Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2013

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The Oxbridge experience MS JULIE HENNESSEY, HEAD OF HISTORY, AND STUDENTS

ARTICLE

AUTHORS

Ernest Hemingway was right when he said, ‘If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [wo]man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.’ MACKENZIE GEEVES: CAMBRIDGE One of the many highlights of my time in Cambridge included my (major) Advertising class. We discussed issues related to the morality of advertising, banned advertisements and campaigns, as well as innovation and creativity. Creators, innovators and visionaries shape the advertisements we see each day and help transform the way we live our everyday lives. The most important lesson I learnt from this class, if not the whole experience, was that with the right idea, set of skills and mindset, anything can be achieved — no matter how crazy it might sound. We were told that ‘people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do’. The extent to which my mind has developed creatively is immeasurable. This, together with the lessons learnt and the relationships forged, will remain with me for the rest of my life.

SINCE 2010 SEVENTY-FOUR BRISBANE Girls Grammar students have participated in the Oxbridge Academic Program. First established in 1985, it provides middle- and high-school students from around the world the opportunity to study in Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, New York and Barcelona. Oxbridge is based on the principles of experiential learning, imaginative teaching and cultural enrichment. At Girls Grammar the programme is offered to Year 11 students, who attend the course during the June–July holidays and the early weeks of Term III. Since 2012 academic staff have been given the opportunity to participate in the Oxbridge Teacher Seminars. To date, three staff members —Mr James Seaha, Director of Post Secondary Planning; Dr Natasha Mayne, English teacher; and myself — have revelled in the chance to be part of the world’s greatest classrooms where current scholarship and university resources in a wide variety of fields are on offer. The Oxbridge courses available to Girls Grammar students and teachers are an important aspect of the School’s commitment to exceptional scholarship. CATHERINE CHAN: OXFORD Attending the Oxford Tradition allowed me to cultivate new friendships with students from all over the globe including India, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerland and America. By living, eating and studying together for one month, we became a tight-knit international family sharing our different cultures and interests. My academic courses were Law and the Economy (major) and Bioethics (minor). The challenging coursework, combined with excellent teachers, gave me new global insights and perspectives into topics ranging from corporate law and the carbon tax to developing biotechnologies. These classes helped me find my passion and possible future career path. I have also become more interested in world news and events; something that I never took much interest in until studying with international students at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Studying at Oxford is one of the best experiences of my life. SAMANTHA DOBRENOV: PARIS Paris in summer is breathtaking and my experiences here have been life changing. The people I met and the knowledge I gained all contributed to an unforgettable month studying abroad. Every day I discovered something new, which made me fall more in love with the city. Some of my favourite experiences were seeing the La Sylphide ballet at L’Opéra Garnier, walking through the catacombs, attending a service at Sacre Coeur, watching the Bastille Day parade from the Champs- Élysées and the finish of the 100th Tour de France. The highlight was an evening stroll around the candlelit Vaux-le- Vicomte, the palace that was the inspiration for Versailles.

IMAGE Mackenzie Geeves’s Advertising class at Cambridge

EMILY HARDING: NEW YORK Amazing does not begin to describe my experience in New York City this summer. The activities on offer included trips to Wall Street, Brooklyn, the United Nations, Central Park, Broadway musicals and a Mets baseball game. We also visited the university campuses of UPenn, Yale, Columbia, NYU and Princeton. My fondest memories are of my art class, when we explored New York while learning new skills. Small crowds would gather around as we drew, painted and sculpted in Times Square, Grand Central Station and at the Chelsea Highline. We also visited galleries such as the MoMA and the Met. Having classmates from around the world — Iceland, Spain, Mexico, India and Singapore —made these visits more enriching as everyone had different perspectives on what we were viewing. This trip provided a great opportunity to develop my skills, explore a new city and make friends across the globe.

GRAMMAR GAZETTE