Big family? dont even get me started...

Ok. So it has been requested that I share my thoughts and general perspective on my place at an all-boys boarding school. To start I will give you an introduction to my school, and what it means.

It is a catholic private boarding school, with about 1000 boys aging from 12-18. 10 years ago, it was a strict boarding school, however recently, day students have been accepted and so now about ½ of the total does not board at all. I was in that situation in the younger years, as I live only a short distance from the school. It was at the beginning of year 11 (February last year), that I began boarding. It is a very strong rugby union school, and playing rugby was even compulsory until the mid-late eighties. They now allow soccer and cross-country in the winter. Summer season involves tennis, cricket, basketball, water polo or rowing.

What boarding means is that you live in a dormitory that holds about 30 boys, and each year group has 4-6 dorms. In year 12 however, each boy has a separate room. This grants the ability of not having to study in a classroom every night, but instead returning to your own room.

In terms of my week, I am at school from about 8pm on Sunday nights, until 5.30pm on Saturday, when I leave for home after sporting commitments. So yes, I am only away from school for about 24 hours each week. This is a typical week for me:

Sunday: Return to school 8pm, go to mass, and an hour of study

Monday: Wake up at 7.30, go to breakfast in the dining room. Classes as normal from 8.40-3.30, then football training (Tennis in summer) until 5pm. Dinner at 5.30-6, then study from 6.30-10.

Tuesday: Morning training at 6.30, followed by classes as normal, training again from 3.30-5, and the usual dinner and study.

Wednesday: Classes finish early (2.30) accommodating for a double training session (this is because sport used to be played on Wednesday afternoons before it was moved to Saturdays). Then dinner and study as usual.

Thursday: Same as Monday

Friday: No training, and half of night study off for free time etc.

Saturday: Play sport (tennis in summer, football in winter), then stay for the rugby, which finishes at about 5.30, after which we are free to go home, or return to school for those not going home.

One of the questions raised, was what it is like having teachers around 24/7. Well, to be honest I have become accustomed to it, and I think one of the advantages of this is the increased awareness of the needs of students for the teachers, and in turn, a greater bond between the staff and the student body. And no, it’s not like Hogwarts.

Boarding with upwards of 200 boys in a year group gets extremely interesting. The group dynamics within a body of 200 adolescent boys sees the extremes of social emotions. However, because of the nature of boys that attend, bullying is generally not a problem, and the positivity within year groups generally increases as they go through. This is not to say there isn’t fights and general disagreements etc. Mostly, though, the group is a fantastic bunch of guys, and is a great one to be a part of. Living with friends for most of the week, despite it being at school, is often one filled with interest, laughing, but not much to be bored about (apart from sitting in maths).

I hope this gives you a bit of an insight into my life at an all-boys boarding school. If you have any questions about it, please just leave a comment and I will answer any queries you may have.

Thanks guys =]

Stem cell research

The other night I watched a show called catalyst, an Australian science program that discusses a number of current scientific issues and the latest research etc. One of the segments involved the ongoing ethical debate surrounding the use of stem cells for scientific purposes. This sparked my mind into thinking, where do I stand on all of this?

To flesh the argument out, the basic dispute lies in the stage at which something can be considered to be a human life. Is for example, a group of cells, such as the ones being considered for scientific purposes, a human life? If not, at what stage in the early development of humans can we consider there to be human life?

If we transfer this onto a religious stage, the program pointed out that Islam considers human life to only be fully formed 40 days following conception, and Jewish people believe a similar thing. This is very different to views held by other religious faiths, and considering my own upbringing as a Catholic adherent, I disagree with this, naturally.

In a Christian sense, the main problem arises when those ethically opposed to the use of cells for research clash with those that believe that to help people with a number of disabilities; it is ethical TO use them. Is either side wrong? Those with a number of disabilities, of which we currently have little understanding, often rely on the use of stem cells to uncover the basis of their disease, and in doing so, hopefully uncover a form of cure for it. This dispute creates major religious tension, and pushes the faith of those involved.

In my own opinion, I have to say, while I have relatively little understanding of the concept, that I am understandably lost on the notion of when it is that “life” as such, begins. I feel however, that there are enough people to benefit from the use of stem cells that it is acceptable to undergo research, but these cells must be treated with respect, and used in a way which minimizes the need to simply throw away such potentially valuable resources.