‘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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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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