Entrepreneur and MSt Historical Studies student Chandler Tanner shares his experience of being a student at Reuben College.
"The temporary fence surrounding the future home of Reuben College has a sign that states that the building will have ‘the history of the world in its foundations and the future of the world in its sights’. This concept really captures why I chose to come to Reuben College. At Reuben College, I’ve found a place and people who are building on Oxford’s strong historic foundation to create, innovate, and do new things.
"As an entrepreneur and historian, this idea of learning about and understanding the past while innovating and building something new really connected with me. I saw the idea put into practice while attending a Dinner with Dinosaurs event (which are a real treat to attend!) where my college advisor Dr. Jonathan Pugh gave a presentation on the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. He opened the presentation by looking at the history of performance enhancing substances since the first Olympic games in ancient Greece, then tracked developments through modern times into current debates and issues. This is the approach I like to use—I like to understand the history of the space I’m in, but not just to learn about it—though I find this very rewarding in and of itself—but to then use that understanding and knowledge to innovate, to create something new.
