Monday evening witnessed an outstanding final as Queens’ (Tillie C, Miranda H-S and Hazel S) proposed and Oakeley (Kitty R, Mojuba A and Eva O’D) opposed the motion This House believes that the best way to prepare for the future is to study the past. This was a perceptive and insightful debate which went right to the heart of what the past is, who interprets it, and what it should be used for, and also pondered which things we should study if we wish to make the future as positive as possible. Examples ranged across the history of medicine, the Irish potato famine, the historical mythology of Vladimir Putin and the legacy of slavery.  

Inevitably this was a very close contest, but the adjudicators Mr Robb and Mr Hipperson awarded the tie to Oakeley who therefore retain the O’Connell Cup which will be awarded on Friday.