Campion hosts record number of Winter Program participants

17 Jul 2019

A record 50 high school students and young adults attended this year's Winter Program. Below is a summary of the three-day event, with a gallery showing highlights.

The jam-packed program introduced participants to Campion's unique Liberal Arts degree while giving them a chance to live on campus and experience life as a student - peppered with a swathe of fun activities.

Highlights

Sunday

Everyone arrived on Sunday evening and all were officially welcomed to Campion by Marketing Manager Christine Vella. After Sunday Mass, the group gathered for dinner in the dining hall, followed by some activities like speed meeting and a banana split-making challenge. Following dessert, the tired participants went off to bed.

Monday

Each day began with Mass and breakfast. On day one, participants were introduced to the first lecture of the program: philosophy with Dr Jeremy Bell. After exploring questions of belief and the cosmos, the students tackled an ethical dilemma in small group discussions. A literature lecture with Dr Colin Dray followed morning tea, which looked at Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. After lunch, everyone got a chance to get some exercise with mini-Olympics, followed by a history lecture on the English Reformation with Dr Luciano Boschiero. Later in the evening, students' brains were challenged still further with a four-round game of trivia, with the day rounding off with a viewing of Casablanca and a film discussion.

Tuesday

After a morning lecture on the existence of God with Campion President and theology lecturer Dr Paul Morrissey, the participants got a chance to stretch their legs around Sydney. Morning tea in front of the Opera House was followed by a wander through the Botanical Gardens to the NSW Art Gallery, where everyone had an hour or so to look around and drink in the glorious artworks on display. After lunch in the park, everyone was divided into two groups for guided tours of St Mary's Cathedral, then it was back to campus for dinner, swing dancing and a bonfire (with marshmallows and Milo).

Wednesday

The last day of the program gave the participants a chance to chill a little after the eventful day before. A morning lecture looked at the advantages of studying the classical languages Greek and Latin, followed by another ethical discussion on World War II. This was succeeded by a wrap-up session, giving everyone present the chance to ask about the course and life at the college. These questions were answered by four of our Campion students, who helped staff run the Winter Program. After lunch, it was time to pack up and go home!

The feedback on the 2019 Winter Program was overwhelmingly positive and we welcome all our participants to come back for our Summer Program in January! Please register your interest below.