The Exam Hall
The Exam Hall is the podcast where I, Cherry Eckel, sit down with a guest and we answer a question from what is known as the hardest exam in the world, the All Souls Fellowship Exam.
All Souls College, Oxford is maybe the most exclusive institution in the world. Awarding only up to two fellowships per year, to be eligible to apply you must already hold an Oxford degree, and if you are lucky enough to be an appointed fellow, you are given funding for a 7-year period to fund research, with free board, a salary, access to study any subject at Oxford of your choosing and contacts with leading professionals and scholars in your field. Before that, applicants must sit a gruelling process of four 3-hour-long exams,
Each episode, I will sit down with a guest and take the Oxford All Souls fellowship examination, picking a question from past papers to discuss and debate. Alongside this, we’ll explore barriers to education, information, and resources. How is information and education gate-kept and how do we decide what is a worthwhile pursuit of knowledge?
The Exam Hall asserts everyone, from elite academics to the uneducated and unqualified, deserves a platform and possesses opinions and experiences worthy of one of the oldest, most prestigious universities in the world.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 74 minutes
- Episodes
- 13
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2024
The Bumpy Road of Historical Fiction with Jenny Draper
How do you prioritise historical truths when telling a story? On this edition of The Exam Hall I am joined by Jenny Draper, YouTuber, Historian, Tour guide, and Ex-Viking, to answer the question "Sho…
Taking The Mick with Tadgh Redfern
"Is parody disrespectful?" On this edition of The Exam Hall, I'm joined by Tadgh Redfern to break down parody - what is it? Why do people make it? And is parody an inherently disrespectful form?
Merma…
Great Artists Steal with Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland
How do we draw the line between inspiration, reference, and just plain thievery? Join me alongside theatre-makers, Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland, as we answer the question 'Is there such thing as pla…
Disagreements, Opinions, and Boaty McBoatface with Fin Ross Russell
Welcome back to The Exam Hall! After a brief hiatus, I am joined by Fin Ross Russell to discuss, debate, and disagree on the question "Should people agree to disagree?"
Follow Fin:
@frossrussel on Inst…
Leap of Faith(ful Translation) with Raffaela Sero
Boats! Boars! Gender! This episode features our first-ever guest who has actually been eligible for the All Souls fellowship! Join theatre-maker and Oxford University alumni Raffaella Sero, as we dis…
Chronically Online with Kate McNally
On this episode, I'm joined by reformed horse-girl, Kate McNally, as we open up our capaciously large bags to dissect the quote "Television is a form of entertainment which permits millions of people…
No Business Like Show Business with Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly
On this episode, I am joined by West-End actress, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly, to discuss her experiences being a black actress in musical theatre in an endeavour to answer the question "Should gender- and…
Truth is a Fart on a Thursday Afternoon with Maria Telnikoff
Does the truth set you free? Socrates, Lana Del Rae, eating iPads and more on this week's edition of The Exam Hall, as I am joined by Maria Telnikoff as we seek to answer the question 'Why does truth…
Lost in Isolation with Sam Smith
What actually is literature and how do you label it? On this episode of The Exam Hall, I sit down with the incomparable Sam Smith to answer the question 'How appropriate is it to study English Litera…
Chairman of the Bored with Patrick Swain
On this episode, Cherry is joined by guest, elevated buddy and playwright Patrick Swain, to discuss boredom and it's virtues.
Keep up to date with The Exam Hall on social media - @theexamhallpod
Be a g…
Looking Kitsch Right In The Eye with KT Miles
What do 'Beowolf' and Susan Sontag's 'Notes on Camp' have in common? On this episode of The Exam Hall, I am joined by KT Miles to "Defend Kitsch"
Keep up to date with The Exam Hall on social media - @…
Waxing Poetic with Lashay Green
On this episode, I sit down with poet, playwright, and Barbie Girl, Lashay Green to tackle the question "What use is poetry?"
Keep up to date with The Exam Hall on social media - @theexamhallpod
Be a g…
Pilot: Singling Out Single-Sex Education with Mahvish Malik
Welcome to the launch of The Exam Hall! On this pilot episode, I am joined by friend/hater, Mahvish Malik, an undergraduate student studying English Literature at Murray Edwards College Cambridge, to…