The annual College magazine first came out in 1873 and has been a printed record of College life ever since. Largely designed and edited by a team of boys, it contains all the latest news and views.
Staff editor Jo Akrill Student editors Henry Gooderham Alexandros Hall Student team Rufus Angel, Elliot Coulson, Rhydian Evans, Alex Gerasimchuk, Peter Heller, Aristou Meehan, Wilf Patten, Calum Skinner and Eddie Wesson Student photographer Dorian Todd-Miller Assistant staff editors Nina Firkin and Elliot Read Staff section editors Art: Mary Jo Doherty and Georgia Mackie Drama: Kathryn Norton-Smith Music: Lesley Larkum Sport: Jimmy Davies Valete: Jack Seymour Photography The Alleynian features photographs by students, staff and professional photographers. We would like to thank all those whose photographs appear in this edition. The Drama section includes images by Nick Wright ( Wonderland ) , Fred Robb OA ( Finding the Folio and Upper School House Drama) Leah Taylor ( The Odyssey ), Eva Kraljevic, and Eddie Loodmer-Elliott. Cover image: Chromophobia , Charlie Wood (Yr 13) Design and layout Paula Larsson Proof-reader and subeditor Frances Button Printing Empress Litho The Alleynian team would like to thank everyone who made putting together this year’s edition so enjoyable and rewarding. Special thanks go to Joseph Spence, Fiona Angel, Jane Scott, Natalie Harzic, Deborah Field and Calista Lucy, and we would also wish to acknowledge the support of staff and students throughout the College who have contributed text and images to this Alleynian , or answered what might, at times, have felt like an unending barrage of queries and requests. Thank you for your hard work, patience and good humour!
Alleynian the CHANGE AND CONTINUITY
EDITORS’ INTRODUCTION Whether you are a parent, a pupil, a member of staff, or simply a reader showing an interest in the College, welcome to the 712th edition of the Alleynian . This issue’s dual theme, ‘Change and Continuity’, has been chosen with our current circumstances in mind. We live in a world of constant and rapid change. The articles written by our talented team of student writers reflect both on this and also on our human need for continuity, whether that be within society or in the environment around us. From the ongoing growth of AI to the changing role played by social
the ways in which language is ever-evolving, we hope that you will find, in the pages which follow, plenty of pieces to delight, inform and challenge you. We sometimes feel obligated to keep pace with our hyperconnected and ever-changing world when making decisions. However, it is important to take time to balance the old and the new. We reflect on this within our own walls with an article on the changes and continuity brought to the College by two of its most significant former Masters; with a piece on the new Lower School Library building; and with an interview focusing on changing attitudes to gender. While some of us in the College community prefer continuity to change, others are drawn to the challenge of the new. Yet, rather than adopting a completely reactionary or revision- ist stance, surely the optimal choice is to take the more nuanced path, achieving a synthesis between the school’s traditional approach (what former Master Gilkes perhaps meant when he referred to its ‘soul’) and a more contem- porary outlook. Following on from the opinion pieces, the interviews and the features of the opening section, you will find a range of thoughtful creative writing and extraordinary artwork by students. After this comes the magazine of record part of the publication, covering a huge range of activities undertaken this academic year, from the Singapore Olympiad to the sports, societies, concerts, plays and other undertakings which give life at the College its richness. Editing the Alleynian is a complex business. As well as continuing to honour the legacy of a magazine which has been through many changes since its first iteration in Feb- ruary 1873, this edition, number 712, seeks to look to the future, as well as celebrating the past. We hope that you enjoy the results of our efforts! Henry Gooderham and Alexandros Hall (Year 12) Alleynian student editors
media in the ways in which we receive our news, and from the simple delights of wildflowers and birdsong to
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HERBAL HEALING in the meadow of dill A herbal garden designed for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is to be given a second home at the College. It is, says Rhydian Evans (Year 12), just one reminder of the many significant and healing connections between human beings and the plants whose roots can be found deep in our culture
A s I cycle up College Road each morning, through the canopy of the horse chestnut trees I can glimpse an oasis of land surrounding the orange-red neogothic frontage. In these grounds, there’s a memory of some older place – of a small hamlet, the Anglo-Saxons’ Dilwysshe. A name is an excellent clue to follow when looking to understand a place’s former ecosystem, and the ‘wysshe’ or ‘wisca’ (meadow) of ‘dil’ or ‘dul’ (the herb dill, which traces its origins to the Middle East) is no exception: when we say ‘Dulwich’ we are really saying ‘Dill Meadow’, linguistically transmuted through time. While dill does still grow on the lofty bank of Grange Lane, a nationwide purge has taken place that has left the Anglo-Saxons’ ‘wysshes’ unrecognisable. Through the industrialisation of agriculture and its impact on ecosystems, the ways in which our food is produced and our localities look have utterly changed. One of the most distressing changes is that 98% of this nation’s wild- flower meadows have been lost. The reds, yellows and blues of wildflowers have been replaced with suppos- edly pragmatic monocultures, often comprising just one species of grass, and justified via the inherently exploit- ative narrative of the land being made more productive. Monoculture, I would argue, is as unnatural and barren as desertification. Yet our narratives manage to normal- ise the processes and their outcomes. Did you know, for example, that the artificial fertilisation of cattle causes them to produce abnormal, fluid excrements which lead to parasites and the spread of disease? And yet these are normalised as ‘cow pats’, when in reality they are the sign of a dysfunctional ecosystem and a lack of its – I stress natural – self-regulation.
To return to a more positive, local narrative, what is now seeping up from the depths of the College’s very soil is a concept which is forward-thinking yet inspired by the past; a change which is actually a return to something old- er; an ingenious yet simple set of ideas. In November, for an Eco Week film I put together with Ms Mackie, I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Purnell, who heads up the College’s team of 14 ground staff, and who has worked at the school for 34 years. Paul talks passionately about the changes he has made, first to the functional playing fields, then to the wayside margins, which now nurture a growing crescendo of wildflowers. In striving to ‘feed the soil, rather than just the plants’, he realised that expensive fertilisers and fungicides were not actually nourishing the soil ecosystem. Ten years down the line, he is replacing artificial products with natural ones, such as garlic, which not only saves money, but also creates healthier plants. During Covid, just as more people started walking along the periphery of the College, Paul’s wildflower initiative
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Certified gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a beau- tiful and purposeful botanical garden is about to be welcomed onto the College’s grounds. Designed by Helen Olney, the garden was the brainchild of Old Alleynian Pro- fessor Chris Griffiths OBE and Dr Su Lwin, joint founders of the Burma Skincare Initiative (BSI). The hope is that it will help to raise awareness of the charity, which provides resources, research and education in the field of dermato- logical health in the Southeast Asian nation of Burma (also known as Myanmar). The garden includes native Burmese plants such as the Athryium fern, the waterlily known as ‘kya’ in Burma, the intricately textured snakebark maple and the Himalayan birch. The many plants within the garden have been chosen to pay respect to those people, with often treatable skin conditions, whom the charity strives to help. Non-botanical flourishes in the seven by twelve-metre plot include a ‘stupa’ (a traditional Burmese site of worship and meditation); seating inspired by a Bur- mese letter meaning ‘coming together’; and, above the lily pond, a house on stilts. All of the plants in the garden grow in both Burma and the UK – and they include dill, Dulwich’s namesake herb, reminding us of the habitat which would have surrounded us had we lived here around a millennium ago. We have come full circle, with the BSI’s dill and the cornflower providing tangible living links to Saxon age Dulwich and to Edward Alleyn himself, with their very roots in the Col- lege’s soil. ◉
was coming into full force, and with the simultaneous sowing of annuals, perennials and biennials, the balance of flowers has taken on a different timbre every year as different species bloom in sequence. Even within grass- es, Paul has sought out old-fashioned varieties such as crested dogstail or sweet fennel, resisting monoculture in favour of plants which are more soil-suitable and – in the case of the latter – good for pollinators, especially hoverflies. The flowers themselves appear in waves, the first ones to arrive being poppies, corncockles and cornflowers, with their papery, pastel-blue petals. Paul reminded me that the cornflower is the College’s emblem: it was Edward Alleyn’s favourite flower, and on the very first Founder’s Day in June 1620 (a year after the College’s founding) he started a tradition – carried on up to the present day – of wearing them to the event. The cornflower also appears in the work of Raymond Chandler OA. It seems only fitting that a plant so steeped in Alleynian history itself should now, thanks to Paul and his team, proliferate on our grounds. You can find moths, bees, damselflies and even the Darter dragonfly, as well as edible plants such as hedge garlic, now appearing on the grounds. This shows the diverse impacts which even small changes can have, and which can be seen throughout the ecosystem, such as birds finding food in seedheads left un-mowed. But Paul’s plans do not stop here: he hopes to add a ‘but- terfly section’ to the ‘herbaceous walkway’ which is already providing human benefits. It really is a lesson in ‘rethinking and re-educating ourselves’, as Paul puts it, and he and his team are – figuratively as well as literally – path-finders.
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THE SUSTAINABLE STUDENTS’ STRUGGLE
Henry Gooderham (Year 12) considers the choices we all face as the climate crisis gathers speed
I am not sustainable. To be sustainable – to go by the United Nations’ definition – I must ‘meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. Although this might sound vague, what is certain is that, while my 10,000- mile plane trip from London to Brisbane last Christmas might be considered to be an ‘eco- sin ’, the UN does not deem my action to be criminal . In contrast, those who are choosing to take increasingly extreme climate action are deemed by the law to be criminals, and this generates a difficult paradox for today’s youth, who face the task of changing 21st-century civilisation without angering the very generation who built it. While my 10,000-mile plane trip from London to Brisbane last Christmas might be considered to be an ‘eco- sin ’, the UN does not deem my action to be criminal Making an impact as an individual student can be difficult, given the need to travel, the pressures on our time, and the understandable desire for fun, all creating the paving of a not-so-green brick road for teenagers. Our very own Year 6 deforestation project teaches Junior School stu- dents the need to save food, game less and cycle more. But whether it is finishing the garlic chicken on a Wednes- day, Week Three, or opposing a family plane trip to the Alps for Christmas, we all find ourselves facing decisions on a weekly, or even daily, basis, and while these are obviously first world problems, it has to be admitted that for most people it simply isn’t enjoyable to go ‘Full Greta’ and to divest yourself of life’s luxuries whilst disrupting the lives of others.
So what should we be doing, given what we know is happening to our planet? If the world is ending, you forget about life’s luxuries, right? The question now facing young people seems to be: ‘Is it time to break the law?’ This question also serves as the title of television presenter Chris Packham’s recent eco-documentary in which he grapples with the worryingly sound ethical logic of the environmentalist group, Just Stop Oil. Packham, in discussion with the government’s climate change commit- tee chair, John Gummer, proclaims that the UK should be ‘on a war footing’ against climate change. Packham is bewildered by the government’s current toddler squab- ble approach, his documentary shedding light on why so many people feel obliged to carry out the group’s activ- ities, branded by others as extremism. Of the five pre- dicted scenarios in the UN’s most recent climate report, not one shows a temperature rise below the 1.5 degrees Celsius pledged in the Paris Conference of 2015, and on this basis, Packham concludes, it is in fact time to break the law for climate action. Given the range of different messages, it is very hard for today’s younger generation to choose a particular stance, and the diverse range of opinions continues to act against a unified worldwide stance on climate change. One thing we can do, without having to decide whether to break the law, is to utilise our power as consumers to demand the creation of a more sustainable market. As a large consumer of energy and food, the College, with the help of Sustainability Lead, Katy Millis, has become one of the few schools mapping and recording its own carbon footprint. This allows us as a school to identify our own carbon inefficiencies and to make changes or cuts where necessary. A global example of the power of market
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Of the five predicted scenarios in the UN’s most recent climate report, not one shows a temperature rise below the 1.5 degrees Celsius pledged in the Paris Conference of 2015
forces to promote sustainability is the rise of the reusable water bottle market. For example, Stanley Cups’ market value rose from US$74 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, admittedly with the aid of seven billion (and count- ing) TikTok video views. Of course, in order for change to occur on the required scale, we need consumers increasingly to act according to ethical motives, accepting the financial impact when they buy relatively more expensive sustainable products, until (we must hope) firms produce cheaper ones. Many producers and consumers, however, remain selfish, continuing to act according to self-interest. Nonetheless, social media and popularity trends can affect consumer spending, promoting the purchase of more expensive sustainable products such as Stanley cups, creating demand for more sustainable products and therefore helping the sustainable market to grow, as new firms recognise the potential profits. Sustainability, and how to achieve it, is an ongoing co- nundrum for every one of us. We live in a world where we are faced with the choice of taking what some would refer to as ‘extreme’ climate action, through which we risk criminalisation, or of relying on our power as consumers to support sustainability in the market. Quite how peacefully we can live with our decisions from day to day is something which only each of us can, individu- ally, judge. ◉
Artwork by Henry Yang (Year 12)
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NO GODS – ONLY MASTERS
Alexandros Hall (Year 12) looks back at two highly regarded former Masters of the College, Alfred Carver and Arthur Gilkes, exploring the ways in which they influenced the school in their own times and beyond
U pon exploring the Dulwich College website, you will see numerous references to the ‘values’ of the College, a concept familiar to most students. While we know what these values are nowadays, what were they like in the past, and how did they change under the College’s different Masters? In attempting to answer this question, we might helpfully look at the ideas and legacies of two of Dulwich’s most influential Victorian and Edwardian principals, the Reverend Alfred Carver and Arthur Gilkes, both of whose names will be familiar to Dulwich residents, thanks to places named after them in the Dulwich and Herne Hill areas. Alfred Carver (Master from 1858 to 1883) was appointed to Dulwich following the dissolution of the Old Foundation in 1857, upon which Edward Alleyn’s charity was reorgan- ised into separate educational and welfare sections. Carv- er oversaw the construction of the New College, on the present-day site, between 1866 and 1870 and, by the end of his tenure, had helped to transform Dulwich into one of England’s foremost public schools. His role at the helm of the College’s new incarnation earned him the moniker of Dulwich’s ‘Second Founder’.
first to see that the old training of the Public Schools was ‘inadequate to the requirements of this rapidly changing world’. Carver’s focus on providing students with a holis- tic education is also demonstrated by his endorsement of co-curricular activities: the Debating and Science societies were founded under Carver’s tenure and they developed into popular student organisations. Carver also intro- duced the daily use of the Lecture Hall for the teaching of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering. Additionally, he enabled students to meet with selected inhabitants of the local area, in what might be seen as a precursor of today’s much-attended networking events.
Carver promoted a broad and bold curriculum
Throughout his time as Master, Carver promoted a broad and bold curriculum. Within his very first syllabus at Dulwich, he included the study of Modern Languages and Natural Sciences, unorthodox subjects at the time due to xenophobia and the deeply ingrained presence of Classics in English public schools. Indeed, Dr Carver was referred to, in an 1891 School World article, as being one of the
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However, Carver’s system was not universally approved. Critics of his syllabus claimed there were ‘very important omissions’ in the curriculum, and parents complained of unreasonable amounts of homework being issued; boys
education, distinguishing it from many contemporary schools. Despite this, some argue that Carver’s personal shortcomings seem to have meant that his passion for the College was most successfully channelled in promoting its
were expected to complete three to four hours of work per day. Carver’s direction was found to be lacking in other respects. For example, he was notoriously autocrat- ic, neglecting to hold staff meetings, and communicating with his Assistant Masters by letter. Additionally, Carver
organisational reform, rather than in enabling the develop- ment of its students. Arthur Gilkes was appoint- ed two years after Carver’s retirement, and the period under his tenure came to be known as the school’s ‘Gold- en Age’. Gilkes is credited
Gilkes deemed contemporary art to be ‘decadent’, withdrawing much of the support Carver had allocated to the Art Department
with breaking away from Carver’s laxity and enforcing a keen sense of individualism and virtue. During this period, the College sent a high number of Alleynians on to suc- cessful careers in many branches of society, such as law, medicine, and the civil service. The new Master was a loyal adherent to Thomas Arnold of Rugby School’s principles for public schoolboys: strong Christian principles first, gentlemanly conduct second, and intellectual development third. In keeping with this, Gilkes championed personal discipline and independ- ence. To this end, the Master often delegated parts of the College’s administration to boys, ensuring that the
participated in great rivalries with those who thought dif- ferently from him, the most famous example of this being his resistance to the Governors’ pressures to restructure the College and to divert its funding elsewhere. Finally, by the end of his tenure, even some pupils believed that discipline was too lax at the school, and that Carver had ‘lost his firmness of hand’. In sum, the College under Carver was an institution which, above all, concentrated on helping students find their own passions by offering them many options. Further- more, Carver transformed Dulwich into an institution that embraced the more modern ideas emerging within
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student-run Field Sports Committee organised all sport- ing arrangements and, in 1892, creating a prefect body of 24 positions. These prefects would be made to read Gilkes an essay once a week in the Masters’ Library, again demonstrating his dedication to boys’ individual self- assurance. These efforts bore fruit, with Dulwich students being described as the ‘Yankees of the public schools’ in a 1903 magazine article, conveying their reputation for self-confidence.
boys playing women’s roles. Additionally, he famously announced that he would ‘rather see a Prefect dead than hear him swear’, and detested abbreviations such as ‘exam’. The Master also banned lawn tennis and frowned upon performances of Chopin, as these activities appar- ently focused too much on the individual, which seems odd, given his focus on individual efforts and self-reliance in other fields. Finally, Gilkes deemed contemporary art to be ‘decadent’, withdrawing much of the support Carver had allocated to the Art Department. While some of his views may certainly be judged harshly from a modern perspective, Gilkes’s complete focus on and support of the students of Dulwich is indisputable. He made sure to speak to every pupil individually and would, from time to time, take over classes without warning. The Master helped to shape Dulwich’s ‘soul’, kicking off the College’s tradition of independence and confidence amongst its student body. ◉
Gilkes championed personal discipline and independence
Nevertheless, Gilkes’s muscular Christianity and Victorian attitude comprised some less endearing characteristics. For example, the Master put an end to Carver’s tradition of a school play, citing three main reasons: it was a waste of time, reading reviews made actors puffed up, and (per- haps suggesting an attitude of misogyny) Gilkes disliked
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Eddie Wesson (Year 12), a regular customer at Upper School café, Ned’s Place, and a trained barista, delves into the history and social significance of coffee BREWING UP A STORM
I magine a world without it. Not the nicest idea for many – the absence of that rich aroma of a freshly brewed coffee in the morning, the 3am study session without a black coffee at your side, the daily commute lacking a latte. Coffee – and caffeine more broadly – forms an integral part of our day-to-day lives, and has shaped our society into the productive workforce it is today. Productivity is at the heart of the history of our coffee habit, as demonstrated by the key legal case of the United States vs Phil Greinetz (1955). Greinetz, who owned a Denver tie company, introduced mandatory coffee breaks for his workers, not out of the kindness of his heart, but
because he had identified that caffeinated workers are productive workers. Studies done since then have proved his hypothesis to be correct, showing that caffeine con- sumption improves alertness, vigilance, reaction time and attention. It’s a drug that improves performance across the board (literally, in the case of chess). Due to this, the court ruled, in the Greinetz case, that employers must compensate workers for their breaks, since their busi- nesses benefit from increased productivity and output as a result of those mandatory coffee breaks. The discovery of coffee can be traced back to Ethiopia in 850 AD. According to tradition, a herder noticed that his goats became jumpy after eating the berries of an Arabica plant (caffeine jitters, anyone?). He then gave the berries to a local monk, who used them to make the world’s first cup of coffee. The monks found that the drink helped keep them alert during long hours of prayer. Still used today, Arabica beans are now the world’s most popular bean; they and their sub-varieties make up nearly 60% of all coffee beans grown worldwide. The name dates back to the 7th century, in a nod to their production on the Arabian Peninsula (modern-day Saudi Arabia and Yemen). Arabica beans have a distinctive sweet and nutty fla- vour, as opposed to the bitter and earthy flavour of their main rival, Robusta beans, which make up around 40% of worldwide exports. Here at the College, Ned’s Place uses Arabica beans provided by Change Please, a charity combatting homelessness by training homeless people to be baristas and providing them with support. At the time of writing, Ned’s Place uses Adventurous beans, which have hints of buttery vanilla, hazelnut and caramel, with a milk chocolate finish.
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and also find out about the latest intellectual knowledge and participate in debates and discussions. (It could be said that coffee has ‘bean’ the grounds of many a heated and strong discussion!) How does Ned’s compare, then? According to Rachel Price, most students and staff visit our very own Penny University for a pick-me-up, espe- cially in the morning, and in addition, some departments use it as a relaxed meeting space. Many British institutions can trace their roots back to cof- feehouses, including the London Stock Exchange, Lloyds of London, and Sotheby’s and Christie’s. King Charles II tried to ban coffeehouses in 1675, fearing that they could be used to help people plan treason – although that wasn’t the reason he advertised! The ban lasted just 11 days. Clearly, the Stuarts didn’t appreciate being unable to buy coffee, chocolate, sherbet or tea. Modern coffee-making has come on leaps and bounds since the 17th century. For starters, many more types of coffee are available, as well as plenty of different meth- ods of preparation. One relatively new, and increasingly popular, method is cold brew, where coffee is left in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. Other methods, such as pour- over and French press, do exist, but I expect most of you, dear readers, will likely stick to your coffees made from
I managed to get an interview with one of Ned’s staff, Rachel Price, who has been working as a barista at Ned’s for 10 years. She told me that, on the whole, staff prefer flat whites, while students prefer lattes. As for syrups, staff rarely take them, with the majority of syrup con- sumption coming from students, who love it in their lattes. If you’re looking to avoid queues at Ned’s, I recommend you do not come in at 8:15 or 10:30, since that is when they are at their busiest. Coffee was first introduced to Britain in the late 16th century, by travellers returning from Turkey and the Middle East. It was first written about in 1637, by Ox- ford academic John Evelyn, before the opening of the first coffeehouse in Britain, in Oxford, in 1650. Originally known as The Angel, the coffeehouse now operates as The Grand Café and is still open, and can be visited to this day. A trader of coffee back then described it as ‘a simple, innocent thing, incomparable good for those that are troubled with melancholy’. This is backed up by mod- ern science: caffeine acts as a mild euphoriant, reducing the rate of dopamine reabsorption (similarly to cocaine!), and is associated with reduced symptoms of depression and a lower risk of suicide. London’s first coffeehouse was established in St Michael’s Alley in the City of London. It is now a pub: the Jamaica Wine House. In its heyday as a coffeehouse, it sold as many as a whopping 600 cups per day. By 1675, there were an estimated 3000 coffee houses in England alone, and they were often referred to as ‘Penny Universities’, because for the price of a penny, you could get a coffee,
FUN FACTS
Arabica and Robusta beans currently make up 99% of coffee consumed worldwide Across the world, nearly 176 million 60kg bags of coffee were consumed in the year 2021 to 2022 Brazil is the world’s largest coffee exporter, followed by Vietnam Penny Universities created a network of information-sharing, with messengers travelling from Penny University to Penny University, and to anywhere else where new knowledge was to be found, such as academic institutions and even dockside areas
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espressos, such as macchiatos, americanos, mochas and lattes. Coffeeshops also function as communal work- places, which is unsurprising: according to a recent study reported in the New Scientist, working in a coffee shop improves creativity and concentration.
So when you next pop into Ned’s Place for your spiced caramel latte, be reassured that you are following in the footsteps of generations of coffee drinkers, and that once you have downed that caffeine-laden cup, your day is likely to be just that little bit perkier. ◉
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OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
BOARDING UNCOVERED
Peter Heller (Year 12) takes a trip to the boarding houses to find out how life works in this fascinating part of the school
T o many a Dulwich College day boy, the world of boarding can seem distant, yet intriguing. What is it like living in school? Does it get boring? Do you get lonely? I have often pondered these questions on seeing a line of boarders streaming out of the narrow passage next to the Medical Centre. Finally, one wet Thursday lunch- time, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to leave the comfort of the Lord George Common Room and head off for parts unknown. I approach the two senior boarding houses along a ser- pentine pathway behind the Medical Centre. On arriving at a large brownstone 1930s building with a newer structure stuck on the front, its interior criss-crossed by blue staircases, I proceed through the front door into an open hallway known as the Link. Here, I am greeted by my guide for the day, Khanh To (Year 12). Khanh, from Hanoi, Vietnam, has been boarding here since September 2023. He lives in Ivyholme, one of the two senior board- ing houses at the school, the other being Blew, right next
door. Most junior boarders (those in Years 9 to 11) live in Old Blew and the Orchard, located opposite the main gate on the South Circular, along with a handful of Upper School boarders.
‘Every night we go to the gym and play table tennis in the Link’
Affable and engaging, Khanh is very involved in board- ing life, and I learn that he is an active contributor to the termly boarding newsletter. I gaze upwards at the ceiling, which is adorned with Chinese New Year lamps (a large majority of boarders come from Hong Kong and China), until Khanh directs my attention to a noticeboard on the wall. A list of boarding trips is drawn up in purple marker pen, including outings to an escape room and the Tate Modern. The noticeboard also advertises more relaxed activities inside the house, including a movie night and an Easter egg treasure hunt. Next to the noticeboard stands a folded table tennis table (it’s the end of term and people are tired), and through a door I can see a music room, with guitar cases strewn across the floor and sheet music littering the table, indicating frequent use. Two doors stand at either side of the Link, the left-hand one heading to Blew and the right-hand one leading to Ivyholme. I opt to take the ‘ Blew’ pill (they really don’t pay me enough) and am met with a spacious communal area equipped with a PlayStation 5 and an air hockey table. After several quite shockingly unsuccessful rounds of air hockey, I remember my true purpose in being here and sit Khanh down for a chat.
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‘Tell me a bit about the boarding house,’ I ask, in true journalistic fashion. ‘The boarding house is very amicable and everyone here is very welcoming,’ he replies confi- dently (a true salesman: 10 points for Gryffindor – sorry, Ivyholme). I ask him to expand on the features that make Ivy, as it is affectionately known, particularly appealing.
ferociously fought between Blew and Ivy in a number of events, both sporting and cultural. The winner of each event gets a point; at the end of the year, the points are tallied up and a winner is announced. While I am talking with Khanh, Michael Chang, a Year 12 student in Blew, enters, and Khanh suggests I talk with him.
Boarders often have more freedom than day boys
‘Ivyholme has a great housemaster, Mr Pelly, who is very kind. We also have a very thoughtful house tutor and matron, who will solve all of your problems quite quickly.’ I continue by asking Khanh what sets life as a boarder apart from that of a day boy. ‘You get to be in touch with your teachers 24/7. Whenever you need help with your homework, you can ask them directly and you’ll get the answer very quickly,’ he replies. (I feel the ‘my Teams is down’ excuse probably doesn’t work as well here.) Khanh goes on to tell me how the matron, Mrs Fairhall, takes care of boys in the senior houses with characteristic efficiency and good humour. Now seems a good time to mention that not everything is sunshine and rainbows, as the boarding houses are gripped by that same vice that afflicts us all: compet- itiveness. The Gordon Bowl is an annual competition
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to make a demarcation as you cross the threshold into the boarding house,’ he says. ‘My persona is different in my teaching role to how it is in my boarding house role. Mr Davidson the teacher is different to Mr Davidson the housemaster, and I show my softer side more in the house.’ (I feel it is necessary to add that Mr Davidson is one of the least scary teachers I have ever come across so I find this statement slightly humorous.) He clarifies by saying that ‘you understand that the boarders under your care need to speak to you about personal and emotional matters, and as a housemaster you have to inhabit that sort of role. The boys need to feel that the house is their home, and not just another building in the school.’ Moving to the UK for the first time and living without your parents is difficult, and the housemasters believe it is of the utmost importance that they feel comfortable and settled as quickly as possible. Mr Davidson tells me: ‘When they first arrive, we have an induction programme that hopefully helps them settle in very quickly. This in- volves a number of trips. For example, we visit Go Ape at Leeds Castle, which is a good team-bonding experience. We also have a trip to the London Eye and a river cruise on the Thames as well as more low-key in-house events where they can mix and mingle with each other.’ He tells me about the prefect body who help mentor the new boys and provide pastoral and emotional support. ‘We also have a system where we partner new boarders up with a day boy in their form, which helps them integrate into the day school side of things.’ He understands that there is a temptation to keep yourself to yourself when in an unfa- miliar environment, so a lot is done to get the boys out of their rooms and into each others’ company. Getting used to boarding is bound to be a rocky process, but I believe that the school does an exemplary job in making the lives of new boarders as comfortable and happy as possible. Boarders live in a nurturing environ- ment, run by kind people whose aim is to help them de- velop a sense of shared belonging, while, equally, being afforded a great sense of independence. Mr Davidson notes that boarders often have more freedom than day boys, and are not confined to the house, being allowed to explore Dulwich and London more widely. My exploration of boarding has proved to be much more enlightening than I could have ever imagined, and I come out of it with a newfound appreciation for everyone in the boarding house who works hard to make the lives of boarders as happy and fulfilling as possible. ◉
I ask Michael how he settled in. He tells me: ‘At first I was worried because boarding was new to me but the housemasters gave a very welcoming impression. Also, my friends helped me to settle in and quickly I became a typical boarding guy.’ I go on to ask him about life in the boarding house. ‘Every night we go to the gym and play table tennis in the Link, and that’s the most fun part,’ he replies. The boarding houses contain communal areas aplenty. Each house has a TV room, with Blew even having a PS5. (Michael tells me they enjoy a good mix of fun and competition playing NBA 2K.) He also tells me about the numerous trips avail- able for the boarders: ‘I like to participate in most trips. After the half term, there will be a tourist trip of London which helps me learn more about the city.’
It is clear to me that boarders are not bored
It is clear to me that boarders are not bored (excuse the pun) and can take part in many activities inside and out- side the house. There is also a great sense of camaraderie (nearly all the boarders I see are talking or playing games with each other) and they are given a sense of collective responsibility: they are allowed, for example, to cook their own meals in the boarding house kitchens. Mr Davidson is the housemaster of Blew. He is also my Geography teacher (nepotism always works) and I manage to interview him at the departure gate for our homeward-bound flight from Vienna (we are coming back from the joint day boy–boarders’ ski trip). Mimicking TikTok’s finest reporters I ask him to describe Blew House in two sentences. ‘A happy home from home,’ he answers (someone’s been studying the prospectus) and ‘a place that embraces this international side of the College. It really contributes to the rich tapestry of Dulwich life.’ He tells me that, personally, he enjoys the feeling of having an extended family. ‘I have an eight-year-old and a ten- year-old and it’s like they have 40 older brothers who they get to know. That contributes to our family life and the upbringing of both my family and theirs as well.’ He is also quick to add that the boarding house is ‘not a bed and breakfast’ and is rather ‘an experience that helps them embrace the culture of the UK and our education system’. I was interested in how he manages to maintain a balance between home life and school life. ‘We try
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OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
CHORUS OF APPROVAL
James White (Year 9) considers the variety of opportunities he and other students are given at the College, when it comes to the vocal arts
S inging is a wonderful thing. At the College, more than 100 students sing in a choir or band, or individually, thanks to the excellent schemes and programmes set up to encourage singing in all sorts of different ways. Every single student at the College will, by the time they leave, have sung in one context or another – maybe in a music lesson or at a class concert, in a Monday morning Chapel Assembly, or at Supersized House Singing in the summer. When I arrived at the College in September 2019, I was not a very strong singer. I lacked power, control and the ability to express emotions when singing. Over time, I have been taught to develop in these three areas. Now, I love singing and try to get involved in as many concerts and performances as possible, from the College of Rock to the yearly singing competition in the Old Library. I joined the school Madrigal Choir in Year 7. It was initial- ly quite intimidating, as there were so many more experi- enced singers than me. However, the friendly atmosphere in the group, from the young Year 3s to the Year 13 deep basses and baritones, was very welcoming. I have had some great experiences with this choir, including a number of performances at Cadogan Hall and South- wark Cathedral, where, most recently, we sang Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. One of my all-time favourite experiences was performing Gabriel Faure’s Requiem Singing is great for your mental health, as it releases dopamine and endorphins – the chemicals that make you feel happy
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
Mrs Hill has been a wonderful teacher, and has taught me to present a song like a story
in the cathedral, and I still remember the thrill of singing this wonderful piece in such a prestigious building. I am looking forward to continuing with the Madrigal Choir, and can imagine myself, one day, singing the seemingly impossible low notes! I spoke to Mr Ludford-Thomas, Head of Vocal Studies at the College, about his singing journey. He told me how he ‘absolutely loved making singing sounds’ from a very young age, along with his brothers. He added: ‘Perhaps it was slightly unusual that I simply loved to sing, whereas I could get bored in other activities. Something about the act of singing – the physical sensation and the sound you create – was and still is so magical. Becoming Choirboy of the Year in 1986 led to professional work for about a year and a half, so I was very motivated, as it was the special thing in my life.’ He likens good singing to ‘running free with the wind at your back and the sun in your face’. Sci- ence backs this up, showing that singing is great for your mental health, as it releases dopamine and endorphins – the chemicals that make you feel happy. I was offered a place in the school’s Chapel Choir in 2021. This was also a little daunting at first, but the friendly na- ture of the group meant I felt encouraged from the start. Since then, I have learnt a great many hymns, psalms, carols and other songs over the years, including about 10 different versions of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis! One of my favourite pieces with the Chapel Choir is ‘Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars’ by Jonathan Dove, as it has such a joyful melody. At Southwark Cathedral in March this year we sang the world premiere of The White Road by Cecilia McDowall, the College’s composer-in-resi- dence. I loved learning this new piece, and performing it to so many people at the cathedral made it feel doubly special. The tenor soloist for this piece, William Barter-Sheppard (Year 13), the current Head of Chapel Choir, told me: ‘I believe strongly that learning the skills associated with collective singing are invaluable. Being able to share the joy of making music with others while performing is something magical!’ He added that he certainly will continue to sing at university, and while he doesn’t wish to pursue it as a career, he intends to keep singing in his life.
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OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
Mr Mayo has expertly led the Chapel Choir for 20 years, and we will be very sad to see him go. He brings a lot of energy to the rehearsals, and he is the driving force be- hind all of our performances, whether at a Lower School Chapel Assembly or in a packed St Paul’s Cathedral. Be- cause I joined the Chapel Choir, I was awarded a singing scholarship, and I am given singing lessons with Mrs Hill. She has been a wonderful teacher, and has taught me to present a song like a story, to enunciate clearly and to project my voice, among other skills. I managed to pass my Grade 4 and Grade 5 exams with distinction, thanks to her help and guidance. The wide range of songs, from jazz to folk to classical, definitely helps me adjust my voice to different moods and styles of singing. Possibly my favourite piece studied with Mrs Hill was ‘Dove sei, amato bene?’ (‘Where art thou, my dear beloved?’) from Handel’s Rodelinda . When asked what she enjoys most about singing, Mrs Hill said: ‘When the music you’re sing- ing is great, there can be an almost indescribable sensa- tion of catharsis and often elation, whether you’re soaring over an orchestra in an aria, belting into a microphone for a film session, or singing with colleagues in a choir.’ I am always grateful for the way Mrs Hill makes our lessons fun and productive, and I can’t wait for Grade 6! In addition to the choirs and singing lessons at the school, the College offers other extra-curricular clubs and ac- tivities each term. One of my favourites is the College of Rock, in which bands from the Junior School to the Sixth Form perform classic rock songs and original material. Anyone who plays an instrument or sings should, I feel, get involved and form a band or group, even just to meet up once a week for some jamming. Overall, I would en- courage everyone to find a way to include singing in their lives. I have found singing so rewarding through my time at the College, and I look forward to continuing with it! After all, as the late great composer and lyricist Steven Sondheim said: ‘The only thing better than singing is more singing.’ ◉
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
OUR LIVING LANGUAGE
Wilf Patten enjoys some of the latest changes within our spoken language
T his year’s Alleynian is popping off! For those of you staring at the page, wondering what on earth this means, you’re obviously not up to date with the latest lingo. According to the Urban Dictionary, ‘ popping off ’ means to “work it” or “slay”, just absolutely DESTROY the game . Not much help there, if you’re not familiar with these terms. In fact, what “ popping off ” really means is to do really, really well; to go crazy and make a scene about it. I’m sure the nature of this magazine is more sophis- ticated than that, but that’s the beauty of the spoken language. It doesn’t have to be sophisticated. Bearing in mind the theme of this year’s Alleynian , it seems only fitting to comment on the ways in which our spoken language is constantly innovating, how the way we articulate ourselves develops freely and organically, never staying the same and always taking in new ideas. In 2022, the Oxford word (or rather, ‘phrase’) of the year was revealed as ‘goblin mode’ – a slang term describing ‘unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy‘ behaviour, typically rejecting social norms and expectations. We’ve all been there .
New words and phrases pop up every year, often weird and wonderful and nonsensical
Artwork by Saverio Jones (Year 12)
an English lesson, after a lengthy chat about orcs. With the rise of social media in this modern, technological age, the propagation of such terms hes accelerated far quicker than it has been before. In fact, the term first appeared on Twitter in 2009, but its rise to true fame was in February 2022 after being tweeted in a mocked-up headline, suggesting the sheer speed and unpredictability of how trends catch on. So what am I getting at? Language is a beautiful thing. New words and phrases pop up every year, often weird and wonderful and nonsensical. Yes, you may be tired of having adhere to new trends and movements – only to have finally got the word ‘sick‘ before being faced with ‘rizz,‘ a term you fail to understand in all its many forms – but there’s nothing you can do about it. There’s nothing in the way of this absurd, baffling, amazing language. And it’s fascinating to think that the way we communicate will keep on evolving, swayed by the way we think, the way we talk, and the ways in which we present ourselves. ◉
In 2022, the Oxford word (or rather, ‘phrase’) of the year was revealed as ‘goblin mode’
It’s a word, which, according to Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages, ‘resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point.‘ He also adds that ‘ it’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealised, curated selves that we’re encour- aged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds.‘ But where do these words come from? Certainly, ‘goblin mode’ isn’t something which has suddenly popped up in
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OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
SPEAKING WITH MANY VOICES
We need to conserve our many languages, argues Egor Chernyshov (Year 12), as well as letting them develop in innovative ways
L anguages are not merely tools for communication; they are repositories of history, culture, identity and knowledge. The conservation of languages at risk
mathematical reasoning. Moreover, sometimes languages are carriers of ecological knowledge integrated into them over time, especially when it comes to indigenous lan-
guages that have developed in close connection with their natural environments. This knowledge can be invalu- able for sustainable living and conservation efforts. Preserving languages helps to safeguard this ecological wisdom that has been accu- mulated over generations, wisdom which perhaps has
of dying out is a critical endeavour in the modern world, where globalization and the ongoing spread of dominant languages threaten the existence of
Languages are carriers of ecological knowledge, especially when it comes to indigenous languages that have developed in close connection with their natural environments
many indigenous languages. Equally, the natural tenden- cy of languages to change and evolve is both inevitable and fascinating, and we might see this as reflective of the adaptability and resil- ience of human societies in the face of change. The conservation of languages is vital for several reasons. Firstly, languages are an integral part of the cultural iden- tity of their speakers. They carry the stories, traditions, beliefs and values of a whole community. Losing a lan- guage means losing a part of humanity’s diverse cultural heritage; it means losing the history of a group of people – a history which could be crucial to our understanding of the present. Secondly, languages can allow for enhanced under- standing of human cognition, and of the diversity of ways of perceiving the world. Each language offers unique insights into human thought processes and conceptual frameworks, contributing to the broader understanding of the human mind and psychological study. For in- stance, different sentence structures allow for different ways of relaying information. Discovering new such struc- tures can greatly aid both the linguistic field and that of
not yet been discovered by science. Finally, being bilin- gual brings great benefits, facilitating brain functionality and linguistic aptitude. Conserving indigenous languages across the world, while keeping dominant languages glo- balised, would see a rise in the number of people grow- ing up bilingual, and thus a rise in the cognitive abilities of a notable chunk of society. While the conservation of languages is crucial, it is also necessary to allow languages to evolve. Language evo- lution is a natural process driven by changes in society, technology and human interaction. It reflects the adapt- ability of human communities as they respond to new challenges, technologies and ideas. Evolution allows lan- guages to remain relevant and functional for their speak- ers, incorporating new concepts, objects and ideas that emerge with societal progress. Innovation in language, manifested through new vocabulary, expressions, pronun- ciation, and sometimes even grammar, enables speakers to communicate more effectively about their contempo- rary world. It also facilitates the integration of different
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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