BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2018

Clubs & Societies

Both the college and University have their own Freshers’ Fairs, and attending these will give you the opportunity to discover the wide range of clubs and societies, for all abilities, here in Oxford. There are hundreds of options, from Tea-Drinking to underwater hockey to getting involved in university-wide activism; here, we have an overview of three of the biggest: Sports, Music & Drama in Brasenose!

Here’s a picture of BNC Sports Day (left) & the cuppers-winning women’s’ team

Sports Brasenose has a great sporting tradition and a solid reputation for it too. We have several different in-college sports teams which vary in skill levels and also in the level of commitment required; Brasenose sports really does have something for everyone.

During Freshers’ Week you will have the opportunity to get involved in both college and University wide sports at the Freshers’ Fairs and the college Sports Day. These events will give you a great opportunity to meet team members and sign-up to the teams you wish. The college has a Sports Ground located on Abingdon Road. (It is on the other side of the river to college; you can enter through two gates: one opposite the Folly Bridge Inn and other across from the Londis Store). It has three hard courts, eight grass courts (which we share with another college in the summer), two courts, and rugby, football, hockey, and pitches. The Pavilion is reasonably equipped, with toilets and changing rooms.

As well as the inter-college League matches that happen between the main BNC sports teams, there are also Cuppers tournaments. Recently, BNC teams have been 1st in Men’s football cuppers, sailing cuppers and cuppers, as well as 3rd in cuppers. There are also inter-college matches but these are relatively informal games between self-made teams. Enthusiasm and willingness to turn up are often the main skills required, but competition between the teams can get quite fierce. It’s worth noting that

16 BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2018 many people start playing sports for college having never taken part before, and sometimes end up playing at university level!

If you have any questions, get in touch with our JCR Sports Rep Tabs: [email protected]

Email our organ scholar Bethy Music (right) for advice about the music scene in Brasenose

The College has an extremely active non-auditioning choir and musicians of all standards are encouraged to put on concerts. There are two practice rooms at Frewin (keys are available from the lodge), and you can book the piano or organ in the chapel via the lodge (other instruments can also be practiced in the chapel). The College Music Society organises lunchtime concerts in the chapel as well as other events including performances during the summer arts festival. It is relatively easy to get involved in college music; if you play anything or are interested, go for it! You can email our organ scholar, Bethy Reeves, if you have any questions: [email protected]

There is also a large music scene outside of college, from symphony orchestras and choirs to funk and rock groups! Whatever your ability there'll be something for you. Oxford University Music Society (OUMS) is the university's central music hub, with both auditioned and non-auditioned ensembles, depending on what you'd prefer. If you want to get involved in music outside of college, you can contact [email protected], or see them at the University Freshers' Fair. Drama Drama is very active at Brasenose. For newcomers (both on the stage and behind the scenes) there is Drama Cuppers in Michaelmas. It’s an inter- collegiate competition for first years only to produce a piece of short drama, which is then performed at the Burton Taylor studio; our Arts Rep will be happy to help those wishing to get involved. Previously, Brasenose’s team won “Spirit of Cuppers” for their excellent new writing (right). The college also hosts the second largest Summer Arts Festival in Oxford, in which Brasenose members are encouraged to take part. For seasoned thespians, the University Drama Society website www.ouds.org is the place to check out all the upcoming auditions. For those wanting to work behind the scenes, go to the TAFF website www.tabsareforflying.co.uk for further details.

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The Christmas pantomime (some actors pictured above) is a more casual way to act in BNC, no experience necessary! Get in touch with our JCR Arts rep, Tesni Jones, for more information on how to get involved both in and outside of college: [email protected]

See the Welfare Guide also in this pack for Welfare comprehensive information! Our lovely Welfare reps Tom and Ella (above right) are more than happy to help whenever possible, so please read the Welfare Guide (included in this pack) carefully, as it describes their role, the college’s welfare provision, and includes welcomes from our D&E rep Natalie M and Women’s Rep Jana too. Don’t hesitate to email the Welfare reps if you have any questions before you get here: [email protected] and [email protected]

As mentioned earlier, the Porters can also help out with a cup of tea and chat, and Peer Supporters or First Responders are also available. See the Welfare Guide also in this pack for further information, as well as information on out-of-college services.

Health

The Freshers' website has information about different medical issues and guidance on how to complete online registration with the College Doctors. Please complete this as soon as possible to ensure you are registered when you arrive in Oxford. The College Doctors are Dr Leaver and Partners (http://www.leaverandpartnersjericho.nhs.uk/). They will be giving a compulsory talk on Friday of Freshers Week (see the timetable) – make sure you attend so that they are able to help you should you become ill. The doctors can be found at the Jericho Health Centre, Walton Street, Oxford, OX2 6NW (Tel: 01865 311234). Appointments can be booked directly with them or through the college nurse. The College Nurse, Kate Tempest (pictured right), is available between 9:45am and 11:45am Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and then between 12:30pm and 2:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday, in her surgery under staircase 12. She is the first person to approach if you are ill; you can also send her an email [email protected]. The College does not have an affiliation with a particular dentist, therefore students should seek treatment at a dentist of their choice. Students often use a local dentist on the Oxford Brookes University site called Studental (http://www.studental.co.uk), but other options are available (see http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/dentists/Pages/find-an- NHS-dentist.aspx).

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Remember to complete the online process to register with the doctors in Oxford! From now on Oxford should be your permanent doctor and when you return home you should be seen as a temporary resident. And once more, don’t forget to attend the compulsory medical talk on the Friday of Freshers’ week!

& Safety

Oxford is a wonderful place but, as with any other city, you must be careful. Be wary of walking on your own anywhere at night (even just down Brasenose Lane); there are various University bus and walk services. The JCR runs a scheme whereby it will pay a share of your taxi fare if you are travelling to or from college (or home if you are living out) and are anxious about your safety (you have to get the receipt from the taxi driver). You will receive further information about these schemes – please use them if you need to. You will also be given the lodge phone number, and you can ring the night porter if you are walking at night and concerned about anything.

The most common accidents are slips and trips, particularly in night clubs, plus sports and cycling injuries. If you cycle, use lights and wear a helmet and high-vis jacket. Oxford has many buses and lorries making deliveries and it’s a bad idea to try overtaking them on the inside. The rate of cycle theft is also very high so a good lock is essential.

Every year students lose passport ID in clubs and replacing your passport is expensive and a hassle. A driver’s license is probably a better option and if you do lose it you don’t have to get the Senior Tutor or another college officer to verify your likeness and make up a story about how you’ve mislaid your passport to cover your blushes. Spiked drinks are another thing to watch out for so take reasonable care (don’t leave your drinks unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know).

Personal Property The cosy atmosphere of College can easily lull one into a false sense of security, but be aware that thefts do occur. Always lock your door and close your windows, even if you are only popping out for a few minutes. If anything does go missing, report it immediately to the lodge or if you find any lost property lying around, the best thing to do is hand it in to the porters. Your room contents are now covered by the College insurance – further details are enclosed.

The College charges students for the replacement of lost keys. Keys are extremely expensive to replace. The JCR Key Insurance Scheme, operating on an opt-out basis, assures that every undergraduate can be provided with the insurance at a yearly rate of about £10. This is a highly recommended investment as keys tend to be easily lost or stolen – especially while travelling. Additionally, Brasenose is equipped with an up-to-date fire alarm system, including a detector in every room and fire extinguishers located at various points. NOTE: Misuse of fire equipment results in a considerable fine and/or

19 BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2018 sending down! The fire alarm in College is tested every Friday at 11am (there is no need to evacuate College on these occasions). The college will have a fire safety talk during Freshers’ Week detailing all of the information you need to know about the proceedings in the event of a fire in college.

Diversities & Equalities

Our fantastic JCR Diversities & Equalities Rep, Natalie M (top right) ([email protected]) and wonderful JCR Women’s Rep Jana ([email protected]) work together and alongside our Welfare reps to aid and create a diverse & inclusive atmosphere in college. This covers a wide range of issues and manifests in a range of ways; read the Welfare Guide for more information.

Emily heads up a Diversities & Equalities sub-committee, whose details and photos are on the Welfare Guide enclosed in this pack. The guide also details many of the schemes and resources available for women & minorities in Brasenose. Feel free to contact any member of the sub- committee with your questions or worries.

Workshops

A number of workshops will run during freshers’ week, aiming to inform and guide you. These will be Sexual Consent workshops, CRAE (Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality) workshops and LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer) workshops. These workshops have been designed by their corresponding OUSU campaigns and officers — WomCam (Women’s Campaign), CRAE and LGBTQ+ campaigns respectively — to facilitate productive conversations at a university, college and JCR level. In Brasenose, we believe in creating an environment which prioritises equality based on gender, race and sexual orientation and an atmosphere in which all students feel safe and respected.

The workshops are small and confidential, and will be facilitated by fellow undergraduates, who have been trained by OUSU, and are endorsed by college. They'll take place in freshers’ week, and all freshers will be allocated a space. Participation is mandatory, which means that we ask that you take the sessions seriously and let us know in advance if you have a clash (for example a departmental induction event) or another valid reason for not attending. We won’t, however, monitor attendance and anyone is welcome to leave at any point.

If you have any concerns or questions, if you would like to be moved from one group/time to another, or if you have any specific accessibility issues, please don't hesitate to contact

20 BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2018 either Jana (for Consent workshops) or Natalie (for CRAE and LGBTQ+ workshops.) Alternatively, you can email me ([email protected]) if you’d rather speak to someone else.

Women in Brasenose

Women first joined Brasenose in 1974 as undergraduates and have been an essential part of college life ever since. Jana, our JCR Women’s Rep, works hard to promote equality for women in Brasenose and runs a number of schemes which you can find the details for in the Welfare pack. Please don’t hesitate to use them! Read the Welfare Guide for more details.

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What to Wear (subfusc, dress codes, BOPS…) Oxford is known for having rather bizarre and archaic dressing up traditions, which can be a bit daunting on arrival. Here is a quick guide to help you out with some of the dress codes and events you may encounter here.

Subfusc: what is it and where do I get it? Subfusc comes from the Latin for "of a dark/dusky colour", and refers to the clothes worn with full academic dress in Oxford. Recently, the regulations on subfusc dropped their reference to gender, meaning anyone can mix and match from historically "female" clothes and historically "male" clothes. Previously, men were required to wear: → Dark suit and socks. → Black shoes. → White shirt and collar. → White bow tie. → Commoner’s gown → Mortarboard (carried)

Women were previously required to wear: → White blouse. → Black ribbon loosely tied around the neck → Black skirt or trousers. → Black stockings or tights. Students in sub-fusc at → Black shoes. Matriculation, carrying their mortarboards → Dark coat (if desired). → Commoner’s gown → Mortarboard (carried)

As you can see, there are more similarities than differences, so feel free to choose the elements you wish to wear; obviously, each element of your outfit must correspond to items on either list.

But I don’t own a commoner’s gown! Fear not, as nor does anybody else. Lots of shops in Oxford (e.g. Walter’s, Shepherd and Woodward) will do a fresher’s deal including a gown, bow tie/ribbon and a mortarboard, with all the other kit being fairly standard. These usually cost about £25. There will also be flyers for introductory deals on the Freshers’ Website.

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When should I be wearing subfusc? You won’t be wearing much subfusc! You’ll have to wear it to matriculation, which is your university enrolment early on in the first term, and to university exams, but that’s it. For these occasions it is essential and the dress code should be seen as a rule not a suggestion.

So I don’t get to wear my gown much?

Although subfusc is not worn much, you will end up wearing your gown much more than you might think. If you’re going to formal hall on Tuesday, Friday or Sunday, you will need to wear it, although this can be on top of regular clothes. (Sunday formal is normally a little dressier, men often wear suits, but this is by no means necessary or expected). Some special dinners will be black-tie plus gowns. Gowns can also be worn for principal’s collections (like parents’ evening but without the parents) but are currently optional, although you should dress as you would for a tute. If you’ve misbehaved, the dean may require you to wear the gown for decanal summons but you’ll be notified in advance.

Does black-tie just mean I need to turn up with a black tie? No. Black-tie is a dress code developed by the Edwardians, invented as a less formal alternative to white-tie. For men, it officially involves:

→ A jacket with silk facings (usually grosgrain or satin), peaked lapel or notched lapel. → Trousers with a single silk or satin braid covering the outer seams → A white dress shirt, cuffs and cufflinks, and a foldover or winged standing collar. → A black silk bow tie matching the lapel facings → Shirt studs and cufflinks. Studs are often dispensed with today. → Black socks → Black shoes → (Optional) Cummerbund (google it!) or waistcoat

This isn’t as strictly adhered to as subfusc, with people often wearing different coloured bow-ties, non-dress shirts or black business suits instead of a tuxedo. The list should be seen more as an ideal these days rather than strict rules. For women a cocktail dress (knee-length) constitutes the dress code, but variations such as jumpsuits, smart trousers etc are also acceptable. If you’re concerned about this, ask your college parents (or email me, [email protected]). For the most formal occasions, such as a College Ball, many women prefer to wear floor-length gowns for a black-tie dress code.

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When should I wear black-tie? Normally you will be told if an event is black-tie when the invite is sent; events such as most college balls, the Christmas party, guest night formal etc are examples. The Matriculation Ball isn’t like the main college ball, so though it’s black tie, it won’t be strict and students can wear all sorts of dresses and outfits — remember to bring a mask as it’s masquerade- theme! (See page 30 for some previous outfits at the Matriculation ball!) See the pictures on this page for some black-tie dressing ideas. For men, I would recommend buying a set of black tie formalwear, as you can easily pick up a decent quality new outfit for £100 that you will probably wear a lot in your time at Oxford. Hiring is expensive and tiresome, and you will almost certainly end up paying more over the course of your degree.

What about white-tie? White-tie is more formal than black-tie and is far rarer these days. At Oxford the main occasions at which it is expected are for some of the more grand college balls, Magdalen and Trinity for example. A lot of people will go through Oxford without requiring it, so I will not give the full details, they are easily found on the internet. In contrast to black-tie it is probably more economical to rent the male stuff, as it is more expensive to buy and less frequently worn. For women a full-length ball gown is expected (Brasenose students attending a white-tie ball pictured left).

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What is a bop and what do I wear? Bops are college fancy dress parties and they are great. The theme will be announced in advance and the afternoon before a bop will be spent getting together a costume which can be paraded around the bar that evening. Don’t ever be concerned that a costume is too ludicrous, absurd or that you’ve put too much effort in, you are unlikely to be the keenest! People often take their costumes very seriously and compete for the fancy dress prize at each bop (for example at last term’s ‘come as your favourite childhood icon’ bop the first prize went to four teletubbies, a close victory over a pair of smurfs) Don’t worry about buying expensive fancy dress costumes — handmade is better and there will always be someone around who can transform you with face paint or some cardboard. Use the Freshers’ Week Bop as an opportunity to meet lots of people — the theme is BNC (something beginning with B, N or C).

Things to Do in Oxford Forgetting the University for a moment, Oxford as a city is a beautiful and exciting place to live and study with lots to do and see (n.b. this section could be a lifesaver if you don’t know what to do when your parents visit!).

Ashmolean Museum If art and archaeology is your thing then you’ll love the Ashmolean, which is a huge museum (potentially the first in the world!) hosting various exhibitions, which are usually topical and always fascinating. It also has a great cafe.

University Church tower Right outside Brasenose on Radcliffe Square is the University Church, which you can climb to the top of for stunning views over Oxford. You can even try and pick out your room and cheesily wave to your friends in college!

Blackwell’s Blackwell’s is a famous book shop that is the UK’s largest academic and specialist bookseller. It has three floors and a cafe and you can easily spend a good hour in there lost in a maze of books.

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Christ Church meadow This is a beautiful space in the centre of Oxford for walking or picnics or going for a run. It also backs onto the River where all of the colleges’ boathouses are!

University Parks University Parks is another beautiful Instagram-friendly green space in The Ashmolean central Oxford that is ideal for a walk museum is a with parents or friends or just chilling wonderful place to out on your own. spend a relaxing afternoon

Cinema Oxford has a number of cinemas but the closest to Brasenose are the two Odeon venues on George Street and Magdalen Street, which show a range of mainstream, foreign and independent films. (It’s also 2 for 1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays if you buy a day’s insurance from Compare the Market for a couple of quid). There’s also the Phoenix Picture House in Jericho (an area in the North of Oxford).

Theatre Oxford is host to a range of theatres hosting both national and student productions (which the JCR Arts Rep can subsidise tickets for if a Brasenose student is involved).

University Museum of Natural History This museum, centrally located, contains an exciting collection of zoological and mineral exhibits (and it’s free!).

Gloucester Green Market Running every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, Gloucester Green (or GG) is a great place to sample some food from one of the many international food vendors. There are also a few great vintage clothing stalls and other vendors selling music, jewellery etc.

Port Meadow Basically, a beautiful and massive field in the North of Oxford featuring wild horses, cows and the like. It makes for a really nice walk/cycle and is a nice place to go in the river (maybe leave that for the summer term though).

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