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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES
the debating chamber for the very first time during
my first term in Oxford. I was instantly mesmerized
by this historic place that has seen so many iconic
figures give testimony of their lives, careers, and often
controversial opinions. Little did I know back then that I
would have the honour of following in Benazir Bhutto’s
footsteps, and become the first Union President from St
Catherine’s in over thirty years.
Isabel with actor and
comedian, Billy Nighy
The Oxford
Union, as
Macmillan said,
has held ‘a
special place in
the history of
our nation’
Isabel Ernst
(2009, PPE) became President of the
Oxford Union for Trinity Term 2012, the
College’s first Union President since
Benazir Bhutto in 1977.
Founded in 1823 by a small group of students aiming
to unite ‘for discussion and free enquiry’, the Oxford
Union, as Macmillan said, has since held ‘a special place
in the history of our nation’. The Union is indeed a
society like no other. The walls, covered with pictures of
Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama, Yasser Arafat, Richard
Nixon and many others, highlight that the society has
long been one of the most important centres of debate
in the Western world. I remember well setting foot in
It seems impossible to sum up the most eventful
and exciting time of my life in a few paragraphs but
it is undoubtedly fair to say that getting involved in
the Union was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride.
Having to face elections every step of the way to the
Presidency, you never know when the ride is going to
be over. In order to overcome the many obstacles to
get there, against fierce opposition in an environment
renowned for its dirty politics, you have to really want it.
Ultimately though, I always knew it would be worth it.
As President, I often found myself in situations that at
the time seemed entirely surreal. One of my favourite
moments was watching a nervous Johnny Depp quickly
having eight espresso shots before his speech to calm
his nerves. Equally, I enjoyed talking to a US Senator
about his time as a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford, and
chatting to Lang Lang about his favourite UK football
club.
For as many enjoyable moments as there were, there
were the occasional times where I got slightly worried
to say the least. I will never forget sitting in a car with
34/ISABEL ERNST
ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2012/34