Insites
Edition One
Welcome to our first edition of Making the News. This edition, our reporters were out and about at Back to Newington Day.
Building the dream team
By Max Manak, Gus Gillies and Jack Croll
How do you build a team? How do you start to play a new season with a new squad and a new position? Well, the 15a Volleyball squad faces that challenge. Playing Riverview on Saturday the 24th, the boys had their work cut out for them.
Last term, the volleyballers were in mixed teams and found it difficult to win a set let alone a match. With the season coming to an end, Coach Wood wanted the team to “take off their training wheels and have four games played in graded teams.”
However, there were some mixed emotions with boys who were more confident with the sport were eager to play in graded teams. Although some boys were concerned whether the new B team would connect and play as a team.
Last time the boys played Riverview, they won by a set, losing the first and coming back to win the second and third.
On Wednesday week 1, the boys had their last training together before the game and appeared to be keen for the Riverview rematch with Jack Haydon stating that he feels “the team can take it, and with a new graded team can pull it out of the bag and win all of the three sets”.
A new team wasn’t the only challenge that the boys had to face this week. Coach Wood wanted to give them a taste of senior volleyball by including a new position, libero. The position was a tricky one as they were only ever allowed to stay in the back court and take serves with a dig to a setter.
The three boys taking a break from their usual positions and trying libero for one set in the game were: Lucas Churchill (starting outside), Patrick Lu (second outside) and Jack Reid (setter).
The boys were finding the transitions tough as after a center rotates to the back court, and loses a point he subs out for the libero and returns to the game when the libero rotates into the front court.
The new position dumped on them might have been a bit confusing at first, but when they got the hang of it “everything seemed to click,” Churchill stated.
On Saturday, the boys arrived bright and early and were warming up as a team and seemed to be in a tight mental state. The 15a team was ready to rumble.
When the first whistle blew and Newington had the first touch with Lu taking the first serve. Players taking the court were Lucas Churchill (starting outside), Jake Peterson (starting center), Max Manak (starting setter), Patrick Lu (second outside), Jack Reid (libero) and Jack Croll (second setter).
Each set the boys found it hard to get going with Riverview reading 15-8, however the boys found their Mojo and chemistry that they needed to come back and won the first set 25-21.
During the second set everyone was more relaxed, concentrating and made fewer mistakes. The second set was also won by Newington, 25-18.
Since Newington had won both the first and second set, they had won the game, but they still played the third set as a fun friendly. The centers were finding this most enjoyable with Mack Addabbo coming on to play, despite an injured knee. Newington also won this set 25-23.
After the game, starring center, Jake Peterson said “it was the first game in volleyball where I feel we all connected.” Without a doubt, the team had a real chemistry and connected well with each other, with incredible passing and saves from back to front court.
The 15a team won their second game in the season and plan to do it again, but with the top team, Sydney Boys High, for next week, the squad will have to do more than pray, after losing their last game to them 0-3.
Chasing up to date stories
Max, Jack and Gus working on a late story…down to the wire
BTND: Food Reviews
By Harry Garofani and Alex Mcevoy
Back to Newington day is known for the sports, the community and the incredible food. Annually, it’s one of the most important days for the college. As much as it’s about the sports, the market stalls and foods are what makes Newington stand out from the rest. We asked Alex McEvoy to give some of them a taste.
For the main course, there were a range of selections, including the Big BBQ, Tongan wraps, Banh Mi, and scrumptious roasted corn on a stick. We were lucky enough to give them a try. One thing we got to try was the corn, which we could not praise higher, one spectator said “You think that it’d be a 5/10, but it’s actually a 5/4. They were holy!”
A traditional Aussie staple, and a necessity at any event, the Big BBQ offered a sausage sizzle and delicious bacon and egg rolls. We tried the wraps, with both chicken and lamb as filling. The chicken wrap, especially, was a hit among the crowd, selling out before the start of the 1sts game.
For those with a sweet tooth, the stalls at Back to Newington Day also offered a variety of desserts and sweet snacks. Our personal favourite was offered by Pure Gelato, who took a range of their finest gelato and brought it to BTND. Wildberry and Salted Caramel were two of the flavours that we were able to taste. Personally, I have been a long time fan of Pure Gelato and they did not let down here. The chocolate (a flavour that I would usually go for) was sold out by the time I got around to dessert but the flavours I tried were nothing but delicious. The crepes were another highlight adding to the cultural variety available with the food. Asking some of the visitors about the crepes, they said “They’re the best” and “They were really good” which should give you some insight to how good the crepes really were.
"While on the surface the day just looks like a fun fete and fundraising opportunity, the day is steeped in history and tradition. And boys will certainly remember the times they spent at various Back to Newington Days."
A New(ington) Opinion on Back to Newington Day
By Sam Gresham. Taking the pulse of peoples’ views.
Newington College’s Back to Newington Day serves as an important date for students, both old and new, to unite and support some of the great sporting fixtures on offer.
Whilst this event serves an important cause, we wanted to know what students thought of both the practical and cultural significance of the event.
Many students believed that the school puts the event on to show support to the sportsmen on the field, and to show off the great skill on the field. One student commented: “I really think Back to Newington Day is about the boys having fun and watching the footy.” Other students commented that they believed that Back to Newington Day was hosted to get a crowd for the plethora of rugby, soccer and other sport fixtures occurring on the day.
Whilst most of the boys interviewed showed a great enthusiasm for the event, some students thought otherwise.
Some of these students thought that Back to Newington Day was really hosted to make funds for the growing sports department. The student commented on how he thought the school was trying to trick the community into paying even more to the school.
This negativity was echoed by a student who stated: “I don’t like it. It’s loud, busy, and I don’t enjoy watching the sport.”
Despite the negativity from some of the students, most students believed that it held immense importance for the school’s culture.
One student commented on the importance of getting together with friends and having an enjoyable time: “We all need a day to sit around with good friends and appreciate the work these boys put in. All their training builds up to this.”
Another boy had a unique perspective: “It’s crucial that the old boys get back here and see the school again” he said. He also said he couldn’t imagine leaving Newington and never coming back. This serves a critical role of Back to Newington Day. Many other students mentioned the importance of parents coming and having a look at the school and enjoying Newington’s culture.
Many students mentioned enjoying of the event, and talked greatly about the effort that the stallholders and organisers put in. Clearly, Back to Newington Day is largely regarded by the school community as a day of cultural significance, and a day which is enjoyed by many.
BTND: How much should we know?
By Lachlan Rennie, Christian McLoughlin, Campbell Ayres and Luke Maxwell
Back to Newington Day, a day to watch Newington’s finest battle it out against other schools on the rugby field. But what about the actual history of the day, how many boys actually know about the history and tradition of the day?
The day began as a fete in the 1920’s and was an event where the local Stanmore community would come to sell their produce and the Newington community would come to socialise and to watch Rugby matches against the Kings school. Over time the day evolved into an increasingly larger event until it became the ‘Back to Newington Day’ we know today in 2003.
Most people at the college have little or no idea about the tradition or origin of such a significant event in the Newington community calendar. Most boys assume that it’s just a good excuse for the school to force the boys to watch the 1st XV.
This is not the case.
The original Back to Newington Days (2003 and onwards) were designed for Old boys of the college tocome and see the new generation of students and to see how the college has changed over time. Today it would seem that this tradition has been lost to time, yet there is still an air of community spirit as you walk around the stalls and along the bank of the Johnson oval along with the presence of many Newington old boys.
In a way the tradition has lived on and while many boys are not consciously aware of it, they are still living the traditions that were present on the very first day in 1920, with it bringing the whole community together to watch the rugby and socialise.
While on the surface the day just looks like a fun fete and fundraising opportunity, the day is steeped in history and tradition. And boys will certainly remember the times they spent at various Back to Newington Days.
The Wyvern Biennale: A renewed focus on art?
By Callum Boland
In today’s society schools are focusing on teaching their students an increasing range of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. This has happened because of the changing nature of jobs and culture along with the recent ground-breaking discoveries made by science in particular. But, along the way, it feels like the historically studied subjects, English, philosophy and art, have been swept under the rug in today’s current era of technology and science. Art more so than either of the others.
Art is extremely important for a developing mind as it has been found to stimulate both sides of the brain as well as increasing the capacity of memory, attention and concentration. Without art then, today’s children won’t be able to develop to the same extent as they might have been able to in previous years.
At Wyvern House they have ensured a focus on art with the year 6 Wyvern Biennale. This is an exhibition of the year 6’s major artwork which is a portrait painted of a famous person. This allows the young Newingtonians to find out what it is like to complete a major artwork and experience the arts in a way they might not otherwise experience it.
This exhibition was held at the Concordia Art Gallery over the week Back to Newington Day was held. The timing is important as Back to Newington Day, one of Newington’s most important days of the year, is traditionally about sport. By holding the biennale over this special day, Newington is showing that it has realised just how important art is to the development of the Wyverners. It is also showing their commitment to all aspects of Newington life not just the sport.
By acknowledging the issue of the arts in today’s stem based society, Newington college is working to bring back art into developing brains to make them better students and ultimately better people.
Stop press: NBA player visits Newington
An American Basket balling Phenom James Ennis has come to back to Australia after his brief NBL career with the Perth Wildcats in 2013 and 2014, he has chosen to come to Newington and other boys Private Schools in and around Sydney like Trinity. We asked him why he came back to Australia to which he said “I’m back in Australia because in my time playing over here I loved the culture and how everyone was so supportive and I wanted to give back to the schools around here. Newington has been great to me and I’ve loved the hospitality”. In his time, here at Newington he has a put a show on for the boys and had a three-point contest against old boy Chier Maker, it was an amazing show and it was very close. Ennis is one of the most athletic players in the NBA and a little bit before the three-point contest he put on a mini show of uber-athletic dunks and really showed to why he is playing in the best basketball league in the world.
More on the growth of Newington Basketball next edition