DOWNING COLLEGE MAGAZINE 2020 40 yEARS OF woMEN COLLEGE NEWS MAGENTA NEWS W ELCOME WelcoME to THE first edition of the Downing Magazine, combining the Alumni Association Newsletter, Magenta News and the College Record with Dow@Cam. The last 20 years have seen a revolution in communications and the way in which publications, such as the Newsletter and Dow@Cam, are produced. This year, more than ever, we have benefitted from digital technology which has enabled this publication to be produced remotely. Following a review by the College and the Association, assisted by an external report and consultation with various alumni, we agreed that now is the time to combine all printed publications, to enable alumni to read College news, articles and information in one place. The Downing Column, the College’s e-newsletter, social media and the College website will complement the Magazine, ensuring that you can connect with us and receive news from Downing throughout the year. Alongside our regular items, this edition includes feature articles. Two particular highlights are the 40th anniversary of women and interviews with the Vice Master, Dr Paul Millett, the Senior Bursar, Dr Susan Lintott, Professor Bill Adams and Dr Cathy Phillips, who are retiring this year having given well over 100 years of service to the College between them. We hope that you enjoy the Downing Magazine, it is a work in progress and all views are most welcome, as are contributions to future editions. JO Finnie JONES SIMON WALKER Development Director Honorary Secretary, Downing College Alumni Association In this Issue FROM THE MASTER 2–5 F EEATUR S 6–33 COLLEGE NEWS 34–43 ASTS OCIA ION NEWS 44–55 FLSEL OW HIP NEWS 56–71 SD TU ENT NEWS 72–107 MAGENTA NEWS 108–157 OR BITUA IES 158–200 FEATURES 1 IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY the difficult second album is a well-known phenomenon. Well, for me this has been a difficult second year – a time of disruption and dislocation T HE that has placed unprecedented demands on the whole community and tested the MASTER resilience of us all. WRITES As the academic year started, we were mourning two sudden deaths. Within days of leaving Downing, postgraduate student Dominic Hamlyn had died of heart failure in his family’s swimming pool. He was a much-loved character in the MCR and the rugby team. Then Alex Morris, Bye Fellow in Economics, passed away peacefully, but unexpectedly. She was a true champion of her students, not just directing their studies with enthusiasm but guiding them on their first career steps. After these initial shocks, we were delighted to welcome three new Fellows – Frisbee Sheffield (Classics), Joe Webster (Anthropology) and later in the year Josie Hughes as our new Mays-Wild Fellow. It was also a pleasure to admit four distinguished Honorary Fellows – Sir Keith Ajegbo, educationalist and anti-racist campaigner, Victoria Brignell, producer of In Our Time on the BBC and disability champion, and two eminent Oxford Professors previously at Downing, Martin Maiden and Ritchie Robertson. “Well, for me this has been a difficult second year – a time of disruption and dislocation that has placed unprecedented demands on the whole community and tested the resilience of us all.” 2 DOWNING MAGAZINE “I remain enormously grateful to the group of alumni who continue to support the Heong and allow it to punch well above its weight in the cultural life of the city.” A lan Bookbinder The Freshers’ Recital in the Master’s Lodge all the Gallery’s activity online. I remain exceeded even the very high standards of enormously grateful to the group of alumni previous years. It was followed by a series of who continue to support the Heong and outstanding performances from the Music allow it to punch well above its weight in the Society. Excellent newcomers joined the core cultural life of the city. of talented singers in the Chapel Choir. In the Howard Theatre the Dramatic Society’s We kept up our high standards on the production of The Tempest and the Freshers’ river – W1 ended Lent Bumps at the Head Play The Lower Depths were thrilling. The of the River and W2 earned Superblades; at annual Festival of New Writing went from the Winter Head both M1 and W1 won top strength to strength and Steve Bennett, position. May Bumps of course was cancelled, already the animating force behind much as was the Boat Race, preventing Downing of Downing drama, agreed to become our Blue Callum Sullivan from going for a second first Director of Drama. The Heong Gallery successive victory. Lockdown also denied us followed its crowd-pulling Yoko Ono show a chance to retain Rugby Cuppers, having with a splendid Barbara Hepworth exhibition comfortably reached the final. Divided Circle. We had just opened We Are Here, a celebration of art by and about Another high point for me was my meetings women in Cambridge, when lockdown forced with alumni in New York and Hong Kong THE MASTER FEATURES WRITES 3 Desktop Downing by Nathan Parker: Downing Alumni Photographic Competition at the turn of the year. Their abiding events to celebrate 40 Years of Women, interest in the College and their continuing alumni reunions and the Association Weekend generosity are inspiring. I am especially in September. The College’s income took grateful to Andrew Jones for hosting a a heavy hit, with almost no student rents party for East Coast-based alumni at received in Easter Term, all conference and his apartment overlooking Central Park summer school bookings cancelled and and to Bob and Sally Bunker for their regular income from our property portfolio hospitality in introducing me to Downing’s mostly lost. Stock market falls have depleted lively cohort settled in Hong Kong. our endowment and development events have been postponed. It will take time to It was on the latter trip, reading the South recover, so I am enormously grateful to China Morning Post on New Year’s Eve, that those alumni who have rallied to help us. I first heard of the fateful coronavirus, then a We should perhaps be relieved that other nasty sounding, but local outbreak in Wuhan. financial threats have not as yet materialised, Little did I know what devastation it would such as cuts to student tuition fees. bring. As Lent term ended, and lockdown was imposed, the scale of the virus’ disruption Lockdown demonstrated the resilience dawned. College closed, but for around 60 and flexibility of Downing’s outstanding students whose homes were unreachable or staff team. It also brought home to me how unsuitable for study. A skeleton staff covered much our life as a community depends on essential work. Teaching and examinations human contact and physical proximity. It is went online. The Commemoration Service our face-to-face supervisions, our formal and Feast were cancelled, along with May and informal gatherings, the way we share Week, Graduation in the Senate House, College spaces and the whole range of our 4 DOWNING MAGAZINE social interactions that define and sustain action as necessary, whether in our training, us. We can just about function on Zoom and our disciplinary procedures, our welfare Microsoft Teams, but we cannot thrive in the provision or our recruitment practices. way we do when we are together in person. I am particularly sorry that students in their final The year ended with the sad news of Honorary year have been deprived of their last term in Fellow Dr Alan Howard’s death. As you residence, sitting exams together, sharing the know, Alan’s contribution to the College via relief and euphoria that follow and enjoying the Howard Foundation was immeasurable; the ceremony, the celebrations and the without his exceptional generosity we would farewells that would normally remain in their not have the Howard Court, encompassing memory forever. We will invite them back the Howard Building, the Howard Theatre for delayed graduation festivities as soon as and the Grace Howard Room. He possible next year. As the pandemic gradually retained his close interest in Downing recedes and the rules on social distancing until the end and we mourn his passing. ease, we are looking forward to welcoming as many students as possible for Michaelmas Another sadness is our imminent loss of key term and resurrecting College life with Fellows to retirement: Susan Lintott, the sensible precautions. With an eye for our Senior Bursar, has made a uniquely valuable longer-term sustainability, we are proceeding contribution to life at Downing; Paul Millett, with new student accommodation at 90–92 the Vice Master, has brought insight and Regent Street and commissioning detailed delight to his many roles in College; Bill architectural plans for a new student centre. Adams and Cathy Phillips, too, have played significant parts over many years, Bill since his The Easter term brought pain and anger to undergraduate days here. Amy Goymour is our community at the brutal killing of George another Fellow and alumna whose departure Floyd in Minneapolis. Racism is a concern for we lament, and we wish Andy Holding, Ellen all of us and I have pledged to re-examine Nisbett and Alicia Hinarejos well in their new our own processes to ensure we are listening posts at York, Nottingham and Montreal carefully to our students’ concerns and taking respectively. Among the new Fellows arriving in the autumn is Gavin Flynn as Senior Bursar; he combines a career in corporate finance and strategy with extensive non-executive “It is our face-to-face experience in education. supervisions, our formal and informal gatherings, the way As the College looks to steady itself again, I anticipate a period ahead of tough we share College spaces and challenges, but I am confident that the the whole range of our social Downing community will respond with interactions that define and determination and good cheer to put this sustain us.” period of disruption behind us and emerge restored and renewed.