Lower College Society

‘Form Square!’ is not a cry that has resounded much from within College precincts since the 1880s. It was also incongruous in the setting of Valens, where cries are usually reserved for more potatoes! So when Lower College Society (LCS) members recreated the Roman army’s shield-bound testudo there was always the chance that it could be as awkward as it was anachronistic. Even so, the tortoise rallied, steadied and then marched under the able instruction of centurion Paddy Grand if only for a few feet. More leadership from Angus Grounds saw the dispatch of legionaries to quell rebellions in distant Eboracum (by the salad bar) and Cataractonium (next to the water cooler) as LCS delivered on its promise of more active learning experiences. Still more have been called for the coming year and I shall try to oblige!

Talks by the renowned astrobiologist, Professor Lewis Dartnell and from the Sixth Form around sustainability provided some diversity to the offerings and raised the highbrow even higher. The ever- popular Christmas Quiz saw a startling array of film, music and ‘guess-the- teachers’ rounds; the Open Mic night took up a theme of decoding artist messages in Hogarth’s ‘Marriage à la Mode’ to explore hidden messages in other contexts. The Feast in May heralded the end of the current Fifth Form’s dominance and the rise of Fourth Form members to the giddy heights of command. Special mention at this stage should go to Emily Grant, Ellie Hanbury, Maisy White and Lily Ropner for their consistent support of LCS since Third Form. New ideas abound and so we set sail again in the coming year! Ave!

Mr Dominic Nelder

Upper College Society

The Society’s first event was a fascinating evening with Professor of Philosophy Adrian Moore from the University of Oxford exploring what we mean by infinity. This was followed by University Challenge, an inter- House event that was both incredibly fun and competitive, chaired by two of the Society Presidents, Flora Scurr and Jessica Heynes. The Society then hosted a number of evenings in which students presented academic papers. Serving as a wonderful resource for strengthening university applications, these were both also fascinating and enjoyable. Papers ranged from conspiracy theories to neuroscientific accounts of intelligence. The programme ended with a Model United Nations evening ‘to reach a resolution to the conflict in the Red Sea, which is harming world trade’. Ademide Obagun hosted this with fellow President Bertie Parkes, and we were impressed by the maturity of the intellectual discussion and the investment of the Houses in arriving at a solution. Finn Keatinge, dressed as a representative of the USA presidential cabinet, was particularly articulate in arguing for America’s solution to the dilemma. Our thanks go to all who made this year’s Society such a success.

Ademide Obagun