.JPG) |
| Aileen & Ms. Woods |
5th form history student, Aileen Greenwalshe, is currently preparing for The Historical Association Great Debate at Royal Holloway, University of London on Saturday 14th March. Aileen won the Munster Heat of The Historical Associations bi-annual Great Debate, hosted by UL History Society, under the chairmanship of Declan Mills. The topic this year is 'What does Magna Carta mean to me?' 2015 is the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, an event that is often described as a significant turning point in the development of civil liberties. Students were encouraged to explore whether, after 800 years, it is still significant, or whether they would cite another turning point that they believe has greater bearing on their civil liberty today. Aileen excelled over stiff competition with her speech on how she believes the Industrial Revolution and the ensuing suffrage has had a greater impact on her civil liberties. Nastasia Vashko, Isabel Shultz-Austum and Aoife McGoey also participated in the Great Debate, focussing on the 12th century document has laid the foundation for basic Human Rights, as we know them today, particularly various articles of the United Nations Charter. Each competitor was given five minutes to present their case and then field a variety of questions from the four judges. All four students were guided by their history teacher, Janet Woods, who encourages her students to move beyond the curriculum and explore the impact of historical decisions on their lives. We wish Aileen all the best as she prepares for the finals in London.