During the term, our scholars have gathered on numerous occasions to listen to several talks given by pupils and members of staff. Topics have varied and there has been a plethora for the scholars to explore and delve into. From samurais to mathematicians, and from the Falkland Islands to the history of the suit, today we look back at the topics presented.
The Greatest Mathematician and Life on The Falkland Islands, Wednesday 25 January 2023
In the first of a double bill of Scholars' Masterclasses, Alex Tang (Year 12) presented on the greatest mathematicians to have lived and also attempted to answer who he thought was the greatest of all. The latter proved to be no easy feat as in his talk, Alex introduced the audience to some true heavyweights of the mathematics world which featured many familiar names, in addition to some unknown figures. These included the likes of Pythagoras, Archimedes, Ramanujan, Newton, Einstein, Turing, and more. In his talk, Alex expanded on each mathematician and gave a brief overview of what they had accomplished or how they had contributed to the field of mathematics.
When pushed to give an answer to who he thought was the greatest mathematician, Alex was diplomatic in his response and said that it was a collaborative effort between those he spoke of, and the many more that weren’t mentioned, that give us what we know today about the mathematics field. Although, if he had to choose one, Srinivasa Ramanujan was Alex's choice due to what he accomplished in such a short space of time - Ramanujan died at the age of 33.
In the second Masterclass talk of the afternoon, computing teacher, Miss Bhatti, gave a talk on the time she spent working and living on the Falkland Islands. For three years, Miss Bhatti worked as a teacher at the Falkland Islands Community School, 8,000 miles away from the UK. In a talk interspersed with interesting facts and fun anecdotes, Miss Bhatti spoke to the audience about what life on the Islands was like – including a story on how she was once chased by a sea lion!
Miss Bhatti also touched on the conflict that ravaged The Falklands in 1982. Remnants of the war are still very much present with craters and artillery all observable throughout the island. There are numerous crash sites additionally that have not been cordoned off, and so there is nothing stopping members of the public from sitting in the jump seat of a fallen plane.
How to be a Samurai, Thursday 2 February 2023
In front of a packed-out Marjorie's Café, Head of History, Mr Player, presented on an area of keen interest to him - samurais and, more specifically, how to be one!
Beginning with a general overview of the samurai, Mr Player presented to the scholars the history of the samurai which included their origin, role and status in society, as well as the different types of samurai.
In the final part of his presentation, Mr Player shared with the audience his eight rules to be a successful samurai. These rules varied in nature but there was a recurring theme of honour throughout which is of the highest importance if you were to be a samurai. If anything, or anyone for that matter, was to paint you in a negative light, or take away your honour, a samurai would have to be prepared to do anything to protect their honour. This led very neatly to the next rule - 'always be prepared to die'. Such was the importance of honour that a samurai would go to extreme lengths (including death) to defend their honour and status.
How is Andrew Tate so Famous and The History of the Suit, Tuesday 7 February 2023
First to present was Year 12 pupil, Ben Zacharias. Choosing a highly topical subject, Ben gave a presentation to the audience on the controversial internet personality, Andrew Tate. Andrew Tate shot to internet fame through a combination of his highly lavish lifestyle and his controversial comments on women and society which have sparked fears over how his ideology could influence young, impressionable men. It is these controversial views that led to many organisations and corporations, such as Uber and Facebook, banning Tate from their platforms.
Beginning with an introduction to Andrew Tate's background, in which he grew up in poverty before gaining success in life after becoming a World Champion kickboxer, Ben's presentation included details on how Andrew Tate would later go on to run a 'webcam' business before starting 'Hustlers University'. The latter is what is known as a pyramid scheme which is a business model that recruits members via a promise of payments or services for enrolling others into the scheme. For those who may have seen a sudden influx of Andrew Tate clips on YouTube, one such way of recruiting members is to repost clips of Tate on the internet - a form of marketing in essence.
Ben also touched on Tate’s podcast and TikTok account in which the latter is used to show off his luxurious lifestyle of mansions, supercars, and more. The podcasts that Tate works on are often the primary platforms in which he shares his controversial views.
In the final Scholars' Masterclass of the half-term, Mr Shaw gave a thoroughly detailed presentation on 'The History of the Modern Day Suit'. Known as the best dressed member of staff at the College for his many suits and outfits, there was no one better than Mr Shaw to give this presentation in which he took the audience on a journey from the origins of the suit to what we have now.
Delving into how the suit has developed over the decades, Mr Shaw touched on the different styles, colours, and materials that have all influenced the suit. In the 1920s, the style was very much about bold colours and patterns. This era of suits was a personal favourite for Mr Shaw as people could choose a suit that reflected their personality. The 1970s saw the rise of Tommy Nutter suits which had a more 'rockstar' look before reverting to a more conservative 'banker look' in the 80s. It is this style that we see more often now albeit with darker colours and a slimmer fitting.
When asked for his opinion on the College uniform, Mr Shaw gave it a stamp of approval for the most part although if he had to change something, would do so with the jumpers!
Thank you to everyone who has taken to the stage to present. Moving froward, we look forward to welcoming parents to the College for the next flurry of Scholars' Masterclasses. The next Scholars' talk is scheduled for Wednesday 8 March, where Mr Ed Gemmell will give a talk on 'How and Why to get Involved in Politics'.
