top marks look<br />

great on paper and will open a few doors initially, but showing people<br />

that you really want to work hard - that you’re enthusiastic and that<br />

you’re willing to succeed - is what ultimately makes the difference.


Year 11 Sixth Form applications<br />

Handbook<br />

Mock exams are over. No more exam pencil cases, revision sessions or frantic night-before<br />

cramming (until May…). You’d think that, for Year 11, December and January offer some respite.<br />

Sadly, however, it seems there is no break, as this time of year brings with it UCAS and the dreaded<br />

personal statement. So what’s it all about? How do we stay on top of it all? Here are some things to<br />

remember:<br />

1. Make sure you know what you want to do.<br />

It’s no use having top predicted grades or a glowing reference if you don’t know what to do with<br />

them! <strong>The</strong>re have been open evenings and talks since September for all the colleges and courses,<br />

but it’s not too late to find out what you need to know. Every sixth form centre has information about<br />

each of their courses on their website, and you can also download or order prospectuses. On top of<br />

this, there’s Mrs Earnshaw (the careers advisor) and your form tutor to help you out. I’m sure you’ve<br />

heard all this advice a million times but I’ll just repeat the most important, think about three things:<br />

what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and what you need for your future aspirations.<br />

2. Learn how to use the UCAS website.<br />

Almost all of your applications go through UCAS Progress, a website that makes the whole process<br />

a lot simpler; it’s also used for university applications. Once you understand the website it’s really<br />

easy to use, but it can be confusing at first. Essentially, there are three sections. You need to fill in<br />

your personal and contact details, personal statement and work history, which all fit into the Profile<br />

section. Teachers will then add your reference and predicted grades. As soon as all of that’s done<br />

you can apply: add courses as ‘Favourites’ in the search section and then go on to the Applications<br />

tab and select your colleges and courses. Your applications will be sent to the colleges as soon as<br />

your profile is approved and you click ‘Submit’.<br />

3. Walk away.<br />

Once your applications have been submitted, there’s nothing else you can do. Be satisfied with<br />

what you’ve sent; don’t open UCAS too often or obsess over spotting typos in your personal<br />

statement. Honestly, you’ll have a much better Christmas if you just forget about it all for a while.<br />

That said, don’t forget to check the website every now and then, and keep an eye on your emails as<br />

well; colleges will need to contact you about the next stage, which is...<br />

4. Interviews!<br />

...Or Guidance Meetings, as they are officially referred to as. Remember the day in Year 10 when we<br />

had to come into school in ‘interview clothes’? This is what that was for. Colleges will invite you to<br />

discuss your application with someone involved in the process, usually in February. Guidance<br />

meetings are nothing to worry about! <strong>The</strong>y’re just a chance to make sure you’ve made the right<br />

decisions with your courses and ask any questions you might have - it can be a good idea to think of<br />

questions in advance.<br />

5. Wait for offers.<br />

Most offers will be sent in March, so you’ll probably know where you’re going by the time you sit<br />

your GCSE exams. That said, if you’re results are notably lower or higher than predicted you might<br />

want to change college or course. Hills Road, for example, offer 100 post-results places in August<br />

for those who have done better than expected, so it’s never too late.<br />

Remember, no matter where you end up you’ve got a shot at success. All it takes is a bit of effort<br />

and determination. Good luck!


Sports


Sports can often be dismissed as competitive people running<br />

around trying to prove that they are better than each other,<br />

and I can understand why people think that. But I would<br />

argue that sports can be so much more.<br />

Sports can unify, inspire and change people’s lives in so<br />

many positive ways. Take the recent Invictus Games as a<br />

perfect example. Armed services personnel who have been<br />

wounded can use sport as a way to pull themselves through<br />

tough times and come out stronger: the word ‘Invictus’ itself<br />

is Latin for ‘unconquered and undefeated’. Although the<br />

athletes are competitive and want to win, they still all stand<br />

together. This was demonstrated when the American<br />

swimmer Tiana Lopez was cheered to the finish line by her<br />

fellow swimmers (who had already finished the race), thus<br />

showcasing the immense power sport holds.<br />

Sport can be escapism from some of the horrors shown by<br />

modern society. It can be what you hold on to when going<br />

through tough times; it can be a chance to push yourself<br />

further than you have gone before; it can be a chance to<br />

make new best friends that will be there with you for your<br />

whole life. It can be all of these things…<br />

Or it could just be a chance for you to have some fun.<br />

In this section you will see people talk about sports events all<br />

the way up from local matches to the biggest events in the<br />

sporting world, such as <strong>The</strong> Olympics or Football World Cup.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re will be sections introducing you to sports you may be<br />

unfamiliar with, and even articles about equality and the<br />

politics that are involved in all games. <strong>The</strong>re will something<br />

for everyone in this section: whether you’re a diehard sports<br />

fan or someone couldn’t care less about who wins what,<br />

there will be an article for you.<br />

Sport can be anything you want it to be for you. And that’s<br />

why I love it.


NFL Basics<br />

David Makalena<br />

You’ve probably heard of American Football (or NFL). What makes it different to normal Football though? Well I’m here to<br />

breakdown the basics so that you can join in this season with watching the NFL.<br />

Playing a match:<br />

If you think of rugby and how to play that sport, you’re not a million miles away from American Football. Two teams play<br />

each other, with 11 on each team allowed on the pitch at the same time. <strong>The</strong> game is made up of four quarters with a half<br />

time after the second quarter. <strong>The</strong>re are three parts of a team, an offensive, a defensive and a special team. <strong>The</strong> offensive<br />

is the most important part of any team, because it is how they score points (or touchdowns). This is where ‘the<br />

Quarterback’ plays which is what most people think of when they think of American Football. <strong>The</strong> game begins with a kick<br />

from one team to another so that the ball placement can be determined. From there, the offensive team has to work their<br />

way up the field to the end zone. When a team gets a player in the end zone with a ball in hand and two feet on the ground,<br />

the team wins a touchdown - worth 6 points. <strong>The</strong> team then goes on to shoot a field goal, like a conversion in rugby. If they<br />

kick the ball between the two posts, then the team scores an additional 1 point. When the team wins points, they flip<br />

possession of the ball and their defensive team comes on. <strong>The</strong> special team is used for field goals, punts and other special<br />

moves.<br />

That is the easiest way to describe American Football. However, we haven’t mentioned the most important and probably<br />

complicated part of American Football - Downs.<br />

Downs:<br />

In the NFL, you see yards painted onto the pitch - this is why. When a team starts their lineup to put the ball into play, they<br />

start with a ‘1st Down & 10’. This basically means that it is the team’s first chance to run forwards 10 yards from where the<br />

ball starts. If the team manages to gain 10 yards in their first throw, then it moves onto another ‘1st Down & 10’. If the team<br />

makes no progress, then it goes to ‘2nd Down & 10’. If the team makes progress but under 10, for example 7 yards, then<br />

the team would go to ‘2nd Down & 3’ (because 10-7=3) Still with me? <strong>The</strong> team has 4 chances to gain 10 yards and if they<br />

fail to, then the team loses possession and the ball is passed over to the other team. If they are over half of the pitch, then<br />

the team is in distance to score a field goal. When it comes to the ‘4th Down’, then the team can shoot a field goal<br />

conversion which is worth 3 points, but of course the further away it is, the harder it will be to gain points.<br />

Okay. Now that’s out the way. Good. That is honestly the most difficult part to understand but once you wrap your heads<br />

round it, then American Football is relatively straightforward.<br />

Penalties:<br />

As it is a full-contact sport, things have to get pretty extreme for there to be penalties. <strong>The</strong> most common are blockings,<br />

illegal contacts, offside and false start. <strong>The</strong>y are signalled by someone throwing a yellow flag on the pitch. I know, very<br />

sophisticated. <strong>The</strong>n, a referee with a headset, waves his hands a little and then decides whether the penalty was valid or<br />

not. If it was a penalty, then the team being charged is pushed back. That’s about it.<br />

<strong>The</strong> final thing to understand about the NFL, is how the it actually works. Why do certain teams play certain teams, and<br />

what leads up to the Superbowl.<br />

How does the NFL work?<br />

NFL stands for National Football League and is made up of two ‘conferences’, the NFC (National Football Conference) and<br />

the AFC (American Football Conference). <strong>The</strong>se are like this because the NFL was made by combining these two leagues.<br />

Imagine if they combined League One and League Two in Football into one League. Each conference is divided into North,<br />

South, East and West. <strong>The</strong>re are four teams in each division. This is just the basics.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are three seasons in the NFL. <strong>The</strong> preseason: which is where each team plays four games against other football<br />

teams so that football coaches can evaluate the team and see what needs to be done.<br />

Next is the regular season: which is where each team plays sixteen games, six of them against the three other teams in<br />

their division both home and away. Eight games are then played by a team against all other teams in a NFC division and an<br />

AFC division. <strong>The</strong> other two games are known as ‘intraconference games’ which is determined by the team’s position in<br />

last years league. If they came first in their division, then they would play two other first place teams. All of this is played<br />

over seventeen weeks with a team having at least one bye week.<br />

<strong>The</strong>n comes the postseason, the easiest part to understand. Six teams from each conference (the four winners of the<br />

divisions and two wild cards which are the teams with the best record) go into a head to head bracketing competition. <strong>The</strong><br />

first games are between the two wild cards and the fourth and third winners of divisions. <strong>The</strong> winners of those games then<br />

go on to play either the first or second winner of divisions. Finally, those two teams play and whoever wins that game,<br />

comes out on top as winner of the conference. <strong>The</strong> AFC Winner and the NFC Winner then go head-to-head in the<br />

Superbowl, to determine the best team of the year.<br />

And breathe. Well…. <strong>The</strong>re we go……. <strong>The</strong> NFL explained…… sort of. Basically, if you were to watch the NFL, then the<br />

more your team wins, the better. Wow, that was so much easier. Great. Thanks for reading.


On the British side of the Cham<br />

managed to pick up a surpris<br />

2017-<strong>The</strong><br />

Sporting Year<br />

Torin Fahey<br />

As 2017 is gradually coming to<br />

sporting moments that have<br />

curtain call for the career of o<br />

or evaluating the breakout yea<br />

it is time to reflect on all that ha<br />

Football<br />

In years to come, 2017 may b<br />

financial fair-play bubble co<br />

hundreds of millions of pound<br />

Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Go<br />

other clubs for around £80 m<br />

Catalan giants Barcelona to<br />

transfer record, with the Frenc<br />

Brazilian winger. Although mo<br />

game’ at an obscene rate for<br />

spent on TV rights to show m<br />

money per minute than most or<br />

of the previous transfer reco<br />

today’s absurd standards. As w<br />

Dembele and Kylian Mbappe a<br />

each to bring them to Barcelon<br />

players are aged only twenty a<br />

spent on players who have p<br />

warrants a potential transfer, b<br />

not even 21 has the potential of<br />

Additionally, the English nation<br />

some very steeping lows. Ma<br />

national team, was sacked am<br />

Eniola Aluko; other evidence<br />

bullying cases when he wa<br />

Regardless of the Sampson s<br />

managing to reach the semi-fin<br />

Meanwhile, the England unde<br />

respective world cup tournam<br />

19s European Championships<br />

Brewster and Dominic Solanke<br />

of a new golden age for Englis<br />

end up reaching no further tha<br />

for the next fifty years. Who kno<br />

Athletics<br />

This year saw the sun set<br />

entertainers and most iconic a<br />

career he accumulated 8 Olym<br />

golds, 6 World Records, 3 Olym<br />

the most electrifying sportsma<br />

go down in the history boo<br />

championships, which took<br />

Championships, felt...incomple<br />

Jamaican came third, with ca<br />

Justin Gatlin winning. <strong>The</strong> situa<br />

the world stage: the 4x100m<br />

pulled up from a muscle injur<br />

baton, rendering him unable to<br />

nearly every competitive event<br />

career on a bronze and a D<br />

would’ve capped off the stor<br />

athletics isn’t fiction: althoug<br />

serves the natural evolution o<br />

future…


a close, we can look back on the major<br />

happened this year. Whether it be the<br />

ne of the greatest sport stars of all time,<br />

rs of the newest batch of potential icons,<br />

s happened in the strange year of 2017.<br />

e looked back on as the year when the<br />

mpletely burst, leading to a flood of<br />

s spent per player. Paul Pogba, Gareth<br />

nzalo Higuain had all been transferred to<br />

illion each. Neymar’s move from the<br />

PSG obliterated Pogba’s £89 million<br />

h side paying around £198 million for the<br />

ney has been poured into ‘the beautiful<br />

the past few decades now (with billions<br />

atches and some players earning more<br />

dinary people earn a year), the doubling<br />

rd just feels like… too much, even by<br />

ell as Neymar, French players Ousmane<br />

lso had over £100 million spent on them<br />

a and PSG respectively. <strong>The</strong>se final two<br />

nd eighteen. To have that much money<br />

layed very well in competitive leagues<br />

ut the amount of cash spent on players<br />

alienating many fans of the sport.<br />

al team saw some impressive highs and<br />

rk Sampson, manager of the women’s<br />

idst allegations of racism against striker<br />

was also coming out about systematic<br />

s a coach at Bristol City Academy.<br />

ituation, England managed to impress,<br />

als before eventually losing to Holland.<br />

r 20s and under 17s both won their<br />

ents, and the under 19s won the under<br />

. Players such as Phil Foden, Rhian<br />

have all shown major potential to be part<br />

h football. Or alternatively, we might just<br />

n the last sixteen of major tournaments<br />

ws?<br />

on the career of one of the greatest<br />

thletes of all time. Over the course of his<br />

pic gold medals, 11 World Championship<br />

pic Records and became recognised as<br />

n ever to compete. Usain Bolt will surely<br />

ks as one of the best, but his final<br />

place in London at the World<br />

te. To summarise; in the 100m final, the<br />

reer-long rival and former drug cheat<br />

tion only worsened in Bolt’s final race on<br />

relay. Much to the crowd’s dismay, he<br />

y almost straight after he received the<br />

finish the race. For a man who has won<br />

he ran in, it was a real shame to see his<br />

NF, instead of the retirement win that<br />

y of his perfect career. Nevertheless,<br />

h the ending may have been harsh, it<br />

f the future of sport. Speaking of the<br />

fending off a top-level US team and Bolt and former World Champion<br />

Yohan Blake running for Jamaica. <strong>The</strong> British 4x100 women's team also<br />

picked up an impressive silver medal, with all four sprinters putting in a<br />

fantastic performance to beat the Jamaican team (which contained 6<br />

time Olympic medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce).<br />

Golf<br />

<strong>The</strong> big story from the golf world this year was Sergio Garcia, an 18-<br />

year veteran of the golf majors, who finally won the Masters after 73<br />

failed attempts at winning a major. Although he finished in the top 10 of<br />

22 of those 73, he never quite sealed the deal. Nevertheless, he<br />

persevered and finally got the big championship win on the birthday of<br />

his personal hero and golf legend Seve Ballesteros.<br />

Cycling<br />

Chris Froome continued his dominance of the Tour De France, picking<br />

up his fourth win in one of the toughest and most iconic courses out<br />

there. However, in the post-Armstrong age where doping scepticism is<br />

at an all-time high questions have again resurfaced about whether the<br />

Team Sky rider is taking performance-enhancing drugs; this would<br />

explain how Froome is always able to bounce back from any setbacks<br />

he experiences. This year did see him face more setbacks than usual<br />

though, as Froome lost his lead of the race after Stage 12 of 22 to Italian<br />

rider Fabian Aru, although the Brit regained the Yellow Jersey two<br />

stages later. Beyond Froome, fellow Brit Simon Yates won the White<br />

Jersey (awarded to the best performing cyclist under 26) following in<br />

the footstep of his twin brother Adam who won it in 2016.<br />

Tennis<br />

Although Andy Murray held the number one spot in the world rankings<br />

for eight months, the Scot didn’t make it further than the semi-finals of<br />

any of the major opens, leaving the two-time Wimbledon winner with a<br />

disappointing year. Instead, 2017 proved to be the year of Johanna<br />

Konta, who managed to make the semi-finals of Wimbledon, win the<br />

Miami Open and beat World Number 1 Angela Kerber. With Murray,<br />

Konta and youth prospects such as Kyle Edmund on the rise, a new<br />

golden age of British tennis might just be on its way.<br />

Rugby<br />

<strong>The</strong> annual Six Nations tournament came around again this year.<br />

Reigning champions England were the team to lift the trophy, but they<br />

were denied the Grand Slam as Ireland beat them in the final game:<br />

Jonathan Sexton, who successfully scored two penalties and one<br />

conversion won Ireland the game. Wales had a very poor tournament,<br />

only coming fifth ahead of Italy, a team who have come last in the<br />

tournament 66% of the time.<br />

<strong>The</strong> England Women’s Rugby Team also had a very successful year,<br />

reaching the final of the world cup in aim of retaining the crown they<br />

won three years ago. Unfortunately, they eventually lost to New Zealand<br />

41-32 in the final.<br />

Formula 1<br />

After losing to Nico Rosberg last year, Lewis Hamilton won race after<br />

race, ending the season as the most successful British driver of all time.<br />

This year the main competition was not coming from a Mercedes<br />

teammate as per usual: Valtteri Bottas had a good season, but didn’t do<br />

quite well enough to be a serious title contender. A Ferrari resurgence,<br />

however, especially from Sebastian Vettel, gave Hamilton fierce<br />

competition for much of the season.<br />

pionships, the men’s 4x100 relay team<br />

ing gold in a strongly contested field,


SVC Sports Round<br />

Gemma Bridges<br />

Since the sporting events of the first half term, which included hockey and foo<br />

additions to the activities people can do at school.<br />

One of these events has been the house hockey and football matches for Year<br />

were played across two lessons for each year and everyone had a brilliant time<br />

well-worked goals scored. What better thing to do in the run up to Christmas - it’s<br />

As the matches took place just before the first mornings of frost when people jou<br />

was amiable: some rays of sunlight found their way through the clouds, altho<br />

quite windy.<br />

Rugby is also still a sport widely played after school, and there are coach<br />

Cambridge’s clubs to help out, especially with the girls. Hopefully there will s<br />

experience a full game of rugby.<br />

Over two PE lessons for each year, the annual cross country took place ac<br />

Triangle’ course… to many people’s disappointment. Yet for some it was enjo<br />

cross country competition at Netherhall school, for those who have made<br />

Tuesday 5th December, and everyone hopes that it will be a great success.<br />

As the hours of the day get shorter, hockey has stopped due to the darkness, as<br />

another contributing factor. However, sometime after half term netball will start<br />

for the boys.


Up<br />

ball, there have been many<br />

7, 8, 9 and 10. <strong>The</strong> matches<br />

, with many impressive and<br />

not that far away now!<br />

rney to school, the weather<br />

gh some of the days were<br />

es coming in from one of<br />

on be a match for them to<br />

ross the infamous ‘Muddy<br />

yable; there will be district<br />

he cross country team on<br />

well as DofE sessions being<br />

up again, as well as a sport


Svc Event


s<br />

When we announced that there would be a school<br />

magazine, many of you probably shared the same thought:<br />

‘Oh no! What if I’m in one of the pictures?’. Welcome, one<br />

and all, to the part of the magazine where you are most<br />

likely to see yourself.<br />

However, seeing yourself might not be such a catastrophe.<br />

Sure, you might be mentioned in an article, or find a photo<br />

of yourself accompanying a report of something you were<br />

involved in. But seeing yourself is important. We all like to<br />

relate to what we’re reading, and in this section we will be<br />

publishing the thoughts of students just like you.<br />

We will be covering everything to do with the school itself.<br />

Here, you will find reports and reviews on school<br />

showcases, exhibitions, musicals, plays, sports matches<br />

and trips. We’ll be giving you the student-perspective on<br />

daily life at SVC: what we really think about our<br />

experiences and opportunities. <strong>The</strong>re will also be articles<br />

about changes made to the school, and reflective pieces<br />

on the education we’re receiving.<br />

But in order to paint a representative picture of life as a<br />

Soham student, we need all of you. Have you taken part in<br />

a performance? Lead an activity for younger students or<br />

started attending a new club? Perhaps you went on a<br />

particularly exciting school trip or have a lot of thoughts<br />

about GCSE choices? This is your chance to tell your story<br />

- so let’s tell it!


Despite Poland’s fr<br />

began an assault o<br />

it to the Polish go<br />

years later he was<br />

the 1990s.<br />

Born in Austria, La<br />

aged 18, she marr<br />

weapons across th<br />

concepts that had<br />

marriage by movin<br />

took her to Americ<br />

Despite her succe<br />

attractive next to a<br />

controlled torpedo<br />

or jammed after w<br />

US Navy did not a<br />

1960s, with the thr<br />

<strong>The</strong> work that Lam<br />

posthumously indu<br />

Famo<br />

embo<br />

Witold Pilecki, 190<br />

“<strong>The</strong> Auschwitz Vo<br />

Prisoner 4859 was<br />

and reporting vita<br />

outside of their w<br />

combating German<br />

to disrupt the hold<br />

one another, to se<br />

divisions to take ov<br />

ZOW provided valu<br />

assemble from sm<br />

rescue attempt –<br />

liberation of the ca<br />

Hedy Lamarr, 1914<br />

"<strong>The</strong> World's Most<br />

Both Lamarr and P<br />

Two, despite pers<br />

much a they did.


Mr and Ms PRIDE<br />

us figures throughout time that<br />

dy our PRIDE values.<br />

1-1948<br />

lunteer”.<br />

the odd one out at Auschwitz; Pilecki had purposely let himself get arrested in 1940 with the sole intent of infiltrating the camp<br />

l information back to Western allies about its existence and purpose. Little was known about the atrocities of death camps<br />

alls and intelligence was necessary in liberating and locating them. As part of the Polish resistance, Pilecki insisted on<br />

power and saw Auschwitz as a target. Having been imprisoned, he set up ZOW (Union of Military Organisation) which sought<br />

of Nazi officers at the camp; its goals were to keep the spirit and morale of inmates up, to pass news from the outside world to<br />

cretly gather clothes and food to share, to pass intelligence outside of the camp to Polish resistance groups, and to prepare<br />

er the camp if it were breached by outside forces.<br />

able information. From 1942, reports were broadcast from inside the camp using a radio transmitter that had taken months to<br />

uggled parts. However, frustrated at the lack of action from outside forces, Pilecki broke out of the camp to force through a<br />

he was unsuccessful in convincing the resistance, though Germany surrendered within two years, finally resulting in the<br />

mp’s prisoners.<br />

eedom from Nazi occupation, it was still under the grip of Soviet Russia. Pilecki, forever dedicated to his homeland’s freedom,<br />

n Stalin’s rule. In October 1945, Pilecki was assigned an undercover mission to gather intelligence about Soviet rule and send<br />

vernment-in-exile. Most resistance soldiers were offered safe passage to escape Soviet prosecution; Pilecki declined. Two<br />

arrested and sentenced to death for his work. Due to Soviet censorship, Pilecki’s work was not made public knowledge until<br />

-2000<br />

Beautiful Woman".<br />

marr was instantly signed by studios in the 1920s for her impressive beauty and began featuring in their films. In 1933, only<br />

ied an Austrian military arms dealer and munitions manufacturer; he rubbed shoulders with Hitler and Mussolini, supplying<br />

e borders. Over dinner, Lamarr was privy to scientific and strategic discussions about military technology, introducing her to<br />

been closed off to her due to her gender. Lamarr was not happy in the marriage and, four years later, she escaped her<br />

g to Paris. She immediately landed a contract with a talent scout who billed her as “the World's most beautiful woman" and<br />

a, where Lamarr starred in numerous films - Hollywood was entranced.<br />

ss, Lamarr was unsatisfied with the lack of challenge in her roles. She was given little dialogue, often cast only to look<br />

leading man. She took up inventing things to occupy her mind between takes. During World War II, Lamarr heard that radioes<br />

could be easily jammed, causing them to go off course. She pioneered a frequency-hopping signal that could not be tracked<br />

orking with composer George Antheil. Though this used innovative spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology, the<br />

dopt it for widespread use. <strong>The</strong>y were sceptical about inventions from outside of their own military units. It was not until the<br />

eat of the Cuban Missile Crisis, that they incorporated the technology into their ships.<br />

arr carried out formed the base principles of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology that are in use today. As such, Lamarr was<br />

cted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.<br />

ilecki used their skills to fight for good, whilst maintaining integrity. <strong>The</strong>se two figures helped out their countries in World War<br />

onal risks and boundaries, in very different but equally impressive ways: we should all strive to embody the PRIDE values as


You


Would you rather …? With Mr G<br />

Heaney<br />

By Xavier St John an d David Makale na<br />

We asked Mr Heaney (the Lord of L13) to answer our ‘Would you rather…?’ questions and,<br />

after persuading him to move away from his work and take part in our wacky interview,<br />

we’re happy to say that he gave some great answers to some stupidly made-up questions.<br />

Xavier: So sir, first question. Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized<br />

duck?<br />

Mr Heaney: Hmm, I think pretty easily it would be 100 duck sized horses because you could<br />

just boot them away. Easy.<br />

Xavier: Okay then. Next question. Would you rather sweat golden syrup or cry ketchup?<br />

Mr Heaney: Ew, neither is great. But I guess it would be crying ketchup. I’m not a fan of<br />

sweet stuff so being covered in it would be horrible.<br />

Xavier: Makes sense. Would you rather only eat kale or only drink Irn Bru for the rest of your<br />

life?<br />

Mr Heaney: Kale as in the green vegetable? I love kale so much. I would happily eat kale for<br />

the rest of my life. I put it in soup all the time. My kids have kale in their soup and they don’t<br />

even know it. It’s great stuff!<br />

Xavier: Didn’t know you had such a passion for it! Now, would you rather go back in time 5<br />

mins or travel 30 mins into the future?<br />

Mr Heaney: Now I know you think that I’m gonna pick the 5 mins in the past because I’m a<br />

historian but it’s far too insignificant so I’ll have to pick 30 mins in the future. It would be a<br />

lot more interesting.<br />

Xavier: Okay, finally then... Would you rather be locked in a room for an hour with all the<br />

drama teachers or all the maths teachers?<br />

Mr Heaney: This is actually really hard. Hmm…..I guess it would be the drama teachers. No<br />

disrespect to the maths department but the drama teachers would probably be more fun<br />

and it would be a lot more exciting.<br />

Xavier: And there we go sir! Thanks for answering our questions.<br />

Mr Heaney: I’ll always make time to ask questions like that. <strong>The</strong> wackier the better!<br />

Did you agree with Mr Heaney’s picks? Would you have gone wildly different? On the next<br />

page is a list of other would you rather questions compiled for your pleasure. See you next<br />

time where we quiz another teacher on some absurd questions.<br />

If you have any question suggestions or a particular teacher you would like us to quiz,<br />

please email:<br />

xstjohn8004@sohamcollege.org.uk<br />

or<br />

dmakalena7922@sohamcollege.org.uk


You


Would you rather …?<br />

by Jorja Furze & Pia Sargent<br />

- Would you rather meet an alien or<br />

become an unicorn?<br />

- Would you rather eat a cake or<br />

become a cake?<br />

- Would you rather be a sad rainbow or<br />

a happy cloud?<br />

- Would you rather always be 10<br />

minutes late or 20 minutes early?<br />

- Would you rather see 10 minutes of<br />

your past or 10 minutes of your future?<br />

- Would you rather meet a Disney<br />

character or meet Walt Disney?<br />

- Would you rather control fire or


An Uplifting<br />

By Jenn<br />

As part of helping the soon-to be-Year 7s make their transition fro<br />

Maths departments organised their annual Primary STEM week. W<br />

saw Year 6 students from a variety of local schools participating in<br />

the younger students to contribute to work in these fields in the futu<br />

<strong>The</strong> first activity involved teams competing in a ‘Round the World’<br />

and hints for the further tasks.<br />

After a quick break, which allowed students from different school<br />

older students helped to widen the Year 6s’ knowledge of forces,<br />

part of the fun and given that one STEM leader described the v<br />

younger students an idea of what our school’s all about’, the activit<br />

Before the grand finale, students were asked to create a transpo<br />

technology and engineering activities. Airplanes, helicopters and<br />

ideas and refining designs. <strong>The</strong> contraption that soared the furthe<br />

‘Most Creative Flying Machine’ and the ‘Most Spectacular Crash’.<br />

It was not only students that contributed to the activities though: e<br />

schools enter into the competitive spirit with adventurous and cre<br />

rankings.<br />

Miss Knight, the mastermind behind the event, described it as ‘ex<br />

that really surprised me!’<br />

All in all, the week was a great success and lots of fun for everyone


STEM Week<br />

y hall<br />

m primary school to secondary, the Science, Technology, and<br />

ith the help of STEM leaders from Years 8, 9 and 10, the week<br />

team challenges and creative tasks in the hope of encouraging<br />

re.<br />

Maths quiz, flying from country to country to receive answers<br />

s to mix, a Science in Action activity was organised where the<br />

propulsion and balance. Uncontrollable flying balloons were all<br />

arious science practicals as ‘great opportunities to give the<br />

y was clearly a huge success.<br />

rtation device that solved a series of problems as part of the<br />

other air vehicles took to the skies in the process of testing<br />

st was celebrated, but on top of this there were awards for the<br />

ach day of STEM week saw the teachers of the various primary<br />

ative designs… though sadly not always scoring highest in the<br />

citing’ and said that ‘Year 6 came up with some amazing ideas<br />

involved!


Maths Ch<br />

By Miss Afford


allenge<br />

Got the answer?<br />

See Miss Afford in<br />

G2 to enter a prize<br />

draw if you are<br />

correct!


SVC EVENTS recap<br />

<strong>The</strong> Christmas term is always a particularly busy time<br />

at Soham. Here’s what we’ve been getting up to since<br />

the last issue…<br />

Throughout the term: Rehearsals started in earnest for<br />

the school musical, ‘Oliver!’ and plays, ‘<strong>The</strong> Blue<br />

Electric Wind’ and ‘A Twist in Time’. Students met<br />

castmates in all years and were able to get stuck into<br />

theatre.<br />

26th-28th October: Many SVC students took part in<br />

Viva Youth <strong>The</strong>atre’s production of Beauty and the<br />

Beast at the Performing Arts Centre. <strong>The</strong> show earned<br />

some fantastic reviews, particularly for the leading<br />

performances of Soham students Torin Fahy as the<br />

Beast, Phyllida Hickish as Mrs Potts and Callum Moffat<br />

as Cogsworth.<br />

Throughout October & November: Year 11 students<br />

had the opportunity to attend open evenings at a<br />

variety of local sixth form colleges. It was helpful for all<br />

to find out more about the options we have to choose<br />

from for the next stage of our education.<br />

2nd November: Performing arts students from all years<br />

travelled to Conservatoire East to watch their<br />

production of the musical ‘Godspell’. <strong>The</strong> show was<br />

enjoyed by all and certainly pushed the audience out of<br />

their comfort zone. <strong>The</strong> trip was also helpful to KS4<br />

students considering the conservatoire as their Post-<br />

16 destination.<br />

2nd-23rd November: With the arrival of November<br />

came the arrival of the ever-feared Year 11 mock<br />

exams. As much as it was certainly a stressful month<br />

for everyone, our hard work proved to be worth the<br />

effort when we were rewarded with our desired<br />

grades.<br />

10th November: Our Senior Six team (Head Girl Charley<br />

Game, Head Boy Luke Vanderstay and their four<br />

deputies) were presented with their brand new<br />

amethyst ties.<br />

10th November: Soham welcomed local MP Lucy<br />

Frazer to adjudicate the heats of her Parliamentary<br />

Debating competition. Eight Year 11 students debated<br />

the abolition of tuition fees, while being judged by Lucy<br />

and Head of School Mr Hampson. <strong>The</strong> two winners<br />

were Katie Kirkpatrick and Beth Buchan.<br />

13th November: <strong>The</strong> Resistant Materials department<br />

opened its doors for the Bright Futures event, a<br />

showcase of the Year 11 lamps project.<br />

17th November: <strong>The</strong> school held its annual non-uniform<br />

day to raise money for Children in Need. Over seventy<br />

students also took part in a sponsored Danceathon!<br />

19th November: Local Viva Youth <strong>The</strong>atre held their<br />

annual awards ceremony. This year the special guest<br />

was ‘Eastenders’ star John Partridge. Success aplenty<br />

was had by SVC students for their performances and<br />

commitment throughout the year, with prizes going to<br />

Siobhan Fordham, Callum Moffat, Katie Kirkpatrick and<br />

Phyllida Hickish.<br />

23rd November: Following heats that involved over fifty<br />

students, the PAC played host to the grand final of<br />

Soham’s Got Talent. <strong>The</strong> twenty-four finalists provided<br />

a huge amount of variety, with acts ranging from<br />

majorettes to a capella and from ballet to rollerskating.<br />

<strong>The</strong> overall winner Tom Kay astounded<br />

audiences with a drumming performance to ‘Kings and<br />

Queens’ by 30 Seconds to Mars.<br />

23rd November: Year 9 student Jenny Hall was<br />

announced as winner of the annual school Christmas<br />

card design competition. Packs of cards with her<br />

design are now being sold to raise money for Ely Food<br />

Bank.<br />

28th November: GCSE Music students travelled to<br />

London to watch two mini-operas at the Royal Opera<br />

House. <strong>The</strong> trip opened our musicians eyes to a genre<br />

of music we don’t hear very often and it was also an<br />

opportunity to appreciate the building’s amazing<br />

architecture.<br />

Throughout December: For many students, lunchtimes<br />

began to fill up with rehearsals for the annual Carol<br />

Concert in Ely Cathedral. <strong>The</strong> performance, which will<br />

take place on the 13th December, will involve students<br />

in all years as well as ex-students, teachers, parents<br />

and friends. Audiences this year can look forward to<br />

performances ranging from flute and saxophone solos<br />

to a variety of choirs, including a performance from the<br />

whole of Year 7.<br />

Tuesday 5th December: Musical students were offered<br />

the chance to travel to Cambridge and watch the<br />

rehearsal of the famous King’s College Carol Concert.<br />

<strong>The</strong> concert, which will be broadcast on BBC 2 on<br />

Christmas Eve, left students feeling festive, and it was<br />

definitely exciting to see such an impressive choral<br />

performance.<br />

Thursday 7th December: Soham Village College held<br />

our annual Over 60s Christmas Lunch. <strong>The</strong> visitors ate<br />

their Christmas dinner, provided by the canteen, and<br />

then made their way over to the Performing Arts Centre<br />

to watch a preview performance of the school Carol<br />

Concert.<br />

Thursday 7th December: <strong>The</strong> two finalists, as well as<br />

five students who competed in the heats, travelled to<br />

the House of Commons for the final of Lucy Frazer’s<br />

Parliamentary Debating competition. Having travelled<br />

to London, Katie and Beth debated the legalisation of<br />

drugs with finalists from other local schools. Excitingly,<br />

our two finalists’ team won their debate and Katie was<br />

announced as joint overall winner. <strong>The</strong> whole group<br />

also had the chance to see the Chamber.


An Apology<br />

from <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong><br />

Unfortunately in the previous issue a few journalists were<br />

not credited for their articles. We at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Inkling</strong> want to<br />

make sure everybody gets the recognition they deserve,<br />

and so we have decided to credit them here. Why not<br />

have a look back at the previous issue and re-read these?<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Let’s Talk Trash By Gemma Bridges<br />

2001: A Space Odyssey: Review by David Makalena<br />

‘Silence Isn’t Always Good’ by Gemma Bridges<br />

‘Hometown Chapter One: Yellow’ by Katie Kirkpatrick<br />

Why do we still have the concept of guilty pleasures?<br />

by Katie Kirkpatrick<br />

Our Summer Travels by Jorja Furze & Pia Sargent<br />

Year 11 Survival Handbook by David Makalena<br />

Houses by Lorna Gillings and Andrea Booth


<strong>The</strong> Ink<br />

<strong>Volume</strong> 3: S


ling<br />

pring 2018

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!