2 minute read
Events at Queen’s
September 2020 – February 2021
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Queen’s has been busier than ever during the Michaelmas and Lent terms. We’ve run events on Zoom and Teams where people can take part from their own homes; workshops streamed into school, so the students are there in person and the speaker is at home; assemblies and clubs in year group bubbles; and live concerts where the audience joins remotely. Although we have had the occasional technical glitch, events can easily be recorded to enjoy a second time and early evening lectures are more accessible for students, staff and parents who would normally commute. So, we would like to thank our magnificent IT team for supporting all this and also introducing us to a new word: simulcasting!
Gertrude Bell (OQ) wearing a Queen’s branded face mask
The first in our series of ‘Lockdown Lectures’ took place in January 2021, with two very different but equally compelling speakers. Firstly, the Annual Socratic Club Lecture was given by Ben Gumpert, QC, who was a Senior Trial Attorney at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
We learned about the specific issues raised in the trial of a man called Dominic Ongwen which Uganda asked the ICC to conduct and in which Ben was lead prosecutor. The presentation made a challenging topic accessible to students. We learnt about the important work of this court which I had not been aware of before. It was really interesting to learn that the ICC can only investigate individuals and that these individuals have to belong to one of the current 123 member states or must have committed crimes on the territory of one of the member states.”
Beatrice, IS, subject representative for Philosophy, Theology and Ethics
In ‘A Different Path - Navigating & Accepting Unexpected Change’, Shannon Murray (Old Queen 1987-1991) joined us virtually to share her life and career. Shannon was left paralysed from the waist down after a diving accident when she was 14 years old and received international media attention a few years after her injury when she won the first ever national search for a disabled model. She has since campaigned for the better representation of disability in the media for 20 years, has acted in a number of successful dramas for the BBC and Channel4, and was the first disabled model to feature in a high profile advertising campaign. She is also a qualified solicitor.
On a more day to day level, student clubs ran throughout the Michaelmas term in their bubbles and have continued during the lockdown. Students have been able to participate in a range of activities online together, from dance cardio to yoga and Tae Kwon-Do, and can join in discussions on topics from Feminism to Zoology.
Ben Gumpert QC Shannon Murray
