Monday 16th July – Cracking the code and capturing the flag

It was back into a routine for ORA students at Stanford on Monday, with lessons either side of lunch. Two groups looked at the fascinating subject of Cryptography, with Stanford student Nicholas Dwork challenging the students with puzzles, history and independent thinking. They learnt ways in which code can be created and broken as well as the safety of encryption on message transmission.

After dinner, the students were joined with those studying at French house for some physical activity on the Wilbur Field, with a game of capture the flag. The game required teamwork, strategy and communication which all the students were well equipped with, as they enjoyed their evening running around in the Stanford twilight.

Tuesday 17th July – Please sir, I want S’mores?

An action-packed day was in store for the pupils, with Maths, Art History, Democracy and Optical phenomena all before lunch.

The group were then granted the unique opportunity to visit Stanford’s renowned Anatomy labs and see the facilities and processes that the students and medical professionals work with on campus. Hearing from lecturer Miguel Angeles and some current physician assistant students, the enthusiastic cohort got to use the high-tech Anatomage Table that produces 3D HD virtual reality imaging of the inner workings of the human body. The students even got the chance to get hands-on with cadavers, gaining a better understanding of the movement and muscles of the leg, the cardiovascular system and the human brain.

The anatomy class was the highlight of the day for a lot of the ORA students, who took a lot out of the experience:

Claudia – My favourite part of the day was the anatomy class, and seeing all the body parts up close and in more detail.

Charles – I enjoyed the anatomy lab, especially when we got to look at the brain and the heart.

Tim – The anatomy class was great, and I got a lot more information and details which boosted my knowledge of the human body.

After the lab, the pupils were invited to a college panel to understand more about the admissions process, entry requirements and college life at Stanford. No topics were off limits as the counsellors joined the panel offering their personal insight into their experiences of studying both here and abroad.

The evening activity was another chance to experience American life, with a traditional fire pit complete with the biscuity, marshmallowy and chocolatey yumminess of Smores. For some, it was their first taste of marshmallows, as the group gathered around the fire sharing music and jokes as the sun went down.

Ali – My highlight was the fire pit night, playing games and seeing Charles rescue the Frisbee from the tree.

Before bed, the staff held the daily campus meeting where students were encouraged to give shout-outs and thank yous to individuals who helped them or made their day with acts of kindness. The “Kudos” box was overflowing with messages as the 5 students from Oxford Royale received 19 messages between them from their campmates. This was a great opportunity to reflect on the day’s fun and for everyone to head to bed with huge smiles on their face.