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 =]

History, science and religion

We often view these three disciplines of study as separate endeavors, each bounded by their own methods, aims and theory’s. History being an enquiry into the past, religion being a call to faith, and a provider of a set of beliefs and underlying values, and science being an ongoing investigation into how our world, and that beyond it works. What is also evident is that these three areas are all inextricably linked in more than one way. A pair of questions that demonstrate this suggestion would be:

• How has our understanding of history and/or science affected our understanding of religion over time?
• Conversely, how has our sense of religious boundary affected our study of history and/or science?

In regards to the first question, we must not fail to identify one important fact. Attitudes to religious practice have changed significantly over time. What caused this…our developing understanding of history and science of course. As we realize that divine/supernatural causation (in a historical or scientific mindset) can be discounted as a legitimate means of explaining creation, then our attitude towards our faith changes. This development is demonstrated through the ages, and is evident in the changing methods of historians over time, from Herodotus to Thucydides to more modern historical enquirers, with an increasing emphasis being placed on scientific truth rather than religious truth. In this sense, context is the key. Ancient historians legitimately felt that supernatural causation was in fact a true method of creation, as their contextual society tells them this. As we progressed, and science became a more prominent endeavor, this continued, until the present day, where we discount religious truth in historical/scientific investigations, and vice versa.

As we know also, our sense of religious boundary has also affected our study of the histories and sciences. I’m sure people like Galileo, persecuted for developing (as we are aware now) perfectly justifiable scientific theories, but upsetting the ruling church could tell you. I guess it is fair enough that the church becomes uneasy that people are using new historical and scientific knowledge, which directly questions what the church teaches.

All in all, while they are all linked in some way or another, I think it comes down to one thing. Faith vs. Scrutiny. Religion is there to provide us with a method of approaching life in a way that maximizes our positivity towards each other and ourselves, and is there for faith, rather than scrutiny. On the other hand, the practices of history and science are very much areas of scrutiny, and continually trying to achieve a higher sense of historical/scientific truth, without the need for faith.

A rather opinionated discussion really... But if you think I’ve missed anything of note, feel free to leave a comment, and I will do my best to treat your opinion with what it deserves =P.