Day 3 and the energy continues to rise!
Biotechnology experiment al fresco!
After indulging in a good hearty breakfast in Westminster and Downing College, the students set off to their respective lessons which they were all eager to get to. The Biotechnology students had an intense session extracting DNA from strawberries, while the Psychology students learnt about behavioural and cognitive psychology, looking deep into memory and learning; the students even created a memory game which they played with each other.
Though the weather was wet and gloomy, the afternoon was full of excitement, bringing out the active and creative sides in our students. A session of Zumba raised many heart rates as the students danced and jumped to a range of different songs, whilst T-shirt painting was a calmer and more relaxing atmosphere. In fact, T-shirt painting was such popular activity that we ran out of shirts! However, students doubled up in decorating tees together and were very much pleased with the outcome of their collaborative work.
In the evening, the students had an eye-opening lecture on nostalgia and cultural repetition, delivered by English Literature lecturer, Andy Campbell. He explained how nostalgia can at times be a negative thing, especially in a political context as it can be used as a distraction from austerity. He gave examples like the Great British Bake-Off and the sudden consumption of Victoria Sponge cake which left students and staff quite flabbergasted! It was so interesting that discussions on the topic lasted a few hours after the lecture was over. We love seeing our students so fascinated, inspired and intrigued!
To end the night, the students enjoyed a casino-like atmosphere (without really gambling) and a few board games, which became quite competitive by the end. A game of Jenga had people on the edge of their seats as the tower stacked up higher but became more and more unstable along the way. In another room, Nintendo Switch was also very popular and even had members of the senior staff playing a few games and rising the ranks. A lovely way to end such an exciting day.
Written by Gold
