MICHAELMAS TERM / ISSUE 34

FROM THE MASTER

Term is over and the College is in the in 2007) to 625. Applications have risen midst of ‘admissions week’ – in reality, a across the university, but Univ has recorded fortnight rather than a week of interviewing, the third largest increase (at 44% in the past assessing and ranking hopeful applicants for two years) among all the colleges. an undergraduate place at Univ. Inevitably The pressure is not just a matter of many of them are nervous – only an managing larger numbers. It comes partly exceptionally self-confident eighteen year old from the growing difficulty of fairly wouldn’t be – but the College does its best to differentiating applicants on the basis of relax them both on their arrival and in the predicted A level results (and uniformly Sir Ivor Crewe interviews. Contrary to longstanding myths, enthusiastic school references) alone, when so precisely what weight to give the uncertainty the interviews take the form of friendly many more A grades are awarded than a of future performance over the fact of conversations, not ferocious interrogations. generation ago. But it also arises from the examination results. It would not justify There are no trick questions to trip up the hotly disputed definition of a ‘fair’ admissions offering places to applicants with B grades or unwary, or clever debating points designed to procedure. lower, whatever their personal circumstances, knock candidates off balance or irrelevant The government’s recent ten-year given the unrelenting growth in the award of enquiries into family background. The forward look on universities (‘Higher A grades. Potential is notoriously difficult to purpose of the interview is to encourage Ambitions’) yet again calls upon ‘the most judge reliably and past performance must be applicants to demonstrate their intellectual selective universities’ to take contextual data an important indicator, even if it is not the and imaginative abilities, in particular their and academic potential, as well as only one. capacity to think for themselves. performance, into account when offering Competition for places at Oxford is The pressure is on the Fellows too. The places, implying that this would be a new spiralling, with many more outstanding admissions system is now designed to ensure departure. It would not be. Oxford has done candidates (from overseas as well as the UK) that candidates are neither advantaged nor as much for years. The whole purpose of the than there are places. A fair admissions disadvantaged by virtue of the college they interview is to judge potential as distinct from system, which incorporates academic choose as their first preference, so in performance and applicants who fall into potential and looks deeper than A levels do, admissions week Fellows work from dawn to educationally and economically disadvantaged cannot be based on a mechanistic formula. It dinner rank-ordering all the candidates for categories are summoned for interview, so must rely on the integrity and experience of Univ in their subject and ensuring that strong long as they are predicted to obtain three A the Fellows who will be teaching those whom candidates who meet the criteria are found a grades at A level. they admit to the College. From everything I place in Oxford even if it is not at their first- Assessing potential as well as performance have learned since arriving at Univ, I am choice college. But at Univ the strain has is surely right, but that doesn’t make it any confident that our Fellows exercise their been compounded by a surge in applications easier for the admissions tutors. It begs the judgement with scrupulous sensitivity and to the College, up from 494 in 2008 (and 435 question of how to measure potential and fairness.

FELLOWS’ NEWS

PROFESSOR TIFFANY Nationalism in Europe, 1890-1940 by DR On 2 and 3 October, THE MASTER, SIR IVOR STERN, Beaverbrook and OLIVER ZIMMER, Fellow and Praelector in CREWE, convened a small conference in the Bouverie Fellow and Modern History, will appear in Japanese College on ‘Policy Failure in UK Tutor in English, has translation this year, and in Chinese Government’ attended by leading academic published Documents of translation next year. specialists and former senior Government Performance in Early officials. Among the participants was Lord Modern England DR CATHERINE HOLMES, Fellow and Butler, the former Master. The conference (: CUP, 2009). Praelector in Modern History, organised a was held in preparation for a research With Australian colleagues one-day workshop at Univ in July 2009 on investigation on the causes and consequences she has won an ARC the theme of ‘Political Culture in Three of policy and administrative failure in UK (Australian Research Council) ‘Discovery Spheres: Byzantium, Islam and the West (711- domestic policy, co-directed with Professor Project Award’ of $88,500 (Australian) for 1453)’. This was part of a longer-term project Anthony King of the University of Essex and ‘Rehearsal without a director: Rethinking involving medieval historians from across the funded by the Economic and Social Research theatre history’. UK, Europe and the US. Council.

COLLEGE NEWS

This summer, current Univ student, IVO It was a very happy occasion, and both our to bobsleigh, ultimately earning himself a GRAHAM (2008, MODERN LANGUAGES), nonagenarians were on splendid form. Chris place in the GB team. Qualification for the won first prize in the leading comedy new act Pelling (Fellow and Praelector in Classics 1974 2010 Winter Olympic Games is certainly competition, ‘So You Think You're Funny?’, –2003 and now Regius Professor of Greek) within reach for Henry, given that he finished previously awarded to the likes of Dylan and David Bell (Sollas Fellow in Geology 1970 22nd at the World Championships in Lake Moran and Peter Kay. Since first becoming –2000) respectively toasted George and David, Placid, USA, alongside John Jackson in interested in stand up last Christmas, Ivo who both gave appropriately lively speeches February earlier this year. performed every day in a show at the in return. Edinburgh Fringe earlier this year and has also German overseas imperialism in the late recently set up his own Oxford comedy club, George Cawkwell thanks all those who sent him nineteenth and early twentieth centuries has the Ministry of Mirth. greetings for his 90th birthday, too many he been neglected in literature for far too long regrets to say for individual replies. although it strongly contributed to the On Sunday 26 July, PROFESSOR MICHAEL political culture especially of the Wilhelmine COLLINS, Pye Fellow in Mathematics and CHISATO KUSUNOKI (1998, MUSIC) gave a era. In fact, the consequences of German Chairman of the Univ SCR, successfully magnificent piano recital on Tuesday 28 colonialism were to be felt in many areas of completed the San Francisco Half Marathon, October in the Master’s Lodgings, where the life and even stimulated exotic phantasies. In coming 4th out of 123 men over the age of hospitality of Sir Ivor and Lady Crewe was Emeritus Fellow, HARTMUT POGGE VON sixty (only two minutes away from third much appreciated. Chisato has donated to the STRANDMANN’s place!) and 1,022nd out of nearly 8000 College a number of copies of one of her recently published participants overall. recent CDs which illustrates her great talent book, the economic and range in works by Schubert, Medtner, interests concerned and Chopin, Liapunov and Hackbridge Johnson. their influence on The CDs are available to Old Members to colonial policy in purchase for £12.00 (postage free); Chisato Africa, China and the wishes the proceeds to go to the Annual South Seas are analysed. Fund. Please email Brian Loughman Although the book is ([email protected]) to buy a currently only available copy. in German, it is hoped that it will be translated

into English in the near future. On 3 November, HENRIQUE MEIRELLES,

Governor of the Central Bank of Brazil, came DR GRAHAM TAYLOR, former Weir JRF at Two former Univ English graduates, MARTIN to Oxford to give the Global Economic Governance Annual Lecture, 2009-10, at the Univ and now Tutorial Fellow at Jesus, has READER (1986) and SIR ANDREW MOTION been involved in groundbreaking research (1971), met on 30 September when Andrew University’s Examination Schools. Meirelles, whose lecture was entitled ‘Why we need a into the secrets of long-haul insect flight. opened a new English building at Wellington A team of five academics employed high-speed School, where Martin is Headmaster. They new global economic order: Brazil, the BRICs and the world economy’, was named by video cameras to capture how locusts’ wings shared many fond memories of English at change shape during flight, used computer Univ including tutorials with Dr Roy Park. Euromoney as Central Bank Governor of the Year in 2007, and more recently as Brazilian modelling to reconstruct those shape changes The former Poet Laureate held a creative in 3D, and finally ran aerodynamic writing workshop for sixth-form students of the Year 2008 by Brazil’s ISTOE magazine. The event was part of the Global Financial simulations to discover how the wings enable followed by a poetry reading and book such tiny locusts to make inter-continental signing. Regulation Speaker Series and was followed by a drinks reception, also in the Exam flights. Graham and his team concluded that by changing shape, insect wings produce 50% Schools. It was as an undergraduate at University more lift for the same power input than

College Oxford that STEPHEN SPENDER comparable rigid wings. The team now aim to (1927) first became associated with such build this same technology into an efficient British literary figures as W. H. Auden, flapping wing for use in miniature air vehicles. Christopher Isherwood, C. Day Lewis and Louis MacNeice. On Tuesday 13 October, a ROZ SAVAGE (1986, LAW), who rowed over selection of Spender’s poetry was read by the Atlantic solo in 2006, is now rowing over Fleur Adcock, Grey Gowrie and Craig Raine the Pacific to inspire people to live greener in the College Chapel in celebration of his lifestyles. In September, she completed the centenary, followed by drinks in the Alington second leg of her journey from Hawaii to Room by kind permission of the Master. Tarawa. She will begin the final leg, from Tarawa to Australia, in April 2010. Her book, Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on On 25 October, a lunch was held in Hall to Univ Old Member, DR HENRY NWUME the Open Ocean has been published in the US celebrate the 90th birthdays of GEORGE (2001, MEDICINE), is currently bidding for a by Simon & Schuster. CAWKWELL (Fellow and Praelector in place in next year’s Vancouver Winter Ancient History 1949–87) and DAVID Olympics. After being awarded three degrees, VINCENT (Professor of Geology and Fellow three Blues and two winner’s medals playing LEWIS ANDERSON (2008, CLASSICS), a 1966–86). About seventy current and former rugby for London’s Wasps, the Army doctor second-year Classics student, won first prize Fellows and their spouses, as well as a few resigned from his highly successful rugby for Latin Recitation in the Faculty of Classics' other specially invited guests, were present. career in 2005 and instead turned his attention Declamation Competition.

UNIV NEWSLETTER / 2 / MICHAELMAS 2009 A NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY

Percy, the Mediterranean spur-thighed (a large open-topped box made of wood and tortoise was donated in early August to perspex) in which there is also a hide University College by Bonnie Wheeler and (somewhere to sleep in and escape to if it Dan Orlovsky of the Southern Methodist becomes too hot). Percy also requires a heat University (SMU). lamp and a UV light source. His food is It is believed that Percy was around largely made up of dandelion leaves and a eighteen months old when purchased, which mixture of weeds, Chinese leaf and lettuce and means that he or she must now be about water, though he is also rather partial to twenty-one months (a tortoise’s sex cannot be cuttlefish. determined until it is about six or seven). Usually tortoises hibernate from thinking that it is time to come out of The spur-thighed, also known as the November through to March. Our tortoise, hibernation. Indeed, once tortoises have Greek, tortoise is one of the smaller species, however, will not be hibernated until next woken up from their hibernation period, it is reaching about eight inches in length when year when it will join Head Porter Bob then not possible to re-hibernate them. fully grown. Its main characteristic, as Maskell’s two other tortoises in a fridge! This If a tortoise is looked after well, there is no indicated by the name, are the spurs found on tried-and-tested method is the modern way to reason why it shouldn’t live to around one the thighs: two small tubercles, one to each hibernate tortoises at a constant temperature hundred years old. In the summer months side of the tail. of 5°C; it ensures that they will not wake up Percy will live in a specially-bought tortoise At present, Percy is housed in a vivarium prematurely on a warm day, for example, house kindly provided by Lady Crewe.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE SOLOMON

Current Classics undergraduate JOSH BARLEY (2008) speaks to SOPHIE SOLOMON (1995), Univ Old Member and leading Klezmer violinist, about music, her time at Oxford, and all things Russian.

‘Everything I studied at Univ I use as a Sophie, taking her to Salzburg and Verona as a to write about Russian literature and history. rich basis for what I write’ Sophie Solomon child and making a cameo appearance on her Surprisingly, the violin did not feature much reveals to me over a coffee in London’s trendy very first record. during her time at Univ. In fact, she did not Soho House. There is certainly no doubt that Sophie admits that she is certainly even so much as get her violin out its case Sophie uses her degree in a strikingly original ‘someone who has a particular speciality.’ during her first three years as a Univ student! way; having read Russian and History at Indeed, a sizeable proportion of her first solo Sophie tells me that, above all, she relished the Univ, she is now in the midst of a flourishing album, Poison Sweet Madeira, as well as its title academic environment and the ‘amazing career in music that reveals a strong leaning are largely influenced by the murder of intellectual bubble’, and she was a keen and towards Russian history. I am struck by the Russian mystic, Grigori Rasputin - also the active protestor as a member of Oxford astonishing way in which she manages to subject of her final-year dissertation. ‘I have Student Green Action. Her main musical combine her two greatest passions, and to always been interested in Rasputin, the outlet, at least during her first two years, was make such a successful career out of such a downfall of the Romanov Dynasty and the DJ-ing Jungle music at the Oxford nightclub, small niche. It is difficult to imagine anyone ideas of the wandering holy man and strange The Coven. It was only during her year else who has so obviously found their metier. religious cults’ she tells me. In fact, the well- abroad in Moscow, a ‘rite of passage’ as she Sophie can’t remember a time when she known connection that exists between this describes it, that she began to feel the urge to didn’t play the violin: ‘playing the violin is a influential figure and Univ was the main play the violin again, inspired by ‘accordion very natural form of expression for me, reason for Sophie choosing the College, or players in dark alleys.’ This formative year especially playing Eastern European folk rather, it was ‘a combination of Rasputin and led to her finally finding her voice through music. It feels almost deeply genetic.’ She Mike Nicholson!’ her instrument, a turning point for someone and her father began taking violin lessons at There are countless more examples of the who was never completely satisfied by the same time and used to practise together. influence of Russian history in Sophie’s work. ‘playing other people’s music.’ Clearly he has been a huge inspiration to For example, a poem she wrote for the same When Sophie returned to Oxford, she album (read by ) is inspired by established the band , which became the Russian poet, Alexander Blok, and the hugely successful, winning the New York music these words are set to is based on Times ‘Album of the Year’ award in 2004 with ‘Stalin’s favourite tango.’ Sophie is currently Laughter Through Tears. Since then, Sophie performing at the National Theatre in Our has not looked back, and although she is not Class, a play about the Holocaust, for which writing the articles or history books she she composed and directs the music. She has imagined, she is clearly as inspired as ever by also recently composed the music for an her studies at Univ, and has combined this American docu-film on the subject of Russian with her passion for music in a highly politics entitled Vlast, and her latest album inimitable fashion. Sophie is certainly an (produced by the legendary inspiration for current students; she is proof and due to be released next year), features a that it is possible to make a successful and song that was inspired by a story in the highly varied career out of one’s passion, and Russian historian Orlando Figes’ latest book. to me, she has also demonstrated the Photo by Ko Marianne It is clear that Sophie feels an imperative enormous potential of life after university.

UNIV NEWSLETTER / 3 / MICHAELMAS 2009 DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The Development Office is delighted to to donate to Univ to help secure the College’s undergraduates financially, but also needs to report that 31.6% of all Old Members made a future. be able to offer fully funded graduate gift to the 2008/9 Annual Fund which ended This year it is the turn of the 1960 scholarships too in order to be able to attract on 31 July 2009. This campaign raised matriculands to celebrate their Golden those most academically able to enrich the life £657,000 (by far the largest Annual Fund sum Jubilee. All those who came up in that year of the College. Univ has recently established raised by any College), which will be used to will be invited to a special reunion and asked six new graduate scholarships named after fund various current projects at Univ. We to help support the fifty year anniversary some of the College’s most influential would like to extend our warmest thanks to fund. The reunion and appeal is being led by scholars: Helen Cooper, Bob Thomas, Johan everyone who contributed to make the Fund a committee of six 1960 matriculands: Richard Steyn, Bobby Berman, George Cawkwell, and such a success. For the 2009/10 Annual Fund, Norton (co-chair), Peter Slinn (co-chair), Dan Gareth Evans. If you would like to make a gift which began in August 2009, new and Pollack, Tony Scales, David Gemmill and to one of these important merit-based awards, ambitious targets have been established to Laurance Reed. We very much hope to see a please contact Layla Hamadi, Univ’s encourage a third of all Univ Old Members to great many 1960-ers at the reunion next Development Officer. make a gift to the appeal and to raise a total September. Please do also visit the ‘Class of Finally some local news. In August 2009, sum of £680,000. 1960 Golden Anniversary Reunion Appeal’ Emma Adlard joined the office as our new Univ’s annual telethon will be taking place web page which we will be updating Development Assistant, having just completed once again in January, during which eighteen throughout the year: univalumni.org/1960 a Master of Studies degree in Musicology at students will call around a thousand Old Univ has been fundraising for a while now The Queen’s College, Oxford. Emma’s main Members across the world to update them on to establish more undergraduate bursaries. roles are to manage our comprehensive events current College activities and invite them to However, there is also growing competition programme, to assist with College make a donation to support the College. Last globally for the top graduate students. Univ publications and to help with this year’s year, 70% of those reached by telephone chose will, of course, continue to support Annual Fund. IRONING OUT THE OCEANS PROFESSOR OF EARTH SCIENCES, GIDEON HENDERSON, DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF IRON FOR OCEAN LIFE AND HIS FORTHCOMING SOUTH ATLANTIC EXPEDITION.

Ocean life is dependent upon a supply of seafloor (while the research ship is bobbing the element iron – something of a problem around thousands of metres above). This when iron is highly insoluble and found in grant will allow an important, missing piece seawater at vanishingly low concentrations. of the jigsaw to be placed into the puzzle of This fact also makes iron particularly difficult the South Atlantic iron supply. Solving this to measure in the oceans – a challenge that puzzle will inform us of the underlying The green and red colours on this satellite image show the belt where life flourishes in the South Professor Gideon Henderson, Univ’s Sollas structure of food webs in the South Atlantic Atlantic. Gideon’s research cruise will sail from Fellow of Earth Sciences, is currently (which support vibrant fisheries) and how Cape Town to Montevideo - as shown by the confronting. carbon dioxide is removed from the black line. Next year Gideon will lead a team of atmosphere by oceanic life. Future change – twenty-five international scientists on an to the acidity of the ocean or the aridity of the second tutor in Earth Sciences - Dr Tamsin expedition aboard the UK research ship land, for instance – will disrupt the iron cycle Mather. Having two Fellows in Earth Discovery, to learn how iron is supplied to a to alter these food webs and carbon uptake. Sciences greatly improves the breadth and region in the South Atlantic where life Gideon’s research will help society predict depth of undergraduate education and flourishes. There must be iron there to allow and prepare for such changes. mentorship and has been tremendously so much life to exist, but as of yet no one What role does a college have in such positive for the subject within the College. knows where it comes from. Perhaps from research? Univ itself doesn’t have labs Although Tamsin’s research focuses on what South American dust blown out to sea? From housing equipment (such as that pictured volcanoes do to the atmosphere, there is rivers? From the volcanoes that lie under the above behind Gideon) to obtain the critical nonetheless a crucial link between her middle of the ocean? Or from leakage arising measurements. The College does, however, research and Henderson’s. Volcanic ash out of sediments on the sea-floor? Assessing have a number of hugely talented people at all contains a high degree of iron! One question the significance of this last possibility is stages of their academic careers who both Tamsin is actively researching is how this particularly problematic since getting seawater contribute to and benefit from such research. affects life in the ocean. samples from close to the seafloor is very Two Univ graduate students, for example, All this research, and the inspiration it tricky without risking the damage of valuable will take part in the expedition, collecting data provides for teaching, thrives on diverse oceanographic equipment, or contaminating for their own doctoral theses. interactions that occur in the vibrant subject the water with iron from scientific apparatus. Univ’s Post-Doctoral Research Scholar families that Univ seeks to develop and A recent funding success will help to solve programme also plays an important role support. The widespread social and scientific these problems. Gideon applied to the first through two of its Fellows. Dr Sam Burgess is interaction – from undergraduate to faculty – call of the new Royal Society Theo Murphy providing some of the biological expertise maximizes the research and educational Blue Skies programme and was awarded funds behind the research and Dr Adam Candy will benefit from a rich variety of activities, to design and build specialist sampling use state-of-the-art computer models of ocean including this oceanic investigation on the life- equipment which will capture clean seawater circulation to analyse the data after it has been support systems of the planet that we all samples from several metres above the collected. Univ is also very lucky to have a inhabit.

UNIV NEWSLETTER / 4 / MICHAELMAS 2009 UNIV ENGINEERING

UNIV’S ENGINEERING FELLOWS EXEMPLIFY THE BREADTH OF THE SUBJECT, and are promoting its appeal to students who excel in Maths and Physics, and who want to apply their skills to real-world problems. SpaceX Much of Britain’s prosperity since the At the other end of the scale, Dr Steve eighteenth century has depended on the Collins works in the field of microelectronics. deliberately challenging’, says Dr Povey. ‘It engineers who designed and built everything He has set out to solve the problems that was a bit of a shock to the system [for the from steam pumps to body scanners. Yet digital video cameras have in a world where students], but the best students are excited Univ’s two Engineering Fellows find the level of daylight is constantly changing. rather than put off.’ An Engineering degree themselves with something of an image One such problem is that the apparent colour can lead almost anywhere. At least one problem among the bright young sixth- of an object depends on the spectrum of the former student chose Engineering as the most formers they hope to recruit. The word light that is illuminating it. ‘It is very hard for interesting and varied route to a career in the ‘engineer’ tends to conjure up a picture of a people who want to analyse pictures City. For others, however, Engineering really mechanic with an oily rag – an image that automatically, such as the surveillance is rocket science. Brother and sister Andrew could not be further from the reality of industry, to use colour’, he says. ‘They can and Catriona Chambers (1995 and 1999 modern engineering. track an object [using colour] in a short respectively) were both undergraduates at segment of film as long as the light source Univ in Engineering. Andrew now works on stays the same, but they daren’t search for propulsion and Catriona on avionics at the things based on colour.’ As part of his private space flight company SpaceX in research, Dr Collins is working with a former California. Univ Chemistry Fellow, Professor Paul Burn ‘Because you don’t do it at school, you of the University of Queensland, to develop don’t realise that engineering exists as a light-sensitive organic molecules that can be subject’, says Andrew, who originally planned layered onto microelectronic circuits to solve to read Chemistry until he discovered the this ‘colour constancy problem.’ ‘cool stuff’ he could do as an engineer. He With places for six or seven landed the job at SpaceX five years ago, after Prospective students work with a wind undergraduates in the subject each year, Univ completing a DPhil in the Thermofluids tunnel during Univ’s two-day Engineering is seeking to recruit the very best, who will Laboratory and writing to the fledgling workshop relish the challenge of a broadly-based course company on spec. Although it has existed that applies creative reasoning, science, and a only since 2002, SpaceX has already Dr Tom Povey works in the Thermo- lot of mathematics to real-world problems. In successfully launched two rockets into orbit; Fluids Laboratory, currently housed in a 2009 the College ran a two-day workshop for a much bigger vehicle is due to launch in 2010, Victorian former power station next to the students in the first year of A levels, to give with contracts from NASA to supply the Thames in Osney. The lab is filled with vast them a taste of what engineering is really like. International Space Station. ‘We’ve got an wind tunnels and other experimental ‘We designed something that was exciting year coming up’, says Andrew. equipment designed to develop next- generation aerospace technology, including jet engines. Many of his experimental systems are ‘engine-like’, but operate at much lower temperatures. ‘We can measure the surface temperature of the vanes using liquid crystals that we spray on in a thin layer’ says Dr Povey. Using the change in colour with temperature in his lab-simulated engine he is attempting to develop radically different cooling technology for jet-engine components. Part of the appeal of the subject is that such experiments have direct applications in the real world: ‘Most research focuses on meeting increasingly stringent environmental legislation and improving performance’, he says. Dr Povey works in close collaboration with Rolls Royce and other industrial partners. A Level students with Dr Tom Povey at Univ’s Thermo-Fluids Laboratory Workshop

UNIV NEWSLETTER / 5 / MICHAELMAS 2009 2010 EVENTS CALENDAR

JANUARY APRIL Fri-Sun 8-24 Telethon Sat 10 Medical Sciences Subject Fri 29 Dinosaurs and Dinner Cassandrians Dinner Fri-Sun 16-18 2010 North American Oxonian Reunion FEBRUARY Sat 17 Eldon Society Dinner Thu 04 Univ Society London Wk. beg. 19 Los Angeles and San Dinner Francisco Gatherings Fri 12 Maths and Computer Fri 30 Roger Short Memorial Science Subject Dinner Dinner

MARCH MAY Sun 07 Univ Old Members’ Wed 05 Spring USPGA Meeting Football Day Sat 29 Summer Eights Day and Wk beg. 15 Hong Kong and Singapore Barbecue Gatherings Tbc Garden Show and Arts Fri 26 Inter-Collegiate Golf Week Tournament Tbc Univ Europe Dinner Sat 27 Up to and including 1952 matriculands’ Gaudy JUNE Luncheon Sun 20 Old Members’ Trust Sun 28 William of Durham Dinner Luncheon 2001-03 matriculands returned to Sat 26 History Subject Reunion College for their Gaudy in Tbc Old Members’ Cricket September 2009 Match EVENTS ROUND UP

Four Univ events took place during the Thursday 8 October. A week later, on Friday Burhill Golf Club in Surrey and was hosted summer. On Saturday 27 June the College 16 October, another group of Old Members by Martin Lawrence (1976, Maths). The was transformed into the Land of the Rising on the other side of the globe gathered in turnout was excellent with some thirty Univ Sun for the biennial Univ Ball, which featured Edinburgh University’s historic Raeburn golfers present, spanning more than half a a variety of traditional and contemporary Room for the third Univ Society biennial century with matriculation dates ranging from forms of Japanese entertainment. Edinburgh Dinner. 1954 to 2007. More than seventy people attended the In line with our objective to encourage And finally, thirty-five Old Members, Classics Dinner in College on Friday 3 July at strong and positive relationships between their guests and friends of Univ gathered in which Professor Chris Pelling spoke about current Univ students and Old Members, two the delightful surroundings of the ‘Classics past, Classics present, and Classics careers evening took place during October, Metropolitan Club in Washington DC in yet to come.’ Meanwhile Sarah Strasser (1991, the first focusing on the Public Sector and the early November for a cocktail reception with Law) hosted a dinner at the Union, University Media, and the second on Business, Finance the Master. Our grateful thanks to Bob Craft & Schools Club in Sydney on Thursday 9 and Law. A total of twenty-five Old (1961, Law) and Sean Denniston (1987, July along with special guest, Professor Members came back to College to meet with History) for organising this event. Tiffany Stern. Finally, over thirty Old and speak to students and to impart their Members and their spouses gathered in the knowledge in an informal and open Fellows’ Garden for a barbecue to celebrate environment. CONTACT INFORMATION their Golden Jubilee on Sunday 19 July. The Univ Society Peripatetic Golf Development Office The first event to take place this academic Association continues to thrive. This year’s t: +44 (0)1865 276674 year was the Gaudy for 2001-03 matriculands Autumn meeting took place on 28 October at e: [email protected] on 26 September, which was attended by 170 Domestic Bursary (College accommodation) Old Members. Tea was served in the Master’s t: +44 (0)1865 276625 Lodgings before Dr Ben Jackson’s talk on the SCR Steward (dining in College) history of Thatcherism. t: +44 (0)1865 276604 Later on, a feast of delicious food and Chaplain (weddings, baptisms, etc) excellent wine was followed by an update on t: +44 (0)1865 276663 College activities from the Master; an Master’s Secretary (degree ceremonies) entertaining after-dinner speech was given by t: +44 (0)1865 276600 Daniel Rawling (2001, Law) who kindled Academic Office some fond memories of Univ ‘as it was in his t: +44 (0)1865 276601 day.’ Porters’ Lodge (general, switchboard) Later on in the term, David Fu (1984, t: +44 (0)1865 276602 Engineering) hosted a dinner with Professor Adrian Zuckerman and Emeritus Fellow Tom Moore (1998, History) speaks to www.univ.ox.ac.uk Rev’d Bill Sykes, at the Jockey Club current Univ students about his career in www.univalumni.org Clubhouse in Happy Valley, Hong Kong, on Financial Services.

EDITOR: Emma Adlard University College UNIV NEWSLETTER FELLOW EDITOR: Professor Tiffany Stern Oxford OX1 4BH PRINTED BY: Holywell Design & Print www.univ.ox.ac.uk © University College, Oxford, 2009