Scotch College

The four quarters of Senior School Life

Ed Whitelaw reflects on how students progress through the different stages of Senior School and likens it to the four quarters in a football match.

My first day at Scotch College is still one of the most memorable moments of my life. The feeling of excitement was mixed with fear as I entered unfamiliar surroundings. So, when I saw the arrival of the new Year 7 boys this year, I knew exactly how they felt. I attempted to break the ice with a number of the boys, but most of the replies I received were short and tentative. This made me realise how intimidating I must have been to the boys. During my small speech to the new boys, I spoke to them about grasping the opportunities that Scotch has to offer. I also made a few jokes which I believe helped calm the nerves.

My interaction with the new boys didn’t end there. I was invited to all the Year 7 camps down at Cowes. It was incredible to see how differently all the boys were acting. Gone were the days of being scared and nervous. Two weeks into the year, and already everybody seemed to be making heaps of friends and having fun. Boys were even confident enough to come up and have a chat to me. Every boy had made a smooth transition into Senior School.

In the second week of School this year, I made a speech at the prefect installation assembly. In this speech I made the connection that School is like a game of football, where every year level is equivalent to a stage of the game. First, we have Year 7. Year 7 is the preparation stage. You’re at home eating your honey and jam sandwiches, keeping hydrated, and getting nervous for the game. You’ve never seen the ground; you don’t know what to expect.

Year 8 is the warm-up. You’re not yet into the serious stage of the game; the siren hasn’t sounded. But you’re getting ready for the serious stuff; you’re getting to know the ground and beginning to lose the nerves, and you’re growing in confidence. Year 9 is the first quarter. The game has begun. As all great footy coaches will tell you, the start of a game is crucial. If you start badly, you know you will have to put your head down and work exceedingly hard for the rest of the game.

Year 10 is the second quarter, which leads to half-time. At half-time you can be either winning or losing. If you’re winning, you can’t afford to get complacent; you have to keep working hard and build on your lead. If you’re losing, you still have the opportunity to turn it all around and make a comeback; but if you continue with your losing ways, you may lose any chance of victory. Year 11 is the premiership quarter. In this quarter you can put in the hard yards and set yourself up nicely for the final quarter. But you may also take it easy and make the final quarter much harder than it needs to be.

Finally, Year 12: the last quarter. This is by far the most important quarter of the game. When this quarter is over, you will be a winner or a loser. It all depends on how badly you want to win, and how much you are willing to sacrifice in order to win.

The School year can also be compared to a football match. The four terms of school can also be seen as four quarters in a football match. So, using football terminology, I would say Scotch has got off to a flying start, and is leading by six goals at quarter time.

School Captain becomes a pirate and introduces the crew

Outside the Memorial Hall the pirate waited. Finally, on cue, he entered the hall, to the unrestrained delight of the serried ranks of high-spirited Scotch boys, who cheered as he brandished his cutlass and twirled his moustache.

It was just another successful thespian engagement for our talented School Captain, Ed Whitelaw, whose role as a pirate was to introduce each member of the 1st Crew to the enthusiastic audience. Just three days later the crew brought home the Head of the River trophy for the fourth successive time.

Following his high A+ in VCE drama last year, Ed was invited to audition for the VCE Top Class Drama concert. His audition was successful, and Ed was selected to perform in the concert on 20 April at the National Theatre in St Kilda.

Dr Jekyll, Ed’s highly successful VCE piece, told a story through the use of changing characters, costumes and props.

Ed says acting gives him an ‘adrenaline rush. It’s very satisfying to get a reaction from an audience. Performing on a stage definitely builds your confidence, and not just in theatrical terms. It’s also great for your self-confidence generally.’

Last year he played the athletic role of Puck in the Senior School play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and also participated in a mid-year ensemble performance.

Next year he is contemplating taking Sunday drama classes, run by the National Institute of Dramatic Art for people aged under 21.