2 The Head Boy‟s

Christmas Message

3 European Day of

Languages

4 Exclusive interview

with Sarah Moulai

5 Berlin Poland Trip

6 Mo Bros

7 Moulin Rouge

9 Dwain Chambers

10 The 2012 Games

11 Opinion

12 Competitions

I909 was a good year: construction began on

the Titanic, Woolworths first opened its

doors, and the Hitchin Grammar School

Chronicle was born. Sadly, they all

succumbed to the same sad misfortune,

despite being celebrated and revered in their

own time.

So today is a day to celebrate: like Kim

Clijsters, The Chronicle is back.

Our aim is to keep up-to-date with all the

many splendid things that go on at HBS, as

well as to provide a forum for discussion and

debate concerning hot topics of the moment.

The Learning Platform is an ideal medium for

this, allowing newspaper staff to publish,

share and edit work, as well as enabling

readers to browse and comment on what

they see.

Thus The Chronicle moves into the

information age. We will, however, look

forward to publishing an easy-read copy

every term, containing the best bits

(downloadable from the school website), as

well as an annual, full- colour, super shiny,

glossy magazine edition at the end of the

year.

Bear with us as we try out new styles

and formats, but we are very grateful for

any suggestions on how we can improve

(see our competition inside).

We hope to emulate the old magazine by

covering such cutting edge stories as those

that featured in the original 1909 edition:

“Who is it who has recently brought

disgrace on the Sixth Form by submitting

to a severe thrashing?”

“I see the formation of a Rifle

range has not yet been

suggested...perhaps we could set it up in

the Plantation” [I think they could be onto

something there.]

“In your last number, I think there

were some suggestions of a Hockey club

being formed. I think many boys would join

in.”

The students have worked extremely

hard on getting the project up-and-running,

and have sacrificed a great deal of their

own free time. We hold our breaths and

look forward to seeing the Chronicle take

flight.

PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES

The original Chronicle

„Introductory Note‟

“The Magazine appears

for the first time. Its

aim is not only to record

the doings of

the various clubs and

societies, but also to

knit together in pride

of their School, and in

common fellow feeling

to one another, all who

have at any time been

connected with this

ancient Foundation.”

The Chronicle The Hitchin Boys‟ School Magazine

C a n y o u d e s i g n a n e w l o g o a n d t i t l e ?

Movember Madness

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES INSIDE!

The month of November saw the bravest male members of staff ditching the

razors and donning some designer stubble in aid of men‟s health, specifically

raising money for prostate cancer. Some of the most flamboyant and, let‟s

face it, ridiculous specimens can be seen inside, as well as on the Learning

Platform. If you would like to make a donation in support of these stupendous soup strainers

(and if you‟d like to check out images of the more camera-shy), then please visit:

http://uk.movember.com Thanks to Mr. Lipscombe for leading the way and making the biggest fool of himself for such

a worthy cause. He was so keen to get everybody on board that he developed his mutton

chops way back in October. However, it does seem that the process evoked some rather

strong feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment for some of the more senior

participants, who thought it aged them, but the pain was worth it, and over £500 was raised. Sadly, none of the teachers wished to continue the look…...

Christmas 2009

I‟ve recently been looking at the last

versions of the old “HBS Chronicle” –

the school newspaper that has, on

and off, been going for over a

century. The 1909 HBS Chronicle

can be found in the reference section

of the library and is actually quality.

You probably don‟t believe me when I

say this, but it is worth a look – it

resembles a novel, more than a

school newspaper. Anyway, I digress

from what I was going to say. The

last time the Chronicle was

published, a few years ago, the head

boy wrote his own column. Having

read that, I have realised that his was

far better than mine and I will have to

step it up a fair bit. So here goes.

I will start by mentioning a few of

the things that have gone on this

term, presenting them in the order

which they pop into my head. Firstly,

the Christmas carol service. I

will be the first to admit that for most

of my time at the school I had very

little interest in the carol service and

The Head Boy Speaks:

His Christmas Message

saw it as a necessary

chore before we got to

break up for Christmas.

This year however,

partially as my greater

involvement as head

boy and partially as a

result of it being my

last, I was much more

up for it. Actually,

surprisingly, by letting

myself get involved, I

began to enjoy it. I

even sang along – though by

stretching my vocal chords for the

first time in many years, I ended

up with a sore throat. I don‟t think

there is any way that you can

appreciate that the carol service is

really worthwhile, unless you are

directly involved, or it is your last

one. I have now got to the stage

where I am appreciating doing

things for the last time: last Open

Day, last school trip and the last

carol service, all of which have

been and gone.

Trip-wise, this term has been

quite eventful. Having spent the

summer in Costa Rica, I was

able to go to Berlin and Poland

with the History Department and

also travel to London for a

conference with the Geography

department.

T h e c o m b i n e d I N S E T /

Occasional Day at the end of

November by complete chance

(many people are suggesting that I

fixed this – which is a blatant lie)

coincided with my 18 th

birthday! I was lucky enough to

be able to go to Istanbul for this

four day weekend and as a result

celebrated my birthday over two

continents. This was a massive

fusion of culture and I can say that

over the last month or so I have

entered a synagogue (in Krakow),

a mosque (in Istanbul) and a

church (in Hitchin), which has

been rather enlightening.

Last week was a major one,

both for me and for the school.

The Friday before last, Dwain

Chambers visited the school.

As somebody who has never been

particularly interested in athletics,

but who is quite willing to let

people have their say, I guess I

am the ideal person to judge him.

In all honesty, I had never really

heard much about him, apart

from the drug scandal. I thought

he presented himself really well

though and it was fantastic to get

such a well known sportsperson

to speak about his experiences.

On Wednesday I had my

interview at Churchill

College, Cambridge, which

wasn‟t as bad as my nerves would

have suggested. On Thursday,

t h e s c h o o l ‟ s a c a d e m i c

achievement evening took place.

I had to present this, which was

quite a daunting task. It all went

to plan however and I really

enjoyed being a part of it.

It has been a varied term, and

has gone incredibly fast. For the

year 13s, the Christmas holidays

are not far off from representing

the half way point of our last year.

Most of us have exams at the

start of January and will have to

balance this with part-time jobs,

as employers try to make the

most of Christmas. At what is

probably, despite its airs of

optimism and happiness, the

most hectic time of the year, it is

important for everyone to try and

take some time off to relax.

I won‟t give you the old

“sharing, loving, praying” lecture

about Christmas – I am sure you

have heard this plenty of times

before, but instead encourage

you to ensure that you and

everyone you know gets the

chance to have a breather over

the festive period. To allow

everyone a bit of time to compose

themselves at the end of one

hectic year, in preparation for the

next, and with that I wish anybody

who happens to be reading this a

wonderful Christmas and a Happy

New Year.

I began to enjoy the carol

service and I even sang

along – though by

stretching my vocal

chords for the first time in

many years, I ended up

with a sore throat.

Page 2

By Dominic Stockbridge

At the end of September, students

across the school came together to

celebrate European Day of

Languages. Events ran throughout

the week, both in lessons and out,

and ranged from quizzes to a boules

competition. Other departments got

involved too, as classes spent

lessons researching famous

European scientists, geographers,

musicians and writers to show how

great an impact other cultures have

had upon our development,

knowledge and understanding of all

fields of study!

Years seven, eight and nine had

a go at some competitive

language quizzing which was

won jointly by 7So, 8Lh and 9Tp.

9Tp showed some individual

cultural flair when two of their

members went on to impress by

winning the week-long boules c o n t e s t o n t h e q u a d .

Congratulations to Caius Constable

and Joseph Page for winning – and

for sacrificing a week‟s worth of

lunchtimes to do so!

The week culminated on

European Day of Languages itself –

Friday, 25th September – with a

European breakfast. This was

incredibly successful, with more

than seventy boys turning up to help

themselves to a mixture of pastries,

cheese, meat and hot drinks. Some

decided that European food was by

far superior to breakfast cereals

(how else can you get away with

scoffing meat at breakfast every

day?) while others – including

myself – realised that chorizo and

croissants probably aren‟t a match

made in heaven, unless chased

down with some hot chocolate.

Even some teachers snuck in to

pinch the last pains au chocolat.

This was followed by a trilingual

assembly. Fortunately, along with

Spanish and French, English was

one of the three languages used so

the majority of us managed to

understand at least some of what

was happening! At the climax of

this, staff and students who could

speak other languages took turns to

wish us all a good day. From

Cantonese to Finnish, all corners of

the globe were represented in one

room and it was astonishing to

discover that a total of over thirty

languages are spoken in a

community of roughly one thousand

people.

Overall, it was definitely a week

to remember and one that

broadened our horizons both in the

context of European languages, but

also well beyond. A big “merci” to

the languages department for the

time and effort they put into making

it such a success.

Page 3

European Day of Languages

Page 3

Are the dots black or white?

Page 4

Where did you live before you came to the UK? Avant de venir en Angleterre j'habitais en Bourgogne dans l'agglo-

mération Dijonnaise.

What is the most important day in your calendar? Dans mon agenda la date la plus importante est sans doute le 11

Novembre qui est le jour de mon anniversaire et celui de ma mè-

re. What is the most popular thing on TV?

En ce moment les programmes les plus importants sont les séries

policières Américaines.

How many religions are there in France? En France les religions qui prédominent sont le christianisme et

l'islam.

What was the most important thing in French history? L' événement le plus important en France est la première et seconde guerre

mondiale. What is the most important building in French history?

La chose la plus importante jamais construite en France est sans doute la Tour

Eiffel. What do you think of English food?

J'aime bien la nourriture Anglaise mais je trouve que ce n'est pas assez varié.

J'aime surtout les desserts ; muffins et cookies. Je suis plus sucré que salé.

Do you have boys‟ schools in France? Nous n'avons plus d'école de garçons en France. Les Français trouvent que

c'est un système très archaïque.

Interview with our French

Assistant, Sarah Moulai

Nous n'avons plus

d'école de garçons en

France. Les Français

trouvent que c'est un

système très

archaïque.

Are these lines straight?

Puzzles

Page 4

I‟ve always viewed such

events with a sense of

distance, having until

then only seen films,

accounts and

photographs. It seemed

almost unreal.

I have recently returned

from my last ever trip with

Hitchin Boys‟ School, in

which we visited Berlin and

the Polish cities of Wroclaw

and Krakow in search for

historical enlightenment.

The first part of the trip

focussed on Berlin‟s

significance in World War 2

and the Cold War, the

latter being particularly

appropriate as our visit

came just before the 20-

year anniversary of the fall

of the Berlin Wall. The

second half was primarily

centred on the events of

the Holocaust. I won't list

everywhere, but I'll share

some of the thoughts that

occurred to me on my

travels.

Having never previously

visited Berlin (or any of

Germany for that matter), it

gave me a somewhat

strange impression. There

was a sense that

something had gone awry,

which I suppose is a given

considering the scale of

damaged caused in the

Second World War. Indeed,

it's easy, when entering

G e r m a n y , t o h a v e

underlying feelings of

resentment towards her

people, before realising

most of those responsible

for the atrocities of the war

are dead.

After taking a long

coach journey from Berlin

to Wroclaw and looking

round the town came the

most notable part of the

trip: a visit to the Auschwitz

concentrat ion camp.

Arguably there is no other

place on Earth in which

such a degree of human

suffering has occurred in

one place. In fact, it was

difficult to comprehend

that I was standing in the

very place where the

horrific events of the

Holocaust had taken

place. I've always viewed

such events with a sense

of distance, having until

then only seen films,

accounts and photographs.

It seemed almost unreal.

The most unnerving point

was entering a gas

chamber, knowing that

people died in the very

spot in which I was

standing, but even this

w a s d i f f i c u l t t o

c o m p r e h e n d .

The first camp we

visited, Auschwitz I, had

been turned into a sort of

m u s e u m . A r t e f a c t s

included several tons of

human hair and the

clothes and possessions

of prisoners, including

children. The second,

Auschwitz-Berkenau, had

been left as it was,

although much of it has

been destroyed in the

years following the war.

I walked back alone

towards the camp's

famous gate, at which

point a group of Jewish

p e o p l e w h o w e r e

conducting a service

begun to sing in unity. It

was a poignant moment,

and yet still felt bizarre,

like being in the ending

credits of a film. The trip

as a whole had been an

enjoyable one, if this word

is appropriate. At any rate

it had been both

i n t e r e s t i n g a n d

i n f o r m a t i v e , a n d

contained experiences

which, in my view, it would

b e b e n e f i c i a l f o r

everybody to have.

Berlin and Poland, October 2009 By Alex French

"Speak English?"

"Caecilius est in horto."

"Speak English?"

"No, sorry. I do not." (Beggar

accepts this and walks

away.)

"Speak English?"

Page 5

Movember Madness

Page 6

If music were anything to go by, “ Moulin

Rouge!” throws everything in including the

kitchen sink. We begin, in a play within a film,

treated to the „20th Century Fox‟ theme, riding

straight into the Sound of Music, closely

followed by music which escorts us to the sound

of the „Cancan‟, transported us to the film with

the play within the film, aided by a vocal

rendition of Nat King Cole‟s „Nature Boy‟ and,

after some more orchestral backing, music you

would see fit for a cartoon accompanies the film,

before brief reminders of the „Sound of Music‟

pops up again, varied by its rock arrangement

filled with gargantuan helpings of T-Rex‟s

„Children of the Revolution‟, pursued by the

outrageous collaboration of Nirvana‟s Smells

like Teen Spirit and the Labelle classic „Lady

Marmalade‟. And that‟s just the beginning.

I think you‟ve figured out by now that this film

is completely mental, and it could only be done

from influence either by a junkie obsessed with

sex and prostitutes or a mental patient who

comprises an unhealthy interest towards France

and revolution. You‟d be right, of course; music

from Kurt Cobain‟s Nirvana represents the

scandal and malice in the film, while excerpts

from Madonna‟s „Material Girl‟ fills the needs of

you bohemian folk who enjoy reading

Shakespeare in your free time. Then there‟s the

satanic sluts Mya, Missy Elliot, Pink, Lil‟ Kim and

Christina Aguilera‟s filthy cover of „Lady

Marmalade‟, which wraps you in a sensual cloud

of lust and desire, shoving you right in the deep end to the dark side of life.

Basically, if you‟re normal, you‟ve got no rite of passage to this film.

But that‟s the whole point; if you‟re making a musical for a film, you‟ve got to do

it with STYLE.

And do it with style Baz Luhrmann does. It‟s clear that the director‟s got balls,

and those balls are made of double-sided steel, supported by triangular structures

of iron beams wrapped in corrugated cardboard and bubble wrap. It‟s these balls

that decide to put music, usually found in the charts, in the centre of the Bohemian

Revolution. It‟s these balls that make you stand out from every other lacklustre

director. It‟s these balls that make some people say, “Wow, that‟s amazing!” and

others say, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?”.

You can‟t just shove in any old mainstream mush, though, otherwise „Moulin

Rouge!‟ would just be a DVD extra to one of the Now! That‟s What I Call Music CDs.

You‟ve got to be creative. Fortunate, then, Baz Luhrmann is just that.

“It’s clear that Baz

Lurhmann’s got

balls, and those

balls are made of

double-sided steel”

A Film-Musical? With Pop Music? WHAAAT?!?!?!?

Baz Luhrmann has set the world alight with his lust for contemporary pop music in his exciting film extravaganza “Moulin Rouge!”, but does it actually work?

By Sam Day

Page 7

Page 8

Imagine, if you will, Elton John‟s Your Song being bellowed out to the backing of

a full orchestra and operatic vocals you would see fit for Simon Cowell‟s birthday

party. Then, imagine a creepy, old man forcing out perverse, disgusting tones to

the same song. Add to that a dollop of Madonna‟s „Material Girl‟ sandwiched

between Marilyn Monroe‟s „Diamonds are a Girl‟s Best Friend‟ carved perfectly

into an outrageous courtesan nightclub scene. That‟s creativity for you, straight

from Baz‟s balls.

He doesn‟t even use the proper recordings either. Somehow, Mr Luhrmann

deems it acceptable to get the actual actors to sing the songs. Ultimate Karaoke

Disaster? Somehow, that phrase doesn‟t spring to mind when you watch „Moulin

Rouge!‟ for, even though the cast are the biggest bunch of misfits since the

Adams Family, they‟re actually quite good at singing.

Add to that some how-the-hell-did-they-manage-to-do-that arrangements as an

accompaniment and Baz and his balls have got a winning formula.

There are, of course, exceptions. Richard Roxburgh, playing the Dick Dastardly

of „Moulin Rouge!‟ that is the Duke, sings with a voice fit to challenge the singing

voice of a frog being tortured by the Grim Reaper whilst being force-fed liquidized

Susan Boyle CDs. Then again, his evil demeanour gives him an excuse for his gut-

wrenching voice, and again Baz Luhrmann manages to get away with it. The irony

is he‟d probably do a better job singing to suit his part than Pavarotti ever would.

The more you watch the film, though, the more you figure that Baz Luhrmann is

“getting away with it”. Take Baz‟s renditions of „Children of the Revolution‟ in the

film, for example. The date for when the film was set? 1899. The date for when

„Children of the Revolution‟ was made? 1972. Slight predicament here?

What about little, cute, Kylie Minogue, renowned for her chirpy, upbeat pop

songs and cutesy personality playing a dark, green absinthe fairy with red eyes

and raunchy dance moves to match? Can this be real? Our sweet Kylie?

And how do you explain Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman singing to each

other a medley mixing a rock classic by U2 and some cheesy mush by Whitney

Houston? In an elephant?

It seems that irony must be Luhrmann‟s middle name, and that his audience

feed off the irony like a pack of wolves that haven‟t eaten for a month. They love

the fact he doesn‟t care if the songs didn‟t actually exist then, they love the fact

that he can make one of our most loved popstars as filthy as the devil, and they

love the fact that two prestigious actors can sing their heart out to two songs that

no man alive would have together on their iPod, even if they are in an elephant.

But then that poses the question: amongst all this abstract film technique,

does it actually work?

Sure, if you‟re the type of person who‟s into contemporary art, profiteroles and

Kraftwerk, then “Moulin Rouge!” is an amazing, gallant display of imagery and

music sculpted elegantly to perfection by Michelangelo, but it could just be a load

of pictures thrown around to pop music cut with scissors and stuck on the edges

with Pritt Stick with a tenuous plot shoved in, to us ordinary folk. We‟re not used

to stuff like this, at least not when we‟ve had ten beers down our throat. We‟re

used to things being realistic, normal and boring. What we‟re not used to is

“Moulin Rouge!” and its psychedelic tendencies, but then...

…BANG!

All of that is capitalised into one song at the end of the film: Come What

May is a soothing, emotional tune that emanates a warm, fuzzy feeling that

makes you forget about all the hocus-pocus before and realise that, in reality,

this is a bloody good film.

And how do you explain

Ewan McGregor and Nicole

Kidman singing to each

other a medley mixing a

rock classic by U2 and

some cheesy mush by

Whitney Houston? In an

elephant?

Sam is part of the Year

11 class that manages

to juggle a Drama

GCSE in addition to

English, having

completed the

Literature course last

year.

This review represents

one of the writing

elements of his English

coursework: a highly

successful piece.

By Will Ringe

On the 4th December, current 60m indoor

European record holder

Dwain Chambers visited

Hitchin Boys‟ School. He

came in to participate in

a question and answer

assembly, as well as

running a sprint session

for boys in the Gifted and

Talented programme for

sport.

At 9 o‟clock, the

question and answer

assembly took place. The

whole school was

encouraged to put a

question in for Dwain,

but only 10 were to be

read out to him. These

included “When did you

decide you wanted to be

a sprinter?” He replied

saying how when he was

13 or 14 he could beat

everyone in his school.

When he started taking

running seriously, he

claimed he almost solely

relied on natural talent

until he reached 19,

where he was coming

across competitors who

had talent AND trained

hard.

He was also asked

about his drugs ban and

why he took them. He

replied that he was

becoming impatient and

couldn‟t face losing. He

also remarked “That‟s

one of the main reasons

I have come in today, to

help you not make the

same mistake as I did.”

The best question out

of the 10 was chosen by

Dwain himself, with the

prize a signed Great

Britain vest. Matthew

Gunn, year 8, was the

winner with the question

“ W h a t i s m o r e

important, natural talent

o r h a r d w o r k ? ”

Chambers himself said

that he had been

thinking about the

question all week, and

he still wasn‟t sure how

to answer it. In the end

he said you needed

both. You can never

completely trust natural

ability and will always

have to work hard to

achieve your goal.

Straight after this,

Dwain took the Gifted

and Talented boys for

his master class

coaching session. He

started by showing the

boys some warm up

techniques to get their

bodies prepared for

sprinting. He than

d e m o n s t r a t e d a

number of drills, with

everyone swapping

r o u n d a f t e r

approximately five

minutes. Finally, to cap

it all off, the pupils were

split into two groups to

have two races. The

first and second placed

in each race got to run

in a “Grand Final” with

C h a m b e r s .

Unsurprisingly, he

wiped the floor with

them, but it was a great

experience for all the

boys. One said “It was

amazing to meet such a

good British athlete,

and the training

s e s s i o n w a s

phenomenal.”

After the session, a

buffet lunch was

prepared for the boys,

Dwain and the PE staff.

This gave the boys the

opportunity to get

autographs and photos.

They got him to sign

anything, from maths

books to running

shoes! A great day was

had by all, and who

knows, maybe one day

a pupil will come back

into school as a

sporting hero, inspired

by Dwain Chambers‟

visit to Hitchin Boys‟

School.

Page 9

Dwain Chambers Day

“That‟s one of the main

reasons I have come in

today, to help you not

make the same mistake

as I did.”

Page 10

As we have reached the landmark of less

than a thousand days in the countdown to

the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

in London, I felt it was a good time to

focus on the importance and the impact

that arguably the greatest sporting event

in the world will have on the country. We

are living through hard times where there

are plenty of black clouds looming on the

horizon: deepening recession, and more

victims from an unjustifiable war. As we

scour the landscape desperately for

beacons of hope, London 2012 brings

them in abundance.

Forget the competition for a moment.

There is something about the Olympics

and Paralympics, where for the three

weeks, politics are put on hold and war,

anger and disputes are put to one side in

a festival of unity comprising of over two-

hundred countries. It doesn't matter if

you‟re the USA, the most powerful nation

in the world, or little-known minnows, they

are treated with the same respect.

However, far and away the best thing

about the Games is what I call “Olympic

Fever”. Worries are forgotten, and

conversations berating Gordon Brown and

the state of the country are replaced with

discussions celebrating heroines such as

the likes of Rebecca Adlington, David Weir

and Sir Chris Hoy.

As we all know though, it is centred

around world-class sport. Over 11,000

athletes will be descending on the

Capital. The 2008 Olympic Games were

littered with a whole host of world beating

performances, pushing the boundaries of

what we thought was humanly possible.

Everyone remembers the majestic

Usain Bolt sending the whole of the Bird‟s

Nest into a state of both shock and

ecstasy, Michael Phelps sweeping aside

all before him in the pool, and the

dominance of the British cycling team in

the Velodrome. Sports that we have

never heard of before suddenly jump out

into the public eye. Mainstream sports

such as football, cricket and rugby are

guaranteed to be replaced by

Taekwondo, kayaking and even the odd

bit of Greco-Roman wrestling. Imagine

the atmosphere when the flame arrives

in London at the opening ceremony, with

4bn people tuning in around the globe.

We shouldn't be thinking about the

short-term impact of the Games, we

should be thinking about what it could

create in the long-term. When the bid

came to fruition, Lord Coe spoke about

the Olympic and Paralympic Games

leaving a legacy that would inspire young

people to take up sport for many

generations to come. That should be the

primary aim, not the number in the total

column of the medals table.

For the large majority of the

population it will be a once in a lifetime

experience. It has taken 64 years for the

Games to return to these shores so is

unlikely to return any time soon.

The 2012 Games By Jamie Burton

Imagine the atmosphere

when the flame arrives in

London at the opening

ceremony, with 4bn people

tuning in around the globe.

People who go to this school don‟t seem

to realise just how good this school is.

There are plenty of schools in

Hertfordshire that are worse than this,

which brings me neatly to (bit of a leap but

you‟ll find out later): why are we a specialist technology

college?

I have the reason: so we get special funding. I‟m not

complaining or anything but I just wish the school would

live up to its title by getting some better laptops for Tech

or for Science. Although getting better laptops doesn‟t

really seem to matter because all we do on laptops are

pointless PowerPoint shows, type up essays that could

easily be written neatly by hand and - even though

Dr.Cowsley has tried his best to block them all - play

games.

I bet you think they just bought laptops, but where do

you think the interactive whiteboards came from?

Personally, I think teachers use the interactive

whiteboards a little too much but that is just my opinion.

Just how awesome is this school in providing

technology, and I quote:

“The extra funding gained from being a

Specialist College has enabled us to enhance

'Technology' right across the curriculum. All

classrooms have data projection and over half of

these have interactive whiteboards. We have a

wireless network that runs in all areas of the

school and have over 400 computers that are

comprised mainly of laptops that are housed in

trolleys. There are two dedicated ICT suites, a

plasma communication system and of course the

'Learning Platform'.”

If you don‟t know this, why don‟t you know this? I‟ll

tell you why, because no-one really goes on the Learning

Platform that much. I praise the school for thinking of

this many things to do with the extra funding; the rest of

us just tend to forget about it.

So next time you feel like criticizing the laptops, and,

admittedly, some of them are old, laggy and on their last

legs, just remember that you could be in a worse school

with no laptops at all.

If you wish to comment on Martin‟s article, then please

log on to the Learning Platform (and prove him wrong!),

and go to the Opinion page.

The School‟s

Specialist

Technology Status By Martin Coard Little Big Planet is an engaging game, full of adventure,

horror, laughter, and danger. In the game you play as a

customisable player called Sackboy/girl and meet

seven creators in their levels. The levels contain two

different types of reward: a points bubble and a prize

bubble. A points bubble gives the sack that rewards the

player with 10 points and can be chained up to X 100.

Prize bubbles award the collector an object, some

music, a background, an audio object, decorations,

stickers or community objects or stickers which can

also be chained to X 100.

There are many dangers too such as electric floors,

spikes, fire, being crushed, and being disintegrated.

During the course of each level, you find an object

called a checkpoint. There are many variations of

checkpoints like the double life checkpoint and the

infinite life checkpoint.

The stickers and decorations in the game are

accessible from the menu called „The Popit‟. The little

space between the wows of levels is called „The Pod‟

and is fully customisable with stickers and decorations.

If you so happen to be online, you will have the

opportunity to see the world‟s levels and you can do

something called „hearting‟, which simply means that if

you really liked a level you can heart the level to show

that you liked it.

The levels are categorized into headings which can

be searched for (e.g. „Halo‟) and a variety of levels

appear in front of you so you can choose the level and

the page. The Playstation store can let you buy a variety

of things such as costumes and level kits. Maybe in

2010 they will release water into Little Big Planet. They

have made costumes to recognise other games such as

Infamous and Metal Gear Solid, even God of War.

I liked the fact that you can create your own levels to

publish onto the planet surface so you can play your

own levels and other people can also play. The Metal

Gear Solid pack contains a player upgrade called „The

Paintanaitor and Laser balls‟ which livens up the game

by allowing a weapon to fight enemies with paint and

also contains a life meter for

enemies, so you know how

many paint bursts you are

able to fire.

Overall: 10 Hearts

Little Big Planet For the PS3

Opinion

Page 11

Competition

A revival of a competition featured in the Winter term edition, 1909:

I) We offer one prize of half-a-crown to the boy sending in the

most ingenious hand-made article. The competitor must certify

that his article is his own handiwork.

II) One prize of half-a-crown to the boy or old boy sending in the best and most

original suggestion of any new feature or improvement that may be introduced to

the Chronicle.

I) For the first competition, we suggest your article is saved onto a memory stick and printed

out, rather than „hand made‟. You should then give this to Miss Needham or your form tutor,

or a member of The Chronicle Crew.

II) For the second, log on to the Chronicle home page on the Learning Platform and leave

your suggestions on the forum.

We might not be able to promise half-a-crown, however, a highly covetable and prestigious

prize will be offered to the winners, namely a free family ticket to see a Hitchin Town Football

Club match, courtesy of the club.

Entries must be submitted by the half term February 2010.

Big thanks to all who have contributed to this

edition of The Chronicle.

Jamie Burton

Jamie Castle

Martin Coard

Alex Coles

Lewis Copper

Sam Curry

Sam Day

Alex French

Mrs Hope

Theo Johnson

Josh Massey

Adam Mills

Cameron Mulvey

Dominic Stockbridge

Sam Wannell

Joe Wilmot

And anyone else who

offered their ideas!