THE HARROVIAN

VOL. CXXXI NO.15 February 2, 2019

THE LARAMIE PROJECT into the lackadaisical owner of a local bar and the bumbling cyclist who found the body of Matthew Shepard. Matthew Bradbys and West Acre House Play, Ilomuanya, West Acre, acted characters ranging from a young Ryan Theatre, 23 and 24 January DJ, to an outspoken old woman, to a timid member of the gay community in Laramie. The contrast between the characters Bradbys and West Acre performed their production of The of Sam McGougan, Bradbys, presented a particularly difficult

Laramie Project on the evenings of 23 and 24 January. The job, but he nevertheless provided an assured and impressive play focuses on the true events surrounding the brutal murder performance both as the young male bartender and the middle- of a young gay student, Matthew Shepard, in a small city called aged and concerned Cathy. Perhaps most significantly, Tom Laramie in Wyoming, and how the community there responded Latham, Bradbys, had the job of playing both the killer and to it. All characters portrayed in the play were real people and the victim’s father, both of whom he executed with impressive the lines are predominantly things that they said, which made contrast and emotional nuance. for an unusual sense of realism and gravitas. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the script itself is that the majority of lines are characters telling the story directly to the audience, with only a handful of scenes showing any interaction between the characters. Theatre enthusiasts will recognise this breaking of the fourth wall as a “Brechtian” technique, meaning the audience should be primarily aware of the story and the lessons of the play rather than being sucked into the realism too much. In short, this was an extremely abstract and ambitious script to take on for a House play and credit must go to MGP for managing to pull it off. This abnormality was immediately apparent upon entering the auditorium, as the audience were confronted with not only a semicircle of chairs facing them, but also a projector screen The ensemble nature of the play i.e. the cast were all on looming over the stage. From looking at the programme, one stage throughout, and had a large job to do in conveying the could see that each actor in the cast had three or four characters community of Laramie and how it responded to the tragedy. to play, and one perhaps pondered how such frequent costume One moment of particular note was the touching end to the changes would work. It soon became apparent that each cast first half of the show, when the lights dimmed to a faint glow member had an identical base costume (a plain black shirt and as each cast member passed their chair along a chain of people trousers) and added other items of clothing or accessories, all of to the back of the stage, all to the backdrop of some calm and which were located in a box under the actor’s chair, to denote simple folk music. This moment was effective as it reflected ther change of character, all of which took place right in front a community striving to function in a time of rare heightened of the audience’s eyes. This had the desired “Brechtian” effect emotion. This moment meant that instead of sitting on chairs of pulling us out of the drama so that we could focus on the facing the actor speaking, the ensemble were sitting on their social and cultural issues that the play treats. costume boxes facing away from the speaker, which gave the impression of a community of people turning away from one another in the times of tension that were portrayed in the second half. This production had a lot to do justice to – the topics of homophobia and fatal hate crime are not ones you can simply tiptoe around – yet everyone involved tackled the task with a maturity. Ms Watson worked her usual magic in doing a lot with a little in terms of costume and set design, whilst Mr Bubb and Mr Kinsella set the mood perfectly with lighting and sound and projection design respectively. MPG directed his debut House play with the ambition and skill to break away from normal theatrical conventions, which of course must be commended; finally, huge credit must go to the cast for their The spotlight of this play was very much on the character work commitment to the project (even if their accents did begin to of the actors, which in itself was made far more difficult by the fade towards the end of the play). Hearty thanks for a touching distinctive rural Western American accents of Wyoming. The and thought-provoking experience. cast, however, dealt with this challenge splendidly, in some cases The collection at the end of the performance was £277.84 displaying an outstanding range of acting skills and emotional in aid of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which was set up depth. Examples of this included Archie Rowlins West Acre, after Matthew’s murder in Laramie to foster a more caring who kicked the play off with a bombastic black police jacket and just world; to share his story and embody his vigour for and an impressively accurate accent, giving us an introduction civil rights to change the hearts and minds of others to accept to the nature of Wyoming and its people, before transforming everyone as they are. February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N THE GLOBE area and finding out how they really do need to fill the space around them with their singing. The boys were sure that the 15 January tourists passing through would have loved their singing! Colin very kindly allowed the boys some time to take photos On 15 January, after only being back together for a week in and selfies on the stage, as it is not every day you get to stand School, the cast and crew of this year’s Shakespeare production, on the most famous stage in England. APC said a few words Twelfth Night, went on a day’s visit to the Globe theatre where, and thanked Colin for giving up his time. The boys thoroughly on 24 March, they will be performing. Led by APC and WJC, enjoyed their workshop and we hope they will not have forgotten this was promising to be an exciting visit with a workshop with everything they have learnt by the time the performance comes professional actor Colin Hurley. round in March. After a short coach journey into London, we were welcomed at the door of the Globe and taken down into practice room where we met Colin. After some brief introductions, the cast and even crew got involved in some theatrical activities that ALEXANDER SOCIETY were meant to help the cast aclimatise to how the Globe stage Vaughan Library, 22 January will feel like. The crew were then taken away by Mr Leach to have a look round the technical parts of the Globe stage. One On a blustery Tuesday afternoon, JPM enlightened the Alexander of Colin’s main goal was to make sure he never took off his Society about the Battle of Lepanto, which some historians have glasses, which caused much amusement when the cast would claimed to be the high-water mark of Ottoman power. The battle screamed “Colin!” ach time he did, causing APC to jump. was described by Fernand Braudel, arguably one of the greatest However, another of Colin’s theatrical aims was to help the cast historians of Mediterranean, as ‘the most spectacular military understand the different levels of dialogue. What he meant was event in the Mediterranean during the entire sixteenth century.’ that when you deliver a line, is it to yourself (first circle), or to It involved over 450 galleasses and galleys, and resulted in the one other person (second circle) or, finally, to a large group of death of over 40,000 men, at the time the second-highest body people like an audience (third circle)? After elaborating further count of any single-day European battle. According to one on this point, the cast were thrown into some activities designed Venetian source, in the hours after the battle, the Mediterranean to test their new-found knowledge of levels of dialogue. After turned red with blood. focusing on the vocal side of acting, Colin moved on to the Throughout the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the physical side and explained how the way you move and where powers of Christendom were increasingly alarmed by Ottoman you stand in relation to the other people on stage can really expansion. JPM explained how the Ottoman Empire had become emphasise and exaggerate the tension in some moments. For a great power: the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 had sent example, Colin described a production in which he saw two shockwaves through Christendom, making successive kings actors on the stage confronting each other but they were at each and popes tremble at the prospect of Ottoman invasion and side of the stage facing each other. Because of the distance, he subjugation. Ottoman conquests from the reign of Sultan Mehmed said that even the smallest movement had a big impact on the the Conqueror (1451–81) through to Suleyman the Magnificent audience, whereas if two people are face to face, everything (1520–66), gave them territory in Europe, the Middle East and is a bit all over the place and chaotic, with no control in their North Africa, as well as control of the Eastern Mediterranean. physical language. The immediate context of the Battle of Lepanto is rooted in We split into pairs and were given the task of saying one the reign of Ottoman Sultan Selim II (1566–74), who attacked of our lines from the play to our partner while either moving the Venetian island of Cyprus in 1570. From Cyprus, Christian forward, backwards or to the side. The relevance of this was corsairs were intercepting shipping between Istanbul, the imperial the movement would exaggerate what kind of tone you were capital and the valuable Ottoman provinces of Egypt and Syria. implying with that line, whether it be confrontational (move The attack on Cyprus, which was Venice’s wealthiest colony, forward) or defensive (move backward). Colin then emphasised triggered the doge to seek assistance from the papacy. Pope how it was not only how you moved that mattered but also Pius V responded with the formation of the Holy League, an when you moved. For example, an actor might say their line alliance of Catholic states including the Spanish Empire, Venice, and then move to be more mischievous, or move to possibly the Papal States, Genoa and other lesser Christian powers. Don get away from a situation. To finish off before heading up onto John was made admiral of the Christian fleet, and its success the stage, we split into groups of three and tried out our new at Lepanto is often attributed to his leadership skills. physical skills; one trick here was that when we moved we had As Don John sailed across the Mediterranean to assemble to keep in a triangle, which was obviously be easy as it was his fleet in Sicily, news arrived that Famagusta, the last three people, but it was also to help one’s spacial awareness remaining Venetian stronghold on Cyprus, had finally fallen to and illustrate that one should always move with a purpose and the Ottomans. The Holy League’s engagement of the Ottoman not just for the sake of having a stroll across the stage. fleet in September 1571 was therefore really a revenge attack It was time to step on to the Globe stage itself. The boys on the Ottomans by a combined Christian fleet who had arrived lined up behind Colin although there was arguing between too late to save Cyprus. Harry Lempriere-Johnston, Druries, and Théodore Seely, The The Holy League lined up in the Gulf of Patras with fewer Head Master’s, to see who would be the first Harrovian at the ships and men than the Ottomans, but on their side they had School onto the stage since Benedict Cumberbatch in 1994. In six state-of-the-art galleasses (of which four were stationed the end, Lempriere-Johnston won, but everyone got their fair at the head of the fleet) armed with more cannon. The battle share of entering and exiting the stage later in the day. On the commenced at noon on Sunday 7 October. Don John commanded stage, the boys practised the skills they had learnt and started his monstrous galleasses to advance and fire point blank at the to really understand the sheer size of the theatre and how, Ottoman fleet, which broke the Ottoman formation. The battle wherever you stand, somebody in the audience will not be able was described by JPM as being a ‘mêlée’: it was really an to see you. Various entrances were practised, and some group infantry battle on floating platforms, as the aim of both sides work was completedo help boys understand how to deliver was to crash their galleys into enemy ships and use soldiers to lines with levels in mind, and how each part of the audience is capture them. During the battle, the flagship of Muezzinzade Ali qually as important. To end, WJC took over for a few minutes Pasha, the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman fleet, was captured to practise some of the musical elements of the production. and his head was mounted on a spike at the front, alongside the This went well because the boys were just aclimatising to the banner of the Holy League, crushing Ottoman morale. 424 T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019

Two hours after the initial engagement, the Ottomans were late at night, lit by the full moon, and the innocent young girl defeated, even though the elite Turkish Janissaries fought to worrying over the bird and its wellbeing. the death. Allegedly, they had run out of ammunition and The phrase “substitute ghost” is not a phrase many people resorted to throwing oranges and lemons at their enemies. By use, mainly because MPS invented it and, as he revealed later, the end of the battle, there were 25,000 Ottoman and 15,000 is his favourite type of gothic literature. The substitute ghost is Christian dead. For decades, the Ottoman Turks had terrified when the ghost is not actually real but only a person pretending Europe, but Christians rejoiced at this setback for the infidels. to be a ghost. It was later in the 19th century when the substitute Lepanto was a rare and important opportunity for the Roman ghost really took off, with such novels as The Ghost’s Walk, Catholic Church to show that Christendom was still united and 1853, and, in MPS’ opinion, the greatest substitute ghost of potent, in spite of the Reformation. JPM suggested that, for this them all, Miss Havisham in Great Expectations by Charles reason, the battle’s significance has perhaps been exaggerated Dickens. Pip, a young boy, comes across Mrs Havisham who by successive generations of historians. Today, the battle is had a ‘figure of a young woman, and… now had shrunk to skin widely remembered in Christian countries but receives little or and bone.’ This was obviously not a ghost but a living woman no mention in Recep Erdogan’s “neo-Ottoman” modern Turkey. but she looks like a ghost, behaves like a ghost and haunted A classic example of victors writing history. Pip’s life like a ghost. It was after the substitute that Edgar Allen Poe published some short scary stories that all contained either madness or science, which are both very real, making them even more spooky! Poe also invented the detective genre, SHERIDAN SOCIETY which did not have supernatural elements so sometimes led The Victorian Ghost, 17 January to anti-climactic endings like in the Hound of Baskervilles, according to MPS. With the lights dimmed low, the eyes of Sheridan glowing The ambiguous ghost became a thing in the turn of the 20th beneath a ghost like sheet, Harry Lempriere-Johnston, Druries, century, when it was all about the ghost moving inside the head playing the Moolight Sonata first movement on the piano… this of the protagonist. This was all loosely based on madness and was scary and MPS hadn’t even started his talk. As the doors lunatic asylums, as the ghost was merely psychological. This, of the OSRG closed off the outside world, Bach’s Fugue in again, proves how real ghosts are no more and that the substitute D minor began to play, and the lecture begun. To begin with, and ambiguous ghost have taken over gothic literature. But MPS briefly explained how he would be looking at the idea there are still a few ghost novels that came out in the early of the Victorian ghost in a broad sense, covering more than 20th century, and MPS ended with a short reading from Oh the Victorian era. Whistle and I’ll come to you My Lad by M R James, 1904. He Frankenstein, 1816, Dracula, 1889 and Dr Jekyll and Mr ended with: “In a very few moments it seemed to know that Hyde, 1886, were the three novels MPS listed as the books the bed was empty, and then, moving forward into the area of he guessed the audience were probably thinking of when they light and facing the window, it showed for the first time what thought of gothic ghost stories. All these were written in the manner of thing it was.” 19th century, which just goes to show how the 19th century was MPS did apologise if anyone wasn’t able to sleep that night a scary time. MPS outlined how most ghost/gothic films are set due to nightmares but, apart from that, MPS really did put in the 19th century. For example, Susan Hill’s The Woman in on a great show, even wearing his white tie, which suited the Black is set in the late 19th century–early 20th century. Many Victorian theme. have tried to modernise the ghost by haunting computers but, as MPS said, there is just something about the fog, the smoke, the horse’s hooves and the gas lamps that are spooky. Everybody knows one or two ghost stories, but the question is where did they come from and how did they begin? MPS elaborated on this point and pointed out how writers such as Dickens, the Bronte’s and Wilkie Collins all play with the supernatural. The gothic period came about because novelists were influenced by HINDU SOCIETY Romanticism and wanted to stop writing with their heads and Diwali Dinner, 12 January start writing with their hearts. Of course, fear is an emotion, hence the gothic theme we see today. Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year for MPS then turned back the clock to the 18th century, where Hindus and is about celebrating the victory of good over evil. gothic literature really began. It was here that we see the classic Although festivities associated with Diwali last for around ghost stories with the clanking chains, bleeding nuns and sheeted a week, Diwali day itself celebrates the return of Ram (an ghosts that we all know and love! Such books with this classic incarnation of the deity Vishnu) and his wife Sita, along with ghost story include The Monk by Mathew Lewis, 1796, and The Ram’s friend Lakshman and his ever-loyal aide Hanuman, from Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, 1782, where giant bits of exile from their city of Ayodhya by the malicious King Ravan, armour appear from the sky and crush people. MPS then read who is famous for his unmistakable ten heads. This day changes from Vathek by William Beckford, 1782, wose ghouls certainly each year according to the lunar calendar so that it occurs on sent shivers down a lot of the audience. However, MPS then the darkest night of the month. Diwali is often referred to as outlined how, with the turn of the 19th century, gothic novels the Festival of Lights as it remembers people putting oil lamps became much more scientific: Frankenstein, for example, has out to help guide Ram, Sita and their companions safely home. no ghosts but is a creation from science. MPS explained how On Saturday 12 January at around 7.30pm, The Connoisseur science is scary! Creepy laboratories and mad scientists meddling was blessed by the presence of Fr Nic, Mrs Tivey and their with forces they can’t handle; this was the new scary! Science daughter Elle, along with 11 boys from Elmfield, Lyon’s, The had been the main theme of scary fiction since Dr Jekyll. Even Park and The Grove. We enjoyed the most wonderful evening in the mid-18th century there were ideas of science being a of good food and even better company. Fr Nic explained the part of a scarier theme than t actually was. MPS presented us delicate process of how a “true gentleman” drinks a sour lassi, with a painting by Joseph Wright, 1768, depicting a bird in much to our amusement. At the end of the meal, the society an air pump with the scientist, family and others around it lit wished the staff a happy Diwali before we proceeded to thank by a lamp and moonlight. This depiction outlined some of the our host, Fr Nic, for a wonderful meal. We are already looking key points of science fiction, with the mad scientist working forward to next year. 425 February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N WESTWOOD SOCIETY see an item they like but forget about it when the piece hits Charlie Casely-Hayford (Druries 1999³), Inside the the shelves months later. Using their experience, the father-son duo moulded their house Fashion Bubble, OSRG, 22 January in a unique way, focusing on craft rather than consumerism. Casely-Hayford strove to merge ready-to-wear and made-to- Last Tuesday, the Westwood Society welcomed OH Charlie measure clothing by taking modern fashion and applying it Casely-Hayford (Druries 1999³) for a fantastic inaugural lecture: to the bespoke world. A customer can walk into their store, ‘Inside the Fashion Bubble’. After leaving Druries in 2004, he pick out a piece they like and choose from 3,000 different went on to study at Central Saint Martins, known as one of the materials to create the perfect piece for them. For example, best fashion schools in the world. At the early age of 22, he in their last collection, one of the coats was limited to only founded international brand Casely-Hayford with his father, the 15 pieces! Because every piece of Casely-Hayford clothing is acclaimed British fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford OBE. He unique and exclusive, they garnered international recognition has undertaken international styling projects, working with such from celebrities and artists. key figures in the music world as Nas, The xx, and Sam Smith. In addition, celebrities and artists including David Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Drake have worn his pieces. He was named one of GQ’s 50 best-dressed men in Britain in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and one of the 40 best dressed men in the world by Esquire in 2017.

Many thanks to Mr Casely-Hayford for giving a wonderful insight into the usually closed-off fashion industry. Thank you to Callum Jones, West Acre, for organising the first of, we hope, many Westwood Society talks.

While at Harrow, Charlie always had passion for art and was taught by beaks such as SNP who helped to carve out his future path in fashion design. Partly because of the limitations CASPIAN SOCIETY LECTURE on school uniform at Harrow, he was initially unaware of the “Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis” impact of personal fashion. At Saint Martins, he saw how like- MLS, 17 January minded people would experiment with different clothing and styles, changing their looks day in and day out. He learnt how Before I inform you of last week’s Caspian Society lecture, powerful clothing can be in shaping one’s identity. I would first like to give some background and information After learning the fundamentals of fashion design at Saint to help you better comprehend the Azeri-Armenian situation, Martins, he, along with his father, went on to open their own which was one of the topics touched upon by the speakers. fashion house in 2009. They founded the brand on the idea of Some readers may remember the inaugural talk of the Society duality and how two generations together can create a better in 2015, delivered by Dr Garen Arevian, who spoke on the topic product. Wanting to branch out to celebrities and artists to of the Armenian genocide in 1915, which was systematically promote the brand, he began styling the British band “The xx”. He would style everything for them, from their photoshoots to their tour outfits. Soon after, he was approached by hip-hop artist Nas, followed by singer Sam Smith. The Casely-Hayford brand started to be sold all around the world in stores such as Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and United Arrows. By putting his collection in stores before showing them off in an expensive catwalk, it allowed Casely-Hayford to gain a larger client base. There was a time where David Beckham happened to walk into a store one day and buy one of his pieces; the very next day they had completely sold out. Another time, Drake’s stylist bought a graphic sweatshirt, spreading their brand name even more. Casely-Hayford didn’t do a runway show until 2015, six years after they were founded. Although they finally gained perpetrated by the Turkish government at the time. The audience a client base to show off their clothing to, organising catwalk were told of the major contributing factors leading up to the shows still came with challenges. Not only can the price vary genocide and the abhorrent parallels between the Holocaust from £50,000–£5 million, but the clothing shown on stage is and the Armenian genocide. Dr Arevian began by outlining also not put on shelves until months later. This delay allows for the history of the Armenians and how they rose to become the fast-fashion brands like Zara to copy pieces seen on the runway dominating ethnic group of the educated middle class in the and sell them at a tenth of the price, before luxury brands even Armenian region (occupied by the Ottoman Empire). Under have a chance to take them to the market. The annual Paris the order of Talaat Pasha, Armenians could be legally deported Fashion Week was once an exclusive event to see ix months of without reason and any region with an Armenian population a brand’s work condensed into a nine-minute show. However, exceeding 5% of the populace was eligible to be targeted for this formula has been broken in the digital age; consumers may ethnic cleansing. After the “dust settled” after the collapse of 426 T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019 the Ottoman Empire and thus the end of the genocide, almost who supplied arms to both nations) and they now control 9% 98% of the Armenian population had been eradicated (before of Azerbaijan’s territory, excluding Nagorno-Karabakh. In the the genocide there were three million Armenians). Moreover, same year, two Azeri women were violently raped by Armenians Adolf Hitler in fact drew inspiration for the Holocaust from this during the invasion, angering the Azeris and leading to further genocide and employed many techniques used in the genocide in bloodshed. As mentioned, the Armenian genocide has further 1930s Germany e.g. publicly demeaning Jews by forcing them to impassioned Armenians to unite their peoples. Atrocities, lies wear stars. Perhaps, though, the most sobering element was that and violence worsened the ongoing war. Efforts made by the Hitler saw that little action had been taken by the international international community to restore peace were to no avail. community actively to punish the Turks for the genocide and, Eventually, it was Russia who pressured the nations to sign a in fact, there are still many Turkish historians, backed by the ceasefire and fighting stopped in 1994. government, who deny the genocide ever occurred. However, However, this was not the end of it. As recently as 2016, international relations involving Armenia have recently resurged Armenia claimed Azerbaijan had launched an attack, killing 18 and this was one of the major focuses for last week’s Caspian Armenians and 12 Azeris. Both governments have created their Society talk. own versions of the attack and deny various elements of each The Caspian Society met for the first time this term on other’s stories, despite the visual and photographic evidence. The Thursday 17 January to hear a talk from Abdulla Abdulla-Zada, talk finished, and questions were welcomed by the speakers. One Moretons, and Anar Hajiyev, The Head Master’s. They began by member of the audience asked whether Azerbaijan would accept providing the audience with some background information about the result of an official referendum in the region. The answer Azerbaijan and explained how the Nagorno-Karabakh war came was clear from both speakers. There was no way Azerbaijan to be. Azerbaijan is a relatively new nation that first emerged would cede Nagorno-Karabakh. Both speakers were firm in after the fall of the Russian Empire and declared independence their beliefs and defended their opinions valiantly. on 28 May 1918. The nation’s first leader was a man called After a fascinating and truly thought-provoking talk, the Mammad Amin Rasulzade, who is regarded as the national leader audience was invited to eat some traditional Russian pirozhki and the founding father of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s situation provided by KAF, followed by the Azeri dessert delicacies was unique – it was the first democratic nation in the Islamic called pakhlava and shekerbura, which were swiftly devoured world and subsequently the first to allow women to vote. Its and enjoyed by all. We would like to thank both Abdulla-Zada independence was officially recognised by the victorious Allies and Hajiyev for a very compelling talk, and KAF for arranging at the Paris Peace Conference. Unfortunately, this independence both the talk and the food. was not to last and Azerbaijan was soon occupied by the Red Army in late April 1920. The invasion is simply seen as a Russian re-occupation rather than the conquest of one power by another. After a drastic political reorganisation by the Soviets, Azerbaijan was then hit by Stalin’s merciless “Great Purge” PIGOU SOCIETY of the 1930s. The leader of Azerbaijan’s Communist Party was Dr Rami Ranger (CBE), OH Room, 24 January devoted to Stalin; he was incredibly obedient and followed commands without hesitation. Azerbaijan played a crucial role in the Soviet backlash against the Nazi onslaught as it was the The Pigou Society welcomed Dr Rami Ranger on Thursday night chief supplier of oil and gas to the Red Army. Not only did to talk about ‘Living the British Dream’. Dr Rami Ranger is Azerbaijan supply the energy, but they supplied manpower, and an award-winning business-owner, philanthropist and political almost 40,000 Azeris died in the Second World War. reformer. He started his first business with £2 and now oversees Azerbaijan’s economic situation worsened when the Soviets the business Sun Mark (turnover £200m), which he founded. were no longer interested in Azeri oil and looked elsewhere. In 2016 he was awarded a CBE for services to business and Then, in 1969, Heydar Aliyev was appointed leader of community cohesion, in particular for his efforts to foster Azerbaijan; his son Ilham is the current president of Azerbaijan. greater social and political opportunities for the British Asian Aliyev was able to improve conditions and saved the dying community. He is one of the most successful and well-known oil and cotton industries. Then, in 1987, the winds changed British entrepreneurs and has won multiple awards for his work. and Heydar resigned; he had little stomach for Gorbachev’s Dr Ranger first introduced us to his early life; Dr Ranger policies. As the Soviet Union began to collapse, the Nagorno- was given admission to the Modern School in Patiala. After Karabakh situation resurged and tensions simmered. Calls for the completion of his school education, he went to Mohindra independence grew louder and on 20 January 1990, attempting College and then obtained a BA degree from the Govt. College to quell resistance after a protest erupted, Soviet troops clashed Chandigarh. He was brought up by his mother, who was a with demonstrators. Official figures state that 131 people were teacher. Dr Ranger ceased his studies after reaching the UK, killed but some estimate that this figure was closer to 300. This where he had gone to study Bar at Law in May 1971. Bearing day is now recognised as a solemn day of mourning for those in mind that Dr Ranger had no financial support when making who died. The following day hundreds of thousands of Azeris the tough journey over to the UK, at first he found life in the took to the streets in mourning and protest. Bear in mind that here very tough. He said that England seemed different in the the population of Azerbaijan at the time was just 7 million! It 70s – he didn’t find it friendly. As an immigrant, he said that became self-evident that the Soviet grasp on Azerbaijan had he was treated differently from others and people were reluctant come to an end. to treat him as an equal. As Azerbaijan vied for independence from the Soviet Union, Dr Ranger said that his first job was as a car cleaner, scrubbing the Nagorno-Karabakh war broke out. The war is over a contested away for hours on end. Then he became a cook in KFC. Dr region that borders Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, only Ranger started his first business in 1987 with just £2 capital, two nations are fighting for control: Azerbaijan and Armenia. from a shed, shipping cargo by sea, air and land. Since then, Inter-ethnic clashes broke out and, in an unofficial referendum, has become Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd and Sea Air & Land the inhabitants of the Azeri-controlled region voted to unify Forwarding Ltd. Both of his companies received the Queen’s with Armenia. Tensions boiled and fighting erupted. The 1988 Award for Export Achievement 1999 and the Queen’s Award referendum has been used as justification for Armenia’s invasion for Enterprise 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh in an attempt to at last appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the unify the remaining Armenians of the region. In 1992, Armenia 2005 Birthday Honours for services to business and the Asian launched a full-scale invasion of Azerbaijan (supported by Russia, community, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire 427 February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N

(CBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to business areas that they are interested in, but are also actively encouraged and community cohesion. When Dr Ranger was asked about to research industries perhaps not so well known, and this his business ethics, he answered, “My work ethics are simple. resulted in an evening where every boy who attended took lots I only succeed when my customers succeed. I work hard for away in terms of what they may want to do as their career. the success of my customers, which ultimately becomes my own success.” As the talk went on, Dr Ranger pointed out five key attributes that someone needs to become successful in what they do; self- respect, work ethic, commitment, vision and having a target for where you want to get in life and what you want to achieve. He also mentioned the difference between success and failure. He stated, “A successful person works hard for the benefit of others, and failures don’t like to be heard and respected.” He also said that to be successful you need to face challenges and find solutions. Dr Ranger told us that when he tried to grow his first business, forming strategic alliances with other minor businesses was essential because no big businesses at the time wanted to merge with him. Dr Ranger stated, “Join forces with others to become a credible force in the future.” The range of advisers who had given up their Sunday evenings Even though Dr Ranger became successful in the business side to impart their wealth of knowledge was absolutely astonishing of things, he also excelled in social and political work. Dr Ranger (76 external delegates in total), and it ranged from the more is the chairman of the British Sikh Association. This was set up well-trodden Harrovian career paths of law and finance, down to to stop extremist Sikh organisations from representing the Sikh more esoteric disciplines such as aviation and zoology. In total, point of view in Britain. He has vigorously argued with these 44 distinct areas were covered. However, it was not merely the extremist organisations that the Sikhs were created to defend general overview of each industry which was represented, but the unity, integrity and the basic human rights of every Indian instead some very specific areas: for example over 20 advisers and not to break them up. Sikh Gurus never claimed a separate on finance careers attended, each specialising in their own part kingdom for themselves, so why should their followers demand of the industry, from equities and trading advice to corporate a kingdom for themselves? Dr Ranger, through Sun Mark, has financing and insurance. It was really interesting to speak to donated more than £1 million to the Conservative Party and each of the advisers as they all had a really clear knowledge of £25,000 to Theresa May’s party leadership campaign. Dr Ranger their fields, and many were actively involved in the recruitment was appointed the joint chairman of the Conservative Friends of divisions of their respective companies and thus could offer India in 2018 with Zac Goldsmith MP, a group affiliated to the real first-hand insights into what they as recruiters look for in Conservative Party which aims to build stronger links between potential interviewees, both in terms of interviews and in the the party, the British Indian community and India. broader sense of qualifications and skill sets. To round things off, he reminded us that we need to learn The advisers who attended were also acutely aware that, for from others, from their experiences and their mistakes, and many of those in attendance, especially Fifth Formers, this time to learn the ropes. Dr Ranger explained to the audience that of year is really when major decisions need to be made about when we are trying to grow our own businesses we will find A level choices, and boys also need to begin thinking about our own mettle and determination to see the business excel. university courses and the jobs these will lead to. Boys were He left us with a final statement, “Once you take that first step therefore extremely keen to discover what A levels advisers felt in business, the rest becomes history.” might complement, or even be necessary for, a career in their field, and the advisers were only too happy to oblige, and gave useful tailored advice. While some careers such as medicine require a fixed set of A levels in the sciences, many advisers, CAREERS CONVENTION especially in finance and marketing, were keen to stress that Shepherd Churchill, 20 January doing subjects which you enjoy is the most important thing, as employers ultimately look at grades and where you went to On Sunday 20 January, the brilliantly choreographed Harrow university, and many felt that an enjoyment (and aptitude for) School Careers Convention kicked into full swing as boys from the subject really helped in achieving top grades. across all year groups descended on the Shepherd Churchill However, not to be outdone were the Heads of Subject who Dining Hall. turned out to assist any boys still unsure about their choices. Usefully, the careers team had arranged that the Heads of Subject for all A levels which boys would not have studied as subjects at GCSE, such as Politics or History of Art, attended, so that boys could learn face-to-face what such an A level entails. Further to this, many other beaks also came along to provide extra support, such as those from the Maths and Classics departments, who were happy to answer general or more topic-specific questions on their subjects at A level, and careers in general. Finally, the entire Universities and Careers team attended, which was brilliant as those who were interested in perhaps not going to UK universities, and especially those planning on applying to the US, were able to have all their questions answered in person by the School’s resident expert. This was a great occasion but could not have been such a Coming in, boys could see OHs, current and past parents, as success without the hard work of the Careers department in well as current beaks sitting at the rows of dining tables all the arranging for the advisers to attend, and it would have been a way to the end of the building. One of the great advantages of dramatic failure had not so many advisers been happy to give up this type of careers fair is that boys can choose to learn about their valuable Sunday evenings to help out current Harrovians. 428 T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019 JUNIOR CLASSICAL SOCIETY OIL 23 January It’s not so easy to give up

On Wednesday 23 January, the Junior Classical Society welcomed Oil. I can already hear the Abrams tanks rolling outside my William Wauchope, The Knoll, to speak about the trial of Socrates. house as I say that word aloud. In fact, the entire world seems This is a fascinating topic and Wauchope delivered his lecture to be self-immolating over oil and leading the arson charge is with style, and was keen to talk not only from a historical point none other than Donald Trump. Many comments have been made of view but also from the philosophical standpoint that Plato’s about the oil-rich Middle East, but none so inflammatory as Apology (the main source he used) represents. Trump’s comment that “Saudi Arabia wouldn’t last two weeks Wauchope began by speaking generally about the legal system without the US.” As oil once again dominates our news, is it that existed in classical Athens at the time of Socrates: focusing time to relieve ourselves of the slippery burden we have been on the speeches of the defendant and plaintiff as opposed to carrying for so long? Do we still need oil? evidential proof, it was very different from the legal systems of First, let’s talk about renewables. Major countries like Germany today, and it was highlighted during the lecture that it lacked have been leading the way in terms of government investment any system of legal precedent, and thus attorneys had little in renewable energy, and Iceland is already producing all of its scope for invoking previous rulings. energy from clean sources; the industry has seen a significant After this brief description of legal Athenian life, Wauchope boom with the US pouring more and more greenbacks every got stuck in with describing the life and philosophy of Socrates. year into the development of renewables. It all seems good so He gave a brief summary of Socrates’ life, describing in depth far; then what’s stopping us from going on a shopping spree the events that may have led to his prosecution, namely the of turbines and solar panels? The simple answer is cost and fact that former pupils of his, including Alcibiades, had led a unpredictability; the complicated answer can be found on BBC coup in Athens that had briefly led to the exile of many of the Bitesize. We in Europe barely see any sun and simply don’t have leading democrats in Athens, and thus these politicians were the space to create wind farms that can power the majority of incentivised to get revenge on Socrates. our homes and some countries have already made significant Eventually, those democrats succeeded in mounting a investments into alternative sources of energy. The most common prosecution against Socrates, which Wauchope described at and promising alternative seems to be nuclear energy. length, on the charge of impiety and corrupting the youth. In Nuclear power already accounts for more than 75% of France’s his lecture, Wauchope stressed the politically motivated nature energy, and there isn’t much force to stop government-owned of the prosecution, and also described vividly the actual trial EDF or anyone else from producing more. It should come as proceedings and how Socrates practically goaded the jurors into no surprise that Europe dominates the top 10 countries with sentencing him to death when he was convicted, by suggesting the largest shares of nuclear energy (France has the top spot, he be offered a financial reward instead of a punishment. with Belgium and Hungary following with around 50% of their Wauchope wrapped up his lecture by reading short sections energy coming from nuclear sources). As mentioned before, from both Plato and Xenophon in which Socrates’ trial is Europe does not have the ideal conditions for most of the described, which was very interesting as it gave contemporary renewable energy sources and it’s unlikely that after spending opinions and descriptions of events. After the end of the billions in nuclear energy Europe will back down. Nuclear waste lecture, the typical truckload of questions was unloaded onto can be safely stored, and Springfield seems to be doing fine Wauchope, who coped well, answering tough questions on with its nuclear power plant, so what’s to say that Hartlepool Socrates’ philosophy, Plato’s motives, and whether Socrates won’t be alright? actually ever existed. However, perhaps this nuclear solution isn’t so tickety- All in all, it was a great event, and everyone who attended boo after all. France isn’t maintaining the correct economic commented on its success. It is worth reminding readers that the conditions to sustain nuclear power. Many reactors are closed Society meets every Wednesday at 2.30pm, and new speakers at the weekends because there is no demand for the power they are always welcome. are producing, and more worryingly the European Commission declared in 2016 that France did not have anywhere near enough funding to cover decommissioning costs (only 23 billion euros of earmarked assets were present instead of the estimated 74.1 billion required to cover decommissioning). The government has 85% of EDF’s shares, and this has greatly restricted its OH WISDOM ability to provide subsidies to renewables, which is essential for young renewable sources to survive in order to compete “If you don’t have a little bit of ego you’re not going to get with the dominant fossil giants. Due to the costs associated very far. All top players have a bit of an ego. It’s about making with renewable energy and the still predominant market share sure it’s not detrimental to the team or blocking your ability to of fossil-fuels, governments need to pump capital into promoting learn.” Maro Itoje (The Grove 2011³) renewable energy companies, which helps them to set more competitive pricing. Assuming these subsidies are effective and allow renewable companies to increase their market share then in due course they can be removed as the private renewable companies experience economies of scale. One of the ways governments approach this issue of competitive pricing is through a carbon price; this generally involves the taxing of carbon emissions and hence taxing fossil-fuel companies more, thus making renewables more affordable as others raise their prices to cope with the increased taxes. But either way, through carbon pricing or subsidies, renewable energy continues to be a burden on the government and has the potential to take up a greater part of a country’s budget as time goes by. On oil’s side, fracking has increased our range of oil and gas detection, and in the USA, where it was invented and to a certain 429 February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N degree pioneered, it has virtually become common practice. on a wide range of important existential, epistemological and Fracking has increased oil production and has the potential ontological themes, even if they are couched within an explicitly to become oil’s last hope when scarcity hits. Fracking has the theistic framework. To me, it does not seem unreasonable for a potential to bring prices down. The world only has about 53 School with very evident Christian foundations to expect all boys years of oil left, and even though fracking seems to be working, to gather in such a way for one 15-minute service in a week. have we actually reached all the oil we could possibly find? Regrettably, the correspondence on January 19 treated the With so many alternatives, it would immediately seem that services on Tuesdays and Thursdays in a homogenous fashion. oil is now a thing of the past, and if some countries can’t Morning reflections on Thursdays represent far more than a remove their oil burden then that’s just tough. Oil not only has semantic distinction from School Service on Tuesdays. As its environmental disadvantages, but it causes political strife as Father Nic regularly reminds us, Houses have autonomy to offer well, the Middle East was torn apart by our insatiable appetite a reflection in whatever manner they see fit and are actively for oil. Underdeveloped countries starve as they are unable to encouraged to use poetry, drama, music or other art forms, import the fuel they require to function. Changing to renewables the latter of which Dr Crowe has employed so memorably in wouldn’t change much; less economically-developed countries recent months. While boys in some Houses may still choose would still be unable to afford renewables and might fall into to integrate a Christian hymn, reading from Scripture or other predatory debt traps, only worsening their situation. liturgical elements, this is entirely at their discretion and A solution? Well, the only option that (hopefully) has a arguably suggests that many boys find such language helpful chance of happening is a universal abandonment of oil. I know in articulating their thoughts. It is also noteworthy that, on it sounds ridiculous, but really, if we just woke up one day and Sundays, boys practising or committed to another religion just denounced oil, we would end many world issues right then are able to opt out of Chapel and attend Thought for the Day. and there. But for that to happen, there needs to be a small, Yours sincerely, but steady shaving down of oil’s domination. More hybrid or MEPG electric vehicles; where renewable sources can be used, they should be used; even Mr Burns’ proposition for a thorium GAFFE AND GOWN reactor seems pretty good at this point. By hook or by crook Quips from around the Hill we should do anything possible to reduce our dependence on oil, and one day, when our dependence will be so low, we will “Boys, as I'm sure you can tell, this problem can get very just leave it by the wayside just like we chuck our rubbish at Lionel.” “It can get what, sir?” “Messi. It gets messy.” the side of the road. But would abandoning oil work? Or would we simply be “Boys, what is an adjective?” “Sir, an adjective is a noun.” replacing the current oil rulers with nuclear or renewable rulers? What about coal? Saudi Aramco is set to make a massive IPO, “Sir, is the Scottish pound slightly weaker than the Sterling?” and petrol is still used in my family’s car. With that in mind, I think we still live in an oily age, and the transition to alternatives could quite easily take up a significant portion of our lives. Oil CHESS PUZZLE has become such an integral part of global power that to remove it would be to remove decades of political contention, and that The weekly Chess Puzzle is set by JPBH. Email your solutions would most likely have global repercussions spanning Europe to him to enter the termly competition. Answers are published and beyond. It would be wonderful if we lived in a clean world with next week’s puzzle. with not even a drop of petrol in our cars, but I think oil still has a few years left. The end has yet to come, for oil and for Black to play and mate in 3. us as humans; nothing has survived the entirety of civilisation, and oil should be no exception.

CORRESPONDENCE

Letters to the Editors of The Harrovian

Dear Sirs, The recent letter published in The Harrovian on January 19 highlighted the concern among some boys that Chapel does not make sufficient attempts to accommodate boys of non- Christian faiths or of no religious belief and suggested a mid-week equivalent to Thought for the Day. Commendable in the letter was the temperate nature of the discussion and the balance which the author sought to provide. Such maturity and moderation is often lacking in contemporary political and societal debates and is certainly worthy of praise. Incidentally, this sort of enquiry is often brought to the Chaplaincy Council, which operates with the aim of making improvements to the School’s chaplaincy provision and ensuring that boys feel well supported in their time at Harrow. In response to the letter, however, I would posit that Chapel is in fact a very unifying experience and enables us to celebrate Last week’s solution: 1.…Qxa1 2.Kxa1 2.Rc1++ 3.Kb1 Nxa3# our collective values which are underpinned by the School’s Christian traditions and beliefs. The author’s acknowledgement Fancy playing chess? Drop in to Chess Club – Tuesdays and that the services are not evangelistic supports the thesis that Thursdays 4.30–6pm in Maths Schools 5. All abilities (boy, services allow boys of all faiths and none to converge in reflecting beak or support staff) are welcome! 430 T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019 SUDOKU CHURCHILL ESSAY Persevera per severa per se vera Jack Chen, Rendalls, “Social Media: A Depth-less Interaction”

Sociality is the lifeblood of civilisation; as the unifying medium to all communication, it paves the way for complex creation. In today’s world human interactions are enhanced (perhaps even controlled) by technology. Upon the body of our gregarious people, the invention of social media is like an evolutionary trait: providing us the ability to grow larger social networks with increased speed. But is this truly a forward step? With all creation, there are advantages and disadvantages. On a global scale, social media can change the very essence of communication, perhaps in an increasingly negative—less human—way. Size doesn’t matter. It is widely recognised that larger amounts of social ties contribute to happiness; relative isolation is linked to reduced psychological well-being. In contrast to what social media constantly emphasizes, I believe that this is not always the case. In Jonathan Haidt’s, Happiness Hypothesis, it is stated that only 150 close relationships are possible. Regardless if you have 500 or 3000 friends on Facebook, only 150 of these connections are people you could share moments of intimacy with. Every person out of this range will not ride the bus with you when the limousine breaks down, as the saying goes. So I ask, what is their use? Why does having a web of (superficial) contacts imply a sense of superiority? The answer is function. Personally, I like to imagine this concept as an urban sprawl (the buildings as the people). The installations of a new pool, LINGUISTIC CHALLENGE restaurant, or movie theatre in your living community evokes pride, even though you use these facilities very little. Having The UK Linguistics Olympiad is taking place on Thursday 7 ostentatious recreational options are envied by some. As the February at 4pm in the Butler Centre. Boys from Shell to Upper metaphor implies, the act of embedding oneself into an egocentric Sixth can still enter by getting in touch with HKJ. Entries for sprawl of relationships is almost a status symbol. Knowing many Advanced Level (Sixth Form) have closed. people (in a utilitarian sense) conveys the fecund accessibility Here is a question from a recent paper, with the solution to one has towards possible ventures, whether it be for business, follow next week. fun, romance, etc. Thus, many unhealthy vying attributes to the functional aspect of relationships are introduced; social media platforms are flamboyant mouthpieces for social power. Ilokano People are quantified by social media. Not only is it a source of competition, it comes to define the person. In the adolescent Ilokano is a member of the Austronesian language family, spoken world, first impressions are no longer made face to face. Now by about 10 million people in the Philippines. it is face to screen. People (myself included) meet potential The list below contains Ilokano verb forms and their English friends via online platforms; to get an idea of their personality we translations scroll through posted content. On these profiles (using Instagram 1. dinaldalusanda they were cleaning it as an example), two things are more prominent than the rest: 2. bimmasata we (with you) were reading followers and likes. She has over 300 likes, so she must have lots 3. linablabaanyo you (pl.) were laundering it of friends. She has so many followers; she must be fun. These 4. gimmatingda they were shopping numbers can display the size of one’s social network, but the 5. dinalusanta ida we (with you) cleaned them individuals the numbers embody our equally as significant; the 6. pinukkawyo ida you (pl.) called them people you connect with are the building blocks of your online 7. simmagadkada they were sweeping reputation. It is a sublime fact that a person can be summed 8. pinukpukkawmi ida we (with them) were calling them up by numbers on a phone screen—often incorrectly. Due to 9. ginatgatingta ida we (with you) were buying them the power social media has on one’s image, content is usually 10. pinunaanda they wiped it displayed in a strained counterfeit of idealisation. This births the 11. timmakawta we (with you) were stealing image issue: editing bodily aspects of photos, posting exciting 12. limmabakami we (with them) were laundering events to enthral, (and in extreme cases) buying followers to 13. dimmaluskayo you (pl.) were cleaning paint a fake image of popularity. These platforms force our 14. tinakawmi we (with them) stole it minds to categorize people via statistics before we even meet them, eliminating the human aspect from socialising. While The Challenge contributing to a fraudulent society, it is the heart of stress for Translate into English: many individuals around the world. a. binasayo The sturdy presence of friends can provide strong emotional b. sinagsagadanta support during times of trauma, but online contacts give false c. pimmukkawkami figures. The endurance to stress is buffered by the perceived availability of social support: the buffering hypothesis coined by Translate into Ilokano: Cohen S. and Pressman SD. I believe that social media emphasizes a. they were stealing them the abundance of such an emotional buttress, leading to better b. we (with them) laundered it psychological well-being. In contrast to this theory, I also think c. you (pl.) were wiping internet-based networks worsen isolation. Although an army 431 February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N of Facebook friends imply a strong base of solace, when true ‘yoko tomonage’ with a progression that suited the type of adversity arises, only a small fraction will bother support you throw, allowing us to attempt what is known as a flying arm-bar. in a meaningful way. The realisation towards the true quantity Of course, as this is a high-risk sacrifice throw, we practised of cordial support—a large fall from the perceived level—can ground defence to make sure that the opponent does not get contribute further to the emotional distress suffered from the the chance to attack with a hold down or submission hold. Last present adversity. Providing that nothing negative occurs, the year, the emphasis was based around the ‘ouchi, kouchi gari’ misconception of available consolation will remain unexposed: combination that is classified as ‘Ashi-Waza’ or foot-sweeps. ‘ignorance is bliss’ (phrase coined by Thomas Gray). All it takes Ouchi gari is also one of the original 40 throws (Dai Ikkyo) is one traumatic event to debunk the superficiality and falseness developed by Kano Jigoro. My personal favourite combination of online relationships. For most, this lesson has already been involves faking a large hip throw (such as tai-otoshi or morote learned. To the inexperienced, the pang of inevitable reality is seio nage) and quickly reversing with ouchi gari to throw my kept at bay by a thinning dam. opponent backwards by hopefully catching them off-guard. Acting as the connective tissue between distanced relationships, The tour accommodation was in Club LaSanta – a sports social media can be a tool to maintain closeness. In contrast to resort by the coast with no shortage of Olympic-standard many beliefs, I regard communication via social media as the sporting facilities. With fantastic facilities also came fantastic near-equivalent of face-to-face interaction. Though lacking in food in the form of an all you can eat buffet, served three times intensity (due to the impossibility of touch), the fundamental a day at the Atlantico restaurant. Every meal was packed full aspects of expression remain the same. The exchange of of protein and carbohydrates – bacon and eggs for breakfast informative bundles can be done through something as simple as well as chicken and pasta for lunch. One night included a as text. Though such messaging is impersonal and lacking in barbecue with a wide variety of Spanish meats. intimacy, it must be acknowledged that social technology has adapted to these shortcomings. The addition of body language and eye contact is possible: video calls, snaps, etc. As a real world example, many relationships are saved by platforms like Skype and Facetime—the bridging medium of intimate communication between people in different parts of the world. Growing your popularity, idealising your image, and connecting with other people—such shoal euphoria bears side effects. Obsession. Phone addiction. Social media is a vehicle of opportunity for reaching a social aristocracy. For some, this makes it difficult, eventually impossible, to put down the phone. Although this seems like a disease that plagues only the ostentatious, it is a far greater issue than one realises. Individuals obsessed with image spend hours refining their profiles, trying to increase followers and likes. But this isn’t the only source of addiction. Online platforms—powered by ad revenue— have To start the day, there was a track session that included speed been designed to keep the user scrolling, viewing as many ads and agility work on the ladders, followed by morning aerobics as possible. By keeping track of our likes, these companies by the pool. The team trained for two hours each day before possess the ability to provide waves of suggested content. How lunch with activities in either the morning or the afternoon. This are we to abandon tailor made posts? year also saw the implementation of fitness testing (protested Social media has ensnared us. Like a drug, we are addicted by all) including push-ups, pull-ups, the Illinois agility test and to it—regardless of all the harmful effects. On the positive an 800m run. A second set of testing followed later in the week side, billions of people are all one text away; the world has to measure progress. More on-site activities included tennis, been shrunken as this service fulfils its connective purpose. paddle tennis, mini golf and five-a-side football. Human history has been thoroughly peppered with adversity. However, the team did leave the resort to participate in the Does the fact that we created our greatest threat remove it from highly contested annual go-karting race. While some were more cataclysmal consideration? With billions of users, I am almost tentative at the wheel, others sped past fearlessly. Fortunately, certain that it is too late. We are already too far gone. nobody was harmed in the nine-man race free-for-alls. The results saw Caspar Gurney, Druries, victorious in the ‘heavyweights’ division and Biles, Bradbys, the champion of the ‘lightweights’. JUDO Following this, we travelled to the Biosfera Shopping centre Trip to Lanzarote, December 2018 in the town of Puerto del Carmen to relax by the beach and wander through the markets. Over the Christmas holidays, the judo team travelled to Lanzarote In contrast to last year, this year’s mountain biking trip to to participate in the annual judo tour. This year, there was a “nearby” town called Fumara saw a relatively low popped-tyre record number of boys on the tour, which is good to see ahead count of a mere three and (surprisingly) no injuries! Apart from of the upcoming competitions. It was a great trip for developing the deep sand that we had to walk our bikes through and the techniques and learning interesting new throws, with the seniors undulating path littered with jagged rocks, it was a fairly smooth working on linking combinations as well as an emphasis on 10km to the town. After a short drinks break, we journeyed back transition work from standing to ground fighting. to Club La Santa in time for a well-deserved lunch. The expert MTG and former British Champion Paul Ajala Nonetheless, it was the Wellness Centre sessions that, in led the sessions, with MPS providing a tough opposition for typical Harrovian form, were most actively attended. From the the stronger seniors. The sessions targeted specific ground plunge pool to the hot tub, a countless number of collective work transitions that had been identified as a weakness in our hours were spent indoors soaking in the water, despite the team. In preparation for the tournaments this term, this was a ominous presence of built Scandinavian bodybuilders. vital area of judo that had to be improved. In addition to this, We were very fortunate, purely through chance, to meet an effective strangulation submission hold technique (Jigoku Linford Christie (100m gold medallist at the 1992 Barcelona jime) was practised throughout the week. Each year features Olympic Games) while in Club LaSanta and to take the annual a theme that is incorporated into the judo training sessions. tour photo with him on the bridge over the main pool. Previously, we had learned variations of ‘tomenage’ and Looking to the term ahead, we will want to gain as much 432 T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019 experience as possible before the IAPS tournament, which Enough of the PU, what about Aylesbury? After the great APP we have won for the past five years, and the British Schools ploy it was, of course, plain sailing for them. Without The tournament where we hope to regain our title as national Sodi (The Last of his Species (LOS) who took the week off champions. This is a very important term for judo and should to celebrate grandmother’s 90th birthday in USA), it was a you wish to join, training takes place in the old squash courts good chance for the team to practise their reactions to defeat. from 9–10pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We had been training for inevitable defeat all week, with an emphasis on RRS (Relaxed Resignation Syndrome). Once the team knows it is going to lose it is quite easy to handle it well. SQUASH Santini was the big surprise. Normally he is a good example of Santini Syndrome (SS), which is sad dejection and total The School v Aylesbury (away), 17 January acceptance of the futility of further effort. However, despite being brushed aside by his opponent, he somehow managed 1st V Lost 0-5 to persuade himself that he could have won. Thus he bypassed DD Shortt, Newlands, Lost 0-3 the RRS phase and threatened to become a PRAT (Petulant KH Jafree, Elmfield, Lost 0-3 Reaction Attitude Type). TC Santini, The Park, Lost 0-3 Santini: (looking agitated) Sir, did you see him at 7-all in the SWS Sebag-Montifiore, The Knoll, Lost 0-3 third game? He caught the ball, thought it had burst. Surely, that HGT Wilson, Elmfield, Lost 0-3 should be my point? That was a crucial point. Is that my point? Coach: I would need to see the incident. Santini: I could have gone on to win. Juniors Lost 1-7 Coach: Really? WTC Sotir, Druries, Lost 1-3 Santini: (thinks for a few moments) Actually, probably not. HAX Sie, Newlands, Lost 0-3 In the nick of time Santini has found his way back into the I Qureshi, The Park, Lost 0-3 real world and thank goodness for that. For a moment he was HC Oelhafen, Lyon’s, Lost 0-3 becoming a PRAT but dragged himself back to a RRS reaction. APC Gupte, West Acre, Lost 0-3 The last thing we want to see is Santini thinking that he could GC Black, West Acre, Lost 0-3 have beaten people. That would of course open him up to CR O’Flaherty, The Head Master’s, Won 3-0 years of misery. ALO Du Roy De Blicquy, Elmfield, Lost 2-3 In the absence of LOS, Shortt had to confront the nationally ranked Aylesbury number 1. He ran around a bit and was seen As is the custom, Harrow maintained a tight formation in to participate in some rallies before losing comfortably. Shortt their perilous journey through the Aylesbury Playground and in has been prone recently to slipping into the SS and this defeat the narrow, windy corridors between the school buildings. It is didn’t help, despite its utter inevitability. A typical recent a truly intimidating rite of passage. When Harrow come to play, response goes like this. the whole school are employed to deliver a barrage of words, Coach: Not at your best today. gestures and physical contact in order to unhinge the visitors. Declan: After all these years you’d think I might have got better. Last year Alan Huo, sporting a bow tie and a pink cardigan, Coach: It might have helped if you hadn’t eaten a pile of was almost lynched. Small Shells who stray from the pack may spaghetti an hour ago. be picked off and disembowelled under a tree. It was for this Shortt’s preparation for matches and training has often been reason that we left the Psychiatric Unit (PU) at home. They are found wanting and there is a close correlation between his gibbering wrecks as a normal matter of course, so a dose of sluggishness on court and the amount of curry and pudding the Aylesbury Playground could well be enough to send them he consumed at lunch. At least with SS there is little chance over the edge. This year, the massed hordes added a new and of a state of Enhanced Self-Esteem (ESE) developing in the effective element to their repertoire; they stood to attention and patient. We will continue to monitor him in an attempt to ease broke into a sneering and sarcastic burst of applause. him up to RRS. After getting through the worst, we had a quick body count. Sebag, promoted to the 1st team in the absence of LOS No-one was lost on this occasion but a few were badly shaken. and Gibbons (poor excuse of a Princeton interview; no family This could work at Harrow. We could get the School to line birthday involved), was on court for such a short time that Bill Yard and the 100 Steps to jeer at Eton as they descend nobody saw him play at all. We only have his word for the to the Airfix and Ice Domes. It should be called the APP, the fact that he took part. He says he scored three points in total, Aylesbury Playground Policy. which sounds about right. So well prepared was he for defeat The PU were still recovering from the 6-0 mauling by that he took it cheerfully. However, he was unfortunate in Wellington the week before. Sebag Montifiore’s claim to be playing what seemed to be a 31-year-old. He had a beard the Only Fifth Former Playing Squash (OFFPS) is under threat and, on arrival, it was assumed that he was a coach. And because a certain Efemuai has been spotted lurking in the this is where Aylesbury once again gained the psychological shadows in recent days. He even got as far as getting on court advantage; while the juniors were pitted against a pygmy race in a slack moment but was quickly chased away as part of the of nine-year-olds, Sebag played an adult. The 22-year range Scorched Earth Policy (SEP) described in earlier reports. Sebag in ages of the Aylesbury players made it feel like a fathers and broke all records in losing to Wellington because he managed, at sons tournament. Playing against nine-year-olds is a no-win various points in the day, to deliver eight excuses. Some of these situation. If you lose, as most did, it can be humiliating. If you are Pre-Match Excuses (PME), others are actually announced win, you have only beaten a pygmy, which is to be expected. During the Match (DME), while others are Post-Match Excuses Either way you go home feeling deflated. (PSME). Boys tend to specialise in one of these as a rule but The total match score of 12 defeats and one win (because Sebag manages to squeeze in all three in an average afternoon. O’Flaherty accidently played against their lowest-ranked pygmy) Witness these classic DME excuses between the first and second was shrugged off as inevitable. We were mentally prepared game against Wellington. for this scenario. We took the positives out of the day, which Coach: What do you think you need to do? were as follows; 1) Gupte turned up, 2) There were chocolate Sebag: It’s my hair, it’s so annoying…. cookies, 3) No losses of personnel in the Aylesbury Playground, Coach: What about tactically? 4) We retained a realistic opinion of our ability. So, all in all, Sebag: And he’s really smelly…... not a bad day. 433 February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N FIVES BADMINTON The School v Shrewsbury School, 20 January The School v Charterhouse, 24 January

Senior, Lost 2-1 Open – 1st, Won 8-0 Both first and second pairs lost in closely fought contests. However the third pair of Jake Sheperd, West Acre and Fred Prickett, The Park, played very positively to win their match 3-0. They both played with sensible aggression and proved to strong in the end for their slightly dispirited opponents. BASKETBALL The School v Eton College, 24 January Colts, Won 1-0 A new pairing of Jonathan Barley and Conor Cushley, both Senior, Won 61-51 The Grove, at first pair following on from their House victory Boys-Under 16A, Won 55-36 last term saw off a determined Shrewsbury pair. It took a while for them to settle in but once they worked out their opponents they dominated a played some strong fives to earn a well- deserved victory FENCING Bouts v Abingdon School, 24 January Junior Colts, Lost 0-4 With Jonathan Barley, The Grove, and Phoenix Ashworth, Open, Lost 0-3 The Head Master’s, not available for the JCAs, it was always Foil A: lost 45-20 going to tricky for the others stepping up. Although we Foil B: lost 45-23 lost overall, there were some spirited Harrow performances Epee: lost 45-25 from John Richardson, Elmfield, and Nathan Shepard, The Park, in particular, along with Alonso Fontana, The Grove, and Adam Mohd, Lyon’s, who were playing up a year. HOCKEY Yearlings, Won 1-0 The School v The John Lyon School, 24 January Casper Stone, The Park and Leo Gordon Pullar, Newlands, played extremely well to win 3-0. It was encouraging to see the boys play with intelligence and this bodes well for future Junior Colts B v John Lyon School Under-15A, Won 4-1 matches ahead. The team played well in a deserved victory against the John Lyon A team, with some excellent performances. Charlie Digges, West Acre, Angus Labrum, The Head Master’s, and Charlie De La Billiere, The Grove, brought organisation to the defence. There were some excellent attacking performances as well, with George FOOTBALL Leigh, Elmfield, and Rafe Hogben, Newlands, providing some The School v William Perkin, 22 January excellent crosses. Sam Owston, Moretons, produced a fantastic hat-trick, courtesy of three assists from Joe McGuinness, The Yearlings A, Won 5-2 Park. Charlie Ball, The Grove, also produced some fine saves.

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