Yesterday brought with it a fiery atmosphere of intellectual debate as the Manor engaged in a mock court trial as well as a discussion on nature and its utility.

For the Introduction to Law students, the day’s lessons were followed up early on with a mock court case on the serious topic of sexual assault. The students took to it remarkably well, expertly grasping standard court procedure. By using the information they had been given, they adopted the roles of judge, prosecution and defendant with maturity and enthusiasm.

The sun was out once again yesterday, warranting some downtime on the lawn. We also got a chance to catch up with Livia, an Italian student on our Broadening Horizons programme, who told us all about her favourite excursions and masterclasses, adding that it was one of the best experiences she’s done in her life. Find the full interview on our social media.

Later in the day, the lawn also became the setting of a rigorous debate on the topic of nature. Lead by Alice Evatt, PhD student at Oxford University and specialist in climate change ethics, the group was split into two groups, with one maintaining that nature is only valuable for what it can provide, and the other that it holds inherent value. The students were able to grasp complicated concepts quickly and make compelling cases for each side.

Today promises to be even more exciting, and it even looks like an ice-cream van has pulled up!