UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OXFORD ISSUE 8 | SUMMER 2018 GREENLAND ROCKS A voyage to Wager’s Peak ALSO IN THIS ISSUE JIM RAY FOLLOWING OSIRIS LIFE IN THE THIRD SECTOR The man behind the music room Egyptian concepts of the afterlife From historian to humanitarian Contents From the Editor elcome to the summer 2018 issue Contents Wof The Martlet, the magazine for members and friends of University College Oxford. I would like to thank all those who contributed to this issue, in particular Dr Robin Darwall-Smith (1982, Classics) College for his invaluable help compiling the In memoriam section of the magazine and Justin Bowyer for his copy-editing assistance. From the Master 04 Your views 05 Sir Ivor Crewe discusses two new reports A Brexit response and Univ’s Opportunity In the following pages you will find the about Oxford Programme remarkable story of Captain James “Jim” Floyd Ray (1959, PPE), a former Rhodes Scholar who was one of the first Fellows’ news 06 Fragile earth 07 to be deployed in Vietnam, and, tragically, New appointments Dr Lars Hansen’s new nanoindentation one of the first casualties of that war. research into plate tectonics James Matthews (2000, History) discusses his work as Communications Manager for the Red Cross in Iraq, Professor Mark Smith explores the enigmatic god of the dead, Osiris, Dr Robin Darwall-Smith highlights Univ’s new Admissions Register, and Dr Sam Weatherley (2005, Earth Sciences) reports on his expedition to Greenland. You can also find out about the research of Junior Research Fellow, Dr Roxana Willis, tackling issues surrounding youth mental health. Judo and boxing champion 10 12 DPhil scholar Rachel Wheatley (2016, Plant Sciences), talks about finding the balance between studies and sport and What’s online 10 My view from Univ 11 New website, portraits in College and the Isabelle Pickett (2014, Biochemistry) Dr Lars Hansen examines the ground Crown Jewels beneath our feet. We report on the recent exploits of our sports teams and societies, and share news from our Old College news 12 Event news 14 Member community. News from the High What’s been, and what’s to come Sara Dewsbery Communications Officer Development news 15 A new look for the Annual Fund University College, Oxford, OX1 4BH www.facebook.com/universitycollegeoxford www.twitter.com/univoxford www.instagram.com/univcollegeoxford Registered charity no. 1141259 ©University College, Oxford, 2018 Produced by B&M Design & Advertising The plays created by www.bm-group.co.uk the students have been The opinions expressed in The Martlet are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of University College. All content correct at powerful and diverse.” the time of going to print. A large print version of this magazine is 08 available on request. Contents University College Boat Club was founded in 1827. But when did a Univ Eight first go Head of the River?” Features Endnotes 16 22 36 Jim Ray Greenland rocks Tools of my trade 32 Dr Geri Della Rocca de Candal (2006, Dr Sam Weatherley (2005, Earth Dr Robin Darwall-Smith, Archivist History) learns about the man behind the Sciences) on a voyage to East Greenland music room and Wager’s Peak Leading questions 34 Dr Errol Norwitz (1988, Medicine) Honourable mentions 35 Professor Katharine Ellis (1982, Music) and Professor Hyun Song Shin, former Tutorial Fellow in Economics Boxing clever 36 Rachel Wheatley (2016, Plant Sciences) Clubs and societies 38 26 30 Announcements 42 Following Osiris A new chapter in Univ’s history Professor Mark Smith explores the cult Univ’s new Admissions Register and the Univ in the Arts 45 of the Egyptian god of the dead art of 21st century book-binding In memoriam 46 The Egyptians’ conception A walk around the quad 50 of Osiris, rather like their Dr Andrew Grant, Finance Bursar conception of the afterlife Logic Lane 51 itself, was far from static.” College From the Master Sir Ivor Crewe responds to new reports on admissions and student satisfaction. am penning these thoughts at the end news story, which perhaps inevitably Iof a week that saw the publication of received little media coverage. It turns two reports on Oxford. The University The Oxbridge out that, compared with other students, launched its comprehensive first Annual including those in Russell Group Admissions Statistics Report, in the spirit undergraduate universities, Oxbridge undergraduates of full transparency. It tells a story of a teaching model are appreciably more likely to be satisfied gradually more diverse undergraduate with their courses and to believe that they body, steady progress towards ambitious of tutorials and receive good value for money. They have targets agreed with the Office for supervisions, so a markedly heavier workload (across the Students, and the progressive and by now range of disciplines), spend longer hours close demographic alignment between dependent on studying outside class, receive more and those who applied and those made offers the largesse of faster feedback and believe that they are and admitted. Steps taken ten years ago learning more. Despite (or because of) are starting to show results, notably the alumni down working harder they are happier, have UNIQ summer schools. Our Opportunity the generations, higher life satisfaction and are more likely Scheme has already had an impact on a to feel that their lives are worthwhile; smaller scale on Univ’s figures, and this will continues to show anxiety levels are no greater despite grow as additional cohorts are admitted. its worth.” the pressure of Finals. The Oxbridge Examine the data and it is a struggle undergraduate teaching model of tutorials to find any evidence of significant and supervisions, so dependent on the selection bias. Yet influential sections largesse of alumni down the generations, of the press and social media insist continues to show its worth. that Oxford entrenches privilege and The University risks being too is institutionally biased against UK- defensive about admissions, but too domiciled black students. Fact check: the complacent about its teaching and proportion of students achieving AAA curriculum. Despite their general or better at A level in all UK universities contentment Oxbridge students were less who are UK-domiciled black students likely to think they were receiving original is 1.8%. The proportion at Oxford is or creative teaching than students at the 1.9%. (Some Asian ethnic minorities are majority of UK universities. Tutorials under-represented, although no more so must be preserved. But the anachronistic than in other Russell group universities.) distribution of places across subjects, The University’s problem is political, not the inadequate 3-year duration of PPE, institutional; it has yet to find a way of a degree classification system unfit for convincing sceptics that its admissions purpose, hand-written examinations and process is fair and that its capacity one-hour live lectures in the digital age are to transcend the country’s structural all ripe for review. inequalities are limited. It faces political siren calls to trim standards of excellence and merit to compensate for weaknesses in the school system. How Different is Oxbridge?* reports the results of a survey of almost 90,000 *Charlotte Freitag and Nick Hillman, students, including over 1,600 at Oxford How Different is Oxbridge, HEPI and Cambridge. This was a rare good- Report 107 (Oxford, May 2018). Sir Ivor Crewe 4 | The Martlet | Summer 2018 College Your view Top tweet of the year - Letters, emails, posts and tweets. over 120,000 impressions: Don't miss The Infinite Monkey Cage on Monday 12 Feb at 4.30pm BBC Radio 4 - Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Univ’s Tamsin Mather to look at the latest technology used to predict the next big volcanic eruption. #Univ_Inspire countries while I was MEP, if for any Univ’s Opportunity reason such an office had to be moved Programme there was a flurry of interest from I was interested to read about Univ’s UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OXFORD ISSUE 7 | AUTUMN 2017 property developers keen to get their Opportunity Programme in the Autumn CAN A hands on such a prestige customer who 2017 edition of The Martlet. This MAGNET READ YOUR would automatically drive up rents in the has particular significance to me as a MIND? Considering the implications vicinity. However there was one country, secondary school chemistry teacher in of mind reading technology when the current listed building had to Middlesbrough. be closed for extensive refurbishment, In 1991 I began studying chemistry where developers were keen that one at Univ. In 1995, I completed my DPhil of their rivals would be successful with at Univ. After a period in the chemical the replacement as they feared that rents industry, I returned to Univ for a third would only go down! I was told that the time to complete a PGCE and begin selected landlord would only proceed what has been a hugely rewarding career if the EU flag was not prominently as a teacher. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE displayed, and the ground floor windows Any schemes that widen access to REDEFINING DU MAURIER THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE A GRAND DAY OUT Daphne du Maurier, from Captain Reassessing the legacy of Harold The Discovery Academy comes to Hook to Hitchcock Wilson, the underrated pragmatist College had non-see-through glass. No prizes for Oxford have been of significance to me guessing which country. and my students. Finally David Cameron – despite his Although a number of my students Was Brexit really such a many talents – was conned by a colleague have successfully obtained places at surprise? A response. to commit to leave the Group of the Oxford in the past, until now none had May I commend Keith Richardson European Peoples’ Party and European gone to Univ or to study chemistry.