MOMENT OF HISTORY: OLIVER GOODALL
50 to 100 in the country.’ Oliver is unassuming about his success, but for the school and his House it was a great achievement.
Oliver believes that the House system at Winchester made it much easier for him to settle in. He loved the camaraderie, pool matches, House quizzes, and the competitiveness between Houses in sport and music,‘ I felt part of a family,’ he says. So, when COVID-19 drew his school life to an unprecedented early close, he was very disappointed.
‘ It just crept up,’ he remembers.‘ Some of my friends went abroad earlier because of restrictions in their countries. I didn’ t realise I wouldn’ t see them again, and have never said goodbye. Then the rest of us were sent home later in March, and we never went back.
‘ It’ s very strange to feel like I’ m part of this moment of history,’ he adds,‘ especially with the uncertainty over exams and university entrance affecting me directly. Winchester did all it could to prepare me for what’ s happened, and they were there to support me through the whole journey. But it’ s disappointing, particularly as I joined Winchester late anyway, so didn’ t have as long there as I would like to have had.’
The Radcliffe Camera, or“ Rad Cam”— focal point of the University of Oxford.
The upside was that lessons resumed quickly online and continued, not just in term time, but throughout the summer. It put him at an advantage when he arrived in Oxford and found he was ahead of many others when it came to his studies.
So, what does Oliver see as the school’ s lasting legacy?‘ Winchester has made me more considerate of others and more accepting of the differences between people. It’ s also taught me to be more challenging about things, questioning why things are the way they are. And I’ ve definitely made friends for life.’
As for the future— inspired by his Physics don— he decided not to read Maths as planned, but instead to read Physics with a view to further study after his degree, possibly in Astrophysics:‘ I’ d be very interested in research and trying to make discoveries, because, especially with Physics, there’ s so much that we don’ t know about the universe. I think it would be really interesting to play a part in finding out more.’
Written by MARGARET GILMORE
33