THe Alexandran: Alexandra College Yearbook 2009-2010 - Section 4 - The College and the World

SECTION IV - THE COLLEGE AND THE WORLD

Hope Foundation.........................................................................................98-99European Youth Parliament............................................................................100Interview with Tomi Reichental, Holocaust Survivor.......................101-103Model United Nations....................................................................................104CSPE....................................................................................................................105 Sports Day..........................................................................................................106Articles Section................................................................................................107 Iceland Trip........................................................................................................108 Santa Visit..........................................................................................................109 Michael Longley................................................................................................110 Amawele............................................................................................................111

THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-201097

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THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010 98 THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010

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On November 13th, 2009, the annual Concert for Calcutta was held in the concourse, in aid of the Hope Foundation.

Mr Friel started the show with a speech welcoming everyone, and telling us a little about the Hope Foundation and all the good work they do in Calcutta.

Over the course of the evening, we were treated to recitations by many students, as well as Mrs Brehony and Mr. Madden, performanc-es from two bands - one made up of sixth years and one made up of third years – as well as singing (duets), the jazz band, and more recitation from the verse speaking choir.

It was a fantastic evening, and we will look forward immensely to next year.

Anna-Rose Charleton

Hope FoundationBack Row: Meadhbh O’Rourke, Alice Margetson, Molly O;Cathain, Georgia McGurk, Lucy Mandal, Leanne Ennis

Middle Row: Ms McCoy, Alison O’Brien, Lucy Quinn, Ms McEntee, Sinéad Swan, Katie Nichols, Mr FrielFront Row: Sarah Connolly, Maeve Jones-O’Connor, Lauren Flanagan, Kate O’Donnell

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THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010 100 THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010

$'."#$*(%0"'+!%#*./,*1$(+EYP: Three letters. Three of the best days of 5th year for the girls who were lucky enough to attend. With only days to prepare we were all incredibly nervous and worried that everyone

ahead. No amount of preparation could have readied us for what we were to experience. As we walked in to the school we were overwhelmed by the energy in the hall where a number of

amount of students she has mentored over her years as EYP National Co-Ordinator. We soon split in to our various committees ranging from Industry Research to Agriculture and played more games and passed a fantastic hour in a Treasure Hunt that took us all through the darkened halls of the school. When it was time for us to be collected we truly didn’t want to leave.

Ignoring the early start the next morning we readied ourselves for a day of ‘hard work’. Never has that word been such an overstatement. While we did put our heads together and turn out some EU worthy resolutions the real work was done during the game sessions and tea breaks that we needed to “keep the strength up”. Having put our resolution to paper we were all happy to enjoy some time out during a round of Speed Dating which was followed by an Arabian themed disco. Crawling to the bus late that night we were all studying hard for the next morning’s

the opportunity to showcase what we had learnt during a General Assembly that lasted well in to the evening. With quite a number of our resolutions passing we felt the weekend had been

the weekend were the friends we had made and the memories we shared.

down the hours until EYP would begin. Following a similar format, the National Conference involved staying in a hostel, delegates from the four corners of Ireland, late night hair dying and gossip sessions with Ms Mc Carthy. After what seemed like an age we were

EYP would not have been the same without Mary McCarthy. For both us and everyone else at EYP Mrs McCarthy is an absolute godsend. Having served at National Co-Ordinator for more years than I’ve been in school, she has meant so much to so many people. She has been a beacon of parliamentary fabulousness over the last decade. We are proud to have worked with her

Yvanne Kennedy

European Youth Parliament

Lauren Flanagan, Yvanne Kennedy, Molly O’Cathain, Rachel Fitzpatrick, Maeve Jones-O’Connor, Katie Nichols,

Kate O’Donnell, Ms MacCarthy


,(+$.2,$3%3,+!%+"1,%.$,-!$(+*/%4%!"/"-*'5+%5'.2,2". Anna/Ellie: Tell us about your family life before the war started.

Tomi: Well, before the war started, before 1939, I have very fond memories of that time, of the village in Slovakia. It was a very simple village, simple people and we didn’t discriminate against anyone. The people would invite us to all of their celebrations - if there was

there for many years, my father had a farm and my grandfather had the village shop. As children we used to play with the kids, football, all that. It was later that the poison started.

Anna/Ellie: Can you remember when things began to change?

Tomi: Well it was very very ... subtle, very gradual. Certainly in my town there was nothing outwardly done differently to us, like shout-

home. And when the village people wanted to come to my Father, come to my Grandfather for advice, where before they would say

Anna/Ellie: And you were, what, six years old when the war started?

Tomi: Well I was born in 1935, so in 1940 i was 5, in 1941 when I was going to go to school I was six. And when I came to the town, came to the school it was a big shock because I had been so sheltered. In the village, I didn’t have to wear the star, I didn’t get people shouting names at me behind my back, and in the school the children were

-ent, wearing the yellow star.

Anna/Ellie: When did the deportations of Jewish people start to affect your family?

Anna/Ellie: What was your journey to Bergen-Belsen like?

Tomi: Well the worst part of it was that we already knew what was happening in the place that we were going to, in Auschwitz also. That people were being gassed. There was a selection process when we got to the train - young men and women on one side, and children, old people to the other.

Tomi Reichental

102 THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010

(continued)We thought ‘that’s it’, we were being sent to Auschwitz to be gassed. So it was very frightening, and the moment the door closed was a terrible moment - it was hell. We had lived reasonably comfortably until then, we were middle class even though we were farmers. On the train we had to go to the toilet in front of everyone, there was nowhere we could hide.

It was terribly demoralizing, people would wait until night-time to use the toilet. It was just a bucket, and someone had to hold it while another person used it. We went from civilized people to animals, the stench was unimaginable. It was truly like hell. I don’t remember exactly how I behaved, and for years I couldn’t speak about it with my brother and cousin, who were there as well. I was only a nine year old kid. I asked my cousin how I behaved and he told me I didn’t laugh, I didn’t smile, I was very apathetic about everything. The whole world had col-lapsed around me - I had my childhood taken away from me. When we arrived at the camp, we couldn’t go to school like normal kids, we couldn’t play like normal kids. Our lives were on hold. From 1942 to 1946 I lost all of my basic education, so it was a very traumatic moment in our lives.

Anna/Ellie: What were the camp conditions like? In Bergen Belsen?

Tomi: There were no conditions. At the beginning of the day there was some kind of order, because we had roll-call, and that was terrible because we had to stand in rows without moving at all for two, two and a half hours. Then the SS women, not the men, because we were in the women’s camp, would come and count us. Not because they were afraid we would escape, but because the Germans were very precise. If somebody died, they had to record it. We had the roll-call in the morning and the rest of the day, just sat around. Now sitting around, you couldn’t just sit around because the temperature drops to 15, 20 degrees below centigrade. And these were wooden barracks,

skeletons, and bodies lying around. The smoke from the chimney - while it was still working, and could cope with the amount of corpses - would spread all over the camp.

you now, but I can’t truly describe it. It was so inhuman, you can’t really describe it at all. As a punishment, a whole block would be made to stand for six hours for roll call in the freezing cold for not making their beds or something silly like that. The women would just faint. And the SS women - when they came to the camp, to us - they had

Every time an SS woman would pass, we had to stand to attention. And if we didn’t stand to attention - she beat you up. Not just beat you up, she could actually kill you. A woman in our block did something - I don’t remember what it is she did wrong, but we all remember this day - she was taken out of the block, and we all had to stand in a half circle and the SS woman started to beat her, to kick her with these boots - long boots, polished and everything. She looked like a model, from a magazine. But she would

only do what they told you to do.

Anna/Ellie: Who of your family was there with you in the camp?

Tomi: Yeah, there were six of us together in the camp.


(continued)My aunt, my cousin - she was a couple months younger than me, she’s still alive, but my aunt is not alive anymore -, my mother, my brother, myself, and my grandmother. My grandmother unfortunately passed away - natural causes - though it wasn’t even natural causes, she was on medication, and eventually that medication ran out, and so she passed away. It was very tragic in the way the whole thing happened. She was so inhumanly treated, thrown out onto the pile of bodies outside. The piles were four feet high, as far as the eye could see.

after a while we didn’t even notice those bodies.

Anna/Ellie: How did you really overcome the horror of the Holocaust to get to where you are today?

Tomi: First off, we had to. That was the start. We had missed our education, and everything. I mean, we overcame it because we were children. And statistically speaking, the children overcame the Holocaust best. Maybe because they couldn’t grasp exactly what was happening. It didn’t affect us like the adults. Medically, it was said that the adults, because there are some still alive today, were never normal afterwards. They never could forget. Though, not many people talked about the Holocaust. I didn’t speak about it for 55 years. Not with my children, not with my brother, not with my cousin. After 55 years we decided to tell our children and grandchildren what happened to us. We

about what happened to us. But after that, I didn’t speak to my wife about it, or anything. All that they found out was from newspapers and interviews I did on the radio and

we started together. Only then I left because of my wife, who was Irish and I came here. I became the director of a company here as well. We studied privately, we studied individually - I went to Germany to study, and graduated as an engineer. So even after everything that happened to me, the will to succeed drove me to do what I wanted

she is my partner today. And after all that happened in the Holocaust, I am still thankful. I have had a nice life.

-port the community here. I support the people, I pay a lot of money for having a seat in the synagogue - I never go, but I am doing it for the people that can’t pay for it, that

Anna/Ellie: okay, I think we’re done here. We just wanted to say thank you so much. It’s been a real privilege to meet you as well.

Tomi: It was a pleasure. Thank you.

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TNations on the 26th and 27th of February. Amy Raethorne, Beth Milofsky, Clara Despard, Kirsten Levermore and Chloe Duggan were the delegates from Pakistan 2010. We spent hours in the library writing resolutions and preparing position papers.

Having researched Pakistan’s views on a wide variety of topics we were still left with some unanswered questions. We rang the Pakistani Embassy who kindly provided us with all of the informa-tion we were looking for. We were then ready to take part in the Wesley MUN.

Although Pakistan did not win the best delegation our Human Council delegate, Kirsten Levermore, was highly commended. Two weeks after the 2010 conference an article was published in the ‘Irish Times’ along with a large picture of the ‘Human Rights’ Committee in action, where Beth Milofsky, the Human Rights Delegate can be seen raising the country’s placard.

The whole event was an experience that we all enjoyed so much but we couldn’t have done any of it if it wasn’t for all of the help from Ms. McCarthy and Ms. Maxwell.

Beth Milofsky

Model United Nations

Ms Maxwell, Kirsten Levermore, Clara Despard, Amy Raethorne, Beth Milofsky, Ms McCarthy

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Tthe Four Courts and Mountjoy Prison

As part of their CSPE course 3R and I took a visit to the Four Courts and Mountjoy Prison in December. After studying the Law concept in class we took ourselves off to the Central Criminal Court to sit in on a murder trial.

and prosecution presented their cases in their opening speeches. A Non-

rent broke out. Two interpreters were present to translate everything said in court and this took quite a long time. As we learned that day every detail

any witness.

Our second visit was to Mountjoy Prison and it was with great trepidation we entered the high security building. Our guide on the day brought us into

with drugs in the prison. We couldn’t believe the ease at which drugs are passed to prisoners. Drugs are thrown over the wall attached to a weight (e.g.batteries). Also a glass partition separates the prisoner and the visitor up to eye level only and kissing is permitted at the end of the visit. As the girls pointed out surely this is also a big loophole in the system.

We then went on to look at a prison cell on the main corridor. It was very frightening entering into the main area of the prison, meeting the prison

Only two prisoners were on the corridor at that time, it seemed they were on good behaviour and had a little more freedom. We were amazed when we saw a playstation and television in the cell but then we all agreed that no matter how many personal belongings you are permitted for good behaviour it is still an existence you would hate to end up in when your freedom is taken away.

Overall the visits helped us understand the concept of law and we look for-ward to taking part in the Mock Trials in Transition Year.

Ms Swan

2R CSPE ACTION PROJECT

Our CSPE class of 2R held a workshop on Friday, October 9th, 2009. We invited 3 guest speakers from our constituency, Dublin 4. One of our 3 invited guest speakers, Lucinda Creighton, responded to our invite and

paid us a visit on the day of our workshop. Before she arrived, our class spent the morning with Karen Murphy, who works with the Government. She showed us a programme she had set up for children to learn about poli-tics. After this, we went and met with Lucinda Creighton in the lecture theatre. We had all been put into com-mittees so we were ready for her visit. We asked her lots of questions and had a very enjoyable day. Afterwards we presented her with an Alexandra College letter opener with the crest on it. We enjoyed this day very much

Class of 2R

2R CSPE

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This years sport’s day took place on May 21st and was in aid of ‘Downs Syndrome

Ireland.’ The theme of the day was ‘colours’

to wear for the day. This included the teachers who were kitted out in red and white. Much to the school’s delight, the day was sponsored by HB who provided the college with plenty of free ice-cream which suited the fabulous weather.

The sports events kicked off at half ten. These events included form relays, 5-a-side hockey matches and many running races such as 400m and 1500m. Soon it was time for the serious competition to begin, the year relays. Each year selected their four strongest runners to compete against other years. The sixth year’s pride was riding on this event. Only a few

this year.

It was a close race and tension was high as the

year’s disgust (yet other year’s delight), the de-

gold medals. The sixth years were hoping to redeem themselves when they raced against the teachers yet when it came to this relay they were once again defeated. The day ended on a high with the student vs. teacher soccer match. All in all the sports day was a great success yet unfortunately left a lot of girls

put so much work into organizing the event.

Beth Milofsky


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It’s been a busy year tor the 5th and 6th year Ag Science students. From the very outset we realised that the depth and breadth

of our course was going to require some serious dedication but as far as teachers go, Dr Byrne and Ms McCarthy never failed to disappoint.

In Mid-September this year, all senior Ag Science students headed to the National Ploughing Championships for a day of fun and research. Having set off early on the morning of our trip, we were

-fectly with the farmers and agricultural specialiosts we would m

Event of the Year”, everyone bar the ALex troupe, was in their Sun-day best and ready for a day out to remember. We looked just a bit out of place, but when we realised the huge task ahead of us in the few hours we had, all that was soon forgotten as we knuckled down to do some pretty serious work.

The cameras were out as we snap,snap, snapped our way through the stalls and exhibitions. Occasionally something was particularly interestig - or shiny - would catch our attention and we would be diverted off course for a time to look at the various items for sale that ranged from machinery to feed. After a race back to the bus,

Picture”, but we surprised not only the teachers but ourselves with how much we learned - and how much we enjoyed ourselves. We knew at this stage that if the year was to continue as it had so far, we were going to be in for a treat.

Visits to farm open days in Meath and ildare followed and soon connections were utilised asDr Byrne’s class was allowed a private visit to lambing at the UCD Farm in Celbridge. All of these visits have been invaluable to us in collecting vital coursework information that will become like gold-dust next year.

relaxing end to a fantastic uyear.

Thank you to Dr Byrne and most especially to Ms McCarthy who will be sorely missed in September. We wish her the best of luck in her retirement and know there are many year of excellence still ahead.

Yvanne Kennedy

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Three months ago when I

left Brazil, I wasn’t the kind of person who doesn’t know the address of her house, the name of her school or have any close friends, because of moving a lot. I had only lived in two houses since I was born, and when I

moved from one to the other, the new one was the neighbouring house. I’d attended the same school since I was 3 years old, my teachers were actually my friends, I knew all the short cuts and places to hide from teachers in that school, and my best friends, well, I’d known them since I was 7 years old. But even if I wasn’t that kind of person that changes everything all the time, I moved to Ireland.

I couldn’t be sure of anything here, when I got to Ireland. I didn’t have a house, I didn’t know anyone, and the only thing I knew for sure was that I was going to study in a place called ‘Alexandra College’ - but I also didn’t have a uniform or laptop like everyone else. I didn’t know what I was going

that we see in movies. Maybe I would be popular, maybe I would become the nerd of whom no one knows the name, I didn’t know.

Well, now I do, now I know what I found here and it wasn’t the ‘bad girls’ from the movies. I would say that when I left Brazil, I saw Ireland as a magical place, because of leprechauns and rainbows. Now, Ireland is a magic place because of the people. I still don’t know everyone in my year and I’m not even close to knowing everyone in the school, maybe there is a ‘bad girl’, maybe there isn’t just good and friendly people, but so far, I’m happy with what I have found. I’d say I wonder why I didn’t make big changes before. So I just have one more

for making it amazing. If you weren’t, well, I hope you’ll be part of the next ones.

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We left school at 9.00 sharp for the museum so we could make the best of the day. When we arrived at UCD we were greeted by the

assistant curator of themuseum, an acquaintance of Dr. Kurzmann. The curator then left us to our own devices and Dr. Kurzmann gave us a tour of the museum, where a variety of artefacts from ancient Greece and Rome are housed.

All these artefacts have been donated to UCD from different sources

Roman tombstones, each inscribed with an epitaph and a variety of house-hold tools and objects such as spinning needles, oil lamps and cooking utensils. There were also many sport and leisure objects such asancient strigils and drinking cups depicting Greek athletes; also among the collection were two plaster replicas of archaic Greek statues from the Acropolis in Athens.

After the tour we were given a worksheet to complete based on theartefacts housed in the museum. We were then split up into teams oftwo and sent on a riveting treasure hunt around the museum - all fourof us - needless to say it got pretty competitive.

restaurants on the university campus to have something to eat beforeheading back to school.

Studies classes, helping us to understand more about Greek and Roman culture. By Indy Abrahams, Amy Corrigan, Rachel Fitzpatrick & Mary Catherine Durcan

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On October 22nd, 2009, 19 students, Mr Madden, Ms Willoughby, and Ms Wynne went on the geography

hotel in Reykjavik. After lunch we went on a coach tour of the city and we learned about life in Iceland. We visited a swimming pool where we met some Irish paralympic athletes and we visited a museum that told us all about Iceland’s history. We then had dinner at an American style restaurant and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Ridge where you can see the Eurasian and American plates separating. This was an amazing experience and we got to stand between the two continents.

minutes rubbing gunk from the bottom of the pool all over our faces because we thought it was what you

dinner and went to bed excited for the next day. In the morning we began the golden circle tour. The 8 hour tour took us around some breathtaking geographical sites. We visited geysers and a geothermal power station where we learnt about seismic activity in Iceland and how they provide their own renewable heat and electricity supplies. After dinner in T.G.I. Fridays and climbing all over a giant tractor we returned to the hotel.

to people in the other jeeps. We drove across the country side until we reached the glacier where we -

ers, climbed into a cave, and visited a spectacular waterfall. We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant and

-

who put so much time and effort into organising such a wonderful trip. We had an amazing time and we will always remember the experience. Thank you.

Elizabeth Swanwick

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This year saw the revival of the Alex Staff Children’s Christmas party and what fun it

ranging in age from 16 down to new babies we celebrated the festive season in the gym. The bouncy castle and slide were nearly as popular as Santa himself who arrived full of brim and vigour with sack loads of toys for all the boys and girls. Santa chatted to all the children as his assistant Elf Brehony captured the moment on camera and later presented each family with a picture. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and we all look forward to next

Ms Swan

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In March of this year we were privileged to welcome one of Ireland’s greatest living poets, Michael Longley, to the library.

He spoke of his life as a poet and described it as ‘an inner

audience of rapt 6th years that he wrote it to impress the girls,

Longley told some wonderful stories – for example, of his visit to Buckingham Palace to receive the Gold Medal (‘it looked

going to wear it going shopping’ - and told us of how writing poetry for him wasn’t just a job that he happened to be quite good at, but a physical necessity.

Longley talked of the poets that inspired him, particularly the War Poets, and read from his own poems, offering insightful and detailed commentaries on each one. He also spoke, from memory, a recent poem about his grandson and answered with enormous humour, generosity and grace the numerous questions from the audience. He had everyone captivated from the moment he started to speak and it was a shock

It was a wonderful afternoon that cast a benevolent after-glow over the whole library and it is with sincere thanks to Michael Longley that he gave us so much of his time and lasting memories for us all.

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The second Amawele fundraiser of the year kicked off with a football match. On Friday, November 20th, the 4th year Alexandra College Team took on the Transition Year boys from Sandford Park.

The highly anticipated match was held in Alexandra College. There was a !2 admission fee to watch the match. Both sets of fourth years come along to support their friends and the charity. The game, refereed by Mr. Collins, was quite eventful and made for great en-tertainment for both Alex and Sandford. Al-though teh boys looked to be the stronger team to begin with, we were amazed at the Alex Girls, who managed to level with them on a number of occasions. At the full time whistle Alex and Sandford were level, thus leading to penalties. The tension was almost unbearable at this point in the game. Luckily Alex came out on top with some amazing goals, especially Emily Beatty’s penalty shot, which secured our

The boys, although very disappointed by the fact that they had been beaten by an amazing girl’s team, were very gracious in accepting their defeat. The day was a huge success which raised over !350 for our fourth year charity, Amawele.

Niamh Doody

Amawele

Back Row: Yvonne Clarke, Kirsten Levermore,

Lucy Watters, Jenny Drea,

Niamh Doody, Chloe Duggan

Front Row: Alex Rehill, Nanci O’Reilly,

Holly McQuillan, Beth Milofsky,

Clodagh Farrelly, Yvanne Kennedy

THE ALEXANDRAN 2009-2010 112

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THe Alexandran: Alexandra College Yearbook 2009-2010 - Section 4 - The College and the World