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The Keble Review 2015 (Pdf) The Keble Review 2015The 1 3 From the Warden 4 Student Life 6 The Gardens Archive 8 Theology at Keble 10 Professor Paul Taylor: Waves Research 12 Complexity Cluster 14 Emma LeBlanc, DPhil Candidate: New Brunswick Forestry 16 Director of Music 17 Welcoming New Fellows 18 An Interview with Tony Hall 20 Engaging Young Alumni 21 The Keble Association 22 Fundraising Report 24 Donor Recognition 26 List of Donors 32 College Financial Report 33 Farewell to... 34 Interview with The Revd Dr Jenn Strawbridge, Chaplain Contents Published by Keble College, Oxford. Printed and distributed in the UK by Hunts - paper and pixels. Editorial Team: Boriana Boneva, Ruth Cowen, Brian Powell, Alisdair Rogers, Jenny Tudge Photography: cover Boriana Boneva, p.4 Ian Curtis; p.11 background Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Platform_B%2C_Dos_Cuadras_(6). jpg; p.13 Wikimedia Commons, clockwise from top right http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/ wikispeedia/wpcd/images/197/19769.jpghtm, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Upsala_Glacier,_Argentina.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2010_Chile_ earthquake_NOAA_tsunami_projection_2010-02-27.png, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Waves_in_pacifica_1.jpg; p.14-15 Emma LeBlanc (2012); p.27 top right Oliver Robinson (2012); p.28 top Xinru Dong (2013), left Khalil Osman (2013); p.29 top Tom Langton (2013); p.30 top Xinru Dong (2013), left Florence Barnett (2012), bottom right Xinru Dong (2013); p.31 Xinru Dong (2013); p.35 Boriana Boneva Design: Boriana Boneva © 2015 Keble College, Oxford, OX1 3PG Tel: (01865)282338 Email: [email protected] All rights of the individual contributors are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or translated in any form, by any means mechanical, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent of the publisher. The views expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the Governing Body of the College. Keble College is a registered charity (No. 1143997) From the Warden found its way into my diary. The end point departments and colleges, and, as a was our annual degree celebration on member of the selection committee, 9th May for the 2014 Finalists many of the appointment of our incoming Vice- whom came back to take their degrees. Chancellor. It was a significant celebration because If that is a mix that appeals, I said, then go they had between them secured the for it. But be aware that to be effective largest number of firsts ever achieved you need to be visible a great deal in all by the College. And it was followed by an dimensions of the College community, excellent Ball, themed appropriately as a students, academics, non-academic Gothic revival. staff and old members. Also be aware, This section of my diary had started especially if you are coming from the with the men’s Rugby Cuppers Final in top of a large organisation, that you will which Keble beat Teddy Hall by 37:11. be responsible for running, in so far as In between there was culture in many your governing body will let you “run”, forms: what has become an annual recital a relatively small but very complex in memory of John Keble on the Tickell charitable business. Your reliance on n the early part of the summer a organ in Chapel; Professor Sir Geoffrey certain individuals to perform well will former colleague phoned me to seek Hill’s final lecture and associated events probably be even more important than advice on whether she should apply I at the end of his five year term as the you have imagined in previous existences. to be a head of house at an Oxbridge University’s Professor of Poetry which has And your college will be one of 38 (in college. While there may not be many engendered huge student interest in the Oxford) and however strong its views who read this letter who are in the same work of this famous Keble Old Member; may be on a particular topic there will position, the elements of my response and a talking heads session in the O’Reilly be an essential process of harmonisation may help to answer a question put to Lecture Theatre in which Rufus Norris, the through University processes which me by a Keble parent at a garden party new Director of the National Theatre, was involve more committees, more in Trinity term. “What does the Warden very effectively interrogated by another acronyms, and more pages (paper or actually do?” There was a disturbingly Old Member, Robin Geffen, in the course otherwise) to be read than you would sceptical emphasis on “actually”. of which it was revealed that Rufus’ begin to predict. You also carry the risk I began by saying to my caller that she sister Hilary Lyon (1989) had been the that an apparently small college story, should forget the old adage that there College’s only female organ scholar. This taken out of context, may find its way are three good reasons for taking up highbrow diet was only interrupted by the into the media spotlight and call for a such a position, namely, July, August small matter of a general election, the great deal of patience, creative handling and September. It may be that my outcome of which few of those watching and resilience. perspective has been affected by having the results in the Warden’s Lodgings had But don’t let those aspects put you off, been Chair of the Conference of Colleges accurately predicted. because you will be constantly surprised for the past two years, but that amount In normal working hours, so to say, I had and encouraged by the intelligence and of downtime is a dream even if there several very significant meetings about creativity which surrounds you. The is a degree of flexibility to enable the our exciting plans for the Acland site only other question you should pause pursuit of research or other professional which are reported in the special bulletin; over is whether your partner is similarly activities, especially during the summer a meeting of the College’s Finance enthusiastic. You don’t necessarily need period. However, there is an intensity to Committee which I chair, alongside the considerable social support I get from the role during term time which is difficult others covering important aspects of Amanda, though it is of immense value to to convey. our governance; regular bilaterals with me, but you do need, at the very least, But that intensity and the variety it the Bursar, Senior Tutor, Development positive acquiescence that your own life encompasses are immensely positive Director, Chaplain, and with the JCR will be in and around the college for much features, especially in an environment and MCR Presidents with whom I keep of the year. in which the vitality of young people is closely in touch about student concerns. so much on display. In describing them And alongside these a good many to her I had in mind a particular ten day University meetings to discuss among period at the beginning of Trinity term in other things the difficult topic of student Sir Jonathan Phillips which almost every aspect of that variety number planning across the divisions, Warden 3 Student Life Radcliffe Meteorological Observer Every morning I climb to the top of the tallest building in Oxford, Keble has a long association with the station, with Fellows regularly and peer into the distance until I see it – the Oxford transmitting being appointed RMS Director, including the current Station Chief, station. No, I’m not some sort of daredevil tower-spotter. I’m Professor Richard Washington. using the traditional method of measuring atmospheric visibility; looking for large landmarks on the horizon. If I can see the tower The Radcliffe Meteorological Station has clearly (with no haze or fog), visibility is upwards of 40km. I then the longest-running record of rainfall and climb* (*take the lift) back down, and continue with my job as the temperature data in the UK, with daily Radcliffe Meteorological Observer. records going back to 1815 The Radcliffe Meteorological Station has the longest-running record After measuring minimum and maximum temperature, of rainfall and temperature data in the UK, with daily records going rainfall, pressure and cloud cover at GTC, I head over to the back to 1815. As a DPhil student of Climate Science in the School aforementioned tallest building in Oxford, the Thom Engineering of Geography and the Environment I am lucky enough to have been Science building. As well as visibility, I also measure hours of the official Observer since January this year. At 9am each and every sunshine in the previous 24 hours, using a Victorian device called a morning (yes, even Christmas day) I record a range of temperature, Campbell Stokes recorder. Sunlight is focussed through a glass orb wind, sunshine and rainfall measurements, which are sent to the Met onto a piece of card; by measuring the length of the burns, we can Office to be included in their daily forecasting system. work out how long the sun was shining for. Last December was the The main station is located in the garden of Green Templeton sunniest winter on record, a claim to fame that landed RMS on the College, alongside the old Radcliffe Observatory. Now used as pages of the Oxford Mail! the dining hall and MCR of the college, the Observatory was built Whilst trudging into Oxford at 9am on a rainy Saturday morning on the suggestion of Thomas Hornsby, then Savilian Chair of can sometimes feel a burden, I feel overwhelmingly privileged to be Astronomy at the University.
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