Entrepreneurial Competition
Bonkers Conkers
Winter Blues
Halloween Retro Bash
Dance Kitchen
The Glassco Foundation
Duke of Edinburgh Awards
The US Election
A Dark and Stormy Morning: Brentwood and Green Lake Rowing:
Field Hockey
Volleyball and Running
The T. Gil Bunch Theatre: Upcoming Events

BONKERS CONKERS

Houseparent Mr. Dave McCarthy has high hopes; he has imported the English pastime of ‘conkers’ and hopes to get it started in Ellis house. “Conkers?” you say. Yes, conkers…. Let the enlightenment begin…

It begins in autumn, when horse chestnuts plummet to the ground. The pure genius of this game is overwhelming. Now, calling it a game does not mean that conkers should be taken lightly. On the contrary, it is a way of life. It begins with the drilling of a hole through the chestnut and attaching a string. If you do not find the ultimate fighting chestnut initially there are methods of… improving its strength. Baking and pickling the conkers are the most popular methods in the winner’s circles.

To play, you and your opponent must stand opposite each other and intimidate the other with menacing glares. Player one holds their conker out in front of them, while player two bashes (or bonks) it from above with their conker. The winner is the one with their chestnut intact. You achieve your title based on how many other conkers you have demolished. A conker that has three victories is designated as a three-er. If that conker defeats an almighty six-er, for example, then the former graduates to the awesome title of nine-er.

This game is only for the physically strong and mentally aggressive. When approached for pictures, the Ellis boys blatantly responded that their were no conkers left to be found, they had all been smashed to smithereens.

Story by: Jennalee Desjardins (Grade 11)
Photos by: Dave McCarthy

USHER IN WINTER

Monday morning this week dawned grey and gloomy with cold, pea-soup fog as far as the eye could see (which, obviously, was not very far!). Our cozy little campus was shrouded in the bedclothes of winter, an outfit it is likely to wear for the next five months or so. Trudging to breakfast at the cafeteria through the frost-tipped grass and far too often drizzling rain will become a regular and dreaded event in every student’s morning, and kilts will be less than blessed by many for their wonderful capability of conserving warmth.

With the arrival of this new frigid tenant to our campus comes the inevitable companion of the winter doldrums. When wishes for a snug bed and a warm fire are replaced by the harsh reality of first block math, it is hard not the feel the weight of the winter weather. This same guest, however, comes bearing her own unique gifts, and expectations of snow days and skiing. The hot chocolate machine will step up to the new levels of use and appreciation of the days of clear blue skies and sunshine will be welcomed by all when they return.

The lower temperatures have brought an end to the care-free days of pick-up soccer games and long afternoons in the quad, and Brentwood social life is struggling with the shift indoors. With common rooms taboo for the opposite sex until after five, our student body is faced with a dilemma.The outdoors has definitely lost much of its appeal, but all too necessary, and all too rare, social time cannot be sacrificed. When countless students are feeling the damping effects of daily rain, the emotional support of close campus friendships is more valued then ever. Trips to the local Cafe Rusticana for coffee become a favourite activity on sodden afternoons, and groups of friends can be found all over campus, braving the elements and generally forgetting about constant grey as they get lost in each other's company.

So while the sun may have departed for the time being, she will be back. The grey skies do not bring with them lethargy, and the pace of the year is as fast as ever. Don’t allow the sleepy

mornings to carry on to class, because teachers, surprisingly, don’t accept ‘winter doldrums’ as an excuse for not doing any work whatsoever. With our next break only five weeks away (and counting), is there honestly any better way to spend the plethora of rainy days than snuggling up with a nice essay or math worksheet? Honestly?

Story and Pictures by: Sydney Black (Grade 12)

THE RETRO HALLOWEEN BASH

Saturday night’s alright for dancing, and dance everyone did. Last Saturday night, students flocked from near and far, from Ellis to Gwynneth to boogie the night away. Any hesitancy or awkward feelings evaporated at the door as students clambered to the center of the dance floor.

Hours before the dance even began, girls began the intense preparations of what many deem to be the most outrageous ensemble night of the year! Each student trying to outdo the other, all fighting for the ultimate in costumes.The best costumes, of course, are the ones that stand the test of time. Knowing this, most students chose the simple repetitive costumes: the nerd, the hippie, the cowboy, the rock-star. Each tastefully selected, but none straying too far from the typical student wardrobe. Instead, many

chose to go with the 'retro' theme and dressed to different time periods. There were go-go and disco dancers mingling with the poodle skirts and spandex. Though the majority chose the easy costumes, those special few stood out and received many a compliment. Kudos, especially to our very own wheel-chair break dancer.

As for the dancing, many were exhausted and sore the next morning in their attempts to keep up with the 70’s rock music. Everyone was bee-boppin', jivin', rockin' and twistin' to the energetic beat. The live band was a welcome change from the norm, and a surprising number of students sang along with many of the songs. Walking around the ‘haunted’ auditorium, one would never have guessed that the event took place in the 21st century. Everyone was transported back to a time of retro rock’n’roll.

Story and photos by: Jennalee Desjardins (Grade 12)

PARENT PROVIDERS

Many students were surprised Saturday evening to find a barbeque dinner waiting for them, as a pleasant interruption to the gruelling Halloween dance. After the live band announced that there was food waiting to be eaten, there was a mad dash towards the exits. Students bolted to be first in line for hot hamburgers and hotdogs. They were served by many familiar faces, all local parents just doing a good deed. And no good deed goes overlooked, so on behalf of all the hungry teenagers fed…. THANK YOU!

Right: Soup kitchen specialists Peter Sage, Adria Hahn, and Judy Kosa

Story and photos by: Jennalee Desjardins (Grade 12)

Mr. COLIN GLASSCO AT BRENTWOOD

Mr. Colin Glassco, founder of the Colin B. Glassco Charitable Foundation For Children, came to Brentwood College last week to speak at the weekly assembly about his recent work in Africa and the up-and-coming collaboration between the school and his foundation. Mr. Richard Osler who also spoke at the assembly, introduced Brentwood to the Colin Glassco Foundation and has also traveled extensively through Africa. The students were fortunate enough to hear him recite his own composition during the assembly, a poem about human life in Africa and the disparity between our culture and theirs.

Some of you may already know the facts about trachoma, the epidemic that has been sweeping the African district of South Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Trachoma is an eye disease which in most cases results in blindness. The infection is transferred to the villagers through contaminated water. Mr. Glassco made his first visit to the Gwembe village in Zambia in 1998, two years after his charity was founded. The current goal of the charity is to supply water to the whole of the Gwembe area by drilling wells. By bringing in wells and teaching well maintenance and basic hygiene to the locals, trachoma will hopefully be eradicated from the village. Two years ago, the number of children who were infected with the disease was 45% of the population. Today, the number has been reduced to less than 10% thanks to Mr.
Glassco and his team.

The foundation also makes donations to pay for operations on those who are already infected or blind by the disease, and by other diseases as well. Last year, the foundation raised $460,000 from inside sources towards such projects. As the need continues to grow in Africa for outside help and attention, Brentwood College has become more and more involved in supplying that aid. Now, the Glassco Foundation and Brentwood have laid down a challenge to the students. If the students can raise $10,000 (the

Stephanie McLellan, Colin Glassco, Noah McColl, Kathleen Sinclair, Richard Osler

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Mr. Glassco speaks at the assembly

cost of drilling two wells), then Mr. Glassco will match that sum and we will be able to drill four more wells in Gwembe. This will be an incredible achievement and an enormous help to the people in the village who, without the well, sometimes have to walk for hours just to find water.

The foundation started out as a small project that rapidly grew as it proved to be more and more successful. The foundation have worked together with a government agency which drills 400 wells a year, 50 of them drilled by the Glassco Foundation; and Mr. Glassco predicts that by the end of the year, they will have drilled 122 wells in total.

The school is truly grateful to Mr. Glassco for taking the time to speak to us about the situation in Zambia and for laying the wonderful challenge before us of taking action and making a difference.

Story and Pictures by: Amy Weinberg (Grade 12)

UNITED STATES ELECTIONS 2004-RESULTS AND REACTIONS

On November 2nd, the 43rd president of the United States was re-elected for a second four-year term in the Oval Office. Thousands sat with their eyes glued to the TV for hours on Tuesday night, waiting to find out the results of an election that could have been almost as close as 2000 if not for Ohio’s 20 electoral votes which decided the fate of the two candidates. With the highest voting rate the country has ever seen, which just beat that of the 1960 election (for which 63% of the eligible voting population cast their ballots), American opinions were heard loud and clear, with George W. Bush winning not only the popular vote, but the presidency for another four years.

In asking both Canadian and American students about their opinions of the election, there were mixed reactions and results, but most respondents were assertive and eloquent in their opinions.

Jacquie Brown, who has dual citizenship for both Canada and the US admitted "I didn't know as much about the whole situation as I would have liked, but through my basic knowledge, I think it's better that Bush won." Medicine Hat, Alberta resident Carly Turnbull said she was happy with the outcome "because I think Bush is a good leader and I think he needs to finish what he started," and Gilly Milne, who voted for Kerry while she was home on mid-term break maintained that "although I voted for Kerry, I thought Bush would win. I was a little apprehensive about the idea of switching leaders in the middle of a war, but I still think it's amazing how many votes Kerry got and I'm proud of him. Now that Bush has won though, I plan on supporting him 100% in the next four years." Alex Milligan, a Canadian resident, claimed to be "not too down with Kerry's national policy, or Bush's international policy," and Pat Johnson was decidedly "highly disappointed by the results overall."

The overall campus opinion was mixed: some students being highly critical about Bush's leadership and apprehensive about the next four years, while others thinking it would be best for the state of the world and the US to stick with the leader who has seen the United States through so much — a mirror image, perhaps, of the opinions of the American people themselves.

Story and Pictures by: Ellen Kutscher (Grade 12)

A DARK AND STORMY MORNING

Though some people when confronted with a stormy morning might simply roll over and stay in bed for a few extra minutes, there is a stalwart few who do not. These individuals awaken before the rest of the school, put on warm clothing, and prepare to go rowing, whatever the weather. For those of you who enjoy warmth and comfort, you might be pleased to know on the truly stormy mornings, rowers are given the choice to erg instead: believe the rowers when they say this is not a viable option. As happened last weekend at six in the morning, confronted by rough weather, rowers suffered together, locked indoors by the elements.

Over the last weekend, rowers at Brentwood had a chance to meet more of their kind: Green Lake, a Seattle rowing club, sent up two eights to compete against their Brentwood counterparts. For two days, the crews would train together, carefully examining the other for weakness. One practice, that fateful Saturday morning, was canceled due to rough weather: the others continued undeterred. However, one Green Lake rower managed to outwit the combined might of Brentwood and Green Lake’s coaches: having contacted the flu, he managed to avoid any rowing that Saturday. The other rowers were immediately confronted with a problem: was that a trade they were willing to make? Despite their half-shut eyes, it seemed that most decided that even arising early was preferable — physical fatigue was better than physical sickness.

On the final day, Sunday morning, the crews raced, each trying to surpass the other. All four pieces of one thousand meters were closely fought, with both Green Lake and Brentwood crews victorious part of the time. Though not ultimately victorious, the Brentwood Junior boys fought fiercely against the other Senior crews, holding their own with great determination. All crews trained and competed hard, and will soon begin to compete in actual regattas. Indeed, the rematch between the crews will come at Green Lake’s own Frostbite regatta, named for the wonderful temperatures Seattle has to offer during the winter. Best of luck to all the crews!

Story and Picture by: Nick Chesterley (Grade 11)

The senior girls 1st XI record in the B.C. Provincial Championships was as follows:

Brentwood 0, South Delta 1
Brentwood 2, Matthew McNair 4
Brentwood 1, West Vancouver 4
Brentwood 4, Vic High 0
Brentwood 3, Glen Eagle 2
Brentwood 4, McGee 0

The girls, consequently, won the cosolation round.

The field hockey players not involved with the 1st XI formed three Brentwood teams and competed in the Also-Ran tournament at the school over the weekend. Also taking part in the torment were teams from Chemainus, Reynolds, and Nanaimo. The Brentwood 2nd XI were delighted to win the final, with the Junior side finishing 3rd.

VOLLEYBALL

Last weekend the Junior A Girls Volleyball team took off to White Rock to play at Southridge School at the Senior ISA tournament. The team fought hard during the round robin games on Friday, winning their pool. On Saturday, the team won their first game of the playoffs, thus advancing to the semi-finals. Although the team did their best, they were eventually defeated by one of the top teams in the tournament, York House. In the third-place match, Brentwood played Southridge, beating them handily in two sets, and thus placing third in the tournament. It was a great learning experience for the juniors, considering they were faced with a different net height and a new level of play. A special mention goes to the team setter Mariya Young who was named to the all-star team.

Annabelle Glass (Grade 10)

RUNNING

The local Shawnigan Lake half-marathon, a popular event in the running community, was held during the recent midterm break. Unfortunately, as Brentwood students were scattered far and wide, there was no official school entry. Day student Jonathan Dunstan, however, single-handedly carried the Brentwood flag by winning the Men's 15-and-Under category in a time of 2:11:35.

T. GIL BUNCH CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

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