Reconstruction of the student council faces mixed reactions (by John Gaunt, editor)

Much debate had arisen lately from the near complete reconstruction of the school’s student council. What started as a debate between Secretary Henry Hereford and Treasurer Thomas Mowbray over fund allocation, soon escalated to a full scale investigation. Richard Plantagenet, the President resigned when suspicions of his involvement in some rather questionable expenses was implied. He was shortly followed in this decision by member of the council, Bushy, Bagot and Green. Professor York, who led the investigation on behalf of the Parent-Teacher Organisation, has not publicly announced his results, however, rumours amongst the student body point to last semester’s notoriously expensive Winter Formal Dance’s tickets as well as the non-refundable, cancelled senior trip to Ireland.

Elections for the new student council were held last Friday. Henry Hereford was voted President by a sweeping majority. Henry Northumberland was appointed Vice-President, William Willoughby Secretary, while Harry Percy, Piece Exton and William Ross replaced members Bushy, Bagot and Green. Of the old council only Edward Aumerle, former Vice-President was re-elected, this time in the function of Treasurer.

While the majority of the student body greeted the reconstruction enthusiastically, there is still a small function that feels the change was unnecessary. When asked, Stephen Scroop, a year 10 student, said “This whole re-arrangement was altogether unnecessary. Hereford brings nothing new to the council, nor do the new-arrivals that accompanied him. Richard’s council was only dissolved due to allegations and frankly, we all have more important things to worry about than whether the seniors get an extra vacation or not.”

Victory over Agincourt! (by Alexander Court, sports reporter)

In a rather marvellous repeat of last week’s victory over Harfleur High our football team crashed Agincourt’s team during overtime. Nicknamed by the newly appointed captain, Harry Bolingbroke, as the “lucky ones” our schools team entered the court today with the odds against them.

Gower, Fluellen and Macmorris, last year’s golden boys, graduated at the end of term and their replacements, Pistol, Nym and Bardolph, left much to be desired. Thomas Erpingham, hailed as the best goalkeeper the team ever had, had to leave the team due to an injury in the middle of the season, but his substitute, Michael Williams, held the front heroically if not a little hot-headedly.

More disputed was Erpingham’s, displacement as team captain by Bolingbroke. Mainly an offensive player, Hal has been notorious for switching between being the main strength of the team and its bane at the drop of the hat. His attitude and his infallible aim when it comes to scoring penalties have gained him the nickname “the dreaded Five” amongst his peers. It seemed however that captaincy suited Hal like a glove. Despite some complaints voice by former mid-fielder Thomas Grey, the string of victories the “lucky ones” have achieved speaks for itself.

The gloss of these recent victories seemed to heighten the tension on the field today. Louis Guyenne, captain of the opposing team was characteristically heard before the match declaring that “Henry Bolingbroke would be more fit in a ball pit than a football field.” Unfortunately this comment was made within earshot of some of Harry’s teammates which might account for some of the more aggressive tackling going on during the first half of the game.

BREAKING NEWS: As Missy Quickly, our resident gossip collector, informs me Agincourt’s defeat was more personal than we poor sport reporters had suspected. In fact, I am told that the stunning presence on Harry’s side during the after-victory party was none other than Louis Guyenne’s younger sister, Kate, who appeared to prefer Stratford High’s partying sect over smoothing her brother’s ruffled feathers.

 

Stratford High

Stratford High, run by an eccentric literature professor named William Shakespeare is an explosive cocktail of figures and characters with distinctive personality traits, a love for the dramatic and an irrepressible need to monologue.

Stratford High is also my pet project as I revise for my Shakespeare module exam. Each post is loosely based on the plot of the play I am currently revisiting and presented as an article for the school’s newspaper, The Folio. Some articles might come from the less reputable magazine, Quarto, but we respectfully ask the readers not to put much stock on these gossipmongers hijacking our page.

Without further Ado and in honour of Mister Shakespeare’s 450^th birthday I give you Stratford High through the eyes of its students.

 

 

***Let it be without saying that this series is posted with all due respect an acknowledgement to William Shakespeare, who I’m sure would be laughing his wig off at my attempts to borrow his characters and/or plots if he could actually read them.