St Andrew’s Cathedral School students grappled with how to make sense of Trump.
The Big Questions series at St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a community seminar series launched in 2023. It was designed to stimulate deeper thinking on topical societal issues through conversations with experts and members of the School community. These interactive forums are meant to challenge students to think critically about complex topics – fostering curiosity and encouraging reimagining the world.
On Thursday 28 August, our community gathered in the Chapter House for this year’s Big Questions, asking: How do we make sense of Trump?
School Captain Ruby Buckman, opened the evening and framed the question by saying, “As students we are genuinely seeking to understand what we need to learn at this cultural moment, so that we can lead with hope both now and into the future.”
We were privileged to welcome Nick Bryant, award-winning author, broadcaster, former BBC foreign correspondent and St Andrew’s Cathedral School parent, who drew on decades of reporting from Washington, alongside his academic expertise in American politics, to offer profound insight into one of the most contested figures in modern politics.
Nick reflected on the political, cultural and social currents that created the conditions for Trump’s rise, including long-running debates around identity, inequality and leadership. Drawing on his own encounters with Trump and his experience covering multiple election cycles, he spoke about the challenges of understanding such a complex figure.
In conversation with Dr Julie McGonigle, Head of School, and guided by questions from our students, we explored not only the story of one political figure but also what his rise reveals about leadership, democracy and the shifting forces shaping our world.
“Our vision for these events is that they will foster more socially and politically aware citizens who can engage in the world with informed opinions.”
“This was such a fantastic and thought-provoking night for our students. You could see they had put a lot of thought into their questions beforehand and that collectively, they wrestled with the real-life issues being discussed. Our vision for these events is that they will foster more socially and politically aware citizens who can engage in the world with informed opinions, rather than simply following the crowd,” said Deputy Head of School, Mr Brad Swibel.
It is a world that urgently needs wise and thoughtful leaders – young people who are not only informed, but also courageous, compassionate and discerning. That is the heart of St Andrew’s Cathedral School: creating spaces where students wrestle with complexity, think deeply and practise the art of respectful dialogue. In doing so, they begin to grow into the leaders our time so desperately requires.
“Evenings like these are fundamental to our pursuit character development.”
“Evenings like these are fundamental to our pursuit character development. By teaching ‘character in action’ we create an environment for students to grow morally, spiritually and intellectually, so they can flourish individually, in community and in society,” said Dr McGonigle.
The discussion closed with a hopeful reminder that Australia can be a paragon of democracy, from compulsory voting and Saturday elections, to the simple symbolism of the democracy sausage, showing that civic participation can be both meaningful and accessible.
We are deeply grateful to Nick for his insight, to our students for their courage in questioning and to all who joined us for an evening of reflection, challenge and inspiration.
