CONFLICT & RESOLUTION
Photography by Alfie Keenan (Year 13)
Now, more than ever, many of us are simply too busy
Dulwich rightly promotes independence and will usually encourage boys to resolve clashes themselves, but sometimes the fates seem to conspire and make this impossible. This was certainly the case when, last year, rehearsals for the Upper School Musical fell on the same night as Big Band, Alleynian Blues and 1 st XV Rugby training. The avoidance of all clashes is perhaps an unreachable utopia for Dulwich boys, but no one wins in a scenario where four mainstream activities are occurring simultaneously. Surely a brief email exchange between those in charge would resolve such situations without the blame being laid at the doorstep of students who are only trying to take advantage of opportunity. I am eternally grateful for the wealth of activities Dulwich has allowed me to participate in, and I know most of my Year 13 peers would echo this sentiment as they depart into the ‘real world’. Preparation for dealing with conflicting interests is no bad thing: in 30 years’ time most of us will probably be performing a far more difficult juggling act, torn between holding down a job and caring for ageing parents as well as a family of one’s own. By comparison balancing sport and music may seem a pleasant problem to have, but no one ought to feel overwhelmed by activities which, after all, are supposed to be enjoyable and enriching. The recent creation of a new staff role, Deputy Master Co-Curricular, is hopefully a sign that we are moving in the right direction. Mostly, when asked how I feel about being busy, I respond that it makes me far happier than I would be if I had nothing to do, and I am sure this is true of most of us. I certainly hope that Dulwich achieves the right balance between busyness and stress in the near future. I feel we are getting there.
We now live in a world where, thankfully, society is increasingly aware of mental health. Surrounded by teenaged boys and testosterone-fuelled bravado, we are perhaps the least likely demographic to recognise the negative impact which increasing stress levels can have on our emotional wellbeing. George Kingsley-Moore (Year 13 and Wellbeing Prefect) has been instrumental in bringing this prominent issue to the forefront. Speaking from personal experience, he cited occasions this year when the stress of Upper School life has been simply overwhelming, saying: ‘There is an expectation that you have to do everything you have been asked to do to your full ability, even when you’re staying up until two each night to get it done.’ This is hardly an unfamiliar problem. Psychology Today found that 25% of men experience fatigue two or three times a week, whilst 43% of us say general sleepiness has affected us in the workplace. Yet few of us are going to bed any earlier, most likely because there is just too much to do. According to George, the only way to combat such a build up is to recognise when ‘enough is enough’. The appointment of a Wellbeing Prefect and a staff Head of Wellbeing in Ms Coppin, as well as the continued good work of the School Counsellor and Chaplain, is a show of the willingness Dulwich has displayed to address this issue. But there is still a sense that school ought to be doing more to prevent boys from reaching the stage where they require help. More often than not, academic staff are accommodating with regard to sporting or musical commitments (there is the odd exception) but communication between co-curricular departments themselves appears to remain unduly difficult.
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