Shamal 2015

1Shamal 2015

Shamal 2015

DUBAI COLLEGEA tradition of quality in education

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2015Goodbyes

Year 7 Induction Day 2014

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Dubai College would like to express its sincere thanks to Mark Donovan, Debra Harding, Andy Jones, Annie Kirkaldy and Sarah Lambert for helping to produce this year’s Shamal and to all the students, staff and members of the wider DC community who have contributed their words and images.

Gareth CaseShamal 2015

Shamal Foreward

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The 2014 Shamal was the largest ever edition. Needless to say, the 2015 edition is bigger still!

As well as being a fantastic read, this Shamal encapsulates a year which has witnessed progress and improvement for every member of the DC community as well as truly startling individual and collective success – hence the size of this edition!

The College itself has grown in terms of numbers, facilities, opportunities and global recognition. We have now reached the desired maximum level of students (around the 880 mark). All the research suggests that this is an optimal figure for highly effective senior schools. Facilities have expanded to accommodate this growth. To add to the expanded Sixth Form Centre we will soon have a significantly enlarged Science Block, new Maths classrooms, a splendid new Sports Pavilion, expanded medical facilities, shaded swimming pool and a re-configured office area.

Building development is obviously important but what has been especially pleasing to witness this year has been the continued growth in academic and extra-curricular success – and a fantastic sense of collective pride. Our debaters have triumphed in both the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and the Cambridge Union Debates, our rugby players did tremendously well at the UK Rosslyn Park tournament and our athletes were victorious at the COBIS World School Games held in Athens. Our musicians achieved significant and wide ranging success in The Young Musicians of the Gulf competition and our F1 in Schools Team won the award for Best International Collaboration at the World Finals. Students have personally assisted with charity projects in Nepal and Vietnam and visited countries ranging from Borneo to the USA.

ShamalForeword

Without exception our students were superb ambassadors for both the school and their families at these events and for this we sincerely thank them.

Whilst we are proud of our increasing global presence we are well aware that the vast majority of what we do is rooted firmly within Dubai and the UAE. I’m sure the community enjoyed watching the whole range of drama and musical productions (including the splendid West Side Story). Many witnessed our considerable achievements in sport - once again our superb rugby performance at the U18 Dubai Rugby 7s saw a fantastic win for the fourth successive year and a team that was also undefeated in the league. We also displayed memorable performances in athletics, basketball, cricket, netball, rounders, swimming and numerous other sports. Our students have participated in many local visits and we all enjoyed the National Day celebrations. Success was achieved in a whole range of DC events including the International History Bee & Bowl Competition and a rapidly growing number of subject specific Olympiads. Philanthropy has not been forgotten as shown by our fantastic Student Community Concert and by DC students hosting sporting afternoons for those in the neighbourhood who are less fortunate.

Although our involvement with the wider world and local community is significant it is the work within school which is of key importance. It is here that we see the engagement, progress and development of the individual students both within the academic classroom and via the enormous house and extra-curricular programme. Day in and day out our talented and motivated students engage with the complex matrix of ‘knowledge’ and, crucially, develop the skills to effectively interact with the 21st century. A great public demonstration of this was our recent superb Art and DT Exhibition as well as the Community Service Award and Lower School Colours.

This whole process is facilitated and supported by all DC staff and a huge thank you for the tremendous commitment to the cause.

At this time of year we bid farewell to our departing colleagues and students. Our sincere thanks for their contributions to the growth and development of DC and we all wish them well in their next adventures. As we know, Peter Hill will be stepping down from the Headship this summer after an association with the school dating back to 1989 and as Chairman I would like to both thank him and wish him the very best in his future. Yet another new chapter of the DC epic opens in September with Mike Lambert taking the helm and under his learned, reflective and energised stewardship, I have no doubt that DC will go from strength to strength over the coming years. Enjoy this edition of Shamal!

Hussain Sultan Chairman

H.M. Sultan, Chairman of the Board of Governors

Staff Photographs

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Goodbye Salaam Auf Wiedersehen Au Revoir Adios Valete

6 Shamal 2015

When you were a child what was your dream job? The honest truth is a teacher, because I wanted to ring the school bell. When I was little I apparently ran around ringing a bell and getting all these imaginary children to line-up. It’s slightly worrying actually.

Did you specifically want to be a History teacher? Again, sadly, from a very young age. I even pretended to mark books! Would you believe it? How sad is that!

When you were at school, who was your favourite teacher? That’s a good question. Strangely, not my History teachers who were mostly dire (constant dictation). A science teacher (Mr Morgan) was actually my favourite. I was useless at Science and this teacher spotted me and said “you can’t be that bad” and sort of guided and mentored me so I became reasonably good. Those are the sort of things you remember - that individual help of a teacher guiding, motivating and inspiring.

Would you say that your science teacher influenced your teaching as well?

What’s important is to recognize the anonymous students in the school. You have the really good students and also those at the other end of the spectrum but then you have that group in the middle where I was. Spotting that bunch and helping them improve is what my Science teacher taught me. You mentioned how your Science teacher had a big influence on you. What puzzles us is your passion for History. What drove that passion? I somehow became interested in World War One in Primary School. After that, interest levels increased with History books and TV programmes consumed. The fascinating thing about History is essentially there is no ‘truth’ as it all depends on one’s interpretation and which side you view things from. It’s a fascinating and complex web of issues.

Do you have a favourite period of History? When you do quizzes and there’s a History round, people assume you know everything from Plato to NATO when, in reality, you know very little. I pretend to be ‘an expert’ on the topics that are not being asked! If

I had to pick, my favourite period would be 20th and 21st century International Relations.

What was your first job? I ended up going to the Dominican Republic. Looking back, I can’t believe I just went off to the Caribbean to teach at a school in a small Dominican town. It was actually a fantastic experience for three years. Though not paid a lot, I look back on those three years there very fondly, walking to work along the beach every morning.

Tell us about your first day teaching in the Dominican Republic. I was writing the theme of the lesson up on the chalkboard when it started to move in and out of focus. I put my hand on the board and it kept moving and I thought “dear me, this is quite bad I must be seriously unwell – and on my first day of teaching too!” Then all the walls and floor seemed to be moving. I turned around to look at the class and the whole lot of them were in the process of running straight outside. It was an earthquake. A great start to a teaching career!

FarewellMr Hill


7Shamal 2015

When and why did you come to Dubai? I came here in 1989. Back in the UK I had quite a dis-engaged set for History. It was a Friday afternoon last lesson and it had been pouring with rain all day – so all the students had been kept indoors. I still remember the name of the individual student now; I think he’s dead; he certainly ended-up in prison. Anyway, he threw a chair at a window, jumped out and ran away. I suddenly asked myself “why am I doing this?” So I remember picking up the paper and looking at a job offer in Dubai, on a cold, rainy, Welsh Friday afternoon.

What is the best thing about teaching? The genuine best moments about teaching are when you see somebody understanding a topic or enjoying it. It’s very rewarding when, on occasions, you have individual students who enter the classroom who are not quite enthusiastic or engaged but by the end of the lesson, they are captivated.

How has DC changed since you have been here? In terms of superficial things, the sandpit became a field, A block was a science block, the Sixth Form Study Area was Mr Wood’s current classroom. Camels used to wander across the site from the desert which was found on all four sides. It has changed in terms of the number of staff as well as the type of students it attracts. Obviously it has moved more and more into preparing students for the very best universities in the world. Despite the changes the general feel of what makes DC, DC has remained intact.

What is the best part about DC right now? At its heart is the ‘feel’ and you can’t really define this but, generally speaking, the dynamic pulse, the collegiate and caring nature, the pursuit of academic, creative, sporting and philanthropic achievement. There has been a focus on the Sixth Form over the last few years in terms of additional subjects, support and facilities. It’s dynamic and vibrant and has achieved great success in terms of preparing students for university entrance and ‘life’. Its great seeing our debaters doing so well too (Dubai Debates, COBIS World Debates and Cambridge Union). And then we have

sport - it’s not simply participating exceptionally well on a local level, we’re now strengthening our presence internationally – the UK Rosslyn Park Sevens, the athletes winning the COBIS World Student Games in Athens and off course beating Eton at cricket! On top of that we have the creative spirit as shown by the superb West Side Story, concerts and the Art and DT Exhibition. F1, Duke of Edinburgh, World Challenge, CASA, philanthropy and so much else all add to the dynamic mix. We are now sharply focusing on the alumni to ensure we provide a great ‘after care service’ so they in turn will give back to the next cohort of DC students.

Something that has stuck with us through our years at DC is your rowing boat analogy, where did that come from? (laughs) Oh yes. One of my (many!) problems is that the mouth goes quicker than the brain, so I feel myself about to say something and before I know it I’ve said it. A boooooring whole school address about balancing life was not going well and, for some inexplicable reason, a picture of a rowing boat popped into my head….pulling on just one oar (the academic or extra-curricular) sends you in circles but pulling equally on both oars sends you in a forceful straight line – that saved the school from an additional 10 minutes of incoherent ramblings.

Last assembly you mentioned your experience in Haiti. Could you expand on that? I was talking I think about how we need to learn from our bad experiences to create good ones. We need to have bad experiences in order to make ourselves resilient and stronger. Four of us on motorbikes decided to ride over to Haiti to see what it was like. ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier, the infamous Haitian dictator, was in power with his secret police - the Tonton Macoute. We didn’t realise that there was some sort of uprising being instigated by Westerners on motorbikes. We just happened to be four Western looking people on motorbikes. Wrong place, wrong time. They were very, very, very, angry with us! We were thrown into prison. There I was, waving my passport and uttering the immortal line: “you can’t do this, I’m British!” Eventually the ‘mis-understanding’ was sorted. So what good/lesson

came from this? Quite a few but perhaps not to be printed!

What will you miss about DC? The students. I’ve worked in schools in the UK and Gulf and without a doubt the DC students are what makes it what it is. The pleasant, positive, hard working and caring young people who genuinely (most of the time) get on, have a thirst for knowledge and a passion about life. So number one, the students. Number two, the staff that work hard and creatively with the students. It’s great how the staff and students work together and we don’t have much of an “us and them” type of mentality. I think that’s the true strength of the school. That is what I will miss most: the hard-working students and staff working together. By staff I obviously mean the teachers but also, crucially, the administrative, office and the support staff.

If you had one piece of advice to DC students, what would it be? I could say “work hard, play hard, be neat, be civil, be cooperative” (copyright Mr Gulliford). Those things are just so very important. It’s about getting the balance right in life. We genuinely have one go at life, don’t we? It is a remarkably short period of time: our life on this planet, and before you know it, it’s over. It’s gone. So, do things you enjoy. Obviously you want money and a good life, but enjoy the experience, treat others as you would like to be treated and be proud of what you’re doing. That is why I want to go back to teaching. This job is great but even more so I enjoy the actual teaching and learning in the classroom.

Interviewed by Mohammed Razeen Hansrod 13JM and Shehryar Haris 12LH

I hope DC students look back on their days here with pride and happy memories. I’m sure they will work hard, play hard, enjoy and be proud of their lives - and always use both oars!!


8 Shamal 2015

Ten years ago I naively strolled into Dubai College to meet with the headmaster to discuss a one year small part time Maths job, to be met with the Batman and Robin professional interviewing tag team of Eric Parton and Anne James. I was stunned and totally unprepared, perhaps because at that time I did not realise what a fantastic school it was that I was hoping to become a part of. However I must have said something they liked, or maybe they were just desperate, because I got the job. What was initially a couple of lower school Laths classes and a couple of hours of P.E. soon blossomed into an almost full time post teaching the two things I love: Maths and Basketball.There have been many fond memories over the years of times in the classroom; some when pupils have had that Eureka moment ( o.k. maybe not that often); or when they realise that maybe just maybe some of them may use Pythagoras after they leave school and it has a point; or they find an original solution to a challenge question; or sometimes it’s just when someone gets a countdown for the first time (my classes will understand that one).On the sporting front there have been some great moments; when one of my teams has clinched a league or won a tournament or sometimes it’s just when someone scores their first layup. However a couple of instances will always stick in my memory. One was when coaching the Senior Boys Basketball team with Mr Woolley and they won the cup with a three point shot in the dying seconds, but the thing I remember about it most is the reaction of captain Rehan Ali who scored said three pointer, he whooped and danced around the hall for a good two minutes after the final whistle we could not get him to settle down.- I still smile when I think of him and his utter joy. The second instance was when my Year 11 Maths team won the Junior Varsity Math Invitational Competition (it was American so there is no “s”). The smiles on their faces said it all for me.To my colleagues in the staffroom – I say a big THANK YOU for all your support and friendship over the years, you are a fantastic bunch.To the boys and girls in blue, what would I have done without you, driving this team here and that team there, waiting sometimes just to bring me back, even on occasion clearing desks out of the hall so that we could practice.To the Maths department I have learnt a lot from you over the years and will miss your company, oh yes! and the home baking in the departmental meetings. Remember no pink carrot cake for John.So as I retire and ride off into the sunset and the unknown realms of Grannyhood I will think of you all working hard but hopefully I will be able to make guest appearances at the musical evenings, drama productions and of course the basketball finals which I am sure you will all be in. It’s been a great ten years.

Lesley Nowacki

Having arrived in Dubai recently married to Anthea we had high aspirations as to the opportunities available to us in both Dubai and at Dubai College. It was abundantly clear by the end of a hot and sweaty first week that acclimitisation was going to be tough, but that the students were a special set of individuals. Being a PE teacher provides opportunities to work with a wonderful set of students in many environments, which has presented numerous highlights that I will take away with me.My two form groups have been a pleasure to spend time with. To have seen the dodgy haircuts of my first form group in Year 8 move through to mature and considerate students with dodgy haircuts in Year 12 should be a warning to my current, delightful, Year 7 tutor group!Highlights certainly include the tours, from Singapore to Rosslyn Park and seeing what superb ambassadors you are for the College. Sport at this school achieves incredible success due to the hard work of numerous staff outside the PE department who go above and beyond to produce high quality opportunities for you all. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you, either on tour, in training sessions, at fixtures or in tournaments and thank you for all your hard work and dedication.Thank you to the ever patient and supportive PE department for the five years, you have incredible passion and dedication to the school. Behind every outstanding school is an outstanding PE department and you are certainly that. Messer’s Jones and Riordan, particular thanks for your friendship over the years. To work with friends such as yourselves certainly makes the job more enjoyable!To any student who has been involved in any of my rugby, cricket, football, basketball or athletics teams - thank you. You have endured hours of having to put up with my sparkling wit (which I think you call banter), have welcomed Oscar into training sessions and made working here not feel like work! To single out performance highlights is tough when there are so many to choose from, but the ‘four-peat’ of the Dubai Sevens squads since 2011 along with the victory over Wellington College at Rosslyn Park in 2014 will live long in my memory.We now leave with two sons and not because we want to leave but because we want to arrive at our next opportunity. I wish you all the very best of luck in your academic, sporting and social pursuits! You are a long time retired so stay involved in sport as long as you can!

Mark Barringron

Flower of Scotland

Goodbye Dubai College! three words I have dreaded having to put together in the same sentence for such a long time. But in the words of Winnie the Pooh “how lucky I am to have something that makes saying good-bye so hard”. It is exceptionally difficult to say goodbye to such a huge part of your life. But it is not a “forever goodbye”,

more of a “see you soon goodbye” as I take a small break from teaching to spend more time with my two amazing boys, Gregor and Finlay and my

Bye, bye Barringtons

MrsBell


9Shamal 2015

I can’t believe it has been almost a year - I remember the first day I woke up to come to Dubai College. I still remember how I was equally curious and excited about how this experience was going to be. I went early that day and started walking around the school. I was

amazed by the different facilities, green fields and the inspir-ing architecture. At the time, I thought these surroundings were the most exciting characteristic of Dubai College.I had an orientation scheduled that day where I had the op-portunity to meet the Languages Department and the Senior Leadership Team of the school. Everyone was so kind and helpful. I thought this warm welcoming and family atmos-phere was a very special quality. I then wondered, was this the most exciting characteristic of Dubai College?A few days later, I had my first meeting with my new students; I still remember how fast that day flew and I enjoyed every single discussion with the young, intelligent minds. I then thought that these young minds were by far the most exciting characteristic of Dubai College.During the course of the academic year, I learned about the various activities that both students and departments enjoy in Dubai College. I asked myself again: “Is this the most exciting characteristic of Dubai College?”It has been almost a year, and today I know that there is no single characteristic that makes working in Dubai College the best experience I have ever had: It is everything and everyone in this remarkable school that makes me feel privileged to have belonged to it. I would like to thank everyone for making this year in Dubai so exciting and rewarding.

Shiraz Shahoud

The end of an era? Well it certainly feels that way. After 23 years I am moving on and looking forward to the change. There is life after DC.Throughout my years here I have seen many changes. The number of students has doubled

and so has the number of genuinely talented bright sparks.When I arrived we stayed at the Chicago Beach Hotel which has since been demolished and replaced by the inferior Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Another retrograde step was to replace Nad Al Sheba racecourse with the characterless Meydan. The accommodation provided during my first year was at Golden Sands 1, I have lost count of the number of Golden Sands blocks that now exist. Miss John would often give me a car lift into DC as did Mr Hill who was Head of History at that time.After one year I moved to Jebel Ali Village which often reminded me of the ‘duelling banjos’ scene from the movie Deliverence. In the late 90’s I did an exchange with Mr Over and moved into an apartment in what is now called the Finan-cial Centre of Dubai, much more central and I can now use the metro to get to and from DC. At the start the tallest building in Dubai was the World Trade Centre, now it is dwarfed by the many buildings in that area.Now returning to DC, it must be said that the students are a credit to the school and make the place what it is. I will miss the challenge of keeping up with the students but I will not miss the hot summer weather or the horrendous traffic. It will be nice to see some real blue sky when it is not overcast in the UK. Goodbye!

Joe Croft

ever supportive husband, Neil.I’m sitting here wondering what I should write about! I’m not leaving Dubai….I’m just not going to be turning up for work! I suppose the obvious answer would be to write about what I know best: girls’ sport….and not just any old girls sport: DC girls’ sport. I consider myself very lucky to be the daughter of two successful PE teachers and the sister of another from whom I have taken my lead using their experience and guidance. I have led the girls games department at DC for so long based on my view that any girl who wishes to proudly pull on their DC badge and repre-sent their school in sport should be given the opportunity to do so. After all we are a school, I am a teacher and it is my job and my passion to facilitate this (even if at times I hoped for more hours in the day!). It certainly hasn’t been easy, but to boast at its peak 21 school teams and 8 club teams in one sport alone is something I couldn’t be prouder of. We have set the benchmark for our competitors and become internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for netball. It is so important to have depth in numbers. This is what feeds the elite and ultimately leads to the success that DC is so rightly proud of. My own personal measure of success is to see the girls continue with their sport, whether it be social or competitive into their adult years. If they achieve this, then I have done my job. What more can I ask for? To my wonderful colleagues – there are so many of you who have made my time at DC so enjoyable. There have been too many memories and laughs to count – and you should never underes-timate the importance of people who make you laugh! However, it wouldn’t be right to finish without mentioning a few special people. I have been exceptionally fortunate to share my views on girls’ sport with a very dear friend and colleague, Mrs Adamson. Without wishing to be emotional about it all, I am the teacher I am today because of the support, guidance and good humour that she has given me for 9 years! What will I do without my Sunday morning ‘to do’ lists and the ever increasing number of post-it notes stuck on my monitor of things she was merely ‘reminding’ me to do!!! Mr Woolley is also a very close friend and has been an exceptional influence on me, especially back in the ‘old days’ when he used to teach PE (yes he is that old!). Lastly, to Mr Jones (PE Jones!) who I have worked so closely with for 9 years….thank you for trusting my ideas and believing in my madness – I think I did an ok job!My final words are to the people who matter the most to me at DC: “My Girls”. Girls – promise me one thing - never stop playing sport for fun! Take it seriously of course; there is nothing wrong with wanting to win, believe me....but never lose the intrinsic values of why we play in the first place. It has to be enjoyed; you must socialise and bond with your team-mates, you will win together and you will lose together….but the experiences you all share along the way will stay with you for a lifetime. I promise.

Keren Bell

Mr Croft

Shiraz Shahoud

Year Pages

10 Shamal 2015

Thursday September 5th will be a day that our 132 new Year 7s will remember for a very long time – their first day at Dubai College! After a tour of their individual teaching rooms with their Form Tutor and Year 13 Liaisons it was time for a well-earned break before sitting through a whole series of speeches from the Headmaster, Bursar, FDC and Head of Lower School. After lunch the new members of DC took part in a series of team building exercises which culminated in a rather dubious tallest tower building competition – at least four of the six towers remained standing long enough to be judged by Mrs Greenlees and Ms Jones! The competition was fiercely fought, however, 7CW came out victorious – well done to Mrs Cornwall and her new students. A big thank you to Year 13, the Form Tutors and Year 13 Liaisons for giving up their time to make the event work so effectively. We all wish Year 7 well as they start their DC careers.

Mr M WoolleyHead of Lower School

Year 7 Induction Day 2014

Year Pages

11Shamal 2015

The greatly anticipated and traditional Year 7 Barbecue took place on Thursday November 6th. With Sixth Form students in charge, the day was clearly going to be filled with fun, mayhem and lots of mess! The six Year 7 tutor groups took part in games

during the exciting afternoon and the competitive nature of the students shone through. Swimming, football, water balloons and donut eating were just some of the crazy activities that were on offer and with 132 Year 7 students, 50 Sixth Form students and 15 members of staff involved, it really was organised chaos! Mr Bernaz’s barbecue went down a treat with burgers and sausages eaten by the dozen, fuelling the students in preparation for my favourite part of the day – the Tutor Group dance! It was brilliant to see everyone taking part, especially the Sixth Form liaisons who took it far more seriously than they did when they were in Year 7 themselves! 7KM were deserved competition winners and collected the cup triumphantly.

Mrs K Greenlees Assistant Head of Lower School (Head of Year 7)

Year 7 Barbecue

2014

Class Photographs

12 Shamal 2015

Mrs G Cornwall

Miss K McGivern

Miss A Greer

Back Row: Pranav Nanda, Thomas Davidson, Madeline Lake, Sourav Roy, Davey Jackson, William Hicks, Tiya Bhatia.

Middle Row: Miss A Greer, Winona Obee, Lucy Burrell, Divraj Singh, Yahvi Shah, Arman Thariani, Jake Hewer, Kiara Taurani, Mehak Rattan.

Front Row: Holly Hickman, Eisa Hussain, Anna Campbell, Sanjana Mittal, Thomas Ayre, Abdul Mirza.

Absent: Kohei Nishikawa.

Back Row: Aranya Gupta, Alexander Krupp, Chloe Russo, Subhag Pandit, Benjamin Hobart, Jakub Skroban, Laith Al Nabhani.

Middle Row: Mrs G Cornwall, Isabel English, Saad Ali, Ermina Memon, Zara Edwards, Elyse Truebridge, Gaby Cordahi, Maia Edmonds, Yana Mulani, Lee Ann Lee. Front Row: Paul Bustarret, Adam Jabri, Rohan Khaleghian, Chrissie Lowndes, Disha Kewalramani, Hessa Al Maktoum.

Back Row: Dhru Dattani, Amitav Samadhin, George Beer, Olivia Allen, Benjamin Morris, Angelina Dooa, Nidhi Sethi, Reva Poddar.

Middle Row: Miss K McGivern, Ava Warren, Nadja Suljkanovic, Megan Parks, Lucy Kane, Ishan Pahwa, Luke Nijkamp, Hugo Donnelly.

Front Row: Zeyad Salah, Aryaman Chawla, Jake Mustard, Kashif Syed, Atunya Agrawal, Tia Patel, Eleanor Bourne.

7AG

7CW

7KM

Class Photographs

13Shamal 2015

Mr M Barrington

Miss T Sopaul

Miss K Winters

Back Row: Ebba Zickerman, Seán Ali, Nishka Keni, Georgia Allen, Thomas Morris, Jack Gravestock.

Middle Row: Miss K Winters, Veer Vohra, Noah Shawki, Kyra Menezes, Natasha Whittall, Rania Zimmermann, Erica Ryan, Aanya Tashfeen.

Front Row: Oliver Duthie, Rayan Malik, Gabriella Shennan, Marie Aractingi, Manan Gupta, Hashim Mirjan.

Absent: Jack Body, Jaiveer Chadda, Ayesha Gibbons.

Back Row: Dominic Marmarchi, Bilal Hashim, Amelia Pearce, Katie Watson, Caitlin Holden-MacDonald, Sumaiya Motara, Andreas Paschalis.

Middle Row: Miss T Sopaul, Basil Lone, George Weddell, Sahan Noor, Krisna Bhargava, Aryaman Mohta, Marwan Gedeon Achi, Laith Mohajer.

Front Row: Alixe Aractingi, Melina Aggarwal, Eesha Yaqub, Edward Hunter, Catherine Smyth, Abigail Anderson, Sidonie Anderson.

Absent: Harrison Devereux.

7KW

7MB

7TS

Back Row: Mr M Barrington, Arjun Dhawan, Sebastien Springuel, Eleanor Baker, Shaima Lone, Arran Shah, Samuel Taverner, Anisha Johnson, Kirsten Fergusson.

Middle Row: Kiana Mottahedan, Matthew Hardie, Lara Elliott, Meeral Tashfeen, Amy Mackenzie, Max Matta, Syed Islam, Imaan Seth.

Front Row: Jemima Garner, Marco Zaccaria, Yousuf Yaqub, Luke Surrey, Anavi Madnani, Lara Begley.

Class Photographs

14 Shamal 2015

Miss L Clohesy

Mr M Lavery

Mrs Lee Foster

Back Row: Sean O’Gorman, Rima Makhoul, Isobel Thompson, Thomas Boers, Disha Narain, Joel Harrison, Angelica Slater.

Middle Row: Mrs J Lee Foster, Gabriella Helayel, Viraj Ramakrishnan, James Morris, Krish Vithani, Ella Verrall, Maria Iorini, Diptasri Gupta, Casey Bell.

Front Row: Mihir Rajwade, Zainab Kashif, Eóin Mountain, Mahe Samee, Ibrahim Afshar,Jai Hindocha.

Back Row: Rhea Javat, Kyarash Aryanpad, Finlay Page, George Hosking, Jessica Passey, Amy Storey, Jaahnvi Shastri.

Middle Row: Cameron Walker, Gabriella Rajpoot, Armaan Flisher, Joshua Paul, Benjamin Jagtiani, Tom Jarvis, Ben Skelton, Sophie Bezzina, Ciara Corroon.

Front Row: William Allinson, Charmaine Kee, Lana Al Hajj, Zunaira Nader, Ethan Goddard, Gabrielle Tode.

Back Row: Nina Mul, Krish Gupta, George Boon, Aryan Mehta, Jacques Holmes, Kitty Davies, Alexander House.

Middle Row: Mr M Lavery, Catherine Withers, Scott Stevens, Inayah Hussain, Maxwell See, Jason Bushill, Katrina Webb, Anjali Menon, Shrey Chawla.

Front Row: Robert Stumbles, Noa Consiglio-Cockle, Aakanksha Deb, Inayah Ahmed, Seyhan Khan, Sophiya Joseph.

Absent: Wajih Zaman.

8JF

8LC

8LV

Class Photographs

15Shamal 2015

Mr R Verma

Miss M Parkes

Back Row: Ben Davies, Henry Tatham, Oliver Garner, Ajay Anand, Hamzah Raza, Elanor Wright, Charlotte Hide, Raphaelle Landais.

Middle Row: Miss M Parkes, Suryansh Loya, Rhea Kale, Lucy Graham, Jack Craig, Charlie McMillan, Samuel Muller, Rija Rao, Ben Crowcroft.

Front Row: Nadir Mussa, Ross Vintcent, Casey Maloney-Pinto, Mahira Jethwani, Almaz Razif, Sophie O’Keeffe.

Back Row: Mr G Rodgers, Gabriella Crick Lewis, Emma Robertson, Sebastian Snaas, Omer Oce, Elle MacDonald, Max Brett.

Middle Row: Katie Mewawalla, Rishi Barve, Hannah Dawson, Charlotte Haigh, Aanya Gardi, Kathryn Beck, Sara Ahmed, Kiyomi Hanson.

Front Row: Samar Aswani, Zayed Doleh, Aparna Sridhar, Jake Wade, Tricia Chua, Ali Tabba.

Absent: Ayaan Fazil.

Back Row: Roisin McElligott, Elena Beer, Shehza Shafeek, Kaivalya Vohra, Ritvik Ramnath, Pierre Dalem, Nadia Shamsuddin.

Middle Row: Mr R Verma, Jeremy Pontefract, James Craine, Yun Park, Anahita Kashyap, Ryan De Sousa, Grace Williams, Hannah Burton, Neil Shukla.

Front Row: Maya Sondhi, Sophie Newbery, Eugenio Vecchi, Oliver Reedy, Michael Murphy, Dana McCann.

Absent: Rory Jones.

8MP

8RG

8RV

Mr G Rodgers

Year Pages

16 Shamal 2015

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17Shamal 2015

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Class Photographs

18 Shamal 2015

Miss N Madison

Mr N Bernaz

Mrs W DaviesBack Row: Owen Palmer, Arman Jasuja, Anders Mahesan, Cameron Matthews, James Dare, Shaan Nathwani, Benjamin Avery.

Middle Row: Mrs W Davies, Tamsin Rose, Sahil Mordani, Serena Lambert, Polly Jones, Lara Zaveri, Alysha Alimohamed, Etienne Tillon.

Front Row: Diya Malhotra, Yash Bhansali, Emaan Ahmed, Joonwoo Jeong, Maisie Harvey, George Gunn.

Absent: Rhea Ganguli, Alma Zickerman.

Back Row: Cassia Middleton, Amun Chaudhary, David Hunt, Ishaan Arora, Joni MacDonald, Ammar Mooraj, Caitlin Hunter.

Middle Row: Miss N Madison, Samuel Reedy, Jasmine Liew, Sophie Ingram-Johnson, Harvey Bullock, Hannah Nurmohamed, Hamilton Rogers, Brianne Riewer.

Front Row: Maryam Ahmed, Kiara Whittle, Shemica Adenwalla, Vishal Ayyagari, Oliver Chohan, Alisha Gupta.

Back Row: Mustafa Lone, Siddhant D’Souza, Khalid Belselah, James Caution, Geesue Abrichami.

Middle Row: Mr N Bernaz, Eman Zeeshan, Jamie MacKinnon, Alexander Smyth, Sylvia Waft, Matthew Wane.

Front Row: Ratan Kachwalla, Jacob Camilleri, Lucy Skelton, Jaimini Patel, Alizeh Yahya, Maryam Siddiqi.

Absent: Andrew Macintosh, George Gosling, Jade Fernandes, Rhea Kotecha.

9DV

9NM

9NB

Class Photographs

19Shamal 2015

Miss R Shah

Mr M Wood

Mr P Sparks

Back Row: Samuel Burns, Jack Norman, Patrick Dowling, Annabelle Style, Kasia Truscott, Tara A H Zadeh.Middle Row: Mr P Sparks, Kara Catchpole-King, Jason Pollock, Joseph Plumtree, Emily Peck, Jack Burrell, Rory Nisbet, Muhammad Khan.

Front Row: Mehek Vohra, Navika Agrawal, Syed Fehmi, Malika Alidina, Hireena Hans, Niamh Bone.

Absent: Owen Wakeham.

Back Row: Adam Shah, Lauren Johnstone, Gabriella Reynolds, Marco Gabriel, Benjamin Davidson, Alberto Viel, Anna Maureta, Thomas Plumtree.

Middle Row: Miss R Shah, Tomos Roberts, Rebecca Wilding, Ella Nates, Sasha Verrall, Nitya Thawani, Jawad Jafar, Brendan McCann, Naoise Morgan.

Front Row: Finlay Keegan, Sebastian Webb, Ibani Hattangadi, Rihana Al Nabhani, Anoushka Malhotra, Caitlin Theocharis.

Back Row: Tara Desai, Arya Flisher, Michael Reid, Edward Roy, Harry Hughes, Jemma Shand.

Middle Row: Mr M Wood, Isabella Duthie, Serene Sng, Aryan Oberoi, Benjamin Williams, Aleyha Hameed, Jordyn Hamilton, Francesca Hall, Layla Haider.

Front Row: Mark Baxter, Kristian Kolandjian, Hishaan Mahtani, Anise Noor, Holly Rhys-Maitland, Simrin Vaswani.

9PS

9RS

9WD

Class Photographs

20 Shamal 2015

Miss A York

Mr C Temple

Mr A Hann

Back Row: Eleanor Reid, Rhys Luke, Alexander Wiltshire, Jonathan Mulligan, Daniel Gibbons.

Middle Row: Mr A Hann, Mikaeel Habib, Kate Dodds, Amy Harrison, Hugo Dolan, Blake Murphy, Chiara Rehman, Vasiliki Stogiannidou.

Front Row: Isla Stewart, Victoria Tode, Hayat Brannelly, Rachel De Sousa, Nimrah Siddiqi, Georgina McBride.

Absent: Mathieu Springuel.

Back Row: Luca Parkinson, Alex Smith, Ariyike Oyelola, Joshua Armstrong, Hasan Malik.

Middle Row: Annabel Clifford, Thomas Haigh, Alexander Newbery, Thomas Ryan-McGrath, Roberto Pereira, Daisy Kirkaldy, Rae Mitchell.

Front Row: Ellie O’Keeffe, Devina Popley, Kimberly Miranda, Mayuri Vinod, Mariam Shaikh, Meiha Raja.

Absent: Tobias Tatham.

Back Row: Seung Lee, Alexander Hall, Max Holt, Angus Thompson, Arnav Lahiry, Oh Jun Kweon, Kabir Nanda.

Middle Row: Mr C Temple, Maya Sandhu, Yaamir Badhe, Hannah Story, Olivia Brown, Sophie Shamsuddin, Kaitlyn Gardner, Chloe Williams.

Front Row: Sophie Scott, Claudia Young, Chloe Elliott, Kristian Ryan, Kim Sparrow, Laura Murphy.

10AH

10AY

10CT

Class Photographs

21Shamal 2015

Miss S Mennaai

Ms T Johns

Mrs E Adamson

Back Row: Safwan Malik, Lucas Moon-Almaraz, Matthew Denton, Matthew Russo, Murtaza Javaid, Amrita Vohra.

Middle Row: Mrs E Adamson, Malaika Nanda, Julia MacKay, Yasmeen Mohajer, Ellen Holmes, James Till-Nehme, Hriday Mani, Olaolu Faniran. Front Row: Georgina Peck, Sophie Rhys-Maitland, Tara Mewawalla, Janne Meijer, Sadhana Madnani, Georgina Holbrook.

Absent: Craig Buchan.

Back Row: Anushe Sheikh, James-Lachlan McCallum, Francois Maureta, Joe Page, Felix Firth, Cameron Graham.

Middle Row: Miss S Mennaai, Victoria Ewert, Mitali Doshi, Magen Chadha, Hyun Ji Kim, Iysa Qureshi, Ruby Ebdon.

Front Row: Thomas Williams, Harold Sheedy, Janvi Jetwhani, Rebecca Ludden, Mina Jenkins, Jessica Pollock.

Absent: Ramzi Jalili, Emma Janus.

Back Row: William Treston, Ethan Pearce, Oliver Tait, Barnaby Holt, Yash Bhandari, Matthew Anderson.

Middle Row: Ms T Johns, Yon Ju Choi, Isabella Lahdo, Devansh Popley, Angus Benstead, Emma Kelly, Vanessa Sumners.

Front Row: Zahra Mandviwala, Aleksandra Skroban, Iman Shaikh, Chloe George, Eve Macdonald, Maha Masud.

Absent: Josh Kotecha, Luca Sackeyfio.

10EA

10MS

10TJ

Year Pages

22 Shamal 2015

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Year Pages

23Shamal 2015

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Class Photographs

24 Shamal 2015

Mr D Riordan

Mr J Cottam

Mr A Davidson

Back Row: Kipngeno Chirchir, Dylan Russo, Dharam Madnani, Franciska Kundrak.

Middle Row: Mr A Davidson, Maxwell Dennehy, Dushan Stembo, Alexandre Gheysen, Rahul Samadhin, Cameron Hughes, Sabrina Daga.

Front Row: Sakshi Gupta, Sally Marr, Jet Biddle, Oliver Dyson, Aleka Gheewala, Sophie Cameron, Madryn Riewer.

Absent: Noah Shariat.

Back Row: Juan Rivero Cruells, Yehia Islam, Joshua Devereux, Jodutt Qudsiyeh, Siddharth Pillai, Shahmeer Chaudhary, Jordan Russell.

Middle Row: Mr D Riordan, Felix Meijer, Max Lovett, George Simmonds, Charlotte Style, Shahmir Samee, Rahul Lopez, Matthew Baxter, Ali Kapasi.

Front Row: Sarah Bolton, Charlise Koch, Anushe Samee, Reeza Khan, Beth Jarvis, Fatima Gheewala, Alison Tuffin.

Back Row: Darius Afkhami, Rory Quick, Aaron Camball, Oliver Boon.

Middle Row: Mr J Cottam, Alec Bandy, Frazer Hanson, Daniel Jhoolun, Isabel Snaas, Ali Malik, Matthias Falzon Young.

Front Row: Denia Loukou, Ceyda Davidson, Anjali Magecha, Simren Nijhawan, Kirsten Drake, Helen Fergusson, Rebecca Hamer.

Absent: Blanca Pamias Lopez.

11AD

11DR

11CJ

Class Photographs

25Shamal 2015

Mr J Salisbury

Mrs S Maclaren

Miss E John

Back Row: Jay Desai, Oisin Morgan, Jeremy Clark, Adam Osborne, Eoin Brady.

Middle Row: Miss E John, Alireza Chassebi, Vikramaditya Jadeja, James Lemon, Alex Faulkner, Min Lee, Seán Mountain, Catherine Waft.

Front Row: Mahnoor Kamran, Eleanor Roy, Alkis Loukos, Corynn Foote, Jetasri Gupta, Naina Grover.

Back Row: Scott Simpson, Katherine Willson, Zachariah Davies, Owen Mul, Rowan Weaver.

Middle Row: Mr J Salisbury, Valentin Arstal, Richard Pickup, Siddhant Jhurani, Rebecca Edwards, Issam Al Ghussain, Konstantine Skandalis.

Front Row: Shenez Ahmed, Kirsten Holtby, Emma Taylor, Alexandra White, Zena Sharif, Kristi Flanagan.

Absent: Rida Ali, Max Jones.

Back Row: Robert Hughes, Omar El-Ashmawi, Barnaby Brett, Saif Khawaja, Christopher Vail.

Middle Row: Mrs S Maclaren, Alex Jarvis, Jonathan Lattouf, Shaan Lalvani, Omar Malik, Alexander Cargill, Jude Mahmoud.

Front Row: Kate Fisher, Alexandra Clements, Zahra Kapasi, Jason Daswani, Hannah Cleere, Miraal Ikramullah, Anaa Haider.

Absent: Angus Steel.

11EJ

11JS

11SM

Year Pages

26 Shamal 2015

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27Shamal 2015

Mrs J Bailey

Mr C House

Mr B Christopher

Back Row: Mr B Christopher, Harry Hardman, Joseph Blakemore, Alexander Tait, Lachlan Whittle, Anneka Javat.

Front Row: Jessica Sayer, Lauren Beattie, Ellen Burley, Caleb Goddard, Urmika Mani, Ashna Gupta, Alina Siddiqi.

Absent: Samuel Ashby.

Back Row: Mrs J Bailey, Sacha Harding, Zachary Wilke, Jonathan Lahdo, Inaam Mian, Olivia Johnson, Giorgia Maccini-Hill.

Front Row: Jenna Pfeifer, Hasan Masud, Olivia Dennehy, Kevin Peiris, Charlotte Baines, Karan Nair, Nadia Young.

Back Row: Mr C House, Brendan D’Souza, Zack Bremner, Hannah Cassidy, Matthew Dunne, Sheamus Power, Zahid Siddiqui.

Front Row: Tanisha Koshy, Emma Murray, Isabelle Grenville, Sofi Zickerman-White, Layla Armstrong, Gabrielle Guscott, Aashka Iyer.

12/13BC

12/13BV

12/13CH

Class Photographs

28 Shamal 2015

Ms M Doherty

Mr G Case

Ms D Foulkes

Back Row: Ms D Foulkes, Sahil Badlani, Arjun Dave, Rohan Padmanabhan, Aditya Prakash, Prateek Nadkarni, Alice Lovett.

Front Row: Eilisha Hatter, Tilsim Palfreyman, Millie Ayres, Ahmad Rabbani, Ashling Murphy, Margherita Vianello, Jenna Denton.

Back Row: Ms M Doherty, Jack Jones, Joe Shams, Oliver French, Francois Pieterse, Rohan Gupta,Tzeitel Degiovanni.

Front Row: Humna Siddiqi, Natalie Jalili, Emily Dunne, Saava O’Kirwan, Jemma Ansell, Jessica Ingram-Johnson, Tania Valrani.

Back Row: Mr G Case, Adil Javat, Aniket Chandra, Adil Saldanha, Nicolas Bagatelas, Alidad Chassebi, Tamsyn Morfee.

Front Row: Nehaa Nagpaul, Amy Hosking, Hanna Salem, Kristen De Sousa, Elizabeth Adamson, Alexandra Mulligan, Catriona Benson.

12/13DF

12/13DM

12/13GC

Class Photographs

29Shamal 2015

Mr G Roberts

Ms H Bastable

Mr G Jeffcote

Back Row: Mr G Jeffcote, Ciara Bone, Alistair MacGillivray, Matthew Laven, Christopher Quelch, James Hoad, Thomas Murphy. Front Row: Pooja Daswani, Imogen Lemon, Alyzeh Jiwani,Shivani Maru, Neha Narain, Alesha Gulamhusein, Saleena Nurmohamed.

Back Row: Mr G Roberts, Minjun Kim, Eleanor Proctor, Samuel Morris, Cameron Moffat, Shan Maru, Oliver Fleming.

Front Row: Saskia Heyster, Hannah Holly, Albert Shehata, Jessica Shaw, Evie Coghill, Natalia Adair, Anusha Aggarwal.

Back Row: Ms H Bastable, Ryan Underwood, Joseph Story, Lucy Bell, Thomas Webster.

Front Row: Cameron MacKay, Beatrice Prosser, Holly Jhoolun, Mia Bazzoui, Ariana Bakhshandeh, Sneha Nagpaul, Ethan Ebdon.

Absent: Sara Ali, Angus Maxfield.

12/13GJ

12/13GR

12/13HB

Class Photographs

30 Shamal 2015

Mr J McIlveen

Mrs L Hodge

Mr I Jones

Back Row: Mr I Jones, Jyotirmai Singh, Waleed Malik, Tristan Ebdon, Raahim Zafrullah, Daniel Momeni, Olivia Needham.

Front Row: Aiza Ahmed, Zahra Karmally, Sara Kachwalla, Pranay Jethwani, Radhika Bhatia, Hannah Wilding, Zahra Bawany.

Back Row: Mr J McIlveen, Harkirath Dhillon, Haren Bhavnani, Ciaran Brady, Daniyal Malik, Mohammed Hansrod.

Front Row: Vedika Agarwalla, Isabelle Haigh, Kristina Serdyuk, Sarah Duncan, Sarah Khullar, Tabetha Davies, Antara Jaidev. Absent: Perle Battistella.

Back Row: Mrs L Hodge, Joanna Summers, David Culemann, Mohammad-Wahid Ghaffari, Mohammad Sardar, Robin Over, Helena Wick.

Front Row: Ryota Minagi, Iona Stewart, Leah Mitchell, Trishla Shah, Erin Dawson, Drishti Masand, Muhammad Haris.

12/13IJ

12/13JM

12/13LH

Class Photographs

31Shamal 2015

Mr P Rivers

Mr R Ashby

Mr P Flower

Back Row: Mr P Flower, Urooj Ali, Michael Foote, Adian Liusie, Conor Kennedy, Joseph Taylor, Josephine Jagtiani.

Front Row: Sarah Kashani, Aidan McBride, Finnian Ford, Neeksha Vikram, Constance Antia, Katherine Jones.

Absent: Nermeen Islam.

Back Row: Mr P Rivers, Martha Gregory, Aiden Wright, Stephan Koenigstorfer, Liam Benstead, Zorez Haider.

Front Row: Zoe Curtis, Natasha Lopez, Beatrice Turner, Amy Henderson, Kripa Venkatesh,Navya Kataria.

Back Row: Mr R Ashby, Kiana Simpson, Michael Camball, James Thrower, Zohayb Shaikh, Ryan Evans, Sandip Roy.

Front Row: Sa’ad Iqbal, Caitlin Janus, Bianca Pereira, Devina Singh, Anya Malik, Evelyn Quelch, John Devitt.

12/13PF

12/13PR

12/13RA

Class Photographs

32 Shamal 2015

Mrs T Drake

Mrs V Holmes

Mr S Over

Back Row: Mr S Over, Christopher Rose, George Ludden, Jake Rogers, Sarah McKinney, Tasha Howard, Mustafa Zaidi.

Front Row: Anurati Sodani, Daksha Agarwal, Sophie Shennan, Thomas Cleere, Jessica Lattouf, Pooja Nair.

Back Row: Mrs T Drake, Todd Davies, Aneeb Sheikh, Ryan Harris, Marwan Farha, Simran Kashyap, Abhishek Nair.

Front Row: Niki Mottahedan, Aoife Corroon, Nikita Tourani, Sheyan Adenwalla, Kelley Day, Joanna Park, Annia Mirza.

Back Row: Mrs V Holmes, Euan MacKinnon, Pierre Springuel, Jordan Fenton, Nathan Appleby, Padraig Ryan.

Front Row: Brigid Fogg, Madelaine Freeman, Tara Chacko, Niall Moore, Elizabeth Dryburgh, Alana Rogers.

Absent: Ashnaa Chandnani, Saad Khan.

12/13SO

12/13TD

12/13VH

The Sixth Form Year

33Shamal 2015

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the

beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of

the beginning.”

Winston Churchill

I am coming to the end of three immensely enjoyable years at the helm of one of the world’s leading Sixth Forms. This is a bold claim, I know, but this year’s cohort has achieved so much across such a broad spectrum that I believe they can satisfy even the most stringent of critics.

Without a doubt Alice Lovett and Rohan Padmanabhan (pronounced Pad-man-arr-ban much to my chagrin after mispronouncing his name for three terms!) have been the greatest Head Boy and Head Girl team in living memory. Sure, they might have given us a 40-minute tour of Dubai in a single propeller aircraft as a thank-you gift despite my fear of flying. They may have delivered one of the most controversial ever assembly speeches in the history of school, which caused shockwaves among the staff body for days. However, ably assisted by their statesmanlike and considered deputies Jenna Denton and Prateek Nadkarni, these four peer group leaders have truly activated the student voice. They have initiated a culture of dialogue between the student council and senior leadership team of Dubai College, which has never existed before and for which I am truly grateful.

Whilst the U18 boys won the HSBC Rugby 7s for the fourth year in a row – “If you want your kids to play rugby send them to DC” remarked the 7s commentator on 6th December 2014 – this year’s real Sixth Form sporting success (some might argue) came from the girls. Winners of more silverware than you can shake a stick at, the girls are

DASSA Girls’ Athletics Champions, Doha Sports Exchange winners, U18 Girls MEUC Basketball Champions, U18 Girls DASSA Basketball League Champions, Hatta Run Champions, U18C DASSA League Division 2 Winners, U18A DC Intl. Tournament Winners, U18A DASSA League Division 1 Winners, Senior Rounders Latifa Tournament Winners, U18 DASSA Swimming League Champions, DASSA Swimming Championships Winners and DASSA Swimming ‘A’ League Winners.

Holly Jhoolun (what a voice!), Ethan Ebdon (what a T shirt!), Cameron MacKay (what denim!) and Mia Bazzoui (what!) along with the rest of their stellar supporting cast set the stage on fire in this year’s production of West Side Story. To think that the world’s leading universities will play host to these students over the next two years makes you realise that we are lucky to educate students who must cope with the agony of choice – sure, academia beckons but any of these students have a very real chance of achieving great success in any number of spheres, including the creative, if they continue to apply themselves in these areas.

Aided and abetted by an army of willing volunteers this year’s Charity Committee led by Neha Narain, Emily Dunne, Zahra Bawany and Rhadika Bhatia have raised more money for worthy causes than ever before. Having juggled scheduling glitches to host the perennially popular Music, Charity, Love as well as supporting the inaugural DC Winter Bazaar this year’s altruists deserve special mention for their generous commitment to

philanthropy.

The rest, one might argue, is academic. It is, however, worth noting that even in a field of dreams this year’s cohort have harvested an impressive crop of university offers. Between them Year 13 have received 10 offers from Imperial, 9 from Oxbridge and 9 from LSE as well as offers from Yale, Princeton, Berkeley, Stanford, UPenn, Brown, Georgia Tech and Columbia. Most importantly, however, each one of our Year 13 students is on track to their chosen future and I wish them every success.

I have no doubt that I will continue to be equally impressed by the rest of Dubai College as I take up the position of Headmaster in September. In the meantime, however, I want to express my sincere gratitude to every single member of the Dubai College Sixth Form for making my life so rewarding, stimulating and enjoyable over the past 12 months.

As they say education is what remains after you have forgotten everything you learned in school. If this applies to our current Sixth Form then we have educated prime physical specimens with huge cultural appetites, giving generously of themselves in their pursuit of lifelong learning. Not bad for a year’s work.

Have a great summer.

Mike LambertHead of Sixth Form

The Sixth Form Year

Class Photographs

34 Shamal 2015

Yea

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20

15

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Year Pages

35Shamal 2015

Year Pages

36 Shamal 2015

Class Photographs

37Shamal 2015

Yea

r 13

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Bac

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ow: R

yan

Har

ris,

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: Jos

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rooj

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Dav

id C

ulem

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ik, M

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llon,

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d.

3rd

Row

: Ina

am M

ian,

Kel

ley

Day

, Zah

ra B

awan

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nya

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ik, N

ikita

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2nd

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ia V

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ent:

Ang

us M

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ka B

hatia

, Saa

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han,

Sam

uel A

shby

, Sar

a A

li.

Open Day 2014

38 Shamal 2015

This year’s annual Dubai College Open Day brought together over 1500 students, staff, prospective parents and guests onto the College site. They came on foot, by car and for the first time this year by tram and the college buses…a taste of things to come perhaps for the potential new recruits to next year’s Year 7 and Year 12 intake. As ever, a great deal of preparation and hard work went on behind the scenes and allowed us to show DC at its best. It was wonderful to see over 600 students forego the usual early finish on a Thursday and volunteer to stay back and support their school. Talking to students and staff on the afternoon there was a clear sense of pride and achievement in evidence; Open Day is our chance to let the wider community see what goes on behind the red brick walls.Our Sixth Form tour guides ably led parties of parents and students through the campus. As ever many struggled to see everything that was on show from ‘The Black Death Experience’ to ‘Literary Detectives’ and from ‘Formula 1 in Schools’ to ‘Fetez la Fiesta’. Our students experimented in Science, debated in English, created in Art and designed in D/T, computed in Mathematics and programmed in ICT. Our sporting, musical, dramatic and philanthropic pursuits were all well represented with football and netball house matches, water polo, basketball, dance, gymnastics and trampolining vying with The Beginner Band, the Orchestra, the cast of West Side Story and the Sixth Form Charities Committee. Our students invited guests to experience teaching and learning in Geography and Economics and to take learning outside the classroom in Arabic and Islamic Studies with traditional costumes, henna and gypsum activities. Mr Hill brought everybody together in the auditorium to explain what makes Dubai College tick at the end of the

afternoon; to describe our philosophy and practice, our endeavours and achievements, our core values and diverse pursuits. Guests were then invited to take refreshments on the lawn, serenaded by The Chamber Choir…a lovely end to an excellent afternoon and, this year at least, the skies stayed blue throughout. Thank you to all who contributed!

Mr M HunterDeputy Headmaster

Open Day 2014

Local and Overseas Trips

39Shamal 2015

On June 23rd last year thirty-five Years 10 & 11 students embarked on the longest school trip any of us had ever been on and, for the majority of us, with people we didn’t know all that well. But the preparation for the twenty-one day trip began long before then. Throughout the year we tirelessly raised funds in order to support the project phase of our trip which was different for each of the groups on the trip. For my group it was the first phase of the trip we faced after grasping our bearings in Hanoi (which we used as a rapid culture-acclimatisation stop off) before we ventured off into rural Vietnam.Our project phase was in a region called Mai Chau; I feel that I can speak for the whole group when I say that this was the most satisfying part of our journey. We arrived on the third day of our trip to this small village and right away we trekked to the site on which we would be carrying out the task of building a toilet block. It sounds odd but it was in fact a gruelling task. Not only did our group of seventeen need to move all of the bricks needed to construct it up a fairly steep slope, but it also required the constant mixing of cement throughout the day in order to allow us to build the toilet block. The temperatures were up in the 30s and the humidity was unbelievable, but after all of our hard work we managed to not only finish the block, but also make a few friends along the way. This included the son of the family we were helping and our beloved group cow, Daisy.Unfortunately we had a couple of group members get ill on this part of the trip but luckily we were all reunited in full numbers for the trekking phase. This stage was split up into a trek of three days in Mai Chau and then another longer trek in the Sappa region in the mountains of Vietnam that lasted five days. The weather was definitely not on our side...on the Mai Chau trek it poured it down for the first two days and then was absolutely scorching hot on the last; and on our Sappa trek the weather was just as erratic as the first, however, the rain was a bit more serious this time. All joking aside the trekking got very dangerous as we walked through mud on cliff sides

which meant that we had to concen-trate for the entire time that we were walking in order to ensure no one got seriously injured. Eventually, however, we made it through the trekking and it was things like being able to swim in the local rivers and play card games for hours on end that really kept us going.As far as experiences go I would say that I loved the local culture as well as some of the things we got to do when we were there. Among the adventures were crossing the road, getting the night train not only to but also from the Sappa trek, accidentally booking ourselves into a party hostel

(because it was cheaper) and the most gratifying of all, being able to buy rice cookers and fans for the disabled community in Mai Chau. It amazed and humbled us all at how such a small gesture with the extra funds we managed to raise affected the local community so much, and I would even go as far as to say it brought a tear to Mr Verma’s eye!I am not only grateful but I am also amazed at what I experienced over those three weeks and the friendships I forged there will last a lifetime.

Matthew Dunne 12DM

World Challenge


40 Shamal 2015

ресторан. доброе утро. до свидания. вызовите пожарных.

Restaurant. Good morning. Goodbye. Call the fire department. That was the extent of the Russian we picked up on our six day trip to the Russian capital, Moscow, and St Petersburg. However, culturally and historically we were enriched far beyond the pages of our GCSE textbooks. Bundled up against the cold, fifty-one students plus six teachers made their way to the hotel (after an entertaining escapade with Interpol) for what was to be a jam-packed Russian experience. Our first evening was indeed enchanting. The mercury read -14 degrees Celsius as we left the hotel, but standing in an illuminated Red Square absorbing the architectural wonder of the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral the numbness in our fingers was bearable. In the words of one Mr Skandalis, it was ‘bare cold’.The next morning we returned to Red Square for a guided tour of the Kremlin and the Armoury. Frozen, and our minds overflowing with information, we were later released into the food court at the local mall where a slight miscommunication and some fumbled Russian left someone with thirty-two pieces of chicken to consume within the hour! After lunch we explored a genuine Cold War bunker many metres below the streets of Moscow. We all trudged down eighteen flights

of narrow stairs, shedding layers of warm clothing as we descended. Whilst the simulation alarm left some of us severely traumatised, we did not fail to notice the teachers sneaking into the elevator, leaving us to make the long trek up to the entrance of the bunker. That night we attended the Nikulin Circus and although some of us may not have necessarily agreed with the ethics of the circus, it was definitely an authentic Russian experience. Our longest day of the trip involved a visit to Lenin’s Mausoleum and then a Moscow sightseeing tour. Driving past the KGB our tour-guide informed us of the good views one once had of Siberia from the rooms of this notorious building! After some serious haggling on Old Arbat Street and dinner, we prepared ourselves for the long night ahead. At 12.50 we boarded the night train to St. Petersburg. Exhaustion set in and despite our rather limited accommodation we all slept soundly. In St Petersburg we paid a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress the final resting places of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, and his family. Later, showered and refreshed we headed off to watch Le Parc, a contemporary ballet with many, many interpretations! A blanket of snow covered St Petersburg the next day and we spent the morning at Catherine’s Palace, destroying friendships in vicious snowball fights! I’m pretty sure there was one point when Mr Lavery was genuinely afraid of the combined wrath of fifty-one teenagers! We later enjoyed an evening of total cultural immersion, when we ate dinner

at the Nikolaevsky Palace, and wondered just how long Mr Lavery had intended on hiding his talent for Russian Folk Dancing. After a rather pathetic attempt at storming the Winter Palace we spent our last few hours exploring the magnificent Hermitage Museum. Our Russian experience was absolutely unforgettable! Without a doubt, a massive thank you has to go to all of the teachers who dealt with us for the six days and for meticulously planning such an amazing trip.

Anjali Magecha 11CJ

History Trip to Russia


41Shamal 2015

The mission (which we rapidly chose to accept): squeeze as much knowledge of German history into twenty students and three teachers in four days as humanly possible. Fun would just be a side effect, provided we didn’t freeze.

We hit the streets of Berlin with our ‘Walking Wikipedia’ tour guide, Roy. There wasn’t a fact he didn’t know about German history as we whizzed through the city’s iconic landmarks like the beautiful Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, which proved to be a wonderful photo opportunity. A specialist Nazi History Walking Tour took us through nearly all the places we had only read about in our textbooks. The Story of Berlin interactive museum was a whirlwind, reflecting how buzzing the city Berlin is.

Whilst our trip was predominantly wunderbar and filled with laughter, there were some startling moments of reality that struck us; none as potent as during our visits to the Stasi Prison and the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. After our endless complaining about the weather we were told that prisoners of the camp were forced to stand to attention, withstanding temperatures of up to -20C in nothing but rags, a thin coat and some boots for forty-eight hours. Suddenly we no longer felt cold. It wasn’t all history as the girls engaged in some heavy (window) shopping, and retail therapy in Primark. We even celebrated Izzy’s birthday with much pomp and cake at the Hard Rock Café. Many a souvenir was bought, but our main regret from the trip was not buying a real, genuine, fake piece of the Berlin Wall. Exhausting yet enriching days saw us walk 20km on average, and were made even more exhausting by Herr von Dennis’ tendency to sprint everywhere we went. Luckily us lesser mortals had Herr Lavery keep us company at the back of the pack.Our heartfelt dankeschön to Herr von Dennis, Herr Lavery and Fraulein York for tolerating us and giving us an amazing experience to cherish. An even bigger shout out to Frau Von Drake for organising all our exploits.

Kripa Venkatesh 13PR

HistoryTrip toBerlin


42 Shamal 2015

On March 17th, Year 11 art students embarked upon an adventurous journey to Bastakiya, the older and historical area of

Dubai. After rushing through the narrow streets of old Dubai, we travelled down the creek on an abra, a rustic boat rich in authenticity and history. As we rode down the creek with the soothing sound of the wind and water, we spent one hour making a series of drawings of traditional buildings, mosques, boats and water studies. After this we had lunch at the XVA, an art hotel, where we encountered Halim Al Karim’s installation series, called ‘Chaos’. We even had the pleasure of seeing Al Karim himself, instantly recognisable with his bright purple beard and unruly long hair. Al Karim had transformed the XVA into ‘Chaos’ literally to display his ideas on the disorder and madness surrounding the lives through love and war. By covering the restaurant in plastic, hanging upside down wax covered creatures and disco lights from the ceiling and polaroid photographs from trees I was slightly disturbed but also intrigued and inspired.

Ceyda Davidson 11CJ

Year 11 Art Trip to the Creek and

XVA Gallery


43Shamal 2015

On March 19th we visited Alserkal Avenue where Anahita Razmi was exhibiting at the Carbon 12 Gallery. She is a German/Iranian conceptual artist who uses a variety of media to convey issues of identity and gender while appropriating national, cultural and artistic references.

Razmi delivered a talk about her work and explained how her art confronts the term Gharbzadegi, meaning ‘Weststruckness’ with the fictional term Sharghzadegi, ‘Eaststruckness’. This Persian term translates to ‘Westoxification’ and describes the ill-fated relationship between the West and Iran. The serious nature of her

Year 11, 12 and 13 Art Trip to Art Dubai and

Alserkal Avenue

work contrasted with the humour it also managed to portray. I enjoyed her talk immensely, finding her approach fascinating and have since been exploring some of her ideas in my own art. After Razmi’s talk, we visited a number of the other galleries including Grey Noise, Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde, Ayyam Gallery and Gulf Photo Plus, all of which were displaying works that were just as powerful. After Alserkal Avenue, we visited Art Dubai at the Madinat. It was a rare opportunity to see artworks covering a diverse range of media by a number of important and emerging contemporary artists. We only had a few hours to view this extensive range of art, and the vast amount of artworks was overwhelming, but has since provided us all with a great deal of inspiration.

Helena Wick 13LH


44 Shamal 2015

Year 7 students had a brilliant time in Dibba for two days during March 2015. They participated in lots of different activities at the North Star Camp including abseiling, rock climbing, obstacle courses and team building. They also had

the chance to go to the Radisson Blu Hotel and try kayaking, snorkelling and raft building. The water was crystal clear and the students didn’t seem to mind that it was freezing cold, but it was unfortunately marred by copious amounts of jelly fish! The rock climbing was great fun and whilst the students were waiting for their turn, they attempted to solve my many different riddles. After a HUGE dinner, we went on a night hike in to the mountains, searching for scorpions on the way. The

Year 7 Dibba

Trip

instructors told us all about the constellations and made us do an experiment to show us how our eyes work in the dark. Unfortunately there were no scorpions, but we did see a comet. On return to the camp and after a few games of football, rugby and basketball (I’m not sure what the boys did?), it was lights out ready for another action packed morning before a very long and noisy trip back to school. Arjun of course left half of his belongings on the bus, Mr Woolley ate everyone’s sweets and I slept very well on Saturday night! I’m looking forward to doing it all again with the new Year 7s next year.

Mrs K Greenlees Assistant Head of Lower School (Head of Year 7)


45Shamal 2015

The Year 8 trip to Kalba was an exciting adventure for everyone. After leaving school on Thursday we departed for our 2 hour journey to Eco-adventures in Dhaid. Much to the delight of the students, we passed many herds of camels and goats which resulted in lots of screaming from the students. When we arrived, and after a mad rush for the best tents, we began our activities for the day. We took part in the Jacob’s Ladder (a giant ladder), team building exercises and the climbing wall. After the activities we sat around the campfire and sang campfire songs, watched the #bantersquad with the talent show and Ms Romans try the chicken dance. After we all settled down for ‘sleep’ (no midnight snacking involved…) ready for an early start the next morning. At 6am (gosh) we had breakfast and left Dhaid for our sea activities. After another 2 hours of driving we arrived at the Eco-adventures headquarters ready for our day’s activities. Our day included raft building, where we built a raft out of barrels, wood and rope and raced against the other team, canoeing and kayaking.

With heavy hearts we started our journey home. It was an amazing trip and we made memories which will stay with us all the way through school.

Sophie Bezzina 8LC

Year 8 Trip to Kalba


46 Shamal 2015

On June 24th a group of students from Years 9, 10 and 11 left Dubai to go to Italy on a GCSE music trip. After two very long flights

we finally landed in Milan and took a bus to our hotel in Sirmione. La Paul Hotel was amazing and supplied breakfast and dinner for us every day. It was situated on Lake Garda and even though it was near a lake, it still had its own pool. During the week spent in Italy we visited many different places which included Venice, Verona and Murano.

When we were in Verona we toured around the beautiful city. A tour guide took us around Verona and shared some really interesting historical facts, such as the fact that Verona used to be significantly lower and due to earthquakes they had to raise and rebuild it. Part of old Verona still exists and some of us managed to take a private tour below ground to see it. We were told that during our tour there had been some earth tremors, but we didn’t feel any of them! One part of our tour showed us all the significant time periods of Verona’s history in one square. These four time periods were Roman, Gothic, Medieval and Renaissance. Each time period had its own style so this particular square in Verona was extremely interesting because it showed one style on each side of the square. A famous building in Verona is the Coliseum. The Coliseum was an amazing building and we learned that it once had an outer section and another level above it, but earthquakes in 1117 and 1183 destroyed most of them. One of the most well-known Italian operas is Carmen and during our stay we had the pleasure of going to the Coliseum to watch it. The only unfortunate part of the opera was that it was four hours long and the performance started at about 9pm. The bus journey home from Verona was subsequently very quiet, which pleased Mr Zambonini and Mrs Hughes a lot! Another well-known opera that we watched was Rigoletto, which was performed in someone’s very large house. The performance was very interactive: after each interval the audience went to a new room for a change of scenery and for a lot of the time the audience surrounded the stage. It was an amazing performance with an

Sounds of Italy

interesting story line and powerful actors.A highlight of Verona was visiting Juliet’s balcony and the statue of her. It is rumoured that if you hold a certain part of Juliet, you become lucky in love. A handful of us did that and in that same area there were two walls covered with lovers’ names surrounded by a heart.

In Venice we took a ferry to Murano where we watched some glass blowing which was fascinating, and even though it was about five degrees outside we all took off our jumpers due to the heat being generated in the furnace. After watching a horse being made from glass we went to the gift shop and we all went a little crazy! In our concerts, we might not have attracted the same number of people as the professionals, but we attracted more than we expected; both of our performances were performed in magnificent churches.

The trip wasn’t all hard work and we still found time to have fun. We went to a water park, a theme park and up in a cable car. At the top of the cable car it was freezing, so we only stayed up for a couple of minutes. Shopping was also on the list!

If you’ve never been to Italy then it’s somewhere you should go – we absolutely loved it. Our thanks to Mr Zambonini and Mrs Hughes for putting up with us for a week, and thank you to Mrs Lee Foster for organising it all.

Kim Sparrow 10CT


47Shamal 2015

On March 30th 2015 a group of twenty-five budding Latin and Classics students from Years 9, 10, 12 and 13 embarked on an epic journey to Italy.Accompanied by Mr Lambert, Ms Hill and Mr Agent, the purpose of this trip was to experience the Roman culture and to better

understand what we were learning, although for us it was more like eating lots of pizza and gelato!We had a full day walking around Rome during which we saw many famous landmarks such as the Coliseum, the Pantheon and the Vatican. We then had five days based in Sorrento where we went on day trips to other famous sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Solfatara and even climbed Mount Vesuvius.

Some of the most memorable experiences were:

• the rotten stench of mouldy eggs at Solfatara because of the plumes of sulphur spewing out of holes in the ground;• whilst walking around Herculaneum we must have blocked a doorway because a local guide started screaming “This is a door” at us. • visiting the beautiful sunny island of Capri in the pouring rain wasn’t quite how we imagined it.

Overall it was an amazing experience that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. So thank you to Mr Lambert, Ms Hill and Mr Agent for making the trip such an enjoyable one.

George Gunn 9DV

Latin and Classics Trip to Rome and

the Bay of Naples


48 Shamal 2015

On Friday 5th June 42 students from Year 8 accompanied by Mr Ashmore, Mr Rivers, Mrs Romans and Ms Shams embarked on a journey from Dubai to Space Camp Turkey! We were all very excited to get to the airport three long hours before the plane was due to depart and with an hours delay it gave us plenty of time to get stuck

into Starbucks, browse through Dubai Duty Free and of course take a load of selfies! We finally got onto the plane and settled into our seats, sat back for take-off. Space Camp was amazing and we enjoyed many different activities including the simulators, zero gravity and the ‘hamster wheel’, we built rockets and launched them, launched the Challenger in a nail biting mission and were occupied every minute of the day! In any free time there was a race to be crowned table tennis King/Queen. We also had several different day trips to markets that sold fake Beats and Obey hats that everyone claimed worked great… We visited the ancient city of Ephesus and a small Turkish village in the mountains. At the end of Space Camp team the ‘BLT’ team had set a new Space Camp Robotics record, Alan Crawford had won Best Camper and the Orion SQUAD the best chant – “Squuaaadd!” To sum up Space Camp we could say it was “DEB-tastic”.

Cameron Walker 8LC

Space Camp

Turkey


49Shamal 2015

In late January, six Sixth Form students travelled to London for the 2015 ISMTF Senior Mathematics Competition to compete against almost 200 students from across Europe and the Middle East.

The adventure started with a seven hour plane ride where we either bashed some past paper questions, watched TV series on the in-flight entertainment or fell asleep while listening to Chopin. Upon arrival in London we were immediately taken to American School of London. After hitting our heads a few times on the minibus ceiling we arrived at ASL and met up with our host families who let us go and explore London for the evening.

After a good night’s sleep it was competition day. 177 of the brightest students in Europe were all crammed into one sports hall for a total of over three hours of mental gymnastics. The first phase of the competition was the individual rounds. Here we had fifty challenging questions that ranged from simple combinatorics to some horrible calculus problems. After a much needed lunch break it was back into the hall for the second phase of the competition: the team rounds. Here we had to work as teams of three on problems

ISMTF Senior

Mathematics Competition

that would take ages. We encountered questions that at first looked like simple algebra, but were in reality much more complicated. It was here that we also saw some of the dirtiest geometry questions ever. After all the energy was taken out of us, we returned to our host families. For all of us, we were invited to parties held by other hosts and enjoyed an evening of socialising with other competitors.Sunday was a new day, results day, but first we were given one final mathematical challenge: the Sunday Chase. Here we put into teams with competitors from other schools and were told to find questions around the school and solve as many as possible. It counted for nothing but was really good fun. After that we received a talk from a maths comedian who taught us all how to tie our shoes as well as providing a nice insight into the fourth dimension. The results were announced and we discovered that as a team Matthew Laven, Minjun Kim and Todd Davies placed 10th overall, with Todd finishing 15th out of the 177 competitors in the individual round.

At this point most of the other schools were leaving to catch their flights home but we were treated to an extra day in London where we got to see some of the city’s iconic landmarks and the girls were allowed some retail therapy on Oxford and Regent Streets. Finally, we flew back to Dubai to return to more straightforward questions in our Mathematics lessons.

Todd Davies 13TD


50 Shamal 2015

Ski TripVerbier

2015

During the February Half Term, while most DC students were asleep in bed, a selection of pupils were spending the late hours of the 13th and the early hours of Valentine’s day yawning at the airport, on their way to Switzerland. After an extremely long journey filled with mysterious airplane food and packets of Pringles, we finally arrived at Les Elfes, Verbier.Our days consisted of a seven o’clock wakeup call of funky Swiss radio and five to six hours of skiing with a lunch break halfway through. In the afternoons, we were able to relax or shop the streets of Verbier for the best chocolates and candy anyone could imagine. Oh yes, and souvenirs for our family…After dinner, we participated in evening activities such as making a music video, ice-skating and many more exciting outings and games. Finally at ten o’clock, we flopped into our beds exhausted from our day.Our entire trip was filled with hilarious and memorable moments ranging from sliding down the side of a mountain without skis (smart choice…) all the way to the fabulous and downright groovy choreography at the disco. All these exceptionally silly actions were marked by a sentence of 24 hours of wearing a very annoying bell, known as a ding-a-ling award. By the end of the trip, all of us (there’s no hiding from it Mr. Woolley –who by the way, got

one too!), had been nominated and awarded once or twice and had faced the shame of a high pitched tinkle as we skied.All in all, I think everyone who went would agree that the ski trip 2015 was an unforgettable, truly amazing, once (or twice for those of us who really loved it), in a lifetime experience. Thank you once more to Ms Hill and Mr Woolley for coordinating the trip and for all the laughs!

Thank you!

Charlotte Haigh 8RGEmma Robertson 8RG (Room 109, Building 1, Les Elfes)


51Shamal 2015

COBIS Games ChampionsAthens 2015To start off the trip we had a very early start at the Etihad Travel Mall at 5:15am! We finally arrived in Athens where we settled in to our hotel and met our new friends. Jet-lagged and in need of energy for the up coming events, we retired to bed early.Day 1 was Athletics. What a start to the Games with a crowd cheering, band drumming and the Olympic stadium. Of course everyone was filled with butterflies and after the opening ceremony and a few words from the Headmaster of our hosts St. Catherine's, we soon started to warm up. First up were Roisin, Kiyomi, Harry and Ross with the 1500m. We got off to a convincing start winning gold in both the girls’ and boys’ event. An unstoppable force is what people started to describe us as, as the day progressed and it was apparent we would bring home a lot of medals. After a successful day out in the field, including Elena’s great performance in Javelin, all eyes were on the track finals and we were in every single one. Even after a little ‘fumble’ in the second to last event we were all smiles at the end of the day.

We rose early on Day 2 to set ourselves up for a day of swimming in the Olympic pool. Wajih was trembling inside at the thought of entering the pool and Angie was set on a task to show us how many medals she could win. The day began with the individual medley where Angie and Maria showed their swimming prowess, which was seen in every event onwards from the whole team. The swimming progressed with great success and to complete the day, the girls won first and second place in all events! There were lots of medals in the relays and we now know that Wajih and Katrina are definitely on the list for Miss Clohesy’s Year 9 Swim Squad.

Day 3; Football. Football was

probably the part of the Games that we were most scared of, as most of the teams that we talked with said that they had brought football focused teams and that that is their strong point in all the events. The boys games were separate to the girls. The boys had the hosts in their pool and favourites King’s College Madrid. It was tough getting out of the pool but the boys managed to narrowly beat St. Catherine's with a lucky goal from George and good defence. In the girls’ pool matches they met with football favourites the British School of the Netherlands (BSN) where our girls lost by quite a margin. Progressing through the knockout stages, both teams managed to make it to the finals. The boys final was against King’s College Madrid, this time Madrid were really pushing for a goal and managed to break through our defence with two great goals. On the other side the girls met with BSN again, and considering that they lost to them in the group stages, Katrina was determined to beat our rivals BSN and the girls banded together to pull out a draw. It came down to

penalties and an unlucky strike from Katrina as well as a well-placed goal by the top BSN player, left the girls devastated. Overall placing second in the football but triumphing as we held the COBIS games champions trophy, was exhilarating. The closing ceremony even brought fireworks and a bubble machine!

On the final day before heading to the airport, we went on a sightseeing tour of Athens, including the famous monument; the Acropolis. We spent several hours learning interesting new things about Greece and the Greeks. We finished at the ancient Olympic site where we held the failed human chariot races, and competitive wheelbarrow races. We were all tired after three days of competing, winning medals, and forgetting to set the alarms, however the whole team enjoyed it very much! The trip held so many memories for us and we will never forget the COBIS games of 2015. Cheers Greece!

Seb Snaas 8RGSophie O’Keeffe 8MP


52 Shamal 2015

In the cooler months the Geography Department moved into the larger classroom that is outside the environs of Dubai College. Seven days of fieldwork have taken place since September involving some 195 college students. Year 9 conducted research into tourism based at the newly built plaza at Jumeirah Beach Residence. They interviewed 129 members of the public seeking answers to a number of questions including their nationalities and reasons for visiting Dubai.As part of their preparation for

timed conditions coursework, Year 11 students have been involved in exploring rates of coastal recession along the Dubai coastline through observation and taking recordings at the beach. Their assessment will be in the form of a report of not more than 2000 words and will account for 25% of their final mark. As part of the Year 12 AS Level course, students study arid and semi-arid environments, so it was seen as opportune to have a field trip which would allow them to see at first-hand what they have studied in the

classroom. The students were able to look at differing vegetation types and adaptations to arid conditions, study sand dunes, assess the success of conservation areas, look at a falaj, study the role of water in forming alluvial fans and look at local farming practices in the Hajar Mountains.

In the words of Ed Balls (ex Education Secretary) "Learning outside the classroom is not some optional extra...Trips and getting out of the classroom should be part and parcel of school life"

Geography Fieldwork


53Shamal 2015

During the February half term, eighteen students along with Mr Christopher and Ms Johns boarded a fourteen hour plane trip to New York. From 25°C in Dubai to -25°C

in NYC on our first night, to say that we were cold would be an understatement. After visiting Grand Central Station and having a meal whilst half-asleep in TGI Friday’s, Mr Christopher lead most of us on a wild goose chase around Manhattan trying to find our hotel, the Hampton Inn South. Thankfully this misstep was not the first of many as the rest of our exploits were far more organised, and far less frantic. We visited a multitude of locations during our trip, all of which served to expand our knowledge and awareness of Economics and Business Studies. These locations include: tours in Macy’s, Bloomberg, The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre), American Museum of Finance, Federal Bank, Citibank, Columbia University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MoMA, Ground Zero (9/11 memorial), Ellis Island, the UN building, and a nice hospital for Mikaeel. We also embarked on two tours – one from uptown to downtown Manhattan and another which aimed to show contrast by taking us into areas like Queens and the Bronx. On one afternoon we went for a walk through Central Park, which was highly entertaining due to the sheer number of snowballs thrown along the way, before being let loose for free time around Fifth Avenue. Additionally, on the final night of our stay, all twenty of us took the subway to go and watch the Knicks vs. Miami Heat, a match which whilst enjoyed, was sadly a host to several naps from some exhausted members of the group.After seven days in bustling New York, and after hearing the term “Halal Cart” far too many times, we began our long journey home. After several delays at JFK airport and the long flight home, we returned to Dubai, our daily school lives and mock examinations.Overall the trip was fantastic and we would like to thank Mr Christopher and Ms Johns for putting up with us and giving us the opportunity to have such an amazing experience.

Will Treston and Emma Kelly 10TJ

Economics in

New York 2015


54 Shamal 2015

U13The U13s were lucky to go on a rugby tour to the UK in March. The Rosslyn Park tournament

is a national schools’ tournament, with all the top schools competing. This meant plenty of practice in the lead up to the trip, including fitness! For us it was an amazing trip all round consisting of brilliant nights out and places to visit as well as the tournament to top it all off. Thank you Mr Jones, Mr Cottam, Mr McIlveen and Mr Barrington for organising the trip to England.We all met in the airport and travelled

U16After last year’s successful inaugural DC Rosslyn Park tour the PE staff decided to take us to England for this prestigious tournament again. Once again a squad of U13s and U16s was taken. Being a 7s tournament, it was vital that we started our fitness training as early as possible so we attended extra weekly fitness sessions at Al Sufouh Park, as well as gym sessions. After touching down in Heathrow both squads went straight to the hotel for a bit of ‘relaxation’ time before heading out to TGI Friday’s for dinner. The next day was when the Rugby started as we went to the Oratory School for a training session and then a match against their team. After we’d finished training we were kindly offered to join their boys for lunch before going out to play them. The match was a good indicator of possibilities for the tournament three days later. In a hard-fought match we managed to come out on top. There were some encouraging

U13 & U16Rosslyn

Park7s

all the way to Heathrow with Virgin and then by minibus to the hotel. We were all shattered and jumped on our comfortable beds. As this was a 7s tournament there was a limited amount of players, and 7s is a very different playing style to 15 a side. The under 13 team was as follows, Sean O’Gorman, Max Brett, Jake Wade, George Boon, Harrison Devereux, Ben Davies, Ross Vintcent, Henry Tatham, Joel Harrison, Samuel Muller and Sebastian Snaas (capt). This squad yet again was indescribably amazing to captain and play alongside during the tournament. Firstly, we went up to the Oratory to train and play warm up matches - we won one and lost one against their U14 team. Then we headed to Rosslyn Park and we had possibly the best games of 7s rugby

we had ever played. The first game was very nerve wracking and we were down by a try and got back up to win that and also the next two games. This meant we won the group and were on to the next stage, the furthest any DC team has ever gone. The whole squad played fantastically and we really looked like a professional 7s team. We then faced Felton Fleet and we built up a strong lead during the first half, however we faced a different team in the second half as they rallied and attacked us continually, they scored three tries and before we knew it we were tired and our heads had dropped. That game meant a lot to all of us and it was a shame to lose. But spirits were very quickly raised when the teachers announced that the whole squad would be dining out at Nandos for their evening meal! On the last day we saw all the main sites of London, including a truly memorable visit to Twickenham – the home of rugby.Overall the trip was one of the best times of my life and it was the same for all of us! The whole tour, from start to finish, was an amazing trip, thank you everyone, players and coaches, for making it such a great and memorable tour.

Seb Snaas 8RG

signs for the tournament, although there were also things to work on in training the next day.When the day of the tournament finally arrived, expectedly there were quite a lot of nerves in the bus on the way to the venue. In our first match against Cheltenham College we were given a rude awakening to the physical side of the rugby that they like to play in England. After somehow coming out on the wrong side of a flattering score line in our second game, next up were St. Olave’s Grammar School. In a tight match where it was hailing so hard to the point that it was hard to continue playing, we found ourselves 14-12 behind in final play. Off a ‘Ferrari ball’ from the lineout we were sure that we’d scored the try to win us the game, only for the referee to controversially disagree and end the game. Following a shocking first half against the eventual group winners, Eltham College, we managed to end the tournament on a high by putting 17 unanswered points on them in a

performance that, had it have been sustained throughout the day, would have probably seen us through to the next round.On the whole it was a fantastic opportunity for the boys to experience the style and level of Rugby being played in England and one that was thoroughly enjoyed. Other things that we did such as going the QPR vs Everton game ensured that the squad ended up a lot closer as a group than at the start of the tour and that we had an unforgettable week. On behalf of the boys I’d like to sincerely thank Mr Jones, Mr Cottam, Mr McIlveen and, in particular for being our main coach this year, Mr Barrington. We really enjoyed the week and very much appreciate the effort that you went to in order to make it happen. I’d also like to thank anyone who sponsored us for the tour, we’re very grateful.

Oisin Morgan 11EJ


55Shamal 2015

On June 10th 2014, twenty-four students and three teachers embarked on an incredible trip to one of

the most picturesque destinations: France. Upon arriving we began what ultimately became a four hour bus ride to Normandy in the com-pany of an exasperatingly positive driver. We arrived at the Château du Molay jetlagged and grouchy, howev-er, the massive courtyard did much to lift our spirits. This was to be our home for the next few days, and no one was complaining. Day and lesson number one: in-dependence; a tough concept for

Year 9 Trip to

Normandy and ParisJune 2014

many to grasp. We were divided and sent into the town of Bayeux to buy groceries to make our own lunch (with apparently prizes for the best meal), extending our familiar-ity with the French language as we attempted to communicate with the locals. Although we all (our group in particular) lacked prior talent in food preparation, most of us were able to put together something edible…for others, the challenge was to actually consume the sugar salad. And thus our trip began. Over the next few days we were able to ex-plore the vicinity, which proved to be even more interesting and beautiful than first thought. Just a short trip from the château was the stunning town of Bayeux in which many endeavoured to get lost. There we visited many educational landmarks

from which we benefited greatly as far as historical and cultural knowl-edge went. Overall we experienced so many new incredible things, such as visiting the Caen Memorial Museum, the Bayeux Tapestry, the American Cemetery and in Paris, the Eiffel Tower. We met equally quirky people, from politically incorrect bread-makers to crazy goat ladies – we had much to be wary of! Ultimately there were several people without whom this all would not have been possible: thank you so much to Madame Thompson, Madame Foulkes and Monsieur Over!

Sophie Rhys-Maitland 10EA and Hayat Brannelly 10 AH

Activities

56 Shamal 2015

The interest in debating in the UAE has grown

exponentially in the last few years and Dubai College’s own Debating Society has enjoyed considerable success this year alone. The opportunities available for debating outside of school have historically been limited which makes competitions like this one all the more valuable. Four Dubai College students travelled to Repton School, Dubai, to compete in the regional round of the Cambridge Schools’ Debating Competition; a weekend of both competitive debating and intensive workshops. The adjudicators flew in from the Cambridge Union Society and so were well placed to give both constructive feedback and to teach new techniques. The weekend itself was incredibly rewarding for all those taking part. The students were exposed for the first time to British Parliament style

Cambridge Debates

Five of Dubai College’s most experienced and passionate debaters set off on Friday February 6th

to compete in the annual COBIS World Debating Tournament held in Bucharest, Romania. After the first day of highly competitive debating our students made it through to the Cup rounds where they were pitted against schools whose intellectual prowess and powers of persuasion rivalled our own. After closely missing out on a place in the finals, the team enjoyed an evening of Romanian cuisine at a traditional restaurant and a day exploring the historical sights of Bucharest in the snow. Each member of our team was individually commended by the judges for their contributions but special congratulations go to Thomas Murphy who was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best Male Speaker’ of the tournament.

Mrs l Hodge

Cobis Debating Bucharest

debating, a strategic and exciting style which relies on quick thinking and verbal dexterity to outwit your opponents. Tom Murphy and Anara Jaidev progressed to the second day of the competition, moving through to the semi-final and into the final. The motions on the final day were taxing to say the least: ‘This House believes that schools should design their curricula to promote critiques of free market economics’ was particularly challenging due to the multiple layers of argumentation that it necessitated. However, we are pleased to say that DC A eventually triumphed in the final, earning the honour of competing in the grand finals at the Cambridge Union Society in February 2015. Thank you very much to Mrs Hodge and Miss Parkes for organising our attendance at the event and for their ongoing support of our debating endeavours.

Thomas Murphy 12GJ

Activities

57Shamal 2015

On Saturday November 8th, twenty-two Dubai College students set out to compete in the Debate Dubai 2014 tournament held at Jumeirah College. Over four hundred debaters

from across the Middle East came together to participate in this exciting annual competition. Challenging motions stretched all six of our teams to the very limit and included a range of topics from police weaponry, to internship to parenting licences. As always, the event was an enormous success for The Debating Society and we left the tournament exhausted, fulfilled and with a plethora of awards and trophies (and of course huge smiles). In an unfortunate twist of fate, our Under 14A team had to face the B team in the Cup quarter finals which sadly saw the B team eliminated. However, our A team went on to win the ‘Runners up for the Cup’ trophy having won a marathon five debates in a row. The now veteran debaters argued with tenacity and panache in the gruelling and nail-biting final. In the 16 and Under Division, the A team impressed many judges with their eloquence and ability to argue persuasively. They faced fierce competition from well-practised debaters from around the Middle East yet still came out as the runners up for The Plate. Our oldest and most experienced teams in the Open Division had their fair share of victory too. The B team, in their first international debating tournament, went on to win the Plate: a truly admirable achievement. A special mention goes to Antara Jaidev (Year 12), and Yash Bhansali (Year 9) who were awarded individual prizes for ‘Best Speakers’ in recognition of their outstanding debating skills.All in all, it was a fabulous day and every team represented Dubai College with class, dedication and pride.

Yash Bhansali 9DV

On Saturday February 7th, four groups of Year 7 and Year 8 students attended the annual Junior Debate Dubai 2015, a tournament where hundreds of debaters across Dubai and the Middle East all come together to practise, to improve their knowledge of debating and, most importantly, to compete in the competi-

tion. The interesting yet challenging motions that the Dubai Col-lege teams faced stretched our creativity and knowledge to the limit. The vast range of topics were woven through aspects such as the freedom of speech to literary influences such as Harry Potter – this topic excited many of our debaters! Despite all the challenges that our teams faced, Dubai College did not only survive the competition but thrived. All of our teams managed to qualify for semi-finals and two of our teams reached the finals: the Under 12B team and the Under 11 team. The Under 11 team dominated the competition and won the highest ranking trophy, truly deserved after their five debates. It was not luck, but their determination and skill that drove them towards winning the Under 11 category of Debate Dubai 2015. In the Under 12 section of the competition the teams worked exceedingly hard and certain debaters met in their rivalry as familiar faces. All of our Under 12 teams qualified towards the finals, however, only the Under 12B team moved along to win the school the Plate in their final debate. The final competition for the 12B team was a debate fuelled with the strength of char-acter, belief in the argument and an extremely catchy motto to win the final ambitious debate. A special mention must go to Jake Mustard, who won a ‘Best Speaker’ award for his exceptional debating skills. Overall, the Junior Debate Dubai 2015 tournament was a wonderful experience and it expanded The Debating Society’s knowledge and experience of debating. Throughout the compe-tition all the debaters represented Dubai College with respect and pride in our school and had an amazing experience. All of the members who took part left the competition weary from the storm of debates and preparation but full of satisfaction and happiness. Tiya Bhatia 7AG

Debate Dubai

Junior Debate Dubai 2015

Activities

58 Shamal 2015

With over 14 million participants globally and 40 participating countries, the F1 in Schools

programme is arguably the largest science and technology competition in the world. However, from those initial 14 million participants, only 230 students (0.001%) qualify for the World Finals event.

You can imagine our delight when we realised we would be representing the UAE in the World Finals event in Abu Dhabi as part of a collaboration team with Ireland. We stayed at the Radisson Blu hotel on Yas Island, and a long hard week was in store for us. On the first day of the competition, we were given two hours to set up our pit

display. We also raced our car for the first time and then faced a panel of judges, who asked us about the specificities of our car engineering process. Suffice to say, the day was not without drama but the next day proved even more eventful.

In the morning, we had our verbal presentation followed by our pit display judging. We competed in our first reaction race and were placed just outside the fastest 19 teams. Unfortunately by the end of the week, we were gutted when we lost our first round race by less than 0.1 seconds, even after winning the first heat.

Needless to say, we were exhausted. But it was all worth the toil when our team was awarded the Best International Collaboration award at the gala dinner. We’re thankful to

F1 in

Schools

The Junior F1 in Schools Programme also had successes this year. Since the start of the year four groups have been designing their cars using online software, and preparing their portfolios. This was all in preparation for the Qualifinals at Yas Island. Our groups were readied for this crucial event with a night’s stay at the Crowne Plaza, with teams rehearsing well into the night. All of our teams prepared exceptionally well with their pit stands looking immaculate. The racing and verbal events were also hugely successful. All this hard work certainly paid off as all of our teams made it through to the national finals in November!

Miss R Shah

all of our sponsors for their financial support; we would not have been able to compete in the competition otherwise. However, our deepest gratitude lies with our school community.

We thank all members of our school community for showing their interest in our work and all the teachers who gave up their time to help us. A big ‘thank you’ goes to Ms Shah, Mr Roberts and Mr Ashby. However, we would not have achieved what we did without the endless support of Mr Ashmore and Ted. Thank you for putting up with us.This truly has been an incredible journey and we’re extremely proud to have represented the greatest team of all: Dubai College.

Sandip Roy 12RA

Activities

59Shamal 2015

January saw the start of a new club to Dubai College – the Raspberry Pi club. Keen to keep up to date with advances in curriculum and technology, the Computer Science Department invested in a number of the credit card-sized computers and various add-ons, with the aim of encouraging the uptake of coding within the school. Students have been involved in creating interactive games, including ones to test reaction times and even a particularly complicated ‘snake’ type game which has been many months in the making (I

Raspberry Pi Club

doubt Hugo Dolan has ever been so relieved to see a tiny LED light appear!). The contributions from the regular members of the club have been outstanding and we are sure we are witnessing the professional coders of the future at work. Mrs Cornwall will, of course, be claiming royalties for any inventions occurring in C8!The Raspberry Pi club will be expanding into a more general coding club in September and we invite anyone who is interested in coding to come along and give it a go. If you are a fan of gadgets or even just interested in the logical side of computer programming, the club is guaranteed to get the cogs whirring.

Mrs G Cornwall

Dubai College’s Writing Society, unites students from different year groups who share a passion for writing and yearn to get their writings published. This year was very exciting for us. We have published our first book, Faces. Faces is a collection of writing pieces

that cover a wide range of genres from the world of fiction and non- fiction. Our team chose the name Faces to represent the uniqueness of each story in the book. This book can now be found on the school system Oliver, as an electronic copy and we hope to soon publish the hard-copy version of the book. As well as publishing one book, we have also been working on our second book, Reflections. We look forward to publishing this online in the coming Summer Term. As part of the 2015 Emirates Literature Festival, Dubai College had the privilege of receiving a visit from psychological thriller writer Annabel Kantaria. She gave an engaging writing workshop detailing her previous experience in journalism and as an expat blogger here in Dubai. She also gave us plenty of useful tips on both writing and getting books published which I’m sure will be beneficial to many of the aspiring writers in the group as well as for getting both Faces and Reflections in print. Next year, the Writing Society is aiming to print both collections of stories, as well as producing yet another set of excellent and inspiring stories from the new team. We hope to have produced our third book by Summer 2016. Jessica Lattouf 12SO Sophie Shennan 12SO

Writing Club

Activities

60 Shamal 2015

On 22nd March 2015, gymnasts from Years 2 to Year 9 from Repton, Dubai College and Dubai British School met at Repton for the first ever schools’ gymnastics competition in Dubai. The competition was a two piece competition, using the floor and vault apparatus. We entered competitors in age groups, over three different levels, with level 1 being the

Back Row: Katie Mewawalla, Olivia Allen, Jessica Passey, Natasha Whittall, Katrina Webb

Middle Row: Mrs G Williams, Ayesha Gibbons, Lara Elliott, Lucy Kane, Tara Mewawalla, Lana Al Hajj, Imaan Seth, Sophie O’Keeffe

Front Row: Lara Begley, Anna Campbell, William Allinson, Jemima Garner, Holly Hickman

Gymnastics

lowest and level 3 being the highest. We had gymnasts competing in all three categories, not only beginner gymnasts but ex-gymnasts, as well as gymnasts that compete in competitions against a variety of clubs from all over the Arabian Gulf.In preparation for the competition we made our own routines to a musical track of our choice. When

we got to the competition, it was really nice to be able to show off what we had learnt and created since the beginning of the year. It was an enjoyable afternoon and we were placed in many of the events.

Caitlin Theocharis 9RS

Level 3 Vault:1st place - William Allinson2nd place - Caitlin Theocharis3rd place - Jemima Garner.Level 3 Floor:1st place - William Allinson2nd place - Caitlin Theocharis.Level 2 Vault:1st place - Olivia Allen2nd place - Jessica PasseyJoint 3rd place - Lana Al Haji & Lara Begley.Level 2 Floor:1st place - Katrina Webb3rd place - Lara Begley.Level 1 Vault:Joint 2nd place - Holly Hickman & Lara ElliottJoint 3rd place - Ayesha Gibbons.Level 1 Floor:1st place - Inayah Ahmed.

Activities

61Shamal 2015

Trampolining has now become a very popular activity at DC, with many more people interested and coming along to the various sessions. Open trampolining runs on a Wednesday lunch and anyone can come, but there is also Trampolining Squad that is held on a Wednesday after school for the more experienced ‘bouncers’. Mrs Williams welcomes students from Year 8 to Year 13 every week to come and enjoy themselves in the auditorium for some great fun. It is such a good way to meet lots of new people, but to also have an entertaining experience with your friends. Trampolining is always a laugh and most people can’t wait to rush through the week to get to Wednesday. There will be a new challenge for you every time, even if

Trampolining that means doing a front drop for the first time, trying out a somersault, or having Chris and Rob yell “Dish!” at you from the side of the trampoline. Popular jumps now include the ‘Flying Salmon’; which you are more than welcome to come along and learn how to do, with advice and coaching from the experts. The trampolining squad will also take part in the annual Gym and Dance display at DC in which we will all be performing synchronised routines (it’s great to watch - so come along). I’ve had such a good time doing trampolining and have been going to the club since Year 9. I really hope more people will want to come and join in with the fun because trampolining needs the popularity it deserves. I would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Williams for putting up with the squad (along with our poor choice in music) every

week for two years now, always with a smile.

Kristi Flanagan 11JS

Activities

62 Shamal 2015

Back Row: Lucy Graham, Georgia Allen, Jaahnvi Shastri

Middle Row: Mrs Georgina Williams, Mahira Jethwani, Amelia Pearce, Rija Rao, Zunaira Nader, Sophiya Joseph

Front Row: Almaz Razif, Rhea Javat, Charlotte Hide, Anjali Menon, Casey Maloney-Pinto

Street Dance

Back Row: Mrs Georgina Williams, Disha Narain, Casey Bell, Shehza Shafeek, Amun Chaudhary, Rhea Kale, Laura Murphy

Front Row: Mahe Samee, Chloe Elliott, Jaimini Patel, Charlotte Haigh, Kiara Whittle, Gabrielle Tode, Tia Patel

Contemporary Dance

This year, Dance was in full swing with two clubs; contemporary and street. These dance forms are unique in their own way, with contemporary focusing on versatility and improvisation whilst street dance focuses on the power and strength that dance shows. Since the beginning of October both dance groups have been coming up with a dance to showcase for the Dubai Desert Dance competition. Our theme this year was ‘Time’. This year dance took us on a journey of learning and trying many new things; lifts with our partners, new stage formations and most importantly being able to stand in front of an audience and deliver our pieces.

Closer to the performance, we were able to practise on the stage for the first time, giving us an insight into how the performance would go. Not only did we get to rehearse, but also we got the opportunity to watch the other acts, which was not going to be possible during the live show. It was amazing to see the efforts of all the schools participating and we felt proud to represent Dubai College in a show that would clearly be of high standard.Then came the day of the performance; our hearts were racing with nerves and excitement. Seeing the audience members slowly fill up the auditorium, we knew our dance was going to become a reality. As our name was called, we took deep

breaths and headed to the stage to perform a dance we had been practising for over four months. The ultimate icing on the cake was being awarded ‘Best Use of Space’. It was so exhilarating to be on that stage and we couldn’t be more thankful to Mrs Williams, without whom this would never have happened. We would also like to thank all the dancers for their hard work and commitment. Dance this year has been an amazing journey and we can’t wait to see what next year has in store for dancers at Dubai College.

Anurati Sodani, Ashling Murphy, Aiza Ahmed Year 12

Activities

63Shamal 2015

Desert Dance

Music

64 Shamal 2015

The annual Music & Mince Pies concert was held on December 8th 2014 in the auditorium and the students

performed a variety of festive tunes and songs with glee and gusto.Beginner Band started the concert with their impressive debut performance of ‘Up on a Housetop’ and everyone’s favourite, ‘Jingle Bells’. This was followed by Junior Choir under the enthusiastic and fresh guidance of Mrs Lett. They sang a beautiful version of ‘The First Noel’ arranged for choir and instrumentalists playing Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’. Junior Strings then charmed their audience with ‘Allegro’ from the Water Music by Handel and ‘Sleighride’ by Peter Martin. Intermediate Band entertained the audience with a fantastic suite of Russian folksongs and ‘Silver Bells’, expertly conducted from the podium by Mr Zambonini. Mr Cuthbertson conducted the Brass Ensemble who played ‘In Summer’ from the Disney animation film Frozen. Concert Band warmed us up again with their impressive performance of ‘Downton Abbey Suite’ and ‘White Christmas’. To round off the first half, Guitar Group played a delightful arrangement of ‘Deck the Halls’ and ‘Allemande’ by Gervaise.

Senior Strings opened the second half with an ambitious first movement of Elgar’s Serenade and played exceptionally well. Mrs Lee-Foster directed from the first desk of the violas along with Mrs Lett. Senior Orchestra performed the famous festive piece ‘Sleighride’ with a wonderful tempo. The Saxophone Quartet enjoyed a swinging arrangement of ‘Frosty the Snowman’, while Senior Guitars wowed the audience with ‘Auld Lang Sine’ and ‘Rumba’. Both upheld an expert sense of ensemble thanks to the fantastic leadership of Ms Ledesma and Ms Tsvetkova. The Chamber Choir sang a beautiful and atmospheric rendition of ‘Sleep’ by the contemporary composer Eric Whitacre. Flute Choir and Clarinet

Music & Mince

Pies

Choir followed playing some jolly and festive pieces such as ‘Santa’s Symphony’, ‘Can-Can’ and ‘Music of the Night’. Both ensembles seem to go from strength to strength each year. Senior Choir added some Christmas cheer with their ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and as always the Jazz Band ended the festivities with a sing along to ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’.

A huge thank you and well done to all 350 students who took part and rehearsed all term to create such a successful concert. Our thanks also go to the support staff for serving delicious mince pies and refreshments during the interval and to everyone who bought their tickets as we managed to raise over 5500AED for RAEY, the Ethiopian charity the school supports.Lastly a huge thank you to Mr Zambonini, Mrs Lee-Foster and all the other fantastic visiting music teachers for organising, rehearsing and helping to create such a wonderful event.

Mr M Zambonini

Music

65Shamal 2015

The Music Department staged a wonderful selection of orchestral, choral and solo works for an enchanted audience in the Sir Maurice Flanagan Music Centre on Wednesday November 26th 2014. The Senior Orchestra opened the concert with an uplifting overture from Rossini’s Barber of Seville. The Orchestra has gone from strength to strength over the past few years and continue to play a more varied and much more challenging repertoire, which is very exciting to see.

The evening also highlighted some of our exceptional students currently taking A Level Music. Zahid Siddiqui sang a beautiful and atmospheric rendition of ‘Apres un Reve’ by Faure while Tania Valrani played a technically fiendish guitar prelude by J S Bach. Bianca Pereira was our third soloist of the evening, playing the ‘Rondo’ movement from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 1 in C Major, accompanied by the Senior Orchestra. Bianca played with amazing poise and musicality with a sensitively accompanying orchestra.The Senior Choir and Chamber Choir have enjoyed deserved success this term with various performances in and out of school and didn’t fail to impress again. Contemporary numbers by Rutter and Chilcott were pleasingly performed but Whitacre’s ‘Sleep’ really was the most atmospheric highlight sung by our stunning and talented Chamber Choir. Our senior string players of the orchestra played the first two movements from Elgar’s well-loved Serenade. What a brilliant performance it was! The students displayed some beautifully subtle and varied tone colours and demonstrated some exceptional dynamic contrasts.

The evening came to a close with our final soloist, Mia Bazzoui, singing

‘Habanera’ from Bizet’s opera Carmen, again accompanied by the Senior Orchestra and Senior Choir. What a professional and characterful piece it was. Mia displayed an impressive technical ability well beyond her years!

Our congratulations go to all our talented music students who took part and to Mrs Lee-Foster and the music staff for organising and presenting such an exciting concert. Thanks also to our wonderful FDC who arranged for a sumptuous tea for us afterwards.

Mrs J Lee Foster

Music

66 Shamal 2015

The annual Young Musicians of the Gulf competition took place at St. Christopher’s School Bahrain from 28th-30th January 2015. ten of Dubai College’s most talented performers made the trip to compete in the region’s most prestigious music competition. Three international adjudicators were in attendance: Richard Dickins, Atarah Ben-Tovin & Christopher Adey.

Competing against over 70 solo entrants from across the region, students had to perform a variety of challenging works in two qualifying rounds. With a minimum standard of Grade 8 required to compete this really was a hotly contested event. Dubai College was honoured to have four students in the semi-final and two in the Grand Final – more than any other participating school. We were also victorious in the Ensemble Category where our Pearl Fishers Ensemble, performing Au Fond du Temple Saint, came top out of the 24 entrants in this section.

Results:Sandip Roy, 12RA Plucked Strings Award (Semi-Finalist) GuitarJoonwoo Jeong 9DV Bowed Strings Award (Finalist) ‘CelloZahid Siddiqui, 12CH Vocal Award (Finalist) Voice

Pearl Fishers Ensemble Ensemble WinnerZahid Siddiqui, 12CH VoiceEthan Ebdon, 12HB VoiceJoonwoo Jeong, 9DV PianoKyarash Aryanpad, 8LC ViolinSakshi Gupta, 11AD Flute

YMoGYoung Musicians of the Gulf

Competition 2015

Our congratulations go to all the Dubai College participants, who won a total of four categories, making us the most decorated school of the event. We also offer our thanks to St. Christopher’s School for organising such a wonderful competition.

Mr M Zambonini

Music

67Shamal 2015

This year’s Jazz Band concert took on a Latin theme, with a journey through the rhythms and melodies of Central and South America. Kicking off proceedings the Jazz Band enjoyed a spirited rendition of the 1940s hit ‘Brazil’. This was followed by Antonio Carlos Jobim’s ‘Wave’, in a version featuring our baritone saxophonist Jake Rogers. No Latin evening would have been complete without a bit of tango and Piazzolla’s ‘Libtertango’, performed by the Jazz Band, provided a modern take on this timeless dance.

The talented Sandip Roy, who won the Plucked Strings Category at the Young Musi-cians of the Gulf Competition, performed the poignant ‘Prelude No. 1’ by Villa-Lobos and we then picked up the tempo with the Saxophone Quartet and ‘Oye Como Va’, whose version of this Tito Puente classic was full of excitement and drive.

Other highlights included Ethan Ebdon’s per-formance of ‘Maria’, which he sang as part of his role as Tony in our production of West Side Story. Holly Jhoolun, who also starred in the production, took on a different role, perform-ing the hauntingly beautiful ‘Besame Mucho’.It was then to the Vocal Quartet, whose version of ‘Sway’ (complete with dancing and feather boas) was a real hit! To close the Jazz Band took to the floor once more with Lou Bega’s version of ‘Mambo No. 5’. As is tradi-tion though, they had a little something else up their sleeves and cheered on by an appre-ciative audience they brought things to a close with the ever-popular ‘Tequila’!

We would, as ever, like to thank the Friends of Dubai College who again provided some amaz-ing canapés for the event.

Mr M Zambonini

Music

68 Shamal 2015

Spring break provides a period to relax, partake in activities, and prepare for upcoming exams but throughout the first week of Spring break, some students chose to participate in the Arabian Youth Orchestra (AYO). Dubai College’s AYO is the region’s leading youth ensemble, bringing together the finest school aged-musicians to practise and perform in an orchestral setting.

We learned a range of pieces including: ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’ (Prelude) by Richard Wagner, The Planets (‘Mars, The Bringer of War’ and ‘Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity’) by Gustav Holst, ‘Tapline’ by Dubai’s Joanna Marsh, and four Dance Episodes from Rodeo by Aaron Copland.During the week, we had the opportunity to collaborate with the Irish Midlands Youth Orchestra as well as an unforgettable experience with the Dubai Drums Workshop. The course concluded with two fantastic concerts held at Dubai College on April 1st and the British School of Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi, on April 2nd; both concerts were conducted by Peter Curie.

We would like to thank the sponsors of the events, the sectional tutors and of course, Mr Zambonini, for organizing AYO. Everyone had a wonderful time and I am sure we all look forward to reuniting next year.

Vanessa Sumners 10TJ

Music

69Shamal 2015

Beginner Band has been a fantastic opportunity for Year 7. We have always had fun and, amazingly, discovered

another instrument in school without millions of lessons to copy down in our books from missed classes! With the lower brass always ahead of the rest of the band, the saxophones being far too loud, Hugo making random noises and flutes not practising enough, Beginner Band has been interesting to be in for the whole year.

This year has introduced me to the tuba in Bb, a massive instrument with three valves and a deep ‘voice’. As I became the only tuba player in the school’s history (this was a piece of information I toiled long and hard to find), I became determined to be the best that I could be at my instrument. The whole brass section seemed to think likewise and we have become amazing musicians with the trombones being able to do glissandos and the trumpets executing horse noises very professionally. With Mr Zambonini assisting Luke and me, we had few problems achieving this goal and extending ourselves far beyond what we needed to be. Soon enough, the lower brass had achieved their amazing reputation in the band. However, the brass instruments weren’t the only ones to achieve their targets. The woodwind always looked professional and the percussion seemed to be masters of anything that one could hit with a stick! Of course, all this would not have been possible without our conductor, Mr Zambonini, who never failed to lead us on the right track towards success and managed to put every band member in his or her right place. With his guidance, and that of our amazing teachers, every student in the band has managed to discover a passion for wind instruments and percussion and hopefully we shall all continue to achieve new goals next year in the daunting Intermediate Band, the realm of advanced wind players and plastic trombones…

Sourav Roy 7AG

Beginner Band

Golf

70 Shamal 2015

It was December and the word ‘Golf’ was buzzing all around the College campus. From the 10th-13th over 100 Dubai College students from Years 8 upwards were hard at work at the Emirates Golf Club for the annual Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. Whether it was at 7:00am (very early starts!) or 4:00pm our golf helpers were never shy of putting in their best effort. The jobs ranged from being out at the holes and updating leader boards, radioing the scores back to The Village, working on the main scoreboard, or walking the entire course alongside the golfers themselves radioing back and forth scores as they went along. Some students had up to five hours of walking! For some students it was their first time at the competition, so naturally the first day was quite a hustle and bustle of getting people to the right places at the right times AND using the equipment correctly! However, over the next three days everyone got right into the swing of things and the golf was a smooth-running, well-oiled machine!I think we would all say that the atmosphere at the golf was brilliant, the winter weather was just perfect and the calibre of golf was absolutely amazing. On the day of the finals all the students got the chance to meet the golfers and ask for autographs. We were also lucky to take a massive photo with this year’s winner from China, Shanshan Feng. The experience was simply like no other and I’m sure all of us will be looking forward to next year’s events! Congratulations to all the golfers and a massive thank you everyone who got involved.

Nitya Thawani 9RSRebecca Wilding 9RS

Dubai Ladies Masters

2014

Golf

71Shamal 2015

Once again an influx of students from Years 8-13 rushed to sign up for this classic golf tournament. As Year 9s – new to the golfing world – it was a fantastic opportunity to see the golfing elite in action. There was a wide variety of jobs to pick from, ranging from the massive Village scoreboard to leader boards around the course to walking scorers.

No matter what job each student had, it was crucial that the scores collected and displayed were accurate for the golfers to be aware of their positions (and to ensure that journalists were

displaying the correct information live across the globe). It was definitely a nerve-racking job keeping all the scores up to date in the sweltering heat of the Dubai sun. However, all of the students managed to handle the pressure successfully and, more importantly, keep the golfers happy!

Rory McIlroy won the tournament for a second time finishing 22-under par. For the full four day period, it was a unique experience to work with some of the world’s

greatest golfers, making the whole tournament an unforgettable experience!At the trophy presentations, Dubai College students were personally thanked by McIlroy, which was followed by huge cheers from the audience. We would like to thank all the teachers who came along, especially Miss John and Mr Davidson, for leading all of the pupils and ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Jaimini Patel 9NBGeesue Abrichami 9NB

January 2015 Time for the Dubai Desert

Classic of course!

Design Technology

72 Shamal 2015

GCSEDesign

Technology

1. Alex Faulkner, D of E Camping Buddy 2. Alkis Loukos, Beach Seat and Carry All 3. Ali Malik, Trophy Award for Recycling/Re-Using Products 4. Darius Afkhami, Flat Pack Seat 5. Barnaby Brett, Trophy Award for Recycling Metals 6. Christopher Vail, 3 in 1 Camping Furniture 7. Blanca Pamias Lopez, Compact Camping Table 8. Cameron Hughes, Child’s Pull Along Toy

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Design Technology

73Shamal 2015

9. Denia Loukou, Trophy Award for Sustainability Through Recycling 10. Fatima Gheewala, Portable Camping Shelf 11. Oisin Morgan, Hiking Rest 12. Jordan Russell, Mono Pod Seat 13. Kirsten Drake, Trophy Award for Making Schools More Eco-Friendly 14. Matthew Baxter, Flat Pack Camping Seat 15. Jeremy Clark, Child’s Pull Along Toy 16. Juan Rivero Cruells, Modular, Flat Pack Camping/Games Table. 17. Kipngeno Chirchir, Hiking Shade and Recliner

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Technology

Design Technology

74 Shamal 2015

18. Oliver Dyson, Trophy Award for Flora/Fauna Preservation 19. Omar Malik, Camping Table and Seat 20. Rahul Lopez, Foldable Camping Stool 21. Rebecca Hamer, Trophy Award for Marine Life Preservation 22. Richard Pickup, Collapsible Camping Table 23. Alison Tuffin, Portable Camping Table 24. Rida Ali, D of E Tent Entrance Store 25. Robert Hughes, Camping Chair Table

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Technology

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Design Technology

75Shamal 2015

26. Sakshi Gupta, Compactible Side Table for Campers 27. Zachariah Davies, Child’s Pull Along Toy 28. Scott Simpson, Portable Camping Table 29. Shaan Lalvani, Foldable Camping Stool 30. Yehia Islam, Tent Shelving Unit 31. Shahmir Samee, Foldable Camping Table 32. Simren Nijhawan, Trophy Award for Recycling Paper

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Design Technology

76 Shamal 2015

33. Albert Shehata, Modular shelving (Recycled aluminium / construction ply / walnut veneer) 34. Joseph Story, Sustainable Modular Shelving (brushed aluminium/walnut veneer & PLA hub caps)35. Evie Coghill, Sustainable Modular Shelving (recycled HIPS/wood veneer/mild steel & polystyrene) 36. Anneka Javat, Sustainable Modular Shelving – (wood veneer / construction ply / metal combinations)

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Technology

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77Shamal 2015

37. Ellen Burley, Portable personal rest for public spaces 38. Rohan Padmanabhan, Sustainably fuelled cooker 39. Hanna Salem, Home-gym

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Design Technology

78 Shamal 2015

40. Kelley Day, Connecting tables 41. Ryota Minagi, Beach ‘Beachie’ lounger 42. Cameron Moffat, Calisthenic multi gym 43. Ryan Underwood, Laptop workstation & sketching unit

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Design Technology

79Shamal 2015

GCSEArt

44. Anushe Samee, 45. Matthias Falzon Young, 46. Zena Sharif, 47. Jet Biddle, 48. Cate Waft, 49. Rebecca Edwards, 50. Charlotte Style.

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Art

80 Shamal 2015

GCSEArt

51. Naina Grover, 52. Anaa Haider, 53. Daniel Jhoolun, 54. Sophie Cameron, 55. Sabrina Daga, 56. Yehia Islam, 57. Siddharth Pillai, 58. Shenez Ahmed, 59. Fatima Gheewala.

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81Shamal 2015

GCSEArt

60. Rory Quick, 61. Emma Taylor, 62. Rebecca Hamer, 63. Dushan Stembo, 64. Ceyda Davidson, 65. Miraal Ikramullah, 66. Sarah Bolton, 67. Felix Meijer, 68. Mahnoor Kamran.

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82 Shamal 2015

ASArt

69. Sacha Harding, 70. Aiza Ahmed, 71. Ashnaa Chandnani, 72. Tristan Ebdon, 73. Tilsm Palfreyman, 74. Tabetha Davies, 75. Niki Mottahedan, 76. Leah Mitchell, 77. Emma Murray.

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83Shamal 2015

ASArt

78. Amy Henderson, 79. Anurati Sodani, 80. Kiana Simpson, 81. Ashna Gupta, 82. Sarah Khullar, 83. Hasan Masud,84. Matthew Dunne.

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84 Shamal 2015

ASArt

85. Natalie Jalili, 86. Beatrice Turner, 87. Tzeitel Degiovanni, 88. Caitlin Janus, 89. Neeksha Vikram, 90. Jessica Ingram-Johnson, 91. Josephine Jagtiani.

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85Shamal 2015

A2Art

92. Alyzeh Jiwani, 93. Eleanor Proctor, 94.Natasha Lopez, 95. Joseph Blakemore, 96. Aishah Siddiqi, 97. Giorgia Maccini-Hill, 98. Joanna Summers, 99. Imogen Lemon.

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The CREATIVITY and INNOVATION of our Art & Design Technology students is harnessed in these images and quotations. They portray what the overwhelming number of visitors saw over the two evenings, as well as the bold approach of the students:

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. Edwin Land

The heart and soul of the company is creativity and innovation. Bob Iger

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. Erich Fromm

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. Edward de Bono

Well done to the students for realising their Creativity so passionately. Thanks to *everyone who played a part in the success of the two evenings.

* everyone: students, parents, teachers, support staff, colleagues, loyal friends

Mr I Jones

A2Art

Art & Design Technology Exhibition

100. Helena Wick, 101. Nadia Young, 102. Nermeen Islam, 103. Urooj Ali, 104. Olivia Needham.

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87Shamal 2015

Art & Design

Technology Exhibition

Drama

88 Shamal 2015

The week before school broke up for the Christmas holidays, 8 Bedalians travelled over from Bedales School in Petersfield, United Kingdom on a long-standing Drama exchange with Dubai College. I was lucky enough to host Foxey and Bella during their stay, with Roly, Ruan, Callum, James, Mim and Hebe making up the amazing ensemble

who had devised and directed their own performance entitled ‘Life on Earth’. It was expertly performed to five schools across Dubai including JESS Ranches, JESS Jumeirah, Jebel Ali Primary School and our own lower school at Dubai College; each performance being followed by a workshop inspired by the decay of life and the environment on Earth. This Bedales exchange has been a long-standing tradition that we as new sixth formers are finally able to be a part of. Designed to give us an opportunity to expand our drama skills through sharing in the high quality work created by Bedales, we were inspired. I feel like I’m obliged to say these things, despite all of them being true. What I am not obliged to say however, yet genuinely feel, is how truly amazing that one week was. When our two drama groups got together, it seemed like it was a match made expertly by the drama gods (they do exist, I promise) and there was a certain unexplainable energy which brought us together as friends and pushed us further as Creative Arts students. Not only did we have a great week introducing them to the mammoth portions at The Cheesecake Factory and the Molten chocolate cake at Chilis, we also made friends for life. Consequently, we can’t wait for when the Dubai College A Level class of 2015-16 get to create our own piece which we will take to Bedales when the tables turn next year!

Tzeitel Degiovanni 12DM

Bedales Visit to Dubai

College

At the end of last term, a group of eight sixth form students from a school called Bedales in England came on an exchange to perform an amazing and intriguing piece of Drama about the earth as we see it today entitled, ‘Life on Earth’. These amazing actors used both abstract and naturalistic movement and speech to powerfully express the deteriorating state of our world and how we can preserve it. It was truly spectacular, not least because it was all their own work, but also because it inspired so much thought in me and my fellow Year 8 students.

Katie Mewawalla 8RG

Drama

89Shamal 2015

The AS Drama & Theatre Studies students have just completed the performance element of their course – taking on the challenge of Campton’s absurdist play, The Cagebirds.In the narrative journey of the play, the characters (the ‘birds’) are both physically and

metaphorically locked in The Master’s cage. On the surface they are not frightened and they are not trying to escape. However, dig deeper and it becomes apparent that emotionally, they are far from content. Repetitive, cyclical exchanges and a lack of direct communication show how the ‘birds’ behaviour has been conditioned by endless amounts of time staring at the bars of their stark white cage. That is until The Master introduces a new addition to his flock, The Wild One. The impact of The Wild One is extreme. The routine existence of the ‘birds’ is thrown into chaos. The Wild One isn’t content with captivity, she wants to escape and she wants them to join her.Mastering the skill of non-verbal communication and detailed characterisation, drawing on bird-like mannerisms to create the ticks and subtext of their roles, the AS students presented a deeply engaging and powerful performance for their exam!

The Cagebirds

Drama

90 Shamal 2015

Last term the musical made a welcome return to Dubai College with over 100 talented students joining forces in the cast, orchestra and crew to bring to life one of the most challenging and rewarding shows! During six months of hard work the students clocked up over 200 hours of rehearsals to create an energised, passionate and emotional performance of the critically acclaimed tale of gang rivalry on the streets of a 1950s Upper West Side, NYC. Inspired by the tragic love story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story reworks the classic plot with Latin infused beats and inventive street language, and our ensemble embraced every aspect! Over the three performances over 1,500 audience members laughed, tapped their toes and shed a tear as the DC students delivered a top notch performance. Many congratulations to all involved!

Drama

91Shamal 2015

I am so sad that West Side is over. It was an incredible experience to be part of, leading up to the show, as well as the performances themselves. It is such a fantastic musical and I enjoyed every part of it. One thing that I am so grateful for was the amazing opportunity to confidently sing a solo without any nerves, as well as making new friends from all years and sharing many hilarious experiences with them. I will never forget the hours spent with Kath-erine and Ciara (my fellow Sharks) trying to teach me a 30 second dance routine! West Side Story was an amazing experience, and I still can’t get ‘I Feel Pretty’ out of my head. I think it’s fair to say Tzeitel, Kiara and I will never forget Rosalia, Francisca and Consuela, as that close friendship continues today.

Ruby-Mae Ebdon, 10MS

West Side Story was my first experience of a Dubai College show and it’s been the most fun I’ve ever had in a production! It’s been so rewarding hearing the feedback from the audience, with so many comments that our performance was like watching a West End show – it makes all of the rehearsals and nerves worth it! If anyone reading this is trying to decide whether or not to join the next production that DC puts on, the answer is: you should! I enjoyed West Side Story so much that I was in a puddle of tears on the last night and I wish I could do it all over again. I’ve also made such great friendships with the amazing members of the cast who I wouldn’t have been able to meet otherwise. West Side Story was such an incredible experience for everyone involved, and I can’t wait for the next one!

Kiara Whittle 9MN

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

92 Shamal 2015

After several months of preparation, the majority of Year 10 pupils set off for our journey in, quite

literally, the middle of nowhere. We left with a slew of unnecessary stuff - mainly packed surreptitiously by our overprotective parents. Our bus journey to the desert was both interesting and intimate as we all found ourselves packed closely together with our bags piled on top of each other. With regret set deep in our hearts, we spent our valuable weekend searching the desert for various checkpoints instead of doing our homework.In general, the actual hiking itself was quite pleasant as well as enjoyable and along our way we encountered many donkeys as well as camels that were roaming around. Around midday, the sun was very strong and this meant that we began to find it harder to walk. We did however continue with good moral

and used music to help keep a good pace. The continuous music was the only thing that kept us going and together as a team; without it we would have struggled to continue during tough times. During this first day of trekking, we were quite determined to stay exactly on route and due to this, mainly ended up taking the paths of most resistance - until later we were notified that it is always best to “take the path of least resistance”, a motto that our group repeated, often in vain, during both treks.Throughout the practice expedition, we attempted to utilise the various array of navigational techniques, which we had acquired as a result of our numerous preparation sessions. Beforehand, as a team, we filled out the route cards - giving people jobs for plotting the grid references on the map, measuring and converting the distances, estimating the time taken for these distances based on given estimates, and adding the estimated total time for each leg of the trek - taking into account uphill and downhill areas and time taken for breaks and lunch. One of the

most important things we learnt in navigation, was that it is vital to look at your surroundings and identify a feature that will help guide you when travelling parallel to the bearing. On our practice expedition we were given some guidance from the instructors who supplied us with important advice to remember when navigating on our Qualifying Expedition; where we would be left to navigate for ourselves. We were well prepared to set up the tents once we got to the campsite, since we had had plenty of practice on various training afternoons and enrichment days. Unfortunately, when packing up our tents in the morning, we found them covered with sand and condensation making the job far more messy and time consuming in comparison with when we set them up on the grassy areas outside B-block. Cooking had definitely been a highlight of our journey, mainly because it had not been as successful as we had thought it was going to be. We learnt that we are incapable of cooking pasta, as by the end of the night we had spent 2 hours creating a giant

Duke of Edinburgh

Bronze Expedition

2015


93Shamal 2015

uncooked mess (which somehow also contained a gummy bear) that when disposed of, only resembled radioactive goo (literally; it glowed in the dark). However, we did realise that contrary to popular belief, the oven mitt was highly useful in preventing any burns when handling hot water and fire. Whilst many of us enjoyed uncooked pot noodles, we all improved our culinary skills in time for the qualifying.Overall by the end of the practice expedition we were all completely exhausted and fed up with each other’s wonderful company, so you could imagine the reaction that we

had when we discovered that the last leg had been changed for the worse. A previously long leg became two kilometres longer, and we struggled to finish in high spirits. On the first trek, we may have had difficulties with pacing in the group, which resulted in slight tension, but ultimately we were able to overcome this and we stuck as a group throughout the entire qualifying expedition. Although we did not go through with our plans to walk with a twenty-metre rope connecting us, we did manage to complete our adventurous journey, as the online record book so elegantly describes it,

without straying from the guidelines.Since on our qualifying we were the first group to make it to the end, we strode in to the sound of the ‘Final Countdown’, with our spirits high having been able to enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere without the trouble of overly heavy bags and navigational issues. After enduring blisters, inedible pasta, donkeys, camels and crawling through the infamous fecal goat tunnel, we think we are prepared to embark on our Silver Expedition next year.

Aleks Skroban, Emma Kelly and Maha Masud 10TJ


94 Shamal 2015

The expedition took place on the 14th - 16th of November in 2014. Our expedition started early

on Friday morning, when our buses left school for the Masafi Region at around 8 o’clock in the morning. From past experiences we had expected the weather to be hot, however the morning chill gave us a taster of the temperature we were expecting to feel in the desert at night. During the one and a half hour bus ride, we first dropped off the gold award trekkers from their start point and then moved on to our own starting point, half an hour on. My group consisted of ten girls, all of whom were my reasonably

Duke of Edinburgh

SilverAward

close friends. This was very useful to us as we were able to keep each other entertained throughout the expedition. One of our main strengths was that we could all communicate clearly to one another, which helped as it meant we were able to ensure that we brought just the right amount of kit and that we never got lost. However, we did have some weaknesses that resulted in our trip being unpleasant at some times. An example of this is that although we all started at the same pace, some members of our group began to tire more quickly than others, which resulted in common breaks throughout the days in which we had to stop, which in turn then lead to disagreements about at what speed the group should walk and how many breaks we should have.The entire route was 48 kilometres long, and we encountered hundreds

of sand dunes and rocky areas. Each day of trekking contained the same scenery: sand and rocks. Each day we also passed several quarries and wadis, which often caused our journey to take slightly more time, as we had to walk around them. As our goal was teamwork, we all worked together to decide the best route for us to take, and another aspect of our teamwork was that we all decided what equipment we would bring so we would all be able to share the common items, such as pots and stoves. The fact that we did all of this and worked as a team shows how we achieved our goal.The temperature throughout all of the days was constantly hot and humid, as the sun beat down on us as we walked. It was especially hard to walk through the really sandy areas in the heat and this caused disruption within my group as


95Shamal 2015

some people tired more quickly and needed to stop for more breaks. On both nights our campsites were in reasonably good spots. Both were far from any roads, and they also contained enough rocks to help us weigh down our tents. Once my group had set up the tents, we were able to finally stop and relax after the long days of trekking. Any angry feelings in our group from any disagreements we had had while walking vanished with our hunger, as we immediately began to eat. Both nights I ate pot-noodles for dinner, which were very filling and easy to use, as you only had to add hot water. I brought food that was good for carrying in the desert and that did not have to stay cold.In the Masafi region the nights were not as cold as we were expecting, but in the morning the bitter chill and cold dew woke us up. The dew

was definitely a problem for me as both mornings it wet a lot of my belongings that were touching the tent during the night. On the final day we were able to make really good time and arrived at the buses in the middle of all the groups.Although our team had a couple of rough patches throughout the trek I can honestly say that we worked incredibly well as a team and pushed past our problems to work together to achieve our ultimate goal: reaching the buses. I believe that this trek has brought us closer as a group, which will be very helpful for our qualifying expedition. The best aspect of the practice expedition was most likely my group and how we worked together to push past our arguments and that we all remained entertained throughout the entire trip by singing, chatting and playing games. If I could have changed one

thing I would have preferred to walk through more rocky areas, as it was the sandy areas where I got the most blisters.

Cate Waft 11EJ


96 Shamal 2015

Duke of Edinburgh

GoldAwardNepal

Nepali flat – a little bit of up, a little bit

of down,

“”said our trusty guide Bibi as we trekked through

the beautiful Helambu region of Nepal. The Gold DofE group spent four days travelling through the mountains, observing the simple yet fruitful way of life of the villagers and camping under the starry Nepalese skies. We weathered the scorching sun and the relentless rain, but made memories and friendships that will last us a lifetime. As Tim Cahill once said, ‘A journey is best measured in friends, not miles’. We stayed at a local school for two days, helping to build a perimeter wall. An added bonus of this was that we had the opportunity to get to know the children and immerse ourselves into their lifestyles. The children were intelligent and polite and their positivity in spite of their circumstances, really taught us to value our way of life. Of course, to end our trip, we fulfilled our duties as tourists and visited the renowned Monkey Temple and Durbar Square, and bargained for souvenirs in the little street shops. To say the least it truly was a life changing experience.

Alesha Gulamhusein 12GJ


97Shamal 2015

National Day Celebrations

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On Sunday 30th November, Dubai College was transformed into a miniature Arabic village courtesy of the Al Maktoum family. There were antique artefacts to look at, spices and perfumes to smell and traditional games to play. Over 1200 cups of Arabic teas and coffees were drunk and approximately 1000 delicious breads and desserts were served to students and staff. However, it was the animals who certainly stole the show, especially the hedgehogs! Many thanks to all involved – it truly was a fantastic day and gave DC the opportunity to celebrate UAE National Day in style.

National Day Celebrations

House Pages

99Shamal 2015

The competition between the houses has been particularly captivating this year. Cousteau, struggling to find something

suitably blue to have as a mascot, that would exemplify everything that they have stood for over the years, decided to be represented by the “Cookie Monster”. Since then, of course, they dominated virtually every event, and have been in front nearly all year. Their startling success might also have something to do with their tireless, inspiring house captains together with Ms Foulkes’ superb organisation! Around the start of June, however, Heyerdahl, inexplicably represented by a small orange fish called “Nemo”, slowly and quietly, with the unstoppable force of a gigantic and calculating snail, has managed to slide into the lead. If they stay in front for the rest of the term that will be a new record for Mr Ashby and Heyerdahl – with five championship victories in a row!At present the struggle for first place is quite brutal. The rival house

As well as all of the academic lessons and the house competition, Dubai College operates over 150 co-curricular activities. This year we have been expanding the types of opportunities available, and in addition to all of the existing clubs and activities, we now are also offering clubs in horse riding,

fencing, lifesaving, current affairs, Keynes society, cheer leading, Mandarin, poetry, computing and robotics.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers for providing such an interesting array of experiences for our students. I’d also like to acknowledge the tremendous effort and commitment that our students show, in taking on and committing time and effort to these clubs and activities – it certainly makes DC life a very busy, but undoubtedly a very rewarding and enriching experience!

Mr R DennisActivities Co-Ordinator

captains have finally realised that every student that takes part in an event gets a house merit, leading to the biggest teams for water polo and rounders that the school has ever seen! Barbarossa adopted “Tinky Winky” as their mascot for this year, and their desperate attempt to win the Mr McIlveen Mexican wave competition during the swimming gala certainly was reminiscent of the “Teletubbies”. Chichester, meanwhile, represented by “The Hulk”, clearly did not get angry enough, despite Mr Flower’s Chichester master plan of deploying 15 players in the junior basketball team!

There have been a few new additions to the Competition recently, including events in History, Drama and Linguistics. Next year we hope to have new dancing, cooking, cricket, tennis, chess, table tennis, French and Science competitions – and offer even more opportunities for students of all ages and abilities to get regularly involved in supporting their house.

A very popular addition to Sports

Day this year was the Caretakers running in (and winning!) the staff-relay. Without their outstanding support throughout each year the whole house competition would be a lot less successful. Thanks, as always, must also go to the PE teachers, along with Mrs Adamson, Mr Woolley, Mr Case, Mrs Nowacki and Ms Jones who have all been so supportive in agreeing to referee and umpire the multitude of sports matches.

All the students have also been contributing busily and productively to the house merit competition. Since September in excess of an amazing 17,000 merits have been awarded for good deeds including effort, achievement, team work and participation!

So, in summary, this has been another very successful year for the house competition, and we look forward to starting an even livelier and more varied series of events next term!

Mr R DennisActivities Co-Ordinator

Activities

House Update

Ba Ch Co Hy

House Pages

100 Shamal 2015

Possibly the only time in the year when the whole school population (840 students, 20 caretakers and bus drivers, 70 teachers, assorted parents and 3 cats) gets together to produce a major event, where everyone plays a vital role in its success – is Sports Day. From

setting it all up in the morning to cheering, running, jumping, eating, throwing, scoring, timing, measuring, raking, supervising, picking up litter… absolutely everyone has an essential part to play! This year certainly maintained very high standards of competition and no less than five records were broken! We actually had a few notable additions to the normal schedule. Firstly, Mr Flower forgot to wear his traditional lucky Chichester hat. Secondly, the traditional “staff relay” was, amazingly, not won by Heyerdahl, but was actually dominated by the caretakers’ team. Mr McIlveen of Barbarossa was unceremoniously disqualified for pushing Cousteau’s Mr Lavery out of his lane, and Mr Dennis discovered that he was actually running for Heyerdahl and Cousteau, at the same time!! The eight house captains did a great job of organising their teams, not just on the day, but in the weeks leading up to the event. They certainly gave invaluable support to their heads of house, and, together with their assistants, helped to encourage a really positive team spirit.

House Athletics

Deciding the winning house on the day was extremely close, but Heyerdahl narrowly beat Cousteau into second place, who then went on to dominate the rest of the house competition for the rest of the year. The whole event was a remarkable feat of organisation and my sincere thanks go to Mr Jones and the PE staff for putting together such a memorable day!

Mr R Dennis, Activities Co-Ordinator

House Pages

101Shamal 2015

This year actually saw two separate house swimming galas: seniors in December and junior and intermediates in March. The plan was that, after a ten-year break, house swimming galas would again became a whole school

event during normal school hours, creating a much greater sense of team spirit – and a lively, exciting occasion for the whole school. It certainly seemed to work and the fun, supportive atmosphere, with Mexican waves and cheering competitions apparently inspired the swimmers to break seventeen school records overall! This year the competition between the four houses seemed particularly fierce, and, ably organised by their determined house captains, each house managed to field strong teams. In both the Senior and the junior/intermediate galas, though, the end result was the same as last year – a resounding victory for Heyerdahl. Sandip Roy and Emma Murray proudly raised the house swimming trophy, and proceeded to close the gap on Cousteau to within a mere handful of points.

Mr R Dennis, Activities Co-Ordinator

House Swimming

Gala

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102 Shamal 2015

BarbarossaToday, five years since Bar-

barossa last won the house competition, we move forward. We move forward because of you. We move forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over Heyerdahl's poor sportsmanship, over Chichester's lengthy team talks, and Cousteau's false hopes. We move forward with the spirit that has lifted this house from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that we are one family and that we rise or fall together as one house and as one great people.

While our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for Bar-barossa the best is yet to come.

I am hopeful today because I’ve seen the spirit at work in Barbaros-sa. I’ve seen it on the basketball court where Robin Over scores an unlikely three pointer and would rather not lay off to Kip. He'd rather score another. I've seen it in Angus’ pony tail and in P-Doggs headband. I've seen it on the athletics track where sub 10 secs Haren crushes all before him wear-ing his school shoes.

I’ve seen it on the netball court where the senior girls keep playing despite only scoring one basket since 2012 and in those new Year 7’s who charged up the auditorium corridor into darkness and danger because they knew they could nail this quiz.

I’ve seen it from the side of the swimming pool, where Urmika would risk drowning rather than see Cousteau score a goal. Where Ellie could have swum forty lengths instead of four in the IM. And yet today, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of senior girls water polo, I’ve never been more hopeful

about our future.

I have never been more hope-ful about Barbarossa. And I ask you to sustain that hope, the hope that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.

I’m not talking about blind op-timism, or the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of Mr Flower’s hat or the volume of Ms Foulkes, the futility of #infoulke-swetrust, or the cheating of Mr Ashby that stand in our path.

Barbarossa, I believe we can build on the progress. I believe we can keep the idea that if we’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you perform. It doesn’t matter whether you are football or rugby, sporty or unsporty, chess or cookery, Year 7 or Year 11, player or supporter,

cheese bread or cheerleader,

one merit or ninety, you can make it in Barbarossa if you’re

willing to try.

I believe we can seize this future to-gether because we are not as down as history suggests. We’re not as forlorn as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we re-main more than a collection of red shirts. Make no mistake, the tide has turned. We are on the up and forever will be Barbarossa.

Mr J McIlveen

House Pages

103Shamal 2015

This year has certainly been an eventful one for Barbarossa.

Even though we didn’t manage to win many events, our spirit has never faulted, we continually strived for the best, and most importantly, participated. The first term was the most successful, as in the final tally of points for the term, we sneaked into second place! This gave us some hope that we may actually be able to come out of the turmoil of coming fourth for the past few years!

With the new Epraise system, we as house captains, could award a house merit to anyone who participated in any house event. Clearly, this motivated our juniors, as throughout the year we have dominated. A special mention goes to our fellow Barbie Sophie O’Keeffe who has managed to stay at the top of the league table in the whole school for the whole year! Well done to her and to everybody else.

A few highlights of the year include senior girls coming joint second in the house netball! This was a momentous occasion as it was the only event we didn’t come last in the whole year! Looking at the other spectrum of the house events, it seemed that we had a strength for languages, as we managed to come first and second for the intermediate and senior house linguistics competition respectively. Well done!

Thank you to everyone who participated in events this year, especially those of you who stepped up at the last minute to do events, as you showed commitment and willingness to help the house. I’d also like to say a big thank you to Mr Dennis, Mr Mac, the PE teachers, caretakers and any other teachers that helped throughout the year! Your help was invaluable. It’s been a privilege being house captain this year, for such a charismatic, enthusiastic and generally lovely group of people. Good luck to next year’s house captains - Madryn and Kip. I’m sure you will do an amazing job and hopefully lead Barbarossa to success!

Natalia Adair 12GR

House Pages

104 Shamal 2015

THE INCREDIBLECHICHESTERTHE INCREDIBLECHICHESTER

DON’T MAKE MR FLOWER

ANGRY

YOU WOULDN’TLIKE HIM WHEN

HE’S ANGRY!

A year of transition is perhaps the best way to describe this season of house events for Chichester. With several age groups of strong athletes and public speakers having left DC in recent years, it has taken time to realise that our areas of strength have somewhat changed from what they were. So this year we decided to swerve our focus and concentrate on the more academic and pastoral base side of the house competition. The seniors made a fairly strong start to the year with the house quiz and house music, however we quickly lost it as we began to fall behind rather too quickly in the standings. Despite some very strong individual and team performances, and more importantly down to some not so astonishing performances (ie the house swimming gala), in terms of the house league table we were not off to the best of starts. The intermediates continued this vein of form as we began to lose a lot of ground on Cousteau. If nothing else, the majority of the year up to that point had been consistent, and as far as anyone should be concerned, that is one victory in itself. Sports day was no different, but this may have proved to be the turning point as some very impressive displays of sporting brilliance triggered a response from the rest of the house. Following this day, the seniors ended up with some respectable results, and the intermediates further improved this as well. With only the merit system and juniors left to pick up valuable points at the time of writing, there is still

hope of climbing the ladder and out of last place. One should not be fooled, however, into thinking this is down to a lack of motivation or enthusiasm, for there has rarely been an occasion where we have been short on numbers, which arguably is another victory. The best thing about Chichester is that even though we may not be first.... Or second... our house has an undying sprit. This has been evident in all age groups, laying waste to the claim that the house competition is a dying beast. We hope this continues for many years to come, as the new generation of Chichester passes through, and hopefully in the very near future will see us rightfully placed at the top of the standings once more. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone in Chichester house, not only those whom have participated in events but also those have supported. However, the biggest thanks go to Mr Flower for his tireless efforts and unmatched enthusiasm and passion for the house programme. If the late Winston Churchill was right in saying success is the ability to go from failure to failure without ever losing enthusiasm, then who is to say we aren’t really the champions anyway?

Aiden and Libby

House Pages

105Shamal 2015

Mr Flower’s Bit Role of HonourChichester Individual Roll of Honour 2015Athletics Event WinnersYear 7: Olivia Allen, Georgia Allen, Maia Edmonds, Reva Poddar, Lucy KaneYear 8: Elanor Wright, Kitty Davies, Angelica Slater, Katie Mewawalla, Finlay Page, Sean O’Gorman, Ben Davies, Ross VintcentYear 9: Izzy Duthie, Arya Flisher, Tara Desai, Harry Hughes, Year 10: Hayat Brannelly, Alex Newbery, Alex Hall, Ola Faniran, Joe PageSenior: Alesha Gulamhusein, Kristi Flanagan, Amy Hosking, Kelley Day, Martha Gregory, Aiden Wright, Minjun Kim, Saif Khawaja

Swim Gala Event Winners Junior: Ella Verrall, Finn Page, Ross VintcentIntermediate: Sasha Verrall, Tara Desai, Izzy Duthie, Joe Page, Tom HaighSenior: Maisy Duncan, Izzy Haigh, Charlotte Style

Chichester Sports People of the YearGirl: Izzie DuthieBoy: Aiden Wright

Every year brings with it new challenges and for Chichester this has certainly been the case once again. We may not be sitting proudly on top of the perch but I continue to be mightily impressed with the attitude that everyone strives to do their best in every event. There have been many successes worthy of celebrating not the least of which is the green domination of the music competition; we will be beaten in the ensemble one day but as long as our musicians continue to raise their level of performance year on year it will take something special from the other houses to do so. A fantastic performance from Bianca, Cate and Joonwoo brought home the honours once more.Highlights this year include Imogen Lemon’s continued dominance in Linguistics (so much so that she will study this next year at Cambridge University!), the senior girls and boys in basketball, several of our quiz teams and the Year 7 girls in just about everything going! Individually there have been impressive performances in athletics and swimming with school records being set; on this note Maisy Duncan and Tara Desai in the pool deserve mention as does Kristi Flanagan on the track. However, to pick out individuals is not what sets Chichester apart from the rest, it is our undeniable team spirit and never-say-die attitude which carries us through and it will not be long before the green ribbons once more hang from the house trophy.My heartfelt thanks for the tireless encouragement and assistance provided by our outgoing captains, Libby and Aiden; they truly will be a difficult act to follow. Congratulations to everyone who has worn the green shirt with such distinction this year and good luck to those of you who may be departing these shores for pastures new.

Mr P Flower

House Pages

106 Shamal 2015

COUSTEAU STREET

123

House Pages

107Shamal 2015

In any military campaign, resourcefulness is the formula for prosperity. We may have come into this year as the underdogs – the Southampton, when compared to the imperialist Chelsea-style dogs of Heyerdahl – based on years gone by. This year, however, we have not allowed laissez-faire economics to traditionally dictate the course of events; our new policies of collective ownership have ensured this year has been a memorable and arduous battle. New signings in Year 7 far outweighing the quality of the old have enabled us to maximise our strike force ‘bite and hold’ tactics to really puncture the enemy in the underbelly.

We may have remained in the shadows during the big events; we put in extremely strong performances on sports day and the senior swimming gala, coming second in both, whilst Heyerdahl won both, and so we allowed them the satisfaction of smiling for the cameras with their pretty little trophy.

But like all proletariat revolutions, we have bided our time well, and used our small but elite revolutionary body to erratically hit other houses where it hurts most – in their means of production. This has manifested itself in consistently excellent performances in most of the other house events – football, netball, quizzes and public speaking to name a few – which has helped to maintain our continuous and unfaltering position in first place this year which they don’t give you a trophy for, it seems. Not smiling so much now are we, HeyerFAIL?

Now is an appropriate time to praise all my fellow comrades and Cousteaucrats in reaching unprecedented levels of productivity that have far surpassed the targets. All of you have been outstanding, with particular credit due to Hasan Malik, Aakanksha Deb, Jack Gravestock, Michael Reid, Meeran Fehmi and Anushe Sheikh. The bureaucratic hold of the Barbalosers is slipping away into oblivion, a concept Glitchester are all too

familiar with.

Like all wars, victory would never become a reality for the men-at-arms (and women) without the support of the auxiliaries. As such, massive thanks are due to Mr Dennis, the caretakers and students who have helped in the running of all house events. And without doubt, I am hugely indebted to my fellow war cabinet member Tzeitel Degiovanni. The two of us have operated in abject loyalty, and with great admiration, under the majestic Archonship of Madame Foulkes, who I believe is a reincarnation of the goddess Nike, the Greek personification of victory (not the sporting brand, though they have offered to sponsor us).

At time of writing, we may win the house competition. We may not – like the UK General Election, the house competition is too close to call.

Yet I am resolute that we can put in strong showings in the remaining events to, like David Cameron, or Stalin’s outmanoeuvring of Trotsky, unexpectedly destroy our opposition and put most of them out of a job, ideally with a pick-axe in their back.

However, whether or not we gain an outright majority, it does not matter. Because if there is one thing we will never lose, neither in the face of adversity nor under the scorn of our enemies, it is our dignity. We may recede into the darkness for a time, but eventually, in the end, we will prevail.

‘Like all good fruit, the balance of life is in the ripe and the ruin.’ – Alt-J #InFoulkesWeTrust

House Pages

108 Shamal 2015

House Captains’ Report

No aspect of our school encompasses every single student every single day of the year quite like the house competition does; it’s a unique and irreplaceable part of Dubai College’s culture. That being said, being a part of the house competition is much like riding a roller coaster, as the old cliché goes; you make the conscious decision to be a part of it and try to prepare yourself as much as you can, but eventually you have to let go and enjoy the sheer exhilaration of the journey. We’ve been extremely proud and fortunate to be a part of Heyerdahl and to lead all the Heyerdahlians this year. Having won the competition three years in a row before this one, the task ahead looked exceedingly daunting at the start of the year. Several questions played on in our minds: ‘Would we be able to lead the house to victory and win Sports Day and the Swimming Gala like the years before?”Fortunately, our Heyerdahlians rose to the challenge and led the house to victory in Sports Day, as well as the senior, intermediate and junior swimming gala, not to mention the numerous other events we’ve won this year. Despite a shaky start to the year, we picked ourselves us and rose up to the challenge; we breathed life into the immortal words of our former mascot, Rocky, showing that we truly can “get hit and keep moving forward.” sports day, swimming gala, football, netball, basketball, quiz, house mu-sic… the list continues. Whether it’s in front of an audience in the music centre or against our peers on the pitch, Heyerdahlians have shown extreme versatility and perseverance. A lot of the time, it’s been our Heyerdahlians who have really taken on the task of mentally preparing and performing to their utmost potential in all these events; they are the true leaders of this house.However, there are certain individuals whom we could not write this article without thanking and praising. The first being Mr. Ashby - the mastermind behind Heyerdahl’s continuing success. Without the con-tinued support and push from such a great head of house, neither the willingness of participation nor the outstanding results would have been achieved and for this we are thankful. On top of this, the house competition would not be as great as it was had the competing houses not been competitive and not shown good will. Thankfully, the other heads of houses – Mr McIlveen Ms Foulkes and Mr Flower – continually encourage and support their teams, thus putting the house competition at a standard that makes it both enjoyable to participate in and spectate. This leads us to thank all the other heads of house along with, of course, Mr Dennis – the very heart and soul of the house competition. Finally, we would like to thank the Heyerdahlians. This year has been tremendously enjoyed by both of us and the reason behind it is that everyone is always willing and determined. It has been an absolute honour to represent each and every one of you and to watch you all par-ticipate for a start, but then also achieve goals at a high level for your house. The enthusiasm has been refreshing to see and we hope that the orange army can continue its success in the coming years. A MASSIVE thank you goes out to all of you for all of your efforts; it has been a fantastic year and we are both really going to miss having this job. Good luck to the well deserving house captains next year and we hope you have all enjoyed this year as much as we have.

Sandip and Emma

So gimme some finDUDES...

House Pages

109Shamal 2015

'Cause we were like, "woaaaah.", and I was like, "woaaaah." and you were like, "woaaahh..."

Heyerdahl, just keep swimming!

Heyerdahl win the

Swimming Gala and Sports Day for the

third year in a row.

Both Heyerdahl

house captains get the illustrious

and coveted position of Head Boy and Head Girl! I’m so

proud!

Well it is the end of another long year and after three years of strolling to victory we are at long last involved in a battle for the title! Ms Foulkes has managed to awaken the sleeping dragon that is Cousteau. They have certainly put up an im-pressive fight for the house trophy this year.

The first term saw Heyerdahl make a slow start to the house competi-tion; perhaps complacency had set in because Heyerdahlians were so used to being on the top spot. Ms Foulkes’ Cousteau came into the year with renewed determination and desire, and we soon found ourselves playing catch up. Never a team to take defeat lying down, we rallied the troops and readied ourselves for

battle. This pressure added extra excitement to the race for the cup. After gaining ten points on Cousteau at the start of the third term, we realised that it was destined to be a fantastic fight.

Whether we are victors or runners up this year, I have once again been truly amazed by the spirit and dedication of Heyerdahlians throughout the school. After all, it is this, rather than our winning streak, that makes us what I believe to be the best house in Dubai College. I want to sincerely thank you for all your hard work this year.

Special thanks must go to my house captains, Sandip and Emma, who have proven themselves to be superb lead-ers and assets to Heyerdahl this year. You have done me, your house and yourselves extremely proud.

Mr R Ashby

Quotes from Heyerdahlians

“Heyerdahl produces champions mentally and physically”

“It’s been an amazing house and I am proud to be part of it”

“I love everything about

Heyerdahl”

“Heyerdahl’s competitive

spirit makes me proud”

“Heyerdahl rocks!”

“Heyerdahl has the most team spirit”

“Heyerdahl are simply the

best”

“Heyerdahl shines as brightly as the

sun”

“Heyerdahl produces leaders”

Heyerdahl Headlines

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.

Heyerdahl makes the days count”

The Heyerdahl staff relay team get

the baton around without dropping

it!

Enrichment Days

110 Shamal 2015

Planning and delivering three enrichment days for each of Years 7 to 10 and two each for Years 11 to 13 is no mean feat, yet the staff at Dubai College readily roll up their sleeves and produce outstanding activities year on year. The enrichment days allow us to underpin the core elements of PSHE which are required to enhance our school curriculum and they are a powerful way of combining staff expertise to give our students a rich and rewarding experience. As a compulsory part of the school curriculum, students are offered activities in the categories; health & well-being, relationships (including team work and interpersonal skills), living in the wider world, economic well-being, careers and the world of work.

In October 2014, the lower school

embarked on a charity project day which resulted in visual representations of their work which were truly amazing and which produced purposeful ideas for charity fundraising activities. This was preceded by an inspirational talk from Lee Hurford to stimulate thought and possible direction for their projects, which included the following charity causes: Al Noor, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, Tusk, Adopt-a-Camp, Dubai Centre for Special Needs, Raey, Children of the Mountain and Harmony House. Team building was once again a popular hit with the middle school, along with individual sessions on a variety of topics ranging from money management to dealing with stress, stereotyping and human rights. The vertical activity quiz ‘Life in the UAE’ was a great leveller

and the students demonstrated outstanding knowledge of what it means to be a good citizen and were extremely culturally aware. The upper school were able to sink their teeth into resurrecting the school newspaper and the activity involved brainstorming, designing, researching, collating, producing and distributing nine possible formats for the newspaper to meet the end of the day deadline. The outcome was outstanding and “DConstructed” is now published on a regular basis with students at the forefront of every stage, from writing to selling. A resounding success at all section levels and a hard act to follow. The spring term brought new demands and offerings, with the lower school focus being on world awareness and the Year 10 focus on core topics including healthy eating, influence and peer pressure. The

Enrichment Days2015

Enrichment Days and EPQ

111Shamal 2015

Have you ever wondered ‘How is art valued?’ Have you ever pondered on the extent to which ‘A low class woman in 5th century Athens was no better off than a slave.’? Maybe you are interested in how 3D printing is going to impact on our lives over the next few years, or more alarm-

ingly, the extent to which ‘technology has become able to replace teachers in learning.’ Genetics, piracy, politics, media, literature and literally the length and breadth of many academic fields are being tilled in the pursuit of this year’s EPQ projects. Over fifty Year 12 students have pitched and put forward their project proposals with increasing complexity and engagement. Building further on the success of the Year 13 students, who as I discussed in a December 2014 article, completed their EPQs to an exceptionally high standard, the Year 12 students look set to continue to push the bar higher here at Dubai College.

Extended Project

Qualification

Science, Economics and Technology related projects still remain popular but this year we have seen a surge in the Humanities, Arts and Literature often crossing many genres and reflecting our culturally diverse student body. Having spent the past few months delving into the world of Philosophy, Ethics and Critical Thinking, the students are now engaged in researching their projects. During Term 1 of Year 13 the students will be taught and guided through the academically rigorous process of writing through a weekly session and support from the volunteer teacher-mentors. This will culminate in presentations outlining their project, findings and recommendations for future research. The six thousand word dissertation will provide students with the equivalent of half an A Level, as well as a solid foundation for graduate and post-graduate study. Our new batch is shaping up to be an enthusiastic crowd who should provide us with some really inspiring ideas and thoughts on life around us today, how the past has shaped us and how the future might evolve.

Ms H Bastable EPQ Co-Ordinator

Year 11s were more than admirably prepared to make their choices for sixth form as the taster sessions, a lecture from Mr Lambert and speed dating subject sessions with the sixth form all proved to be big hits. Wadi Adventure provided team building and personal challenge skills for the Year 13s whilst the Year 12s survived Utopia Day, which required resilience, creative thinking skills and task perseverance.Whilst Years 11 to 13 are busy finishing their summer examination period the other year groups are given yet another opportunity to further their personal development.

The summer enrichment programme is based around Fairtrade for the lower school which is another opportunity for them to be involved in group activities with a research and presentation focus. The Year 9s are busily preparing for their future Duke of Edinburgh experiences and no doubt will have regular comedy moments developing their cooking skills (or lack of them) and putting up tents. The compass navigation session should also mean that they don’t end up in the local McDonalds…let’s hope! The Year 10s have an equally enriching plan with delicious desserts to make,

codes to break and forensics to analyse; they have four choices out of nine equally engaging activities all with a diverse range of skills to develop. Already the year group teams have been planning next year’s programme to make it as productive and rewarding an experience as this year…remembering that the most important thing that underpins the whole thing is that learning can most certainly be fun.

Ms D JonesAssistant Head

Charities

112 Shamal 2015

The Mathematics Olympiad continued this year with over half of the students in the school entering the first round, each earning a house merit; progress to the following rounds earned further house merits. The largest number on record were invited to attend the final on Thurs-

day 28th May; there were 41 students who took part. All the winners’ medals were won by our Korean students, who clearly have superior skills!

Results of the Final:Junior Category (Years 7-9): Winner: Joonwoo Jeong (9DV)2nd Place: Ishaan Arora (9MN)3rd Place: Aryaman Chawla (7KM)

Intermediate Category (Years 10 –11): Winner: Hyunji Kim (10MS)2nd Place: Oh Jun Kweon (10CT)3rd Place: Ellie O’Keeffe (10AY)

Senior Category (Years 12-13): Winner: Minjun Kim (12GR)2nd Place: Adian Liusie (12PF)3rd Place:Arjun Dave (12DF)

Congratulations to the winners and to all the finalists. The winner in each category will be presented with a trophy during the final assembly of this year.

Ms P Tragett

Mathematics Competitions throughout 2014-2015Dubai College has entered teams to several competitions throughout this academic year.

The Senior ISMTF competition held in London of which there is a separate article about.

Year 9 competition held at DESC; a mix of individual and team rounds.The boys team (Yash Bhansali, Mustafa Lone, Hishaan Mahtani and Joonwoo Jeong) were placed second overall.

The National Mathematics Contest organised by Abu Dhabi University and held in the Al Ain Campus. Both of the teams entered qualified for the finals. The winners Team 1: Minjum Kim and Arjun Dave

Mathematics Olympiad

2015

Sample question from the final of the Junior Competition

(winning a laptop each!), Runners up were Team 2: Sahil Baldani and Adian Liusie.

Junior UKMT Competition was held in DC for all students in the top four Maths sets in each of Year 7 and 8.157 entrants: 59 Gold, 59 Silver, 28 Bronze.

Krisna Bhargava achieved ‘best in school’ and together with Marwan Gedeon Achi, Jaahnvi Shastri and Aanya Gardi qualified for the Junior Mathematics Olympiad which is a gruelling two hour individual competition. This honour is reserved for the top 1200 scores in the world!

Ms P Tragett

Charities

113Shamal 2015

This year the Charity Committee has been outstanding…breaking last year’s fund-raising records and getting more people involved in helping others than ever before.The Winter Bazaar,

organised in partnership with the FDC, saw dozens of younger students putting their own fundraising ideas into action. The total raised – over 30,000AED was simply amazing!In response to recent events in Nepal in April, the students took it upon themselves to organise a concert. “Music for the Mountain” collected literally tonnes of tents, clothes and blankets that were delivered to Red Crescent and shipped out to Kathmandu. These events represent just a fraction of their efforts this year, as Emily Dunne explains:

Dubai College is a school that flourishes because of the values embodied by its students. The Charity Committee allows us to work together to help communities outside our own.

Zahra, Radhika, Neha and I have coordinated and collaborated with the other sixty members of the committee to sustain the old traditions whilst creating new ways in which to fundraise and spread awareness. The local subcommittee, led by Zahra, introduced a new concept of ‘Game Day’; where our own caretakers and drivers played cricket and football against labourers from Adopt-A -Camp. Aniket, led a very successful Movember campaign and his team was outstanding in supporting Cancer Research. The Tusk Trust, led by Radhika, was heavily involved in the organisation of one of our largest events – Music Charity Love, and this helped to raise awareness of the plight of endangered animals in Africa. I have led the Ethiopia campaign this year, and we were involved in the planning and organising of World Food Day! The Nepal Appeal, led by Shivani, collaborated with younger students and was most involved in organising the Winter Bazaar. Neha lead the campaign to support poor children in India, and they provided laptops and other electronics for a charity school in Delhi.

We are proud to hand over the roles as head of Charity Committee to Alesha, Matthew and Saleena at the end of a terrific year of fundraising, and wish them the best of luck in the year to come! We would like to thank everyone involved in our endeavours, from teachers to students to the invaluable caretakers - we simply could not have done it without your support!

Emily Dunne 13DM

Charities

Game on!

Pink Day

Music Charity Love Tusk Trust

Game Day refreshments

World Food Day Mr Woolley Gunged Movember

Charities

114 Shamal 2015

It all started on a lawn scattered with colourful beanbags and the gentle sway of hanging decorations. The helium

balloons that bobbed up and down mirrored the light-hearted feelings of the ebullient crowd. Amidst the crescendo of excited chatter of the spectators, one could almost feel the nervous and yet excited heartbeats of the performers waiting for their turn on the stage. This scene marked the beginning of Dubai College’s sixth edition of the critically acclaimed ‘Music Charity Love’. We were entertained by a range of performances that left us on a high note long after the last performers walked off the stage to the percussion of well-deserved applause

Music, Charity,

Love

and whoops of appreciation. ‘Music Charity Love’ is a concert dedicated to raising awareness and funds for both local and international charities. This year the event supported local charities; The Charity Committee raised more than 24,000AED, an invaluable amount for local charities and a new record sum for this event. The evening was an excellent example of what we are capable of as a school that not only focuses on the academic and athletic spheres but also indulges in philanthropic causes. A tip of the hat is in order for all the talented musicians who took part in each of the 25 performances. The event was truly made memorable by your input. It is no easy task to be in the spotlight, singing barebones in front of the entire student body as well as parents, staff and esteemed

guests. Of course, a special mention must go to the Year 13s who really were ‘all in it together’. None of this would have been possible without the collaborative effort of the Charity Committee, the volunteers and the teachers who strung the entire event together. The Music certainly was astounding. As was the Charity, with a stupendous donation raised. The Love? If you were there, you know what we’re talking about: you felt it.

We’ll see you next year. It’s a date.

Emily Dunne 13DM

Charities

115Shamal 2015

World Food Day is one of the most anticipated and memorable moments on the Dubai College

calendar. This year was certainly no different. The Charity Committee managed to raise a over a staggering 15,000AED for the local charities.

The Charity Committee planned and hosted the entire event, which was whole-heartedly supported by the entire student body. Without a doubt, students displayed national pride by wearing national dress and bringing in food from their countries. The canteen area was converted into a miniature village of sorts with food from all over the globe. At lunch, students quickly inundated the area and who wasted no time in flocking to the closest stand serving the sweets. From biryani, to sushi, to fairy cakes,

to noodles – it seemed as if national foods from every country could be found at the stalls.

While many of us were busy guzzling down global delicacies, groups of dancers were displaying their talents and hours of practice on stage. Cultural dances from all over the world were on display and were definitely a delight to watch.

While World Food Day is certainly a philanthropic endeavour, we must remember that it is a celebration of different culture as well as the tremendous diversity at Dubai College. It provides a chance for students to develop an international understanding and become global citizens, aware of different cultures and values. At the heart of it all, the human spirit of compassion, unity, and charity are all applauded.

Shehryar Haris 12LH

WorldFood Day

Sport

116 Shamal 2015

Primary Schools’ Athletics

This year’s Primary School Athletics saw the ‘red army’ of DESS sweep all opponents aside with one of the most convincing track and field displays for quite a few years. Following the ‘one point nail biter’ of 2014, there would be no such close calls this time around.It was also a day for record breaking with no less than nine new records being set. This impressive role of honour was topped by Robert Everett (JESS Jumeirah) who created two new records. He is one for the future obviously!Sincerest thanks to the athletes, athletics coaches and DC staff for making the day such a success. A final special thanks should go to FDC for their refreshments throughout the day and for their continual support of DC sporting events.

Overall WinnersPosition School Points 1st DESS 5962nd JPS 5913rd JAPS 5754th JESS Jumeirah 5575th JESS Ranches 523 6th Horizon 462

Mr A JonesDirector of Sport

Sport

117Shamal 2015

DC Sports Badge: CMYK Dubai College Blue100.80.0.60Dubai College Red 0.99.97.0Font: Georgia

As another very successful sports season comes to an end I have the pleasure of being able to reflect on the numerous

highlights that have yet again lit up our extra-curricular sports programme calendar.The first accolade must go to our newbie netballers, the mighty Under 12s. Having witnessed them in action, this group of ‘6 foot something’ Year 7 A team girls are a basket-hitting phenomenon. They out passed, shot and manoeuvred all opponents in leagues and tournaments and are surely a group to watch for the future. Additionally, if they keep growing I have no doubt they will be as tall as the netball posts! Girls’ sport on the whole has been superb throughout all three terms, with numerous victories in rounders, basketball and in the feline phenomena of club netball. Winning all Division 1 DASSA titles in both basketball and netball is a unique achievement. Congratulations to all sports ladies on consistently

excellent performances.Continuing with the junior theme, congratulations to our ‘mighty whites’, the U13 cricket squad. Although not as tall as the netballers, their exploits were equally as impressive; winning the junior tapeball league, DC six a side tournament, remaining unbeaten through a season of friendly matches and beating such prestigious schools from the UK as Feltonfleet and Prior Park. Although it feels obligatory to mention the 1st XV Rugby squad, completing yet another ‘clean sweep’ of all leagues and tournaments, their achievements still need to be congratulated and not taken for granted. It was another outstanding season.Beyond this, the swimmers out swam, our athletes out ran/jumped/threw all opposition before them, in order to complete another impressive sporting year. I sincerely hope all who took part enjoyed participating as much as we, the coaches, enjoyed watching the numerous DC performances. Last but certainly not least, I took great delight in seeing our Year

8s perform and be victorious at the COBIS games in the Athens Olympic stadium and swimming pool. The squad were absolutely superb and clearly put DC sport on the COBIS global map. I would also like to congratulate the boys and girls football teams for ‘parking the bus’ defensively and both making their respective finals. It was very Mourinho-esque!Finally, I would like to say ‘adios’ to both Mr Barrington and Mrs Bell from our PE Department, who have both given so much time, effort and love to DC sport. Mr Barrington will continue to ply his trade in rainy Cardiff and we wish him ‘pob lwc’ in the Welsh capital. Mrs Bell is having a break from teaching to become a professional mum/cake maker and I am confident we will therefore see her at DC next year with a boxful of chocolate brownies! Sincerest thanks and best of luck to them both.As for the summer, enjoy, relax and get fit for next year. As the opposition gets stronger, let’s raise the bar even higher!


SportsOverview2014/2015

Sport

118 Shamal 2015

“Work Hard, Play Harder”

AthleticsDASSA Girls’ Athletics ChampionsFab 5 – U16 Division 1 ChampionsFab 5 – Division 1 Overall Combined ChampionsDASSA Athletics Championships Winners

BasketballU12A Girls DASSA League ChampionsU14A Girls DASSA League ChampionsU14B Girls DASSA Division 2 ChampionsU16 Girls DASSA League ChampionsU18 Girls MEUC Champions, DohaU18 Girls DASSA League ChampionsU14A Boys DASSA League Champions

COBISCOBIS Games Athletics WinnersCOBIS Games Swimming Winners COBIS Games Overall Champions

CricketDC 6s Tournament – U13 WinnersKasim Cup Winners

Cross CountryHatta Run Champions

Doha Sports ExchangeWinners

Boys’ FootballU12A DASSA Football 7s Winners

Sporting Achievements

2014/2015

NetballU12 DC Tournament WinnersU12A DASSA League Division 1 WinnersU12A JESS Tournament WinnersU12B DASSA League Division 2 WinnersU12C DASSA League Division 3 WinnersU14A DASSA League Division 1 WinnersU14A JESS Tournament WinnersU14C DASSA League Division 3 WinnersU16B DASSA League Division 1 WinnersU18A DC International Tournament WinnersU18A DASSA League Division 1 WinnersU18C DASSA League Division 2 WinnersDesert Kittens Dubai Netball League Division 2 Winners

RoundersYear 8 Latifa Tournament WinnersYear 9 Latifa Tournament WinnersYear 10 Latifa Tournament WinnersSenior Latifa Tournament WinnersU16A DASSA League Division 1 Winners

RugbyU13 DC 7s ChampionsU13 DC 10s ChampionsU14 Girls BSAK Touch ChampionsU18s Dubai 7s ChampionsU18 DC 10s ChampionsU19 UAE Schools League ChampionsU19 BSAK 7s Champions

SwimmingDASSA Championships Winners DASSA ‘A’ League WinnersU14 DASSA League Champions U18 DASSA League ChampionsMEUC Winners

2014/2015

DC Sports Badge: CMYK Dubai College Blue100.80.0.60Dubai College Red 0.99.97.0Font: Georgia

Sport

119Shamal 2015

Back Row: Matthias Falzon Young, Sam Ashby, Joe Story, Aiden Wright, Matthew Laven, Michael Reid, Aaron Camball, Angus Maxfield, Francois Pieterse, Matthew DentonMiddle Row: Adam Shah, Tom Morris, Finlay Page, Alex Cargill, Haren Bhavnani, Harry Hughes, Harrison Devereux, George Boon, Issam Al Ghussain, Alex Newbery, Seb Snaas, Ben Morris Front Row: Luke Surrey, Jake Wade, Laith Al Nabhani, Sean Ali, Sam Muller, Sam Reedy, Matthew Wane, Jakub Skroban, Alex Krupp, Oliver Reedy, Jake Hewer

Boys’ Athletics

Boys’ DASSA AthleticsWednesday the 11th of March brought the first major boys’ ath-letics competition of the year, with JESS hosting a meet to prepare for the following week’s prestigious DASSA event. Challenges came not only in the form of increasingly strong opposition, but complicated logistics and injuries from numerous rugby fixtures forced the teams to be reshuffled at the last minute. In spite of this everyone performed outstandingly, continuing the recent exciting form of DC boys’ athletics teams and getting the short athletics season underway with a bang. A week later the boys made another trip across Dubai, this time to the fine facilities of Sports City for the biggest schools’ athletics tournament of the year. With 15 schools com-peting, the standards were high and this had been evident even before the start, with multiple records being won in the first competition a year earlier. DC were up to the challenge however, with victories across all age groups ensuring we had the oppor-tunity to challenge come the relays at the end. Benefiting from a pro-fessional track, personal bests were

set in all age groups, with the likes of Haren Bhavani running 100m in 11.2s, and George Boon running a very impressive 400m in the u14 category. The huge performances were not limited to track however, with very strong field outings from across all age groups, with some of the victories coming in the u12 shot putt and u14 high jump. All of this, along with a particularly impressive display from the girls, meant that ultimately DC edged DESC to first place and were crowned champions once again. Overall there is much to look for-ward to in the future, as much of the

boys’ success came in the younger age groups, in addition to having a young and injury-ridden senior side. This, along with another year of development and training will surely see further success in the future. Many thanks to Mr Riordan, Mr Jones and Mr Barrington, for setting aside numerous lunch times to help hone the skill and ability of anyone willing to improve, and for leading successful athletics campaigns.

Aiden Wright 12PR

Sport

120 Shamal 2015

Girls’ DASSA AthleticsThis year’s DASSA athletics competition started with a bang at Sharjah English School on Thursday 12th March. After the long bus journey I think everyone got off buzzing with nervous energy and raring to go and in the end it was a highly successful day! Due to some minor difficulties with high jump equipment (it had already been moved indoors due to windy conditions), we didn’t know the final scores until a few days later, once those events had been completed, so we were delighted to finally hear that overall we had won the competition. One down and one to go!We travelled with the boys to compete on the fantastic facilities at Sports City. A 400m track was a welcome new experience for some which allowed new records and a whole host of personal bests to be set. Once the 1500m runners, who had arrived earlier, had finished their races the sprints were started and I have to congratulate the U16s who came first in all three sprint distances! Captain Hannah Story started off with the first win in the 100m, followed by a lightning performance by Kristi Flanagan who set a new P.B. of 26.36 seconds in the 200m and then yet another win in the 400m was

Back Row: Naoise Morgan, Amy Hosking, Natalia Adair, Lauren Johnstone, Annabelle Style, Catriona Benson, Ayra Flisher, Martha Gregory, Alice Lovett, Georgia Allen, Kitty Davies, Hannah Story, Libby Johnson, Isabelle Haigh, Kristi FlanaganMiddle Row: Gabriella Crick Lewis, Isabella Duthie, Chloe Russo, Julia MacKay, Casey Bell, Elanor Wright, Hanna Salem, Olivia Allen, Alana Rogers, Kate Dodds, Rachel Choi, Roisin McElligott, Shaima Lone, Jessica Pollock, Alysha AlimohamedFront Row: Ellie Bourne, Lara Begley, Sophie O’Keeffe, Katrina Webb, Maria Iorini, Ellie O’Keeffe, Jenna Denton, Ava Warren, Alesha Gulamhusein, Natasha Whittall, Lucy Kane, Maia Edmonds, Sophie Scott

achieved by Julia MacKay. Katrina Webb also brought us another 17 points with a win in the U14 300m race and Alesha Gulamhusein set a new record of a fantastic 12.82 seconds for the U19 100m. With first place in at least one year group in almost every track category, things were looking promising and this was also reflected in our field events that had been going on simultaneously; again we achieved at least one win in every event. A few that stood out were Rachel Choi’s high jump, in which she cleared a record 1.45m, and Martha Gregory’s dual win in both discus and shot putt. Alice Lovett also won the U19 javelin event after three previous no throws - her final attempt landing her in first place ahead of her competitors from JESS and EC. All that was left was the 4x100m relays in which both the U19 and U16 girls’ categories set new records of 2 minutes 7 seconds and 1 minute 53 seconds respectively. The U12s also managed joint second place with JESS in a tight final, narrowly won by rivals DESC.In total this amounted to 575 points which added to the boys’ total of 497 gave us 1072 points – just enough to beat DESC by 11 points and enough to ensure we finished winners of

this year’s DASSA athletics. A huge thank you goes to Miss Clohesy for her much appreciated efforts this year, from organising the girls’ teams to spending her spare time with us on the sweaty bus home! Also thank you to all the PE staff who helped with running practice sessions and for coming with us to the events too. Finally, thank you so much to all the students for your hard work to make this year such a successful one. You should all be extremely proud and I have thoroughly enjoyed witnessing some sure-to-be athletic superstars of the future!

Good luck and I wish you all the best for next year’s fixtures.

Jenna Denton 13DF

Girls’Athletics

Sport

121Shamal 2015

Fab 5 AthleticsThe 2015 Fab 5 athletics competition brings together the 5 strongest teams of athletes from schools across Dubai. Each team has 5 athletes who must compete in a track and field event, so it is vital for each participant to have a strong range of skills to ensure the school’s best chances of winning. Having been victorious in the previous 6 events, the DC A team went into this year’s competition with more pressure than ever to perform, and were the benchmark for the rest of the competitors. The B team meanwhile were presented with the challenge of staying in the first division and potentially challenging their counterparts at the top of the table. Starting with the U12s on the 1st of March, the youngest of the fab 5 athletes got the week underway with a series of high quality performances to submit the highest score of the year for a DC age group, with 91 points. There were impressive performances from individuals across the park, but these were not enough to bag an early lead, as new rivals DESC managed to start off particularly well. A promising first day was confirmed with the B team ending up just behind JESS in third place and 7 points better off than last place Repton. The U14s found it a little bit tougher 2 days later as competition from opponents DESC and JESS proved to be too good, with DESC lengthening their overall lead with another strong day. The U16 DC A team however, came a massive eight points above second place JESS, pulling them into the lead on a total of 250 points thanks to some fantastic performances which were seen across both teams. The DC B team closely followed in third, just 2 points behind JESS. Next the U18s just needed to keep that lead to win this year’s competition! There were some extremely close finishes and very close calls but we still managed a few wins, including a not-so-close comfortable win by Amy Hosking in the 1500m. Overall the girls’ A team managed

Back Row: Luke Surrey, Seb Springuel, Ben Morris, Tom Morris, Laith Al NabhaniFront Row: Ellie Bourne, Olivia Allen, Georgia Allen, Natasha Whittall, Shaima Lone

Back Row: Sean Ali, Sam Taverner, Jakub Skroban, Alex KruppFront Row: Anna Campbell, Sidonie Anderson, Ava Warren, Lucy Kane, Lara Begley

Fab 5 U12A

Fab 5 U12B

Sport

122 Shamal 2015

Back Row: Sam Reedy, Harry Hughes, Michael Reid, Adam Shah, Matthew WaneFront Row: Isabella Duthie, Anna Maureta, Elanor Wright, Katrina Webb, Roisin McElligott

Back Row: Oliver Reedy, George Boon, Harrison Devereux, Patrick Dowling, Seb SnaasFront Row: Maria Iorini, Gabriella Crick Lewis, Elena Beer, Naoise Morgan, Alesha Gulamhusein

a win but the boys couldn’t quite keep up with the likes of DESC who unfortunately managed to beat us by just one point, and the Bs came 5th. Fortunately though, this wasn’t enough to overtake the As 16.5 point lead from the day before, so they finished victorious on a total of 332 points across the 4 days of competition. The Bs finished 4th on a respectable 240 points, meaning they will stay as the only B team in division one yet again next year.We’d all like to thank Mr Riordan, Miss Clohesy, Mr Barrington, Mrs Bell, Mrs MacDonald, Mrs Adamson, Ms Jones and Mr Jones for their tireless efforts and time spent organising and planning all of the competitions and events, as well as running the numerous training sessions which allowed us to achieve our best possible performances on the day. There was an extremely high standard seen throughout the year groups so we’d like to congratulate everyone who took part this year for all their hard work. Good luck to those of you that will be competing again next year and we hope you can once again retain the trophy!

Jenna Denton 13DFAiden Wright 12PR

Fab 5 U14A

Fab 5 U14B

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Back Row: Ali Kapasi, Yehia Islam, Saif Khawaja, Issam Al GhussainFront Row: Blanca Pamias Lopez, Ellie O’Keeffe, Kristi Flanagan, Julia MacKay, Hannah Story

Back Row: Matthew Denton, Aaron Camball, Josh Devereux, Eoin Brady, Alex CargillFront Row: Rachel Choi, Jessica Pollock, Zahra Kapasi, Sophie Scott

Back Row: Angus Maxfield, Francois Pieterse, Aiden Wright, Joe Story, Sam AshbyFront Row: Amy Hosking, Martha Gregory, Jenna Denton, Alice Lovett, Hanna Salem

Back Row: Mustafa Zaidi, Adian Liusie, Matthew Laven, Haren BhavnaniFront Row: Alana Rogers, Kelley Day, Catriona Benson, Alesha Gulamhusein, Isabelle Haigh

Fab 5 U16A Fab 5 U16B

Fab 5 U18A Fab 5 U18B

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On Saturday 17th January, a group of athletics students of all ages attended the annual 5km Hatta

Run. The bus set off at the early time of 6:30am to journey towards Hatta. Initially, our bus set off with sleepy, irritated faces, however this gradually changed throughout the bus ride where everyone became excited and enthusiastic about the race.Upon arrival at the beautiful Hatta Fort Hotel, we obtained our race numbers and all took a long walk around the course to get an insight to what it was like. The course was a total of 2.5km long – we had to do the course twice to total 5km. The other participating schools included JESS Ranches, DESC, Jumeirah College, English College, DBS and Repton; the level of competition was high.In terms of competing, the races were divided into boys and girls. First, the seniors (years 10, 11 and 12) would set off and the juniors (years 7-9) would follow them two minutes later. So the senior girls wandered over to the starting line all prepared, and the starting whistle blew to set them off. Following them were the junior girls, who looked a tad more energetic (as per usual). As the race went on and the girls passed the spectator area, the boys were all cheering on and giving them great encouragement. Towards the end the girls looked incredibly tired, nevertheless, they all managed to finish the race with enormous strength. Great performances came from every girl and a special mention goes to Roisin McElligott who won the junior girl’s race with a time of 22:53, and Tamsin Rose who finished 9th. Senior girls Ellie O’Keeffe, Amy Hosking, Jessica Pollock and Sophie Shams all placed in the top ten – an outstanding race overall.Immediately following the girls’ races were the boys’ races and their time to shine. I must say that this was an exhausting race with several twists, turns, and trips of various rocks. Not to mention the renowned ‘Heartbreak Hill’ that was so steep it fully challenged each athlete and demanded the best of their ability.

Despite the intensive incline, overall the boys did fantastically. The junior boys had Etienne Tillon, Sebastian Webb and George Boon finish in the top 10, and the end of the senior race consisted of Frazer Hanson winning 3rd place, Alex Cargill scooping 5th place, and myself grabbing 6th.After recovering and constantly sipping water for around twenty minutes, we all headed over to the pool area for the presentation. Dubai College earned individual prizes along with the trophy for the overall winners, which was definitely well deserved. The rest of the afternoon was chilled and filled with friendly

Hatta Run Cross

Country

banter - we spent it eating lunch, swimming, participating in archery and playing mini golf.On the whole, every athlete thoroughly enjoyed themselves, all gaining a brilliant experience whether or not it was the first time participating. A massive thanks goes to Mr Jones, Ms Clohesy, Mrs Adamson and the other support staff who gave their full support and were involved in the organisation of the trip – we will all be looking forward to it next year!

Matthias Falzon Young 11CJ

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The current Dubai College water polo squad has really come of age this year. With many of the players in their final year at the college it seems as though collectively everyone has upped their game. Consequently, this season has been a resounding success; we are currently unbeaten. We started off with a game against JESS, who have started the sport at a senior level this year, giving us some more competition in the region. The score line wasn’t the most important thing, as we were happy just to have some new rivals in Dubai. Our attack was relentless as Jordan Fenton scored 5 goals to spur us on to a 14-4 victory. A notable mention must also go to Ryota Minagi who managed to set a personal best record of just 14 seconds before getting ejected!Following the JESS game was the 41st Doha Exchange, where a fairly makeshift team was fielded. We were unsure what to expect after facing a very strong Doha College squad the previous year, however our quick passing and aggressive defence quickly unsettled our hosts. Daniel Momeni showed why he will be a valuable member in next year’s squad as he controlled the wide areas of the pool with his pace. The match finished with us once again scoring double figures and only conceding one goal.Soon after returning to Dubai we played against our main competition in the Emirates, DESC. We were out for blood after losing out to the DESC boys last year and this showed

Back Row: Paddy Ryan, Stephan Koenigstorfer, Joe Story, Matthew Laven, Adian Liusie, Joe Shams, Jack JonesMiddle Row: Mr G Case, Caleb Goddard, Har Dillion, Nico Bagatelas, Ryan Harris, Matthew Denton, Matthias Falzon Young, Ali Chassebi, Frazer HansonFront Row: Ryota Minagi, Daniel Momeni, Chris Quelch, Sam Morris, Jordan Fenton, Finn Ford, Sheyan AdenwallaSenior

Boys’Water Polo

Squadin our relentless physical style of play which frustrated the opposition, allowing us to once again win by a very large margin.Our biggest and most anticipated challenge of the season was the Past v Present game, against a strong team of Alumni players we had all looked up to as juniors. The whole team gave it their all but a special mention must go to goalkeeper Matt Laven who had the game of his life and inspired the team to a remarkable 19 – 4 victory. This was an incredible result considering we were missing two key players - Jordan Fenton and Joe Shams – and considering the pasting we had received from the alumni only 12 months earlier.The success we have had this year can be put down to our committed coach Mr Case whose tactical genius and years of preparation allowed the stars to align this year. It is also very encouraging to see him including some talented players from Year

10 and 11 who will be the future of water polo at DC. I would like to thank Mr Case on behalf of the team for everything he has done for us, including the early morning training and his dreaded conditioning sessions. I would also like to thank all the players for making my experience of water polo at DC so memorable and I wish them all the best next year, whether still at the college or at university.

Sam Morris 13GR

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Doha Exchange 2014For the 31st year of the Doha Exchange, a team of U18 and U14 athletes headed to Doha for a weekend of friendly competition. Despite the slight disadvantage of being the away team, we all competed to an incredibly high standard, resulting in a number of successes and some commendable performances.

The weekend began with a tough start for the Senior Girls, who were up against Doha’s football team who consisted of three national players – it was a challenge to say the least, but both teams enjoyed the opportunity, providing some extremely good football at times. Meanwhile, the Senior Boys competed at the Aspire Pitch in Doha, showcasing the best of their rugby abilities, achieving a

well-deserved win. Following this, the girls took to the netball courts and despite a couple of players playing out of their normal positions, Dubai powered through with a result of 43-20. Both Dubai and Doha’s Senior Boys played neck and neck during what was described as an extremely intense match, with a draw of 2-2 as the end result. After a well-deserved break, the day ended

31st

Doha Exchange

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with rounders for girls and softball for boys. During softball, the boys were down 6-3 and with the bases loaded, Prateek Nadkarni came up for his hit. As the suspense built, a tremendous hit allowed the Dubai boys to score 4, resulting in a 7-6 win. This suspense was carried through to the girls’ rounders, where Dubai was also down by half a rounder until the last two batters. Added support by other team members pushed the girls to achieve that final half a rounder, resulting in a 9-9 draw. After an evening of rest and recovery, all competitors were up and ready for Friday’s events. Both Senior Girls and Boys began the day with volleyball, which through the years of competition, we have learnt is one of Doha’s strongest sports. This was shown through their persistence during each set, unfortunately leaving Dubai unsuccessful, but eager to compete in later sports. The rest of the morning saw wins for Dubai in the pool, where our many hours of water polo training paid off, with the girls winning 9-2 and the boys winning by double figures. The penultimate event of the weekend, before heading back to the pool for the swimming gala, was basketball. As fatigue kicked in from the hectic weekend, the girls dug deep, powering through to achieve a 32-16 win. Unfortunately, the Dubai boys did not have a height

advantage on their side, resulting in a loss, however Niall Moore’s persistent defensive intimidation against Doha’s 6ft4 players did not go unnoticed. The swimming gala, as always, was a fun way to end an eventful weekend, whereby all athletes took part in group relays. The trained swimmers definitely stood out from the rugby players, making some races very entertaining to say the least. Overall, the weekend was a great success and a lot of fun as always. Many thanks go to the PE Department, staff and pupils who all made the weekend one to remember.

Hanna Salem 13GC

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Gallery

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With 7 years of successful swimming behind us, it seemed that another year of swimming triumph would be almost inevitable. However, this year competition was stronger than ever. Before getting started in the DASSA swim league, we were set to compete against our old friends and rivals at the American School of Dubai. We knew this was an important fixture to demonstrate the strength

and swimming finesse of the Dubai College swim squad, in order to make a statement to the other schools in the DASSA league that this was to be our year once again - but it wasn’t going to be easy and we would have to but in some sweat and hard work to get into shape after the summer months. With those new to the school keen to make an impression, and those that had competed before driving

to maintain the school’s successful reputation, we were thrilled our first fixture of the year was a victory. This win was the motivation our team needed to prepare for our next friendly match, the Nancy Crosser Memorial gala. We are thrilled to say that Dubai College were triumphant once again, bringing home an outstanding number of medals, as well as a well-deserved trophy.

Swim Squad

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Swim Squad

Back Row: Alesha Gulamhusein, Amy Hosking, Sheyan Adenwalla, Elizabeth Adamson, Joe Shams, Martha Gregory, Matthew Dunne, Daniel Momeni, Sarah McKinney, Ryota Minagi3rd Row: Miss L Clohesy, Ellie O’Keeffe, Aleks Skroban, Chloe Williams, Tara Desai, Emily Peck, Joe Page, Matthias Falzon Young, Cameron Matthews, Michael Reid, Kitty Willson, Ali Kapasi, Frazer Hanson, Anna Maureta, Sourav Roy, Finn Page, Geesue Abrichami2nd Row: Etienne Tillon, Sophie O’Keeffe, Maria Iorini, Gabriella Helayel, Angelica Slater, Roisin McElligott, Maisy Duncan, Jordan Fenton, Caitlin Hunter, Jasmine Liew, Alysha Alimohamed, Ross Vintcent, Zahra KapasiFront Row: Sam Taverner, Lara Begley, Ayesha Gibbons, Yahvi Shah, Isabel English, Natasha Whittall, Jakub Skroban, Laith Mohajer, Megan Parks, Elyse Truebridge, Amelia Pearce, Luke Nijkamp, Alex Krupp

At this point in time, we felt like we had the wind behind us. Despite the fact that most of our swimmers train outside school, our swimmers took part in additional training sessions in school led by our coach, Miss Clohesy (Coach C-Dizzle) and Miss Hill. Needless to say, the extended preparation and determination the swim squad collectively put into training made us ready to begin the DASSA league. Over the course of the year, we have recognised that a fundamental key to success is teamwork. To lead our team to victory, the senior swimmers were put in charge of organising the intermediate and junior swimmers, the intermediate swimmers in charge of coordinating the team chants and cheers, and the junior swimmers were in charge of getting the team off to an early winning lead. Other more individual roles went to Matthew

Dunne in charge of the team’s “catering” (consisting of cakes and cookies), Ali Kapasi asking for a spare pair of goggles and a towel (how is it even possible to be without these at a swim gala?) and Ryota Minagi in charge of sleeping throughout the entire gala (a role he assigned himself) and the captains making last minute checks of swimmers’ events. As prepared as we were, we were not expecting such stiff competition from our competitors at DESC, JESS Ranches, JC, DBS and EC. The first fixture at DESC proved that this year would not be as much of a walk in the park as past years. Many of the races ended neck-and-neck, making it impossible for the naked eye to determine who the victor was. Fortunately, Dubai College put on a tremendous display of sporting prowess and, supported by our strong junior athletes, we pulled through -

winning by a clear 75 points. The squad was able to maintain high levels of performance for the next three fixtures, coming out victorious all three times - even at one fixture where we were missing half of the team! This gave us high hopes for the final competition of the year, at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex. This venue is renowned by swimmers for its elite standard of competition, where personal bests are achieved, records are broken and the atmosphere is exciting. Walking out onto poolside was enough to give any swimmer chills. After an afternoon of nail-biting and enthusiastic competition, we walked away with the huge trophy, champions once again. The competition was the closest ever with 10 schools battling it out in the first class pool, but again Dubai College

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managed to shine through. All in all it was a great year of swimming and we want to thank all the younger swimmers for leaving us with proud memories of the Dubai College swim team - which Jordan and myself have been on since Year 7 - as well as thanking Miss Clohesy for the fun-filled year of swimming. Let’s keep the winning streak alive!

Your captains, Jordan Fenton 13VH and Maisy Duncan 13JM

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Back Row: Ritvik Ramnath, Arjun Dave, Nico Bagatelas, Aaron Camball, Alex Smith, Michael Camball, Sandip Roy, Zorez Haider, Jamie DareMiddle Row: Mr M Woolley, Ibani Hattangadi, Anjali Menon, Simran Nijhawan, Yash Bhansali, Shrey Chawla, Sarah Kashani, Sheyan Adenwalla, Magen Chadha, Nehaa Nagpaul, Devina Popley.Front Row: Eesha Yaqub, Alixe Aractingi, Robert Stumbles, Katrina Webb, Tara Mewawalla, Seb Webb, Ross Vintcent, Kiara Taurani, Marie Aractingi.Absent: Sneha Nagpaul, Ashna Gupta, Anurati Sodani, Sadhana Madnani, Jeremy Clark

Tennis Squad

TennisFrom October half term until the Easter break, boys and girls from all ages and all abilities, across the school have been hitting tennis balls. Once again the number of students playing has grown especially in the Lower school where we have had a regular attendance of between 25 and 30 tennis players on a Thursday afternoon! 12 fixtures were played overall, with the senior boys playing 4 and winning 3, including 2 great wins against ASD! The junior girls were not far behind winning both their fixtures against DESC comfortably.The most memorable performances of the year included the Senior boys squad who ran the American boys ‘ragged’, Jamie Dare and Ritvik Ramnath winning all 3 matches against DESC, Katrina Webb playing for the Senior girls team at the age of 13 and Nehaa Nagpaul (in bright green shorts!) playing doubles with Alex Smith.Congratulations to everyone

involved this year, especially the 4 squads who did themselves proud. Hopefully next year we can find a few more schools willing to play us!

Mr M Woolley

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Back Row: Rohan Gupta, Matthew Laven (captain), Kabir Nanda

Front Row: Harry Sheedy, Max Lovett, Mark Baxter

GolfThe talented DC golf squad commenced the 2014/15 season as reigning champions of the Dubai Schools’ Golf League. Keen to achieve the same success as last year, the team started on a high note with new kit and some reduced handicaps. The first 3 rounds of the league were played on the 9-hole golf course, The Track, at Meydan. Before each round, a 6 man squad was picked, and the best 4 Stableford scores from the evening counted.Unfortunately this season the DC team was plagued with injuries, and last year’s star golfer Matthew Baxter was unable to play the opening 3 rounds due to a damaged knee from football. Despite this setback the squad made a positive start in the first event with an overall score of 65, which included a superb round by Harry Sheedy, who contributed 20 points on his own. However, it was already apparent that many of the 13 teams taking part this year had significantly improved and that the competition was going to be much stiffer.The next round was even more successful, and the challenge from the other schools was met. With some individual high scores of 21 and 19, DC mounted a fantastic total of 69, which placed them second going into the penultimate event. Unfortunately, a disappointing score of 55 in the third round made a winning haul at the end of the season

unlikely.The grand final was played over 18 holes at the Arabian Ranches Golf Club, and despite the sizeable deficit from first place, DC still fought hard. Double points were in play, and the squad achieved a commendable score of 138. Although this was not enough to retain the title, with JESS taking top spot this year, an overall 5th place finish is still a great result.Congratulations to each player for their contribution to the team this season, and to those who secured an individual prize awarded for an outstanding round. Thanks must also be given to our committed coach Mr Flower and to the parents of every team member for their support throughout the season. Without doubt the DC golf squad will come out fighting next year – and can hopefully win back the title.

Matthew Laven 13GJ

Golf Team

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Back Row: Sam Taverner, Ben Hobart, Tom Morris, Arran Shah, Ben Morris, Tom Davidson, Jack BodyMiddle Row: Mr C House, Dominic Marmarchi, Seb Springuel, Andreas Paschalis, Alex Krupp, Will Hicks, George Beer, Jakub Skroban, Sean Ali, Laith Al NabhaniFront Row: Sahan Noor, Abdul Mirza, Tom Ayre, Paul Bustarret, Luke Surrey, Edward Hunter

U12Rugby Squad

U12 RugbyThe U12 rugby season was a learning experience. It all started in late September when a group of enthusiastic and motivated boys all came together to form what became a very promising team. Having come from different schools and different clubs we all put our differences aside and worked together to try to reach our full potential. Our first test was the BSAK 10s, where we had a strong run until we reached the semis against an outstanding DESC team. We started off strongly, but with DESC’s increasing pressure we eventually gave in to a 6-1 loss. We kept our heads held up high and trained even harder for the DC 7s.Once again, our pool matches were all comfortable wins but when it came to the semis we faced a strong JESS team. It was a tough match, with both teams giving it their all but JESS managed to take the lead in what was an extremely tight match and ended up with the win. For the 15 a side league we were determined to get revenge on both DESC and JESS and to do better

than in the previous tournaments. We started off really well, by beating JESS 35-25 in what was one of our best matches of the season so far. We continued our run of form by beating Repton 12-0; it was such a close match but our defence managed to hold them back, with our forwards making every tackle and holding a very strong back line. Next we were to face by far the strongest team in the league -DESC- and we were ready to give them a real run for their money. By half time the score was only 10-7 to them and the team was at its best but during the second half DESC just didn’t stop coming at us and our defence slowly started to weaken. We won our last three games confidently and came out second in the league.During the DC 10s we won all our pool games and moved on to the semis, where we were to face JESS once again. It was probably the closest game of the season but unfortunately JESS came out on top, winning by only one try.I think it’s safe to say that even though we didn’t win any silverware the team has grown stronger and we

have all learnt a lot from this first season in DC. We hope to be even more successful next season. Last of all, on behalf of the whole team I would like to thank Mr Riordan and Mr House and the Year 11s who gave their time to help us improve our team, week in and week out. The team has a promising future and we can’t wait to face DESC again.

Sebastien Springuel 7MB

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Back Row: Jacques Holmes, James Dare, Harry Hughes, Michael Reid, Patrick Dowling, George Boon, Ajay AnandMiddle Row: Mr J Cottam, Rory Nisbet, Owen Wakeham, Ben Avery, Jack Norman, Sean O’Gorman, Jason Pollock, Mr A JonesFront Row: Jack Burrell, Sam Reedy, Jamie MacKinnon, Harvey Bullock, Matthew Wane, Finlay Keegan

U14ARugby Squad

U14A RugbyU14 pre-season training went well. We knew we had a strong team that was capable of making anything happen. Our forward pack was very strong and the backs’ skills were at the top level. It all started down in the BSAK 10s, where we knew we needed to set a benchmark for the season! One of our main contenders for the season’s trophy was Repton and believe it or not they were our opponents in the first game. With a display of pace from both sides on show it was very evenly matched until the final whistle. Both teams had scored an equal amount of tries but Repton had scored two conversions to our zero. Unfortunately, the loss to Repton meant we did not go through to the Cup because you had to win all of the group games. We used this first match as a learning curve and made sure for the rest of the tournament we did not lose. We won the remainder of the group games and the next three games, including the

final. We swept aside all opposition which meant we won the Plate. It was not our aim for the tournament but we were still happy to bring back some silverware to the school. Unfortunately Matt Wane, one of our key players, broke his collarbone in the tournament meaning he missed most of the rest of the season.Next tournament was the DC7s; all of us were ready. We managed to get to the Cup semi-final. We had to play Repton again. Although we had tremendous amounts of pace in our backline, Repton’s two big physical boys helped to outplay us on the day. This unfortunately meant we were not able to reach the Cup final.The team was back in training after the Christmas break, excited for the 15s season. We knew we had a good chance of winning the league. It started off with a game against JESS which we won. Next we had to play Repton and it was imperative that we won the game! It was a tight game, full of action. Thankfully, we won 20-19! This meant we had improved

confidence to go on and beat everyone else in the season. DESC were our next opponent and we went into the game believing we were capable of winning. Unfortunately, we lost as DESC scored five tries to our two. Next game was BSAK, we all stepped up to the challenge and convincingly won. Unfortunately our last game of the season clashed with the cup final for football, and this weakened our side. Although the team put up a convincing fight, we just lost, beaten by a last minute try, and the game finished 17-15 to Al Yasmina. Unfortunately, this meant we finished 3rd for the season on points difference to Repton.None of this could have happened, of course, without the effort, time and dedication of Mr Jones and Mr Cottam, who have built a solid squad this year in the U14s, so on behalf of the team, we say “thank you!”

Harvey Bullock 9MN

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Back Row: Henry Tatham, Jacques Holmes, Harrison Devereux, George Boon, Thomas Boers, Sean O’GormanMiddle Row: Mr J Cottam, Sam Muller, Joel Harrison, Ben Davies, Max Brett, Jack Craig, Ross Vintcent, Mr A JonesFront Row: Cameron Walker, Jake Wade, Sebastian Snaas (capt), Oliver Reedy, Michael Murphy

U14BRugby Squad

U14B RugbyThe U13 rugby season has been brilliant. Being the captain of such an amazing squad, who have so much talent has been highly enjoyable. We would just like to say thank you to Mr Cottam and Mr Jones for dedicating their time to train us and taking us to games.The 15 a side season was a real test of our skill as we played up a year and faced some physically enormous teams. We showed a lot of skill and courage to put up a big fight against whatever team stood in front of us. We played in the school 15-a-side league at U14 level. We won against DBS and WSO, in very closely contested matches in which we showed great character and determination. We also beat BSAK. We also played and beat a touring team - Kings College School. Sadly we lost against EC and DIS, both games were very tightly contested, with defeat by only a very small margin in each game. Both of these games pushed us to the very limits of our ability and strength but highlighted that we play as a team

rather than as individuals.All these games were also a test for our mental strength. We played fantastically throughout the season and I think playing up a year has made us realise that we cannot always dominate in every game we play. The decision to play bigger and better teams has made us a stronger team, as we were constantly in a good, close game of rugby which caused us to improve rapidly and become more physical during each game.Individual players who had an excellent season were George Hosking, Jacques Holmes, Jake Wade, George Boon, Ollie Reedy and Eoin Mountain (when he finally came back from injury.)We ended up winning our age group’s finals at both the DC7s and the DC10s this season and we all stood and raised the trophy triumphantly together. In both competitions we were unbeaten and only conceded one try in each competition whilst we scored over 30 tries in each, highlighting our dominance.

I think we really enjoyed playing in both the 10 a side and 7 a side tournaments because we won both trophies by playing some top class rugby, which had a satisfying feeling as we had trained hard and frequently for the two tournaments.This whole season of rugby was another amazing year of rugby, thank you everyone, players and coaches, for making it possible.

Sebastian Snaas 8RG

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Back Row: Oliver Boon, Rory Quick, Zac Davies, Dylan Russo, Matty Russo, Oliver Tait, Josh Devereux Middle Row: Mr M Barrington, Ethan Pearce, Rhys Luke, Barney Brett, Eoin Brady, Josh Armstrong, Richard Pickup, Sean MountainFront Row: Matthew Anderson, Tommy Williams, Tom Haigh, Oisin Morgan, Frazer Hanson, Max Dennehy, Max Lovett

U16Rugby Squad

U16 RugbyOverall, it has been a fairly positive season for the U16 boys this year. We started our season being drawn in a tough pool at the BSAK 10s, with our first match against the favour-ites and eventual champions, DESC. Having narrowly gone down to them 12-7 we managed to win the rest of our games in our pool which unfor-tunately only got us through to the Plate semis. However, we went on to put up some strong performances in both the semi and the final to take home the Plate in our first tourna-ment together. Before the 15-a-side season started we had the DC 7s, as well as a warm up match against JESS a week beforehand. Everything from training really started to click for the JESS game and we came out 25-10 winners. We were optimis-tic going into the tournament the following week and some fantastic performances throughout the day ensured that we made it through to the Cup final against BSAK, with whom we had already drawn 10-10 in the pool stage. Fourteen minutes

wasn’t enough to separate the two sides so it went to golden try time, where unfortunately they came out on top. Nonetheless it was a very encouraging start to the season, hav-ing lost a total of only two matches from two tournaments and a friendly match.The 15-a-side season started in January where, after a tight first half game against JESS in the first match, the score was 15-7. However, they really stepped up in a second half interrupted by a prolonged injury break. A comfortable win against Repton and a heavy defeat to DESC left us with a very important match with our rivals, JC. In an ill-tem-pered match, we kept our discipline to score a late try to earn a fantastic 15-14 victory. Before finishing our season with a good win against Al Yasmina, we had the DC 10s on our mind. In an emotional day where the passing of Neil Palmer was fresh in many people’s minds, we came sec-ond to JESS in our pool, leaving us with a very tough semi-final against DESC. However, an inspired perfor-

mance from the boys allowed us to get past them 12-0, leaving us with a rematch with JESS in the Cup final. Going into half time we led 7-5 and were suddenly very close to winning the tournament. Unfortunately, a great individual try in the second half left the full time score at 10-7 to them. Despite not quite having enough to get over the line, it was a day for the team to be proud of.On behalf of the whole team, I’d like to thank Mr Barrington and Mr Jones very much for the time and dedication they put into the season, which allowed us to progress and de-velop throughout. Personally I would also like to thank Mr Barrington for the opportunity of the captaincy and would like to wish the boys who are leaving DC good luck in the future.

Oisin Morgan 11EJ

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Back Row: Conor Kennedy, Kipngeno Chirchir, Cameron Moffat, Jordan Fenton, Sam Morris, Nathan Appleby, Aiden WrightMiddle Row: Mr A Jones, Liam Benstead, Aneeb Sheikh, Gorge Ludden, Joe Story, Padraig Ryan, Francois Pieterse, Euan MacKinnon, Zack Bremner, Mr M BarringtonFront Row: Robin Over, Mustafa Zaidi, Ryan Underwood, Angus Maxfield, Pierre Springuel, Saad Khan, Niall Moore

1st XVRugby Squad

1st XV RugbyThe opening of the 2014 – 2015 rugby season was met with great enthusiasm by the entire squad. We were excited by the upcoming games and tournaments, but conscious that we had very big boots to fill to main-tain the momentum and success of the previous Dubai College 1st XV teams. As always, our eyes were on the prestigious Dubai Rugby 7s tournament and from the very start a rigorous training regime started, driven by Mr Jones, Mr Barrington and supported by Sean Crombie, to help develop the strength and con-ditioning which is so important in today’s game. It was a mixed squad with some veterans and new blood filling the ranks and we worked together to build a team that would try to maintain previous records set by the school, and win every tourna-ment we participated in. We knew it would not be an easy season, with arch rivals DESC and BSAK going from strength to strength.The first of these competitions was the BSAK 7s tournament, a very useful warm up for the Dubai 7s. The journey down to Abu Dhabi

is always highly anticipated by the team, as it is our first competitive opportunity. Fortunately, several confident performances placed us in the semi-finals against DESC, where we were able to turn over our rivals once again, putting us in good shape for the final against hosts BSAK. The positive form continued through to the final, where the Dubai College team were the winners of the BSAK 7s tournament, 2014.Following the BSAK 7s tournament, the team spent countless critical hours in the video analysis rooms, reviewing game footage, but more frequently deleting Niall Moore’s candid camerawork. The team were focused entering the 7s weekend, in an attempt to get the ‘Four-peat’. The final performance was by far the team’s best, playing free flowing confident rugby, which paid off. DC finished as victors over DESC, pick-ing up the Dubai Rugby 7s Under 18 trophy for the fourth year in a row, the only team ever to have achieved this.The Dubai College squad were op-timistic about the 15s season, with great effort in training sessions, and

an outstanding performance over JESS in the first game. After this, we made the journey once again down to Abu Dhabi to face the physical force and well-drilled side that is BSAK. Under the floodlights, the team stood up to the challenge and achieved a hard fought win, despite a lively BSAK support (with terrible banter). Jumeirah College came next, and had made significant improvements to their game in the recent months. Despite this, once again DC were triumphant. Perhaps the highlight of the season was being able to beat our closest competition DESC, even though we had an injury-ridden squad. The hard work during the game, and some questionable lineout tactics by Paddy Ryan, eventually paid off, and a last minute second half try by Nathan Appleby secured the win for DC by one point.In the midst of the 15s season came the annual DC 10s tournament. As always, the team was keen to defend their title from last year. Confidence was showing in the boys, who truly turned up on the day, convincingly beating DESC in the finals, 10-0.Injuries continued to hinder the

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squad, meaning earlier season performances were becoming increasingly difficult to replicate. Despite this, the boys showed incredible resilience against a once again improved JC side to again set up a league final against a very success-hungry DESC side. Despite conceding an early first half try and limited possession, the Dubai College boys managed to avoid conceding and developed some momentum towards the end of the first half. A penalty in the middle of the second half sparked more positive play and, shortly after, an outstanding try by Joe Story gave us a two-point buffer with five minutes to go; serious nail-biting stuff! Fortunately we held out,

and managed to secure the win, a fairy tale ending for the Year 13 boys who were leaving!Finally, a massive thanks to the coaching staff, Mr Jones, Mr Bar-rington, Sean Crombie and Mr Riordan. Without your motivation, dedication and focus, there would not be nearly as many successes to celebrate this season. A final thank you and goodbye to Mr Barrington, your contribution to DC rugby has been invaluable, and we all look forward to seeing Oscar in the cross fit games one day.To the team next year, good luck in your season, eat 18 chicken breasts a day, remember the days of “40 pointers” are well and truly gone,

and bring home the ‘Five-peat’. It has been an honour and a privilege to play rugby for DC.

Angus Maxfield 13HB

Back Row: Nathan Appleby, Jordan Fenton, Kipngeno ChirchirMiddle Row: Mr A Jones, Aiden Wright, Francois Pieterse, Joe Story, Euan MacKinnon, Mr M BarringtonFront Row: Liam Benstead, Pierre Springuel, Angus Maxfield, Niall Moore, Sam Ashby

U18Rugby

7s Squad

U18 Rugby 7sComing off strong performances in the BSAK 7s and friendly warm up tournaments, it was safe to say there were high expectations leading into the highly anticipated Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby 7s. With a lot of experience in the squad, perhaps we would have expected to enjoy less intensive training

sessions; unfortunately for us this was certainly not the case. Training began with a large emphasis on fitness, and we had a shared goal to be the fittest team in the tournament, with condition sessions in school in addition to speed endurance sessions twice a week at Al Sufouh Park. As we moved closer towards the tournament, competition for

selection was fierce, with no one guaranteed a spot in the final 12. Consequently, everyone gave 110% at every training session, fighting for their place in the team. We were even fortunate enough to train with Phil Greening, the former England 7s captain and Scotland 7s coach, which certainly benefited our structure and patterns on the pitch.

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On Thursday December 4th, the final squad arrived at the Sevens ground, full of anticipation, excitement and an urge to get on the pitch and play. Fortunately we had the first game in our tournament against an unpredictable Bahrain Colts team. The warm-up was focused and the team knew what they had to do to get the job done. In the end, we managed to put 41 unanswered points on the touring side, and played with a clinical aspect to our game we hoped to sustain for the rest of the tournament. That was our only game of the day, and we headed home (post ice baths) to recover, as we had an early start the following morning. The positive form continued with the Dubai College team securing deserved victories over a pacey APB Sharks (29-0) in the morning, and English College (43-0) in the afternoon. These successes meant we entered the knockout stages of the tournament without conceding a single point, and we had a solid base on which to build. We had drawn a strong Jumeirah College side in the quarterfinals, but managed a fairly comfortable victory. Nathan Appleby was ecstatic as he finally got the ‘one on one’ he had been craving all weekend and put on a classy sidestep to score under the posts. In the semi-finals, we started very strongly, continuing the form we had been displaying all weekend. However an inspired JESS team replied with excellent defence and

some good creativity to get a couple of scores. Fortunately we managed to hold on for the win, and progressed to the final of the tournament.The senior team were fully motivated to rectify their performance in the final, where we would face rivals DESC in front of a 30,000 strong crowd. The team was focused, exhilarated and ready as we ran out from the tunnel; we knew we had a job to do. A deep kick seemed to shock DESC, who couldn’t match our physicality in defence in the early stages in the game, giving up possession a few times in their own 22. Eventually, Dubai College capitalised through a superb effort from Nathan Appleby, who managed to get the better of the DESC defence and reached out to score. A converted try seemed to encourage more creative running rugby and not long after, a wide ball found Aiden Wright who scored in the corner. The second half saw continued form from the side and standout Niall Moore added to his relentless defensive efforts by setting up an 80m try for Joe Story after spotting a gap. Despite the slight scare of a DESC try, the side maintained composure, and tries by Jordan Fenton and two late run-ins by yours truly resulted in a convincing final score line of 36-7 making it Dubai College’s 4th consecutive victory at the 7s tournament. Needless to say it was a perfect way to finish the tournament, saving our best performance for last. On behalf

of the team I would like to thank Mr Jones, Mr Barrington, Sean Crombie and Phil Greening for their inspiring dedication and commitment to the team.

Good luck for next year boys!

Angus Maxfield 13HB

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Back Row: Mr M Lavery, Jake Hewer, Laith Al Nabhani, Jakub Skroban, Ben Morris, Tom Morris, Sean Ali, Seb Springuel, Marco ZaccariaFront Row: Eisa Hussain, Oliver Duthie, Rayan Malik, Kohei Nishikawa, Paul Bustarret, Luke Surrey, Dominic Marmarchi

U12AFootball

Squad

U12A FootballThe Year 7 boys have had a very successful year of football. They won the DASSA 7-a-side football tournament and came second in the DASSA league, which consists of three divisions with around six or seven teams in each. We started off as a bunch of boys who had never played together as a team, but we then trained and played together to develop into a well-structured team that played excellent football. The first game of the year was against DESC (the league rivals) and we know that they had trained a lot and were really prepared for the match. Going into this match we didn’t yet know how to play well together and they had total domination of the game. The final result was 6-1 to DESC. After getting hammered in the first match of the season we were desperate to get back on track and after training more and more we started to begin to play some nice football and went into our second match with much more confidence against rivals JC. We came out with a convincing 4-0 win. The great win

built up the whole team’s morale and a belief that we could really be successful in the DASSA league. We started piling up lots more wins: 5-0 against Wellington, 3-0 against EIS Jumeirah and our last match of the league was against JESS - we played some great football and managed to finish off the great play with a few goals. The game ended in a comfortable fashion, winning 10-1. Unfortunately after a gritty match against Repton we disappointingly lost 1-0 after a quick breakaway goal. However we were determined to keep our heads held high as we were soon to compete in the DASSA 7-a-side football tournament at DESC. We managed to win all of our group games and were able to make it through the knock-out stages to the final, beating Repton along the way. The final against DESC was a closely contested match that went into extra time at 1-1 however we controlled the game well with one of our best performances of the season and managed to emerge as the winners. We had won the DASSA 7s tournament! We came home as

victors, confident that we could finish the footballing season strongly. Soon after our tournament victory we entered the DASSA Cup that was to be our final tournament of the season. It was played over a series of weeks and we managed to cruise through to the semis, against league rivals DESC. We were desperate to make it through to the final, however DESC were the stronger team that day and they won 3-0.

The season was excellent with many highs and lows and even though we didn’t manage to add anything to the trophy we won earlier in the season it has made us more determined to do even better next year. On behalf of the team I would like to thank the PE department and Mr Lavery for their tremendous effort and commitment to the team; it has been an incredible season and well done to everyone that participated.

Luke Surrey 7MB

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Back Row: Max Matta, Gaby Cordahi, Bilal Hashim, Tom Davidson, Dhru Dattani, Divraj Singh, Veer VohraFront Row: Abdul Mirza, Zeyad Salah, Hashim Mirjan, Andreas Paschalis, Sahan Noor, Tom Ayre

U12BFootball

Squad

U12B FootballAt the beginning of the first term, the U12B team met up for the first time in training. It took a few weeks of training until their first game. Unfortunately, on the day of the opening fixture, there were only 11 people in the squad - leaving no substitutes. To make matters worse, they had never really played with each other. Nonetheless, they all worked hard and managed to put 2 goals past the School of Research Science, both scored by Dominic Marmarchi, however they lost the game. Then they went back to training, working even harder for their next game.

The second fixture was against Wellington Silicon Oasis. In this match, they improved compared to the previous game and only let

in 1 goal, as well as scoring three.The scorers were Max Matta, Dhru Dattani, and Hashim Mirjan. In that match the whole team performed well and left on a high.

The next fixture was against Kings’ School Al Barsha Boys and the team were feeling very confident ahead of it. However they needed another player in their squad and fortunately someone was able to make a last minute decision to play. The team gave all they could to this game, but unfortunately were beaten by 5 goals. They went into half time at 0-0 but they fell behind in the second half. This wasn’t a great experience for them, but it just made them try harder ahead of their next fixture against Sharjah English School. They were a very good team and DC played very well

against them. In this match, DC once again had a good first half, only conceding a few chances, as well as that they dominated the attack for the majority of the half. As they went into the second half, they immediately put a goal past the other team and this time it was an own goal. The fact that SES were being beaten made them try harder and they eventually ended up netting 5 goals. That meant that the last game that the DC U12 B team played together didn’t end in their favour. Unfortunately, half of the scheduled games were cancelled and counted as forfeits meaning that we lost all of them. This was not great, but it has made the team more determined for the next season.

Hashim Mirjan 7KW

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Back Row: Harry Hughes, George Boon, Michael Reid, Patrick Dowling, Sebastian SnaasMiddle Row: Mr A Hann, Jack Burrell, Sahil Mordani, David Hunt, Wajih Zaman, Jacob Camilleri, Sebastian WebbFront Row: William Allinson, Etienne Tillon, Harvey Bullock (c), Jamie MacKinnon, Ross VintcentAbsent: Oliver Newton

U14AFootball

Squad

U14A FootballThe season that stood in front of us looked promising for many reasons. We had a well drilled and structured team that wanted to go out there and play good football; fortunately we showed that throughout the season. Our first game of the season was against EC, not knowing how good they were we went in with the right mentality to play DC football. Not starting well meant that they took an early lead to go 1-0 up. However, Mr Hann got the boys together and told us our errors; we picked up our act and managed to smash 5 past their keeper, giving us a win for the first game of the season. JC was next, but we underestimated them and they ran around us. The boys and myself didn’t play well due to our cockiness before the match. Although JC won, our aim for the rest of the season was to remain unbeaten and keep the pressure on them. Against Choueifat (the school next door) we knew we were up against a tough opposition. Playing the better football, we managed to create many opportunities, unfortunately none of us could finish them and they took their only real chance, winning 1-0.

We came away devastated, knowing that we should have beaten them. This was a difficult learning process for the team but we recovered against DESC and got the “W” on the form sheet, outplaying them despite their “Fergie Time”. This was a tough match with many big tackles and great efforts on goal, but we stuck out for the whole game, winning 2-1! Over the rest of the league season we comfortably beat very good teams such as Repton, Wellington and DBS. Although we lost our last game we had already done enough to finish the league as runners-up.

The spring term brought a renewed sense of purpose in the Cup despite losing one of our best players and top assist provider, Ollie Newton. With performances improving all the time we went on a run to the semi-final where we came up against JC again. This time there was going to be no repeat of previous mistakes. After the hardest fought and tightest game of the season it finished 1-1, in part due to their outstanding goalkeeper. It was penalties! The DC penalties were Germanesque in power and accuracy as we beat them

in sudden death, with Wajih Zaman saving two. Unfortunately the final didn’t go so well; with key players injured before and during the game, a makeshift formation, we fought well but finished runners-up.

There have been star performances from across the talented squad this year including key contributions from: top goalscorer Michael Reid (9 goals); midfield creativity and goals from David Hunt & George Boon and classy, confident defending from Seb Snaas and Jack Burrell. Special mention has to go to centre-back Patrick Dowling who has been exceptional all year and Captain Harvey Bullock whose leadership and goals powered the team to the cup final (where unluckily he tore his shoulder ligaments 10 minutes into the final).Many thanks to Mr Hann who coaches the Under 14A team; we wouldn’t have finished in 2nd place in the league or reached the final without his commitment and knowledge in training sessions, which helped us progress as a team!

Harvey Bullock 9NM

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Back Row: Owen Wakeham, Rory Nisbet, Harry Hughes, Ben Avery, Adam ShahMiddle Row: Mr A Jones, Finlay Keegan, Joel Harrison, Jack Norman, Matthew Wane, Mark BaxterFront Row: Jake Wade, Jeremy Pontefract, Jacob Camilleri, Sam Muller, Michael Murphy

U14BFootball

Squad

U14B FootballThis year has proven to be another challenging, but successful season. Throughout the DASSA season, the Under 14 B team were unbeaten; however, due to goal difference we came a close second. Our great teamwork allowed us to play high quality football, which was exemplified by our 5-4 win against RSB, having been 1-4 down at half time!

The first match of the league was against the School of Research Science. Our defence were excellent, getting the ball wide in attack and condensing effectively whilst under attack. Our midfielders, Matthew Wane, Olly Newton, myself and Jake Wade were always looking to feed the strikers, Adam Shah and Ben Avery. As a team, we played amazingly, resulting in a great score of 6-0 in our favour.

The good form continued against JC, with a very strong first half

performance resulting in early goals for Adam Shah and Ollie Newton. During the next half, two more brilliant goals, scored by Jeremy and Adam, allowed us to win 4-0.Halfway through our season, three key members of our squad became unavailable, due to Olly Newton and Andrew Macintosh leaving, whilst Matthew Wane broke a collar bone. However, this created an opportunity for others and Alberto Viel, Ben Williams and Michael Murphy stepped up to claim their positions. Fortunately, the new squad members fitted in quickly and we overcame a spirited WSO side, with a 2-0 win.Unfortunately, we then drew the next game 1-1 against EIS M, which meant we were no longer top of the table. This was followed by another 2-2 draw against Sheffield School, which meant that we finished the league unbeaten, yet in second place. Very frustrating!

Thankfully, we were invited to compete in the DASSA Cup, one of

the most competitive tournaments in Dubai. We started off playing one of the hardest teams, WIS. Following a goal by Jeremy Pontefract, we entered the final phase of the game with a slender 1-0 lead. However, Jack Norman had to produce a wonder save on a shot that looked destined for the bottom corner. We were now ‘giant killers’ and into the next round!The next match was against Greenfield. Sadly, with an understrength team our cup run came to an end and we lost 2-0.

I would like to thank Mr Jones, Mr Hann and Mr Riordan for giving up their time and spending it on us. Well done to all!

Jacob Camilleri 9NB

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Back Row: Eoin Brady, Adam Osborne, Oisin Morgan, Oliver Boon, Barney BrettMiddle Row: Mr M Barrington, Hasan Malik, Barney Holt, Max Holt, Juan Carlos Rivero Cruells, Issam Al GhussainFront Row: Kristian Ryan, Frazer Hanson, Aaron Camball, Alex Newbery, Ali KapasiAbsent: Matthew Baxter

U16A FootballAs another U16s season comes to a close, it is time to look back and reflect on what has been a productive and enjoyable season for everyone involved. The team of sixteen individuals chosen from both Year 10 and Year 11 was coached by Mr Barrington, who put the team through some tough pre-season training sessions, prior to the start of our campaign.

Our season started with a home match against EC, but it was one that we handled with great composure. Thanks to some quality goals from Ali Kapasi, Aaron Camball, Issam Al Ghussain and Hasan Malik, we were able to come out on top and finish with a terrific 4-0 victory. Next up was an away trip to Choueifat. This turned out to be a thrilling game of football, however unfortunately for us we were the ones who came out second best and ended up losing the game 2-0. The next game was one

U16AFootball

Squad

that was to get our spirits back on a high, as an away trip to Deira saw us finish 4-0 winners. Our chances of lifting the league trophy suffered a big blow after a frustrating 3-0 away defeat to DESC, however with a lot more games to go we knew we couldn’t give up and came back with a very convincing victory against Wellington; the 8-0 score line came from a great team performance by everyone involved. Following this great result it was important that we did not get too complacent and that we followed it up with another victory. A 2-0 victory over DBS saw us gain another 3 points in the league with just two games to go.

Next up we hosted Wellington in what turned out to be a very close encounter that saw us come out as 2-1 winners in the dying minutes of the game. This game gave us huge confidence for our next match, which was to be a very important tie against JESS. Without a few key players

due to injury it was a tough match and we ended up on the wrong side of a 4-2 score line. Unfortunately our final game of the season was forfeited by JC, leading to a default 3-0 victory which led to us finishing 4th in the league.

In the DASSA cup competition, we started off with a convincing 4-0 victory over Sheffield Private School with the goals coming from Malik, Camball, Hanson and Barney Holt allowing us to proceed to the next round of the cup where we would face DESC B. Having 5 players out injured, we were left with a depleted squad going into the match. However, a Cameron Hughes inspired performance led to us triumphantly beating them 6-0, leaving us with a place in the last four and setting up a match against league winners Choueifat. Sadly two quick goals from Choueifat were able to see us off and repeat the score line from our league match against

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Back Row: Mr P Sparks, Alex Faulkner, Eoin Brady, Zac Davies, Joshua Devereux, Felix Firth, Matthew AndersonFront Row: Cameron Graham, Oh Jun Kweon, Max Dennehy, Max Lovett, Harry Sheedy, Blake Murphy, Tommy Williams

U16BFootball

Squad

them. I can safely say it has been a good season with strengths and weaknesses both addressed. I wish the Year 10s all the best of luck next

season in the U16 competition and the Year 11s good luck in the senior competition. I would also like to thank Mr Barrington for all the time

and effort that he has put into the team.

Matthew Baxter 11DR

Back Row: Euan MacKinnon, Adian Liusie, Aiden Wright, Jon Devitt, Prateek NadkarniMiddle Row: Mr J McIlveen, Valentin Arstal, Nathan Appleby, Ciaran Brady, Liam Benstead, Raahim ZafrullahFront Row: Caleb Goddard, Sam Ashby, Michael Foote, Angus Maxfield, Daniyal Malik

1st XIFootball

Squad

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1st XI Football ArticleConcluding our final year of football at this school, I can look back and feel proud of the efforts and performances produced this season despite the lack of silverware to show for it. We knew this would prove to be a difficult season with the depth of the squad thinning in recent years, leaving the team weakened in key areas of the pitch. Despite this, the lads managed to produce creditable performances throughout the season and defy expectations, overcompensating for our lack of skill with banter. The season looked promising as we started with back-to-back wins against English College and Jumeirah College, filling Mr Mac with false hope and belief that we could replicate his “Invincibles” of previous years. The following game proved the turning point in our title aspirations, with a disappointing loss to neighbours Choueifat, where our prized (and only) goalkeeper, Ciaran Brady, sustained a head injury; ruling him out for the rest of the season. This was the catalyst for a streak of losses leaving doubts for the remainder of the season. It was at this point Mac realised we were a special group of players and his signature shooting drills in training weren’t quite at our level of ability, prompting him to resort to some proper football management and, like the great Mick McCarthy

(Ipswich manager), think of expert tactics to turn our season around. This resulted in him sticking a right back with a man-bun and an inexperienced blonde South African upfront to form one of the most successful and carefree strike partnerships DC has ever seen; The Smash Bros. Somehow, this unlikely bond of brute force appeared to be our saviour as we managed to secure a strong end to the League campaign, eventually finishing 5th. This was then followed by a semi-final exit in the 7s tournament. Despite scoring our only three goals of the competition (which you still owe me for on fantasy sir), I wasn’t able to inspire a success. With all hope running out for Mr Mac, we decided to give him a bit of a cup run to make up for our lacklustre season, beginning with a huge 5-1 win against Wellington and an equally impressive 4-2 victory against EIS Meadows, secured through the finishing skill of Euan Mackinnon; taking Liam’s title as the “best finisher in DC” and somehow scoring the perfect hat trick. This set up a monumental fixture versus GEMS Silicon Oasis and inspired one of the greatest comebacks DC has ever performed. In a game reminiscent of the ’05 Champions League Final the game eventually finished 4-3 (Adian finally decided to score) with us the winners, justifying

an incredible all round performance from the lads and setting up a semi-final against Choueifat. As usual, we set out with our ever positive mind-set and fought hard to breakdown a strongly parked bus. The game looked set for extra time and out of pure desperation, Mac gave up hope and decided to throw anyone he had up front. Step forward Sam Mikel Morris. His First XI debut reminded us “class is permanent” as his injury time, Berbatov-esque back heel saw us finish triumphant and confirmed a cup final showdown with League winners DESC…which we sadly lost. Despite the disappointing finale to a promising end of season run I would like to re-enforce my pride in the team and emphasise the gratitude I feel for being able to play alongside many of you all these years. It has been a privilege to represent this school as both player and captain and I would like to thank Mac-Daddy for putting up with our unconventional playing styles and so-called banter over the years. I wish the team good luck in the future and remind them that the fantasy league table is the one that matters.

Michael Foote, First XI Captain

Mr McIlveen’s BitThere is no hiding from the fact that the 1st XI have had a tough year. On paper we had a great team, but as you know.....you don’t play football on paper. We knew that the league would be won and lost by Christmas. This proved correct with 3 big games against EIS J, DESC and arch rivals Choueifat early on in the season. Clearly all 6 pointers so early on in the campaign. DESC were reminiscent of previous incarnations of DC with strength, fitness, and power. Choueifat took the game to us and EIS J were too much for Raahim's calf muscles and unfortunately we came off as losers.

So, we turned to the magic of the cup. We had by now started to play to our strengths. No longer was it

free flowing, fast paced, two touch football into the wide areas, it was back to basics. It was simply two touch football. Literally. Get it to the smash brothers up top.

A crunch game at the GEMS Wellington Sports Academy saw some over confident upstarts comfortably beaten 4-3 after extra time. Adian Liusie rising like a salmon to convert his 14th chance of the game. If a Brazilian had scored that goal we’d be raving about it for days. It was men against boys in the end.

The semi-final saw some timely revenge dished out against EIS J. A great goal from big Sam Morris, who's got a good touch for a big man, put us through. Though you

could argue he’s lost that half a yard that’s part of the magic of the Cup.Finally we reached the business end of the season. We embarked on a difficult trip to the northwest (actually East) to face DESC at Sports City. With a depleted squad, we parked the bus. It was a game of two halves and we valiantly hung on for the first 35 minutes when an unfortunate goal, against the run of play, which was right out of the top drawer, saw DESC take a lead. Our plan to nick a win or take it to penalties was doomed.

An unusual but enjoyable season. The stats say it all. Back to business as usual next season.

Mr J McIlveen

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Back Row: Mr B Trivic, Shan Maru, Mohammad-Wahid Ghaffari, Marwan Farha, Cameron Moffat, Michael Camball, Padraig RyanFront Row: Aniket Chandra, Haren Bhavnani, Waleed Malik, Robin Over, Caleb Goddard

2nd XIFootball

Squad

2nd XI FootballThis year, the U18 B team competed in the DASSA C League. It has been an incredibly challenging season and despite not winning the league or be-ing promoted, we have all improved as individuals and, most important-ly, as a team. Our season got off to a great high as we were successful in beating our greatest competitors, the esteemed Dubai College 1st XI in a pre-season collision. This was a monumental victory for a team of players who had never played togeth-er, and it was thanks to our great determination and commitment. With morale high, we won our first league game of the season against Greenfield Community School U18A. This was a match of key importance and caused a surge of momentum for the team as we looked ahead to the rest of our season. The most memorable game was our match against the previous Division A champions, Emirates International School Jumeirah U18A in the second round of the DASSA Cup. Under the

guidance of the tactical genius of Sir Bobby Trivic, we adopted a ‘park the bus’, 5-at-the-back, counter-attack-ing formation and the game went exactly according to plan: a very gruelling half of defending against the constant attacks of EIS Jumeirah and an occasional golden chance of our own. We found ourselves level at 0-0 at half time, motivation was high after Sir Bobby’s team talk and we re-emerged seeking to cause a great upset as the underdogs. Yes, we had a couple of lapses in the retention of our formation, and, yes, we lost 4-0, but the score line was not a true reflection of the nature of the game. Throughout the season as a team we were troubled with injury woes and alternative reasoning which left us keeperless for the most part, and it was a measure of our team spirit that vital players stepped up in the hour of need to play in this position, even though it made us more vulner-able in the outfield. Our challenging season came to a close after playing 4 games in the league, leaving us 3rd

in the league with 1 victory, 2 draws and 1 loss.

Throughout the season the team showed great effort and initiative and made the experience extremely enjoyable. I would just like to say a big thank you to Mr Trivic for being such a dedicated and enthusiastic coach for the entirety of the season as well as all the efforts of the Year 12s and in particular the year 13s leaving the school. It was honestly a privilege playing your final games with you; Waleed, MC Hamma, Cam, Caleb (top goal scorer), Wahid, Jake, Adil and Paddy. Good luck with your futures.

Tristan Ebdon 12IJ

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U12Girls’

Football

U12 Girls’ FootballThe girls’ football league began in September 2014 – quite a while back now! We all turned up bright eyed and bushy tailed on our first hot Sunday afternoon and a few intense training sessions later, we were down on the pitch, eyeing up our first opponents. Our amazing team consisted of Meeral, a reliable goalkeeper with a powerful kick, Anya and Ellie strong in defence,

U14AGirls’

Football

U14A Girls’ FootballThis has been another successful season for the U14 girls’ football team. We quickly adapted to playing with each other, showing some great football throughout the year. After a great start, beating JESS,

our confidence level rose and we ended up winning almost all of our matches. With Mr Verma always making football a laugh whilst training us hard, we developed greatly throughout the year. As a team, we would train regularly

each week, improving some techniques and getting used to each other’s style of play. Through some tough drills and challenging friendly matches, we were prepared and raring to go ahead of the upcoming season.

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Erica Ryan, Ayesha Gibbons, Shaima Lone, Ava Warren, Aanya Tashfeen, Lee Ann Lee

Front Row: Ellie Bourne, Anna Campbell, Amy MacKenzie, Lara Begley, Meeral Tashfeen

Anna, Erica, Lee Ann, Lara and Maddie fast in the midfield and Shaima and Amy striking as strikers. There was a standing joke that whenever... (this person shall remain unnamed; you know who you are!) called her mum - as she often did - everyone immediately sat up straight, behaving in a prim and proper manner until she hung up. Then everyone would fall about laughing. All in all, in that

unbelievably short time we had as a team, we had a lot of banter, and took a lot of selfies. Every second of it is impossible to replace. I take my hat off to everyone, for each being an important part of the team.

Amy MacKenzie 7MB

Back Row: Mr R Verma, Rihana Al Nabhani, Rebecca Wilding, Alma Zickerman, Ella Reynolds, Elanor Wright, Serena Lambert

Front Row: Katrina Webb, Holly Rhys-Maitland, Angelica Slater, Jemma Shand, Kiyomi Hanson

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Considering the fact that we were a group consisting of girls who had never played together before, we soon became a successful and versatile team in match situations. It would be hard to name all the hilarious and unexpected highlights of our season, but one would have to be Rebecca Wilding somehow managing to clear the ball from an attacker, and have it ending up lobbing the goalkeeper and landing straight into the top left corner. I’m sure our whole team could agree on saying that DBS was our most ‘interesting’ match, having an endless amount of foul throws which lead to the whole team chanting ‘TWO FEET’ during every single throw in from that point onwards, myself having a bullet goal kick landing straight in my face and you could say Alma was on the ground for most of the game. After many

tough situations, we battled through and finished the eventful game with a win.

Holly Rhys-Maitland, Alma Zickerman, Rihana Al Nabhani, and Rebecca Wilding - blocking out anybody who dared to enter their space - displayed excellent defensive play. With our strong players in midfield, we had Ella Reynolds, Serena Lambert and Katrina Webb constantly bringing the ball down the field, allowing Kiyomi Hanson and Elanor Wright to score a great amount of goals. Fortunately for us, we had Angelica Slater always saving goals and diving around to help the team and stop the opposition. Thanks to many hours of hard work and fierce competition, our effort clearly paid off, as the team finished runners up this season. Overall, it was a great season for

us as a team; winning seven out of nine games and scoring nearly 25 goals. On behalf of the team, I would like to send a massive thanks to Mr Verma, Miss Clohesy and the JFL Football coaches for always training and encouraging us hard and showing us how to react in match situations. Without your help, we could not have achieved what we accomplished. Another thanks to all the girls, for always turning up to training and being as enthusiastic as you were; this season could not have been as hilarious and as exciting without your enthusiasm.

Jemma Shand 9WD

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Diptasri Gupta, Elena Beer, Anna Maureta, Emma Robertson, Ga-briella Crick Lewis

Front Row: Aakanksha Deb, Al-maz Razif, Lucy Graham, Sophie Newbery, Dana McCann

U14BGirls’

Football

U14B Girls’ FootballThis season has been a difficult one for the U14 B girls’ football team, however we were a team that never dropped out! We brought in many swimmers, gymnasts, athletes and netballers who, although they had never had a try at football, thought this was a wonderful opportunity for them and they turned out to be exceptionally good at this sport. Throughout every game, excellent goalkeeping and great attacking abilities were shown. Goals were scored and girls showed their fantastic defence. Strong midfield

skills could also clearly be seen.Although it was a rocky start at the beginning of the year, we trained every week as a team, doing drills and techniques that would help us during matches against other schools. Great coaches from a football academy came to train us and under their skilful guidance, the girls shaped up and embarked on the journey to victory! Winning 2 matches out of 5 really turned things round! We scored 6 goals overall, with a goal difference of 11 - the opposition scoring 17 goals against us. We didn’t let go and we were

always in it to win it, even though the first few matches didn’t show great wins but rather losses. However, one of our games was a victory where the last 3 goals were scored by myself, Ella and Gabbie. It was nice to see that a range of girls had a chance of scoring goals. In our last match Sophie was extremely pleased when she scored the only goal for our team at Repton and it will be hard to forget how Elena managed to score an own goal as goalkeeper! All fun aside, we lost the game 1-4 to Repton.

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U16 Girls’ FootballThis season the U16 girls’ football team has had an amazing time; even though we only had four opponents, each game was played with focus and with determination from everyone participating, whether they were stepping in or a regular member. The season did seem to start and end quite swiftly, whilst the weekly practices continued both before and after to ensure we were fully prepared. There was an increasing involvement of girls of all ages participating, which was great to see,

especially at a time where we can see women’s football on the world stage, increasing in both publicity and numbers; the opportunities are growing for young players like us. Our season concluded with a satisfying 2 wins and 2 draws, but we now wait in anticipation of dominating our matches once again next year. I’d like to thank these awesome players that I have the privilege to share the pitch with: Kate Dodds, Sophie Scott, Victoria Ewert, Rachel Choi, Ellie O’Keeffe, Annabelle Clifford, Isabella Lahdo, Chloe Williams, Anushe Samee

It’s reassuring that there were no major injuries during the season and the girls were constantly smiling and laughing. With such a funny, happy squad it was hard to take it very seriously during the matches, we were there to enjoy ourselves and play as a team; we were all in it together. A highlight that I will never forget about this strong team is the fact that we always accepted defeat with grace and our wins with

modesty.

The most rewarding part of this season was the friendships that were made between the girls and the 2 different age categories (Year 8 and Year 9). On and off the pitch they will always have a ‘squad bond’ that will bring back wonderful memories. We are all planning on coming back to football next year and hoping for many more wins! For the ones

that haven’t played football before, we really encourage you to join because it is the opportunity and the experience that count!

Anna Maureta 9RS

Back Row: Ms D Jones, Annabel Clifford, Kate Dodds, Chloe Williams, Rachel Choi, Anushe Samee, Nimrah Siddiqi

Front Row: Blanca Pamias Lopez, Ellie O’Keeffe, Julia MacKay (Capt), Devina Popley, Sophie Scott

U16Girls’

Football

and Nimrah Siddiqi (vice-captain). I’d also like to thank our coaches, Ms Jones and also Ms Clohesy as we couldn’t have done without their consistent guidance and organisation. I really hope everyone enjoyed this year’s football season as much as I did and really do hope everyone can keep up some regular practice or work on even simple skills to keep us fit and ready for next year. Thank you, everyone.

Julia MacKay 10EA

U18 Girls’ FootballThis year, girls’ football has been completely rejuvenated thanks to our dear coach, Mr Hann. We have had more training sessions than ever before, accompanied by new kit, new skills and new drills. Despite the heat, our dedicated team of female footballers consistently turned up to training sessions after school on

Sunday and Thursday, building on their skills accumulated since the start of their footballing careers many years ago. Thankfully, all this hard work paid off, with some exceptional performances throughout the year from everyone on the team. We came so close to glory, missing out by just one goal in the key game against Wellington. We welcomed new feet on

the pitch, notably Caitlin Janus who possessed that left foot we’ve been needing for so many years, as well as our youngest, but arguably most ‘hands on’ player, the unstoppable force that is our goalkeeper, Sophie Shams. Throughout the season we showcased hat-tricks, solid tackles, skilful passes and witty pitch-side banter (creds to the coach). Mr Hann

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Back Row: Mr A Hann, Perle Battistella, Martha Gregory, Joanna Summers, Alice Lovett, Caitlin Janus, Hanna SalemFront Row: Emma Murray, Corynn Foote, Alana Rogers, Natalia Adair, Urmika Mani

U18Girls’

Football

was persistent in his (long) motivational speeches, and would not allow us to perform at a level anything less than our best. As a result, we won all but two heart-breaking matches, in the process defeating our nemesis, Repton. The team was made up of a great group of girls, all of whom kept smiling even through the tougher matches and extra hot training sessions. We have persistently pushed each other to improve our game and competitive drive, consistently being team players and genuine sportswomen. Our most notable achievement occurred halfway through the season, when we annihilated DESC 6-1. This footballing season would not have been the same without the mums, dads, grandparents and orange providers; thanks for the encouragement and refreshments! Of course, we would like to thank Mr Hann, whose dedication and commitment to improving the standard of girls’ football this year has been absolutely incredible; we honestly would not have achieved what we did without your perseverance and enthusiasm! We wish the best of luck to next year’s team and have full confidence that you will continue to improve the standard and raise the profile of girls’ football at DC.

Jo Summers 13LHAlice Lovett 13DF

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Back Row: Mrs L Nowacki, Nishka Keni, Chloe Russo, Olivia Allen, Georgia Allen, Shaima Lone, Ava Warren

Front Row: Amelia Pearce, Natasha Whittall, Reva Poddar, Ebba Zickerman, Eesha Yaqub

U12AGirls’

Basketball

U12A Girls BasketballFrom the first basket to the last, the U12A basketball team remained strong and confident throughout all our matches in the basketball season. The pressure was on as the trials were held to select the U12 girls’ basketball teams 2014-2015. After the trials, we trained hard with the support of our coaches, during lunches and breaks, and got to know the team; we were then good to go for our first match…There were many amazing scores this season, with our first match be-ing quite a competitive game against DESC, where DC scored in the first 10 seconds of the game; there were many lay-ups and amazing shots, and the final score was 35-22, a great win to DC! Ebba Zickerman dis-played many great shots and showed her attacking skills in the game!Our next match was against Repton School Dubai; we had many long-range shots and some fantastic fast breaks, ending with a successful

score of 60-11 to DC. There were many excellent passes and shots by Georgia Allen, and some great attacking by Ava Warren.We then trained hard for our next match against JC where many of our defending and attacking strategies were used, which allowed us to win 39-18, there were many great inter-ceptions, and outlet passes. There were some great shots in the game by Amelia Pearce and great intercep-tions by Nishka Keni!The next school we faced in the league was JESS (Ranches), who we handily defeated 70-6. There were many good intercepts done by Shaima Lone and great attacking as well as defending by Chloe Russo. We had many powerful drives to the basket, displayed in the match, and incredible teamwork!The last school we faced in the league was Wellington International school, the match between the schools was intense and fierce, we used many of the skills learnt during training, and

had great attacking strategies. There was an amazing lay-up in the last 10 seconds of the game by Eesha Yaqub and some great defending from Na-tasha Whittall throughout the game. The final score was: 48-22, allowing DC to stay undefeated throughout the whole season. Well done to Olivia Allen for getting player of the match!This season the team has had an immaculate set of scores, and we are looking forward to playing in the fi-nals of the DASSA League. Well done to the U12A team for giving 100% in all our matches and having incredi-ble teamwork, giving us a successful outcome, and more importantly a huge thank you goes to our coaches Mrs. Nowacki and Tracey! Thank you for all your excellent coaching and advice and passion, (especially with our lay-ups)! We look forward to another great and successful sea-son next year!

Reva Poddar 7KM

U12B Girls Basketball Deira was well prepared for the first game of the league and took an early lead in the match through to the second half. DC, although slower to settle and adapt to the requirements of the game, fought hard. As the score drew closer DC’s superior passing skills were evident. Passing was crisper and more precise than Deira and this was the difference as the final buzzer drew near. DC 28,

Deira 24.Second game of the season was another fabulous game against last year’s League B finalists CIS. CIS defended closely on the ball throughout the match, playing a variety of organised defences; man to man, a full court press and zone defence. DC were equal to the task and transferred the ball up the court efficiently and effectively on many occasions to get the ball close in to

shoot. Possession was closely contested by both teams, with CIS winning the battle of the boards. This proved costly. With 6 minutes to go DC put together a string of superb passes and well - constructed movements to score and gather momentum. However, CIS applied their own pressure in the final minutes of the game to finish victorious: CIS 28 – DC 22 at the final whistle.

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Another thrilling match was on display in the DC Sports Hall when the U12B’s took on DESC B. DESC fielded a significantly taller ‘first five’ and throughout the game secured numerous rebounds at both ends of the court, ensuring they had plenty of possession.DC players worked tirelessly on defence and attack - as did Mrs Bell from the coaches’ box! Players fought hard for loose balls, applying man-to-man pressure effectively off the ball and stringing together consecutive passes on attack; reversing the ball through the point

to swing the zone defence, to find some opportunity inside. When DESC reverted back to man-to-man, DC found some opportunities to feed the weak side low. In the final quarter DC displayed greater composure and were better able to take care of possession to secure the win.RWA was yet another close encounter. DC tenaciously tried to get the ball inside to shoot however it was not until well into the first quarter that DC were rewarded with points. RWA also struggled to capitalise, the ball see-sawing to

and fro from one end of the court to the other. DC analysed the play well and DC players shut down the RWA scoring machine in the closing minutes of the game, winning 15 -13.

What a fabulous start to the basketball journey for an enthusiastic, responsive and delightful group of young ladies.

Chrissie Lowndes 7CW

Back Row: Mrs K Bell, Kiara Taurani, Amy MacKenzie, Zara Edwards, Lucy Burrell (Vice- Captain), Mrs P Macdonald

Front Row: Disha Kewalramani, Chrissie Lowndes (Captain), Anna Campbell, Abigail Anderson.

U12BGirls’

Basketball

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Back Row: Mrs L Nowacki, Alma Zickerman, Tara Desai, Annabelle Style, Arya Flisher, Gabriella Reynolds, Jemma Shand, Amun Chaudhary

Front Row: Isabella Duthie, Sasha Verrall, Lauren Johnstone, Holly Rhys-Maitland, Maisie Harvey, Serena Lambert

U14AGirls’

Basketball

U14A Girls’ BasketballThis year’s Basketball has certainly been a challenge, and started with a bang! Many of us had not played basketball competitively since Year 7, some had never played. As soon as the team was formed after quick trials the team began the season. Our first match was against WIS. I think its fair to say we were all shocked at how long and tiring the quarters of a competitive match can be and many of us came off red faced and panting. However, despite the groaning we emerged victorious with a score of 22-11. This win boosted our confidence greatly, knowing that we could only improve with training and practice. The A team never lost hope and with increasing confidence, we won our next four matches comfortably , with everyone giving 100% against Repton (30-22), JESS (38-20), JC

(40-28) and DESC (30-22). After winning all our matches in the League we then got to play DESC in the final, which was a big challenge because they were an extremely tough team. The season was truly an enjoyable one and throughout the season it was easy to notice us all getting closer and playing better together, leading us to be an extremely strong team. I would like to say a massive thank

you to Mrs Nowacki for without her excellent support and coaching, our season would not have been so successful.

Lauren Johnstone 9RS

U14B Girls’ BasketballWhat an amazing season we’ve had!Our squad has grown in confidence and skill throughout the season and have won all of our games.The squad consisted of many netball-ers who initially struggled with the transition from the restricted move-ments of netball to the dribbling the ball up the court of basketball. We soon gelled as a team and with some excellent strategic advice from Mr Flower and Mrs Macdonald, we began to read the game and work out some killer game plays.

For the first game of the season against DESC, we were at first per-haps a little bit timid. Not for too long though - a few of us particularly enjoyed the opportunity to unleash the fiery spirit within and we demon-strated that determination is defi-nitely a key factor in performance! We eventually won 36-23; the result was well deserved.

Though sometimes baffled by the de-cisions called by one of the referees, we continued to battle for our next win (23-13) over the rather competi-tive Cambridge International School. Some accurate shooting from the

whole squad and some wonderful play brought our team another home win against Raffles World Academy. Each player in our squad was burst-ing with talent. Some players special-ised in defence, swiping the ball from the opposition whereas other players constantly attacked the hoop!

We started our next match against GEMS Academy Silicon Oasis as we always do… slowly! Not fully focused, we gave away the first few points on the scoreboard. It was catch-up time! A short time-out called by Mrs Mac-donald quickly put things in perspec-

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Back Row: Mr P. Flower, Roisin McElligott, Casey Bell, Jessica Passey, Kitty Davis, Nina Mul, Elena Beer, Disha Narain, Hannah Dawson, Mrs P Macdonald.

Front Row: Sophie Newbery, Ella Verrall, Hannah Burton, Elanor Wright (Captain), Lucy Graham, Maria Iorini, Sophie O’Keeffe.

U14BGirls’

Basketball

tive and we soon shortened the score difference, overtaking the opposition at a critical time of the match and winning 35-26.Following GEMS Wellington Acad-emy we played DBS, and this match was the one that could win us the season. After a few frustrating calls from the referee and some frantic decision making our confidence in-

creased and so did the points. In the final stages of the game, we kept our cool against a full court man-to-man press, prevailing 22-18.Well done to everyone who played in the matches and to those who filled in when needed! All of our players showed marvellous team work and strength and I think I speak for everyone when I say we would not

have done as well as we did without our superb coaches Mrs Macdonald and Mr Flower and the loud and encouraging supporters on the side-lines.

Eleanor Wright 8MP

Back Row: Mrs L Nowacki, Hannah Story, Franciska Kundrak, Sabrina Daga

Front Row: Ellie O’Keeffe, Jessica Pollock, Julia MacKay, Emma Kelly

Absent: Sophie Shamsuddin, Ariyike Oyelola

U16AGirls’

Basketball

U16A Girls’ BasketballIt was a very successful basketball season this year for the Year 10/11 girls. With try outs being held just a week before the first match, and training every Tuesday lunch, an unbeatable team of U16 girls were chosen. Our first match was against DESC which we won 22-21; a win-ning score that could not get any

closer. That first match of the season was definitely a wakeup call for us all to ‘get our heads in the game’. We started slowly, playing a defensive game when we should have been on the other side of the court putting points on the board. We soon woke up. Trying to get back from 15-5, we lifted our heads up and it was soon 19-17 in our favour. Three quarters

into the match, one of their key play-ers and also the tallest was “fouled out.” In the last three minutes, two free throws were given to Jess Pollock, who would decide whether we would win or lose. She moved the score from 20-21 to 22-21 in our favour. Overall it was a great match for the start of the season.Sophie RM had an unfortunate

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U16B Girls’ BasketballThe season began with a shaky start, losing to JC 11 – 26. With purposeful focus at training we concentrated on individual skills and better teamwork and notched up a win in our next match against JESS, 34 – 27. Next up was Wellington International School. We played hard under the intense pressure that Wellington applied and capitalised at times, however there were periods of play where we were unable to put the ball in the hoop which was costly and we went down 25 – 43. Our biggest challenge was our first away game at DESC, where we

training accident which resulted in her being out for the rest of the season with a broken wrist. After that though, the season only got better; seven more matches with a total of 306 points for and only 135 points against us. Throughout the season there were some amaz-ing 2-1-2, zones and man-on-man defences, as well as successful layups by Sabrina and in one game a three pointer from Julia in the last second

- from half way! Our height, with Franciska and Ariyike, was such an advantage and we ended up win-ning a lot of rebounds and all of the starter tip-offs. Amazing attacking and shooting from Emma and Ellie prevailed throughout the season. Perhaps our most interesting (and frustrating) match was against JESS, with questionable calls against us and a lack of composure from the op-position. Keeping our cool, we won

35-21. Our last match was against our B team which was probably our hardest match of the season in terms of opposition. The match conclud-ed with a 38-23 win for us. Thanks to Miss Nowacki, our hardworking coach, and to Tracey Kelly for tips and support and all the parents who came to watch our matches. We all look forward to next season!

Sophie Shams 10CT

Back Row: Sadhana Madnani, Anushe Sheikh, Charlotte Style, Mitali Doshi.

Front Row: Sophie Scott, Hannah Cleere, Sally Marr (Captain), Aleksandra Skroban.

Absent: Yasmeen Mohajer,Mrs P Macdonald

U16BGirls’

Basketball

managed to improve our play in the second half, retrieving important rebounds and scoring some great baskets. The final score was 24 – 40 to DESC. We were triumphant in our next game against EIS 47 – 8. This match saw us reach our target of improving communication and securing rebounds, allowing us the possession to shoot many goals. A narrow loss to DBS came next, 21-39, followed by Repton, which ended 18 - 33. The final game of the season saw the team put together a commendable performance against significantly taller opposition; our own U16A team.

Pressure up front by Aleks, Sophie, Hannah and Sadhana created many opportunities for the back three and Charlotte did not disappoint, collecting numerous interceptions. Good team work prevailed and Anushe Sheikh was outstanding one-on-one close in. The final result was 23 – 38.All in all, the season has been a great learning experience as well as a lot of fun, so a big thank you goes out to Mrs Macdonald, who spent her time and effort in coaching us and taking us to all of our fixtures, as well as turning us into the basketballers we are today!

Sally Marr 11AD

U18 Girls’ BasketballTo say the Dubai College Senior Girls’ basketball team has had an eventful season is an understatement. With over 600 minutes of court time including international ventures to Bahrain and Doha, 3 “friendlies” against

American schools AND an inter-schools DASSA league, we certainly had our work cut out. Fortunately, it is surprising what the purchase of a new personalised basketball kit can do to motivation levels. Much to Mr Flower’s delight, after 6 years of persuasion, Catriona finally decided to join the basketball

team, a day I don’t think anyone saw coming. Whether or not this move was encouraged by a genuine love of basketball, or simply to parade the fresh new kit, her infallible enthusiasm, like that of so many others on the team, played an invaluable part in this season’s success.

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A couple of pre-season training sessions, guided by the principles of Miss Nowacki and Mr Flower, quickly whipped us into shape and put us in a good position to start the season strongly. Despite the hesitant start during our first match against Repton, well-executed fast breaks from Blanca, Natalia and Bianca proved to be too much for the Repton defence and saw us pull away at half time, resulting in a 35-17 win. This momentum remained throughout the early stages of the league, with strong defence from Kitty and Gabi helping us convincingly beat EIS Jumeirah 43-15, and our season’s most impressive result of 54-14 against DESC.

Our match against JESS was a completely different ball game (pun intended). Like us, JESS had managed to convincingly beat all teams brave enough to challenge them; we realised that if we were to win this match the league title would undeniably be ours. With this in mind, we began our toughest challenge yet, playing with all guns blazing. Excellent offense and defence from both sides resulted in probably the most intense 40

minute period of basketball we had ever played. Unfortunately, with only 30-seconds to go, a well-executed JESS lay-up left the match all even, meaning a 5 minute period of extra time. Excellent shots from Hanna and Kelley gave us the early lead again, however JESS denied us victory again, equalling our score at the very last minute: there was another period of extra time. This was definitely one of our toughest mental challenges of the season, however we ended up winning by the narrowest of margins, 45-41. We consolidated this triumph with a 61-21 win over JC a week later. As well as competing in the schools’ DASSA league, the Senior Girls maximized the opportunity of playing against some more challenging opposition in the form of ASD Dubai, ASD Abu Dhabi and DAA, convincingly winning 2 out of 3 of the matches. Even Izzy H managed to ‘get her head in the game’, following in her idol Troy Bolton’s footsteps - laying up left right and centre. Also, for the first time, we were invited to compete in the Middle East Unity Cup tournament hosted in Bahrain, where we faced the challenge of

playing 6 matches in the space of 2 days. Adding to this madness was the fact that we had to play with only 1 sub, however exceptional performances from Sophie, Julia and Izzy S., as well as veteran Lizzy A., meant that we beat Bahrain in the final, 67-20.On the whole, this season has certainly been a memorable one, with results that accurately reflect the dedication and commitment of the team as a whole. The level of talent shown by the younger members has been extremely promising, and I have no doubt girls’ basketball at DC will continue to flourish. I would like to thank Mr Flower and Mrs Nowacki for their unfailing enthusiasm and support- without your help and guidance we honestly wouldn’t have come half as far as we did! Basketball at DC has been an incredible experience and, despite a few bumps along the way, one that I will remember for a very long time. On behalf of all the Year 13 girls, thank you for everything.

Alice Lovett 13DF

Back Row: Mrs L Nowacki, Natalia Adair, Kelley Day, Izzy Snaas, Kitty Willson, Catriona Benson, Gabi Guscott, Lizzy Adamson, Mr P FlowerFront Row: Hanna Salem, Julia MacKay, Bianca Pereira, Alice Lovett (captain), Blanca Pamias Lopez, Izzy Haigh

U18Girls’

Basketball

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U18Girls’

BasketballGallery

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Back Row: Mr A Jones, Seb Springuel, Andreas Paschalis, Arran Shah, Tom Morris, Jakub Skroban, Luke Surrey

Front Row: Marco Zaccaria, Yousef Islam, Ben Morris, Dominic Marmachi, Veer Vohra, Jake Hewer.

U12ABoys’

Basketball

U12A Boys’ BasketballIn April, the U12 Basketball Team was scrambled together just two weeks before our first match. Each and every one of us was completely new to the game. We were excited to try it but none of us really knew what to expect. Luckily our first competitive match was at home against our friends in the DC U12B. It gave us all a chance to get used to the rules of the game. Each team got on the scoreboard, but the boys in the A team proved worthy of their spots by winning 35 – 2. We all felt confident as we travelled by bus to our next match, away at EIS Jumeirah …maybe we were too confident!We were not that lucky this time. The first quarter was very even, with

Back Row: Gaby Cordahi, Sean Ali, Ben Hobart, Will Hicks, Aranya Gupta, Bilal Hashim, Saad Ali, Luke Nijkamp, Mr M Barrington

Front Row: Hashim Mirjan, Adam Jabri, Max Matta, Paul Bustarret, Laith Mohajer, Tom Ayre, Eisa Hussain

U12BBoys’

Basketball

EIS usually in the lead but with DC hot on their heels. However, their experience started to show as the game went on, with a few of their seasoned players clearly gaining momentum and their all-year-round practice showing. In the end they beat us 37 - 12. We learned a lot from it as a team; for example, once we have done a lay-up we need to get back quickly to avoid a speedy break from their side and we must always fight for the rebound on both sides of the court. For our third match we travelled to Wellington International School. Despite a strong performance from the team, our opponent’s zone marking proved very effective, making it difficult for us to ‘drive through’, so the match ended with a

narrow 23 - 18 defeat. As we had only won one of our matches, we progressed to the DASSA plate semi-finals, where we met with Jumeirah College at home. It quickly became apparent that their team was built around one star player, who was either setting up a play or scoring himself. We tasked Ben with marking him, but even with Ben’s excellent efforts to block all his shots, he got two lucky shots in! However, their defence was slack and we were able to use Luke’s pace down the side of the court to score some effortless hoops. Also, one of the highlights of the match was seeing Marco, our ‘new signing’ to the team, shooting his first ever hoop with a beautiful shoot that rebounded off the back board and

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U12B Boys’ BasketballThis basketball season has been quite short and isn’t even finished at the time of writing this article. Our team wasn’t bad: all the players were sporty and full of good will, however we were all beginners and not previously fans of basketball. For most of us, these were our first real matches. We had a week of training before our first match, where we learned a few tactics, practiced our layups before the day to play our first match arrived. Our first match was against our own A-team! As soon as the match started, we knew we were facing a challenge; not only a physical one, but also a mental one, playing against our friends. The match raged on, we kept giving it our

then went in. Despite being 5 points down before the start of the game (a penalty given for not bringing 10 players to the match), we managed to beat them quite convincingly, with a result of 31-23. This now means we are through to

the Finals, but at the time of writing this, the Finals have not yet taken place. We’ll certainly do our very best to end our very first season with a trophy. I have really enjoyed captaining this team. We have all learned a lot and I hope this team

sticks together so that we can all look forward to building on a great foundation season next year.

Tom Morris 7KW

best effort, but the points started to tilt their way. We managed to squeeze two points past them, but then the final whistle blew. Our next match was against Wellington; we knew they were hard opponents (as some of us played them in primary school), so we put all our effort and teamwork against them, managing to score seven points, but the game was our second loss. However, after it we knew we had improved and we could rise up to any challenge if we worked as a team and played with 100% effort the whole game. When we started to play against EIS, we knew we were up for a tough match (they had beaten our A-team by about 20 points). With grit and determination, the team played

the match, giving 100% effort at all times. When the match finished, we shook hands and knew our best tactics and gameplay had been put into this match, even if the score was 52 - 2... The next two matches will probably go the same way as our first three, however even if we lose them, this year has been a start-up year. We have learned the way to play as a team and also to never give up, even if all the odds are against you. Hopefully we will do better next year, as most of us will have grown and will have more experience. Go Team!

Paul Bustarret 7CW

Back Row: Owen Wakeham, Harry Hughes, Michael Reid, Marco Gabriel, Siddhant D’Souza

Front Row: Jordyn Hamilton, Jamie MacKinnon, Patrick Dowling, Harvey Bullock, Matthew Wane

U14ABoys’

Basketball

U14A Boys’ BasketballThis season has seen some good performances by the DC U14 boys’ basketball team. In the DASSA division 1 league the team has played 3 matches winning 2/3, the best win coming against JC in a match that ended 44-29. In the match we showed good focus and teamwork. With a few influential players such as Owen Wakeham who led the attacks with great baskets, while defensively Patrick Dowling led by example with

numerous rebounds. But we were disappointed against Wellington as we lost by 3 points in a close encoun-ter. This showed that on the day we did not perform to a good enough standard. Our shooting let us down which is something the team has to work on improving. Also we defeated the DC U14 B-team in a close match with good performances from all players Also for the first time Dubai Col-lege entered a team in the Saturday,

Sports 360 National School Bas-ketball League, being given a wild-card. Due to age restrictions, a huge amount of the first team were unable to participate. However, the boys that represented DC in the league led by the inspired coaching of Mr Riordan, have had a great run. In the group stages the most important match was against the group leaders GEMS Modern Academy. A closely fought game which was decided by a pivotal lay up in the last 8 seconds by

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Michael Reid who won himself MVP for two weeks running.This took DC into the knock out stages where after a slow start we overcame Emirates International School 19-12. Harry Hughes became MVP, due to the fact he had a great game in defence as well as leading

the attack. Reaching the semi- finals of the competition the wild card DC team was knocked out. A lack of speed and poor shooting hindered our perfor-mance. But we have to give credit to the strong performance of our oppo-sition Chouiefat School, Abu Dhabi.

So far this season, I believe we have played successfully as a squad. With an improvement in our form and shooting under pressure we believe we can achieve more consistent results.

Michael Reid 9WD

Back Row: Mrs L Nowacki, Krish Gupta, George Boon, Kaivalya Vohra, Harrison Devereux, George Hosking, Ritvik Ramnath, Hamzah Raza

Front Row: Jeremy Pontefract, Alex House, Peter Dalem, Seb Snaas, Ben Davies, Sean O’Gorman, Ross Vintcent

U14BBoys’

Basketball

Back Row: Josh Devereux, Dylan Russo, Dharam Madnani, Scott Simpson,

Front Row: Ali Kapasi, Yehia Islam, Shahmeer Chaudhary, Juan Carlos Rivero Cruells, Max Lovett

U16ABoys’

Basketball

U16A Boys’ BasketballFrom our first practice of the 2014-15 season it was evident that many members of this year’s 16A team had not bounced a basketball the entire summer. We took our time adjusting back into a team oriented style of play based on the high-low system that Coach Riordan and Coach Nowacki guided us through.

This system required a team oriented mind-set. Due to the fact that the team were also friends off the court, this mind-set was something we inherently had from the start.Our first game against Wellington International School acted as a “loosener” for us. At first we seemed uncomfortable in the highly compet-itive situation, giving the opposition

an early lead of 8 points. This is when we truly found our identity as a team. Lock-down defence and a gritty offensive effort got us back into the game with a 3 point deficit going into the final quarter. Unfortunate-ly we could not get that final push into the lead and lost by five points. A major weakness was our 37.5% success at the free throw line. This

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Back Row: Arnav Lahiry, Oliver Tait, Matty Russo, Max Holt

Front Row: Devansh Popley, Oh Jun Kweon, Luca Sackeyfio, Matthew Anderson, Ramzi Jalili

Absent: Francois Maureta, Jonathan Mulligan

U16BBoys’

Basketball

U16B Boys’ BasketballFirst of all, I’d like to say this was this squad’s most successful season since entering DC in year seven, so every single player deserves cred-it for their effort and support. We started the season very well, team chemistry was high and so was morale. Our first game was against GEMS Wellington Academy, Sili-con Oasis. The squad walked into our first game not knowing what to expect and the opposing team came at us hard - luckily we were as hard as brick. After a late start to our offense, and a few clutch shots by yours truly, we came back from a small deficit to win 32-23. Our next few games were a blur, we won them then we went toe to toe with Deira

weakness would resonate throughout the season.It was clear that our team was nat-urally talented on the defensive end from the start; it was on the offensive end that our effectiveness fluctuated from game to game. Fortunately our offense was on point against Repton in our second game. Although we didn’t fully implement Coach Ri-ordan’s high-low system, it was our team chemistry that spearheaded our offence. People made the correct passes and it seemed everyone knew where they had to be to stay ahead. It was a refreshing win for a team in need of some confidence.After a narrow loss against EIS Jumeirah at home, we were aching for a chance to redeem ourselves

on the road at home. The game had a fiery tone from the start; the first baskets for both teams came in transition. The game got heated as it went along, bumping of shoulders, shoving, grabbing and trash talking all found their way into the game. And in a sense our team was com-fortable with this challenge. The low scoring game ended with us victori-ous; in the end it was decided simply on who wanted it more. Our next game was against JESS Ranches at home. We skyrocketed to an early lead, due to the fact that this game was probably when we used the high low offence most effective-ly. This early lead allowed Coach Riordan to loosen the leash a little bit and let us play with some added

flair. This gamble paid off, as we con-tinued to stretch the lead with our defence staying as resilient as ever. This combination resulted in a large victory, beating them by 17 points.Unfortunately our season ended with a loss. But as a team we are proud of our winning record throughout the season. We feel that our group of players will provide a good backbone for the DC teams of the future. Lastly I would like to thank Mr Riordan and Mrs Nowacki for the time and effort they put into coaching this team, as well as the GCSE PE students who scored our games.

Shahmeer Chaudhary 11DR

International School, Although they were older than us, we proved to have the more mature game, passing the ball and playing tough. After that it was Emirates International School; they showed glimpses of potential through various players, (we won’t talk about how I was blocked on a layup when I should have dunked it), however, their greatest asset proved to be their ‘home court advantage’... Key players in that game were Oh Jun (with his quickness), Max Holt (the White Mamba), Ramzi Jalili (Jeremy Lin) and Matty for not los-ing his temper after all those travel calls.Regardless of other ‘factors’, we ran them into the ground and went on to win 36-20. Our highlight of the

season had to be our 76-8 win over Jumeirah Baccalaureate School. Standout performance from Devansh Popley with his first career points (He scored at least two baskets, two assists; not too shabby, so he was happy). Everybody was getting touches and everybody was scoring. Before I forget, apologies go to that little two foot- something kid that took a body charge from me and still got called the foul. I took the kid out and still got the free throws, I really didn’t want to add insult to injury but took the free throws anyway. Moving on, the DC squad was getting buckets like KFC was giving out free family meals - delicious. At the end, coach wouldn’t even let us take lay-ups, just jumpshots.

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To end the season with a clean sweep, all we had to do was beat Dubai British School. First of all I apologise for missing the free throw that would have sent us into over-time. Secondly, the score doesn’t lie, it was meant to be, we move on. Thirdly, our problem was on the interior, morale wasn’t high and we couldn’t pick up the pace again. A lot of missed layups and opportunities cost us the game. That being said, well done to the opposing team for “lighting us up” from three and for the hard work from a couple of their skilled players. We hadn’t been held to less than thirty points the entire season and they, proving to be the perfect rivals, did just that. This was the very reason the 25-26 loss tasted

even more bitter. As the captain of the team, I won’t lie, I cried after my missed free throw. However, we did win the league overall and one close loss was not enough to dampen our spirits of finally winning the league after four years of patience and hard work. Shout out for Oh Jun, who was meant to help me write this but didn’t because he is ‘just the vice-captain’, shout out everybody in the squad, even the ones who made the team but didn’t get as much play-ing time, shout out the coaches; Miss Nowacki, Mr Riordan for putting the young guns against the old dogs for practice and improving us, shout out Devansh Popley and Jon Mulligan, their love for the sport was exhibited

numerous times and when every-body is thinking like that, there is no other team that can beat our squad. At the end of it we’re brothers on and off the court – and that’s what matters the most.

Luca Sackeyfio 10TJ

U18 Boys’ BasketballFor many of us, the season simply couldn’t start soon enough. However, before we’d be set loose on the court, we were faced with the challenge of replacing our somewhat street style of play with a more civilised variant. Guided by the principles of Coach Riordan’s High-Low system, which emphasises fluid motion offence, we armed ourselves with smart spac-ing and deadly cuts, ready for the season. The first match against Rashid proved to be tough. They initially jumped to a six point lead, however our teamwork soon overpowered their isolation heavy offence and en-abled us to grab the win. Our defence

Back Row: Shan Maru, Adian Liusie, Zohayb Shaikh, Wahid Ghaffari, Sandip Roy, Aneeb Sheikh

Front Row: Karan Nair, Prateek Nadkarni, Joe Singh, Kip Chirchir, Inaam Mian, Saad Khan

U18Boys’

Basketball

proved to be solid, as always, and our forwards put on a remarkable display of ‘bully ball’, punishing the opposing defence close to the hoop and getting easy baskets. The final score was 41-30 DC.Having received an easy win over Repton due to forfeit, we prepared ourselves for the big matchup with EIS Jumeirah. The game proved to be a scrappy affair, and remained tight until the final quarter. Then, a hot shooting stretch combined with some dubious officiating gave them the win, 39-32. The loss against EIS intensified our desire to win our match with DESC, and while our defence is usually excellent, this game it was the of-

fence that fired on all cylinders. Our big men simply dominated, grilling defenders into barbecue chicken. The guards facilitated the forwards’ onslaught effectively and, although the game got close at the end, we won 55-51.Our next opponent was GWA, and despite immense hustle and effort on our part, they simply proved to be the better team on the day, light-ing us up with a scintillating three point shooting display and handing us our worst defeat of the season, 58-38. Despite the tough loss to GWA, we still had a chance to make the playoffs provided that we beat JC in the upcoming game. From the start, it was apparent that everyone

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on the team knew it was a must win game and that translated into our most successful effort of the season, winning 59-43. Of note during this game was our execution of ‘the Move’; a simple but potent baseline set which got us some of the easiest layups of the season. This commanding win, combined with a testy 38-30 win over rivals EIS in

a friendly gave us good momentum for our quarter final matchup against Bradenton Prep, which proved to be tight until they pulled away in the second half. Although the ending may have been disappointing, the season as a whole was certainly fantastic with some great performances, especially by Zohayb and Kip who often carried our offence.

Finally, a tremendous thanks to Mr Riordan and Mrs Nowacki for all their support and leadership. We had a great season, and I’m sure the young bloods coming in next year will continue the DC tradition of staunch defence, great hustle, and plenty of buckets.

Joe Singh 13IJ

U12A NetballThe 2014/15 netball season for the U12 A team can only be described as an excellent year.

New to Dubai College in September, we started netball in term 1 with lots of training sessions. Our team work wasn’t put to the test until the JESS U12 tournament in November where we met all the top teams in Dubai. The matches were fast and furious and after a busy afternoon we were excited to meet DESC in the final. Our training paid off and we won the final and took home our first trophy. This was a great way to start the season. Our team was playing so well together and we were looking forward to all the matches ahead.

The DASSA league’s first match was against DESC and although the game was neck and neck in the first quarter we managed to pull through

Back Row: Nishka Keni, Georgia Allen, Olivia Allen, Chloe RussoFront Row: Nidhi Sethi, Anna Campbell, Natasha Whittall, Kiara Taurani

Back Row: Amelia Pearce, Ebba Zickerman, Shaima Lone, Ava Warren, Megan Parks, Amy MacKenzieFront Row: Hessa Al Maktoum, Lara Begley, Sidonie Anderson, Eesha Yaqub, Lucy Kane

U12A Netball U12B Netball

with a convincing victory of 26-7. The player of the match was Chloe Russo, after scoring so many of our goals as GS.

In early February there was anoth-er tournament, this time hosted at Dubai College. Once again we met DESC in the final and, yet again, managed to secure a win to give us our second trophy.

In February and March we had four more League matches and we came away from them all with strong wins. We have had so much fun as a team. Winning all our games – and two tournaments and the DASSA league - was a great achievement, but this only happened due to the hard work of every member of the team who were each committed to making all the practice sessions and matches and, of course, to the dedication of our lovely coach, Mrs Bell. As team captain I would like to say a huge

thank you to Chloe, Natasha, Olivia, Georgia, Kiara, Nidhi and Nishka for being such a great team and for supporting each other throughout the year. Mrs Bell, thank you for all your time, tips, patience and enthu-siasm. Mums and dads thank you for all your support, sliced oranges and taxi driving. I have been extremely proud to be part of the U12A Team.

Anna Campbell 7AG

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U12B Netball This netball season was an excep-tional one, filled with excellent play and lots of hard work. All of our games started with confidence and ended in victory. Using a variety of techniques we had practised in train-ing, we were able to get the ball from one end of the court to the other with smooth, fast passes.Whenever other teams had great defence and caused us to have some inaccurate passes we were able to build back up again and learn from our mistakes. Our defensive players always marked tightly and prevent-

ed the other teams from having too many scoring opportunities. In every match we played we gained a lead and never lost it, despite valiant efforts from our opponents.We won most of our matches by more than ten points, but our closest matches were against EC A and DESC B (12-5). All team members contributed to the season’s victory but a special mention should go to Eesha Yaqub - her accurate and de-pendable shooting earned her ‘Player of the Match’ awards more than anyone else.Thank you to all the people that

made this possible, especially Mrs Macdonald, who taught us useful techniques which we were able to use in our matches. Also to the drivers and caretakers for their work be-hind the scenes. Thanks to the other teams, the coaches, umpires and timekeepers for ensuring fair match-es. Special thanks to the parents for cheering us on, and supplying deli-cious oranges. Finally, well done to the U12B for trying your hardest and making this an extremely enjoyable netball season!

Sidonie Anderson 7TS

Back Row: Mrs E Adamson, Yahvi Shah, Katie Watson, Zara Edwards, Catherine SmythFront Row: Eleanor Bourne, Chrissie Lowndes, Abigail Anderson, Kiana Mottahedan, Sanjana Mittal

Back Row: Miss A Greer, Tiya Bhatia, Caitlin Holden-Mac-Donald, Maddie Lake, Angelina Dooa, Lucy BurrellFront Row: Erica Ryan, Anavi Madnani, Jemima Garner, Maia Edmonds

U12C Netball U12D Netball

U12C NetballThe DC C team had a great season of netball this year. At the beginning of the year, we were all a bit nerv-ous about trials, but when we were put into our team, we were all keen to start playing. We consisted of a mixture of classes, so we had a chance to meet new people and make new friends.We played a total of six league match-es and one friendly game (our first match). Right from the start, the team collaborated well, even after only a couple practices – but of course we still had lots of room to improve. Over time, we gradually learnt how each other played, as well as learning our strengths and weaknesses. As the league went on, we got more deter-mined. We had to win, in order to keep up our winning streak. The DC U12 netball tournament was

a great experience and although we played in some difficult matches, everyone had a great time. We ended up winning the Bowl competition! As the season drew to an end, the pressure to perform increased. When the whistle blew for the end of our last match, we were 13-2 winners. We couldn’t believe it – we’d won the league!Personally I thoroughly enjoyed being captain and would do the whole ex-perience again in a heartbeat. I would like to thank; Katie, Catherine, Yahvi, Ellie, Zara, Kiana, Sanjana and Chris-sie for playing so well and a special thanks to Mrs Adamson for being an amazing coach and for teaching us so many new practices, drills and tactics. See you all again next year for another great season of netball!

Abigail Anderson 7TS

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U12D NetballIt was a very good season for the DC D team in Year 7. It was a tough series of matches but we pulled through. The D team was made up of sharp shooters, courageous centre court players and dynamite defend-ers. I have to thank Miss Greer for putting up with us throughout. We had great fun on the bus to matches and loved sucking on the oranges midway through the match. We played six different Dubai teams and 1 team from Sharjah; DESC, GEMS

Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis, Deira International School, Shar-jah English School, Raffles World Academy and Latifa School for Girls. We won 3 of these matches with our catching skills and playing tag with the ball (inside joke). The other games were lost by a few or more goals but that didn’t stop us celebrat-ing after the match. We ended the season with a total of 42 goals scored by our excellent shooters. The play-ers of the match were well deserved but I believe that we all played our

best. We had a good time except for a few unavoidable bumps. Unfortu-nately, during our third game one of our team was injured and couldn’t continue in the league. Our second game, which was going to be our first away game (very exciting!), was cancelled due to lack of players on our opponent’s team. Overall, I think we were brilliant and made a really epic team, one which could conquer the netball world!

Jemima Garner 7MB

Back Row: Ms D Jones, Jemma Shand, Lauren Johnstone, Emily Peck, Alysha AlimohamedFront Row: Holly Rhys-Maitland, Arya Flisher (Capt), Sasha Verrall, Mehek Vohra

U14A NetballBack Row: Miss L Clohesy, Elena Beer, Kitty Davies (Vice-captain), Hannah Dawson, Angelica Slater. Front Row: Katrina Webb, Sophie O’Keeffe, Elanor Wright (Captain), Kiyomi Hanson

U14B Netball

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U14A NetballThe U14A netball team definitely proved themselves this year. We strived for gold and repeatedly achieved our goals. This year I am proud to say we were undefeated throughout the league as well as winning one of two tournaments. It wasn’t easy; it took lots of hard work and dedication in both our matches and training. We were constantly pushed to play our best and work as a team, which without a doubt enhanced and strengthened our performance on court.

We started the season with the annual tournament hosted at JESS. As the winners of our pool, we moved on to the semi-finals against DESC, which we were thrilled to win and we moved on to the finals against DC U14B. It was a challenging game and both teams played brilliantly, however, we came out on top and won the entire tournament. It was an amazing start to the year and gave us the boost of confidence we needed for the rest of

the season. We also attended the DASSA tournament hosted at Wellington. We flew through our pool matches with massive goal differences (bar one) until the semi-finals. Once again we had to play our very own DC B. This match did not go as well as we would’ve hoped and resulted as our first and only loss of the season; slightly disheartened, we quickly found a space to sit and cheer on the B team as they played JESS in the final.

We started the DASSA league with a match against DESC. We were all buzzing with excitement and played extremely well and started the league off with a strong win (20-16). This was followed by victories against JC (15-13) and EC (23-2). It then came time to play against JESS. We were dreading this match. We knew from experience how difficult it was going to be. With the thanks of our ‘lucky’ hands-in routine and our amazing netball skills, we were victorious with a final score of 18-14. We

carried on our winning streak with a win against DC B (16-9). Feeling slightly nostalgic at our last match of the season, we went on to win against Repton (24-7) and finished the season on a high.Overall, we had a fantastic year and I personally would like to thank the entire team (Jemma Shand, Holly Rhys-Maitland, Emily Peck, Mehek Vohra, Lauren Johnstone, Sasha Verrall and Alysha Alimohamed) for their hard work and dedication. Finally, we would all like to thank our coaches Ms Clohesy and Ms Jones for their support and encouragement this year.

Arya Flisher 9DV

U14B NetballThe U14 B team had a very mixed year with some surprising results. To begin the season we competed in the JESS tournament. Here we proved we were a team to take note of, winning every match in pool play to advance to the quarter-finals where, after a hard fought close encounter, we emerged the victors. We were delighted to move on to the semi-finals where we met JESS. We were battling for a well-earned win and movement on to the final against our very own U14 A team. The final began well, but we were eventually beaten by the strength and stamina of the opposition.Our league games initially were a bit hit and miss. The transition from the U12 league (Year 7 players) the pre-vious year to the U14 league (many teams of Year 9s) meant that it took time to produce the consistency that we were capable of. Nevertheless, some fabulous passages of play and tenacious defence was demonstrated. The first match of the league against Jumeirah College was fiercely and evenly contested with JC just man-

aging to pull away in the last quarter, 23 -17.Our next match wasn’t any easier - we were up against DESC, both teams played very well, however DC had that extra bit of energy to carry the win home, 21-17. We lost our next match to JESS. We were all really disappointed having beaten them in their own tourna-ment two months earlier. Next we played our amazing U14A team. Both teams fought hard against each other for the win and our pride. The match was close but the B team didn’t have enough en-ergy or focus to see our early lead to the end, eventually losing 16-10. With the season drawing to a close we had one more chance to prove ourselves at the DASSA tournament held at Wellington International School. The day began well and we made steady improvements in our game throughout the day. Some camaraderie on and off the court plus some great tactics from Mrs Macdonald helped us ease through our group matches and through to the exciting semi-final again against

our A team. This time we took them (and the crowd) by surprise and forced our way into the final against JESS. A very solid performance by the opposition saw them emerge as the overall winners. We didn’t feel like ‘runners up’ though, as we felt exceptionally proud of ourselves for the day’s performance. Well done to everyone in the team. All of our hardworking players showed strength, team spirit and the will to win under the pressure of the opposition! We would all like to say a huge thanks to Mrs Macdonald for her coaching and patience and also a big thank you to the very vocal parents who tirelessly supported us. Overall we have loved this season and can’t wait for next year!

Elanor Wright 8MP

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U14C NetballThe U14 C team had a very successful season of netball, winning the DASSA league. We worked well together as a team, which included Ella, Shemica, Tara, Naoise, Maisie, Hannah B (from Year 8), Fran, Izzy, Caitlin T and Caitlin H. Unfortunately, a few of our players weren’t able to make all the games due to injuries, but we managed to find some great fill-ins including Nina, Disha and Rihana. Our first league match was against the DC D team, which we won; a good start to the season. Our next match was against DESC, and we won 27-2, due to excellent shooting.

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Francesca Hall, Caitlin Hunter, Ella Reynolds, Tara Desai, Isabella Duthie, Hannah BurtonFront Row: Shemica Adenwalla, Maisie Harvey, Naoise Morgan, Rihana Al Nabhani, Caitlin Theocharis

U14C NetballBack Row: Miss L Clohesy, Lucy Graham, Nina Mul, Isobel Thompson, Roisin McElligottFront Row: Gabrielle Tode, Maria Iorini, Disha Narain, Ella Verrall, Anahita Kashyap

U14D Netball

We then played two different JESS teams, winning 30-2 and 32-8. Against SES, even though we were short of players, we managed to win 21-3. Our last match of the season was against WIS. It was raining heavily (for Dubai!) so the court and ball were very slippery and no one could really run or catch properly but we still managed to win 13-6, therefore winning all of our matches in the season.We also went to a tournament at WIS. This was quite a challenge for us as we were one of the only C teams there. Still, we managed to come third out of our group of six, beating most of the teams, including

Repton A, DESC B and we even came close to beating JC A, losing by just one goal. We were pleased with how we did in the group and made it in to the Plate. Overall, we think we had a successful tournament and were pleased with ourselves. As captain, I am very proud of the girls and I think we worked really well together as a team. Special thanks to our coach Miss Clohesy and the girls who volunteered to play for us when we were short of players. Also, shout out to Maisie for getting Player of the Match a lot.

Naoise Morgan 9RS

U14D NetballOver the Netball season, the U14 D have had a remarkable season, winning every single match except one!The first match that kicked off the season was against DESC U14 C squad. This match required collaboration, team work and co-operation. These 3 assets led us to our first win of the season with a whopping score of 20 – 4! Spectators, parents and coaches cheered us on and we were proud and confident for our next challenge!

Our next match against the DC U14 C team was a struggle; with a couple of obstacles and some injuries, we lost to the team by just a difference of 3 points. We used this match as a learning ladder, which aided us in achieving a victory in our following match.

Over the next couple of weeks, we worked together; training, learning and understanding our mistakes, which helped secure us a win against Wellington International School U14 B and JESS Ranches U14 C. At the end of each match it was our speedy attack and our

persistent defence that resulted in our score of 8 points in each match.We all agreed that our toughest match in the season was against our opponents from the JESS U14 D team. Again drawing from our individual and team experience, we managed to win the match. With the JESS U14 D match being our penultimate match, we were disappointed that the netball season would be coming to an end very soon!

Although we have had our positives and negatives, it has been an amazing experience and season,

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U14E NetballThe netball season for the U14 E team has been both challenging and exciting. As a team we worked hard throughout the season and over the course of the season we built up our confidence and played much better as a team. Overall, we played a total of six matches; we lost four and won two. Our first match was a very close game but unfortunately, we lost 5-6 against DESC D. As this was our first match, we were proud of what we had managed to achieve, espe-cially as this was our first attempt at working as a team. This match only motivated us to work even harder in order to win our next matches.However, we lost the next two matches, against Wellington Silicon Oasis A team and Latifa’s A team with scores of 5-13 and 5-6. Nev-ertheless, we made our comeback in the next match against Deira International School A. We won 9-2

and I don’t think we will get to experience being the U14 D team ever again! This season would never have happened without Miss Clohesy, Mrs Adamson and Miss Greer. We would like to say a great thank you to the girls who filled in for us when we were short on players; Casey Bell and Lucy

Graham. Another thank you we would like to say is to the Men in Blue for putting up with the bus rides with us and for setting up the courts for our matches! Lastly, congratulations to our U14D team: Maria Iorini, Anahita Kashyap, Roisin McElligot, Hannah Burton, Nina Mul, Isobel Thompson,

Gabrielle Tode, Ella Verrall and myself! Good luck in the years of netball ahead!

Thank you.Disha Narain (Captain) 8JF

Back Row: Miss A Greer (coach), Polly Jones, Niamh Bone, Cassia Middleton, Hireena HansFront Row: Emaan Ahmed, Hannah Nurmohamed, Nitya Thawani, Rhea KotechaAbsent: Ratan Kachwalla, Ella Nates

U14E NetballBack Row: Ms K Thompson, Aanya Gardi, Casey Bell, Jessica Passey, Emma Robertson, Rhea JavatFront Row: Sophie Newbery, Rija Rao, Charlotte Haigh (captain), Gabriella Helayel, Zunaira Nader

U14F Netball

and as a team we were proud of our first victory and felt that we showed what we could achieve if we worked together. We ended the season with a victory, beating Wellington International School C team 11-5. We were particu-larly proud of this win as the whole team was there to play and we felt that we had improved since the start of the year. This match showed us what we are all capable of and we look forward to returning to netball next season. As a team we felt that we managed to improve our netball skills and were proud of how well we worked together. This season Rhea Kote-cha, Cassia Middleton, Rihana Al Nabhani and Niamh Bone were all selected as most valuable players. Overall, it was a great term of netball as we all learnt new skills as individ-uals and have become better players. Of course it wouldn’t have been the same without Rhea’s inspiration-al speeches, but most importantly

we would like to thank Miss Greer for coaching and umpiring us this season, as well as for her excellent advice. Without her we wouldn’t have done as well as we did.

Hannah Nurmohamed 9MN

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U14F NetballOverall, the U14 F netball team had a fantastic season. As we trained together, we learnt about each oth-er’s abilities and how to work most effectively, which developed us into working extremely well as a team. As a result, our playing standard im-

proved every match. Out of the total 5 matches played, we won 2, lost 2 and had one draw. Although we faced some tough teams and played some tiring, difficult matches, determina-tion and great team spirit, as well as communication on court, helped us to win a lot of matches.

We were all supportive of each other and attending practice and focus-ing on strategic moves helped us all perform well in a match situation. We would like to thank Ms Thompson for all her coaching and fun training sessions.

Charlotte Haigh 8RG

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Sally Marr, Sabrina Daga, Kitty Willson, Charlise Koch, Isabel Snaas Front Row: Blanca Pamias Lopez, Zahra Kapasi, Charlise Koch, Hannah Cleere, Kristi Flanagan

U16A NetballBack Row: Jessica Pollock, Chloe Williams, Hannah Story, Julia MacKayFront Row: Emma Kelly, Ellie O’Keeffe, Aleksandra Skroban, Rachael De Sousa Absent: Mrs T Kelly (Coach)

U16B Netball

U16A NetballThe U16A netball team has fought hard over the past few years, and all that effort has paid off. We can truly call ourselves a team; we are all firm friends who have learned each other’s ins-and-outs when playing. This season however, has been a tough one, with exam stress and preparation for mocks, as well as all of us having other commitments, sporting or otherwise, that we needed to attend to. Despite this, we have pushed through, worked hard together and have been victorious in the majority of our matches, including a tournament held at Jess Arabian Ranches, where we finished runners up. Despite our league end result of 3rd place, we have had a number

of great games. We were proud to beat JESS Ranches 24-10 and fought courageously against a very tough JC team. We were down by half time, but following a stern team talk from Mrs Bell and some positional changes we finally came together on court and let our experience as a team speak for us. We ended the game as victors with a 22-13 win.Our match against EC was always going to be tough – both mentally and physically. EC have been our closest rivals since Year 8, with extremely close competition throughout the years. We have always alternated who won the ‘big match’ but unfortunately for us, this year we couldn’t bring home the win. In addition to our league fixtures, we have also played 3 UK touring teams (Sharnbrook Upper School, Akeley

Wood and St. Edwards School). We always enjoy these fixtures and thrive on new competition and this season we were victorious each time.This is our last year as a year group team as next year we will split to form a number of U18 teams. It is sad for us as a team, however I have no doubt that each of us will continue to play well and make a name for ourselves within the senior teams. Special mention must go to Sally Marr, who has been part of our team since Year 8; thank you for being an amazing shooter and always making us proud. On behalf of all of us Sal, best of luck in England, we are going to miss you so much! Thanks also to Mrs Bell for coaching us throughout this season.

Charlise Koch 11DR

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U16B NetballThe netball season kicked off with a tough match against the Year 11s who made up the U16 A team. It was hard to play a team who we knew so well and saw so often, but despite being the underdogs we gained a sur-prise lead from the beginning. Hav-ing played together as the Kittens team for the previous term, we were used to playing with each other and we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This gave us the edge that enabled the younger B team to usurp the A team and secure our first victory of the season.The next match against JESS Ranch-es was another win for the U16 B. This match was a big change from the ladies that we played as the Kit-tens team, both in height and playing style. Although we were perhaps not

pushed as much, it was all the more enjoyable to play. The next couple of matches followed in a similar vein, adding to our undefeated streak. The season was broken with the arrival of the DC International netball tournament that took place on Valentine’s Day. So, the team abandoned their potential partners and came to play netball on a boiling Saturday in the middle of the half term holiday. This tournament was the only one that we could play, due to the earlier one falling during our Duke of Edinburgh Expedition. Nevertheless, we adapted quickly to the shorter games and less rest and played well. Though we were short of players and energy, we still managed to struggle through the heat and ended up with second place.The week of the JC game, we were

struck down by illness. We could see the JC team intimidated by our chorus of coughing and lying around on the court. Although we were not up to our best standard, we still managed to show the DC dominance and achieved our fourth win of the season. All with not too much vomit on the court.Our final match was by far the toughest. The EC team walked onto the court with smug smiles on their faces, already having beaten the U16 A before and then us in the tourna-ment. This final match was the best that our team played in the season, bringing about a 25-15 win and mak-ing us the overall winners of the U16 Division 1 League.

Ellie O’Keeffe 10AY

Back Row: Amy Harrison, Ellen Holmes, Anushe Sheikh, Emma Janus, Katie GardnerFront Row: Isla Stewart, Kate Dodds, Eleanor Reid (Captain), Rae Mitchell, Sophie ScottAbsent: Mrs P Macdonald (Coach)

U16C NetballBack Row: Miss L Clohesy, Corynn Foote, Franciska Kundrak, Becky Edwards, Alexandra WhiteFront Row: Alexandra Clements, Kirsten Holtby, Reeza Khan, Ceyda Davidson

U16D Netball

U16C NetballThe season for the U16 C team was limited to only five matches. Our first match was against our toughest opponent, Wellington U16 A. We battled hard despite a lack of reserves and were just pipped at the post, losing 12-15 to the eventual winners of the league. Our struggle to put out a full team with reserves continued for the next two matches. Great team spirit and teamwork resulted in commendable draws against JESS Ranches and Repton. Indeed, against Repton, we

only had six players fit to play, so a draw was a great achievement! Our fourth game was disappointing. We lost 17-23 to a very strong JC U16 B team. This was the first match where we were able to put out a full team with reserves. Team members were unfamiliar with their roles which meant at key moments in the match we missed several crucial opportunities to capitalise and cohesion in defence was found to be lacking. The training that we undertook as a whole team before our last

match meant that we were much more confident in our roles and competitive in the match. At last we triumphed with a 23-8 win, against DBS U16 A. In conclusion, it was a mixed season in terms of results. But by the end, we were working well as a team and were able to play competitive netball. Hopefully this bodes well for next year’s matches.

Eleanor Reid 10AH

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U16D NetballThis netball season has been very successful, with our team winning three out of our four matches that we played. The team consisted of; Axie, Franciska, Cate, Corynn, Alexandra, Reeza, Becky, Ceyda and I. In our first match on January 28th against the DESC B team we were victorious with a score of 25-13; a good way to start the season.Our success continued when we played the JESS C team on the 11th of February with the match resulting in a win of 34-5. In addition to this, on the 25th of February we played our third match against the DESC C team where we secured our third win of the season with a score of 18-7,

U18A NetballWith the new school year, there came a new team. Welcoming the Year 12s on board the U18A squad has quite possibly been the best decision made in our Year 13s’ netball career. Kiana, who never misses a shot, Bea, with her insane flexibility and ability to hit the circle edge and Caitlin (who has now learned that she can tell people what to do during a netball game) with her super speedy reactions made us a solid team this year; we were ready to hit the ground running. The U18A team played various teams this season, from Wycliffe College, in Gloucestershire, UK, to an Australian team. Being able to

leaving our last match against the EC B team on the 15th of March. It could be argued that the EC B team was our toughest competition and our last game of our netball season proved to be our hardest and EC beat us 25-22. Despite the fact that we did not win our last match, we all showed consistent determination throughout the netball season and I speak on behalf of the whole team when I thank Mrs Bell, Miss L Clohesy, and Tracey for all their help throughout the season and for making it an enjoyable one.

Kirsten Holtby 11JS

Back Row: Kiana Simpson, Catriona Benson, Alice Lovett, Caitlin JanusFront Row: Maddie Freeman, Gabrielle Guscott, Hanna Salem, Beatrice Turner

U18A NetballBack Row: Miss L Clohesy, Lizzy Adamson, Lucy Bell, Joanna Summers, Natalia AdairFront Row: Biddy Fogg, Emma Murray, Jenna Denton, Beatrice Prosser, Iona StewartAbsent: Mrs T. Kelly (Coach)

U18B Netball

play against overseas teams allows us to rank ourselves against them and is really beneficial in improving our performance. Having won the majority of our games against teams that have toured from the UK this year is an achievement that makes our faces radiate (with happiness, not sweat I promise) as we come off the court. The heat in Dubai is definitely a factor that the opposition cannot claim to use against us - as the touring teams actually seemed to cope better with the sweltering heat than we did… In the DASSA league, we won our first game against English College with a pretty concrete win of 51-

11. This success continued as we played the 4 games following this, placing our team first, at the top of the DASSA league table - an accomplishment I am sure that Tracey and Mrs Bell are extremely proud of! Unfortunately, our winning streak did not translate to the DASSA tournament held at JESS where we reached the semi-finals and had to fight – literally; we were being absolutely battered all over the place - until the very end of the game. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in the semi-finals, but had a lesson well learnt, that perseverance is key (something that helped us with various wins on a Wednesday night

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Back Row: Mrs E Adamson, Bianca Pereira, Saskia Heyster, Martha Gregory, Kelley DayFront Row: Layla Armstrong, Kristen De Sousa, Amy HendersonAbsent: Hannah Cassidy

U18C NetballBack Row: Mrs E Adamson, Isabelle Grenville, Alana Rogers, Tabetha Davies, Saleena NurmohamedFront Row: Jemma Ansell, Zahra Karmally, Emily Dunne, Saava O’Kirwan, Sarah Khullar Absent: Josephine Jagtiani, Elizabeth Dryburgh, Mrs T Kelly (Coach)

U18D Netball

at the Sevens ground).223. That is the number of goals scored this year by our shooters. This reflects the successful year that we have had as a squad. I feel I should take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to Lizzy Adamson for being our golden player, as she has played for us as well this term, contributing to the massive goal total. The teams would also like to

take the time to say thank you to Tracey, Mrs Bell and Miss Clohesy for their efforts and time with us. It has contributed to making my final year at DC so enjoyable.Alice, Catriona, Hanna, Mrs Bell and I have been on the same netball squad for 7 years. Not only are we saying goodbye but it feels as though it really is the end, with Mrs Bell leaving too. Our split from Tracey

will hopefully not impair her ability and commitment to the school (I am sure it won’t, nothing fazes Tracey!). But as a team we would like to say an incredible thank you to Tracey and Mrs Bell for ALL the time you have put in to us for the past 7 years. It really has been an unforgettable part of our school life.

Gabi Guscott 13CH

U18B NetballThis year our season started with an early win against UK Wycliffe Col-lege 24-12 – a seemingly flying start and a great performance from us all to begin the year! Our next competi-tion came in the form of the DASSA tournament in January where we had a bit of a mismatched team and lost most matches, leaving us disap-pointed but determined to do better in the upcoming fixtures.In our first league match, against EC A, we managed a comfortable win of 25-11. Emma took on the challenge of goalkeeper and after playing so well ended up continuing with it for the rest of the season. Player of the match went to Iona for some amaz-ing shooting. However after this our season unfortunately took a bit of a dip... The loss of some of our players and resulting emergency recruits as well, meant we were sometimes faced with an interesting mix of po-sitions and we lost the next match by just 4 goals, despite being up after a

strong first half. It was a disappoint-ing loss but a high-scoring, tight match all the same. Natalia, manag-ing to survive playing 3 quarters as centre, was player of the match.The next week brought a tough match against rivals DESC A in which, despite our fired-up mental-ity, we couldn’t win but we pushed them till the end and finished only 6 goals short. A disappointing loss to JESS A followed that, however in between was a fun and exciting match against our own A team; we were defeated, but only by 8 goals! Another narrowly lost match, seeing some great play, particularly from Lizzy who was awarded player of the match after some fantastic shooting.Despite an unlucky run of results we finished the season on a high, beat-ing UK school Framlingham College 19-12. This was after the long wait for their arrival due to a broken down minibus. Although it was perhaps the huge selection of after-match homemade cakes and biscuits which

were most keenly awaited and then enjoyed!I would like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Adamson, Tracey Kelly, Ms Clohesy and Mrs Bell for their amazing support throughout the year, both in training and at match-es. We couldn’t have done it without you and have really appreciated all your help this season to develop and improve our skills as players and as a team.Being a B team in an A team domi-nated division was always going to be a challenge but I think overall we have had a great season. I have thoroughly enjoyed this year and will certainly miss playing with such a talented group of people in the future. Thank you all for making this year such a great one and good luck to those of you joining and contin-uing in the U18s next year – I wish you every success!

Jenna Denton 13DF

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U18D NetballAnother netball season has come to an end, and it was undeniably one to remember, for possibly the largest U18D team Dubai College has ever witnessed. Throughout this year we have effectively worked together, collectively training hard to improve our skills, and consequently bonding as a group. Our team has definitely thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, great-ly improving our netball skills and

U18C Netball The U18C squad were a very success-ful team, winning all 6 of our match-es - making us undefeated through-out the season, despite this being the first year of playing together. In total, our outstanding shooters; Kelley, Bianca and Hannah, managed to score a massive 133 goals and our strong defence of Saskia, Martha and Helena only let in 32 goals. We had a great start to the season with a win of 24-7 against DESC B, followed by another win of 26-8 against JC B. However, the next match against DBS A proved to be much more challenging, only win-ning by 2 goals with a score of 12-10;

this was the most difficult match of the season. The following match against Repton A also proved to be challenging as we only had 7 players, therefore we didn’t have any subs. Despite this, we managed a win of 22-4. Our best game of the season was against Wellington A with a score of 28-2 – this time we only had 6 players, and 3 of them were sick. Our last match was against our own DC D team and perhaps the most entertaining match of all. Although we were able to joke around with our friends, we never lost sight of the goal in mind and we managed to win 21-1.

As a team, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Tracey Kelley, Miss Clohesy and Mrs Bell for train-ing us to be as successful as we were and we would also like to wish Mrs Bell the best of luck for the future as she leaves us this year. Most of all, we would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Adamson for coaching us into an undefeated season. I also wish Kelley, Bianca, Helena and Saskia the very best of luck as they con-tinue on to university; it has been a pleasure!

Kristen De Sousa 12GC

boosting our confidence through-out the season. The positive team attitude which remained untainted despite playing many tough games against A and B squads is one of the reasons I will miss the team very much next year. Congratulations to all the Players of the Match chosen for each of our matches! On behalf of our team I would like to thank our coach Mrs Adamson for teaching us so many

new skills and tactics to improve our performance, whilst also supporting and organising us as a team. I would also like to thank the whole team for attending matches and making this a fun, successful season. We have all greatly enjoyed ourselves and I hope everyone will continue to play in the years to come. Well done girls!

Emily Dunne 13DM

Back Row: Ava Warren, Ebba Zickerman, Nishka Keni, Olivia Allen, Chloe Russo, Nidhi Sethi, Natasha WhittallFront Row: Anna Campbell, Kiara Taurani, Georgia Allen, Amy MacKenzie, Lara Begley

Desert Cubs 2Back Row: Elanor Wright, Jemma Shand, Arya Flisher, Emi-ly Peck, Kitty Davies, Elena BeerFront Row: Sophie O’Keeffe, Hannah Dawson, Katrina Webb, Sasha Verrall, Kiyomi Hanson

Desert Cubs 1

Desert Cubs 1 Cubs 1 faced a difficult challenge at the beginning of the netball season – to defend the Under 14 Youth Netball League title won convincingly by

last year’s Year 9 netballers. We approached the five month long netball season with trepidation as this year’s Cubs 1 consisted of a mixture of Year 8 and Year 9 players.

Our first games were not about winning. Rather, we focused on how to get the team to gel together, find the best position for each player and explore different combinations

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Desert Cubs 2At the beginning of the year Cubs 2 trials were held in the DC sports hall. There was a fantastic atmosphere as many talented netballers battled it out for a place in the team of twelve.Once the team was chosen our training sessions began. As we were all eager to improve our skills we couldn’t wait for Wednesday lunch times, and by the time the league started we were a closely bonded and enthusiastic team!

Then the time came for our first match at Sports City on a Monday evening. We played OES Jewels; a Year 9 team that had played together for months longer than we had. We played hard and held our own but ended up losing –although only by a

of players in various positions. This familiarisation took some time, as there was invariably an age gap between the Year 8s and the Year 9s. However, our determination to win and to work together soon bridged that difference and brought the cohesion needed to see us through tough matches. It was not long before we were the team the rest of the league was eager to beat. We never lost a game in the league, with many games won on a goal difference of over 30. We played our best games against the tougher teams, such as OES Jewels that was made up of only Year 9 players. Through grit and grunt, we raised our game to a level never thought possible. This was because Cubs 1 was brimming with talent – Arya’s great reach, Jemma, Elena and Emily’s fabulous shooting,

Sophie’s persistent interceptions, Kitty and Hannah’s relentless efforts in marking, Elanor’s amazing versatility, Sasha and Kiyomi’s nimble movement in the centre court; all helped pull us through hard times. Working behind the scenes at all times was Mrs Bell and Miss Clohesy who helped organise the teams and made sure that each of us played a fair amount in our positions. Mr Jones was rumoured to have been lurking around the netball courts to check that the netball teams were up to standard! Mrs Bell and Miss Clohesy played a big part in our team’s success this season. Not only did they lead us to victories, they should also be thanked for their support and humour that kept our spirits up during every quarter break.

Overall, Cubs 1 has been an amazing experience for all of us and we definitely learnt a lot because of such a varied group of teams that we had to play against. We are all better and fitter netballers, with a deeper understanding of the game, and the teamwork needed to win and play a higher standard of netball. What is more is that we developed friendships through hours of game time. All this knowledge, both on-court and off-court, will stay with us for years and years to come. This was not just another competition and league where we set out to bring back a trophy; this was another chapter in the story of our journey towards netball greatness!

Katrina Webb 8LV

few points. We were all a little upset with the score but Mrs Bell helped keep our spirits high and we went on to win the next four games in a row!Then the league separated and we were in the plate competition, which we were all happy with as we were playing against Year 8s and 9s. After winning our first few matches ten-sion was building as the play off for first was between us and Desert Di-amonds. This was going to be one of the toughest matches of the season. By half time both teams had each won one quarter. After an encour-aging team talk from Mrs Bell and the Cubs 1 team cheering for us, we eventually pulled together and won! We finished the season with a match against Cubs 1 and it was fitting that they won. Spirits were high as we

collected our medals and trophy in the awards ceremony with big smiles on our faces.

We have all had a great start to our netball careers here at DC, and I’m sure we all agree that our skills have greatly improved. A huge thanks to Mrs Bell for coaching us, and always keeping smiles on our faces. Well done girls for always giving 100%! We couldn’t have won the plate without this exceptional effort! I am very proud to be captain of such a great team! Georgia Allen 7KW

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Desert KittensThis year we were fortunate enough, as the U16 B team, to all be selected for the Desert Kittens. As the Desert Kittens, we participated in a total of 21 matches in the Dubai Netball League’s Division 2. Playing against ladies was a huge shock for us, as the majority of the team had come out of last year’s Desert Cubs and U14 school league undefeated. Being the youngest team in the league, compe-tition was fierce, as we had struggled to seed into the division, and we therefore spent the entirety of round 1 attempting to stay there; if we had come last in our division we would have been forced to move down to Division 3.The first round consisted of seven matches, of which we won 2, allow-ing us to stay in Division 2 to fight another day.Round 2 was when we started to im-prove. We lost our first two matches, but we then recovered, and proceed-ed to win the next 5, finishing third in the division, a drastically different result to the first round. Round 2 was also when we started to develop our infamous cheer squad. A team of extreme willpower and dedication, who we owe our thanks to for driving us up to the Sevens stadium - aka the middle of nowhere - every Wednes-day night.Another few members of our devot-

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Kristen De Sousa, Martha Gregory, Saskia Heyster, Corynn Foote, Kristi FlanaganFront Row: Biddy Fogg, Beatrice Prosser, Joanna Summers, Kirsten Holtby, Amy Henderson

Desert CougarsBack Row: Jessica Pollock, Chloe Williams, Hannah Story, Julia MacKayFront Row: Ellie O’Keeffe, Emma Kelly, Aleksandra Skroban, Rachel De SousaAbsent: Mrs T Kelly (Coach)

Desert Kittens

ed team that I would like to thank are the ankle braces. We needed a total of nine separate ankle braces throughout the season, after a slew of unfortunate twisted ankles; six people needed them from a team of ten.However round 3 has been when we have really started to excel. Team-work that has been built up over the course of two years had finally start-ed to pay off, and we were playing a standard of netball unlike any we had played before.As of writing this, the season has yet to finish, as we still have one more match left to play, however our most recent game against Sketchers, a team who had previously been in Di-vision 1, was the deciding match for who would win Division 2. We had a

rather nervous and shaky start, how-ever thanks to some amazing steals by Sophie Shams, and a generally amazing third quarter, we were able to pull it back from a score of 9-7 in the first half, to 19-23 at the end, making us the winners of Division 2!This exponential growth in our success is due to many things, but as a team we would like to thank the amazing Tracey Kelly, our coach who has believed in us since day one, and who has constantly supported us, both on and off the court. With one team left to play, and an impending rainbow sock parade waiting to happen, you could say that we are extremely excited and proud to be the Desert Kittens.

Emma Kelly 10TJ

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Desert CougarsCougars are versatile, powerful and have no natural enemies. Perhaps this is why the name was assigned to our netball team this academic year, and not because of our fondness for the Year 10 rugby team. This year we have won 4 of our 21 matches, which is a vast improvement on last year, and the quality of our performance has improved beyond recognition. As a team we have stretched ourselves and gone to places we have never been before, quite literally. Last year’s resident GK, Hannah Cassidy, is now one of our star shooters, and Bea Prosser has joined defence like she was made for the role, undeterred by being half the height of many a bandanned opponent. We have faced difficulties, with our fabulous coach Miss Clohesy getting injured

Back Row: Mrs K Bell, Caitlin Janus, Kiana Simpson, Kitty Willson, Alice Lovett, Gabrielle GuscottFront Row: Beatrice Turner, Charlise Koch, Catriona Benson, Hanna Salem, Madelaine Freeman

Desert CatsBack Row: Mrs E Adamson, Sally Marr, Jenna Denton, Char-lotte Style, Lucy Bell, Isabel Snaas, Natalia AdairFront Row: Iona Stewart, Emma Murray, Lizzy Adamson, Zahra Kapasi, Blanca Pamias Lopez

Desert Cheetahs

half way through the year. Although she continued to do a huge amount of behind-the-scenes support for our team, she was unable to attend matches, and we had to learn to be self-disciplined, and rely on one another for encouragement and support, serving to bring us closer as a team and push our sporting abilities. None of this would have been possible, of course, without our personal gang of screaming cheerleaders, who also go by the names ‘Mums, Dads and the occasional grandparent’. Despite the myth that netball is a soft, easy sport, we have battled this year through scrapes, scratches, slaps, and the odd cheeky kick and have come out as a stronger team who strive every week to play the best possible game we can, never failing to congratulate

another team on their achievements as well as celebrating in our own. This does not mean that we can win every match, but I am confident that in ten years’ time we won’t look back and care about the wins and the losses, who had butter fingers and who accidentally used their face to catch the ball instead of their hands. We will look back and remember how much fun we had playing a great sport with a wonderful group of ladies. This is one of the best groups of sportswomen I have ever had the privilege of playing alongside, and I know I speak for Biddy Fogg and Saskia Heyster alike in saying I will truly miss every single one of them next year as I depart from DC. Carry on the legacy this team has created, and please, find a new name.

Joanna Summers 13LH

Desert Cheetahs Following 2 weeks of trials in September, the Desert Cheetahs were formed. A team made up of players from 3 year groups, we started the season with 2 weeks of a difficult seeding tournament which placed us into Division 3 of the Dubai Netball League, but we immediately bonded as a team. The first round of matches were incredibly successful for us and we definitely all improved as individual players and also as a team. The round saw us pull together and miraculously win the division as an

unbeaten team. Our promotion to Division 2 was definitely a highlight of the season this year – although this was accompanied by the loss of one of our shooters, Sally, due to a knee injury that left her out of sport for the remainder of the season.Just before the Christmas break, we were thrown into the ocean of Division 2 and immediately experienced the higher level of play that the women’s teams brought to the court. Our first match was against the team that had been demoted from Division 1 and it is safe to say that we were thrown into

the deep end and unfortunately did not have a winning start to the round. After this, we followed the rule of Mrs Adamson and got right back on our horse/cheetah and continued the rest of the round, with the aim of remaining in the division and improving our play.Division 2 saw us up against some interesting competition; from a goal shooter that made even the likes of Lucy and Charlotte look like dwarves to some very rough opposition which meant a lot of us ending up on the floor at least once or twice per game. Even our resident linguist,

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Desert Cats The Cats have had an extremely successful year! After welcoming Kitty, Charlise and Maddie onto the team, we were ready to get to work, with training sessions twice a week. Having the strongest defenders in Dubai, Alice, Gabi, Caitlin and Kitty, we were ready to take the courts and rise to any challenge. The battle in the defensive half of the court was fierce with our defence working their magic, fighting for every interception and rebound. Our centre court players, Maddie, Hanna, Charlise and Bea worked superbly in bringing the ball up the court. This contribution to the game had a big impact, allowing the ball to be turned over and make its way up to the shooters where Kiana and I worked together with the famous ‘pop’ pass to make the shot – Nothing But Net! After the seeding tournament we managed to place ourselves in Division 1 of the Dubai Ladies Netball League, which was a great achievement. We played eight matches during each round, fighting through the shin splints and other various injuries we experienced throughout the year to stay in Division 1. Playing in Division 1 has developed not only our skills, but also our co-operation as a team, thus improving our performance and

Izzy Snaas had her skills put to the test when playing one South African team. Never before have I thought the phrase ‘you win some, you lose some’ could be any more appropriate. Whilst we may not have won the division, we did manage to avoid relegation back into Division 3 for the third round of competition. As a team, we have experienced some

challenging times due to a plague of injuries – a perfect example being that we started the season with 3 shooters and finished it with 1. However, as a team we have definitely bonded and I do believe that we have left a fantastic mark on the newly formed team that is the Desert Cheetahs. Special thanks have to go to Mrs Bell, Tracey and to Ms Clohesy for putting up with

us through our sporadic training patterns and, of course, to Mrs Adamson for managing us every week as well as often acting as a bus service to the Sevens ground. It has been a pleasure captaining this team and I hope that our younger members continue its legacy.

Lizzy Adamson 13GC

ability to work together during the most intense and challenging aspects of the game. Along with Izzy and Biddy, we travelled to Bahrain for the Inter-Gulf Netball Championships, competing in both the U19 competition as well as the overall Championship. Abu Dhabi, Dubai A team, Dubai B team and Bahrain are a few of the teams we played against during this two-day tournament. We were ecstatic after making it into the finals of the U19 Championships, where we played against Abu Dhabi in an extremely tough and close match, only winning by 1 goal, making us the U19 Inter-gulf Champions! As if this success was not enough, we also managed to fight hard enough to make it into the semi-finals of the Inter-Gulf championships against experienced international teams, where we unfortunately lost in a close match to the Dubai A team. This weekend was a great success with lots of giggles, singing and dancing with the other teams in the tournament to the one and only ‘Cotton Eye Joe’, making a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere for all those taking part and spectating. According to Mrs Bell “living in the bubble that is Dubai, playing visiting schools from the UK is essential for

us to benchmark ourselves against UK playing standards”. This year we were fortunate to play against Wycliffe College, Sharnbrook Upper School and St Edwards School, Cheltenham; all of which provided us with strong competition. Being acclimatized as we are to the heat, we managed to use this to our advantage, winning against St Edwards School and Wycliffe College, 24-13. However, the match against Sharnbrook Upper School proved to be more of a challenge, with a close loss of 18-14. I would like to take this opportunity to say a large thank you to Mrs Bell and Tracey Kelly, who have dedicated many hours to train us to be the team we are today. We have celebrated the most successful season the Desert Cats have had for eight years and we have remained in the first Division of the Dubai Ladies Netball League for the entire 2014-2015 season: no easy feat! We, as a team, believe that this is a fitting curtain call to the one and only Mrs Bell, an outstanding player and coach who has taken the Desert Cats, past and present, to such high levels during her time at Dubai College. Catriona Benson 13GC

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Back Row: Mrs E Adamson, Anna Campbell, Erica Ryan, Reva Poddar, Ebba Zickerman, Ava Warren, Lucy Kane, Catherine SmythFront Row: Jemima Garner, Chrissie Lowndes, Lara Begley, Hessa Al Maktoum, Abigail Anderson

U12B RoundersBack Row: Miss L Clohesy, Amy MacKenzie, Chloe Russo, Olivia Allen, Georgia Allen, Shaima Lone, Natasha Whittall Front Row: Kiana Mottahedan, Yahvi Shah, Eesha Yaqub, Kiara Taurani, Ellie Bourne

U12A Rounders

U12A RoundersThis rounders season has been the incentive that pushed everyone in the DC A team to become better players and develop the skills for our future rounders careers. It was a great start to what will hopefully be a series of rounders seasons. This year, every team member upped their game throughout each match. We began the season with the Latifa tournament and although we did not win, it allowed us to reflect on the mistakes we made. We lit up the DC fire when we went up against Wel-lington. During the batting innings nobody missed the ball when it was bowled and many scored at least one rounder. Our fielding was spot on; balls were caught out and stumps were backed up. Throughout the league we encour-aged each other and celebrated our achievements which allowed us to play well. To see how much everyone improved was unbelievable. Olivia was able to catch high and hard balls. The ball was handled really well. We stepped up our game with the help of each training session. The team began to think logically and quickly, limiting the opposition’s scoring. Kiara would smash the ball, scoring rounders with ease. The whole team improved their play, ensuring that the other team wouldn’t score im-portant half-rounders or rounders. Throws got more accurate each time. My team members and I became

more aware on the pitch, trying to help in every situation. The DASSA finals were almost the happy ever after ending to our first rounders season. We first played JC. This game was hard-fought. Despite the exceptional play, bad luck blocked our path and we lost, although only by one rounder. However, we did not let ourselves get depressed and instead we strived for a win against DESC. We won 15-9; the 6 rounder lead was the icing on the cake! Olivia caught out many players, as well as Kiara smashing the ball. Georgia was always there for stumping and Chloe, Shaima and Yahvi were always backing up. The outfielders were great and the bowl-ing was accurate. Overall our team ended with a convincing victory and a loss. The result was 3rd place!Rounders has been intense, enjoya-ble and a great learning experience. The team’s passion drove us to victo-

ries as we learned not to repeat our mistakes. Thank you so much Miss Clohesy for teaching us those helpful skills and Ms Jones for coaching us for the DASSA finals. Let’s go for 1st place next year!

Eesha Yaqub 7TS

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Back Row: Miss Clohesy, Alysha Alimohamed, Tara Desai, Ella Reynolds, Jessica Passey, Casey Bell, Hannah Burton.Front Row: Naoise Morgan, Aakanksha Deb, Rihana Al Nabhani, Rebecca Wilding, Maisie Harvey, Maya Sondhi

U14B RoundersBack Row: Ms D Jones, Mehek Vohra, Disha Narain, Anna Maureta, Arya Flisher, Jemma Shand, Elanor Wright, Alma ZickermanFront Row: Sophie O’Keeffe, Kiyomi Hanson, Holly Rhys-Maitland, Sasha Verrall (Capt), Caitlin Theocharis, Katrina Webb

U14A Rounders

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Megan Parks, Elyse Truebridge, Katie Watson, Madeline Lake, Tiya Bhatia, Zara EdwardsFront Row: Disha Kewalramani, Isabel English, Anavi Madnani, Lucy Burrell, Sanjana Mittal

U12C Rounders

U12B RoundersThe summer term began and squad selections had been made, so it was time to get started with the league! The start of our season was a little shaky as rounders was new to some of us and we had many rules to learn. Consequently we lost our first match to a strong DESC team at home - but we didn’t let that knock us. Next up were Repton. We had a strong fielding and batting team which led to our first victo-ry with a score of 17-12. Unfortunately this winning streak did not continue as we lost against EC, who had some great batters. Our batting wasn’t as strong and we made quite a few fielding mistakes. This meant that we entered the 5-8th place play-off finals so we headed to Latifa and played a two further matches - both of which we won, beating Repton again in the final by 14.5-10! This meant that we ended up coming 5th in the league! Over the season we have developed many skills, both as in-dividuals and within our team and gained many memories! We hope to return next year as a stronger team and hope-fully finish higher up in the league. Thanks to Mrs Adamson and Miss Clohesy for their coaching this season.

Lara Begley 7MB

U12C RoundersThe DC U12 C team has done excep-tionally well this season, especially due to the fact that we were in the A Division. We have had an amazing time, and even though there was only capacity for two matches and there was no tournament applicable for our team, all of us have had so much fun understanding rounders

and learning so many different rules like “side out”. In our last game of the season, we caught three balls, ending the innings of another team. Sadly, the season is over but by the end of it, we had developed our skills in teamwork, trust, confidence and made friendships which will last for a long time and be treasured forever. I would like to thank Ms Clohesy for

being an amazing coach, in spite of our dropped balls, and for always supporting our team. Anavi Madnani 7MB

U14A RoundersThis rounders season resulted with almost a clean sweep of wins, definitely a notable improvement from last year. The term started with

the usual Latifa Tournament, where we previously haven’t performed well. In Year 7 and 8, we struggled to get past the qualifying rounds, let alone make it to the semifinals.

However, Year 9 proved to be more successful and we easily made it to the semis after smashing all our opponents. We met English College in the finals, and thankfully

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Back Row: Emma Robertson, Annabelle Style, Nina Mul, Kitty DaviesMiddle Row: Polly Jones, Lucy Graham, Nadia Shamsuddin, Zunaira Nader, Hireena Hans, Katie MewawallaFront Row: Charmaine Kee, Mahe Samee, Cassia Middleton, Gabriella Rajpoot, Sophie Newbery

U14C Rounders

managed to scrape a 3-2 win.Straight after the Tournament, we played a match against English College again, but this time it was for the rounds. We won by a considerable 13.5- 3.5. The following matches were against Wellington, Dubai British School and Emirates International School, where we came out victorious in all three. I would especially like to congratulate our team for playing fabulously in the match against EIS- the score was 27-7, a difference of 20 rounders! Remaining undefeated put us somewhere at the top of the league table I believe. Therefore we managed to make it into the DASSA finals. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t our day so we came 4th overall, despite our best efforts.All

this wouldn’t be possible without a motivational, enthusiastic and strong team spirit. A special thanks to Mehek, Elanor, Kat and Anna for hammering the ball as hard as you could in order to give us a total of 69 rounders throughout the season; Sophie, Kiyomi and Caitlin, for all being fantastic backstops and getting one or two players out at first; Disha and Holly, for diving for those short balls and immediately fielding them in; Arya and Jemma, for chasing after the far hits and always trying to throw them back as soon as possible; thanks to Alma (despite the occasional drop of a high ball) who was an excellent back up player (and she never failed to impress us with her delicious banana muffins and cinnamon

rolls!)Finally, I’m sure we all agree that Ms Jones has been a fabulous coach, teaching us all the tricks and tactics to the game, explaining useful rules that we never knew existed and for putting up with our moaning, singing and chanting, particularly on the bus. DASSA finals put aside, it was probably the most successful year we’ve had as a team. Well done U14A!

Sasha Verrall 9RS

U14B RoundersThis year’s U14 B rounders team has most definitely been the best and most enthusiastic group of people I have played with.Despite losing two matches against Horizon and JESS respectively, we had some excellent wins against Latifa and EC, yet after sadly losing the cup finals with two games against Repton and DESC we came third overall. Although we only got bronze in the cup, we were by far the most spirited team, always encouraging each other and joking around. A special shout out to our official mascot Aakanksha, because as Miss Clohesy pointed out; ‘you can’t see her - but you sure can hear her.’Our bowler Hannah provided some great throws, and Neesh and Maisie really shone through in the field. We had some excellent bats from Jess, Lisha, and Kanky, and tight fielding, as well as some fantastic memories that include Ella’s epic skid when she fell over, me almost crushing some poor player on second base, and Rihana getting partially blinded by the sun, causing some interesting attempted throws.As players we have all improved significantly through training and our hard work really showed in all of the

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matches, so thank you to Miss Jones for helping us to become more skilled with her outstanding coaching, as well as Miss Clohesy’s endless knowledge of the rules that gained us some extra rounders! The best bus conversation award probably goes to the time when we

were discussing heights, in which we all called out our heights: ‘1.65, 1.56, 1.58’, followed by Aakanksha calling in an uncharacteristically quiet voice: ‘1.46’.A massive thanks to our coach Miss Clohesy who never ran out of encouragement, such as the famous

phrase (cue Australian accent), ‘conk it out of the park!’Thank you so much to everyone for an incredible season, and I am sure that none of us can wait to start rounders again next year.

Rebecca Wilding 9RS

U14C RoundersThis season has been full of very stimulating matches, with some fierce opponents. As a team we faced many challenges, including the fact that we only could play against A and B teams. But each match I saw a huge improvement in the team and I couldn’t be more proud of their determination. The first of our games was against the GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis (or simply WSO) B team. We were all apprehensive of what would happen as we had never even practised together as a team and had no idea how we would do, but even so we went in with high spirits. Unfortunately, they beat us 11.5-30 due to their big hitters and incredibly fast fielding, which caught us by surprise. Of course there was disappointment at the loss but we weren’t going to give up just yet. Our second game was against Cambridge International School B team. In

only our second game the team had improved immensely and many rounders were scored which received many cheers from us and gave us quite a bit of confidence. The game ended with us losing 18.5-22 but we had played a good game and came away knowing that we had given the opposition a challenge. The third game was supposed to be against the School of Research Science but sadly that was cancelled and left us with a draw. We then came to the DASSA Bowl finals and had to wait apprehensively to see who our opponents were, as two schools had to play against each other to see who would play us. The winner turned out to be SRS A team who seemed to be extremely quick at fielding and took every opportunity to get a person out but we didn’t let that get to us and went into our last match determined to win. The game was intense and we played well in the beginning but eventually our

decision making became less slick in fielding, so their team managed to score many half rounders and rounders. As well as this, the SRS team got many of us out with quick and sudden passes when we were least expecting it. Nevertheless, I am so proud of how our team has improved over this season. With only one practice, we still seemed to learn and gain more each match, our hitting got better and our fielding became slicker and I believe with some more matches and practices we could have easily hit our winning streak! Well done to everyone in the U14C team and thank you to Mrs Bell for the support and wonderful coaching. It has been a great season and has provided all of us with some valuable experience we can carry through to next year!

Cassia Middleton 9MN

U16A RoundersThis year, the U16 A rounders team has had an extremely successful season! In every single match, all of us have put in as much effort as possible and the results have been clear. Going from strength to strength during the league season, we proved to be a very tough team to beat. The league started off on a high, with a win against EIS with an impressive score of 22-6½, having only played one inning. Our winning streak certainly didn’t stop there with a win of 28-4½ against WIS following just a week after. What proved to be our toughest match was the EC team, which we won by a mere 1 point to come out with a score of 9-8. I think all the girls can agree with me that the most dramatic match of the league was definitely against DBS after the horrible accident, during which one of the DBS girls broke her femur and had to be rushed to hospital. We all hope she made a

speedy recovery and will be back playing rounders again next season. After the match was rescheduled, we managed to win against the remainder of their team with a score of 20-5. This led us to play the semi-finals against SES, which we knew were a tough team having played them the year before. However, we really persevered and managed to win 16½-16, so we were into the finals of the league. We met EC again in the final and so we knew that it would be a tough

one to win, nevertheless, we did ourselves proud and won the final by an incredible score of 19-5½. It has been such a privilege to play with these girls and I’m pretty sure I have the phrase “all the way!” drilled into their brains by now. I want to say a massive thank you to Ms Jones for being our coach and for giving us constant support throughout the league season.

Kristi Flanagan 11JS

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Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Emma Kelly, Chloe Williams, Franciska Kundrak, Ellie Reid, Rachel ChoiFront Row: Devina Popley, Ellie O’Keeffe, Aleks Skroban, Jessica Pollock, Mitali Doshi, Victoria Tode

U16B RoundersBack Row: Ms D Jones, Corynn Foote, Sabrina Daga, Kitty Willson, Charlotte Style, Anushe Sheikh, Julia MacKayFront Row: Blanca Pamias Lopez, Alexandra Clements, Kristi Flanagan (Capt), Aleka Gheewala, Sophie Scott

U16A Rounders

U16B RoundersWe were all feeling pumped and excited for the rounders season to start, but with only a few training sessions under our belt and limited practice, we were feeling a tad rusty. Unfortunately, we had a rocky start to the beginning of the season, losing 13-6 against our toughest opponents: Sharjah English School, last year’s formidable league winners. Howev-er, for the next match we all picked up our game and achieved a decisive victory of 9 to 3.5 rounders against JESS Ranches, a great confidence boost for the team. For our third encounter we played DIS and thanks to tight fielding from Ellie O’Keefe and fantastic batting skills from Sophie Shams and Rachel Choi, we secured another victory: 21 rounders to 4. Next up, a loud and boisterous team met us at DESC. We knew it would be a tough game for two reasons:

they had tied with Sharjah, the only team we had lost against this sea-son and also, we only had 8 players at first, but fortunately at the last minute Mina Jenkins stepped in and gave a polished performance. At the beginning, our batting wasn’t up to our usual standards, only reaching a score of 2 rounders in the first in-ning. However, we more than made up for it with some sharp, accurate fielding and some precise bowling from Chloe Williams. We managed to hold DESC to just 1 rounder. When it came to the final innings, DESC batting and DC fielding, we knew this would be a neck-to-neck battle. It was an exhilarating and nail-biting match with little room for mistakes. At the end we were relieved that we had won, 6 round-ers to 5.5; one of our closest and tensest matches of the season. The good news didn’t end there, because winning this game meant we were

into the finals. The DASSA finals were held at DC and our first opponents of the day were a confident EC. Unfortunately they came out fighting and we lost by just ½ a rounder! Disheartened, we moved all the way across the field to play against Sharjah English School. Both teams played out-standingly, and the scores were very close throughout the entire match, however in the end Sharjah pipped us at the post by one rounder. The final score was 13.5 rounders to 12.5! Although the rounders season did not turn out quite as successfully as we would have liked, we had a thor-oughly enjoyable season. Finally, many thanks to our amazing coach-es Ms Clohesy and Ms Jones, who helped us improve and develop as players, right up to the last training session.

Jess Pollock 10MS

U18A RoundersThe rounders season this year has been very successful. We started the year with a tough match against DESC, luckily managing to win by half a rounder. In our next two games against Deira and Wellington Silicon Oasis everyone played brilliantly and we easily secured wins. The Wellington game must be praised particularly, with only 7 players and no bowler, we expected a difficult match. Amazingly we won 33-10.5 with phenomenal batting

and fielding all-round - well done especially to Hanna who stepped up as bowler, you were great! Our final pool game was against Sharjah English School. This was definitely our hardest pool game and we only managed to draw - luckily this was enough to get us through to the semis. On Monday 23rd of January, we made our way to Wellington for the semis and finals. Unfortunately we missed out on the finals by just half a rounder against Wellington. In the playoffs for 3rd, we came up

against Sharjah again, however, we were successful this time. Some fantastic hits from Natalia and Bianca and catches from Alice and Lizzy meant we won 11-9. Though we were unlucky in the semis, it has been a great season for U18 rounders. The Latifa tournament is a prominent annual feature of the rounders season and this year was no different. With only 9 players, we decided just to have fun and hope for the best! During the pool games,

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Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Emma Murray, Martha Gregory, Isabelle Grenville, Trishla ShahFront Row: Erin Dawson, Iona Stewart, Sofi Zickerman-White, Kristen De Sousa, Alesha Gulamhusein

U18B RoundersBack Row: Ms D Jones (Coach), Bianca Pereira, Catriona Benson, Alice Lovett, Hanna Salem, Gabrielle GuscottFront Row: Natalia Adair, Joanna Summers, Madelaine Freeman, Biddy Fogg, Lizzy Adamson

U18A Rounders

it’s fair to say our batting was not on form but despite this (and despite being called EC at one point) we somehow managed to secure a place in the final. Being the last ever rounders match for most of the teams, we were determined to come away victorious. Everyone’s fielding was fantastic but the highlight of the day must go to Evie for seemingly plucking the ball from mid-air. We then stepped up to bat, with the tough challenge of beating 7 rounders in 20 balls. It seemed we’d been saving our best batting for this moment in the final, everyone was incredible and we walked away winning by 2.5 rounders. Thank you to everyone in the team for making this rounders season one of the best and most successful in a long time, and of course to Ms Clohesy, Mrs Adamson and Ms Jones for all your hard work this season.

Maddie Freeman 13VH

U18B Rounders The U18 B team won their first match against Repton with an outstanding 26-8, this was after no training sessions, so the win started us off on a high. Our competitors challenged us in the next 4 matches however, preventing us from meet-ing the same standard. The quality of our communication, playing skills and teamwork continued to improve throughout the season, although we were only a small team. Even if we did not score the most rounders

every match, we all put in our great-est effort to do the best we could and managed to have the most fun. We looked forward to the annual Latifa tournament, as we played our last matches together as a team. We would also like to thank our coaches Miss Clohesy and Ms Jones for their constant support, time, confidence and optimism through-out the whole season.

Sofi Zickerman-White 13CH

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U13 CricketThis year U13 cricket has had an extremely successful season, which included games against touring sides and matches in the inaugural season of the National Schools’ League. We began the season on a great note without losing any of the pre-season friendlies and there were quite a few notable performances. In our first game Jeremy Pontefract managed to take two wickets and 3 run outs, this performance more or less summed up our whole season after that, with more and more high quality performances.Next we were faced with the challenge of competing in the National Schools’ League, in which we displayed high quality cricket and

Back Row: Mr P Sparks, Veer Vohra, Shrey Chawla, Jacques Holmes, Aryan Mehta, Krish Gupta, Pranav Nanda, Rishi Barve, Mr C Berkenshaw Front Row: Manan Gupta, Jeremy Pontefract, Wajih Zaman, Ross Vintcent, Bilal Hashim, Eisa Hussain

U13Cricket

team spirit, from the first ball against the Delhi Private School all the way to the last ball of a gruelling quarter final defeat. Despite losing the first game of the tournament we made a great comeback in the group stages to make it to a playoff game, which we won thanks to some heroics with the bat from Jeremy Pontefract. Then we were through to the quarter finals against Gems Modern Academy. In the end Gems Modern Academy managed to win a game which could have gone either way due to their consistent and powerful bowling attack, and that was the end of the NSL. We also took part in our first ever Dubai College six a side tournament held at DC. As a team we played

really well, with Jeremy Pontefract, Wajih Zaman, Ross Vintcent and Eisa Hussan playing a big part in our success. We won the tournament, beating the likes of Emirates International School Jumeirah, JESS Ranches and Repton.We have had a fantastic season. Of 19 games we have won 16, losing only 3. Also the season was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and I hope that Year 7s can continue to play with the same passion and flair for the game next year.We would like to thank Mr Sparks and Mr Berkenshaw for their hard work and dedication throughout the season!

Wajih Zaman 8LV

U15 CricketThe 2014/2015 cricket season has been a great season for the U15s, there have been some standout performances from the matches against the various teams we played from Dubai and also against some recognised schools from the UK who were on tour.The Dubai College U15s were part

of the first edition of the National Schools’ League organised by Sport 360 and it was a great learning experience for a fresh team who don’t play too much cricket outside of school. All in all we got some great exposure and we were unlucky to be knocked out in the group stages after taking part in two very tightly contested games; against Dubai

International Academy, where Sahil and Devansh shared a mammoth 150 run opening partnership, and against the Indian High School which in the end determined our fate in the tournament. The NSL was the perfect platform for some very good performances from DC on the turf wickets of the 7s ground and Dubai Men’s College. A very big thank you

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to them. Standout performances in the NSL were from Sahil Mordani, Kabir Nanda, Iysa Qureshi and from Devansh Popley - who finished as the leading run scorer after the group stages, after which we were unfortunately eliminated on the last ball of the last over against the Indian High School Dubai. A very big thank you to Sports 360 for having us, it was great exposure for the team.The DC U15s also reached the semi-finals of the first edition of the DC Sixers interschool tournament, home at DC. A completely different ball game to the T20s and the T30s we play on most weekends, the DC Sixers was only 5 overs long with a six a side structure, meaning there was scope for a ton of big hits. Again we crashed out in the semis, after winning all of our group games against a talented DESC, Repton (who we have beaten

Back Row: Mr P Sparks, Meeran Fehmi, Sahil Mordani, Kabir Nanda, Yash Bhandari, Aryan Mehta, Mustafa Lone, Mikaeel Habib, Mr C BerkenshawFront Row: Vishal Ayyagari, James Dare, Iysa Qureshi, Devansh Popley, Wajih Zaman, Ross Vintcent, George Gunn

U15Cricket

comfortably on all three occasions throughout the season) and also an unbeaten EIS Jumeirah side. We unfortunately exited the tournament to Dubai International Academy who have got the better of us this year, however the tape ball season has only just started and we are confident in bringing back the trophy to DC after winning one of our two games so far. Stand out performances came from Devansh Popley, Wajih Zaman and also Ross Vintcent, who was magical behind the wickets.We have also played a handful of friendly matches on the weekends on the signature concrete wicket here at DC, which many touring sides have struggled on, and it has again been great exposure for the team. We played Epsom College who got the better of us this year, and a highly contested fixture against Rugby

School, who we ended up beating quite comfortably. I would like to mention the Rugby School fixture in particular as it took place at DC in the middle of one of the worst sandstorms Dubai has experienced for years. As Rugby School were a touring side, we decided to go ahead with the game and it was a completely different experience for both sides, as vision was very restricted.All in all it has been a pleasure captaining the side and I would like to thank Mr Berkenshaw and Mr Sparks for showing up on countless weekends and also on Monday after school to help us sharpen our skills, in addition to Mr Berkenshaw for training us on Tuesday lunchtimes to help us hone our fielding skills. Thank you!

Devansh Popley 10TJ

U18 CricketOur season began under the sweltering heat of the Dubai sun. With Johnno’s fresh new kicks melting in the pre-game warm up we were all reminded of the harsh conditions we were about to experience at Repton School. We lost

the toss and were batting first. Our openers kitted up and set out. Dubai College were off to a good, solid start with both openers playing their shots freely and we looked to be cruising to a large total. However, two quick wickets put us on the back foot. I came in a little earlier than

anticipated, with Brendan ‘the Cat’ D’Souza on 40 plus and looking to continue to take the fight to the bowlers. He greeted me at the side of the pitch and uttered some wise words that were along the lines of “give me the strike”. Clint then reiterated this

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statement and so I did. With the odd boundary here and there I continued to give Brendan the strike and watched him control the opposition with ease. And just as I was starting to find my own groove (or so I thought), I got out. Luckily Brendan had it all under control and he powered through to a score of 130 plus by the end of the 20 overs; not a bad way to start the season.With a large score set we felt confident as we headed into field, the boys were buzzing and the talk was positive. However our attitude failed to translate to our bowling and fielding and our rustiness and sub-par fitness levels were evident. A few dropped catches and bad balls saw us trying to defend 30 runs in the last 5 overs and unfortunately we failed.Our heads were down and the season had not started the way we would have liked, but with disappointment as our fuel we spent hours before our next game ‘prepping’ and practising. Soon it came: game day. With the first loss in the back of our heads, we were determined to set

Back Row: Adil Javat, Vikram Jadeja, John Devitt, Zorez Haider, Sa’ad IqbalMiddle Row: Mr P Sparks, Abhishek Nair, Siddhant Jhurani, Raahim Zafrullah, Sahil Badlani, Ali Malik, Mr C BerkenshawFront Row: Ross Vintcent, Wajih Zaman, Rohan Gupta, Devansh Popley, Pranay Jethwani

U18Cricket

a more positive tone for the rest of the season and indeed we did. In the field, we looked like a different team. The bowling was strong and our fielding far sharper. A batting display that complimented our day in the field meant we had returned to our winning ways and were ready to dominate for the rest of the season. And we did, with eight more games since then we have managed to string together a nine game winning streak and so it seems our initial loss was an effective wake-up call rather than a sign of the season to come. Our season highlight had to be our match against the Darjeeling Men’s Club side which kick-started their 24-hour marathon of continuous cricket to honour past club member and former DC parent Simon Fowler. It was a match that allowed us to support a great cause (with all donations going to MSF) as well as go head to head against a men’s club team, providing us with invaluable experience. I’m glad to say we came out on top with some great death bowling from JD to restrict Darjeeling to a total of 135. The chase was equally impressive with

D’Souza opening up with a quick-fire half century and a last minute cameo from Gupta and Saldanha saw us win with a couple of overs to spare.With the likes of Vikram Jadeja and Sid Jhurani setting a solid base for our batting and John Devitt consistently supplying us with the early breakthroughs, Dubai College cricket is in a very good place. With the end of the conventional season looming, I would just like to thank all the 1st team players for the dedication and hard work they have put into this season and a lot of that is because of Clint ‘Big Daddy’ Berkenshaw who has put in endless hours to help develop our individual skills and our skills as a team. I would also like to thank all Year 13s (and Sid) in the team and wish them all the very best for their cricketing endeavours in the future.Hopefully there will be a strong finish to the season.

Rohan Gupta 12DM

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The year’s hard work and dedication lead to the cricket team’s toughest test, in the annual Arch

Trophy. With touring teams from Wales, England and South Africa it promised to be a week of intense competition. Dubai College and Repton (and feat. JC) entered a combined squad and there were hopes of ending the season with some well-deserved silverware. Our aim was to go through the group stages unbeaten and hopefully set ourselves up with a chance at glory. Game 1: Dubai College vs Framlingham- DC won by 7 wickets. After losing the toss, DC were in the field - and from the get go the chat was positive and the fielding committed. Some top quality bowling saw Framlingham struggling to put runs on the board, with Krishna Lakhani especially bothering the top order with his swing and bounce. With DC all over the Framlingham batsmen, wickets were falling at will and the visitors were bowled out for 143. The 2nd innings did not start as planned; with an early wicket in the first over it was obvious the game was far from over. But with only two wickets falling after that and a strong middle order partnership between Ethan Holmes and Raza Jilani, DC eventually coasted to victory in 14.1 overs. Game 2: Dubai College vs Waterstone - DC lost by 131 runs. After losing the toss again, DC were

in the field once more. And from the very first ball John Devitt looked to ‘introduce himself’ to Waterstone’s top order; picking up a wicket with his second ball. The fine form continued and saw a strong opening spell from ‘Dubai College’s very own Jimmy Anderson’. Despite a strong start in the field, some disappointing middle overs saw Waterstone reach a par score of 201 in their 40 overs. Dubai College started the second innings positively, but cheap early wickets saw the team in a difficult position. Despite some fight from Rohan Gupta and Krishna Lakhani the team were outplayed on the day and were bowled out for a meagre 63. Game 3: Dubai College vs Neath Port Talbot College - DC won by 7 wickets. After losing the toss once more, DC were in familiar territory - on the field first. And with a bad loss in the previous game the team were looking to make amends and hopefully fight their way into a final spot. The innings started as planned and some strong bowling and good catches saw DC on top after 30 overs. However a slight lapse in concentration in the next 10 saw the visiting team reach a decent total of 190 runs. DC started their innings as planned and a strong opening partnership between Lakhani and Jadeja set a firm base for the rest of the innings. With most of the top order doing their part thereafter, DC won with 5 overs to spare. 3rd place play-off: Dubai College vs Grand Master Academy- Dubai College won by 2 wickets. Despite a strong showing from DC

for much of the group stages, one loss cost them dearly and saw them miss the chance to play in the final. Nevertheless the team looked to finish the season on a high note. DC lost the toss again and they found themselves fielding- again. The first 10 overs went DC’s way and the continuous falling of wickets saw Grand Master Academy failing to find their groove. However some very loose bowling from Gupta meant they recovered well. Despite this, Dubai College fielded very well and Saad Iqbal’s consistent lines were eventually rewarded with 3 wickets in quick succession, bringing an end to the innings an over early. With a score of 197 to win, DC started off brilliantly with the two openers taking the fight to the bowlers, scoring runs freely and staying ahead of the required run rate. However a middle order collapse saw Raza Jilani and Sid Jhurani fighting to keep DC in the game. Some smart batting from the two helped put us in to a better position. But with two new batsmen in with two overs remaining there was some late drama that somehow saw DC cross the line with 5 balls to spare. A 3rd place finish in the competition was an impressive accomplishment and despite failing to reach the final the tournament was still a fantastic experience and a great end to the season. We would all like to thank Clint and Mr Jones for all they did for us during the week and throughout the season.

Rohan Gupta 12DM

The Arch

Trophy

Staff v Caretakers Annual Cricket Match

A rare Staff victory!

Alumni

191Shamal 2015

"The Prime Minister of Sweden punched me in the face when I was 22." (The brief to our business experts was to tell our Y13 students about the good and the bad!)

That was just the beginning of one of many enthralling stories and pieces of advice given to the Y13 attendees by the Alumni and Friends of the School at the Business Focused dinner. On Wednesday 4th February, students interested in pursuing the fields of Finance, Architecture, Engineering, Law, Entrepreneurship and my own interest of Journalism, met with the experts in their respective fields. Seated in the Flow Kitchen private dining room at the Fairmont on the Palm Jumeirah, we dined on a delectable three course meal and feasted on the words of wisdom offered to us by the esteemed guests. Each of the students rotated seats on the table and got a turn to sit next to each of the guests and probe them with questions of their own, but of course, the journalists in the room bucked the trend and remained firmly seated, enjoying conversation spanning the table and decades of experience.

A massive amount of gratitude has to be expressed to the guests who selflessly gave up hours of their valuable time to expose us to their seasoned wisdom and anecdotes. Of course, they may have simply come to enjoy the fantastic food and venue generously provided for us by SPJ Foundation, Clyde & Co and a generous Alumni donor, but I hope us as students made even a fraction of the impression on them that they had on us.

Mohammed ‘Raz’ Hansrod

Our Y13 students will be pleased to know that a number of our business guests compared their conversations and questioning skills to those of third year graduates. The students were described as ‘a very impressive group who were articulate, personable, engaging, questioning and had the right balance of confidence and humility. They will go far!’

A huge thank you to our Alumni and Friends of the School for providing the students with an insight into their business areas and for making this event so successful.

Y13 Business Focused Dinner

Alumni

192 Shamal 2015

The great and the good of the DC community gathered in the cosy Chesterfield Room on 25th January for the first alumni event of 2015: the London Networking & Social Event in Mayfair. Representing three eras of Dubai College, Mr Deelman (DC Headmaster 1987-1990), Mr Hill (Headmaster 2010-2015) and Head of Sixth Form Mr Lambert kicked off proceedings with some wise words before leaving us all to “work the room”! The evening provided an excellent opportunity for informal networking amongst DC alumni at both sides of the spectrum – from those who had very recently left the confines of the Sixth Form common room, to final year university students preparing for graduate job applications and even a rare specimen from the Graduating Class of 1988! Aside from exchanging fond memories of time spent diving into Mr Lakiss’ box of Quality Street chocolates, it was evident that the school’s community continues to reach new heights in Dubai, London and beyond; a privileged network indeed. Thank you immensely to Debra Harding and Mr Hill for putting together such a worthwhile event which I hope becomes a permanent feature on the Alumni Events Calendar.

Having acquired a consignment of DC “Work Hard Play Harder” mugs created by budding entrepreneurs in Year 13, our mission for the year is to circulate them far and wide. Although I could’ve sworn when I was still at school, Mr Gulliford’s motto imprinted on our souls was “Work Hard, Play Hard”….?

Londoners: watch out for members of DC alumni looking like mugs selling this memorable merchandise for a fiver outside mainline Zone 1 London Underground stations, or alternatively get in touch with Debra Harding to find out where in the UK you can scoop one up for a reasonable £5.

Sehr Sarwar, London, Graduated DC 2007

Inaugural London

Networking & Social

Event

Alumni

193Shamal 2015

On Saturday, January 24th, a motley crew of ex-DC students gathered in a central London location, along with current staff members Mr Hill, Mr Lambert and Debra Harding. I came to the event from Oxford, expecting a small, casual get-together, but I was pleased to see a number of people I had known from school and who were obviously just as

desperate to find a job and meet new people as I was. Unlike many of my friends at university, who have lost touch with their school, I still frequently visit DC when I’m in Dubai, and it was nice to feel that the school was still eager to maintain a connection with me, and many other graduates, some of whom left the school decades ago. This was the second school alumni event I had been to; the first was the sporting ‘Past vs Present’ event in December, which was more casual.

I’d love to see this event repeated in the future, perhaps on a larger scale. Although I haven’t been an alumna of Dubai College for long- I graduated in 2012- I can already see that what small, friendly schools like DC offer is a much more personal experience than large universities, where I think one’s interaction with tutors is more limited. I’d like the opportunity to see more teachers at these events in the future- it was wonderful to see Mr Hill before he leaves the school.

The usual awkwardness of a networking event was diluted by the fact that quite a few people were seeing classmates they hadn’t caught up with in a while, or were hearing news about the school for the first time in years. That said, I hope that when this event returns next year, there are even more ex-members, as I think the DC students currently at university would really benefit from hearing the advice of older graduates who can advise them as they prepare to start the job search.

Nayana Prakash (DC 2012)

Inaugural London

Networking & Social

Eventcontinued

Alumni

194 Shamal 2015

The College held its annual Careers Evening for Y11 students on Tuesday 20th January 2015. After a welcome by the Headmaster, John Watson from Independent Schools Career Service (ISCO) and Peter Zickerman (Alumnus) talked to the students about the importance of reflecting on potential career paths.Following this, the 120 students from the year group moved to the ‘B’ Block to attend 3 sessions out of the 14 on offer on careers ranging from Architecture to Civil Engineering to Banking & Finance, to name but a few. The aim of this evening was to introduce students to a range of relevant careers and to explore what the job may consist of, the skills required and routeways into the career.The ‘B’ Block was buzzing with inquisitive students eager to find out about the interesting opportunities that could await them beyond their life at DC. The presenters commented on the maturity of the students and the strength of their questioning skills. We would like to sincerely thank the Alumni participants and other friends of the Dubai College Community for donating their time to enable this important evening to take place.

Year 11 Alumni Careers

Convention

Alumni

195Shamal 2015

On the penultimate day of the Winter Term, December 17, 2014, past DC sporting legends re-appeared

from the sporting mists of time to re-live past glories and claim their entitlement to a free burger at the end of day barbecue.

Unfortunately for the legends, the day started badly, with Mr Case’s ‘Speedos 7’ making light work of what was previously a very strong team. With Mr Case’s subjective refereeing in overdrive, DC dominated the waves and won by a country mile (according to Mr Case)!The miracle of the swimming pool set the tone for a day of shock results. The next big surprise came in the Sports Hall, where the current DC ‘Globetrotters’ were beaten by the ball bouncing old boys - by a single point in the final play of the game. Having been dominated for the whole of the first half, the stars of yesteryear took an immediate turn for the better when Mr Riordan made a surprise cameo for them in the second!

Beyond this, the current DC Cats trounced the older netballers and the footballers beat the older pupils, whose movement resembled ‘golden oldies’. The final festive surprise came in the rugby with DC’s current

Past versus

Present2014

crop beating the ‘dream team’ of yesteryear, with a team that consisted of Gerard “try machine” Pieterse, Tom “try line” Harding and Andy “The terminator” Bywater. How the mighty have fallen…!The day’s sporting standard then dramatically deteriorated due to rugby and football matches involving staff & older alumni. This was quickly followed by a barbecue, which provided everyone with some festive atmosphere and the long awaited burgers.

Sincerest thanks must go to FDC for their generosity in supplying the barbecue, the past pupils / alumni for their support of the event and to Mr Flower for keeping his tales of ‘days gone by’ to a minimum!


Friends of Dubai College

196 Shamal 2015

FDC Badge: CMYK Dubai College Blue100.80.0.60Dubai College Red 0.99.97.0Font: Georgia

The first annual Dubai College Winter Bazaar was a huge success. The event was the first of its kind as it was co-run by the FDC and Dubai College Charity Committee. The spectacle drew in over 100 external vendors, as well as around 1000 visitors.

Students and vendors set up their stalls and put on some truly amazing activities, and sold some fantastic products and food. The Petting Farm, Tennis Games and the Bouncy Castle were just a few of the favourite activities on the day. This along with the diversity of food, ranging from a sizzling barbeque to the chilling snow cones, truly made the event memorable.

Not only were there entertainment stalls, but also a stage with live performances that never ceased to impress the audience. The open ‘mic’ style event was a smashing sensation with a wide array of talents on display. Student Pop singers and Desi Dancers wowed the crowd before the professional drummers from Dubai Drums set up an interactive show for the audience. Of course, a large part of the event was the raising of money for the charities that Dubai College supports. The students of the Charity Committee held a Bake sale, ran a barbeque and had their own entertainment stalls, including the ever-popular Dunking Teachers stall. Students and teachers got drenched alike, but it was all for a good cause the total sum of money raised by the Committee was over 40,000AED. The money raised will now go towards helping a variety of causes.

Arjun Dave

Winter Bazaar

2015


197Shamal 2015

The now well-established FDC calendar of events commenced with the Family Quiz Night in October,

attended by over 140 participants, and was followed by the first of the year group Fun Days in November. The winter brought various sporting fixtures, all catered for by the FDC, and January saw the return of a very successful Winter Bazaar. The Annual Social Evening took place in March in an especially beautiful setting under the stars at Emirates Golf Club. It was a highly popular evening, with some excellent raffle prizes and many guests showed off their moves on the dance floor!

What’s new this year? Nearly seventy Year 10 students enjoyed our new Escape Challenge Fun Day, thanks to some very hard work and meticulous planning by a Committee team. Groups of students had to follow clues, solve tricky puzzles and use their initiative to escape from a ‘locked’ room within a given time. Watch out, next year’s Year 10s…! FDC funds purchased some smart gazebos branded with the new logo to provide much-needed shade at various events.

The afternoon of 27th January 2015 saw the initial trial of our informal ‘Pop Up Coffee Shop’. Springing up in the auditorium foyer, this is intended to be simply a meeting point for a quality cup of coffee and a focal point for the school community and parents to interact. A second ‘Pop Up’ in April was even more successful and we now hope to make the Coffee Shop a regular event in a dedicated space. Our thanks to Café Rider and Coffee Planet who provided exceptional coffee.

The FDC Facebook page has been updated; please take a look. Construction is underway for Project Pavilion, the sports facility which is being built next to the tennis courts

on the school. The ambitious plans originated through the FDC and a significant contribution of AED 500,000 has been assigned from FDC fundraising.

The FDC Year

an overview

None of the above happens without a raft of support, of course – from Mr Hill and Mr Dempsey, Debra Harding, our committed Sixth Form helpers, to the supreme ‘men and ladies in blue’. A big thank you to the various parents who help in myriad ways. And a final thank you, of course, to all the Committee members. May we also take this opportunity to send our very best wishes with Mr Hill as he heads back to the UK. Class Liaisons In addition to organising coffee mornings, evening socials and class get togethers, this year FDC Class Liaisons were also instrumental in helping organise, promote and manage the Fun Days, a Quiz Night and Social Evenings. They regularly contribute to FDC baking and catering efforts, and helped promote the FDC pop-up coffee shops. Year 7 Class Liaisons also organised a social to welcome Year 7 parents to Dubai College. These parents create and bind the community that supports Dubai College. Thank you for all your hard work!

Farewell to the Chairman After 7 years of unfailing enthusiasm, dedication and honing his skills as a compere at FDC events our current Chairman, Andy Laven, is moving on. It is difficult to imagine the FDC without Andy,

whose role has changed over the years, but throughout he has volunteered many hours attending events and meetings, sounding out new ideas and driving them forward. Thank you, Andy, for making such a difference…

And goodbye to some of our bakers…

The baking team, enthusiastically headed up by Ashlee Middleton, is a major and regular contributor to FDC funds. It’s not just a question of baking a few cupcakes, though; the team creates, transports, serves, barbeques (think early morning hotdogs at the rugby!) and generally ensures that there’s something tempting to go with your cup of tea. Sadly, we are saying goodbye to a few of our regular, stalwart supporters:

Julie Heyster has catered for and served all day at almost all the events; she also runs the second-hand uniform sales. Her husband Rob, ever sporting an apron, has barbequed cheerfully at the rugby tournaments for nearly 10 years. Although Cathryn Jones’s youngest child left DC three years ago (and is now in the region of 6’4”!), she very generously continued to bake for us and to help out at various events. Sarah Booth has also baked and supported us at many events for a number of years; she makes THE best brownies and both Sarah and her baking will be sorely missed. A heartfelt thank you to you all for your expertise, dedication and support. New volunteers are always most welcome.

Should you be interested in joining the FDC please come along to our AGM in September; watch out for the date nearer the time. Any and all help is welcomed; it is great to leverage expertise from our parent community. It doesn’t have to involve a significant or even a regular time commitment; you will be warmly welcomed. In the meantime, we wish you all a healthy, happy and safe summer.

FDC Committee 2014-2015


198 Shamal 2015

FDC Badge: CMYK Dubai College Blue100.80.0.60Dubai College Red 0.99.97.0Font: Georgia

Once again the Year 7 Fun Day on 21st November was a great success. Although the weather had turned up the heat slightly, even with our highest number of attendees, well over 400, everyone stayed cool. Whether it was the shades, the shaving foam, water filled balloons or soapy tarpaulin - you will have to ask someone who was there!

Whilst the games remained the same, although the participants change, everyone was keen to do as well as they could and several teams held regular strategy sessions! One of the most memorable moments was Mr Hunter's demonstration of how to slide on the soapy tarpaulin.

This year’s marathon was keenly contested and was probably the closest we have ever had. The other games were just as close, but as always, we must have a winner. By clever choice of which game they chose for their joker the winning team was 7CW. Congratulations to them and they now get to keep the fantastic trophy and bragging rights - until next year!

Our thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success, from the team providing food and drinks, the men in blue who set everything up, Mr Hill who acted as a timekeeper, the FDC team who ran the day - and obviously everyone from Year 7!

The fun day officially began at 1:30pm on Friday 21st November. There were lots of siblings, older and younger, and Parents who accompanied. I even saw somebody’s Grandparents!!!There were 6 games in total:1. The marathon which involved lots of jumping and balancing.2. The 3 legged race – not just an ordinary race but one which involved water balloons, whipped cream and hula hoops!3. The bench race with younger siblings climbing upturned benches and stuffing a plate of whipped cream on to their heads.4. Knees to knees with yet again more water balloons.5. The target game where items were thrown over a wall and had to be caught in a bowl on the other side.6. The tarpaulin game which was arguably the best bit! Soapy water, water trays, water pistols and water balloons making running extremely difficult!The final winners were the Blue Team aka 7CW (my class)! Thank you to everyone involved in organising the fun day and to those who participated. I now know why it is called a ‘fun’ day!!

Isabel English

Year 7Fun Day


199Shamal 2015

Bowled over by a strikingly great afternoon of fun!Seventy five students from Year 8 took over 13 lanes at Dubai Bowling Centre at the end of exam week for a friendly tournament, or so we thought. Competition was fierce! Two teams were found to be 'inflating scores'. One team ran over time because food was calling (most popular snack of the day - good old chicken nuggets!) Another had seemingly invited some pros, namely '6PacJack', 'Buff Boy' and 'Dishy Fishy' to name a few. Certainly not names we recognised! In the end the winning team, with a combined score of 423 (average of 71 points each), was Sam Muller (8MP), Suryansh Loya (8MP), Henry Tatham (8MP), Jake Wade (8RG), Sophie O'Keeffe (8MP) and Katie Mewawalla (8RG). Each took home a well deserved trophy and prizes of gum. Joining them on the podium was Jeremy Pontefract (8RV) who received his award for 'highest individual scorer' of the day, with a total of 99 points. Go Year 8!

FDC Team

Year 8Fun Day


200 Shamal 2015

On January 8th, about 80 Year 9 students charged towards the canteen to start our Fun Day: “I’m a DC student… Get Me Out of Here!!!” Little did we know that we were in for some strange challenges such as: running marbles through pipes, tossing ping-pong balls into cups of water, hockey dribbles, elbow crawls and much more! We ate pizza and got sorted into teams – and then we were off! Our team’s first challenge was Shooting Hoops at the basketball court – we scored a maximum of 5 points. Buoyed by this and other early victories at Crazy Relay and Ping Pong Toss, we decided to aim for the final prize – VOX movie vouchers! Unfortunately, our perfect run came to an end with Blind Taste; I’m sure ginger chocolate is not a flavour many of us will forget easily. The faces we pulled kept the sixth formers entertained for the whole afternoon. By far the most difficult challenge was Brain Teasers: not a single team scored all 5 points. It was reassuring to know that the sixth-formers (and some passing teachers) were perplexed too. Blind Touch caused some hilarity, with seated blindfolded contestants identifying pasta as hollow gummy sticks and strawberry jelly as brain goo. Needless to say, we didn’t get 5 points there either. All in all, we had an amazing time at this event and I’m sure the lucky winners enjoyed their cinema vouchers. We would like to thank the FDC and Mr. Woolley for organizing this event, sixth-formers who helped run the activities, and the caretakers who helped set up and clean up. We are looking forward to the next one!

Mustafa Lone 9NB

Year 9Fun Day

Visitors

201Shamal 2015

Richard Parks, Extreme Adventurer

Dr Armand D’Angour, Classics Fellow from Jesus College

Visiting Sports TeamsAkeley Wood SchoolEpsom CollegeEton CollegeKing’s College School, WimbledonFeltonfleet SchoolFramlingham CollegePrior Park Preparatory SchoolRugby SchoolSedbergh Prep SchoolSharnbrook Upper SchoolSt Edwards, CheltenhamTrent CollegeWaterstone CollegeWellington School, TauntonWilsons SchoolWycliffe College

Dr James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander

Wong How Man, explorer, photojournalist and conservationist who has worked for the National Geographic

Dr Donald Thomas, Astronaut

Visitors2015

Framlingham College Netball Team

Wycliffe College Netball Team

Sharnbrook Upper School Netball Team

Awards and Results

202 Shamal 2015

DUBAI

COLLEGE

CO

MM

UNITY

ACTION

SERVICE

AWA

RDC

AA

SOn Monday June 8th 113 Year 9 students and 242 guests took their seats in the Auditorium for the annual CASA awards night. The objective of the Community Action Service Award is to formally recognise student contribution and commitment to the community – both at DC and in the wider community of Dubai. Following Mr Woolley’s speech, certificates were awarded to all recipients of the award. Mr Charles Neil, our guest speaker for the evening, gave an inspiring speech and Sophie Ingram-Johnson, Tamsin Rose and Kiara Whittle treated us to some wonderful music. The award cer-emony was followed by refreshments in the new 6th form common room.The range and depth of activities that our Year 9s have taken part in and the care and ingenuity that they have demonstrated during the year has been simply outstanding. Congratulations to all!

Mr M Woolley, Head of Lower School

Awards and Results

203Shamal 2015

GCSECertificate

Presentation Evening

The academic achievements of our Year 12 cohort were celebrated at the annual GCSE Certificate Presentation Evening, which took place on Monday 23rd March in the Sir Maurice Flanagan Music Centre. We would like to thank Mr John Merrigan, member of our Board of Governors, for presenting the GCSE certificates to our students and for his words of wisdom. Our thanks also to

Tom Webster, Arjun Dave, Libby Johnson, Aneeb Sheikh, Aditya Prakash and Anurati Sodani for presenting their slightly sideways perspective on the GCSE years, and to Cameron MacKay and Bea Prosser for their simply superb musical contributions.

Mr B Trivic, Head of Year 12

Awards and Results

204 Shamal 2015

Subjects Year 7 Prize Winner Junior Prize Winner

Arabic A Laith Al Nabhani 7CW Rihana Al Nabhani 9RS

Arabic B Jake Mustard 7KM Isabella Lahdo 10TJ

Art Elyse Truebridge 7CW Mehek Vohra 9PS

Biology Josh Kotecha 10TJ

Chemistry Mikaeel Habib 10AH

Design & Technology Yousuf Yaqub 7MB George Gunn 9DV

Drama Jack Gravestock 7KW Angus Benstead 10TJ

English Gabriella Shennan 7KW Chloe Elliott 10CT

French Elyse Truebridge 7CW Chiara Rehman 10AH

Geography Luke Nijkamp 7KM Mitali Doshi 10MS

History Tia Patel 7KM Jamini Patel 9NB

ICT Yousuf Yaqub 7MB Hugo Dolan 10AH

Islamic Education A Laith Al Nabhani 7CW Sophie Shams 10CT

Islamic Education B Arman Thariani 7AG Maryam Ahmed 9MN

Quran Recitation Arman Thariani 7AG Adam Shah 9RS

Latin Yaamir Badhe 10CT

Mathematics Tia Patel 7KM Oh Jun Kweon 10CT

Music Sourav Roy 7AG Angus Thompson 10CT

P.E. (Girls) Natasha Whittall 7KW Sophie Shams 10CT

P.E (Boys) Harrison Devereux 7TS Oliver Tait 10TJ

Physics Daniel Gibbons 10AH

Science Sourav Roy 7AG

Spanish Marwan Gedeon Achi 7TS Mikaeel Habib 10AH

PrizeGiving

Awards and Results

205Shamal 2015

Year 7 Prize

Rohan Khaleghian 7CW

Year 8 Prize

Anjali Menon 8LV

Year 9 Prize

Kiara Whittle 9MN

Year 10 Prize

Hasan Malik 10AY

House Prizes

Barbarossa

Oliver Tait 10TJ Emma Kelly 10TJ

Chichester

Joe Page 10MS Jess Pollock 10MS

Cousteau

Hasan Malik 10AY Aakanksha Deb 8LV

Heyerdahl

Wajih Zaman 8LV Hannah Dawson 8RG

The Most Outstanding Performance in a School Production Award

Kiara Whittle 9MN

The Founder’s Prize for the Most Promising Musician (U14)

Kyarash Aryanpad 8LC

The Year Prize is awarded to a pupil who has an exemplary attitude to school life; who has made valuable contributions to their Year group and the wider school community and who is a role-model for their peers.

Awards and Results

206 Shamal 2015

Subjects Year 13 Prize Winner

Art Helena Wick

Biology Sara Ali

Classics Oliver French

Chemistry Matthew Laven

Design & Technology Rohan Padmanabhan

Drama Jemma Ansell

Economics Anya Malik

English Nermeen Islam*

French Imogen Lemon

Geography Sofi Zickerman-White

History Joe Singh

ICT Ellen Burley

Islamic Education Inaam Mian

Government & Politiics Saad Iqbal

Mathematics Matthew Laven

Further Mathematics Joe Singh

Music Oliver French

P.E. Catriona Benson

Physics Matthew Laven

Spanish Joey Taylor

Year 13 Graduation

2015

The inaugural Year 13 Graduation Ceremony took place on Saturday 13th June in the Dubai College Auditorium. A 350 strong crowd of proud parents and their offspring quaffed fine teas and scoffed fine scones before settling down to a relaxed and inclusive prize giving ceremony topped and tailed with words of wisdom from Mr Woolley and Mr Hill.

Awards and Results

207Shamal 2015

Awards and Results

208 Shamal 2015

*The Ernst & Young Prize for Literature

Nermeen Islam

The Godwin Austen Johnson Prize for Outstanding Design Talent

Ellen Burley

The ‘AAA’ Service Centre Prize

Neha Narain

The Award for International Understanding

Zahra Bawany

The Prizes for Sporting Excellence 2014-2015

Alice Lovett Angus Maxfield

Deputy Head Girl 2014-2015

Jenna Denton

Deputy Head Boy 2014-2015

Prateek Nadkarni

Head Girl 2014-2015

Alice Lovett

Head Boy 2014-2015

Rohan Padmanabhan

Awards and Results

209Shamal 2015

Awards and Results

210 Shamal 2015

Awards and Results

211Shamal 2015

GCSE Advanced Level

No. of Candidates 106 No. of Candidates 932005 A* and A passes 62.6% A and B passes 82.8% A* to C passes 99.6% A to E passes 99.8%

No. of Candidates 108 No. of Candidates 872006 A* and A passes 77.5% A and B passes 84.4% A* to C passes 99.3% A to E passes 100%

No. of Candidates 111 No. of Candidates 912007 A* and A passes 78% A and B passes 82.3% A* to C passes 99.8% A to E passes 100%

No. of Candidates 112 No. of Candidates 1002008 A* and A passes 80.5% A and B passes 85.8% A* to C passes 99.6% A to E passes 100%

No. of Candidates 113 No. of Candidates 992009 A* to A passes 83.1% A and B passes 89.7% A* to C passes 99.6% A to E passes 100%

No. of Candidates 108 No. of Candidates 992010 A* to A passes 85.6% A* to A passes 63.8% A to C passes 99.7% A to E passes 99.7%



No. of Candidates 227 No. of Candidates 1342013 A* to A passes 88.3% A* to A passes 74.4% A to C passes 99.7% A to E passes 100%


ExaminationResults

Destination of Leavers

212 Shamal 2015

Daniel Adair University Of Queensland, Science/Sports ScienceYehya Al-Hafidh Falmouth, Graphic DesignAmna Ali Johns Hopkins, Biomedical EngineeringD’Arcy Anderson Columbia, PhysicsAdam Andreani Cambridge, Downing College MedicineImaan Ashraf KCL, Liberal ArtsRehan Ayrton UPenn, Wharton Business School, Business & FinanceLakshay Badlani UC Berkeley, Computer ScienceNathan Banks Heriot-Watt, Economics & FinanceAhad Basrai Indiana, Kelley, Business EconomicsAmbre Battistella McGill, Faculty Of ArtsAbhishek Belani University Of Illinois, Computer EngineeringEloise Bevan Edinburgh, Chemical EngineeringTanvi Bhatia Birmingham, MedicineJon Biddle Bath, Integrated Mechanical and Electrical EngineeringLinda Bieleski Massey, NZ, Veterinary ScienceAdam Bilby Leeds, Politics And SpanishMohamed Bin Drai, Roehampton, Business ManagementJoshua Blakemore Gap YearEmma Britnor Leeds, New MediaSophie Brown Hartpury College, Animal ScienceTara Burke Edinburgh, EconomicsSophie Burley Lancaster, Physics, Astrophysics & CosmologySophia Cafoor-Camps Cambridge, Downing College, LawConor Cassidy Exeter, EngineeringFraser Christensen Edinburgh, Chemical EngineeringTobia Culemann Edinburgh, Mechanical EngineeringLora D'Costa Nottingham,PsychologySanjana Daswani Nottingham, MedicineSummer El-Ashmawi Exeter, Civil EngineeringCathrin Faria Australia, National Institute Of Acting, Dramatic Arts Chelsie Feather Central Saint Martins Art FoundationKenny Fahim Nottingham Trent, Spanish and ItalianRhianna Foote Nottingham Trent Equestrian Psychology and Sports ScienceVictoria Frost Exeter, LawRishi Ganguli NYU (Stern) Finance and EconomicsAnjali Garg KCL, Comparative Literature with Film StudiesMark Gavigan Cambridge, King’s College ArchitectureMenrit Guirguis University Of Pecs, Hungary MedicineAzmina Gulamhusein Bath, ArchitectureVijay Gupta Nottingham, AccountancyHarriet Hamzelou Surrey, ChemistryThomas Harding Leeds, Economics And HistoryNicholas Hindley UBC, Canada, undecidedEmily Hoad Southampton, Marine Biology with OceanographyHibah Hoque UWL, Graphic Design, Visual Communication and IllustrationIrina Hyndman Edinburgh, International RelationsAly Ibrahim Gap YearNoor Jafar Central Saint Martins Art FoundationZiyan Kassam KCL, MedicineNimit Kataria Indiana, Kelley, BusinessGeorge Kenaghan Manchester Metropolitan, Business ManagementAmaan Khullar Columbia, Computer Engineering

Kathryn King Leeds College Of Art Art FoundationSucheta Kinger UChicago, EconomicsOh Kweon LSE, Mathematics And EconomicsGaurav Lahiry Carnegie Mellon, Computer ScienceTanya Lalwani Columbia, Biology And PsychologyAyrton Loureiro Stellenbosch, SA, ManagementJessica MacCormick Edinburgh, EconomicsAlia Mahtani UCL, Language And CultureJoanne Mascarenhas Deakin, Australia, Occupational TherapyPritika Mehra Princeton, Physical SciencesConor Merrigan KCL, International PoliticsHaider Mirza St George's, MedicineShayan Momeni Manchester, Mechanical EngineeringShahryar Mooraj UC Santa Barbara, PhysicsSarah Moore Edinburgh, Economics and MathematicsCharlie Morfee Bath, MathematicsAmiya Nagpal Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, HSPSDorottya Nagy Cambridge, Churchill College, Veterinary ScienceArya Narasimhan Washington University, St Louis FinanceNazim Nauthoa Hull And York, Medical School, MedicineDanyal Niazi NYU, (Tisch) FilmHonor Nicholl QMUL, Biomedical SciencesAditi Nijhawan KCL, MedicineJames Ozden UCL, PhysicsJoseph Palubiski Queen's University, Canada, Arts and SciencesFlorence Prosser Edinburgh, Classical StudiesParth Rajwade Northwestern, Mathematics and EconomicsAndrew Refalo Sheffield, MedicineChristophe Rippon Manchester, Modern History with EconomicsYasmeen Salman Middlesex University, Dubai Business AccountingTaimur Samee Columbia, ChemistrySaima Seer Imperial, Chemistry with Molecular PhysicsUmer Shaikh LSE, ManagementYashvardhani Shankar NYU (Cas) Psychology and BiologyDaniel Shehata McGill, Canada, EngineeringTaybah Siddiqi LSE, LawMiren Singh UC Berkeley, Molecular Environmental BiologyBenjamin Sparrow Aberystwyth, PhysicsRaina Srivastava Michigan, Mathematics and EconomicsLewis Streak Salford, Aviation Studies (with Foundation)Jonathan Sumners NYU, (Stern) Business with FinanceKaran Talreja Michigan, Computer ScienceChristopher Thorpe Loughborough, PhysicsEmma Thrower Durham, LawVishnu Tikku Exeter, Natural Sciences (with Foundation)Clara Townsend BIMM, Professional MusicianshipElla Vaux Reading, Consumer Behaviour and MarketingDaniel Wakefield Gap YearCameron Walker Nottingham, English LiteratureStefanie Watt Glasgow, English LiteratureNicolas Whitman UBC, Liberal ArtsBethany Wright Royal Holloway, French And MusicTania Zaidi UCLA, ArtMia Zickerman-White Newcastle, English Literature and History

Shamal 2015

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