The Wykehamist January 2020 Edition 1487 | Page 10

Why I do CCF: Hunter Davis (I)
It’s also deeply cathartic. That tightrope walk of playing with your character's emotions cleanses you of whate-
Most people do not consider lying cold, wet and tired in a ditch fun. Nor do most people in the combined cadet ver you’re feeling. To manufacture a true likeness of the author’s imagination I think you need to start with a blank
force (CCF). Often, as I walk through a waist-deep river, I find myself thinking “What am I doing here?” However, slate. But it also builds a life-long control over your emotions and the process of working through a character’s moti-
the feeling after completing a successful exercise is akin to the feeling after a tiring sports session, that feeling of vations and embracing both their flaws and perfections also translates into real life and I think that it has made me
accomplishment, that can only be achieved through hard work. And as you share an anecdote from the exercise to a more understanding and accepting person.
friends that you would not have made without doing corps, that 0200-0300 sentry duty seems worth it.
Finally, there is nothing more satisfying than the curtain call. The pride that I feel at all the effort that I put in
over the preceding months is more than for anything else. And although I’m never perfectly satisfied with the result
Of course, there are other reasons to do Corps. The aim of the CCF is to nurture confidence and leadership.
– that balance is almost impossible to achieve – sharing our creations with the audience is amazing.
Training sessions are designed to improve communication and develop planning abilities. When the basics of stan-
ding back and commanding through delegation have been achieved one can put their own spin on leadership and
develop their own style. Perhaps more important than what is being taught is who is teaching it. The senior men
plan and deliver all the lessons. This gives opportunities that are otherwise unheard of. As Head of Corps I over-
see (under close supervision) the training of 300 men. This is a responsibility most 18 olds would never ordinarily
experience.
For those with military ambitions Corps is a good first step. The tactics we use are, to a certain extent, the same
as those used by the army. Moreover, the core fieldcraft skills are the same as those taught in basic training. As I am
planning to join the Royal Marines the opportunity to visit CTCRM Lympstone as part of the Pringle competition
and to meet members of the armed forces has given me a good idea of what life in the military will be like.
Above all, I do Corps because I enjoy it. I enjoy the process of a troop attack, or a stalk, or a building clearance;
and I enjoy the camaraderie. For me, the skills I have learned such as leadership and first aid, are a bonus. Even
within the Corps not everyone will share this sentiment. But everyone is there to make the most of whatever they
want to do, be it flying, mountain biking, rocking climbing, or wading through a river.
Why I act: Carson White (Coll)
A good rule of thumb for putting on a play is that every minute on stage needs about an hour of work from
every character involved. Winchester regularly puts on productions that clock in at over two and a half hours. So
that’s… a lot of time. Already. Then add learning lines, going over them a hundred times and working on your
scenes and character, costumes, make-up, and blocking, not to mention developing relationships with the rest of the
cast. That’s a lot more time.
Boys at Winchester are already very busy. Why any of us would wish to lose those dozens upon dozens of
hours of our free time is baffling. And during the rehearsal process it can be easy to forget why you do so. When
you’re tired and are missing Ekker for the third day in a row and have hours of Toytime to catch up on, it's easy to
complain and wonder why you bother. Thankfully, there’s such a great drama community here at Winchester that
usually your castmates can remind you why you’re there.
Even if they can’t, the second that you walk on to stage to perform or to rehearse everything that annoyed you
about the process evaporates. You get to escape the stress of life at school and become someone else and wield their
emotions instead of yours. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing the happiest or most tortured character ever invented.
The balancing act of confecting emotion and then embracing it enough so that you are feeling it but not so close that
Tug-o-War, 2019
you forget everything that you’ve rehearsed is exhilarating. It’s really difficult and maintaining it for long periods
of time even more so but I love the challenge.
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The wykehamist
WHY I . . .
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