With the students fully settled into life at Cambridge immerse they were primed and ready for a full day of academic sessions and activities. Glorious sunshine spilled over spires and cobbles once more with record-breaking temperatures and dry heat making east Anglia look positively Mediterranean.
Presentation Time
Presentations were (already!) due for the International Relations students who took turns to explain and deconstruct patterns in global politics. Such a diverse student body at CI meant that many students had personal anecdotes to share from their respective home countries and some extremely lively debates ensued. Although a daunting task to be sure, the move from the indoor classroom to the calmer setting of Sidney gardens took the edge of any nerves students were feeling, and was greatly appreciated by the eavesdropping mentors!
The afternoon saw students at Sidney Sussex college attend an African Drumming workshop. Synchronised systems of syncopated sounds emanated from the Yusuf Hamied Centre which causing quite the cacophony! Christs students enjoyed a relaxing trip along the backs in a punt. As a new experience for most, if not all the students, the backs offer one of the most astoundingly beautiful viewpoints of Cambridge including the Bridge of Sighs at St. Johns, the Wren Library at Trinity, and the unmissable King’s College Chapel. A very different, but equally fun activity awaited St. Catharine’s students who participated in a lively game of Krashball. Not for the faint-hearted, this somewhat absurd sport involves a person being surrounded in an inflatable ball from the hips upward which allows for some extremely hilarious tackles and pain-free bouncing.
Formal Hall
The greatest of Cambridge traditions awaited CI students upon their return; Formal Hall. St. John’s College hosted all 240 students of session 2, but being among the largest colleges of Cambridge, the hall accommodated them easily. With all students having taken the dress code of formalwear seriously, any onlooker would have been hard-pressed to distinguish the Immerse students from quintessential Cantabs at the formal hall. After photo opportunities in John’s first court, the group was ushered in for a three-course meal, plus chocolates and coffee, all sandwiched between two readings of a Latin grace. With bellies full and spirits high, all students left formal hall and returned to their respective colleges for a well-needed rest before another day of Immerse.
All photos by Catarina Rodrigues.
