THE HARROVIAN VOL. CXXXI NO.15 - Harrow School
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THE HARROVIAN
VOL. CXXXI NO.15 February 2, 2019
THE LARAMIE PROJECT into the lackadaisical owner of a local bar and the bumbling
cyclist who found the body of Matthew Shepard. Matthew
Bradbys and West Acre House Play, Ilomuanya, West Acre, acted characters ranging from a young
Ryan Theatre, 23 and 24 January DJ, to an outspoken old woman, to a timid member of the gay
community in Laramie. The contrast between the characters
Bradbys and West Acre performed their production of The of Sam McGougan, Bradbys, presented a particularly difficult
Laramie Project on the evenings of 23 and 24 January. The job, but he nevertheless provided an assured and impressive
play focuses on the true events surrounding the brutal murder performance both as the young male bartender and the middle-
of a young gay student, Matthew Shepard, in a small city called aged and concerned Cathy. Perhaps most significantly, Tom
Laramie in Wyoming, and how the community there responded Latham, Bradbys, had the job of playing both the killer and
to it. All characters portrayed in the play were real people and the victim’s father, both of whom he executed with impressive
the lines are predominantly things that they said, which made contrast and emotional nuance.
for an unusual sense of realism and gravitas. Perhaps the most
interesting aspect of the script itself is that the majority of lines
are characters telling the story directly to the audience, with
only a handful of scenes showing any interaction between the
characters. Theatre enthusiasts will recognise this breaking
of the fourth wall as a “Brechtian” technique, meaning the
audience should be primarily aware of the story and the lessons
of the play rather than being sucked into the realism too much.
In short, this was an extremely abstract and ambitious script
to take on for a House play and credit must go to MGP for
managing to pull it off.
This abnormality was immediately apparent upon entering
the auditorium, as the audience were confronted with not only
a semicircle of chairs facing them, but also a projector screen The ensemble nature of the play i.e. the cast were all on
looming over the stage. From looking at the programme, one stage throughout, and had a large job to do in conveying the
could see that each actor in the cast had three or four characters community of Laramie and how it responded to the tragedy.
to play, and one perhaps pondered how such frequent costume One moment of particular note was the touching end to the
changes would work. It soon became apparent that each cast first half of the show, when the lights dimmed to a faint glow
member had an identical base costume (a plain black shirt and as each cast member passed their chair along a chain of people
trousers) and added other items of clothing or accessories, all of to the back of the stage, all to the backdrop of some calm and
which were located in a box under the actor’s chair, to denote simple folk music. This moment was effective as it reflected
ther change of character, all of which took place right in front a community striving to function in a time of rare heightened
of the audience’s eyes. This had the desired “Brechtian” effect emotion. This moment meant that instead of sitting on chairs
of pulling us out of the drama so that we could focus on the facing the actor speaking, the ensemble were sitting on their
social and cultural issues that the play treats. costume boxes facing away from the speaker, which gave
the impression of a community of people turning away from
one another in the times of tension that were portrayed in the
second half.
This production had a lot to do justice to – the topics of
homophobia and fatal hate crime are not ones you can simply
tiptoe around – yet everyone involved tackled the task with a
maturity. Ms Watson worked her usual magic in doing a lot
with a little in terms of costume and set design, whilst Mr
Bubb and Mr Kinsella set the mood perfectly with lighting
and sound and projection design respectively. MPG directed
his debut House play with the ambition and skill to break away
from normal theatrical conventions, which of course must be
commended; finally, huge credit must go to the cast for their
The spotlight of this play was very much on the character work commitment to the project (even if their accents did begin to
of the actors, which in itself was made far more difficult by the fade towards the end of the play). Hearty thanks for a touching
distinctive rural Western American accents of Wyoming. The and thought-provoking experience.
cast, however, dealt with this challenge splendidly, in some cases The collection at the end of the performance was £277.84
displaying an outstanding range of acting skills and emotional in aid of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which was set up
depth. Examples of this included Archie Rowlins West Acre, after Matthew’s murder in Laramie to foster a more caring
who kicked the play off with a bombastic black police jacket and just world; to share his story and embody his vigour for
and an impressively accurate accent, giving us an introduction civil rights to change the hearts and minds of others to accept
to the nature of Wyoming and its people, before transforming everyone as they are.
February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N
THE GLOBE area and finding out how they really do need to fill the space
around them with their singing. The boys were sure that the
15 January tourists passing through would have loved their singing!
Colin very kindly allowed the boys some time to take photos
On 15 January, after only being back together for a week in and selfies on the stage, as it is not every day you get to stand
School, the cast and crew of this year’s Shakespeare production, on the most famous stage in England. APC said a few words
Twelfth Night, went on a day’s visit to the Globe theatre where, and thanked Colin for giving up his time. The boys thoroughly
on 24 March, they will be performing. Led by APC and WJC, enjoyed their workshop and we hope they will not have forgotten
this was promising to be an exciting visit with a workshop with everything they have learnt by the time the performance comes
professional actor Colin Hurley. round in March.
After a short coach journey into London, we were welcomed
at the door of the Globe and taken down into practice room
where we met Colin. After some brief introductions, the cast
and even crew got involved in some theatrical activities that ALEXANDER SOCIETY
were meant to help the cast aclimatise to how the Globe stage Vaughan Library, 22 January
will feel like. The crew were then taken away by Mr Leach to
have a look round the technical parts of the Globe stage. One On a blustery Tuesday afternoon, JPM enlightened the Alexander
of Colin’s main goal was to make sure he never took off his Society about the Battle of Lepanto, which some historians have
glasses, which caused much amusement when the cast would claimed to be the high-water mark of Ottoman power. The battle
screamed “Colin!” ach time he did, causing APC to jump. was described by Fernand Braudel, arguably one of the greatest
However, another of Colin’s theatrical aims was to help the cast historians of Mediterranean, as ‘the most spectacular military
understand the different levels of dialogue. What he meant was event in the Mediterranean during the entire sixteenth century.’
that when you deliver a line, is it to yourself (first circle), or to It involved over 450 galleasses and galleys, and resulted in the
one other person (second circle) or, finally, to a large group of death of over 40,000 men, at the time the second-highest body
people like an audience (third circle)? After elaborating further count of any single-day European battle. According to one
on this point, the cast were thrown into some activities designed Venetian source, in the hours after the battle, the Mediterranean
to test their new-found knowledge of levels of dialogue. After turned red with blood.
focusing on the vocal side of acting, Colin moved on to the Throughout the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the
physical side and explained how the way you move and where powers of Christendom were increasingly alarmed by Ottoman
you stand in relation to the other people on stage can really expansion. JPM explained how the Ottoman Empire had become
emphasise and exaggerate the tension in some moments. For a great power: the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 had sent
example, Colin described a production in which he saw two shockwaves through Christendom, making successive kings
actors on the stage confronting each other but they were at each and popes tremble at the prospect of Ottoman invasion and
side of the stage facing each other. Because of the distance, he subjugation. Ottoman conquests from the reign of Sultan Mehmed
said that even the smallest movement had a big impact on the the Conqueror (1451–81) through to Suleyman the Magnificent
audience, whereas if two people are face to face, everything (1520–66), gave them territory in Europe, the Middle East and
is a bit all over the place and chaotic, with no control in their North Africa, as well as control of the Eastern Mediterranean.
physical language. The immediate context of the Battle of Lepanto is rooted in
We split into pairs and were given the task of saying one the reign of Ottoman Sultan Selim II (1566–74), who attacked
of our lines from the play to our partner while either moving the Venetian island of Cyprus in 1570. From Cyprus, Christian
forward, backwards or to the side. The relevance of this was corsairs were intercepting shipping between Istanbul, the imperial
the movement would exaggerate what kind of tone you were capital and the valuable Ottoman provinces of Egypt and Syria.
implying with that line, whether it be confrontational (move The attack on Cyprus, which was Venice’s wealthiest colony,
forward) or defensive (move backward). Colin then emphasised triggered the doge to seek assistance from the papacy. Pope
how it was not only how you moved that mattered but also Pius V responded with the formation of the Holy League, an
when you moved. For example, an actor might say their line alliance of Catholic states including the Spanish Empire, Venice,
and then move to be more mischievous, or move to possibly the Papal States, Genoa and other lesser Christian powers. Don
get away from a situation. To finish off before heading up onto John was made admiral of the Christian fleet, and its success
the stage, we split into groups of three and tried out our new at Lepanto is often attributed to his leadership skills.
physical skills; one trick here was that when we moved we had As Don John sailed across the Mediterranean to assemble
to keep in a triangle, which was obviously be easy as it was his fleet in Sicily, news arrived that Famagusta, the last
three people, but it was also to help one’s spacial awareness remaining Venetian stronghold on Cyprus, had finally fallen to
and illustrate that one should always move with a purpose and the Ottomans. The Holy League’s engagement of the Ottoman
not just for the sake of having a stroll across the stage. fleet in September 1571 was therefore really a revenge attack
It was time to step on to the Globe stage itself. The boys on the Ottomans by a combined Christian fleet who had arrived
lined up behind Colin although there was arguing between too late to save Cyprus.
Harry Lempriere-Johnston, Druries, and Théodore Seely, The The Holy League lined up in the Gulf of Patras with fewer
Head Master’s, to see who would be the first Harrovian at the ships and men than the Ottomans, but on their side they had
School onto the stage since Benedict Cumberbatch in 1994. In six state-of-the-art galleasses (of which four were stationed
the end, Lempriere-Johnston won, but everyone got their fair at the head of the fleet) armed with more cannon. The battle
share of entering and exiting the stage later in the day. On the commenced at noon on Sunday 7 October. Don John commanded
stage, the boys practised the skills they had learnt and started his monstrous galleasses to advance and fire point blank at the
to really understand the sheer size of the theatre and how, Ottoman fleet, which broke the Ottoman formation. The battle
wherever you stand, somebody in the audience will not be able was described by JPM as being a ‘mêlée’: it was really an
to see you. Various entrances were practised, and some group infantry battle on floating platforms, as the aim of both sides
work was completedo help boys understand how to deliver was to crash their galleys into enemy ships and use soldiers to
lines with levels in mind, and how each part of the audience is capture them. During the battle, the flagship of Muezzinzade Ali
qually as important. To end, WJC took over for a few minutes Pasha, the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman fleet, was captured
to practise some of the musical elements of the production. and his head was mounted on a spike at the front, alongside the
This went well because the boys were just aclimatising to the banner of the Holy League, crushing Ottoman morale.
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T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019
Two hours after the initial engagement, the Ottomans were late at night, lit by the full moon, and the innocent young girl
defeated, even though the elite Turkish Janissaries fought to worrying over the bird and its wellbeing.
the death. Allegedly, they had run out of ammunition and The phrase “substitute ghost” is not a phrase many people
resorted to throwing oranges and lemons at their enemies. By use, mainly because MPS invented it and, as he revealed later,
the end of the battle, there were 25,000 Ottoman and 15,000 is his favourite type of gothic literature. The substitute ghost is
Christian dead. For decades, the Ottoman Turks had terrified when the ghost is not actually real but only a person pretending
Europe, but Christians rejoiced at this setback for the infidels. to be a ghost. It was later in the 19th century when the substitute
Lepanto was a rare and important opportunity for the Roman ghost really took off, with such novels as The Ghost’s Walk,
Catholic Church to show that Christendom was still united and 1853, and, in MPS’ opinion, the greatest substitute ghost of
potent, in spite of the Reformation. JPM suggested that, for this them all, Miss Havisham in Great Expectations by Charles
reason, the battle’s significance has perhaps been exaggerated Dickens. Pip, a young boy, comes across Mrs Havisham who
by successive generations of historians. Today, the battle is had a ‘figure of a young woman, and… now had shrunk to skin
widely remembered in Christian countries but receives little or and bone.’ This was obviously not a ghost but a living woman
no mention in Recep Erdogan’s “neo-Ottoman” modern Turkey. but she looks like a ghost, behaves like a ghost and haunted
A classic example of victors writing history. Pip’s life like a ghost. It was after the substitute that Edgar
Allen Poe published some short scary stories that all contained
either madness or science, which are both very real, making
them even more spooky! Poe also invented the detective genre,
SHERIDAN SOCIETY which did not have supernatural elements so sometimes led
The Victorian Ghost, 17 January to anti-climactic endings like in the Hound of Baskervilles,
according to MPS.
With the lights dimmed low, the eyes of Sheridan glowing The ambiguous ghost became a thing in the turn of the 20th
beneath a ghost like sheet, Harry Lempriere-Johnston, Druries, century, when it was all about the ghost moving inside the head
playing the Moolight Sonata first movement on the piano… this of the protagonist. This was all loosely based on madness and
was scary and MPS hadn’t even started his talk. As the doors lunatic asylums, as the ghost was merely psychological. This,
of the OSRG closed off the outside world, Bach’s Fugue in again, proves how real ghosts are no more and that the substitute
D minor began to play, and the lecture begun. To begin with, and ambiguous ghost have taken over gothic literature. But
MPS briefly explained how he would be looking at the idea there are still a few ghost novels that came out in the early
of the Victorian ghost in a broad sense, covering more than 20th century, and MPS ended with a short reading from Oh
the Victorian era. Whistle and I’ll come to you My Lad by M R James, 1904. He
Frankenstein, 1816, Dracula, 1889 and Dr Jekyll and Mr ended with: “In a very few moments it seemed to know that
Hyde, 1886, were the three novels MPS listed as the books the bed was empty, and then, moving forward into the area of
he guessed the audience were probably thinking of when they light and facing the window, it showed for the first time what
thought of gothic ghost stories. All these were written in the manner of thing it was.”
19th century, which just goes to show how the 19th century was MPS did apologise if anyone wasn’t able to sleep that night
a scary time. MPS outlined how most ghost/gothic films are set due to nightmares but, apart from that, MPS really did put
in the 19th century. For example, Susan Hill’s The Woman in on a great show, even wearing his white tie, which suited the
Black is set in the late 19th century–early 20th century. Many Victorian theme.
have tried to modernise the ghost by haunting computers but, as
MPS said, there is just something about the fog, the smoke, the
horse’s hooves and the gas lamps that are spooky. Everybody
knows one or two ghost stories, but the question is where did
they come from and how did they begin? MPS elaborated on
this point and pointed out how writers such as Dickens, the
Bronte’s and Wilkie Collins all play with the supernatural. The
gothic period came about because novelists were influenced by HINDU SOCIETY
Romanticism and wanted to stop writing with their heads and Diwali Dinner, 12 January
start writing with their hearts. Of course, fear is an emotion,
hence the gothic theme we see today. Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year for
MPS then turned back the clock to the 18th century, where Hindus and is about celebrating the victory of good over evil.
gothic literature really began. It was here that we see the classic Although festivities associated with Diwali last for around
ghost stories with the clanking chains, bleeding nuns and sheeted a week, Diwali day itself celebrates the return of Ram (an
ghosts that we all know and love! Such books with this classic incarnation of the deity Vishnu) and his wife Sita, along with
ghost story include The Monk by Mathew Lewis, 1796, and The Ram’s friend Lakshman and his ever-loyal aide Hanuman, from
Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, 1782, where giant bits of exile from their city of Ayodhya by the malicious King Ravan,
armour appear from the sky and crush people. MPS then read who is famous for his unmistakable ten heads. This day changes
from Vathek by William Beckford, 1782, wose ghouls certainly each year according to the lunar calendar so that it occurs on
sent shivers down a lot of the audience. However, MPS then the darkest night of the month. Diwali is often referred to as
outlined how, with the turn of the 19th century, gothic novels the Festival of Lights as it remembers people putting oil lamps
became much more scientific: Frankenstein, for example, has out to help guide Ram, Sita and their companions safely home.
no ghosts but is a creation from science. MPS explained how On Saturday 12 January at around 7.30pm, The Connoisseur
science is scary! Creepy laboratories and mad scientists meddling was blessed by the presence of Fr Nic, Mrs Tivey and their
with forces they can’t handle; this was the new scary! Science daughter Elle, along with 11 boys from Elmfield, Lyon’s, The
had been the main theme of scary fiction since Dr Jekyll. Even Park and The Grove. We enjoyed the most wonderful evening
in the mid-18th century there were ideas of science being a of good food and even better company. Fr Nic explained the
part of a scarier theme than t actually was. MPS presented us delicate process of how a “true gentleman” drinks a sour lassi,
with a painting by Joseph Wright, 1768, depicting a bird in much to our amusement. At the end of the meal, the society
an air pump with the scientist, family and others around it lit wished the staff a happy Diwali before we proceeded to thank
by a lamp and moonlight. This depiction outlined some of the our host, Fr Nic, for a wonderful meal. We are already looking
key points of science fiction, with the mad scientist working forward to next year.
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February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N
WESTWOOD SOCIETY see an item they like but forget about it when the piece hits
Charlie Casely-Hayford (Druries 1999³), Inside the the shelves months later.
Using their experience, the father-son duo moulded their house
Fashion Bubble, OSRG, 22 January in a unique way, focusing on craft rather than consumerism.
Casely-Hayford strove to merge ready-to-wear and made-to-
Last Tuesday, the Westwood Society welcomed OH Charlie measure clothing by taking modern fashion and applying it
Casely-Hayford (Druries 1999³) for a fantastic inaugural lecture: to the bespoke world. A customer can walk into their store,
‘Inside the Fashion Bubble’. After leaving Druries in 2004, he pick out a piece they like and choose from 3,000 different
went on to study at Central Saint Martins, known as one of the materials to create the perfect piece for them. For example,
best fashion schools in the world. At the early age of 22, he in their last collection, one of the coats was limited to only
founded international brand Casely-Hayford with his father, the 15 pieces! Because every piece of Casely-Hayford clothing is
acclaimed British fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford OBE. He unique and exclusive, they garnered international recognition
has undertaken international styling projects, working with such from celebrities and artists.
key figures in the music world as Nas, The xx, and Sam Smith.
In addition, celebrities and artists including David Beckham,
Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Drake have worn
his pieces. He was named one of GQ’s 50 best-dressed men in
Britain in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and one of the 40 best dressed
men in the world by Esquire in 2017.
Many thanks to Mr Casely-Hayford for giving a wonderful
insight into the usually closed-off fashion industry. Thank you
to Callum Jones, West Acre, for organising the first of, we hope,
many Westwood Society talks.
While at Harrow, Charlie always had passion for art and
was taught by beaks such as SNP who helped to carve out his
future path in fashion design. Partly because of the limitations
CASPIAN SOCIETY LECTURE
on school uniform at Harrow, he was initially unaware of the “Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis”
impact of personal fashion. At Saint Martins, he saw how like- MLS, 17 January
minded people would experiment with different clothing and
styles, changing their looks day in and day out. He learnt how Before I inform you of last week’s Caspian Society lecture,
powerful clothing can be in shaping one’s identity. I would first like to give some background and information
After learning the fundamentals of fashion design at Saint to help you better comprehend the Azeri-Armenian situation,
Martins, he, along with his father, went on to open their own which was one of the topics touched upon by the speakers.
fashion house in 2009. They founded the brand on the idea of Some readers may remember the inaugural talk of the Society
duality and how two generations together can create a better in 2015, delivered by Dr Garen Arevian, who spoke on the topic
product. Wanting to branch out to celebrities and artists to of the Armenian genocide in 1915, which was systematically
promote the brand, he began styling the British band “The xx”.
He would style everything for them, from their photoshoots to
their tour outfits. Soon after, he was approached by hip-hop
artist Nas, followed by singer Sam Smith. The Casely-Hayford
brand started to be sold all around the world in stores such as
Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and United Arrows. By putting his
collection in stores before showing them off in an expensive
catwalk, it allowed Casely-Hayford to gain a larger client base.
There was a time where David Beckham happened to walk into a
store one day and buy one of his pieces; the very next day they
had completely sold out. Another time, Drake’s stylist bought
a graphic sweatshirt, spreading their brand name even more.
Casely-Hayford didn’t do a runway show until 2015, six
years after they were founded. Although they finally gained perpetrated by the Turkish government at the time. The audience
a client base to show off their clothing to, organising catwalk were told of the major contributing factors leading up to the
shows still came with challenges. Not only can the price vary genocide and the abhorrent parallels between the Holocaust
from £50,000–£5 million, but the clothing shown on stage is and the Armenian genocide. Dr Arevian began by outlining
also not put on shelves until months later. This delay allows for the history of the Armenians and how they rose to become the
fast-fashion brands like Zara to copy pieces seen on the runway dominating ethnic group of the educated middle class in the
and sell them at a tenth of the price, before luxury brands even Armenian region (occupied by the Ottoman Empire). Under
have a chance to take them to the market. The annual Paris the order of Talaat Pasha, Armenians could be legally deported
Fashion Week was once an exclusive event to see ix months of without reason and any region with an Armenian population
a brand’s work condensed into a nine-minute show. However, exceeding 5% of the populace was eligible to be targeted for
this formula has been broken in the digital age; consumers may ethnic cleansing. After the “dust settled” after the collapse of
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T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019
the Ottoman Empire and thus the end of the genocide, almost who supplied arms to both nations) and they now control 9%
98% of the Armenian population had been eradicated (before of Azerbaijan’s territory, excluding Nagorno-Karabakh. In the
the genocide there were three million Armenians). Moreover, same year, two Azeri women were violently raped by Armenians
Adolf Hitler in fact drew inspiration for the Holocaust from this during the invasion, angering the Azeris and leading to further
genocide and employed many techniques used in the genocide in bloodshed. As mentioned, the Armenian genocide has further
1930s Germany e.g. publicly demeaning Jews by forcing them to impassioned Armenians to unite their peoples. Atrocities, lies
wear stars. Perhaps, though, the most sobering element was that and violence worsened the ongoing war. Efforts made by the
Hitler saw that little action had been taken by the international international community to restore peace were to no avail.
community actively to punish the Turks for the genocide and, Eventually, it was Russia who pressured the nations to sign a
in fact, there are still many Turkish historians, backed by the ceasefire and fighting stopped in 1994.
government, who deny the genocide ever occurred. However, However, this was not the end of it. As recently as 2016,
international relations involving Armenia have recently resurged Armenia claimed Azerbaijan had launched an attack, killing 18
and this was one of the major focuses for last week’s Caspian Armenians and 12 Azeris. Both governments have created their
Society talk. own versions of the attack and deny various elements of each
The Caspian Society met for the first time this term on other’s stories, despite the visual and photographic evidence. The
Thursday 17 January to hear a talk from Abdulla Abdulla-Zada, talk finished, and questions were welcomed by the speakers. One
Moretons, and Anar Hajiyev, The Head Master’s. They began by member of the audience asked whether Azerbaijan would accept
providing the audience with some background information about the result of an official referendum in the region. The answer
Azerbaijan and explained how the Nagorno-Karabakh war came was clear from both speakers. There was no way Azerbaijan
to be. Azerbaijan is a relatively new nation that first emerged would cede Nagorno-Karabakh. Both speakers were firm in
after the fall of the Russian Empire and declared independence their beliefs and defended their opinions valiantly.
on 28 May 1918. The nation’s first leader was a man called After a fascinating and truly thought-provoking talk, the
Mammad Amin Rasulzade, who is regarded as the national leader audience was invited to eat some traditional Russian pirozhki
and the founding father of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s situation provided by KAF, followed by the Azeri dessert delicacies
was unique – it was the first democratic nation in the Islamic called pakhlava and shekerbura, which were swiftly devoured
world and subsequently the first to allow women to vote. Its and enjoyed by all. We would like to thank both Abdulla-Zada
independence was officially recognised by the victorious Allies and Hajiyev for a very compelling talk, and KAF for arranging
at the Paris Peace Conference. Unfortunately, this independence both the talk and the food.
was not to last and Azerbaijan was soon occupied by the Red
Army in late April 1920. The invasion is simply seen as a
Russian re-occupation rather than the conquest of one power by
another. After a drastic political reorganisation by the Soviets,
Azerbaijan was then hit by Stalin’s merciless “Great Purge” PIGOU SOCIETY
of the 1930s. The leader of Azerbaijan’s Communist Party was Dr Rami Ranger (CBE), OH Room, 24 January
devoted to Stalin; he was incredibly obedient and followed
commands without hesitation. Azerbaijan played a crucial role
in the Soviet backlash against the Nazi onslaught as it was the The Pigou Society welcomed Dr Rami Ranger on Thursday night
chief supplier of oil and gas to the Red Army. Not only did to talk about ‘Living the British Dream’. Dr Rami Ranger is
Azerbaijan supply the energy, but they supplied manpower, and an award-winning business-owner, philanthropist and political
almost 40,000 Azeris died in the Second World War. reformer. He started his first business with £2 and now oversees
Azerbaijan’s economic situation worsened when the Soviets the business Sun Mark (turnover £200m), which he founded.
were no longer interested in Azeri oil and looked elsewhere. In 2016 he was awarded a CBE for services to business and
Then, in 1969, Heydar Aliyev was appointed leader of community cohesion, in particular for his efforts to foster
Azerbaijan; his son Ilham is the current president of Azerbaijan. greater social and political opportunities for the British Asian
Aliyev was able to improve conditions and saved the dying community. He is one of the most successful and well-known
oil and cotton industries. Then, in 1987, the winds changed British entrepreneurs and has won multiple awards for his work.
and Heydar resigned; he had little stomach for Gorbachev’s Dr Ranger first introduced us to his early life; Dr Ranger
policies. As the Soviet Union began to collapse, the Nagorno- was given admission to the Modern School in Patiala. After
Karabakh situation resurged and tensions simmered. Calls for the completion of his school education, he went to Mohindra
independence grew louder and on 20 January 1990, attempting College and then obtained a BA degree from the Govt. College
to quell resistance after a protest erupted, Soviet troops clashed Chandigarh. He was brought up by his mother, who was a
with demonstrators. Official figures state that 131 people were teacher. Dr Ranger ceased his studies after reaching the UK,
killed but some estimate that this figure was closer to 300. This where he had gone to study Bar at Law in May 1971. Bearing
day is now recognised as a solemn day of mourning for those in mind that Dr Ranger had no financial support when making
who died. The following day hundreds of thousands of Azeris the tough journey over to the UK, at first he found life in the
took to the streets in mourning and protest. Bear in mind that here very tough. He said that England seemed different in the
the population of Azerbaijan at the time was just 7 million! It 70s – he didn’t find it friendly. As an immigrant, he said that
became self-evident that the Soviet grasp on Azerbaijan had he was treated differently from others and people were reluctant
come to an end. to treat him as an equal.
As Azerbaijan vied for independence from the Soviet Union, Dr Ranger said that his first job was as a car cleaner, scrubbing
the Nagorno-Karabakh war broke out. The war is over a contested away for hours on end. Then he became a cook in KFC. Dr
region that borders Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, only Ranger started his first business in 1987 with just £2 capital,
two nations are fighting for control: Azerbaijan and Armenia. from a shed, shipping cargo by sea, air and land. Since then,
Inter-ethnic clashes broke out and, in an unofficial referendum, has become Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd and Sea Air & Land
the inhabitants of the Azeri-controlled region voted to unify Forwarding Ltd. Both of his companies received the Queen’s
with Armenia. Tensions boiled and fighting erupted. The 1988 Award for Export Achievement 1999 and the Queen’s Award
referendum has been used as justification for Armenia’s invasion for Enterprise 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was
of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh in an attempt to at last appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the
unify the remaining Armenians of the region. In 1992, Armenia 2005 Birthday Honours for services to business and the Asian
launched a full-scale invasion of Azerbaijan (supported by Russia, community, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire
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February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N
(CBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to business areas that they are interested in, but are also actively encouraged
and community cohesion. When Dr Ranger was asked about to research industries perhaps not so well known, and this
his business ethics, he answered, “My work ethics are simple. resulted in an evening where every boy who attended took lots
I only succeed when my customers succeed. I work hard for away in terms of what they may want to do as their career.
the success of my customers, which ultimately becomes my
own success.”
As the talk went on, Dr Ranger pointed out five key attributes
that someone needs to become successful in what they do; self-
respect, work ethic, commitment, vision and having a target for
where you want to get in life and what you want to achieve.
He also mentioned the difference between success and failure.
He stated, “A successful person works hard for the benefit of
others, and failures don’t like to be heard and respected.” He
also said that to be successful you need to face challenges and
find solutions. Dr Ranger told us that when he tried to grow
his first business, forming strategic alliances with other minor
businesses was essential because no big businesses at the time
wanted to merge with him. Dr Ranger stated, “Join forces with
others to become a credible force in the future.” The range of advisers who had given up their Sunday evenings
Even though Dr Ranger became successful in the business side to impart their wealth of knowledge was absolutely astonishing
of things, he also excelled in social and political work. Dr Ranger (76 external delegates in total), and it ranged from the more
is the chairman of the British Sikh Association. This was set up well-trodden Harrovian career paths of law and finance, down to
to stop extremist Sikh organisations from representing the Sikh more esoteric disciplines such as aviation and zoology. In total,
point of view in Britain. He has vigorously argued with these 44 distinct areas were covered. However, it was not merely the
extremist organisations that the Sikhs were created to defend general overview of each industry which was represented, but
the unity, integrity and the basic human rights of every Indian instead some very specific areas: for example over 20 advisers
and not to break them up. Sikh Gurus never claimed a separate on finance careers attended, each specialising in their own part
kingdom for themselves, so why should their followers demand of the industry, from equities and trading advice to corporate
a kingdom for themselves? Dr Ranger, through Sun Mark, has financing and insurance. It was really interesting to speak to
donated more than £1 million to the Conservative Party and each of the advisers as they all had a really clear knowledge of
£25,000 to Theresa May’s party leadership campaign. Dr Ranger their fields, and many were actively involved in the recruitment
was appointed the joint chairman of the Conservative Friends of divisions of their respective companies and thus could offer
India in 2018 with Zac Goldsmith MP, a group affiliated to the real first-hand insights into what they as recruiters look for in
Conservative Party which aims to build stronger links between potential interviewees, both in terms of interviews and in the
the party, the British Indian community and India. broader sense of qualifications and skill sets.
To round things off, he reminded us that we need to learn The advisers who attended were also acutely aware that, for
from others, from their experiences and their mistakes, and many of those in attendance, especially Fifth Formers, this time
to learn the ropes. Dr Ranger explained to the audience that of year is really when major decisions need to be made about
when we are trying to grow our own businesses we will find A level choices, and boys also need to begin thinking about
our own mettle and determination to see the business excel. university courses and the jobs these will lead to. Boys were
He left us with a final statement, “Once you take that first step therefore extremely keen to discover what A levels advisers felt
in business, the rest becomes history.” might complement, or even be necessary for, a career in their
field, and the advisers were only too happy to oblige, and gave
useful tailored advice. While some careers such as medicine
require a fixed set of A levels in the sciences, many advisers,
CAREERS CONVENTION especially in finance and marketing, were keen to stress that
Shepherd Churchill, 20 January doing subjects which you enjoy is the most important thing,
as employers ultimately look at grades and where you went to
On Sunday 20 January, the brilliantly choreographed Harrow university, and many felt that an enjoyment (and aptitude for)
School Careers Convention kicked into full swing as boys from the subject really helped in achieving top grades.
across all year groups descended on the Shepherd Churchill However, not to be outdone were the Heads of Subject who
Dining Hall. turned out to assist any boys still unsure about their choices.
Usefully, the careers team had arranged that the Heads of
Subject for all A levels which boys would not have studied as
subjects at GCSE, such as Politics or History of Art, attended,
so that boys could learn face-to-face what such an A level
entails. Further to this, many other beaks also came along
to provide extra support, such as those from the Maths and
Classics departments, who were happy to answer general or
more topic-specific questions on their subjects at A level, and
careers in general. Finally, the entire Universities and Careers
team attended, which was brilliant as those who were interested
in perhaps not going to UK universities, and especially those
planning on applying to the US, were able to have all their
questions answered in person by the School’s resident expert.
This was a great occasion but could not have been such a
Coming in, boys could see OHs, current and past parents, as success without the hard work of the Careers department in
well as current beaks sitting at the rows of dining tables all the arranging for the advisers to attend, and it would have been a
way to the end of the building. One of the great advantages of dramatic failure had not so many advisers been happy to give up
this type of careers fair is that boys can choose to learn about their valuable Sunday evenings to help out current Harrovians.
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T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019
JUNIOR CLASSICAL SOCIETY OIL
23 January It’s not so easy to give up
On Wednesday 23 January, the Junior Classical Society welcomed Oil. I can already hear the Abrams tanks rolling outside my
William Wauchope, The Knoll, to speak about the trial of Socrates. house as I say that word aloud. In fact, the entire world seems
This is a fascinating topic and Wauchope delivered his lecture to be self-immolating over oil and leading the arson charge is
with style, and was keen to talk not only from a historical point none other than Donald Trump. Many comments have been made
of view but also from the philosophical standpoint that Plato’s about the oil-rich Middle East, but none so inflammatory as
Apology (the main source he used) represents. Trump’s comment that “Saudi Arabia wouldn’t last two weeks
Wauchope began by speaking generally about the legal system without the US.” As oil once again dominates our news, is it
that existed in classical Athens at the time of Socrates: focusing time to relieve ourselves of the slippery burden we have been
on the speeches of the defendant and plaintiff as opposed to carrying for so long? Do we still need oil?
evidential proof, it was very different from the legal systems of First, let’s talk about renewables. Major countries like Germany
today, and it was highlighted during the lecture that it lacked have been leading the way in terms of government investment
any system of legal precedent, and thus attorneys had little in renewable energy, and Iceland is already producing all of its
scope for invoking previous rulings. energy from clean sources; the industry has seen a significant
After this brief description of legal Athenian life, Wauchope boom with the US pouring more and more greenbacks every
got stuck in with describing the life and philosophy of Socrates. year into the development of renewables. It all seems good so
He gave a brief summary of Socrates’ life, describing in depth far; then what’s stopping us from going on a shopping spree
the events that may have led to his prosecution, namely the of turbines and solar panels? The simple answer is cost and
fact that former pupils of his, including Alcibiades, had led a unpredictability; the complicated answer can be found on BBC
coup in Athens that had briefly led to the exile of many of the Bitesize. We in Europe barely see any sun and simply don’t have
leading democrats in Athens, and thus these politicians were the space to create wind farms that can power the majority of
incentivised to get revenge on Socrates. our homes and some countries have already made significant
Eventually, those democrats succeeded in mounting a investments into alternative sources of energy. The most common
prosecution against Socrates, which Wauchope described at and promising alternative seems to be nuclear energy.
length, on the charge of impiety and corrupting the youth. In Nuclear power already accounts for more than 75% of France’s
his lecture, Wauchope stressed the politically motivated nature energy, and there isn’t much force to stop government-owned
of the prosecution, and also described vividly the actual trial EDF or anyone else from producing more. It should come as
proceedings and how Socrates practically goaded the jurors into no surprise that Europe dominates the top 10 countries with
sentencing him to death when he was convicted, by suggesting the largest shares of nuclear energy (France has the top spot,
he be offered a financial reward instead of a punishment. with Belgium and Hungary following with around 50% of their
Wauchope wrapped up his lecture by reading short sections energy coming from nuclear sources). As mentioned before,
from both Plato and Xenophon in which Socrates’ trial is Europe does not have the ideal conditions for most of the
described, which was very interesting as it gave contemporary renewable energy sources and it’s unlikely that after spending
opinions and descriptions of events. After the end of the billions in nuclear energy Europe will back down. Nuclear waste
lecture, the typical truckload of questions was unloaded onto can be safely stored, and Springfield seems to be doing fine
Wauchope, who coped well, answering tough questions on with its nuclear power plant, so what’s to say that Hartlepool
Socrates’ philosophy, Plato’s motives, and whether Socrates won’t be alright?
actually ever existed. However, perhaps this nuclear solution isn’t so tickety-
All in all, it was a great event, and everyone who attended boo after all. France isn’t maintaining the correct economic
commented on its success. It is worth reminding readers that the conditions to sustain nuclear power. Many reactors are closed
Society meets every Wednesday at 2.30pm, and new speakers at the weekends because there is no demand for the power they
are always welcome. are producing, and more worryingly the European Commission
declared in 2016 that France did not have anywhere near enough
funding to cover decommissioning costs (only 23 billion euros
of earmarked assets were present instead of the estimated 74.1
billion required to cover decommissioning). The government
has 85% of EDF’s shares, and this has greatly restricted its
OH WISDOM ability to provide subsidies to renewables, which is essential
for young renewable sources to survive in order to compete
“If you don’t have a little bit of ego you’re not going to get with the dominant fossil giants. Due to the costs associated
very far. All top players have a bit of an ego. It’s about making with renewable energy and the still predominant market share
sure it’s not detrimental to the team or blocking your ability to of fossil-fuels, governments need to pump capital into promoting
learn.” Maro Itoje (The Grove 2011³) renewable energy companies, which helps them to set more
competitive pricing. Assuming these subsidies are effective and
allow renewable companies to increase their market share then
in due course they can be removed as the private renewable
companies experience economies of scale. One of the ways
governments approach this issue of competitive pricing is
through a carbon price; this generally involves the taxing of
carbon emissions and hence taxing fossil-fuel companies more,
thus making renewables more affordable as others raise their
prices to cope with the increased taxes. But either way, through
carbon pricing or subsidies, renewable energy continues to be
a burden on the government and has the potential to take up a
greater part of a country’s budget as time goes by.
On oil’s side, fracking has increased our range of oil and gas
detection, and in the USA, where it was invented and to a certain
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February 2, 2019 T H E H A R R O V I A N
degree pioneered, it has virtually become common practice. on a wide range of important existential, epistemological and
Fracking has increased oil production and has the potential ontological themes, even if they are couched within an explicitly
to become oil’s last hope when scarcity hits. Fracking has the theistic framework. To me, it does not seem unreasonable for a
potential to bring prices down. The world only has about 53 School with very evident Christian foundations to expect all boys
years of oil left, and even though fracking seems to be working, to gather in such a way for one 15-minute service in a week.
have we actually reached all the oil we could possibly find? Regrettably, the correspondence on January 19 treated the
With so many alternatives, it would immediately seem that services on Tuesdays and Thursdays in a homogenous fashion.
oil is now a thing of the past, and if some countries can’t Morning reflections on Thursdays represent far more than a
remove their oil burden then that’s just tough. Oil not only has semantic distinction from School Service on Tuesdays. As
its environmental disadvantages, but it causes political strife as Father Nic regularly reminds us, Houses have autonomy to offer
well, the Middle East was torn apart by our insatiable appetite a reflection in whatever manner they see fit and are actively
for oil. Underdeveloped countries starve as they are unable to encouraged to use poetry, drama, music or other art forms,
import the fuel they require to function. Changing to renewables the latter of which Dr Crowe has employed so memorably in
wouldn’t change much; less economically-developed countries recent months. While boys in some Houses may still choose
would still be unable to afford renewables and might fall into to integrate a Christian hymn, reading from Scripture or other
predatory debt traps, only worsening their situation. liturgical elements, this is entirely at their discretion and
A solution? Well, the only option that (hopefully) has a arguably suggests that many boys find such language helpful
chance of happening is a universal abandonment of oil. I know in articulating their thoughts. It is also noteworthy that, on
it sounds ridiculous, but really, if we just woke up one day and Sundays, boys practising or committed to another religion
just denounced oil, we would end many world issues right then are able to opt out of Chapel and attend Thought for the Day.
and there. But for that to happen, there needs to be a small, Yours sincerely,
but steady shaving down of oil’s domination. More hybrid or MEPG
electric vehicles; where renewable sources can be used, they
should be used; even Mr Burns’ proposition for a thorium GAFFE AND GOWN
reactor seems pretty good at this point. By hook or by crook Quips from around the Hill
we should do anything possible to reduce our dependence on
oil, and one day, when our dependence will be so low, we will “Boys, as I'm sure you can tell, this problem can get very
just leave it by the wayside just like we chuck our rubbish at Lionel.” “It can get what, sir?” “Messi. It gets messy.”
the side of the road.
But would abandoning oil work? Or would we simply be “Boys, what is an adjective?” “Sir, an adjective is a noun.”
replacing the current oil rulers with nuclear or renewable rulers?
What about coal? Saudi Aramco is set to make a massive IPO, “Sir, is the Scottish pound slightly weaker than the Sterling?”
and petrol is still used in my family’s car. With that in mind, I
think we still live in an oily age, and the transition to alternatives
could quite easily take up a significant portion of our lives. Oil
has become such an integral part of global power that to remove
CHESS PUZZLE
it would be to remove decades of political contention, and that The weekly Chess Puzzle is set by JPBH. Email your solutions
would most likely have global repercussions spanning Europe to him to enter the termly competition. Answers are published
and beyond. It would be wonderful if we lived in a clean world with next week’s puzzle.
with not even a drop of petrol in our cars, but I think oil still
has a few years left. The end has yet to come, for oil and for Black to play and mate in 3.
us as humans; nothing has survived the entirety of civilisation,
and oil should be no exception.
CORRESPONDENCE
Letters to the Editors of The Harrovian
Dear Sirs,
The recent letter published in The Harrovian on January 19
highlighted the concern among some boys that Chapel does
not make sufficient attempts to accommodate boys of non-
Christian faiths or of no religious belief and suggested a
mid-week equivalent to Thought for the Day. Commendable
in the letter was the temperate nature of the discussion and
the balance which the author sought to provide. Such maturity
and moderation is often lacking in contemporary political and
societal debates and is certainly worthy of praise. Incidentally,
this sort of enquiry is often brought to the Chaplaincy Council,
which operates with the aim of making improvements to the
School’s chaplaincy provision and ensuring that boys feel well
supported in their time at Harrow.
In response to the letter, however, I would posit that Chapel
is in fact a very unifying experience and enables us to celebrate Last week’s solution: 1.…Qxa1 2.Kxa1 2.Rc1++ 3.Kb1 Nxa3#
our collective values which are underpinned by the School’s
Christian traditions and beliefs. The author’s acknowledgement Fancy playing chess? Drop in to Chess Club – Tuesdays and
that the services are not evangelistic supports the thesis that Thursdays 4.30–6pm in Maths Schools 5. All abilities (boy,
services allow boys of all faiths and none to converge in reflecting beak or support staff) are welcome!
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T H E H A R R O V I A N February 2, 2019
SUDOKU CHURCHILL ESSAY
Persevera per severa per se vera Jack Chen, Rendalls, “Social Media: A Depth-less
Interaction”
Sociality is the lifeblood of civilisation; as the unifying medium
to all communication, it paves the way for complex creation. In
today’s world human interactions are enhanced (perhaps even
controlled) by technology. Upon the body of our gregarious
people, the invention of social media is like an evolutionary
trait: providing us the ability to grow larger social networks
with increased speed. But is this truly a forward step? With all
creation, there are advantages and disadvantages. On a global
scale, social media can change the very essence of communication,
perhaps in an increasingly negative—less human—way.
Size doesn’t matter. It is widely recognised that larger amounts
of social ties contribute to happiness; relative isolation is linked
to reduced psychological well-being. In contrast to what social
media constantly emphasizes, I believe that this is not always
the case. In Jonathan Haidt’s, Happiness Hypothesis, it is stated
that only 150 close relationships are possible. Regardless if
you have 500 or 3000 friends on Facebook, only 150 of these
connections are people you could share moments of intimacy
with. Every person out of this range will not ride the bus with
you when the limousine breaks down, as the saying goes. So I
ask, what is their use? Why does having a web of (superficial)
contacts imply a sense of superiority? The answer is function.
Personally, I like to imagine this concept as an urban sprawl
(the buildings as the people). The installations of a new pool,
LINGUISTIC CHALLENGE restaurant, or movie theatre in your living community evokes
pride, even though you use these facilities very little. Having
The UK Linguistics Olympiad is taking place on Thursday 7 ostentatious recreational options are envied by some. As the
February at 4pm in the Butler Centre. Boys from Shell to Upper metaphor implies, the act of embedding oneself into an egocentric
Sixth can still enter by getting in touch with HKJ. Entries for sprawl of relationships is almost a status symbol. Knowing many
Advanced Level (Sixth Form) have closed. people (in a utilitarian sense) conveys the fecund accessibility
Here is a question from a recent paper, with the solution to one has towards possible ventures, whether it be for business,
follow next week. fun, romance, etc. Thus, many unhealthy vying attributes to
the functional aspect of relationships are introduced; social
media platforms are flamboyant mouthpieces for social power.
Ilokano People are quantified by social media. Not only is it a source
of competition, it comes to define the person. In the adolescent
Ilokano is a member of the Austronesian language family, spoken world, first impressions are no longer made face to face. Now
by about 10 million people in the Philippines. it is face to screen. People (myself included) meet potential
The list below contains Ilokano verb forms and their English friends via online platforms; to get an idea of their personality we
translations scroll through posted content. On these profiles (using Instagram
1. dinaldalusanda they were cleaning it as an example), two things are more prominent than the rest:
2. bimmasata we (with you) were reading followers and likes. She has over 300 likes, so she must have lots
3. linablabaanyo you (pl.) were laundering it of friends. She has so many followers; she must be fun. These
4. gimmatingda they were shopping numbers can display the size of one’s social network, but the
5. dinalusanta ida we (with you) cleaned them individuals the numbers embody our equally as significant; the
6. pinukkawyo ida you (pl.) called them people you connect with are the building blocks of your online
7. simmagadkada they were sweeping reputation. It is a sublime fact that a person can be summed
8. pinukpukkawmi ida we (with them) were calling them up by numbers on a phone screen—often incorrectly. Due to
9. ginatgatingta ida we (with you) were buying them the power social media has on one’s image, content is usually
10. pinunaanda they wiped it displayed in a strained counterfeit of idealisation. This births the
11. timmakawta we (with you) were stealing image issue: editing bodily aspects of photos, posting exciting
12. limmabakami we (with them) were laundering events to enthral, (and in extreme cases) buying followers to
13. dimmaluskayo you (pl.) were cleaning paint a fake image of popularity. These platforms force our
14. tinakawmi we (with them) stole it minds to categorize people via statistics before we even meet
them, eliminating the human aspect from socialising. While
The Challenge contributing to a fraudulent society, it is the heart of stress for
Translate into English: many individuals around the world.
a. binasayo The sturdy presence of friends can provide strong emotional
b. sinagsagadanta support during times of trauma, but online contacts give false
c. pimmukkawkami figures. The endurance to stress is buffered by the perceived
availability of social support: the buffering hypothesis coined by
Translate into Ilokano: Cohen S. and Pressman SD. I believe that social media emphasizes
a. they were stealing them the abundance of such an emotional buttress, leading to better
b. we (with them) laundered it psychological well-being. In contrast to this theory, I also think
c. you (pl.) were wiping internet-based networks worsen isolation. Although an army
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