Queen’s College has welcomed arrivals and already got everyone stuck in with exciting activities, including a Ghost Tour and Zoolab Masterclass.
Ghost Tour
A spooky start to the week was had for ORA students at Queen’s, as they embarked on a Ghost Tour around Oxford. Joining Bill Spectre, a famous ghost guide, the group wandered cautiously through dim alleys as they listened to gruesome tales of spirits lurking in the shadows.
Some arrived bravely ridiculing the notion of the supernatural but left unnervingly uneasy after seeing the spooky evidence and hearing the horrifying stories. With Oxford being steeped in history, it is no wonder that so many screaming spectres and ghastly ghouls creep around the streets in the dead of night.
It wasn’t all terrifying, though, as Bill entertained and amused the crowd with a selection of props, including a scarily realistic fake knife! The chance to see another side of the city was appreciated by students, who discussed the eerie hauntings all the way home.
Zoolab
A slightly less spooky choice for some was the Zoolab Masterclass on Tuesday. Scorpions, cockroaches, snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlies arrived to give students the chance to handle them and learn about the exotic creatures.
The weather was fortunately warm enough to enable the class to be held outside, making the session feel more authentic as the animals crawled, slithered and sat on pupils’ hands. The scorpion and tarantula were the least popular, with everyone preferring to take photos rather than hold the insects.
Elsewhere, however, the snake, lizard and millipede received significant attention and were held by staff and students alike. During the class, the experts also informed the pupils about the animals, including detailing their diet and habitat. It was a fascinating Masterclass and everyone was pleased to have had the chance to take part.
This week sees more Masterclasses, an Alice in Wonderland party and the ORA Olympics take place for ORA students at Queen’s, so check back soon to see how they get on.
