Sports Day 2019
May 29th 2019… Four ‘houses’ gathered on Hall Meadow, at the front of Concord College, each one with the House Cup in their sights. The athletes from each house readied themselves. The runners made their warm-up rounds, the javelins and shots were readied, and all the while spectators looked on with anticipation, waiting for the starting gun, the whistle, the call, that would set the events in motion. As javelins pierced the crisp air and the sprinters bolted across the field, the atmosphere could only be described as electrifying, as the energy from the crowd was felt by each and every person present. Wild yells and cries of encouragement, joy, and frustration all merged into a melting pot of excitement.
The events of the day included javelin, shot put, running races of various distances – both sprinting and long distance, relays, and tug-of-war. All the while, flags of the various house colours could be seen fluttering over a sea of red, green, yellow and blue shirts. From the faces on the athletes, you could tell that everyone was giving it their all, and this competitive spirit resulted in some high-octane and thrilling action in almost all of the events. A vast majority of the events were also extremely close, with some of the races even having highly controversial or unexpected results as to who won.
This intense competition was also reflected by the overall results for the day, with Pankhurst just being able to dominate Sports Day overall by just about a hair’s breadth. However, the overall House Cup victors for 2019 turned out to be Mandela. The reaction from the Mandela students was unlike anything I personally have ever seen. However, being a Mandela boy myself, the unbridled ecstasy was completely and utterly relatable. Regardless of who won and lost that day however, the perfect balance of competition and sportsmanship shown made Sports Day 2019 a truly unforgettable experience.
Luke – 6.1
Calling all upcoming directors
On the 9th April, at the end of a fairly warm day, Concordians gathered in the theatre to watch the highly anticipated ‘House Film’ competition. The room was tense, electrified with excitement to see what each house had ‘cooked up’. What I have come to realise about Concord students, is that we are a fairly competitive cohort. Always looking to produce and present the best. So, that was what I was particularly looking forward to seeing, the best…
The rules of film were simple. All the houses had to include the line “You mean they never told you the tale”, and each film could not surpass 6 minutes. Although the time limit was constraining, the films were nothing but entertaining. Each house was uniquely presented, with each story line cleverly built. I could tell that the film was a medium for Concord’s buzzing film directors to show their talent, and who knows – it may be just the beginning for all the future Steven Spielbergs.
The night did not disappoint! We started off with the giant Gandhi’s spooky-horror film. Gandhi’s film was comically enriching, with a gripping story line about the At Hoc app. With Mr Kerslake’s guest appearance and a clever plot twist at the end, Gandhi brought the audience to tears, tears of laughter of course.
Next up was the mighty Mandela. Mandela’s film was an inspiring tale. Cleverly threading the theme of positivity, as it discussed the problematic habits teenagers often possess. For this next term, it acted as a nice reminder to remain positive, especially in the upcoming exam season which can be extremely stressful.
Then the titan, Teresa. Teresa’s film was nothing but inspirational. It talked about courage and gave personal anecdotes from teachers and students. It reminded all of us to stay strong and be courageous, which is something we all need to hear from time to time.
Lastly, came the powerful Pankhurst. Pankhurst’s film transported us into an alternate universe where we were grouped in set classes based on academic abilities. It touched us all, as it discussed problems such as bullying and stress, problems that many teenagers face. Although it discussed seemingly dark topics, it did not fail to make us laugh and smile.
It was incredible to watch the bursts of creativity packed in short six-minute films. It made me realise the vast range of talents Concord students have, and it definitely touched my inner Steven Spielberg seeing such raw innovation. I look forward to seeing what Concordians will come up with next year, but until then, I’m content with this year’s fantastic films.
Emily – 6.1