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With the recent media furore over Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, the topic of this year’s Elizabethan Union Dinner Debate held particular resonance.

The Old Elizabethans secured a decisive, although not totally one-sided, victory, as they and a pair of sixth-formers debated the motion: This House believes that in the digital age we should not expect our online activities to remain private.

Pupils Akshat Sharma and Tej Mehta put forward the motion for the 53rd annual debate, which was held on the day of the 445th anniversary of the founding of the School. It was opposed by Jonathan Hollingsworth, who opened, with support from Pravin Swamy (both OEs 2006-2013).

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “The debate itself was a typically lively and good-humoured affair. The whole event serves to help prepare boys for handling similar such formal, but social, occasions as they progress through university, their careers and life more broadly.”

Captain of the School Aashish Khimasia proposed the customary toasts to Her Majesty, the Queen, and The Pious Memory of Queen Elizabeth I, whilst Ross Lima (OE 1995-2002) proposed the toast to The Elizabethan Union.

Ross read Law at Sheffield and now works for Shell as Lead Legal Counsel for the sale of catalysts across large areas of the globe. In his speech, he reminisced about his first day at QE and meeting friends Laurence Burrows and Panicos Petrou, both of whom attended the dinner debate as his guests, along with Ross’s wife, Sarah. He remembered how the then-Headmaster, Eamonn Harris, told them to look around at the prefects: “He told us we were wearing the same blazers, but we hadn’t earned ours yet.” Looking at his Dinner Debate audience, Ross said: “You are now in the same position as those very boys that I looked up to on that day, and through your achievements at this School you have earned the right to wear that blazer.”

He spoke of the challenges the boys have already faced in their School careers and encouraged them to continue to seek out new challenges and opportunities, and to learn to overcome their fears.

The indicative vote at the outset indicated that the floor was leaning against the motion.

The debate began with Akshat putting forward the proposal. He and seconder Tej set out their case that it was, in fact, a reality that our online activities are not private – using state surveillance, as an example. They also argued the importance of being aware of how others use the data they hold, via social media or online gaming. They put forward the view that if people agree to the terms of surveys and ‘apps’ they use, then companies like Cambridge Analytica had, in law, not necessarily done anything wrong.

They also expounded the case for the positives of monitoring online activities, for the purposes of detecting and preventing crime and acts of terror.

The opposition countered these arguments, claiming the price of giving up our online privacy would be to give up part of our humanity, including our freedom of speech. Facebook came in for criticism, and the alumni said that even Mark Zuckerberg has now opined that such companies need regulating. They argued that people would not expect more traditional forms of communication – the Royal Mail or faxes, for example – to be open to others to view, so why should the internet be any different?

They also questioned whether the good citizens represented on the floor should be subjected to privacy breaches by the state in the name of security, advocating a higher threshold. They proposed a series of policy interventions to ensure better data protection online.

The floor debate saw enthusiastic contributions from Year 12 speakers and guests. These ranged from the question of how to monitor and deal with the terrorist threat, through to the different expectations there should be users in terms of the sharing of social media posts and messages between, on the one hand celebrities (and those who court social media attention) and, on the other, ordinary users. They also raised the already-strict financial and criminal penalties that exist for those who breach data laws.

The three-course meal started with leek and potato soup. There was a choice of main course between vegetarian tart and salmon, which was served with crushed new potatoes, green beans and tomato and basil sauce. Dessert was lemon and lime tart.

Fifty years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, QE’s Music department commemorated the civil rights leader with a concert based on the themes of his most famous speech, I have a dream.

Director of Music Cheryl Horne said: “In 1963, five years before his death, Dr King made the I have a dream speech in which he quoted the words of the American Declaration of Independence: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’. The concert explores ideas of brotherhood and unity, relevant not only then, but equally today.”

The event in the Shearly Hall was the final major concert for the Year 13 leavers, representatives of whom made speeches and presented gifts to Miss Horne and her fellow Music Department staff, Jen Brown and Tom Jack. A number of boys were also presented with Senior Music Colours.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It was an excellent evening; I was particularly impressed with the scale of the current School Schoir and how they filled the stage.” The choir performed Man in the Mirror, composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett, but made famous by Michael Jackson.

The repertoire ranged from reggae to Beethoven and was performed by an array of ensembles and bands. From the Barbershop group’s rendition of One love/People get ready to the Symphony Orchestra’s performance of The world in unity, the themes were frequently revisited.

The concert opened with Benjamin Britten’s Fanfare for St Edmundsbury, performed by the Trumpet Trio, and closed with the Chamber Choir’s offering of selections from the musical, Hairspray.

Although it sat outside the overall theme for the night, the winning entry from the inter-House Music competition was also performed – Pearce’s arrangement of I’ve had the time of my life, from the 1980s film, Dirty Dancing. Run recently for the first time in five years, the reformatted contest featured specially formed ensembles drawing boys from across all year groups. Each House’s ensemble had to choose a piece based on the theme of the Oscars and then arrange and rehearse it. The competition culminated with a performance of all the pieces to the whole Lower School (Years 7-10) at a special assembly in the Shearly Hall.

Four QE teams are gearing up for the challenge of the world finals of a robotics competition at the end of April, following their successful qualification.

Two senior teams, Hybrid Alpha and Beta, won places in the VEX EDR Robotics World Championships in the USA at the School’s very first attempt. And at the VEX IQ junior level, a further two teams, Gear Squad and Technogear, are also heading for the finals in Louisville, Kentucky, having matched the feat of the double qualification by QE teams in 2017, the first year the School had entered the junior competition.

The boys’ efforts have been boosted by the support of the Foundation Trustees and of one particular OE, Sachin Dev Duggal (1994–2001), who is an AI entrepreneur.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Having no fewer than four teams in the world finals of this extremely popular competition represents an achievement of the very highest order. I know that the boys will be enjoying their Easter holidays in eager anticipation of their trip to the States, where we all wish them even greater success.”

Hybrid Alpha qualified after taking the Excellence Award in the regional EDR event at Stowe School during the winter. Then, at the national finals held at Telford International Centre, the other senior team, Beta, picked up the highly sought-after Design Award for the design process itself and their excellent logging and tracking of it, which secured them a berth at the World Championship.

Mr Noonan commended Alpha’s “extremely accomplished performance”, adding: “Beta proved they have what it takes when the chips are really down on a national stage. Both teams have done superbly in their senior competition debut.”

Gear Squad qualified at the IQ national finals, also at Telford, by retaining the Teamwork Champions title won by QE last year, whilst Technogear won the Design Award in the junior category. “In the biggest national finals yet, the boys held their nerve and performed valiantly,” Mr Noonan said.

The Alpha team is made up of: Year 12’s Aadi Desai, together with Deshraam Ganeshamoorthy, Bhargab Ghoshal, James Tan and Ukendar Vadivel, all of Year 10. The Beta team comprises: Dilan Sheth, of Year 12, along with Daniel Radzik-Rahman, Yai Sagolsem, Devin Karia and Sunay Challa, from Year 10. Gear Squad consists of Year 9 boys Vihaan Jain, Varun Vijay Kumar, Shilacshan Lingakumar, Dillan Shah and Alex Woodcock. Technogear comprises five Year 8 boys: Arjun Arunkumar, Dylan Domb, Aditya Khanna, Anish Rana and Yash Shah.

Boys enjoyed an opportunity to hear about careers in less traditional sectors when two Old Elizabethans visited the School.

Max Hassell and Aaron Levitt (both 2002–2009) are a football agent and music entrepreneur respectively. Both spoke of the challenges and rewards of choosing the road less travelled.

Max was a keen sportsman at QE, representing the School in the First XV at rugby, as well as playing for the county at U16 and U18 levels. After reading History at Bristol, he turned his back on an opportunity at Big Four accountancy firm Deloitte – where he had completed a successful gap year – in order to pursue his dream.

“My parents were in favour of my pursuing a career in The City,” said Max. “But you have to do what you love. Football and sport are my passion; I get up every day and feel excited about what the day will bring.”

Max completed a three-month unpaid internship as a football consultant, before being offered a full-time role as an FA Registered Intermediary with Sidekick Management Ltd. “It was very hard to break into,” said Max. “I had no contacts and little industry experience. In the beginning, I was constantly being asked which footballers I already had on the books, which was tough when I didn’t know any personally.” But he successfully signed two players to the agency within his first three months and, in doing so, forged sustainable relationships with a number of academy directors, coaches and a chief executive.

At Sidekick he finds the company “perfectly positioned” to provide excellent advice on career management. “We have been involved in many multi-million-pound transfer deals and contract negotiations with the biggest clubs in world football and international players of high repute.”

He stressed that it isn’t all glamour. “You get the days when you travel to Accrington Stanley to try to talk to a player who doesn’t want to talk to you!” He also pointed out that the very high amounts of money flooding into the top tier of football becomes a trickle down in the lower divisions.

Aaron Levitt has pursued a career in the creative industries, setting up Stamp the Wax (an online music platform) as well as having worked in radio. Increasingly, he is bringing together brands to work with the music scene.

“I am an experienced music curator and influencer across all levels of the industry, including radio, festivals, labels and online publishing. As co-founder of www.stampthewax.com, I have grown the online music platform to become one of the key UK influencers in underground music. As an original member of [disc jockey and record label owner] Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, I played a key role in the development of an award-winning online radio station.”

Aaron also spoke of the importance of bringing value to organisations, in his case through effective marketing and communications strategies. “My productive relationships with brands, PR companies, booking agents, labels, DJs and musicians have been significant in this.”

Both Aaron and Max agreed that hard work is key, whether at School or at work. “Trust QE’s processes,” Aaron told the boys. “The School will really set you up well for university and life beyond.”

Max said: “Don’t be afraid to go your own way. Pursue what you love, what you are interested in. Friends in more ‘traditional’ roles in the City might earn considerably more at this point in their careers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy in what they are doing.”

“‘You don’t have to have everything planned out,” advised Aaron. “I don’t necessarily know what the next six months hold. What is important is that I am able to adapt to changes in the industry. In music, a growth area is the way in which music is coming together with brands to deliver very creative and curated campaigns, and this is something I am getting more and more into from a freelance perspective.”

The talk was open to boys from all age groups and was organised by Mike Feven, Head of Year 12. “This was a good opportunity for boys to hear about some less conventional career paths, in areas in which many young people hold strong interest,” he said. “We appreciate Max and Aaron giving up their time to talk to the boys. They posed the interesting conundrum as to whether you should try to make your passion your work or pursue a different career and keep your passion as a hobby. That can be difficult to weigh up, but clearly Max and Aaron are both making it work for them.”

They added to the considerable number of Old Elizabethans who have been back to the school to give talks this year. They said they enjoyed catching up with the Headmaster, Neil Enright, and long-standing teachers, including Assistant Head David Ryan and Head of Art Stephen Buckeridge.

Sixth Form mathematicians saw a genuine Enigma machine at work at Maths Fest 2018, where the wartime device was the star of the show.

Thirty-eight Year 12 mathematicians attended the event at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End and saw the demonstration of encoding and decoding. Another memorable moment came when one of the speakers burst into song!
Now in its third year, Maths Fest 2018 was set up by long-established Mathematics speakers, Matt Parker and Rob Eastaway, who “thought it was time there was a Maths festival for schools run entirely by passionate mathematicians”.

The first speaker, James Grimes, who is part of the Millennium Mathematics Project at the University of Cambridge, spoke about codes and ciphers and about the importance of cracking codes throughout history, from Julius Caesar to internet security, with the Enigma machine providing an exciting climax to his presentation.

Aoife Hunt, an industrial modelling expert, demonstrated how she uses statistics and crowd-flow models to make sure large venues are safe. She showed how three particular graphs (reciprocal, quadratic and ‘normal’) are vital in her work.

Ben Sparks from the Further Maths Support Programme at the University of Bath gave an insight into spirals and circular motion inspired by the 1968 Michel Legrand song Windmills of Your Mind.

Round, like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel

Mathematics teacher Phil Brady, who accompanied the boys to the event said: “He ended his session by singing for us – a real treat. The festival, which was hosted by Matt Parker in his usual witty manner, was both impressive and great fun.”

The event also featured Maths Slam, an opportunity for some of the students to go on to the stage to talk for three minutes about an interesting aspect of maths. QE boys Binu Perera and Uday Kataria gave a presentation on ‘How to hold a pizza’.

“Apart from the various talks scheduled for the day, Maths fest was a fantastic opportunity for us to speak about an interesting mathematical idea in front of over a thousand Year 12 students,” said Binu. “We decided to talk about Gauss’s theorema egregium because, whilst being fun to both present and research, it is an understated, yet simple, mathematical concept that is fundamental to our everyday lives,” added Uday.

Seb Lee-Delisle, a creative coder who works on large-scale installations, described how to transform a simple animated point into an impressive multicoloured firework display and showed how this was the basis of his professional laser displays.

The show was closed by Hannah Fry, a senior lecturer in the Mathematics of Cities at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at UCL. She demonstrated how to generate random (and not-so-random) numbers to produce a four-digit winning lottery number. Mr Brady’s ticket was just four away from being a winner!