How do you celebrate 500 years?

It was the Wednesday evening of alumni week, around 8pm, when I thought: “This is the perfect way for me to celebrate the 500th anniversary.”  On the grass of Tom Quad, between Mercury and Hall, I had joined the animated group of alumni being served chilled wine and canapés after the anniversary lecture. Conversations were alternating between “Which room did you have when you were here as a student?” and “What did you think of the lecture we just heard?”. A perfect mix of nostalgic reflection and challenging discussions about the future of humanity. Whether our location’s proper name was Cardinal College or Christ Church, it was the best place to be that evening. No sound of flypasts or marching bands but the timeless hum of conversations centuries old.