The latest academic discussion supper was held on 23rd May with Year 12 and Year 10 students and Dr Harrison, Head of English. The discussion was led by Dr Jones, Head of Library & Enrichment.
Here are some of the student takeaways from the evening:
Ruby (Academic Prefect – Year 12)
“This Somerville Supper’s topic “Life is beautiful” allowed us to discuss a wide range of thought-provoking and poignant ideas. These included the beauty that can be garnered from suffering, if beauty can be quantified in some meaningful mathematical way, and whether there’s any point in seeking beauty and meaning when some things, like death, are unavoidable. This led me to reflect on how beauty can be derived from the inevitabilities in our lives, and in trying to seek and do beautiful things despite the fact that it may have no deeper purpose and may not be remembered in the future.
Claudia (Year 12)
“This Somerville Supper was an amazing opportunity to explore a highly subjective and nuanced philosophical topic. I thoroughly enjoyed broadening my perspective on different forms of beauty from the idea that maths can be beautiful in that it reflects the summation of human history and existence, the different factors influencing how individuals perceive life’s beauty, the evolutionary aspect of beauty, and whether objective beauty really exists. It was a thought-provoking and stimulating discussion which left me thinking more deeply about whether, at a deeper level, beauty truly matters in today’s society.”
Yan (Year 10)
“I think life is beautiful in all different kinds of ways, whether it’s nature, animals or even maths. Everything has its own way of presenting beauty and it’s really a personal perceptive of how do you see life, some people may choose to see the negative side whereas some may choose to think positive even when facing tough challenges, however I think that it is important to value the things you have in your life, for example the people around you, rather than things you don’t have!”
Imogen (Year 12)
In this Somerville supper I really enjoyed exploring what beauty means to me in all the different aspects of life including nature and day-to-day routine. I was also fascinated by the idea that finding something so beautiful could make you believe in a higher power even if only for a few moments.
Mido (Year 10)
The Somerville Supper around the theme “life is beautiful” was both thought-provoking and enriching. It was inspiring to hear such a wide range of perspectives—from philosophical reflections on meaning and beauty, to personal anecdotes and cultural interpretations. I especially enjoyed the conversations about nature and how life is beautiful because it doesn’t last forever.
