A Passion for Ideas

Posted on: 29/01/2020

Geronimo.jpg

This month's intriguing subject in the Student Society lecture series was the Collapse of the Aztec empire. Here we explore how the society has evolved into an important forum for Harrodian's young thinkers.

It wasn't just his fondness for history that led Harrodian student Geronimo, above, to choose The Collapse of the Aztec Empire as the subject for the Student Society lecture he gave last week to an audience of Senior School pupils and Sixth Form students. For the Lower Sixth Former who is studying Philosophy, Physics and Mathematics, as well as History at A Level, the subject is bound up with his personal identity and passions. 

Geronimo's family heritage combines French and Mexican heritage. He lived in Mexico for 8 years with his family before joining Harrodian when he moved to London and returns to the country at least once a year. For him it was only natural that the next step would be to explore the culture and history of his Central American heritage. 'The idea of the lecture was to provide an overview of the Aztec civilisation and how it functioned,’ he says. ‘But I also wanted to challenge the misconceptions surrounding the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas and the tendency to group them all together rather than distinguishing between them.’

Student%20Soc%20Geronimo%20poster%20portrait.jpg

In a sense, the 'left field' nature of  Geronimo's subject matter - and the passions that underpin them - is typical of Student Society lectures. Founded in 2017 by Harrodian's then head boy, the Society was conceived as a forum in which Sixth Formers could debate and discuss ideas and opinions that lay beyond the curriculum, through open-ended lectures given by their peers.

Ella (U6) currently runs the society with help from Lower Sixth student Sonya, who will take over next year. Both girls have been impressed by ‘the community of bright, intellectually curious pupils who love to learn,’ that have been attending the society. 'I've been struck by the way Senior and Sixth Form communities really come together to engage with a subject that one of their peers is passionate about,' says Sonya.

As with the teacher-led equivalent which inspired its foundation (the Thomson Society), as long as it's delivered with knowledge and passion, almost any subject is up for discussion.  The result is a programme that always offers something different. Topics have ranged from Trump’s failure to fulfil his promises (Jed, L6) to Escape from Alcatraz (Darcy, L6).  

IMG_0659.JPG

 

I've been struck by the way Senior and Sixth Form communities really come together to engage with a subject that one of their peers is passionate about.

Sonya, Joint Secretary of Student Society

Both Ella and Sonya really enjoy coordinating the lecture programme and say that they leave each and every talk with something to think about, a different perspective on life and a vivid picture of a new, exciting corner of the world.

Darcy (L6), who focused on the unsolved crime mystery of the Alcatraz prison in her talk, found the experience pushed her out of her comfort zone. ‘It was surprisingly scary to stand up in front of a load of people and present to them a topic that you really like and have spent so long researching, in fear that they may not like it or find it as fascinating as you do,’ she explains. 

It was surprisingly scary to stand up in front of a load of people and present to them a topic that you really like....in fear that they may not like it or find it as fascinating as you do.

Darcy (L6)

Sonya (L6) emphasises the importance of these talks and discussions in providing a big-picture approach to education, Student Society pushes pupils to see further than just their curricular material and explore extra- and super-curricular subjects that they may have never encountered before.’

Student Society pushes pupils to see further than just their curricular material and explore extra- and super-curricular subjects that they may have never encountered before.

Sonya (L6)

The Student Society will be hosting a number of other talks this term. Sam (L6) will be talking about surprising elements of mathematics and physics while Helena will take on the science of pain. We wish them all the best of luck and look forward to hearing more.

To see a copy of Geronimo's presentation slides