Word on the Street May 2014 Corrected for Print

Summer Sporting Success At Gateway How Gateway succeeded in sport and how our students are helping others to do the same Gateway Alumni: Aakash Odedra The ex-Gateway student, turned international dancing sensation Battle of the Bands Gateway musicians bring the noise Dragons’ Den Gateway win county business competition ucas Hayward ucas L akash Odedra - A International Dancer 02 Summer Sporting Success At Gateway 03 Shanez Pattni in the spotlight ontents 04 Foundation Learning Courses C Welcome to Word on the Street Welcome to the fifth edition of ‘Word on 05 the Street’, the magazine created by Gateway students which keeps you up to Battle of the Bands date each term about life at Gateway Sixth Form College. Thank you to the students who have contributed articles at this busy time, including Shanez Pattni and Tierney 06 Cotton and, as always, a special thank you to Tim Jones, Teacher of English at Dragons’ Den and Alumni Feature Gateway for keeping the Word on the Street ship and crew on course. The beautiful artwork for the magazine has been created by student Lucas Hayward. If you would like to comment on what you have read or make a contribution to the next edition please email me at [email protected]. You can read this and the previous editions of the magazine on the Gateway College website: www.gateway.ac.uk. Happy reading, Until next time, Jade Contributors: Gateway Marketing and Promotions Officer Shanez Pattni Tierney Cotton Summer Sporting Successes at Gateway The summer term has been a flurry of great day, with all students taking part and sporting activity with Gateway College having fun and of course it was great to students winning the County Further hold onto our title for another year.” Education Sports Varsity title for a second year and BTEC Sports students organising a Following their success at the Varsity Sports ‘healthy living’ event for young people. Festival, ten BTEC Sport Diploma students from Gateway College organised a The Leicester Sports Varsity Festival took ‘Change 4 Life’ event for over 120 local place on 30th April 2014 at the University of school children from Stokeswood Primary Leicester with over 240 students from School, Mayflower Primary School and St Gateway College, Regent College, Barnabas Primary School on 2nd May 2014 in Leicester College and Wyggeston and partnership with the Leicester City School Queen Elizabeth I College taking part. Sport Partnership. Events included Rugby, Cricket, Volleyball, male 5-a-side football, female 5-a-side The event was opened by The Right football, table tennis, female badminton, Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Leicester, male badminton, female basketball and Councillor Mustafa Kamal at Aylestone male basketball. Leisure Centre and aimed to encourage year 3 and 4 children aged from 6 to 8 years Chand Mistry, who is studying BTEC Sport old to learn about healthy living and and Business at Gateway College said, “It nutrition in a fun and interactive way. was a really fun day, I enjoyed seeing my friends from other colleges and competing The event was organised by Basid Ali, Pak against them. I got to watch and try other Chingombe, Kudzai Matondo, Elliot sports I haven’t done before, which was Sentence, Jorge Loseby, Ace Haji, Mahim fun.” Dagia, Kyle Syrett, Sydney Palmer, Kyle Mistry as part of their BTEC Sports Zie Vuma, who is studying BTEC Sport Fitness qualification. Instructing and BTEC Forensic Science added, “I got to try wheelchair basketball Sydney Palmer, one of the students who which was really difficult.” helped to organise the event said, “We taught the young people about nutrition Jonathan Dick, Sports Maker at Gateway and having a balanced diet so that the kids College said, “This event is the highlight of can have the knowledge of what food can our sports calendar where we are able to do to them if they eat fatty food all the time”. take a large group of our students as a reward for their commitment and enthusiasm throughout the year. We had a 02 ShanezPattni In the spotlight If someone asked me four years ago the same boat as me and we became what I wanted to do as a career, I a family that supported one another, would have said, like most 14 year olds, regardless of the situation. My natural ‘Ermmmm’. However, since studying at specialism in dance is ‘Street Dance’. Gateway, my career paths have never That was all I knew until I started my been clearer! I knew from the first training here, but the Level Three course performing arts lesson that I belong is all about matching training and with that department and that would technique to natural ability, and with be my passion and my career goal. commitment you can learn fast. For Now, when people ask me what I want example, I had never danced in tap to be, I say ‘an actress’ or ‘a dancer’ shoes until the beginning of last year, without a moment’s thought. Of and I received a Distinction for my first course they then go on to say, ‘There assessment! aren’t many jobs out there, have you Although I have performed in many got a back-up?’ but with good A-level events in Leicester, the showcases at grades in English Literature and Law, Gateway have always been especially the college has ensured that I have. memorable. All of them have been After all, you need a back-up for equally important to me, as they absolutely everything you do in life. symbolise the blood, sweat, and tears Believe it or not, I had my first ever that we all put in. However, for Dance, dance lesson here, at the age of the Christmas Dance Showcase was the sixteen, and it was nothing like I best show I have ever performed in, and, expected. In my head, I saw stuck up in all honesty, the best Gateway has dancers and strict teachers. It was the ever produced. Our dance teachers – complete opposite! Everyone was in Stacey and Kelly – worked extremely hard to organise the event, and with our commitment, it was a huge success! In Performing Arts my training in acting technique has been in step with my progress in dance. The Acting course is comparable in the sense that it stretches you to achieve high standards of performance in a wide variety of different performance styles. In our most recent show, ‘The Comedy Showcase’, I performed my first ever stand-up! I was scared to do something where I’d be so exposed on my own, but it turned out to be one of my proudest achievements. I thought no-one would understand my jokes, but it turns out that everyone has embarrassing parents, not just me! Shanez Pattni is studying BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Dance, and BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Musical 03 Theatre. Hospitality. This opportunity has again resulted from the college’s connection with Foundation the local Tesco. Larry enjoys cooking and prepares his speciality pizzas, thai curries, Learning and chocolate brownies for Tesco staff on Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as getting involved in food preparation, kitchen Courses organisation, and setting out tables. Larry and other Hospitality students, like his friend at Gateway build confidence and foster Kobe Griffin, are entering the current Jamie skills that will lead to job opportunities when Oliver competition for preparing a dinner it is time to move on from college. In search party. of further information on the wide variety of Tony was the last to arrive at our meeting, as available courses, I interviewed four young he was busy working in the flourishing men in their third year of study here: Aiden Gateway garden and couldn’t leave his McLeavy, Dominik Handzus, Larry Simon, responsibilities untended for too long. Tony and Tony Lord. has ‘been green-fingered for years’. Three I was immediately struck by the enthusiasm years ago he began a Level one course in and commitment each of the students Horticulture, and now, like his three friends, displayed for the route they have followed he is a trainee on a Work Taster programme. since they started at Gateway. Although He works in the college garden every day, their career intentions are very different, nurturing apple trees, pear trees, and a they share a passionate belief in variety of greenhouse and root vegetables progression as the key to achievement in that between them have produced crops life. sizeable enough to be part of the college They agree that work is there to be enjoyed canteen’s daily menu. Tony also spoke when education has developed the enthusiastically about the ‘Hamilton in appropriate vocational skills. Bloom’ competition that the college is Aiden was an Entry Level three student entering this summer. Horticulture can be when he began his studies at Gateway. exhilarating and competitive as well as Now he has progressed to Level one healthy and relaxing. courses in Employability, Financial Management, and Personal and Social Development, while taking advantage of a Work Taster Option which has provided him with work experience at the local Tesco. Aiden has developed skills in packing, shelving, rumbling (this had to be explained to me), and security tagging, and is keeping a portfolio on the experience which will lead to a qualification. Dominik has always loved sport, especially football and basketball, but he also enjoys helping young people learn. Three years ago he began a Level 1 qualification in Sport and Leisure. Now, as a member of the college’s Sports Leadership Academy, he helps out at local primary schools involved in ‘Challenge for Life’, and is a Progress Coach in Sport for Entry Level students at Gateway.

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