Monday evening witnessed a piece of school history as Gresham’s oldest house, Howson’s, took on its youngest, Arkell, as the two teams locked horns over the motion This House prefers Barbie to Oppenheimer. Howson’s – Freddie B, Alex M and Elliott H – presented Barbie as a welcome celebration of female empowerment whereas they questioned Oppenheimer’s appeal as both a mainstream piece of entertainment and as a historical figure. Arkell – Maddi W and Olga B – disagreed, finding Barbie shallow and body-obsessed and the movie to be a marketing sales gimmick, whereas Oppenheimer had depth, complexity and was a brilliantly made film. Avid audience participation and a passionate exchange of views confirmed the success of an entertaining debate. The result was a victory for Howson’s who constructed a strong and unified proposition case, but Arkell walk away with great credit from their first house fixture in any competition.