the aularian, issue 22, 2015

st edmund hall university of oxford issue 22. 2015

AULARIANTHE

p07 FIFTy yEARs oF THE MCR

also in this issue:

St Edmund Hall'S Inaugural rESEarcH Expo

p16GETTING pERspECTIvE oN EARTHqUAkE HAzARd

p11TAkING TEddy HALL To THE oxFoRd pLAyHoUsE

contEntS

www.seh.ox.ac.uk the aularian

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if you have any comments or suggestions regarding The Aularian, please contact sally smith.

T telephone+44 (0)1865 279041

E [email protected]

chief editorprofessor Wes Williams, fellow and tutor in french

interviews and articles (unless otherwise stated) by Catherine Beswick and Claire hooper

contributorsChris Atkinson, Judith Beresford, Alan Bower, Alice Clayton, lawrence Cummings, Jessica davidson,

stuart estell, sam Griffiths, tabitha hayward, Kat hutchinson, lauren Jackson, Jack Moran, paul nash, lucy newlyn, Jim sayers, david severson, Megan sloan, sally smith, Kate townsend, richard Walker

designvictoria Mackintosh

st edmund hall, Queen’s lane, oxford ox1 4ar

www.seh.ox.ac.uk

www.facebook.com/stedmundhall

www.twitter.com/stedmundhall

BELOW: Entrants to last year’s Hall Photography Competition. Photos by George Lock (top), Alexandra Pullen (middle) and Steve Lloyd (bottom)

04-05 from the principal: Celebrating the past, securing the future

06 from Judith Beresford: Keeping the hall flourishing, competitive, relevant

07 fifty years of the MCr

08-09 st edmund hall's inaugural research expo

10 tea with terry

11-13 taking teddy hall to the oxford playhouse

14 storming utopia: new Knowledge exchange fellowship

15 st edmund hall Association: president's report

16-17 Getting perspective on earthquake hazard

18-19 Centre for the Creative Brain

20 events

21 Cataloguing the old library

22-23 Writing news

24 JCr news

25 MCr news

26-27 Music news

28-29 sports news

30-31 Jayne taylor: hall’s new domestic Bursar

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how is teddy hall celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the middle common room (mcr)?

the big celebration point was the MCr weekend in June when MCr Aularians came back to the hall to mark the occasion alongside current graduate students. But we also wanted the 50th Anniversary to bring a renewed focus on MCr activities, students and alumni. the 2015 research expo, while not entirely an MCr project, underlined that much of the research activity within oxford is done by graduate students, and the hall can support and network that activity [see pp. 08-09]. We are also actively looking for more scholarships for graduate students, for which there is a great need given the lack of government support and the fact that funding often does not stretch to the full cost of fees and oxford living.

why is the mcr so important to teddy hall?

the university of oxford is an internationally renowned centre for research, as evidenced by the 2014 research excellence framework (ref) results, which positioned it as one of

the leading universities in the country. Much of that research activity is done by graduate research students, whether individually or as part of a research group. While this research is anchored in students’ respective departments, the College is the focal point for many of their social interactions which allow them to form intellectual connections across the disciplines. in this year’s intake alone we have 33 nationalities represented by 120 students in the MCr. that really is a testament to not only the social mix offered by the College but also the intellectual mix; in the physicality of the MCr, students sit alongside people of completely different disciplines. the hall also provides accommodation, good food and conviviality, in addition to grants, scholarships and a network across departmental boundaries. i think that works extremely well and people are attracted to come to oxford and the hall because of that extra dimension to their education.

how has the mcr changed during your tenure as Principal?

over the last few years, teddy hall has become much more thoughtful

and dynamic in terms of how the graduate community is structured and the encouragement we’ve given the MCr Committee. research fellows and fellows by special election have increased in number and add to the expertise of the hall, acting as graduate student advisors. thus, the MCr doesn’t merely need to mirror the undergraduate subjects that our tutorial fellows focus on. All together the sCr and MCr now interact well to provide opportunities for interdisciplinarity and mentoring. We also now have a healthy mix of one- and two-year master’s students, taught and research masters’ students, plus three- and four-year dphil students. MCr presidents and committees have been superb during my time here, each adding huge value. they have won a voice within the hall, which wasn’t there a number of years ago. these elements have contributed to a flourishing MCr – it is increasingly much more of a central part of the College both in size and influence. the work of the tutor for Graduates has also been central to these developments. fifty years on the MCr is in great health.


FRoM THE pRINCIpAL:

Celebrating the past, securing the future

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Front cover of the 1921-22 edition of Hall Magazine

there have been rumours of another hall milestone next year, can you tell us about that?

in october 2015, the 3000th woman at teddy hall will walk through the doors, therefore next academic year we will be celebrating women at the hall with a programme of events. the first women came to the hall in 1978. these were graduate students, ahead of the first female undergraduate cohort in 1979. now over a third of our alumni, and nearly half of present undergraduates, are women and we want to celebrate their achievements and influence, both during and after their time at the hall.

the Magazine, a published record of the hall’s history, has now been digitised. how did this project come about?

As a scientist, virtually all of the literature i read dating back to the 1600s is digitised and freely available online. so it seemed weird to me that we didn’t have online access to the hall’s history for Aularians to visit. there are some fascinating things in the Magazine, which previously people would have had to visit the hall’s library to read. so sally smith, deputy director of development, and i developed the project, enabled by donations from Aularian John Bunney (1964, english), and a friend of the hall, frank hwang.

what have been the highlights for you looking back through the Magazine’s archives?

you can get a flavour of the host of talent that has gone through the hall. Articles on performing arts, sporting triumphs

and the academic brilliance of students in the hall hint at the impact they were to have in the world outside. for instance, you can read reviews of productions and performances of patrick Garland – an honorary fellow and famous theatre director who died last year – when he was at the hall. they are fascinating. i also read early reports of honouring Aularians who served in the first World War. i discovered that a series of us servicemen subsequently came to the hall for a term in 1919 and had been forgotten. this all came to light because of the ease of searching the issues from the 1920s online.

how has the project been received?

the Aularian response has been tremendous. people have really enjoyed being able to read not only issues corresponding to their years, but also the history of the hall as a whole. people have looked up alumni, and sports teams have been reunited. pending new funding, we should make more of the hall’s history available to the teddy hall community; not least back issues of The Aularian, sports team photos and items from the archives.

we have talked about recognising the past, but what of the future of the hall?

As we have spoken about, this year and next we are celebrating both the MCr and women at the hall. in order to secure the future of those groups and importantly the entirety of the hall, we have a new focus on fundraising projects. More than just a venture of limited timeframe, the campaign aims to be a foundation for the hall’s fundraising in perpetuity. it will move us to a more transparent discussion with Aularians and friends of our immediate needs and our strategic planning. development of earlier and deeper connectivity to Aularians and friends is the only way to ensure that the hall achieves the endowment that will provide certainty of action and student provision in an uncertain future.

Hall Magazine photo from 1957-58 edition: HRH Prince Philip hands over the royal charter

the archive is available at www.copydata-ebooks.co.uk/st_edmund_hall/archive.htm password: teddy1957

Hall Magazine photo from 1969-70 edition: First dinner in Wolfson Hall

This year St Edmund Hall marks 50 years of the Middle Common Room (MCR), the College’s graduate student community. Principal Professor Keith Gull tells us about celebrating the MCR, plus another project of the past year: the digitisation of nearly 100 years of the Magazine, the Hall’s annual record.

see p.06 for an update from the development and alumni relations office.

“More than just a venture of limited timeframe, the campaign aims to be a foundation for the Hall’s fundraising in perpetuity.”


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keeping the Hall flourishing, competitive, relevant

dAro has recently strengthened theteam to meet new challenges and opportunities and we have welcomed contributions from many others in bringing their experience post-College to bear on our endeavours – for example tony Best (1979, ppe), who was recently elected a st edmund fellow for his long time support of the hall.

after your time as a graduate or undergraduate, it is tempting to consign those years to the box marked ‘nostalgia’, but please don’t.

We do of course need funds to protect and enhance the enormous benefits of our student life and to ensure those are shared as widely as possible, and we need to bolster our modest endowment to make sure they are self-perpetuating. But we also need to call on those skills that our alumni have in spades; expertise in financial advice, mentoring, career development. We are pulling together our Government of all the talents – our GoAts – to make our college as flourishing, competitive and relevant for the next seven hundred years as it has been for the first. And that is something that everyone can participate in. Be part of it. it doesn’t end here.

the Campaign continues to take shape, and we begin to see this as a perpetual process to rejuvenate the way College finances are organised, rather than as a finite exercise. Aside from the endowment, there is a focus on support for fellowships, student bursaries, scholarships, extra-curricular activities, and capital projects which enhance and preserve our historic site.

While there are works in the pipeline – such as the much needed refurbishment of the front Quad and plans to update our student accommodation at norham Gardens – there are also new projects such as redeveloping the isis Guest house. this will transform a row of victorian houses to a new College hub, centred around a new quad. financing this creatively is a challenge, but an exciting one.

We are therefore working with our alumni in the us (led by our Campaign Chair Gareth roberts), the far east and elsewhere, to cast our net as widely as possible. getting good information about our alumni is key; we will be in touch. in the meantime, please call or come and see us with any ideas you may have.

for now, we will leave you with an update on some significant milestones since the last issue of The Aularian. there have been some notable gifts and legacies, for which we are most grateful. they have allowed us to fully endow two tutorial fellowships in economics and law, and seven undergraduate bursaries. We have funded a stipendiary Junior research fellowship (Jrf) in economics and a non-stipendiary Jrf in neurosciences. there have been new pictures added to the College Art fund via alumni donations, and the Masterclass coaching funds have benefited 175 students in areas ranging from rowing and swimming, to singing and cello. We are also delighted that the telethon has been such a success again, raising over £186,000.

as always, and we probably don’t say it enough, thank you! Judith beresford (1981, english language and literature), development Consultant

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+44 (0)1865 279096

+44 (0)1865 279041

+44 (0)1865 289180

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the development and Alumni relations office (dAro) continues to represent the hall to its alumni. Judith beresford (1981, english language and literature) has recently joined to help with strategic direction.

ContACt

Judith beresford, development Consultant

sally smith, deputy director of development

kate townsend, Alumni relations officer

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

British and World Champion Gymnast Kristof Willerton (2011, Biochemistry) received the Masterclass Fund, which helped fund specialist coaching in tumbling

in october 1963, a year to the month before my year of graduate students matriculated, the robbins report had recommended an unprecedented expansion of higher education which, in a single generation, was to outstrip even the most incautious estimates and expert predictions. in 1964 there were some 250,000 students in the uK’s 31 universities. thirty years later there would be more than ten times that number (with, at long last, equal proportions of males and females) in over 100 degree-awarding institutions.

the sheer scale and variety of that transformation may have been beyond imagining to most of us in 1965, but we were already engaged in thinking about how the future might impact on oxford. the franks Commission had been established by the university itself to address robbins’ warning that progress from an elite to a more inclusive system of higher education required urgent attention to ‘problems relating to ... the collegiate structure’.

in hilary 1965 franks was already taking evidence about questions on which passions ran high: college autonomy, democracy, governance, research, teaching, finance. thus it was that the very raw president of the hall’s new MCr was invited to talk with the Commission on the future shape and organisation of

postgraduate study in one of the world’s great universities. A few still questioned whether oxford should expand its proportion of postgraduates. Most agreed it was not only desirable but inevitable. robbins was so confident that ‘every increase of educational opportunity at one level leads almost at once to a demand for more … at a higher level’ he even ventured a shakespearean allusion: ‘experience shows that the appetite grows by what it feeds on’. in 1965 the smallest oxford college had 48 postgraduate students and the largest 119. such critical mass was important, not least, as robbins further argued, "in the humanities and the social sciences [where] the class and the seminar can provide the equivalent to the laboratory, whose fellowship is so great a stimulus to the young research worker in science".

the MCr was formed precisely to provide, at college level, a complementary and vital communal experience for graduate students whatever their origin or discipline. in those days many had exchanged the intimacy and intense friendships of undergraduate life for a lovely but strange city (not infrequently in a strange land) and an even stranger collegiate culture. Moreover, all graduate students were then accommodated outside hall. Corrosive loneliness and alienation were obvious dangers.

fifty years on the range of disciplines and graduate students in teddy hall is much more diverse, most obviously because it now includes both sexes; but even in its early years the MCr brought graduates from other universities in every corner of the uK together with those from institutions ancient and modern throughout the anglophone world.

Chemists and classicists, metallurgists and medievalists, north Americans and south Africans, indians and Australasians could all relax, exercise and eat together. they also talked together, among other things, about their academic enthusiasms. serendipitous enrichment became almost routine.

none of this could have happened without the far-sighted support of the hall’s sCr, in particular Bruce Mitchell and (later professor sir) david yardley. neither is still with us as the MCr reaches its fiftieth anniversary, but it remains among the most significant achievements of their legacy. i like to think they would also have appreciated the full circle in my own professional life. My last post as a student was president of the MCr. My last appointment, after four decades as a teacher in higher education, was as director of a Graduate research institute: not a sinecure by any means, but i was already very familiar with a prime model for success.

alan bower (1964, dphil in english), first MCr president

fifty years of the MCr

Masterclass Fund recipient Anja Mizdrak (2014, Dphil Public Health) used the awards to enroll on a kayak expedition – which developed her kayaking skills and aided rehabilitation from a knee injury

At first it was all about the room. An earlier attempt to create a viable graduate society in the hall had failed for want of any focus, and a nascent MCr began to take secure shape only after the lease of 7 longwall street from Magdalen in 1965 gave us our first literal common room. Modest it may have been, but it was also the timeliest of foundations.

The Middle Common Room can now be found in the heart of the College’s main site, off the Front Quad


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St Edmund Hall'S Inaugural rESEarcH Expo

on 28 february 2015, st edmund hall’s three common rooms came together for the hall’s first ever research expo, celebrating the breadth of research undertaken by its members. following its success, there are now plans for the expo to become a biennial fixture in the hall calendar.

After much discussion about how to promote interaction and engagement between disciplinary boundaries, the expo format was born: a combination of short, accessible ‘teddy talks’ by sCr and MCr members on an aspect of their research; a keynote speaker; and three interactive themed rooms. All current members of the three common rooms and non-academic staff, plus partners and children, were invited. MCr president david severson (2012, dphil in Clinical Medicine) was integral in developing and realising the concept. “today, we have reached a point in

academia where the problems have become so complex that specialising, or indeed sub-specialising, is requisite for success,” he said. “But i feel we must remember that the walls between disciplines are artificial, albeit useful, constructions that allow us to tackle those complex problems. i think events like the research expo enable us to spend a day breaking down those artificial disciplinary divides.”

MCr, JCr and sCr members gave their time to help prepare for and run the event; notably an expo sub-committee of MCr members led by Academic rep Kat hutchinson. one slot in each of the six ‘teddy talks’ sessions was reserved for an MCr member, each selected by their peers after submitting an abstract and delivering a trial run of their talk. “the opportunity for students to showcase their work alongside first-rate academics in their fields was much appreciated,” david added.

each ‘teddy talks’ session lasted an hour, and consisted of four presentations drawn from different disciplines, with subject matter ranging from Catherine the Great and dinosaurs, to debt management and the structure of matter.

More than twenty ‘teddy talks’ – each lasting around twelve minutes and aimed at a non-specialist audience – can now be viewed online at www.youtube.com/stedmundhall or on the university of oxford’s itunesu channel (www.ox.ac.uk/itunes-u).

Mike dee, leverhulme early Career fellow & Junior research fellow, coordinated the organising committee. “What struck me about the day was the intellectual depth on display in all the respective fields,” he said. “i found the themes being explored by the artists particularly enlightening. the other rooms, and the ‘teddy talks’ i managed to get to, were all immensely thought-provoking, and i have since found myself mentally revisiting many of the ideas being discussed. in short, i found it the sort of academic event that showed why the university of oxford is world-leading.”

our keynote speaker was honorary fellow and Aularian terry Jones (1961, english), who discussed his recent research on the ‘ellesmere Manuscript’ – a fifteenth-century illuminated manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

the three interACtive rooMsthe lab: taking over the doctorow hall, exhibitors in the lab were from scientific disciplines, showcasing elements of their work through discussion and hands-on demonstrations. specialisms included neuroscience, radiocarbon dating, palaeontology and bone cancer. Megan sloan (2014, dphil in infection, immunology and translational Medicine), one of the volunteers in the lab, said: “A highlight for me was the gasps from common room members with a non-science background – and a few children who came to the day – as they realised you could visually extract dnA from kiwi fruit or move a ball by thought.”

the salon: the old dining hall was transformed into the salon, exhibiting research into humanities and social sciences subjects. there was a display of untranslatable words, book recommendations, a fifteenth-century literary and historical puzzle, a display from the hall archives, and a ‘poetry doctor’ – on hand to cure any ailment through poetry. Charlotte Cooper (2011,

dphil in Medieval french), who assisted a demonstration on the production of manuscripts in the Middle Ages, said: “the whole event was thoroughly enjoyable, and for our little team in the scriptorium, it was wonderful to see people’s fascination with the making of medieval manuscripts. Being able to share it with a wider audience was really very special.”

the studio: the pontigny room became an exhibition space for some of our undergraduate fine artists. visitors were also invited to contribute to the expo's own piece of art – a unique installation made of art straws that developed over the course of the event. “i was extremely impressed by the artworks on display in the studio,” said Corinna Kulicke (2014, dphil in infection, immunology and translational Medicine). “i never knew we had such talent in the hall! i also loved how people got involved and contributed to the interactive sculpture.”

Terry Jones in the medieval scriptorium

Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg speaking in the Old Library Audience members in the Chapel engrossed in a talk

Talking about brain waves in The Lab

A demonstration of brain stimulation in The Lab

A consultation before a visit to the Poetry Doctor in The Salon

Working on the collaborative art installation in The Studio

Browsing the exhibits in The Studio

Pondering over 'untranslatable' words in The Salon

famed for being a member of the Monty Python team, terry also has a strong academic interest in the Middle Ages. he is the author of two books about Chaucer and wrote and presented the award-winning BBC series Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives (2004).

terry returned to College a day early, to meet with a diverse group of undergraduates, postgraduates and academics, who quizzed him in a tutorial-like manner.

the conversation was wide-ranging, from student theatre and fairy tales, to the difficulty of analysing comedy without killing the joke, and, the question that host professor Wes Williams (st edmund hall fellow and tutor in french) most wanted to ask, ‘Why do British men love dressing up as women so much?’

terry discussed his interest in the Middle Ages, and his focus on correcting certain misconceptions of medieval life and literature. in the book Chaucer’s Knight, for instance, he argues that the knight is better thought of as a kind of mercenary rather than the shining epitome of chivalry. “i thought i could do something with this idea, and revise people’s opinions,” he said.

the assembled company were also interested to hear about teddy hall in the early 1960s, and how it has changed.

“We had to smuggle women in,” terry said. “And when the door was shut, roger popplestone (1961, english) was the unfortunate guy whose window we had to climb in through!” terry also recalled the origins of his writing career, which he traced back to his student days: “i did a lot of theatre here. i started writing sketches at oxford, and we did revues mainly – comedy – and went up to edinburgh with them. We had a revue called Loitering-with-Intent, set in a tent. i remember creeping across the stage and doing a mime. nobody understood it, but it was very silly and a lot of fun!”

inevitably, Monty Python also featured and raised debate about how things enter our cultural memory. When asked about the degree to which the pythons were aware of making an iconic product, rich in posterity, and, in retrospect, politically significant, terry admitted: “i don’t think we thought about it at all. it was great fun! i wasn’t politically engaged; the political message is a by-product of the comedy.”

he also reminisced about his visits to Germany to re-record some of the Python sketches. “We did it in German the first time, but then we did it in english the second time, and it was dubbed later. the Germans hadn’t understood any of our German!” Monty Python has also been translated into numerous other languages. terry declared himself particularly thrilled by the Japanese version, bizarrely renamed The Gay Boys Dragon Show!


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TEA wITH TERRy We were delighted to welcome back alumnus Terry Jones (1961, English) as our keynote speaker at the inaugural St Edmund Hall Research Expo.

Terry being grilled in the Principal's Lodgings

“The conversation was wide-ranging, from student theatre and fairy tales, to the difficulty of analysing comedy without killing the joke"

Katurian has just found out that his brother Michal did indeed commit the child murders. Michal asks Katurian to read him a final bedtime story before the police come in; we realised in rehearsal that the moment Katurian agrees is the moment he decides to kill Michal. It is a moment of pure innocent exuberance for Michal, for whom Katurian's murderous intentions are unthinkable. With silent tears, and a face contorted so as to contain any audible sobs, Katurian tells the story in a kind, measured, and parental tone, with the sleepy and cheerful Michal snuggling down to bed, unaware of Katurian’s anguish.

Thomas Bailey (2011, English & French), Director of The Pillowman, says "In performance, as director I knew why Katurian was fighting to hide the tears from Michal; I knew that Katurian was lulling his brother to sleep before killing him. The audience, however, did not. With each performance I could sense the entire auditorium rising to an incredibly high level of attention, utterly engaged in what was being played out before them. This particular moment was engraved and re-engraved as I experienced it afresh with a new audience each night...

takIng tEddy Hall to tHE oxford playHouSE


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'Who's heArd of The PILLowMAn?' it was the first time that teddy hall’s drama society, the John oldham society, had ever taken a production to the oxford playhouse.

And it was emma d’Arcy (2011, fine Art) and thomas Bailey (2011, english & french) who made it happen.

“it seemed very unlikely that we would get the playhouse,” said thomas, who directed the production. “they have to be quite conservative in their choices otherwise tickets are hard to sell. Who’s heard of The Pillowman?” Written in 2003 by playwright Martin Mcdonagh, The Pillowman follows Katurian, a writer in a totalitarian state who is arrested and interrogated by two policemen over a series of murders that mimic the content of his stories.

“We read the script ages ago, and it had a huge effect on us. it was stunning: devastating, funny and clever, and unlike anything else we’d read. But the idea of putting it on terrified us.”

Katurian’s brother Michal, played by emma, is disabled as a result of childhood trauma. “Michal is such a brilliant character,” she said. “he’s so funny, so amazingly charming – a light at the heart of a really dark play.”

But given the physical and emotional impairment of the character, how did emma prepare for such a role?

“the most challenging aspect was the fear of offending anyone,” she said. “We were a cast of only four, therefore we worked through all of the characters collaboratively, in terms of their physicality and emotional understanding. Michal was born healthy, and then has to relearn to be in the world. so for me, thinking about rehabilitation was the most useful thing, reading accounts of how people make systems for living following trauma. it was productive, rather than just mimicry.”

AlternAtinG BetWeen the nAturAl And the surreAlthe script switches between the interrogation scenes and sections where Katurian is narrating his fictional stories to the audience.

“this alternation was reflected in our production style,” thomas said. “the interrogation scenes were much closer to naturalism, the story worlds much more surreal. normally the audience is left to imagine them, but we had the oxford playhouse stage – so we created a huge, imaginative realm using oversized prop pieces and big reveals of the set.”

thomas also spoke of the theatre practitioner and director Mike Alfreds, who influenced how he directed the naturalistic style of the interrogation scenes: “you build a world and shape the characters within; but you don’t make any decisions in the rehearsal room. the resulting performance is more like real life, rather than something that’s just been reproduced. every night was genuinely very different. i’m not sure it would have worked with every play or with a big cast, but i had four great actors and they responded really well to that approach.”And it seemed to work. reviews were commendatory, often citing a ‘West end level of professionalism’. And each night the audience gave a standing ovation.

“six months compressed into a few seconds where people are standing and clapping. i left and cried,” emma said. “it’s a scary one – Michal’s lines are hugely witty but an audience needs to feel comfortable enough to laugh with a character with a disability. But they actually laughed way more than i expected.”

not only this, but emma and thomas decided not to restrict the cast to men, as per the original script. Katurian and Michal were played by female actors, the two police officers by male actors. the pronouns, however, were not to be changed.

“the point at which we found out we weren’t allowed to change the pronouns we thought about scrapping the idea, because we didn’t really know how it would come off. But we took the risk,” emma said. “in rehearsal, i knew that Michal was a ‘he’, but i didn’t think that i wasn’t him and i knew that i was sisters with my brother… it made sense but i could no longer differentiate how weird that could have been for an audience!

"And yet it worked.”

‘roMeo is A WoMAn’“shakespeare is dead, so this time we are allowed to change the pronouns,” said thomas in relation to the pair’s next venture, the oxford university dramatic society (ouds) international tour.

“it’s going to be a Romeo and Juliet, where romeo is a woman, so it’s an explicitly gay relationship.”

each summer ouds take a shakespeare play on tour throughout the uK and to Japan. this year’s – taking place during June, July and August – will be directed by thomas and will star emma as romeo.

emma, whom thomas describes as ‘one of the most talented actors in oxford’, is excited at the prospect of playing what is conventionally a male lead. “As probably all female actors are, i’m a huge

“The John oldham society has been great to us the whole time we’ve been here. It’s allowed us to do drama in so many different guises.”

“we were a cast of only four, therefore we worked through all of the characters collaboratively, in terms of their physicality and emotional understanding."

Reimagining Shakespeare’s classic: the play goes on tour Summer 2015

Emma D’Arcy (left) with her co-star Claire Bowman (right) in The Pillowman

advocate of better parts for women,” she said. “lots of us don’t want to just play someone who’s stuck or trapped or upset because some man has done something bad. it’s hugely liberating to play a role where certain things are not off bounds because i’m a woman, such as having an altercation and killing someone. so i hope i can do it really well. this is what we should all be fighting for. Better parts for female actors.”

thomas and the cast will reimagine the well-known love story, telling the tale of how the female protagonists fall in love and marry amidst the violent setting of a near future verona, where "gay marriage is legal – for now". thomas said: "When i was bidding with this idea i had to demonstrate that i could adjust the script without ruining the iambic pentameter.

"We’re going to change romeo and Benvolio’s pronouns to feminine. We think that we can do it in a way that will bring something rather than take something away. i’m really looking forward to another chance to create a world that the play exists in. to make a verona that makes sense, but that isn’t one that we’ve seen before.”

support froM the hAllthomas recently completed a coaching course in directing funded by teddy hall’s Masterclass fund, which supports students who wish to hone their skills in an extra-curricular activity in which they have already shown great promise.

“i was applying for the ouds international tour at the time and i thought it’d be really useful,” he said. “i wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the Masterclass award. i’ve got lots of notes to use for rehearsals when we start doing Romeo and Juliet.”

emma and thomas have also been recipients of the hall’s George Barner prize for Contribution to theatre, and emma was supported by Amalgamated Clubs funds – which covers certain expenses for College clubs and societies – to go on last year’s ouds international tour.

they applaud the College for its unbiased approach to allocating funds, regarding all extra-curricular activities as equal, and also the John oldham society for being guided by merit, rather than profit.

"the John oldham society has been great to us the whole time we’ve been here. it’s allowed us to do drama in so many different guises. We’ve gone to the edinburgh festival fringe, put on shows like The Pillowman, and have done other projects such as Act for Change, an initiative that works with communities across the globe addressing issues through drama.”

the society was also instrumental in introducing the pair.

“We met on the very first play we did,” thomas said. “We then had a conversation about wanting to direct a show together, which we did in our second year at oxford’s o’reilly theatre. then we went to Cameroon as part of the Act for Change project.

everything up to the ouds international tour has been the John oldham society, which was our brand for a while. so we have to make our own one after university.”

AMBitions for A theAtre CoMpAnyAnd this is exactly what they intend on doing. next year emma and thomas will embark on setting up their own theatre company in london. But without the support of oxford and benefiting from cheap theatre venues, they appreciate it will initially be an exercise in how to exist financially.

“i dream of having a conversation where we say, ‘oh it’s been really hard but i think our luck might be changing’,” emma said.

so what is the appeal of their own theatre company? “…to have ultimate creative control! through our joint endeavours supported and facilitated by teddy hall we have started to find a language of creative theatre in which we operate. now we want to mature that into something that exists on the world stage.”

Scene from The Pillowman


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Storming Utopia: new knowledge exchange fellowshiPin April 2015 professor Wes Williams, st edmund hall fellow and tutor in french, embarked on a collaboration with oxford’s pegasus theatre to explore notions of utopia with a group of young people, aged between 11 and 18.

the project, entitled Storming Utopia, is funded by one of twelve new Knowledge exchange fellowships, part of a new initiative set up by the oxford research Centre in the humanities (torCh) to help humanities researchers build mutually beneficial relationships with external organisations.

Wes will draw upon his research into the history of the notion of utopia – from when sir thomas More invented the term in 1516, through to works such as shakespeare’s The Tempest and Montaigne’s essays – as well as his experience as an experimental theatre writer and director.

one of the key aims of this project is to explore ways in which we can encourage people, both within the university and beyond it, to work across the boundaries that define the political geography of contemporary oxford. in that sense it is not ‘just’ a theatre project, but also an exercise in knowledge exchange, outreach and practical utopianism.

i completed my first year as president of the st edmund hall Association (sehA) in January, and presided over my first AGM and london dinner. i thank all those who attended for moderating their heckling!

i addressed the hall’s matriculands in october 2014 – the Association seeks to ‘catch ‘em early and catch ‘em young’ – to introduce them to the Association and the Aularian community. it is an interesting fact that, as those of us of a certain age become ever more stricken in years, the Aularian population becomes ever younger – 38% of Aularians are under 40 and 55% are under 50. We have therefore run, fortunately successfully, a recruitment campaign to enlist new committee members from the two most recent Aularian decades; which has drastically reduced the average age of your committee.

the ‘teddy talks’ series continued in January with a well-attended networking reception addressed by ian smith (1972, Geography), Chairman of four seasons healthcare. in his presentation on ‘the crisis facing the nhs in the uK’, ian was ably assisted by his brother professor steve smith, an honorary Aularian (thanks to his frequent visits to the hall during ian’s time), despite being of the Cantab persuasion. our thanks go to the right honourable Mark field (1984, Jurisprudence), Mp for the Cities of london & Westminster, for hosting the event at portcullis house, a most interesting parliamentary venue. We were, appropriately, in the Macmillan room – harold Macmillan (viscount stockton) was Chancellor of the university and visitor to the hall, and spoke most memorably at st edmund’s feast in my final year.

the Association continues to support the hall in material ways; funds released from the Association’s subsidy of the Magazine’s distribution costs (by

increasing digitisation) have been ‘diverted’ to fund the hall archivist post for the next three years. We continue also to support the costs of the production of the Magazine. We make an annual grant to the hall via the principal, to be used as he sees fit, for a variety of student purposes. We awarded the second Aularian prize to Camilla Metcalf (2010, fine Art) whose compelling account of her work with a mental health charity drew a very clear majority of votes. this prize is awarded for an exceptional enterprise or voluntary commitment which falls outside of established College or university pursuits.

the sehA also assists with judging the Masterclass fund, an inspirational showcase for the multifarious non-academic talents of the student population. latest awards range from ironman triathlon and swimming through classical and popular piano to musical composition, ballroom dancing and pistol shooting!

A major item on the horizon is, of course, the fundraising campaign for the hall. the development and Alumni relations office took the opportunity at the sehA london dinner to run a low-key Campaign fair, offering information and enlightenment to the attending Aularians.the Chair of this effort, my old friend, contemporary and fellow yorkshireman Gareth roberts (1971, Geology), spoke briefly at the dinner, as did principal Keith Gull (another yorkie!). our aim was to sensitise Aularians to the campaign. A good time was had by all.

A number of the members of your committee, along with many fellow Aularians, also serve with me on the development Committee or in the various working groups which are seeking to assist with fundraising for many projects.

Another major event this year is the 50th Anniversary of the MCr of which i was, bizarrely, an honorary Member in 1974/5 on my return from my year abroad – it was thought that, most of my contemporaries having graduated and gone down, i should seek solace in the presence of those few of my contemporaries who remained in the MCr. however, the presence of beer and a bar tab in the MCr meant that i was never short of company… the anniversary was celebrated in fine style on 27 June.

your Association is in good heart and in a strong financial position. We look to the future with confidence.

Floreat Aula!

lawrence cummings (1971, Modern languages)

Professor Wes Williams

Aularian Prize winner Camilla Metcalf (2010, Fine Art) organised an art course for people with mental health difficulties

"your Association is in good heart and in a strong financial position. we look to the future with confidence."

sT EdMUNd HALL AssoCIATIoN:

president's Report

gEttIng pErSpEctIvE on EartHquakE Hazard


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A use of SfM in Oxford: a 3-D model of the Front Quad produced by David Mackenzie from photos acquired on his way to the Wolfson Hall for lunch

Large and destructive earthquakes on land are relatively rare in any one region, but it is important that we learn from them to aid future estimates of earthquake hazard. This motivation, combined with an academic desire to learn more about how the Earth works, has fuelled much of my research over the past ten years.

By far the best way to get perspective on the earth is to look down on it, preferably from a great height. this approach, referred to as ‘remote-sensing’, is valuable in the study of ancient earthquake ruptures, as their remnants can be subtle at the ground surface, and can extend for many tens of kilometres across remote mountainous regions. in our research group we are exploiting new ways of making 3-d digital maps of active faults and earthquake ruptures at an unprecedented level of detail. We are utilising the next-generation of earth observation satellites, and we are also experimenting with our own ways of making low-altitude aerial photography. these digital survey and mapping techniques allow much of the interpretation of the landscape to be done in the office, maximising our limited amount of time in the field for detailed investigation of the most important sites.the past ten years have seen enormous advances in the public availability of high resolution images of the earth, and there are several commercial companies that routinely acquire imagery with pixel spacing of less than a metre on the ground. the data are still expensive, but academic researchers hope that the cost will slowly decrease as more and more images are added to the archives. in the meantime, a lot of this sub-metre imagery is available to view for free, albeit slightly downgraded, on websites such as Google maps and Bing maps.

spending a quiet half-hour browsing on google earth – taking a virtual fieldtrip to some remote part of the world – has provided the initial observations leading to a number of my present research projects! sub-metre space imagery is great for getting an eagle-eye view of the land, and for making observations and maps, but the images are two dimensional and provide only qualitative measures of the topography from shadowing and land usage. this can be a problem, as knowledge of the topography and ground elevation is often critical for the interpretation of earthquake ruptures. A growing number of satellites, such as the french pleiades constellation and the Worldview satellites operated by digitalGlobe in the us, have sensors that can rotate to acquire multiple images of the same region from several viewpoints as they pass high above on their orbital tracks. the great advantage of these stereo images is that they can

be processed to extract topographic information, rather like the way our brain processes information from stereo inputs (our two eyes) to perceive depth. An example of our use of stereo satellite imagery is to get a new view of the 1556 huaxian earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history. A satellite-derived 3-d topographic model of the huaxian fault has allowed us to map remnants of the earthquake rupture, giving us new insight into the amount of slip and magnitude. the resolution of the 3-d model is shown by the individual buildings, roads, and bridges – all of which are resolvable.

traditional photogrammetric methods for producing digital elevation models, whether from a satellite, an aeroplane, or from ground level, all rely on prior knowledge of the camera position. however, over the last few years a number of software algorithms have been released that make use of a technique called structure from Motion, or sfM, to extract 3-d models from numerous digital photos imaging an object from multiple unknown viewpoints. to make use of this technique we have been making aerial surveys along our fault ruptures using a light digital camera tied to a large helium balloon. it is tough work walking all day tied to a large balloon – and it leads to some confused looks from the sheep farmers we pass on our walks – but the resulting 3-d models are incredibly detailed, and allow us to make precise measurements of the slip that occurred in these ancient earthquakes. this year we have bought a small drone, so we hope that the surveying might be a bit less strenuous from now on!

the sfM method is not limited to aerial surveys of earthquake ruptures, and a number of the software packages are freely available so you can easily make your own 3-d models. to give you a taste of the types of model you can produce with a standard handheld camera, david Mackenzie (2012, dphil in earth sciences) produced these 3-d views of the front quad and the College library at st edmund hall. the ability to easily produce detailed 3-d models is extremely valuable in producing digital archives of historic buildings and artefacts, many of which are vulnerable to decay or damage.

Professor richard walkerst edmund hall Governing Body fellow

for the past four years i have been involved in a project looking at the hazard posed to urban populations in central Asia and China. As part of this project, my team has been reinvestigating the sources of major historic earthquakes across the region; including the devastating 1556 huaxian earthquake in xian, China, which is thought to have killed around 830,000 people, and the 1889 Chilik earthquake, a repeat of which would be hazardous for the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Because large earthquakes occur only rarely in any one place, researchers – including myself – often rely on quakes that have happened in the recent and distant past. in some parts of the world long and detailed historical records allow the locations and potential magnitudes

to be estimated, and in others the occurrence of earthquakes can be inferred from damage to archaeological remains. My own research specialises in a subject known as ‘palaeoseismology’, the study of historic and prehistoric earthquakes directly from their expression in the landscape and geology. ‘reading’ the history of earthquakes directly from the landscape allows us to go much further back in time than we can in historic documents alone, and can help remove some of the ambiguity in the written records. Measurements taken from the fault ruptures, such as the total length of fault break, the amount of displacement of the land either side of the fault (known as ‘slip’), and the direction of slip, allow us to make direct estimates of the earthquake magnitude.

David Mackenzie (2012, DPhil in Earth Sciences) with a helium balloon, ready to start a day of surveying along the rupture of the 1889 Chilik earthquake rupture in Kazakhstan

Another 3D model made by David, this time of the College Library

richard is a tutor in earth sciences at st edmund hall. his research into earthquakes and active tectonics is currently supported through the Centre for the observation and Modelling of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tectonics (CoMet, http://comet.nerc.ac.uk/), the earthquakes without frontiers consortium (eWf, see his travel blog articles here http://ewf.nerc.ac.uk/blog/), and ‘looking into the Continents from space’. he thanks all who have contributed to the research, and to david Mackenzie and yu Zhou for helping with the figures for this article.

Professor Richard Walker, Tutor in Earth Sciences, standing on a fault rupture in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan (and showing why it can be much easier, though less fun, to do the mapping from space)


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in hollywood our memories are not safe. they can be erased, altered or implanted to another’s brain without consent or knowledge – as was the fate of our femme fatale in ridley scott’s 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner. But is this practice of mind manipulation still confined to the silver screen?

Apparently not, according to an event of st edmund hall’s Centre for the Creative Brain. dr david dupret, hall fellow by special election in neuroscience, spoke about his discovery that mammalian memories can be manipulated and implanted by changing the coding in brain cells.

“We had a lot of people who had no background in science,” said dr Charlie stagg, also a fellow by special election. “david took what was really quite complicated neuroscience and translated it in a way that people could understand.”

established in 2014, the Centre for the Creative Brain dovetails neuroscience with more creative disciplines such as music, the visual arts, the spoken word and literature. Bridging the entire hall community, the aim is a two-way dialogue on how neuroscience can help to understand the creative arts, and vice versa. originally the brainchild of fellow professor paul Matthews, the Centre is now run by neuroscientist dr Charlotte stagg in conjunction with the organising committee. she explained why teddy hall was the perfect venue for such a venture: “We have real strength in neuroscience here, with a fantastic breadth and depth of world class fellows, so there’s significant experience and knowledge to draw from,” she said. “And it’s a particularly friendly and chatty college, with an openness to exchanging ideas.”

these exchanges occur at termly events, open to all teddy hall staff and students, past or present. the programme commenced in Michaelmas 2014 with a day-long symposium, which will be repeated once a year. dr dupret’s talk on ‘Memory and the Mind’ took place during hilary 2015, at the first in the occasional series ‘neuroscience of hollywood’, and guest presenters spoke about laughing rats, fake laughter, and laughter as a form of medicine at the final session of the academic year entitled ‘laughter and the Brain’ in trinity 2015. ‘Music and the Mind’ was the theme of the inaugural annual symposium, which took place on 15 november 2014.

“it was quite varied,” Charlie said of the event ‘Music and the Mind’. “We had talks from musicians, philosophers, neuroscientists and clinicians, plus live music performances. it could have fallen apart! But it gelled together and there was a real engagement with the ideas. that surprised me.”

rather than delegates leaving the symposium brimming with answers, the organising committee instead hoped to provoke thought and dialogue. “i was fascinated by how little we still understand about how music affects the brain. i was expecting to be told how it worked but that wasn’t the case.”

several speakers discussed how magnetic resonance imaging (Mri) is used to investigate the impact of music on brain activity. simple rhythms evoke basic responses, whereas symphonies provoke widespread responses. “you see strong activity in the auditory cortex, then in the emotional processing areas, and the frontal regions that are to do with higher cognitive processing,” Charlie said, describing how the brain ‘dances’ in response to music we enjoy. “it’s almost about what parts of the brain don’t light up. there isn’t a bit that you can point to and say, ‘that’s the bit that enjoys music’ – it’s the whole thing. researchers are looking to understand whether those findings are explained purely by the emotional response, or whether there is more to it.”

Charlie mentioned how two of the speakers at the symposium were clinicians who talked about the positive benefits that music can have on patients with neurological and psychiatric conditions. Music is one of the few ways of getting a response, and has the potential to significantly improve awareness in patients. “there is clearly something very powerful about it that we don’t yet understand.”

“You remember the spider that lived in the bush outside your window? Orange body, green legs?” Deckard says. He is seated; rigid and calm, shrouded in shadows, save for the slats of light illuminating his face from the shuttered window. Rachael is standing, a tall figure in the darkness. Arms folded, the same shafts of light fall on her pale cheeks as she approaches him. “You watched her build a web all summer,” he continues, “then one day there was a big egg in it. The egg hatched…”

“The egg hatched,” she echoes, unmoved and unflinching, holding his stare. “And a hundred baby spiders came out. And they ate her.” In a moment of muted vexation, his frame shifts. He shakes his head and raises his hand as he stutters to his conclusion:

“Implants,” he says. “Those aren’t your memories, they’re somebody else’s.”

Dr Brett Mills speaking at the ‘Laughter and the Brain’ event

our reference to the 1982 neo-noir film Blade Runner is surely not an isolated example of science fiction turned science fact. of course not. the Centre for the Creative Brain’s occasional series ‘neuroscience of hollywood’ is set to stun attendees with more seemingly fictitious abstractions that are now adorning peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Charlie’s own research investigates how the brain learns new motor skills following a stroke, and how techniques such as brain stimulation during physiotherapy can boost recovery and learning. “i’d like one of our future events to be themed around the ethics of neuroscience,” she said. “there aren’t many ethical problems with assisting rehabilitation in stroke patients, but that basic principle of enhancing learning can raise interesting questions. some research groups are using brain stimulation in potentially controversial applications, such as improving mathematical ability in children. the united states Army are using it on snipers to improve ‘Go/no Go’ decision making – if this means that innocent civilians are spared you could argue that is a good thing. it would certainly make for a compelling debate.”

And what are the wider goals of the Centre for the Creative Brain? Where is it heading? “the organising committee actively doesn’t have a strategic direction!” Charlie said. “if people have got good ideas then we want to hear about them; how it evolves should be guided by the community as a whole. the scope is large and has been kept deliberately vague so that it can grow organically into something of interest to a lot of people. one of the really special things about being at the university of oxford is the collegiate system. there is a real openness and willingness to discuss things, and with expertise and skills in a shared space beyond your own, you are encouraged to think about ideas that may be far removed from your own studies.

the Centre for the Creative Brain provides an accessible forum for learning about something completely different, with some really world-leading people.”

the initiative was sparked by seed funding from imperial College london, where professor paul Matthews, st edmund hall fellow by special election, heads up the department of Medicine’s division of Brain sciences. if you would like to join the Centre for the Creative Brain mailing list please send a blank email to: [email protected]

Dr Charlie Stagg, Hall Fellow by Special Election

“If people have got good ideas then we want to hear about them; how it evolves should be guided by the community as a whole.”

upCoMinG events

We are delighted that Professor Jean-Pierre changeux will be the keynote speaker in an event on the neuroscience of creativity on 24 october 2015.

cEntrE for tHE creative brain

venue hire At st edMund hAll

st edmund hall offers a range of meeting spaces within its main site in the heart of oxford. if you are looking to hire a venue, contact our Conference Manager sue McCarthy to discuss your requirements.

+44 (0)1865 279222

[email protected]

T

E


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EvENTs

over the past year Aularians have attended over 25 alumni events worldwide, in locations such as oxford, london, new york and hong Kong. highlights included the 30th Annual new york dinner, teddy talks with guest speaker ian smith (1972, Geography) held at portcullis house, london, and the st edmund hall Association (sehA) london dinner.

in 2015/2016 we plan to offer Aularians many more opportunities to get together. next year the sehA london dinner will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and we hope that many of you will attend.

After a very successful fourth teddy talks, we are keen to keep these networking opportunities going. if you are able to offer a venue, or can suggest an Aularian speaker, please do get in touch.

to book an event or to share photos of an event you have hosted, please contact our Alumni relations officer, Kate townsend at [email protected] or +44 (0)1865 289180..

Carols in the Quad

Freshers' Parents' Dinner

10th, 20th & 30th Anniversary Dinner

Varsity Match The 30th Annual New York Dinner

50th Anniversary Dinner

Teddy Talks IV with Ian Smith

the books, printed between 1476 and 1700, are catalogued in detail; in addition to bibliographical information for each edition, ‘copy-specific’ data are recorded for all teddy hall copies, including the binding, provenance, manuscript additions and signatures, bookplates, imperfections and additions.

numerous books in the old library were gifted by Aularians, or relate to important figures in the College’s history. some belonged to thomas hearne (1678–1735), who compiled the library’s first catalogue, and others were given by his friend John hudson (1662–1719), who was Bodley’s librarian from 1701. the ribald poet John oldham (1653–1683) is well represented, many of his works having been presented to the College by A. B. emden, who was principal between 1929 and 1951.

Many of the editions catalogued are rare or unique, and a few are previously unknown – including A short catechism according to the doctrine of the Church of england (1678) and richard Alleine’s The godly man’s portion and sanctuary (circa 1665). The experienced farrier, or, Farring completed (1678) is an example of a rare treatise, of which only seven copies are known worldwide. the library copy belonged to peter haskins (1652–1702), a fellmonger and glover at Bampton, who may also have had the book bound locally, perhaps in oxford. the old library includes several books on magic and witchcraft, including Disquisitionum magicarum libri sex by Martin del rio (1633). it also houses the

magnificent atlas Theatrum orbis terrarum by Abraham ortelius (1595), and the rare first english edition of the Koran, The Alcoran of Mahomet (1649). the latter has copious marginal annotations, probably by the author and cleric John Berriman (1691–1768), an Aularian who gave a great many theological volumes, including this one, to the College in the 1760s. Another work with interesting annotations is Commendatory verses, on the author of The two Arthurs (1700), an anthology of anonymous verse attacking the Aularian poet sir richard Blackmore (1650–1729), which has contemporary manuscript identifications of the poets responsible – all members of a late seventeenth-century circle of oxford ‘wits’.

there are bibliographical curiosities too. the teddy hall copy of sir Charles Wolseley’s The reasonableness of Scripture-belief (1672) has the original, uncancelled title-leaf (the only one so far recorded), on which the printer made the extraordinary error of misspelling the second word as ‘reasonablesse’. the endleaves of Philosophiæ Christianæ de anima libri quatuor (1649) consist of cancel title-leaves for two other books, ‘the second edition enlarged with additions’ of edward symmons’ A loyall subjects beliefe, and Divine truths discovered; these were intended for books supporting the royalist cause and were printed in 1647 but never circulated, presumably because of the sudden political changes in oxford at this time (after the third siege of oxford in 1646, Charles i fled the city and was captured

by parliamentary forces in early 1647). no other copies of these title-leaves have been traced. Many of the books in the old library have interesting bindings, surviving from the time of publication or the period when they were acquired by the library, and the scars left by the staples of the chains which all books in the library once bore can still be seen.

this project was made possible through the generosity of philip Broadley (1980, ppe) and Bob Gaffey (1975, Jurisprudence). As of spring 2015, 575 books have been catalogued as part of the project. their descriptive records made available to oxford and beyond through the university’s catalogue of major collections, solo. Cataloguing will continue through 2015/2016 and further funding will be required to continue the project.

dr Paul w. nashspecialist Antiquarian Book-cataloguer

in early publishing, if an edition of a book contained an error, the leaf would have been ‘cancelled’ – meaning the erroneous leaf was cut out and replaced with a corrected version. An uncancelled leaf is unusual, as it is one that has been missed, and not corrected. Bookbinders typically used waste paper for the endleaves of books; this is why the unused cancel title-leaves were recycled as endleaves in the book Philosophiæ Christianæ de anima libri quatuor (1649).

cataloguIng tHE old lIbrary Since 2013, a specialist antiquarian book-cataloguer has been cataloguing the older books in the College’s Old Library.


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CreAtive WritinG WorKshopsevery Wednesday, tucked away in professor lucy newlyn’s room overlooking the front Quad, a group of hall writers meet for a weekly instalment of discussions literary and poetical. the setting’s intimacy is perfect for the format: creative writers from the College bring their work (poetry, prose, dramatic) to read in front of the group, and are then offered constructive, incisive feedback on what they have produced. With between five and twelve meeting each week, the workshop offers a range of feedback

styles and opportunities, without being so large as to be daunting.

the workshop overlaps with the hall Writers’ forum, also started by professor newlyn and stuart estell; writing challenges started on the forum bear fruit at the workshop, and vice versa. Work done at the forum will be collected into the inaugural hall Writers’ and Artists’ Gallery this summer, a coffee-table collection of the finest artwork and writing produced by Aularians. though

A creative writing workshop, in Lucy Newlyn's room

hAll Writers’ foruM

the forum has been pretty lively of late, partly thanks to associate member rose Anderson’s terrific, and hilarious, challenge to write the most boring limerick imaginable. this suggestion captured our collective imagination and spawned a thread of much ingenuity and general high jinx. the winner of the competition was peter King (lecturer in philosophy), whose entry – on the subject of slough – was so spectacularly stultifying that as i write i am beginning to doze off just thinking about it. former principal of the hall, Justin Gosling, wrote one of my personal favourites:

if 2+2=4,then 2+2=4.that's logic, that's logic,that's logic, that's logic,And 2+2=4.

At the time of writing we are completing a collaborative Byronic canto in ottava rima form on the subject of this year's uK General election. perhaps unsurprisingly, there has been a fair amount of swearing. our flash fiction Challenge has also proved very successful, with a large number of entries on the theme of 'passion'.

the ‘reserved Workshop’ section continues to be active – with new works being workshopped sensitively and constructively by members. for those of us too far-flung to be able to attend lucy’s Wednesday workshops in College, the opportunity to obtain feedback via the forum is invaluable, and i would encourage any Aularian who enjoys working collaboratively to join the community.

peter King has stepped down from a stint as ‘forum felicitator’, and lucy and i would like to thank him for his administrative work on the Writers’ forum, as we welcome new team members natasha Walker (1990, english and Modern languages) and Brian smith (1965, english language and literature).

stuart estell (1993, english)

Ghost-WritinG And forWArd looK

Alyn shipton (1972, english language and literature), broadcaster, biographer and jazz historian, gave a fascinating talk on ghost-writing to members of the Wednesday Workshop in february. reflecting on thirty years of experience in this field, he described his collaborations with the guitarist danny Barker in new orleans, with the great jazz trumpeter doc Cheatham, and with British musicians George shearing and Chris Barber. We were treated to clips from interviews, and to a wealth of amusing reminiscences, as well as to some searching analysis of the processes involved in writing his books. Alyn was especially interesting on the ethics of ghost-writing, the importance of empathy, and the need for authenticity. he will be returning to these topics at our hall Writers’ day on 7 november, when he will give a plenary talk entitled ‘inside and outside the subject's life – ghost-writing versus conventional biography’.

other speakers at our third hall Writers’ day, which is to be devoted to life writing in its many forms (autobiography,

biography, memoir, diaries, journals, etc.), will include the novelist and critic Gabriel Josipovici, and poet Carmen Bugan, author of the acclaimed memoir Burying the Typewriter: life under the eye of the secret police. (Carmen will talk about negotiating public and private versions of the past as they emerge from the archive of secret police files, which were kept on her and her family in communist romania.) preparations for the day, which will also involve panel discussions, workshops and readings, are now well under way. All Aularians will be welcome; if you are unable to attend, there will be ways of participating from a distance, through the hall Writers’ forum, where we have already begun some challenges and discussion threads about life writing.

A number of events on a smaller scale have also been organised. for instance, on 8 June, the poet simon Jarvis (Gorley putt professor of poetry and poetics at Cambridge) gave a poetry reading in College, along with two hall poets, dan eltringham (2005, english language and literature) and tom Clucas (2006,

english language and literature). this was a very interesting trio of voices, all three connected through their research on Wordsworth. on national poetry day, we will have an open mic session, and in freshers’ Week, i will be running a poetry surgery (along with a number of colleagues) along the same lines as the one at the research expo. (on that day, i saw 60 ‘patients’ and administered poems as prescriptions for their ailments. the experiment, which was the brain-child of Jenni nuttall (fellow and lecturer in english), proved such fun that it seems worth repeating as a way of initiating freshers to the delights of poetry and the hall Writers’ forum.) please watch out for further events in the news section of the hall writing pages on the College website (www.seh.ox.ac.uk/writing), which i have recently expanded and updated.

Professor lucy newlyn (fellow and tutor in english)

hAll Writers' dAy 2014: CoMMeMorAtion of the first World WAr

Building on the success of the first hall Writers’ day in february 2013, professor lucy newlyn coordinated another celebration of writing at the hall; this time to commemorate the centenary of the first World War. on 6 november 2014 writers from the Aularian community gathered for this shared purpose of reflection, drawing on a wide range of academic and creative disciplines in remembering the war from various perspectives.

Beginning the day was a stimulating lecture by Jeremy paxman (fellow by special election), ‘What World War one did to Britain’, that invited us to consider what the war was like throughout its duration. dr david priestland (fellow

and tutor in Modern history) followed with ‘World War one: the Aftershocks’, analysing the longer term impact and implications of the war, on areas as wide ranging as fashion (the trench coat!) and empires, politics and culture. next came an intriguing panel session, ‘discussing the ethics of War: theology, philosophy, history’, with reverend dr John o’Connor (prior and secretary of studies of Blackfriars) giving a theological, specifically roman Catholic perspective, dr peter King (lecturer in philosophy) a philosophical one and dr Karma nabulsi (fellow and tutor in politics) a historical and political one.

the afternoon offered a series of parallel talks from hall fellows and alumni, followed by performances of poetry and music from stuart estell (1993, english; musician, folksinger and writer), Chris Watson (director of Music at st edmund hall and world-renowned tenor), and others. lucy newlyn read a poem by Aularian tom Clucas (2006, english language and literature) The Sands, Dymchurch (1919), written in response to a painting by dr paul nash in the hall's art collection. the poem speaks of a hope that ‘the earth overlooking all

horrors will ruminate new magic’. this seemed a message of the day – the value of creativity and innovation, of new things, and ways of looking at things, of looking forwards as well as back.

alice clayton (2014, english language & literature), tabitha hayward (2014, english language & literature) and lauren Jackson (2014, english language & literature)

writer in residence

An anonymous donor has pledged over £26,000 to support a five-year ‘Writer in residence’ scheme at the hall. Whoever takes on the role will build on the work of professor lucy newlyn, who has been actively fostering creative writing at the hall, but who plans to take early retirement in 2016.

wRITING NEws

this anthology will include work from numerous students not present at the workshops, its existence is a product of the Creative Writing Workshops, and the tireless and dedicated work done by professor newlyn to support creative writing at teddy hall.

Jack moran (2012, english)


24 25

JCR NEwsfACelift for the JCr

the JCr has been remodelled this year; the main room and the welfare room have been refurbished, and a new kitchen has been installed. A staircase now connects the main JCr to the mezzanine level, currently home to the pool table. this work has been financed by the Amalgamated Clubs fund, which is supported through donations to the Annual fund. discussions about further improvements are still under way, including plans to refurbish the basement games room.

reACh oxford sCholArship

We hope to welcome our first reach oxford scholar to the hall this autumn. this undergraduate scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of current JCr and MCr students, with partial funding from the College. last year both common rooms voted in favour of making termly contributions to a reach oxford fund, to give highly able students from low income countries the opportunity to benefit from an oxford education.

AlternAtive prospeCtus

the College’s official undergraduate prospectus was transformed last year, but this summer we look forward to seeing the JCr’s version. Access officer Chris Williamson (2012, Maths) is project-managing the Alternative prospectus and told us, “for many applicants, an Alternative prospectus can be just as important as an official one - getting a student's perspective is often a real positive influence. however, teddy hall hasn't had an Alternative prospectus for quite a few years (nobody seems to remember the last time we had one!), so we're reviving it this year in time for the summer open days. everything is going to be JCr-contributed, including the writing, design and photography, with contributions coming from all across the JCr. hopefully this will help to draw in even more applications and to project an accurate picture of our diverse community.”

AWArd-WinninG student JournAlisM

this year, two of the hall’s student journalists were awarded prizes by lyse doucet oBe, the BBC’s Chief international Correspondent, who delivered this year’s philip Geddes Memorial lecture. the st edmund hall Geddes prize was won by James elliott (2013, history). his journalistic work has focused on campaigning issues, occupations, the far right and cuts. he is also a member of the national executive of the national union of students and represents disabled students in the uK. he plans to use the prize money to report on the more youthful and more radical elements of the Greek syriza party. the Clive taylor prize for sports journalism was awarded to sam Maywood (2011, ppe), whose writing is ‘attractive and accessible’. he has noticed a lack of interest from oxford journalists in rowing and the boat race – stories which, by contrast, attract immense national newspaper and media interest. he proposes to use the prize money to fund a project on Anglo-soviet scientific exchanges of the 1960s, in addition to completing a uK-based internship at a national paper.

outreACh

the JCr continues to support the hall’s widening access and recruitment work with schools and colleges. twenty-one undergraduates act as volunteer student ambassadors for the hall, and we will shortly be putting together a team of 20 enthusiastic tour guides for this year’s open days. others are attending training sessions aimed at helping them to organise visits to speak at their former schools.

BridGe to Business

in october 2014, JCr students participated in the hall’s 14th annual Bridge to Business (B2B) programme. Also open to MCr students, the programme gives hall students of any discipline the opportunity to learn transferable skills in strategy, finance, marketing and career planning. originally set up by st edmund fellow ian laing (1965, philosophy) and former principal Mike Mingos, the course is taught by Aularian Jonathan reynolds (1976, Geography), with contributions from leading business experts.

Students in the graveyard

Outdoor tutorial

ACAdeMiC AffAirs

one of the biggest draws to this role was the opportunity to get involved with the inaugural st edmund hall research expo, which was a fantastic day! the MCr expo sub-Committee did a brilliant job of making the venues look great, working with members of the sCr to organise activities and displays for each interactive room, and making sure that the day ran smoothly. the six MCr speakers really enjoyed the experience and i am so pleased we were able to provide them with the opportunity to present their research to the wider College community. Along with the next Graduate seminar, there are several events in the pipeline for trinity, as well as making sure everyone feels supported and prepared for the examination season. this past term, i have noticed a number of MCr members organising open seminars within their departments and societies and i hope to advertise these within the MCr so that we can support one another in our studies.

kat hutchinson (2014, Msc in radiation Biology), Academic Affairs representative

soCiAl neWs

our pre-freshers’ Week events in late summer, which we put on to welcome MCr freshers, were a great success, and the new members have forged strong bonds amongst their year group. Annual

black tie events, including our James Bond-themed ‘Casino and Cocktails’ night and Christmas dinner, have proved popular as ever with members old and new. this year's hearne dinner was particularly well-attended by dphil students, who enjoyed the chance to interact with their supervisors in a less formal setting. exchange dinners remain a highlight of each term, as everyone enjoys showing off teddy hall's amazing food and good cheer, and exploring other colleges – such as the oldest library in oxford at Merton and somerville for Burns night.

Jessica davidson (2013, dphil in history) and Jim sayers (2013, dphil in Materials), MCr stewards

neW lGBtQiA+ (lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender, Queer, intersex, and Asexual) offiCer

the introduction of the lGBtQiA+ officer is a great thing for our already excellent MCr. A major part of the role is to improve awareness of the support and events available – there is already a great deal going on across the university but sadly these events are often missed due to lack of publicity. on this note i plan to organise more events based at

the hall, such as informal film nights and talks both by invited speakers and our own MCr members. st edmund hall members are leaders across the board and this area should be no exception. i’m very excited to take up this role and hope to help our lGBtQiA+ student support be a strong example for other colleges to follow.

megan sloan (2014, dphil in infection, immunology and translational Medicine)

WelfAre neWs

the current Welfare officers laura makin and Josh cox (both 2013, dphil in infection, immunology and translational Medicine) organised an hiv awareness event to mark World Aids day and a mental health awareness event. to promote the wellbeing of our graduates, they introduced a termly tasting event of fine leaf teas, and held a ‘fifth-Week-Blues’ massage event, which was well received! MCr members held a charity cake sale in Michaelmas, which raised £100 for tushinde, an organisation supporting young families growing up in the slums of nairobi and of which MCr member claire tully (2011, dphil in infection, immunology and translational Medicine) is a trustee.

froM the president

the MCr has had another fantastic year - completely in step with the forthcoming 50th anniversary of our common room. We have had a great group of graduate freshers this year, and our packed calendar of welfare, social, and academic events is indicative of the enthusiastic community in the MCr. As a result we’ve been able to incorporate a more comprehensive welfare calendar and new pre-freshers’ Week events into our typical annual social calendar. of course, all of this success is due to the hard work of our splendid committee this year, so i will let them talk about the highlights of the year!

david severson (2012, dphil in Clinical Medicine), MCr president

2014’s MCR Informal Summer Photo

Teddy Hall MCR Christmas Dinner

MCR NEws

Philip Chadwick (2014, DPhil Medieval and Modern Languages) presenting at the Hall Research Expo in February 2015

Geddes prize winners with Lyse Doucet OBE

School group taking tour of College


26 27

MUsIC NEwsfrom górEckI to palEStrIna: Hall’S cHapEl cHoIr to tour poland

later this year audiences in poland will be treated to a special repertoire performed by st edmund hall’s Chapel Choir. twenty-two musicians – including an organ scholar who will accompany the singers – will embark on the five-day tour on 1 september 2015. the programme will consist of mostly sacred choral pieces, with some contemporary works, plus organ solos. Adding to their existing repertoire, the choir will perform a piece of music by the famous polish composer Górecki. “We’re also going to do a mass by palestrina,” said director of Music Chris Watson, who has been with the hall since 2012. “you always try to tailor the repertoire to the audiences, creating a programme of music that you think people want to listen to.”

the last two tours have been to pontigny in france, the resting place of st edmund of Abingdon, after whom the College is named. “Going forward we will be touring pontigny every other year, starting in 2016, so this year i wanted to go somewhere different,” said Chris. “We chose poland in part because it offers a new experience for the choir. it has some

beautiful churches and organs, and we will spend much of the time in Krakow which is a vibrant city.”

the choir wish to thank Justin stead (1971, forestry) for his continual support of the choir tours.

Krakow, Poland, is the destination of this year’s Chapel Choir tour

sChedule of perforMAnCes

friday 4 september:evening concert in st Catherine’s Church, Krakow

saturday 5 september:evening concert/mass in the holy Cross Church, Krakow

sunday 6 september:participation in morning mass, Kosciol Arka pana, Krakow

participation in afternoon mass, Wawel Cathedral, Krakow

st edMund to Be CeleBrAted in pontiGny ABBey eCuMeniCAl serviCe

on sunday 10 July 2016, four institutes named after st edmund of Abingdon, former Archbishop of Canterbury, will join together in song in pontigny Abbey, france. st edmund hall students will be joined by singers from st edmund’s school Canterbury, st edmund’s College Cambridge, and st edmund’s College and prep school in Ware, hertfordshire. the service – which will be the centrepiece for our own Chapel Choir’s 2016 tour – will celebrate the life of st edmund, whose final resting place was pontigny Abbey. Aularians are invited to the celebratory weekend, to attend the service and to discover our historic links with the area. the Choir is set to tour the region every other year, to maintain links with the Abbey.

Pontigny Abbey, France, the resting place of St Edmund of Abingdon

hAll’s neW orGAn is the envy of oxford MusiCiAns

early in 2015 teddy hall took ownership of a new organ, which is now housed in the College Chapel and complements the main organ. Commissioned specifically to accompany 17th century english church music, the handmade instrument is designed so that the organist sits with the choir, which is authentic for that style of repertoire.

“it is more appropriate for the size and age of the building,” said Chris Watson, hall’s director of Music. “in 1682 when the hall's College Chapel was being built, purcell was at Westminster Abbey writing wonderful music for strings and small forces. We have some good instrumentalists in College and it provides a good opportunity for them. A lot of the more contemporary pieces – encompassing the last 100 years or so – are just written for choir.”

the purchase of the new organ was made possible thanks to the generosity of daphne Brazier-Creagh, who donated to st edmund hall in memory of her aunt, Miss nancy platt.

the main organ, which still remains in a small cupboard just outside the Chapel, was built in 1980. it was commissioned by the director of Music of the Queen’s College as a practice instrument. “the sound stays in the little box and doesn’t really escape into the Chapel,” said Chris. “the existing organ is appropriate for playing 17th century German organ music, specifically Bach, and it was only meant to be heard by the organist sitting at the keys.”

not only proving an excellent resource for hall students, the new organ is also attracting interest from outside of the College. “it is a real asset. Just this week the director of Music at new College – who is one of the finest organists in the world – asked if he could rehearse on it because they haven’t got one.”

And how does our own director of Music feel when he hears the new instrument being performed?

“i’m quite pleased,” he said. “i love it.”

hAll to host speCiAlist MusiC WorKshops

teddy hall is set to host a series of termly workshops that aim to offer oxford students expert coaching on continuo playing in Baroque repertoire. the initiative is being run by the oxford-based professional orchestra Instruments of Time and Truth, which perform a Baroque and Classical repertoire.

hall director of Music Chris Watson said: “friend of the hall elise smith put me in touch with the orchestra, as these players were interested in teaching and needed a venue. the old dining hall is a lovely place to make music and so the link with teddy hall was forged.”

each workshop, which can accommodate up to 16 attendees, will culminate with a free, public performance showcasing the students’ new skills. they are initially being advertised to university of oxford students, but the organisers hope to widen the scope to include local secondary schools and oxford Brookes university.

“A keyboard player who wants to be an organ scholar, a cellist who wants to learn how to play Bach, or a singer who wishes to learn to perform purcell – they will be accomplished young musicians who will learn specialist style and technique from some of the finest players in europe.”

the initiative will not only benefit our instrumentalists, but will raise the profile of the College as a venue for music and musical training; in addition to the workshops, Instruments of Time and Truth will give an annual concert at st edmund hall.

the first workshop will be announced soon.A neW settinG for teddy BeAr’s piCniC

in trinity term 2015 st edmund hall put its name to a new setting of Teddy Bear’s Picnic. director of Music Chris Watson commissioned teddy hall’s own version of the popular children’s song, because it has become somewhat of an anthem for the College.

the arrangement, by composer Alexander l’estrange, is for a four-part choir and piano, but it can also be sung in unison. l’estrange, who has done

several arrangements for the famous vocal group the King’s singers, put his characteristically witty twist on the score. if published, the setting will be made available worldwide with the hall’s name on top.

the project was funded by francis pocock (1960, Chemistry), who also facilitated an overhaul of the choir music library – making it far more substantive and entirely legal!

The Chapel’s new organ is designed to accompany 17th century English church music

The Old Dining Hall will be the setting for the workshops and concerts


28 29

spoRTs NEwslACrossest edmund hall's mixed lacrosse team were successful for the second year running when they claimed the 2015 Cuppers title. Captain dani huleatt-James (2014, economics and Management) said: "despite starting in a strong group we won our first match against exeter, settling us into the day nicely. our next match against Brasenose (and extras) saw questionable substitutions from both sides until we had an extra four players on for each team. though very overcrowded, teddy hall managed to pull ahead with a generous own goal given to us from Brasenose. this left us at the top of our group and facing Keble in a very competitive semi-final. With Keble having many university players as well as the Blues captain and coach, we had to pull out all the stops, and with some very solid (in every sense) defence we came ahead to win 2-1. in the final we faced Wadham against whom we played a great quality game, with the whole team having improved over the day, to finally win 2-1. it was a great day of inter-college rivalry where teddy hall naturally came out on top."

ruGByAfter finishing third in the league this season, the men’s rugby team once again made it all the way to the Cuppers final, and after a last minute try won the semi-final against new College. unfortunately, despite a gallant performance and undying support from the side lines, Cuppers victory went to age-old rivals Keble, who won 37-11 in the final. steve pilley (2013, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry), JCr sports representative, commented on the campaign: “After an emphatic, last minute win in the semi-final against new College, confidence was high going into easter. however, on the day, despite the hard work put in by the team, we didn’t quite have enough flair to overcome Keble, but we will come back stronger next year! As usual the incredible support throughout the final from the rest of the hall and many old Aularians totally overwhelmed us and i’d like to say many thanks to everyone involved – no other college could expect to have such loyal fans!”

other sportinG hiGhliGhts

• women’s hockey team (joint with Keble) – reached Cuppers final again and drew 1-1 with a combined Queen’s-st hilda’s side. for the second year running, they lost on penalty flicks (2-4)

• men’s football 2nd team – finished third in the JCr reserves first division, and reached the Cuppers reserve teams final where they narrowly lost 1-2 to Worcester

• men’s pool team – won all five of their matches to top their league

• mixed netball team – undefeated in the group stage of Cuppers, beat Magdalen in the semi-final but lost in a close final to Worcester

• men’s hockey team (joint with pembroke) – reached Cuppers quarter-finals, but narrowly lost 4-5 to Magdalen

• women's football team – made the Cuppers quarter-final and cemented

their place in division one (4th) with a

dramatic last game win over joint-top of the table Mansfield road Women

• mixed zorb football team – reached the semi-final of last summer’s first ever Cuppers (a charity event, organised by rAG) before losing 2-3 to Keble (players are encased in inflatable bubbles and then encouraged to bounce into each other as they battle for possession of the ball)

• women’s netball team – competed in the Cuppers semi-finals but were knocked out by Keble

• dancesport team (joint with st John’s) – came 6th out of 20 colleges in Cuppers

• trampolining – hall’s world-champion tumbler, Kristof Willerton (2011, Biochemistry), helped the oxford university trampolining team to win the varsity match

AulAriAn GolfinG soCiety (AGs)Almost 50 AGs members enjoyed an active 2014 season and look forward to welcoming additional Aularians to join them in 2015. As ever, the society is most grateful to Brian Amor (1956, Modern languages), Gerald Barber (1962, Geography), Michael Archer (1957, Modern history), david Ashworth (1964, Jurisprudence), Mike simmie (1963, Geography) and ronnie lamb (1961, Geography) who hosted fixtures at their respective home clubs.

the honorary secretary would also like to record the society’s thanks to the official AGs recorder, Guy Warner (1960, Mathematics), for his invaluable expertise on the calculator.

AGs would be delighted to welcome new members. if you would like to join, please contact Chris Atkinson at [email protected] or 01280 814523.

chris atkinson (1960, Geography), honorary secretary

the friends of st edMund hAll BoAt CluBduring my time with the hall Boat Club, i learnt a great deal more than just how to row. i learnt how to manage my time, manage a (relatively) complex budget, manage and motivate people, win. i learnt self-discipline, drive, determination…the list goes on. these life skills are vital in producing well-rounded young people, the leaders of tomorrow. the pressures of student life are greater than ever today which means that it is important that the friends and supporters of the Boat Club do whatever they can do to ensure that the opportunity to develop these skills is not lost. if this is achieved whilst also sending both hall crews to the head of the river, all the better!

having taken over from richard fishlock (1957, ppe) as chair of the friends Management Committee in october of last year, i am happy to report that the friends of the Boat Club is in great shape. this is thanks in no small part to the tireless dedication of richard over the years. We currently have over 250 active members (a number that we are continually looking to increase) and are implementing a ten-year plan of capital expenditure and fundraising which should set the Boat Club up in perpetuity. the friends recently held a 50-year celebration of the record-beating 1965 winning crew – an exceedingly well attended and enjoyable event.

the Boat Club is also in good shape, with high levels of participation, enthusiasm and commitment from the students. the annual torpids regatta produced mixed success for the hall crews with both men’s and women’s first viiis coming up against some fast crews and suffering some bad luck. it does not appear to have affected the hall spirit however and the crews are now preparing for the summer campaign.

sam griffiths (1999, Metallurgy and the science of Materials), Chair of the friends of sehBC

FIxTurE

Ou Alumni Comp

Match v St John’s (Cantab)

Spring Meeting

Match v Fitzwilliam

Match v Corpus

A.G.M.

Autumn Meeting

Match v Catz, Pemb & Worc

Finale Meeting

MOnTh

March

April

May

June

August

September

October

november

VEnuE

Frilford heath

royal Mid-Surrey

The Berkshire

Berkhamsted

huntercombe

Studley Wood

richmond

Studley Wood

Denham

rESulT4th out of 18 colleges

Down to the last putt but 2nd again!

Atkinson Trophy winner:David McCammon (1961, Geography) honourable draw!

runners-up after several recounts!

Aularian Jigger winner:David McCammon (1961, Geography)

richmond Trophy winner: Michael Archer (1957, Modern history)

Convincing hall victory!

Winner (on one and half knees!): David Ashworth (1964, Jurisprudence)


30 31

JaynE taylor: Hall’S nEw domEStIc burSar

In 2014 St Edmund Hall welcomed Jayne Taylor as its new Domestic Bursar. Jayne, who joined us from a career on the high seas with the cruise industry, tells us about her new role with the Hall, plans for the future, and how her experience as the executive purser on cruise ships stands her in good stead for the demands of an Oxford college.

how do the responsibilities of your new role compare with your work on board ships?

there are a number of similarities... i provide the non-academic services to both students and academics at st edmund hall; from accommodation, housekeeping and catering, to estates management, security and it. An executive purser is the hotel manager of the ship, responsible for the welfare of 3,500 passengers and 1,200 crew. therefore the fundamental hospitality requirements are the same, you are just delivering it to students instead of passengers. they all need to be fed, watered and accommodated.

i also draw on my commercial background in my new role. here at the hall, although academic achievement comes first and foremost, we are a charity-based organisation and need to ensure that we are self-funding. i will strive to maintain and develop a balance between ensuring that i’m providing

for the academics and students, while being as effective as possible in terms of external commercial activity. delivering education in oxford university is expensive, therefore we need a supporting framework that is as efficient as possible.

i am also used to the quirks, challenges and opportunities of working in a tight-knit community!

what drew you to a career sailing around the world?

i ran away to sea in 1997, joining a cruise liner as a junior officer. What was initially a six-month career break ended up as a 12-year career, during which time i worked my way up through the ranks to executive purser.

is life on a cruise ship as glamorous as we might think?

it probably was many years ago, but as laws and requirements have changed it’s become much more demanding. you’re away from friends and family for anywhere between four and six months, working at least ten hours a day, seven days a week. And if an immigration official decides that you need to be up at four o’clock in the morning, then you’re up at four o’clock in the morning! the passengers are very demanding – rightly so given the cost of the holiday – and you have a duty of care for all the crew.

having said that, you get to travel the world, waking up somewhere different every morning. sydney, san francisco, new york, the fjords of norway… i have enjoyed some really iconic sail-ins, plus some of the lesser known places which are fantastic for local food and culture.

do you have any particularly memorable anecdotes from your life at sea?

We did have a situation where we were delayed in Barbados by 24 hours because the us had let off a missile! A planeload of passengers, which we were waiting for, was diverted out of the relevant airspace, causing huge amounts of extra work and lots of angry passengers. i’ve also had to deal with outbreaks of norovirus, which, when brought on-board by a passenger, can spread like wildfire despite rigorous disinfectant routines. i’ve had outbreaks where up to 300 people have been infected!

You mentioned your ambition for an efficient supporting framework for teddy hall – how will you address this?

We are currently working with an external company to develop a long-term plan for managing the estate; by the end of trinity 2015 we will have a rolling ten year strategy for teddy hall that we will be able to budget and plan against. it will allow us to be much more proactive – rather than reactive – in raising and allocating funds to maintain the structural integrity and function of the site, extending the life of our buildings.

are there any specific building projects planned for the immediate future?

teddy hall’s front Quad will be refurbished during summer 2015. the existing stone slabs and concrete – which are broken and uneven – will be replaced with sandstone blocks more akin to the ambience of the peripheral buildings. With a budget of £0.25 million, it will look stunning when it’s finished, but it will also improve access, flexibility and alleviate current health and safety concerns. the culmination of nearly two and a half years’ planning, the project will commence at the end of July, to mimimise disruption to students. But as with any project of this size and intricacy, it will take time – up to 16 weeks – so the works will carry on into Michaelmas 2015.

We are also planning a significant renovation of 26 norham Gardens, part of the hall’s graduate accommodation. this victorian house was converted a number of years ago into bedrooms, all of different sizes, with shared facilities. our intention is to restructure the internal walls and redevelop the bedrooms with full en suite facilities and modern services, while maintaining the external façade of the property. there are also a series of flats to the rear of the property that will be modernised and a garden that will require landscaping.

what are you enjoying most about your new role with teddy hall?

so far, it’s the people. i’ve had some fascinating discussions with academics, students and alumni, learning lots of new things. the role offers such a variety of opportunities to ‘learn on the periphery’, as i am calling it; not least through the academic lectures put on by the hall, such as the Geddes lecture and the World War i Writers’ day.

And i work with a great team; they’re all absolutely committed and dedicated to delivering for the hall. the loyalty to the College is substantial, and there is an overwhelming ethos that we are here for st edmund hall, with everyone doing what they can to make sure that it carries on being what it is.

“The loyalty to the College is substantial, and there is an overwhelming ethos that we are here for st Edmund Hall, with everyone doing what they can to make sure that it carries on being what it is.”

"Here at the Hall, although academic achievement comes first and foremost, we are a charity-based organisation and need to ensure that we are self-funding. "

Graduate accommodation at Norham Gardens will be renovated

The Front Quad

development and alumni relations officest edmund hallQueen’s lane

oxford ox1 4Ar

www.seh.ox.ac.uk

t. +44 (0) 1865 279055

FoRTHCoMING EvENTs

if you would like any further information, please contact kate townsend, Alumni relations officer.

E [email protected]

T telephone+44 (0) 1865 289180

2015sePtember

FRIdAy 18ALUMNI wEEkENd dRINks RECEpTIoN

october

FRIdAy 23pARENTs’ dINNER

november

FRIdAy 20NEw yoRk dINNER

december

THURsdAy 10vARsITy MATCH

2016JanuarY

TUEsdAy 19sEHA LoNdoN dINNER

februarY

FRIdAy 19 FREsHERs’ pARENTs dINNER

march

sATURdAy 26 1976 40TH ANNIvERsARy dINNER

June

sATURdAy 25sUMMER REUNIoN

the aularian, issue 22, 2015

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