A Magical Tour of Christ Church College

Last Saturday, some of our students headed out on a tour of the prestigious Christ Church College, which was famously a filming location for many scenes in Harry Potter.

Armed with audio-visual guided tours instead of wands, they explored Christ Church’s famously grand architecture, spiral staircases, and impressive dining hall…

They might have missed out on the Sorting Ceremony, but on top of the Great Hall they did get to explore Christ Church’s famous Cathedral, which features some incredibly stunning stained class and interesting graffiti directed against prime minister Robert Peel…

River cruisin’

Also this week, students signed up to a boat ride and river tour of Oxford along the Thames. It was great to see the city- famous for its rowing on this very river- from a different perspective! The riverside views were serene and the weather too. Big thanks to everyone who joined and to our wonderful tour guide!

En garde!

Earlier this week a fencing professional came in to give students a taste of the sport. Everyone looked great in the fencing attire and got truly stuck in. (And from the looks of the video below picked it up quickly!)

Wearing our hearts on our scrubs

Yesterday morning the Medical Science class were assessed on everything they’ve learned these last few weeks by dissecting lamb’s hearts. Their knowledge (and squeamishness) was put to the test as lecturer Prassana let the students take the lead.

Prassana assured us of good results all round and a very successful morning! What a hearty wake up call.

Well done all!

Ready, set, cakes!

Last week students took part in a cake decorating contest in the sunny Rokos quad. The results looked truly good enough to eat (despite some slightly melted icing incidents from the heat…)

The competition was neck and neck (not to mention mouth-watering), but first place had to go to Miranda’s excellent iced recreation of the Pembroke college crest!

London’s calling

“By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.” – Samuel Johnson.

Last Friday all of our students boarded the OxTrad Express (three large coaches) to London! Students spent the morning doing educational activities in their major class groups- this included trips to the British museum, the Sherlock Holmes museum, the National Portrait Gallery and much more!

The engineers perused the Science Museum the morning, then headed out all across London to do an impressive amount of sight-seeing…

The CSI majors reported to Scotland Yard, before meeting the great detective himself at the Sherlock Holmes museum…

Meanwhile, the Business majors explored the National Gallery, with a particular focus on the business strategies of the café and gift shop, then enjoyed an authentic (albeit French) lunch at Brasserie Zédel…

Several classes enjoyed the various exhibits at the Wellcome Collection, and unsurprisingly many ended up at the famous Trafalgar Square…

After the coaches arrived back after a successful day out, students enjoyed pizzas in the dining hall before heading back to their rooms, undoubtedly to dream of good-old London Town!

Staying active: hot n’ cold edition

This week’s heatwave called for a cooler way for students to get moving. We took to the Westgate ice rink to escape the high temperatures in favour for a cooler climate. Our students did a great job of keeping their cool (and their balance!) on the rink.

Touch Rugby was also on the agenda Sunday morning! We gathered in University Parks- a well-known spot for students to play sports and hang out together- to play. The rules were new for many (except for our sports-expert Activities Director Kyle), but the competition was tense nonetheless, and it was great to see everyone getting stuck in!

And here some selfies from the side lines- & more wonderful matching squad outfits from team ‘Girl Boss’, of course!

Creative writing class: inspiration from the outdoors

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
― Lord Byron

Our creative writing major class has certainly been making the most of the recent hot weather!

From collaborative writing games in the quad…

To eco-poetry and nature writing the the botanical gardens…

They’ve certainly had plenty of opportunities to draw inspiration from nature. Who knows, maybe one of them could be the next Wordsworth or Coleridge in the making…

A sunny day at St Mary’s Church

Earlier this week students took a trip to University Church of St Mary the Virgin (SMV for short). Below is a shot of the Church by night from Radcliffe Square- not only is it beautiful to look at, but from the top of the tower provides great views of the Oxford skyline!

And left our students can be seen smiling after enjoying the scenes from the top- made all the more spectacular by the clear sky and the sun. Well done to those who took the stairs in the heat- the views were definitely worth it!

Safety First!

In preparation for the upcoming London trip, as well as for life in general, our wonderful CSI professor, Douglas Brand, led a talk this afternoon on his top tips for UK safety and security.

Students gathered outside, as the UK heatwave continues, to listen to Douglas share some of his significant expertise gained from 34 years as a police officer. They learnt useful tips ranging from carrying coins to pay for public bathrooms to avoiding wearing earbuds in busy areas to ensure they are always aware of their surroundings. Douglas also guided them through a 4 step process of dealing with unwanted interactions or altercations, so the students could feel fully prepared for their London trip, as well as for later life.

Stay safe and stay cool!!