Sunday brought with it a huge amount of excitement as all of our students were offered an excellent opportunity to take part in the Great Debate in the historic Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford.
Students gathered in the Long Gallery for a good breakfast in the morning as they discussed their ideas about the interesting topic they were to be arguing during the Great Debate. Following breakfast, it was time to board the coach as they headed into the city centre for an intellectually inspiring day.
When they arrived at the Sheldonian Theatre, some of the students were understandably, a little intimidated by the prospect of speaking in such a large and renowned space. However, everyone’s nerves were calmed when our brilliant guest speaker, Jason Bradbury entered the room on a hoverboard. It was clear from the outset that this would be no ordinary talk, it would break boundaries. Bradbury is a self-confessed tech geek. He is most notable for presenting ‘The Gadget Show’ and classes himself as a tech influencer. His talk then dealt with the future of tech, but rather than focusing on the drawbacks of Artificial Intelligence, he encouraged students to see the opportunities that the world of tech has to offer the next generation.
Once he completed his interactive and thoroughly entertaining speech, it was time for the debate to start with our other Oxford colleges, which proposed the motion of, ‘this house believes that robots are taking our jobs.’ Yarnton then nominated a individual candidate to argue the case. It is important to note how much confidence and determination this took, and all of the five speakers who were nominated by their respective colleges spoke with tact and intelligence. A massive well done to all of our students who got involved and faced their fears!
After a heated afternoon of discussion, it was time for a relaxed evening as students headed back to Yarnton to cool off and reflect on the excitement of the day. Everyone was eager to get to bed as they prepare for their second and final week of study!