13762bas 2/2/05 3:58 pm Page 1 Chri Church Matters MICHAELMAS TERM 2004 ISSUE 14 Editorial Up until a few years ago, visitors to the Christ Church Senior Common This issue of Christ Church Matters has a political theme; it reminds us of Room were confronted by two sets of portraits, which I often thought of as the virtues of Peel (and of the lesser attractions of a sloganising conceptual two rather bizarre male voice choirs. They were on opposite walls, (though art), and of the presence around us of a number of Christ Church alumni, I have always supposed that as House men of their times, they usually who take part in the political process in ways which are rather more expressed a pre-established harmony of political views). On the one hand divergent, and whose portraits are a good deal more informal, than those were the Christ Church Prime Minister team, and on the other, some very mentioned above. In a world in which there is currently a great tension grand-looking Viceroys of India. (There were also one or two rather less between the arts of political persuasion and the virtues of intellectual impressive photographs, including those of Alec Douglas-Home and Mr independence, it is good to be reminded of some of the virtues and talents Bandaranaike). And there are plenty of portraits in Hall to remind of the kind of educated politician that a college like Christ Church can members of the House of their amazingly energetic, authoritarian and produce (along with one or two others, of course). interfering, but often heroic predecessors in the political sphere, many of them eminently Victorian. CHRISTOPHER BUTLER, Tutor in English & Co-Editor The Alfred Moritz Studentship in Physics E ARE DELIGHTED to report Grace (1957), who was Senior Physics Tutor 1971- that Michael Moritz, in memory 1991 and Sir Francis Simon’s successor as Professor W of his father Alfred Moritz, has of Experimental Physics, Sir Denys Wilkinson funded a Tutorial Studentship (Fellowship) in (1957) who presided over a large expansion of Physics at Christ Church. This is a most Oxford activities including into sub-nuclear physics. generous and welcome contribution towards safeguarding a subject particularly associated By any standards the research and educational with the college and a critical element of the activities of Christ Church in recent years make it Campaign for Christ Church. It has to be seen one of the leading Oxford colleges in physics, and against a background of declining numbers indeed it invites comparison with the best of similar reading physics in schools and universities – this institutions world-wide. Since 1996, over 40% of year only 3.7% of A Level candidates offered the Christ Church physics students have achieved firsts subject, down from 4.1% last year, far short of in their Finals examinations, compared with around the proportion offering psychology and little 25% for the university as a whole. The great more than the percentages offering sociology or majority of the others have been in the upper second media studies. It is hardly surprising therefore class. Around a third of our intake goes on to work that very respectable university departments are for a research degree, at Oxford or elsewhere. being forced to close down because of a shortage of qualified applicants for student places. The reason for the high success rate in Finals is due to the commitment of the tutors to the tutorial Alfred Moritz Christ Church has always had a strong tradition system. Nothing compares with the intellectual in physics. The college recently hosted a challenge of having to argue a point with an expert Physics has always struck me as the most centenary conference and associated exhibition, who knows you well enough to trigger the right taxing and rigorous pursuit that any organized by Dr Paul Kent (1955), Emeritus responses with loaded questions, and has the young person can elect to study. My Student and Tutor in Biochemistry, on the work patience to wait for an answer. However, it helps to of Robert Hooke (1638), physicist, biologist, have excellent material to work with – and we are father devoted much of his life to classics astronomer, inventor, etc. Coming to relatively therefore pro-active in our attempts to attract good but he found physics, with its marriage modern times, physics in Oxford in general and candidates. of mathematics and philosophy, greatly in Christ Church in particular was dominated in appealing. It was my father who helped the mid-twentieth century by Viscount Christ Church as a body is in the forefront of the Lindemann (Lord Cherwell) who built up the drive to widen access to Oxford. It was the first to me trundle a trolley across Peckwater on Clarendon Laboratory as a modern physics appoint its own Admissions Officer to initiate and my first day at Christ Church. It was the department. Of the several distinguished co-ordinate activities, and the physics tutors were college that opened my eyes to life's German refugees whom he brought to keen to support these activities as fully as we could. possibilities. This Studentship is a small permanent posts in Oxford, Sir Francis Simon For example, the Christ Church physics tutors were (1945) was a major figure in low temperature responsible for organising and running the physics way of expressing thanks twice. research. Christ Church physicists were also section of the first university-wide Sutton Trust MICHAEL MORITZ, 1973 active in nuclear physics, notably Dr Michael Summer School in 1997 (for sixth-formers from page 1 13762bas 2/2/05 2:27 pm Page 2 schools which would normally not send candidates (including a rocket launch in the physics section) has physics academic positions in universities throughout to Oxford). Four of our students on this School been featured on the BBC TV News. As a result of the world (several in Oxford). An example is David subsequently did apply to read physics at Christ all this activity, the college increasingly attracts high Deutsch, once a JRF; he is the father of quantum Church; all got in, three got firsts and the fourth quality candidates for physics. In recent years, we computing. At the moment, one of our recent became President of the JCR. There has been have had three applicants per place. However, their Senior Scholars is working in Boulder, Colorado with Christ Church involvement in the School ever quality has been such that more than 60% of them the Nobel Prize winner, Carl Wieman. We have a since. Christ Church also runs day courses of have gained places somewhere at Oxford. Millard and Lee Alexander Fellow, a post-doctoral lectures for schools, to de-mystify Oxford and to position which allows an outstanding scientist from communicate enthusiasm; the programme Christ Church also has a thriving graduate overseas an attachment to the college; this is at community. Graduates who stay on for research present held by an astrophysicist, Dan Hooper, who degrees generally remain at the college, and we also has enthusiastically taken up teaching for us. accept those who come from elsewhere. There are We also welcome researchers on prestigious fixed- two other classes of graduate, however. Each year, term appointments such as Royal Society Research the college appoints in open competition two Senior Fellows. One such Fellow in post until this year Scholars and four Junior Research Fellows (JRFs). (David Lucas) was an undergraduate at Christ The positions attract the most promising young Church, then a JRF, and is now a major figure in the researchers in their fields; both Senior Scholarship team working in the Clarendon on quantum and JRF posts carry a full stipend if required and information processing. they are often awarded to physicists. Senior Scholarships are for those in the early years of their This, then, is the background to Mr. Moritz’ research, while JRFs give a few years of post-doctoral donation. Our commitment to physics is certainly support so that a researcher can establish a reputation rooted in a long tradition, but our concern is for the without the burdens of administration or excessive future. We express our gratitude to Michael Moritz Derek Stacey, Alfred Moritz Student in Physics teaching. Many of our ex-JRFs now occupy senior and Harriet Heyman for their help in assuring it. Cardinal Sins NOTES FROM THE ARCHIVES ERY OCCASIONALLY, usually in one of horses, who presumably pulled the carriages of the those doorstep, block-busting books sold to guests, were provided with oats, hay, and straw by a V while away the time before one’s holiday Mr John Tubbs at a cost of £2 17s 6d. flight leaves fog-bound Gatwick, you can find a reference to a high-flyer, often a woman, who can read As was always the case on great occasions, the bill of her company’s balance sheets as though they were a fare varied depending on how far up the dining hall novel. To most of us, though, accounts are dull, a one sat. The noblemen, for example, had turbot in notable item is sheep – Christ Church must have lived necessary evil. But sometimes, cash books, invoices a lobster sauce, followed by roast beef, lamb, duck, on mutton for most of its 450 years: on 17 September, and receipts can reveal fascinating information way goose, chicken, and veal pie, with a fool to finish. the manciple bought 60 at 6s 4d each from a Mr Elles beyond the mere figures. One subject that is The chaplains on the other hand, far lower down and a further 16 at the bargain price of 5s 4d each documented mainly through the long runs of ledgers the pecking order, had just salmon, lamb, and peas.