THE FROGNALU C S N E W S L E T T E R — I S S U E M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Celebrating the events and achievements of the Spring Term at UCS Senior School.

A Tribute to Sir Roger Bannister

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A Spotlight on...

English

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Sixth Form Volunteer

Locally on Friday Afternoons

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Magical Tempest Wows

Audiences

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Welcome To The Spring Edition Of The Frognal

UCS is renowned for the breadth of education it provides and the Spring Term edition of The Frognal bares testimony to the wealth of educational opportunities which are available to our body of pupils. Indeed “Spring” has been something of a misnomer for this particular term. The North East Wind seems to have been blowing for most of it, delivering of course the Beast from the East. Given UCS remained open during the Blitz, we weren’t going to let snow, ice and arctic winds get in the way of educating our young charges in 2018. Indeed, the chillingly compelling Middle School production of POSH carried on regardless the first night of the snow, as did the Annual Old Gowers Dinner the following night.

Music has provided a significant ward against the chill, with various uplifting concerts building to the outstanding Spring Concert last week. I was delighted by the success of our chamber musicians in the South East Chamber Music Competition and

our new series of themed lunchtime concerts, in particular the concert for International Women’s Day, has lifted the air in the Great Hall despite the Siberian conditions outside.

Very sadly, a most prominent Old Gower was lost to us this term. You may have read the tributes to Sir Roger Bannister and our community is the poorer for the loss of such an inspiring yet humble man. We will be awarding the Roger Bannister Prize to a top sports performer at Speech Day this year.

Our strong commitment to our local community has also been at the forefront of a number of events this term. The Sixth Form have spent Friday afternoons volunteering at local schools and charitable organisations, our Morris Lectures went on tour to the London Academy of Excellence Stratford to acknowledge five years of collaboration, Remove and Transitus pupils have run a Maths Breakfast Club at Westminster

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— Mark J. Beard, Headmaster

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Academy on Tuesday mornings and we hosted 200 local primary school children for lunch and a matinee performance of the magical Lower School production of The Tempest.

On the academic front, our Sixth Form pupils received 22 Oxbridge offers back in January and a number of others have received offers to study at prestigious universities overseas including MIT, Columbia, UPenn, Chicago, UCLA and Parsons School of Design. Sixth Formers also exhibited their diverse and fascinating Extended Project Qualifications and Italian has been offered to next year’s Lower Remove boys with a view to it becoming an additional option at GCSE and Pre-U. Our enrichment weeks have continued to broaden the horizons of our pupils, the inaugural “Frognal Talks” (our version of TED Talks) were hugely popular with our Sixth Form and our robotics team qualified for the national final of the VEX UK Robotics Championships. Our chess team beat

numerous schools, including Westminster School, to win the regional tournament and will now take part in the national finals next term.

Last but by no means least given the weather, plenty of outdoor sport – football, hockey, netball, rugby and cross country – has kept a good number of pupils fit and healthy. Several of our football sides have beaten the weather and everything before them to go the entire season undefeated and we were delighted by the success of our Under-13 table tennis team who, having won the London and then the South of England heats, finished second in the National Championships. This was a remarkable achievement.

I hope you enjoying reading this edition of The Frognal and enjoy a restful break.

Welcome To The Spring Edition Of The Frognal

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A Spotlight On… English

Lucy Birchenough joined UCS in 2010 and in 2015 became the Head of English. Here we meet the lady who loves the semi-colon but detests comma confetti. What is great about studying English?Achieving mastery of the English language has to be one of the most valuable skills you can develop. I love to see our pupils grow as discerning, insightful and resistant readers, while evolving confident, persuasive and compelling verbal and written expression. Every essay you write and speech you make cumulatively builds your power in English, and will benefit you for the rest of your life, whatever subject you study or profession you follow.

Something I know our pupils love is making connections between texts and concepts. Reading literary texts is a fantastic way to build your cultural literacy as well as your reading ability, and to understand how the arts, history, philosophy and sociology interact with one another. 

How has the English department developed in your time at UCS?While there have been big changes in terms of the move from modular AS and A2 levels to the linear Pre-U qualification, as well as the national change at GCSE, there are fundamental qualities of the department which have not changed at all. The most important of these is the amazing group of teachers I work with. They are all brilliant in the classroom as subject experts who care an immense amount about their pupils. I learn from the teachers in my department every day and I really look forward to their company. I think this is the main reason I have stayed at UCS for so long – alongside how much fun you have teaching UCS pupils!

What are your favourite things to teach in English? What do teachers in your department love to teach?One of the best things about being an English teacher is that you can teach reading and writing skills through any text. This means that we have the freedom to choose texts which reflect our expertise and passion, which is then communicated to pupils.

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A Spotlight On… English

For me, this means teaching Gerard Manley Hopkins, or Virginia Woolf, whereas for Mr. Hughes it’s James Joyce, and for Ms. Bensted, Mary Shelley.

What are the best resources you would recommend outside the classroom?Books! All of them – I’m an all-but-indiscriminate bibliophile. #bookstagram is my favourite hashtag. However, when your eyes get tired and your fingers are covered in papercuts, there are lots of online resources we love: For Better for Verse is a website which will help you analyse the language of any poem, particularly its rhythm; Massolit – available through Firefly – has lots of video lectures of a range of texts and genres; Drama Online – also on Firefly – lets you watch full performances of really high quality productions, all from the comfort of your own sofa.

What is your response to the view that some people are scientists whereas others are into literature and languages?Nonsense. Who wouldn’t want a doctor who explains their situation clearly and empathically? Or a financial advisor who writes cogent and

pithy reports? Maintaining a breadth of study and outlook will mean you can be fulfilled by any opportunities that come your way.

Favourite punctuation mark?It has to be the semi-colon. Yes, it takes a while to master; yes, you may think the only reason they exist is to fulfil the Grade 9 marking criteria, but once you’ve got the hang of this particular punctuation mark you can create really interesting levels of ambiguity and nuance in your writing. Just remember, it’s not a big comma. Least favourite punctuation mark?The comma. They look so deceptively simple that people scatter them about like confetti. Then, you’re, left, with, a, sentence, so, stilted, and, fragmented, it’s, impossible, to, read. See what I mean?

Favourite word?Mellifluous: it means sweet, smooth or pleasing and its etymology is from the Latin for honey. For me it’s one of those pleasing words which represents in its own sounds the very smoothness it describes.

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They don’t make heroes like Sir Roger Bannister any more. His groundbreaking achievements on the track and in medicine, and the manner in which he conducted himself throughout his life, is an inspiration to us all. Writing poetry seemed the only thing to do when he passed away in March and I know that both Itay and John will be very proud to see their work in print and going out to the wider UCS community. Both poems were written within a 48 hour time-frame, and every boy in EPJO made a submission. These were the two that stuck.

We’d been studying epitaph poetry this half term, purely by chance. You’ll perhaps hear some echoes of Auden, some of the spirit and fire of Dylan Thomas. We’ve looked to Hemingway for stripped-back description. One of the challenges was to breathe life into the black and white, slightly crackly footage taken that day at Iffley Road. I think that both poems capture the physical energy of the race,

the crowd’s growing realisation that what they were seeing went way beyond Athletics. Itay’s trochaic ‘cinders fly’ line packs a real punch. John has used one of Sir Roger’s own lines and crafted it, like glowing iron, into poetry.

Both poems have pride of place on the wall in the Art Cave (classroom C7), LAMM’s form room. We have always had a signed photograph of Sir Roger in there – it reminds us that, in his words: It doesn’t matter if you are the lion or the gazelle: when the sun comes up, you’d better be moving. We hope that our poems do his memory some justice.

Entry Class Tribute To Old Gower Sir Roger Bannister

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— Contributions by A. Mee

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Four Minutes, Just Below By Itay Greenbaumn (Entry)

Bend down to clean my spikes and check my lace;Then dragged myself to the start, raging with nerves.The starter fired his gun to start the race –Round the first bend, back straight, mind filled with blurs.

Suddenly, first lap over, we passed the finish;Brasher moves aside, we overtake.Three laps to go, so says the starter’s sign.Remember; shortest distance – keep inside that line.

Chataway takes up the reins to forge ahead.Must keep behind, (not lose touch now).Two laps to go, friends shout the time:Accelerate, keep cadence, wipe my brow.

Chris takes a bow, we pass him on the straight.Cinders fly as I accelerate.The tape’s in sight, lungs burning, not far to go:Keep it together. Four minutes, just below.

My Legs Still Full Of RunningBy John Sanderson (Entry) In the blocks, us runners stood.I could do it; I knew I would.Then came the jolt of the gun,My legs knew they had to run. I leapt off the blocks, Brasher right in front,“Go on!” I cried; I wished he’d shunt.Brasher kept his pace, I could only yell and shout.Half the laps were over, Brasher now dropped out. Chataway took control; he sprinted out ahead.If I kept on going, I would surely drop down dead.I wanted to go faster, and told Chataway not to slow.My legs now screaming, though I told myself to go. Chataway dropped off, as the final lap came by.I darted down the running track, I felt like I could fly.The crowd’s applause like drumming,My legs still full of running.

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Entry Class Tribute To Old Gower Sir Roger Bannister

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In the first week of March, the Maths, Science and PE Departments pulled out all the stops for their enrichment week with the aim of extending pupils’ knowledge of these subjects way beyond the scope of the courses taught on a day to day basis. The week kicked off in style with the third annual Lower Remove Science Fiction writing day organized in collaboration with the English department. Transitus pupils delivered science talks on many areas of science and the Lower Remove spent the remainder of the day writing their own Science Fiction short stories. The finished pieces were incredibly creative and the details contained in the stories were a testimony to the quality of the Transitus talks.

Mr. Cork and a team of Computer Scientists launched a UCS-built computer in assembly. The computer played Noughts and Crosses against Mr. Beard (the game finished as a draw) and every break and lunchtime during the week it took on

pupils and staff at the same game. The computer “learnt” various patterns and by the end of the week was almost always on the winning side. On the Tuesday, mathematicians in the Transitus and Upper Remove attended a series of “Maths In Action” lectures in central London. The talks were engaging and interactive and the pupils were inspired by diverse topics which ranged from statistics and engineering to data science and pure mathematics. The week also marked the start of a series of three lunchtime Maths lectures. The first of these was given by Mr. Bullock who looked at the number pi (3.14…) and why pi is a poor choice of circle constant and how we should all be using the far more natural tau (6.28…). The series continued with a talk from Michael G. Wilson, American film producer and screenwriter best known for his association with the James Bond series, who delivered an intriguing lecture on the origins and applications of the number e. Finishing the triple bill was John Zangwill, software architect

Science, Maths And PE Enrichment Week

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at Halliburton, with his lecture giving a fascinating insight into the multiple orders of infinity, known as Transfinite numbers.

In lessons during the enrichment week, pupils in Biology dissected fish heads and owl pellets, pupils in Chemistry carried out a series of analytical experiments to investigate (a fictional) murder and pupils in Physics learnt how to solder. Physicists also analysed parachute design and looked at the science behind “swing” bowling in cricket. Remove pupils looked at how caffeine affects reaction time and how to genetically modify bacteria to make them glow in the dark. Andrew Szydlo gave a spellbinding (and explosive) talk to the Entry year group on the magic of Chemistry and these pupils spent a morning learning about how forensic science is used to solve crimes.

One of the highlights of the week was provided by pupils who last year competed in the Brain Bee Neuroscience Competition. Michael Aarons and Olivia Hasson (both Sixth) led a sheep’s brain dissection one lunchtime in Lab J for budding

Biologists and Psychologists. The quality of their teaching was exemplary and the Transitus pupils present were lucky to be led through this dissection by two such skilled speakers.

The breadth of activities which ran during the week was staggering and we would like to thank staff and pupils for their enthusiasm towards organizing the various events.

Science, Maths And PE Enrichment Week

— Contributions by A. Westwood & M. Bullock

“Andrew Szydlo’s talk was amazing. He talked about his

love of fire and showed us some great explosions. I have been

inspired by his passion for science.”

Harry Owen (Entry)

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L EC T U R E S A N D SPE A K ER S

The Gender Politics Society runs every Tuesday lunchtime. It was originally supposed to only last half an hour but due to sheer demand it has been expanded to last the entire lunchbreak. The society meets in KD4, a classroom housed in the new Kenneth Durham Social Sciences Centre, and the circular nature of how the room is set up allows for a dialetic format. The range of topics which we have debated is remarkable and the discussion on the floor has been scintillating. In a recent meeting, we looked at the political power of words and whether it is possible to reclaim gender slurs. Issues in the news often feature and unsurprisingly the “Me too” campaign has been discussed at several points this term. The debates do not have a rigid, formal structure and this enables our discussions to flow easily. Topics featuring in the media are discussed as well as more niche subjects.

In January, the society welcomed Old Gower Emily Cousens, a lecturer in Politics and Philosophy at Oxford Brookes University. Emily has written pieces for the Independent and she gave a fascinating talk to the society.

We would like to thank Emily for giving her time and Miss Heaton who has run such an inspiring and interesting society.

Gender Politics Society

— Contributions by Alicia Bickerstaff (Transitus)

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L EC T U R E S A N D SPE A K ER S

The EPQ, or ‘Extended Project Qualification’, is a self-managed project undertaken by a large number of Year 12 and 13 students across the country. There are several types of EPQ: students can write an argumentative dissertation, conduct a research project, put on a performance, or create an artefact. All EPQs require substantial independent research on a chosen topic and demand that students plan, execute and evaluate strategies tailored to their own individual projects. As such, the EPQ is seen as a good option for students who are self-motivated, intellectually curious and well-organised. Moreover, final project submissions are typically close to, if not at the level of, undergraduate work.

This year’s EPQ cohort at UCS have produced a number of fascinating projects across a wide range of academic subjects. Having completed their written projects between September and March, students gathered at the end of the Spring Term to formally present their work to parents, fellow pupils and teachers. The event was a great success, with

candidates delivering a number of articulate and insightful presentations, and audience members commenting on the high quality of displays. Highlights among this year’s offering included work entitled ‘How do behavioural economies dictate consumer spending decisions and behaviour?’ by Phoebe Lever, ‘Is feminism compatible with textual Islam?’ by Cameron Glynn and ‘Are active modes of transport the future of sustainable transport in cities?’ by Joshua Paul.

I have been delighted by the standard of work and I am already looking forward to seeing what topics our next cohort of students choose to research.

EPQ Presentation Evening

— Contributions by H. Hardingham

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SU BJ EC T EV EN TS

In February half-term, a group of Transitus students spent a few days in Montpellier in the South of France. They were accompanied by Mrs. Hess, Mlle. Alomapey and Mr. Button. The purpose of the trip was to improve students’ confidence in speaking French as well as to develop a wider cultural awareness of life in France. The students stayed with French families in Montpellier and attended language classes every morning. At other times, they went on guided tours in Marseille and Nîmes as well as taking part in cookery classes with a Michelin starred chef in a local restaurant, participating in a pétanque competition and exploring the street art of Montpellier.

Students benefited from the immersion in the French language and they enjoyed the range of newexperiences offered by the trip.

The group showed a positive approach throughout their stay in Montpellier and their teachers appreciated the good humour and excellent behaviour of all the students at all times. Well done to all the group!

Transitus French Trip To Montpellier

— Contributions by S. Button

“I loved the cookery course we did in Montpellier. We made Vegetable Tombée and it was

great being in the kitchen and speaking French.”

Rudy Brass (Transitus)

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SU BJ EC T EV EN TS

For several amazing days, accompanied by Mr. Mee and Miss Birchenough, we walked the streets of Paris, visited numerous art galleries and sampled some of the sight of France’s capital city. Breathing in the sights and smells of Paris, walking past market stalls and shops, we felt like we were in a Monet or a Renoir.

Mr. Mee rates the Louvre as his 74th favourite art gallery and it was easy to see why he is not a fan. The main hall is suffocating but it is the world’s largest and most visited art museum and whilst we did see the Mona Lisa, pieces by Géricault and Delacroix were more interesting in my view. Our visit to the Musée d’Orsay, a short stroll over the Seine from the Louvre, was my highlight of the trip. I loved the Realist and Impressionist paintings. Olympia by Manet is an impressive painting in its composition and colours, and looks so much better in the flesh – he almost scores the canvas as he jabs and parries in oil paint.

The Panthéon in the Quartier Latin was also a highlight. The building is inspired by Greek

and Roman architecture and is one of the most decorated churches I have visited. Inside, it is even more breathtaking: coming from the busy, bustling streets of central Paris, the stoic silence of the interior is palpable. Even when whispering, it seems as if your voice is echoed through the foundations of the building, and all the way up the top of the dome.

It was an eye opening trip – there is nothing better than seeing art in the flesh. Thank you to Mr. Mee and Miss Birchenough and as they say in the films, “We’ll always have Paris!”

Transitus Trip To Paris

— Contributions by Joseph Lihou (Transitus)

“Paris is always a good idea…”

Audrey Hepburn

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SU BJ EC T EV EN TS

As a Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine classroom at London South Bank University, we were invited to celebrate the Chinese New Year at an evening gala in February. It promised to be an unprecedented chance to be immersed in the festive atmosphere of the Chinese Spring Festival and to be exposed to the diverse Chinese culture. Our hopes were surpassed! We saw a tremendously varied programme of shows which included singing, martial arts, Chinese folk dancing and Chinese orchestra.  The Gala also featured unique Chinese traditional decorations and gorgeous stage and sound effects. Pupils and parents alike enjoyed being transported to this magical world for a couple of hours and to sample the traditions which are not easily taught in a normal classroom environment.

This has whetted the pupils’ appetite for learning more about Chinese culture and I know many are excited about our forthcoming trip to China in

October. With a record number of pupils opting to study Mandarin in the Lower Remove next year, these are exciting times in the Modern Languages Department.

UCS Celebrates Chinese New Year On The South Bank

— Contributions by M-P. Maggioni

“The evening was so interesting. I have never

seen anything like it but the martial arts performance

was my favourite.”

Ryan Voecks

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‘Work in Progress’ Shows Dazzle in Lund Gallery

Our Transitus Pre-U Product Design students conducted individual practical research tasks over the Christmas holidays and completed further experimentation in the first two weeks of the term. The first ‘Work in Progress’ exhibition highlighted their endeavours. Their final major piece of work will result from the starting points presented in this exhibition and tasks varied from creating structures incorporating tessellation, nature and biomimicry to exploiting the patterns in snow to form new interlocking designs. Students exhibiting were Alex Clarke, Amber Cohon, Ashley Cluer, Cameron Steel, Charlie Aveline, Dylan Brooks, Edward Reader, Ethan Lam, Jake Longhurst, James Grossman, Joe Powell and Mia Geddes and we are already extremely excited about seeing how their work develops in the months to come.

The second ‘Work In Progress’ exhibition of the term displayed work from the Transitus pupils studying Art. This show helped me to develop my work by pushing me further within my project and ideas in order to create an exciting result for the gallery. This forced me to produce something that could be easily viewed, installed and would allow others to gain different insights into my work. Now, after the show I believe that it did help me to develop ideas and will hopefully lead me to create many more exciting and abstract works of art in the future. Moreover it was also very valuable to gain a better understanding of others’ work from different sets and even within my own. Personally, Antony Addington’s paintings stood out due to their impressive composition and unique use of a wooden material rather than a canvas. Likewise Maisie Laddie’s hanging sculptures were very intriguing due to her mixed media and use of bright and lavish colours which enticed me as the viewer to want to find out more.

Art And Design On Show

— Contributions by S. Slater — Contributions by Ashley Cluer (Transitus)

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SU BJ EC T EV EN TS

In January, Miss Lloyd organized for a group of pupils to go to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new play, ‘Imperium Part One: Conspirator’. The play, adapted from Robert Harris’ ‘Cicero trilogy’ by Mike Poulton (famous for his adaptation of ‘Wolf Hall’ for the BBC), focuses on the life and times of the Roman politician Cicero, who was the underdog in a consular election in 63 B.C., and his rise to power. The play dealt with interesting (and rather questionable) acts such as bribery and corruption, presented in a well dramatised way (although it was slightly let down by lots of mistimed banter between characters in what was supposed to be a political drama!).

The audience was treated to a full on-stage band and a giant golden globe (symbolising Rome’s potential dominion over the world), hung above the performers, as well as a stage that rose from and descended back into the floor. Although it was rather long (three one-hour acts separated by 20-minute breaks), we all had a great time – it was definitely worth getting back at midnight from Stratford-upon-Avon! We would all like to thank Miss Lloyd for organizing and leading this wonderful outing.

Latinists Head To Stratford Upon Avon To Experience Roman Conspiracy

— Contributions by Daniel Kohn (Upper Remove)

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SU BJ EC T EV EN TS

UCS MUN has enjoyed an all-time high of pupil involvement this year. Our debates have covered a huge range of issues. From the serious to the amusing, from wildlife conservation to unifying Europe, the MUN coordinators have provided a stimulating range of topics which have encouraged delegates to think on their feet and these have produced first class lunchtime debates.

The “MUN year” built to a climax this term. On a snowy long weekend in March, 19 UCS pupils spent three days displaying their best parlance, pragmatism, and puns at the annual Haberdashers’ Aske’s MUN conference. This event is a great opportunity to show the strength of our club against 40 other schools, including St Paul’s and Benenden. Our delegates had spent hours preparing their resolutions, and we had a record number of UCS resolutions debated. Impressively, three of these were selected for the General Assembly which meant they were heard by over 400 people. Feedback on our delegates’ performances

was effusive, and although UCS pupils won three awards, all our delegates should feel proud of their efforts.

Nonetheless, huge congratulations go to the following people: Noah Grodzinski, who managed to pass his resolution on PTSD in front of all 400 delegates; Ben Goren, who presented his resolution in the General Assembly with only a few seconds’ notice; Jason Khan, who won Highly Commended delegate; Mackenzie Kerson, who won Distinguished delegate for her work on the Human Rights committee; and lastly to my co-leader Zara Elstein, who won Distinguished delegate on the fierce Security Council.

We are very proud of everyone involved and hope for many more MUN-related successes in the future.

Record Number Of UCS Pupils Feature In Model United Nations (MUN)

— Contributions by Michael Kohn (Sixth)

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SU BJ EC T EV EN TS

UCS Reach World Finals in Weizmann Safe Cracking Competition

In February, a team of Transitus physics students, Jack Baum, Louis Cutner and Amir Rahman, took part in the National Safe Cracking Competition which is held every year at Dulwich College. The competition is run by the Weizmann Institute and pupils are asked to use their knowledge of physics to design a safe for other teams to crack. The team, who competed under the name ‘Geared Up’, finished second out of twenty-three teams and were rewarded for this success with a place at the world finals which were held in March in Israel. The team enjoyed the Israeli competition and their safe, which had been further developed following the qualifying rounds back in the UK, was well received

by the judges who were also extremely impressed by the pupils’ knowledge of physics. ‘Geared Up’ managed to crack approximately half the safes in the field but the competition was eventually won by a team from Slovenia. The competition closed with an exhibition of all the safes and some fascinating academic talks and a tour of the Weizmann Institute where the teams could see some cutting edge science in action. There was also just enough time to include visits to Jerusalem and Jaffa before returning to the UK. This is the first year UCS has entered the competition and we all agreed it has been a fantastic experience. Congratulations to the team on making such a successful debut.

UCS Reach World Finals Of Safe Cracking Competition

— Contributions by H. Franks

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SI X T H FOR M

The Spring Term is extremely busy for the Sixth Form at UCS. With external exams looming we aim to offer our students time away from the demands of their A level courses every Friday in period 1, a period known as Six1. Typically, pupils will either undertake an activity, learn a new skill or hear from an outside speaker. A recent carousel of such activities has seen our pupils choosing from varied options like ballroom dancing, street cookery and vinyl music appreciation. In addition to socialising as a year group, these sessions have also given everyone valuable experiences and the chance to reflect and relax at school. They have also enabled pupils to see their teachers in different settings. We all knew that Mr. Cork is a phenomenal dancer but who could guess that our Head of Sixth Form, Mr. Chapman, was such a fan of the Eagles?  

Earlier in the year, we welcomed a broad range of visitors to deliver talks to the pupils in Six1. These talks addressed a diverse range of topics which we feel are relevant and interesting. A talk on Student Finance, which had a particular focus on how student loan repayment works, proved popular and in a different talk, the students benefited from hearing from a volunteer who works with a local homeless charity. Another talk looked at body image and self-confidence and another was given by an adventurer who had just completed a bike trek through the Amazon Rainforest. We believe that offering a well-planned and varied programme helps to keep our Sixth Form students interested, informed and happy. 

Trekking, Dancing And Street Food – All In Friday Period 1 With The Sixth Form

— Contributions by R. Johnson

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SI X T H FOR M

On Friday 23rd February, three pupils delivered the inaugural “Frognal Talks” to their peer group based on areas of personal research and interest. Michael Kohn presented on “Mozart or Muskets: the use of sound as a weapon”, Jack Naftalin on “Three Times Sport Overcame Racism” and George Spooner on “What Makes Someone Evil?”. Each talk was around ten minutes in length and had the audience gripped. Michael, George and Jack have blazed a trail we hope many pupils will follow. 

In March we hosted our second International University Fair, where we welcomed 34 international university representatives from institutions across USA, Canada, The Netherlands, Israel, France, Italy, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand alongside organisations that support international applications such as Sporting Elite and UES. Over 20 local schools were invited and over 200 guests attended, creating an international ‘buzz’ in the Great Hall. Jason Smith from UES delivered a talk on standardised testing for

American applicants and we received some excellent feedback from parents, students and the university representatives about the productive conversations held. In addition to this Fair, many institutions have come in to talk to students throughout the year, alongside an internal ten-week ACT course held for Transitus students which, due to its success, we hope to run again next year. The number of students applying overseas at UCS has risen steadily over the last five years with record numbers accepting their offers at universities. Our current 2017/18 American applicants have now received offers from MIT, Columbia, UPenn, Chicago, UCLA and Parsons School of Design and we are still waiting for more offers to come in. Students have been equally successful with applications to Canada with multiple offers from McGill and Toronto. Congratulations to all those who have received offers.

Frognal Talks And Overseas University Fair

— Contributions by H. Levy, A. Hurst & R. Johnson

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SI X T H FOR M

The Spring Term can be a tense time for university medical applicants. Places on the best courses are like gold dust and it is apparently normal for pupils to be kept waiting until the last minute despite fantastic predicted grades. However, this has not been the case this year as all the UCS medical applicants in our year received offers well in advance of the final day. One of us even received three offers (all from Russell Group universities) which is apparently extremely rare!

The road to medical school is an exhausting one and for most of us began last summer with numerous placements in various medical institutions punctuated by bouts of preparation for the two aptitude tests used by medical schools (UKCAT and BMAT). UCS hosted an invaluable revision day helping us to prepare for the UKCAT and we then began revising for the BMAT papers. Much of this was carried out in Friday afternoon

enrichment lessons and a former doctor supported our work on two of the paper’s sections whilst UCS teachers helped us prepare for section 2. This contains an hour’s worth of science questions which have to be completed in half that time. Once we were through these exams, our preparation for interviews was aided by several mock interview evenings run by the school and by various talks given by members of the medical professions. The headmaster also gave lengthy practice interviews.

All that remains is for us to make our offers in the summer but we all hugely appreciate the effort which so many members of the UCS community went to, to support our applications. Rest assured, should the NHS dissolve, we promise to offer reduced rates to these people for our private practices!

UCS Medics On CourseFor Success

— Contributions by Michael Aarons (Sixth)

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PA RT N ER SH I PS A N D OU T R E ACH

This term, every Sixth Form student has spent their Friday afternoons taking part in a community volunteering project. I chose to help with conservation work on Hampstead Heath and, despite the arctic conditions, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Is has shown me that donating one’s time and energy into maintaining parks and recreational areas can have a truly positive impact on society. The work over the last two months highlighted how difficult it is to maintain the standard of the parks and that perhaps those who enjoy and use them, take them for granted. I have been inspired by the regular work and care taken by the regular volunteers and I will now be actively taking more care of my local green spaces when visiting and using them.

The range of volunteering options available to us was fantastic. Many students worked in different charity shops, where they would assist members of the charity in any way they could and ease their workload. The volunteers would attend to the customers as they came and went from the shops. Other students volunteered in local primary schools and acted as teaching assistants.

The latter were very popular placements and my friends enjoyed their work in the classroom and helping out in sports and outdoor activities at breaktimes. A number of other pupils worked in care homes and some put their IT skills to good use by running workshops on how residents could make better use of laptops and mobile phones.

All the volunteering options that were offered to us were extremely enlightening and we all enjoyed putting something back in to our local community.

Sixth Volunteer 2,000 Hours Of Service To Local Community

— Contributions by Cameron Yousefian (Sixth)

“Volunteering has provided a welcome break from studying! The pupils in the primary school have

been so much fun to work with and I hope I can do something like this

when I’m older.”

Raaid Fateh (Sixth)

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PA RT N ER SH I PS A N D OU T R E ACH

Working with schools and people outside the UCS foundation is an important aspect of life at UCS. This term, Mr. Hind organized for a group of Transitus and Remove pupils to act as maths mentors to pupils from Westminster Academy (WA). The aim of this programme was to stretch the mathematical skills of WA students and push their thinking to the higher end of the spectrum, helping them to achieve higher grades in their GCSEs and, for the younger pupils, supporting their preparation for the Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad. Despite the early morning starts (we would meet at WA at 7:50!), the pupils from both schools got on extremely well, conversing with each other following each week’s session, and there were plenty of laughs over the course of the morning.

It was a great experience to mentor at WA and I believe that both the mentors and mentees have gained invaluable skills and experience which can be put to good use in the future. I personally enjoyed working on the Olympiad problems the

most. It was great to see how the pupils thought about an extremely challenging problem which pushed them out of their depth and more towards something they are more likely to see in the real world. It was also amazing to work with a whole host of students and see how many more ways there are to solve a single problem!

I would like to thank Mr. Hind for organizing this opportunity and WA for providing such great croissants!

Croissants And Circle Theorems – Maths Breakfast Club At Westminster Academy

— Contributions by Amir Rahman (Transitus)

“It was great fun! The pupils that I taught were really

bright, friendly and they also helped us a lot as well.”

Alex Burns (Remove)

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PER FOR M I NG A RTS

The Bullingdon Club has an infamous reputation for extravagantly anarchic behaviour. The club, reserved for ‘elite students’ at Oxford University, is the inspiration for Laura Wade’s  POSH – this year’s Middle School play. It was originally (and deliberately) staged to coincide with the eventful 2010 general election – in which many former Bullingdon club members became leaders of the country’s government.

In POSH the society is renamed as The Riot Club. In a private room of a countryside pub, The Riot Club gather for an overdue dinner. Their evening soon takes an unexpected turn – over privileged, well educated and hungry, they want a revolution.

Drawn from Lower Remove, Remove and Upper Remove, the students were auditioned in September, and having prepared over the course of the Autumn and Spring Terms, finally performed at the end of February. The play is in two acts and, for

the first time at UCS, there were two separate casts, with each character being played by two actors, one per act. The cast worked hard in rehearsal to fully realise the casting device; each pair of actors worked collaboratively to build their character – noticing the differences in their interpretations but mirroring finer details, gestures and intonation.  Throughout the entirety of the rehearsal process, the cast approached the production with a disarming level of enthusiasm. Outside of the rehearsals, many students developed backstories for their roles, others studied video footage of politicians as inspiration for their characters. Their sense of ownership and pride in the show was palpable.

The Riot Club Holds Revolution In The Lund

— Contributions by R. Baxter

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PER FOR M I NG A RTS

Early in the Spring Term, a group of boys from Shell, Lower Remove and Remove united as a company to perform Shakespeare’s stormy comedy – The Tempest.

Widely considered the final independently penned Shakespeare play, The Tempest is often performed with a focus on ageing and retirement – a literary farewell to the stage delivered by an elderly Prospero painfully aware of his own mortality. Our adaptation, however, was a revamped, fast-paced version of the classic play, featuring a live onstage band, a paint-splattered island, drunken sailors and huge amounts of mischievous magic.

The soundscape of the magical island was entirely imagined by Transitus student Cristina Catania-Flores. It was incredibly exciting for the band to work on Cristina’s original score and the collaboration between musicians and actors to create an ‘isle full of noises’ was a marvel to behold. This hour-long edit of the original text focused on the humour and trickery of the play, entirely

tailored to the matinee audience of 9–11 year olds from local primary schools. Indeed, one suitably rainy afternoon, the Lund was packed out with excited children, ready to be swept away into a break-neck whirlwind of the fantastical. Eugene Cohen, as Prospero, ruled with great gravitas and was accompanied by three dynamic, energetic Ariels in the form of Sebastian Bibby, Thomas Round and Ben Miller. Miranda and Ferdinand (Levi Brown and Lucas Burnett) charmed audiences young and old alike, whilst Caliban (Emilio Revel-Chion) both entertained and horrified.

The cast threw themselves into the challenge of this ambitious production with humour, energy and imagination, attacking the notoriously difficult language with unflinching delight, and delivering some of Shakespeare’s most quotable lines with ease and aplomb.

Mischievous, Magical TempestCaptives Audiences

— Contributions by R. Baxter

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PER FOR M I NG A RTS

UCS chamber groups have rehearsed hard all term in anticipation of the South East Schools’ Chamber Music Festival. Early on in the term we were all fortunate to have a special coaching session from Tim Horton (piano) and Gemma Rosefield (cello) – two thirds of the celebrated Leanore Trio. Our piano trio (myself, Tim Lee and Nicolas Sanschagrin) were hoping that Tim could help give our interpretation of the Dumky Trio by Dvořák that extra bit of something special. He certainly succeeded and moved our performance onto a new level.

Later on came the qualification rounds. Seventy eight groups from sixteen schools performed in front of head adjudicator Richard Ireland, a well-known chamber musician and Professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Fantastically we found out that, despite the fierce competition, three of the UCS groups had reached the Festival Concerts: ourselves, the Verran Clarinet Trio (David Verran,

Jaren Ziegler and Charlie Tyler) and the Hopkins Flute Trio (Sam Hopkins, Sasha Adam-Grylls and Leo Sassoon). The Festival Concerts took place at the renowned St. John’s Smith Square on Tuesday 13th March and featured lots of wonderful music performed by some incredibly talented chamber groups from some of the country’s other leading schools. The whole competition was a great learning experience for me and everyone else who took part. I would like to congratulate all the groups on their success and many thanks to the UCS staff who helped to prepare us. I am already looking forward to next year’s festival!

Success For Trios In Chamber Music Festival

— Contributions by Monty Charles (Upper Remove)

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PER FOR M I NG A RTS

This term saw the start of a new set of curated or themed lunchtime concerts at UCS. In addition to the general instrumental or year group concerts, I thought it would be brilliant to bring an extra-educational and contextual aspect to a few concerts and they have been warmly received by our audiences. The series started in January with Breathtaking Baroque which gave us the chance to showcase two of our wonderful school keyboard instruments: the beautifully decorated harpsichord and the mighty organ which dominates the northern end of the Great Hall. The concert concluded with Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto Op. 10 No. 2 and Jovana Pepic played beautifully, evoking haunting colours where required and dramatic flourishes elsewhere.

The Mighty Modernists concert challenged concepts of ‘music’ with experimental pieces by John Cage, Pauline Oliveros and Christian Wolff. The audience was amazed and perplexed by Wolff ’s Sticks which essentially involves making sound with sticks! The A level pupils took complete

ownership of John Cage’s Living Room Music, performing on teacups and biscuit tins.

The final concert of term was dedicated to International Women’s Day and took music, solely written by women, from beyond the periods of the previous two concerts. This included a piece by Hildegard of Bingen from the 12th century and one by Jemima Cedar written a year ago! Daniella Adams also showcased a wonderful instrumental piece by Rebecca Clarke and the concert concluded with everyone taking part in Meredith Monk’s Panda Chant with appropriate freedom and abandon.

I am extremely grateful to all of the pupils who took part in these concerts. They are a fabulous showcase and offer performance opportunities and an oasis of culture in the middle of the day and are hugely appreciated by staff and pupils alike.

Themed Lunchtime Concerts

— Contributions by S. Walton

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SPORT

As Easter approaches and the UCS football season draws to a close, I would like to reflect on some superb performances from both individuals and teams alike, and we should be incredibly proud of the results we have achieved against some strong footballing schools. Everyone who has represented UCS this season on the football pitch should be delighted with their contribution, regardless of the level they have played at or the result of the games.  However, some teams deserve a special mention.  At the time of writing, the Under 16A team have won all their matches, scoring an impressive 31 goals in the process. Guy Lane has been the standout player for the team, and scored a scorcher after receiving a call-up to play for the 2nd XI against Latymer Upper. The U15A team have won an impressive seven out of ten matches, with Eliyar Johnson-Parsadoust, Jojo Lewis and Martin Burns deserving a special mention for their performances.

However, the team of the season is probably the 2nd XI. They have been outstanding and have one of the most successful Senior School records in recent times. At the time of writing, they have secured six wins from seven games and their

only defeat came in extra time in the London Cup quarter-finals. The boys have thoroughly deserved this outstanding record and the strength in depth in our top footballing squads has been quite remarkable: players have moved seamlessly between the 1st and 2nd team, and none of the 2nd XI players have looked out of place when asked to play for the top team in the school. In the first 2nd XI fixture of the season, against Whitgift, the team demonstrated everything you would want to see in a very talented footballing side; the first half saw some of the best football I’ve witnessed at UCS, with the ball being passed out from the goalkeeper and defence, into midfield, all without the opposition getting near us. It really was a joy to behold. Being a cup game and being 2-1 up, we came under pressure in the second half, but the resilience and determination of the side was incredible, particularly from captain Dominic Lewis and Jack Lass, both at centre back. It was more of the same against City of London School and it became apparent as the season wore on that our 2-1 win against them was probably our best result of the season.

UCS Football Season Review

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SPORT

On the London independent schools’ football circuit, City have been commented on as a “brilliant” team this year, so the 2-1 victory UCS secured over them looks better and better each week. Tiwa Akinjide, Sam Lewis and Jordan Conn were a constant threat on the break, with their pace and outstanding dribbling ability, and Aleksa Zizic filled in superbly well in goal for the injured Noah Percy-Imber. Dulwich, Latymer Upper, Colfe’s and Highgate were all easily dispatched, with Max Preston scoring a contender for Goal of the Season in the Highgate derby as they were brushed aside 5-1. A game against Berkhamsted is still to come and the 2nd XI know a win will really put the icing on top of the cake. The players have been a joy to coach. They have been great fun, fully committed to the task in hand, and have performed at an outstanding level week after week. Rarely have I been prouder of a group of players in a team at UCS. Well done!

UCS Football Season Review

— Contributions by O. Bienias

“It has been a brilliant season for the 2nd XI and everyone has played their part but my highlight was Max Preston’s

absolute worldie against Highgate!”

Dominic Lewis (Sixth)

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SPORT

The Spring Term kicked off with a fantastic 4-1 away win against Wellington College. The game was Mayi Hughes’ first match as captain and she led from the front scoring all four goals. Girls football is growing in London independent schools and UCS hosted Francis Holland School (Regents Park) for the visitors’ first fixture of the season. Despite UCS having six shots on target in the first half, the game ended 0-0, with a defensive masterclass on display from Francis Holland. In our first game after the half-term break, UCS travelled to Westminster School and despite a few senior players being absent due to injury, we came away with a 4-0 win – and vice-captain Rosie Inwald was awarded the Player of the Match prize.

March started off with a brave performance versus

City of London School for Girls, this time playing six-a-side. After an exciting first half with several chances saved, UCS were unable to break down City and unfortunately lost narrowly.

The Transitus girls played their last game of the season and showed great resilience against Forest School. Captain Mayi Hughes got on the scoresheet twice, finishing the season as leading scorer with eight goals from five games, though despite an exciting first half the team lost 3-2.

The Sixth Form still have one final game to play and we hope they can end the season with a win against Notting Hill and Ealing School.

Girls Football

— Contributions by M. Mohamed

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SPORT

I have been delighted by the superb effort shown by both the 1st and 2nd VII throughout the season. The weather has conspired against us somewhat but the girls have shown commitment and resilience throughout. The 1st VII were captained by Sadie Barr, and her unparalleled enthusiasm and dedication to the team has been greatly appreciated.

Leading by example, Sadie motivated the squad in the face of defeat, and glowed with pride in the wins… And winning was all the 1st team did in the Spring Term, beating both local rivals SHHS and Highgate! The game against Highgate was particularly memorable as it was the last match for our Sixth Formers. Clarice Willis has been an excellent Goal Attack and Goal Shooter throughout the year, and her goalscoring from all areas of the semi-circle in that match was particularly impressive, leading to a huge 24-9 victory. Like Sadie, and all our Sixth Formers, she will be hugely missed next season.

Luckily there is considerable strength in the Transitus year. Mayi Hughes has stunned with her dynamic athleticism which makes her virtually unmarkable, Ellie Berg has shown her tremendous versatility and dominance in defence, and Ashley Cluer’s speed and unrivalled capacity to turn defence to attack, coupled with her exemplary attitude, afforded her selection as Netball Captain next season. Ella Roeser, Nancy Sarif, Lydia Stokes and Juliette Stokes have all played some outstanding netball this season and their relentlessly positive and determined approach to the sport has been hugely appreciated by their coaches.

It has been a privilege and pleasure to train all the girls this season; what a talented, fit, hardworking, and joyful group of young people UCS netballers are. We’re already excited about next season!

1st VII Finish Season In Style With Crushing Derby Win

— Contributions by C. Hawes

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SPORT

Shell Boys Make Rugby Sevens Debut

The Under-13 Sevens team played in three tournaments this year. It was initially quite a challenge as none of the players had competed in Rugby Sevens before. The first tournament was at Berkhamsted where they faced teams from England and Wales. UCS were nervous going into it having not played Sevens before but their confidence grew when Jasper McNally-Drew scored within the first couple of minutes to level the scores against a tricky opposition. UCS’s defence was strong but the opposition managed to break through and win the game in the dying minutes. In the second fixture UCS bounced back from being 10-0 down to level at 10-10 but yet again the opposition managed to break the seemingly impenetrable defence in the closing moments. We were annoyed to not come

away with victory. In the next game, we lost to a very strong school but the side had learnt a huge amount from the whole competition. In our next tournament, UCS won their first game against St Johns with a brilliant performance from the whole team. Lenny Knight and Zac Robinson scored twice each, so it was positive for UCS to their first Sevens win under the belt.

In the final tournament the pitches were covered in snow which made playing extremely difficult. UCS were beaten in a tight game against Oakham but could not get close to Brynteg in the second match. The season ended on a high with a fantastic 25-10 win over KES Birmingham. The team are already looking forward to playing more Sevens next year.

Rugby Sevens

— Contributions by Hugo Kinder (Shell)

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SPORT

The annual UCS tennis trip started at 11:00 on a grey Sunday morning. We met at school and headed to Luton Airport for our flight to Spain. The flight was delayed but we were all very excited about learning new tennis skills and experiencing the wonders of La Manga.

As you would expect from the trip, our days in La Manga were full of tennis! We usually awoke at about 8:30 and after a breakfast in Luigi’s restaurant, we would head to the tennis centre for our morning session. These sessions were skills based with each day corresponding to a specific key shot in tennis. The sessions would finish with

a fun game and we all enjoyed the intensity of these! After lunch, our sessions focused on match play and towards the end of the week we had a tournament which even the teachers competed in. We all learnt so much and the trip was a tremendous success. I also really enjoyed our mini golf competitions. We all had a great time and I would like to thank Mr. Thomas, Mr. Bienias and Mr. Hind for taking us during the half-term holiday. I hope there will be another trip next year.

La Manga Serves Up Some Valuable Tennis Experience

— Contributions by Hugo Kinder (Shell)

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SPORT

In March, the UCS Under-13 table tennis team finished as runners-up in the National Finals of the English Schools’ Table Tennis Butterfly Team Championships. The team of Toby Crawcour, Ben Barbarash, Jacob Zakaim, Max Conway, Oskar Gershfield and Tommy Lyons arrived at the competition in a quietly confident mood having secured their place in the finals after smoothly progressing through the London and the subsequent South of England heats.

The team played Carlton le Willows Academy from Nottingham in the first round and the match was tight throughout and finished 4-4. There are no penalty shoot-outs in table tennis and drawn matches are decided on counting the number of games won by each side. This gave UCS an 18-15 victory and the team took their place in the semi-final. Their opponents were a strong team from Sacred Heart Catholic School, Southwark and with UCS leading 4-3 it was down to skipper Toby

Crawcour to secure the victory in the last match. A drawn match would have given Sacred Heart the win as they had actually won more games on countback but with nerves of steel Crawcour won by two points to take UCS into the final.

Alas this was one step too far. The team played extremely well against St Mary’s College from Hull but lost 5-3. The boys were competitive against players ranked far higher than themselves and Ben Barbarash even beat an opponent ranked twenty places above him. Over 200 teams entered the competition and finishing in second place was a remarkable achievement for the team. The team wished to thank their coach, Zoltan Koszo, and their teacher, Mr. Enemuwe, for giving up so much time to work with them.

UCS Finish Second InNational Table Tennis Cup

— Contributions by E. Roberts

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SPORT

Horseback riding is an isometric exercise, which means it uses specific muscles to stay in certain positions, in this case keeping balanced on the horse. It’s a full-body workout and helps to increase balance and improves posture.

Last term, ten intrepid students from the Transitus and Sixth Form chose to take part in horse riding as their Games option on a Wednesday afternoon. Every Wednesday, we took the short journey from UCS to the London Equestrian Centre which proved to be a perfect countryside setting for equestrian tuition. The ponies were wonderful. They have lovely, steady temperaments and within a few weeks our pupils progressed from a shuffling walk to a confident canter, culminating in gymkhana games and some fierce competition.

Some students had never sat on a horse before but it was fantastic to see how their confidence and self-belief improved during the sessions.

Opportunities to handle horses, tack up and groom were offered after pupils requested to learn basic stable management and proved to be a hugely enjoyable experience. Horse riding is offered on Wednesday afternoons every term at UCS and I look forward to seeing more pupils try this demanding but rewarding sport in the future.

Equestrian Takes Off At UCS

— Contributions by K. Anthony

“Through riding, I felt as though not only my posture

but my confidence was changing.”

Inigo Gunning (Sixth)

“I learnt a lot about not just riding but also how to

handle horses.”

Gertrude Gray (Sixth)

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AS SORT E D ST U DEN T N EWS

Borisov Aims For British Summer Championships in the Pool

Earlier this term, Alex Borisov (Upper Remove) qualified to swim in the 200m breaststroke, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley events at the British Championships held in Edinburgh. Sadly, the snow brought by “the Beast from the East” meant that Alex was unable to travel to Edinburgh but he has now set his sights on securing qualifying times which will enable him to compete in the British Summer Championships in Sheffield. Alex has masterly balanced a demanding training regime with preparing for his GCSE exams which start in May. He trains nine times a week with his local club (Camden and Swiss Cottage) and he also participates in school competitions. He recently travelled to compete for the Middlesex County team in a gala in Paris and we look forward to hearing how he fares in the summer. Alex will continue to swim next year and hopes he will be able to study in the USA in the future to help him further his swimming career.

Rugby Players Enjoy Successful Season With Premiership Academies

Whilst sport in the Middle and Upper School is predominantly focused on football this term, our leading rugby players have continued to represent their academy and county sides. Daniel Roche (Sixth) plays in the front row for Wasps Under-18 Academy. The team made it to the Premiership final but were narrowly beaten by Saracens. Joshua Naftalin (Upper Remove) and Oscar Cryer (Upper Remove) have represented Middlesex and Joshua has also played for London Irish. They unfortunately were narrowly beaten by Harlequins in a recent match but Joshua was pleased that he was able to set up a try after a quick counter attacking kick-and-chase move. Joshua hopes to continue to represent London Irish next year.

Swimming And Rugby

— Contributions by E. Roberts

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OL D G OW ER N EWS

Itamar Biran (OG) Makes First Appearance in Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang opened with a magnificent display of fireworks and a show of unity between Korean athletes from north and south of the border. It was a spectacular and groundbreaking Games but one highlight for many in the UCS community was seeing Itamar Biran (OG 2009–2016) race in the men’s slalom and giant slalom. Itamar represented Israel and finished 49th in the giant slalom. Throughout Itamar’s time at UCS, he combined studying with a demanding training regime in Les Houches, France. During the winter months, Itamar used to complete assignments online which enabled him to keep up with his studies at UCS and he was carefully mentored throughout this time by members of the school’s pastoral team. Itamar commented, “If it wasn’t for UCS, I wouldn’t be the athlete that I currently am and I would therefore not be able to make my childhood dream of becoming an Olympian.” Itamar hopes to start university studies in the USA next year and we hope that we will see him at Beijing 2022.

Gabriel Pogrund (OG) Wins Young Journalist of the Year

A former members of Flooks, Gabriel Pogrund (OG 2007–2012), who currently writes for The Sunday Times, picked up the Young Journalist of The Year Award at the recent Press Awards. After leaving UCS, Gabriel studied for a degree in Geography at University College London before pursuing a career in journalism. He spent time with the New Statesman, Shortlist and Ha’aretz and initially moved to The Sunday Times to work on their features desk before joining their newsdesk as a reporter. Congratulations, Gabriel, on your prestigious award!

Old Gower News

— Contributions by E. Roberts

“I will always see UCS as being a happy and special chapter of my life – and I

am incredibly grateful for the role it has played in shaping my career.”

Gabriel Pogrund (OG)

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OL D G OW ER N EWS

After 25 years away from UCS around half the 1993 year group returned to Frognal for their reunion on 18th January. The event saw them reunited with not only each other but also former staff and even current staff in Mr. Wilkes, who when addressing the group remarked how their class reunion really put time into perspective! Mr. Wilkes also assured them that while time has passed and new buildings have arrived the ethos of the school remains very much the same and they would most certainly recognise a school day in full swing.

Daniel Glatman was then called up to receive a present from the Headmaster in thanks for the sterling job he did encouraging his peers to come along to the reunion. In the words of one of his classmates: “I was nervous about coming but I really enjoyed myself.”. The Old Gowers savoured a true trip down memory lane enjoying canapés and drinks in the Refectory where they would have taken their meals back when they were pupils here. We hope to see many attendees at other Old Gower events in the near future.

The Class Of 1993 Reunion

— Contributions by L. de Bie

“Despite feeling quite old catching up with the class of ’93 it was a delight to be able to welcome them all back to UCS. It was a real

pleasure to be able to make a small presentation to Dan Glatman by way of thanks

for the amazing work that he had done to get so many of the year together. He hasn’t

changed a bit!”

A. Wilkes

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OL D G OW ER N EWS

The 1st March saw 85 Old Gowers, Former Staff and Staff take shelter from the red weather warning in the Refectory to enjoy the 142nd Old Gowers’ Annual Dinner. Dinner started with a whack of the gong by Captain of Monitors Cameron Yousefian and we all enjoyed a three-course dinner, with the addition of a cheese and port course this year! We had the pleasure of HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Robert Voss CBE (OG 1964–1971) joining us as guest of honour. Robert was kindly introduced by Philippe Bobroff (OG Club Treasurer) at the end of his update on club and school activities since last year’s dinner.

Robert then spoke about three stages of his life: his time at UCS, his early business career and his retirement, which has so far not been as quiet as he had imagined after being appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire by the Queen herself.

Listeners had an insight into the role, which Robert is incredibly proud of. After which, Alex Karlsson (pupil) gave a great rendition of Paulatim with all enthusiastically singing along! It was a rousing way to end a wonderful evening.

The Old Gowers’ Annual Dinner 2018

— Contributions by L. de Bie

“It’s always great fun to catch up and share stories with

some of our former pupils. Behind the sharp suits and

impressive job titles, none of them have really changed!”

J. Cooke

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