Name: Julia McCarthy
Title: Auditor of the Hist
Trinity Degree: Junior Sophister of Ancient and Medieval History and Culture

Pictured L-R: The Hist Committee pictured with author Dan Brown

 

What first sparked your interest in the Hist?
I went to a very small school for 12 years so starting in college was an incredibly strange experience. I felt wildly out of depth for a lot of my first year. I had done some debating in school and my older sister was involved in the Hist so getting involved seemed like the obvious choice for me. I did the maidens debating competition with both the Phil and the Hist and I really clicked with the people from the Hist. I loved the focus on making people feel welcome and the combination of both ludicrous and incredibly intelligent conversations.

Tell us about some of recent debates at the the Hist?
We had a packed house at the Open All Boarders debate. The current refugee crisis it is one of the most important issues of our time and the quality of the debating on both sides was just astounding. More recently we also had a popular debate whereby invited members of political parties came to Trinity to effectively do a mini hustings. It was really interesting to see the crowd interact with the politicians. I feel incredibly privileged to be able to watch our debates every week.

What are you plans for the society for the year ahead?
My plans for the Hist have always been pretty consistent. I want to continue to bring some of the most interesting and relevant public figures to Trinity. I want to collaborate with other Trinity societies to increase the number of new speakers getting involved. Debating is such a confidence builder and too many people think they could never do it, so we try to offer new chamber debaters one-to-one preparation. I was able to find my footing in Trinity because of the Hist and I really want to ensure we continue to be a welcoming and inviting society to students.

What techniques do you employ to ease tension during a hearty debate?
I have the somewhat dubious authority to call order during debates. The theory is that when people talk out of turn (or heckle too much) I call order and they quiet down. Thankfully I don’t have to call order too often since it has a somewhat limited effect. I have also encouraged committee members sitting at the table to bang on it slightly less! Partly out of fear that the table will collapse under the force, but also because it makes it impossible to hear the speakers. In general, we just let the tension build and they can continue at the reception with a glass of wine, which tends to mellow everyone out a little.

The society has been addressed by former Prime Ministers, Taoisigh, Senators, Nobel Laureates. Who will be visiting the Hist in 2016?
The Hist has always been so lucky to attract such amazing guest speakers. This term we are having Jessie Cave, Marita Conlon McKenna, Evanna Lynch and Laura Bates.

What has been your biggest challenge as Auditor of the Hist?
My biggest challenge is probably pretty similar to most students that run a college society. It can be difficult to manage your committee when you’re also close friends. My committee are all wonderful but we’re also students which can mean things don’t always run smoothly and trying to keep people on track can be especially difficult. Having to sit down and give out to your peers for not getting work done is not the most comfortable feeling and it has definitely been a learning curve.

What ways can alumni get involved with the society?
At the Hist we are always happy to have alumni involvement. We often have former Hist officers reach out with ideas for debates or suggestions of guest speakers. On occasion we’ve had former Hist members visit the GMB and it’s very enjoyable to talk to them about what Trinity was like when they were students.

We also have a Hist Alumni Debate where Honorary members come back to speak. This year, the debate will be on the 1916 Rising and we have some of the best debaters in Ireland from the last fifty years coming back to the Hist. For further information please contact auditorhist@gmail.com.